The Shadowfang broke out of hyperspace into a system shrouded by swirling nebulae. The Exora Outpost was little more than a faint speck in the darkness, floating amidst a graveyard of ancient starships. Massive wrecks, some of them centuries old, drifted aimlessly, their hulls reflecting the faint glow of nearby pulsars.
On the bridge, the crew watched the scene unfold in tense silence. The distress signal pulsed through the ship's comm system—a haunting, repetitive tone accompanied by faint whispers, as if the message itself was alive.
"This place gives me the creeps," Kairo muttered, his eyes scanning the debris field. "Who sends a signal like this from a junkyard?"
"A signal that's targeting Iris," Kyra added, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. "We should be ready for anything."
Iris stood at the helm, her Nexus tattoos glowing faintly. She felt it again—the pull. The Nexus was calling to her, its presence stronger now than ever before.
"Arkan, take us in," she ordered, her voice steady despite the unease gnawing at her. "Luna, scan for any life signs or energy readings. Whatever's out there, we're finding it."
The Graveyard Beckons
The Shadowfang maneuvered cautiously through the wreckage, its scanners probing the area for anything unusual. Onboard, tension rippled through the crew like an electric current.
"Energy readings are spiking," Luna reported, her glowing eyes narrowing as she analyzed the data. "It's similar to the Nexus, but...different. More fragmented. It feels unstable."
"Great," Kairo said, throwing up his hands. "So it's not just a haunted junkyard; it's a haunted junkyard with exploding Nexus energy. Fantastic."
"Focus," Iris snapped, cutting through his sarcasm. "Whatever's here, it might be a shard of the Nexus—or worse, someone using one."
Suddenly, a loud clang echoed through the ship as something latched onto the hull. The entire crew froze.
"What was that?" Kyra asked, her hand on her blade.
"I don't know," Arkan said, his fingers flying over the controls. "Something just attached itself to us."
"Hostiles?" Iris asked, her voice sharp.
"Not yet," Arkan replied. "But I'd bet my life it's not friendly."
Boarding Party
The clang was followed by the sound of grinding metal as the intruder forced its way inside. Iris led the crew to the cargo bay, where a section of the wall hissed and groaned under immense pressure.
"Everyone, ready up," she commanded, drawing her energy blades.
The wall exploded inward, and from the smoke emerged humanoid figures. Their bodies glowed faintly with Nexus-like energy, but their movements were jerky and unnatural, as though they were puppets on invisible strings. Their hollow eyes glimmered with the same eerie light.
"Drones," Kyra said, stepping forward with her knives drawn. "No, wait...they're alive. What the hell are they?"
"Iris Veyra," one of the figures rasped, its voice layered with distortion. "You are the chosen vessel. The Nexus calls for you."
"Yeah, I got the memo," Iris shot back, her eyes narrowing. "But I don't take orders from anyone, least of all a glowing zombie."
The figure raised a hand, and a pulse of energy shot toward her. Iris dodged, rolling to the side as the pulse hit the wall, leaving a smoldering crater.
"Attack pattern Delta!" she shouted, leaping into the fray.
The crew sprang into action. Kyra moved with lethal precision, her blades slicing through the attackers like a dancer in motion. Kairo provided cover fire from above, his modified blasters humming with charged plasma rounds. Luna unleashed bursts of telekinetic energy, sending the drones flying.
But it was Iris who became the center of the chaos. Her Nexus tattoos flared brightly, her movements a blur as she cut down the attackers with ruthless efficiency. Every strike left trails of glowing energy in the air, painting a deadly masterpiece.
The Shard Revealed
As the last drone fell, a sudden vibration shook the ship. The floor beneath them cracked, and a blinding light erupted from the cargo bay floor. Iris shielded her eyes as the light coalesced into a shimmering fragment, suspended in the air like a broken shard of glass.
"The Nexus shard," Luna whispered, her voice tinged with awe.
Iris stepped forward, feeling the shard's pull grow stronger. It resonated with her tattoos, the energy flowing through her veins like liquid fire.
"Don't touch it," Arkan warned, his voice filled with urgency. "You don't know what it'll do."
"I don't have a choice," Iris said, her gaze locked on the shard.
As she reached for it, the shard pulsed violently, and a voice echoed in her mind.
"You cannot resist forever, Iris Veyra. You are the key. The Nexus must be whole."
A Vision of the Future
The moment her fingers brushed the shard, Iris was consumed by a vision. She stood on a desolate battlefield, surrounded by ruins. The sky burned with unnatural colors, and the ground was littered with bodies. In the distance, she saw herself—an alternate version, her body fully consumed by the Nexus's power.
The other Iris turned, her glowing eyes devoid of emotion. "You think you can fight this?" she asked, her voice cold and hollow. "The Nexus is not a tool. It is you. And you...are nothing without it."
"No," Iris whispered, clenching her fists. "I'm more than this."
The vision shattered, and she found herself back in the cargo bay, the shard glowing faintly in her hand. The crew stared at her, concern etched on their faces.
"What did you see?" Arkan asked.
"Something I can't let happen," Iris replied, her voice trembling but determined. "We need to destroy this shard before it's too late
The Shadowfang left the wreckage behind, carrying the shard and its dangerous secrets. But Iris knew this was only the beginning. The Nexus wasn't just a threat—it was a test. And the galaxy's fate depended on her ability to resist its call.