D'Khanos was not what I expected.
For a place Lyra described as "having the best cuisine in the sector," I was thinking cozy space bistros, exotic drinks, maybe a smug street performer or two. What I wasn't expecting was a toxic red sky, floating city shards held together by magnetic storm anchors, and a border patrol that flagged us as "kill-on-sight" the moment we got within range.
"I thought you said you were welcome here!" I yelled as laser fire screamed past the hull.
"I said I used to be," Lyra corrected, flipping a switch and jamming the throttle like she was trying to break it. "There's a difference!"
"Define used to be!"
"Before I stole a star general's pet gravity cat and crashed his ship into a spice mine," she said, not even flinching. "Long story."
"Oh great," VIX chimed in. "Another death planet. I hope they serve betrayal with a side of cardiac arrest."
The ship banked hard left, scraping past a floating platform that exploded a second later. I clutched the armrest, knuckles white, eyes locked on the blurring chaos outside.
"I hate reincarnating!" I shouted. "You know that?! I hate it!"
"And yet you're so good at dying," VIX said.
We broke through the atmosphere on fumes, the hull screeching like a dying droid. Illyana muttered something in a language that sounded like a threat and a prayer rolled into one. Then, somehow, we coasted into a hidden landing bay carved into the side of a massive canyon.
As the ship powered down with a cough, groan, and ominous whump, I realized I wasn't dead.
Small victories.
"So what now?" I asked, unbuckling.
Lyra stood, brushing imaginary dust off her coat. "Now we find the one person on this rock who might be willing to help us. Or betray us. Fifty-fifty."
I groaned. "Can I vote for 'not betrayal'?"
"You can," VIX said, "but that's not how dice—or Lyra's past—work."
D'Khanos's undercity was like if a black market mated with a bad dream. Glowing fungus lit the alleyways, mutated vendors hissed in half a dozen dialects, and bounty posters featuring my face plastered every other wall.
"Handsome, aren't I?" I muttered, tugging my hood lower.
"Yeah," Lyra said, eyes scanning the crowd. "That's the problem."
We ducked into a bar called The Screaming Nebula, which smelled like burnt plasma and broken promises. Every head turned as we entered, but no one made a move. Lyra led us to the back, where a hooded figure waited at a table, surrounded by armed guards pretending to be drunk.
"This is Tork," Lyra said, sliding into the seat. "We go way back."
Tork lowered his hood. His head resembled a fleshy lightbulb with three eyes and a mouth full of metal teeth. He looked at me. "This the boy with the chip?"
My skin crawled. "That's… specific."
"Oh yeah," Tork said, chuckling. "You've got half the Outer Systems looking for you. Someone really wants what's in your skull."
"What's in my skull is mostly trauma and sarcasm," I said. "You sure they're not after someone else?"
Tork grinned wider. "You'll want to move fast. Word is, a Celestial-tier mercenary has taken the contract. Goes by Shivra the Hollow."
Illyana went still. Even VIX fell silent.
"…Okay," I said. "Not liking that reaction. Who's Shivra?"
"She once killed a war god with his own heartbeat," Illyana murmured.
"Fun," I said. "So, plan?"
Tork slid a chip across the table. "Coordinates to a safe zone on the far side of the planet. It's neutral ground, shielded from scanners. You'll be safe there—for a little while."
"What's the catch?" Lyra asked.
Tork grinned. "Nothing major. Just need Cody to pull off a tiny job while he's there. Infiltrate a vault, steal a memory core, escape alive. You know—basic hero stuff."
I blinked. "You do know I've died like six times this month, right?"
"You'll manage," Tork said. "Or you'll come back in a new body and we try again."
Lyra leaned close, her lips brushing my ear. "Still bored?"
I swallowed. "Terrified, mostly."
"Good," she said, standing. "Means you're paying attention."
VIX sighed in my head. "Just once, Cody. Just once, could we reincarnate into a peaceful librarian with a baking hobby?"
I followed Lyra and Illyana out, my heart pounding and the chip burning a hole in my pocket.
Safe zone. Vault heist. Shivra the Hollow.
No pressure.