STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

Jaris nodded, but his expression didn’t change.

***

Lucien barely noticed when Lyra set a steaming cup of coffee and a ration pack beside him.

He was hunched over the console, eyes scanning the data stream, fingers hovering over the controls.

Lyra pulled up a chair, settling alongside him. “You’ve been at this for hours. You ’re going to burn out before we even get there.”

Lucien didn’t look up. “If I don’t get this right, we won’t have a mission.”

Lyra leaned back, crossing her arms. “You’ve already gotten it right. You’ve run the numbers a dozen times. There ’s no magical error waiting to be found.”

Lucien hesitated, sitting back in his chair. “I just… it has to work, Lyra. If it doesn ’t—”

She cut him off. “It will. You will make it work.”

Her voice was steady, but there was something in her tone that made him really look at her.

“You sound awfully sure about that,” he murmured.

She placed a hand on his cheek, thumb grazing his skin. “I am. Because I’ve seen you do the impossible before. This is no different.”

Lucien ’s lips twitched into the faintest ghost of a smile. He picked up the coffee. “Thanks.”

Neither of them spoke, the chaos of the safehouse fading into the background.

***

Jaris stood before the gathered rebels, the holographic blueprint of the celestial grid facility flickering above the table. He pointed to key locations on the map, his voice calm and precise.

“The control room is here, on the upper level. It’s secured by biometric locks, but there are blind spots that will get us close enough to breach the entrance. Lucien will handle the rest.”

Harun, frowned. “And the patrols? What about automated defenses?”

Jaris switched the display, revealing red tracking lines overlaying the facility. “Automated defenses trigger on movement. If we stay within the blind spots, we can avoid them. Once inside, the sensors won’t be an issue—but the

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