Starlight's Embrace by Chelsea Riddleston

Beneath Montana’s star-dusted sky, astrophysicist Elara Vance chases the whispers of Kepler-186f, a distant planet brimming with the promise of life.  But the symphony of starlight hides a dissonant chord – anomalous data that challenges her analytical mind and guarded heart.  Across the high-altitude plateau, radio astronomer Orion Thorne, guided by his Navajo heritage, feels a kindred pull toward the same celestial enigma. He hears a different story in the stars, a whisper of ancient wisdom echoing across the void.

Drawn together by the Kepler-186 system, Elara and Orion clash as fiercely as the binary stars they study.  Elara, scarred by a past betrayal, clings to scientific rigor.  Orion, wary of unchecked ambition, trusts the rhythms of the cosmos.  Their friction ignites a spark, a hesitant dance between logic and intuition, guarded skepticism and open wonder.

The anomalies lead them to a breathtaking discovery:  Kepler-186g, a twin world shrouded in perpetual twilight, pulses with a bioluminescent ecosystem, a symphony of light orchestrated by life itself. But this fragile cradle of life is threatened by a rogue asteroid field, a cosmic tempest poised to shatter their newfound hope.  As sabotage within the observatory casts a shadow of suspicion, Elara and Orion must overcome their differences and confront the looming darkness.  He seeks answers in ancient prophecies, while she pushes the boundaries of science, devising a daring plan to deflect the celestial onslaught.

Their quest becomes a desperate race against time, a high-stakes gamble that could save Kepler-186g or shatter the delicate balance of the system.  Amidst the escalating pressure, their opposing approaches collide, mirroring the impending cosmic collision.  Can they reconcile their differences and find a harmonious solution before it's too late?  Or will their clashing philosophies, fueled by fear and the whispers of sabotage, eclipse the starlight’s embrace and seal the fate of a world yet unseen?