She doesn’t respond.
I repeat the message over the local network, hoping someone in the area can pass it on to her, Amp, or Savage. A Skysprinter roars closer, and I know we can’t stay topside for me to resend the warning.
“Do not do that again,” I say to Esthi as we dart inside the tunnel system where Brunt stands guard. “Please.”
“He broke. Didn’t you see it?” Esthi asks as I jump down the ascent shaft. Brunt closes the entrance overhead with a single punch.
He lands beside us and encourages us on as rock rains down, filling the tunnel behind us.
Esthi asks me to put her down, so I do. “We got critical information and hopefully a rebel out of him. That is how webuild contacts inside the system. Only time will tell if he sides with us or not.”
“He might turn on us, report us.”
“Doubt it. His people tried to kill him. He’s goingGray.”
“You’re so certain.”
Brunt gives me a mental nudge.
Brunt>>Armor: I heard your message about Venom Squadron. Is that what the Solcrue told you?
Armor>>Brunt: A-firm.
Brunt>>Armor: We must move fast then. If they did not get the message, we must find a way to stop the squadron ourselves.
Esthi marches ahead of us. “Yes. It’s one of the few things humans can do that you can’t because you can’t feel it. There is an energy our subconscious picks up that can only be shared between us. Just like you talk with your telepathic network, we can feel the energy of anotherifwe know how to quiet ourselves and listen.”
“If he hadn’t changed?” Brunt asks.
Esthi puts her goggles on. They light up with green readouts. “I would’ve put a bullet in his head to make it clean and as painless as possible. Celathious wanted him to suffer. That is why I say without a doubt Sathrin will turn. There’s nothing worse than being betrayed by your own people.”
“Why do you say that like you have experience?”
Esthi draws a knot of hydramidium from her bag and calls up to Magma.
“Who betrayed you?” I press, worried I’ve handled the situation at the creek incorrectly.
Magma drops back, sees what she’s holding, and takes it cautiously in his hands.
“Think you can mold this into something we can use against acid weapons?” she asks him. “Shields?”
Magma looks at me. “Yes.”
“Thanks. I have to get working on his shield generator repair.” Esthi takes out her tablet as we follow Carver’s path and the other Titans toward the outpost.
I don’t think Esthi wants to talk about whatever happened, but I’m desperate to know it’s not me. I stay beside her, hoping my presence will be enough of a reminder without being too pushy. Brunt guards us from the back while Magma heats and softens the metal in his hands.
While we walk, I forward the update about Venom Squadron and what’s happened to my brothers. Mace and Karambit slink back to group up with us, forming a guard squad around Esthi without even thinking about it. I think they feel a similar dedication to her that I do.
“My uncle.” Esthi taps her tablet to my chest. As she looks over the readouts, she opens a wiring diagram and begins highlighting breaks. “He was CSP. When they came for Myria, he was onboard the Solcrue ship. If I ever see him again, I’m going to kill him for letting them take her and all the others from us.”
