Khatia loomed ahead, vast and unyielding. It was not a planet shaped by nature's unpredictability—it had been designed, every structure placed with precision, every system pulsing with mechanical order. Towers of metal and circuits stood in perfect symmetry, reflecting the artificial sky above. It was an empire stripped of randomness, a contradiction to everything Earth represented.
A fleet of K'tharr warships maintained their rigid formations in orbit, moving with calculated efficiency. These were not vessels piloted by instinct or hesitation. They were extensions of a civilization that did not make mistakes.
Inside the Arbor's command bridge, red warning lights pulsed across the consoles. No one spoke. The tension held firm as patrol ships swept dangerously close, their scanning beams shifting across the void.
Gray Nakamura worked in silence, fingers gliding over the controls, every adjustment critical. The modifications to their stealth field had to hold.
Liam Hayes leaned over his own console, synchronizing the system's frequency disruption. "Gray, keep the fluctuations steady—if one of these pulses misaligns, they'll see us."
Gray exhaled sharply. "I know." His focus never wavered.
Chloe Chen remained at the viewport, her gaze locked onto the nearest patrol vessel. It had altered course—slow, deliberate.
"Gray…" Chloe's voice carried tension, but not panic.
"Not now," Gray muttered, still adjusting controls.
Emma Forrest studied the readings, her fingers hovering near the map. "If we don't move soon, they'll establish a secondary scan grid."
Liam's hands moved quickly, refining the stealth field's stabilizer. "Almost… almost…"
The K'tharr scanner passed over their position.
Every breath held still.
Then, after an agonizing pause, the patrol ship shifted course—finding nothing.
Markus Volkov exhaled, shaking his head. "Next time, let's just walk up to them and say hi."
Gray leaned back, exhaustion creeping into his smirk. "That's the worst idea I've heard today."
Emma pulled up the holographic map, tracing potential landing zones. They needed a section untouched by high-tier defenses—a place where entry wouldn't immediately trigger the full force of Khatia's security.
Ethan Reyes checked their weapons, ensuring every calibration was precise. Chloe refined the descent trajectory, adjusting for environmental distortions. Liam kept the stealth stabilizers locked, monitoring fluctuations for signs of detection.
Markus watched the metallic expanse below, unreadable. None of them could afford doubt.
Beyond Khatia's surface, deep within the core of its engineered perfection, something stirred.
Magzorha knew they had arrived.
And soon, they would know him.