The Forgeborn Challenge

From the surface of Lytherion, a shadow cuts across the distant sun, a black dot cast against Lytherion's furthest star. The comet that passes by heralds the start of the Stellar Convergence, as an event that happens once every few centuries. Across the galaxy the news spreads, calling out all the renegades, warlords, and daredevils eager to test their mettle and gain glory. In three rotations, the Celvaris Cluster brims with ships, each awaiting the electromagnetic ignition that will mark the beginning of the Forgeborn Challenge.

Notice to all you miscreants across the stars, it is has begun.

The moment arrives. Seven quasars align in a celestial chorus, their energies converging into a radiant beam piercing the expanse. The first pulse erupts, a rippling wave of electromagnetic force rolling through the debris field. Engines roar to life as the ships surge forward, their sights set on the ruined expanse.

Commander Vann in the Iron Fang tears through the chaos first. From the Zyphora Nexus, he embodies direct, unrelenting force. His strategy is simple: obliterate the debris. Plasma beams and shock charges reduce chunks of metal and rock to harmless fragments, carving a path straight to the center.

Close behind, Commander Varin pilots the Radiant Horizon. Hailing from the Celvaris Cluster, her ship weaves through the rubble with unparalleled grace. Refusing to disrupt the delicate energies of the expanse, she maneuvers with precision, her ship a beacon of luminous elegance among the carnage.

Not far behind, the Prism Star lurks in the shadows, its reflective surface blending seamlessly with the void. Commander Laas from the Obris Veil thrives on subtlety and strategy. Her ship appears only long enough to exploit the paths cleared by the Iron Fang and Radiant Horizon. The Prism Star slips into the wake of Commander Vann’s destruction, vanishing before he can respond.

The halfway point looms, a thin band of space separating the outer debris from the denser, perilous inner region. Here, a ripple of gravity shifts the field. Commander Try in the Therynspire emerges from the Aetherlane, the universe folding and unfolding around them. The sleek Adarthis ship bristles with precise engineering, the metallic gleam of its hull seeming to absorb the starfire around it.

As the ships press forward, the weaker and less prepared falter. Wreckage dots the expanse where overconfident pilots underestimate the challenge. In the chaotic heart of the competition, the stakes escalate. Commander Vann blasts through a cluster of debris, inadvertently sending a hailstorm of jagged metal into the path of the Radiant Horizon. The impact cripples Commander Varin’s ship, forcing her to slow to a crawl. Her calm voice echoes through her ship's comms. "The will of radiance guides me elsewhere." Despite the setback, her sensors detect a small meteor fragment, dense with rare minerals, drifting nearby.

Deeper into the expanse, the competition turns brutal. Commander Try engages a rival ship, the Ebon Stride, in a deadly exchange of plasma fire, precision strikes disabling the opponent’s thrusters. Yet as the Therynspire clears a path, Commander Vann takes advantage. Reversing his tractor beam, he shoves the Adarthis ship into a denser cluster of debris, giving himself an edge.

Victory seems assured for Commander Vann as the Iron Fang approaches the dead planet at the core. But as he prepares for his final push, a sudden localized EMP erupts, shutting down his ship's systems. Before he can react, the Prism Star materializes from the void, gliding effortlessly into position.

Then comes the twist. The shimmering space around the Prism Star reveals another ship occupying the same coordinates. The Starpiercer, crewed by Tahlvyn Arc androids, emerges, its advanced technology achieving superposition. Commander Thal has used the Prism Star’s route to shield their own, a bold and ingenious strategy.

At that moment, the Stellar Convergence reaches its peak. A massive electromagnetic wave sweeps through the expanse, disabling any ship not within the planet’s innermost orbit. The Starpiercer, already at the core, claims victory. Its android crew begins recording their proof before retreating ahead of the pulse’s destructive aftermath.

The field quiets, the dead planet fading back into obscurity. The remaining commanders, though beaten, salvage what they can. Commander Varin returns to Lytherion with the meteor fragment, a treasure that will fuel her people’s trade and enrich their sacred rites.

From the ruins of the Forgeborn Challenge, legends forge anew, each commander’s tale a thread in the tapestry of the universe’s lawless history.