DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER LIX

– S C O R P I O N –

We rapidly ascended the floors of the Emperor's tower in the glass box. They became a blur as it took less that a minute to arrive at the upper levels. When we reached near our floor Proximo's low voice broke the silence.

"Dazz, kill the lights. All floors from 250 up. On my word give us heat signatures."

Whatever confirmation or denial did not show on my Second's face. I didn't care if I had to kill them all in the light or the dark.

The lift slowed dramatically and then the glass doors slid aside into a black room. A large room devoid of life and sound. You could drop a pen at the other end of the building and notice it...

"Now." Proximo murmured, barely audible to my ears right beside him.

Then my comm feed fed into the nano lenses and lights of hot orange and yellow began dotting the immense space of the 250th floor. Wires, floor lights recently cut off, holo pads, screens–my eyes cut over it in seconds looking for bodies, for threats–

"Far too clear." Proximo said lowly as he kept a rifle up and his head on a swivel. I opted for my handguns and kept both at the limits of my peripheral vision.

"Keep your eyes on corners. Heat doesn't pick up through walls." I uttered darkly.

We moved almost back to back as we made slow progress to the wide hallway with a set of glass slide doors. The electrics in them recently lit up with heat. Everything in this building was powered by something... accessible to those who knew how to manipulate machines. Exactly why I preferred traditional accommodation. You couldn't hack an oak door.

"Dazz." Proximo said quietly.

The glass slid open silently before us and we swept into his office with weapons trained on both sides. Just heat signatures from tech. No sweeping guards. No ambushing tactical squads.

I dropped the thermal imaging from my eyes and clicked on a torch from my wrist holo.

"What the hell is going on." I growled, stalking to his long desk.

Proximo was at my side sweeping glasses and miniature statues off of it. "She said there would be a heavy Imperial presence here. What else was she wrong about I wonder." He muttered as he pressed the glass and the holo computer flashed to life.

I cut a look to him sharply. "Forgive Makayla for not double checking the guard rotation in the building after being captured by the same men."

Proximo's dark eyes found mine in the blue glow of the feed. "Remember that I trust no one for a reason–"

"You can trust my judgement for now and get your damn sister into this computer." I snapped, smashing a fist into the glass. It only flickered briefly before a cheery robotic voice answered.

"Incorrect identification. Please confirm, William Dracov Xavier."

"Deal with that." I said slowly.

Proximo watched me coated in cold blue, calm as ever but calculation burning under the surface. I didn't need these doubts now. 

"Dazz, get us insid–"

A bright red fusion round sung through the darkness and burned across my upper arm. Then the world went to shit.

"DOWN!" Proximo roared, ripping me off my feet and behind the stone block of the desk. For once I was glad about the Emperor's need for marble in every room as red bolts of plasma sizzled the air.