The Lilliput Star System held its breath.
Across its nine torn worlds, the rebellion had halted. Not out of fear, but focus. The rebels—scattered, scarred, and silent—awaited the grand convergence. A meeting that could set fire to the stars… or silence them forever.
Orvus — a world drowned in choking volcanic ash, once home to artists and mystics, now held ash-covered guerrilla camps buried beneath magma-forged canyons.
Myra — the once-glimmering ocean planet, its tides now frozen under imperial cargo ships. The water glistened not with moonlight, but oil and blood. It had become a floating fortress of supplies and dread.
Shadrax — a world that screamed behind closed doors. The biological labs here still pulsed with experiments gone rogue. Rebellions here didn't fight with rifles—they fought with mutations.
Eldrion — the metallic veins of the empire. Here, Zypherian children with ruby-red arms worked in endless shifts within refineries that fed the Empire's mechanical beasts. No childhood. Only chains.
Drest — the lungs of the system, turned to ash. Forests razed. Animals extinct. Drone-harvesters still roamed the empty, splintered trees like ghosts, gathering what little life remained.
Volturna — a logistics hub of twisted riddles and cruelty. Ruled by twin generals who never spoke plainly—only in whispers of death and poetry. Even the rebellion here struggled to understand if they were winning… or already dead.
Hythrax — the cradle of assassins. The Empire's personal blade factory. Every elite killer here was bred like a god, broken like a beast, and released into the stars to keep order through fear.
Noxera — a world buried under eternal ice. But the true frost lay beneath—labyrinthine war prisons so deep even sunlight had forgotten them. Screams here echoed for years. Some rebels were still trapped below, kept alive only by vengeance.
And lastly…
Zelkaris — the jewel of the system, once envied by all. Now, a fractured gem pressed under royal tyranny and rebel fire. From its twin moons, one could almost hear the fracture lines spread.
At that exact moment, across these bleeding worlds, a command resonated:
"Hold your fires. Hold your wrath. The hour approaches."
Quoorax's encrypted signals pulsed through hidden channels. On every planet, rebels stopped, listened, and prepared.
From caverns to cloud-scrapers, they emerged in silence, preparing to converge.
Meanwhile…
In Vokar Sector 2, the ancient Royal Palace—a glimmering monolith built from obsidian and kinetic glass—stood like a fang in the heart of the empire.
Inside, in the grand Holo-Chamber, a shimmering projection cast ghostly images across the hall.
A circle of royalty stood in spectral presence.
King Vorzan of Orvus, wearing a breathing helm choked by ash.
Queen Astell of Zelkaris, face unreadable, body still.
The twin generals of Volturna, whispering something no one heard.
An assassin from Hythrax, hidden in full shade.
And presiding over the entire meeting…
Varel, heir to the imperial bloodline, his voice cold but steady—still carrying the bruises from Laco's hand.
"Let the royal summit commence," Varel declared, concealing the lingering dread still lodged in his throat.
The air thickened with unspoken tension.
Across light-years, two forces sat in separate rooms—holographs and hollow walls between them—but the truth was this:
The Lilliput Star System had split.
Two polar t
hrones.
Two different dawns.
But only one future.
Royal Assembly – Vokar Sector 2, Royal Palace (Holographic Meeting)
The air shimmered with translucent light as ten monarchs stood projected within glowing blue pillars—each sovereign ruler of a Zypherian world, linked through holographic relay across the Lilliput Star System.
At the center of the war dome, Commander Roouch stood tall in gleaming tactical armor, his right eye displaying a digital feed, his voice steady and composed.
"This is a comprehensive threat assessment of the insurgent factions destabilizing our hold over the outer colonies," he began. A tri-symbol hologram flared above his palm—each icon pulsing crimson.
1. The Liberation Army
Active Planets: Orvus, Shadrax, Eldrion, Drest, Volturna, Hythrax, Myra, Noxera.
Leader: Arco, a Zypherian male of lower A-Class threat level.
"While not physically dominant, Arco is an expert in systemwide logistics and sector disruption," Roouch said. "His forces have paralyzed supply lines in four major trade routes."
2. The Eyrvaks (Vokar-based)
Leader: Targan, specialized in long-term infiltration and psychological destabilization.
"Targan's cells have embedded themselves in both outer military units and inner-city civil chains."
3. The Scorched Branch (Vokar-based)
Leader: Rovin, former royal shadow operative.
"Rovin was trained by imperial assassins. His faction is now triggering systematic tech-blackouts in northern Vokar."
4. The Verdalian Resistance (newly allied)
Leaders: Jason and Captain Shin
Species: Verdalians – a silver-haired, green-skinned warrior race from the planet Verdalia, located 55 light-years from Vokar.
"Three days ago, Jason and Shin's forces formally joined the rebel front. This unification poses the highest strategic risk within the Vokar region."
The schematic spun slowly above Roouch as each rebel faction flickered into visual context—battles, emblems, known safehouses.
"If left unchecked, we predict the first joint strike from the combined factions in under ten days."
Queen Astell of Zelkaris leaned forward in her projection.
"You're telling us a lower-tier strategist, a pair of ex-militia, and off-world forest natives are coordinating against our dominion?"
Commander Roouch responded firmly,
"Correct. Arco for tactics. Targan and Rovin for sabotage. Jason and Shin… as symbolic unifiers. The Verdalians have deep-rooted ancestral loyalty systems. If they spark a cross-planet rally, resistance will spread beyond Vokar."
King Vorzan of Myra growled,
"We burn the symbol. Crush the spine. Silence the forest."
Roouch nodded.
"We propose a multi-front strike.
– Isolate Arco in the outer colonies using drone lockdown.
– Activate Purge Protocol in Vokar against the Eyrvaks and Scorched Branch.
– Use orbital blockers to sever contact with Verdalia.
This will force their leadership underground."
All nine royalties murmured in agreement.
Then, all turned toward the tenth hologram—King Laco, the sovereign of Vokar, standing silent in shadow, arms folded behind his back, one eye glowing softly.
Roouch spoke, carefully.
"With your blessing, my King?"
Laco's gaze narrowed.
Then… a simple nod.
Authorization granted.
And it was coming.
Vokar Royal Palace – Holographic War Dome, Moments After Laco's Entrance
The war dome froze.
It didn't matter that some of the royals were 55 light-years away, safely tucked in their planetary fortresses or hidden citadels. The moment King Laco stepped forward in the Vokar palace, his holographic presence cast a suffocating silence across the stars.
Even through projection, his aura bled through—an ancient, cold energy that felt like the weight of a dead galaxy pressing down on every soul.
The rulers of nine civilizations, once bold in posture, shrank back in instinctual dread.
Queen Astell clutched her armrest, her silver gloves trembling slightly.
The iron-skinned warlords of Drest ceased their posturing.
King Vorzan's amusement vanished, replaced with unreadable tension.
None had expected Laco himself to appear.
Even from afar, the green-skinned, silver-haired Vardalians—elders of star-conquest, feared by all—sat up straight in their throne. Their ancient memories whispered warnings: "Do not cross the man who commands silence."
Laco walked toward the war dome's center, steps slow and measured.
A metallic hiss followed every movement of his long, obsidian cloak.
One of his eyes gleamed violet, the other completely black, like a void swallowing stars. His very existence carried the smell of distant wars and unspoken catastrophes.
"You talk of defense… rebellion… delay," Laco said, his voice low and heavy, like metal grinding against fate.
"But fear… does not change outcome."
His words didn't echo—but they didn't need to. They were felt more than heard.
"Verdalia breathes louder than it should. Arco strains its leash. Even the rebel sparks in the Liliput system flicker like they've forgotten gravity."
"You forget who held the leash before the stars were named."
His gaze drifted across the monarchs.
One-by-one, they looked away.
"Let the Purge begin."
He turned to Roouch, who bowed low in silent obedience.
"Initiate all three fronts."
"Yes… my King."
Without another word, Laco stepped back, and his projection vanished—leaving behind a chilling vacuum in both the air and the room.
No one spoke.
Even the light from the war dome projectors seemed dimmer after he left.
Queen Astell was the first to exhale, voice barely audible.
"Even galaxies away… his presence tightens the lungs."
King Vorzan finally broke his silence.
"Verdalia has no choice now. We either crush them together… or burn one-by-one."
And high above them, in distant star systems, coded orders began to flash across space:
Operation Void Seal.
Arco Suppression Strike.
Verdalian Outer Ring Invasion.
The war machine had been unleashed.
The galaxy would remember the moment Laco appeared.
And never forget how quickly hope began to vanish.