STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

we need. ”

Lucien met his gaze. For the first time, Jaris wasn’t just assessing him—he was agreeing with him.

Lucien turned to the rest of the group. “If we’re smart, we can pull this off. But we need enough time to reprogram the system. ”

Lyra stepped closer to the projection, tracing a path along the map with her finger. “We split into two teams.”

She looked up. “Team One infiltrates the control room to rewrite the display. That’s Lucien, Corin, and me.”

She shifted to Jaris. “Team Two secures the perimeter and keeps the Stewards off our backs. That’s you, Harun, and whoever else we can trust to hold the line.”

Jaris nodded, stepping forward. “The control room is here.” He pointed to a specific node on the hologram. “It’s secure, but not impenetrable. We can get you close enough to the entrance. After that, it ’s on Lucien to crack the locks and bypass the safeguards. ”

Harun leaned in, his expression sharp. “And if things go south?”

Lyra didn ’t hesitate. “We improvise.”

Her eyes swept the room. “But the message goes out. No matter what. Even if it’s the last thing we do.”

Lucien ’s body tightened, but he nodded. “We’ll make it work.”

No one said it, but they all felt it —this wasn’t just another mission.

This was the moment everything changed.

***

As the group began to disperse, Jaris stayed near the hologram, his fingers resting on the edge of the table.

Lyra caught the hesitation in his stance and stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You okay?”

Jaris glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “This mission… it’s going to make a lot of noise. I’m not sure the city’s ready for what comes after.”

Her tone lighter than usual. “Are you?”

He hesitated. “The truth is, I don’t know. I believed in AstroSYS once. Thought it kept people safe.” His voice dropped slightly. “Now, I don’t know what to believe. ”

Lyra studied him before resting a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re doing the right thing.”

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