“You have, and then some…and if a ship is what you need, a ship you’ll get, Chase.”
“Thank you.”
“We have a new class of destroyer ships fresh out of the docks, that is it will be when Spiros finalizes his work on the new shields’ design. We haven’t named her yet, so before the painting bots do their magic, let me know what you’d like to call her.”
Chase grinned as he thought about it. “Iron Fire.”
“Hmmm…For some reason, I excepted you to say Destiny.”
“The Destiny was always Saroudis’ ship. This name is forever tied to his legacy. The Iron Fire, on the other hand, was the first ship I was given command of, the one with which I returned to Earth to stop your fleet. Well, Argos’ fleet. Back then, the mission had also been one requiring us to go into uncharted territory. Seems fitting to bring that particular name back, seeing how similar this mission could be.”
Altair nodded. “I can see that. As for your brother when he commandeered my fleet away from me to attack Earth, he was pretty ruthless back then. I remember spending most of that battle unconscious. What he called an alliance back then was nothing more than subduing my people and me into doing his bidding. But I guess both he and I were very different people back then.”
Chase smiled, but quickly sadness filled his eyes. “Yes…old enemies became friends. In my case, even family. It’s a strange universe we live in, but at least it doesn’t get boring.”
“Try spending fourteen hours a day behind a glass desk drowned in paperwork and let’s have that discussion again.”
“Ha, fair enough.”
Altair briefly brushed his hand over his chin. “It’s good to see you, Chase.”
Chase stared at Altair for a moment. “It’s good to see you, too, even though it brings up a slew of different memories, you know…”
“Nostalgia?”
“I suppose, in a twisted kind of way.”
“I understand. As for your ship, the soon-to-be-christened Iron Fire is yours to do as you please. I would request that you try to avoid making new enemies in your travels. If it can be avoided, that is.”
“I have no intention of starting a war with anyone, but obviously, I’ll defend myself if I need to.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less…Admiral?”
“No—I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not resuming my commission.”
“You kind of have to, Chase, at least on paper. Otherwise, I’ll have a hard time justifying who’s in command of an Earth Alliance destroyer.”
Chase flinched. “Alright then, I guess I can live with that.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll let Spiros know he needs to hurry and put the finishing touches on the ship. I think you’ll like her, she’s equipped with the most advanced technology of any ship to date. She’s fast, powerful, perhaps not as much as a Warheart class destroyer, or not as massive as the new dreadnoughts we’re working on with the Asgaridans, but she packs quite a punch for a ship her size, that’s for sure.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Hopefully, I won’t have to push her too much.”
“Well, at least you’ll have plenty of firepower to defend yourself. Do you mind if I ask you for a favor while in the unknown regions?”
“Not at all, what is it?”
“Well, if you could chart every place you travel to and send the intel back to us via subspace? I’m mostly after data regarding potential worlds that could be beneficial for the Alliance to try to approach and perhaps extend our jump gate network to? If you’re correct, and the Spectres return, we may need new allies. What better place than the unknown regions to find them.”
“I’ll set the onboard computer to do all of that for me if that’s alright with you. Not exactly going on a sightseeing trip. Hopefully, subspace communication will function wherever I’m heading.”
“Sure, whatever you can do will be appreciated, and, Chase?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful, will ya?”
Chase gave the best smile he could muster.
“No promises.”
4
Argos deflected the fireball back to his nephew, Chris, with the flick of the back of his hand. Chris avoided the energy-based attack by somersaulting in the air and joining his hands together and used them as a hammer to slam Argos to the ground. Before Chris could land on his uncle’s back, knee first, Argos rolled out of the way and quickly regained his footing, losing no time throwing a roundhouse kick toward Chris’ head. Chris blocked the blow with his elbow and unleashed a powerful shockwave with his other hand that sent his uncle flying backward. Argos recovered his balance in midair and landed on his feet gracefully.
He’s getting stronger every day. Over time, he could very well become more powerful than his father.
It was getting harder to look at Chris as a young boy. He was easily looking nineteen now, his body had the right amount of athletic muscle for his age as well as the training regimen he had put himself through lately. By all accounts, a Fury to be reckoned with. Technically, the boy wasn’t even two years old, since having interfered with his own genes from within the womb of his mother in order to grow faster and help his parents in the Fury War. If Argos hadn’t stabilized his DNA, he would have continued to age at an accelerated pace and would have most likely died already. Or would he have? Just like Chase and Argos, Chris had Olympian blood running through his veins that could potentially grant him immortality or, at the very least, a longer than normal lifespan.
Was Argos immortal? Ever since he had joined his brother’s cause against the Fury, he felt younger than ever, his gray hair now all but gone, the only distinctive features between Chase and him was the scar across Argos’ face and his red eyes. He had cut his long flowing hair to shoulder length.
Chris was standing straight, an open palm aimed at his uncle. At the exact same time, Argos felt a familiar aura in the distance. Chris’ fireball crackled to life but fizzled shortly after.
“Why are you stopping?” asked Argos.
“Your head is not in the fight today. What’s on your mind?”
“You felt it too, didn’t you?”
Chris looked away and went to grab a bottle of water.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” added Argos.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“He’s your father.”
“Biologically, perhaps. But he’s not filling that role anymore. As a matter of fact, I wonder if he ever did.”
Even though the bond that Chris and Argos shared was strong, and on a certain level was the reason why Argos truly felt like part of the group after he defected from the Furies, he hated seeing Chris’ resentment toward his father.
“You know he didn’t abandon your mother on the battlefield that day, he was trying to save your sister’s life.”
“I don’t have a sister!”
“Oh, that’s how you want to deal with this? Your unborn sister, then.”
“Mom’s life was more important.”
“I can tell you that if she were here, she’d slap some sense into you. And we both know it didn’t matter whether or not Chase had come to Sarah’s aid, she had been infected by the Spectre’s blood already, the damage was done and there was nothing more he could have done.”
Chris turned around, making a fist. “He could have at least tried!.”
Argos threw his hands at Chris. “Well, you and your father sure share that Athanatos stubbornness.”
When Chris didn’t answer and turned away, Argos came by his side and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Look, what’s going on between you and your father is something you’ll have to deal with on your own terms, I get that. Know that I’m here if you want to talk about it. In the meantime, Chase is here. I suggest you at least think about saying hi, but ultimately, the choice is yours.”
Chris delicately brushed off his uncle’s hand. “Thanks, Uncle. You should go see him if you feel the need, he knows where to f
ind me…should he care.”
“Oh, he does, trust me. More than you’re willing to accept.”
Chris’ voice was filled with sadness. “That remains to be seen.”
When Daniel opened his apartment door, Chase could tell how surprised his best friend was to see him. In fact, he was probably the last person Daniel expected to see.
“Chase! Holy shit, it’s really you!”
“Hey—” Chase hesitated for a fleeting moment, “bro,” he finally added. “Long time no see.”
Daniel took Chase in his arms and patted his back firmly.
“Are you kidding me, it’s been a year, so yeah, long time indeed! Come in.”
Chase nodded as he stepped in and walked to the living room.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Daniel asked, gesturing Chase to sit down on the couch.
“No, but thank you,” Chase said as he sat.
“How come you’re here? I thought you were staying in Sarah’s old apartment in DC, watching over her. Not that I’m complaining, it’s really good seeing you.”
“It’s good to see you too, my friend. I—I’m sorry I haven’t stayed in contact these last few months. I needed some time alone. I hope you understand.”
“I gathered that, yes. I’m glad you finally decided to reach out, though. I saw Chris and Argos yesterday.”
“Did you? How are they?”
“Well, Argos seemed fine. Chris, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be dealing with your absence all that well. You should consider paying him a visit. I take it that’s why you’re here though, right?”
“Not exactly. And truth be told, I don’t know if it would be such a great idea. The few times we’ve met over the past year, the only thing we accomplished was bringing anger and resentment to the surface.”
“Even so, he’s your son, Chase. You may have lost your wife, but he lost his mother.”
“Sarah isn’t lost, not yet.”
“Yeah, of course, that’s not what I meant to say by lost. You know what I mean, though.”
“I do. But Chris doesn’t seem interested in anything I have to say about that day. Why would he? I should never have brought Sarah to fight with us in the first place. Chris is mad at me, rightfully so, I might add. Gods know I’m mad at myself.”
“I can’t speak for Sarah, but seems to me it was her choice and knowing her, she wouldn’t have been okay with staying on the sidelines. As for Chris, I think he’s madder at you for isolating yourself in the aftermath of battle than what happened on that day. You’re both hurt and instead of sharing this as a family, you’re driving a wedge between yourselves. Talk to him, Chase, maybe the two of you can mend some fences.”
Chase took a moment to consider his friend’s advice.
“I’ll think about it, thanks. But enough about me; I’d like to know how you’ve been and what’s new with you.”
“Well, until now, not that much really. Although Altair offered me command of Alkyonidon Station, which will be the future headquarters for the Alliance. Once it’s up and ready, that is.”
“That sounds like a fun assignment as well as a nice promotion, congrats.”
“Thanks, I haven’t accepted the position yet. I’m still thinking it over.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“Well, for one, I don’t know if I’m the right man for the job. And I’m not sure I’ll enjoy commanding a space station. You know me, I need to travel through the stars. A station by definition is stationary. Might not be my cup of tea, so I’m not sure I’ll take the position.”
“I’m sure you’ll get plenty of opportunities to travel to and from the station, perhaps you should give it a try. If it’s not for you, you can always ask Altair to replace you down the line.”
“True, I hadn’t considered that. I know I should avoid the subject since it’s probably still fresh in your mind, but don’t you miss it?”
Chase lifted an eyebrow. “Miss what?”
“War, or more precisely, fighting for our lives. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad it’s over, but now that it is, it feels like something is missing. The thrill, the excitement. Days seem pretty boring now, not that I’d want the Furies back or anything like that. But I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m spending most of my days inside the house, watching the damn TV, five hundred plus channels and I still get the feeling that there’s nothing interesting to watch.”
Chase smiled. “I don’t miss the war, no. I do miss my friends, and I do miss the bond we all shared under pressure, but I’m not missing the impending doom. But, most of all…I miss her.”
“I know, Chase. We all do. Are you planning on doing something about Sarah’s condition? Is that why you came back?”
Chase nodded. “Yes, though technically I’m not ‘back’ per se. I came to commandeer a ship that I’ll be taking out shortly.”
“A ship you say? Where to? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“The unknown regions.”
Daniel’s eyes gleamed. “Sounds to me like you’ll be needing a first officer, then?”
Chase shook his head. “I can’t, Dan. Gotta do this one on my own.”
“The hell you do! It took so much time for you to finally trust your friends to help you in the Fury War, don’t go back to your old self, Chase.”
“Sarah’s predicament is my fault, even though she insisted on coming, I should never have taken her with us to fight Tanak’Vor. My father prevented Athena from coming to the battle, and while she’s pissed at him for that, she’s still alive. That’s one occurrence where I feel I should have taken a page out of my father’s playbook. I’m sure you can understand that. So I need to do this on my own, where the only life I risk is mine.”
“Oh boy, your exaggerated sense of chivalry and self-sacrifice isn’t getting better as the years go by, you realize that, right?”
“I’m not following.”
“Chase, you’re being selfish, and the sad part of it is that you don’t even see it.”
“How is me doing this on my own selfish?”
“Because the people who care about you, myself included, want to help. We all love Sarah, we all want to see her get better; shutting us out is also ignoring our needs on the matter. I get that you’re hurting, I truly do, but have you stopped to think about how that makes us feel? I miss you, and your family misses you, too. You act as if you’re too hurt to process these emotions, and don’t get me wrong I know you are hurt. And I understand that you needed time alone. Well, newsflash, we’ve given you that time and then some. Now that you plan on doing something about Sarah, you can’t simply expect us to be okay with you going on your own.”
Chase felt a sting in his heart. Was he being selfish? Was he too stubborn? Why couldn’t his friends and family understand the guilt and pain he felt in losing so many people? Chase never asked for any of it. Days like these he wished Aphroditis never made contact with him in the first place.
But perhaps he had not stopped to think about how his friends felt on the subject.
“I understand what you’re saying, Daniel. And I’ll consider it. But I’m afraid, right now, that’s the best I can do.”
“Well, not exactly a shocker, but thank you. That’s all I ask. Look, I know it’s been, and still is, hard for you. Just remember you’re not alone. We—your friends, your family—are here for you. Anytime, anywhere, in fact. We want to help you, no matter the risks. Don’t shut us out, I beg you. At the risk of repeating myself, we’re here for you.”
“I know you are, bro. I know you’re there for me, and even if I don’t always voice it properly, I hope you know how much it means to me.”
5
Captain Talon Epizon was gazing through the viewport. His ship, the Bellerophon, had exited hyperspace through the use of the newly constructed jump gate system. It pained him to have to use anything made by the Earth Alliance. But his own ship’s hyperspace engines had been damaged, and he hadn’t managed to fi
nd an affordable power capacitor that his archaic engine required in order to restore his ship’s jump capabilities. There were very few of these capacitors left in existence, and even fewer in working order. Sometimes Talon wondered if it wouldn’t be cheaper to simply buy a new ship.
The only capacitor that he had found was too rich for his hide unless he wanted to tempt fate and ask his ragtag smuggler’s crew how they would feel not receiving wages for the next few months. Something he wouldn’t, as he knew very well what their answer would be. They were mercenaries after all. So there he was with his hunk-a-junk ship unable to make its own jumps, thus relying on the Alliance he so despised.
It was late, and he was alone on the bridge. The onboard AI, hardly worthy of the intelligence moniker, could have taken care of navigation all on its own. But Talon didn’t trust anyone, not breathing beings and certainly not machines. It had been the case since he lost his entire family to the devastating attack on the Star Alliance by the Obsidian Empire.
And now the head of the Empire leads the Earth Alliance; they’re actually friends with these savages.
The doors of the bridge split open behind him. When he couldn’t hear the footsteps resonating on the metallic floor, he knew which of his crew had come in without the need for him to turn around and check.
“What can I do for you, my insectoid friend?”
Tar’Lock walked next to the captain and joined him in his late-night stargazing activity, even though it always felt like nighttime in space.
“I wanted to thank you for making the detour back to Earth. I know you don’t like to go there. I—I really appreciate it.”
Tar’Lock was right, Earth was a reminder of a past the captain wanted to forget, and perhaps, in time, forgive. Though the latter might take some significant time.
“You’re a valuable member of my crew, Tar’Lock. That’s the least I could do. How did it go? Did you find the closure you were looking for?”
“I wish I could say I did.” Tar’Lock sighed. “At the very least, it felt good to see my friends.”
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