The asteroid belt was gone, like it had never existed. One of the defining features of the Shattered Starfields was that at any given time, in any given direction you could find asteroid belts and dwarf planets in scores. The clearest band was near the galaxy’s central star.
This area was traditionally not so lucky, and yet now the space around it was completely clear. That is, but for the three enormous vortexes. They swirled around the planet, emitting waves of energy that grew stronger by the moment, while they spun ever faster.
Lan Jue and his team weren’t the only spectators. All the pirates and slaves left on Moonfiend, and especially its two sister planets, were spectators to the event. Unlike Lan Jue, however, they had no means of retreat. The surviving pirates had watched the destruction of Moonfiend from their surveillance equipment only half a day ago. Moonfiend Palace, the seat of their power, was under enemy occupation.
