Markus kept his weapon trained on T'vak, his stance rigid with suspicion. "Let me guess. You want the Emperor gone too."
T'vak nodded grimly, its metallic features shifting in the dim light of the tunnel. "You'll never reach him alone. He is the heart of Khatia. And Khatia itself will crush you before you set foot in his chamber."
Ethan Reyes folded his arms, skeptical. "So what, you help us, we help you?"
T'vak's gaze flickered toward Dr. Emma Forrest, studying her as if seeing something in her that the others lacked. "I help you…" it said, voice deliberate, weighted. "Because if you fail, there will be nothing left of either of our people."
A beat of silence stretched between them.
Dr. Forrest considered the K'tharr's words carefully, then nodded. It wasn't trust—only mutual necessity. The kind of alliance born in the jaws of extinction.
"What do you know about the Emperor's defenses?" she asked.
T'vak gestured for them to follow, leading them deeper into the tunnel network. The air grew denser, charged with something intangible. As they walked, it began to explain the impossible task ahead.
"The Emperor is not merely a ruler," T'vak said, its voice a quiet echo against the cavern walls. "He is Khatia itself. Every system, every defense, every atom of this planet is an extension of his will. He has fused himself with the world, becoming something beyond K'tharr—beyond organic life."
Maya Patel, adjusting her scanner, frowned as readings from the planet's core pulsed in erratic patterns. "How is that possible?" she asked.
T'vak's expression darkened. "The same way he plans to destroy your world. WoodDust."
The word sank into the space between them, its weight undeniable. WoodDust—the force that had brought the K'tharr to Earth, the catalyst for this war, the essence of their invasion.
"He found a way to pervert its nature," T'vak continued, leading them through a concealed doorway into a chamber unlike anything they had seen. "Where your people use it to create, to grow, to heal—he uses it to control, to dominate, to extend his consciousness into the very fabric of reality."
The room was a stark contrast to Khatia's cold, sterile expanse. Here, strange hybrid machinery lined the walls—K'tharr mechanics fused seamlessly with organic components, pulsing with eerie, rhythmic life.
At the center hovered a three-dimensional map of the Emperor's sanctuary, floating in midair.
"This is our target," T'vak said, gesturing to the imposing structure at the core of the map. "The Nexus Citadel. The Emperor's sanctuary and the central node of his consciousness."
Dr. Forrest studied the projection, eyes narrowing in concentration. "And how do we get in?"
T'vak's metal lips curled slightly—a flicker of something almost human. "That's where I come in. I designed the security protocols… and I left myself a backdoor."