The warship's hull thrummed beneath Kael's feet, pulsing with raw electromagnetic energy. Above, the Dominion fleet repositioned, their dreadnoughts forming a tight blockade, weapons primed and aimed. The Leviathan-class dreadnought, a massive construct of planetary destruction, loomed in the center of the formation, its suppression fields flickering like a storm barely contained.
Kael clenched his fists, feeling the power of the warship coursing through him. He wasn't just standing on this battlefield—he was part of it now. The warship's currents moved in sync with his pulse, reacting to his will, waiting for his command.
Ryven stood at his side, arms crossed, eyes locked onto the enemy formation. "Tell me you've got a plan. Because I don't think punching a fleet is gonna work."
Kael smirked. "That depends on how hard you hit."
Ryven groaned. "I hate that I know you're serious."
The Overseer's voice came through the comms, cold and composed. "Kael Ardyn, this is your final warning. Lower your defenses and surrender the warship, or we will respond with full force."
Kael exhaled slowly, watching as the Dominion fleet adjusted their position. Their formation was tight, disciplined. Efficient. They weren't here to fight a battle. They were here to end this in a single overwhelming strike.
His smirk faded.
He couldn't let them dictate the terms.
He had to hit first.
The warship's interface surged through his mind, feeding him options, weapons systems, energy levels. This wasn't like piloting a normal ship. It was alive in a way no Dominion craft could ever be. It responded to him like a second skin, amplifying his instincts, turning his thoughts into action.
He raised his hand, and the ship responded.
Lightning gathered along its exterior, static currents crackling in the air. The suppression fields above them flickered, their stability faltering. The Dominion had been built to fight against standard forces, against predictable enemies.
Kael was neither.
He locked onto the closest dreadnought, feeling the charge of the warship's core surge into his veins. If they wanted war, he'd give them a storm.
"Fire."
A massive bolt of white-hot energy erupted from the warship, arcing toward the Dominion dreadnought like a lance from the sky. The suppression fields buckled under the force, the ship's shields absorbing the first impact before failing in a violent explosion of cascading sparks.
The dreadnought detonated mid-air, splitting apart as its energy core ruptured.
Ryven let out a low whistle. "Well. That's one way to start things off."
The Dominion didn't hesitate.
The remaining dreadnoughts shifted position, their suppression fields stabilizing as their weapons unleashed hell.
Kael barely had time to brace before a wave of plasma artillery streaked toward them, the impact shaking the warship's structure. The force of it sent arcs of energy scattering across the hull, momentarily disrupting its power flow.
He gritted his teeth, steadying himself. The ship was strong, but it wasn't invincible. He had to be smarter.
The Leviathan-class dreadnought, still holding position in the center, hadn't moved yet. That was the real threat.
Kael turned to Ryven. "We need to take out their suppression fields."
Ryven nodded. "Yeah, no kidding. You got a plan for that?"
Kael's mind worked fast. The Dominion's suppression fields were networked, drawing from a single relay system. If he could find the anchor point—
He felt it before he saw it.
A centralized node at the core of the Leviathan, pulsing with energy, keeping the entire fleet's suppression fields linked together.
Kael smirked. "Got it."
He didn't wait for Ryven to argue.
He moved.
The warship responded instantly, shifting its charge as Kael tapped into the surrounding electromagnetic field. The air thickened with static, his pulse syncing with the ship's core as he redirected power to the propulsion systems.
In an instant, the warship vanished.
Not through speed.
Through electromagnetic displacement.
The Dominion fleet reacted too late, their weapons firing at empty space as Kael and the warship reappeared directly above the Leviathan-class dreadnought.
Their suppression fields collapsed instantly.
Kael wasted no time.
He channeled every ounce of energy the warship could produce, directing it into a singular, concentrated pulse, aimed straight at the suppression node buried in the Leviathan's core.
Electricity surged through the air, a blinding shockwave of energy detonating upon impact. The suppression fields tore apart, their stabilizers overloading.
For the first time, the Dominion fleet was completely exposed.
And Kael wasn't done.
The warship shifted position again, its weapons locking onto the remaining dreadnoughts. He extended his hand, feeling the energy coil through his body, through the ship's framework, through the very storm raging around them.
He clenched his fist.
The warship fired.
Multiple arcs of lightning erupted outward, lancing through the sky, piercing through the now-unprotected dreadnoughts. One by one, they fell, their cores rupturing under the overwhelming energy, explosions rippling across the battlefield.
The Dominion's forces crumbled.
The only ship left standing was the Leviathan.
Kael exhaled, his vision still sharp with residual static. He wasn't sure how much of his own energy had merged with the warship during the fight, but he could feel the bond growing stronger.
The Overseer's voice returned, but this time, it wasn't calm. It was something else. Something that almost sounded like... recognition.
"You are the first in centuries to touch the storm and not be consumed by it."
Kael straightened, the electricity around him finally stabilizing. "Yeah? Guess you underestimated me."
There was a brief silence. Then, the Overseer spoke again. "No, Kael. I underestimated what you could become."
Before Kael could respond, the Leviathan-class dreadnought engaged its thrusters—not to attack, but to retreat.
Kael watched as the ship tore into hyperspace, disappearing into the void.
Ryven let out a sharp breath. "They ran."
Kael nodded, his mind racing. "They'll be back."
Ryven studied him. "And what are we supposed to do until then?"
Kael turned his gaze toward the warship, feeling the current of its energy, the weight of its past, the undeniable responsibility that had now fallen onto his shoulders.
He wasn't just a gladiator anymore.
He wasn't just a soldier.
He had just won the first real battle against the Dominion in centuries.
He had just proven that the Stormborn had returned.
And now?
Now, it was time to lead.