The two closest Institute operators fired continuous streams of energy at Vreta’s droid as soon as their CO was out of the way. They lit up the dark red corridor, and after a second the entire front of the machine was covered in corrosive plasma. Nirann and the other droid were brushed too in these close quarters. Coils of acrid smoke billowed up into the ceiling ventilation, setting off the fire-defence system for the sector. Sheets of cold water sprayed from all angles.

Skopec gurgled incoherently over comms as the vice-like grip contorted the armour around his throat. He’d managed to pull out his sidearm; he fired it rapidly into the fire door which had been pressed against his suit. Sparks and fires burst from the droid's chest and head as the plasma gouged its armour plating. Its top half spun round full circle and its bottom half staggered forward. Plasma sprayed all over its back and sides until Skopec and the fire door screeched along the opposite wall on another collision course with Vreta.

The other droid didn’t fit back through the exitway when Nirann let go. It moved its one remaining leg to connect with the door frame. It smashed right through, but enough of the momentum was dissipated to avoid it crashing into the third droid and falling back down the stairwell. Instead it rolled in the air before collapsing on the floor. 

The third droid sensed an opportunity, trampling straight over its downed colleague with no time wasted. It moved the sharpened girder it held so it pointed straight out in front, to impale Nirann through the abdomen while he was unbalanced. With the other Rothian target directly behind this war machine, it could kill two birds with one stone.