Page 40 of Star Claimed Omega
It flashed, delivering healing that, with his spectral force, mended his wounds faster.
Santi let Miral work, as his features rippled, the older, grizzled, battle-worn grifter’s disguise melting away into his true face.
‘Indeed,’ he said, flexing his bruised jaw. ‘The Red Skullsare on edge. Word is that a major operation is about to go down right here onTheSombra. They’re cagey, twitchy as hell.’
‘Hit me.’
Miral put away the device and crossed her arms, all ears.
Santi sat on the brink of the tactical table, still sore and healing from his stint in the yard, his voice deep but steady as he briefed Miral.
‘I caught threeRed Skullstalking near a busted conduit. Thought they were blowing smoke, but they were too amped, too jumpy.’
He ran a hand through his hair. ‘They were whispering about making moves. Sounded like they’re prepping a breach, a big ‘un.’
Miral crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. ‘What kind of breach?’
‘Didn’t get full details, but one of them mentioned timing. Said the cycles are aligning, and they’ve got clearance for aninside job. They’ve already planted gear somewhere in the waste processors.’
Santi shook his head. ‘Sounds like the planned op is not just an attack but an extraction.’
‘What’s the target?’
‘No clue.’ His mouth thinned. ‘My gut says it’s volatile. Or priceless.’
Miral exhaled. ‘How’re they getting out?’
He leaned forward, voice turning grim. ‘Lower conduits, then they’re jumping out on a ship called theBlack Star Runner.They claim the skiff has such high speeds that they’ll be ghosts in space the moment they board. Done and dusted the second they lift off.’
Miral’s brow furrowed. ‘So, how did the fight begin?’
‘They caught me listening in, so I took off like a coward and ran to the yard. They hunted me down and asked why I was sneaking after them. The moment I dropped their leader, theMad Wolf King’sname, Varnok, and cracked a dumb joke, they lost it. Like flipping a switch. They fell on me like rabid wolves.’
Miral nodded, her mind already turning gears.
‘They like ripping shit up, let’s claw apart their plans then,’ she said.
Santi popped his knuckles, a grim smile cutting across his bruised face.
‘Count me in,jefa.’
A few hours later, the entireRed Skullgang insideSombra’sprison got rounded up and thrown into solitary cages.
Reinforced alloy walls and energy dampeners isolated eachgangster, preventing coordination or escape.
Their howls and threats echoed down the cell block, but no one listened.
A sweep by Miral and a squad of Signet soldiers located the secret stash ofRed Skulls’ weapons in the waste processors and destroyed them.
A day later, in Sector X-7, a fast-moving skiff broke from its usual patrol pattern, its unusual flight flagged by Signet long-range scanners.
Santi dispatched a hunter squad, which intercepted the vessel just past a nearby asteroid belt.
Its transponder codes identified it as theBlack Star Runner.
The boarding was swift and merciless.
TheRed Skullcrew scarcely had time to reach for their weapons before they got disarmed and slammed to the deck.
