“Your crew has given their fealty to me. They are loyal to me now, and me alone,” Nor declared, her voice ringing out over all. The droids hovered closer, filming the three girls from all angles. Valen could just imagine the look on Andi’s face when she saw her crew. Alive, and well, but no longer hers. It would hurt her more than any weapon ever could.

Triumph flared in his chest at the genius of his plan.

Nor motioned for the girls to kneel. Valen could feel the dedication pouring off them in waves, see the adoration in their eyes just before they knelt, heads bowing low before their queen. All of them, once mighty soldiers as free as the stars, now fully in bondage to a new leader. So perfect was their commitment to her that they had freely offered up their lives.

Nor lifted her chin in challenge. “Pay close attention, Androma, for I will only say this once. You have three days’ time to arrive at Averia, ready and willing to hand yourself over to me without defiance. Should you fail to arrive on time... I will slaughter your beloved crew, one by one by one.”

Nor smiled as she finished her demand, looking beautiful as a rose. The droids closed in, red lights blinking on their fronts to show that the message had gone out, loud and clear, across the galaxy.

Androma would hear it. She would come, without a doubt, the moment she saw the feed.

Well done, Valen thought to Nor.

Her answer was just filtering back through their link when a sudden cry overtook it.

“ARACHNID LIVES!”

The scream cut through the crowd like a bullet.

Valen’s gaze fell away from his sister as he searched for the source of the words.

Then the world turned to fire as a bomb exploded into the night.

Valen was blasted off the stage by the power of it, a sudden force of wind and dust that had his back slamming into the pavement below. The air rushed from his lungs in a single breath.

He was vaguely aware of his body twitching, his legs numb beneath him as he saw the source of the bomb. Half of the Academy building was gone, the glass structure destroyed in the explosion, like it had never existed at all. Smoke poured from the gaping hole in the pyramid, the world beyond it quickly disappearing as the thick black clouds poured into the city streets.

Valen gasped, trying to stand, but he couldn’t see through the smoke. He couldn’t see. Pain lanced through his body as he tried in vain to catch his breath. He was suddenly back in Lunamere again, before Nor had come to save him. Before he’d chosen to save himself. In his mind, he only saw darkness, and cells lining the sides of an endless black hallway.