The primary hangar of Valeris City was alive with motion and noise. Sparks cascaded from repair stations as engineers hunched over exposed panels, fine-tuning ship components with practiced precision. Mechanized drones skittered across the floor, carrying tools and diagnostic equipment, their whirring servos blending with the ever-present hum of starship engines idling in the background.
Supply crews hurried between vessels, loading cargo for distant outposts, their shouted commands lost amidst the clamor of activity. The scent of heated metal, synthetic lubricants, and ionized exhaust fumes filled the vast space, mixing with the crisp artificial air pumped through the facility's filtration systems. Overhead lighting panels cast a sterile glow, illuminating the intricate lattice of maintenance scaffolds and fuel lines snaking between the ships.
At the far end of the hangar, his ship stood beneath the overhead lights, newly transformed.
Sleek, armored, reborn.
Ethan Walker strode forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over every detail. The first and only time he had piloted this vessel, he had barely taken control before crashing it straight into Kynara's surface.
Thrust into an unfamiliar universe, disoriented, he had never even gotten the chance to truly understand the ship before the impact left it battered and broken. From that moment on, it had been little more than a wreck, held together by sheer willpower and necessity, grounded like its pilot.
He never flew among the stars again.
But now it was not just repaired. It had been reforged.
A whisper of a grin flickered across his face. He hadn't felt this kind of anticipation in a long time.
On a raised platform beside the ship, a familiar figure stood, overseeing the last stages of the refit.
Raevis Kael.
She was in constant motion, barking orders at her team of Ashen Prime engineers as they made final calibrations, her crimson hair pulled back into a loose tie, though a few strands had managed to escape, framing her sharp features. Dressed in a high-collared engineering coat lined with reinforced plating, she moved with the practiced efficiency of someone who didn't have time for mistakes.
A data-slate was balanced in her left hand, fingers flicking through diagnostic readouts as she monitored the ship's final system checks. The engineers around her worked with synchronized precision, checking wiring relays, sealing access panels, and running last-minute stability tests.
Then, as if sensing his presence, Raevis glanced up and spotted him.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Walker. About time. Thought you got lost on the way."
Ethan's grin widened slightly. "Figured I'd let you make sure it doesn't explode before I take off."
Raevis let out a sharp, amused snort. "You wound me. This is the best piece of engineering to roll out of Ashen Prime's hands in years." She gestured toward the ship with a sweeping motion, her expression filled with the unmistakable pride of someone who had poured countless hours into perfecting their craft.
"Come see for yourself."
Ethan didn't need another invitation. He took a step forward, ready to lay eyes on the new beast that would carry him into the stars.
Ethan circled the vessel, taking in every inch of its transformed form. The blackened hull gleamed under the bright overhead lights, a seamless blend of kinetic-dampening alloys and heat-resistant plating designed to withstand both direct fire and the brutal conditions of deep space. The once-scarred frame was now a masterwork of sleek engineering, promising both agility and endurance. The subtle angular design hinted at high-speed maneuverability, while the reinforced structure suggested it could take a hit and keep flying.
Raevis walked beside him, arms crossed, a hint of pride in her smirk. "Stealth systems are top of the line. Sensor disruptors, heat-dampening plating, and a limited cloaking field. You'll be a ghost when you need to be."
Ethan nodded, running his fingers along the cool metal. He could already tell the ship was built for precision. For power.
"We've also installed a next-gen defensive grid," Raevis continued. "This isn't your standard shield system, it dynamically redistributes energy to weak points on impact. The more sustained fire you take, the smarter your defenses get."
Another engineer, a wiry man with grease-stained sleeves, stepped in eagerly. "Same goes for your FTL drive. We replaced that outdated junk with a long-range drive. No more constant recalibrations. Your travel times between sectors will be cut significantly."
Ethan turned toward Raevis, an eyebrow raised. "Sounds like you've pulled out all the stops."
Raevis huffed, shooting the overeager engineer a glare before turning back to Ethan. "I'm getting there, don't rush me!" She took a step closer, tapping a finger against the hull. "Now, weapons. That's where we really had some fun."
Ethan folded his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Do tell."
She exhaled dramatically. "What you're looking at is a fully modular weapons system. You'll be able to swap out weapons depending on mission parameters as promised. Pulse turrets, missile racks, whatever fits the job."
A second engineer, clearly unable to contain his excitement, cut in. "We installed quad-mounted plasma cannons, a modular missile system, and get this....a ventral-mounted railgun! That thing will turn anything in front of you into scrap!"
Raevis shot him a murderous look. "Do I look like I need help explaining my own work?!" The engineer winced and quickly backed away, muttering an apology.
Ethan chuckled, amused. "Your crew's enthusiasm is contagious."
Raevis sighed, rubbing her temples before regaining her composure. "As I was saying, it's not just about combat. Your cockpit has been completely overhauled. Streamlined interface, improved response times, and a tactical awareness system linked directly to your AI, Iris. When you're in a firefight, you'll have real-time battlefield data flowing straight into your HUD."
Ethan stepped back, taking it all in. This wasn't just a refit, it was a complete rebirth. A predator built for the unknown.
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I can't even imagine how much this would've cost if I were footing the bill myself."
Raevis smirked. "Oh, that?" She made a vague gesture. "Let's just say you could've bought a decent military-grade class Federation ship straight from the best workshops in the sector. So… a hundred million galactic credits, give or take."
Ethan blinked. "...I guess I'll have to thank governor Krenn again for his generosity."
She chuckled. "You better. But we're not done yet."
She led him toward the access ramp and tapped on a control panel. The interior lights flickered on, revealing a vastly improved layout. "We upgraded your living quarters, too. No more sleeping in a cramped pod and eating rations out of a storage locker."
She motioned as she spoke. "Expanded sleeping quarters. A proper kitchenette and dining area. A training room for long-haul space travel, so you don't go soft while you're out there. Medical pod for emergency treatment. And yes, before you ask. We didn't forget to add an actual bathroom. A real one."
Ethan exhaled, taking a long moment to absorb it all.
This wasn't just a ship.
It was a symbol, a vessel worthy of what he had become. A shadow in the void. A hunter.
Raevis studied his expression. "You good?"
Ethan ran a hand over the hull one last time. "Just thinking about what comes next."
Raevis tapped a few commands into her data-slate, the glow from the screen casting a faint reflection on her crimson hair. She glanced up, expression expectant.
"I need a name for the ship. You got one?"
Ethan hesitated. His gaze drifted over the vessel, its darkened hull catching the light in a way that made it seem more shadow than metal.
A name.
Not just a title, an identity. A purpose.
He exhaled, his thoughts pulled back to the frozen wastelands of Kynara's north. The battlefield where the war against Drakor Krenna had reached its brutal conclusion.
Drakor, the traitor of the Orion Federation, the iron-fisted leader of the Black Sun Syndicate. A man who had ruled through fear, crushed rebellions with ruthless efficiency, and nearly brought an entire planet under his control.
And yet, when he fell, he wasn't a man at all.
The Resonance Amplification Device had rewritten him. The weapon made of psychic ore, designed to harvest and amplify psychic energy, had tapped into Kynara's very essence. And in doing so, it had transformed him.
He had become something beyond human.
An Astral, a celestial-like being of unfathomable power. His mere presence had warped reality, his voice had echoed in the minds of his enemies. The coalition, mercenaries, resistance fighters, and the Kynaran Federation Guard had thrown everything at him. And it still hadn't been enough.
Squads had been obliterated in an instant. Great men died in his hands. The battlefield had become a frozen graveyard.
In the end, it had come down to a single confrontation.
Ethan had stood alone against the Astral. Against Drakor Krenna reborn.
And in his hand, he had wielded the only weapon capable of ending it.
The Astral Slayer.
A molecular dagger capable of countering and destroying celestial entities like Drakor. The blade had cut through his enhanced form when nothing else could.
It had ended him.
But the battle had left scars, not just on Kynara, but on Ethan himself. The people of the planet had looked upon him not only as a hero, but as something else entirely. A whispered legend. A name spoken in both awe and fear.
The Harbinger of Death.
Ethan's fingers brushed against the hull of his ship, the cool metal grounding him in the present.
This vessel wasn't just a machine. It was a symbol. A shadow in the void. A reminder of what he had become.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. Steady.
"Obsidian Wraith."
Raevis arched a brow, the name lingering between them for a moment. Then, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Fitting."
She keyed the name into the system, the screen flashing as the ship's new identity was officially logged. "Obsidian Wraith it is."
She stepped back, giving him a once-over before grinning. "She's yours now, Walker. Try not to break her too quickly."
Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "No promises."
The hangar lights reflected off the ship's sleek hull, its new name now etched into the logs. The Obsidian Wraith was ready.