The bridge of the Orion’s Resolve was eerily silent. Outside its viewport, the remnants of the Astralis Wars still smoldered—fields of debris floated listlessly through space, remnants of shattered fleets and lives lost. Kyren Axalor leaned against the tactical console, his jaw clenched as he studied the holographic map. The resistance forces were scattered, fractured by infighting and betrayals that had splintered their once-unified front.

"Commander Axalor," Vexara Lurenthis called from her station, her voice unusually soft. She adjusted her glasses, a rare moment of hesitation flickering in her bright eyes. "The encryption on Thalira’s last transmission…it’s worse than I thought. She’s gone silent, and her signal trace ends on Aegis Prime."

Kyren’s fists tightened. Thalira, why didn’t you tell me where you were going? He turned, his voice edged with frustration. "Patch the signal to my terminal. I need details. If she’s been captured…"

"She hasn’t," Vexara interjected, her voice firm. "If anything, she’s gone rogue. Look at this." She tapped on her console, and the hologram displayed fragments of intercepted Technokratium communications. Thalira had commandeered a resistance squadron without approval, engaging a Technokratium fleet guarding an ancient Astralis site. The cost of her recklessness was staggering—hundreds dead, the resistance pushed further into disarray.

"Rogue?" Kyren growled, shaking his head. "That’s not like her."

Drayk Zenaros, leaning against the wall, watched the exchange with his usual air of detached amusement. "People do strange things under pressure, Axalor. Maybe Thalira’s seeing the writing on the wall."

"Or she knows something we don’t," Kyren shot back, his glare icy. "You’ve been unusually quiet about the Syndicate’s recent moves, Drayk. Care to share?"

Drayk shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "My interests align with yours—for now. Let’s focus on the immediate crisis, shall we?"

Kyren ignored him, pacing toward the viewport. His mind raced. Every instinct told him that the resistance couldn’t afford further fractures. Yet Thalira’s actions pointed to a deeper divide—one that had been festering beneath their fragile alliance for weeks.

"Vexara," he said finally, his voice steady but urgent. "Prepare the ship for a jump to Aegis Prime. We can’t leave her out there alone."

"Are you sure that’s wise?" Vexara hesitated. "The last thing we need is to play into the Technokratium’s hands. And if Thalira is going rogue—"

"We don’t abandon our own," Kyren interrupted, his tone brooking no argument.

A sharp beeping cut through the tension. Vexara’s console flashed red, and her fingers flew over the controls. "Incoming transmission. It’s…encrypted with an Astralis code."

Drayk straightened, his smirk fading. "Astralis? That’s impossible."

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"Not anymore," Vexara muttered, her voice tight with concentration. She decrypted the message, and a distorted voice filled the room.

"Resistance leaders…Your time grows short. The Astralis is awakening, and with it, the fate of your galaxy. Choose wisely whom you trust—for not all among you are what they seem."

The message ended abruptly, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

"Well," Drayk drawled, his smirk returning, "that’s ominous."

Kyren ignored him, his mind already turning over the implications. The Astralis was no longer a distant goal—it was active, and someone wanted them to know. But was it a warning, or a trap?

Hours later, the Orion’s Resolve descended into the upper atmosphere of Aegis Prime. The planet’s surface glimmered with the faint blue light of Astralis energy fields, the remnants of a civilization that had long since crumbled into myth.

"Scanners are picking up Thalira’s ship," Vexara reported, her tone clipped. "It’s grounded near the ruins of Arcelis. No signs of life."

Kyren felt a chill crawl down his spine. He strapped on his gear, his resolve hardening. "I’m going in. Drayk, you’re with me. Vexara, keep the ship ready for extraction."

"Are you sure about this?" Vexara asked, her concern evident.

"No," Kyren admitted. "But we don’t have a choice."

The ruins of Arcelis were a maze of crumbled spires and overgrown pathways, the air thick with an electric hum. Kyren moved cautiously, his weapon drawn, while Drayk followed with his usual unhurried confidence.

"Do you hear that?" Drayk asked, his voice low.

Kyren stopped, straining to listen. Faint whispers echoed through the ruins, indistinct and haunting.

"It’s the Astralis energy," Drayk continued. "It’s alive, in a way. Be careful, Axalor—this place has a way of getting inside your head."

They rounded a corner and froze. Thalira stood in the center of a clearing, her back to them. Her armor was battered, her stance rigid.

"Thalira!" Kyren called, lowering his weapon.

She turned slowly, and Kyren’s breath caught. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light, her expression distant and unrecognizable.

"Kyren," she said, her voice layered with an otherworldly echo. "You shouldn’t have come."

"What’s happened to you?" he demanded, stepping closer.

"The Astralis showed me the truth," she replied, her tone chillingly calm. "The resistance is doomed. The Technokratium is irrelevant. Only the Astralis matters now."

Kyren’s heart sank. "This isn’t you, Thalira. Whatever the Astralis has done—"

"It’s opened my eyes," she interrupted, her voice rising. "And soon, it will do the same for you."

Before Kyren could respond, the ground beneath them began to quake. A blinding pillar of light shot up from the ruins, and a deafening roar filled the air.

"Move!" Drayk shouted, pulling Kyren back as the clearing erupted in chaos. The light intensified, swallowing Thalira in its glow.

Kyren shielded his eyes, his mind racing. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t natural—it was Astralis, and it was far beyond their control.

As the light faded, Thalira was gone. In her place stood a towering figure of shimmering energy, its form both alien and familiar. It turned its gaze toward Kyren, and he felt its presence pierce his very soul.

"The awakening has begun," it said, its voice resonating through the ruins. "You are not prepared."

The figure raised its hand, and Kyren felt himself lifted off the ground, an invisible force crushing his chest. Drayk’s voice echoed distantly, shouting something unintelligible.

"You will choose," the figure intoned, its eyes glowing brighter. "Or the galaxy will burn."

And with that, everything went black.