"Do not get trapped protecting the evacuation route," he said. "If their fleet returns in strength, move the transports first and keep open space between you and the planet."
"I understand."
"And Solenne?"
"Yes?"
Aurelian gave her a small smile.
"I trust you."
Her expression softened, though only for a moment.
"I will not disappoint you."
The channel closed.
Aurelian continued into the hangar.
The shuttle had already been prepared. It was heavily shielded, fitted with electronic masking systems, and loaded with portable power equipment from Meridian’s teams.
Rhoswen waited near the ramp in a compact ground combat frame. Her usual weapon load had been reduced, while additional shields and breaching tools had been attached in their place.
She looked uncomfortable with the arrangement.
Aurelian noticed.
"You have enough weapons."
"I know."
"You look like you disagree."
"I look like someone respecting the mission."
Astra walked past her and entered the shuttle.
"That is a new expression for you."
Rhoswen frowned. "Everyone is very funny today."
Lysara arrived a moment later with several old Vhaloric access devices secured inside a case. She wore no heavy combat armor, though a light defensive field surrounded her clothing.
"The sanctuary should recognize at least one of these," she said. "If it does not, we will need Vaela’s help from inside."
Aurelian nodded. "Then let us hope the old systems are in a cooperative mood."
The shuttle departed from the Black Crown and entered the planet’s atmosphere under a low-signature field.
Below them, the northern mountains stretched across the horizon like a wall of stone and ice. Storm clouds gathered around the highest peaks, hiding much of the terrain from orbital view.
Eirenne guided them toward the geothermal route Lysara had identified.
The access point lay inside a narrow valley several kilometers from the main sanctuary entrance. According to Compact records, the tunnel had been abandoned after a collapse made it too expensive to maintain.
The records were wrong.
Vaela had opened it.
A faint heat signature appeared beneath the snow, followed by a narrow transmission using the same hidden engineering code as before.
Route ready. Compact patrol nearby. Four minutes.
The shuttle landed behind a ridge.
Aurelian, Astra, Rhoswen, Lysara, and twelve autonomous support frames disembarked immediately. The air was bitterly cold, but the entrance was only a short distance away.
Eirenne marked the approaching patrol.
"Two ground transports. Forty-three soldiers. They have not detected the shuttle."
Aurelian looked toward Rhoswen.
"Quietly."
She nodded. "I remember."
The patrol entered the valley less than a minute later.
Rhoswen waited behind a rock wall until the first transport passed, then stepped into the road and activated a localized disruption field.
Both vehicles lost power at once.
Before the soldiers inside could respond, Astra disabled their external weapons, while the autonomous frames surrounded the transports from both sides.
Aurelian opened a channel.
"You are surrounded. Exit without weapons, and you will not be harmed."
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then one door opened.
A Compact soldier stepped out with both hands raised. Others followed soon after.
Their officer resisted longer.
He remained inside the second transport, trying to use a backup communication system until Eirenne locked it down.
Eventually, he came out as well.
Rhoswen watched the prisoners being secured.
"That was quiet."
"It was," Aurelian agreed.
"I am very good at this."
Astra looked at the powerless vehicles.
"You stood in the road."
"It worked."
Aurelian left the argument there.
The geothermal access tunnel opened through a hidden service door beneath the ridge. Its outer controls were dead, but Lysara connected one of the old Vhaloric devices to the emergency port.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then ancient lights slowly came alive around the doorway.
A line of old text appeared.
Lysara read it quietly.
"Maintenance authority recognized. Secondary identity required."
Aurelian stepped forward.
The scanner activated.
A pale light moved across his face, then down the length of his body. It paused over his chest for several seconds before another line appeared.
Human biological pattern confirmed.
The door remained closed.
Eirenne’s projection appeared beside the control panel.
"It requires command authority."
Lysara placed her hand against the scanner.
"Vhaloric military witness. Lysara Vale, attached to Directorate Exploration Command."
The system processed her identity for nearly a minute.
Then the screen changed again.
Military witness accepted.
Human command candidate awaiting local authorization.
Aurelian looked into the dark passage beyond the sealed door.
"Vaela."
Eirenne sent the request through the hidden engineering network.
The answer came several seconds later.
A new voice filled the tunnel.
Weak.
Distorted.
Human.
"This is Vaela Renn, senior preservation engineer of Sanctuary Ardent."
Aurelian listened carefully.
"I confirm emergency transfer of external command authority to Aurelian Arcturus, acting under Human military protection."
The system went silent.
Then the mountain moved.
Heavy locks released deep inside the stone. The sealed door pulled back slowly, revealing a long tunnel filled with old pipes, dark machinery, and emergency lights that had not shone in centuries.
A second message appeared on the access panel.
Temporary sanctuary authority granted.
Lysara released a breath she had probably been holding since they landed.
Rhoswen looked into the tunnel.
"So this is the easy part finished."
Aurelian glanced at her.
"You think that was the easy part?"
"We are inside."
"Not yet."
As if responding to him, warning lights suddenly turned red along the tunnel.
Eirenne’s expression changed.
"Compact security has detected the access transfer."
A new alarm appeared across the sanctuary network.
Unauthorized command authority.
Geothermal sector breach.
Security response initiated.
Aurelian looked toward the darkness ahead as distant mechanical doors began opening.
The sanctuary’s defenders now knew someone had entered.
More importantly, they knew that someone else had been recognized by the old Human systems.
The sound of approaching machines echoed through the tunnel.
Aurelian drew his sidearm.
"Astra, front left. Rhoswen, forward shield. Lysara, stay between the support frames. Eirenne, find Vaela and lock the demolition controls."
Rhoswen moved ahead, raising her shield as the first security drones appeared at the far end of the passage.
This time, her smile was small and controlled.
"Now can I breach carefully?"
Aurelian looked at the sealed doors beyond the drones, the hidden sanctuary beneath the mountain, and the thousands of lives waiting somewhere below.
"Yes," he said. "Now you can."