The Citadel's pulse had shifted.
Sebastian felt it in the flow beneath the decks, in the faint undercurrent of the station's old metal. This was not the subtle instability of fractures alone. Something heavier moved through the weave now. The difference showed in each echo of movement, in the silent signals between predator and prey. Only the prey no longer moved apart from the hunters. The fields were drawing closer.
Even SAS-C's reports carried the weight of change.
"Adversary movement pattern increasingly aggressive. Node convergence rising. Operational testing probable. Structural fractures increasing in density."
Sebastian adjusted his sidearm, pulse sync calibrated. His omni-core thrummed beneath the palm, tuned for faster response. Nanites kept a steady rhythm across muscle and bone, neural tone sharpened.
Across the alcove beneath Sector M's freight ring, Serena completed a final field check on her gear. There was no rush to her motions. No tension in posture. But her tone held an edge that any trained ear would catch.
"It will not be scattered anymore. They are hunting."
Sebastian locked his sidearm into place. "Then they will be met."
Her gaze turned toward him. Cool, measured.
"Some must be met alone."
A beat passed between them. No rejection. No question of capability. Only the statement of a step that had to be taken.
He held her gaze level. "When?"
"Now."
She stood, shifting her stance. What stood before him was not only Serena, but a Velkara-blooded predator, shaped by centuries of battle and the old drills of her school.
"This cycle, we do not run the same line. You will take separate ground. A live sector. Not empty."
There was no surprise in him. The weeks had shaped this path. Training and drills held meaning, but readiness had to be proven in the live blade.
Even so, tension settled beneath his ribs. Not doubt. Not fear. Only anticipation.
"Trial?" he asked.
She nodded. "Mid-core nodes, Sector P. They press there now. You will run it alone."
Within thought, SAS-C responded. Its voice pulsed along his neural interface, subtle and direct, linked through nanite bridgework.
"Advisable. Current progression nearing field readiness. Trial encounter optimal for phase transition."
Sebastian exhaled slowly. "Understood."
Serena tilted her head slightly. "You will not be shadowed. If you falter..."
"I will not."
The faintest turn of her mouth followed. Not a smile. A sharp edge catching light.
She moved past him and placed a secure vector marker across his omni-core interface. It arrived with the faint vibration of nanite sync as SAS-C linked briefly through the core.
"Route locked," it confirmed.
"No cadence," Serena added. "No set line. Hunt as you will."
He checked the path. Known ground, but nothing safe. His body tuned to readiness, the weeks of forging locked beneath the skin. Nanites rode high, reflex steady.
As he moved to depart, Serena spoke once more, voice low and final.
"Kill clean."
He gave no reply. None was needed.
He stepped into the Citadel's veins alone.
–
The deeper Sebastian moved through Sector P, the more the flow of the station shifted.
This was not the empty ground of lesser cells. It did not feel like a fracture patrol. Not anymore.
Even in the quieter arteries, signs showed. EM interference rose in faint patterns. Surveillance nodes adjusted sweep cycles more frequently than before. There was intent here, layered into the space.
SAS-C parsed it in calm tones.
"Enemy pattern adjusting. Elevated operatives present. Reinforcement likely positioned ahead."
Sebastian slowed his pace. Breath kept steady. Field balanced. Omni-core at rest, but tuned for live reaction.
He followed the lines of old freight corridors, long since faded from regular use. The walls bore wear of unrecorded passage, old mesh peeled at corners, conduit trails mismatched. The kind of place used when control wished to work unseen.
The presence ahead carried the same weight.
A faint ripple in the weave. Not noise. Not the usual drift of station flow. It was laid there. Purposeful.
He traced the line with care. The distortion pointed to one of the old maintenance shafts crossing the freight zone. A perfect funnel for a hard intercept.
He shifted path, circling slow. Cloak layered for minimal bleed. Steps calculated, weight shifted along the structure's true center to avoid echo.
And from above, motion caught.
Not stray. Two operatives moved with clear intent. Gear heavier than first contact. Shields partial but tuned, sidearms at ready draw. Their scan arcs swept with precision. Not contractors. Not scouts.
SAS-C signaled.
"Hostile pair confirmed. Higher tier. Chain markers unidentified."
Sebastian breathed slow. No chance of simple slip past. The trap was set.
He aligned his cloak further, tuned resonance lower. Waited for the arc of their sweep.
Then he moved.
First shift took him low beneath cover, angle tight to avoid the outer sweep. Omni-core pulsed in small increments to align cloak phase.
One breath, one step. The distance closed.
First shot caught the forward operative in side neck. Immediate collapse. Second shot followed into shield core before reflex could trigger.
The second reacted faster, sidearm already lifting.
Sebastian adjusted pace mid-step. Cloak flickered to draw fire wide. He closed the distance, blade drawn from coil. Edge caught inner elbow first, drive forced the weapon hand down. Counter-cut rose through shoulder seam.
The operative fell.
Silence settled in the corridor.
SAS-C whispered the status.
"Sector pulse stable. No secondary alert detected. Enemy adaptation ongoing."
Sebastian held position a moment longer. Breath controlled. Movement reset.
This was no scattered probe. Each contact pressed sharper. Each layer tested not reaction, but readiness.
He adjusted cloak phase once more. Path forward clear.
Deeper into the sector. Where the next measure waited.
–
The lower arteries of Sector P narrowed further. Older channels ran here, layered beneath freight rails and substation grids that had not seen full use in decades.
A space chosen for control. Not for accident.
SAS-C parsed the resonance as he moved.
"Field irregularities detected. Containment grid pattern forming. Trip harmonics layered."
Sebastian slowed his pace. Breath steady, field dampened. Omni-core tuned to minimal active state.
Ahead, the air shifted. A faint charge rode beneath the structural tone. He recognized it now. Not natural bleed. A net had been laid here. Crude, but functional.
SAS-C mapped the spread.
"Triplet pulse sequence. Outer damp field, shock layer, central lock."
He adjusted posture. Field coil laid soft. Not strength, but shape. Breath aligned with motion. Omni-core charged a shallow disruption pulse, held in reserve.
Forward, slow.
The outer damp field triggered first. A ripple passed across the weave. He responded in kind, sinking field resonance through the layer's cycle. The net faltered.
Second layer surged harder. Shock charge built fast.
Sebastian answered with timed omni-pulse, a precise fracture that collapsed the buildup before it could arc.
The path cleared. He moved through.
Ahead, shadows shifted. The response had been baited.
Three figures advanced with speed. No contractors this time. Armored, trained. Energy weapons at ready, biotic flows active.
No chance for cover. No room for retreat.
He met the move.
First step, lateral shift. Biotic coil drove him past the first arc of fire. Sidearm came to hand. The lead operative staggered under a sharp, two-shot burst. One down.
The second pressed hard. Close in. Blade drawn. Biotics active.
Sebastian caught the angle, drove a lateral block with omni-blade. Edge met edge. Sparks rose. Pressure heavy.
He shifted weight, torque through core. Forced break. Counter drive. Blade angled clean. Armor breached.
One breath. The last operative circled. No hesitation. Skilled.
Sebastian closed the angle first. Sharp step, low arc. Biotic pulse cut across balance. Blade followed. Contact. Clean end.
Stillness settled once more.
SAS-C confirmed.
"Engagement successful. No trace broadcast detected. Sector pulse rising."
Sebastian held in place, breath leveled. Muscles tight, controlled.
This was the Broker's true hand now. The cell weight here spoke clear. No minor chains. No side play.
The trial pressed further.
He moved on.
–
The lower arteries beneath Sector P spiraled through corridors long abandoned by official maps. Old emergency bulkheads and welded frame supports lined the walls, casting sharp angles of shadow through the pale utility lights that still flickered from half-dead circuits.
Sebastian moved with precision. Breath controlled, field signature held low, every step tuned to the space. The last engagement had proven one thing: the Broker's agents were escalating. These were not random operatives. They were coordinated. Skilled.
SAS-C tracked the shift. "Enemy adaptation ongoing. Current formation patterns suggest forward perimeter being set ahead."
He adjusted his path, sweeping a longer arc through an auxiliary maintenance loop. The sector pulsed faintly underfoot, resonance shifted by the latent power feeds running deeper through the infrastructure. A trap net would be ideal here.
It came into focus quickly.
Energy traces laced the air. Subtle, but deliberate. Low-frequency grid harmonics bent across the far junction, a crude attempt at field containment.
SAS-C confirmed it. "Partial containment weave detected. Not full isolation, but designed to funnel movement."
Sebastian scanned quickly. The edges of the field showed rough placement, layered over structural seams. It would be meant to drive him into a narrow angle.
His course shifted again. Breath slowed. Biotic tuning dropped further. This would not be forced. Not today.
As he moved, the signs of the next intercept grew clearer.
Sound carried faint through the metal, footsteps paced in measured cadence. There was no rush, no chatter. Professionals. A light team moving with deliberate control.
Then they appeared.
Four operatives, moving in clean formation through the outer junction. Two carried short carbines, tuned for close quarters. One operated a portable sensor array. The fourth carried a heavier field pack, likely linked to the containment weave.
SAS-C parsed their readouts. "Strike cell confirmed. Advanced pattern. Tactically trained."
Sebastian remained still, pulse slow, cloak tuned thin across the structure. He let their movement continue, tracking their pattern.
Timing mattered. This would not be a stand-up fight. Too many angles, too much unknown.
As the lead pair crossed the beamline toward the containment field's edge, he acted.
A biotic pulse, sharp and controlled, swept low across the field's lattice. The weave flickered. At the same moment, his movement closed the distance.
First shot found the lead operator's side, bypassing shield with clean placement. The second turned, weapon rising. Too late. Sebastian's blade flashed into the gap, cutting through.
The remaining two reacted fast. The scanner specialist fell back, initiating a signal burst. The pack operator brought up a field flare.
Sebastian pressed. No time for patience now.
His next surge caught the flare's charge before it stabilized. A precision kinetic pulse collapsed the charge mid-cycle. Light fractured, leaving the pack operator exposed.
Blade strike ended the attempt.
The scanner moved hard to escape, shifting vector with practiced motion. But Sebastian followed. Breath controlled, field harmonics flexed to suppress his trace.
A final close press, sidearm steady, finished the sweep.
Silence returned to the space.
SAS-C confirmed. "Engagement complete. Net pulse degraded. Sector remains unstable."
Sebastian remained still for a breath. Muscles tight, but movement steady. No alerts spiked. The Broker's test pressed harder, but not yet enough.
He reset his path, cloak harmonics tuned. The next line of advance would not wait. The hunt pressed forward.
–
The corridors beyond narrowed again, shaped less by planned construction and more by long-forgotten adjustments. Support scaffolds and manual bracing marked every wall, evidence of cycles of neglect beneath the Citadel's polished upper tiers.
Sebastian advanced with care. His body moved with practiced rhythm now. Breath control aligned with every step. Cloak harmonics tuned to the shifting weave. Each pulse of the station's deeper flow met with layered adaptation.
SAS-C updated in thought. "Reinforcements likely. Intercept probability increasing with depth. Predict escalation on next vector."
He adjusted his pace. Cloak flexed with each movement, biotic field restrained yet ready. The last fight had drawn more than physical strain. It had forced clarity. The Broker's agents were pressing not to repel him, but to shape his path. Drive him deeper into ground of their choosing.
A junction loomed ahead. Utility conduits layered through, old weld scars visible beneath faded paint. Field traces marked its edges. Not random. A perimeter had been set.
SAS-C confirmed. "Partial grid detected. New anchor points suggest containment still forming."
Sebastian held position for a breath. He watched. Listened. Footsteps echoed faint from the far side, paced with discipline.
Four more operatives came into view. Light armor, tuned for speed. Close-range weaponry. No random sweep. A response cell.
Among them, a figure moved differently. Slim, fast. Biotics tuned tight to skin. Not a standard operator.
"Biotic specialist detected," SAS-C noted. "Field resonance high. Potential threat."
Sebastian chose his moment. No waiting for containment to lock.
He shifted forward, breath steady. Cloak tuned thin against the rising energy in the chamber.
His first strike came fast. A kinetic pulse disrupted the lead pair's formation. The specialist reacted immediately, field rising in sharp counter. Not a rookie.
Sebastian pressed the gap. Blade primed, motion fluid.
The first operative fell in two quick strikes. The second staggered under a short-range burst. Sebastian rolled low, positioning to break the specialist's line.
Their fields clashed, resonance grinding sharp in the close quarters. The specialist moved with speed and skill, forcing a sharp contest of control. No wasted motion, no hesitation.
It pressed him. The fight cut tight, with no margin for error.
He answered in kind.
Field harmonics layered, pulse cycling clean. Breath aligned to motion. He shifted pace, drawing the clash away from the others. Each movement narrowed the contest to a single exchange.
When the break came, he drove through it.
Blade strike. Field surge. A clean finish.
The remaining two faltered, reacting too late. Sebastian moved sharp, one shot placed clean, the other swept aside with a pivoted strike.
In seconds, stillness returned.
SAS-C confirmed. "Chain neutralized. Adversary coordination remains elevated."
Sebastian breathed steady. Muscles burned from sustained pace, but balance held. The encounter had tested more than skill. It had forced full use of what weeks of training and nanite-driven refinement had built.
And still the path pressed deeper.
He rechecked cloak harmonics, reset biotic tuning. No time to falter.
Ahead, the station's pulse called sharper still.
The next move would matter.
–
The deeper arteries of the station wound downward, through layers where maintenance drones rarely passed and human steps were almost unknown. The walls bore old marks. Patches where conduit scars ran deep. Faint resonance from aged systems hummed beneath every surface.
SAS-C whispered inside thought. "Surveillance pattern tightening. Cross-chain signals converging below. Expect rapid engagement."
Sebastian moved without hesitation. Breath steady, cloak flexing with each controlled step. Fatigue touched the edges of his limbs, but training held. His body had adapted through weeks of grinding cycles. Each movement now came from that depth.
Ahead, an access junction came into view. Half-lit, its perimeter marked by faint traces of recent passage.
No passive sweep. A holding point.
SAS-C marked targets. "Five hostiles detected. Mixed cell composition. High probability of prepared intercept."
Sebastian pressed forward. His choice was clear. No retreat. The deeper hunt had begun in truth.
He reached the first cover point. Field tuned low. Cloak suppressing signature pulse. His eyes read the movement ahead. The agents shifted in practiced patterns. These were no hired blades. A team built to contain and crush.
Their presence sharpened his focus.
Timing would decide this exchange.
He waited. Counted the rhythm of their steps. Watched the sweep of their sightlines. Breath stilled.
Then he moved.
His first shot cut through the opening arc. Clean, silent. The lead agent dropped before the formation could shift.
Two turned sharp, weapons tracking.
Sebastian answered with layered motion. A short surge to break their read. Blade drawn in swift arc. The nearest target fell in a single strike.
The others pressed. Coordinated. No hesitation.
He shifted again. A pulse of biotic force bent their first volley wide. Kinetic mesh flared under a near-miss. No loss of rhythm.
Returning fire drove the third down.
Then the last two moved as one. Flank angle pressed hard.
Sebastian met the push head on. Blade against blade. Field against field. A harsh close-quarters clash, where instinct ruled.
The first broke under relentless drive. The second pivoted fast, trying to disengage.
Too late.
A tight shot. A sharp finish.
Silence returned to the corridor.
Breath came harder now. Strain deeper in the muscles. But clarity held.
SAS-C confirmed. "Sector cleared. Pursuit net adjusting. Higher-tier assets probable on next vector."
Sebastian checked his weapons, tuned cloak. No room to slow.
The Broker pressed with full force now. The ground beneath the Citadel shifted with each step.
He would meet it.
And the next blade in this game would be drawn soon.
–
The path ahead led into one of the oldest maintenance stacks beneath Core 4. Narrow passages, lined with forgotten conduit runs, twisted in uneven arcs. The perfect ground for an ambush. And for a trial by blade.
SAS-C whispered in thought. "Signal density increasing. New signatures detected. Composition unknown. Prepare for direct contact."
Sebastian adjusted his pace. Breath even. Field tuned low. The earlier engagements had drawn deep on his reserves, but training held him upright. Every fiber of his body was focused. There would be no retreat.
The corridor opened into a small service chamber. Half the lighting failed, leaving shadows to creep along the upper beams.
They were waiting.
Five figures, spread in a cross-vector. No rookies here. Their stances held sharp weight. Armor tuned for kinetic engagement. Biotic fields layered in tandem. A trained kill team.
SAS-C gave fast readout. "Non-Vanta identifiers. High-tier chain probable. Unknown cell."
Sebastian did not pause.
He pressed forward, body moving in fluid sequence. His first pulse fractured the outer field harmonics, bending the formation.
The lead agent fired, sharp and close. Rounds tracked clean.
Sebastian shifted low, closing the distance. His blade found the first target in a tight arc. A single strike ended the fight before it began.
The others reacted fast. Two pressed high, flanking with precision.
He answered with sharp motion. Biotic surge bent their advance. His sidearm tracked. Two rounds, clean. Another figure dropped.
The remaining three moved as a pack, trying to box the angle.
Sebastian met the clash head-on. Blade against blade. Every breath came in rhythm with his pulse. Field tuned sharp to each motion.
One fell under clean strike.
Another pressed hard, driving kinetic force into the clash.
Sebastian pivoted, shifting weight, blade cutting low beneath the guard. Armor failed. The agent collapsed.
The last tried for distance. Wrong choice.
He surged forward, close press. One final blow.
The chamber fell silent.
SAS-C marked the field. "Engagement complete. No further movement in range. Net response escalating."
Sebastian stood in the quiet. Breath hard but steady. Muscles burned from strain. Yet clarity held. The ground beneath the Citadel had shifted fully now.
The Broker's blade moved without hesitation. And in this game of predators, only those who adapted would endure.
He reset cloak, tuned weapons. No hesitation.
The hunt pressed on.
And so would he.
–
The corridors that followed wound deeper into the Citadel's structural veins. Less mapped, less trafficked. Here, the station's hum ran thinner, the resonance of old metals and forgotten systems bleeding through the walls.
SAS-C whispered constant updates. "Pursuit elements thinning. Cross-chain command vectors in flux. High command signal currently masked."
Sebastian moved with care. Breath controlled, steps light. The last engagements had drawn hard, but his body remained steady. Training held.
Serena paced just ahead, motion sharp, controlled. Her glance flicked back once, reading his stance.
"You hold," she said, quiet but firm.
He nodded once. No need for more.
They moved through three junctions in silence. Twice, faint surveillance sweeps skimmed the edges of their path. Each time, they adjusted, slipping past the net's edge without drawing a lock.
SAS-C noted the shifts. "Network cohesion fracturing. Adversary consolidation phase likely."
The meaning was clear. The first press had burned hard. Losses had been taken. Now the Broker's chain would adapt, pulling back, reweaving the net for the next strike.
A window. Brief, but real.
Serena led them through a final descent, emerging into one of the low freight rings beneath Sector Q. Older ground, seeded in weeks past as fallback.
They halted beneath the outer conduits, fields damped, breath easing.
SAS-C confirmed the state. "Pursuit phase ended. Sector heat returning to baseline."
For the first time since the first clash, stillness settled.
Sebastian stood, body loose but ready. No false ease. The game had turned. The test had sharpened. And the Broker had played their hand openly now.
Serena regarded him for a long beat. No words at first. Then a faint nod, the smallest edge of approval in her gaze.
"You hold," she said again. A truth earned.
He met her look. "And ready for more."
Her faint smile held a sharper edge. "There will be."
No illusion remained between them. The fracture war had reached its next phase. And they stood at the heart of it now.
SAS-C whispered the last word.
"Ready."
Sebastian checked weapons, tuned cloak.
The deeper hunt was only beginning.