The watchers

Stationed on the jagged moon Thirty, orbiting the molten planet Nestrond, a lone sentinel monitors the void for any sign of danger. The Watcher Service—human guardians scattered across the galaxy—relies on men like him, trained from birth to sit in quiet bunkers, watch radar screens, and report every blip. In a universe where humanity has already tangled with flying squids and sentient plants, the biggest threat comes from the Rumi, an oxygen‑breathing species that mirrors our own in every way.

When the robot patrols begin to chatter a steady stream of numbers, the watcher realizes a fleet is crossing the horizon. The red‑labeled alarm button on his collar promises to broadcast a warning across the system, even if the incoming ships shred his moon to dust. As the thin cruiser silhouettes close in, he must decide whether to sound the call that could rally distant colonies—or face the raid alone.