Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

Osram Time: 12:30, February 24, 2295

Outpost Tumi, Zeeman Crater, Far Side, Osram

"We fight to the last!" Jabari's boots crunched on the regolith outside Outpost Tumi, his Vibro-Spear humming as another wave of Radi-Mons attacked their position. This was their final stand - if they couldn't hold long enough to board the Isazi, no one would leave Zeeman Crater alive.

Through the chaos, he spotted Celine Kamara kneeling beside a fallen Ologun, her emerald robes splattered with blood. The marine's chest had been torn open by Radi-Mon claws, his breaths coming in wet, desperate gasps.

"Susu Firi Owia!" Golden energy flowed from her palms, knitting together mangled flesh and burnt armor. The Ologun warrior staggered to his feet, eyes wide with pain but hands steady as he raised his plasma rifle.

A Bone Fiend lunged from the shadows, jaws wide enough to take Jabari's head. He pivoted, driving his Vibro-Spear through its skull. The creature thrashed once before collapsing, its acidic blood eating into the lunar soil.

"Three more need attention," Ume called out, her voice unnervingly calm amid the carnage. Her Plasma Handgun flashed, each shot finding a vital point. A Skuggr's head exploded in green mist, another lost its limbs mid-leap. The android's precision created a temporary safe zone around Celine, but more monsters poured over the crater's rim with each passing second.

"There's too many!" An Ologun screamed before a Bone Fiend tore through his throat, silencing him forever.

More Skuggrs emerged from the shadows, their acid-dripping mouths threatening, but the revitalized Ologuns met them with coordinated plasma fire. The air crackled with energy as the defenders pushed back against the monsters.

"Keep them off the wounded!" Jabari ordered, his spear finding another target. Above, the Krakens circled like vultures, but their attacks splashed harmlessly against the defensive positions.

"I see them," Celine answered, rising smoothly. "The Fenris Horde won't claim any more lives today."

Bone Fiends swarmed in waves. Jabari's Vibro-Spear cut through three in rapid succession.

Behind him, Celine's voice rang out again – "Kra Nhyira!" – followed by the grateful gasps of another healed Ologun warrior.

The battle fell into a desperate rhythm. Ume's precise shots provided covering fire while the recovered Ologuns pushed back against the horde. But for every Radi-Mon that fell, two more seemed to emerge from the shadows of Zeeman Crater.

A Bone Fiend lunged at Jabari's side. He pivoted, driving his spear through its skull with practiced ease. The creature hadn't hit the ground before he was already moving to his next target, his arms burning from constant fighting.

The ground erupted.

Chunks of lunar soil sprayed outward as a massive form burst from beneath, catching Jabari mid-stride. The Skuggr that emerged was bigger than the others, its orange armor gleaming. Before Jabari could recover, the monster's limbs shot forward, catching his spear in a deadly grip.

"By Anansi—" Jabari grunted, feet sliding back under the creature's strength. The Skuggr towered over him, dripping with acid that sizzled on the ground. Its weight forced him down, the Vibro-Spear creaking under the strain.

For a moment, time seemed to slow. Jabari's arms trembled as the monster's weight bore down. Around him, the battle raged on – Ume's voice calling out warnings, Celine's spells lighting up the darkness – but they felt distant.

Then came the shot.

A streak of green energy split the air, hitting the Skuggr's head with precision. The monster screeched in pain as it staggered sideways, its grip on Jabari's spear loosening. A second plasma bolt followed, burning through the creature's armor. The Skuggr collapsed, its head dissolving into steaming goo.

Jabari turned toward his savior. High on the crater's wall, a figure knelt at the edge of a rocky outcrop. Wilhelm van der Merwe stood out against the starlit void, his platinum blonde hair swept back.

The lighting caught his sharp jawline and ice-blue eyes. His emerald uniform looked clean despite the chaos below, and in his hands, a gold-plated sniper rifle gleamed.

"You're getting sloppy, Jabari!" Wilhelm called down, a grin in his voice as he loaded another shot.

"You and your Plasma Carbine!" Jabari couldn't help but grin as he shouted back.

"Miss it?" Wilhelm replied with a smile in his tone.

A flash of royal purple energy announced Laurent's arrival. The prince emerged from the shadows like a force of nature, his Psytum Sword casting purple light across the battlefield. He moved with grace, each step purposeful as he cut through the advancing horde.

The battlefield transformed with their arrival. Laurent's Psytum Sword carved purple arcs through the air as he engaged the closest Bone Fiends, his movements a deadly dance. Above, Wilhelm's rifle provided covering fire, each shot finding its mark.

"Like old times, Your Highness?" Wilhelm called out, his rifle tracking a Skuggr trying to flank Laurent.

"Like old times." Laurent's reply was punctuated by a swing of his blade that cut through two Radi-Mons. "Though I recall having better odds in Madagascar."

The plasma bolt streaked past Laurent's shoulder, reducing the flanking Skuggr to steam. "The odds are what we make them, sir!"

"Now that's a Warband," Jabari watched their teamwork with admiration. It was clear Wilhelm and Laurent had worked together long before he'd joined the Kimaris Warband – the sniper and the sword, distance and blade working perfectly together.

Each time Laurent engaged a group of enemies, Wilhelm's shots would thin their numbers or eliminate those trying to surround the prince.

"Jabari!" Celine's voice cut through his thoughts. "We've got more incoming from the eastern sector!"

He turned to see another wave of Radi-Mons pouring over the crater's rim, their shapes blotting out the stars.

"On it!" Jabari moved forward, Vibro-Spear humming with renewed purpose.

Behind him, Ume's Plasma Handgun provided covering fire while Celine channeled another healing spell – "Susu Firi Owia!"

The eastern sector erupted into violence. Jabari's spear found a Bone Fiend's throat just as Wilhelm's shot destroyed another trying to leap down from above. Laurent cut through the attackers with fluid grace, his purple energy blade leaving trails of light in the darkness.

"Skarn's minions really lack imagination," Laurent remarked, his blade separating a Skuggr's head from its shoulders. "Always the same predictable—"

"Everyone! The Isazi is almost prepped, and I've secured our primary food. Moon Yams!" Seydou's voice crackled through their comms, tension in his usually enthusiastic voice.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Jabari – your Scarab's back to full capacity. I've reinforced the hydraulics and recalibrated the fusion core. But—" Static cut through before clearing. "—sensors showing something big approaching from the western quadrant. We need to move. Now!"

As if emphasizing his warning, another tremor shook the outpost. Through the chaos, Jabari spotted a cluster of Ologun warriors stumbling back from their position, several bleeding from deep wounds.

"Those marines need immediate attention," Celine said, assessing the situation. "I can stabilize them."

"Your Highness," Wilhelm called down from his perch, rifle trained on the western shadows. "The movement patterns are changing. These aren't normal Radi-Mon formations."

Laurent's Psytum Sword hummed with purple energy as he made his decision. "Wilhelm, maintain overwatch. Celine, see to the wounded. Jabari, get your Scarab and escort Seydou to the Isazi. I'll investigate the western threat."

"What about the injured?" Jabari gestured toward the Ologuns.

"I'll protect Dr. Kamara while she works," Wilhelm answered, his rifle gleaming. "Just like Antananarivo, remember?"

Laurent nodded sharply. "Go. We'll regroup at the ship."

"This way," Ume said to Jabari. "The depot's through the eastern corridor. My Gyata's there too."

As they turned to leave, Celine was already moving among the wounded, her voice warm: "Susu Firi Owia!"

The eastern corridor stretched before them, emergency lights casting alternating pools of shadow and harsh light. Jabari and Ume moved efficiently, their footsteps echoing off metal walls still vibrating from distant explosions.

"My sensors are detecting unusual seismic activity beneath us," Ume reported as they ran, her sleek black hair barely moving despite their pace. "Whatever's coming, it's big enough to register on multiple frequencies."

They rounded a corner into the depot's vast chamber. There, illuminated by overhead lights, stood Jabari's Scarab. The mech's emerald-gold frame gleamed with fresh repairs, its six legs arranged in a ready stance. Seydou's handiwork was evident in every joint and polished plate.

"He really did it," Jabari breathed, admiring the restoration. The mech stood ready like a sleeping giant.

Beside it, Ume's Gyata hoverbike rested in its maintenance cradle, its wings folded against its sleek frame. She approached it with fluid grace, her fingers dancing across the activation panel. The hoverbike responded with a low hum, its wings unfurling like a mechanical butterfly.

"Power signatures optimal," she reported, swinging onto the Gyata's saddle. As she gripped the controls, thin lines of yellow light appeared in her irises – her systems connecting with the bike's computers.

Jabari climbed into the Scarab's cockpit, the familiar embrace of the control harness settling around him. The mech's systems came online with a purr that spoke of Seydou's expertise – smoother than it had ever run before.

"Fusion core at maximum efficiency," he noted, reading the diagnostics. "Seydou, we're—"

Another tremor cut him off, stronger than the previous ones. This time, it felt closer.

"Get to the platform beneath the Isazi!" Seydou's voice crackled through their comms, urgency in his voice. "I need — " The transmission cut out in a burst of static.

Ume's Gyata rose from its cradle, wings pulsing with green energy. "Ready when you are."

Jabari guided the Scarab forward, its movement fluid and precise. "Let's not keep him waiting."

The Scarab moved through Outpost Tumi's exterior corridors, each step crushing regolith beneath its six massive legs. Ahead, Ume's Gyata weaved through the darkness like a green phantom, its wings trailing light as she executed precise strafing runs against the advancing Radi-Mons.

"Contact, three o'clock!" Ume called out. Her Gyata banked hard, wings flaring as she unleashed a charged shot from her Plasma Handgun. The explosive energy ball found its mark, dropping four Bone Fiends mid-leap.

Jabari swung the Scarab to face an incoming wave of creatures. The mech's head-mounted Plasma Spitters opened fire, spraying green death in wide arcs. "Got more incoming!"

A mass of insectoid forms surged around a collapsed section of the outpost's wall. Three Skuggrs. Jabari recognized the tactical necessity immediately. "Ume, clear out. Sun Moon Cannon charging!"

She needed no second warning. The Gyata rocketed upward as the Scarab's shell split open, revealing the massive cannon beneath. Energy built with a rising whine as Jabari held the mech perfectly still, targeting systems locking onto the densest concentration of enemies.

"Firing!"

The cannon's golden discharge lit up the lunar night like an artificial sun. When the light faded, nothing remained of the Radi-Mon cluster but steam rising from glazed regolith.

"Very efficient!" Ume commented, her Gyata swooping back down. The hoverbike's wings pulsed as she maintained position. "But Seydoo's signal is coming from—"

Another tremor cut her off, stronger than before. Through the dust, a familiar figure lay crumpled against a support strut near the platform's edge.

"No..." Jabari's blood ran cold. He recognized Seydou's distinctive coat, now torn and stained dark. The quartermaster's signature sunglasses lay cracked beside him, and even from this distance, Jabari could see the severity of his wounds.

"We have to save him. We will!" Jabari uttered as he powered down the Scarab, heart hammering against his ribs. The mech's systems whirred into standby with a diminishing hum.

"Odds of him remaining alive in the next hour is — less than one percent," Ume brought her Gyata into a hover nearby, the bike's wings casting green light across the platform's scarred surface. Her eyes swept the perimeter, Plasma Handgun ready as Jabari descended from his cockpit.

"Don't say that! It's not true!" Jabari sprinted to where the quartermaster lay. Up close, the damage was worse than he'd feared. Deep gashes ran across Seydou's torso, the tech-enhanced fabric of his coat shredded to reveal wounds that no amount of Medi-Vap could heal. Blood pooled beneath him, dark against the lunar surface. "Seydou!"

"My time...is soon," Seydou managed, his voice barely above a whisper. Despite everything, a ghost of his familiar grin played across his features. "The Moon Yams... all safe on the Isazi..."

"Save your strength." Jabari pressed his hand against the worst of the wounds, knowing it was futile. He keyed his comm. "Madam Celine, we need you at the platform! Seydou's—"

"No time," Seydou interrupted, his hand trembling as he reached for something at his side – a thick, polysilk-bound tome. "Ume...come here."

"Something I can help with?" The android dismounted her Gyata, moving with careful grace as she knelt beside them. The yellow diagnostic lights in her eyes pulsed as she assessed Seydou's condition.

Seydou gasped, his hand weakly clutching the thick, polysilk-bound tome. The pages within shimmered with holographic ink. "The Isazi...you must—"

"Slow down, we'll get you patched up. Y-you will make it, I swear!" Jabari insisted, stepping closer, but Seydou shook his head, his determination fading as his strength waned.

"No need to lie…" Seydou pushed the tome into Ume's hands, his fingers leaving dark smears on the synthetic fabric. "Learn it...the Isazi's yours…"

"Learn this? It's impossible!" Jabari exploded, his eyes scanning the dense text and holographic diagrams that spilled across the glowing pages.

"Nothing's impossible. We've seen it…" Seydou coughed, blood flecking his lips. His gaze locked with Ume's, an implicit trust flowing between them.

And then she began, her pupils flickering rapidly as she flipped the tome open, processing the information at a pace that defied human limits. Thin, glowing yellow lines coursed through her irises, pulsing with a quiet energy as her pupils contracted and expanded in rapid succession. The light traced intricate paths within her eyes, like circuitry coming to life, as she assimilated the manual's content.

Page after page of holographic schematics and intricate technical details illuminated her face, absorbed into her android mind in mere seconds.

"By Anansi," Jabari muttered, watching the display of her capabilities unfold.

"Trust," whispered Seydou, his voice barely audible now. "In her... in each other."

Jabari's throat tightened, the weight of the situation pressing upon him. Yet, as he watched Ume absorb the manual's knowledge, something shifted within him.

"Trust," he said, nodding slowly.

Within a minute, her gaze lifted from the manual, meeting his with an intensity that belied her artificial origins. For a moment, she looked more like a conduit of knowledge than flesh and metal. The glow in her eyes subsided as the processing came to a close, and her expression softened.

"All set," she said calmly, the luminous traces fading as she returned to her composed, almost human self. "I'll need a few minutes to untether the Isazi, then manually reroute the secondary thruster controls to compensate for the reactor's inefficiency during the climb. It should hold until we're clear of Osram's low gravity."

Jabari blinked, the flood of technical jargon confirming what he had just witnessed, his voice showing his confusion. "Yeah. Uh, that sounds about right."

Managing a weak chuckle, Seydou uttered, a bittersweet relief in his voice. "What did I tell you?" He coughed, blood flecking his lips. "Password to my lab...'A-c-c-r-@-3-6.' There's a cookbook...upper shelf in the galley...many other things…you'll figure it out…"

"I will. I promise," Ume's voice carried an emotion that belied her artificial nature.

A shadow fell across them.

"How touching!" a voice like grinding metal scraped through the void. "A little doll inheriting the dead man's legacy."