The Empire's Descent

Prologue

"...Alright... there," A man no older than twenty, with his voice tinged with contempt, muttered as he adjusted his cap in the mirror. His dull-grey uniform clung to his thin form, adorned with a patch that denoted his rank as Lieutenant.

He opened the door to his quarters, stepping into the brightly lit hallway, and moved with purpose. After what seemed like whole hours of wandering repetitive grey halls, he reached a massive steel door labeled 'BRIDGE' in bold white letters.

Taking a deep breath, the Lieutenant steeled himself before stepping forth to the door to the bridge, which parted itself automatically to give way to the man. Inside, a symphony of flickering monitors and bustling crew members greeted him.

"Lieutenant, right on time!" exclaimed a fellow officer in the same grey uniform, a glint of recognition in his eyes.

"Nice to see you too, sir. Any news?" the Lieutenant inquired, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity, being comfortable with his colleague- even if said person outranked him.

"We received reports of an unknown anomaly at the front of the fleet," the officer replied, his tone laden with calm, albeit accompanied with a slight taste of intrigue.

"Sir, we have ships capable of leveling entire planets to wastelands. I have a feeling this anomaly shouldn't be too much cause for alarm," the Lieutenant reassured, his voice filled with confidence.

"Your words may hold truth, Lieutenant, but the readings indicate an unknown source of energy emanating from it, and it's quite the reading." His superior explained, a furrow forming on his brow.

"Really? Then why are we here, sir?"

"The Emperor himself has deemed it necessary to establish an outpost here, although they haven't provided specific reasons for a military presence," the officer divulged, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Actually, there it is right now," the officer added, gesturing towards the window with a mix of intrigue and trepidation.

With wary eyes, the Lieutenant joined the officer, their eyes fixed upon the unknown sight before them. A mysterious purple mass made of a gas-like material exuded an ethereal aura, captivating their attention.

"We have no idea what it is. Any attempts of sending drones in were lost, and any attempts at scanning, beaming, or even shooting it came up inconclusive." the officer recalled, a sense of awe creeping into his voice.

The Lieutenant slightly shivered involuntarily, the mere sight of the swirling purple mass somehow giving him an unknown feeling, a feeling that twisted knots in his stomach and made the hairs on his neck rise up. Something was not right, his instincts screamed.

Before the Lieutenant could offer a response, the officer's gaze shifted to the anomaly's epicenter, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Wait... that's odd..."

"What is it?" the Lieutenant inquired.

"The anomaly... does it appear to be expanding to you?" the officer questioned, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and disbelief.

The anomaly began to shift and writhe, its movements intertwining with the fleet of numerous ships. In a matter of moments, in speeds that could be missed by simply blinking, it swelled in size, expanding until it resembled a colossal star, only to collapse in on itself. A blinding yellow light soon engulfed the entire fleet.

As swiftly as it had appeared, the flash of light dissipated, leaving no trace of the once-proud 44th Imperial Fleet. When news of the fleet's disappearance reached the ears of the people, the event became forever known as 'The Missing Fleet.'

To this day, no soul has ever caught sight of the fleet or its valiant crew ever again, their fate entwined with the anomaly that swallowed them whole, condemning them to an unknown fate.