After nearly an hour of conversation, Liam and Teresa drove away the same way they’d come. As promised, Little White removed the “Friendship” collar from around Liam’s neck.
Once they were gone, Bit and Little White—and Merc, watching from the glacier’s crest—felt tension drain from their frames.
They hadn’t expected this.
Liam had always been only one thread among many. They hadn’t placed much hope in an ordinary soldier. And yet he’d managed to pull someone like Teresa out into the open.
Teresa hadn’t just revealed the Azure Thunder’s supposed location. He’d also spilled everything he knew about what had been happening inside Edean.
He even promised that by tomorrow, he’d have Liam deliver a force-deployment map of the Glimmer Caverns. If Bit wanted to infiltrate Edean, Teresa said he’d help with that too.
The only gap was that Teresa was the Glimmer Guard Commander. The machine legions deployed across the Aurora Plateau were outside his reach.
Even so, this was far beyond what Bit and Little White had hoped for.
Now they could begin building a complete tactical plan around Five-Color Fortress.
Rebooting Julian felt close—almost within reach.
The three regrouped and withdrew into a glacial ravine. Back when Julian and Phantom Forge fought, this gorge had served as a hidden base—one of the few safe communication points left on the plateau.
They powered up the encrypted long-range communicator.
Instead of an outgoing call, an incoming request flashed first.
Blin.
They accepted.
The moment the channel opened, Blin spoke as if he’d been holding his breath for days.
“Finally. I’ve been waiting for you. Heh-heh-heh—listen up, I’ve got good news. That Wyatt bastard already found where the Azure Thunder is…”
Bit and the others exchanged startled looks.
When Blin named the location—Winterhold Lake—surprise turned into open disbelief.
Blin caught their reaction immediately. “What? What’s with your faces?”
Little White relayed what they’d just learned.
Blin went quiet.
Two sources. Two completely different answers.
“How is that possible?” Blin muttered.
“Because one side is lying,” Bit said. “The goal is to lure us into a trap.”
“But which side?” Merc asked.
Little White frowned. “That Divine Punisher that joined Wyatt—does it have proof? Something stronger than a claim?”
“It does,” Blin said. “Hold on. I’ll send it.”
A file pinged through the encrypted channel.
The video played.
A fog-choked valley under aurora light, almost unreal in its beauty. Then the already dim sky darkened further, and a deep roar shook the scene. Something enormous drifted overhead—its shadow swelling, swallowing the landscape.
The viewpoint snapped downward. The witness dove into a crack in the ice.
When it looked back, the downdraft from the descending giant blasted the fog apart.
The Azure Thunder stood in the valley—its scarred hull unmistakable, as if it had been carved by war itself.
For veterans who had fought beside Julian for years, recognition was instant.
“Teresa lied,” Bit said, voice sharp.
“Wait,” Little White said quickly. “The timestamp is two weeks ago. Maybe it was only parked there temporarily. It could still have been moved to Five-Color Fortress afterward.”
“Either way,” Blin said, “you need to verify with your own eyes.”
“I agree,” Merc said. “We leave for Winterhold Lake now.”
“Fine,” Bit said.
“No.” Little White shook her head. “You and Merc go to Winterhold Lake. I’m going to Five-Color Fortress.”
Bit’s answer was immediate. “Absolutely not. Five-Color Fortress has at least a hundred thousand machine troops stationed there. If it’s a trap, you’re walking into a grinder.”
“I don’t think Teresa was lying,” Little White said.
“You can’t make decisions based on a feeling,” Bit snapped.
“I’m alive because I make decisions based on a feeling,” Little White shot back. “That’s how I survived hundreds of death matches.”
Bit exhaled sharply and turned to the comm. “Lord Blin—your call.”
“Little White,” Blin said, “do you’ve a plan?”
“…Yes.” She hesitated only a moment. “I’ll have Teresa take me in.”
Blin clicked his tongue. “If he’s a bastard, you’re finished. But I trust your instincts. Go. Be careful.”
Then his tone hardened into command.
“Merc, you go to Winterhold Lake—alone. Bit, you infiltrate the Glimmer Caverns. If Little White fails, you find a way to seize Soren or Graham and use them as leverage.”
“Understood,” all three answered.
…
After the call ended, Merc departed immediately, heading for Winterhold Lake more than eight hundred kilometers away. Little White contacted Liam and demanded another meeting with Teresa.
The next day, same time, same place. Teresa and Liam arrived together.
Little White didn’t waste breath. “Teresa—are you absolutely certain the Azure Thunder is at Five-Color Fortress?”
“Absolutely,” Teresa said.
“You’ve seen it yourself?”
“No. Five-Color Fortress isn’t under my jurisdiction.”
“Then how do you know?”
Teresa’s jaw tightened as he spoke. “A week ago—no, two weeks ago—we decided in a meeting. Ogen proposed reinforcing the Azure Thunder with additional armor and shields. Soren agreed. After that, it’s been stationed in Bay Four at Five-Color Fortress. The upgrade will take at least two months.”
“So it’s been there at least two weeks,” Little White said.
“Yes.”
She let out a slow breath. “How many people know?”
“Soren, Ogen, Graham, Tyler Lynn… me…” Teresa listed more than a dozen names.
As he spoke, he noticed her expression shift.
“What is it?” he asked. “You don’t believe me?”
Little White didn’t sugarcoat it. “Our other intel says the Azure Thunder is somewhere else.”
Teresa frowned hard. “That… that can’t be. Unless they lied to me too.”
“Will you take me to see it?” Little White asked.
“Five-Color Fortress is Tyler Lynn’s military zone,” Teresa said, thinking fast. “Even I can’t enter freely. I need a legitimate reason.”
He paused, then nodded once. “I can do it. But I need time to figure out how.”
“Fine,” Little White said. “Just don’t take too long.”
“I understand your concern,” Teresa said grimly. “This is too important. The Azure Thunder’s location has to be confirmed.”
“You’re right,” Little White said. “And—”
Bit cut in. “Yesterday you said you could help us enter the Glimmer Caverns.”
“Yes,” Teresa said. “That isn’t difficult.”
“Good,” Bit said. “Get me inside first.”
“No problem,” Teresa agreed. “But whatever you plan to do, tell me in advance.”
“I’m going after Soren and Graham,” Bit said. “Can you lure them out of the tower?”
Teresa’s face tightened. “That’s hard. Graham can’t even get out of bed right now. And Soren hasn’t dared leave his office since Barnett vanished.”
Little White’s eyes narrowed. “Barnett. What happened?”
Teresa shook his head. “Who knows? I searched the Glimmer Caverns and found nothing. A living person doesn’t just… disappear.”
“Probably hid when things started going bad,” Bit said with a low chuckle. “Sounds like Edean’s a mess right now.”
Little White’s voice went flat with hatred. “He’d better still be alive. This time I want to tear him apart myself.”
Teresa blinked, then his expression sharpened. “That… that gives me an idea.”
He looked between them. “Wait for my message. If it works, I’ll have Liam contact you.”
“Fine,” Little White said. “We’ll wait.”
Before leaving, Teresa did something unexpected—he asked Little White for a “Friendship” collar.
Only then did she understand: he feared his own thoughts could shift without warning and expose them.
Little White weighed the risk. Then, reluctantly, she fitted the collar onto him.
…
“That doesn’t clear him,” Bit said after the humans drove away. “For enhanced humans, their own lives mean nothing compared to whatever ideology they’ve been fed.”
Little White shook her head.
“I’ve met gladiators who were brainwashed,” she said. “They really don’t fear death. But their eyes—there’s a look to it. Fanatical. Overheated. Twisted. Like they’ve been injected with a stimulant that never wears off.”
She stared at the empty glacier where Teresa’s vehicle had vanished.
“Teresa was the opposite. In his eyes I saw only exhaustion and despair. And did you notice? The only time he had any light at all was when he looked at us—like a drowning man seeing his last piece of driftwood.”
She exhaled. “That’s why I believe him.”
“If you say so,” Bit said. “I haven’t studied humans that closely.”
…
Things moved faster than any of them expected.
That same night, Liam sent a message: it was done. He told Little White and Bit to meet him at a point not far from the outpost.
The spot sat near a spaceport. In the distance, transport ships rose and landed in steady rhythm, and their engines’ thunder carried across the ice.
They arrived and spotted a cargo snow hauler parked alone behind a massive boulder. They hesitated—until Liam leaned out of the window and waved them over urgently.
They climbed into the back.
The cargo bay was packed with crates. Teresa wasn’t there.
Liam practically vibrated with excitement as he spoke to Little White.
“Commander Teresa asked me to tell you—it worked,” he said. “He got authorization from Lord Soren to search Five-Color Fortress. Tomorrow morning he’ll lead a Glimmer Guard unit to sweep the fortress. He wants you to wear the uniform and blend into the team.”
As he spoke, he handed her a large bundle.
Inside was a full uniform and matching gear—complete with credentials.
Little White nodded, satisfied. “That’s a good plan. I’ll be able to search openly.”
Then Liam turned to Bit.
“And for you, Lord Bit—there’s a shipment of weapons and equipment going into the Glimmer Caverns tonight. If you hide inside a crate, you can slip in easily.”
“They’ll inspect the entrance,” Bit said.
“Don’t worry,” Liam said quickly. “It’s arranged. Someone will look the other way.”
Bit’s optics gleamed. “Good. Heh. Having an insider really is beautiful.”
“Commander Teresa wants to help you finish this as soon as possible,” Liam added, forcing an awkward smile. “He keeps saying… he doesn’t think he has much time left.”