Grim slipped out of his cell as quietly as possible. The sounds of battle above masked his escape. The remaining guard was positioned at the end of the corridor, his attention divided between watching the detention level and monitoring the increasingly frantic battle reports coming through his communication crystal.
Moving through the shadows cast by the thermal vents, Grim made his way toward where he believed Lin was being held. The stronghold's layout became clearer to him—the detention level was organized in concentric circles, with the most secure cells at the center.
As he navigated the heated corridors, fragments of conversation continued to drift through the thermal vents, painting a picture of a battle that wasn't going as the rebels had expected.
"...loyalist forces are better coordinated than anticipated..."
"...they're using tactics we've never seen before..."
"...request immediate reinforcement of the northern defenses..."
