Kaela didn't move from her desk. Instead, she tapped a nearly invisible panel on its surface. A soft chime echoed in the office. "The accord is struck. Then we should not delay. The archives are not here on Varros Prime."
Silas, who had been examining a weirdly shaped glass sculpture on a shelf, spun around. "They're not? So where are we going?"
"A place with significantly worse weather and better security," Kaela replied, standing smoothly. She led them not back to the main lobby, but to a private elevator hidden behind a seamless section of the wall. "My personal hangar is this way."
Reia gave a slight, approving nod. "Convenient. And insulated from prying Guild eyes."
"Precisely," Kaela said as the elevator descended with a whisper.
When the doors opened, they revealed a compact, pristine hangar housing a single vessel. It was a Helios executive shuttle—sleek, angular, and painted a matte grey that seemed to absorb the light. It looked fast and utterly devoid of personality.
