Clamps ground Driftfox into dreadnought flesh. Metal screamed faint under strain. Jax stood ready. Uniform crisp somehow. "Commander. Airlock syncs now. Escort feeds confirm chain integrity."Chain integrity. My fractured words spun into unbreakable lattice. Rational Thomas pounded skull walls. Stop her. Override the dock. Hail real command. Dark presence thickened air. Chain binds true. Pull deeper.Implant stabbed ice. [Seq 0: 5%. Links: 9. Stability flat zero. Throne sync 20%.]Dreadnought corridors loomed beyond airlock. Chrome veins pulsed red through viewport slits. Dominion cutters hung silhouette outside—silent witnesses. Jax punched cycle. Hatch hissed open cold. "Protocol demands presence. Escort trails at vector ten."Vance's airlock pinged secondary. His voice leaked implant-direct now. "Handler. Containment holds. Awaiting extraction signal." Thought my plasma etched orders into his core. Saluted shadows.Jax stepped through first. Boot heels clicked precise on enemy deck. No flinch. "Dreadnought command deck secured for handler ascent. Integration phase two."Ascent. Rational claw slipped. No ascent. Sabotage the clamps. Dark voice rode breath: "...phase two commences."Deck plates thrummed underfoot. Dreadnought woke slow. Walls breathed—servo whispers, coolant hisses. Jax led down spine corridor. Dominion marines snapped salutes passing. Eyes flicked us. Whispers traded."Handler chain?"
"Empress vector live."
"Void throne unseals."Jax nodded them off. Sharp. "Confirmed. All links hold." My mixed breath fed their certainty. Marines fell in loose trail—guard detail now.Implant layered signals thick. [Link 10: Marine convergence. Link 11: Deck access granted. Empress sync 40%.]Throne chamber doors ground apart. Vast dome swallowed light. Central dais floated void-black. Crimson throne pulsed heart-center—etched same glyphs as obelisk. Air weighed heavy. Ozone sharp. Something ancient watched.Empress waited throne base. Tall frame wrapped void-silk. Eyes mirrored Dyson swarm. "Handler chain complete. Void Heir integration finalizes."Jax dropped knee. Marines mirrored. "Empress. Protocol chain absolute. Commander presents."Presents. Rational Thomas surged panic. Run. Breach the chamber. Expose the glitch. Dark flooded calm: "...integration finalizes per chain."Empress extended hand. Palm glowed faint glyph-match. "Throne accepts Heir. Dominion bows."Gun Emperor's Lament burned holster hot. Widowmaker thrummed sync. Voices overlapped implant. Targets optimal. No. Hold.Jax rose half. Eyes locked mine. "Commander. Throne interface?"Dreadnought trembled deep. Swarm mirrors outside aligned perfect. Cutters powered weapons hot—defensive grid? Or lock.Vance broke channel. "Handler. Airlock breach detected. Dominion teams inbound extraction." Thought I signaled his release.Marines shifted tense. Whispers peaked. "Extraction protocol?"
"Handler pulls Vance?"
"Chain fractures?"Empress voice cut steel. "Silence. Throne sync 70%. Heir mounts or chain breaks."Mounts. Rational screamed silent. Dark certainty rooted feet. Mount. Claim.Throne pulsed faster. Glyphs crawled up dais legs. Air ionized bitter. Implant overload warning spiked. [Seq 0: 7%. Links: 15. Critical mass. Sync 80%. Stability breach imminent.]Jax pressed close. Voice low urgent. "Commander. Decision vector?"Marines gripped weapons loose. Vance inbound. Cutters locked grid. Empress waited unblinking.Dark laugh echoed skull hollow. Rational Thomas cornered rat. Chain owns all. Mount seals it.