Kael's hands shook as the escort led them through the frigate's steel corridors. Taren's words still echoed in his mind: Stay with me, Kael. Together, we can take everything from the Council.
The brother he had mourned was no ghost. He was alive and dangerous.
Lyra walked beside him, her hand brushing his arm for support. Her eyes searched his face with quiet intensity.
"You don't believe him," she whispered.
Kael tightened his jaw. "I want to."
Rhea scoffed from behind them. "Careful, Captain. Wanting and trusting are two different things."
Kael stayed silent. His heart battled within him—the part that longed for the brother he remembered and the part that had seen the cold shadow in Taren's eyes.
The Ark's docking bay swallowed them again, its alien walls humming faintly as if aware of the tension. The soldiers left without a word, sealing the outer doors.
Kael dropped heavily into the command chair. Lyra stood beside him while Rhea paced like a caged predator.
"Well?" Rhea demanded. "Are we going to talk about the giant void beast in the room? Or do we just pretend your brother didn't offer us a seat at the Council's war table?"
Kael pressed his hands to his temples. "He's alive. That's what matters."
"No," Rhea snapped. "What matters is that he's the Ghost Admiral—the man building the fleet that has been burning the Frontier. You saw his soldiers. They follow him, Kael. That's not survival; that's power."
Lyra's voice was softer, but still sharp. "He wants you to join him. And he wants the Ark. That makes him dangerous—whether he believes his own story about turning on the Council or not."
Kael's head snapped up, his voice raw. "He's my brother."
Silence fell. Lyra's gaze softened, but her words remained steady. "And you're ours. Don't forget that."
Hours later, the crew gathered in the galley. Tension crackled between them.
Rhea leaned against the table, her eyes keen. "So what's the plan, Captain? Because right now, it looks like you're caught between family and sanity."
Kael glared at her. "You think I don't know what's at stake?"
"I think you're blinded," Rhea shot back. "You're holding onto who he was and not seeing what he is. People like Taren don't come back. They don't turn on the Council; they become the Council."
Lyra's hand brushed Kael's, quiet but firm. "She's not wrong. But neither are you. We can't just disregard him. Not yet."
Kael's chest tightened. He wanted to believe Lyra. He wanted to believe there was still a trace of the brother who had taught him to fly and who had once promised they would always have each other's backs.
But Rhea's words stung deeply.
The Ark warned them first. Its alien hum shifted, glyphs flaring red across the command console.
"Someone's interfacing with the systems," Lyra gasped, her fingers flying over the glowing controls. "From outside."
Kael's blood ran cold. "They're trying to take the Ark."
A hiss echoed through the docking bay. The outer hatch was opening—without their command.
Armed soldiers stormed in, their black armor gleaming. Taren's voice rang over the comms, cold and commanding.
"I'm sorry, Kael. But the Ark is too valuable. You'll understand one day."
Kael's chest shattered. His brother had set the trap.
Rhea drew her blaster before he could speak. "I told you!"
The Escape
The Ark shook as the soldiers opened fire. Kael grabbed Lyra's arm and dragged her toward the command deck.
"Seal the ship!" he shouted.
Lyra's hands danced over the glyphs, the Ark responding with a pulse of light. Shields flared, cutting off the soldiers as the hatch slammed shut.
"Rhea!" Kael barked.
"Already on it," she snapped, blasting the last soldier back into the bay before sprinting for the bridge.
Kael dropped into the pilot's chair, the Ark shuddering as the frigate's docking clamps held tight.
"Hold on!" he roared.
The Ark's engines screamed, alien power surging through its veins. With a deafening crack, the clamps tore free. The ship shot from the frigate's belly and spun into the asteroid field.
Dozens of black frigates broke formation, their weapons flaring. Beams of plasma ripped through the void, slicing asteroids into shards around them.
Kael gritted his teeth, weaving the Ark through the storm. The ship moved like liquid fire, anticipating his commands while its shields flared against the barrage.
Lyra's voice rose above the chaos. "They're faster than standard Council ships. They won't let us go."
Rhea's laughter was sharp and wild. "Good. Makes the game more fun."
Kael's eyes burned, rage and grief mixing within him. "He set us up. He looked me in the eye and still—"
Lyra's hand touched his shoulder, grounding him. "Kael. Focus. Survive first. Rage later."
The Knife's Edge
They tore through the Belt, debris exploding around them as enemy ships closed in. Kael dove the Ark through a collapsing canyon of rock, causing the pursuing frigates to collide in flames.
But more came. There were always more.
"We can't keep this up!" Rhea shouted. "They'll bleed us dry!"
Lyra's eyes flared, her hands glowing faintly as she touched the Ark's core. The ship hummed, its glyphs blazing brighter.
"The Ark has more to give," she whispered. "If I reach deeper—"
Kael's heart clenched. "No. The last time nearly killed you."
Lyra's fierce gaze locked with his. "Then let me choose. Or we all die here."
For a heartbeat, Kael hesitated. Then he nodded. "Do it."
The Ark's Wrath
Lyra pressed both hands to the core. Light flared, flooding the command deck. The Ark roared like a living being, its hull glowing as alien energy surged outward.
Beams of pure light lanced from its sides, slicing through the frigates as if they were paper. Dozens of ships disappeared in blinding fire, the Belt trembling from the force.
Kael shielded his eyes, awe and terror washing over him. The Ark had unleashed something primal and unstoppable.
When the light faded, silence reigned. The remaining frigates scattered, unwilling to confront a weapon they couldn't understand.
Kael turned to Lyra. She slumped forward, her skin pale, sweat dripping down her face. He caught her before she collapsed.
"Lyra!" His voice cracked.
Her eyes fluttered open, weak but steady. "Still here… Still with you."
Kael's chest ached as he held her close. "Don't ever do that alone again."
The Ark drifted in the Belt's shadows, the last echoes of battle fading. Kael stood over the viewport, his fists trembling.
His brother had betrayed him—not just him but all of them.
Rhea leaned against the console, her eyes dark. "So, do you still think your brother's worth saving?"
Kael's voice was low and raw. "I don't know. But I know this: I won't let him take the Ark. And I won't let him take Lyra."
Rhea studied him before nodding slowly. "Good. Because war's coming, Captain. And now it's not just the Council. It's your own blood."
Kael's gaze stayed fixed on the stars. Somewhere out there, Taren was watching. Waiting.
And Kael swore he would face him—brother to brother, blade to blade—when the time came.