Starfall Rebellion

Chapter 5: The Fractured Alliance

The Wraith limped through the Wreck Zone, its engines sputtering with every burst of propulsion. The lingering smell of scorched wiring filled the air, a constant reminder of their narrow escape from the derelict station.

Kael leaned against the cockpit doorframe, arms crossed as he watched Griv wrestle with the controls. "How long until we’re clear of this mess?"

Griv didn’t look up. "If this bird doesn’t die on us? Maybe an hour. If she does? We’ll be lucky if we make it half that."

Aelina, seated in the co-pilot’s chair, turned to Kael. "We need a repair station. Soon. This ship’s barely holding together."

Kael nodded grimly. "I know. But finding one out here without running into Dominion patrols isn’t exactly easy."

Griv snorted. "And here I thought you liked impossible odds."

Before Kael could retort, the ship jolted violently, throwing him against the doorframe. Alarms blared as the lights flickered.

"What now?" Kael growled, pushing himself upright.

"Proximity alert!" Aelina barked, her fingers flying across the console. "Something’s coming up fast—multiple somethings."

Kael’s jaw tightened. "Dominion?"

"Not Dominion," she said, her tone wary. "Scavengers."

The *Wraith* dropped out of the Wreck Zone into an open pocket of space, where three scavenger ships waited like vultures circling a dying animal. Their hulls were a patchwork of rusted metal and salvaged parts, but their weapons glinted menacingly.

A voice crackled over the comms, low and mocking. "This is Captain Harrek of the *Marauder’s Bane*. Power down your engines and prepare to be boarded. Don’t make this harder than it has to be."

Kael glanced at Aelina, who shook her head. "We can’t fight them. Not like this."

"We’re not surrendering," Kael snapped.

Griv turned in his seat, his fur bristling. "You got a better plan? Because I’m all ears."

Kael’s mind raced. The *Wraith* couldn’t outrun the scavengers, and their weapons were no match for three heavily armed ships. But they had one advantage: the element of surprise.

"Aelina, how much power do we have left in the reactor?" he asked.

"Enough for one good burst," she replied. "What are you thinking?"

"Griv, get us close to the lead ship," Kael ordered. "Aelina, prep the EMP charge."

Griv’s eyes widened. "An EMP? That’ll knock us out too!"

"Only if we don’t time it right," Kael said, his voice firm. "Do it."

The *Wraith* surged forward, its engines groaning in protest. The scavenger ships opened fire, bright streaks of plasma lighting up the void. Griv weaved the ship through the barrage, his movements surprisingly nimble despite the *Wraith*’s condition.

"Almost in range," Griv muttered through gritted teeth.

Kael stood behind Aelina, watching as she calibrated the EMP device. "Ready?"

"Ready," she confirmed, her hand hovering over the activation switch.

The *Marauder’s Bane* loomed ahead, its cannons swiveling to track the *Wraith*.

"Now!" Kael shouted.

Aelina slammed the switch.

The EMP pulse radiated outward in a shimmering wave, washing over the scavenger ships. Sparks erupted across their hulls as their systems shorted out, leaving them adrift. The *Wraith* wasn’t spared—the lights flickered and died, plunging the ship into darkness.

"Griv!" Kael yelled.

"Working on it!" came the frustrated reply.

For a few tense moments, there was nothing but the eerie silence of a powerless ship. Then, with a shudder, the *Wraith*’s systems flickered back to life.

Griv let out a triumphant whoop. "Ha! Take that, you rusty bucket of bolts!"

"Don’t celebrate yet," Aelina said, her voice tense. "They’ll recover faster than we will."

Kael nodded. "Griv, get us out of here. Full burn."

The *Wraith* limped away from the scavenger fleet, its engines straining to keep them ahead of the inevitable pursuit. Kael sat in the co-pilot’s chair, his mind racing.

"We need a place to hide," he said.

Aelina pulled up the star map, scanning for options. "There’s a salvage yard on the edge of the Wreck Zone. It’s run by an independent operator—neutral territory. If we can make it there, we might be able to barter for repairs."

"Neutral territory doesn’t mean safe," Kael muttered.

"It’s better than out here," Aelina shot back.

Kael didn’t argue. "Griv, set a course."

The salvage yard came into view hours later, a sprawling collection of derelict ships and makeshift structures orbiting a small moon. The *Wraith* approached cautiously, its transponder broadcasting a request for docking clearance.

A gruff voice answered. "State your business."

"Repairs," Kael replied.

There was a long pause before the voice responded. "Docking bay six. p*****t upfront."

Kael glanced at Aelina, who shrugged. "We don’t have much choice."

The docking bay was as ramshackle as the rest of the salvage yard, its walls patched with mismatched metal plates. Kael, Aelina, and Griv disembarked, their eyes scanning the area warily.

A tall, wiry man approached, his face obscured by a welding mask. "You the ones in the rust bucket?"

"That’s us," Kael said, keeping his tone neutral.

The man lifted his mask, revealing a weathered face and sharp, calculating eyes. "Name’s Marik. You’ve got credits, or is this a charity case?"

Kael reached into his jacket, pulling out a small pouch of chits. "This should cover it."

Marik weighed the pouch in his hand, nodding slightly. "Fair enough. My crew will get started. But let me give you some advice—don’t stick around longer than you need to. Trouble tends to follow your kind."

Kael didn’t respond, but his jaw tightened.

As the repair crew worked on the *Wraith*, Kael and Aelina retreated to the small cantina attached to the docking bay. The air was thick with smoke and the hum of quiet conversation.

Kael leaned across the table, his voice low. "That station wasn’t just some forgotten mining outpost. Whatever the Dominion was hiding there, it’s worth killing for."

Aelina nodded, her expression grim. "And now we’re caught in the middle of it. The scavengers, the Dominion—they’ll keep coming."

"Which is why we need to figure out what they’re after," Kael said. "And why it’s connected to you."

Aelina’s eyes narrowed. "You think I know more than I’m letting on?"

"I think you’re not telling me everything," Kael said, his tone sharp.

Aelina leaned back, crossing her arms. "Believe me, Kael, I want answers just as much as you do. But I can’t give you what I don’t have."

Their conversation was interrupted by a low rumble that shook the cantina.

Griv’s voice crackled over the comms. "Kael, we’ve got company. Scavenger ships inbound—looks like they tracked us."

Kael cursed under his breath, standing abruptly. "Let’s move."

As alarms blared throughout the salvage yard, Kael and Aelina raced back to the *Wraith*. The repairs were incomplete, but there was no time to argue.

Marik shouted orders to his crew, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "You brought this on us!" he snarled at Kael as they passed.

Kael didn’t stop. "Add it to my tab."

Inside the ship, Griv was already at the controls, his fingers flying across the console.

"We’re not going to survive another fight," he said grimly.

"Then we won’t fight," Kael replied. "We run."

The *Wraith* lifted off, its engines sputtering as it clawed its way out of the docking bay. Behind them, scavenger ships swarmed the salvage yard, their weapons lighting up the void.

Kael gripped the back of Griv’s chair, his jaw set. "Head for the edge of the sector. We’re not stopping until we’re out of their reach."

And with that, the *Wraith* plunged into the darkness, its crew bracing for the unknown dangers that lay ahead.