Rise of the Collosi Hunter

Soon, the sleek transport ship arrived, followed by the extractor unit. As the two vessels touched down, Torran's squad climbed into the transport, while the extractors moved in, already prepping the Colossus corpses for dismantling. Blades buzzed to life. Clamps hissed. Within minutes, they were stripping the cores and usable material.

The transport slid smoothly into the upper docks of Nova 9.

As the doors hissed open, the squad stepped out in formation. No cheering. No celebration. Just the hum of machinery and the soft clang of footsteps echoing through the upper deck. It was routine.

They made their way to the debrief chamber in silence.

Waiting for them was an officer, tall, lean, and dressed in standard black and grey. He didn't greet them. His eyes were already scanning the squad log on a tablet.

Sector Twelve. Six F-Class eliminated. One unexpected civilian recovered. No civilian casualties. No squad injuries.

His eyes flicked up for just a moment.

Acceptable work

That was all he said.

He tapped his screen, logged the data, and gave a slight nod toward the exit. The gesture meant dismissal.

No praise. No thanks. Just confirmation.

Torran didn't expect more. None of them did. This was Nova 9, recognition wasn't part of the package, nothing here was meant to feel warm.

As they left the room, the squad split off naturally.

Riva drifted toward the upper lifts, checking something on her wrist panel. Jace leaned back against the nearest wall, stretching out his arms with a tired sigh. Korr and Lian headed toward the mess, already in low conversation about something from the fight.

Torran was about to head to the dorm when he noticed a familiar figure at the end of the hallway.

Kira stood with her arms crossed, watching them quietly.

He slowed down as he walked over.

You didn't lose anyone, she said simply, eyes moving across the squad. And your report was clean

A good start

Torran nodded once. We did what we had to

You did more than that

She uncrossed her arms and took a step forward.

Your custom weapon came in this morning. Head down to the Nova 9 Weapon Hub. Ask for Lab E7. But I doubt you'll need directions

He blinked. That fast?

They don't waste time when something catches their eye. A sync rate like yours draws attention. And they approved the full transformation request. Katana to rifle

Torran raised an eyebrow slightly. They built it?

She nodded.

You'll see

She turned, then paused again before walking off

Oh. And don't drop it. The core in that blade costs more than your squad's training hall

Her face didn't change much. But her voice had softened slightly.

She walked away without another word

Torran stood still for a moment, processing. Then he turned and started across the main platform. The hangar lights above cast long white streaks over the floor. Cranes shifted in the distance. Elevators hummed. Everything was in motion.

He passed several engineers working on armored transports, a few squads sparring near the edge of the platform. But he didn't slow.

The entrance to the Weapon Hub stood ahead. Smooth black doors with a faint gold line across the middle. They opened with a soft hiss as he stepped through.

Inside, the space was cooler. Cleaner. Pale lights ran in neat lines across the ceiling and floor. Engineers moved between terminals. Some were repairing damaged weapons. Others were typing logs into large transparent screens. The smell of metal and heat filled the air.

A clerk sat behind a slim desk, head down, hands tapping away at a console.

Name, he said, not looking up

Torran Kaine

The man tapped again. Then nodded once

Lab E7. Right hallway

Torran gave a small nod and headed in the direction.

The floors here were smooth steel, silent under his boots. Along the hallway, display cases showed off older prototype weapons. Some cracked. Some beautiful. Some marked as failures.

But Torran didn't stop to look.

At the end of the hallway, he reached a black door with a glowing blue scanner beside it.

He raised his hand and placed it over the panel.

ID Confirmed – Kaine, Torran

The scanner pulsed once.

Then the door clicked open