Page 1 of Beast in the Badlands
CHAPTER 1
RENN
The ship hums beneath me, a sleek shadow gliding through the void. I tighten my grip on the controls, scanning the black expanse ahead. My heart pounds with the thrill of the hunt, but a familiar voice crackles over the comms.
“Renn, you’re too deep. Their scans are spiking. Pull back.”
Kairon’s tone slices through the cockpit noise, commanding yet steady. I picture him in my mind—tall and imposing, that dark cloak swirling around him like a tempest. The way he carries himself is always striking, like a predator at rest, waiting for its moment to pounce.
A bitter taste lingers in my mouth. We’ve been through hell together—two Reapers forged in battle and bound by blood. Kairon leads with calculated ruthlessness; I’ve seen him make hard choices without flinching. But there’s something softer about him now, a fierce protectiveness that wasn’t there before Ava stepped into his life. She’s carved out space in his heart that I never thought possible.
“Renn?” His voice snaps me back.
“Yeah.” I keep my eyes glued to the console as alarms flash—a warning sign. “I’m fine.”
“Fine isn’t good enough.” The concern threads through his words, grounding me when my instincts scream to push forward.
I adjust course slightly, but my pulse quickens with the promise of chaos waiting within that asteroid base. Inside those cold walls lies an Ataxian facility—a den of secrets buried deep under layers of rock and darkness. Planting that Precursor-tagged trace beacon will give us an edge, something to use against them in this endless war.
“Renn.” His voice is lower now, a rumble in the static.
“I’m almost there,” I say through gritted teeth. My hands move deftly across the controls, fingers dancing over buttons and switches as I navigate the labyrinthine asteroid field.
The ship glides silently toward the hidden entrance—a mere crack between two asteroids cloaked by shadows and debris. My mind races back to our last mission together: it went sideways because I hesitated when he needed me most. That memory gnaws at me like an old wound; failure is not an option this time.
I squeeze the trigger for silence mode and approach with deadly intent.
"Renn, pull back," Kairon snaps, forcing the authority into his tone. "That's an order."
I don’t flinch. My gaze stays locked on the narrowing path ahead—a seam in the asteroid’s dense rock that leads to the hidden base.
“I’m in. One pass. We’ll get our eyes in the center.”
Kairon’s voice curses through the comms, frustration crackling in his tone. I cut the channel, shutting out his concern. Focus.
The entrance yawns before me, a gaping mouth waiting to swallow me whole. My pulse quickens, adrenaline sharpening my senses as I glide into the darkness, dim lights flickeringalong the ship's edge like ghostly whispers. The ship hums softly, almost eager to slip through.
I guide us deeper into the belly of this beast, heart thumping against my ribs. There it is—the main chamber, wide and sprawling with intricate machinery pulsing like a heartbeat. The perfect spot for a beacon.
With a flick of my wrist, I deploy it—a small metallic sphere that zips out and lodges itself into the control panel at the center of the room. It pulses once—then overloads.
A blinding light erupts around me.
The ship shakes violently as alarms blare in frantic harmony with my racing heart. I grip the controls tight, knuckles white as an anti-intrusion countermeasure triggers a reverse energy pulse that slams into us like a freight train.
“Damn it!” I roar, teeth clenched as systems go haywire and warning lights blink across every panel.
The ship spins out of control, tumbling through darkness and chaos. Metal screeches; I feel my stomach drop as gravity plays tricks on me.
“Renn!” Kairon’s voice returns over the comms, thick with urgency now.
“Shut up!” I bark back, wrestling with the controls. “Just—hold on!”
I force my focus inward—each button a lifeline to regain control amid this whirlwind of panic. The energy pulse dissipates but leaves behind chaos; systems fail and reboot all at once while I wrestle for stability.
“Systems failing!” A cold voice rattles off diagnostics from somewhere in the background—a faint echo against my racing thoughts.
I can’t let this be it—not here, not now. Not after everything we’ve fought for.
