Most realities showed Linuka halved along her spine when she rolled right. She rolled left. The iiṇawr’s cleaver split soil and steel as unseen force pinned her down, her suit cracking, her breath burning her chest. The canyon stank of death and fire as she dragged herself upright, knowing the pull she felt had only one direction.

The shuttle drops into Tẽlchi’s canyon, marines firing into rising mist as unseen shapes close in. Linuka forces herself to face the last diin, only to realize too late that something far more dangerous is waiting in the dark below.

Lead Analyst Vnoot’s report shatters the chamber’s calm: Linuka Omga and Cha Dzeeny led the strike, escaped with the only working sphere drive, and did so with Dark AI Remnants at their side. As panic rises, Chairwoman Rige Khuksos sees what others miss—a rare chance to turn this disaster into the political opportunity she has been waiting for.