Nor saw herself on the screen now, just as the rest of Mirabel surely saw her. Regal. Terrifying. All because of Valen’s compulsion, far stronger than Nor’s ever could be. “I come to you as your queen, asking you to join me in working even harder to build the future we all wish to attain. We must be vigilant in our efforts to complete Nexus, and to root out all those who wish to defy our cause.” She paused momentarily for effect. “With your help, by moon’s end, we will finish the construction of Nexus, and a new era will rise.”

Nexus. It held all of her hopes and dreams for the future.

A massive satellite being built on this very floating mountain, large enough in diameter to rival a small planet. When it was launched into space, it would be the key to everything, sealing her claim on every mind across Mirabel.

And giving her access to the weapons systems on every planet in the galaxy.

It was awe-inspiring, a tremendous creation that would take weeks, still, to build. Resources and ships and workers from all over Mirabel had come together to construct it, and when it was completed...

Nor could already taste her victory.

She could almost see Nexus working already, channeling Valen’s compulsion to the farthest corners of the galaxy. Transmitting the command for all the other capital planets to launch their missiles toward the Void that hovered in space just beyond the outer reaches of the Phelexos System.

To everyone else in Mirabel, the Void was just a swath of darkness, a place where the light of the stars couldn’t reach. But Nor knew better. She knew what lay beyond that Void, just waiting for her to open the door. To blast a hole through that darkness to reveal what was hidden on the other side; the very thing Nor’s mother had spent her entire life failing to reach.

Exonia, Nor thought, the word like a balm to her soul. The galaxy Klaren truly hailed from, a galaxy of people who had spent years suffering the same fate as those on Xen Ptera, trapped in a dying world with no hope of escape.

She would follow in Klaren’s footsteps, but she would not fail like her mother had. With Valen at her side, no matter the cost...they would succeed.

Nor took a deep breath and continued her speech. “I urge you not to falter—”

The screen across from her flickered, then filled with a static so thick that for a moment, Nor lost sight of herself. She paused, waiting impatiently as the newscaster droids scrambled to fix the connection, the producer commanding them about. But the static only worsened. It had never been an issue before, even when they were filming aboard Nor’s ship, hurtling through hyperspace toward Arcardius.