Year 4026.
The galaxy was not at peace.
For centuries, the Intergalactic Alliance had fought war after war to keep civilization alive. Hundreds of star systems stood under its banner, protected by the fleets of the Alliance Space Command.
Among those fleets was ISS-296 — a small reconnaissance and logistics escort squadron.
Its flagship was the Valiant Horizon.
And its commander was Captain Leon Hawk.
Leon Hawk stood in the command deck, staring at the endless ocean of stars outside the observation glass.
"Status report," he said calmly.
"All systems operational," the ship AI ECHO responded. "Slipstream corridor stable. Supply convoy ETA: two hours."
Another ordinary mission.
Scout ahead.
Check hyperspace routes.
Protect transport fleets.
Detect ambushes.
That was the life of ISS-296.
Small fleet. Dangerous work.
Leon preferred it that way.
"Anything unusual, ECHO?" Leon asked.
"Negative, Captain. Sector is clear."
For a moment, the bridge was quiet.
Thirty crew members worked across the ship. Engineers, navigators, analysts.
A small crew.
But a good one.
Leon turned away from the window and sat in the captain's chair.
"Alright," he said. "Prepare long-range scans."
"Scanning."
Seconds passed.
Then ECHO spoke again.
"Captain… detecting anomalous signal."
Leon frowned.
"Define anomalous."
"Multiple warp signatures. Range… extremely far."
"How many?"
There was a pause.
Then ECHO answered.
"Unknown. Signal density exceeds fleet-scale parameters."
Leon slowly stood up.
"Show me."
The main holographic map lit up.
For a second… nothing happened.
Then red markers began appearing.
One.
Ten.
A hundred.
Thousands.
The bridge went silent.
"That's impossible…" one officer whispered.
ECHO spoke again.
"Warning. Massive fleet detected. Estimated size exceeds ISS-296 by factor of… one thousand."
A cold chill ran through the room.
Leon stared at the screen.
"Identify the fleet."
"Running database comparison…"
ECHO paused.
Then its voice changed.
"Identification complete."
"Source: Civilization Carrier-Class Cruiser."
"Designation…"
"Unknown."
Leon frowned.
"Unknown?"
"Correction," ECHO said.
"This vessel class was recorded in the Alliance archives."
"Status in database: Destroyed."
The hologram zoomed in.
A gigantic shape appeared.
It was not a ship.
It was a moving world.
A colossal carrier capable of transporting an entire civilization across space.
And it was heading straight toward them.
"Enemy control confirmed," ECHO said.
"Energy signatures match Void Dominion technology."
Someone on the bridge cursed under their breath.
Leon made his decision instantly.
"All ships, emergency retreat," he ordered.
"Transmit warning to the convoy fleet."
"Yes Captain!"
Alarms exploded across the bridge.
Red lights flooded the command deck.
"Slipstream drive charging!"
"Enemy targeting systems locking!"
"Captain, we are inside their gravity well!" the navigator shouted.
Too late.
The massive carrier opened.
The darkness inside it swallowed the stars.
"What the hell is that…" someone whispered.
Then it happened.
A wave of black energy surged forward.
Ships disappeared.
Not destroyed.
Absorbed.
"Captain! ISS-296 ships are being pulled in!"
Leon clenched his fists.
"All personnel evacuate! Abandon ship!"
Escape pods launched from the Valiant Horizon.
But the giant carrier was too close.
Too powerful.
Too hungry.
One by one, the ships of ISS-296 vanished.
Leon ran toward the emergency hangar.
His small recon fighter waited there.
"ECHO, transfer to my fighter," he ordered.
"Transfer complete."
The cockpit sealed around him.
Engines ignited.
"Launching."
The fighter shot into space just as the Valiant Horizon began to disappear.
Leon looked back once.
His fleet.
His crew.
Gone.
"Captain," ECHO said quietly. "Enemy gravity field increasing. Escape probability below three percent."
Leon gritted his teeth.
"Prepare emergency hyperjump."
"Warning: jump coordinates unknown."
"Do it anyway."
The fighter shook violently.
Enemy weapons struck the hull.
Systems began failing.
"Hyperjump initiating!"
Space twisted.
Reality folded.
And then—
Everything went black.
Leon woke to silence.
Dim lights flickered inside the cockpit.
"ECHO… status report," he said weakly.
"Hyperjump successful," ECHO replied.
"Location: Unknown region."
"Alliance star maps… unavailable."
Leon slowly looked out of the cracked cockpit window.
The stars were unfamiliar.
No relay gates.
No slipstream corridors.
No signals.
Nothing.
"Life support status?"
"Air reserves: sixteen days."
"Food reserves: sixteen days."
"Recyclers damaged."
Leon leaned back in the seat.
Sixteen days.
That was all he had.
For two weeks, he drifted through the unknown region of space.
Scanning.
Searching.
Hoping.
Then—
"Captain," ECHO said.
"Habitable planet detected."
Leon sat up instantly.
"Show me."
A blue-green world appeared on the screen.
Oceans.
Clouds.
Continents.
Life.
Leon stared at it for a long time.
Then he took a slow breath.
"Looks like… I'm not dead yet."
The small fighter began descending toward the unknown world.
A new story… was about to begin.