Near Planet Eteren, Eteren One Orbital Starbase
Mottmor System, Venddral Raidezel Sector
Date: Zeran 18, Year 4731
"Maybe," Garen muttered, though his instincts told him otherwise. I don’t like this.
Klamarez, scanning the feeds with his usual focus, wrinkled his nose as an ad for an Eteren One buffet flashed across his display. "Nothing new on the Intrak Network," he said, ignoring the rumble in his stomach. Nutrient paste... great choice.
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Conus leaned forward, examining the signatures. “The first is the ResilienceArbalest
The Resilience
The ArbalestResilience
Garen glanced at Conus, noticing something off in his demeanor as he intently focused on his console. What aren’t you telling me, Conus?
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Garen’s eyes lingered on Conus for a moment before nodding at Klamarez to respond. Klamarez’s ears twitched, and he leaned into the comm. “This is the civilian vessel Seeker
Conus frowned at Klamarez’s casual tone. That’s not how you address the RDF.
Seeker, this is the RDF Resilience
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Conus tilted his head, his thoughts racing. What else do they know?
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“ Why the show of force?
“ How did they know?
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"I could blame someone else for this mess," Garen muttered, his thoughts drifting to Admiral Lavont. Another thought surfaced: What if Conus hadn’t shown up? What if it had only been the Vorcons?
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Immediately after, the comms activated. “Seeker
Conus quickly took control of the communications. "This is Colonel Conus Taylen of the RSIA. I’m transmitting my credentials now," he said, his tone steady. The crew waited for the RDF’s response as Conus sent the authorization code to the Resilience
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Collapsed? The RSIA?” Garen drew a sharp breath. What happened while I was gone?
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And now we’re caught in the middle of it,” Garen muttered. “I suppose my presence will be a nice surprise for them.” He briefly wondered, Were they monitoring Chiex before?
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The ArbalestResilienceSeeker
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Klamarez smirked, briefly baring the sharp tips of his fangs, mischief flickering in his eyes. But Garen, though amused, found the show of force excessive. What are they trying to prove?
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They don’t like the RDF here?” Garen asked as he navigated the Seeker
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Following the docking instructions, Garen guided the SeekerResilience
The SeekerResilience
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Conus made a slight face but shrugged it off. What are they so worried about?
Klamarez opened a compartment, stowed their weapons, and sealed it. As the boarding ramp descended, they stepped onto the deck, where a squad of marines had just arrived. Faces hidden behind black helmets and clad in full tactical gear, the marines stood ready. The sergeant in charge barked an order through external speakers, his voice distorted but commanding.
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Garen calmly raised his hands, followed by Conus and Klamarez. Two marines stepped forward, efficiently patting them down, while others boarded the Seeker
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Klamarez glanced around, his thoughts dripping with sarcasm. Oh yeah, we look just like Vorcons.
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Of course, General. We’ll get you settled in. I’m sure General Maylone will make sure you’re comfortable aboard the Resilience
Admiration spread through the group, but Garen barely moved, a rigid discomfort settling over him under their watchful eyes. They looked at him like a legend, yet all he could think was, That’s not who I am anymore. Not even close.
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What’s this guy’s problem?
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At the mention of Terra, a heaviness settled over Garen. Deep down he knew if Amar was with the RSIA, so was Terra. Leaving his home, battling Vorcons, facing Caul Malocktus, and now being back on an RDF ship—all of it had already been overwhelming. But the thought of seeing Terra again stirred something deeper. Does she even want to see me?
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Nolvin led them briskly through the corridors of the ResilienceAs they walked, anticipation stirred within Garen—he hadn’t been aboard a capital battlecruiser in years.
They reached a lift and ascended to the command level. After navigating a few more corridors, they arrived at a door marked General Maylone’s Office
Floor-to-ceiling viewports provided a sweeping view of the surrounding space. The Resilience
Welcome aboard the
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"I’ll inform Admiral Lavont of your situation and ensure your safety," General Maylone said, though Garen sensed she intended to consult RDF Command first. "The RSIA has its own protocols, I understand that. But we’re here to assist. We all serve the Seven Worlds of Rhyus—whether in the Rhyus Defense Fleet or the Rhyus Strategic Intelligence Agency. I’ll have rooms arranged for you. Feel free to use the Resilience
Outside, Sergeant Wallace and his squad stood ready to escort them to their quarters. Wallace led them through the corridors of the Resilience
As Garen sat on the edge of his bed, the weight of the past and the uncertainty of what lay ahead filled his thoughts. He realized he had no idea what the current state of the Seven Worlds was.