Chapter 21: The Last Soldiers of the Lost War

Tor’Vek’s presence was like a ghost from another time, standing before us with the weight of a thousand years etched into his weathered features. His crimson Narn eyes burned with suspicion as he took in our uniforms, our weapons, and—most of all—the dreadnought’s emblem on my chest.

I lowered my weapon slightly, but not completely. “General Tor’Vek ... you’ve been in cryostasis for centuries. The war you fought ended long ago.”

His gaze flickered, but his posture remained rigid. “Wars do not simply end, Captain. They wait, hidden beneath the surface, until fools wake them again.”

Ny’Vara crossed her arms. “You don’t even know what war is being fought anymore.”

Tor’Vek tilted his head slightly. “Then tell me. Who stands against the Narn now?”

G’Lan stepped forward, his voice steady. “The Kha’reli.”

Tor’Vek’s eyes widened at the name. He inhaled sharply, as if the word itself carried a stench of old nightmares. His fingers clenched into a fist. “Then the war has never ended.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He turned away, pacing toward a ruined console, brushing dust away from its surface. With a few rough taps, ancient displays flickered to life. Holographic star maps appeared—maps from a time when the Narn fought on a scale far beyond what history remembered.

Tor’Vek motioned toward the stars. “We were the last stand against them. The war consumed entire civilizations, entire fleets. We fought to the brink of extinction ... and when defeat was inevitable, we sealed ourselves away, waiting for the next battle to come.”

He turned to me, eyes fierce. “If the Kha’reli have returned, then so must we.”

The Awakening of an Ancient Army

The cryopods hummed to life.

Across the darkened station, ancient warriors began to stir, their bodies preserved but their minds still locked in the memories of a war long past. The first few Narn soldiers stumbled as they awoke, their breathing heavy, their eyes adjusting to the dim light.

G’Lan worked frantically at his datapad. “Captain, I don’t know if their bodies can handle this. They’ve been in stasis for—”

A soldier roared, slamming a fist against the wall as his muscles spasmed. Another clutched his head, growling in pain. Some fell to their knees, overwhelmed by time itself.

Tor’Vek knelt beside one of them, gripping the warrior’s shoulder. “Stand tall, brother. You have not died yet.”

Slowly, one by one, the warriors steadied themselves.

And then, as if by some unspoken code, they turned to their general and saluted.

A legion of ghosts, awakened once more.

Ny’Vara exhaled. “This is insane. They don’t even know the galaxy they’ve woken up to.”

Tor’Vek’s expression was hard. “Then teach them. They were the finest warriors of their time. And time, Captain Harper, has given you an army.”

The Weight of Command

Back aboard the dreadnought, I stood in my quarters, staring at the holographic display.

The maps Tor’Vek had shown me revealed something terrifying—the Kha’reli had always been in the shadows, manipulating wars, exterminating threats before they could rise. They weren’t just an enemy.

They were predators.

And the galaxy was their hunting ground.

A soft chime at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in.”

The doors slid open, and Ny’Vara stepped inside. Her furred tail flicked behind her, her emerald eyes filled with uncertainty. “You’re about to lead an army of relics from a dead war into a fight that’s barely begun. You sure you can handle that?”

I met her gaze. “I don’t have a choice.”

She sighed, stepping closer. “That’s not what I asked.”

I ran a hand over my face. “No. I don’t know if I can handle it. But I know what happens if we do nothing.”

Ny’Vara studied me for a moment before she smirked, crossing her arms. “Well, good. Because you’re not doing this alone.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You volunteering to be my conscience?”

She laughed. “No, I’m volunteering to make sure you don’t get us all killed.”

The First Mission

Tor’Vek’s newly awakened soldiers had been integrated into the ship. They were disciplined, trained, and ready.

And we had a target.

G’Lan had intercepted Kha’reli fleet movements—a planetary stronghold, deep within uncharted space.

“If we strike first,” I told the crew, “we take the initiative. We make them fear us for once.”

Tor’Vek grinned. “Then let us remind them why the Narn were never conquered.”

Ny’Vara sat at her station, tail flicking. “Weapons are primed. Stealth drive ready.”

G’Lan nodded. “Coordinates locked in.”

I took my seat. The dreadnought thrummed beneath me, as if it, too, was ready for war.

“Take us in.”

The final war had begun.