Legacy of the Void Fleet

”But Empress,” Arya interjected, ”does this not put us in a precarious position? Even if things are under your control for now... Vivian is in the hands of Void Humans. Who knows what they will do to her? Given the power the Void Humans have displayed, I am certain we cannot retrieve her by force. Is diplomacy our only option?

And considering how demanding that faction is, who knows if they will even be interested in what we have to offer?”

”I know that as well, Arya. It is something I have had on my mind as well.” The Elven Empress massaged her brow with her hand, as if nursing a growing headache. ”But at this point, we are powerless. Regardless of the risk, we must approach them—this Void Fleet. Who knows? It might work out somehow,” she added with a heavy sigh.

Arya looked at her Empress’s tired face, sadness building in her heart. However, she knew she had to bring up an even bigger roadblock.

”We can certainly try, Empress, but there is a complication,” Arya began hesitantly. ”We have already had a brief face-off with the Void Fleet. We even exchanged a few blows with them in the Fang Star System. While they didn’t pursue us afterward, our image in their eyes is surely tainted.”

Arya went on to describe the skirmish and the aggressive way the Void Battle Fleet had reacted during their encounter.

”And above all that, Empress,” Arya continued, ”from what I have gathered and witnessed, the Void Fleet is currently in a state of total war with the Minotaur Clan.”

”And they are eliminating anyone who crosses their path! Approaching them now is impossible; they would likely consider us enemies and attack on sight. Even if we must go to them, we simply cannot do so yet,” Arya said, her brows furrowed in worry.

The Empress frowned deeply as she listened, nodding in reluctant agreement. ”Ah, what a headache all of this is! We can’t do this, we can’t do that... then what am I supposed to do? I can’t simply hand that bastard over to the Archduke of the West! If I do, the Northern and Southern nobles will literally go berserk and plunge the realm into chaos. And my hands are already full dealing with the Abyss Realm that appeared in our central region centuries ago. For some reason, they are becoming more aggressive by the day!”

”Dammit!” the Empress snapped, her composure slipping for a moment. ”If not for that Abyss, would these noble bastards even have the audacity to do what they are doing? Damn them all!”

Her rage flared as she paced. ”And now, the plan I thought would strengthen my forces by gaining part of the Holy Region is failing! Not only that, but it has made things even more difficult for me. I almost want to blame myself for even making such a decision... damn it all to hell!”

”Empress, please, calm down!” Arya pleaded. Seeing her usually calm and collected ruler losing her composure made Arya truly feel the crushing weight the Empress bore upon her shoulders. In these difficult times, there were so many threats to watch out for: the internal conflicts between the noble factions, the encroaching Abyss Realm, and the external enemies who had long since bared their fangs.

As a subordinate, Arya felt utterly helpless. She felt she was failing to support her Empress as she should, disappointing not only her ruler but herself. No, I can’t go on like this. I need to do something, she thought, a sudden spark of determination lighting up her eyes.

”Empress, please... leave the matter of Lady Vivian to me! I will find a way to get in touch with the Void Fleet and strike some kind of deal. We will find a way to calm the Archduke of the West. This subordinate of yours will not let you down this time, Empress!”

Hearing this, the Elven Empress suddenly calmed. She looked at Arya with an emotional gaze, her heart stirred by the girl’s loyalty. She didn’t speak for a long moment, simply absorbing Arya’s resolve.

”You have never let me down, Arya. Never,” the Empress said softly. ”So do not speak such things. I see your resolve, and I will let you handle this. I shall wait for your good news.” A rare, genuine smile touched the Empress’s lips for a moment.

Arya gave a firm, determined nod. ”Mm! Leave it to me, Empress. And please, look after your health. I will reach out to you as soon as I have good news!”

”Yes! And pay attention to your surroundings, Arya. Things are becoming unstable there. Oh, wait—I totally forgot!” Clicking her tongue as if suddenly remembering something, the Empress spoke quickly.

”You already know of the talks I had with the Seer of the Azura Imperium a few days ago. In exchange for the information I requested, he mentioned he needed help dealing with trouble brewing around his Imperium. So, why don’t you head there? While you brainstorm a way to contact the Void Fleet, you might as well assist him—and help me investigate something.”

Arya’s interest was piqued. ”What is it that you want me to investigate, Empress?”

The Empress narrowed her eyes, her tone turning grave. ”The Seer asked for help, and he said something... strange. He claimed that ’helping the Imperium now is like helping your own Elfheim Empire,’ before he cut off the communication.

While vague, he implied that this task could somehow lead to the healing of our Empire. If that is true, a mission this vital can only be entrusted to someone I truly trust.

So, please, set off for the Imperium bearing my will. See for yourself what this ’help’ entails. Is there truly something there that can save us, or has the Seer finally proven to be wrong?”

”Really? Arya was stunned. Vague as the message was, she knew the Seer was famous for his mysterious riddles. Yet, even as loyal as she was, she felt a moment of doubt—could the Seer be wrong for the first time? She quickly dismissed the thought; his reputation for accuracy was flawless. Confusion soon gave way to excitement. If this mission truly could help heal their Empire, then it was an absolute priority.

”Though I would rather have him be right than wrong at this point”, the empress felt a bit embarrassed when she saw Arya’s strange expression. It made her wonder if she had been hoping for too much, or perhaps saying too much.

Trying to recover, she quickly added that, after all, any help to the empire at this stage would be valuable. This, she truly meant—and Arya could sense her sincerity.

The empress let out a bitter laugh, attempting to mask her doubt. ”Perhaps... this might be exactly what our empire needs to rise again.” Even as she said it, she wasn’t entirely convinced.

But Arya was. Instead of hesitation, her excitement only grew. Hearing those words seemed to ignite something in her, and she quickly responded...

she placed her hand firmly over her heart and declared with total seriousness, ’Leave it to me, Empress. I will see this through and carry out your will!’

’Seeing you accept this so readily leaves me worry-free,’ the Empress replied with a smile. ’I leave it to you, Arya. Over and out.’ With a sharp snap of her fingers, the Empress’s holographic image vanished from the flagship’s sanctum.

Arya rose from her kneeling position, turned, and strode away. She stepped onto an elevated platform that surged upward, bypassing layers of armored bulkheads to connect directly with the command bridge.

’Immediately!’ Arya barked as she stepped onto the deck. ’Prepare the fleet for transit! Set coordinates for the Azura Imperium’s Western Region. We depart as soon as the ships are ready!’

Arya’s assistant—the ship’s AI avatar—materialized beside her, nodding as her eyes began to flash with streams of energy and data. Holographic screens flickered into existence before Arya’s face and across the entire fleet’s communication network.

’Implementing Red Alert!’ the AI announced.

[FLEET-WIDE BROADCAST: ALL SHIPS PREPARE FOR HYPERSPACE.] [SYNCHRONIZE AND LINK FTL MODULES TO THE FLAGSHIP IMMEDIATELY.] [DEPARTURE IN T-MINUS 10 MINUTES.]”

[FLEET-WIDE BROADCAST: ALL SHIPS PREPARE FOR HYPERSPACE.] [SYNCHRONIZE AND LINK FTL MODULES TO THE FLAGSHIP IMMEDIATELY.] [DEPARTURE IN T-MINUS 10 MINUTES.]”

[FLEET-WIDE BROADCAST: ALL SHIPS PREPARE FOR HYPERSPACE.] [SYNCHRONIZE AND LINK FTL MODULES TO THE FLAGSHIP IMMEDIATELY.] [DEPARTURE IN T-MINUS 10 MINUTES.]”

”Throughout every single vessel in the fleet, the broadcast echoed repeatedly. Every captain and officer responsible for their ships sprang into action. Over three thousand ships slowly settled into a new formation, their FTL drives beginning to pulse as they synchronised with the flagship.

Taking the lead, the flagship set the final coordinates. In exactly ten minutes, the entire Elven fleet accelerated and vanished from the unknown star system—right under the sensors of the Forger Guild’s fleet.

Within the flagship of the Forger Association, the representative—a woman named Smith—frowned before her lips curled into a slow smile.