13 ThomarThe Hive prison ship appeared before our shuttle, looming in the pilot’s view screen like a giant wall rushing toward us. With an expertise I admired, the Prillon warrior activated some kind of stealth technology I’d never seen before—another thing I would discuss with Helion later—and slipped our rescue team into an empty cargo bay without being detected. A second craft followed, this one a bit larger and capable of taking back any prisoners we managed to free. I checked Danika’s armor one more time. Varin had done an excellent job, the armor we’d adapted for our personal use fit her like a second skin. She had asked for a small weapon and Varin and I agreed she needed to be able to protect herself. He had crafted an ion blaster that fit her palm perfectly and a knife that woul

