We moved in silence, communicating through hand signals and shared glances. Serna led the way with the confidence of a warrior who'd spent her life in hostile territory. I followed, watching her back, my makeshift machete ready in case we encountered another caphik or worse.
But it wasn't wildlife I was worried about.
As we drew closer to the crash site, I could hear them—voices carrying through the jungle, the snap of branches, the occasional bark of orders in languages I didn't recognize. Riuondo's crew, fanning out through the forest in search patterns. Looking for us.
Serna held up a fist, and I froze. She tilted her head, listening, then pointed to our left. I nodded. We adjusted our path, giving the search party a wide berth, and continued our careful approach.
By the time we reached a vantage point overlooking the crash site, the suns were touching the horizon and the jungle was alive with the sounds of evening—insects chirping, something howling in the distance, the rustle of nocturnal creatures beginning their hunts.
"There," Serna breathed, barely audible.
I followed her gaze and saw it—Riuondo's shuttle, sleek and predatory, sitting in a clearing near our wrecked ship. Portable lights had been set up around the perimeter, casting harsh white illumination across the scene. Our ship looked even worse from this angle—a twisted skeleton of metal.
And standing guard near the shuttle's ramp were two figures. Just two.
"Most of them are out searching," I murmured, pressing closer to Serna behind the massive tree trunk that concealed us. "That's our window."
"If we're going to move, it needs to be soon." She agreed, glancing at the darkening sky. "Once full night falls, they'll likely recall the search parties. We'll lose our advantage."
I studied the layout, my mind automatically cataloging distances, cover points, potential threats. The two guards were armed—I could see the distinctive silhouettes of energy weapons at their hips. They looked alert but not overly concerned. Why would they be? As far as they knew, we were somewhere in the jungle, running scared, with no way off this planet.
They had no idea we were about to walk straight into their trap.
"I'll go," I said quietly. "You stay here, provide cover, hide if things go sideways."
Serna's head whipped toward me so fast I heard her neck crack. "Absolutely not."
"Serna—"
"No." Her voice was low but fierce. "You stay here. I'll breach the shuttle. I'm faster, better trained for infiltration, and—"
"And you're the Prime," I cut in, matching her intensity. "If something happens to you, the entire Alliance falls apart. Riuondo wins. I'm expendable. You're not."
Her eyes flashed with something dangerous. "Don't you dare call yourself expendable."
"I'm being practical—"
"You're being an idiot." She shifted to face me fully, and even in the fading light, I could see the fury and fear warring in her expression. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me."
"That's exactly what I'm going to do if it means keeping you safe."
"Like hell you are."
We were nose to nose now, both of us breathing hard, the argument taking on an edge that had nothing to do with tactics and everything to do with the terror of losing each other.
"I've been a soldier my entire life," I said, forcing my voice to stay level. "I know how to move unseen, how to breach hostile positions. This is what I do, Serna. Let me do it."
"And I've been a warrior since I could walk," she shot back. "I won the Prime trials through combat and strategy. I've led armies, Cullen. I've fought in battles you can't even imagine. Don't patronize me by suggesting I need protection."
"I'm not—" I stopped, frustrated, because she was right. I wasn't trying to protect her because she was weak. I was trying to protect her because the thought of losing her made my chest feel like it was caving in. "I can't watch you walk into danger."
Something in her expression softened. "And you think I can watch you do it? You think I can sit here while you risk your life?"
"One of us has to—"
"No." She grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me closer. "No, we don't. We're stronger together."
"This is different—"
