“Why are you even here?” I remark. “I came to tell you that the academy won’t be pressing any charges, which is more than you deserve. Hell, you’re lucky your weapon was set to stun. You could have killed those guards.” He lectures me. Anger builds in his voice. “I’m lucky? Luck had nothing to do with it, I set my gun to stun. If I intended to kill those guards they’d be dead right now. All I was after was a ship to get me off Alpha.” I assert, setting the Admiral straight. “And what’s the catch old man? The Academy wouldn’t let me off with just a slap on the wrist if there wasn’t one.” I add to my already lengthy statement.
“Come back to the Academy and complete your fourth year. You’ll be eligible for the evaluation next year, by then maybe you’ll be ready to become part of a crew.” The admiral answers, confident that I’ll agree to his terms. “And if I say no?” I ask him, curious to know all my options. “Well, the charges would remain. And after you’re tried for your crimes, you’ll likely be spending about twenty years in The Purge.” My eyes widen upon hearing the Admiral’s words. No one wants to get sent to the purge, it’s notorious for violence and a place I’d rather avoid.
“So. What’s it going to be?” The Admiral asks, anxious to hear my answer. “Okay. I’ll accept your offer. But first tell me why you’re doing this.” I question Admiral Richards; he’s caught off guard a bit but in a way was expecting the question. “Because through all your stupid actions, and that rebellious attitude, I see someone who can be something great. I’ve seen it in your father, and I see it in you.” He explains. I don’t know what to say, and to the Admiral, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t need words to convey my thoughts. As I leave, I make sure to salute the same five guards that were responsible for capturing me, sending them salutations as we take our leave. They stare at me, furious to see me go. I grin confidently, trying my best to make it obvious how much pleasure their frustration brings me.
There’s a shuttle waiting for us in docking bay 31, it’s wedged tightly between two other vessels. We enter through the side door which slides open, revealing the interior seating. There’s a pilot in the cockpit. He doesn’t bother to look back as we enter. Admiral Richards pounds on the roof, giving the pilot indication to take off.
“So what happens when we get back to the academy?” I ask the Admiral. “I set up a meeting with the board of Transcendence. They’re currently at the Academy awaiting our return. If all goes well, you’ll be able to resume your studies.” He replies. “You’re the one who got the charges dropped and now you’re facing scrutiny for it. That’s why the board wants to meet with the both of us isn’t it?” I ask him, this whole situation has caught my interest. “Yes. That’s right.” He responds. “Why?” I immediately respond. “I owe it to your father.” He tells me after a brief moment of hesitation.
“After I was taken out of the council’s election ballad, it devastated me. I got divorced not to long after that. My wife told me she couldn’t handle all the media attention, and how the incident was being plastered on every possible outlet. We even received death threats for what happened. Your father came to me after my divorce. I was holed up in some shitty bar on Haven at the time. He assured me he would have made the same decision if he was in my position. He helped me get through those dark times, and after that we grew close.” I listen to him and can’t believe what I’m hearing. Hell, I almost don’t believe the Admiral’s story, but why would he lie? His words and tone are sincere. “So that’s why you’re helping me, as some form of repayment?” I ask. “I helped you because if you’re half the person he was, then you’re going to do great things.”
“I didn’t see much of my father growing up. He was home for a couple months out of the year. Other than that he wasn’t around much. There were times when I thought he was never coming home. But the times he was on shore leave, I was the happiest girl in the world. He used to tell me before he left: Stella, hold down the fort, keep your mother safe. My mother was amazing; she’d do anything to keep me happy, even though I’d take it for granted sometimes and probably didn’t deserve it.” I can’t help but smile while thinking about my mother and father, these memories are all I have left of them. When we were together as a family, those were the best days of my life. “Did he talk about us?” I ask. “Yes. All the time. He told me you wanted to join the Transcendence and be just like him. And how your mother always rejected the idea, claiming it would be too dangerous.” I laugh, these are they exact words she said to me when I would bring up the subject. “She was always a bit over protective.”
I turn my head to look out the window, I’m in awe at the sight of the massive starship. It’s long, triangular shaped with two cylinder thrusters attached to the top rear of the vessel. On the side of the ship, its name, in big bold lettering reads: TSS Endeavor. It’s beautiful, I can’t take my eyes off of it as we approach, the rear hatch door opens, welcoming our approach. The pilot lands the shuttle at the far end of the hangar.
The entire hangar is chrome painted with red steaks through the middle. There are only two crew members in the area including the shuttle pilot. Other than the shuttle, there isn’t much in terms of technology down here. It’s more like a couple of tool boxes holding the tools of two grease monkeys. Is this your ship?” I ask the Admiral while shaking from excitement. “Yeah. I call her the Endeavor. She was my starship back when I was a captain.” He explains as we enter an elevator. Inside is just your average, everyday elevator with buttons on the wall next to the door. The buttons read: 1. Bridge. 2. Mess. 3. Armory. 4. Crew Quarters. 5. Engineering. 6. Hangar Bay. I’m so excited right now, I want to tour every level of this starship but I keep my composure. I have more important things to worry about right now.
“Transcendence never retired it or passed it down?” I ask as he presses the button to take us to the bridge. “It took some convincing but I was eventually given the Ok too keep the endeavor. I couldn’t part ways with her, I have too many memories on this ship. Whether they’re good or bad, I still want to keep them.” He tells me freely; I can hear the passion in his voice when he talks about the Endeavor. I don’t blame him though; I’d want something to preserve my memories as a captain as well.
“So how long were you a captain anyways?” I ask him as the door opens, revealing the Bridge. It’s a lengthy, straight forward shot to the cockpit. The color scheme here is the same as the hangar bay. A bit bland if you ask me, but whatever. “For about 35 years. I became commander of my own ship when I was just 25. And one of the youngest to do so mind you.” He’s bragging. “What are you like a hundred?” I slip with my tongue; Oh well. “No. But I know what you’re going to ask next, so I’ll just answer your question before you dig yourself into an even deeper hole. I’m 75 years old.” He tells me without a single bit of hesitation. I can’t help but smile, I wasn’t going to ask him his age honestly, but I’ll just let him believe what he wants.
There’s no pilot or co-pilot to occupy the seats here in the cockpit, which are both in front of an awesomely wide VI. It’s much less complex than the phoenix cockpit design for the Saavik test, times have definitely changed for the better. “I didn’t think your cockpit would be so…modern.” I tell the Admiral, speaking truthfully. “You think I wanted this? Transcendence forces every starship to upgrade to the latest technology. There’s ships older than me in the fleet, but on the surface they look and feel like they were commissioned last year.” Admiral Richards tells me as he sits in the pilot seat.
“No pilot?” I ask. “I’ve been out of the game fifteen years’ kid; all I need is a basic maintenance crew to get me around Nebula 9. There’s no need to waste a young pilot’s time when they could be out there making a difference.” He makes a gesture toward the copilot seat. “You think you can handle copilot?” He asks me, continuing from his last statement. I nearly shake with joy as I quickly answer “Yes!” A bit too anxiously, I need to tone it down a bit. I sit down like I’ve done this a million times, but all I want to do is scre
am with happiness. Clearing my throat as I look over the controls. Damn, so many options.
At first glance it looks like a convoluted mess, with tons of commands I didn’t even know existed. “Stella. Can you handle this? I need you to know what you’re doing.” He tells me in a completely serious tone. Which makes me even more nervous. What if something happens and I screw up? “Yeah I’m good. I’m just making sure everything’s in order.” Shit. I just completely lied to the Admiral. I know what some of these commands do but the others are lost on me.
Even though this is the most modern technology money can buy, the basics of flying it are still the same. We take off, heading back to Alpha. Admiral Richards smoothly steers the Endeavor out of Haven’s defense systems and into open space. I can tell he’s done this before. He runs his finger across the dashboard VI in front of him, how he can figure out this jumbled up interface is beyond me. “Hyper drive activated, entering hyperspace now.”
I brace myself for hyperspace travel. The Admiral pushes the acceleration lever forward; the darkness turns pitch white as we enter hyper speed. I wait for my body to be forcefully pushed against my seat but it never happens. I definitely approve of this.
When we exit hyperspace we are already approaching the space station above Alpha. There are dozens of starships surrounding it, all docked at a safe distance from one another. A bridge extends from the side of the space station, it’s basically a giant glass cylinder tube. It attaches to a door located on the bridge. I can hear the tube attaching itself to the endeavor, resembling the sound of a twisting cap, and not much louder either. The Admiral leaves his seat and heads toward the door. I follow in queue, after a bit of nervous hesitation at first. He opens the bridge door simply by pressing a button on the wall next to it. The door makes a sizzling sound as it slowly opens.
We make our way through the cylinder bridge, overlooking the lot of starships docked around the station. Everything seems so calm and peaceful out there. Upon entering the Space station, I am a bit overwhelmed. Workers are rushing around, loading shuttles with supplies.
There are three shuttles docked outside of the space station, connected through glass cylinder tubes, much like the one we used when we first arrived. The shuttle becomes populated fast, it’s annoyingly crowded. I’m rubbing shoulders with the admiral and another cadet. The tube begins to slowly pull away the moment the shuttle door slides shut. This shuttle is significantly larger than the Admiral’s, but has the exact same basic layout. The pilot takes off and we begin our descent onto Alpha.
The shuttle lands in front of the Academy, I never thought I’d return here honestly, at least not this soon anyways. The passengers begin to make their exit as soon as the door slides open. The Admiral stands beside me as we make our way toward the Academy. “The Board is going to say a lot of things in there, they’re going to ask you questions. But before we even go in there, a word of advice. Keep your mouth shut, and let me do the talking.” Admiral Richards explains. “You just said they’re going to ask me questions, am I supposed to just ignore them?” I ask, unsure what the Admiral’s angle is here. “You’re not going to ignore them; you’re just going to let me answer for you.” I stare at him for a moment until I finally realize where he’s getting at. “You think I’m gonna fuck up and say something wrong?” I ask. “Yes.” He’s straight forward with me as he begins to walk up the steps toward the Academy entrance. “Asshole.” I mumble under my breath. “What was that?” He asks. “Nothing.”
I sit here in this meeting room, in front of a wide, wooden desk that seats four human Admirals. Admiral Kelly, Admiral Lang, Admiral Sanders, and lastly Admiral Essa. Admiral Richards sits in the seat next to me, I don’t think he’s used to being on this end of the spectrum. The board of Transcendence are the higher ups of the Academy and overlook every aspect of it. From student admissions to hiring instructors. I can’t say I’m nervous, but the whole courtroom atmosphere is enough to keep anyone on edge. The smooth, wood layered wall, and beige carpeting make the Admirals seem more intimidating than they actually are. The insignia of Transcendence spreads across the carpet. The symbol’s design is two wings sprawled out with two downward crossed swords in front of them. Written across the wings are the words: The Galaxy as One.
“I will speak on behalf of the Admirals during this meeting.” Says Admiral Lang, breaking the swift silence between us. “We have looked over your request to reinstate Stella. Who has stolen Academy equipment, endangered the lives of a majority of our guards. Yet you have suggested her reinstatement to the Academy?” She continues. “That’s correct.” The Admiral responds with confidence. “Why?” She responds. “Stella is top of her class, she performed admirably during evaluations.” He explains. “If what you say is true, why would you deny her the opportunity to join a Transcendence crew?” Admiral Essa speaks out. “Essa you’re speaking out of place.” Admiral Richards fires back, angering the Admirals. “You are in no authority to make such statements.” Lang argues at Admiral Richards.
“And you’re the one who was chosen to speak for your side. Clearly you’re not ready for that responsibility.” Admiral Richards is unfazed by the other Admirals. I can tell he’s the leader of the bunch. “This meeting is over.” States Lang with authority. “Your request for the reinstatement of Stella is denied.” She continues. “You can’t do this!” I raise my voice as I stand up. What I just did doesn’t bode well with Admiral Richards, or the other Admirals for that matter. “Sit down and shut up.” Admiral Richards snaps while pulling me by my arm back into my seat.
“We are the authority here. We will do what we feel is best for this academy.” Admiral Kelly breaks his silence. “You see. That’s where you’re wrong. Every decision made by the Academy board must be decided after multiple trials.” Admiral Richards speaks out, not backing down. “We know what the text states, Admiral. But how a trial concludes is purely up to the Admirals ruling it.” Admiral Sanders explains bluntly. I sit here, wide eyed. How this group has managed to keep it together all these years is beyond me? “Everybody sit down, and shut up. We will continue this trial by the books and grant this woman a fair ruling.” Admiral Lang demands, finally taking charge again.
A large yet distant explosion suddenly occurs, instantly catching our attention. Everyone in the room looks around at one another, we all seem to be thinking the same thing: What the hell is going on? A short moment later a second explosion rings out.
Chapter 4
I race through the halls of the academy, quick breaths as I race through the halls as the walls are beginning to collapse around me. Admiral Richards can barely keep up but he’s right behind me. One final attack rattles the Academy, shaking it to its core and causing the walls and roof to give out. I look back and instantly regret it. The entire board of admirals are being crushed beneath the falling building. Admiral Richards and I make one final push toward the exit, barely making it through the exit before the building completely gives out. We made it.
“This can’t be happening!” I shout to the Admiral, nearly broken emotionally. It’s impossible to move, I feel like I’m being held in place against my will. “Don’t stop running!” The Admiral demands as the enemy fleet begins U turn back toward the Academy. Each ship is of the same design. Resembling a double edged axe with a wide, jagged handle. He grabs my arm and pulls me along as the enemy vessels begin to fire a barrage of laser blasts upon the students and instructors. I snap out of it, looking on in horror as students and instructors are struck by the blasts. I can hear their agonizing screams but the sight of them is lost behind a blindingly bright light that illuminates from each collision. I’m having trouble staying on my feet trying to avoid each incoming blast. The blinding lights make it nearly impossible to see where I’m going.
“Admiral, you still with me?” I call out as loud as I can but to no avail. The light begins to fade away. I’m on my own, surrounded by thousands of students who stand helpless as an enemy ship hovers at a short distance ahea
d of us. I quickly look around in hopes I can somehow locate the Admiral among this massive crowd but who am I kidding? I’ll never find him in this chaos. A blindingly bright light ignites in the front and center of the enemy vessel.
Not good, not good, this will not end well. I’m stumbling through the crowd trying my hardest to escape the blast range but getting through all these people is proving to be nearly impossible. The crowd is beginning to fathom what’s happening. More panic quickly erupts, people are shoved over and trampled beneath the feet of hundreds of students and instructors. I try my best to look in that direction, it’s a gruesome and horrifying sight. I’m thrown forward the moment the enemy fire’s their attack. I was able to avoid direct contact with the blast, but boy did it hurt.
I hit the ground hard near the edge of the ridge, half of my body hangs from it. Another inch and I would have easily fallen down the titanic hillside. A fleet of Transcendence Starships break through the atmosphere; They separate into two large groups. The first group wastes no time attacking the enemies above the academy, while the second group attacks the enemies in the city. Alpha’s once beautiful skyline now resembles a warzone. The buildings crumbled from the endless assault, while smoke and flames fill the skyline.
The battle isn’t easy to follow, simply because of the bright lights that irradiate from the enemy’s weapons, and that’s in addition to the large smoke cloud from the crumbled Academy that’s rising through the air. Two more groups of starships descend, this one is smaller than the last but it’s still significant. Like the others, these starships break off into two groups. They hover over the ground with their hangar hatches open, there are crew members on the other side, motioning for anyone and everyone to get on the ships.
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