They brought the craft in low over the gas giant’s roiling atmosphere. The trick was to just skip across the surface, like a stone on a pond.
They fought against the pull of gravity, maintaining an altitude just low enough to avoid the mining station’s sensors, and just high enough not to risk a fiery entry before being crushed by the heavy gasses and liquid metals of the planet’s core.
The station sparkled in the distance. They kept their hand steady on the controls. The Imperials a massive defensive grid, but never expected anyone to attack the station from below.

“Cassini’s Final Full Image of Saturn–Large Version” by Lights In The Dark is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.