The Benatar dragged its battered hull along the boundary between the magnetic-storm nebula and normal space, struggling onward like a dying whale. Its engines roared hoarsely and weakly, dangerous sparks burst intermittently across the ship, and life support sounded a low-power warning. Every slight spatial tremor made the hull groan with a teeth-grating sound, as though it might break apart at any moment.
The atmosphere on the bridge was suffocating.
"Engine output is still dropping... backup power will support no more than thirty minutes of normal flight..." Rocket's voice was despairing, his paws hanging limply over the console. "The jump drive... is completely wrecked. The core coils melted. There's no fixing it."
"Sensor range is under five kilometers. We're practically blind." Star-Lord gripped the controls tightly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the thinning nebula ahead. "Those Hive bastards must still be following us, like hyenas waiting for their prey to breathe its last."
Gamora silently wiped her twin blades, her sharp gaze searching for any suspicious movement beyond the viewport. Drax held the Blaster Cannon with an unusually tight expression, without his usual shouting. Even the Groot sprout radiated unease.
Lin Ye stood quietly before the viewport, his face somewhat pale. The backlash from forcibly invoking the higher-order thunder law to resist the spatial collapse had not completely subsided. Yet his eyes remained as calm as ice, and Dimensional Energy Perception extended into the distance like exquisitely sensitive feelers.
"They haven't lost us," he suddenly said in a low voice. "Something's been trailing us. Far away, but very patient. They're waiting for us to lose power completely, or... walk straight into their trap."
"How far is Horizon Port?" Star-Lord asked.
"At our current speed... at least another forty minutes!" Rocket calculated, his voice sinking further into despair. "We won't last