Elara kept her stance between the ship and Vincent Ruiz.
Behind her, Kimi was already dragging Yusuke toward the rear bay with the unconscious gold user secured beside him. The old man complained in his sleep. Nobody answered him.
"Kimi, when I pull Vincent off the hatch, you take the ship to Rothshire Base in Veyrion and bring back anyone with armor and a spine. Do not trust the resort guards, and do not trust anyone who says they are helping without showing command clearance."
Kimi looked like she wanted to argue. Then she saw Vincent step through the broken ice and swallowed it.
"I will get them out, Commander, and I will bring back enough firepower to ruin his afternoon."
Vincent smiled at that. His jacket hung loose from a thin frame, glossy and too clean for a man standing in a battle zone. His hair stuck up in uneven clumps, and the shard jutting from his pant leg pulsed under the fabric like a second joint trying to grow through him.
