Chapter 17: The Legacy of the First War

The Ardent Remnant’s fleet surrounded us as we followed them into the depths of uncharted space.

Their ships were unlike anything I’d ever seen—elegant, radiant, and impossibly ancient. Every vessel moved with graceful precision, like a work of art in motion. Their energy fields didn’t just radiate power; they sang in a frequency I could almost feel in my bones.

We had left familiar star charts behind. The void ahead was untouched, unexplored.

And yet, I knew—they had been here before.

Kael’Voran’s voice echoed over the comm. “Prepare for transition. Coordinates locked.”

Before I could ask what he meant, space itself warped.

A surge of golden energy engulfed us, and suddenly—

We were somewhere else.

### The Forgotten World

The viewscreen revealed a planet unlike any I had ever seen.

Massive, golden spires stretched into the sky, surrounded by lush, violet forests that pulsed faintly with bioluminescent light. The planet’s rings shimmered, threaded with veins of crystalline structures that refracted light in dazzling patterns.

But the real shock was what orbited the planet.

A structure.

A station so massive it could house fleets.

No—not just a station. A city. A fortress. A monument.

Ny’Vara’s ears twitched in awe. “By the gods ... this is no ordinary world.”

G’Lan, ever the skeptic, analyzed the readings. “Captain ... this station predates any known civilization. The materials composing it—none of them match anything on record.”

I exhaled. “And yet here we are.”

Kael’Voran’s image reappeared on the screen.

“Welcome to Vhal’Dran.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what exactly is Vhal’Dran?”

Kael’Voran’s expression didn’t change.

“The last sanctuary of the First War.”

### The First War Revealed

Docking was eerily smooth. Unlike my ship—a relic of war forced into my hands—Vhal’Dran’s station felt ... alive.

When we stepped onto the platform, the air itself thrummed with power. I felt a strange pull in my chest, as if something deep within me recognized this place.

Kael’Voran met us in person. Up close, his features were even more unnerving—a being of light and metal, as if his body existed between states of matter.

Ny’Vara, always wary, stood close at my side, her tail flicking. “You said the First War never ended. Explain.”

Kael’Voran turned and gestured for us to follow. “Come. There is much to show you.”

We walked through vast halls, where walls shimmered with moving glyphs, displaying memories of the past.

And then, we reached the chamber.

In the center, a massive display flickered to life. A vision of the galaxy—thousands of years ago.

And what I saw changed everything.

### The War That Shaped the Stars