Forged in the Stars

They say the galaxy's greatest heroes work on the front lines. Reya Pax knows better. As a Junior Technician aboard the ISS Indomitable, Reya spends her days keeping the legendary flagship running smoothly, far from the glory of the battlefield. But when a mysterious enemy begins to haunt the void, leaving vanished colonies and twisted horrors in its wake, Reya finds herself drawn into the heart of the conflict. In Forged in the Stars, Reya's resilience is tested like never before. Haunted by guilt, she throws herself into her work alongside the Marauders, an elite special operations unit battling a relentless and enigmatic foe. Her journey takes her to derelict ships, abandoned colonies, and the front lines of a war where survival is anything but guaranteed. But as Reya uncovers the terrifying truth about the enemy and its insidious methods, she learns that heroism doesn't just happen in the spotlight. Sometimes, it's found in the quiet courage of those working behind the scenes to hold the galaxy together. In this second installment of NPCs: Chronicles of the Galactic Engineer, experience a thrilling blend of personal growth, galactic intrigue, and the relentless grind of life aboard a starship—all in ten tightly woven flash fiction stories that pack a punch. When the galaxy is falling apart, it's the engineers who keep it running.