by Charles Nall
Trevor glanced at Jacob. “You know, we haven't really discussed payment yet, Jake.”
“Yes, yes. We'll get to that eventually. We have to get paid first before I split any of the revenue. Lieutenant Shepherd, I still don't know what is going on, but I will accept you into our crew. You will be on the weapons console once we have weapons.”
Elijah bowed his head to Jacob. “Yes, Captain Carpenter, thank you. But there's a bigger problem right now. I believe it’s close enough to be viewed on the viewscreen using the stern cameras. You will see.”
“Fine. Uh, I've watched some vids. How do they say it? Uh, crew, Overlay the rear cameras onto the viewscreen.”
Arnold laughed. “Come on, Jake, you don't believe this guy.”
“I got it,” Elijah said as he tapped on the console.
Trevor looked at the viewscreen. “I can't see anything. Lots of ice shards. Well, wait. Is that... Holy shit.”
Sharon's jaw dropped.
Arnold's attitude quickly changed. “Eff me. I owe you an apology.”
“That–that's–” stammered the horrified Jacob.
Elijah calmly said, “As I said, let us jump to hyperspace.”
A “Double-Crescent” was approaching Rapture amidst tumbling ice. The ice seemed to move on its own to create a path for the ship. The type of ship that had annihilated Earth. A menacing vessel that no one had seen since that fateful day.
The ship was about the size of a typical destroyer. The hull was painted a pitch black, nearly invisible against the blackness of space. The two crescents that made up the structure of the craft were connected by a tube-like apparatus. The crescents were swept back, away from the Rapture. One crescent was behind and above the other. The plating of the Double-Crescent seemed to be covered with spikes that protruded out of the hull at odd angles. An uneasy feeling came across the crew of Rapture as they stared at the ship, as if something dark was staring right back into their souls.
“Stare into the abyss...” Trevor said.
“Alright, crew, get to your stations!” Jacob yelled.
The crew quickly rearranged themselves to their respective consoles. Elijah sat at the damaged station.
Trevor yelled out, “I'm detecting an energy surge from that ship!”
“Let's get out of here! Trevor, plot a course, we need to arrive at the Silver Cove jumpgate,” Jacob said.
“Captain, respectfully, you can't just keep making me do this. I don't have time if they are charging a weapon. Oh, fine, we can do this. Sharon, keep an eye on that engine. Arnold, follow my lead. Kick the tires and light the fires, let's eff'n get out of here!” Trevor exclaimed.
Arnold called out, “Starting jump sequence. Won't be nearly as bad as the last jump, but let's not get cocky. Here we go.”
Trevor nodded. “Plotting the best I can for now through hyperspace, get ready, guys.”
“Sails are furled! Hyper-drive stable! We're good to go!” Sharon said.
“Huge energy spike on the sensors!” Trevor yelled.
“JUMP!” Jacob commanded.
A blast of energy fired out of the lower crescent of the Double-Crescent. The green blast missed Rapture as the ship jumped to hyperspace. The Double-Crescent drifted slowly in the field of ice. It did not jump to hyperspace in pursuit.
Nebula streamed around the Rapture. Orange beams pulsed in hyperspace across the shielding of the corvette. The azure background of hyperspace seemed to warp and tremble.
Trevor was trying his best at monitoring the hyperspace activity for Arnold. Arnold was piloting the ship around the unstable areas of hyperspace. Sharon was managing the status of the engine room. Jacob braced himself in his seat. Elijah rested his face in his palm.
Rapture hit a large patch of turbulence. The ship started to tremble violently as some of the plating of the bow was ripped off. An explosion was heard that echoed across the ship. The crew were knocked back and forth, but they kept on task.
“The leads blew out on the engine! Shields are down!” Sharon shouted. “The reactor and drive are stable for the now, but it's getting rough. No hull breach but a significant chunk of our bow was torn off!”
The ship lurched again. Metal groaned as the lighting flickered in the bridge.
“Huge gravity well coming up! I think it's the well of a huge star!” Trevor yelled.
“I got it!” Arnold said.
“Reactor is starting to overheat! I think there's an issue with the coolant system,” Sharon said.
“I have contact with the jumpgate at Silver Cove. We’ll be there soon! Hold on!” Trevor yelled.
Another wave of hyperspace turbulence hit Rapture. The ship was rocked, causing occasional metal plating to be loosed from where it was formerly placed. Jacob's restraints were not latched securely and he was launched out of his seat. He was rammed against the plating of the ceiling and knocked out. Elijah quickly unlatched himself and darted toward Jacob and dragged him back to his seat, quickly securing him before returning to his seat, amidst the chaos of the ship trembling in hyperspace.
Finally, the lurching stopped as Rapture entered standard space through a jumpgate. A cylindrical space station floated in the distance. A squadron of fighters that were hovering near the jumpgate turned their weapons toward Rapture.
Jacob opened his eyes. “Oof, what the...”
“Jake,” said Sharon, “The damage is moderate. I think we're stable, though. Good job, guys. From now on, let's plot our entire course before we jump.”
“Well, next time let's not have a effing Double-Crescent behind us, and we'll do that!” Trevor exclaimed.
“I'm getting a link request from the space station, Jacob. Those fighters are readying weapons. You okay to talk to whoever is calling? If you screw up...” Arnold said.
Jacob held his head. “I'm okay. That was rough. Vid overlay the link, let me talk to the Cove.”
An older man appeared on the viewscreen. He had long blonde hair with some gray streaks and a chiseled jawline. “Greetings, little corvette. Seem you have been treated pretty rough by hyperspace. I’m Captain Sid Hawk. What brings you to Silver Cove?”
Jacob answered, “Sir, I was told to come here. We are on the run from our own government. We come from Artemis, where a tragedy has befallen Exodus.”
“Yes, I've heard,” replied Captain Hawk, “another tragedy in a time of tragedies.”
Jacob continued, “We believe that there is something dark in the Galactic Union that allowed the tragedy to happen. We fear they want to connect us to the crime of the destruction of Exodus. We did nothing and can't risk being captured by the potentially dark forces of the Galactic Union. We just want a place to anchor our ship and a place to potentially earn a honest living.”
“I believe you,” said Captain Hawk, “I really do. I do not think you had anything to do with Exodus. But I cannot just let anybody into our station. Unfortunately, because of all the tragedies, I must completely trust anyone I welcome into my home. I hope you understand. Please just find somewhere else to go. If you do not turn back, you will be destroyed. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept you at this time.”
“Teresa Day sent us.”
Captain Sid Hawk smirked. “You think you can just name-drop Teresa Day, one of our sisters, and expect for me to let you in? Please just leave. You will not enter our home, and you will not become a part of the order. I’m sorry.”
Jacob looked at his crew with uneasy eyes.
“It's okay. We'll figure something out,” Trevor said.
Jacob looked back toward the viewscreen and stammered, “Well, then–respectfully, uh, sir, um. You're an idiot.”
Sharon gasped. “Jake! What are you doing?!”
Arnold placed his face into his palm.
A wide grin came across Captain Hawk's face. “What is your name, son?”
“Um, Jacob Carpenter.”
“I assume you’re the leader of your merry band?”
“Well, not by choice necessarily.
”
“And the names of your companions?” Hawk asked.
“Sharon Rose Turner, Trevor Reynolds, Arnold Lawrence, and our newest addition, Elijah Shepherd.”
“Turner? And Teresa sent you? I misjudged you, Carpenter. Only one person calls me an idiot to my face every time I speak to them, and that is Teresa. She's mostly right, though. You are welcome to our family. We'll get your ship patched up and go over credit accounts and registration information with you. Just remember the most important part of our code: You cannot take a mission that negatively impacts another mercenary brother,” Hawk said. “Within reason, of course. You may be assisting another faction that another mercenary is working for, but no missions that obviously harm your brother.”
“Thanks so much, sir. We have an old Peregrine fighter, is there a market for that?” Jacob asked. “That is, Elijah, if you’re okay with that still.”
Elijah nodded his approval.
Captain Sid Hawk smiled. “There is a market, I'm sure there will be a willing buyer. I owe Teresa Day a favor and we'll fix your corvette up. It appears you could use some weaponry. You need to be able to actually defend yourself. Let's get you guys settled. Do realize we will need to search your vessel for contraband or vampires. This is strictly a normal-only station, no segregation. Welcome to Silver Cove!”
February 10, 0270 AC - 13:08
Deck Four, CFS Iriguchi
Edge of Confederate Space
“So, Yamato, do you believe something weird is going on as well?”
Lieutenant Yamato Koizumi nodded and took a sip from his drink. “Yes, Riko, this is bigger than either of us. What can we really do, though?”
Riko and Yamato were visiting in the lounge of the fourth deck of Iriguchi. The lounge was filled with rowdy, overworked crew members who were soaking in as much rest as they could. A news program was playing on a monitor but the crew were not paying attention to it.
“I know. I think something awful is brewing, but there's nothing I can think of that could actually help,” Riko said.
“There's a rumor that Captain Oshiro defied some orders from Command,” Yamato Koizumi said. “Command has no spine and is not punishing the captain yet. They are about as confused as us, but after Exodus they do want more ships patrolling the border out here. Whatever the captain is up to, the admirals do not agree. There's nothing we can do, especially if Command realizes something is off and is refusing to do anything about it.”
“The really strange part is that several warships seem to be also performing these weird tasks, as well. As if there was a small force within the Confederation that really wants war,” Riko said.
“Have you ever considered that perhaps the Confederation is at fault? Could Orion have something to do with the destruction of Exodus? The Union is saying that the captain of Exodus has ties to the Confederation– ties to Captain Oshiro himself! The Union and Dynasty are in peace talks, that could be a very bad thing for Orion. Maybe we are preparing for war? If the Orion Confederation goes to war with the Galactic Union and Blood Dynasty, we would probably be destroyed. There's no way we would win, unless–”
“We had some sort of upper hand, through tactics such as using a top-secret stealth hyper-drive...”
Yamato sipped on his drink. “Orion fears an alliance between the Galactic Union and Blood Dynasty. If they ally, then they may march upon us. Galactic Union and Bloody Dynasty, together, would be a force to be reckoned with.”
“The Commonwealth of Perseus is also considering allying with them. All three districts of Perseus want to join this new alliance. Our territory would be more or less surrounded. We'll have all of the districts of the Dynasty, Union, and Commonwealth against Orion. That's ten districts total versus six states. We're outnumbered and outmatched. You may be right, we need to be prepared for this.”
“Maybe we should join this alliance instead?”
“Maybe so, but if Orion is really behind the attacks, I don't think Orion wants anything to do with it.”
“I suppose,” Yamato said as he glanced over to a monitor in the lounge. He called out to the noisy lounge, “Hey! Quiet down! Quiet!”
The crew hushed themselves and looked over to the monitor as well.
A video of ship wreckage was playing on the monitor. A reporter talked in a trembling voice, “This is a live feed from the Sagittarius district of the Blood Dynasty, near planet Sagittar. Dynasty officials report this is what remains of several warships and Sagittarius One, which was carrying the governor of Sagittarius. Governor Rigel Lambrook was en route to Babylon for discussion with Regent Drake Mabus. Mabus is stated to be absolutely furious. There is nothing on the sensor relays, there were no distress calls, no one has any idea what happened.”
Riko felt sick. “Maybe whoever attacked had some sort of stealth hyper-drive? You know Iriguchi may not be the only Confederate ship with a stealth drive.”
Yamato frowned. “The Confederation couldn't have done that.”
The report continued, “There's nothing but charred metal left. This is horrible. Again, we have no idea what happened. There will be a full investigation, but for now there are no clues. Oh, I just received word that Regent Mabus is addressing this issue. We're going live to him.”
The pale, bald man grimaced and just stared straight ahead into the camera with his blue eyes. He finally started talking, “I am speechless. Speechless that in this heavenly age we still attack each other. It's one thing to have a war, a sneak attack is entirely another. It's barbaric and outright sickening. I don't have enough information to formally declare war. That would not be right. However, I can declare peace. The Galactic Union, The Blood Dynasty, and the Commonwealth of Perseus must put aside their differences and become one grand alliance. In the memory of Lambrook and the brave souls of Exodus, we will create the Alliance of Pax Galaxia. The districts of our governments will gather together. Before the Cataclysm, we were one race, one government, one alliance between all worlds: the Interstellar Federation. We must aspire to those ideals again. The Galactic Union have already decided to welcome me to their territory. I am sad to announce this in a wake of a tragedy, but I am pleased to announce that I will be visiting Artemis, the site of the terrible destruction of Exodus. The President of the Galactic Union will meet me there. President Kael Eridanys and myself will discuss the terms of our new Alliance. President Eridanys told me he wanted to shake my hand. I am a vampire. He is willing to catch the very disease that separated us years ago. That is how much he wants this peace. After that, I will offer my hand to the Commonwealth of Perseus. After Perseus I will continue across the entire galaxy. The United Outer Worlds and the Star Republic are both members of the human race as well. I will even offer peace to the Confederate States of Orion. They like to talk about peace, let them know peace. Let us become a new Interstellar Federation. Remember the Double- Crescent? What if that terrible ship showed up again? Do you think we would win a conflict against a fleet of those Double-Crescents if we were not one people? We must become one nation yet again.”
Riko chugged the rest of her drink. “I need another drink.”
“So do I,” said Yamato, “so do I.”
“Yamato, speaking of the Cataclysm, what do you think really happened?”
“We were attacked by an alien race. An alien race that is biding its time before they unleash their forces upon us again. You know, Mabus may be right, we should unite the galaxy just in case something like that happens again.”
“Each day that goes by I think we're on the wrong side of this conflict.”
“So how do we get on the right side?”
“I have no idea. I feel trapped.”
“We all do.”
February 10, 0270 AC - 19:58
USS Freedom
Orbiting Artemis, Galactic Union Space
Commander Serafina Freeman walked the halls of the mighty destroyer. This was her ritual. She would walk and just think.
Sera missed her fiancé, Li
am, who lived on Urbania. HyperNEP communications just weren’t the same as being there in person. She felt an undeniable dread approaching. She really wanted to be with her Liam.
Liam Fornax worked on a station deep in the planet of Urbania, far away from the cityscape on the surface. He called it “Azrael.” There were many safety protocols to make sure the samples did not get out. The population of Urbania didn’t know about it, Sera did not know about it either until they starting dating.
She had a bit of relationship with Devereaux for a little while, but they decided that it wasn’t right for them. Generally, she didn’t have time for any sort of relationship; she put her career first. She climbed the ranks and had a reputation of being hard on her crew. Many people said she mellowed out after meeting Liam. They met at a conference and hit it off. Perhaps the man did cool her off a little. She smiled thinking about him. Being a little less strict wasn’t that big of a deal.
Liam Fornax worked on the vampire cure. Samples of disease were locked way deep in Urbania. Sera wasn’t sure what all went on in the facility. Liam told her it wasn’t always the most ethical of work, but it was important. Sera did not trust vampires and felt that the disease actually corrupted the mind as well. The vampires were ruthless. The cure must be completed to take back the galaxy. She admired her future husband. The disease was not showing any true signs of being defeated, but Liam was quite happy at his latest experiments. Liam believed there was a way to modify the disease and hinted that they had made large strides in this area. If they couldn’t defeat the disease, he wanted to at least create a version of the disease without the potential ill effects. A fantasy, perhaps, but something worth striving for. Sera wouldn’t want to be a pseudo-vampire either, though. In her opinion, the disease, modified or not, was evil.
She was walking down the hall next to an open hatch when she heard someone yell in a rage.