The penthouse glows with starlight pouring through space windows, holo-screens off for a rare break. I'm Alex, hauling a table into place with Squad Zero—Fiona, Dmitri, Lyra—for a night of good food and better vibes. Fiona's tweaking a serving bot, shooting me a playful smirk, Dmitri's cracking jokes, and Lyra's fiddling with a holo-map, her Veltari sharpness on pause. Our Eldari cover keeps our human faces hidden in public, but tonight's just us and friends, so the masks are off.
I ping Varkis and his brother Kaelis, fresh from ditching the 9th Elder, to join us for dinner. "Gotta celebrate the brotherly win," I say. Fiona suggests inviting Zara and Tyn, tech aides for the 13th Elder who live two doors down. "They're solid," she says. "And they're in the loop."
Dmitri chuckles. "Better than council spies."
Lyra grins. "Let's make it a party."
Varkis and Kaelis arrive, optics bright, followed by Zara and Tyn, their tech kits slung aside. The table's loaded with real food—roasted protein slabs, starch cakes, tangy alien fruit—and we dig in, the mood light. I nudge Fiona. "Like a gym team cookout, yeah?"
She laughs, elbowing me back. "No burpee penalties tonight, Coach."
Varkis taps a utensil, voice warm. "This is good. Kaelis with the 13th Elder now—it's a fresh start."
Kaelis nods, optics steady. "The 13th's got me in his corner, not like the 9th's empty promises."
I lean forward. "Okay, you two, give us the story. How'd you end up with rival elders?"
Varkis laughs, a rare rumble. "Grew up on a beat-up asteroid colony, rewiring reactors as kids. Parents had a cargo ship—raiders blasted it when I was sixteen, Kaelis fourteen. We got split. I landed with a 13th Elder scout, trained up on tech. He's a tough boss but sees potential."
Kaelis cuts in, grinning. "I got stuck on a trade hub, fixing junk. The 9th Elder's aide spotted me hacking a console, offered a job. Said I'd get a council seat. Had me fudging reports to screw the 13th—thought it was just the game."
Varkis snorts. "Game? You picked the worst elder, little brother. That chip we grabbed showed the 9th's a fraud."
Fiona tilts her head. "That chip's a weapon. What's on it?"
Kaelis's optics flash. "Proof the 9th faked council votes to pin budget scams on the 13th. I gave it to the 13th Elder—keeps the 9th on a leash."
Dmitri leans in. "9th won't sit quiet. He's planning a hit."
Varkis nods. "He's already moving. Kaelis was his top aide."
Kaelis smirks. "Let him try. I'm done playing his fool."
Zara, munching fruit, speaks up. "Heard the 9th's aides poking around our sector. They're not happy."
Tyn nods. "They're sniffing for dirt. Watch your backs."
I raise an eyebrow. "You two keeping tabs for us?"
Zara grins. "Just ears open. We're 13th Elder loyalists."
Lyra leans toward Dmitri, teasing. "We could stir up some fun for 'em, fire guy."
He smirks back. "You'd outsmart 'em in a second, quickshot."
The table cracks up, but Kaelis's voice softens. "Varkis never gave up on me, even when I bought the 9th's lies. You lot—," he nods at us, "—risked it in Habitat-733. That's real."
Fiona's eyes meet mine, warm. "Squad's family."
I grin, tapping her hand. "Like a cosmic relay team."
Tyn clears his throat. "So, Kaelis, how's the 13th treating you?"
"Like I've got a future," Kaelis says. "He's got plans, not just schemes."
Varkis's optics narrow. "The 9th's not done. That chip's our edge, but he'll push the council."
I clap my hands. "Enough plots. Who's got a story to top these brothers?"
Zara spins a tale of botching a tech job for the 13th, while Lyra teases Dmitri about his Habitat-317 antics. Fiona's fingers brush mine under the table, and I squeeze back. The night wraps up, the crew tight, ready for the 9th Elder's next move.
The Arkvault's council games are simmering, the 13th Elder's grip stronger, and Squad Zero's bonds are ironclad, set for the next cosmic play.