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Step by step, the warriors moved through the familiar corridors of the Exodus, passing by fellow crew members who babbled excitedly about the upcoming convocation. Some were already clad in their formal warrior attire—crisp and proud, the mark of those who would soon take up arms in defense of the ship.
Ronan cast a nostalgic glance at the uniforms. They reminded him of his own induction ceremony, though his had been under very different circumstances. Beside him, Lyra carried a pleased expression, though her usual warmth had dimmed slightly.
They entered the Bridge, where Commander Gampu stood before the central space monitor, flanked by his stoic deputy, Oberon, and a younger warrior named Gina. The room, usually filled with a steady hum of controlled chaos, had fallen into a tense, uneasy silence. The crew at their stations seemed frozen in place, waiting. Listening.
Something was wrong.
Ronan came to a stop across from Oberon, who barely acknowledged him, his gaze locked on the monitor.
“Commander?” Ronan asked cautiously. “What is it?”
Gampu’s voice was grave. “He found us.”
Ronan stiffened. “Who?”
“Magnus Voss,” Oberon said, his jaw tight. “And his fleet is headed this way.”
Ronan scoffed, crossing his arms. “I see no reason to be grim about it. We’ve dealt with his raiders before.”
Oberon shook his head. “This isn’t like before. It’s not just a few skirmish ships. He’s launching a full-scale assault on the Exodus.”
A chill ran through Ronan. He stepped forward as Oberon gestured to the space monitor. Lyra, who had been standing just behind him, sucked in a sharp breath.
The screen showed a vast swarm of enemy vessels—more than a hundred, moving in tight formation. The ETA counter ticked down: one hour and thirty-three minutes.
The attack would begin at the exact moment the convocation was set to start. Four thousand passengers gathered in one place. Two thousand warriors taking their oath.
Ronan glanced up at Oberon, searching his face for any trace of reassurance. There was none.
“We’ve missed our last transmission window,” Gampu said quietly. “We’re on our own.”
“This is grounds for an evacuation,” Ronan said, voice tense.
“We don’t do that here,” Gampu replied, folding his arms. “We fight.”
“The book says to run when the odds are overwhelming,” Ronan said. “Maybe that book is outdated.”
Oberon’s gaze hardened. “Your book, maybe. But risk is our business. The Exodus is cut off from Fleet Command, and I’d rather keep it that way—until this is over.”
“And if we don’t succeed?” Lyra asked.
“The professor will be in command,” Gampu said.
Ronan’s eyes flicked toward Gina, who had remained quiet until now. “Why is she here?”
“I was the one who spotted them first,” Gina said. “I was running a patrol with R7-D3 finishing up my pilot training. We caught them moving in from the shadow of a dead star.” She rubbed her shoulder uneasily. “It seems today is the day Voss finally avenges his last defeat.”
Ronan shook his head. “That won’t happen. You can count on it.” He turned back to Oberon. “We need every pilot we have.”
“No junior warriors,” Oberon said flatly. “This is off the record. Only the most experienced among us will take part.”
“Just the four of us?” Lyra asked.
“Three,” Gampu corrected. “The professor will remain here to oversee the ship.”
“Are you sure?” Ronan asked. “Because last I checked, he was busy programming celebration holograms.”
Gampu ignored the remark and turned to Gina. “Go to the professor’s lab. Inform him that he’s in command. Then go to the convocation ceremony.”
“And pretend we don’t all know that we might die today?” Gina asked, looking between them. “That doesn’t seem right.”
“Every day we survive out here is a gamble,” Oberon said. “You can tell your family—after we win.”
Gina hesitated, then nodded and left the bridge.
Ronan exhaled slowly. “I have an idea how we can take them down.”
Oberon gave him a sharp look. “Ideas are all we have right now, Ronan.”
Ronan smirked grimly. “Good. Because this one’s never been tried against an entire fleet before.”
“Debrief us,” Gampu said. “On the way to the docking bay.”
And with that, they moved.
