Chapter 10: An Offer of Fate

Ny’Vara’s emerald eyes locked onto mine, her expression unreadable.

“Join me on a mission—one that could change everything.”

I leaned forward, resting my arms on the cold, glass-like table between us. “Alright, Captain. I’ll bite. What kind of mission are we talking about?”

Ny’Vara’s tail flicked behind her, a subtle sign of amusement—or maybe intrigue. “A discovery. A long-lost artifact from the age of my ancestors. One that could rewrite history.”

That got my attention. “Go on.”

She tapped a small control pad on the table. A holographic projection flared to life, displaying a swirling nebula and, within it, a dark, lifeless world.

“This is Xal’Tharun,” she said. “An uncharted system, long thought to be a graveyard of lost ships and forgotten battles. But recent scans suggest something else ... something ancient buried beneath its surface.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Ancient, how?”

Ny’Vara’s gaze didn’t waver. “A structure—a vault, if the readings are correct. One that predates even the oldest K’Zari records.”

I let out a slow breath. “And you think this vault has something inside?”

Her ears twitched. “I know it does.”

She turned off the display, folding her hands before her. “I do not trust my own people with this. If the Imperium knew of this discovery, they would claim it as a weapon ... or worse, erase it from existence to protect their rule.”

I frowned. “And you’re telling me this because...?”

She smirked. “Because you are an outsider. And because, unlike them, you do not fear what you do not understand.”

I let her words sink in. She was taking a risk here.

Trusting me, a complete stranger, with something she wouldn’t even share with her own people.

That told me two things:

One, she was desperate. Two, whatever was on that planet was a big damn deal.

I leaned back in my chair. “And what’s in it for me?”

Ny’Vara’s smirk deepened. “Knowledge. Power. Perhaps even the answer to why your ship responds to you.”

I raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting.

She stood, circling the table like a predator stalking its prey. “This is more than an artifact hunt, Harper. It is a test. Of history. Of fate. And perhaps ... of us.”

My heartbeat picked up at that last part.

She stopped beside me, leaning down just slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Are you brave enough to accept?”

I looked up at her.

The way her emerald eyes gleamed in the dim light ... the way she carried herself with confidence, power, and just a hint of mischief—

Yeah. I was in trouble.

I smirked. “Alright, Captain. You’ve got yourself a partner.”

She straightened, pleased. “Good.”

She turned, heading toward the door. “Prepare your ship, Captain Harper. We leave within the hour.”

As she disappeared down the corridor, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

What the hell had I just signed up for?

Whatever it was, things were about to get a whole lot more interesting.