The transport ship hurtled through the atmosphere, leaving Uzar behind as the alarms from the facility faded into the distance. But Emce couldn’t shake the image of Uda locking himself inside, making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure their mission’s success.
No one spoke for several minutes, the weight of their loss settling over them like a storm cloud. Finally, James broke the silence.
"We need to regroup. Find somewhere safe. Uzar will be sending ships after us soon."
Zadia nodded. "We can’t go back to the main Kheprian stronghold; that’ll be the first place they search. We need an alternate rendezvous point."
Emily studied the navigational display. "There’s a remote outpost on the dark side of Khepri. Abandoned for years, but it should still have working defenses. We can lay low the
