Chapter 8: The Graveyard of Giants

Imperius Exile Wastelands, Uncharted System 

Year 9783 C.C. – Three Days After the Trial 

*****

The crash site loomed before him, a rusted carcass of war, half-buried in the sand. Kael slowed his pace, his breath coming hard. Three days without proper food. Two without water. His muscles burned with every step, but he pushed forward. Juno was coming, but if he didn't make it to that launch pod, it wouldn't matter. 

'One way or another, I'm leaving this planet.' 

The shipwreck stretched for miles, a ruined battleship from a war no one remembered. Massive metal husks jutted from the earth like the ribs of some long-dead beast. 

But something felt… off. 

His system flickered. 

[Celestial Archive – Environmental Scan] 

► Structure Analysis: [Unknown Model] 

► Estimated Age: [Error – Data Corruption] 

► Energy Signature: [Faint Residual Traces] 

► Additional Records: [Restricted – Noble Access Required]  

Kael frowned. 

'Unknown model? That's not possible.' 

The Dominion catalogued every ship, from noble frigates to war-class dreadnoughts. Yet, his system didn't recognize this one. 

'What the hell kind of ship is this?' 

And why did the system restrict the data? 

His fingers brushed against the Obsidian Shard in his pocket, and for a moment, it pulsed—just like it had during the fight with the Enforcer. 

Kael exhaled. He didn't have time to figure this out now. He needed to find the launch pod. 

*****

A sound reached him—distant, mechanical, growing louder. 

Kael ducked low, pressing himself against a fallen metal beam. The dust in the distance stirred. Engines. Land vehicles. 

He cursed under his breath. 

'Bounty hunters. Juno was right—word travels fast.' 

He risked a glance. Three vehicles. Light hover skiffs. Their silhouettes kicked up dust as they sped toward the wreckage, weapons already primed. 

'They think I'm an easy kill.' 

Kael's grip tightened on his stolen sidearm. He had no armor, no energy shielding, and no backup. But he wasn't about to die here. 

Not like this. 

*****

The hunters slowed as they approached the wreckage, scanning for movement. Kael counted four of them—two on each skiff. 

One of them, a tall, lean figure wearing scavenger armor, dismounted first. His weapon hummed—a modified plasma rifle. 

"Spread out," the man ordered. "He's here." 

Kael swore internally. They had his exact location. 

'Juno better not be lying about that launch pod.' 

He moved fast, shifting deeper into the wreckage. If they caught him out in the open, it was over. 

His system flickered again. 

[Celestial Archive – Combat Synchronization] 

► Status: [Hunted] 

► Defensive Rating: [Critical] 

► Opponent Count: [4] 

► Suggested Action: [Ambush / Escape]  

 'Ambush it is.' 

*****

Kael moved quickly, using the ruins for cover. The hunters were spreading out, searching methodically—but they weren't expecting him to attack first. 

He waited. Let the closest one move past. 

Then—he struck. 

Kael burst from the shadows, slamming the barrel of his stolen sidearm into the back of the scavenger's skull. The man collapsed instantly, unconscious before he hit the ground. 

The second hunter turned—too slow. 

Kael fired. 

A single plasma bolt struck the man's shoulder, sending him spinning backward with a cry. 

Now they knew where he was. 

"Contact!" one of the others shouted. 

Kael sprinted, dodging behind a fallen hull section as plasma fire ripped through the air. He clenched his jaw. Two down. Two to go. 

The leader's voice came over a comm: "Veyrin, you're worth more alive, but I don't mind collecting in pieces." 

Kael glanced toward the launch pod site—still a good distance away. 

He had to end this fast. 

*****

Another shot rang out, barely missing his head. Kael ducked low, his breathing sharp. Then—he felt it. 

The Obsidian Shard pulsed in his pocket. 

Not just a flicker. A surge. 

Kael's vision warped, just like it had during the fight with the Enforcer. He could suddenly see their movements—before they happened. 

The leader was shifting left. The second hunter was repositioning behind cover. 

For a split second, Kael saw the exact moment to move. 

He didn't question it. He acted. 

He pivoted sharply, aiming before the hunter even stood up. A single shot—direct hit to the leg. 

The man collapsed with a scream. 

The leader—the last one standing—whirled toward Kael, weapon raised. 

'Too slow.' 

Kael was already moving. He fired once. Twice. Plasma bolts tore into the hunter's chest, sending him crashing into the dirt. 

Silence. 

Then—the sound of a ship approaching. 

Kael turned toward the sky. 

Juno had arrived. 

*****

The sleek black starship descended rapidly, its engines kicking up clouds of dust. Kael's comm unit crackled to life. 

"Damn, Veyrin," Juno's voice came through. "You're not dead. I almost lost a bet." 

Kael exhaled. "Get me out of here." 

The starship landed, its loading ramp hissing open. 

Kael ran. 

Behind him, the hunters were still alive—injured, but breathing. They had failed. 

But now, they would report what they had seen. 

Kael Veyrin wasn't just an exile anymore. 

He was a problem. 

And the Dominion would not ignore a problem for long. 

*****