The next day came, and while Jason loaded our supplies onto the ship in the underground hangar, I was busy fitting Andromeda's back with a multi-missile launcher capable of holding twelve rockets. Slotting the rectangular weapon of war into place just beneath his neck and between his shoulder blades, I stepped back and asked, "How's that, Andy?"
[Commencing diagnostic check... Check successful. No errors reported with added hardware.]
Stepping forward, Andromeda rolled his shoulders, and the missile launcher smoothly folded beneath his armour. [Upgrade successful.]
"Hmm." My gaze drifted over the array of available upgrades, lingering on a pair of compact auto-cannons. I tapped the display, an asked, "What do you think about these? They'd help us punch through heavy armour at a distance."
Andromeda studied the weapons before picking one up. [Heavy-duty... definitely viable, but chances to resupply will be scarce, Pilot. My CIF3 flame launchers, while shorter in range by comparison, are an estimated 83% more effective in mid-range and enclosed combat.]
"You're right, but I'd like something we can rely on for emergencies at long range. The hyperthermic railgun only has four full-charge shots per mission, and its rapid-fire mode barely dents heavy enemy combatants. When it comes to other knights, we have to rely on your swords."
"You could try getting a new railgun," Maya suggested, her voice carrying down the stairs as she entered the hangar. "It's been two hundred years since you were last active, right, CK-14? Hasn't tech advanced enough for a major overhaul?"
[Negative, Engineer Maya. My functions remain at optimal performance, even by this era's standards. Many advancements have stagnated over the past two centuries. My core components were designed to withstand the extreme cold of my fusion core and the heat it expels, and my systems remain highly advanced compared to current models.]
"In that case, ditch the CIF3 canisters and use the heat from your core instead," Maya suggested. "It won't be as destructive, but it could function like napalm—or a standard flamethrower."
[Calculating.]
As Andromeda processed the idea, Maya turned to me, tapping my shoulder. "Nicole said she'll be down in a minute. How's the upgraded gear? Boost-pack and helmet working fine?"
"They're great. Thanks again, Maya. I tested them this morning, and they're already an improvement over what Andy and I originally built." I lifted my helmet and patted the boost-pack secured at my waist.
"Good. What about the battle armour?" Maya adjusted one of my metal pauldrons. "It should be snug—extra plating for bullets, padding for explosion resistance. Can't add more without limiting movement."
"It's perfect as is. And the grapple-glove you added is more than enough." I held up my left wrist, flexing my fingers to test the new attachment. "I'd be asking too much if I wanted more. You've already done so much for me."
"It's fine. I actually made it for Tony, but he said it wasn't his style. You, though? I think it suits you." Maya pointed a warning finger at me. "Just be careful with the tug. You don't want to dislocate your shoulder."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh, and one more thing—it's got a prototype camouflage cloak. If you get the chance, let me know how well it holds up. Just snap and vanish."
Curious, I snapped my fingers, and suddenly, my body flickered, turning translucent. A grin spread across my face. "This is incredible."
I snapped my fingers again, and the reflective cloak disengaged, revealing my body and scarf once more.
"Yo!" Nicole's voice rang through the hangar as she hopped down the stairs. "I'm packed! We good to go?"
Jason, securing the last crate of supplies, gave a thumbs-up before heading into the ship.
"I'll be there in a second," I said as Nicole made her way up to the platform. Turning back to Andromeda, I asked, "Andy, how are we looking?"
[Calculation complete. I apologize, Engineer Maya, but your suggestion is not viable. Redirecting expelled heat in such a manner would reduce thrust efficiency for my flight systems. I would lose 62% of my aerial mobility.]
Maya crossed her arms, unfazed. "I'll keep thinking on it. Doubt I'll find a better solution, though."
"Okay. Thanks again for your help. See you later, Maya. Let's go, Andy."
Andromeda's towering frame began to fold in on itself, shrinking smaller and smaller until he condensed into the compact brick secured at my belt.
I ascended the platform and entered Jason's ship through the aft ramp. As soon as I stepped inside, the ramp lifted behind me, sealing shut. Weaving through the narrow aisle lined with crates of supplies, weapons, and ammunition, I made my way to the next section of the ship—a compact but functional living quarters.
"Pick a compartment and relax," Nicole called from the highest bunk in the triple-stacked bed she had already claimed. "It's going to be at least half a day before we cross into the Greyrot Quadrant and leave the central sectors. After that, we've got two days until our first stop. Better have something to kill time with."
"Which is in Freiheit-controlled territory," I muttered, tossing my small bag onto the middle bunk below her. I scanned the room—surprisingly cosy despite its size. A small sofa and table sat off to one side, along with a compact kitchen. Beyond the living space, I could see Jason prepping the cockpit for take-off.
"Why has the Empress waited until now to deal with them?"
Nicole lowered her gaming device and shrugged. "They dug in deep back when the old Emperor was still on the throne. Plus, most of their forces are holed up at the farthest edge of Greyrot."
"Makes sense," I admitted.
"That, and their leader is one of the most evolved, dangerous, and intelligent AIs the galaxy's ever seen." Nicole paused, tilting her head. "You remember what I told you about Freyt, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Over sixty years ago, he went rogue and started a war that cost three million lives on Palace-World alone."
Nicole waved her hand in affirmation. "Yep. And he's got an army of robots, all synced up to a hive mind of AIs doing his bidding—along with some humans, for whatever reason, plus a handful of traitor knights. As long as we don't stick around on one planet too long, we shouldn't get caught. Even if we are, the bots will probably be too busy dealing with the war against Nymphas to worry about us."
"Let's hope so." Leaving Nicole to her game, I made my way to the cockpit and dropped into the co-pilot's chair beside Jason. "All green?"
"We're good for lift-off." Jason pressed a final button, and the platform beneath the spaceship rumbled to life, shifting down a reinforced steel tunnel before rising into a vertical silo.
As the ship ascended into a forest clearing, its three thrusters ignited, roaring to life with a burst of blue fire. Hovering just above the treetops, Jason gripped the twin joysticks at his sides and pushed them forward. With a forceful jolt, the ship surged skyward, tearing through the atmosphere. A few moments later, we had jettisoned free from the planet's gravity and were accelerating into the vast depths of space.
"Ship, plot course for Yurioc-XV," Jason commanded. A series of beeps echoed in response before a black screen between us flickered on, displaying a map of the galaxy. The view shrank, zooming in to our current location and the route to our destination within the Greyrot Quadrant's third sector.
"Watch how you fly, jackass!" Nicole's voice rang from behind, her back now pressed against the wall that supported the bunk beds.
Jason ignored her, making a few final adjustments as I studied the flashing indicators and displays before me. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "You ever flown a spaceship before?"
"Can't be too different from piloting a knight," I replied, tearing my gaze away from the blinking lights to meet his. "What class is this vessel? Hauler? Racer? I can't tell."
"Infiltrator. A mix of both," Jason answered. "Big enough cargo space for long-term supplies, fast enough to outrun pursuers, and equipped with radar disruptors to stay off detection grids. Downside is, it's fragile if the shields go down."
He finished setting up the autopilot, sighing as he leaned back into his seat, watching distant stars streak past. Ahead, a glowing electrical gate floated in the void—one of the many warp rings used for accelerated travel between a quadrant's sectors. It would take a moment to charge.
As the ship drifted into position, waiting for the warp ring to activate, I turned to Jason. "Tell me, are there set squads within Rogue Raven? Who were your team members before Nicole and me?"
Jason rested a hand atop a nearby lever. "The teams are mostly set. Nicole and I have always been a pair, but our third slot rotated between Valerie, her brother, or Tom—whoever fit the mission best. Usually, it was about who would be our bodyguard and hunter in the field, but you might be taking that spot permanently now. The commanders are typically with us too, but last time was a rare exception since the mission wasn't too dangerous."
That piqued my curiosity. "Huh. So what kind of missions do the commanders and the general take on, then?"
"Anything that requires brute force. Strategic demolitions, commander assassinations, full-scale battles—exactly the kind of work you'd expect a twenty-to-thirty-foot walking weapon of mass destruction to handle," Jason said matter-of-factly. He shot me a smirk. "You said it yourself, Firefly—knights aren't exactly known for their silence."
I huffed, unable to argue. He wasn't wrong.
"Make sure you're strapped in this time, Nicole!" Jason called over his shoulder as the warp ring flared to life, crackling with energy.
As the light pulsed orange, Jason thrust the lever forward. In an instant, the ship catapulted forward, swallowed by the warp. The initial jolt hit twice as hard as breaking atmosphere, pressing me into my seat as streaks of purple and white light stretched into a luminous tunnel, guiding us toward our target.
Once we reached a steady velocity, the torque lifted, allowing me to breathe freely again.
"Autopilot's got it covered until we reach Greyrot's third sector," Jason said, standing and stretching before making his way toward the ship's small living quarters. "After that, we'll have to fly manual to avoid enemy patrols."
I unbuckled, rolling my shoulders to shake off the weight of the jump.
Jason clapped a hand on my shoulder as he passed. "Get comfy, Firefly. It's gonna be a few days before we set foot on solid ground again."
***
Staring up at the sky, I watched the vapor and smoke trails left behind by Jason's ship slowly dissipate into the wind. The last traces of their departure, vanishing as if they'd never been here. Yet, in my head, Firefly's words from last night still rattled around, refusing to fade so easily.
It didn't sit right with me.
"You miss her already, Evan?" Dan's voice broke my thoughts. He adjusted his glasses, watching me with an amused expression. "I know you're the one who brought Firefly in and all, but you really shouldn't be getting so attached."
I ignored his teasing. "Where's your sister?"
Dan exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Valerie's crying in her room now that Firefly's left. Only said goodbye to Maya before taking off." He checked the time on his phone and sighed. "I'll be heading out soon with Tom and Valerie for our mission. You house-sitting with Maya this time?"
"Yep. Gunna be boring as hell with just the two of us."
Silence settled between us, but the thoughts nagging at me wouldn't leave, so I let them spill. "Hey... last night. The vice-commander and newbie talked. Firefly said something about experiencing hate since she was born." I ran a hand through my hair, frowning. "I don't know why, but that's been rattling around in my head all morning. If that were really the case, I'd expect her to be more... crazy, like Valerie. No offense."
"None taken. It's a miracle she didn't kill me in the womb." Dan shuddered, glancing behind him to make sure Valerie wasn't listening. "My guess? It's because she's an AKP. Half their brain is enhanced with electronics, so some emotions—like anger—might be... dulled. If you really want answers, you should ask Evelyn and Connor when they finally get back. They've probably put a bunch of AKPs back together before."
I mulled over his words. "Yeah... yeah, you got a point." But it still didn't sit right. "It just confuses me. She seems so... normal. Innocent, even. And yet, she said that about herself. Like it was a fact she accepted. I'd expect someone with that kind of past to be—hell, I don't know—colder? More jaded? But she's calm. Focused. And for a girl who's supposedly half-machine, she's more emotional than I would've thought." I kicked at the dirt, unable to shake the unease coiling in my gut. "She called herself defective. Said she was used to being hated. I'm guessing that's what had the vice-commander so shaken at dinner last night too."
Dan nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Yeah, I caught that. That was weird." He shuddered. "I've never seen the vice-commander look so furious before! Or was she just... focused? It's hard to tell with her. Her face is impossible to read. That's why the commander and general always lose against her in poker."
I smirked at that but couldn't disagree. "Yeah, no one ever knows what she's thinking." I fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "Anyway, guess I might as well help with the garden Firefly started. That little drone she left behind can't do everything, and I've got nothing but free time now."
Dan scowled. "Lucky lazy bastard."
I just waved him off, turning away as he watched me go.