The Bastion Alliance did not arrive at Asylum quietly. They came ready for war. A whole fleet of their best ships, led by Ilsa Varkov's mighty flagship, the Unbroken, tore through hyperspace and emerged into the dark void around the rogue planet.
Guns were charged. Shields were raised. Soldiers in heavy armor stood ready at their posts, their faces grim and determined. They were expecting a fight to the death, a final, epic battle against the ghost of Lord Valerius.
Instead, they were met with silence.
There were no giant space stations firing lasers at them. There were no swarms of deadly drones pouring out to meet them. The planet's powerful shields, which their sensors had barely been able to detect, simply… turned off. An open pathway, a silent invitation, appeared before them.
On the bridge of the Odyssey, the mood shifted from tense readiness to deep confusion.
"What is he playing at?" Scarlett muttered, her eyes scanning the empty space for any sign of a trap.
