The Sapphire Halo wasn’t built for subtlety. It glowed with the kind of artificial luxury that tried too hard—gleaming marble floors, ambient jazz leaking from invisible speakers, and a suspicious lack of dust. Everything screamed comfort. Nothing whispered safety.

“This place gives me anxiety,” Brinn muttered, adjusting his borrowed vest.

“It gives me debt,” Ramm added, eyeing the room service menu. “These pillows cost more than my last ship.”

“That's because your last ship was built from vending machines and bad ideas,” Pepe whispered.

The crew had split up to blend in. Jarek claimed a corner seat at the bar, eyes scanning over the rim of his glass. Brinn lurked near a decorative fire fixture, scowling like he had a personal vendetta against interior design. Ramm tried to “hack” the minibar. Pepe had disguised himself as a coat rack, which he insisted was both stylish and strategic.

Sai, meanwhile, was already inside.

Sai crouched in the inn’s upper ductwork, veil pulsing faintly around him. Shadows bent to him, reluctant to let go. Below, the world moved unaware-too slow, too loud.

His breath came slow. Focused. He watched as a slender man in a crisp black-and-gray uniform entered Room 304 - Duras, the incoming officer. New to Ashalara. Unfamiliar with the facility’s inner ring.

Duras was sharp-featured, maybe late twenties, with a uniform that looked freshly pressed and barely worn. The emblem on his shoulder marked him as a junior officer—but his posture said he hadn’t earned it yet. A sleek datapad hung from his belt, flickering with unread messages.

Sai noted the standard-issue sidearm, the polished boots, the nervous glances. New blood.

Perfect.

Sai trailed him like smoke.

Duras unpacked slowly, muttering to himself, glancing at a datapad. Every twenty minutes, he left the room—for drinks, food, or, most reliably…

The third bathroom trip was the one Sai chose.

Duras stepped into the pristine hallway restroom.

Sai slipped in behind him.

The officer didn’t notice until Sai’s blade was drawn and leveled at his throat.

Duras screamed.

Sai Lunged – and slipped. Hard

The floor was slick, the sound ungraceful.

THUNK

Dagger skittered. Pride followed

Duras bolted.

Pain flared. Instinct kicked in.
He didn’t choose it-he never did. Time fractured, and he blinked-two seconds rewound.
Blood still roared in his ears as the moment reset. Not control. Not magic. Just survival burning too hot in his bones.This time, he sidestepped the puddle and cracked Duras across the jaw with the blunt of his dagger. The officer slumped, unconscious.

Sai took a breath.

Then the door burst open.

“Seriously?” Jarek barked, stepping in. “You couldn’t wait five minutes?”

“I did wait,” Sai said calmly, sheathing the blade. “Then he slipped and made a scene.”

“You slipped.”

“Details.”

Brinn appeared behind Jarek. “Uh… guys?”

From the hallway, two uniformed soldiers were approaching. One already reaching for a comm.

“Time to go,” Brinn growled.

Pepe’s voice buzzed in their ears. “Heads up! Room sweep on the way. You’ve got sixty seconds or someone’s getting towel-snapped into next week.”

Ramm appeared from behind a stall door, holding a plunger like a weapon. “I found this!”

“No,” everyone said at once.

The two guards burst into the doorway.

Brinn met them with a burst of heat that scorched the tile. Sai lunged into one with silent fury. Jarek dragged the unconscious Duras into the stall and slammed the door shut.

“What’s the plan?” Ramm yelled, swinging wildly with the plunger.

“Same as always!” Jarek shouted. “Improvise and hope!”

Brinn crouched beside Duras, quickly stripping off the officer’s wristband scanner and scanning his badge. “These’ll help us fake his clearance.”

Ramm snatched the badge. “Let me hold it. I feel important already.”

“You look like a confused bellhop,” Pepe muttered, zipping by overhead.

Pepe cut power to the floor. Lights flickered. The team escaped through a laundry chute.

As they slid into the laundry chute, Pepe buzzed alongside them.

“Remind me to plan the next infiltration. Step one: no toilets.”

Brinn carried Duras. Ramm complained that he dropped his plunger. Sai moved ahead to clear the street.

By the time the inn’s emergency systems rebooted, they were gone.

Back inside the Hollow Flame, the rebel base thrummed with quiet urgency. Dim lights cast long shadows across the metal walls as Brinn heaved the unconscious Weaver officer onto a grated bench, binding his arms with scorched cord.

Arden stood nearby, arms crossed beside a cold, flickering data console. His expression unreadable.

“You got him,” he said, voice low.

Jarek wiped blood from his mouth, exhaling sharply. “We got him. Along with a few cracked tiles, a broken lav door, and a guaranteed one-star rating at the Sapphire Halo.”

Sai stepped forward, dropping the officer’s ID card onto the table. “Duras. Mid-tier clearance. Not high enough to access the sealed levels.”

“Then we use him for something better,” Arden replied. “You’re going in. Through the front. Wearing his name.”

Sai’s eyes narrowed. “We?”

Brinn stepped forward beside him, cracking his knuckles. “You’re not pulling a solo act this time.”

Pepe zipped into view, a little higher than usual, projecting a smug grin. “Operation: Subtle Idiocy is officially a team mission. With zero toilets involved. Hopefully.”

Jarek crossed his arms. “Ramm can pull off the disguise. Brinn plays the muscle. Sai shadows them inside.”

Arden nodded. “Then go. Before they realize someone’s missing.”

Jarek checked the bindings one more time. Brinn adjusted the collar of the officer’s coat now draped over Ramm’s shoulders.

The team moved toward the hangar in practiced silence—no fanfare, just the sharp quiet that came before action.

Behind them, the unconscious officer stirred faintly on the bench, groaning as the sedative wore off.

Pepe’s eyes flickered. “Looks like sleeping beauty’s waking up.”

Brinn cracked his knuckles. “Good. I’ve got questions.”

Sai, already at the door, spoke without turning.

“Let’s make sure he talks.”

And behind him, the war began to breathe.