Touchdown in Hostile Territory

  The Descent

  The Hunter dropship roared through Zeyda’s upper atmosphere, its sleek black hull cutting through pastel skies as it sped toward the outer wastelands.

  Below, the planet’s stunning colors faded into something more hostile.

  The landscape stretched for miles in every direction—cracked earth, jagged cliffs, and shimmering heat mirages. Ancient ruins jutted from the sand, remnants of a civilization long gone.

  It was a place where only the desperate or the dangerous survived.

  And right now?

  They were heading straight into it.

  Usa-hime sat near the window, staring at the endless expanse of nothing.

  This wasn’t like the Academy.

  This wasn’t a simulation.

  For the first time, she would be hunting something real.

  The thought sent a shiver through her.

  She flexed her fingers, feeling the tight grip of her combat gloves.

  “I can do this.”

  Across from her, Zyra was checking her pistol, calm and focused.

  Kuro stretched lazily, tail flicking. “So, any bets on how many shots before this bounty turns into a chase?”

  Cipher, slouched against the bulkhead, didn’t even look up from their holo-screen.

  “Five minutes in, someone’s gonna trip an alarm. Then boom, chaos.”

  Zyra scoffed. “You sound way too excited about that.”

  “I just like being right,” Cipher muttered, swiping through their screens.

  Usa-hime glanced at Raze, who sat in the farthest corner, silent as ever.

  She still couldn’t get a read on them.

  Who were they, really? And why had they volunteered for this?

  A voice crackled through the intercom.

  “Approaching drop point. Get ready.”

  The ship lurched slightly as the pilot adjusted course.

  Callen’s voice followed.

  “Remember—this is a capture mission. We take Zathor alive. Don’t get sloppy.”

  Zyra smirked. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get this done.”

  The dropship’s side doors slid open, revealing the burning horizon.

  Wind howled through the cabin, carrying the scent of dust and rusted metal.

  And below them?

  A derelict outpost, half-buried in the sands.

  The last known location of Kren Zathor.

  The Landing

  The ship touched down with a metallic thud.

  Heat waves rippled across the desert floor as the team stepped out, their boots sinking into the dusty terrain.

  The outpost stood in eerie silence—half-collapsed buildings, scattered debris, old energy burns scorched into the walls.

  Zyra adjusted her visor. “Place looks dead.”

  Kuro’s ears twitched. “Doesn’t feel dead.”

  Usa-hime’s grip tightened on her pistol.

  Something was wrong.

  Callen’s voice came through their comms.

  “Scanners are picking up movement, but… no life signs.”

  Cipher, still glued to their screen, frowned. “That’s not normal.”

  They tapped a few commands, sending out a data pulse to scan for signals.

  After a few seconds—

  The screen glitched.

  Cipher’s face twisted into a frown. “Uh… that’s weird. I just got locked out.”

  Zyra narrowed her eyes. “Locked out? By who?”

  Cipher muttered, fingers moving faster. “Dunno. But whatever’s in there? It doesn’t want us snooping.”

  Usa-hime exchanged a glance with Kuro.

  That was all they needed to hear.

  Something—or someone—was waiting for them.

  Moving In

  They advanced slowly, weapons drawn.

  The outpost loomed ahead, its entrance partially caved in.

  Zyra took point, scanning the doorframe for traps.

  “Clear,” she muttered.

  Usa-hime and Kuro followed, stepping into the dark interior.

  Inside, the air was thick with dust. The walls were lined with rusted machinery, old control panels flickering weakly.

  It smelled like burnt circuits and decay.

  Cipher tapped on their wrist console, sending out a new scan.

  “Power grid’s still running… barely,” they muttered. “Whoever was here didn’t leave too long ago.”

  Usa-hime spotted bullet casings on the floor.

  Her stomach tightened.

  This place had seen a fight.

  Raze, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.

  “This isn’t an abandoned hideout.”

  Everyone turned to them.

  Zyra raised an eyebrow. “Then what is it?”

  Raze’s emerald eyes flickered.

  “A trap.”

  And the moment they said it—

  The walls came alive.

  The Ambush

  A sharp whirring noise filled the air.

  The outpost’s defense systems activated.

  Turrets descended from the ceiling, energy cannons spinning online.

  Hidden drones burst from the shadows, blades unfolding.

  A deep metallic voice echoed through the speakers.

  “Welcome, Hunters. I was expecting you.”

  Then—

  The attack began.

  PThe Outpost Awakens

  “Welcome, Hunters. I was expecting you.”

  The moment the voice echoed through the outpost, the walls came alive.

  Turrets descended from the ceiling, spinning into position with a shrill metallic whine.

  Holographic laser sights snapped onto them from every direction.

  Then—

  The drones emerged.

  From the shadows, from the ceiling vents, from hidden compartments in the floor—dozens of sleek, spider-like automatons unfolded, their bladed legs clicking against the metal as they surrounded the team.

  Their red eyes flashed.

  And they attacked.

  Survive or Die

  “MOVE!”

  Zyra was the first to react, diving for cover just as a barrage of plasma bolts rained down.

  Usa-hime threw herself behind a rusted crate, barely dodging a shot that melted a hole through the floor where she had stood a second ago.

  Kuro vanished into the shadows, moving like a ghost.

  Raze flipped backward, narrowly avoiding a drone’s bladed strike before kicking it mid-air, sending it smashing into a wall.

  Cipher?

  They just screamed.

  “WHAT THE HELL?! I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SIMPLE BOUNTY JOB!”

  “Less screaming, more hacking!” Zyra snapped, firing precision shots into the drones’ glowing cores.

  Cipher fumbled with their wrist console, ducking as a turret blasted a hole in the wall behind them.

  “Okay, okay! Shutting down the system—just give me a damn second!”

  “YOU HAVE NO SECONDS!” Usa-hime shouted, kicking a drone away as its claw nearly slashed her leg.

  She raised her pistol—switched to spray mode—

  And fired.

  Laser rounds ripped through the drones, but they kept coming.

  Too many. Too fast.

  Then—

  A turret locked onto her.

  She saw the blast coming.

  Too late.

  Then—

  A blur.

  Raze yanked her down just in time.

  The plasma shot grazed their shoulder instead.

  Raze didn’t even flinch.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Stay sharp,” they murmured, before disappearing into the chaos.

  Cipher’s Desperate Play

  Cipher’s hands flew across their console.

  “Alright, I got two choices!” they shouted over the gunfire.

  “One—I disable the security grid, but it takes three minutes.”

  “Two—I overload the power core and blow this place sky-high.”

  Kuro flipped over a drone, slashing its wiring with their claws.

  “Are those really the only two options?!”

  Cipher ducked as a turret narrowly missed their head.

  “Option three is we die, so pick quick!”

  Usa-hime gritted her teeth.

  Both choices were bad.

  Three minutes under this level of fire? They wouldn’t last.

  But blowing the place up?

  They’d lose Zathor.

  “Shut down the grid!” Usa-hime ordered. “We’re not leaving without him!”

  Cipher cursed. “Fine! But if I die, I’m haunting you!”

  They slammed a command into their wrist console.

  A progress bar appeared.

  [SYSTEM OVERRIDE: 2:59]

  [2:58]

  [2:57]

  Usa-hime’s stomach twisted.

  They just had to survive.

  For three more minutes.

  Holding the Line

  “Keep them off Cipher!” Usa-hime shouted, twisting away from a drone’s attack.

  Zyra was already ahead of her—spinning mid-air, landing precise headshots on advancing machines.

  Kuro moved like a shadow, ripping through enemies with quick, precise strikes.

  Raze was a blur, disarming a turret, flipping off the wall, then kicking a drone straight into another.

  But even with all their skill—

  The numbers were overwhelming.

  A drone leapt onto Usa-hime’s back.

  She barely managed to slam it into the ground.

  Another clawed at her side, cutting deep.

  Pain. Sharp, hot.

  She spun, kicking it so hard it crumpled on impact.

  But then—

  A turret locked onto Zyra.

  Usa-hime’s eyes widened. “Zyra, MOVE!”

  Too late.

  The shot hit.

  Zyra grunted, collapsing onto one knee.

  Smoke rose from her shoulder plate, armor scorched.

  Usa-hime sprinted toward her, gunning down anything in her way.

  “You good?!”

  Zyra winced. “Been worse. Been better.”

  Kuro landed next to them.

  “We’re running out of time!”

  [SYSTEM OVERRIDE: 1:05]

  One minute left.

  One more minute of hell.

  Then—

  Something big dropped from the ceiling.

  The ground shook.

  Usa-hime’s breath hitched.

  A war drone.

  The Final Minute

  It stood at twice their size.

  Heavily armored, multiple plasma cannons loaded on its arms.

  Its glowing red eye scanned them.

  Cipher’s panicked voice came through the comms.

  “OH GREAT. A TITAN-CLASS SECURITY BOT.”

  “Can you shut it down?!” Usa-hime shouted.

  “NO, I’M KINDA BUSY!”

  The war drone’s cannons hummed.

  A deep, artificial voice boomed:

  “THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL. ENGAGING EXTERMINATION PROTOCOL.”

  Zyra groaned. “Oh, for—”

  The first shot fired.

  The team scattered.

  A shockwave ripped through the outpost, sending metal debris flying.

  Usa-hime rolled, barely dodging.

  Kuro and Zyra dove behind cover.

  Raze?

  They charged straight at it.

  “What the hell are they doing?!” Usa-hime shouted.

  Raze jumped onto the war drone, flipping over its back, dodging its massive arms.

  They moved with surgical precision, slicing wires, exposing weak points.

  The drone staggered.

  Then—

  Raze thrust a capturing sphere into the exposed core.

  The sphere flashed.

  And the war drone froze.

  For a moment, everything was silent.

  Then—

  “SECURITY OVERRIDE COMPLETE.”

  Cipher grinned. “We’re in.”

  The turrets shut down.

  The drones collapsed.

  The battle was over.

  And standing in the doorway—

  Kren Zathor.

  His cybernetic eyes gleamed as he clapped slowly.

  “Well, well,” he rumbled. “That was fun to watch.”

  Then—he grinned.

  “But you’re too late.”

  The ground rumbled.

  And behind him—

  Dominion warships descended from the sky.

  The Smuggler’s Gambit

  The ground trembled beneath them.

  The sound of engines roaring filled the air as Dominion warships descended from the sky, their sleek black hulls gleaming in the burning light of Zeyda’s twin suns.

  More were coming.

  And Kren Zathor knew it.

  The reptilian smuggler stood in the shattered doorway of the outpost, his jagged cybernetic eyes scanning the team with amusement.

  He was massive—easily over seven feet tall, his muscular frame wrapped in stitched-together armor that looked like it had been stolen from a dozen different battlefields.

  A glowing red insignia flickered on his metal-plated shoulder.

  Not the Hunter’s Union.

  Not just a rogue.

  But Dominion-marked.

  “That was fun to watch,” Zathor rumbled, his voice deep, slow—mocking.

  He gestured toward the ruined war drone.

  “But if that’s the best the Union’s got, you kids are in for a rough night.”

  Usa-hime raised her pistol.

  “We’re not here to chat, Zathor. You’re coming with us.”

  Zathor chuckled. “Am I? Because from where I’m standing—”

  He took a step forward, his heavy boots crunching over broken metal.

  “—I think you’re all about to have a really bad day.”

  Then he lifted his arm.

  A detonator was clutched in his cybernetic fingers.

  And before anyone could react—

  He pressed it.

  The Outpost Collapses

  BOOM!

  A chain of explosions ripped through the walls, fire and debris erupting outward.

  The ground shook violently as the entire outpost began to collapse.

  Zyra cursed. “MOVE!”

  Metal groaned and snapped as the ceiling caved in.

  Usa-hime leapt back, barely dodging a falling support beam.

  Smoke and flames filled the air, the heat blistering against her skin.

  Through the chaos—

  She saw Zathor sprinting into the ruins.

  Kuro vaulted over debris. “He’s running!”

  “Cipher, track him!” Usa-hime shouted, pushing through the rubble.

  Cipher coughed, their visor flickering. “I’m TRYING, but the blast fried my signals!”

  “Then move!” Zyra grabbed Cipher’s hood and yanked them forward.

  They bolted after Zathor.

  A Desperate Chase

  The wastelands stretched ahead—open terrain, scattered with jagged cliffs and dead ruins.

  Zathor was fast.

  Too fast for someone his size.

  His cybernetic legs kicked up dust as he leapt over broken pathways, his heavy boots barely slowing him down.

  Usa-hime gritted her teeth.

  If he reached the Dominion’s ships, it was over.

  She pushed forward, sprinting harder, her enhanced muscles burning.

  Zyra and Kuro kept pace, their footfalls pounding against the rocky terrain.

  Raze was somewhere ahead, moving like a ghost in the smoke.

  Cipher, panting, struggled behind.

  “This—sucks—so much,” they wheezed.

  “Run faster!” Zyra barked.

  “How about—you—carry me—since you’re so bossy?” Cipher shot back.

  Zyra rolled her eyes. “Not happening.”

  Ahead—

  Zathor reached an old canyon ridge and vaulted over it, disappearing from sight.

  Usa-hime skidded to a stop.

  A long, steep drop.

  A ravine.

  Kuro growled. “Damn it—he’s getting away!”

  Then—

  A mechanical howl echoed through the canyon.

  And a massive beast-shaped war machine rose from the depths.

  Zathor’s Escape Plan

  The machine was terrifying.

  A titan-class Dominion skiff, modified with four heavy cannon turrets and armored plating shaped like a predatory beast.

  Zathor landed on its back, gripping onto a mounted railgun.

  “Better luck next time, Union scum!” he roared.

  The skiff’s engines flared—

  And it blasted forward, speeding across the ravine toward the incoming Dominion warships.

  Usa-hime’s heart pounded.

  They were losing him.

  They had seconds to act.

  She looked at Zyra.

  Zyra looked back.

  No words.

  Just a nod.

  Then they jumped.

  Boarding the War Skiff

  Zathor’s eyes widened.

  He hadn’t expected them to be crazy enough to try this.

  Usa-hime landed hard on the skiff’s outer hull, rolling to absorb the impact.

  Zyra caught a side rail, pulling herself up.

  Kuro landed like a shadow, claws scraping against the metal.

  Raze had already been waiting.

  Cipher?

  …Cipher didn’t jump.

  “Yeah, no. Y’all are insane,” they muttered, still at the cliff’s edge.

  “You BETTER be hacking that ship, Cipher!” Usa-hime shouted.

  Cipher groaned. “Fine, but I want extra snacks when we get back.”

  They pulled up a holo-screen and started hijacking the skiff’s control system.

  Meanwhile—

  Zathor grinned.

  “You idiots just don’t quit.”

  He pulled a massive plasma axe from his back.

  “Alright then. Let’s finish this.”

  Then—he charged.

  The Battle on the War Skiff

  The Dominion war skiff roared across the ravine, kicking up waves of dust as its engines burned hot.

  Jagged cliffs blurred past, and in the distance, Dominion warships loomed, closing in on the battle.

  On the skiff’s armored hull, Usa-hime and her team faced Kren Zathor—and he was ready to kill.

  The reptilian smuggler swung his plasma axe, the weapon’s red-hot energy blade humming with deadly heat.

  “You should’ve stayed on the ground, Union rats,” he growled.

  Then—he attacked.

  Chaos Unleashed

  Zathor moved fast.

  For someone his size, he was absurdly strong, absurdly quick.

  He came at Usa-hime first—swinging his axe in a brutal downward arc.

  She barely dodged, rolling aside as the blade sliced into the skiff’s metal hull, sending up a shower of sparks.

  Zyra fired two rapid shots—but Zathor’s cybernetic arm snapped up, deflecting them with a flick of his wrist.

  Kuro tried to slash his exposed side—but Zathor grabbed them mid-strike and threw them across the deck.

  Kuro hit the railing hard.

  “Okay—ow,” they muttered.

  Raze appeared behind Zathor, a blade flashing—

  But Zathor anticipated it.

  He twisted, grabbing Raze by the throat before slamming them into the deck.

  The skiff lurched violently, nearly tossing everyone off balance.

  “Cipher!” Usa-hime yelled into her comms. “Where’s my hack?!”

  “DOING IT!” Cipher snapped back. “Kinda hard when I’m NOT ON THE DAMN SHIP!”

  “THEN GET ON THE DAMN SHIP!” Zyra shouted.

  Cipher muttered something about “stupid people making stupid choices” but kept working.

  Usa-hime’s heart pounded.

  If they didn’t take Zathor down fast, they’d all be dead before Cipher even got through the firewall.

  Usa-hime vs. Zathor

  Zathor turned his gaze to Usa-hime.

  “You’re the one they really want, aren’t you?” he mused.

  His cybernetic eyes scanned her, analyzing.

  “That symbol on your forehead… That energy you gave off back at the outpost…”

  Usa-hime gritted her teeth.

  “Shut up and fight.”

  She charged.

  Zathor swung his axe again—but this time, Usa-hime was ready.

  She ducked low, feeling the heat of the blade as it sliced past her.

  Then—she kicked.

  Full force.

  Her foot slammed into Zathor’s ribs—the impact sent a shockwave through the skiff.

  Zathor staggered back, coughing.

  But he didn’t fall.

  Instead—he grinned.

  “Not bad,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “But I’ve fought Celestials before.”

  Usa-hime froze.

  “What did he just say?”

  Then—Zathor’s cybernetic arm transformed.

  A massive energy cannon unfolded from his forearm, glowing with unstable red plasma.

  And he fired.

  Dodging Death

  The blast was enormous.

  The force of it ripped a hole straight through the skiff’s hull, nearly blasting Usa-hime into the open sky.

  She barely managed to flip backward, her feet sliding against the unstable metal.

  Zyra cursed, diving behind cover.

  Kuro and Raze barely avoided getting blown overboard.

  “WHAT KIND OF AXE TURNS INTO A CANNON?!” Usa-hime shouted.

  Zathor laughed.

  “The kind that KILLS PEOPLE!”

  He fired again.

  Usa-hime dodged, barely escaping.

  But behind her—

  The blast tore through a stabilizer wing.

  The skiff lurched violently.

  They were losing altitude.

  Cipher’s Last-Minute Save

  Cipher’s voice blared through the comms.

  “GUESS WHAT, YOU PSYCHOS! I’M IN!”

  The skiff’s control panel flickered.

  “RE-ROUTING SYSTEMS NOW!”

  The skiff jerked sharply, the stabilizers flickering back to life.

  Zathor stumbled, caught off guard.

  Cipher grinned from their control station.

  “Skiff’s mine now, ugly! Time for a crash course in LOSING!”

  They jerked the controls hard—

  And the entire ship pitched to the right.

  Zathor lost his footing.

  Usa-hime saw her chance.

  The Final Blow

  She rushed forward.

  Zathor snarled, trying to recover—

  But Usa-hime was faster.

  She ducked under his swing—

  Twisted—

  And slammed a Capturing Sphere against his chest.

  FLASH.

  Zathor’s body froze mid-motion.

  His form shrunk instantly, locked in stasis.

  The Sphere hovered for a moment, glowing—

  Then clicked shut.

  Usa-hime exhaled sharply.

  It was over.

  They had won.

  A Narrow Escape

  The skiff rumbled violently.

  Cipher shouted, “Uh, yeah, so we have a TINY problem—THIS SHIP IS GOING DOWN!”

  “WHAT?!” Usa-hime shouted.

  Zyra grabbed the Capturing Sphere. “We got what we came for! Time to leave!”

  The Dominion warships were still closing in.

  They had seconds before they were locked in.

  “SHIP! NOW!” Usa-hime yelled.

  A blast of wind roared overhead—

  The Hunter dropship swooped in, its doors sliding open.

  Callen’s voice rang through their comms.

  “JUMP, YOU IDIOTS!”

  They didn’t hesitate.

  One by one, they leapt from the skiff, their boots hitting the open ramp of the Hunter ship.

  The moment the last of them landed—

  Cipher hacked the skiff’s thrusters—overloading the engine.

  And as the Dominion ships moved in—

  The war skiff exploded, engulfing everything in a massive fireball.

  The Hunter ship blasted away, dodging incoming fire as it sped back toward the Celestial Spire.

  They had done it.

  They had captured Kren Zathor.

  But as Usa-hime sat back, heart pounding, a thought nagged at her.

  “I’ve fought Celestials before.”

  Zathor knew something.

  And now, she had questions that needed answers.