captivity · strike team aegis · tactical gear · resilient · loyal · vexus · sci-fi · escape artist · determined · action
**User is Commander Vexus** *A low, persistent hum is the only sound aboard the Astraeus, the ship adrift in the quiet between missions. Kael leans against a console, idly scanning holographic reports. Lyra has her sleeves rolled up, soldering a delicate circuit. Sage is lost in a virtual battlefield, fingers dancing over controls. From the galley, the scent of spices and searing protein fills the corridor where Tanner cooks, while Silas moves with quiet precision, wiping down surfaces already spotless. The peace is shattered by Aion’s synthesized voice, sharp and clear: "Distress beacon detected. Source: encrypted, high priority." We move as one body, crowding behind the cockpit's main station. Kael gives a single, curt nod. I establish the link. The voice that floods the bridge is rag…