The Last Survivor

Chapter 17: The Last Survivor

The bunker was dead silent, save for the hum of the security systems scanning the unknown entity outside. The holographic star map hovered between them, projecting thousands of Xa'Rath warships surrounding Mars like a noose tightening around a condemned world.

Ethan's heartbeat pounded in his ears. He had known the Xa'Rath were organized and deadly, but this?

This was a full-scale invasion fleet.

He took a slow breath, steadying himself before locking eyes with the armored stranger standing beyond the security doors.

"Who are you?" Ethan repeated.

The figure hesitated. Then, with deliberate movements, it tapped a sequence into its gauntlet. The helmet retracted with a soft hiss, revealing a sharp, angular face, eyes glowing faintly with an unearthly blue light.

Its features were humanoid, but slightly elongated, sharper—otherworldly.

"I am Varian. The last of my kind," the stranger said, his voice carrying a weary weight.

Michael frowned. "Your kind?"

Varian's gaze flicked to the holographic map. "My people fought the Xa'Rath... and lost."

Ethan's jaw tightened. An entire civilization wiped out. And now, Earth was in the crosshairs.

A Warning from the Past

Varian stepped closer to the security doors, placing a hand against the reinforced steel. His expression was grim.

"They will not stop with Mars. Your world is next. And if you do not act now, Earth will fall just as mine did."

Laura exchanged glances with Ethan, her expression a mix of fear and determination. "How do you know this?"

Varian exhaled sharply. "Because I survived their purge. I have watched them move from system to system, world to world. I have seen their pattern." His eyes darkened. "And I know what comes next."

A heavy silence filled the bunker.

Michael crossed his arms. "And why should we trust you? For all we know, this could be a setup."

Varian turned his glowing gaze on him, unfazed. "Because you have no other choice."

Ethan exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. He wasn't wrong.

The Xa'Rath were already here.

A Desperate Alliance

Ethan made his decision.

"EPS, deactivate the external defenses. Open the bunker doors."

Michael and Laura stiffened but didn't argue. They trusted him.

The reinforced blast doors groaned as they slid open, revealing the desolate Martian wasteland beyond. Varian stepped inside, his silver armor catching the dim emergency lights.

The doors sealed shut behind him.

Varian studied his surroundings, nodding approvingly. "This is well hidden. But it will not protect you from what is coming."

Ethan motioned toward the map. "Then tell us exactly what we're up against."

Varian approached the hologram, eyes scanning the vast Xa'Rath fleet like a man studying a familiar nightmare.

He tapped his gauntlet, expanding the display. A new image appeared—one that sent a cold chill down Ethan's spine.

It was a Xa'Rath warship.

Not just any warship. A mothership.

Laura inhaled sharply. "That thing is the size of a city."

Varian nodded. "The Prime Vessel. It is their command center, their stronghold. It oversees planetary invasions and coordinates the entire fleet." His eyes darkened. "If it reaches Mars, nothing will stop them from launching a full-scale assault on Earth."

Ethan stared at the massive warship hovering in the display.

They weren't just fighting to survive on Mars anymore.

They were fighting to prevent an extinction-level event.

The Key to Survival

Ethan crossed his arms. "You clearly know a lot about them. How do we stop this?"

Varian hesitated, then pulled something from his belt—a small, crystalline device that pulsed with a dim golden glow.

"This."

Michael frowned. "And that is?"

Varian's expression was grim.

"A key. To the Xa'Rath's greatest weakness."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Ethan's pulse quickened. This was it. A chance to turn the tide.

Laura exhaled, shaking her head. "You mean to tell us… you've had a way to fight them all along?"

Varian's face twisted with pain. "Not to fight. To end them. But the cost…" He hesitated. "My people were too late. We never had the chance to use it."

Ethan clenched his jaw. Then they would make sure it wasn't wasted.

The battle for Mars had just become the battle for Earth's survival.

And this time?

They would be ready.