Starfall Rebellion

Chapter 2: Pursued by Shadows

Chapter 2: Pursued by Shadows

Kael had barely stepped out of the cockpit when the *Wraith*’s comm system flared to life, blaring an insistent warning tone. His gut churned as he scanned the console display. Even in hyperspace, the Dominion’s signature was unmistakable.

"They’re tracking us," he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.

"Impossible," Aelina said, standing just behind him. Her arms were crossed, though her voice betrayed a flicker of doubt. "Once a ship jumps to hyperspace, there’s no way to follow without an active tracker."

"Yeah?" Kael shot her a sharp look. "Tell that to them."

He jabbed at the console, highlighting the Dominion patrol ships that seemed to be closing in, even through hyperspace.

Griv’s voice crackled over the internal comm. "Boss, you seeing this? I thought hyperspace was supposed to be safe!"

"Apparently not anymore," Kael grumbled, ignoring the creeping sense of dread that clawed at the edges of his mind.

Aelina moved closer, peering at the readings. "This doesn’t make sense. The technology to do this—" She stopped mid-sentence, her expression hardening.

Kael caught the change. "What? Spit it out."

"They’ve been experimenting with something called *subspace tethering*," she admitted reluctantly. "A way to lock onto a ship’s hyperspace trajectory. But it wasn’t supposed to be functional yet."

Kael ran a hand through his dark hair, his frustration simmering. "Let me guess. You had a hand in that too?"

Aelina’s silence was answer enough.

"Of course you did," Kael muttered under his breath. "Why does every job I take end up being a bigger mess than the last?"

"Can you evade them?" she asked, her voice softer now.

"Maybe. If we don’t burn out the engines first." Kael punched in a new set of commands, redirecting power to the *Wraith*’s cooling systems. "But if they’re this persistent, they’re not just after you—they’re trying to make an example."

The *Wraith* lurched violently as another proximity alarm blared. Kael and Aelina staggered, grabbing for the nearest supports.

Griv’s panicked voice came through again. "Kael, they’re pulling us out of hyperspace!"

"Hold tight," Kael barked, his hands flying across the controls. "We’re not done yet."

Outside the viewport, the familiar streaks of hyperspace began to collapse, replaced by the cold, infinite void of realspace. The ship groaned in protest as it was forcibly yanked from its trajectory, spinning into the empty black.

Aelina clutched the edge of the console, her knuckles white. "How are they doing this?"

Kael didn’t answer. His focus was on stabilizing the ship, fighting against the forces threatening to tear it apart. The stars blurred as the *Wraith* righted itself, but there was no time to celebrate.

Three Dominion patrol ships loomed ahead, their angular designs glinting menacingly against the backdrop of space.

"Griv," Kael called into the comm, "get to the turret. We’re going to need cover fire."

"I’m already on it!" Griv’s reply came with the distant hum of the turret activating.

Kael spared a glance at Aelina. "You’d better be worth all this trouble."

Her lips thinned, but she didn’t reply. Instead, she slid into the co-pilot’s seat, her fingers flying across the secondary controls. Kael raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop her. If she could help, he wasn’t about to argue.

The first volley of laser fire lit up the void, narrowly missing the *Wraith* as Kael twisted the ship into a sharp evasive maneuver. Griv’s turret returned fire, but the Dominion ships were faster and better armed.

"They’re boxing us in," Aelina said, her tone calm but urgent. "You need to break through their formation."

Kael snorted. "Oh, is that all? Thanks for the expert advice."

"I’m serious," she insisted. "Their movements are predictable. If you cut hard to starboard and fire the ion cannon at these coordinates"—she tapped a spot on the console—"you’ll overload their shields long enough to create an opening."

Kael hesitated, then shook his head. "If this gets us killed, I’m haunting you."

He keyed in the coordinates and veered hard to the right, narrowly dodging another barrage. The ship’s ion cannon fired a concentrated burst, hitting the lead patrol ship dead-on. Sparks erupted across its hull, and the other two ships faltered in their pursuit.

"Now!" Aelina urged.

Kael didn’t need to be told twice. He slammed the throttle forward, the *Wraith* surging through the gap in the enemy formation.

Behind them, the damaged patrol ship exploded, forcing the others to scatter. For a fleeting moment, the sensors showed clear space.

Griv’s relieved laugh echoed over the comm. "Ha! That’s what I’m talking about! You’re not bad for a smuggler, Kael."

Kael allowed himself a tight smile but kept his focus on the controls. "Don’t get too comfortable. We’re not out of this yet."

Aelina leaned back in her seat, visibly shaken but composed. "You’re good at this," she said quietly.

"Good doesn’t keep you alive out here," Kael replied, his tone brusque. "Luck does."

She frowned but didn’t press the issue. Instead, she turned her attention to the star map on the console. "We need a safe harbor to regroup. Somewhere they won’t think to look."

Kael’s eyes flicked to her, skeptical. "You’ve got a lot of ideas for someone who just got here."

"And you’ve got a lot of ego for someone who’s being hunted by half the galaxy," she shot back.

Kael couldn’t help a wry chuckle. "Fair enough."

He scanned the star map, considering their options. Most of the nearby systems were Dominion-controlled, but one stood out—a barely charted region known as the Wreck Zone, filled with the debris of long-forgotten battles.

"Here," he said, pointing. "It’s dangerous, but the Dominion won’t follow us into that mess."

Aelina nodded, her expression grim. "Then let’s go."

Kael set the course and activated the engines. As the *Wraith* slipped back into hyperspace, he glanced at Aelina.

"One thing’s for sure," he said. "You’ve made my life a hell of a lot more interesting."

Her lips curved into a faint smile. "You’re welcome."

Kael shook his head, focusing on the controls. Interesting wasn’t always a good thing—but for better or worse, he had a feeling this was only the beginning.