Starfire Rebellion

Chapter 1: The Edge of the Empire

The night sky above Argus Station was alight with a thousand stars, but the people who lived under its artificial atmosphere knew better than to find comfort in them. Stars meant nothing here at the edge of the galaxy, where the Zaryon Empire's shadow stretched long, choking out any hope of freedom. Yet, in the midst of this cold darkness, a spark had ignited—a spark that would one day burn bright enough to set the stars on fire.

Orion Hale watched as the flickering lights of ships passed through the station's busy docking bays. Each vessel was a gamble: some carried supplies for the rebellion, others were imperial patrols searching for any hint of insurrection. Argus Station was neutral ground, a haven for smugglers, pirates, and anyone desperate enough to deal with both sides. Orion hated it, but for now, it was their best shot at survival.

His dark eyes scanned the crowd. Cloaked figures darted between market stalls, exchanging goods in whispers. The hum of engines echoed through the air, mixing with the distant shouts of dockworkers loading cargo. It was chaotic, but to Orion, this chaos was familiar. This was the battlefield he'd chosen after abandoning the Empire.

From his vantage point on the balcony, Orion's hand unconsciously drifted toward the scarred metal badge pinned to his jacket—the emblem of the Zaryon Empire. He didn't wear it out of loyalty anymore. It was a reminder, a brand of the sins he could never wash away. The destruction, the innocent lives lost... all in the name of the Empire he'd once proudly served.

Now, he had only one purpose: to bring it all down.

His earpiece crackled to life. "Captain, they're here," came the voice of Lyra Thorne, his second-in-command and the best pilot in the Rebellion. She sounded tense, which wasn't a good sign.

Orion straightened, his hand moving to the blaster at his hip. "Where?"

"Docking bay seven," Lyra responded, her voice tight. "And they're not alone."

Orion cursed under his breath. It was supposed to be a simple meeting—an exchange of credits for information on the Empire's latest weapon. But in this part of the galaxy, things rarely went as planned. He wasn't surprised.

"Stay sharp," he replied, already moving through the crowd toward the docking bays. "I'll be there in two minutes."

As he pushed his way through the station's grimy corridors, memories of his old life clawed at the edges of his mind. He had been Commander Orion Hale, a rising star in the Zaryon fleet. Respected, feared, loyal to the core. Until the day he saw what Starfire could really do. The day he turned his back on everything.

"Focus, Hale," he muttered to himself as he approached the docking bay. The heavy blast doors loomed ahead, and the faint sound of raised voices leaked through the cracks. He checked his blaster, ensuring it was fully charged, before signaling Lyra.

"I'm outside. What's the situation?"

Lyra's voice came through the comms, low and controlled. "It's bad. Our contact is pinned down. Imperial agents—Specters."

The mention of Specters sent a chill through Orion. The Specters were the Empire's most feared enforcers, elite assassins trained in stealth and lethal precision. They were sent to eliminate high-value targets, and if they were here, it meant the Empire already knew about the Rebellion's interest in this information.

"We need that intel, Lyra. We can't afford to lose it."

"I know," she replied, her voice tense. "I've got a clear shot on one of them, but there are three more I can't see."

Orion cursed under his breath. The contact had vital intel on the Starfire Project, the Empire's latest weapon. Without it, the Rebellion would be flying blind in their fight. They couldn't afford to fail.

"I'm going in," Orion said, bracing himself against the side of the blast door. His pulse quickened, the familiar thrill of danger creeping up his spine.

"Wait—Orion, it's too dangerous," Lyra hissed. "You know what Specters are capable of."

He knew all too well. The Specters had hunted him for years after he defected, and he had only narrowly escaped with his life each time. But they didn't have a choice. If they didn't act now, the Rebellion would lose its one chance at gaining critical intel on the Empire's new superweapon.

Orion took a deep breath, then slammed his fist against the control panel. The blast door hissed open, revealing the chaos inside the bay.

A flash of movement—a shadow darting across the catwalks above—caught his attention just in time. Orion threw himself behind a cargo crate as a blaster bolt seared the air where he had just stood. His heart raced as he peeked over the edge of the crate.

There, in the center of the room, was their contact—Kael Voss, a former Imperial scientist. He was pinned behind a pile of cargo, desperately firing his blaster at the three Specters advancing on his position. The Specters moved with inhuman speed and precision, their dark cloaks swirling as they closed in.

"Cover me," Orion barked into his comm.

"On it," Lyra replied.

A series of rapid blaster shots rang out from above as Lyra opened fire from her hidden vantage point. Two Specters dodged the attack, but one wasn't fast enough. A direct hit sent him tumbling from the catwalk to the floor below.

Orion didn't waste a second. He sprang from cover, firing at the remaining Specters as he charged toward Kael. One Specter pivoted to face him, moving with eerie grace as she deflected his shots with a Starfire-infused blade.

The sight of the glowing blade sent a jolt of adrenaline through Orion. Starfire—the Empire's ultimate weapon—was far deadlier in skilled hands.

"Keep them busy, I'm almost there!" Orion shouted into his comms as he ducked behind another crate, narrowly avoiding the blade that hissed through the air where his head had been moments before.

The Specter raised her hand, and for a brief second, Orion saw the telltale glow of Starfire energy pulsing from her palm. He knew what was coming. A blast of pure energy crackled toward him, but Orion was faster. With a flick of his wrist, he activated his energy shield, deflecting the blast just in time.

He reached Kael's position, yanking the scientist down as another explosion of energy ripped through the air. "You're late," Kael said, gritting his teeth.

"You're welcome," Orion replied, hauling him to his feet. "Got that intel?"

Kael nodded, his eyes wide with fear. "It's all here, but if we don't get out now—"

"We will," Orion cut him off. "Stick close to me."

The Specters were regrouping, and Orion knew they had seconds at best. His comm crackled with Lyra's voice again. "Extraction point's two levels down. I'll cover you from above, but you need to move. Now."

"Roger that," Orion replied, turning to Kael. "Stay close."

They darted toward the exit, blaster fire trailing behind them. The Specters wouldn't give up easily, but Orion had faced worse odds. And now, with the first piece of the Starfire puzzle in hand, the Rebellion had its first real shot at striking back.

NEXT CHAPTER!