Silence pressed down on the Dawnseeker''s decks, thick, heavy, tasting of burnt ozone and cold metal. Emergency light strips cast long, strobing red shadows across warped deck plating littered with debris – shattered console glass crunched underfoot, spent plasma casings glinted dull amidst twisted conduits, scorch marks blackened bulkheads. The low hum of auxiliary power returning felt weak, fragile, a counterpoint to the memory of rifle fire echoing moments before.


    Hara stood near a main corridor junction, rifle held low, barrel angled down. Sweat beaded cold on her forehead beneath her tactical helmet''s rim, plastering strands of dark hair to her skin. Her breath came steady now, the adrenaline rush fading, leaving muscles feeling tight, jumpy. Beside her, Lieutenant Reyes wiped grime from his rifle sight with a slow thumb movement, his own breath deep, controlled. Boots echoed further down the corridor – marines conducting systematic sweeps, room by room.


    They moved forward, boots ringing hollow on the damaged deck. Flashing red lights painted the corridor walls in stark relief. Passed an open storage nook – empty ration packs spilled across the floor, a dark smear, coolant? blood? staining the bulkhead near a fallen pirate weapon, heavier than standard issue pulse rifle. Hara swept her own rifle barrel across the opening. Clear. Continued moving.


    A sputter of sparks showered brief from a dangling ceiling conduit overhead, then died. The air crackled faint with residual static – EMP aftermath still bleeding through the ship''s damaged shielding. Her handheld scanner chirped erratic, struggling against the interference. She lowered it, tucking it back onto her belt pouch. Reliance on sight, sound, instinct now.


    Reyes paused at a sealed hatch further down. Gloved hand brushed the cool metal panel. No heat signature registered on his wrist display. "Holdout?" he murmured, voice low, amplified slightly inside her helmet receiver. He tapped the panel edge.


    Hara shook her head once, curt. "Sweep showed clear node," she replied, voice clipped. Moved past him. "Focus cargo bay access."


    They reached the wreckage near the main cargo lift junction. Twisted structural beams sagged low overhead. Water dripped steady from a ruptured pipe somewhere above, splattering onto a crumpled metal crate below. PLINK... PLINK... PLINK. The sound echoed sharp in the relative stillness. Reyes knelt beside the crate, light from his helmet lamp reflecting off shattered viewport fragments mixed with EMP shrapnel – jagged black ceramic shards. "EMP device casing," he stated, picking up a larger piece, turning it over. "Close proximity detonation. Hit hard."


    Hara nodded, gaze sweeping the debris field. Her light caught on a dark shape half-hidden beneath a buckled deck plate – a pirate boot, scuffed, heavy tread sole visible. Nothing moved. She scanned higher. Charred scorch marks smeared the bulkhead where plasma bolts had impacted near the lift doors. "They had time to dig in," she said, voice low. "Took the fight deck by deck."


    A dull clang echoed from the corridor leading towards the cargo bay. Then, muffled shouts, followed by the sharp crackle of a stun baton discharge. Hara and Reyes exchanged a quick look. Moved faster now, boots crunching loud over debris.


    They rounded the final bend. Flickering lights illuminated the cargo bay entrance corridor. Two marines wrestled a large, thrashing pirate against the wall, mag-cuffs snapping shut around thick wrists. The pirate cursed, guttural sounds muffled by his struggle. Another pirate lay face down on the deck nearby, unmoving, stun baton discarded inches from his slack hand. A third marine stood guard, rifle ready.


    Hara swept her flashlight beam across the scene. Checked the secured prisoner, the downed one. Nodded to the lead marine. "Status?"


    "Sector clear, Corporal," the marine reported, voice steady. "This one resisted. Minor altercation. No Fed casualties here. One marine took a glancing blow off armor – medic en route for check." He gestured towards another marine leaning against the bulkhead further down, rubbing his shoulder, helmet tilted back slight.


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    Hara approached the cargo bay threshold. Looked inside. Red emergency lights still pulsed across the vast space. Scattered crates. Huddled figures – Dawnseeker crew, hostages – being guided towards the exit by other marines. Medics moved among them, scanners humming quiet. Near the center, a dark patch stained the deck where Karis, the leader, had been subdued. Her discarded pistol lay further off. Plastic shards crunched underfoot – the smashed comm unit.


    Reyes moved past Hara into the bay, rifle held ready, scanning the upper gantries, shadowed corners. "Seems quiet," he murmured back to her.


    Hara spotted them then, near a toppled console panel. Sofia Bennett, Daniel Estevez. Talking quiet with a medic kneeling beside Estevez. His cheek showed visible swelling, a dark bruise forming high on the bone. Bennett''s hand hovered near his shoulder. Hara recognized the posture – relief sharp, edged with lingering tension. They looked upright. Functional. She knew the look well.


    She walked towards them, boots crunching debris. Stopped a few paces away. "Bennett. Estevez," she said, keeping voice level. "Report."


    Sofia turned, relief flooding her face, visible even in the dim red light. "Hara! Reyes! Gods, good timing." She gestured towards Daniel. "He took a hit to the face—pistol whip. Bastard nearly shot him."


    Daniel smirked, the movement pulling at the bruised skin. He winced. "Took two grazes too—plasma burn, slug nick near the wrist." He touched the arm Karis had held. "Leader was… intense." He looked towards the bay entrance where Karis had been dragged out. "Alive, though. Thanks to your team."


    Reyes moved up beside Hara, crossing arms. Looked Daniel over. Nodded towards the cheek bruise. "Walk it off, Estevez?" A hint of dark humor showed in his eyes. "Or need a carry?"


    Daniel managed a weak laugh. "Think I''ll manage." He pushed himself upright fully, leaning slight on Sofia. "Medic says superficial. Damn lucky."


    Sofia''s gaze met Hara''s. Held it. Gratitude showed plain, mixed with exhaustion lines around her eyes. "They were tearing the ship apart. Aiming for the quantum core, drive rods." Her voice dropped. "That EMP… surgical."


    Hara looked past them, towards the viewport. Nebula glowed faint outside – pink, violet haze. Distant. Uncaring. Cataclysm''s strike… precise. Surgical too. "Heard the booms," Hara said, voice low. "Pods disabled fast." She glanced towards the panel Daniel had been near. Faint green status light flickered weakly now on an auxiliary port. "That quantum ping... yours?"


    Daniel shifted weight, nodding. Rubbed his neck. "Tried a bypass. Fragile. Hoped... maybe enough power for the distress packet."


    A sharp electronic beep cut through the air. Reyes tapped his wrist comm. Listened brief. Face tightened. Dropped his arm. "Orders from Cataclysm," he stated. Looked at Hara. "Recall immediate. New priority mission: Rhea-9. Designation ''Planet Buster'' test."


    Sofia and Daniel exchanged a look. Eyes widened fractionally. "Rhea-9?" Sofia breathed, voice hushed. "That glacial cap bombardment? Heard whispers... High Command authorization?"


    Hara''s jaw muscle jumped beneath her helmet strap. "Affirmative," she replied, tone clipped. Kept expression neutral. Rhea-9. Scale beyond understanding. "Test parameters classified. Our task is support, security." She looked back at Sofia, Daniel. "Dawnseeker functional enough?"


    Sofia nodded, pushing hair back from her face. "Aux power stabilizing. Minimal drive function returning. We can limp… need dockside repairs extensive." Her gaze held warmth. "Thank you, Hara. Seriously."


    Daniel stepped forward. Offered his hand. Hara took it. His grip felt firm despite the tremor just beneath the surface. His palm was cool. "Owe you," he said, voice raw but clear. "Big time."


    Hara withdrew her hand. A small nod. "Just… doing the job." Her lips pressed thin. Recalled the firefight flashes, the secured prisoners. Job done here. Next one… bigger. Much bigger. She glanced at Reyes. He met her gaze, gave a slight tilt of his head towards the exit.


    "Time to move," Hara said. Fixed Sofia, Daniel with a final look. "Stay sharp. Corridor''s unpredictable."


    Sofia nodded. "You too. Rhea-9… sounds heavy."


    "Always is," Hara replied flat. She turned. Reyes fell into step beside her. They moved towards the docking passage where the assault shuttle waited. Boots crunched over broken glass, spent casings. Behind them, Dawnseeker crew began assessing damage, the low hum of returning power a fragile pulse beneath the red emergency lights. Ahead, the Cataclysm waited. And Rhea-9. The thought settled cold in Hara''s chest.