Battle at Tidberphal

This short story is set in the same universe that I created for my Ariana Joins the Scouts series of spicy scifi stories, but this one is completely lacking in spice. It's set in the premise of a planet in a disputed area between the Terran Alliance space and that of the Celurian Empire. The two main characters are Captain Iroga and her pilot, Fresco, who serve together on the two-person Scout ship Hoverfly. During a routine survey mission, they stumble into the midst of a fierce battle.

I would like to acknowledge Reedsy for providing the prompt that inspired the story.