Chapter 19: The Last War Begins

The moment I gave the order, the dreadnought responded instantly.

Energy surged through the ship, pulsing along the newly awakened conduits, charging weapons that had lain dormant for millennia. The main cannon—our last, best hope—roared to life, light gathering at its core until it was nearly blinding.

The Kha’reli flagship was still unfolding, its dark energy reaching out, distorting space itself. If it completed its charge, we wouldn’t just lose this battle.

We’d cease to exist.

Ny’Vara’s voice was tense. “Weapon at full capacity!”

I clenched the armrests of my chair.

“Fire.”

### The Shot Heard Across the Stars

The cannon released its fury.

A beam of pure golden energy erupted from the dreadnought’s core, tearing through space like the wrath of forgotten gods.

The impact was instantaneous.

The Kha’reli flagship screamed—not in sound, but in a psychic wail that rattled my skull. Its tendrils shriveled, its hull fractured, its twisted, unnatural form imploding in on itself as the energy consumed it.

And then—silence.

Where once an enemy titan had stood, there was now only a glowing void, collapsing inward until nothing remained.

The battlefield froze.

For the first time, the Kha’reli ships hesitated.

I seized the moment.

“Broadcast this across all channels,” I ordered Ny’Vara. “This war isn’t over. If you come for us again, we will end you.”

She sent the message.

And one by one, the remaining Kha’reli ships vanished into hyperspace.

### Aftermath

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then G’Lan exhaled. “They retreated.”

Ny’Vara’s tail flicked in disbelief. “Did we just ... did we just win?”

Kael’Voran’s voice came over the comms. “You have won this battle, Captain Harper. But the war is far from over.”

I let out a slow breath. He was right. The Kha’reli had been stopped—for now. But they wouldn’t stay gone.

They would regroup.

They would adapt.

And next time, they wouldn’t underestimate us.

I turned to my crew, the weight of command heavier than ever. “Then we prepare. Because next time ... we’ll be ready.”

The war had begun.

And we were far from finished.