Page 73 of Stars in Halo

Her brothers hung their heads while K’Toro glanced away, unable to meet her glowering gaze.

‘I require a commtab now,’ she demanded. ‘I’ll need to call in some favours.’

Her father’s shoulders lifted and fell with a massive sigh. ‘My office.’

She strode away, leaving the foursome to sulk in the hallway, shuffling their feet in uncomfortable silence.

The workspace was just as lavish as the rest of the mansion, but Katya found the opulence suffocating.

She marched in, slammed the door shut and locked it.

Striding to her father’s ornate desk, she accessed his commtab, her fingers flying across the holographic display.

‘Mirage, I need you. Please.’

The tiny earpiece Xion had given her on the D’Hanna ship buzzed to life, and a small cloud of noids flowed from it to her keypad.

‘I’m here, Katya. I listened to it all and worked out what needs to be done. Let the metanoids do their thing,’ the harmonious, mellow tones of the Sable Riders AI intelligence advised.

‘I’m in,’ they added a few seconds later.

‘Fokk yeah,’ Katya breathed.

‘I’ve accessed your father’s network and I’ll be in K’Sumi’s in no time. Stay at the desk for a tad longer, then make an excuse to leave. I should have a location where they’re holding both Xion and your loved ones soon.’

After what felt like an eternity, which was just a handful of beats, Mirage’s voice crackled through the earpiece again. ‘I’ve got Xion’s position. We’ll need to rescue him first so he can help you infiltrate the facility where your family is being held.’

Relief flooded through Katya, tears misting her eyes.

With a shaky inhale, she composed herself and shut down the computer, erasing all traces of Mirage’s infiltration before exiting the office.

She stalked back into the hallway where her siblings and sperm donor still lingered, eyes on her.

Silent, Katya made her way past them towards the exit without a glance back.

The sky above Iccythria blazed with vibrant shades of purple, from deep royal hues to soft lavender wisps. The ever-changing clouds swirled and danced in the dusky light, creating a mesmerising display.

It belied the volcanic activity churning under the surface of the massive planet.

Katya stood in the street outside her family’s residence, waiting for Mirage, who had sent Xion’s flyer from the Tachy to fetch her.

Her chest constricted with emotion as she turned, her eyes flicking over the mansions she’d called home, where she had grown up amidst chaos.

She had lived here in fear for most of her life, ruled by her father’s greed for wealth, longing to break free from his particular cycle of oppression.

The anxiety and dread had never left her. For a moment, she was overpowered by a helplessness that things would never improve for her, that he’d never flee this life she’d been forced into.

A soft ping interrupted her soul malaise.

Mirage spoke into her ear. ‘I’m here.’

Katya jolted when a sleek Sable-designed sports flyer shimmered into view before her.

She had not caught its approach vector and gaped at the sight.

‘Get in,’ the dulcet tones of the Sable AI announced.

With one last defiant glare at her past, she put the D’Hanna legacy behind her and pivoted towards the vessel, sliding into its compact yet luxurious interior.

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