Chapter 23 · Untitled Chapter

"Leia! Make it stop!" Nolan screamed as the Core Tower's windows flashed white.

The light shattered into red targeting grids. Lines crawled over steel, glass, and skin. Outside, gunships peeled away from the tower and swung their cannons toward the maintenance platform where Nolan stood with both hands clamped over his ears.

Leia tried to reach him. Her knees struck the grated floor instead. The tower vibrated beneath her palms, and a voice pushed through the metal and straight into her skull.

TARGET: NOLAN MORN. AUTHORITY MATCH: LEIA MORN.

A second line burned across her vision.

PROTECTIVE VOW AVAILABLE.

"Of course." Leia pressed her forehead to the platform. "You want a promise now?"

Kane staggered against the emergency housing. Blood soaked the side of his coat from ribs to hip, but his pistol stayed steady in his hand.

"You can't fake it," he said. His voice scraped. "You have to mean it."

She turned on him. "You knew."

The words hit harder than the first cannon charging below.

Kane's jaw tightened. "I knew enough."

"You knew I signed the authorization."

"I knew there was an authorization with your biometric seal."

"You knew Nolan was taken because of it.