Chapter 99 Echoes in the Dark

Weeks bled into months. The desolate moon stretched before them, an endless canvas of dust and rock, a constant reminder of their isolation. Cyrus and Elara, weary but unbroken, huddled within the cramped confines of the crashed Strike Fighter, rationing their dwindling supplies and clinging to a sliver of hope. Their days were filled with a monotonous routine – scavenging for usable materials from the wreckage, maintaining a vigil for any potential rescue signal, and exercising to keep their bodies from withering away in the harsh environment. Nights, under the swirling tapestry of the gas giant's aurora, were haunted by nightmares of the colossal Void Walker vessel and the relentless swarm that had pursued them. One evening, as Cyrus stared out at the endless expanse of space, a flicker on the long-dormant communication console jolted him back to reality. A faint signal, weak and distorted, was breaking through the static. His heart hammered against his ribs as he activated the com