The freighter cruised through the void, its crew gathered in the main hold. Liora sat across from the Starborn leader, who had joined them after the battle in the temple. Their shimmering form was less radiant now, as though the effort of the fight had drained some of their strength.
"Tell me about the Starborn," Liora said, breaking the silence. "Why did the Emperor destroy them? Why did he fear them so much?"
The Starborn leader leaned forward, their glowing eyes softening. "The Emperor did not always rule in shadow," they began. "There was a time when he was one of us—a guardian of the stars, sworn to protect the balance of the galaxy."
Liora's eyes widened. "The Emperor was a Starborn?"
"Yes," the leader replied. "Kyros Valen, as he was once known, was among the strongest of our kind. But his power grew too great, and with it came a hunger for control. He sought to bend the stars to his will, to become more than a guardian—to become a god."
Tharn crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. "Let me guess: the Starborn weren't on board with that plan."
The leader nodded. "We resisted him, and a great war ensued. The Nexus was the heart of that conflict. It is the source of our connection to the stars and the key to the balance Kyros sought to overthrow."
Kade leaned against the wall, his expression skeptical. "If the Nexus is so important, why didn't you just hide it better? Seems like leaving it out in the open was a bad call."
The Starborn leader's gaze hardened. "The Nexus cannot be hidden, nor can it be destroyed. It is woven into the fabric of the galaxy itself. To control it is to control the very essence of existence."
Liora's hand tightened around the Nexus Key. "And the Emperor wants to use it to cement his power."
"Exactly," the leader said. "He turned the galaxy against us, branding the Starborn as traitors and wielding his dark power to erase us from history. Those of us who survived went into hiding, guarding the temples in secret."
The room fell silent as the weight of the story sank in. Liora stared at the Sigil on her hand, its glow a constant reminder of the legacy she now carried.
"So, what happens if we stop him?" she asked quietly.
The Starborn leader's voice softened. "If the Nexus can be safeguarded, the balance will be restored. The Starborn can rise again, and the galaxy will be free from the Emperor's shadow."
"And if we fail?" Kade asked, his tone grim.
The leader's eyes dimmed. "If the Emperor controls the Nexus, the stars themselves will bend to his will. Darkness will consume the galaxy, and there will be no hope of resistance."
Tharn leaned forward, his voice steady. "Then we don't fail. We've come this far, and we've faced worse odds before."
Kade snorted. "Speak for yourself."
Liora stood, her resolve hardening. "We have the Key. We have the temples. And now we have allies. The Starborn's legacy isn't gone—it's in us. We can stop him."
The Starborn leader rose, their shimmering form regaining some of its strength. "You are right, Liora Veylan. The Emperor's power is great, but it is not absolute. The Nexus is our only hope, and you are the one destined to protect it."
As the freighter approached the next temple, the crew prepared for the challenges ahead. The shadows of the Emperor's past loomed large, but the light of the Starborn burned brighter than ever.