Xu Qianghua stood in front of the long window in the main observatory hall of the Xu estate. From here, the stars looked closer.
The sky was clear, still dark, and quiet. But in his mind, things were starting to stir.
Behind him, a soft beep rang out from the central transmission pillar.
He didn't turn right away.
He already knew what it was about.
A few hours ago, the Xu family fleet stationed along Nexera's third orbit had spotted something drifting into range.
It wasn't a local signal. The shape, the energy signature, and even the material used for the hull—it wasn't Nexeran. It wasn't Zerg. It wasn't anything from this part of the stars.
It was foreign.
Old.
And not supposed to be here anymore.
He turned slowly and approached the pillar. With a swipe of his hand, the image came to life.
A battered, darkened ship hovered in the projection. It looked barely functional. Deep scars ran across the hull.
