The reinforcements moved like clockwork, setting up teleport rods to accelerate the evacuation. Yellow coordinated every move, ensuring her team worked efficiently. The stasis pods, once a daunting, unmoving mass, were now steadily disappearing as rods flared to life, transporting large sections back to the Tempest. But the sheer number of prisoners still weighed heavily on her. For every group evacuated, there seemed to be more waiting to be freed.
"They're coming faster now," Echo observed, her digital form flickering as she monitored the extraction. "But we're still not fast enough."
Yellow barely nodded, her eyes darting to the data terminals where the combat engineer was hard at work, connecting to the Elvanurus system. He crouched over, a fiber optic cable running from his interface to the enemy's terminals. His hands moved deftly over the controls, pulling every last fragment of data from this level's core.
The engineer had estimated six minutes to rip the data, but as the transfer began, his awareness of the battlefield around him started to fade. His focus narrowed, and Yellow could see his body growing stiller, his breathing slowing, his mind slipping further into the flow of data.
His marine escort—four men—stood close, forming a tight perimeter around him. One at each point, weapons at the ready, their eyes sweeping the room for any sign of movement. They were tense but disciplined, their weapons moving in slow, sweeping arcs, ready to shield the engineer from any threat that might break through. They knew the stakes.
"No more reinforcements will be coming," Echo stated quietly, as if reading Yellow's unspoken thoughts. "We're on our own from here."
The weight of the situation pressed heavily on Yellow's chest. She had expected this, but hearing it confirmed made it harder to breathe. They were stretched thin. No more backup. No more support. It was all on them now.
Yellow took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. The noise of the battle faded to the background, and in its place, she let her mind drift—to the ocean. To home. She imagined the vast, endless waters, their currents twisting and churning in a chaotic dance. The ocean was a world of its own—wild, unpredictable, yet teeming with life, harmony, and balance. There was beauty in its chaos, a rhythm to its disorder, and Yellow found comfort in that thought.
The currents of the ocean moved with purpose, even when they seemed chaotic. She pictured the deep blues and greens, the way the water flowed, undeterred by obstacles, the way it carved paths through the rock over time, patient but powerful. The ecosystem of the ocean was in constant motion, just like the battlefield. And like the ocean, Yellow had to find her flow. She had to move with the currents, adapt to the shifting tides, and carve her own path through the chaos.
She opened her eyes, more centered, more focused. The noise of the battle returned, but now it was just a hum beneath her calm.
"We need those rods firing non-stop," she ordered, her voice sharp but steady. "We don't have time to waste."
The teleport rods hummed again as another cluster of pods vanished in a blur of light. But it still wasn't enough. More pods remained. More prisoners trapped in this cold, lifeless place. Yellow's mind raced—every second counted, and the enemy was closing in.
Echo's voice chimed in again, and this time the news was worse. "I've received reports from Black's team. He's losing men."
Yellow's gaze darkened. Black's commandos had been pushed to their limits, and now they were starting to fall. She'd expected as much, but hearing it confirmed tightened the knot in her stomach. Black was still fighting, still holding the line, but his team was breaking.
"Black's not going to be able to hold that line for long," Echo added. "And Pink's team… they're losing ground too."
Yellow's chest tightened. Pink, losing ground?
"Pink's team has fallen back behind the automated platforms," Echo continued. "They're adjusting their sniper perches, but they've been forced to retreat. Enemy forces are pushing hard."
It was worse than Yellow had thought. Pink never retreated unless it was absolutely necessary. If she was falling back, the enemy was pushing them to the brink. It meant things were spiraling faster than any of them had anticipated.
"Red is redeploying personnel," Echo said, her voice laced with tension. "She's stretched thin, moving units wherever they're needed most, but resources are running dry."
Yellow gritted her teeth. They were all fighting on the edge of collapse. Black was losing men, Pink was falling back, and Red was trying to hold the whole thing together with barely enough resources to cover the gaps.
"Status on the engineer?" Yellow asked, her tone sharper than before.
"He needs four more minutes," Echo replied, scanning the data stream. "But he's becoming less responsive. His focus is locked on the transfer."
Yellow glanced at the engineer. His hands moved methodically, but his eyes were glazed over, his awareness of the room around him slipping away as he dug deeper into the Elvanurus systems. He was vulnerable, and they all knew it. But they couldn't pull him out now—not when they were so close to securing the data.
The marines tightened their formation around him, their rifles sweeping the room with renewed vigilance. They would shield him from every direction, four points of defense ensuring no threat would reach him. Yellow could see the tension in their movements—every second they had to hold out felt like an eternity.
"We need this data," Yellow muttered, pacing in front of the rows of pods. "It'll help with the healing process, and it might give us some insight into what the Elvanurus wanted with our people all these years."
Her voice carried a quiet urgency. This wasn't just about survival anymore—it was about answers. The horrors the prisoners had endured, the twisted experiments, and the unknown motivations of their captors had haunted them for so long. Understanding it, piecing together the why, was the key to helping these people recover. And beyond that, it might be the key to stopping the Elvanurus for good.
Yellow's fists clenched as she watched the engineer's fingers work mechanically over the controls. He was close, but time was running out.
The next set of teleport rods hummed to life, another group of prisoners vanishing into the light, but Yellow could feel the tension rising. The rumble of enemy forces approaching grew louder, like a storm gathering in the distance.
Echo's voice cut through the silence again, more clipped this time. "The enemy is breaching the lower corridors. We're running out of time."
Yellow's heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her face calm. The ocean's currents, the rhythm of nature, flowed through her mind, grounding her. Focus. Move with the current. Adapt. Keep going.
"Status on the engineer?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the mounting dread.
"Two more minutes," Echo replied. "He's almost done."
Yellow cursed under her breath. Two minutes. The floor beneath them shuddered again as the sound of enemy forces drew closer. Every muscle in her body tensed, but she forced herself to stay calm. They couldn't leave now, not when they were so close.
The marines guarding the engineer tightened their formation, their rifles scanning the room for any sign of movement. Yellow could see the strain in their eyes, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. They were ready to fight to the last breath if it came to that.
Another set of teleport rods activated, sending more stasis pods to safety, but there were still so many left. Each second felt like an eternity as the noise of the enemy forces grew louder, more distinct.
Echo's voice came through again, this time more urgent. "They're breaching the entry point. We're out of time, Yellow."
Yellow's jaw tightened. Not yet.
She turned toward the marines. "Hold your ground. We stay until the last second. No one moves until that data is secure."
The marines nodded sharply, their grips tightening on their rifles. They knew what was coming, but they weren't going to abandon their post. Yellow stood firm, her gaze fixed on the engineer, willing him to finish.
One minute. The tension in the air was palpable. Yellow could feel the vibrations of enemy movement now, every footfall sending a ripple through the ground beneath her feet.
Echo's voice buzzed again. "Thirty seconds."
Yellow's breath hitched. Come on. Just a little longer.
The first sounds of gunfire echoed down the corridor, followed by the unmistakable clanging of boots on metal. They were here.
"Twenty seconds," Echo counted, her voice calm but fast.
Yellow's heart raced, but she held her position. The marines shifted, their weapons aimed toward the entry point. The tension stretched taut, like a string about to snap.
"Ten seconds," Echo said quietly.
Yellow's grip tightened on nothing, the phantom feel of her twin daggers almost comforting. She could hear the enemy now, just outside the door.
Five seconds.
The lights on the data terminal flashed as the transfer completed.
"It's done!" Echo confirmed. "We have the data."
The engineer slumped forward, barely aware of his surroundings, but the marines yanked him back to his feet, shields raised as they prepared for the oncoming assault. The tension broke as the first enemy soldier crashed through the entryway, weapons firing.
"Move! Get him out of here!" Yellow shouted, her voice commanding.
The marines continued to hold the line, their backs pressed against the corridor walls as more Elvanurus soldiers poured in. The sound of gunfire echoed around them, the clash of steel and plasma filling the air. Yellow knew they couldn't hold much longer.
"Teleport the last wave and get our people out!" Yellow ordered, her voice firm. "Now."
The final group of stasis pods shimmered out of existence, leaving the room empty except for the sounds of battle. Yellow exhaled, relief flooding her for a brief second, but there was no time to celebrate. The enemy was inside, and they had to move.
Yellow's anger surged, fueling her every step. She materialized her twin daggers, the blades humming as they charged with a deadly toxin of her choice. Her body shimmered, blending into the environment as she moved, almost invisible. Silent, precise, she advanced through the chaos, targeting her enemies with the subtlety of a shadow.
She didn't need to strike hard. A light scratch or shallow cut was enough. The poison would do the rest, creeping through the Elvanurus soldiers' systems slowly, unnoticed until it was too late. Her preferred method—leaving them to fight for a few minutes longer, unaware of the toxin coursing through their bodies. By the time they realized, their movements would falter, their vision blur, and death would claim them.
Each step brought her closer to her goal, her movements fluid, her strikes efficient. She grazed skin and armor with surgical precision, delivering just enough toxin to guarantee their demise. The battlefield around her pulsed with danger, but Yellow thrived in the chaos, her fury sharpening her focus.
The soldiers fell in waves, their bodies betraying them long after her blades had passed. Yellow barely paused, moving like water through cracks, her camouflage making her nearly untouchable. Her target was clear—she had to reach Red and the others, and nothing would stop her.
With every cut, every poisoned strike, the path to her team cleared. The battlefield was hers, and the enemy didn't even know it yet.