Nova's boots pounded against the metal floor as he and Anna dashed toward the docked ship, the one he'd marked earlier.
They were seconds away when the air shifted—a sharp pulse of aether surged toward him like a wave of knives.
Nova reacted instantly.
His arm shot up, aether condensing into a hardened barrier over his skin. The force of the blow cracked against it with a metallic clang.
Sparks flew as his defense clashed with a gleaming sword covered in dense, unstable aether.
The pressure behind the blow pushed Nova back half a step, his eyes narrowing as he locked gazes with the attacker.
Powerful. Focused. Controlled rage.
Their weapons collided—Nova's short aether-forged knife against the larger sword. Despite the size difference, the strike didn't overpower him.
He shifted his weight, twisted the blade, and shoved the attacker back, using their momentum to slide out of the way.
The moment he stepped aside, he noticed her.
A beautiful warrior, calm but dangerous, preparing her second strike with practiced efficiency. Aether surged through her weapon again, building.
Nova didn't wait.
He dropped his stance and slammed his palm into the floor beneath her feet. A burst of aether cracked through the docking platform, fracturing the base.
The ground gave way just as she lunged, and she fell through the gap, dropping to the lower level with a startled cry and a flash of her blade.
No time to check if she landed safely.
Nova spun around, grabbed Anna's wrist, and pulled her toward the ship.
"Go!"
He barked.
Anna didn't argue. She sprinted beside him, reaching the ship just as the massive docking port above them began to close.
A loud warning siren blared, red lights flashing along the walls as security lockdowns kicked in.
"It's sealing us in. If it closes, we're trapped."
Anna said, panic rising in her voice.
Nova moved to the base of the closing door, raising both hands.
"I'll hold it."
"You can't—!"
"Just fly!"
Anna scrambled up the ramp into the cockpit. She slid into the pilot's seat, fingers flying across unfamiliar controls. Her eyes flicked to the ignition, then to Nova.
"We don't have a key!"
Nova didn't respond with words.
He reached for the ship's power conduit, pressed his palm against it, and let a stream of aether pour from his body into the system.
The ship groaned once, its lights flickering—then engines roared to life.
"Go."
Anna didn't hesitate.
She gripped the control yoke and pulled. The ship lifted unevenly, scraping slightly along the edge of the port.
Warning klaxons screamed louder now, but she ignored them, eyes fixed on the narrowing gap above.
"Come on, come on—!"
With one last surge, the ship burst through the shrinking gap, scraping past the sealing doors by a fraction of a second.
The outer hull sparked as it slid through, and then the sky opened up before them.
They were out.
Anna let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and dropped back into the co-pilot seat.
Behind her, Nova stepped into the cabin and slumped down beside the shuttle bulkhead, his hands falling limp to his sides.
His breathing was calm, but his body showed the toll of holding back an entire blast door.
Anna turned to him.
"You good?"
"Fine."
"That woman back there—she wasn't normal."
"No, she wasn't."
Nova said quietly.
A second later, the ship's system beeped. A voice rang through the console—clear, confident, familiar.
[Nova. You've done well. I've synced with this ship's system. I'll guide you back to the mother ship now. There's no longer a need to worry.]
Anna blinked.
"Is that…?"
"Nyx."
Nova confirmed.
He looked out the cockpit window as stars stretched before them, the chaos of Clavacis shrinking behind them.
And finally, he allowed himself to exhale.
The ship hummed gently as Nyx synchronized its systems with the mothership's internal bay.
The docking clamps slid into place with precision, and the shuttle hissed as it decompressed and locked in.
Aether channels flickered faintly along the walls, slowly integrating the cruiser's systems into the mothership's control net.
Nova didn't wait.
The moment the seal was confirmed, he stood and headed for the exit ramp.
"Nyx, jettison the shuttle. I want it gone."
He said, voice steady but commanding.
[Understood. Disposal underway.]
Her tone was composed, as always.
The docking clamps released again with a heavy clunk, and a secondary sequence launched the used shuttle back into space, setting it adrift before the mothership's outer guns vaporized it.
No evidence. No tracking.
Nova continued walking toward the command deck, Anna trailing behind him. He paused just before the elevator.
[Engage warp as soon as the jump vector's stable. We should still have enough aether in the engine.]
[Coordinates locked. Initiating warp in thirty seconds.]
The ship's engines pulsed faintly beneath their feet, and Anna turned her head slightly as she felt the shift.
"You're not wasting any time."
"We have what we came for. No reason to linger."
Nova replied.
"And now that you have the master key?"
He glanced at her.
"Now we fix the aether absorption unit. After that... this ship moves again."
The elevator doors slid shut behind them, and within seconds, the mothership blinked out of Clavacis airspace, leaving only stars in its wake.
Back on Clavacis, chaos festered.
Clavacis III stood in the center of the ravaged auction house, the remains of a shattered display still smoldering beside him.
His decorative robes were disheveled, the gaudy rings on his fingers clinking as he slammed a fist onto the nearest control panel.
"Find them! Whoever brings me the ones responsible gets a full pardon for every crime they've ever committed! And double their weight in gold!"
He bellowed, voice echoing through the ruined hall.
The crowd stirred at that. Greed flickered in their eyes, mingled with unease.
Whoever had caused this mess had shut down their entire system like it was child's play—and walked away with the most secure artifact in the building.
Still, Clavacis's promise was too tempting.
Mercenaries, scavengers, bounty hunters—dozens of them were already out the door, trying to pull up surveillance feeds, trace energy trails, or bribe dock workers for any clue.
But one group hadn't moved.
In a fractured section of the docking bay, just outside the auction chamber, a group of elite guards clustered near the edge of a circular crater.
Smoke still curled from the scorched floor, metal bent and warped from the sheer force of impact.
At the center of the crater stood a single figure—silent, composed.
Princess Stelle.
She hadn't moved since the blast had knocked her through the floor. Dust clung to her coat, and faint trails of aether still danced along her skin.
But her breathing was even, and her eyes were locked forward.
One of the guards finally stepped forward hesitantly.
"Princess Stelle… are you alright?"
She blinked once, then straightened her posture and looked down at her gloved hand. She clenched it slowly, remembering the impact, the sheer density of his aether.
"I'm fine."
She said, voice sharp.
The others relaxed slightly, until she turned to them fully.
"I want every surveillance node checked. Cross-reference every recent warp signature, energy fluctuation, or aether surge in this city. Find me the identity of the man who struck me down."
Her lips curled slightly.
"He doesn't belong to anyone yet… and I want him for myself."
The guards exchanged uneasy glances. One cleared his throat.
"You mean… to arrest him, Your Highness?"
Stelle smiled.
"No."
The smile didn't reach her eyes.
"I want to recruit him."