Chapter 11
324 Words
The bridge of the Starborn Valor hummed with quiet tension as Captain Elara Voss studied the tactical display. The battle with the Imperial blockade had left scars on the ship’s hull, and though the Valor still stood, their situation was precarious.
Lieutenant Kieran Hale’s voice cut through the stillness. “Captain, our hyperdrive matrix is unstable. If we attempt another jump without recalibrating, we risk a full system collapse.”
Elara exhaled slowly, weighing their limited options. “Can we reroute power through the auxiliary conduits?”
Kieran shook his head. “We already tried that. The damage runs deeper than we thought.”
From the communications console, Ensign Liora Vey’s fingers danced over the control panel. “Captain, we’re receiving a tightbeam transmission from the planet’s surface. It’s an encrypted signal.”
Elara’s brow furrowed. “Decrypt it.”
A moment later, Liora’s face paled. “It’s from the Resistance. They say they have an engineer who can help us—if we help them first.”
Elara exchanged a glance with Kieran. It was a risk. The Imperial forces would not tolerate interference, and they were already being hunted. But without the engineer, the Valor wouldn’t get far.
She turned to her crew. “Prepare a landing party. We’re going down.”
The shuttle cut through the stormy skies of Novira Prime, descending toward the dense jungle that concealed the Resistance hideout. As the landing ramp lowered, Elara stepped out first, her hand resting on the grip of her pulse pistol.
A group of figures emerged from the underbrush—scrappy, determined, their leader an older woman with a mechanical arm.
“I’m Commander Jaleen Varos,” the woman said, her gaze sharp. “You need an engineer, and we need to take out an Imperial weapons depot. I think we can help each other.”
Elara studied her for a long moment, then nodded. “Then let’s get to work.”
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