Allegiances have a cost
Protection, control, routes and certainty: the powers around the Fold want different things from the same pilot.
The Guardians and the Black Fleet
The Guardians connect Lyra to knowledge of the branches and the Starforge. Contact can become an alliance, but the story also records refusal and bargaining. Meeting a faction begins a relationship; it does not guarantee permanent trust.
Varek and the Black Fleet pursue the ship carrying Lyra. The campaign distinguishes hearing the fleet out, refusing it and attacking it. Those actions can change reputation and lead directly to combat.
A resistance needs more than fighters
Cartel routes, the safety of Haven, recovered Starforge data and the people aboard your ship all contribute to the campaign. Helping civilians or keeping the crew together can matter alongside military alliances.
The Null Tribunal offers another interpretation of the conflict. Its arc has its own encounters and consequences. The archive keeps these branches separate so that one path is never silently presented as the history of every player.