Aiden stood on the bridge of the modified Aether-Rail frigate *Silent Edge*, staring at the tactical display.
Lirael knelt beside his command chair, the black collar tight around her neck. The resonance harness wrapped her torso and thighs, sensors pressed against her skin.
Every shift in her body sent data straight to the link in Aiden's implant. He could feel her heartbeat, her tension, and the low throb of fear mixed with something else.
"Confirm the intel," Aiden said.
Lirael lifted her head. Her voice was steady. "The Dominion strike fleet jumps in forty minutes. Target is Rift Anchor Seven. They'll burn the station and push through the gap. Admiral Korran commands from the *Vanguard's Fury*."
Elizabeth leaned against the console, arms crossed. "And you're telling us this because?"
"Because I want to live," Lirael answered. "And because the Dominion already marked me as expendable the moment I was captured."
