“The weak spot in the Mark XV armor is intriguing,” Dying Star said as it exited the shuttle behind the other Ephemeral, pouring out of the airlock like a dense, creeping fog. It had kept to itself at the back of the craft during the briefing, ostensibly as a courtesy to its teammates, who still seemed a bit unsettled by its strange, soundless presence. Now it drew near to Thalos and the rest of the crew that remained behind. “If one of you were able exploit it and cause Kolac’s facial panel to open, I could easily eliminate him.”

As it spoke, the Riftosian’s indistinct form drew together and resolved into a towering humanoid silhouette, pitch black except for two bright spots set deep in its “head” - simulated eyes for the benefit of its comrades so that they could see where it was directing its attention. It seemed to fill the corner of the room where it stood, stooped beneath the low-hanging ceiling, smothering light and sound alike with its presence. Its voice, incongruously, was pitched as a warm, pleasant alto - unfailingly polite and precisely inflected.

"I expect Miss Alsia and Master Marc will have the first room clear in a matter of moments," Dying Star continued in its curiously formal manner. "Once the task is complete, I recommend we regroup and discuss how best to avoid detection. I assume the H.A.K.E.S.A.T.H. has taken care of the facility's surveillance system, but the radio silence of our targets will be sure to put the Star Marshall on alert sooner than later."