Talos Station loomed ahead, a hulking mass of metal and flickering lights, orbiting a lonely planetoid. It was a place where the dregs of the galaxy converged—a melting pot for mercenaries, smugglers, and those who sought the shadows over the light. As the Nebula Runner approached, Mechelle couldn’t help but feel the weight of what was to come. This was the fulcrum upon which their fates would balance.
Kira disconnected from the console, her youthful face etched with lines of concern and determination. “We need a plan,” she said, “We can’t just barge in and take the Rahztli. Corvus will be there, and he’ll be armed.”
Mechelle nodded, her mind a whirlwind of tactics and trajectories. “We need a distraction,” she replied, her eyes scanning the station’s schematics. “Something to draw Corvus and his goons away from the exchange.”
“What about the station’s security systems?” Kira suggested, her eyes alight with the fires of rebellion. “If I can tap into their network, I might be able to trigger a false alarm—get them chasing ghosts.”
It was risky. Talos’s security was notoriously unforgiving, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Do it,” Mechelle said. “But be careful. If they trace it back to us, we’re finished.”
As Kira set to work, Mechelle piloted the ship into a docking bay, the thrum of the engines giving way to the clank of metal as the Runner latched onto the station. They were in the viper’s nest now, surrounded by danger on all sides.
With the ship secured, they made their way to the market district, the heart of Talos’s shadow economy. Here, amidst the throngs of alien species and the cacophony of a hundred languages, was where the Rahztli child would be sold.
Kira’s fingers flew across her portable hacking device, a symphony of clicks and beeps that was the prelude to their ruse. Meanwhile, Mechelle kept her eyes peeled, watching for any sign of Corvus or his cronies. She had a disruptor pistol concealed beneath her jacket, but she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Then, Kira nodded. “It’s done,” she whispered. “In two minutes, every security drone on this station is going to converge on the opposite side. We’ll have a small window.”
“Let’s move,” Mechelle said, her voice barely above a murmur.
They navigated through the crowds, each step bringing them closer to the moment of truth. Mechelle could feel the tension coiling in her stomach, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. This was it.
As they reached the designated meeting spot, they saw them—the Rahztli child, a delicate, ethereal creature with skin that shimmered like starlight, and Marshal Corvus, flanked by armed guards. The buyer, a shady figure from the Outer Rim, was inspecting the Rahztli, oblivious to the imminent chaos.
Then the alarms blared. Lights flashed, and the crowd erupted into panic as security drones zipped overhead, drawn to the phantom threat Kira had conjured.
In the confusion, Mechelle and Kira moved. They darted forward, Mechelle’s hand finding the child’s, whispering promises of safety. Kira covered their retreat, her device sending out jamming signals to keep the drones at bay.
Corvus’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto Mechelle’s just as she pushed the Rahztli into the Nebula Runner. Their gazes were a clash of wills, a silent battle amidst the chaos.
“Go!” Mechelle shouted to Kira, and together, they sealed the ship, the engines roaring to life.
As they blasted away from Talos, Mechelle didn’t look back. They had the Rahztli, they had their evidence, and they had a new course—one that pointed towards freedom and justice.
But as the stars streaked past, Mechelle knew that Corvus would come after them. He was a man who thrived on control, and they had just dealt him the ultimate insult.
This was far from over. It was just the beginning.
Not. The. End.
MADD FICTIONAL 