Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Escort Lock

Dominion cutters hemmed Driftfox in close. Hulls caught Dyson swarm glare—million mirrors weaponizing starfire. Jax ran true. No doubt left. "Formation alpha locked. Throne vector solid."Handler vessel. Void chain. Words I'd spit got forged into binding steel. Rational Thomas scraped skull bottom. Snap it. Direct hail. Who you are. Dark coiled meaner. Chain works. Yank.Implant throbbed chill. [Seq 0: 4%. Links: 7. Zero stability. Link builds.]Deck shook faint. Lead cutter tightbeam pinged. Jax routed no-look. Captain's scarred mug filled screen—eyes pinched. "Handler craft clear. Need throne access code."No code existed. Jax half-turned. Waiting. "Commander. Send it?""Access protocol runs." Split voice. Rational drowned dark-heavy. Gun sat heavy. Widowmaker dug hip.Captain dipped chin slow. "Logged. Core breach clears." Cutters broke neat. Mirrors parted black maw swarm center.Jax pushed throttle even. "Driftfox core entry. Vance airlock tight. Directives?"Vance saluting bulkheads. Thought I pulled Dominion wires. Jax climbed ghost ranks. Cutters hung back—dogs chained shadow pulls.Swarm squeezed. Prism light splintered walls. Implant spat shards. [Link 8: Throne near. Empress link starts.]Empress overrode bands. [Chain full. Heir throne opens. Integration required.]Jax went board-stiff. "Integration noted. Docking clamps arm."No. Rational scratch: Kill dock. Override. Dark surged: "...compliance total."Dreadnought rose massive. Chrome spires stabbed mirrors. Throne glow pulsed red through glass. Clamps seized Driftfox brutal.Jax popped straps. "Commander throneward. Escort holds."Dark burned hot chest. Rational Thomas ghost whisper. Throne claims. Link pulls all.