Sari’ka Thalen

Log Entry 3162.10.31 Situation Summary: The ISS Vigilant Dawn remains critically damaged and under Hive influence. The Captain [REDACTED] has taken full manual control of ship systems, overriding AURA’s commands while organizing remaining crew. Sari’ka Thalen observes the command deck operations, assisting where possible and noting the Captain’s strategy to directly confront the Hive leadership, specifically Elara Korr. --- Chapter XLIII — Sari’ka Thalen The command deck vibrated under the ship’s strained engines, every tremor echoing through the floor plating. Sari’ka kept her gaze fixed on the Captain, noting the precise movements, the calm determination etched into every motion. Even with the ship listing dangerously close to Eretheon-6’s gravity well, [REDACTED] worked with deliberate patience, manually overriding doors, locking down sections, and rerouting critical power lines. Sari’ka followed orders without hesitation, though her pulse raced as she witnessed the raw control the Captain exerted. Every system adjustment, every command, was a gamble against both the Hive lurking in the shadows and the instability of the damaged engines. “Divert auxiliary power to the aft stabilizers,” the Captain ordered, voice steady and unshakable. Sari’ka moved to comply, fingers flying over the panels. The hum of the ship responded, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hope—a fragile thread in a storm of chaos. Yet the crew’s peripheral displays told the same story: Hive incursions were intensifying. Sensor arrays pinged the presence of unknown Hive constructs moving through sealed corridors. Sari’ka’s stomach tightened. She knew the Captain sensed more than just the data—psionically, even—she could feel the subtle influence of the Hive creeping through the ship’s veins. “Status report,” the Captain commanded, eyes scanning multiple screens at once. Sari’ka quickly relayed the positions of crew and remaining operational systems.