The Death of Order
The fall of Cassian Voss was not just the death of a man - it was the death of restraint, of diplomacy, of the thin veneer of order GOER had clung to for so long.
The assassination took place in the heart of Luna Prime, the political nerve center of humanity's expansion. Security was supposedly impenetrable. GOER's High Command met in the reinforced Citadel Spire, a towering construct of steel and glass that loomed above the lunar capital. Yet, when the shot rang out, none of the safeguards mattered.
Cassian Voss collapsed at the center of the High Council chamber, blood seeping into the marble floor as the sound of a single, silenced round echoed in the stunned silence.
Panic erupted. Armed guards swarmed the hall, locking down exits as councilors ducked behind tables. A dozen theories flooded the room at once - was it an Aetherian agent? A corporate coup? An act of rogue insurgency?
Octavian Rhys didn't wait for the answer. He seized the moment.
The Rise of Octavian Rhys
In the chaos that followed, Octavian Rhys, GOER's ambitious and ruthless Defense Minister, took the reins before anyone could challenge him. By the time the council regained composure, he had already issued Directive 47A - an emergency act placing GOER under martial law.
"Humanity can no longer afford weakness," Rhys declared, standing where Voss had fallen. His dark eyes swept across the chamber, daring anyone to oppose him. "The Aetherians have revealed their intentions. We must respond in kind. Total war is the only path forward."
His voice carried the weight of inevitability. For months, Rhys had been consolidating power, subtly undercutting Voss's leadership, painting the former High Commander as indecisive and naive. Now, with Voss gone, there was no one left to counter him.
Opposition came in murmurs, but no one dared to speak aloud - not with GOER's elite Echelon Guard surrounding the chamber, their visored helmets reflecting the councilors' uncertain expressions.
Lyra Renfield, still reeling from the loss of Mars, attempted to reason with him. "Rhys, this is madness. We don't even know who killed Voss! The Aetherians haven't made a move since their attack."
"They don't need to," Rhys shot back. "They see us as insects. We need to show them we are wolves."
When Seraphina Kael stepped forward, her voice was steady despite the tension. "You claim this is our only choice, but war with the Aetherians is suicide. You know that."
Rhys's smirk was cold. "Only if we fight on their terms."
With that, he activated the Horizon Protocol, a classified military directive Voss had refused to authorize - GOER's full mobilization for war. The fleet was no longer on defense. Now, they would strike first.
Nyx Calderon's Betrayal
While Rhys prepared for war, Nyx Calderon disappeared into the void.
Once a trusted intelligence advisor, she had spent her career unearthing secrets, but nothing had shaken her more than the truth behind the Aetherians. Their ancient history mirrored humanity's arrogance: they had once waged war among themselves, consumed by ambition, until only a fraction of their kind remained.
They had won their war by annihilating their own.
Now, Nyx saw history repeating. Humanity, reckless and desperate, was marching toward its own destruction. And so, she made her choice.
She defected.
Slipping past GOER's watchful eyes, she boarded a stealth vessel and vanished into deep space. Her destination? The Aetherians. If humanity would not listen, perhaps its executioners would.
As she watched Luna Prime shrink into the abyss, she felt neither regret nor fear.
Humanity did not deserve salvation.
It deserved extinction.
The War Begins
In the span of a single day, everything changed. GOER, once a symbol of exploration and unity, was now a war machine. Cassian Voss's assassination had been the catalyst - but the fire had been building for far longer.
The fleets were mobilizing.
The Aetherians had yet to retaliate.
But it was only a matter of time.