Chapter 26: Trouble Aboard the Ark!

The tranquil silence of the suburban neighborhood was

suddenly interrupted by a soft beep from Ethan's wrist comm. He glanced down,

expecting a routine status update from the Ark or a check-in from one of the

automated systems. But when he saw the flashing red alert symbol on the screen,

his heart sank.

"Captain," came the calm but urgent voice of

Castra, the Ark's navigational officer. "We've got a situation."

Ethan's fingers hovered over the comm as he quickly

responded. "What's going on, Castra?"

On the other end, Castra's voice was steady, though there

was an underlying tension that put Ethan on high alert. "We've picked up a

rogue Imperial fleet on long-range scanners. They're moving fast, and their

course suggests they're targeting the Ark. They'll be within striking distance

in under an hour."

Ethan's blood ran cold. The Ark, currently in orbit, was