The wreckage of Node Zero was now a glowing graveyard drifting in the void. The Eidolon floated nearby, battered but intact. Titan sat in the cockpit, muscles tense, eyes scanning every blinking system.
Lira's voice returned, softer, more human. "The Gate is sealed, but the signal's still out there. Someone — or something — is listening."
Titan exhaled slowly. "We barely escaped with our lives. And now the whole galaxy knows."
Suddenly, the ship's sensors flared—an incoming transmission.
The face that appeared on the screen was unfamiliar: sharp-featured, cold eyes glinting beneath a metallic visor.
"Titan," the voice said smoothly. "You've stirred a hornet's nest. The Council wants you to surrender. They have questions only you can answer."
Titan's fingers clenched the armrest. "The Council lost their right to question me a long time ago."
The figure smiled thinly. "Then prepare yourself. Because this war is just beginning."
The transmission cut.
Lira's light flickered. "We'll need allies. And fast."
Titan's jaw tightened. "Then it's time to find them. The real fight starts now."
Outside, stars stretched endlessly — a galaxy on the edge of chaos.
And AP Titan was the spark.