The second hotspot felt different the moment they stepped into it.
They had been given only a short window to rest—just enough to catch their breath, reset their formation, and move again. No real recovery. Just a pause between problems.
And then they arrived.
The terrain alone told them everything they needed to know.
This was going to be ugly.
Tighter space. Worse visibility. Too many angles for something to come from.
Bright didn't comment on it.
He didn't need to.
Everyone felt it.
He extended his awareness the moment they settled into position, letting it stretch outward to the edge of his range. The signatures came into focus almost immediately.
Too early and too clear.
He read them twenty minutes before contact.
Fourteen.
And something about them was wrong.
