Vhorr’Ka
Zhaaros—
The Dying Desert.
Thousands of years ago—
It was the proud home of the feared Red Sun Warriors.
Thek'Shar.
A name once respected across the Eldrathis Galaxy.
Now—
The descendants of that era are nothing but a barbaric tribe.
Trapped.
Clinging to ancient traditions that even time has forgotten.
Their great cities?
Buried beneath an ocean of sand.
Their former strength?
Lost to the storms of history.
And their land?
Ruled by colossal sand-dwelling nightmares.
Creatures so fearsome that even the most powerful warriors in the galaxy refuse to face them in open combat.
...
SHOOOOOOSHHH
The hot wind howls, tearing through the dunes.
At the center of the storm—
A massive pyramid.
Its ancient brown stones worn down by millennia.
Cracked.
Crumbling.
Monolithic.
And yet—
What is visible above the dunes is merely the tip.
Beneath the sands—
Lies something even greater.
Above—
A maelstrom of swirling sand.
A cyclone twisting violently.
Mimicking the gargantuan vortex below.
At its center—
A ship.
The Safira.
The Scarlet Jewel of Nova Zevryn.
But right now—
The Safira is no jewel.
It is a toy.
A trapped prey.
Coiled tightly—
By a titanic monstrosity.
Vhorr'Ka.
A fully grown Sentopian Death Centipede.
Titanic Size: Over 700 meters long, with a diameter of 30 to 40 meters.
Chitinous Armor: Thick obsidian-black and sand-colored plating, resistant to heat, energy blasts, andprojectile weapons.
Jagged Maw: A massive circular mouth lined with serrated fangs, capable of grinding rock, metal, and flesh.
Venomous Stingers: Rows of retractable three-meter-long spines along its underbelly, capable of piercing even armored warships.
Glowing Eyes: Bioluminescent, pulsing a sickly green or blood-red light from beneath the sands.
And right now—
It has its entire body wrapped around the Safira.
Squeezing the ship like a helpless insect.
Making the massive red cruiser look small.
Fragile.
A plaything.
A victim.
SCCRRAAHRRRR!!!
The creature's roar is soul-piercing.
A monstrous screech like a million daggers stabbing into the mind.
A colossal, unnatural grinding that makes the spine crawl.
Its green-and-black mass coils tighter.
The Safira groans and creaks under the pressure.
Its massive body contracts.
Squeezing—
Trying to crush the ship like a ripe fruit.
...
Inside—
Chaos.
Screams.
Flashing lights.
Blasting sirens.
Electrical sparks raining from shattered panels.
A ship on the brink of being destroyed.
"WHAAAAAAAA?!?!"
A piercing scream echoes through the hallways of the Safira.
Jex.
Terrified.
Right outside the ship's bridge.
Jex clings to severed cables as the ship spins violently.
Her world is upside down.
The ceiling is beneath her.
The floor is above her head.
The Vhorr'Ka is twisting the Safira in its monstrous grip.
Jex is a very specific type—
1.65m tall. Slim frame, modest curves. Light brown skin. Black hair tied up in a high ponytail. Sharp brown eyes, a small upturned nose. Delicate ears adorned with cyberpunk earrings. Actually—her entire body is covered in piercings and rebellious tattoos.
She's young.
Too young to be an engineer this skilled.
And yet—
She's the primary pilot of the Safira.
A prodigy.
A daredevil.
A hot Latina.
A stunning beauty.
And—
Another foul-mouthed mess, thanks to Clara's influence.
"FUCK!"
"SHIT!"
"DAMN!"
"MY FUCKING-"
zzZzt! Bzt!!
Panels collapse from the ship's interior.
Short circuits.
Severed cables whipping wildly.
FIRE.
...
"ECHO?!?!"
Jex shouts.
...
HIIISHSHSHSHHH
...
Suddenly—
Cold jets of air blast from every direction.
Extinguishing the flames.
But also blasting her directly.
...
"NOT ON ME, YOU DUMB ASSHOLE!!"
She shakes her head furiously.
...
"FIRE EXTINGUISHED SUCCESSFULLY."
A calm, feminine AI voice echoes from the ship's walls.
A self-satisfied tone.
Jex rolls her eyes.
"Of course."
Pure sarcasm.
...
TREMBLE.
The corridor rotates again.
...
"FUUUUUCK-ME!!"
Jex curses.
But this time—
The floor rights itself.
She lets go of the cables.
Lands on her feet.
"Echo, damage report!"
The AI responds immediately.
"Hull integrity compromised. Multiple sectors sustaining critical damage."
"External Hull Plating – CRITICAL BREACH (Decks 3 through 7 exposed)"
"Propulsion System – MALFUNCTIONING (Primary thrusters offline, backup engaged)"
"Weapons Array – DISRUPTED (Targeting system failing)"
"Shields – DOWN (Shield matrix destroyed)"
"Life Support – PARTIAL FUNCTION (Oxygen reserves compromised, vents damaged)"
"Internal Communications – SEVERE INTERFERENCE (Deck-to-deck comms unreliable)"
"Hangar Bay – COLLAP—"
"Alright, alright!!"
Jex interrupts.
"I GET IT, WE'RE FUCKED BEYOND BELIEF!!"
...
"That is an accurate description of the situation."
Echo responds calmly.
Jex groans.
Kicks a fallen panel out of her way.
"FUCK THIS GIANT COCKROACH!!"
She growls.
"IT'S TRYING TO DESTROY MY SHIP?!"
...
"The creature is more similar to a centipede."
Echo corrects her.
Jex's eye twitches.
"AND HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT HELP ME?!"
"It is damaging the ship's structure with its hundreds of hardened, serrated legs.
"Your focus should be disabling those limbs to neutralize the threat faster."
Jex grits her teeth.
Slams her fist against the wall.
"AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IF THE MAIN GUNS ARE DOWN?!?!"
"There are many handheld weapons aboard.
"The armory. Nyx's room."
...
Echo attempts to be helpful.
But Jex—
She's not convinced.
Her eyes flash with desperation.
"I CAN'T DO SHIT OUTSIDE, ECHO…!"
Jex glares toward the command bridge.
Disappointed.
"Those stupid nerds aren't doing shit either."
She grits her teeth.
"Where the hell is Nyx? The captain and the others too?!?"
"I need them back NOW or there won't be anything left to come back to!!"
...
Echo's calm, synthetic voice hums through the static.
"Miss Nyx's transponder signal appeared on my radar a while ago.
"She's less than a hundred miles starboard. Moving fast."
...
Jex's eyes light up.
"She's coming back?!"
For a second—
Hope.
But—
Echo continues.
"There are also hundreds of other life signatures near her."
...
Jex freezes.
...
"Some very similar to the one currently attacking us."
...
"WHAT?!?!"
Her heart slams against her ribs.
"SHE'S BRINGING MORE SAND WORMS HERE?!?!"
...
"I doubt that is Miss Nyx's intention."
"OF COURSE, YOU BRAIN-DEAD AI!"
Jex groans.
Runs a hand through her dark ponytail.
"It must be the fucking Thek'Shar army chasing her!!"
Echo pauses.
Gives Jex a few seconds to process.
Then—
"The captain and the rest of the crew are still a few miles out.
"Near the Crimson Nebula's SHIP."
Jex grits her teeth harder.
"And Clara?"
...
"Doctor Dravenmoor's signal is approaching rapidly."
Jex snaps her head up.
Her eyes widen with relief.
"Clara?!"
She rushes toward a nearby window.
Her hands slam against the glass.
She peers out—
Through the gargantuan, writhing body of the Vhorr'Ka.
And beyond it—
She sees the pyramid.
"Where is she??"
Echo's voice returns.
"Wait…"
"Wait…"
"Wait…"
...
BOOOOOOM.
A massive explosion erupts from the midsection of the pyramid.
A roaring cloud of dust and shattered stone bursts outward.
Echo's tone changes.
"There she is."
Jex snaps her head toward the blast.
And then—
She sees it.
A fast-moving object emerging from the debris.
Floating.
Accelerating.
"Doctor Dravenmoor and…"
Echo's voice, normally calm and mechanical—
Sounds almost…
Curious.
"An unidentified life form."
Jex blinks.
Her face twists in confusion.
"What?"
Her mind races.
"Unidentified life form?"
"What the hell does that mean??"
...
Meanwhile—
"FUCK YEAH!!!"
Clara's confident grin spreads across her beautiful, blood-streaked face.
She bursts from the ruins—
Flying atop the cold metal box.
The mysterious man beside her.
Wind whips through her golden hair.
Sand rushes past them.
She throws her arms up in victory.
For a moment—
She feels unstoppable.
But—
Her celebration ends fast.
Her smile fades.
Her stomach drops.
As her eyes lock onto the nightmare ahead.
The colossal centipede.
It's dragging the Safira down.
Toward a sand vortex.
Hundreds of meters wide.
Only a few dozen meters away.
The Safira's thrusters struggle.
Only partially operational—
Not nearly enough to counter the monstrous strength of the creature.
"Vhorr'Ka!"
Clara exclaims—
Worry etched across her face.
"And this one's a BIG one!!"
She doesn't hesitate.
Her hand tightens around the thruster control.
She accelerates the floating metal box—
Straight toward the Safira.
"We have to reach the ship!"
Her mind is locked onto the threat.
The imminent danger.
But the mysterious man—
He is not.
His eyes gleam.
His lips curl into a smile.
He isn't watching the battle ahead.
He's watching the world.
Taking in—
The endless desert.The burning red sun.The sandstorm swirling like an open sky vortex.
He inhales deeply.
Breathes in the desert air.
Sand gets into his nose, mouth, eyes.
But—
It doesn't matter.
Because—
It's fresh air.
Something he hasn't felt in…
A long.
Long.
Very long time.
He places a hand on Clara's shoulder.
And stands up.
Balanced on the floating box.
"What??"
Clara glances back.
Sees him—
His eyes closed.
A pure, unfiltered smile.
He's just breathing.
Enjoying it.
Freedom.
Clara smiles too.
Soft.
Warm.
"You're happy to be out of that damn hole, huh, finally?"
She nods.
Then—
"I hate to kill the vibe, but y'know…"
She jerks a thumb forward.
At the titanic death-worm looming ahead.
"THE GIANT FUCKING MONSTER IN OUR WAY."
SCROOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
The Vhorr'Ka screeches.
A piercing, ear-shattering roar.
"DAMN!!!"
Clara claps her hands over her ears.
Grimacing at the sheer volume.
But the mysterious man…
He doesn't flinch.
His eyes open.
Pure, glowing white.
He looks at the massive creature.
And—
His lips curl up.
That smirk.
Confident.
Fearless.
Daring.
Clara already loves it.
"Go easy, big guy!"
She frowns.
His expression worries her.
That look.
Like he's about to do something insane.
He glances at her.
Briefly—
Almost offended that she doubts him.
"Hey, that thing is an ancient monster!"
"..."
He gives her a look.
Sarcastic.
Almost as if he's asking the obvious.
As if to say—
"And what do you think I am?"
.