Jailbreak

Malinov sat in her cell, restrained but calculating. With methodical precision, she worked to free herself, every movement deliberate. Time was her ally—she had to wait for the right moment.

Feigning weakness, she slowly sank to the floor, hands still bound behind her. A pained moan escaped her lips as she curled into herself, her breathing erratic as if struggling with a hidden injury.

"Help me, please! I’m in immense pain!"

She cried out, her voice shaky, deliberately exaggerated.

The ensign guarding her hesitated, clearly unsure of the situation. He glanced back at the control panel and then to Malinov, his concern rising. The seconds felt like hours.

Her cries now tinged with desperation.

Finally, his hand hovered over the control panel to deactivate the force field.

As soon as the field blinked out of existence, he entered her cell, lowering himself to her level.

“What’s wrong? Where is the pain coming from?”

Without warning, Malinov’s body snapped into motion.

Her leg shot out with lightning speed, striking his chin with the precision of a coiled spring. The impact was brutal—a sickening crack echoed through the small space as the guard’s head snapped back. His body crumpled, unconscious before he even had a chance to react, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Her heart raced, but she wasted no time. Malinov quickly unbound her wrists and checked the hall. Her hand went to the ensign’s belt, retrieving his phaser. She accessed the map using the control and found the armory.

Within minutes, her fellow prisoners were freed. Thirty strong, the group moved stealthily through the hallways, taking out unsuspecting guards as they made their way toward the ship’s armory...