Starborn Reboot

The Rustfang limped toward the resistance base, its hull integrity clinging to 2% after the generator breach. Kael Voss stared at the holo-device, the Architect relic's rune-lit structure looming on the tactical map—a trap Zorak had baited with Aria's corrupted fragment. The chip's faint pulse had faded after the memory overload, her warped laugh still haunting him. The base's hangar doors opened, welcoming the battered fleet, but the air crackled with tension.

Commander Elara met him as he disembarked, her sharp features etched with concern. "Kael, that relic signal—it's no remnant toy. Architect tech, old and deadly. We need to move before Zorak locks Aria in that containment field." She handed him a data pad with the relic's scan: a cylindrical structure orbiting a gas giant, its runes pulsing with a hypnotic rhythm.

Lena joined them, her hack device whirring. "I cross-checked with Jax's rig. That thing's a fragment prison—Zorak's rewriting her code to weaponize it. We've got maybe an hour before it's permanent." Her cybernetic eye glinted, analyzing the scan.

Kael's jaw tightened. Aria's plea—"Kael… leave me…"—echoed, but he couldn't abandon her. His holo-device buzzed: [New Objective: Breach Architect Relic, Recover Fragment. Reward: 3,000 StarCredits, Glitch Upgrade.] His rank #1 held, credits at 1,500 after the generator override, a fragile resource. He turned to the alliance—Jax, Ryn, and Torin—gathered near the command center.

"We're hitting that relic," Kael said, his voice steady. "Zorak's got Aria, and he's turning her against us. I need your skills." Jax grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Hacking's my game—let's crack that field." Ryn nodded, adjusting her pilot gear. "My squad's ready to draw fire." Torin, quiet as ever, prepared med packs, his presence a calming anchor.

Elara rallied the base. "All ships, formation delta! Kael, lead the strike—your glitch is our edge. We'll cover you." The hangar buzzed as fighters launched, the Rustfang lifting off with Ryn's patrol flanking it. Kael steered toward the gas giant, the relic's glow intensifying on the viewport.

The approach was treacherous—gas storms swirled, hurling debris at the fleet. His holo-device offered: [Debug Mode: Navigate Storm – Risk: Hull Damage.] He tapped it, and glitch energy stabilized the Rustfang's trajectory, dodging a jagged asteroid. A storm surge hit, dropping hull integrity to 1%, but they broke through, the relic's structure filling the screen.

"Target in range!" Ryn shouted, her fighters engaging drones swarming the relic. Kael fired the Rustfang's cannons, the glitch beam cracking the outer shield. But the relic retaliated, a pulse of energy knocking out two fighters—[Pilot_Vex – Rank #310], [Pilot_Tara – Rank #298]—their tags vanishing. His holo-device updated: [Hull Integrity at 1%. Deploy Countermeasure?] He activated it, a shield of glitch light absorbing a drone's blast, but the cost drained 500 credits, leaving 1,000.

Lena's hack device hummed. "50% on the shield—Zorak's reinforcing it from inside!" She projected a beam, weakening the barrier. Jax synced his rig, amplifying the signal. The shield flickered, but a new threat emerged—a massive Warden, its optics glowing red, guarding the relic's entrance.

"Take it down!" Kael ordered, steering the Rustfang into a strafing run. Ryn's fighters unleashed plasma, chipping the Warden's armor, but it fired back, a beam grazing the Rustfang's wing. Hull integrity held at 1%, a miracle of glitch energy. His holo-device sparked: [Debug Mode: Evolve Glitch – Risk: Neural Feedback.] A new ability could turn the tide, but the feedback risk loomed.

"Do it," Aria's faint voice whispered, her corrupted laugh cutting off mid-sentence. Her hologram flickered, a distorted silhouette, then stabilized briefly—violet eyes pleading. Kael tapped the command, and pain seared his skull, memories of Lira and Aria flooding back. The holo-device upgraded: [Glitch Evolution: System Override – Grants Temporary Admin Control.] His vision cleared, and he felt a surge of power, the Rustfang's systems responding to his will.

"Override active!" Lena said, her device hitting 75%. Kael focused the glitch, and the Warden's optics dimmed, its movements slowing. Ryn's fighters capitalized, blasting it apart in a shower of sparks. The relic's shield collapsed, exposing a hangar bay, but the fleet took heavy losses—half the fighters gone.

"We're in!" Jax shouted, but the holo-device flashed: [Warning: Trap Activated. Containment Field Engaging.] The relic's runes flared, a dome of energy enveloping the Rustfang. The ship rocked, systems locking, and Kael's holo-device glitched: [Hull Integrity at 0%. Emergency Evasion Required.]

He wrestled the controls, activating [Debug Mode: Emergency Evasion – Risk: Engine Overload.] The Rustfang lurched free, engines screaming, but smoke filled the cockpit. They crash-landed in the hangar, skidding to a halt amid debris. Kael coughed, checking the team—Lena bruised, Jax cursing, Ryn and Torin alive but shaken.

"Everyone okay?" Kael asked, climbing out. Nods answered, but the hangar was a maze of rune-lit corridors, drones patrolling. His holo-device rebooted: [Kael Voss – Rank #1. Credits: 1,000. New Objective: Navigate Relic, Free Fragment.] The glitch evolution hummed, a tool to exploit.

Elara's voice crackled over the comms. "Kael, you're inside! The fleet's holding the perimeter, but that field's cutting us off. Find Aria—Zorak's flagship docked on the lower level." The map updated, marking the flagship's position, but a new alert pinged: [Alert: Architect Enforcer Detected. ETA: 3 Minutes.]

Lena scanned the corridor. "That enforcer's big—Zorak must've called it to lock us in. We need to move." She handed Kael a plasma rifle, its weight grounding him. Jax synced his rig, ready to hack doors, while Ryn scouted ahead, her scar catching the rune light.

Kael led the way, the chip's pulse guiding him. Aria's corrupted voice echoed faintly, "Kael… stay away…" Her hologram flickered, red eyes glaring, then softened to violet for a heartbeat. "Help me…" The shift tore at him—Zorak's reprogramming was fighting her core.

The team navigated the corridors, dodging drone patrols. His holo-device offered: [Debug Mode: Disable Drones – Cost: 500 StarCredits, Risk: Alert Trigger.] He authorized it, and glitch energy fried the drones' circuits, but an alarm blared. The enforcer's shadow loomed on the map, closing fast.

"Faster!" Ryn urged, her squad covering the rear. They reached a lift, Jax hacking it open. The descent was tense, the enforcer's rumble shaking the relic. The doors opened to the lower level—Zorak's flagship docked, its hull scarred but operational. A hologram flickered—Aria, fully corrupted, standing beside Zorak, her plasma rifle aimed at the lift.

Zorak laughed, his exosuit glowing. "Welcome, Novice. Your fragment's mine now—loyal and lethal. Surrender, or she dies with you." Aria's red eyes locked on Kael, her finger on the trigger, and his holo-device flashed: [System Override: Counter Corruption – Risk: Fragment Loss.]

Kael's heart pounded. Save her or lose her? The enforcer's footsteps echoed, and Aria's rifle glowed. He had to decide—now.