Chapter 43: The Hidden Resistance

The distant sound of blaring alarms filled the underground facility as Ethan and his team powered down the last of the production systems. The droid factory had been crippled, its once incessant hum now replaced by the eerie silence of shut-down machinery. But there was no time to celebrate. Outside, the sky was darkening with the unmistakable shadow of incoming Quun warships.

Ethan stood at the heart of the control room, sweat running down his brow as he stared at the tactical display Nova had pulled up. The sheer size of the incoming fleet was staggering. Massive Quun warships, shaped like giant beetles, descended through the atmosphere, blocking out the sun as their fighter craft swarmed around them like angry hornets.

"They just couldn't let us have this one, could they?" Nova muttered, her fingers flying across the control panel as she attempted to gather more intel. The sarcasm in her voice didn't hide the underlying tension.