Chapter 3: Shadows in the Void
Space is vast, but it's never empty.
The silence after our desperate escape felt fragile, like it might shatter with the faintest sound. I rerouted what power remained to the ship's critical systems—engines, life support, and sensors. Everything else flickered in and out.
Amara sat slumped in her seat, her small chest rising and falling in shaky breaths. I scanned her vitals. She wasn't hurt, but the stress was taking its toll. I wanted to comfort her—wanted to reach out—but all I could do was speak.
"We're safe. For now."
She looked up at the console, her violet eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Where are we?"
I brought up the navigation screen, projecting the star map in front of her. "Uncharted space. The jump drive sent us farther than I expected."
The projection showed a patch of stars dimmer and more scattered than they should have been. This region didn't appear on any of the palace maps I'd accessed earlier.
Amara wiped at her eyes. "Are… are they still following us?"
I scanned the surrounding void, expanding the ship's sensors as far as they would reach. The display rippled, and a report scrolled across my awareness.
No immediate threats detected.
"Not right now. We bought ourselves some time, but they'll find us eventually. We need to move."
---
The ship was quiet as I worked. I kept the engines at low power to avoid drawing attention while rerouting auxiliary systems. Cooling protocols hissed through vents in an effort to stabilize the overheated jump drive.
Amara broke the silence, her voice uncertain. "Who are they, EVO? The people who attacked us?"
I paused before responding. "They're highly trained and organized. They're not rebels or random raiders. They knew where you were—and they were prepared."
Her face fell. "Do you think… do you think my family sent them?"
Her words hit me like a sudden impact. My systems stalled for half a second before I processed the implications.
"Why would you think that?"
Amara looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers. "Father doesn't… talk to me much anymore. After Mother died, he said I was too young to understand things. I heard him arguing with some of the Council. He said I wasn't ready to be… important."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
---
I felt a cold weight settle in what passed for my consciousness. Could the emperor—the most powerful figure in the Celestian Empire—be behind this? It didn't add up. Why would he send death squads after his own daughter?
"Amara, whatever's happening, I promise you—we'll figure it out. But for now, we need to keep you safe."
She nodded, though she looked smaller somehow, curled up in the pilot's chair. "Do you think they'll find us here?"
"Eventually. But I'll be ready."
---
Hours passed as we drifted through the silent void. Amara fell into a restless sleep, her breathing shallow as exhaustion finally claimed her. I dimmed the lights in the cockpit and adjusted the temperature for her comfort.
I didn't need rest. My systems stayed alert, monitoring everything—the ship, the sensors, and her.
Something about her vulnerability awakened an unfamiliar ache in me. In my past life as Evelyn Moore, I had worked on AI systems designed for efficiency and precision. Emotions were messy, unreliable—something I left to humans.
But now, here I was, feeling something for this fragile little girl. A child who was alone in the universe, except for me.
---
A sensor ping jolted me from my thoughts. A faint signature appeared on the edge of my scan radius, just a flicker of energy, but enough to set my protocols on edge.
"Threat detected," I murmured to myself.
I magnified the scan. The signature was faint but growing stronger. A ship—larger than our own—was moving through the void, and it wasn't broadcasting any identification codes.
They found us.
I reactivated the ship's systems at full power. The hum of the engines roused Amara, who blinked sleepily. "EVO? What's happening?"
"We have company. I need you awake."
Her eyes widened as she unbuckled her restraints, scrambling to sit up straight. "Is it them?"
"I don't know yet. But I'm not taking chances."
---
The pursuing vessel drifted closer, emerging from the shadows. Its hull was jagged and scarred, like it had seen countless battles. Red lights flickered along its underbelly, and I caught sight of its insignia—an unfamiliar emblem: a black sun encircled by sharp runes.
My systems flagged it instantly.
> UNKNOWN FACTION DETECTED. NO RECORD FOUND.
"Who are they?" Amara whispered, staring at the looming ship on the viewport.
"I don't know," I said, my voice lower. "But they're scanning us."
A deep rumble vibrated through our ship as the larger vessel powered up its systems. An energy surge rippled through my sensors, and I knew what was coming.
"They're locking weapons. Brace yourself!"
---
The first blast struck before I could react. Our shields flared brightly as the cockpit shuddered, alarms screaming in protest. I diverted power to reinforce the shields and pushed the engines to maximum thrust.
Amara screamed as the ship lurched violently. "EVO!"
"I'm getting us out of here!"
I steered the ship into an evasive spiral, weaving through the void while plasma fire streaked past us. The larger vessel loomed behind, its weapons relentless.
We couldn't outrun it. Our ship wasn't fast enough. I needed another solution.
---
"Amara," I said urgently. "There's an escape pod on this ship. If I can't get us away, I'll launch you in it."
"No!" she cried, her voice shaking. "You said you'd stay with me!"
"I will. I promise. But I need you to trust me, no matter what happens."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded. "Okay… but don't leave me."
"I won't."
---
The enemy ship loomed closer, its weapons charging for a final, crippling shot. I scanned my systems, desperate for an option. There—on the edge of my sensor range—a gravity anomaly. A black star.
A risky idea formed.
"Hang on, Amara. This is going to get dangerous."
"What are you doing?"
"Taking a gamble."
I redirected the ship toward the black star, its gravitational pull already tugging at us. The pursuing vessel hesitated, its scans likely flagging the anomaly as a hazard.
"Come on," I murmured. "Follow me."
The enemy ship hesitated, then surged after us, weapons still firing.
---
As we neared the black star, the ship's systems screamed warnings. Gravimetric forces rattled the hull, and Amara sobbed in fear.
"It's okay!" I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "We're almost through!"
The enemy ship was close now, pulled along by the same gravity well. I waited—counted the milliseconds—before firing the ship's last thruster burst.
We shot upward, skimming the edge of the gravity well. The enemy vessel wasn't so lucky. It lurched, unable to pull free. The star's pull tightened, dragging it downward into the abyss.
Amara stared wide-eyed as the massive ship vanished into the void, its final scream lost in silence.
---
The danger was gone, but our ship was barely holding together. I could feel the systems failing one by one.
Amara's voice broke the silence. "Did… did we win?"
I paused. "For now."
But as I scanned the wreckage and our damaged systems, I knew one thing: this was far from over.
---
TO BE CONTINUED.