The valve crew reached the south channel through a service corridor beneath the station.
They carried a tool chest between them and moved along the wall where the brick was coolest. Han sent two soldiers ahead to check that the passage had not cracked under the last lurch. They returned with dust on their shoulders but no fresh breaks. The crew proceeded only after Sella heard the all-clear through the speaking tube.
The last feed line was locked behind a wheel with a Registry seal. Sella recognized the valve design from the old maintenance plan but did not know the key pattern. Han told the soldiers to record the seal before cutting it. No one would damage the wheel or erase the mark.
A station clerk sketched the seal and noted the date cut into its edge. The mark predated the current emergency order by years. The valve crew checked the hinge and the metal around the lock, then stepped clear while Venn brought out the bolt cutter.
“Keep the jaws on the seal,” Han said. “Don’t bite into the wheel.”
Venn placed the cutter carefully. The lock gave with a sharp crack. He set the seal on a cloth and handed it to the clerk. The wheel remained intact.
