Inside his aircraft, Kaelar noticed his comms screen abruptly go black. He typed a command to try reconnecting with Vega, but there was no response.

  "Not good," Kaelar muttered. He activated the locator system to find Vega's last known coordinates, and saw that their ship was plummeting toward the ground.

  He opened a comm line to Zephyr and Kirana. "Zephyr, Kirana! Vega's ship is going down! They've lost power. We need to reach their last location, now!"

  Out in the fields, Zephyr and Kirana froze in shock as Kaelar's voice echoed in their earpieces.

  "Aelina!" Kirana cried, panic overtaking her expression.

  Zephyr activated the jetpack built into his armor. "No time to talk. We move now!"

  Kirana nodded and launched her jetpack. With a flash of blue light, the two of them shot into the sky, racing after Kaelar's trail.

  Inside Vega's ship, things were deteriorating fast. They were dangerously close to the ground, and Vega was still frantically trying to restart the systems.

  "Almost got it!" Vega shouted, pounding at the control panel.

  Aelina sat silently in her seat, eyes shut tight, trying to calm herself amidst the chaos. She whispered softly, "I have to help... I have to do something..."

  Lyra placed a hand on Aelina's shoulder. "We're going to be okay. Vega will fix it."

  But before Vega could succeed, the ship slammed into the ground.

  ….…………

  In the cockpit of his ship, Kaelar Thorne stared at a holographic display scanning for life signs near Vega’s last known location. Behind him, Kirana sat tense, worry etched into her features. Zephyr stood by the door, ready for anything.

  "I’ve got something," Kaelar broke the silence, pointing at a small red dot on the screen. "There are life signs, not many, but it’s something."

  Kirana leaned forward, eyes filled with desperate hope. "Is it them? Is Aelina with them?"

  Kaelar shook his head slightly. "I can’t confirm. But it’s the only lead we’ve got."

  Zephyr stepped up, eyes sharp. "Then let’s not waste time. Let’s move."

  Kaelar nodded, guiding the ship toward the coordinates. "Brace yourselves. We’re going in."

  The ship landed gently amidst broken trees and scorched earth, scarred by the crash of Vega’s craft. As soon as the ramp lowered, Kirana jumped out, followed closely by Zephyr and Kaelar.

  Thick smoke billowed from the wreckage of Vega’s ship. Its front was severely dented, and debris was scattered everywhere. Kirana scanned the area frantically, her breath quickening.

  "There!" Zephyr shouted, pointing at Lyra, Draven, Velaria, and Vega lying injured near the crash.

  They sprinted over. Kirana dropped beside Lyra, whose body was covered in bruises and cuts. "Lyra! Lyra, can you hear me?"

  Lyra’s eyes fluttered open, her voice faint. "Kirana... I’m sorry... we couldn’t stop them..."

  Draven leaned against a fallen tree, pale but conscious. He raised a trembling hand toward Kirana. "Kirana..."

  She rushed to him, gripping his shoulder. "Draven! What happened? Where’s Aelina?"

  Draven swallowed hard, his breath ragged. "After the crash... they came. Edenan soldiers. They attacked. We fought... but they were too strong."

  Kirana’s eyes widened, fists clenching. "Aelina? What happened to Aelina?!"

  Draven lowered his head, voice shaking. "We... couldn’t stop them."

  Kirana stood, her whole body trembling with fury. Her voice burst out in a roar:

  "The Edenans! They never stop! They take everything! I won’t let them get away with this!"

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  Zephyr stepped in, trying to calm her. "Kirana, we’ll find her. But we have to stay focused."

  Kirana turned to him, eyes ablaze. "How can I stay calm, Zephyr? They took my daughter! They took Aelina! I will never forgive them!"

  Kaelar approached, voice firm but steady. "I understand your anger, Kirana. But this is not the time to lose control. If we want to save Aelina, we need clear minds."

  Tears welled in Kirana’s eyes. "Then tell me what to do. They’re too strong... they’re always ahead."

  Kaelar rested a hand on her shoulder. "First, we get the wounded to safety. Lyra, Draven, Vega, they need to recover before we make our next move. This isn’t over, Kirana. There’s still a chance."

  Zephyr knelt by Vega, lifting her gently. "I’ve got Vega. Kirana, help Lyra."

  Kirana nodded, still trembling, and helped Lyra up with care. "We’ll fix this, Lyra. We’ll find Aelina."

  Kaelar supported Draven despite the latter’s protest. "I can walk," Draven insisted weakly.

  Kaelar gave him a sharp look. "Don’t be stubborn. Just focus on staying alive," he said, lifting Velaria in his arms.

  Together, they moved back toward Kaelar’s ship, leaving the smoky wreck behind.

  Once inside, Kaelar activated the med-bay. The ship’s auto-med systems began treating Lyra, Draven, Velaria, and Vega.

  Zephyr sat beside Lyra, watching her pale face. "She’ll be okay, right?"

  Kaelar checked the display. "This system is advanced enough to stabilize them. But they need rest."

  Kirana stood by the window, staring out blankly, fists clenched. Zephyr approached gently.

  "Kirana..."

  "I failed, Zephyr," she whispered. "I should’ve protected her. I wasn’t there when she needed me."

  Zephyr gripped her shoulder. "You didn’t fail. Aelina’s strong because of you. We’ll find her. I promise."

  Kaelar joined them, voice steady and resolute. "Zephyr’s right. But we must act as one. Edena won’t stop, and neither will we. For now, we return to your home. We need to regroup and plan our next move."

  Kirana turned at last. Her face was still tight with emotion, but a new fire burned in her eyes. "Then let’s go. Aelina’s waiting."

  Kaelar’s ship ascended into the sky, leaving the crash behind. Inside, silence reigned, but it was not hopeless. It was focused.

  They knew what they were up against. But they also knew what they were fighting for: the love and courage to bring Aelina home.

  ...

  The sun had just risen over the village of Ravara. On a humble wooden table, a small holographic map hovered in the air, showing the orbit of Planet Kaelion in the Draetheus star system. The team gathered, faces grave.

  "Time is not on our side," Kaelar said, pointing at a marked zone. "If Aelina has been taken off Earth, they’re likely heading to Kaelion. It’s Edena’s main research hub for their cloning program."

  Kirana sat with clenched fists, guilt and anger simmering in her gaze. "If they’ve gone that far, then they don’t just want to control Aelina. They want to create something worse."

  Velaria nodded slowly. "Exactly. The second-generation cloning project is their ultimate goal. If Aelina is integrated into it, she won’t just lose her freedom, she’ll become a weapon."

  Zephyr leaned his spear against his chair and looked at Kaelar. "So what’s the plan? We just charge in blind?"

  Kaelar exhaled, scanning each face. "We need more than strength. We need intel. First, we need to confirm her exact location."

  Their conversation was interrupted by Lyra shouting from the other room. "I found her!"

  They rushed to Lyra, who stood before a cosmic map with a blinking red signal surrounded by complex coordinates.

  "What is it?" Kirana asked urgently.

  Lyra pointed. "I managed to trace Aelina’s neural signal. She’s on Kaelion, in a place called Erevos Facility. One of their biggest research sites."

  Velaria bit her lip. "That fits. Erevos houses their most dangerous experiments. But breaking in... it won’t be easy."

  Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "Easy or not, we’re not leaving her there."

  Kaelar slammed his hand on the table. "If we know where she is, we have no excuse to wait. We go to Kaelion. We get Aelina back."

  Vega and Draven began loading gear onto the ship. Weapons, supplies, every essential checked. Vega, still recovering, pressed on with resolve.

  "We need this ship ready for anything," she said, scanning the front panel.

  Draven carried a crate of ammo. "You sure you can fly like this?"

  Vega gave a tired but confident smile. "I’ve flown in worse."

  Outside, Lyra joined them with a small device. "Tracker’s ready. If something happens, we’ll still find Aelina, even if they block the signal."

  Once everything was set, they assembled at the ramp. Kaelar looked them over.

  "Listen, this isn’t a typical mission. Kaelion is their turf. If anyone wants out, speak now."

  No one moved. Determination lit every face.

  Kirana stepped forward. "We’re all here for one reason. We’re bringing Aelina home, no matter what."

  Kaelar smiled faintly. "Then let’s do this."

  Everyone boarded. Vega took the pilot’s seat. Kaelar sat as co-pilot. The others strapped in, weapons ready.

  Vega punched in the Kaelion coordinates. "Locked in. Warp drive will get us there in hours."

  Kaelar activated the drive. "Engage."

  The ship soared skyward, bursting through Earth’s atmosphere. As it reached velocity, the warp engine activated, space twisting into a tunnel of light. In a flash, they entered hyperspace.

  Silence filled the cabin. Everyone lost in thought, bracing for what awaited.

  Zephyr glanced at Kirana. "You ready for this?"

  She nodded. "I have to be. For Aelina. I won’t let them take her."

  Velaria checked her weapon. "We need to be careful. Erevos is one of the most secure places on Kaelion."

  Lyra, watching hyperspace swirl outside, whispered, "If they manipulate Aelina... it’s over. We’re not just saving her, we’re saving our future."

  Draven, inspecting his rounds, added grimly, "And if we fail... no one can stop them."

  Days passed. Vega’s voice broke the quiet. "Approaching Kaelion. Warp disengaging in two minutes."

  Everyone strapped in and readied their gear.

  Kaelar looked back from the cockpit. "This is it. We’re going into the lion’s den. No room for mistakes."

  The warp light faded. Before them, Planet Kaelion emerged, glimmering with oceans and forests, but marred by sprawling research complexes like scars on its surface.

  "Welcome to Kaelion," Kaelar murmured. "Let’s begin this fight."