Anna_book

Kael Riven is a deserter, a man who vanished into the silence of space to forget a war—and the woman—he left behind. But when a hidden message from Mira resurfaces, Kael is pulled back into a deadly game of secrets, war, and redemption.

In a galaxy ruled by fear, one man’s past may be the key to its future.

The Last Orbit

The silence lingered long after Sera's ship disappeared from the radar, like a ghost refusing to fade. Mira stayed at the helm, hands rigid on the controls, her jaw clenched tight. Allan leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, watching me with something between concern and anticipation.

"She was one of them," Mira finally said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"She was one of us first," I replied, eyes still on the viewport.

Allan exhaled sharply. "And now she's a warning. Seven days. That's not much time."

"No," I said, standing. "But it's enough."

I walked toward the terminal in the back of the cockpit and keyed in a private channel—encrypted, old code. One Seris Halden would recognize.

"You think she'll answer?" Mira asked.

The screen buzzed, then flickered to life. Seris's face appeared, lit in dim red emergency lighting.

I didn't waste time. "Sera's alive. Obsidian Unit 7. She says the Ring's about to make a move—seven days. They want me… not to kill, but to lead them."

Seris didn't blink. "So they've escalated."

"I need more than a scout ship," I said.

"You haven't proven anything yet."

"I just made contact with a ghost and lived. That's proof enough."

She leaned forward, scrutinizing me. "And what do you plan to do if they come for you? Turn yourself in?"

"No," I said, voice like iron. "I'm going to drag them into the light and burn them down from the inside."

"You'll get backup. But no full fleet—not yet. I'll send a recon team to meet you in sector 9-A. One of my best."

"Lieutenant Orin Vex. And…" she hesitated, "Anna."

Mira stiffened beside me. I turned.

"Anna?" she repeated. "As in that Anna?"

Mira shot her a flat look. "She's chaos wrapped in charm. We served once—barely made it out."

"You'll make it out again," Seris said, and cut the feed.

Allan raised a brow. "Well. This just got more interesting."

I rubbed my temples. "It always does."

The next day, we rendezvoused at the edge of 9-A. The ship that greeted us was small but sleek, its exterior dark as obsidian. Two figures disembarked—one broad-shouldered man with close-cropped hair, the other a lean woman with an easy smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Kael Riven," the man said, saluting. "Orin Vex. And this is—"

"Still wearing that same frown, I see," Anna replied cheerfully. "I missed you too."

The tension was immediate, but we had no time for grudges. We briefed them, reviewed the data Sera had passed on, and outlined the mission.

We were going to infiltrate the Obsidian Ring's outer research lab—one buried deep inside the hull of an abandoned Aethran warship drifting in a dead zone.

Before we left, Anna caught me alone near the docking bay.

"You really planning to take them head-on?" she asked.

"Good," she said, stepping closer. "Because if you weren't, I was going to do it without you."

Mira's voice came through the comms. "All units ready. Kael, we're waiting on your call."

I looked at Anna. Then at the stars.

Allies In The Dark