Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
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E.E. pulled up a holographic map from his wrist device. "Two more turns and one more level up. Stay sharp. They might have motion sensors in this sector."
Angy nodded as she prepared to sprint. "Got it. I'll clear the path. Try to keep up."
Before E.E. could respond, she blurred into motion, with a speed that didn't even lewve an afterimage. She darted down the corridor, disabling a surveillance camera with a flick of her hand before pausing at the next junction.
She had been so quick that she wasn't even caught in the camera, almost like she was invisible.
"Clear," she whispered into her comms.
E.E. followed, stepping through a small vortex that opened just in front of him, allowing him to traverse the distance in an instant. He appeared beside Angy, glancing down the corridor to ensure it was truly clear.
"Remind me to never race you," he muttered, earning a smirk from her.
"You'd lose, obviously. Now, let's go."
---
Back in their own vessel, Aildris, Elevora, and Falco monitored the operation closely.
The holographic map of the Alliance ship displayed the positions of E.E. and Angy as small glowing dots, moving steadily toward their target.
"They're making good progress," Aildris noted with a calm tone. "As long as they avoid detection, this should go smoothly."
"If it goes smoothly, it won't feel like us," Falco joked while leaning back in his seat. "Something always goes wrong. It's practically tradition."
Elevora shot him a look as her third eye narrowed slightly. "Not this time. This operation has to be perfect. If we fail, the Gustavo Alliance will know we're onto them, and they'll scatter. It'll take years to regroup."
Falco sighed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, Elevora. I'm just saying. But yeah, you're right. No room for screw-ups."
Aildris leaned closer to the console. "Angy and E.E. are capable. Let's trust them to do their part while we prepare for ours. Elevora, keep an eye on the radar. If the Alliance detects us, we'll need to move quickly. Falco, double-check the ship's cloaking field. We can't afford to be seen."
"On it," Falco voiced while moving to another console.
Elevora's expression softened slightly as she returned her focus to the radar.
---
E.E. and Angy reached the final corridor leading to the control room. The air here was different, charged with a faint static that made the hairs on their arms stand on end.
E.E. observed as his gaze scanned the walls. "There's a laser grid further ahead. We can't just walk through."
"No problem," Angy said confidently. "I'll go through it. You do your vortex thing."
E.E. raised an eyebrow. "You're just going to run past the laser grid? Those things are faster than—"
With a quick strike to his thorax, she incapacitated him, sending him collapsing to the floor.
"Focus on the alarm!" E.E. yelled while opening a vortex in front of a reptilian humanoid aiming a plasma rifle at Angy.
The shot vanished into the vortex, reappearing behind the attacker and striking him in the back.
Angy zipped to the next target, delivering a flurry of blows to the towering, four-armed being. He roared in pain, swinging his massive arms at her, but her movements were too fast for him to track.
She dodged each swing with ease, delivering a powerful kick to his jaw that sent him crashing into a console.
"Nice hit!" E.E. voiced while sidestepping a blast of energy from another attacker.
He opened a portal beneath the attacker's feet, causing them to fall through and reappear upside down on the other side of the room.
The remaining pilots attempted to draw their weapons, but Angy's blinding speed disarmed them in seconds. She tossed their weapons into a pile, which E.E. quickly teleported into deep space through another vortex.
"Control room secure," Angy voiced with steady breaths despite the intensity of the fight.
E.E. moved to the main control panel, typing furiously as he worked to disable the alarm and lock down the engines.
The alarm ceased abruptly, leaving only the sound of the vessel's machinery and distant shouts as more Gustavo Alliance members approached.
"Engines locked. Doors sealed. We're good," E.E. voiced while turning to Angy with a grin.
"Not quite," Angy replied while turning toward the door as it slid shut.
Just before it closed completely, a Gustavo Alliance member slipped through, drawing both their attention.
---
The newcomer was humanoid but covered in glowing silver tattoos that pulsed with energy.
His eyes were an unnatural shade of orange, radiating malice, and his long, dark hair was tied back in a braid that swayed as he moved. He wore a black armor that seemed to buzz with an internal power source.
"You've made a grave mistake entering this vessel," his voice carried an unsettling resonance as he growled. "I am Zaul Renvar, and I will personally see to your demise."
"Yeah, you're going to have to get in line, Zaul," E.E. smirked as he summoned a vortex beside him. "Angy, shall we?"
"Let's do it," Angy shot back, already blurring toward Zaul.
Zaul moved with incredible speed, meeting Angy's charge head-on. Their clash sent shockwaves through the room, cracking the walls and shattering nearby monitors.
Angy struck at his midsection with a flurry of punches, but Zaul's armor absorbed most of the impact. He retaliated with a burst of energy from his tattoos, forcing her to retreat.
E.E. took advantage of the distraction, opening a vortex beneath Zaul's feet. But Zaul anticipated the move, leaping into the air and releasing another burst of energy that disrupted the vortex.
"Clever, but not clever enough," Zaul sneered while lunging at E.E.
E.E. narrowly avoided the attack, opening a series of smaller vortexes to redirect Zaul's strikes. One of Zaul's energy blasts reappeared behind him, striking his armor and staggering him.