The automated sentry aimed, its quad shotgun barrels accelerating into a rhythmic spin that signified imminent discharge. Lyra dashed ahead of her squad, an amber flash igniting from her grip as the energy blade extended with a resonating hum - a formidable countermeasure for occasions precisely like this.
Kashima hesitated for only a moment before rushing forward, momentarily grappling with Marco who seemed intent on finding cover rather than confronting this adversary head-on. But something deeper stirred in Kashima - he couldn't define yet whether duty or vengeance guided his feet ahead at this pivotal moment.
As Kashima surged ahead, the strange relic's hum at his side harmonized with the energy pulsing through his marked palm. An involuntary vibration rippled the dust around them - some unseen influence radiating from Kashima's core, revealing itself in occasional ripples of distortion.
The sentry pivoted towards Lyra, automated targeting protocols lining up the first blast directly at the squad leader. But the commander had already dashed several paces to the left, energy blade angled to deflect the impending shotgun volley. Sparks cascaded as the deafening rounds were expertly batted aside, a testament to Lyra's extensive close-quarters combat training.
"I've got this covered!" Lyra yelled to Marco and Kashima while narrowly dodging another barrage from the unrelenting sentry. "Get Kashima to the vault access portal - it's unguarded now." In a surprise move, she extinguished her energy blade, rolling underneath the sentry's legs to re-ignite the crackling sword behind its back in an attempt to disable its weaponry subsystems. Marco nodded and pushed Kashima along through the growing smoke down the main passageway.
"Our commander enjoys confrontation," Marco remarked between hurried breaths. "But her plan has merits - the isotope vault should be accessible now if that sentry was the last line of defense." He eyed the strange distortion aura still enveloping Kashima warily. "What other...skills...might you demonstrate if needed?"
Kashima shook his head, unsure of the abilities his body was exhibiting. He felt only an intense drive to uncover answers here - about this facility, about Lyra's intentions, about secrets in an expanding web only he perhaps had the tools to untangle.
Marco keyed a final access code into the vault portal, forged credentials authenticating his entry. Pneumatic pistons relinquished their pressure locks with a hiss and the foot-thick metal doors slid open.
Inside gleamed row upon row of reinforced reservoirs, red hazard symbols adorning the containment units housing one of the rarest and most unstable fuel sources in the galaxy. Marco whistled under his breath at a payday far exceeding expectations.
Meanwhile, Lyra had unleashed a barrage of strategic saber strikes against the sentry, seeking weaknesses in its heavy armor plating and pivoting around the wide scattergun blasts. Her energy blade carved glowing molten furrows across the robot's surface while programmed self-preservation subroutines sent it lumbering away from continuous damage, fluid dripping in its wake.
"Commander, objective achieved, ready for extraction," Marco updated Lyra over comms. Kashima helped him attach anti-gravity clamps to levitate five of the small but incredibly dense isotope cylinders. But as they exited the vault, powered exoskeletons thundered down the main passage in their direction - an entire corporate security squad responding to the alarms and damage. Marco sighed, swapping his micro grappler for an automatic plasma rifle.
"Oh good, the fun is just starting," he quipped, aiming for the approaching army...
The plasma volleys thundered back and forth, superheated rays sizzling past Kashima's head as he dragged isotope containers behind sheltered nooks in the corridor. He was searching desperately for the dropped relic device during lulls in the fight - perhaps it could provide some advantage against overwhelming corporate forces.
Where had it skidded to when he instinctually bolted ahead earlier?
The squad leader coordinating the attack was bellowing orders to flank Marco's position just as the relic artifact caught Kashima's eye, half-buried in discarded packaging shards near a waste chute. He lunged desperately, his marked fingers closing around the device instantly reawakening that strange energy throughout his nervous system. Electrical crackles arced from his fingertips as control over the sensation still eluded him.
A three-man fire team advanced up Kashima's side passage just then, particle beam rifles sizzling towards his makeshift shelter near the half-buried relic. Sheer instinct took over as he extended his palm, a pulse of distorted force erupting outward, slamming the assassins sideways through a plexiglass partition. Kashima could scarcely believe the incredible power surging through his untrained physiology. But there was little time to contemplate as more guards poured down each access route.
The situation was becoming inescapably dire between the unrelenting security forces and Marco, the isotope score was now threatened. A thunderous blast rocked the entire atrium just then as Lyra burst onto the scene having disabled the rogue sentry. Her energy sword carved molten streaks across two enemy power suits, disabling their mobility functions.
Marco rallied to her position, spraying plasma flechettes at distant troopers attempting to pin them down. But they all knew the clock was ticking before corporate commanders authorized lethal measures to prevent asset loss.
"Lynx transport incoming to your location commander, but it's hot," notified the pilot over encrypted comms. "I'll provide covering fire but can't land for retrieval until you secure the extraction zone." The three regrouped behind a reinforced shipping container as Kashima frantically rolled their hard-fought isotope prize back to relative safety, frayed nerves keeping him hyper focused. This may be his only path off-world now...if he chose to continue aligning with Lyra's dangerous band.
"Here's the play - on my signal, run straight for the Lynx hovering at midpoint in the landing bay," Lyra commanded as weaponized cargo drones peppered their position. "It's going to be hot but we have no alternatives at this point." Through the smoke-filled fray, the exit hatch locks could be seen cycling green for a few precious seconds. They had no choice but to sprint and pray...
"Now!" shouted Lyra. Frenetic energy fire sprayed from all sides as they made their weaving break, the rising transport simultaneously unleashing marked missiles and a chin-mounted rail gun barrage keeping aggressors somewhat at bay.
Marco flung upward a final isotope cylinder underhanded into the Lynx's open hold. But as he turned to lay down cover fire for Lyra and Kashima's final desperate sprint under intensifying enemy barrage, a searing plasma beam pierced the lieutenant's shoulder and he crumpled, cursing loudly.
"Man down - provide suppressive fire on hostile platoon gunning for the transport!" Lyra barked into her comms mic, pausing only for an instant to catch Marco's arm as he stumbled towards her through the smoke.
Through it all the commander kept up precise return fire from her hip-slung submachine pistol one-handed. Her armor might shield her torso but determination alone powered each synchronized movement as Lyra resisted the urge to rush straight for safety.
The drop ship engines screamed dangerously near overheat limits as the pilot struggled to maintain enough lift power for extraction while simultaneously rotating its arsenal of countermeasures toward each new threat. "Commander - you have 10 seconds before I must ascend and cease fire support.
You need to get aboard now!" Kashima couldn't tell if the countdown or enemy ordinance proximity alarmed him more as he leapt over pipeline conduits snaking the hangar floor. He screeched to a halt as Lyra tossed a wounded Marco through the rapidly closing side hatch.
Time dilated to a crawl as the ship's bay platform began slowly lifting off, Lyra still firing plasma grenades below while glancing up with locked eyes that pierced Kashima's very soul.
There would be no repeat offer or chances - in this crystallized instant the scavenger turned savior knew with sudden clarity this marked a final threshold. Whatever fate awaited now hinged upon seizing this moment before all paths closed forever. So he made his leap…
The scene exploded into rapid chaos the second Kashima's outstretched arms smashed into the textured flooring just within the transport threshold. Charged particles missiles sizzled past his dangling legs before the hatch sealed with decisive finality.
Then the Lynx gunship wrenched sideways, its inertia negators straining against g-forces from evasive maneuvers as they barely slipped the closing corporate dragnet.
As Kashima's heart rate began settling, he noticed Marco grimacing through pain nearby but flashing a sardonic thumbs up. Commander Lyra stood above them both, expression unreadable even as dark stains spread slowly across her left abdomen armor plates. Maybe she had escaped a direct plasma blast, but flying shrapnel never yielded…
"Hope you both aren't bothered by some light turbulence," Lyra smirked before her strength too gave way. Kashima lunged instinctively to break the commander's sudden collapse.
As the Lynx gunship raced beyond range of corporate hunter-killers, the squad medic tended to the wounds of both Marco and Commander Lyra. Kashima did his best to stabilize Lyra's condition as she drifted in and out of pained consciousness. The markings on his palm faintly glowed once more in resonance with her fading vitals.
"You're one lucky scav to still be breathing after that chaos," Marco remarked between medic's stitches. "If Lyra sees any value keeping you around, odds are we're vectoring straight for a secret Voltar Compound for whatever she's got planned next…"
He winced as disinfectants were applied before continuing "...which means you'll get to experience Voltar hospitality while our commander decides what to do with you next - whether that means getting assigned your own guest torture suite or something more pleasant if her interest holds. But whatever lies in store, it's better than ending up space dust back there like the rest of those corporate tin soldiers, eh amigo?"
Kashima nodded solemnly knowing his fate now rested completely in the hands of Lyra and her enigmatic intentions. As Marco suggested, the Lynx navigation display showed them locked on approach vector toward a previously undisclosed facility - assumedly this hidden Voltar compound. What awaited Kashima there and whether he'd emerge intact again remained highly uncertain. But the marked scavenger now traveled willingly onward toward the next chapter and unforeseen tribulations.