The Starborn streaked through the upper atmosphere of Vyrath, leaving the scorched desert and Dominion forces far below. Kera clutched the edge of her seat, feeling the freighter shudder as it pushed through the turbulence. Behind them, a squadron of Dominion interceptors screamed after them, their weapons blazing bright against the darkening sky.
Talen's knuckles were white as he gripped the controls. "They're gaining on us!"
"You're the pilot," Kera shot back. "Lose them!"
"Do I look like a miracle worker to you?" Talen swerved the ship sharply to the right, engines groaning in protest. A plasma bolt skimmed past the viewport, illuminating Kera's tense expression.
She gritted her teeth and pulled the shard from her satchel. Its surface glowed faintly, and the intricate symbols across its surface shifted like living veins of light. "The Pathmaker said this thing can manipulate space. There's got to be something we can use!"
"You want to trust your life to an ancient trinket that just lit up like a beacon?" Talen snapped, his focus locked on the controls. "Because, fun fact, I think the Dominion already knows we have it!"
Kera froze at his words. "What?"
"Why do you think they showed up so fast back there?" Talen's voice rose with frustration. "They knew exactly where to look, Kera. And they knew who they were looking for."
The shard flared brighter, pulsing in her hand. Kera blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "That doesn't make sense. They shouldn't even know I exist."
"Oh, I think they do," Talen muttered grimly.
Before Kera could argue, the ship jolted violently. The warning sirens blared as a Dominion cruiser emerged from hyperspace ahead of them, cutting off their escape. Its massive, angular hull blotted out the stars, tractor beams already lighting up to lock onto the Starborn.
Talen cursed under his breath. "They're boxing us in!"
"Pathmaker!" Kera shouted at the device on her wrist. "What did you mean earlier—about me being the Catalyst? Why is the Dominion after me?"
The device hummed before responding. "User Kera Solis identified as genetic match to ancient Catalyst protocols. Energy activation of the Eclipse Shard resulted in a dimensional signal. Signal has been intercepted by Dominion networks."
Kera's chest tightened. "You're saying they tracked me?"
"Affirmative."
Talen shot her a look. "I knew it. That shard's a damn target painted on your back."
Kera's mind raced. The shard had chosen her—but why? She was just a scavenger, scraping out a living on backwater planets. Nothing about her screamed "ancient Catalyst." And yet, the Dominion had tracked her, knew her name, and were now closing in.
The freighter shook again as the tractor beams engaged, dragging them toward the Dominion cruiser. Talen punched the console in frustration. "Engines can't break us free! We're locked in!"
Kera looked at the shard again, its glow intensifying as if it could feel the danger. Her gut told her there was more to it—something powerful just waiting to be unlocked.
"Pathmaker," she said sharply. "Activate the shard's spatial capabilities."
The device chimed. "Warning: Activation may destabilize local dimensional space."
"We don't have a choice!"
Talen's eyes widened. "Kera—!"
Before he could stop her, Kera gripped the shard tightly and focused on its pulsing light. The energy burned against her palm, coursing up her arm like liquid fire. The symbols on its surface spun faster, and a low hum filled the cockpit, growing louder until it became an ear-splitting roar.
A blinding light erupted from the shard, engulfing the Starborn. Kera felt her body pulled in every direction at once, as though the universe was folding around her. The sensation was over in an instant.
When the light faded, the Starborn floated in eerie silence. The Dominion cruiser was gone. The pursuing fighters were gone. Outside the viewport stretched the infinite void of deep space, stars glittering faintly against the darkness.
Talen gasped, his hands still frozen on the controls. "What...what just happened?"
Kera slumped back in her seat, breathing heavily. The shard's glow had dimmed, but it still pulsed faintly in her hand. "We jumped," she said quietly. "But not through hyperspace."
The Pathmaker chimed, breaking the silence. "Spatial displacement complete. Current location: unknown sector. Dimensional interference detected."
Unknown sector?" Talen echoed, shaking his head. "You mean we're lost?"
"Looks that way," Kera replied, staring out into the void. Her mind was racing. The Dominion had tracked her because of the shard—but why? What had the shard's activation awakened?
---
Aboard the Dominion cruiser still orbiting Vyrath, Commander Taryk stood on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back. The massive viewport displayed the planet below, but his attention was on the glowing console before him. It showed the faint remnants of the energy signature released when the shard activated.
"Report," Taryk ordered, his tone calm but commanding.
A technician turned nervously. "Sir, the target vessel escaped using an unidentified spatial event. We lost their signal."
"Of course you did," Taryk said softly, a cold smile curving his lips. "The Eclipse Shard has awakened. And it seems we've found our Catalyst."
The officer frowned. "But, sir—how did they activate it? The shard's protocols require—"
"A precise genetic match," Taryk interrupted, his gaze sharp. "And Kera Solis is that match."
He turned to face the room, his voice carrying an edge of reverence. "She doesn't know it yet, but the shard chose her for a reason. Track the residual energy signal. She'll surface again—and when she does, we'll be ready."
---
Back on the Starborn, Kera sat alone in the cockpit, staring at the shard where it rested on the console. The light it gave off was soft now, almost peaceful, but Kera couldn't shake the weight settling on her shoulders.
The shard had chosen her. The Dominion knew her name. And if the Pathmaker was right, it had something to do with her very blood.
"Talen," she said quietly as he entered the cockpit, looking worse for wear. "I think I need to find out who I really am."
Talen dropped into the co-pilot's seat, groaning. "You mean this isn't about selling that thing for a fortune and retiring on some beach world?"
Kera shook her head, her gaze hard. "No. It's bigger than that. The shard—whatever it is—it's connected to me. And the Dominion isn't going to stop until they have it. Or me."
Talen stared at her for a long moment before letting out a resigned sigh. "Well, if we're going to take on the biggest empire in the galaxy, I'm going to need a drink."
Kera allowed herself a small smile. "We'll figure it out. One step at a time."
Outside, the void stretched on endlessly, full of secrets waiting to be uncovered. And for the first time, Kera felt the pull of something far greater than herself—a destiny she hadn't chosen, but one she could no longer ignore.