SSV Celestial Phoenix
Druthagar Kingdom
21 January 3297
Ethan stood in his quarters, setting up a foldable table in the little bit of room available in the center. He pushed four simple chairs into position, one at each of the square’s edges. A large bowl of chips sat on his bed. It was difficult to procure them, but he managed to convince the supply officers to bring them to him. He just hoped they wouldn’t call in the favor too quickly.
Just as he dusted his hands and surveyed his work, a chime came from his door.
“Come in!” he called, moving the chips to the center of the table.
At once, the door opened and revealed a trio of people. Ava Bahr was first, a smile on her face. Following behind her was the rest of Alpha Squadron. Kayden Vance was a dark-skinned man, his hair buzzed short to his head. Shila Tajik was a petite woman with her head covered by a pink hijab. All three wore jumpsuits indicative of having just finished a training exercise, and each carried a different snack.
“Did you know you still have some statues outside your door?” Ava asked, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder. “I would’ve thought you’d get rid of them by now.”
“I tried.” Ethan shrugged. “The harder you push, the firmer they remain in place, you know how it is.”
“Maybe we could help with that.” Kayden smiled and held out his hand to Ethan, who took it and shook. “Glad you haven’t been put in the brig, Lieutenant.”
“So am I.”
“Don’t worry, there’s still time for you to screw up.” Ava set the plate of freshly baked cookies she brought on the table.
“How’d you manage to get these?” Ethan asked, taking one of the cookies. He took a bite, and it melted in his mouth. A moan emanated from his throat before he could stop it. “It’s still warm.”
“A girl has her ways,” she said with a wink.
“Never mind the cookies.” Kayden waved them away and placed a bowl of salsa next to the chips. “My great-grandmother’s recipe. One bite, and you’ll never look at salsa the same way.”
“Well, I can hardly say no to that.” Ethan smiled and dipped a chip. As soon as it entered his mouth, the combination of the sweet and spicy flavors exploded in his mouth. He moaned with pleasure again, drawing a laugh from the others. “That is amazing.”
“Don’t get used to it. It’s hard to find the fresh ingredients I need for it on a spaceship.”
Shila carefully set a bowl of hummus on the table, saying nothing. However, she looked at Ethan with something akin to confusion. He did his best to ignore it and walked to the desk.
“Ready to have some fun?” Ethan asked, grinning as he pulled a deck of old-fashioned playing cards from one of the desk drawers. He sat down and began shuffling before dealing five cards to each of the spots.
“As much as we can playing poker,” Ava replied, rolling her eyes as she took the chair opposite him.
“It’s not the poker that we came for,” Kayden said, turning his chair around to sit with his chest against the back. “What’s more important is the company.”
“Especially when that company is the talk of the carrier.” Shila pointedly looked at Ethan. A smirk crossed her lips. “It is not everyday you get to talk with a squadron leader who has been restricted to their quarters. I can only imagine how you must be feeling.”
“Hey, it’s better than it sounds.” Ethan grabbed a chip and scooped a glob of hummus Shila brought. “I don’t have to worry about waiting in line at the mess anymore. Have to say, though, I do miss being able to fly. It’s why I signed up to begin with.”
“Funny. Last I heard, you said something about wanting the free college money.” Ava picked up her cards and looked over them, ordering them in her hands. She ducked in time to dodge the chip Ethan threw at her.
“Either way, I enjoy being in the cockpit, so keeping that away from me is more of a punishment than being locked in here.”
“I must say,” Shila started, grabbing a chip and flourishing it in her hand, “I would not be so nonchalant about facing a court martial if it were me in your shoes.”
“Sometimes, you gotta just sit back and face the music.” He tapped his cards against the table and looked between the others. “So, let’s see what everyone’s got. My hand’s gonna be hard to beat.”
Ethan laid his cards out, displaying a Jack high card. Ava stifled a laugh.
“Don’t know how we’ll beat that one. We might as well give up now.” She put hers down with a flourish. “Full house, queens over sixes. I wish we were playing for money here.”
“Go fish,” Kayden said, tossing his cards on the table with a chuckle. “Beats my two fives. Are you sure you shuffled right, Fischer?”
“If you think you can do better, be my guest.” Ethan gestured to the deck sitting in the center of the table.
“I have not played much before, but is it good to have four of the same card like this?” Shila asked, gently placing her cards in front of her to display four twos.
“Beginner’s luck,” Ava muttered, gathering up the cards to shuffle them.
“Still wanna play for money?” Ethan asked.
“Shut it. Man, it feels good to say that now that you’re not my squadron leader anymore.”
“Speaking of which, who’s taking my position?”
“That would be yours truly.” Ava mocked doing a bow after setting the deck on the table. “And taking the place of Alpha Four is some young gun. Charlie Baxter or something like that. He can’t replace you, so don’t worry about that, Ethan.”
“I had a drink with the guy a couple nights ago,” Kayden said, crunching loudly on a chip. “Seemed okay. A little uptight, but we’ll fix that eventually.”
“Well, just remember to give him a proper hazing for me.” He looked each of the trio in the eyes. “And make sure you come back in one piece, alright? I don’t want to lose anyone else.”
“Do not worry about us, Lieutenant.” Shila picked up her cards as Ava dealt them. “We are the best Stariek has to offer.”
“I guess.” He didn’t voice the thought debating whether that would be good enough. It was better to keep their confidence up. “Anyway, I invited you guys over to play a game and eat food, so let’s forget about all that other stuff and have some fun.”
“Here, here!” Kayden opened the cooler he brought with him and cracked open a bottle of beer. He handed it to Ethan with care. “Smuggled these all the way from New Virginia. Won’t believe what I had to go through.”
Ethan had the mouth of the bottle nearly to his lips when his eyes met Ava’s glare. He froze immediately. In his mind came the image he formed of his sister, sad and dejected after coming over on Christmas Eve and needing Ava to tell her he wasn’t making it for dinner. Slowly, he lowered the glass and set it on the table before sliding it back towards Kayden who had another for himself already in hand.
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“Sorry, Kayden.” Ethan managed a smile, though he felt like it came out more like a grimace. “But I don’t drink anymore.”
“Oh, come on.” He slid the bottle back towards Ethan. “Trust me, one sip and you’ll be dying for more.”
Ethan opened his mouth to object again, but Ava’s came across first like a whip crack.
“That’s enough, Lieutenant. Respect his decision or leave.”
A stunned silence followed for several seconds. Kayden glared at Ava, his mouth slightly agape, before he grabbed the bottle and dragged it back to himself.
“Alright then, more for me. Unless either of you two ladies want one.”
“No, thanks,” Ava said, sorting her cards without looking at him.
“I am afraid my religion prevents me from partaking,” Shila said, “but I appreciate the offer.”
A lull followed as Ava once more came close to winning the hand. This time, however, she lost to Kayden, who shot her a vindictive smile but said nothing.
<Thanks for that,> Ethan said over a private link to Ava.
<Don’t mention it,> she replied, and he could feel a calm wash over him from the link. <Just make sure you remember your sister, right?>
<I wouldn’t dare forget the way I made her feel.>
These words brought a slight smile to Ava’s face. Ethan barely noticed in time before it disappeared, returning to the usual scowl.
Soon after, the brief altercation seemed to be forgotten. The conversation returned to normal—at least, as normal as it could be. Play continued into the early hours of the morning before the others finally left to return to their quarters.
#
HMV Oberlander
Druthagar Kingdom
22 January 3297
General Kindler sat in the center of the bridge, reading over a report sent by Legate Zephyr of the fleet’s progress into the Druthagar Kingdom. So far, she had done well in explaining their being out of position. Inventing the excuse of hunting down a group of Druthagar warships seemed weak, but Zephyr took it at face value. This was especially surprising when he did not express any concerns with her commandeering the Fifth and Sixth Squadrons to add their forces to her own. Part of her wondered if he approved of her actions. Another knew she would never find out one way or the other.
The officers and ratings around the room moved like the well-oiled machine she expected them to be. Their voices were hushed, not secretively, but to maintain a sense of professionalism. Colonel Victor Reinhardt sat in his CO chair next to her, studying status updates from the various departments around the ship. On either side of both the door and the viewscreen stood one of the ubiquitous robotic soldiers of the Hyperion Empire.
“General, I am detecting a faint drive signature,” called out Lieutenant Fleischmann. “It appears to be similar in size to a transport-sized vessel.”
“Analyze it, Lieutenant,” Kindler said, standing and moving closer to the tactical station. “How old is it? Did it come from a Druthagar ship?”
“It is fading, but it seems to have similar ionization composition to that expected from an engine manufactured in the Empire, sir. Running more advanced analysis now.”
“Another Hyperion ship this far out?” Kindler mused aloud, though only enough for Colonel Reinhardt to hear her.
“Perhaps Legate Zephyr sent a scout ahead.” Reinhardt offered. He shrugged his shoulders. “It wouldn’t be unheard of.”
“A scout that just so happened to be where we are cooling down our Harrington Drives? Not to mention it is completely without notice. That by itself goes against centuries of precedence. I don’t like it.”
“Sir, the drive signature does not match any known in our database. However, there was a similar trail noted near Stariek when the planet was captured. Their identification came up with nothing.”
“Is there any sign of the ship still being in the area, Lieutenant?” Kindler asked, raising her voice. She took a deep, yet inconspicuous, breath through her nose. She didn’t want to voice it aloud, but she was worried. For all she knew, it was an enemy tracking their position in order to ambush them.
“Long range scanners are currently probing the surrounding light hour for any indication of ships. So far, nothing.” Fleischmann’s fingers danced across his holographic console as he spoke. They stopped in place, as if frozen. “Hold on, I’m detecting something approximately one hundred thousand kilometers off our starboard bow, sixteen degrees thirty-two minutes from the horizontal, positive inclination ten degrees six minutes.”
“On screen, Lieutenant.”
Kindler took another deep breath to calm her nerves. She was not about to panic on the bridge of her own ship. A rustle just behind her told her Reinhardt joined her, hovering off her right side.
The viewscreen, which was previously displaying nothing but empty space and the stars hundreds of light years away, shifted. It magnified a vessel the size of a small transport. The ship was like nothing she had seen before. It was almost like a shard of obsidian, pitch black and glossy with an edge that looked as if it could cut through the hull of a lesser ship than hers. Part of her would think it looked beautiful if she subscribed to such inclinations.
“What is it?” she asked under her breath.
“It matches nothing in our database, General,” Fleischmann replied.
“I recommend destroying it,” Reinhardt whispered in her ear.
“And lose the chance of discovering something new?” She turned her head ever so slightly in the direction his voice came from.
“Better than allowing it to destroy us.” Reinhardt shifted, folding his arms across his chest. Kindler scrunched her nose at the antisocial gesture but did not mention it.
“It is the size of a fly compared to us.” She waved at the image and scoffed. “It couldn’t even scratch the surface of our battleship. Better to study it than destroy it.”
“As you wish, sir.”
“Send a wide-band message to it across all frequencies.” Kindler turned on her heel and straightened her back before walking to her seat and lowering herself into it. “Order it to cease all thrust and prepare to be captured at once by order of the Hyperion Empire.”
“Yes, sir.” Just as the communications officer made to issue the communication, she stopped. “Sir, there is an incoming transmission from the vessel.”
“Is there a visual, Lieutenant?” Kindler asked, staring at the communications station as if her eyes could bore a hole through it.
“Yes, sir,” Wentz replied. “They are requesting to speak with General Liliana Kindler.”
Kindler raised an eyebrow at being asked for by name. She looked to Reinhardt, who kept his gaze fixed on the image dominating the viewscreen as he stood there.
“Very well. Speak with me they shall. On screen.”
The image of the shard shrunk to occupy the upper right corner. All sound on the bridge seemed to follow suit. In its place was a view of what looked to be a beach, the white capped waves gently lapping against the shore. A palm tree framed either side of the picture. In the center stood a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, with windswept brown hair. A pair of sunglasses hung from a floral shirt. None of the buttons were secured, revealing the muscular features of the man. A smile dominated his face. In one hand, he held a coconut with a straw poking out of it.
Kindler sat there, stunned, for several moments before she cleared her throat.
“You have reached General Liliana Kindler of the Hyperion Empire, Scourge of the Pleiades. To whom am I speaking?”
“Now, how does one get a title such as ‘Scourge of the Pleiades?’ Does one give it to themselves, or do others bestow the honor upon them? Perhaps I need to get one for myself.” The man stepped forward, the view keeping him perfectly in the center. A table seemed to manifest as he walked closer to the camera. He placed the coconut on it and dusted off his hands. “Until that time, you may call me Nergal.”
A history lesson from when she was a child came to the forefront of her memory. Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of war and death. Hopefully it was not meant to be taken literally.
“Very well, Nergal.” Kindler narrowed her eyes on him. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just blast you out of space now.”
“If you did that, you would have to ask yourself one very important question. A question that, if you ‘blast me out of space,’ you would never get the answer to. One that you have already asked and continue to ask. How did I know where to find you?”
Kindler continued to glare at him, refusing to show that he guessed correctly.
“Now, if you want the answer, I request one thing of you. It is a small favor, really.” He held up two fingers as if to illustrate the point. “Disarm your weapons, end this pointless and dangerous charge into the Druthagar Kingdom, and join my alliance.”
“Your alliance?” Kindler stopped just short of scoffing. She stood and folded her hands behind her back. “The way I see it, you are in no position to make demands. I have one hundred and sixteen ships under my command. From what I can tell, you are one, if you include a shard as a ship.”
“Scourge of the Pleiades, I assure you, I do not make idle threats.” The man’s smile immediately dropped away, and he leaned on the table. With the motion, the camera zoomed into his scowling face. “I give people only one warning. For you, I shall make an exception. Surrender and join me, now, or you will die a fiery death.”
“Let me make one thing clear, Nergal.” Kindler paced back and forth slowly, not deigning to look at the man any longer. For the first time during the conversation, she felt at ease, in her element. “I do not enjoy being threatened. Do you know what I do to those who threaten me?”
She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she turned to Lieutenant Fleischmann at the tactical station.
“Tactical, get rid of him.”
A brief rumble went through the deck of the ship as the magnetic cannons swiveled into position and unleashed a quick barrage. The five hundred millimeter rounds tore through the small transport. In less than a second, nothing more than a field of debris remained. However, the transmission of the man on the beach remained firmly affixed to the viewport. His smile returned.
“I cannot express how much I will enjoy what is to come. Have a good day, Scourge.”
The viewport returned to a view of what was once the transport. Kindler felt a surging rise of pleasure inside her.
“What do you think that was all about, General?” Colonel Reinhardt asked.
“I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to find out.”
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