Chapter 151 - CRUCIBLE

Sekar woke to the sensation of reality shifting around her, the distinctive feeling of Observer-provided transportation that meant they were being moved somewhere, deployed somewhere, sent into combat somewhere despite having just completed Sector 7 mission less than twelve hours ago. Her eyes snapped open to find Rama already awake beside her, his expression carrying that particular combination of determination and apology that meant he'd made a decision without consulting her first—not because he didn't value her input, but because the situation demanded immediate response and waking her for discussion would have wasted precious seconds that Sector 12 apparently didn't have.