Two and a half years had passed since the fall of the Ascendants.
Peace, real peace had settled across much of the Galactic Empire. Demon incursions were rare. Military alerts were minimal. Entire regions that once required constant patrols now sat quietly.
Too quiet.
On a distant military logistics base, a junior officer scrolled through planetary status reports, brow slowly furrowing.
"…Wow."
He leaned closer to the screen.
"This place has no demon activity, no military alerts, and no crime reports. That's… not normal."
He waved his senior officer over.
"Hey, look at this. Doesn't this seem way too good to be true?"
The senior officer studied the data, jaw tightening.
"Yeah. Hold on, something isn't right. There isn't a single police report logged. Not one."
The junior officer swallowed.
"The planet's called Noctyrr Prime. It's listed as a trade world… but it looks abandoned on paper."
The reality was far different.
No Imperial cruisers hovered above its neon-lit skyline. No banners of the Galactic Empire marked its streets.
Instead
Private security forces patrolled the districts, heavily armed and unaffiliated with the Empire. Soldiers guarded corporate towers not sanctioned by any official military branch.
On the poorer side of the city, laws meant nothing. Crime ruled openly. People disappeared without reports ever being filed.
On the richer side, power controlled everything. Massive illegal corporations thrived, their wealth built on exploitation. Demons had rooted themselves deep within the planet's underworld, fueling illegal trade, trafficking, and slavery.
The rich stayed rich by keeping the poor trapped.
And the Empire?
It had somehow… missed it.
Ian sat at his desk, staring at a report freshly delivered from Intelligence.
NOCTYRR PRIME – STATUS: ANOMALOUS.
NAVY RECON UNITS SHOT DOWN ON APPROACH.
NO IMPERIAL PRESENCE CONFIRMED.
He exhaled through his nose and tapped the desk once.
Then he called Optimus.
Minutes later, Optimus stepped into the office.
"You wanted to see me?"
Ian slid the datapad across the desk.
"Look at this."
Optimus read silently. His expression hardened.
"You're saying any Navy ship we send gets shot out of the sky. No alerts. No crime. No demons, officially."
Ian leaned back.
"Exactly."
Optimus looked up.
"So… you want to send a task force?"
Ian shook his head.
"No. I have a better idea. Come with me."
They walked through the corridors into the Intelligence Wing. Guards stepped aside as Ian keyed into a secured office and sealed the door behind them.
A holo-screen lit up.
Optimus crossed his arms.
"Don't tell me we're using your task force."
Ian nodded.
"We are. Let me introduce you to the Nightcrew."
He activated the display.
Faces appeared, profiles layered with classified data.
"The Nightcrew is a group selected by me and a few others. They handle the dirty work of the Galactic Empire operations that the STF can't be publicly attached to."
Optimus listened intently.
"They have authority to interrogate, infiltrate, extract, and eliminate if necessary. They answer only to me, and to each other."
The screen shifted.
"They also hold intel the Empire can't release publicly. Everything hidden, buried, or denied… they deal with it."
Optimus let out a slow breath.
"…You really built something here."
Ian tapped the screen again.
More faces appeared.
"These are active Nightcrew members."
A familiar name flashed.
Nightcoil- Rank: Shade Initiate
Ian nodded.
"He's new. Still earning his place."
The next profile appeared.
Kairoth- The 12th Great
"High-ranking Nightcrew. He's been with me for a long time."
Ian paused.
"There are more, but I just wanted to show you familiar faces."
Optimus glanced at him.
"So what's the plan?"
Ian's voice lowered.
"This will be a Nightcrew mission. Recon only. They'll gather intel, see what's really happening on Noctyrr Prime, and report back."
He added,
"And if I'm ever unavailable, you can access them through the Intelligence Wing. We work closely."
Optimus nodded slowly.
"Undercover. Quiet. No official flags."
Ian met his gaze.
"Exactly."
The holo-screen dimmed.
And somewhere far away, on a neon world forgotten by the Empire…
The Nightcrew was about to step into the dark.