Infinity Ray Expedition

After Nolan joins the Coalition of Planets, he and Allen the Alien are sent to recover the fabled Infinity Ray, a weapon they believe could tip the balance in the coming clash with the Viltrum Empire. Also known as the Return of the Space Racer, this expedition stands as one of three events that mark the opening of the Viltrumite War, the decisive confrontation between the Coalition and Viltrum. The mission unfolds across an asteroid field where Nolan's violent past finally catches up with him.

Aboard a Viltrumite Cruiser after leaving the prison asteroid, Nolan walks Allen through how close his people came to extinction, a story that moves the tearful alien to say he is glad he never knew his own father. Thaedus tasks General Telia, Allen, and Nolan with quietly gathering fresh weapons, and with Captain Pikell's guidance they set course for the Infinity Ray, a day's journey away. Once the Venture reaches the asteroids, Nolan and Allen head out into open space and locate a cavernous rock where Nolan admits he once beat Space Racer and entombed him, expecting the wanderer to starve. They find the weapon, only for it to dart away on its own.

Searching for its owner, the pair discovers that Space Racer never died. A century on, he bursts free and fires a beam powerful enough to punch through several asteroids. A two-against-one brawl erupts, and the agile nomad handles both the Unopan and the Viltrumite with ease. Allen halts the fight to explain that they came for the weapon but now want the wielder too. Still furious, Space Racer is swayed once Nolan offers a genuine apology, framing his old cruelty as the act of a different man. Startled by the remorse, the Racer agrees to join for the time being and asks for a meal, waving off the offer of Kanzlok with a dry remark that he has only been dead a century, not a hundred of them.

Space Racer sets out for Talescria, where Telia has already warned the Coalition that a formidable new ally is inbound, and Thaedus nods in approval at the growing ranks. In the closing months of the Viltrumite War, after the Graysons all vanish, the Racer takes part in numerous engagements and does heavy damage to the Empire's strongest fighters.