"The Zeal Engine’s running thin." [[Her voice was blunt, no room for sugarcoating. ]] "That creature’s at its limit, and no amount of coaxing is gonna get us another full cycle out of it. We need a replacement. Now."

"Even if we secure a new Zeal Engine, we still need time to integrate it. This isn’t a simple swap, Captain. We’re talking about bonding a new Zealian to our ship— tuning its resonance, adjusting flow regulators, making sure it doesn’t reject the system. That’s days of work, minimum."

[[She pressed her palm firmly against the barrier, feeling the faint warmth that still radiated from within. ]]”Your strong, Way. Stronger than most. I remember when we first got you—how you flared up so bright we thought you were gonna burn the whole core out." [[She let out a small chuckle, the memory bittersweet. ]]” You were so full of life. Still are. You just need a little help, that's all."