Special Happy Birthday wishes to my dad! (That doesn't mean the chapter's happy, however.)

Lico's gone. I know he's gone even before I pull off the armor on my hand and check his pulse. I've seen enough death to recognize when someone makes that transition. My mind goes blank as I stare at him. I don't think. I lose all sense of everything around me.

That is, until my copy moves.

I hear her behind me, slowly shuffling forward with gun held high. Instantly my numb sorrow is replaced with rage. I turn and rise to my feet in one smooth motion. I charge her, unarmed and fists clenched, face beneath my helmet mimicking her earlier feral rage. She fires the gun and I hear a bullet whizz past my head, but I ignore it.

I reach the copy and aim a wild punch at her face. She dodges and I send another. And another, and another, never slowing as I release a volley of attacks. Some hit while more miss, and the copy steps back under the onslaught. Eventually she manages to catch one of my fists in her hand. I bring up the other fist and she catches it as well, a predatory smile on her face. I kick at her inner knee and hear a satisfying crack before driving my forehead into her unprotected face.

The copy staggers back, releasing my fists. Once they're free I begin to punch her again, aiming for her face. I hate it, hate seeing it. She's me but she's not. She killed Lico, and even though I know it's her she's also me so I can't help but feel it's my fault. I don't want to see her face. Self loathing mixes with my hatred for this copy and suddenly the face so much like my own seems like a wonderful target. The copy sinks to the ground and I follow, continuing my attack.

I'm not sure how long it is before the blood stops rushing in my ears and I come to my senses. Rho is speaking, telling me to stop. I blink twice, staring down at the copy. Her face is bloodied beyond recognition. I don't mind. I don't want to see that face.

I stand up and slowly back away from the me that's not me. I'm numb. I don't know what to do. I can't think. My feet bump into something and I turn to see Silicon's body. I want to turn back around. I want to run away and not see this. But I can't. I can't leave him here like this. I pick him up carefully, cradling the limp weight in my arms. I hold him to my chest, wishing that he's just fallen asleep after training like he used to and I'm only carrying him back to his room. I wish this were any other situation than what it is. He's so small, so young. Tears begin to fall from my eyes as I carry him back to the hangar.

I hear the noise from the hangar long before I get there, the sound of everyone running around and getting ready to leave echoing down the hall. When I step through the doors, though, the noise dies. All eyes seem to fix on me and the body in my arms.

Rhodi is the first to react. He runs to me and tries to check Silicon's pulse. "Si, I need you to put him down," he says gently. I stare at him blankly for a moment before kneeling down and setting Silicon on the floor. Rhodi checks him over for a moment before shaking his head and walking away, fists clenched.

I stay there, not knowing what to do. I can hear Tinu trying to take Rubi and Franc somewhere else, but they don't listen. Rubi says that she wants to see her brother. There's a long moment of silence and I glance up to see Franc moving his hands to tell her something. Rubi starts crying and runs into one of the ships. Franc and Tinu run after her. I look back down at Silicon.

Eventually I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up. Sarge is standing next to me, his helmet off and a look of sympathy on his face. He doesn't speak, which I'm grateful for. He simply pats my shoulder and backs away.

I continue to listen to the sounds around me for a while before finally standing up. Something's been growing in the back of my mind. The doors to the hangar only open from the inside. That means the copies could only get in if someone let them in. Someone betrayed this family. I need to find out who. I need someone to blame for all of this.

I walk to a computer on one of the walls. "Rho," I say, awakening her from the silence she fell into while I carried Lico. I can feel her shock trying to drag me back into my own, but I fight against it. I can't let her emotions influence my own. Not now. I need to focus.

"I need to find out who opened the hangar doors," I tell her. She still doesn't speak, but I know she understands. "Show me what to do." I whisper the request, hoping she'll have enough presence of mind to comply.

After several long moments of waiting, points begin to glow on my HUD. Rho guides me through the computer, showing me where to find the information I need. I'm glad all AIs are good with computers to some degree. I've never been able to understand them. I could never do this without Rho.

I freeze in place when we finally find what we're looking for. Rho shows me a file containing security footage from the entire base, mere minutes before the attack. I open the footage from inside the hangar and watch, waiting. I see the computer I'm standing at. A young man with dark hair approaches it, wearing the plain grey clothes I've grown so familiar with. He looks familiar but I can't quite tell who he is. I need to see his face.

The hangar doors open in the video and the young man turns away from the computer. For a single moment, he's facing the camera. It's long enough.

My jaw clenches as I recognize the man, and my hands ball into fists. One word fills my mind. It echoes so strongly that for a moment I think I'm hearing it from the base's speakers. Rho repeats the word, whispering it under her breath.

"Betrayal."

I spin around, placing my back to the computer as I scan the room. I see him, on the far side of the hangar. Dark hair, pale skin, mean eyes over a meaner smile. Boron.

I don't remember storming across the room, but suddenly I'm there, pushing him against the wall with my forearm across his chest. I hear a few surprised gasps behind me but I ignore them. For half a second Boron looks pleased, before the expression gets covered in manufactured shock.

"Si, what are you doing?" he asks, trying to push my arm away. He can't. I'm stronger than him, always have been. Boron wasn't built for up close and personal fighting. He's designed for stealth, espionage, exactly the kind of person to stick a knife in your back.

"Traitor," I hiss in his face. I see that same flash of amusement in his eyes.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he stutters.

"You know," I say, loudly, so everyone in the hangar can hear. "You know exactly what you did. You betrayed this family." I feel my pulse pounding in my head as I say the words. Rho has fallen eerily silent, aside from splashes of static here and there. I don't pay attention. I'm too focused on Boron.

"Admit it," I say. I'm aware that the whole hangar has gone silent, except for Rhodi still working on patients. "You opened the hangar doors. You let them in. I saw you."

"Security footage?" he asks, raising an eyebrow as the terrified façade disappears. He doesn't wait for an answer. "You know, I knew I should have cut the feeds," he continues, sounding amused as he stares into the distance. "Gold insisted that there would be too much chaos. Nobody would bother to check." He barks a quick laugh before locking eyes with me. "He always has underestimated you."

"Murderer." I growl out the word and my mind fills with static. I can see Rho, hovering in front of my face, glaring at Boron. It's her, but she's different; usual blues and pinks replaced by unfocused grey.

Suddenly, I feel something. It's like terror but sharper, anger but with a deeper burn. I need to kill Boron. I know this as surely as I know I need to breathe. It's the only way to keep us safe. I have to kill him before he can try to kill us again.

My hands are around his throat by the time I realize these aren't my thoughts, but Rho's.

Hands begin to pull me back and I fight against them, pushing Boron more securely against the wall. I hear a voice shouting and as I focus it begins to cut through the static.

"Silver, let go of him," Wash says, grabbing my wrists and yanking them away from Boron's throat. The dark haired man sinks to the floor, gasping and coughing.

"Let me go," I snap, voice sounding strange even to my ears.

"Not until you stop trying to kill him," Wash insists. I see Sarge, Donut, and Tucker step up beside Boron, guns and sword held at the ready. They'll make sure he doesn't try to escape, at least.

Still I pull against Wash's hold, prompting him to pull me closer in an attempt to restrain me. "He's a traitor," I say again. "He has to die." It's now that I realize that the voice isn't my own. This is Rho, speaking through my body.

"I know you don't believe that," Wash says sternly. "I know Silver, and this isn't her."

I hear him call for Yttri, but tune it out. I try to talk to Rho, think for her as loudly as I can. She can hear my thoughts, I know she can. We've communicated like this before while on stealth missions. Yet now it seems as though she can't hear me. Or she's simply choosing to ignore me.

I call out for her once more. This time, she answers. I ask what's wrong and she says she doesn't know. Part of her programming has run away with her and she can't control it.

I take a deep breath, exerting at least that much control over my body. I don't think she's actively blocking me out. She's too panicked for that. It's probably the panic that's causing all of this. She's trying to do what she thinks is necessary to survive. This is good. It means she won't try to stop me if I regain control of my mouth.

I focus, breathing deeply, willing my jaw to go limp. I can at least control that. I'll have to hope I have the rest as well. I'll probably only have one shot at this.

"Rho, override: Silvermane," I say, not pausing between words as I try to speak faster than she can think to stop me. "Initiate immediate shutdown."

Instantly the static in my ears stops. Rather than the usual, gradual withdrawal when I unplug Rho, this time she removes herself from my mind like a flash of lightning. All at once I pull my wrists out of Wash's grip, snatch my helmet off, and pull Rho's chip from the back of my neck.

I close my eyes, taking quick shallow breaths. Rho's never done that before. She's never tried to take control of me. I don't know what got into her, but I'll need to find out. She isn't safe like this.

For now, though, I have other things to deal with.

I open my eyes again and realize everyone's staring at me. Well, everyone except Tucker. His eyes are fixed firmly on Boron and he holds his sword in a menacing fashion.

"What was that?" Wash asks, breaking the silence.

I shake my head. I'm not really sure myself. "I think Rho… unlocked something," I say uncertainly. "I had to deactivate her." I'm looking at Wash, but I don't see him. My eyes are unfocused as I stare ahead.

"And what about him?" Wash asks, nodding at Boron.

My mind snaps into focus at the mention of my brother. He's risen back to his feet, and faint bruises are beginning to form on his neck. I move to stand in front of him again, this time keeping my arms firmly at my sides. "You betrayed us," I say, voice much more calm than before as I state the fact.

"I betrayed nothing," Boron says haughtily. "I've stayed loyal to mom, like you should have." He looks past me to the rest of the room. Everyone who isn't injured or helping the injured is gathered around, watching. "All of you are traitors," he says loudly, addressing the crowd. His eyes fix back on mine and his voice drops to a whisper. "They deserve what they get."

"Did Lico deserve this?" I hiss back. For an instant I think I see a flash of guilt in his eyes, but decide I must be mistaken. I step back, standing beside Wash.

"What are you going to do?" Wash asks. I hear worry in his voice. He's afraid I'll decide to kill Boron. I'll admit, the thought has occurred to me, even without Rho's influence. Anger and pain make me want to take revenge. But I can't. I would regret it, I know I would. Even if he betrayed us, I still love Boron. He's my brother. Killing him might feel good for an instant, but I would hate myself for it later.

Still, I can't let him stay with us. He's already betrayed us once. I know he'll take any chance he gets to sabotage us again. I can't risk keeping him around. After a moment, I come to a decision.

I nod toward one of the doors leading out of the hangar. "Go," I say. "Disappear into that base and stay here while we leave. Don't ever let me see you again, or I'll kill you."

"You may as well just kill me now," Boron says, a smirk on his face. "I'll die anyway, living in a burnt base all alone."

I glower at him. "I'm sure mom will send someone to get you," I say. "You chose her, so this is what you get. Now go."

Boron looks between me and the rest of the crowd before stepping toward the door. He slowly walks halfway toward it, then starts running.

"Did you really just let him go?" Yttri asks, breaking the silence.

"What else would you have me do?" I ask wearily. "I couldn't kill him, and it'd be too dangerous to keep him with us."

"Still," Yttri says, "after what he did…" She lets the sentence trail away, unsure of how to voice her feelings.

"I know," I nod. "But it's for the best."

I turn around and face the rest of my family. My eyes roam over them, landing on each face for an instant before passing on. I see fear and anger and pain in the faces, but also trust. None of them question my decision. I wish I could be as confident as they are.

"Get to the ships," I say, hoping my voice doesn't sound as hollow as I feel. "We're leaving."

Yeah, I don't really have much to say about this. I mean, we all kind of knew something was going on with Boron, right? It's not too much of a surprise.