Two destroyers moved closer to the sanctuary while a damaged cruiser changed position to protect the first group of medical transports.
The Compact likely believed they had forced her into a weak position.
They were partly right.
She could not leave.
She could not withdraw.
She could not allow the battle to spread into the evacuation corridor.
That made her movements easier to predict, but it also meant she didn't have to guess what mattered.
Every ship under her command knew exactly what they were fighting for.
Below the battle, Aurelian and Astra reached the end of the hidden corridor.
A circular door stood ahead of them, marked with the same symbol they had seen on the sanctuary's oldest medical systems. There was no handle or visible control panel.
Aurelian stepped closer.
The door opened before he touched it.
