Lucian opened fire, but not on his friends.
Instead, he turned and pulled the trigger on the Officials.
The other Raiders and miners followed suit, taking down nearly twenty of the enemies by surprise before they realized what was going on.
Kael was fighting already, and Lucian could see the blue glow of his gem descending on the battlefield.
"TRAITORS!" The Head Official screamed, pointing at them. "Kill them now!"
Lucian and the others stepped back, preparing themselves for the attack.
Come on Kael, it's now or never.
*******
The Officials opened fire as one, the roar of their rifles deafening, a solid wall of death surging toward Kael and the others.
But Kael didn't move.
He breathed.
The gem inside him pulsed once—and the bullets slowed.
Not to a full stop, but enough that Kael could see them slicing through the air. Enough that he could choose his moment.
