The dropship sored upward it's engine roaring loudly, following the path it has taken on the way down.

  Kai kept his mouth opened slightly to cancel out the rapid pressure change of altitude.

  Eliana was staring at him, a bemused expression on her face. He wanted to asked her the reason for why she was holding back the laughter. Then he understood. Out of everyone in the drop ship. He was the only one that doesn't have a helmet or any type of protections from the environment.

  "Did you guys brought anything for me?" Kai asked.

  "No, not really, we didn't think we would find you alive." Robert said with a joking tone.

  "Don't mind him, he was just being a jerk." Eliana said, "well, we did bring you a set of pressure suit and helmet..."

  "But it was left on the elevator with the other gears as we weren't thinking we would find you so quickly." Teresa said.

  Kai shurgged his shoulder, that was fine with him, it's not like he needed one anyway. He wasn't feeling any discomfort from the pressure change since his transformation. He was theoretically speaking, a lot more stronger than anyone else.

  "Kai I need a hand, get in here." It was Ivan's voice.

  Kai unbuckled and carefully made his way into the cockpit. The ship only had a very weak gravitational generator to make the flight bearable. So Kai made only small, careful movements and made sure both of his feet was touching the ground.

  In true empirial fashion, the dropship design was minimalist. They followed the principal of "if three wheels will move a car, then why install four.". Well, that might be a little too exaggerated, Kai thought.

  He had heard rumors about most imperial warships does not have coffee machines onboard. They were only supplied ration bars and water, take it or leave it.

  He squeezed into the cockpit, which was just enough for two pilots sitting almost shoulder to shoulder. He sat down and strapped in.

  "So, how can I help you?" Kai asked.

  Ivan smiled at him while maneuvering the ship to dodge the support beams that occasionally that were in the way of their ascension.

  "We are approaching the surface soon and I would like you to make contact with the Black Swan, because the chances of gaining a pursuiter or two is very likely." Ivan said.

  "Alright, gave me the frequency." Kai said.

  "Already dialed in for you, just press the connect button and you will be set." Ivan said.

  "How do you even know how the empirial dropships operates? It was seriously impressive that you were able to pick up the control so quickly." Kai said.

  "It's not all that different from flying any other drop ships really. As long as know the general layout, you will too pick up the control in no time." Ivan said, "now make the connection."

  Kai made a mental note to learn more about flying from Ivan later, he nodded and pressed the connect button to the side of him.

  The Black Swan must had been waiting for his connection. Because only a second past and the connection was established.

  Commander Grayson's voice boomed though the headset loud, clear, and furious, "I said I don't know anything about violating your whatever laws, so please stop contacting the Black Swan immediately!"

  "Commander Grayson, it's me, Kai!" Kai said before Grayson could get the chance to terminate the call.

  "Kai! It's good to hear your voice again. I'd like to get all warm and chatty with you but that can wait. Tell me what's the situation down there and get Ivan to explain why we had just been evicted from the landing pad.

  Kai exchanged look with Ivan, looked like things wouldn't go as smoothly as they hoped.

  "We discovered something that wasn't supposed to be discovered and now the whole empire is probably after us." Kai said.

  "Also we had commandeered an empirial drop ship. Tell Ray we are going to do a midair docking so we can get out of here." Ivan said.

  "Roger that," Ray's voice came from the speaker, I'll send you the coordinates as soon as I see your blip. Oh also, you got a lot of heat on the surface waiting for you, over."

  "Copy, see you soon. Over and out."

  The dropship continued flying upwards, Kai could see the light in the distant. That must be the surface.

  "Alright, Kai. Now for the real reason I called you here. I need you on the turrets, just in case something happens when we reach the surface."

  Kai nodded, lowering the headset over his ears as he settled into position. The gunner seat was similar to the one on the Black Swan, though the picture quality wasn’t as sharp. He ran his fingers over the controls, adjusting to their feel, and did a few quick test sweeps to get used to them.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  A blinding light flooded his vision as the dropship punched through the surface. For a moment, he couldn’t see anything, his sensors struggling to adjust. Then came the sharp, distinct ping of bullets striking the hull. The ship rattled as the attack intensified.

  "Contact! Two interceptors—six o’clock high!" Ivan’s voice rang out.

  Kai swung the top and bottom turrets toward the rear of the ship. The interceptors were already closing in fast. He tracked them, trying to align the crosshairs before they got into firing range.

  "Missiles, missiles!" The ship’s warning system blared.

  Ivan yanked the controls, sending the ship into a sharp evasive maneuver. Flares launched, filling Kai’s view with bursts of bright light. The missiles veered off course, fooled by the countermeasures. Kai turned the turrets again, reacquiring his target.

  "Did they seriously fired missiles at us over their own airspace?" Kai asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

  "Well, we are wanted criminals now," Ivan said. "So, yeah, of course they’re gonna fire at us."

  Kai locked onto one of the interceptors and squeezed the trigger, sending a burst of rounds toward its wing. Sparks erupted as the bullets hit their mark. Flames trailed behind the damaged interceptor before the fire snuffed out, replaced by thick black smoke. The ship lost speed and veered off.

  The second interceptor fired back, unleashing a barrage of shots. Ivan rolled the dropship to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. Kai fired in return, but the enemy was already gone, disappearing out of his sights.

  A new blip appeared on his display. Kai glanced at it and exhaled in relief—it was the Black Swan. They were close, but another round of tracer fire reminded him the fight wasn’t over.

  "Shoot it, Kai! Get that thing down!" Ivan shouted, weaving through the incoming fire while deploying countermeasures.

  Kai zeroed in on the target, finger hovering over the trigger. Ivan pulled hard on the yoke, forcing the ship into a sharp turn. Kai braced against the G-force, waiting for his opening.

  It finally came. The interceptor overshot them at high speed, leaving its underbelly exposed for just a second.

  Kai didn’t hesitate. He held the trigger, leading the bullets ahead of the craft’s trajectory. The rounds connected, sending sparks flying before the entire ship erupted into a violent explosion. Shattered debris scattered in every direction.

  "Bandit down," Kai said, a rush of adrenaline surging through him.

  "Good shot. Now let’s meet up with the Black Swan," Ivan replied, steering the ship toward their rendezvous point.

  They continued flying until they were well outside the range of New Oliver City. The towering skyscrapers and dense cityscape slowly gave way to an industrial sprawl of factories and warehouses. The contrast was stark—once they left the city behind, the airspace felt empty, eerily quiet except for the hum of the ship’s engines.

  Ahead, a dot in the sky grew larger, coming into view as the Black Swan closed the distance. Kai exhaled in relief. They were almost there.

  Ivan and Ray worked with practiced precision, aligning the dropship with the Black Swan as best they could. The two ships weren’t designed to dock with eachother midair, so they had to improvise. The result was an awkward connection—the dropship’s engine nearly brushing against the Black Swan's hull, the ships locked at an odd angle. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.

  One by one, the crew made their way across.

  Kai stepped onto the Black Swan and felt something inside him settle. It had only been three days, but it felt like weeks since he’d been home. Everything was familiar—the well-lit corridors, the quiet hum of the ship, the comforting scent of Lily’s pastries lingering in the air. But more than anything, it was the people waiting for him that made it felt like home.

  The first person he saw was Isaac, standing stiffly near the entrance. His eyes were wide, almost teary.

  “I’m so sorry, Kai! I ran away when—” Isaac stopped mid-sentence, his voice cracking.

  Kai placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “You did what you had to do. You escaped and called for help. And your invention worked.”

  Isaac’s face lit up at the praise. “I’ll make you a new one right now!” he declared excitedly before running off.

  Next was Baiyan, who clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Come on,” Kai said, pulling him into a bro hug. “I’ve got some big news to share.”

  Before Baiyan could respond, Commander Grayson approached, standing tall with his arms crossed, a smug grin on his face.

  “Kai, congratulations,” he said. “You’re officially a wanted criminal of the Empire—with a nice bounty on your head.” His expression turned more serious. “Now our expedition has officially turned into an escape.”

  Kai lowered his head slightly. “I’m sorry, Commander.”

  Grayson smirked. “Just a little complication. I’m sure whatever you found was worth it.”

  Kai barely had time to process the conversation before someone hugged him from behind.

  Eliana.

  Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled herself up slightly, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his neck. When he turned around, she was just as stunning as he remembered, her auburn hair loose and flowing now that she was out of her armor, her uniform fitting neatly against her frame.

  Without thinking, Kai pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her waist. He had missed this—missed her.

  Before he could say anything, Lily’s voice rang out from the galley.

  “Guys! Lunch is ready!” She poked her head around the corner, spotting Kai and beaming. He smiled back.

  Kai turned to Eliana. “I can’t wait to eat some real food.”

  Eliana smirked. “Yeah, about that... you really need a shower first. You reek.”

  Kai glanced down at himself—his uniform was stained with dirt, sweat, and things he’d rather not think about. His face flushed. “Alright. Shower first, feast later.”

  Steam filled the small bathroom as hot water poured over Kai’s body. It was the first real shower he’d had in days, and it felt like a luxury after the grime and filth of the underworld. He let out a slow breath, resting a hand against the tiled wall as the warmth seeped into his muscles.

  Normally, he let his thoughts drift while showering, but tonight was different. He felt... lighter. For the first time in days, he let himself relax. As he worked the soap into his skin, he found himself humming absentmindedly.

  “Nice singing.”

  Kai froze.

  His head snapped toward the door, where Eliana stood with a playful smirk.

  He tensed, his face heating up. “W-What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be helping Derniere?”

  Eliana leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “Oh, come on. Derniere’s fine. Teresa’s handling everything. I figured I’d check on you.”

  Kai turned back, scrubbing his face with his hands. “You could’ve waited until I was done.”

  Eliana took a step closer. “Maybe. But then I’d miss the chance to make you all nervous.”

  Kai glanced over his shoulder, only to find her eyes locked on him. Her smirk faltered slightly, her cheeks darkening to a soft rose hue.

  “Alright, stop looking at me,” she muttered, averting her gaze as she reached for the hem of her uniform.

  Kai swallowed hard, feeling his pulse quicken—and for once, it wasn’t the nanites.

  Eliana stepped forward, her bare feet touching the wet floor. The heat from the shower wrapped around them both, making the small space feel even smaller.

  She placed a hand on his chest, her fingers tracing lightly over his skin. Kai’s breath hitched as she stood on her toes, her face inches from his.

  He leaned in and their lips met.

  The world outside faded, and for the first time since this entire ordeal began, Kai wasn’t thinking about the mysteries, the tasks at hand, and the consequences of a potential failure.

  Kai let himself enjoy the moment.

  Everything else could wait.