Getting into the Core Sector was a challenge in itself.
Joric used his skills to create passable, low-level identification for Ryu and himself, labeling them as Kiera's 'personal attendants.' They left The Quartermaster behind, securely bound and hidden in the medical cache.
He was too great a liability to bring with them.
The journey was a jarring transition. They ascended from the grimy, functional decay of the Outer Sector into the clean, sterile, and oppressively opulent heart of the city.
The air was cleaner, the light was brighter, and the people walked with an effortless confidence that bespoke a lifetime of power and privilege.
For Ryu, it was like stepping onto another planet.
As they approached the Azure Dragon stronghold, a magnificent spire of white-gold metal and shimmering blue energy that pierced the clouds, Ryu felt a wave of sensory overload.
The sheer density of ChainForce energy was staggering. In the Outer Sector, he could pick out individual energy signatures like stars in a dark sky.
Here, it was like staring into the heart of a nebula. Thousands upon thousands of disciplined, powerful energy sources, all humming in a collective symphony of power.
His senses were drowned in the noise. He was, as Kiera had predicted, half-blind.
They bypassed the grand, ceremonial entrance and made their way to the maintenance tunnel Jin had specified.
Kiera, her face a carefully constructed neutral mask, led them through the sterile, echoing corridors.
To the guards they passed, she was just another warrior, home from a long and unpleasant assignment.
But through their link, Ryu could feel the turmoil beneath her calm exterior. Every familiar face was a potential traitor, every respectful nod a possible deception.
Jin was waiting for them in a small, cramped data-processing substation.
He was a thin, nervous man with ink-stains on his fingers and eyes that seemed to see the world in lines of code.
He embraced Kiera, a gesture of genuine, heartfelt relief.
"Ronan would be proud of you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I knew you wouldn't let it go."
Kiera's composure nearly broke at the mention of her brother's name.
"Jin," she said, her voice tight, "we don't have much time. We have something we need you to decrypt. It's Vanguard. And it's urgent."
She handed him the data-slate.
Jin's eyes, accustomed to seeing the world's secrets in digital form, widened as he examined the device.
"Quantum-lock encryption with a biometric fail-safe," he breathed, a mixture of professional admiration and horror in his voice.
"This is military-grade. Beyond military-grade. Where did you get this?"
"The long and bloody way," Joric grunted. "Can you crack it?"
Jin looked at the slate, then at the desperate faces of the three fugitives before him.
"Crack it? No. Not with a direct assault. The fail-safe would wipe the data instantly. But..." A cunning look entered his eyes.
"I don't have to crack the encryption if I can trick the slate into thinking I am its owner. I can build a 'keyhole.' A virtual biometric signature that can fool the lock. It will take time. And it will require a massive amount of processing power, far more than I can access from this substation."
He looked around, a new, dangerous resolve in his eyes.
"I will need to use the main archival server. The heart of the clan's data network. And I will have to do it without anyone knowing. If I am caught, we will all be charged with treason."