“Coda.” He draws the techie’s attention. “You were ordered to dig into Natural Order and Athena—everything. Their security systems, supply chains, anything you can hack or track down.” Kane studies him. “I’m not asking for a miracle, but you’re telling me you’ve found nothing?”
Coda adjusts his goggles. “I have gathered some intel. Natural Order has been around since the late 2100s. Though given their resistance to most tech, the data I recovered is limited. I would need more time to—”
The lift of Kane’s hand stops him short. “We don’t have time. Another few more weeks of them catching us off guard, and we lose everything. And they won’t just takethe neighborhood and conscript our civilians. They’ll fracture the crew. Athena will make sure of it. All because you’re too busy waiting for perfection.”
Without answering, the techie taps the holopad controls. “Sending you the report now,” Coda says flatly.
Kane’s stare hardens. “Next time, speed over pride. A half-finished report in my hands is more useful than a perfect one too late.” He pauses, letting the words sink in. “If you’re not delivering when it counts, don’t expect your position here to stay secure.”
“Understood, sir.” Coda resumes typing.
A slow breath leaves Kane. He skims the edge of his report, then sets the holopad down. “We’re done here.” His eyes sweep the room. “Get back to your duties.”
They file out, boots striking against concrete. He watches them go, ignoring their erratic readings on his HUD.
Without his leadership, this war with Natural Order would tear the crew apart. He returns his focus to the reports. A voice cuts through the silence before he can read a single word.
“Hey, boss man.” Echo stands in the doorway, her usual smile tense. “Got a minute?”
He frowns. “If this is about the synth deal, I told you no yesterday. I—”
“It is…and isn’t.”
Before Echo can continue, Dr. Hayashi appears behind her with a medkit in hand.
“Baron.” She nods to him, then to Echo. “Apologies for interrupting, but the medical bay’s full. I need to know where to send my assistant with new patients. We’re averaging ten a day now, one to three needing inpatient care.”
Kane’s fingers drum on the table. “There’s a spare roomin the tunnel Coda’s team uses for storage. I’ll have him help you secure it.”
“Will do.” Dr. Hayashi turns, her white coat billowing behind her as she leaves.
The motion stirs an old memory, of a smaller figure in the same jacket. Kane’s jaw tightens. He pushes the image down and faces Echo. “What did you want?”
“Look.” Echo sighs. “I’m a look-on-the-bright-side kind of woman. But someone’s gotta speak up before everything we built folds like a stack of holocards.”
“You’re out of line.” No one gets to question him. Not even the vet.
Echo’s hands fly up. “You’re theboss. I promise.” She makes a strange gesture down her head, then over her shoulders. “And we appreciate you. I know stepping up after losing Duke, your uncle, wasn’t easy. You saved this crew. All while watching over your aunt.”
His eyes flicker away. “Get to the point.”
“These punishments, this paranoia—this isn’t the Kane I knew.” She steps forward, setting a hand on the table. “Remember how excited you used to get about new opportunities, how we used to come up with new ideas? We could be doing that right now, coming up with strategies to outsmart Athena. Instead, we’re all just…stuck.”
“You think I need advice from someone who can’t follow basic orders?” Kane snarls. “You risk everyone chasing any shiny new opportunity.”
“Nah.” Echo shakes her head. “I’m just the one left who remembers who you were before. Well—maybe not the only one…Rafael sawKane, not the Chrome Baron too, didn’t he?”
He’s on his feet before he realizes. “Watch your mouth.What I do with civilians is none of your concern.”
Echo doesn’t so much as flinch. “Actually, Kane, it is. Look how well it worked with Rafael. He made us stronger because you treated him like a human and let him do what he does best.”
Kane’s jaw clenches. The med bay ran smoother under Rafael’s watch than it had in months. He even left detailed reports and studies on each patient for Dr. Hayashi.
But how much does Echo know? About him and Rafael? What did she see?
“And it wasn’t a weakness,” Echo continues, as if reading his thoughts. “It’s what we all want—to make us stronger. Viper masters defense and offense, Coda handles tech, Wren knows territory—and yeah, maybe I chase wild opportunities.” She flashes a grin. “But imagine what we could do against our enemies if we shouldered some of the work.”
He should shut this down, remind her who’s in charge. Again. But Kane can’t even argue her points. Rafael only took the lead because of his encouragement.