The shuttle's thrusters burned a thin trail of blue as it slipped back toward the Aryavarta. Ashoka kept his eyes locked on the docking coordinates, but his mind still echoed with the words of the cloaked figure — and the memory of the man he had fought.
The comm crackled. "Shuttle One, you're clear for bay entry. Welcome back, Commander." Meera's voice carried a faint note of relief.
Ashoka guided the shuttle into the docking bay. The moment his boots hit the deck, Commander Praveen was there. "Sir, we've got a problem. Multiple contacts — closing fast."
"How fast?" Ashoka asked.
"Fast enough that they're not here for sightseeing," Praveen said grimly. "Six ships, unknown configuration, no transponder codes. They've been shadowing us since we entered the Veil, but the moment your shuttle left the Gate, they moved in."
The bridge was alive with tension when Ashoka arrived. Outside the viewport, the mists were breaking just enough to reveal shapes — sleek, predatory silhouettes gliding through the vapor. Their hulls were matte black, absorbing what little light filtered through the nebula, but faint lines of crimson energy traced along their spines.
"Privateer class?" Meera guessed.
Praveen shook his head. "No. Too coordinated. And they're running military-grade formation patterns. Whoever they are, they've been waiting for us."
Ashoka took his seat at the command chair. "Weapons ready. Lock shields at seventy-five percent forward bias."
"Seventy-five?" Meera blinked. "That leaves our rear wide open."
"They're trying to funnel us toward the outer rim of the Veil," Ashoka said. "If we play defensive, we'll be boxed in. We need to break their lead formation before they close the circle."
The enemy ships began to glow along their weapon ports. In the mist, the crimson light was like the eyes of hunting beasts.
"Target the lead ship," Ashoka ordered. "On my mark… fire."
The Aryavarta's main cannons flared, lancing through the mist. The shot caught the lead vessel square across its midsection, ripping through its shields in a shower of sparks. The rest of the enemy formation immediately scattered into attack vectors.
"Multiple hostiles inbound — four o'clock, seven o'clock, nine o'clock!" Riya called out.
The bridge shuddered as plasma fire slammed into the aft shields. Consoles flickered. Sparks showered from an overhead conduit.
"Helm, vector delta-seven. Meera, pulse the ECM — blind them for ten seconds."
The Aryavarta twisted in space, its hull groaning under the maneuver. A burst of electronic countermeasures erupted from the ship, scattering false readings into the enemy's targeting systems. The crimson glow from their weapons faltered, and Ashoka seized the moment.
"Full burn! Get us into the shadow corridor — now!"
The ship plunged into a narrow band of dense mist where sensor readings became useless. The enemy ships pursued, but their formation broke, uncertain.
In the quiet of the bridge, Praveen glanced at Ashoka. "Sir… they'll be back. They didn't come here for random patrol. They were waiting for you."
Ashoka didn't answer right away. He simply stared out at the swirling mists, the shadow of the Gate far behind them — and ahead, somewhere in the galaxy, the world of Serekh.
He knew the hunters would follow. And next time, they wouldn't come to test his defenses. They would come to kill.