And then, the sky fell silent.
It was a change so profound, so absolute, that every node in my body flared in sudden, sharp alarm.The constant, living hum of the planet, the deep bass note of the approaching storm cycle, the high-frequency song of the stormglass trees—it all vanished.Replaced by nothing.A dead, hollow silence that pressed in on me from all directions, a vacuum where a living world should be.
My marks blazed, a frantic, desperate blue-white against the sudden stillness.My hand flew to my throat, my heart hammering against my ribs.I stumbled back a step, my breath catching in my throat.It was like going deaf, like having a limb severed, a profound and terrifying sense of loss that was so much more than sensory deprivation.
"Sloane?"Sanaa was at my side in an instant, her hand on my arm, her dark eyes wide with concern."What is it?What's wrong?"
"The hum," I gasped, my voice barely a whisper."It's gone."
Before she could answer, a new sound cut through the silence.Not the natural resonance of the valley, but a high, piercing whine that grated against the sudden stillness.It grew louder, a metallic scream that tore at the air, a sound that was utterly, completely alien to this world.
We ran outside.
The sky was no longer the deep, charged violet of a world preparing for a storm.It was a cold, sterile black, pricked by the cold, distant light of stars.And descending through that starfield was a shape that was both familiar and horrifyingly out of place.An Imperium reconnaissance vessel.Sleek, silver, and utterly, brutally functional.It hung in the sky like a judgment, its engines screaming, its presence a violation so profound it made my teeth ache.
As it lowered itself toward the valley floor, its landing struts extending with a cold, hydraulic hiss, I felt Sorik before I saw him.He was moving through the jungle, his presence a warm, steady current against the cold dread that had seized me.He burst from the tree line, his storm nodes blazing, a primal fury in his silver eyes that was so potent it made the air around him crackle.
He stopped beside me, his hand finding mine, his grip a grounding, powerful force."They shouldn't be here," he growled, his voice a low rumble of thunder."This is not their place."
"I know.I’m sorry.I sent them a message.I thought when we destroyed the beacon…" I left the rest unsaid.He knew what was in my heart.My gaze locked on the silver monstrosity that was now settling onto the valley floor, its powerful engines kicking up dust and debris, damaging the pristine jungle."I know."
The ramp lowered with a hydraulic hiss, and a figure emerged, clad in the crisp, unforgiving gray of an Imperium military officer, the Nova Frontier Initiative badge clearly displayed on her shoulder.Tall.Lithe.Built for war.Her blonde hair was pulled into a braid, the golden color matching the officer’s insignia on her collar.Commander Ryla Thames, a woman I knew by reputation—brilliant, ambitious, and utterly, ruthlessly dedicated to NFI, no matter the cost.
Her pale blue eyes, sharp and analytical, scanned the valley, taking in the stormglass trees, the obsidian cliffs, the strange, bioluminescent glow of the undergrowth.They landed on Sorik, on his towering form, on the lightning under his skin, the nodes that blazed like beacons all their own.A flicker of something crossed her eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or pure greed—before being masked by her cool, professional composure.
Then her eyes found me.
"Dr.Carter," she said, her voice crisp and precise, carrying easily across the suddenly silent valley."Your distress signal was finally decrypted.My team is here to retrieve you and your crew."
I felt Sorik's hand tighten on mine, a silent, possessive warning.I took a deep breath, the air tasting of ozone and fear and the unwavering strength of the man beside me.I was no longer just Dr.Sloane Carter from Earth, pilot, engineer, survivor of a crash.I was Sloane of Soltharra, Stormbound mate of Sorik, and this valley, this world, was my home.
"Commander Thames," I said, my voice steady, carrying a new authority I hadn't possessed six weeks ago."My message was very clear.You should not have come.We are not in need of retrieval.You should not be here.”
Her golden eyebrows rose slightly."You and your crew crashed on an uncharted, hostile world.Until we received your message, we assumed you were all dead, not fraternizing with a non-Imperium-recognized, indigenous species."Her gaze flickered to Sorik again."Your report will be… fascinating."
I stepped forward, putting myself slightly in front of Sorik, a gesture that was both protective and a clear message to the bitch to fuck all the way off and leave us alone.I was not the only one from my crew who had found a mate and made a home here."There will be no report, Commander.I deactivated our rescue beacon months ago.What are you doing here?”
“Lot of investment in this ship and crew, Dr.Carter.Where is your captain?”
“Pretend you never found us.”
“Why would I do that?”A group of military personnel, armed to the teeth with NFI’s newest, most powerful weapons, fanned out behind her on the ship’s ramp.
“This planet is a living, sentient ecosystem.The energy grid that runs through this planet, the storm cycle, the very life of this world— is a complex, interconnected system that NFI scientists won’t appreciate or understand.There is nothing for the NFI here."
"That is not for you to decide."Her cool made me clench my teeth."Asset recovery is my job.You and your entire crew have five more years on your contract.You will be coming with me."She took a step toward me, stopped when lightning cracked across the sky and struck the ground a few steps in front of her.
Damn, Sorik was hot when he went all Storm Guardian.But that display of casual power wasn’t going to help me convince Commander Thames to leave us alone.
"You are free to speak to my crew.None of us will leave."I was not fucking around.If Sorik had to blast her ship and crew with lightning, I was okay with that.“I’m afraid you’ll be leaving empty handed, Commander.”
For a long moment, the only sound was the faint, almost imperceptible hum of the Recon ship’s idling engines.Commander Thames studied me, her analytical mind clearly working, weighing the risks and rewards, the undeniable scientific value of this world against the unexpected resistance of one of her own scientists.No doubt, assessing the level of threat posed by Sorik and the other warriors who now formed a silent ring of watchers around the edges of the clearing.
She was fucked.I could have told her that.I kept my mouth shut and let her come to her own conclusion.If any one of these storm warriors decided she was a threat to be eliminated, her ship would be destroyed before she could run back inside and try to leave.
Then, she looked past me, at Sorik, who stood behind me, a silent, formidable presence.Her gaze was no longer just curious, but calculating, recognizing the raw power he represented, the unspoken claim he had on this world, and on me.
"Empty handed.”She said it as if the words tasted strange in her mouth."And what am I to tell my superiors?"