Jeremain stood outside the mine, squinting against the harsh sunlight as he scanned the western horizon. The boss was scheduled to visit today, and something about it weighed on his mind. Whatever had piqued Mr. Draco’s interest must have been important. Perhaps a new vein.

He thought of Kai, wondering if the kid had finally struck something big. He hadn’t seen him for two days, and maybe he’d gone to the city to report his findings. Jeremain smiled faintly. Kai was a bright young man —hardworking, sharp, and never the type to complain. If anyone was going to make a fortune, he wished it would be him.

Jeremain’s eyes caught a thin plume of dust in the distance, trailing low across the red sand. His brows furrowed. There shouldn’t be anything out there, no scheduled shipments, no patrols. Probably some rich fool out on a joy ride, he thought, but protocol was protocol. He lifted his handheld radio, speaking into it.

“Hey, this is Jeremain. I’ve got unknown vehicles on the horizon, westbound. Can you confirm?”

No reply, only a faint buzz came out of the radio’s speaker. He tried again. Still nothing. Jeremain swore under his breath. “Damn thing’s broken again,” he muttered, stomping back down the ramp to the mine entrance. He knocked sharply on the heavy gate with the side of his fist. The door cracked open, and a gravelly voice came through.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s a group of vehicles kicking up sand out west. Can you check radar? My radio’s dead.”

“One sec…” The voice paused, then came back, puzzled. “Yeah, it’s not showing up on radar. That’s strange.”

Jeremain frowned and headed back up the ramp. The vehicles were much closer now—they were coming in fast. He raised his rifle and peered through the 4x scope. First he saw the few dune buggies sped across the sand, their small frames bouncing over the uneven terrain. However it was the vehicle in the middle that sent a chill down his spine, it was an armored personnel carrier with a mounted turret. The barrel of the turret flashed a couple times as he watched.

Jeremain’s brain barely had time to register what he was seeing before the sound hit him—four sharp whooshes cut through the air, and small explosions erupted behind him. Sand and debris kicked up violently as the rounds hit. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of large caliber gun fires.

They’re shooting at me! The realization hit hard, and his instincts took over. He fired a few shots back, though he knew they wouldn’t land at this distance. Then he turned and bolted for the gate.

“Sound the alarm!” he bellowed, sprinting down the ramp. “We’re under attack! Sound the alarm!”

The heavy gate groaned open, and Jeremain rushed inside as a handful of guards emerged with rifles and rockets. They sprinted past him, taking up positions along the ramp. Jeremain joined them, his breathing heavy as he ducked into cover.

They opened fire together, using the slight downward ramp as their advantage. Jeremain aimed through his scope again, targeting one of the fast-moving dune buggies. He fired a burst, and to his surprise, a lucky shot struck the driver. The man tumbled from his seat, his body rolling and bouncing like a toy across the sand as the buggy veered off course.

Jeremain barely had time to process his hit before the APC’s turret fired again. A stream of heavy rounds slammed into the ground around them, forcing him and the others to duck behind cover as dust and sand rained down.

---

“The mine isn’t responding to our hailing, sir,” Teresa said, her hands still flying over the console as she worked to re-establish contact. “I think their signal is being blocked.”

Commander Grayson’s frown deepened. The attack on their ship no longer felt like a simple assassination attempt from a rival. This had the makings of a coordinated assault, and he had a feeling that it connected to the buried ship.

“What about their secured channel?” he asked.

“Already tried, sir, no response.” Teresa replied without looking up.

“Could the attacker be jamming the signal using a short range jammer?” Robert asked, taking off his VR goggles and setting them aside.

“Very likely, if so I hope the guards do their jobs defending the mine.” Grayson answered, his tone grim. “Looks like we’ll have to see for ourselves when we get there. Teresa, keep the shields up. Robert, stay ready for another attack.”

“Well then,” Robert said as he slipped his goggles back on.

Kai suddenly realized he was still holding Eliana close. He quickly moved his hand away, and the two of them exchanged an awkward glance before pretending as if nothing had happened.

“Who else might know our secret?” Eliana asked, her voice laced with confusion.

“Actually,” Kai interjected, his tone measured as he recalled the strange encounter in the mine, “I think someone else does know about the buried ship.”

His words grabbed everyone’s attention, and all eyes turned to him. Commander Grayson leaned forward slightly, his expression skeptical. “Go on…”

Kai nodded. “Just before I found the buried ship, I was attacked by two men. At first, I thought they were just other pioneers trying to steal the mineral vein I thought I’d discovered. But one of them said something odd—that I’d found what they were looking for. And…” Kai paused, choosing his words carefully. “One of them had a tattoo.”

“What kind of tattoo?” Eliana asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Three dots arranged in a triangle,” Kai said plainly, the memory still fresh in his mind.

The room fell silent as everyone turned toward Kevin. If anyone knew the meaning of the tattoo, it would be him—the one entrusted with the legend. Kevin, however, shook his head, his expression as puzzled as everyone else’s.

“That’s not something I’ve heard of,” Kevin admitted, his tone serious.

His response only deepened the mystery, leaving the room in a tense silence once again. Whatever was happening, it was clear the legend of the buried ship might not have stayed as secret as they had believed.

They were close to the mine now, and Kai could almost make out the entrance on the horizon. The ship flew fast and low, hugging the ground to avoid being locked onto by potential threats. Kai clenched his fists, his knuckles white. More than once, he was certain they were about to crash, but Ivan, the pilot, always pulled up just in time, the ship missing the earth by mere meters and kicking up massive walls of dust in its wake. Watching Ivan fly sparked something in Kai—his hands unconsciously mimicked the pilot's movements, as though he was the one at the controls.

“Unknown vehicles at the mine site,” Teresa reported, her voice sharp and focused.

“Hold fire for now,” Commander Grayson ordered.

“Roger,” Robert responded, his hands steady on the turret controls. The display tracked one of the vehicles below—a heavily armored personnel carrier circling the mine entrance. A few dune buggies darted across the screen momentarily, their small frames quick but exposed their passengers. The APC fired sporadically at the entrance, bursts of weapon fire sparking as it aimed for clear shots. From the mine, return fire pinged off the APC’s thick armor, leaving nothing but a trail of sparks in its wake. The mine was clearly under attack.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Shoot them, Kai thought instinctively, his jaw tightening.

“Awaiting orders, sir,” Robert said, his eagerness barely contained as he tracked the APC’s movements.

Commander Grayson turned to Kevin, the legal owner of the mine. Kevin gave back a silent nod.

“Fire,” Grayson commanded.

Robert didn’t hesitate. He pulled the trigger, and a short burst of rounds thundered out from the ship’s underbelly turret. The rounds tore through the air, some missing their target and kicking up plumes of red dust, but others struck true. The APC disappeared momentarily behind a cloud of debris and dirt, and when the dust cleared, it had slowed to a halt, smoke rising faintly from its punctured armor.

Nice shot, Kai thought, impressed. Hitting a moving target while the ship was also in motion was no easy task.

Robert pumped his fist in the air triumphantly, and Kai caught a glimpse of Commander Grayson nodding in silent approval.

“Deal with the remaining vehicles,” Grayson ordered, his voice steady.

“On it,” Robert replied, already shifting his aim to track the skittering dune buggies below. The ship’s guns fired again.

---

Jeremain continued firing, his hands steady despite the chaos around him. Guards fell one after another under the relentless assault. The APC moved in a maddening circle, too fast for their rockets to land a clean hit. A fresh wave of pain shot up his leg, and he instinctively looked down. A steady stream of blood trickled down his suit, pooling around the edge of his leg armor. One of the troops on a buggy had hit him. Jeremain gritted his teeth, fired off a few more shots, and reached for a spare magazine—only to grab an empty pocket.

Out of ammo.

Beside him, a guard dropped to his knees, hefting a rocket launcher onto his shoulder. “I’ve got this,” the man muttered, eyes fixed on the APC as it circled back around. Before he could line up the shot, the turret on the APC roared to life again, spewing a burst of gunfire that shredded the dirt around them. Both men ducked low, and in the panic, the guard squeezed the trigger. The rocket launched, but instead of hitting its target, it streaked skyward in a useless arc.

“Fuck!” the guard cursed, his voice laced with desperation. “That was our last one.”

Jeremain’s stomach sank as he peeked over the rampart. The APC must somehow realized they were out of heavy ordnance because it now charged straight at them, turret blazing. The roar of gunfire was deafening, and Jeremain’s mind raced. This is it, he thought grimly. We’re done for.

Then it happened.

Jeremain blinked in disbelief as the APC sputtered to a halt, its hull shredded under a barrage of gunfire. He looked to the western sky, and there it was—The Black Swan. Its massive frame loomed low over the horizon, engines thundering like a storm rolling in. The ship executed a stunning J-hook maneuver, shifting its weight to kill its momentum and sweep into a tight circle above them.

Jeremain could feel the vibrations rumble through his chest as the underbelly turret opened fire again.

Thump, thump, thump.

The gunner’s aim was ruthless, tracking the dune buggies as they swerved and scattered like ants. A burst of rounds ripped through one, flipping it violently before it exploded in a flash of fire. Another tried to make a break for it, but it didn’t get far—two quick bursts turned it into a smoking wreck.

Jeremain let out a shaky breath, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. The Black Swan had turned the battlefield into a graveyard in mere moments.

Slumping back against the ramp, Jeremain wiped the sweat from his brow and let the tension drain from his shoulders. They’d held out long enough, just barely, and the Black Swan had come through. Damn, that gunner’s good, he thought, a new sense of hope swelling in his chest.

---

The Black Swan did a couple more circles before lowering to the ground near the entrance to the ramp. A small elevator descended, carrying Kevin, Eliana, and Kai. As soon as Kai’s boots hit the sand, he bolted toward the mine, kicking up dust with every step.

Kai spotted the guard who had helped him the other day. The man’s leg was bleeding, and a few guards lay on the ground nearby—some too far gone to be saved.

“Kai! I knew you’d be the one to make it big,” the guard said, trying to stand up to greet him.

Kai stopped in front of him, quickly inspecting the wound. “Don't move, you are hurt. You’ll be fine though. The bullet went right through. Come on, let me help you to the medical room before you lose too much blood,” Kai said, sliding an arm under the guard’s shoulders to help him up.

Kevin and Eliana were close behind. Kevin took one look at the chaotic scene and immediately took command. He organized the remaining guards, sending some to help the wounded and others to the Black Swan for treatment.

Eliana caught up with Kai, and together they helped Jeremain into the medical room, carefully easing him onto a bed.

"I'm okay, kid. You and your girlfriend should go check on the rest," Jeremain said with a forced smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Eliana and Kai both blushed and exchanged glances but said nothing.

"Take care...." Kai paused, he had never gotten the man’s name.

"Jeremain"

"Take care of yourself, Jeremain." Kai said.

Kai patted Jeremain gently on the shoulder, then turned to leave with Eliana.

Kevin entered the room just as they stepped out. The three met up in the hallway, and Kevin spoke first. “I have news. The crew of the Black Swan detected a life signal in the wrecked APC, we’ve got a live one.”

Kai and Eliana shared a look, both immediately understanding the importance of this. Together, they followed Kevin as he led the way toward the destroyed APC.

A small group of mine guards was already there, standing near the smoldering wreck. Kai watched as two of them dragged a man out of the back of the APC and threw him roughly onto the sand. The man groaned, his head bleeding slightly but otherwise unhurt.

One of the guards shouted something, his voice filled with anger, and another stepped forward, pointing his gun at the man’s head.

“Enough!” Kevin’s voice boomed with authority, cutting through the chaos.

The guards immediately straightened, their expressions shifting to guilt and discipline. “Mr. Draco!” one of them stammered, lowering his weapon. The group fell into line, standing rigidly as Kevin approached.

Kevin turned his attention to the man sprawled on the sand. The stranger’s breathing was shallow, and his eyes darted around nervously. Kevin studied him for a moment, then spoke calmly but firmly.

There was something strange about the man's face, but Kai couldn’t quite figure out what it was. The man wasn’t odd or unattractive—just different. His features were sharp and refined, his cheekbones higher than Kai was used to seeing, and his eyes were slightly narrower, with a focused intensity that felt unreadable. It wasn’t unsettling, just… unique.

“Let me talk to him first,” Kevin ordered, stepping closer. He crouched slightly, meeting the man’s wary gaze. “Who are you?”

"Why should I tell you? Aren't you going to kill me anyway?" the man on the ground said through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with defiance.

Kai noticed it immediately—the tattoo on the man’s neck. Three circles arranged in a triangle. The same symbol as the one he’d seen in the mine.

“What does the tattoo mean?” Kai asked, his voice calm but firm.

The man’s gaze snapped up to him, eyes burning with something between pride and hatred. “It means our home.”

“What home?” Kai pressed, puzzled.

Instead of answering, the man sneered and turned his attention to Kevin. “What’s that fancy ship of yours called, rich guy?”

“The Black Swan,” Kevin replied, his voice measured, though his irritation was rising.

“And do you know what a swan is?” the man asked, his lips curling into a crooked, mocking smile.

“It’s just a saying, isn’t it?” Eliana spoke up, her brow furrowed. “A black swan means something rare and special.”

The man’s laughter exploded into the air, harsh and hysterical, echoing across the quiet battlefield. His shoulders shook as if he’d heard the greatest joke in the universe.

“No,” he spat, his voice thick with scorn. “You don’t understand shit because you don’t even know what a swan is. You’ve never seen one before. You have been living under a lie! Just like you don’t know what’s buried in that mine. You’re not a True Kin —not like us.”

Kevin stepped forward, his face dark with anger. “What’s a true kin? What are you talking about?”

The man’s expression twisted again, his eyes wild. “That, you will find out soon enough.”