the starborn legacy

The symbol on Liora's hand pulsed softly as she stood on the ridge, staring down at the fragment of the asteroid. The world around her seemed muted, as if the impact had silenced not just the mining colony, but the very air itself. She clenched her fist, hiding the mark, and took a shaky step back. What had just happened to her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp sound of engines roaring overhead. She looked up to see a formation of sleek Imperial fighters slicing through the sky, their silver hulls gleaming in the sunlight. Her stomach dropped. The Empire didn't send warships to Darvos without a reason.

"Liora! What are you doing up there?" a familiar voice called out. She turned to see Kade, her childhood friend and fellow mechanic, scrambling up the ridge toward her. His face was streaked with dirt and worry. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Kade," she said, her voice unsteady. "Did you see the asteroid? The light? Something… something happened."

"Yeah, I saw it," he replied, reaching her side. His eyes flicked to the crater and the lifeless fragment at its center. "But the Empire saw it too. They're coming."

Before she could respond, a loudspeaker crackled to life, its message echoing across the colony. "Attention, citizens of Darvos. This sector is now under Imperial quarantine. Return to your designated shelters immediately. Any resistance will be met with force."

Liora's chest tightened. Quarantine? What were they after? She didn't have to wonder long—her hand pulsed again, as if in warning. The Empire wasn't just here for the asteroid. They were here for her.

"We have to go," she said, grabbing Kade's arm. "Now."

"Go where?" he asked, his voice rising in panic. "The entire colony's on lockdown!"

"We'll figure it out," she snapped, pulling him down the ridge. Her mind raced. The spaceport was their best chance, but it would be heavily guarded. Still, it was better than waiting to be captured.

They reached the edge of the mining field just as the first wave of Imperial troops descended. Clad in black armor and armed with plasma rifles, they moved with precision, herding workers into containment zones. Liora's heart pounded as she and Kade crouched behind a pile of ore crates, trying to stay out of sight.

"What are they looking for?" Kade whispered.

"Me," Liora admitted, showing him the glowing mark on her hand. His eyes widened.

"What is that?"

"I don't know," she said. "But it appeared when I touched the asteroid. And now—"

A shout cut her off. "Over there!" An Imperial soldier had spotted them, his rifle raised.

"Run!" Liora yelled, grabbing Kade and bolting toward the transport yard. Plasma bolts sizzled past them, scorching the ground. She pushed herself faster, her legs burning as she zigzagged through the maze of machinery.

They reached the transport yard just as a cargo freighter began to lift off. Liora's eyes darted to a smaller shuttle nearby, its ramp still open. "That one!" she shouted, pulling Kade toward it.

They scrambled aboard, sealing the hatch behind them. Liora rushed to the cockpit, her hands flying over the controls. She had spent years repairing ships like this, but piloting one was another matter entirely.

"Do you even know how to fly this thing?" Kade asked, gripping the co-pilot's seat.

"Not really," she admitted, flipping switches at random. "But I'm about to learn."

The engines roared to life, and the shuttle lurched into the air, narrowly avoiding a plasma blast. Liora gritted her teeth, wrestling with the controls as the ship climbed higher. Below, the colony grew smaller, the Imperial troops nothing more than black specks on the red dirt.

As they broke through the atmosphere, Liora let out a shaky breath. For the first time in her life, she was leaving Darvos. But the relief was short-lived. The symbol on her hand flared again, and with it came a vision—stars swirling in endless darkness, a voice whispering her name.

"Liora," the voice said, faint but clear. "You cannot run from what you are."

She gasped, clutching her hand. Kade turned to her, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied, shaking off the vision. She focused on the controls, guiding the shuttle toward open space. "We need to find somewhere safe."

"Safe?" Kade said with a bitter laugh. "We just stole an Imperial shuttle. Safe doesn't exist anymore."

He wasn't wrong. The Empire would hunt them to the ends of the galaxy if they had to. But Liora wasn't about to give up. Not now. The stars were calling her, and she intended to find out why.