Chapter 17 – Watchful Eyes

Dorrin stood in the command chamber of Khor-Vael, its vaulted ceiling alive with shifting streams of light projected from orbiting satellites overhead. The latest task was complete: a swarm of reconnaissance probes had departed Mars orbit, sleek obsidian darts launched in silence. By design, they were nearly invisible—small, cold, and quick, their engines shielded to prevent detection. In just twenty-three Earth days, they would slip unseen into position around the blue planet, each probe dividing its watchful gaze across cities, oceans, and lands. For the first time, Acheli eyes would see Earth in its entirety, every detail recorded, every broadcast parsed.

Already, the intercepted radio signals painted a vivid picture. Images and voices bled from the ether: angry riots spilling through fractured streets, leaders urging calm with hollow words, others promising retaliation, though without direction. Humanity was aware—of that there was no doubt—but the extent of their knowledge remained uncertain. Were they guessing
at shadows, or had they glimpsed fragments of the truth?

Reports from the Horizon were steady. The ancient vessel-turned-fortress drifted closer to Jupiter, shedding velocity with methodical precision. Soon, it would claim orbit, a second stronghold secured in this system. Its presence, paired with the thriving cities rising on Mars, gave confidence that the foundation of Acheli dominion here was firm.

Construction on Mars advanced with tireless speed. New ships were already taking shape in orbital yards—frigates, transports, and the first frameworks of larger carriers. The Acheli had conquered harsher worlds; the red planet was rich in mineral veins and pliant to their designs. Only the first and second planets were written off for now—Mercury and Venus, too violent in their heat and pressure to host Acheli life. They would yield only to artificial harvesters, in some distant future. For now, the plentiful asteroids and resource-laden moons of the outer system offered easier prizes, stepping stones to something greater.

And yet Earth remained the jewel. The only world in this system whose seas shimmered with abundance, whose air and soil bred life unassisted. It was a prize unmatched, and a threat unmeasured.  

“We will watch,” Dorrin thought, his gaze fixed on the glowing orb in the projections above.  “We will wait.  And when the time is right, Earth will decide its own fate.”