The Ark floated silently in the cold expanse of space, surrounded by the scattered remnants of the rebellion's fleet. They had gathered here, in a remote system at the edge of known space, to prepare for what was now inevitable: the full might of the Cosmic Empire was descending upon them. The scattered reports from intelligence confirmed the worst, massive war machines, walking platforms, droid carriers, and terrifying new fighters were all en route.
In the command center, Ethan stood at the central console, staring at the tactical map. His mind raced with the grim realization of how unprepared they were. Every blinking dot on the map represented a life, and he knew that many of those lights would go dark before the day was done.
