Cassian awoke to the sound of the morning light. It had been some time. Today, however, was the day TEC planned to launch their attack on North Point.
Since the time he had discovered Kingston's rash plan, he had immersed himself in his own silence, deliberately isolating himself from TEC's operations and ignoring the increasingly frantic messages from Nia.
Each time he received a ping on his device, her name lit up the screen, but he remained resolute, unwilling to engage. Her intentions were still not something he trusted, and until he could decipher what was happening, he needed to maintain his distance.
The decision to return to North Point was inevitable. He needed to head to the site since his mother was there, and he wasn't about to sit idly while TEC put her in harm's way.
After donning a jacket, he made his way toward the area.
Inside, the halls were filled with much more activity as technicians moved about. The tech depot didn't hold the sterile vibe of a laboratory; it was illuminated with glowing graphs and data displays populating the monitors that lined the walls.
Cassian caught sight of his mother, Yara, deep in conversation with colleagues. When she saw him, her smile brightened. He approached her, and she enveloped him in a warm embrace despite others.
"I'm so glad you came!" she exclaimed. "It's been too long since we spent time together outside of your cramped apartment. I was starting to worry you'd forgotten all about me."
There was a lightness in her voice, one that hinted she knew nothing of TEC's plans.
"I felt like I should be here, is all," he replied, keeping his tone equally as light.
He wanted to ask her if she knew who the Ethereal Covenant were, but, instead, he fell into step beside her as they moved deeper into the facility. The guards and techs alike parted without question; they'd recognize both mother and son without hesitation.
As they passed through the security doors, they entered a quieter room filled with monitors displaying live data, operations metrics, and communications.
The glow illuminated Yara's face. If they hadn't been blood, he might have felt like an intruder.
"So, what inspired you today?" she asked, glancing at the screens before focusing back on him. "What made you decide to help me right now?"
Cassian was almost caught off-guard by her question. Instead of answering, he deflected, "Is it so wrong that I wanted to spend time with my mother at work?"
Yara gently chuckled, saying, "Not at all. But a mother's intuition is rarely wrong..." She paused, looking at him with concern. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, of course. I don't plan to abandon the people of Zephorya again," he addressed.
The truth was far more complicated—he cared more about the governance than the denizens he was destined to protect.
Yara looked at him thoughtfully and softly urged in a maternal tone, "Just be careful, okay? I worry about you a lot, you know."
"Of course, mom," he said, nodding. "You should focus on your work. I'll keep out of your way."
With a quick smile, she nodded and turned to her consoles.
He stepped away from his mother, giving her space as he ambled toward the control center housing the supercomputer he had accessed before.
Entering the chamber, he approached the machine. He recalled the satellite loophole mentioned in the analysis—a laser connection that was hardly ever used.
He maneuvered through the security rigors, bypassing the hurdles that typically hindered access for anyone outside of command, and inputted the coordinates of TEC's operational base—the location where Kingston's planned assault would originate.
As he executed the command, he fired the pulse laser that shot through the atmosphere, targeting the ground near Kingston and his men.
After confirming the message had ventured beyond, Cassian quickly cleared all traces of his usage from the system. He then turned and swiftly retraced his steps out of the control center, hoping things went according to how he envisioned.
Back at TEC's encampment, Kingston paced like an animal with a high temper. There were many of his men around him, wondering what had him agitated on such a big day.
"Where is Cassian?!" he roared. "That coward's been hiding while we prepare to strike!"
Nia stood at the edges. She cautiously approached him, trying to calm him down.
"Perhaps something came up," she said, attempting to placate him. "We should disband for today. Focus on—"
"That's bull!" he said, cutting her off with rage. "He's terrified! A traitor and nothing more! While we put our lives on the line, he skulks as the son of what we stand against!" He slammed his fist against the wall, rattling it. "I say we go on the attack regardless!"
Nia felt a sense of foreboding. If Kingston acted too hastily, it would unleash violence against the very people who could help them enact change.
"Listen to me," she said, "you have to be careful. We're outnumbered; you've seen how fortified North Point is."
But Kingston's fervor was unyielding.
"They'll remember old Kingston as a hero today! When this is over, we will be the victors! Rally everyone! Witness how we demonstrate our might for the Ethereal Covenant!"
As his speech went through the ranks, the men in attendance cheered, driven by their zeal to support their leader. Most of them, however, were being controlled by his Band.
To them, his words were everything—they'd fight in whatever capacity he wanted them to.
But Nia watched with a sinking feeling as his charisma wrapped the crowd. How could Cassian have betrayed them now of all times? Why hadn't he shown up?
Just then, a flashing red light illuminated the air between them, drawing everyone's attention. It was a warning of some sort.
Kingston whirled around in frustration, ready to dismiss what he believed was yet another distraction. But when the light faded, they were met with a strange sight on the ground: scorched markings etched into the earth beneath them.
Nia knelt down, inspecting the burn patterns with a growing alarm. This wasn't a mere natural phenomenon—it was on purpose.
"Look!" she cried as Kingston moved closer, confused. "It's a message! There are words written in the ash!"
Kingston squinted at the symbols, but he couldn't decipher it.
"What am I supposed to do with this nonsense?" he asked.
"I can read it..." she revealed. "This was a message from Cassian." She then traced the poorly burned outlines. "It indicates where we should attack North Point from!"
Kingston stood rigid and in disbelief. "How do you know this?!"
"Because," she blurted out, "those were my messages. The ones I sent to Cassian! I thought they had gone unread or something!"
Kingston finally grasped the implications. "That sly dog—he's got some weird tricks!"
Nia connected the dots. In an instant, she knew Cassian hadn't removed himself entirely.
If Kingston was angrier than ever, then North Point wouldn't simply endure another attack; it would become a battlefield for them to advance in, she believed.
"Kingston, listen to me!" she cautioned. "We need to rethink our entire strategy. If we don't move on Cassian's message, we could be walking into a trap."
"Well, duh!" he said, considering her beneath him.
His attention was lost; he was already rallying the men, commanding them for battle.
With each cheer and pledge of commitment around him, Nia felt a creeping sense of dread despite Cassian's message. They were still likely rushing headlong into a slaughter if she didn't hear from him again.
As Kingston prepared them to march on North Point, Nia knew she had to find a way to intervene somehow. Cassian had sent a warning; it was her duty to ensure it fell into place. Because if she didn't follow it, Kingston was sure to lead them into a ditch.
She could only hope that this wasn't the only thing Cassian had left behind.
As they headed onward toward the entrance he had instructed them, Nia wondered about that warning.
She had told Kingston what only some of the words on the ground stated, for the latter didn't know what exactly she had been trying to message Cassian. Because Kingston had responded so aggressively and not like a leader, she decided to keep the remaining encryption to herself.