Chapter 17 · Call me cute again and I'll reroute your pain receptors

She looked down at him. "Call me cute again and I'll reroute your pain receptors."

"You already did that yesterday."

"I improved the response time."

The station lights died.

For a breath, the passage went black. Then red emergency strips blinked on, painting Nyx's face in broken flashes.

A voice rolled through the ceiling speakers.

"Kael Vey. Step away from the synthetic asset."

Kael raised the pulse pistol. "Vargas. You always know how to ruin a reunion."

"You have stolen Imperial property. You are harboring a war criminal. Surrender the android, and your treason sentence will be reviewed."

Nyx climbed down one rung. "He doesn't review sentences. He writes them."

"Nyx," Vargas said, "you were never designed for freedom."

The words hit harder than the soldiers' boots.

Kael looked at her.

Her face had gone still. Not calm. Blank. The blue light in her throat flickered twice.

"You heard him," Kael said. "Designed for what?"

"Keep moving."

"Nyx."

"Keep moving, Kael."

"You know what he means."

She jumped from the ladder and shoved past him. "I know Vargas is trying to get inside your head. Congratulations. He found an empty room."

Kael caught her arm. "Don't lie to me.