e smell of sterile m

o piece together her reality. Her body ached. A dull th

mooth was clamped ar

her eyes ope

ent made of a shimmering, silver materia

etallic band encircled it. A tiny green l

nd with her right hand and pulled, digging he

t touc

oke a language that sounded like a mix

mbled backward until her sp

tactical helmet. He held a small, clear tube filled with a visc

her chest. "Stay away from me,

everent look in his green eyes shifted into something that looked

the tent was

man wa

ng the small space. He wore a dark uniform with silver insignia on the collar. His h

Jefferson

His gaze was clinical, sharp, and entirely focused. He assessed her torn clothe

d in his cheek, but his expres

e. He barked a harsh command, calling the man "Kaelan." Kaelan nodded sh

ful distance away from the cot. He tapped the device on his wris

olographic projection of two open, empty hands appeared

pointed to himself, keeping his o

ring, but the sheer absurdity of the situation for

oice trembling. "What do you want f

d his device again. A series of complex visual waveforms

"Jef-fer-son," he said slowly

used finger at her. He raised

e hugged her knees tighter.

es tracking lines of data moving faster than Cassandra cou

't smile, but the hard lines arou

, a blaring, high-pitched siren

ights began fla

eech from outside the tent, his

calm communicator vanished, replaced by a ha

rumbled. It was the same rhythmic thudding she had felt

dropped. The beast

badly she immediately collapsed back onto the c

He closed the distance betw

e turned his back to her and crouched down,

He forced out two heavily a

-ger

gesturing for her

covered in the dark tactical fabric. Anothe

't have

is back. She wrapped her arms tentatively around his

ng. His hands reached back, gripping her thighs firmly to secure her in pla

d with long, purposeful

it Cassandra's

laser fire. In the tree line, dozens of

teadily toward a massive, sleek metallic ship

neck, squeezing her eyes shut. He smelled like o

e she woke up in the mu