The outpost's docking bay was eerily silent. Finn knew better than to trust the quiet. Out here, silence was often the precursor to death. He reached for the plasma pistol strapped to his thigh, his fingers brushing its grip for comfort.
As he stepped further into the station, his comm crackled.
"Murphy, you sure about this?" came the gravelly voice of Varro, his pilot and only companion.
"No," Finn replied dryly, glancing back at the ship. "But since when has certainty paid the bills?"
Varro's reply was cut off by static, followed by a low rumble that vibrated through the deck plating. Finn froze. That sound was no engine. It was a growl, deep and guttural, reverberating through the bones of the station.
"Strynx," Finn muttered.
The name alone made his stomach churn. Beasts born of the void, the Strynx were nightmare incarnate-hulking creatures with jagged exoskeletons, bioluminescent veins, and a hunger for destruction. Even armed ships avoided engaging them unless absolutely necessary.
Finn tightened his grip on the pistol and advanced cautiously, his boots clicking against the metal floor. The dim lights flickered, casting long, twitching shadows.
A sudden movement caught his eye. He whirled, weapon raised, only to find a figure stumbling toward him.
It was a woman, her face pale, her uniform scorched and torn. She clutched her side, blood seeping between her fingers.
"Help..." she rasped before collapsing.
Finn cursed under his breath, rushing to her side. Her breathing was shallow, but she was alive-for now. Slipping his arm under her shoulders, he dragged her toward the Grey Star.
"Varro, prep med bay!" Finn barked into his comm.
As they approached the ship, another rumble echoed through the station, this one closer and louder. Finn's heart raced as he caught a glimpse of it-a Strynx, emerging from the shadows. Its glowing eyes locked onto him, and its mandibles clicked in anticipation.
"Move, move, move!"
Finn half-carried, half-dragged the woman up the ship's ramp. The Strynx charged, its claws gouging deep furrows into the deck. Finn dove into the ship just as Varro slammed the hatch shut.
"Punch it!" Finn shouted as he secured the woman to the med bay cot.
Varro didn't need to be told twice. The Grey Star roared to life, its engines flaring as the ship rocketed away from the station. The Strynx leapt, its claws scraping the hull, but it couldn't hold on. The void swallowed the creature as they broke free.
In the med bay, Finn stabilized the woman's bleeding with an auto-suture and a dose of painkillers. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing storm-gray eyes that burned with determination.
"Who are you?" Finn asked.
"Bella Kern," she murmured. "You have no idea what you just stumbled into"