The Cataclysm hung in stable orbit above Vortus Prime, its massive hull reflecting the gleam of the system''s F-type star. From the forward viewport, Corporal Hara and Lieutenant Mark Jansen watched the gas giant spin below—broad bands of blue, purple, and red streaked across its surface, faint rings glinting in silvery arcs under the sunlight.


    The star''s fierce golden-white light flooded the deck. Hara leaned closer to the glass, her eyes tracing the churning cloudtops of Vortus Prime. Minutes before, it was a distant speck; now, it dominated the view, a swirling mass.


    "Coordinates lock us in," Jansen said, his voice low as he tapped a console. Sensor data appeared on a side screen: Star: F-type. Planetary Mass: ~60% Jupiter''s. He glanced at Hara. "Larger diameter than Jupiter, but lower mass. Federation files lack detailed atmospheric composition."


    Hara nodded, adjusting the scanner clipped to her belt. "Those bands move fast—fast rotation churning up the upper layers."


    Through the side windows, the Betelgeuse corridor''s faint haze shimmered in the distance. Jansen''s gaze caught it; a quiet whistle escaped his lips. "View down there is striking, but that corridor haze stays on the monitors."


    The command deck hummed—officers ran nav updates, tweaked systems, cross-checked star charts. One logged the timestamp: three days post Rhea-9 test timeline.


    Captain Nathaniel Rourke’s voice sounded over the comm near their station, summoning them to a briefing off the bridge. Lights dimmed in the circular chamber as a holo of Vortus Prime spun up on the central table—pastel swirls rendered crisp. Commander Elira Laehy stood across from Rourke, arms folded, eyes moving over data streams.


    Hara and Jansen stepped in. Lieutenant Esteban Reyes followed, trading a quick nod as they formed a semicircle around Rourke.


    "Report indicates all personnel accounted for post Rhea-9," Rourke said, his nod brief. "Vortus Prime is the current task. Command flagged it as a navigational hazard."


    He tapped the holo, zooming into a hazy band near the outer atmosphere. "Termed the ''Vortus Veil''—crystalline layer interfering with signals. Jansen, status?"


    Jansen stepped forward. "Early surveys indicated dust. New scans show comms scattering—possible piezoelectric particles in the upper atmosphere. Penetration depth unknown."


    Laehy pointed at the holo. "Planet''s rotation is eight hours. Large atmosphere, low gravity. If crystals ride those upper winds, the Veil could extend significantly."


    Reyes leaned in, gaze fixed on the projection. "Could impede approach vectors. Orbital scans are insufficient if the Veil distorts sensor returns. Shuttle deployment necessary for direct assessment."


    Hara met Rourke''s gaze. "Any confirmed connection between this Veil and the corridor, sir? Or is it localized?"


    Rourke shook his head. "Corridor scans show stable background levels from this distance. This appears specific to Vortus Prime. We need Veil dimension measurements for traffic lane clearance."


    He swiped controls, swapping the planet image for tactical grids. "Nanduri''s team is configuring sensor arrays. Jansen, Reyes, Hara—lead assignment. Initial orbital pass, followed by close sweep shuttle launch if data remains inconclusive."


    The trio exchanged glances—eyes sharp, postures focused. Reyes made a note on his datapad. Jansen adjusted his spectacles.


    Rourke scanned the group. "Briefing in one hour. Maintain precision—avoid unnecessary energy signatures," he added, corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Questions?"


    Silence held. He dismissed them with a brisk nod. The holo lingered as they filed out—Vortus Prime''s pastel bulk, glinting rings, the shimmering band near its edge. Another operational puzzle.


    Less than an hour later, the Cataclysm held a safe orbit, Vortus Prime sprawling across the forward windows—pastel belts and faint eddies filled the view. The planet''s mauves and dusky blues offered a different palette than the corridor''s copper glare.


    Hara stood at a side console, adjusting sensor settings. Readouts displayed the planet''s low gravity and fast spin; a ripple moved across her screen as clouds shifted. "Rotation speed confirms layer agitation," she stated, nodding at the display.


    Jansen worked the main deck''s holo, displaying the ring system—a thin shimmer of dust and ice. Bridge crew members looked toward the display. He toggled a thermal overlay, pointing at a faint glow near the equator. "Helium clouds above, denser elements churning below. That shimmer ahead—potential Veil proximity."


    The holo zoomed, showing a silvery-lilac band glinting in the star''s light—tiny crystals riding upper winds, scattering beams. Jansen''s breath hitched almost imperceptibly. "Confirmed visual—the Vortus Veil."


    Lieutenant Esteban Reyes guided the Cataclysm closer, thrusters adjusting with small bursts. "Altitude locked. Planet''s low density affects standard drag calculations," he noted, eyes on console readouts. "No external storm fronts detected. Only... atmospheric dynamics." He gestured toward the swirling bands drifting across the horizon. An atmospheric disturbance erupted along one wide belt: a roiling vortex catching sensors.


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    Outside the windows, thick clouds rolled in, darkening the swirl to shades of gray and purple. Lightning flickered—thin forks dancing, vanishing. A slight tremor ran through the hull plating; the planet''s magnetic field registered across the bow. An alarm chimed softly. Hara''s console flickered. "Minor storm front detected," she called out, hand moving over the sensor panel. "Wind shear intensifying near equatorial region. Increased turbulence possible."


    Up on the dais, Jansen keyed an override for shield modulators. "All systems nominal. Interference from crystals spiking. Rotational velocity agitating particles." On the main screen, the shimmering Veil particles appeared brighter briefly, coincident with the atmospheric swirl.


    Outside, clouds tightened, colors shifting to bruise-purples and near-blacks. Sparse plasma-laced lightning leaped between cloud towers, offering brief glimpses into lower atmospheric layers. The Cataclysm''s hull hummed, reacting to the storm''s edge. Reyes nudged thrusters, maintaining stability against rising gusts.


    After approximately one minute, the storm dissipated, drifting along the planet''s band. The hull hum lessened. Hara adjusted sensors. "Readings returning to baseline."


    Reyes offered a faint upward turn of his lips. "Less energetic than corridor plasma bursts."


    Jansen turned from the holo-display, pushing glasses up his nose. "Confirmed. Instrument interference remains elevated. The Veil reacted significantly to minor atmospheric shifts. Potential hazard for standard star-lane traffic."


    A subtle shift moved through the command deck crew—postures adjusting, focus returning to assigned stations. Shuttle deployment or advanced array use became the likely next steps for tracking the crystals. Outside, Vortus Prime''s lavender and ocher bands rotated. Above the planet''s ridged ring system, the distant sun glinted off dust particles, turning them into floating sparks in the dark.


    From her station, Hara exhaled, the brief alert status receding. The supernova corridor presented known hazards. This gas giant held others—subtler dynamics, delicate veils, secrets below swirling clouds. A flicker of focus showed in her eyes, aimed toward the Veil''s ephemeral domain.


    The Cataclysm maintained a stable orbit, running preliminary scans, correlating data with older Federation archives. Vortus Prime''s exterior showed swirling cloud bands, but sensor passes revealed minute bursts of interference from the Veil—rapid electromagnetic flickers spiking, vanishing before forming clear patterns. Lieutenant Mark Jansen worked at the sensor station, lines forming on his forehead, fingers moving across controls; the readouts showed erratic patterns. A few consoles down, Corporal Hara toggled between filter settings, her gaze moving across waveforms obscured by sharp, irregular noise patterns.


    The holo zoomed in, framing a silvery-lilac band glinting in the star''s glare—tiny crystals drifting on Vortus Prime''s upper winds, scattering light in faint, jagged bursts. Jansen nodded. "There''s the Vortus Veil—right where the charts placed it."


    Lieutenant Esteban Reyes spoke, his hand resting on the pilot console. "The data shows blips that shift position—hard to pin down with this background noise." He glanced at Hara, tapping the console''s edge. "Is that new filter configuration isolating anything?"


    Hara adjusted her settings, her jaw tightening fractionally. "Minimal effect. Reduced some static by focusing on mid-range bands, but the Veil''s signal source appears to shift with the planet''s rapid rotation." She leaned back, exhaling. "Direct atmospheric sampling would yield clearer data."


    Jansen turned from the main display, arms crossed. "Agreed. A shuttle deployment—low pass through the Veil, utilize a collector for crystal samples, measure the EM field directly. Orbital scans are insufficient through this interference." He nodded at the holo, where Vortus Prime''s blue and violet bands churned, nudging the Veil''s shimmer with each rotation.


    Reyes stepped over to Hara''s station, nodding. "Plotting potential vectors now—skimming the Veil''s upper edge, maintaining altitude above the primary turbulence zones." His lip quirked. "Navigated corridor storms; this planet''s atmospheric eddies shouldn''t prove impassable."


    Commander Elira Laehy and Chief Engineer Nanduri approached from the dais. Laehy''s voice, level, cut through the deck noise. "A collector pod is rigged for the shuttle—small canister, shielded, designed to capture crystalline samples without compromising shuttle comms. Nanduri''s team is completing the installation now."


    Nanduri rubbed his salt-and-pepper beard, gesturing at the console. "It interfaces with the sensor feed—Jansen can monitor collection data from the bridge. Sample analysis post-retrieval should help define counter-frequency requirements."


    Hara glanced towards Jansen. Reyes''s mouth curved upward briefly.


    They moved to an auxiliary bay off the hangar, reviewing the plan over a wide holo-table. Reyes would pilot a two-person shuttle—sleek profile, designed for maneuverability. Hara would operate the collector pod from the co-pilot station. Jansen would remain on the Cataclysm bridge, syncing shuttle sensor data with the main arrays.


    "Target altitude: 0.9 bar atmospheric pressure," Reyes said, tracing the holo''s atmospheric slice. "Sufficient Veil density, above the deeper atmospheric churn. Reduces risk of unexpected gravitational spikes."


    Hara nodded, checking the data overlay. "Crystal particle density plots show highest concentration near that level—consistent with buoyancy models based on the planet''s low-density core composition. Approach should be viable if we enter the stratum correctly."


    Their voices exchanged clipped remarks and technical details. Coordinated movements between them suggested practiced routine. A sudden storm or Veil energy surge could still disrupt communications.


    The overhead speakers crackled after an hour. Rourke''s voice sounded: "Shuttle is deployment-ready. Reyes, Hara—departure window opens in twenty minutes. Maintain mission parameters." A stillness settled over the bay.


    They reached the main hangar. The survey shuttle—a lean wedge half the Cataclysm''s height—sat amid cranes and crew. Hull plating bore scuffs from previous corridor operations. A new sensor rig jutted from the starboard side, the collector pod bolted beneath—compact, vented, shielded.


    Jansen stood by the ramp, giving a quick salute. "I''ll monitor from the bridge, integrate your feed into the main grid. Relay any critical anomalies."


    Reyes offered a quick upward turn of his lips, hopping up the ramp. "Acknowledged."


    Hara followed, pausing at the top for a brief wave towards Jansen. The doors hissed shut. Her pulse quickened, a familiar tightening in her chest—less the immediate threat of corridor engagements, more the focused task ahead: resolving the Veil''s interference. The engines hummed, then growled awake. Hangar lights dimmed as the bay doors slid wide. Vortus Prime sprawled beyond—pastel bands swirling, awaiting their approach.