The Quantum Ascendant

Chapter 3: "Shadows of the Spire"

The Void Market erupted into chaos as the Corps dropship descended, its searchlights cutting through the neon haze. Kael moved quickly, weaving through the panicked crowd as stalls were overturned and vendors scrambled to hide their illegal wares. The hum of the dropship’s engines grew louder, and Kael knew he had only seconds to escape.

He ducked into a narrow service corridor, his boots echoing on the metal grating. The corridor led deeper into the spire, away from the market and into the labyrinth of maintenance tunnels that crisscrossed Eryndor Prime. Kael’s mind raced as he ran, the stolen terminal bouncing against his back. Zara’s warning echoed in his ears.  The Quantum Ascendant Protocol isn’t just a file. It’s a key to something much bigger.

But what? And why was the Corps willing to tear apart the Void Market to get it?

Kael reached a junction and hesitated. To the left, the corridor led to a freight elevator that could take him to the upper levels. To the right, a rusted ladder led down to the undercity. Both options were risky, but he couldn’t stay here.

The sound of boots pounding on metal decided for him. Kael turned left and sprinted toward the elevator, his heart pounding in his chest. He slammed his hand against the control panel, and the doors slid open with a groan. He stepped inside and hit the button for the upper levels, praying the old machinery wouldn’t fail him.

As the elevator ascended, Kael pulled out the stolen terminal and activated it. The screen flickered to life, displaying the encrypted file. He didn’t have Zara’s skills, but he had to try to make sense of it. The file was filled with lines of code, most of it indecipherable. But one line stood out:

“Architect’s Legacy: Ascend or Perish.”

Kael frowned. The Architect the creator of the URS had vanished centuries ago. What did they have to do with the Quantum Ascendant Protocol? And what did “Ascend or Perish” mean?

Before he could ponder further, the elevator shuddered to a halt. Kael glanced at the display he was only halfway to the upper levels. The doors slid open, revealing a dimly lit maintenance level filled with pipes and conduits. Kael stepped out cautiously, his senses on high alert.

A voice echoed through the corridor, cold and mocking. “You’re not easy to find, Arvid.”

Kael spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for the blaster at his side. Standing in the shadows was a figure clad in sleek, black armor. Their face was obscured by a helmet, but the glowing red visor left no doubt about their identity: a Shadow Operative, the Corps’ elite assassins.

“You’ve caused quite a stir,” the operative said, stepping into the light. Their voice was distorted, mechanical. “Commander Solis wants you alive. But she didn’t say anything about unharmed.”

Kael raised his blaster, his mind racing. Shadow Operatives were trained to hunt and eliminate high-priority targets. Fighting one head-on was suicide. But he didn’t have a choice.

The operative lunged, their movements impossibly fast. Kael fired, but the shot went wide, ricocheting off the metal walls. He dodged to the side, barely avoiding a strike from the operative’s energy blade. The blade hissed as it cut through the air, leaving a glowing trail in its wake.

Kael backed away, his eyes darting around the corridor for an escape route. He spotted a maintenance hatch a few meters away and made a break for it. The operative was faster, intercepting him with a sweeping kick that sent him sprawling.

Kael hit the ground hard, the terminal slipping from his grasp. He scrambled to his feet, but the operative was already on him, their blade poised to strike.

“Any last words, Arvid?” the operative sneered.

Before Kael could respond, a loud clang echoed through the corridor. The operative staggered forward, their helmet sparking from the impact of a wrench. Kael looked up to see a figure standing behind the operative a young woman with wild, dark hair and a determined expression.

“Run!” she shouted, swinging the wrench again.

Kael didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed the terminal and bolted for the maintenance hatch, the sound of the operative’s enraged shouts echoing behind him. The woman followed, her boots pounding on the metal grating.

They burst through the hatch and into a narrow service tunnel. Kael slammed the hatch shut behind them and engaged the manual lock.

“Who are you?” he demanded, turning to the woman.

She grinned, her eyesgleaming with mischief. “Name’s Jyn. And you, Kael Arvid, just became the most interesting person in the galaxy.”