Niik dozes in a well-worn pilot's seat, repurposed for the hangar. Behind her, a screen displaying a multilayered orbital grid pings with an unknown contact on an intercept course with the City. A process spins up and spews text onto the screen…

[VG-CITY DEFENSE GRID ACTIVATING…]

[Single vessel crossing outer grid…]

[Jump-class, NLS drive active… awaiting callsign…]

[Awaiting callsign…]

[Second grid limit breached…]

[Callsign not received… detecting Guardian…]

[Collision intercept detected…]

[Callsign not received…]

[Inner grid limit breached…]

Niik wakes at the final alert ping.

[Deploying LLW countermeasure…]

"Wait… wha—Countermeasures? SOMEONE! HELP!"

****

"He's stable," Bahaghari says, emitting scanning fields over Aunor's shoulder and across the burning wreckage of a jumpship.

"It's definitely Shiro. Last I heard, he was on long recon outside Sol."

Her Ghost flitters to her other side. "Was shooting him down necessary?"

"It only takes one hijacked jumpship." Aunor approaches the cockpit and kneels to see where the Exo's legs are pinned. "They don't take many chances since Tharsis." She reaches—

Shiro-4 jerks to life, gasping in the wreckage, eyes searing into hers. Aunor rears back, hand to holster, then back to Shiro's side.

"Praxic—Aunor? Oh, good. I'm on Earth." Shiro coughs out a wry smile, then inhales sharply and twists to pull his arm into view. In his outstretched hand, Shiro extends his Ghost, motionless and quiet. "Help Suzume… It tried to take her. Tell the Guardian—they have to know—It's waiting… at the Shard."