Orion Soren — current head of the Soren clan — was still at his desk when the planetary alert system tore through the silence of the night.
[Alert]
[Multiple Strategic Class Space Cruisers detected in planetary orbit]
[Defensive manoeuvre recommended]
His hand froze mid-motion. For a brief moment, the world went still.
Then he cursed… low, sharp, and shot to his feet.
'No… not yet.'
He had hoped for more time. Without a second thought, Orion abandoned everything and rushed out, his mind already racing ahead.
They had come.
The Intergalactic Council.
And they were here for his son.
Arthur Soren.
For six years, he had buried the truth. Silenced witnesses. Erased records and bent everything within his power to keep that secret hidden.
And now… it was over.
"Leah, get Arthur. Now."
He burst into their chambers to find his wife already awake, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear.
"They're here already?!" she gasped. "How is that even—"
"Questions later," Orion cut in, his voice tight. "Move."
That was all it took.
Leah turned and ran.
They had prepared for this day. Prayed it would never come, but prepared nonetheless.
Outside, the broadcast of the Intergalactic Council descended upon the planet, cold and absolute.
[By the authority of the Intergalactic Council, surrender the Dimensional Shifter in your ranks. I repeat…]
The words rolled across the skies, stripping away six years of secrecy in an instant. Orion didn't wait to hear the rest.
In one fluid motion, his battle suit sealed around him as he headed for the frontlines. By the time he stepped out, the night was no longer dark.
Massive cruisers loomed overhead, their searchlights cutting through the darkness, locking onto the Soren estate like predators circling prey.
The clan was already mobilising. Orbital cannons hummed to life. Elders assembled. Guards fell in line, their expressions grim and uncertain.
Orion stood mid-air, the clan elders behind him.
He sensed the weight of their gaze, the questions they wished to ask. But there was no time. Overcoming the current predicament took precedence.
From the hatches of the cruisers, several powerful auras shot out, their collective presence overly overbearing.
Behind them, their ground forces descended in waves, spreading out to cut off every possible escape route. They had come prepared.
"Enforcer Greywhite…" Orion's cold voice reverberated, cutting through the growing tension. "What is the meaning of this?"
Kennedy Greywhite, the Enforcer tasked with securing the suspected Dimensional Shifter, revealed a cold, knowing smile.
"Lord Soren, there's no need to make this difficult." Kennedy's smile widened. "Hand over your son, and this will all be over."
His words echoed like a bad premonition, shocking and surprising all who heard them. The elders turned ashen, the guards visibly shaken.
"We have the entire planet surrendered, portal interferences initiated…" Enforcer Kennedy added. "This will end one way or the other…"
"You waltz in here and expect us to just comply?"
The elders had had enough of the Intergalactic Council's show of force. This was their planet. Their territory. Their home.
"We all know what this is truly about, Enforcer," another elder chipped in. "Push us too far, and you will not like the consequences."
Orion remained silent through it all, his mind racing with urgency.
Kennedy was right.
With the deployment of portal interference protocols, that escape route was effectively sealed.
But…
He and Leah had anticipated as much. The intent was to delay the Intergalactic Council's forces from acting for as long as possible.
"There are rules and accords governing territory intrusion, Enforcer Greywhite." Orion cut in coldly. "Even for the Intergalactic Council, this has gone too far. Take your forces and leave…"
His voice generated visible ripples, a subtle but deadly intent suffusing the night air. Tension thickened, but neither side backed down.
Nonetheless, suspicion and doubt had taken root. The Soren forces turned restless, uncertain. The dangers a Dimensional Shifter posed could not be underestimated.
"My apologies, Lord Soren." Kennedy shot back, his expression turning serious. "But my orders are absolute. That monster will be coming with us one way or another. Take my advice and surrender.
"You have till the count of thirty…"
The ultimatum stripped away the last vestiges of decorum. Chaos could erupt at any moment. And the power to change it all lay in Orion's hand.
His choice would affect the lives of his forces. Their livelihoods. It could threaten the very foundation of the Soren Clan.
All around him, thousands of gazes bore into him, the weight of his pending decision weighing heavily on his conscience. Even so…
'This should be long enough.'
Orion momentarily closed his eyes and exhaled. That simple act caught everyone's attention. He was ready to respond.
The truth no longer mattered.
Proving the Intergalactic Council's forces wrong all came down to agreeing to the Enforcer's demands. But things were rarely ever simple…
The clan's face was on the line.
Giving in meant they feared the Intergalactic Council. Refusing meant going against the Council and humanity's interests.
And almost no parent would willingly give up their child to be put down like a rabid dog. He knew this. So too did the Intergalactic Council…
As these thoughts rapidly flowed through his mind, his resolve hardened.
Coming after his son was only a part of it. The Intergalactic Council had wanted his clan out of the way for a while. And this gave them the perfect premise to act.
The moment Orion's eyes snapped open, all who saw the resolve in them instantly knew.
"No…"
Before Orion had even responded, Kennedy grinned. The outcome was long expected. Everything else had been a farce. A ruse.
The intent had been to offer the illusion of mercy.
"All forces, raise the Soren Clan to the ground!" Kennedy's command reverberated like a death sentence. "Drag out the Dimensional Shifter!"
"You dare…!"
The elders of the Soren Clan moved to intercept the Council's forces. But the Intergalactic Council had accounted for the elders. Behind Kennedy, multiple figures stepped out and clashed with the elders mid-air.
BOOM…!
Chaos erupted as the two sides clashed. The forces of the Intergalactic Council focused on breaking through the Soren forces to the estate, while the Soren forces focused on defence.
"You'd regret coming here, Kennedy."
Orion threw all etiquette out the window and pulled out a single-edged, curved sword with a deadly green glow. He took a battle stance, his battle suit humming to life as the helm covered his face.
Kennedy wasted no time mirroring Orion's stance, his grin disappearing behind the helmet of his battle suit. He pulled out his weapon — a halberd and declared.
"I only follow orders, Orion. Don't take it personally."
The world went still for a moment before the two powerhouses clashed.
Orion's guess had been right. The Intergalactic Council wanted his clan out of the way. He and his clan were not going to see the light of day ever again.
Not even the hidden experts of the Soren Clan would make a difference. They had prepared extensively for this night. Failure was not an option.