Beyond the Stars

Jack Whitaker’s pulse pounded as he stared at the glowing message on Orion’s Wake’s control console. The transmission was still flickering, its cryptic message hanging in the air.

"The Guardians of Kyma are not alone. But the enemy is coming. Prepare for war."

Charlie leaned over the console, scanning for origin points, his fingers flying over the interface. The transmission was ancient, older than anything Kyma System Command had ever recorded.

Sam frowned, shifting uneasily.

"Who sent this? And how do they know about us?"

Jack exhaled. He had too many questions but one thing was clear.

This message was not a warning It was a call to arms.

The signal's coordinates led them deep into uncharted space, far beyond Kyma’s reach, into a sector known as the Veil Rift a region of lawless territory, where only the most dangerous beings in the galaxy dared to tread. There was only one group that operated there.

The Mercenaries of the Galaxy. A legendary band of rogue warriors, bounty hunters, and ex-soldiers, the Mercs were known for fighting in wars no one else dared to touch.

They had no allegiance, no cause only the pursuit of credits and glory and, according to the transmission, they were the only ones who knew the truth about the coming war.

Jack, Charlie, and Sam had saved Kyma but now, they needed help to save the rest of the galaxy, and that meant entering the Veil Rift.

The Veil Rift was a graveyard of civilizations, filled with the wreckage of ships from ancient wars, broken space stations that still flickered with dying lights, and pirate trongholds where the worst of the worst gathered. At its center was Gragath Prime a massive planet-city where the Mercenaries of the Galaxy had established their base of operations.

Jack guided Orion’s Wake through the atmosphere, landing in the midst of towering metal spires, neon-lit slums, and streets crawling with outlaws, smugglers, and cyber-enhanced criminals.

Charlie swallowed hard.

"This place makes Kyma look like a paradise."

A group of heavily armed figures approached their ship. Their leader was Drake Vance, the fearless commander of the Mercenaries, a former smuggler and war hero, Drake had built the Mercs into a force feared across the stars.

His voice was rough as he eyed the boys.

"Well, well… looks like we got ourselves some kids playing hero."

Jack stood his ground.

"We need your help."

Drake smirked.

"That’s what they all say."

But when Jack showed him the transmission, the smirk vanished.

For the first time, Drake Vance looked afraid.

Inside the Mercenary stronghold, the boys learned the truth.

The transmission had come from an unknown source, but it referenced something terrifying, a force that even the Mercenaries feared. The Pale Warlords.

According to Drake, the Pale Warlords were not just conquerors they were something far worse. They were ghosts a fleet of ships that should not exist. An army that left nothing behind but dead worlds. For centuries, no one believed the legends. Until now.

Drake pulled up a holographic star map, showing worlds on the outer rim of the galaxy.

One by one, planets were disappearing, entire civilizations erased overnight.

No survivors, no distress signals, Just silence.

And the Pale Warlords?

They were coming straight for Kyma.

The boys stared at the map in horror, They had just saved one planet.

Now, they were being told that an unstoppable force was coming to take it away again.

Drake exhaled, crossing his arms.

"You want to stop them? Then you need more than just a single ship. You need an army."

Jack nodded.

"Then we build one."

Drake laughed.

"And where exactly do you plan on getting an army?"

Jack met his gaze.

"You have one right here."

The Mercenaries of the Galaxy, the most ruthless fighters in the universe.

If they joined forces with Kyma, they could stand a chance.

Drake leaned back, considering.

"The Mercs don’t fight for free, kid."

Jack clenched his fists.

"Then we pay you."

Charlie’s voice was cautious.

"With what? We don’t have any money."

Drake grinned.

"That’s where you’re wrong."

He pointed at Orion’s Wake.

"That ship isn’t just a weapon. It’s the last remnant of Velmara. And Velmara’s secrets are worth more than any credits in the galaxy."

Jack felt his stomach drop they had barely scratched the surface of Orion’s Wake’s power. If Drake was right, then the ship carried something far greater than just weapons and shields.

And now, the Mercenaries of the Galaxy wanted it.

Would they be allies? Or had Jack just put the most powerful ship in the universe in the hands of the deadliest warriors alive?

With no other choice, Jack struck a deal with the Mercenaries.

They would fight, but only if they could uncover the full power of Orion’s Wake.

For weeks, the boys trained with Drake Vance’s soldiers, learning the brutal tactics of the mercenary life. Jack sparred with Tyko Rinn, the Mercenaries’ best pilot, a reckless warrior who once saved Drake’s life.

Charlie studied weapons tech under Tessa Vorn, the explosives expert who could turn anything into a bomb and Sam learned battlefield tactics from Rylis Korren, a former Galactic Justice commander who had turned to the outlaw life.

And all the while, the war was moving closer.

The Pale Warlords were coming.

And this time, Kyma would not survive without a fight.

As the Mercenaries prepared to move their entire fleet to Kyma, a new message arrived on Orion’s Wake’s console. It was not from the Warlords of Kharak.It was not from Kyma System Command. It was not from the Pale Warlords.

It was from someone they thought was dead.

Unknown Transmission:

"You cannot stop what’s coming. But you are not alone."

The sender’s name appeared, it read 'Peygous'.

Jack’s blood went cold the galaxy was on the brink of war but now?

Now, they were fighting for something far bigger than Kyma itself.

Something even the Pale Warlords feared, for this time

the real war… had only just begun.