Back in the command center

Lena's hand gripped the arm of her chair tightly, her mind working at full speed as the tactical situation shifted. The Rhytil flagship had been severely damaged, but the battle wasn't won yet. The enemy was regrouping.

"Commander, we're detecting an anomaly in their power grid," one of the officers reported. "It's... something big. A new weapon, perhaps?"

Lena's heart skipped a beat. "Prepare all ships for evasive maneuvers! Whatever they're planning, we need to be ready."

A new energy reading appeared on the map, much stronger than any previous readings. Something dangerous was coming.

Zalthar stood in the heart of his command station, his fingers moving over a series of complex controls. The weapon was ready—a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the battle. His eyes glinted with cold resolve as he initiated the countdown.

The weapon, powered by a fusion of Rhytil and unknown ancient technology, was designed to decimate entire fleets. If unleashed, it would obliterate everything in its path—including both the Alliance and Rhytil forces caught in the blast.

"This ends now," Zalthar muttered, pressing the final sequence of buttons. "No more hesitation."

The weapon hummed to life, a pulse of energy beginning to form at the core of the planet.

Lena's instincts flared. She could feel the pressure building, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Something was wrong. The readings were off, and the energy surge wasn't natural.

"Brace for impact!" Lena shouted. "Get everyone out of there, now!"

The officers scrambled to execute the evasive maneuvers, but the energy pulse shot out from the Rhytil planet before they could fully react. The Alliance ships, still in close formation, were caught in the blast radius.