Far across the black sea of space, the world of Controval-3 burned red again. Its skies glowed with the light of factories and forge-fires, and its oceans reflected the smoke of warships rising one by one. After years of silence, the planet was awake.
At the heart of this awakening stood a man once known to Earth—Commander Ryven Korr. He had fought beside Fujita Giono during the final days of the old war, a brave soldier, fierce and loyal. But when peace came, he was left behind—trapped on Controval-3 when the ceasefire broke. To the people of Earth, he was dead.
To Controval, he became something else.
They called him The Redeemer—the man who would bring honor back to their lost world.
Ryven had changed. His body was rebuilt by Controval's engineers, his blood mixed with machine code, his voice half-human, half-metal. The war had taken his humanity, and Controval gave him purpose instead.
He stood now in the great war hall, before the Council of Seven—the rulers who had once begged for peace. Around him floated holograms of Earth's cities, including New Solaria, bright and full of life.
"Fujita Giono," one of the councilors said, "has refused our agreement. He would rather rebuild alone than stand united under Controval's command."
Ryven's eyes narrowed. "Then he has forgotten who saved him in the void."
Another councilor, her voice cold, said, "Earth grows strong again. If we wait too long, they will outnumber us."
Ryven turned toward the screen, staring at Fujita's face frozen in a still image. "Then we strike before he finishes what he started."
For months, Ryven built what the council could not—a new kind of army. Machines forged from both flesh and alloy, bound by his will. He called them The Dominion, warriors who never slept, never aged, never feared death. Each was linked to him through neural cores—his mind guiding thousands like a single storm.
Deep within the mountains of Controval-3, a massive ship was being born. Its hull shimmered with plasma light; its engines were powerful enough to shatter moons. It was called The Revenant—the largest warship ever built.
Dr. Olin Verris, a Controval scientist who once worked under Pris, stood beside him in the hangar. "You've gone too far, Ryven. These weapons can destroy planets. You'll burn both worlds."
Ryven looked at her, his tone calm but sharp. "The war already burned us once. Now I'll make sure only one world rises from the ashes."
Every day, he trained his soldiers under the dark suns. Every night, he stood at the edge of the great observatory, looking toward the faint blue dot in the distance—Earth.
"I fought for you once, Fujita," he whispered into the silence. "But now, I'll fight because of you."
And then, on the fifteenth year since the end of the war, Controval's skies opened once more.
From orbit, fleets of starships lit up the void like a storm of fireflies. Engines roared, systems awakened, and the great ship Revenant rose through the black clouds, leading the armada forward.
On its bridge, Ryven gave a single command—his voice cold and steady.
> "Set the course for Earth."
And in the far distance, beyond the darkness of space, Fujita Giono looked up at the same sky.
The stars were moving again.
He knew who was coming.