Chapter 13 · The Lock Remembers

"On your knees. Now."

The barrel slams into my sternum before I can get a breath. Dax's left hand locks my wrist and the tribunal sigil on his forearm burns white-hot against my skin.

"Dax, it's me," I gasp. "It's Mara. Look at me, dammit."

"On your knees." His voice is flat. Zero heat. Cop voice. Judge voice. "Hands behind your head. You move, I fire."

Leo's screaming against my chest. The chip's fused to my palm, buzzing like a pissed-off wasp, and the whole core's washing us in that ugly reset light. Jax is on the floor behind me, choking out —

"He doesn't know you! His memory's gone —"

"Shut up." Dax doesn't even look at him. His eyes never leave my face. "Name. ID. Now."

"Mara Venn! Courier, tier-three! You know me, you asshole —"

"I don't know you." He shoves me back. My spine hits the railing. The lock — that ugly black band chaining us — pulses once, hard, right on my heartbeat. His fingers twitch.

"Don't," I say. "Don't do this. Please."

"You got a live Tribunal chip in your hand," he snaps. "You triggered a level-one reset.