《Orivar: Deep Black》


 Prologue

    ¡°My goal for teaching this class,¡± Xannissa told her anxious, wide-eyed sea of first-year cadets, ¡°is that when you leave here in fifteen weeks, you will think less of omnium as a mineral to be mined and used as fuel or building material.¡± She spoke with a confidence acquired through decades of experience, yet she looked like a young adult. ¡°Rather, you will understand that omnium is a tool that allows us to take full advantage of our universe.


    ¡°If it were a simple mineral, our supply of it would have exhausted thousands of years ago. Any hope our species had of populating the stars with ease would have died. I emphasize the word ¡®ease¡¯ here because we may have still made it to where we are today, but it would have required much greater effort. My guess is that without omnium we would still be working our way toward the glory of the ancient Miridan Empire, but who knows for sure?¡±


    Many of the cadets smiled in amusement at her statement. Some even laughed quietly to themselves, finding humor in the idea of being set back thousands of years for failing to utilize something as commonplace as omnium.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that our pre-stellar ancestors were also amused at the thought of failing to utilize ordinary combustion,¡± Xannissa said, responding to her cadets. She stood on a podium at the bottom of the large, dark lecture hall which was shaped like an inverted, stepped hexagonal pyramid. Each side of this pyramid seated one-hundred cadets, and each cadet sat behind a desk capable of generating lumigraphic projections, such as windows acting as monitors, lumionic keyboards with depressable buttons, and sets of transparent, weightless earphones composed entirely of lumions.


    Lumions can be viewed as exotic particles of hardened light that can be easily created and manipulated to produce anything from simple, intangible lumionic holography (lumigraphy) to tangible and resilient shields and barriers. The class of technology that utilizes lumions is known as lumionics. The lifespan of any one lumion is very short¡ªa fraction of a second. Lumions decay into normal photons within the visible electromagnetic spectrum, and new lumions must be generated continuously in order to sustain the lumionic construct, whatever it might be. Entire cities could be built with lumions in theory, but the practicality of such a thing is questionable as lumionics are prone to failure, not to mention the fleeting lifetime of individual lumions makes them disadvantageous as a solid construction material.


    Every one of the six-hundred cadets seated within the dim lecture hall was female. Xannissa, their professor, was the brightest person among them¡ªthe room¡¯s lumionic lighting above illuminating her cool gray skin and dark blue hair clamped in a ponytail. Bangs concealed her forehead, and strands of hair ran down either side of her face. Most of the cadets¡¯ faces were lit from beneath by the light emanating from their desk¡¯s one-way lumigrahic windows. Xannissa and the cadets all wore the Greater Orionan Federation Navy¡¯s white uniforms decorated with orange stripes and dark gray patches. The cadet¡¯s uniforms were merely clothes¡ªa downgrade for many of them, and a sacrifice they were willing to make as they watched Xannissa give her lecture while wearing her bodysuit and short jacket generated from her remote material synthesis (REMASS)-capable Accellus 4¡ªthe all-in-one uniform and power armor given to all Federation officers, starmen, and soldiers. ADI¡¯s Accellus 4 utilized the very same omnium that was the topic of discussion in this course: Introductory Omnimics.


    ¡°What is omnium?¡± Xannissa asked her student audience. She paused while a three-dimensional lumigraph rotated above her showing a colorless, transparent, spherical crystal with the universal symbol for omnium floating above and to the side of it. The crystal acted like a prism by splitting the light running through it, and it also gave off its own captivating internal glow. ¡°Of course, you all know. Civilized Space runs on omnium, after all. The most common type,¡± she explained, pointing up at the graphic, ¡°the kind that civilians consume every day¡ªis called ¡®orivar.¡¯ Does anyone know what this name means?¡± The fresh cadets were hesitant to respond, but a single young woman with a lavender face and a violet bob haircut on the front row raised her hand and stood.


    ¡°Original variety,¡± the cadet said in a modest voice before sitting back down.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°Every other variety of omnium besides orivar is termed a ¡®synthevar.¡¯ What does the word synthevar suggest to us?¡± The cadet stood from her seat once more.


    ¡°Varieties of omnium are not cultivated in the conventional sense,¡± the cadet responded with a robot-like recall of facts. ¡°They are produced; synthesized.¡±


    ¡°Outstanding,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Usually my classes are more energetic. I¡¯m not that scary, am I?¡± None of her students made a sound. Xannissa brushed it off and continued. ¡°Anyway, orivar is the only omnium variety authorized for civilian use. All of the synthevars in existence are used by militaries, including the Federation¡¯s Military Synthevar Ninety-One.¡± The crystal sphere above her head became orange. ¡°This is the type used by all Federation Military hardware, including my Accellus Four. The difference between MS-Ninety-One and orivar¡ªbesides its orange color¡ªis that the counter-chromodynamic omnionic field that stabilizes its achromon lattice has been attenuated, making it more unstable while granting it a higher conversion rate and allowing it to undergo liquefaction. This makes MS-Ninety-One more capable of handling the Military¡¯s material and energy demands while also making it easier to manipulate.¡± The image of the omnium crystal above Xannissa¡¯s head disappeared.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Today¡¯s topics,¡± Xannissa continued, ¡°include omnium¡¯s discovery, its impact on ancient civilization, and an introduction to the theory of omnium-matter exchange.¡± The image above Xannissa¡¯s head now showed a cycle of six different historical figures that changed every ten seconds.


    ¡°These are artistic depictions of the six scientists credited for the independent discoveries of omnium on their respective Sister Worlds,¡± Xannissa said after pausing to let her students take in the images. By Sister Worlds, she referred to the homeworlds of the six human races that inhabited Civilized Space today. ¡°Historians agree that in all cases, omnium was discovered on each of these worlds before the advent of superluminal travel. Of course, one of the conundrums of omnium¡¯s discovery is with its timing. In all cases, omnium was found only a few decades after the discovery of nuclear energy. How would something like omnium go unnoticed for so long unless it was put there?¡±


    This revelation had been explained countless times to Xannissa¡¯s students before they ever stepped foot in the Academy. Still, there were those that believed omnium had been present on the Sister Worlds all along and rejected any notion that outside interference played any kind of role in its unearthing.


    ¡°In the pre-stellar age, there was in fact, a seventh human race that was technologically about half a millennium ahead of the rest. Kax Providence Theory suggests that this human race provided omnium to the other six.¡±


    ¡°Professor Cetalo?¡± asked the cadet with the violet bob. She had her hand raised in the air. When Xannissa nodded to her, she stood from her seat and asked ¡°What became of that other race?¡±


    ¡°Wiped out,¡± Xannissa said bluntly. ¡°We only know them as the Kax. Supposedly, they pushed omnium technology far beyond its limits too early, and this led to their destruction at the hands of the other six, but this all happened about five-thousand years ago, putting it well before the rise and fall of the Miridan Empire.


    ¡°Personally, I happen to believe in the alternative theory which has been more favored in recent centuries. It is widely believed that for Homo sapiens to be present on seven distinct yet similar planets spread lightyears apart from each other, interference from a progenitor was required. Progenitor Providence Theory suggests that whatever or whoever made human convergent evolution possible also made our discovery of omnium possible. That is, the force that brought modern humans into existence is the same force that ultimately provided them with omnium tens of thousands of years later.¡±


    Human origin was not a particularly popular subject especially in a non-history class. Xannissa did not like talking about it, and many of her students let out sighs, crossed their arms, or leaned back in their chairs. Everyone had their own opinions on the subject, but Xannissa pressed on.


    ¡°Now, you would expect omnium to have made significant waves very early on, but in actuality, society carried on like usual. Without the technology to utilize it, omnium is just another pretty gem. It took decades, even centuries before they realized it could adsorb ordinary matter into its lattice, or that the lattice could be decomposed into ordinary matter. This is when you began to see the real significant changes to society. Energy and precious metals were devalued. Immaterial resources increased in value, such as ideas, time, and manpower. At long last, civilization had not only a stable energy source with a low activation energy but a way to obtain the rarest of elements and compounds for use in construction and provision of common human necessities like food and water from dirt, rock, and refuse. This led to the start of system colonization and deep space exploration in earnest.¡±


    Xannissa sighed. She was a scientist and an engineer. She did not enjoy history as much as some of her peers, and as she lacked a background in it, teaching it made her uncomfortable¡ªa fact she did her best to hide from her students. ¡°That¡¯s enough history for this class. I suggest you review chapter one in detail in your own time. I really want to begin lecturing on omnium-matter exchange. I¡¯ll begin by giving you the main points, then I will break down each point for you so that you understand the important details. As always, you will have access to this lecture and all of the materials through the Academy¡¯s network.¡±


    Xannissa took a deep breath and said, ¡°Omnium is an achromon lattice. Achromons can be thought of as quarks lacking color charge, and are held together by the force-carrying particle known as omnions. The density of this lattice can vary greatly, but its density has no impact on its interaction with gravity. Omnium¡¯s weight is determined by its volume, contrary to normal material. That is, as omnium¡¯s volume decreases, its weight decreases. Omnium¡¯s ability to adsorb matter and to decompose back into matter relies on the modulation of the distance of the force interaction of omnions which is easy to accomplish using electromagnetic radiation-induced achromon lattice resonance, EM-ALR, or just ALR. The electromagnetic frequencies that omnium responds to is dependent on the spins of the achromons within a particular synthevar.


    ¡°Put into simpler terms, omnium can, upon electromagnetic excitation via very specific wavelengths known as keywaves, incorporate mass from surrounding matter, or shed mass to synthesize new matter or energy. In a sense, you can think of omnium as a type of convenient mass storage. The main goal of omnium technology is putting this unique characteristic to good use. One such important technology in the current age is remote material synthesis, or REMASS. REMASS relies on omnium, lumionic confinement, and nanoscale wormhole generation to enable the rapid fabrication of objects and materials from great distances; that is, anywhere from a few centimeters to a few kilometers away from the point of matter synthesis.


    ¡°The rest of today¡¯s lecture will focus on the achromon: the fundamental unit of omnium. Now, achromons possess important characteristics themselves, one of them being spin. Achromon spin determines¡­.¡±

 01 – Lanan

    The dawning sun crawled over the horizon and into a fair morning sky, flooding the room with vibrant, orange light that bounced off the white, partially reflective walls. A large, soft bed protruded from the wall angled perpendicularly to the floor-to-ceiling window. Nestled beneath the covers was a woman whose eyelids met the dawn rays. At 0600, the room¡¯s lighting activated and brightened to a soft level that the sunlight overpowered. Opaque lumigraphic pictures and decorations appeared on the walls and tables, and an alarm sounded its tones which were simultaneously gentle and annoying.


    The woman eased back her covers, raised her torso from the bed, and stretched her arms. The alarm stopped when she placed her feet on the cool floor. She was a Terran with light, peach skin and emerald eyes that contrasted with her dark garnet hair long enough to hang below her shoulders. Her only clothing was a pair of white bracers¡ªone on each wrist. The light from the window illuminated her clear skin and beautiful feminine physique and made her bracers shimmer as she walked to the next room to shower with hot water and soap¡ªa luxury afforded primarily to officers. When she returned to the bedroom, her body and hair were completely dry as a result of using a shield-scrubber¡ªa hygiene system utilizing lumionic field sweeps instead of water and chemicals to clean the surface of the body. Shield-scrubbers are more efficient than traditional showering and are the primary source of body hygiene for starmen, soldiers, and the majority of the civilian population. Of course, there is nothing particularly pleasant, nor unpleasant, about cleaning one¡¯s body with lumions.


    She approached the window and tapped her finger on the pane, summoning a small lumigraphic user interface. With another tap, the illusion of daytime vanished. Her bedroom fell into darkness, and the lights above her increased in luminosity to compensate, still maintaining a pleasant softness. The sun and morning sky disappeared along with the sunlight across the landscape. Adjacent buildings, kilometers of deciduous forest, and distant mountains remained visible but were under the relative darkness of a night made bright by a gentle giant with a halo¡ªa gas giant ten times the size of Luna as seen from Earth. Akos V, as the giant was known, sat in its permanent spot halfway between the horizon and zenith and stretched its glimmering bands of rings across Lanan¡¯s night sky. The real sun would not rise for another three days, and after it had breached the horizon, it would take another four days to reach solar noon.


    The window itself was not actually a transparent object, but a part of the building¡¯s outer wall built as an opaque photoreceptive electroluminescent (OPEL) panel. An observer looking out would assume an OPEL panel was just a pane of exceptionally clear glass, but an observer looking in would see a featureless section of wall. Others with interior rooms, thus lacking OPEL panels, relied on simulated-depth lumigraphy to maintain the pleasant illusion of living in an exterior room.


    A desk was situated against the wall opposite of the bed. Next to it and away from the window was a pair of white Accellus 4 boots composed of the ultramaterial known as SIRAC, or semi-metallic, impact-resistant, ablative crystal, the same material as her bracers. After stepping into them, the boots covered the Terran¡¯s legs from her toes to her knees. By directing a single thought to her surgically-implanted neural interface, she commanded the boots¡¯ omnium conversion-coupled REMASS modules to create an adaptive polyalloy bodysuit at the cost of a portion of the boots¡¯ internal MS-91 omnium supply, the process taking five seconds during which her body was wrapped in bright light. The bodysuit covered her from the neck down, adhered to her like a second skin, and the suit created lift while providing modesty only to where it was most necessary¡ªa process termed hyperdermal lamination. As the Navy¡¯s standard uniform for both officers and enlisted personnel, the bodysuit was white with orange stripes and large dark mesh patches on the shoulders and lateral areas of the torso and thighs. Parts of the bodysuit, like circles on the hips and the outlines of the dark patches, created a subtle orange glow. The Federation¡¯s Accellus 4 successfully merged the protection of a bulky spacesuit, the utility of an armory, the variety of a wardrobe, and the freedom of motion of being naked¡ªall in a package that was aesthetically appealing and comfortable to wear.


    ¡°Good morning, Atara,¡± said a woman in the living room as the clothed Terran walked in. She was an Elestan with light, cool gray skin and dark blue hair clamped in a ponytail. Rectangular lumigraphs surrounded the Elestan as she sat on the couch. She was wearing the same Accellus 4 bracers and a REMASS short jacket over her naked body¡ªmostly concealing her breasts¡ªwith her arms out of the long sleeves. Her boots sat on the floor next to her. Neither she nor Atara looked a day over twenty-five standard years.


    ¡°Morning, Xann,¡± Atara said as she approached the REMASS terminal. She ordered her breakfast, waited for it to fabricate, and carried the steaming plate of food to the couch. Before she could open wall-spanning lumigraph to watch the morning news, Xannissa had done it for her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Atara told her as she sat down. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°Almost done,¡± Xannissa said, sounding focused despite her fatigue. She hadn¡¯t given Atara a single glance. Instead, her eyes darted from line to line on a document she read. Then, her fingers raced across a lumionic keyboard resting on her thighs, tapping the keys without making a sound. ¡°Done!¡± she shouted, closing all the lumigraphs and commanding her lumionic keyboard to disappear. She let her hands fall between her thighs, flopped her head back on the couch, and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Let me bring you something to eat,¡± Atara offered as she set her plate of food down on a coffee table in front of the couch. Xannissa smiled but didn¡¯t perk up again until Atara brought her a plate.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xannissa said with a weak voice, opening her eyes and accepting the hot food.


    As the reporters on the lumigraph carried on, Atara asked, ¡°Advanced propulsion reports?¡±


    Xannissa chewed her mouthful of food, swallowed, and said, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Because you told me last night, before bed,¡± Atara said, smiling.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± Xannissa said. She giggled a little as she manipulated her food with her lumionic fork. ¡°Those were their final project reports. Now everything is done!¡± she said joyfully despite her fatigue. She took another bite of her food, chewed, swallowed, and then said, ¡°Can you believe another semester has already come and gone?¡±


    ¡°It goes by fast,¡± Atara said between bites. ¡°Seems like yesterday when we became instructors.¡± After finishing her food, Atara stood up from the couch. Xannissa finished at the same time and offered her empty plate to her friend. Atara took the plates and dropped them into a recycling receptacle where they would be collected and transmuted back into omnium at a centralized location.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Xannissa stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡± Atara nodded while the Elestan threw her jacket over her the couch, leaving her upper body bare like the rest of her. When she returned, clean, dry, and her hair in a ponytail held by her SIRAC hair clamp, she placed her feet into her boots and clothed herself in the standard uniform bodysuit. She picked up the short jacket that covered her torso to her waist, drew her arms through the long sleeves, and left it unfastened like usual. Atara was standing by the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Xannissa said. The time was nearing 0730 as they left their suite eight-hundred meters above ground level in the twelve-hundred-meter-tall Tower One.


    Atara and Xannissa had been close friends since their childhood. Together, they partook in what was termed a service partnership¡ªa legal relationship within the Military that was more significant than a friend, but less than a marriage, though it is often thought of as one. Service partnerships have their advantages, such as having two dear friends partnered together on all assignments, shared living quarters, shared assets, and, if the two enter a permanent partnership, a Q-comms link that enables them to communicate across unimaginable distances without fear of interception or interference. The major disadvantage lies in the consequences of abandoning a temporary or permanent partnership, such as demotion or discharge from the Military.


    The pair made their way down the immaculate corridor outside their suite. Instead of forming hard edges, the floors and ceilings curved to meet the walls just before they connected. A fist-sized, spherical drone passed slowly across a wall, shield-scrubbing the wall to perfection as it hovered millimeters away from the wall¡¯s surface. The lighting was kept at a functional and attractive level, radiated by circular lumigraphs projected on the ceiling. The light from these lumigraphs was directed mostly downward, making the bright lumigraphic circles themselves difficult to see unless standing directly beneath them. Other Navy starmen and officers passed by; all of whom were female and wore standard uniform.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s already been thirteen years,¡± Atara stated.


    ¡°Thirteen years too long, right?¡± Xannissa replied, confident she knew how Atara was feeling.


    ¡°No,¡± Atara said gently. ¡°I may miss command, but I don¡¯t regret reassignment; at least, not anymore. They would have pressured me into the admiralty eventually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± said Xannissa, ¡°but I still believe you would have made a fine admiral.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I had to make every decision from afar. That¡¯s not the kind of commander I ever wanted to be.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± After a few seconds of silence, ¡°Oh! What are your plans for after the exercises?¡± The two turned down another, wider corridor.


    ¡°Oh, um,¡± Atara stammered as the question caught her off guard. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here at the academy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m heading to Earth to see Aedan. Want to join me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he coming back in six months?¡±


    ¡°He may be,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°but that won¡¯t stop me from taking a little vacation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know after the exercises,¡± Atara said, fighting back a grin.


    ¡°Oh, come on Atara,¡± the Elestan said while grabbing her friend¡¯s arm.


    Atara followed up her sudden laughter by saying, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go. I really wanted to keep you in suspense.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have worked,¡± Xannissa said, smiling. ¡°You can¡¯t hold back that smile you make when you try to hide something from me.¡± She let go of Atara¡¯s arm. The two arrived at the lifts where about twenty other women dressed in Accellus 4 standard uniform were gathered. The lifts took them down seven levels to a floor where they could transfer to the high-capacity express lift that transported them to Tower One¡¯s transit hub located about six-hundred meters above ground level.


    The transit hub was a great open space within Tower One. Invisible lumionic airscreens shielded the platforms within from the wind outside. Parked inside were five, hulking G-85 dropships and fourteen of the smaller G-11 shuttlecraft with a fifteenth slipping through the airscreen. These vehicles were part of the normal mass transit system that ferried students and personnel between the Fifth Fleet Academy (Tower One), the other facilities of the Lanan Sector University (Tower Two and from there the various other ¡°Buildings¡±), the massive Tetra 5 starbase, the Lanan Orbital Dockyards, and other military installations across the surface of Lanan. The transit hub¡¯s platforms teemed with starmen, officers, and cadets. As Atara and Xannissa approached the shuttles, a Navy police officer recognized them immediately and guided them toward a shuttle that was ready to depart. Both of them were surprised when the shuttle was loaded from bow to stern with cadets and junior officers.


    Those aboard stood from their seats and saluted the senior officers as they entered the cabin. The junior officers sat dressed in standard uniform while the cadets wore temporary Accellus 4 gear controlled by a lumionic interface projected from the bracelets. The cadets¡¯ bodysuits were locked into the combat variant¡ªsolid dark gray and designed to serve as the base for Accellus 4¡¯s modular REMASS SIRAC armor which the cadets lacked. Instead, they wore a REMASS-generated version of the white jacket which was a part of their normal uniforms and looked like a full-length version of Xannissa¡¯s short jacket.


    The shuttle¡¯s cabin seated twenty-eight people divided by a center aisle, and the seats were arranged in pairs with the first two pairs facing fore, the next two aft, and so on. In between the aft- and fore-facing seats was a removable REMASS table. Large OPEL panels covered both sidewalls of the craft, allowing for sweeping views of the surroundings. The smaller panels on the floor and ceiling allowed those aboard to see above and below.


    After commanding the cadets and junior officers to be at ease and sit down, Atara and Xannissa walked to the last unoccupied pair of aft-facing seats. The two didn¡¯t realize who they were sitting across from until they had settled themselves.


    ¡°Lieren!¡± Xannissa said through a smile. ¡°What a coincidence! I have good news: you¡¯re assigned to our ship.¡± Lieren smiled back out of relief.


    ¡°Thank you, Commander Cetalo,¡± said Lieren. ¡°I look forward to serving both you and the captain.¡± She was a Larissian, thus possessing lavender skin, dark violet hair, and golden eyes. She had a bob hairstyle parted in the middle, and she wore her cadet jacket unfastened, exposing her slender body beneath laminated with a dark gray bodysuit.


    ¡°Hello captain,¡± said the junior officer seated next to Lieren.


    ¡°Cothlis Naret?¡± Atara asked to the black-haired Elestan seated across from her. Her hair was also bobbed, much longer in the front than in the back. Her skin was a neutral gray and her eyes were a cool silver. As an ensign, she was wearing her personal Accellus 4 in standard uniform.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Naret told her.


    ¡°Indeed it has,¡± Atara said. ¡°How was your deployment to the Frontier?¡±


    ¡°That was the kind of service I signed up for,¡± Naret said with a grin.


    ¡°Was it exciting?¡±


    ¡°Was it. Mind if I tell you about it?¡± Naret¡¯s face glowed as the shuttle began to move away from the platform. Meanwhile, Xannissa shut her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a prolonged yawn.


    ¡°You seem exhausted,¡± Lieren said. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    With her eyes still shut and waving her hand, Xannissa said ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The gravidyne shuttle started its ascent by relying on its gravitic propulsion system which altered the gravitational flux within and around the craft to propel it forward. No one aboard could feel the vehicle¡¯s rapid acceleration toward the sky as they too were being accelerated uniformly with the craft¡ªevery atom acting as a point of force to move the craft upward. The gravitic control system was responsible for cabingrav, maintaining the passenger¡¯s sensation of Lanan¡¯s 0.9 standard g of gravitational acceleration relative to the shuttle¡¯s floor.


    Xannissa tried to keep herself awake by listening to Naret¡¯s tales from the Frontier¡ªbattling rogue corporate syndicates, capturing pirates and other criminals, and providing relief to struggling colonies as a show of goodwill¡ªbut after several minutes, she placed her head sideways upon the table with her eyes closed and arms folded in her lap. Lieren was the only one of them who seemed to take note.

 02 – Quen Souq

    Beyond the Federation¡¯s fringeward border is the small state of Tribesson whose capitol is Mirida¡ªmerely a shadow of its ancient glory¡ªand is the largest of the Federation¡¯s fourteen protectorates. Deep within a relatively remote volume of Tribesson space sits the Hadrast system, home to a small orbital research facility operated by the Akkain Conglomerate subsidiary Akkain Technologies. Originally built as a geology laboratory situated above Hadrast¡¯s exceptionally mineral-rich fourth planet, the station has since been repurposed for the study of omnium and related technologies.


    Doctor Quen Souq sat alone in his office checking his mail and sipping his coffee. He wore his white lab coat and other clothing generated from his civilian REMASS gear, all emblazoned with Akkain Technologies¡¯ corporate logo. He was a Larissian, and like his daughter, had lavender skin and violet hair. The scientist maintained a beard that he would scratch from time to time, more of a nervous tick than an itch. Above his desk hovered a lumigraph of his late wife, a Defense Force officer. The Souq Laboratory was on a lower deck of the station where he expected all forty-five of his scientists and technicians to be laboring away on the secrets of omnium bright and early in the morning while he sat in the comfort of his office writing grants and proposals to keep the machine humming.


    Meanwhile, those within the station¡¯s security headquarters were left puzzled as their detection systems registered the presence of two unidentified craft on a course for the station, likely originating from the planet¡¯s barren, lifeless surface. Of course, the craft refused all communication. The station quickly mobilized its contracted security force of a little more than a hundred personnel who took up their posts around the station, primarily around the main hangar bay. They were equipped with Accellus 3: a generation behind the Military but the best the civilian population was allowed to possess under the law.


    Both ships were black, largely flat, and were roughly frigate-sized. One of the station¡¯s chief security officers gave the order for the station¡¯s external weaponry to open fire, but the weaponry could do only minimal damage. The frigates returned fire upon the station, rattling everyone within and destroying the external weapons. Bits and pieces of the station broke off and entered their own orbital trajectories independent of the station, slowly drifting away and leaving trails of ash and dust.


    The station entered strict lockdown. Amid the blaring sirens, flashing lights, and spontaneous rumbling, Dr. Souq did like any unprepared civilian would do: crawled under his desk and placed his arms over his head. His beating heart competed with the noise in his ears¡ªevery moment beating faster and harder. His skin became moist as his tension set in. All he could think about now was seeing his daughter Lieren again¡ªthe same gifted daughter he sent away to school after the death of his wife. The lights went out and the emergency lights switched on. Souq, feeling very alone, braced himself against the rumbling within the station.


    The thunder now came from the battle that began when the first frigate hovered just beyond the hangar door. Soldiers dressed in black armor leapt across the meter-wide gap between the hangar and the frigate, firing their weapons before they even passed through the airscreen. The security forces began sacrificing their lives in an attempt to keep the scientists, most of whom were from the Federation, safe from the violence; however, they were quickly overwhelmed by the stream of black-clad combatants and were forced to retreat deeper into the station. Warnings from station security remained ¡°shelter in place¡± despite the availability of escape pods. Security did not want to place the pods in danger of being blasted out of orbit by the attacking frigates. One daring security officer was determined to defy this warning.


    Doctor Souq¡¯s door opened, sending a chill of terror down his spine. He struggled to contain his emotions, trying to keep from shouting. In walked an armor-clad security officer who called to him through her helmet.


    ¡°You need to leave,¡± she demanded. He would not budge. The officer grabbed him by the arm, dragged him out from under the table, and walked out of the office with him in tow.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± he shouted. The security officer spun around, clasped her hand to his mouth and pinned him to the wall.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± she whispered loudly. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you. I¡¯m taking you to a pod. Do you understand?¡± Souq nodded, and she released her grip. ¡°Just follow me and stay quiet.¡± The station continued to rumble. Sounds of gunfire seemed to grow louder as they moved down the corridor, then quieted again as they approached the closest pod room. There were a few others already within, staking their lives on the planet below rather than the station. The officer shoved Souq into an emergency escape pod before stepping inside herself, and she separated the pod from the station without waiting for any others. The pod activated its gravitics and used them to reverse thrust, slowing the pod¡¯s orbit and letting it fall down toward the planet¡¯s windswept surface.


    The two black ships departed the station after an hour of carnage, leaving a third of the station¡¯s inhabitants dead. Fortunately for the survivors, two Federation Navy vessels were passing within a few lightyears of the station when the attack occurred. An Aries-class destroyer escorted a frigate-sized Atlas-class landing ship carrying over three-thousand Assault Force soldiers and a host of ground and atmospheric Military vehicles. The pair of ships were en route to a military installation deep within Tribesson space when the destroyer, GFN Vonn, received a brief emergency subspace broadcast from the stricken station. After several attempts, the Vonn finally made contact, and acting on orders from THORCOM (Thalassia Orionis Command), the two ships changed course toward the station.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Hyperplane convergence in five seconds,¡± the Vonn¡¯s conning officer said as she sat in her chair staring at detailed information presented by lumigraphics. The ship¡¯s hyperwarp drive quieted as it decelerated its spatial pocket during hyperplanar travel. Once slow enough for the ship¡¯s spatial pocket to naturally converge with the surrounding space, the new strain on the drive from spatial friction brought on a resurgence of humming throughout the ship. ¡°Disengaging hyperwarp in five seconds,¡± said the conning officer as the craft¡¯s apparent velocity continued to slow. The two ships came to a stop three-thousand kilometers from the station.


    ¡°Hail the station on em-comms,¡± the captain ordered. The Elestan captain was flanked by her first officer, Commander Yora Sesh, a Zelnaran possessing skin blue as the ocean and long hair black as the night. Her eyes were violet and her straight hair flowed behind her, covering the large, orange Federation Triangle emblazoning the back of the standard uniform.


    ¡°The station is responding, captain,¡± the communications officer reported.


    ¡°Announce our arrival,¡± the captain commanded, ¡°and tell them that we will be boarding as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The captain then turned to Sesh and said, ¡°Sesh, you¡¯ll take responsibility for securing the station and all that entails.¡± Sesh nodded to her superior as she continued. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough space on either of our ships to evacuate everyone, so try to get as many of the critically injured to the Vonn as you can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Sesh said. The commander took a step back from the captain, and then she changed her Accellus 4 from the standard uniform to a featureless dark gray bodysuit that was then layered with thin, configurable, white SIRAC armor minus a helmet. She opened a lumigraph to communicate with her preassembled teams of Auroras and medical officers, and then made her way down to the Vonn¡¯s hangar, embarked one of the Vonn¡¯s two shuttles, both of which were destined for the station, and took off. The Vonn¡¯s shuttles landed first, then the landing craft moved its bow such that it sat directly in front of the hangar door. Lumionic fields allowed the landing craft to dock with the hangar, and Assault Force soldiers in orange SIRAC streamed out from the landing craft¡¯s forward bay door and toward the station¡¯s interior.


    Chunks of duralithics littered the floor. Scorch marks and solidified metallic ooze covered the walls. Bodies in dull green Accellus 3 armor lied in pools of blood¡ªsome missed appendages or had cauterized perforations. The main lights were still off, and red emergency lumigraphics flashed messages about station power and warnings about intruders.


    ¡°Commander Sesh,¡± said an Elestan of the Assault Force with neutral gray skin and short, messy, white hair. Her rank insignia denoted colonel, and her orange armor only covered her breasts, upper arms, and shoulders¡ªa fittingly low SIRAC armor to polyalloy bodysuit ratio considering her primary combat class as a phantom.


    ¡°Colonel Kyora Teseri,¡± Sesh said. Kyora was accompanied by her longtime service partner, an Exan lieutenant colonel named Virn Lorralis. She had verdant green skin, tan eyes, long, straight, black hair not quite as long as Sesh¡¯s, and trimmed bangs. She wore an armor ratio higher than Sesh.


    ¡°My soldiers are securing the station,¡± Kyora told Sesh. ¡°My medical teams will supplement yours.¡±


    ¡°My Auroras will place the critically injured into stasis until your troops are done,¡± Sesh told her. ¡°We need to get station power back online.¡± Sesh took two of her Auroras and went with Kyora and Virn as they followed the wave of Assault Force soldiers flowing across the station¡¯s dark corridors. It would not be long until the station lost emergency power and with it lights and gravity. The station was large enough to make the loss of life support a non-issue, but it was an issue to be avoided nonetheless. A little over an hour later, Sesh gathered with Kyora and Virn and called the captain of the Vonn.


    ¡°We¡¯ve restored power and moved all of the critically wounded to the Vonn,¡± Sesh said. ¡°We¡¯ve begun our investigation, and so far we know that one lab in particular was heavily damaged. Everyone we found there was deceased.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± the captain asked.


    ¡°Forty-five.¡±


    ¡°My god.¡±


    ¡°Most of them appear to have been executed,¡± Kyora said. ¡°Ten of the escape pods are missing.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the captain said. ¡°I will dispatch a probe immediately and scan the surface.¡±


    Virn stood a few meters away from Kyora and Sesh, studying the remains of the carnage all around her. As she turned her head to glance around, she spoke softly, ¡°Like a plague, the horde called death devoured them; robbing the innocent of love, life and limb.¡±


    Dr. Souq was lying down inside the pod. His savior sat across from him, and he recognized her as Krystal Zara who worked station security for nine years. She had since recalled her helmet and armor, reverting to a dull green standard uniform bodysuit designed by the security company, Jakova Multinational. She was a Terran with blonde hair and silver eyes, and she kept her hair tied into a bun behind her head. The two sat across from each other in silence for the past few hours, thinking about the station, about their colleagues, their friends, and when they would be rescued. The wind outside was fierce, but it was barely audible through the craft¡¯s walls. The windows revealed a rocky desert plain and a blue sky washed out by the thick dust being carried on the swift gales. Towering cumulonimbus filled the horizon. The interior glimmered from the low lumionic lighting.


    ¡°What¡¯s it like being a scientist?¡± the woman asked, attempting to break the long silence.


    ¡°I want to thank you for getting me off the station,¡± said Souq, ignoring her question. His eyes were open and staring toward her, through her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve thanked me enough alre¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why me, though?¡± Souq started to sit up.


    ¡°I was making my way down the hall,¡± Krystal said in a mild tone, ¡°and I was passing by.¡±


    ¡°There were plenty of other people with offices in that hallway. Why didn¡¯t you save them?¡±


    Krystal remained silent.


    ¡°What makes me so fucking important?¡± Souq shouted at her, fighting back tears. He placed his head in his hands.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Krystal sighed. ¡°You want to know what I know?¡± Souq said nothing, so she continued. ¡°I know what you study in that lab. I know that they would have killed you if they had the chance.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± he said, half laughing. His tears were flowing now. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± he shouted through his hands. Krystal kept quiet and let Souq¡¯s tears rush down his face and drip on the pod¡¯s floor. The pod protected them from the toxic atmosphere outside, but it would not protect them from each other.

 03 - Blue Space

    Atara and Xannissa walked through the doors of the fleet operations center. The room was lit like a typical clear night on the Academy¡¯s side of Lanan¡ªbright enough to see the colors of leaves, grass, and animals and block out the stars, and in this case, bright enough to see the colors and features of each of the officers and starmen. Lumigraphs covered the entire forward wall and every station, making fleet ops look like a tunnel carved out of lustrous stone. On either side of the door ran two ramps down into a low trench full of operations officers in standard uniform sitting in front of lumigraphic displays or looking over others¡¯ shoulders. The wide trench wrapped all the way around the other side of the room, making the narrow walkway Atara and Xannissa walked across appear like a stage of sorts. At the end of the stage sat a circle of consoles that overlooked the rest of fleet ops.


    At the center of the circle, surrounded by seated officers, stood a blonde Terran woman that Atara would have wished out of her life if given the chance. An officer that the woman was talking to nodded and walked down the stage toward Atara and Xannissa, cutting her way between the two friends before exiting the room.


    ¡°Captain Korrell and Commander Cetalo,¡± said the woman. She was a dim silhouette against the forward lumigraphs, but Atara could make out her usual arrogant smirk. She was the only one in the room, and perhaps the entire ship, wearing the formal uniform consisting of a white dress with a hemline halfway down the thighs and a hexagonal opening on the upper torso between the breasts. A black necktie with a pointed end, embedded in the collar, hung down the front of the dress to about the navel. The collar and large hexagonal outlines on the hips were orange, and the outfit was complete with the short jacket. It was recommended that the combat bodysuit be worn underneath when aboard a starship, but Atara and Xannissa could see the bare skin of her legs and cleavage.


    ¡°Greetings, Admiral Aesho,¡± Atara said as courteously as she could. She and Xannissa gave her the Federation Military¡¯s salute by placing the left hand, open, behind the back and the right hand, also open, to the forehead with palms out.


    ¡°We need one more person,¡± Aesho said. ¡°Fiori,¡± she called out. A standing, orange figure materialized at the door to fleet ops¡ªa lumionic construct in the form of an unclothed female lacking nipples and genitalia. Her sclera were white, her pupils black, and her long, flowing hair a slightly darker orange. Fiori moved gracefully down the stage, carried on bare feet. Standing behind Atara and Xannissa, she placed her hands on their backs and smiled.


    ¡°Are you ready to begin the countdown?¡± Fiori asked in a most lifelike way.


    ¡°Not just yet,¡± Aesho told her. ¡°Atara,¡± she said, looking at the captain, ¡°there was a change of plan. You¡¯ll be commanding the flagship.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to advise?¡± Atara asked her in disbelief.


    ¡°Not this time,¡± Aesho said. ¡°I think it would benefit the junior officers more if they learned how to take orders rather than give them.¡±


    Atara felt the heat within her building up, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. She stared into Aesho¡¯s eyes, and Aesho stared back, giving Atara that same smirk. According to her, the point of the exercises was to train officers in the art of tactical thinking and decision making. Aesho always positioned herself to be diametrically opposed to Atara, or so it seemed, but she managed to keep her emotions suppressed¡ªmost of the time.


    ¡°Come on, Atara,¡± Xannissa said, sensing her friend¡¯s anger and understanding her feelings, ¡°it¡¯ll be like old times. You and me.¡± Atara snapped out of her mounting rage and looked at her friend.


    ¡°Close enough like old times,¡± Atara told her in a soft voice. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, looking at Aesho with a serious expression.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re ready,¡± Aesho told Fiori. The orange figure backed away from Atara and Xannissa and stood perfectly straight with her legs together.


    ¡°Attention all personnel,¡± Fiori said, broadcasting herself to everyone involved in the exercises. ¡°The Third Armada of the Greater Federation Navy¡¯s Fifth Fleet will begin a joint, blue space combat simulation with the Federation Assault Force¡¯s Seventh Army in one hour.¡± She paused before repeating herself. ¡°The combat simulation will begin in one hour.¡± Fiori relaxed, smiling sweetly at Atara.


    Outside fleet ops, Atara and Xannissa hugged each other before taking separate lifts. Atara made her way to the bridge as Xannissa traveled to the engineering department. The bridge was collocated with the ship¡¯s own operations center just below deck. Two corridors shot out from the aft area of the bridge which led to the captain¡¯s office, briefing rooms, Q-comms, and the lifts. The bridge¡¯s walls curved, widening toward the bow, and were covered with lumigraphs and consoles already manned by seated officers. Atara stood in the middle of them with plenty of room to pace. She had no place to sit. Senior Federation officers didn¡¯t command their vessels from armchairs. A balcony separated the bridge from the operations center below and the sweeping OPEL panel forward and above them. Bounced light flooded into the bridge from Lanan¡¯s light side. Vast tracts of green and expanses of blue were interrupted by tiny puffs of soft white, features drifting as the ship hung in low orbit. Lumigraphs on the OPEL panel marked Greater Federation Navy ships, dry docks, installations, and satellites that would have been difficult to see otherwise for the great distances separating them.


    The conning station was a small depression in the edge of the balcony, reminiscent of a cockpit. Cothlis Naret sat within¡ªher head coming up to Atara¡¯s shins. She faced a low wall of lumigraphs presenting detailed drive and maneuvering information. Standing just behind her, Atara looked down and saw operations officers and starmen at their stations or pacing around. Staring straight ahead, she took in the wide view of their moon and the blue halo at its horizon.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Atara said while standing above Naret. Naret looked behind her, and then scrambled out of the conning station.


    ¡°Captain on the bridge!¡± Naret shouted before saluting. All of the other bridge officers stood from their chairs and saluted toward Atara. The captain hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by bridge formalities she was beginning to forget.


    Finally, she said, ¡°At ease,¡± and the officers dropped their arms and returned to their stations except for Naret.


    ¡°Strange turn of events, right?¡± Naret said, not sure what Atara was thinking.


    ¡°You were supposed to be captain of the flagship,¡± Atara told her, leaping straight to the point¡ªa hint of frustration lacing her words.


    ¡°I¡ªI was?¡±


    Atara didn¡¯t know what else to say. She could have railed against her superior in front of her subordinate, but what kind of example would that have set? It also wouldn¡¯t have changed anything about the situation for the better, so Atara held her tongue, turned around, and started pacing behind the bridge stations looking at her officers¡¯ lumigraphs.


    ¡°I feel more comfortable at the conn anyway,¡± Naret said softly before jumping back to her station. Atara heard what she said. She stopped pacing for a moment, giving herself time to suppress the urge to be blunt. Naret was one of Atara¡¯s latest students. The captain wanted to rip her out of her comfort zone and watch her grow, but Aesho stepped in and prevented that just because she had the power to do so.


    ¡°Naret,¡± Atara said from the center of the bridge. Naret turned her chair around and looked at the captain.


    ¡°Aye!¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± Naret stood up again, stepped up from her station, and walked toward the captain.


    With Naret standing in front of her, Atara said, ¡°You¡¯ll be my first officer.¡±


    ¡°But Captain¡ª¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m the CO of this ship,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Therefore, I choose my officers.¡±


    ¡°A-affirmative,¡± Naret nodded, then moved her black hair out of her face with her hands. She couldn¡¯t argue with the captain. Atara grinned a little, but realized she would need a replacement for Naret. If what Naret¡¯s file claimed, and what came out of Naret¡¯s own mouth were true, finding an equally talented officer would be difficult. She reasoned Aesho had a choice of first officer already lined up. When that junior officer appeared, she would take the conn.


    Ten minutes passed. A Yeran junior officer with scarlet skin and silver hair entered from one of the aft corridors and introduced herself to Atara, claiming to be her first officer.


    ¡°There must be some kind of mistake,¡± Atara said. ¡°There¡¯s your station,¡± she told her, pointing to the conning station. The officer stared at her, then at the station, then back at her with a confused look.


    ¡°Understood,¡± she said, giving a salute and taking her station. Atara watched her touch the controls, look at the correct screens, and interact with the right elements, easing her conscious.


    In the hour before the start of the wargames, the attacking ships took formation around the flagship that Atara commanded¡ªthe three-kilometer-long Tanden-class battleship GFN Hallyon. The ship had a complement of fifteen-thousand crew, six thousand-officers, and eight-thousand Auroras. With the aid of the most powerful gravitics systems in Civilized Space, the ship could enter atmospheres and skim the surfaces of planets. The battleship sported its own collection of a hundred astronautic strikecraft¡ªfighters, bombers, and interceptors¡ªand a pool of shuttles and dropships. It could also be modified to hold thousands of Assault Force soldiers and their tanks, transports, gunships, and aeronautic fighter-bombers. Possessing the same modularity as most other Federation hardware, the exact specifications of the ship were subject to change from mission to mission.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Xannissa¡¯s voice echoed in Atara¡¯s head.


    Without giving away the appearance that she was talking to anyone via technological telepathy, Atara responded, ¡°I¡¯m ready. I made Naret my first officer, and I don¡¯t care what Aesho says. How are things down there?¡±


    ¡°Everything is great,¡± Xannissa said in her cheery tone. ¡°I made Lieren my second-in-command here too, so don¡¯t worry about it. Just have fun. These are wargames after all.¡±


    The two of them were able to share their voices with each other using their service partnership Q-comms links. For this, they were required to swap their neural interfaces with ones possessing both a Q-comms transceiver and direct neural output. They heard each other¡¯s voice only when it was directed through the link, but sometimes words slipped into the link that weren¡¯t meant for it. Other times, words from the link slipped into normal speech. Atara found herself in a situation once during which she injected a word Xannissa told her over Q-comms into a serious conversation she was having with a student. ¡°You need to understand the seriousness of lunch?¡± Of course, this was rare.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Attention fleet,¡± Aesho said on a lumigraph, ¡°prepare for warp in two minutes.¡±


    Atara and Naret stood behind the Yeran at the conn. ¡°Plot a course for Akos Three.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± the Yeran said. When the time came, Atara gave the order, and the Yeran engaged the warp drive. At first, Lanan didn¡¯t budge despite their rapid spatial acceleration. A moment later, the temperate moon started moving, and it quickly darted from their view leaving the massive Akos V lonely against the black ocean. After several more seconds it, too, crawled, then leapt behind them. In-system travel didn¡¯t require the incredible speeds hyperplanar travel was capable of, so hyperwarp was unnecessary. Within two minutes, Akos III was as large as Lanan had been. The rest of the fleet followed behind the flagship, leaving warp seconds later. Ships continued to stream in for several seconds afterward.


    Fiori appeared on the bridge, materializing in a seated position upon the balcony¡¯s railing. Her crossed legs dangled above the diligent crew in operations, and her left arm crossed over her torso. Her right hand covered the right side of her face as she stared out at the defending fleet marked by the OPEL panel¡¯s lumigraphs. It was her job to calculate every mock attack during the simulation, yet she didn¡¯t bat an eyelash.


    ¡°New contacts detected ten-thousand kilometers straight ahead,¡± an officer said.


    ¡°Red alert,¡± Atara called out. ¡°General quarters.¡± A quick siren sounded across the ship with lumigraphs displaying the current situation. The bridge¡¯s OPEL panel changed from a full color image to a subdued red color channel, decreasing the bridge light and accentuating the lumigraphic augmented reality elements. The other lights in the bridge dimmed, making consoles brighter than they had first appeared. The aft corridors were closed, and two Auroras in full armor and helmets stood guard. The planet and other ships were projected on the walls of the bridge with simulated-depth lumigraphy¡ªappearing like red shadows. ¡°Prepare for low orbital engagement.¡±


    ¡°This is Admiral Harianan Aesho,¡± the admiral said, broadcasting herself to the entire attacking fleet. ¡°Welcome to the One-Hundred Forty-Second Joint Exercises of the Greater Federation Navy¡¯s Fifth Fleet, Third Armada and the Assault Force¡¯s Seventh Army. Our fleet is on the attack, and that means it is our job to wrest orbital superiority from the defenders. We must liberate Akos Three in one-hundred hours, and this cannot be accomplished without a victory in space. This is your opportunity to show your classmates, your seniors, and your juniors the training you have received at the Academy and abroad. Do your friends on both sides a favor and give these wargames everything you have. It just might save their lives.¡±


    Atara couldn¡¯t agree more. These junior officers were peoples¡¯ daughters, sisters, and mothers. ¡°You heard the admiral,¡± Atara said. ¡°You¡¯re all here to learn. Let¡¯s try to keep our distance and attack at range.¡±


    ¡°Prepare to engage at point-blank range,¡± Aesho said, apparently still broadcasting fleet-wide.


    ¡°What?¡± Atara cried in astonishment. Thousands of attacking ships all around them shunted power into their gravitics and fusion engines¡ªpoints of white light shining behind them as they pulled ahead of the Hallyon.


    ¡°Captain of the Hallyon,¡± Aesho told Atara in a private communication. Her tone was serious. ¡°Proceed to engage.¡±


    ¡°I object,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Aesho told her. ¡°Now, follow orders.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The captain maintained her neutral disposition in front of her junior officers, but her emotions boiled within. ¡°Conn, move to melee range, subwarp.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± the Yeran said. ¡°Falling forward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Atara,¡± Aesho told the captain before terminating the link. The faint rumbling of the Hallyon¡¯s nine fusion engines easily reached the bridge located on the ship¡¯s dorsal surface toward the stern. Omnium kept the engines fed with reactants while supplying power, material, and life support to the rest of the ship. The gravitics worked together with the fusion engines¡ªthrusting the ship while it ¡°fell¡± toward the defending fleet. Ship-wide cabingrav kept the crew oblivious to the acceleration caused by the fusion engines.


    The Hallyon¡¯s adjunct¡ªone of the billions of nodes interlinked to form half of who Fiori was¡ªaided the Yeran at the conn in reaching the proper velocity. Every increase in velocity would need to be repaid if the captain wanted the ship to stop, and gravitics were the only means of stopping unless the ship turned around and used the fusion engines to aid in reverse thrusting, also pointing the ship¡¯s vulnerable stern at the enemy.


    The Yeran cut the engines and gravitic propulsion and drifted toward the defending armada. ¡°Incoming fire,¡± one of the bridge officers said. Numerous missiles appeared on the OPEL screen.


    Atara, looking quite unconcerned, turned to Naret and asked ¡°What would you do in this situation?¡± Naret who, like Atara, had seen real combat, began to quiver.


    ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± Atara awaited her response as the missiles, fake as they were, rocketed toward the battleship.


    ¡°Missiles closing fast,¡± the bridge officer said with alarm.


    ¡°I-I would evade.¡±


    ¡°Evade in a battleship?¡± Atara asked her. Naret knew she made a mistake. Atara turned back to face the OPEL screen and asked, ¡°Did you forget about rapids?¡± Naret snapped her finger, having experienced a miniature epiphany. The Federation¡¯s anti-missile close-in weapon system, termed REMASS point defense system (RPDS; pronounced ¡°rapids¡±), relied upon the same nanoscale wormhole generation of REMASS but was used to pulse plasma or electromagnetic radiation into an incoming powered projectile, rendering it impotent. The inherent danger of RPDS, essentially a weaponized variation of REMASS, was backflooding, or directing matter and energy back at the sending device. Most modern REMASS systems possessed the capacity to backflood, making the weaponization of REMASS a difficult and risky pursuit.


    Once the missiles entered within two kilometers of the ship, the RPDS silently obliterated them. Internally dead, the missiles crashed into the Hallyon¡¯s lumionic barrier and ricocheted into space.


    The Hallyon used its gravitics to produce negative acceleration as it approached the defending fleet. The battle in low orbit had begun in earnest, and the largely-untouched temperate world below them shined in the white dwarf Akos¡¯ emissions. Waves covered the deep blue oceans. Fields, forests, deserts, and mountains stretched across the continents. White clouds drifted far below them in Akos III¡¯s blue halo of air. Nothing but blackness separated the bright white star from its reflected light. Akos III was like a perfect sister to Lanan, though slightly more massive with roughly 1.2 g of surface gravity. It was used as a training zone for planetary invasion tactics, blue space naval engagements, and wilderness survival, though orbital bombardment was absolutely forbidden. Aside from one limited settlement, the world was left untamed. It was common for the more nature-oriented citizens of Lanan to take weekend trips there. Even Atara and Xannissa visited on occasion. The view was breathtaking, but the Hallyon found itself thick in the virtual battle.


    Most of the ships participating in the combat simulation oriented their ventral sides down toward the ground, and they drifted in pseudo-orbit kept aloft via gravitics. The Hallyon¡¯s simulated shields deflected simulated enemy projectiles launched from real ships from distances as close as five kilometers and as far as five-hundred kilometers. Squadrons of strikecraft darted between the ships at speeds that necessitated the use of smaller-scale sublight warp systems to defeat the disadvantages of Newtonian motion. As white-hot plasma left the tight area of influence of the strikecrafts¡¯ warp systems, it trailed behind their engines creating kilometers-long streaks.


    ¡°Professor,¡± Lieren asked Xannissa as the Elestan commander stood at her station in front of a set of lumigraphic ship schematics and vital statistics. Engineering was alive with drones and personnel moving in and out of the primary control center forward of the huge hyperwarp drive, half of the main omnium reservoirs and convertors, and the reaction chambers for the nine fusion engines and the main omnium direct energy convertors, or ODECs. ¡°Is it possible to use warp during combat?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xannissa said, glancing from figure to figure. Unlike the battle happening beyond the ship, regulating omnium-fueled, antimatter-catalyzed reactors and nuclear drives was very real. She maintained extra vigilance over her crew composed of many junior officers.


    ¡°What I mean is,¡± Lieren said, sounding intimidated, ¡°why can¡¯t we use the warp system to maneuver?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to teach you advanced propulsion,¡± Xannissa said, smiling. She looked at her student and said ¡°It¡¯s a design problem. It¡¯s difficult to design a warp system with a low minimum speed and a high max speed. One is chosen over the other, and for capital ships, they choose high speed. Of course, going too fast without hyperplanar travel creates too much spatial shear and drive strain, so drives like this one,¡± Xannissa said while she pointed to a wall several meters away from them that formed the outer edge of the drive, ¡°are always called hyperwarp drives because they are capable of going hyperspatial. Tiny ships like strikecraft tend to use warp drives which are confined to real space.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Lieren said as she processed the information.


    ¡°I need to stop myself before I get carried away,¡± Xannissa said before laughing. Her gaze went straight through the lumigraphs in front of her.


    ¡°One more question, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is blue space?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Xannissa wanted to laugh, but she decided it was better not to. ¡°Blue space means the space around planets, like orbital battles and such. Of course, this is contrary to black space which are engagements that span entire star systems or volumes of interstellar space. The dynamics of battle are a little different between the two. Oh, hold on,¡± she said, leaving her station and marching toward two of her staff.


    ¡°This is Admiral Aesho,¡± the admiral said to the attacking fleet. ¡°Focus you fire on the defending flagship.¡±


    ¡°Belay that order,¡± Atara said. She had already directed the Hallyon to hunt a cruiser that was eating their assault frigates. Naret heard her every command and relayed them to the other bridge officers. On their OPEL screen, the white glows of the cruiser¡¯s engines flickered and ceased.


    ¡°Enemy flagship detected bearing starboard oh-two-five, plus one-two,¡± a bridge officer said. ¡°Distance forty kilometers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not far,¡± Atara said. ¡°It¡¯s often more effective to eliminate the enemy¡¯s smaller ships which tend to be built for damage. The larger ones, like this vessel, are designed for defense.¡± She turned to Naret and asked, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you. Do we engage their flagship or continue hunting small game?¡± Naret, who had her arms crossed, slowly dropped them to her sides¡ªher fingers slipping off her arms. She placed her hands on her laminated hips and hung her head in an attempt to look like she was contemplating her decision.


    ¡°Let¡¯s attack the flagship,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then give the order.¡± Naret instructed the officers to engage the flagship, and the Hallyon pointed its dorsal-mounted weaponry toward one glimmering sliver among many that shined against the darkness. A barrage of missiles left the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the ship, lumionically-contained plasma beams arced across the battlespace, and heavy, solid metallic rounds darted from the main turret-mounted cannons. As the two ships came closer together, the solid rounds were replaced by heavy plasma bolts. Fighters, bombers, and interceptors swarmed around the two ships like clouds of insects. Corvettes, frigates, and destroyers rushed to the aid of the two flagships, creating a growing brawl that consumed that volume of Akos III¡¯s low orbit.


    Sirens and warnings sounded and flashed as the two ships beat each other down. Unfortunately for the attacking fleet, periodic surface-to-orbit strikes had taken their toll, limiting their endurance against the defenders. The flagship, also a Tanden-class and a sister ship to the Hallyon, had the advantage, and it was only a matter of time before the Hallyon¡¯s lumionics failed, exposing the SIRAC beneath. REMASS could keep the armor repaired for a time, but the combined firepower of the defenders was too great. Atara¡¯s time was up, but so was Aesho¡¯s.


    ¡°Attention all ships,¡± Aesho said. ¡°Retreat. Retreat to Lanan and regroup.¡± The Yeran began plotting a warp course back to Lanan when Atara stepped behind her.


    ¡°Belay that order, lieutenant,¡± Atara commanded the Yeran as a grin shot across her face.


    ¡°What are you doing, Captain?¡± Naret said with concern. It was just a simulation, but the emotions were consuming her.


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯re not moving,¡± Aesho growled.


    ¡°The enemy wants us dead,¡± Atara told her. ¡°The Hallyon will serve as a distraction to save the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Did Semarah teach you nothing?¡± Aesho barked.


    ¡°You have no right to talk to me about Semarah,¡± Atara snapped. She terminated the transmission and watched as the Hallyon succumbed to the hail of virtual fire. Fiori, who had been watching Atara from over her right shoulder, grabbed the railing with her hands and rotated her body, placing her feet on the bridge floor. The orange figure walked toward Atara and said ¡°Looks like you¡¯re dead, captain.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all dead,¡± Atara echoed.

 04 - Subterranean

    ¡°We recovered the pods from the planet¡¯s surface,¡± Sesh reported. Her right arm lied straight across the table as she tapped her fingers inaudibly on the surface. ¡°Inside one of them was the omnium scientist, Doctor Quen Souq, accompanied by the security officer, Krystal Zara.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news at least,¡± said the captain. Sesh, Kyora, Virn, and the captain were gathered within the Vonn¡¯s briefing room located just aft of the bridge. They were all in standard uniform now with Kyora¡¯s and Virn¡¯s being orange with white stripes. ¡°Akkain was worried about him.¡±


    ¡°So, what we know now is that the attackers wore unmarked black armor and arrived in unmarked black ships. The only thing we have to go on is that they appeared to be of Alliance design. No one has claimed responsibility yet, unfortunately.¡± The captain paused for a second before saying, ¡°I do need to tell you something. This station was originally constructed to study the planet¡¯s geology. Hadrast Four is exceptionally mineral-rich. Somewhere along the way, Akkain lost interest, repurposed this station to study omnium, and began leasing mining rights to the planet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that people still choose to mine in this age,¡± Virn said.


    ¡°Bulk minerals,¡± said Sesh, ¡°if you can find them dense enough, could be acquired at less expense and with less regulations than using omnium. They basically let anyone and everyone start digging in their backyard in order to turn a profit and put the lives of these scientists in danger.¡±


    ¡°While our surface probe was locating the pods, it came across the entrance to one of the mines,¡± said the captain. ¡°We sent the probe in, but the density of the planet¡¯s crust prevents em-comms signals from penetrating the surface, and we can¡¯t get a sub-comms signal through.¡±


    ¡°It could be subspace jamming,¡± Kyora said.


    ¡°That is a possibility,¡± said the captain, ¡°but the probe would have returned to the surface and told us if it had encountered any¡ªthat¡¯s assuming the probe was still functional. Either way, we need a recovery team down there, as if things weren¡¯t crazy enough.¡±


    ¡°According to the station¡¯s logs, the frigates originated from the surface,¡± Sesh said. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what we¡¯ll find down there, but I¡¯ll leave immediately, taking a small team and a shuttle.¡± The captain nodded at her.


    ¡°We have the landing ship,¡± Kyora said. ¡°I can order it to touch down.¡±


    ¡°That may come in handy,¡± said Sesh looking at Kyora from across the table. ¡°Actually, if you and Lorralis wouldn¡¯t mind accompanying me.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Kyora said as Virn nodded.


    Sesh once again called on her best Auroras as she left with Kyora and Virn aboard the shuttle. The craft dove through the atmosphere dominated by colossal cumulonimbus that created large, dark shadows in the orange evening sky. Flashes of lightning, diffused by the thick clouds, climbed the dark sides of the towering storms.


    ¡°Giants danced to thunder¡¯s sound,¡± Virn whispered, ¡°growing louder as they bound toward the heavens, they rise through evening golden skies.¡±


    ¡°So, colonel,¡± Sesh spoke, disrupting the relative quiet. She looked across at Kyora. ¡°Where are you from?


    ¡°Me?¡± Kyora looked surprised by the question. The Elestan looked down, then back up and said ¡°Mirida.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mirida,¡± Sesh said happily while nodding. ¡°What is it like there?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t lived there in decades,¡± said Kyora, attempting to dismiss the question. Getting the hint, Sesh turned her attention to Virn.


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from Kol,¡± Virn said with her hands folded in her lap. She seemed far more receptive.


    ¡°Ah, a Sister World,¡± Sesh noted. ¡°That must have been nice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful place. I grew up in the far north, so a lot of tundra grasslands and a few forests with some hills here and there. There was a stream that ran just down the road from our house. We left every winter and lived in the tropics for five months, but we always considered the far north our home.¡±


    ¡°That sounds really nice,¡± Sesh repeated.


    ¡°How about yourself?¡± Virn asked.


    ¡°I grew up on the very edge of the Frontier.¡±


    ¡°So you were really close to the Federation?¡±


    ¡°The other edge,¡± Sesh stressed. ¡°The very far edge.¡± She attempted to illustrate by moving her hands far apart. ¡°I think I still remember the planet¡¯s official designation: U-P-C, two-eight-five-nine, three-five-four-oh, two-three-four-G.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a lot like a colony,¡± Kyora stated.


    ¡°It was,¡± Sesh explained. ¡°Actually, the colony was only twenty years old when I was born there. We called it Regen-Kelas Four. I, too, grew up in the grasslands, but it was a temperate region that our family farmed. There wasn¡¯t enough omnium around to use it for food. Actually, the first time I ever saw a food-fab was when I first came to the Federation when I was twenty-seven. It took three years just to make that trip.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever see yourself going back there?¡± Virn asked.


    ¡°I enjoy the fast life of Civilized Space,¡± Sesh told them, ¡°but I dream sometimes about going back there. Talk about having free reign over your surroundings. One of my favorite things to do as a child was explore with my brothers. I was the youngest of the five children in my parent¡¯s first upbringing; and the only female at that. Despite being the youngest and ¡®cutest¡¯ as my brothers would say, I followed them over hills, across valleys, into empty forests. We even made it to the mountains once, on foot, in winter, and it took us about a week to get there and back.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you really miss it,¡± Virn said.


    ¡°Why did you leave, then?¡± Kyora asked.


    ¡°I used to know,¡± said Sesh. ¡°It was just the adventuring spirit, I guess. There was also this one time when I was really young that we had a raider scare, and I remember being very frightened.¡± Sesh turned to look outside at the evening sky as they continued their descent. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I chose to join the Navy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never go back to Mirida,¡± said Kyora.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Sesh asked as she turned back to the two of them. Kyora ignored the question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see myself going back to Kol,¡± said Virn. ¡°My family was very deep in ancient Exan religion. My father was always away performing sacred rites while I was educated by my mother who herself was a poet. After her instruction, I tended the local shrine and had to wear large, bulky ceremonial garb and have my hair done a certain way. It was both my parents¡¯ intention for me to go out into the wider world when I turned twenty, but what I didn¡¯t tell them is that I wanted to join the Navy. When they found out I was in the Academy, they showed up there and tried to drag me back.¡± Virn almost laughed. ¡°The first time I tried on REMASS clothing, I was in heaven. It was so comfortable. My parents now have a son, and he seems to be following in father¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting,¡± said Sesh. ¡°Colonel, are you sure you don¡¯t want in on our conversation?¡±


    ¡°Very sure.¡±


    The shuttle touched down on the windswept rocky plain in front of the mine entrance. Everyone aboard had sheathed themselves in armor and helmets, but did not tote weapons. They could fabricate their weapons on demand if they became necessary. The Auroras and two Assault Force officers stepped off of the shuttle and gathered around before heading into the large, sloped, rectangular tunnel with walls one-hundred meters apart and a ceiling thirty meters up.


    ¡°Be advised,¡± the captain told the away team after Sesh announced their arrival, ¡°a wave of storms will reach your location within three hours. Also, remember to be on the lookout for subspace jamming.¡±


    ¡°Understood, captain,¡± Sesh responded in her helmet.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t back by then,¡± said the captain, ¡°you¡¯ll need to seek refuge in the caves until the storm blows over.¡±


    The team of twenty-seven set off into the dark tunnel. The ground was quite smooth compared to the outside which was littered with loose rocks and pebbles. They kept their suits¡¯ lights off and relied on optical sensors, primarily taking the form of advanced lidar. A light wind blew toward them from deeper within.


    ¡°There is some kind of ventilation system five-hundred meters ahead,¡± said Sesh. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we got before the probe disappeared.¡± Sesh turned to one of the two discthrowers and said ¡°Can you give me eyes ahead?¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said the discthrower. She was lightly armored, and she removed what looked like a flattened torus from her back. The disc was actually a drone containing a separate omnium supply that was under her conscious control, placing her in the situation of being simultaneously in charge of both her own body and every action of the drone.


    The discthrower held the disc¡ªabout thirty centimeters across¡ªto her opposite shoulder and flung it into the darkness. The disc took off under its own gravitics and raced down the tunnel, seeing everything despite the dark. At the end of the tunnel was the ventilation system. It formed a wall with three large circular openings. Each opening contained a rotor with three connecting blades. The rotors remained motionless, so the discthrower guided her disc between the gaps in the blades and further into the tunnel. After reporting no resistance for two kilometers, Sesh ordered her Auroras to lift off¡ªthat is, to use their gravitics to fly down the tunnel. They slowed down as they carefully guided themselves through the rotor blades.


    ¡°If the vent is off,¡± asked one of the Auroras as she fit her body through, ¡°where is the breeze coming from?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the storms,¡± Virn stated, ¡°the low pressure they generate.¡±


    The Auroras continued to fly until they reached a sharp drop. Setting their feet down on the smooth stone, they peered over the edge of a giant, vertical, cylindrical shaft. The other discthrower unleashed her disc into the blackness helping to map out the tunnels.


    The vertical shaft¡¯s stone ceiling was directly above them, and the shaft¡¯s floor was three kilometers down. More tunnels of similar dimensions to the one that the Auroras stood within jutted off from this main shaft. Automated gravidynes crawled through the tunnels, just barely managing to slide between the covalent nanocrystal and duralithic supports preventing tunnel collapse. The discs continued to explore unimpeded despite the dense metallic rock surrounding them because of their sub-comms links with their users. That was until one of the discs suddenly lost communication.


    ¡°Commander,¡± one of the discthrowers said with concern. ¡°I just lost my disc.¡±


    ¡°We may have found something, then,¡± said Sesh. ¡°Would you be able to guide us to the location you lost it?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    The team used their gravitics to descend through the shaft and perch at the entrance to the tunnel in which the disc was lost¡ªstanding or kneeling on the wall of the shaft as if it were the ground. One of the lightly-armored scouts attempted to use her mass scanner to detect movement, but could see none down the tunnel. Optics were also clear, so Sesh gave the order to proceed.


    Once within the disc¡¯s line of sight, the discthrower was able to guide it back to herself using EM-comms. She caught it and clutched it to her chest as if she had just recovered her lost pet. One-hundred meters down the tunnel, the group lost their sub-comms connections to the ship and to each other. Each of their Accellus 4 confirmed it as jamming.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Sesh. ¡°Definitely proceed with caution.¡±


    ¡°Subspace jammers interfere with mass scanners,¡± said Virn, ¡°so be on your guard.¡±


    Sesh stepped outside of the jammer¡¯s area of effect long enough to contact the Vonn, and then the group walked slowly down the tunnel.


    ¡°I see something far ahead,¡± said one of the point-men. ¡°It may be the probe.¡± The group approached the object on foot and activated their lights to look it over. The probe¡¯s SIRAC shined in the light they emitted despite how heavily it had been damaged. Suddenly, Kyora felt a familiar feeling¡ªthe same kind that had kept her alive all these years. It was always just a feeling, but she knew without a doubt that danger surrounded them. She activated her shrouding, concealing her from all sensor types including the human eye. Virn noticed this immediately.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Virn said, worried. As she finished her sentence, four hidden gun turrets emerged from hidden doors in the smooth rock: two on the walls, one on the ceiling, and one on the floor.


    ¡°Take them down!¡± Sesh shouted. Before the one on the floor could start firing, Kyora had blasted it to a molten husk with her dual heavy pistols. The other three began firing at the Auroras, echoing the popping of chemical propellants through the tunnels, but their Accellus 4¡¯s lumionic barriers absorbed the kinetic energy of the turrets¡¯ solid rounds. The discthrower who had just recovered her disc sent it flying. Coating itself in white plasma, the disc turned around and sliced through the turret on the ceiling, sending half of the turret crashing to the floor. The turrets on the walls were riddled with plasma rounds until they ceased to function. The Auroras recalled their weapons, having only lost a small amount lumionic field potential that would be recovered in mere moments.


    ¡°These defenses weren¡¯t designed to deal with an armed force,¡± said Kyora, removing her shrouding.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Virn, crouching at the one on the floor and looking it over.


    ¡°Whoever put these here just wanted to keep us from snooping,¡± said Sesh. ¡°Are there any special markings?¡±


    ¡°None that I see,¡± said Virn. ¡°Everything is generic, much like the gravidynes. Just the designer¡¯s logos.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of gravidynes,¡± said Kyora as one of the giant vehicles floated down the tunnel, its inefficient drive system humming deeply as it approached, perhaps because of its age. There was less than a meter of clearance on each side of the weathered craft. Sesh and the team hugged the wall as the machine floated along toward the vertical shaft behind them. Once the robotic vehicle had cleared them, one of the Auroras looked down the tunnel again and noticed light in the distance. Sesh led the team on, but before reaching what appeared to be the end of the tunnel, the group found themselves on a duralithic bridge spanning what was once a vast mineral lode. The lode had been mined out in giant cubic chunks, and the subterranean cavity was supported by duralithic struts running from the floor to ceiling¡ªabout a two-hundred-meter gap. This portion of the tunnel network was damp. A thin layer of moisture on the duralithic bridge made it shine in the distant light. Frequent drips rained down from the blocky ceiling.


    After flying for another two kilometers of tunnel, the group set themselves down. They arrived at an airscreen holding in the atmosphere for what looked like an empty hangar built to house space vessels. The dark, dull walls of smoothly-carved Hadrast stone reflected the light from massive, square lumionic lights on the ceiling illuminating the landing area below, most of which were on a giant closed door above.


    ¡°Be on your guard,¡± Sesh told them. ¡°We know little about the station¡¯s attackers. Anything can happen when we enter this shield. Point-man, lead us in.¡±


    As soon as one of the point-men touched the airscreen, the lights in the hanger switched from white to red. Sirens sounded and other red lumigraphics flashed. Mechanical sounds boomed next to them, and a bay door began to inch closed at the entrance where they stood. To avoid being locked out, the group charged through the airscreen and onto the periphery of the landing area. Most of this area was a flat subterranean plain with little place to hide save for a few crates and other debris and machinery cluttered around. A ribbon of windows wrapped one of the walls about halfway from the floor to the ceiling, and a pair of unarmored personnel dressed in black jumped to their feet and ran off. Massive bay doors on all four sides of the hangar crept open and from them streamed combatants, both armored and unarmored. Sesh fabricated her assault firearm, Kyora her dual heavy pistols, and Virn a heavy sustainer that she could tote with the help of her gravitics. All three weapon classes were gravitic mass drivers.


    The Auroras took cover behind crates that blocked the enemy¡¯s bullets or took off from the ground to attack from directly above. The enemy kept their feet on the ground, appearing to lack gravitics. Kyora activated her shrouding and darted for one of the doors closest to the ribbon of windows. Virn flew up to a gantry resting just below the hangar¡¯s metallic ceiling. She found a catwalk and fell prone, placing her sustainer at the edge and angling it downward toward the far side of the bay. Pulling the trigger rotated the internal revolver full of cylinders that filled with omnium-derived packets of gravitically-accelerated, self-containing plasma that left the barrel with little more than a woosh of air. The bolts cracked and popped like miniature thunder upon hitting anything in their path, eating duralithics, ablating SIRAC, incinerating flesh. Sesh stood behind a tall stack of crates with her assault driver in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she peeked around the corner with her gun and fired it using its sight relayed to her helmet¡¯s OPEL screen. This allowed her to fire the weapon without exposing herself to incoming fire.


    As the enemy met the force that the Auroras exerted upon them, they hid in the corridors behind the opened bay doors, firing shots from as much cover as they could. One of the Auroras launched a self-propelled gravitic projectile into one of the doors, blasting out body parts, chunks of armored meat, and structural debris into the bay, painting the floor and walls with soot and blood.


    Kyora blasted everyone in her path with her dual pistols. After watching their comrades die to an unseen enemy, the combatants tried to fight her back by spraying wildly from their hips but ended up with holes through their heads. The phantom floated over their dead bodies before putting her feet back down. She arrived at the control room overlooking the hangar and stood at a console, but everything was written in unfamiliar graphemes. Without sub-comms, she would be unable to access the Federation Archives in order to decipher it. Instead, she decided to take a risk by fabricating a connector that matched the type she found on the terminal. She kept her hand connected to it in order to establish a direct link to the computer with her suit, and she began interfacing with the computer using her Accellus 4¡¯s neural interface as input and her lumionics as output that she could read, such as code written in Miri, the common language of Civilized Space evolved from the common language of the Miridan Empire. The neural interface was designed not to be able to output information directly into the brain (except for the service partnership Q-comms link), so it could only accept direct inputs from the brain. Within minutes and pausing every so often to place a bolt in the body of a marauder, Kyora was able to shut down the subspace jammer. She then contacted the Vonn and told them about their present situation. She also called for the landing craft and opened the overhead door, revealing a dark sky flashing periodically with lightning. Dust settled on the airscreen before being blow away again by the gusts.


    The twenty-seven Auroras were able to break the will of the larger force of unequipped and unprepared adversaries well before the landing craft touched down within the hangar twenty minutes later. Most of the enemy surrendered themselves to the Auroras. The Assault Force soldiers swarmed through the large underground complex which had been built into one of the mined-out mineral lodes.


    The enemy combatants were forced to sit on the ground with their hands on their heads. As the Federation soldiers began to strip-search them, the marauders were unable to conceal their identities. Kyora, whose helmet had been recalled, tensed up when she saw the elongated, pointed ear lobes and red, glowing neck circles indicative of elsheem. She wanted to stab one of them in the glowing circle on the back of its neck with the tip of her fingernail and watch it curl up and die on the floor from the trauma. She had absolutely no love for whom she considered sub-human trash. The phantom left the hangar, unable to compose herself if she looked at them for too long.


    Krystal Zara, still wearing the green Jakova bodysuit, opened the door to her temporary quarters aboard the Vonn and peered down both ends of the clean, white corridor. She then shut the door and sat on a chair within the room.


    ¡°Fiori,¡± she said. The orange, lumionic female figure materialized and stood before Krystal.


    ¡°Krystal Zara,¡± said Fiori, ¡°I have been awaiting your call. Would you like to speak with Admiral Aesho?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Krystal.


    ¡°Unfortunately, she is currently overseeing combat exercises,¡± said the orange construct. ¡°I can record a message for you, if you would like.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Krystal said, producing a statelier voice. ¡°This is most urgent.¡±

 05 - Metro Aero

    The Soran spaceliner shut down its fusion engines, choking the white fire from its thrusters as it drifted into an open bay in the spaceport. Propelled by its gravitics, the hulking, yellow civilian vessel guided itself into perfect position. Station-side gravitics and lumionics held the ship stationary, and mechanical gates at the sides of the dock rotated to face the craft, telescoping into place along eight points across the ship¡¯s port and starboard sides.


    After a half hour of unloading passengers, Atara and Xannissa passed a lumionic sign warning of possible variable gravity as they crossed one of the dock¡¯s boarding platforms. Wearing their usual Navy standard uniforms, they moved with the crowd as it flowed toward the heart of the Kardann International Spaceport in orbit above Earth. Behind them and visible through the OPEL windows, the spaceliner¡¯s clean hull shined in Sol¡¯s white light. The pair carried nothing with them except their Accellus 4.


    The crowd was a homogenous mixture of all six human races. Peach and brown-skinned Terrans walked beside gray-skinned Elestans, blue Zelnarans, lavender Larissians, blood red Yerans, and green Exans. The six races of the Sister Worlds had coexisted peacefully long before the rise of Mirida, and nothing could ever change that now or in the future.


    The two left the gate and emerged in the terminal, meeting a mighty river of bodies flowing perpendicularly to them in both directions. Atara took the lead and held Xannissa¡¯s hand, trying to stay together despite the surge of pedestrians. The noise of scuffling and clacking feet and loud voices were drowned out only by the terminal¡¯s public-address system that announced imminent arrivals and departures.


    It was almost a complete certainty that everyone in the terminal and station was wearing some form of REMASS clothing. Many clothed themselves loosely¡ªsome heavily and some thinly. There were civilians, both male and female, that wore bodysuits as well with some more or less form-fitting than others, a few even defeating modesty. And then there were those who took advantage of public decency laws which allowed males to expose everything above the waist and females everything below.


    ¡°Was it this crowded the last time we came through here?¡± Xannissa asked through her neural interface.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe,¡± Atara thought, clutching Xannissa¡¯s hand. ¡°Then again, it¡¯s a planet of a hundred billion.¡±


    ¡°And a system of five-fold more.¡±


    Beyond the terminal, they waded toward a balcony like it was the shore, and it overlooked a shopping area that stretched out beneath them. Xannissa anchored her forearms to the railing and leaned against it, watching the people meander in and out of stores and restaurants.


    ¡°We can wait here for a bit and see if the crowd thins out,¡± Xannissa said after facing Atara, despite not needing to move her lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Atara told her, still unwilling to talk above the noise.


    ¡°I know I keep saying this,¡± Xannissa thought, watching a small child bouncing before his parents, ¡°but I wish Aesho would retire.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been the armada admiral at least as far back as Semarah,¡± Atara said, propping her buttocks against the railing, crossing her arms, and staring into the incessant influx.


    ¡°She was one when your mother was alive!¡± Xannissa added, her transmitted voice filled with vexation. ¡°And they made you quit commanding starships. Talk about double standards.¡±


    Atara sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s just the way things are.¡±


    ¡°Man.¡± Xannissa shut her eyes and shook her head. The Elestan thought for a moment, watching the little boy trip and fall, only to stand back up on his feet and keep frolicking like nothing had happened. She turned to Atara and thought, ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of good as an instructor, maybe even more than captain.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± Atara asked, turning to her friend. The crowd had dried up some.


    ¡°I do,¡± Xannissa vocalized. ¡°And Naret is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°She still has a lot to learn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all? I mean, if you¡¯re not learning¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Xannissa smiled. She left the railing and straightened her body. ¡°She¡¯ll have the opportunity to build more experience.¡± She brought her right wrist up and adjusted the end of her sleeve with her left hand before saying, ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    It was Xannissa who seemed to be taking the lead as the pair descended toward the shopping area. Scents of hot brunch wafted from a caf¨¦ as they passed, beckoning Xannissa who had yet to eat breakfast toward the establishment. Atara stopped her halfway through the door saying, ¡°We¡¯re eating lunch soon, right?¡± Xannissa faced her, sighed, and rubbed her flat abdomen as it ached.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Xannissa huffed. They walked away from the caf¨¦ and continued on toward the station¡¯s core.


    They caught a tram to the surface departures area of the station. Shuttles passed through large airscreens and parked next to loading zones. Each zone corresponded to one surface station located on a different continent. The two avoided these, heading instead to the more expensive and direct private cabs. A bright red sports model flashed a lumigraph with ¡°CETALO¡± written in bold text. They approached the craft, and its top and sides were recalled via a rapid recovery system not unlike that in Accellus 4, revealing the gravidyne¡¯s dark, luxury interior. Atara sat down on the leather front left seat and Xannissa on the right. Once they were inside, the top and sides were rebuilt by REMASS, and OPEL panels surrounded them.


    ¡°Greetings, ladies,¡± the car¡¯s registered Subnet personality told them in a smooth male voice as the gravidyne rose from its parking spot. ¡°Xannissa, I notice you have a reservation at the Sasrin Resort near the Capitol Complex. May I take you there?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Xannissa told the integrated assistant. The vehicle crawled through the station¡¯s interior air, passed through an airscreen, and then directed itself toward the planet and accelerated.


    ¡°Would you care for some music?¡± the IA asked. Xannissa looked at Atara, waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Atara asked. As the smooth music played, Atara turned to Xannissa who was still looking her way and asked, ¡°How is Lieren doing?¡±


    ¡°You mean about the Akkain station? She still hasn¡¯t been able to talk to her father.¡±


    ¡°At least we know he¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°The poor girl lost her mother some years back,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°I don¡¯t know the whole story, but she was in the Defense Force.¡±


    ¡°I hope she can reunite with him,¡± Atara said. She rested her left hand on her face. ¡°They seem like they only have each other.¡±


    The sports gravidyne streaked through the upper atmosphere and joined the skylane traffic flow. It was about mid-morning in the western hemisphere. The IA piloted the car to the hotel¡¯s busy main entrance. Fashionable guests walked in and out of the automatic doors, to and from expensive aerospace gravidynes that they either owned or, like Atara and Xannissa, had rented. Once their gravidyne stopped, the top of the vehicle retreated, and the pair stood from the craft. Xannissa¡¯s fare was paid electronically as soon as the cab reached the destination, and the gravidyne departed as soon as the two walked away.


    The pair strode through the automatic doors and across the wooden floor of the ornate lobby decorated with metallic statues of dignitaries and at least one instance of stasis art. Four naked performers¡ªtwo male and two female and very attractive¡ªstood together on a pedestal, frozen in lumionic stasis. It was understood that stasis artists earned a sizable salary, but at the cost of being absent from reality for hours, days, even weeks. Shallow pools separated parts of the lobby; their undisturbed surfaces like solid glass. Leafy trees with sprawling branches shaded open pavilions built atop the water from the sunlight streaming down from the skylight hundreds of meters up. Exposed corridors flanked by rooms upon rooms formed the walls of this great atrium.


    An Elestan woman with her black hair in a bun behind her head leaned on the reception desk. She wore the Navy¡¯s enlisted formal uniform consisting of a white shawl draped over her shoulders and concealing a vest underneath. Her bare, neutral gray buttocks and genitals were clearly visible as she wore no bodysuit. When she departed the desk, her black tie hung down her front with its inverted tip swaying above her navel which sparkled from the small, clear gemstone within. Giant hooped earrings hung from each of her earlobes, and hair fell to either side of her face like Xannissa¡¯s.


    ¡°No way,¡± Xannissa mumbled to herself. ¡°Cylenna?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes had jumped from place to place, then landed squarely on Xannissa. The beaming woman shouted to them as they approached.


    ¡°Xanni!¡± Before Xannissa could properly greet her, Cylenna smooshed their clothed bosoms together, wrapping her arms around Xannissa¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯s been far too long,¡± Cylenna said after releasing Xannissa from her grip. She then followed up with a smooch on Xannissa¡¯s right cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked you haven¡¯t gotten yourself killed yet,¡± Xannissa told her, rubbing her hand on her face and showing a wry smile. ¡°Anyway, what are you all dressed up for?¡± she asked despite Cylenna¡¯s relative nakedness.


    ¡°Metro Aero,¡± Cylenna told them. She looked to Atara and said, ¡°How¡¯s the captain doing?¡±


    ¡°Just surprised to find you here,¡± Atara said. ¡°Other than that, I¡¯m glad to be away from Lanan.¡± She paused before stating, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you wear the uniform.¡± Her rank insignia denoted a master chief petty officer and strike pilot.


    ¡°Right?¡± Xannissa laughed. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s just as proud of that as she is of her own body.¡±


    ¡°Oh? If that¡¯s what you think,¡± she retorted, knocking away the tie and positioning her hands to unfasten her vest.


    ¡°No, no, keep your shirt on,¡± Xannissa told her older sister, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was staring at them, but everyone across the lobby appeared to be absorbed in their own worlds. Cylenna grinned and brought her arms down. ¡°So,¡± Xannissa continued, ¡°Metropolitan Aerospace?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re not here for that?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t kept up with racing in so long,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°But it gives us another thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Cylenna said, masking her disappointment. ¡°You two just here on vacation?¡± As she spoke, Cylenna spotted a familiar Terran male walk through the autodoors. Lumionic sunshields hovered before his eyes.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Xannissa told her, reluctant to mention Aedan.


    ¡°Well, it looks like your company is here, so I should be leaving,¡± Cylenna told them. She squeezed between the two friends and slapped her younger sister¡¯s hyperdermal laminated buttock as she passed.


    ¡°Leaving already?¡± the Terran shouted to her. ¡°I just got here!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep up with me,¡± she told him, guffawing as she pranced through the autodoors.


    ¡°Older sisters,¡± said the man walking up to them while shaking his head. His short hair was brown and his skin a shade darker than Atara¡¯s. His casual dress belied the true nature of his life as a serious business executive.


    ¡°Kyle!¡± Atara said, hugging her younger brother as his sunshields disappeared.


    ¡°Great to see you, Atara!¡± he told her with his arms around her. After they released each other, he asked them in his masculine voice, ¡°Have you two checked in?¡±


    ¡°We were about to before we were stopped by Petty Officer Deathwish,¡± Xannissa said.


    ¡°I see,¡± Kyle told them. He followed the pair to the reception desk, and to the two women¡¯s astonishment, paid for their week-long stay in advance plus extra. He then followed the pair up to their room high above the lobby.


    Xannissa sat across from Atara and Kyle in a booth around an oval table. On one side was an OPEL panel with an uninterrupted view of the outside, revealing a lustrous skyline. Distant duralithic monoliths towered above the city, brushing against the rolling cumulus clouds and reflecting the sun¡¯s blinding light. Their hotel, faded by the atmosphere between them, was among the buildings shooting up from the ground. Currents of gravidynes confined to skylanes crisscrossed the air. Below them was a sprawling urban landscape with many of the roofs topped with gardens, greenery, or windows. The capitol district was the most pristine urban area on the planet. If not for the telltale signs of an abundant population, it would have appeared like no one had ever lived here.


    On the other side was the dark restaurant. The majority of the light was from the ribbon of OPEL windows wrapping around the outer walls. The restaurant spanned multiple levels, and the interior dipped down into a secluded depression where a party could slip away and enjoy a private meal and drinks. The atmosphere from the waiters and the music to the walls, ceilings, floors, and greenery boasted high class. Other than the music, the air was filled with the clanking of glass and plates, the clinging of silverware, and the mumbling of low voices.


    Atara and Xannissa wore their formal uniforms. They sat with their exposed legs crossed and their hands in their laps. Kyle swapped his casual clothing for a suit more appropriate for the venue using his civilian REMASS.


    ¡°When is Aedan coming?¡± Kyle asked, holding his steaming cup of fragrant coffee and looking toward the restaurant¡¯s interior.


    ¡°He¡¯s nearing the deadline on a project,¡± Xannissa told him, ¡°so he can¡¯t leave until this afternoon.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said. He took a sip from his cup. ¡°If we had him, and if I could have grabbed Cylenna, it¡¯d be like our good ol¡¯ high school days.¡±


    ¡°How would Talme feel about you wanting to grab my sister?¡± Xannissa asked in jest. Kyle set his drink down, bursting into laughter with Xannissa.


    ¡°She knows I like Elestan women!¡± he shouted. ¡°That¡¯s why I married her.¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± Atara told her brother, patting him on the shoulder.


    ¡°So, yeah. Speaking of, I probably should return to my wife after this.¡±


    ¡°How are the children?¡± Atara asked him.


    ¡°Sara just turned nineteen,¡± Kyle said. ¡°Jess and Rin are in high school now.¡±


    ¡°Are they all you have?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°So far,¡± Kyle said, lifting his cup and taking another sip. ¡°When they clear the nest, we¡¯ll think about raising another upbringing. This time Talme wants Terrans, and at least one son.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet!¡± Xannissa said. ¡°We¡¯ll have a little Kyle Junior!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start!¡± Kyle laughed again. He cut his laughter short as the waitress returned with their food. She left them with three steaming plates and a couple of cold saucers with condiments. The three lifted their utensils and dined upon their lunch.


    ¡°Sara wants to join the Military,¡± Kyle said before taking his first bite. He chewed, swallowed, and then continued, ¡°She reminds me of mom.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s today?¡± Atara asked, halting her hands. She looked at her brother with concern.


    ¡°Oh-five-two-one,¡± he told her. ¡°The anniversary. I thought about it at the office this morning before coming here.¡±


    ¡°This year is the first time I haven¡¯t thought about it,¡± she told them, slowly slicing her food. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should feel about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a good thing,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°It¡¯s been, what? Seventy-seven years?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Atara said softly. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s boundless generosity, other than making him a subpar businessman in the eyes of his peers, compelled him to pay for the meal and for Atara and Xannissa¡¯s fare for the trip back to the hotel. It wasn¡¯t long after that Xannissa received a call from Aedan saying that he was free for the day and that he would bring a gravidyne to pick them up. From there, the new trio traveled to Blue Road, a shopping and entertainment district spanning the tops of seven close towers.


    When the gravidyne landed in the bay, Aedan dashed out and helped Xannissa¡ªin standard again¡ªout of the front seat. She gave him a brief look of subtle annoyance, implying that she was perfectly capable on her own, but she kindly took his hand and rose from the car, smiling at him. Aedan was also a Terran. His jet black hair, parted on the side, glistened in the lights of the lumionics and OPEL panels, and his facial hair was well-kept. He wore a dark gray business suit without the jacket. The thought of leaving the two of them alone crossed Atara¡¯s mind, and that thought must have transmitted to Xannissa because she responded with her NI.


    ¡°You coming?¡± It was then that Atara¡ªalso back in standard¡ªrealized she was still inside the vehicle. She stood up from the gravidyne and joined them.


    OPEL windows were placed throughout the conjoined structures, giving guests the feeling of walking among the clouds. Being at the current cloud level, the only thing above was a deep blue sky. Escalators moved over giant OPEL panels embedded in the floor. The images they projected were so clear that they could have been mistaken for openings with drops of at least a couple thousand meters. Plants and shrubs lined the immaculate white walkways and storefronts, and lumionic lighting streamed down from the OPEL ceiling. The interior design was reminiscent of that at the Lanan Sector Academy, albeit more open and brighter due mainly to the widespread use of continuous OPEL panels. Lumigraphic banners advertised the Metropolitan Aerospace Grand Prix, and Blue Road, being one of the best places to view the event, was already packed with enthusiasts who would stay out until morning.


    ¡°Looks like Metro Aero is getting all the attention today,¡± Aedan pointed out. He walked with Xannissa hand-in-hand. Atara strode by her friend¡¯s other side.


    ¡°Cylenna¡¯s competing,¡± Xannissa told him.


    ¡°Really now?¡±


    Xannissa nodded, then sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe some of the things she does.¡±


    ¡°It may be reckless sport,¡± Aedan said, ¡°but she¡¯s following her passion.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t want to lose her.¡±


    ¡°I know how you feel, Xann,¡± Atara told her, ¡°but Aedan has a point. Better to lose her doing what she loves than to keep her doing what she hates.¡±


    The trio moved toward a booth operated by the Federation Navy situated in one of the great atriums. Xannissa was unsure how to feel about the five-meter-tall, flat lumigraph of her sister in standard uniform, and Atara tapped her on the shoulder to look at it as a sort of tease. The petty officers running the booth noticed the rank insignias on Atara and Xannissa¡¯s uniforms, and they jumped up from the young and curious civilians they attended to to give a hearty salute.


    ¡°At ease, ladies,¡± Atara told them as the trio passed by. The group continued to walk toward a more secluded area, but finding one was proving difficult.


    ¡°So, Aedan, I thought you were going to be busy,¡± Xannissa told him. Atara caught her smile.


    ¡°Well, deal is,¡± Aedan said softly, ¡°I practically begged my boss to let me go. I told her my favorite person was in town and I had to leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Xannissa gave him a playful, inquisitive glare.


    ¡°Would you still believe me if it was?¡± Aedan gave her a smile while gripping her laminated hand tighter. ¡°I mean, you are my favorite person.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too sweet. You know that?¡± Aedan chuckled a little when she said this.


    ¡°Give me a break,¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in months.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, how¡¯s that project coming?¡±


    ¡°Really smoothly,¡± he said. ¡°A lot more smoothly than I ever imagined. The Jackknife will be ready for licensing within the year. I kinda wanted to surprise you with this, but I can¡¯t contain myself. After the Jackknife is done, Klade is moving me to Lanan.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s fantastic!¡± she told him before joyfully giggling. The two of them moved closer together, hugging each other from the side.


    Atara couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched them. Aedan was a good man, and she could see few others with her best friend. The only thing she questioned, and she discussed this with Xannissa on rare occasion, was Aedan¡¯s seeming reluctance with regard to marital commitment. Of course, neither she nor Xannissa were yet married, but their former lives abroad obstructed that to a high degree. Aedan had only one good excuse, and that being he was waiting for the one.


    As the sun was setting over the city, the three made one more leisurely lap around the indoor gardens before heading back to the bay and grabbing a cab. They had eaten a pleasant dinner at a restaurant next to an artificial pond shaded by a sprawling oak. Children ran through the grass while their parents and families sat and stood, watching the Blue Road reach critical mass leading to the grand prix.


    Atara entered the hotel suite first, followed by Xannissa and Aedan. The lights were low, and the distant skyline seen through the living room OPEL glittered like platinum. With their standards still on, the two officers removed their boots in their bedroom. Like their hands, their toes were laminated separately, allowing them to wiggle and move independently from each other. A wide couch sat in the dim room in front of the window through which the sum of the city¡¯s urban light streamed in from. After sitting down upon the cool upholstery, Xannissa darkened the low lights, leaving the kilometers of outstretched capitol, the glowing from the open bedroom door, and the subtle luminescence from parts of their Accellus 4 as their only sources of light in the night. Atara sat cross-legged with her legs on the seat. Xannissa brought her legs up to her body such that her thighs touched her breasts. She wrapped her arms around her legs and pressed her face against her knees, looking over them out at the dense sprawl. Aedan crossed his legs at the ankles, slouched down into the couch, and meshed his fingers together over his abdomen.


    The majority of the skylane traffic that should have filled the sky was gone, redirected to lower altitudes. A new surge of gravidynes appeared far off. Three-hundred racers, all on aerobikes, charged through the air on a virtual course that took them around buildings, through open air, and inside transit hubs. The course was in a constant state of change with the layout of the invisible track changing from one lap to the next. Pilots were encouraged to stay within the bounds of the course with the promise of penalties when it came time to calculate final scores.


    ¡°This is one of those moments,¡± Xannissa whispered to them, ¡°that you just want to pause and experience forever.¡± The flock of gravidynes arced across their view. Cylenna was somewhere among them having the time of her life.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Aedan said. Suddenly, nervousness and apprehension filled his body. This was supposed to be a moment to enjoy with his longtime friends, yet his true goal screamed in his mind. In order to fulfill that objective, destroying this ideal moment was an inevitability.


    This is it, he told himself. I can¡¯t let a passing comfort interfere with this opportunity.


    ¡°Xannissa?¡±


    ¡°Aedan?¡± Aedan stood up from the couch.


    ¡°I have something I want to ask you.¡± He kneeled right in front of where she sat, looked her straight in her blue, glistening eyes, and said, ¡°Will you marry me?¡± His hand reached into his pocket, and from it he withdrew a ring of shining platinum banded with orivar.


    Atara and Xannissa both gasped, processing his most serious question. In an instant, and seemingly on a whim, their peaceful moment turned into an important life decision. Aedan, a man who had not, to Xannissa¡¯s knowledge, romanced another soul in his one-hundred-fifteen-year life, prostrated himself before her. She knew everything about him and loved him for who he was and had always been, and he the same for her. She dropped her legs to the floor, passing them to either side of him. Bringing her whole torso to the edge of the couch, she leaned forward.


    ¡°I will,¡± she whispered before kissing him on the lips. Atara sat with her hands clasped in front of her face. After their brief exchange, Xannissa asked through a grin, ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°When you went away to the Academy all those years ago,¡± Aedan said, returning to his seat, ¡°I thought I would stop loving you. I never did. Ever. Plus, now that you¡¯re an instructor, what better time to settle down and start a family?¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re not married yet. First things first. I know you¡¯re excited, and so am I, but you can have me after the wedding.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± he told her.


    The three of them spent the rest of the night alone in their suite high above the urban landscape, watching distant racers compete for glory in a dangerous sport upon open gravidynes. They reminisced about their lives, both the interesting highs and fascinating lows. They even discussed the nature of life itself. As the hours dragged on, Xannissa rummaged through the foodfab¡¯s programs for a snack, and Aedan admitted he had work in the morning. Three became two, and then two became one as Xannissa, still high on emotions, sat awake and alone in the living room until the eastern sky broadcasted the earliest sign of the beginning of a new dawn.

 06 - Directive

    Atara¡¯s eyes opened wide, forced out of her nocturnal delusions by an incessant pinging in her ears. Her first sight was of a lumigraph between her face and the room lit by the warm morning light, and it read, ¡°Incoming transmission: Armada Admiral Harianan Aesho.¡± The captain left her comfortable position lying on her side beneath the blankets and rolled over, sitting up with the covers held over her body by her left arm. The lumigraph followed her as she moved, and Atara pressed a finger to it.


    ¡°Admiral?¡± Atara asked when the communication began. Her groggy speech betrayed her recent awakening.


    ¡°Good morning, captain,¡± Aesho said through the lumigraph in her usual shrewd tone. ¡°Let¡¯s skip the formalities. I need you to report to the nearest secure Q-comms facility immediately.¡±


    ¡°Xannissa and I are on vacation,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Can this wait?¡±


    ¡°If this could wait, I wouldn¡¯t be calling you first thing in the morning,¡± Aesho barked. ¡°Your leave does not exempt you from the duties of your service. Now, I¡¯m giving you the location of the nearest Q-comms center. Looks like it¡¯s the FedSec headquarters about seven kilometers away. I expect a call within the hour. Aesho out.¡±


    The video feed on the lumigraph disappeared. A few seconds later, she received a notification which, upon opening, gave the Q-comms address Atara was to contact.


    Atara sighed. ¡°Damn it!¡± she shouted as she hurled the covers away from her, revealing her naked body. Fuming, and as much as it would have calmed her down, she decided to avoid taking a shower for the sake of time. Instead, she stepped into the shield-scrubber and in less than a minute was pristine from scalp to sole. After cleaning her teeth and fixing her hair, Atara left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, only to realize that Xannissa never came to bed. After putting on her boots and clothing herself in standard, she entered the living room and found Xannissa laid out upon the couch still in her bodysuit¡ªthe sunlight piercing the morning haze and shining on her white polyalloy.


    ¡°Xann,¡± Atara said, leaning over and rocking Xannissa¡¯s hip. ¡°Xann, wake up.¡± The Elestan¡¯s eyes cracked open.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Xannissa asked with a groggy voice. She put her hands on her face and stretched her back and arms.


    ¡°Seven after six,¡± Atara told her. Xannissa rose from the couch, yawning. ¡°Aesho called me a few minutes ago. She wants us to contact her on Q-comms.¡±


    ¡°Is it important?¡± The Elestan was still coming to her senses.


    ¡°Apparently.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Let me clean up first.¡±


    The exterior of the Federation Security Agency headquarters was a far cry from the posh crowd that lingered at the hotel. Federal police stood guard within and without, wearing dark, navy blue Accellus 3 marked with checker patterns. Their identities were masked by the black OPEL panels on their helmets. When Atara and Xannissa passed through FedSec¡¯s entrance from the tower¡¯s garage and transport hub, the guards stopped them at a security checkpoint. Despite their clear Military attire, the police granted them no exception. The two friends underwent a quick yet thorough scan before they were allowed to pass into the wide main corridor which featured a tall ceiling overlooked by offices with windows for walls. Professionally-dressed agents and officials who occupied offices within the government building hurried down the long stretch and the intersecting hallways. At the other end of the corridor sat a busy, curved reception desk with the meters-wide FedSec emblem behind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Xannissa thought to Atara as they approached the desk. ¡°We¡¯re walking weapons,¡± referring to the security check.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they understand either,¡± Atara told her.


    Three others stood ahead of the two. When it became their turn for assistance, the receptionist took a call. Displeased, Atara leaned against the tall, dark stone table, supporting herself with her elbows and meshing her fingers together. Xannissa placed one hand on her hip and rested the other arm on the desk as her restless eyes darted from people, to lumionics, to a live news stream¡ªone of four playing within the lobby encapsulating the reception area.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally hearing about an attack that took place aboard a science station in neighboring Tribesson,¡± the anchorman reported, flanked by a picture subtitled with the story¡¯s headline, ¡°SCIENCE STATION RAID.¡± The anchorman was then replaced by a map of the Federation-Tribesson border.


    ¡°The raid occurred a week from yesterday in an unpopulated system about two-hundred lightyears fringeward of Federation Space. The small Akkain Technologies facility housed over five-hundred Federation citizens, mostly scientists, leading up to the assault by marauders whose identities are still unknown. Passing Navy vessels were quick to respond to the attack, instrumental in preventing further tragedy. The motivation behind the raid is not yet known.¡± The anchorman appeared again, and the headline next to him changed. ¡°The meeting of the Transthalassic Accord between the Federation and Republic and their respective protectorates begins tomorrow, marking the bicentennial of the¡­.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for the wait,¡± the female receptionist said. ¡°How may I help you?¡± She looked at Atara with intent, and Xannissa¡¯s gaze returned to the employee.


    ¡°Can you direct us to the Q-comms center?¡± Atara asked her.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll just allow me to verify your ID,¡± she told them, engaging her workstation¡¯s near-field EM-comms system to interact with their Accellus 4 suits, specifically their bracers which carried the transceivers. ¡°Okay, Captain Atara Korrell and Commander Xannissa Cetalo?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Atara said. She was still leaning on her elbows.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the directions.¡± The receptionist generated a lumigraph and, holding it like a slip of paper, passed it and its contained information to Atara who copied the graphic in her hands and gave it to Xannissa. The two of them saved the information, and the lumigraphs vanished.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Atara told the receptionist as she eased off of the table.


    ¡°No problem,¡± the receptionist said, and immediately gave her attention to the next person in line.


    Lumigraphs projected upon their corneas acted as augmented reality displays. These lumionics, like most others, shined in one direction. Only the reflections of the lumionics were visible¡ªsubtle shimmers in the moisture of their eyes. They followed the guide to a set of lifts, down to a floor below the geological surface. There, they met more federal police who, after being supplied with the Q-comms address, escorted them to one of several doors. When it opened, Atara and Xannissa gazed upon the sunlit interior.


    The pair stepped into a lavish office. The solid wood floor made little sound as they walked toward a white desk occupied by the armada admiral. Continuous OPEL panels exposed the room¡¯s interior to an endless clear sky. Skylights flooded the center of the room with sunlight from the Akos star. Towering, snow-capped mountains climbed above the clouds. They were back on Lanan, but only in virtuality. Everything before them was a lumionic construct created from data transmitted through an instantaneous, two-way, quantum communications system that was impossible to intercept¡ªtechnology identical to their neural interface link, albeit scaled up to handle more information. The technology is limited by connections. Links can only be formed in pairs, and arrays of Q-comms transmitters are required to communicate with multiple receivers.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Aesho¡¯s image told them. The lumigraphic clock above and behind her signaled that it had been an hour exactly since the admiral called them. ¡°This is urgent.¡± Aesho stood from her seat behind her desk and walked around it, seating herself against its front edge. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask them about their vacation or apologize for impinging on their schedule. ¡°Do you know of the Akkain station attack that happened in Tribesson?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Atara said flatly.


    ¡°I saw it on the news just minutes ago,¡± Xannissa told her.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the admiral said, ¡°but it¡¯s gone a full week unnoticed. All the Admiralty can hope is that it ends up under the rug.¡±


    ¡°Enlighten me,¡± Atara told her, folding her arms.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Eight days ago, the same day as the start of our wargame, two black ships attacked a science station in orbit around a barren planet. These ships had been docked within hang¡ª¡°


    ¡°What was the station researching?¡± Atara interrupted.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What were they researching?¡±


    ¡°Omnium.¡±


    ¡°Omnium?¡± Xannissa asked. ¡°Why would an omnium lab be built in the middle of the boondocks?¡±


    Aesho sighed and said, ¡°See, the thing is, Akkain Tech is a company that is jointly funded by MARAD. As you know, corporations are stingy. Originally, the lab was built to study geology of all things. In order to rake in more money, they dropped the planet study and repurposed the station for omnium.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Xannissa nodded.


    ¡°If they were receiving MARAD money¡­,¡± Atara added.


    ¡°¡­they were working on something important,¡± Xannissa finished for her.


    ¡°Nothing gets past you two,¡± Aesho said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen too many things, as have I. Fiori.¡± Fiori¡¯s orange figure appeared behind Atara and Xannissa, her hands on her lumionic hips. ¡°I¡¯d like you to be here while I explain this.¡± Aesho took a brief pause before continuing, collecting her thoughts. ¡°The so-called marauders that attacked the station were soldiers on a carefully-planned mission. Not only did Akkain repurpose the lab, but they opened mining rights to the planet to rake in even more money. The attackers spent years building infrastructure right under their noses, and no one ever bothered to check.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°The Elsheem State.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Xannissa exclaimed. ¡°The only way they could have would¡¯ve been¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Aesho said. ¡°Alliance backing.¡± Xannissa shook her head in disgust while Atara tilted one of her crossed arms to her face, placing her hand across her forehead such to conceal her eyes from Aesho.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking to start a war,¡± Xannissa muttered.


    ¡°Not quite yet,¡± Aesho explained. ¡°When they attacked, they made off with something of great value.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, that important thing,¡± Atara said, sounding unamused.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°The scientists are calling it ecksivar,¡± Aesho said, pronouncing the odd word ¡®xvar,¡¯ ¡°but we¡¯re calling it black omnium.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± Xannissa remarked.


    ¡°Ecksivar,¡± Fiori cut in as she walked in front of them to stand next to Aesho, ¡°is a novel variety of omnium with special attributes that cannot be disclosed at this time.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Xannissa nodded.


    ¡°How does this concern us?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°You already know,¡± Aesho told the captain. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a ship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an instructor,¡± Atara explained.


    ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°I forfeited promotion.¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡±


    Atara dropped her arms to her sides. Deep down, she craved the feeling of calling a ship her own again. Xannissa knew this despite her never openly expressing it. The Terran captain was born for the stars. Just the possibility of being assigned a new command excited her, even being ignorant to the mission details.


    ¡°Before I accept,¡± Atara said softly, ¡°I want a full rundown.¡±


    ¡°You say that like you have a choice,¡± Aesho laughed, moving away from her desk to stand near the room¡¯s center. The windows and skylight darkened until they blocked out the sunlight, and the room fell dark without compensation from the lumionics. A string of tiny lumigraphs encircled Aesho¡¯s front. She manipulated them with her fingers and flicked one toward the center of the room where it expanded to fill most of the space from ceiling to floor.


    The three-dimensional representation that it became was a false-color graphic of subspace scanner data. It looked like a long, amorphous blob that could have possibly been in the shape of something manmade. ¡°We registered this big bastard on subdar only a few hours after the attack from monitoring stations all the hell the way in Federation Space. That¡¯s why the resolution is so poor. We have no idea how something so big slipped right into Tribesson. Honestly, that¡¯s the least of my worries. I¡¯m more concerned about the loot they made out with.¡± Aesho flicked another image in place of the first before continuing. ¡°This shows the same craft several hours later. You¡¯ll notice a change in aspect ratio. It¡¯s a bit larger. And no, it¡¯s not due to resolution. It¡¯s in the same place as before. Those frigates that hit the station most likely attached to it, like a mothership. Whatever it is, Tribesson tracking stations are having a very hard time seeing it, but it hasn¡¯t made it out of their territory yet. We have some ships following it, but I doubt they¡¯ll ever catch up.¡±


    ¡°Then what hope do we have?¡± Atara asked her. ¡°If I left from Lanan all the way on the other side of the Federation, I still wouldn¡¯t catch them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± Aesho brought forth another image, this time a high resolution, true-color representation of a Federation starship. The ship¡¯s curved exterior harbored anti-ship, dual cannon artillery, anti-strikecraft autocannon turrets, lines of hexagonal missile hatches, and circular doors for torpedo tubes. Two large bays, one on the port and the other on the starboard side opposite to each other, opened to the outside space. Between them was a hangar. The bridge was placed in the dorsal aft section of the ship as always, right before the seven fusion thrusters. The stern flared out some from the rest of the ship, forming shapes that looked like stubby wings. Altogether, the ship looked sleek and fearsome.


    ¡°This is the Kelsor-class,¡± Aesho explained. ¡°It¡¯s a battlecruiser designed for performing both fleet and solo ops; however, the latter is where it truly shines. Would you believe me if I told you they¡¯ve finally cracked the synergistic drive?¡±


    ¡°So someone¡¯s come up with a mediator able to regulate the drives?¡± Xannissa asked, not sounding terribly surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Able to make the ultra-precise adjustments to both so they don¡¯t interfere?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I believe you. It wasn¡¯t impossible, just impractical.¡±


    ¡°GreDrive and Archetype made it practical,¡± Aesho continued. ¡°The energy and space savings are a designer¡¯s dream. They¡¯ve had the room to pack a battleship¡¯s payload into the smaller form of a battlecruiser, give it a spacious hangar, several large cargo bays, and they were also able to cram in a small omnium refinery. Whatever space they had left went into four simulators and general comfort. This ship was built for long solo missions. It puts the cruiser back into battlecruiser.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Atara stopped her. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I¡¯m interested in: is it fast enough?¡±


    ¡°Is eighty-four-hundred c fast enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Eighty-four-hundred?!¡± Xannissa exclaimed.


    ¡°Is that good or bad, Xann?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°The current standard is about seventy-three-hundred. They¡¯ve broken eight-thousand!¡±


    ¡°Our elsheem friends are going a little above that at seventy-six,¡± Aesho told them. ¡°That¡¯s why we can¡¯t catch them.¡±


    "That ship they have is probably a flying hyperwarp core at that point,¡± Xannissa noted.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have the privilege of commanding the first of its kind,¡± Aesho told Atara. ¡°As such, yours will be named the Kelsor. The Navy plans to have five-hundred of these commissioned before the end of the year, and another two-thousand the next.¡±


    ¡°When do we leave?¡± Atara asked. She felt anxious now, realizing this was her reality.


    ¡°The first ship is being built as we speak. They started about five days ago, so if there are no problems, it should be finished three days from now. Of course, it¡¯ll have to be looked over, taking a few more days before it¡¯s mission-ready. How much longer is your vacation?¡±


    ¡°Until next week. Six more days.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re content with jumping on a starship the moment you return to Lanan, then stay on Earth until your leave is over. I¡¯m giving you the ship¡¯s specifications, crew roster, and mission details. Of course, this is all classified.¡± Like the receptionist, Aesho generated a pair of lumigraphs and handed them to Atara and Xannissa. ¡°The mission is simple: stop the enemy ship from reaching the Elsheem State and retrieve the black omnium. Fiori will fill you in on the details of said ship as we gather more intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°There is one more thing,¡± Fiori said. ¡°The marauder¡¯s path is currently projecting toward the Saraian Range.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Xannissa said.


    ¡°I expect they will traverse around the upspin edge of the Range,¡± Fiori continued. ¡°The Kelsor has a greater chance of success if it skims the downspin side.¡±


    ¡°Ideally, we¡¯d try to trap them in there,¡± Aesho said, ¡°but as we can¡¯t catch them, it¡¯s really no use. We¡¯ve already begun coordinating with the Republic and they are willing to help as much as they can, but this is a Federation matter. Do not forget that. That is all, ladies,¡± Aesho nodded to them. Fiori waved goodbye as the entire lumionic construction within which they were immersed vanished, leaving them inside a small, featureless room.


    ¡°Well,¡± Atara said, still holding the lumigraph the admiral gave them, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You know me,¡± Xannissa told her friend. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you to the edge of the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°What about Aedan?¡± At this, Xannissa¡¯s heart sank. After thirteen years of living on base, no more missions, she was finally ready to settle down. Her engagement to Aedan just the night before complicated matters.


    ¡°Well,¡± Xannissa said, pondering her situation. She brought her fist under her nose supported by her other arm, thought for a moment, and then dropped it back to her side. ¡°Aedan¡¯s waited this long. He¡¯ll just have to wait a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Will he understand?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always been understanding. I just really hate to put him through this. But I¡¯ll make sure this is my last mission. A few months in deep space with a synerdrive that actually works, and I think I¡¯ll have had my fill.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Atara said. ¡°I think it¡¯ll all work out for you.¡± Atara didn¡¯t like to be reminded that Xannissa didn¡¯t share her passion for deep space, or that this very well could be the last mission that they ever shared.


    The pair¡¯s brief exchange after the end of the transmission prompted one of the guards to check on them, and they were kindly escorted to the lifts. Once back at the surface, they noticed the overcast begin to roll in, and it rained that entire afternoon. Blue Road, situated above the stratus layer, was packed with visitors, but the two returned to see and do things they hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to do because of Metro Aero. This is where they discovered that Cylenna had won the championship. She took pictures and signed autographs for the crowd. Xannissa attempted to avoid her, slipping through the sea of bodies, but Cylenna called out to her across the vast atrium, freezing her in her tracks.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re Spectre¡¯s sister?¡± shouted an enthusiast.


    ¡°Is that what they¡¯re calling you now?¡± Xannissa asked. Cylenna¡¯s arm was around her neck as they posed for pictures.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯ve always called me, remember?¡±


    Xannissa decided it was best to withhold anything about her engagement. The two stayed at Blue Road until after dusk. Once finally back at the hotel, they stayed up a little longer only to stare at the mesmerizing cityscape before they crawled into the same bed, as service partners typically did. Xannissa was out like a light. Atara¡¯s eyes stared at the blank ceiling for hours until, finally, her thoughts carried her away into that whirlwind of nocturnal delusion.

 07 - Onward

    ¡°Good afternoon, Doctor Souq. Please take a seat.¡± The woman, a Yeran with almost pinkish skin and short, orange hair, reclined in her seat with her legs crossed. Her front side was illuminated by bluish light from a one-way lumigraph that Souq could not see as he strode across the dark floor in the small, comfortable room lit by the last rays of orange sunlight from Mirida¡¯s star. Beyond the windows, kilometers-tall towers climbed into the sky. These colossal monuments to modern decadence stood erect upon the ruins of ancient imperial might from an era long gone¡ªyet not forgotten. Profit, vice, and pleasure were the most common thoughts associated with Mirida in this age.


    Akkain Technologies mandated Dr. Souq seek professional psychological treatment after the station attack. The same company compensated him for his hotel stay in the heart of Mirida¡¯s capitol near the Federation embassy. Despite his status as a Federation citizen, Souq was prevented from staying within the embassy at the Federation government¡¯s expense.


    Dr. Souq, clothed in business casual, took his seat across from the woman who looked like an inferno in the evening light. His now shaggy beard had gone unshaven for the last two weeks, and the bags under his eyes betrayed his inability to attain a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°Let me see where we left off,¡± she said, scrolling through the transcript. ¡°Ah ha. The last thing we talked about was your wife¡¯s passing, and you said you had a daughter. How old is she?¡± The woman gave Souq an inquisitive glance. <em style="font-weight: inherit">Perhaps most people on Mirida were like that, Souq wondered.


    ¡°She should be twenty now,¡± Souq told her.


    ¡°When did you last see her?¡±


    ¡°I, uh¡­ it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Souq paused for a moment. ¡°When Lira died, I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. I retreated into my work.¡±


    ¡°Did your daughter stay by your side?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Souq paused again. Days of the psychologist¡¯s interrogation was breaking him down. She stared at him, waiting for a line that her software could record. ¡°I sent her away.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, damn it!¡± Dr. Souq shouted at her. He shot up from the seat and paced around the room, passing from the shadow into the orange light and standing at the window looking across to the towers decorated with flashy, colorful lumigraphs. The female psychologist appeared unfazed, swiveling her chair to track Souq across the room. ¡°I just wanted to see her succeed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced,¡± the woman told him. Souq scratched his bushy facial hair. After dropping his arm, he closed his eyes and sighed.


    ¡°Maybe Lieren reminded me too much of her.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t accept your wife¡¯s death, so you sent away the product of your love.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Souq looked down at his feet, full of shame. The psychologist clawed open old wounds without treating the new. Dr. Souq¡¯s patience was nearly spent.


    ¡°Please continue.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Souq told her, ¡°I¡¯m kind of getting tired of this psycho mind games bullshit.¡± The psychologist said nothing. She had heard similar sentiments countless times before. Her transcript grew at Souq¡¯s every word. All she had to do was listen and spur the conversation.


    ¡°How do these sessions make you feel?¡±


    ¡°See? That kind of bullshit,¡± he told her, sticking his arm out toward her as if showing off an example. He walked back to his seat and sat on the very edge, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. ¡°Have you ever lost <em style="font-weight: inherit">everything?¡± The psychologist refused to answer. Souq hung his head, chuckled quietly to himself, and then looked her dead in the eyes.


    ¡°I have,¡± he told her in a whisper. ¡°Forty-five. That¡¯s how many brilliant minds I had working for me in my lab that day. <em style="font-weight: inherit">None of them survived when those raiders came.¡± Souq¡¯s voice rose as he spoke. ¡°A couple were older than me. A few were as old as my daughter! My lab was the only one they attacked!¡± He was shouting now. ¡°I¡¯m just a man of science! These people were my friends, colleagues, my children! They took everything from me!¡± Tears streamed down the scientist¡¯s face. ¡°What did I do to deserve this?! If there really is a divine power, why does he delight in my suffering?!¡± His shouts became wails, and he covered his face in his hands. The psychologist leaned back in her chair, bringing her hand to her face as she watched him collapse into a fit of emotion.


    ¡°I want my daughter!¡± he cried toward the ceiling.


    Atara and Xannissa sat alone inside the quiet gravidyne rising from Lanan¡¯s atmosphere¡ªnow just a blue halo arcing over the horizon. Before them was a dark expanse littered with shining objects of many sizes, like a cloud of metallic dust drifting in the vacuum. However, these lustrous constructs were still many kilometers away, in orbit around the temperate moon.


    Xannissa played with her orivar-banded engagement ring, twisting it around her laminated left ring finger. Atara studied her assignment details one last time before closing it. Upon noticing Xannissa¡¯s perpetual ring twisting, she asked, ¡°You nervous?¡±


    ¡°Do I look nervous?¡± Xannissa asked in return, looking at her friend. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m dying to see Aedan again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad he was able to get off those last two days,¡± Atara said. ¡°He¡¯s a good man, and the only one I could ever imagine you with.¡±


    ¡°I just feel like I¡¯d be having a late start with him,¡± Xannissa admitted. ¡°My parents married well before a hundred.¡±


    ¡°A late start is better than no start.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m having these thoughts. If I had married him years ago, I wouldn¡¯t have had the experience or maturity I have today.¡± Xannissa paused and looked down at the ring again, still twisting it round and round slowly. ¡°I guess¡­ this is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve lost my sense of direction.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Xannissa told her, still looking at the ring. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. I feel happy, but sad at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to accept it,¡± Atara said, ¡°but I think this chapter of our lives is coming to an end. Maybe that¡¯s why you feel this way.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± Xannissa let go of the ring and placed her hands on the seat, relaxing her head against the back of the chair and looking at Atara, then out at the bright moon below, visible through the large, clear OPEL panels that darkened the star¡¯s incoming light. Atara stared out for a moment and then back at Xannissa, resting her hand on Xannissa¡¯s leg. The Elestan smiled, then twisted her body and wrapped her hand around Atara¡¯s front side, initiating a hug. Each held the other in her arms. Xannissa¡¯s eyes filled with tears, but her face remained dry as they patted each other on the back.


    ¡°I love you Atara. Never stop being a sister to me.¡±


    ¡°I would never.¡± After letting go of each other, Atara asked, ¡°Have you seen the crew roster?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Xannissa admitted, wiping her eyes.


    ¡°I think you should. It might be better than being surprised.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be surprised.¡±


    The shuttle approached the white-hulled battlecruiser floating in open space among a sparse cloud of starships. A <em style="font-weight: inherit">Tanden-class battleship off in the distance glimmered in the sunlight¡ªits hull surrounded by heavy scaffolding. Evident from its incomplete form, the ship was currently under construction with industrial-scale REMASS. Formations of strikecraft zipped by, making practice runs from the five-kilometer-long carrier even further away, watching over the other starships like a guardian mother. Streams of white plasma flowed from the strikecraft engines, stretched out behind them by their warp drives. One corvette floated past the GFN<em style="font-weight: inherit"> Kelsor¡¯s surface leaving behind bright, white fusion engines. A supply ship hugged the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s port side away from the incoming shuttle. Large, black letters on the ship¡¯s white surface read CB-53-3930, flanked on one side by an orange Federation Triangle.


    The shuttle eased through the starboard airscreen that blocked the hangar¡¯s internal atmosphere from blowing out into space. The port airscreen formed the opposite wall from floor to ceiling. Once through the airscreen, the shuttle quieted its engines, allowing the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s gravitics to guide it onto a landing spot marked by lumigraphs. Those same gravitics moved crates and containers off of cargo haulers (mostly omnium with some prefabricated supplies) and carried strikecraft overhead without relying on gantry cranes or drones.


    ¡°Captain! Commander!¡± Aesho said as they stepped off of the shuttle. The blonde Terran, along with representatives of the ship¡¯s officers and crew, stood in formals. The officers formed one line and the crew another line on the opposite side, creating a lane for Atara and Xannissa to walk through accompanied by the admiral. They offered the captain and commander their salutes. ¡°Why are you not in formals?¡± Aesho asked them.


    ¡°Can we skip the formalities?¡± Atara asked her in the same brusque tone she was given about a week ago when her vacation was interrupted.


    ¡°Not today,¡± Aesho demanded. Atara and Xannissa stopped in their tracks, recalled their standards which left them naked for a mere moment, and clothed themselves in officer formals. They continued walking with the admiral along the short lane flanked by Accellus users. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± she told them.


    The hangar walls and ceiling were bright white in the Federation style, illuminated by lumionics. The featureless floor was a dark gray with markings generated by lumionics, enabling the entire floorspace to be rearranged at will. What was now a landing zone for the shuttle could become a temporary storage area an hour later, or a safe zone after that. Crates moved through the ship¡¯s wide corridors, drifting through the ship¡¯s air due to the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s logistic gravitics and surrounded by warnings such as ¡°Gravity-propelled object¡± or ¡°Variable gravity fields.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of your officers and crew?¡± Aesho asked the pair as they walked past one of the last gently-drifting crates moving toward one of the corridors on the way to the cargo bays.


    ¡°I was actually very pleased,¡± Atara told her. ¡°It¡¯s an all-star crew with a few interesting surprises. I didn¡¯t need to make many changes. You know me too well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother, you know that?¡± Aesho said. The look in her eyes nearly betrayed her mal intent in her choice of subject.


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me before,¡± Atara stated. This side of the hangar had been vacated save for the three of them. No one was within earshot.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Aesho continued, ¡°sometimes I forget you¡¯re not her. That¡¯s how close the resemblance is.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°That dark red hair and those green eyes. That same emotional suppression. She made a really fine admiral in her time. With you, it¡¯s like she never died.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Atara spoke with tension. Her clenched fists hugged her sides.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aesho asked. ¡°I can¡¯t talk about my friend?¡±


    ¡°She may have been your friend,¡± Atara said, ¡°but she was <em style="font-weight: inherit">my mother, and she <em style="font-weight: inherit">didpass away. Nothing will ever, <em style="font-weight: inherit">ever replace her¡ªnot even me.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± Aesho said, her eyebrows raised. The admiral called the gravilift that ferried them to the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s bridge on the dorsal side of the aft section of the two-and-a-half-kilometer long battlecruiser.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea to put AOTP cadets on my ship?¡± Atara asked Aesho while they rode the lift.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s an excellent idea.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a training cruise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware. Decades of peace has made this service soft. I think we could use a few more opportunities that really separate the wheat from the chaff.¡±


    The gravilift arrived at an antechamber for the bridge. The three of them were greeted first by a large Federation Triangle decorating the wall that separated them from the bridge. Walking around the wall and through the doors, they found themselves in a familiar setting. The <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s bridge was identical to the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Hallyon¡¯s in nearly every way. A Zelnaran with deep blue skin and long black hair stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed.


    ¡°Sesh!¡± Atara called out to her, and the Zelnaran spun around. Her neutral expression immediately changed to warm and inviting.


    ¡°Captain!¡± Sesh said. Sesh opened her arms to hug the captain. ¡°It¡¯s been so long.¡± They closed their eyes as they embraced.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be hearing that a lot,¡± Xannissa said behind Atara. Sesh¡¯s eyes opened and looked at the Elestan.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Sesh asked Xannissa in jest.


    ¡°Hello to you, too,¡± Xannissa said. When Atara and Sesh finished, the Zelnaran squeezed Xannissa to her.


    ¡°I missed you two,¡± Sesh said. Before Sesh released the engineer, Aesho cleared her throat in a manner that could be considered obscene. Sesh stepped away from Xannissa and shouted, ¡°Admiral on the bridge!¡± All of the bridge officers¡ªevery one of them in formals¡ªstood from their stations, turned toward the center of the bridge, and gave their salutes.


    ¡°This is, without a doubt,¡± Aesho told the three senior officers, ¡°the best personnel complement in the Navy.¡± She turned to the standing officers and said ¡°At ease,¡± and they returned to their stations around the bridge¡¯s perimeter. Atara noticed Naret and her black bobbed hair climb into the conning station. ¡°Would you not agree, Atara?¡±


    ¡°I agree one-hundred-percent,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°Permission to transfer command of the Greater Federation Navy vessel <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor over to the captain,¡± Sesh asked the admiral.


    ¡°Granted, but make it quick,¡± Aesho told her.


    ¡°I, Commander Yora Sesh, hereby transfer command of the battlecruiser <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor to Captain Atara Korrell, relieving myself of the position of commanding officer.¡±


    ¡°I, Captain Atara Korrell, assume the position of commanding officer of the starship <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor and grant Commander Yora Sesh the position of executive officer.¡± The two smiled wide and shook hands. Initiated by Xannissa, the officers aboard the bridge and even the personnel below them in operations clapped at this brief ceremonial exchange of command. Some even cheered.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go,¡± Aesho told them. ¡°I want this ship spaceborne by the end of the day, and you still need to give your first official briefing. I¡¯ve assembled most of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s senior officers already across the aft hall, along with a few other key individuals.¡±


    Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh followed Aesho out of the bridge, but not before Atara left bridge authority with Naret who gladly accepted. As Aesho said, the briefing room was already occupied.


    ¡°I present to you the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s command triumvirate,¡± Aesho told those already gathered in the room as she directed them to look at Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh who took seats at the flared end of the delta-shaped table. Atara sat in the middle, Xannissa on her right, and Sesh on her left. Aesho took her seat at the pointed end on the far side. The briefing room was long, dim, and had four doors open to corridors that ran on either side. Darkened OPEL panels allowed those seated within to see the corridors beyond, but those standing or walking without would see plain walls. Lumigraphs illuminated the wall behind Atara, and the wall behind Aesho was adorned with the ubiquitous Federation Triangle.


    ¡°I am Captain Atara Korrell, commanding officer of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor.¡±


    ¡°Commander Xannissa Cetalo, engineering chief.¡±


    ¡°Commander Yora Sesh, the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s executive officer.¡±


    ¡°Colonel Kyora Teseri,¡± said an Elestan with short, messy, white hair above and around her face, beautiful despite being a warrior. She spoke with confidence. ¡°Freshly transferred from the Assault Force to the Auroras. Security chief and commander of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s Aurora complement.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Virn Lorralis,¡± an Exan with long black hair spoke next. Her voice was softer. ¡°Also transferred from the Assault Force to the Auroras. I am Kyora¡¯s service partner and her second-in-command.¡±


    ¡°Commander Silva Kodi,¡± said another Exan. Her dark hair, tied in a looped ponytail, was tinged green. ¡°Commander of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s strike wing.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Commander Ethis Kasel,¡± said an Elestan with long, dark blue hair and cool gray skin darker than Xannissa¡¯s. Her accent was different from the rest and had a Republic ring to it. ¡°Communications officer.¡±


    ¡°Commander Miry Iveti, medical doctor,¡± a Yeran said in a tone laced with arrogance. Her skin was blood red and her bobbed hair like golden rust. ¡°Ship¡¯s chief medical officer.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Commander Sayn Namara.¡± Another Elestan, her ponytailed hair black as Sesh¡¯s. ¡°Chief science officer.¡±


    ¡°Corporal Krystal Zara, Aurora,¡± said a blonde Terran with a ponytail seated at the end near Aesho.


    ¡°Did you say ¡®corporal?¡¯¡± Atara asked her with confusion.


    ¡°All will be revealed in time,¡± Aesho said. She was leaning back in her chair now. ¡°Please proceed.¡±


    ¡°Aye, admiral.¡± Atara remained seated. ¡°Fiori,¡± Atara called, and the orange lumigraph female appeared within the room as she always did, standing behind Atara.


    ¡°Greetings, Captain,¡± she told Atara as she bowed. Atara swiveled her chair to see the archon.


    ¡°Fiori, can you give us the rundown on the events leading up to this point?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Fiori nodded. ¡°Monday, oh-five-fifteen, oh-eight-hundred hours, twelve minutes. Black, frigate-sized vessels of Alliance design attacked and invaded the Akkain Technologies omnium research station in coreward Tribesson.¡± The images on the lumigraph behind Atara changed as Fiori spoke. ¡°These attackers decimated the laboratory of omnium scientist Doctor Quen Souq and stole the only known sample of the omnium variety known as ecksivar, or black omnium.¡±


    ¡°What is this¡­ ¡®ecksivar¡¯?¡± Dr. Namara interrupted Fiori.


    ¡°Ecksivar is a novel variety of omnium with special attributes that cannot be disclosed at this time.¡±


    ¡°I am an omnimologist,¡± Namara explained. ¡°I would like to know.¡±


    ¡°Now is not the proper time,¡± Fiori told her. ¡°The nature and significance of ecksivar will be the topic of future briefings.¡± Continuing on, Fiori said, ¡°The attackers have since been identified as belonging to the Elsheem State. The two frigate-sized vessels are children of a much larger battleship called the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Voulgenathi, named after subterranean savages from Avenathi myth. Intelligence suggests that the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Voulgenathi is on course for Avenath, the capitol of the Elsheem State. The battlecruiser <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor, with its superior speed, must intercept the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Voulgenathi before it reaches Elsheem space.


    ¡°Shortly after the attack, Doctor Souq was transferred to Mirida to undergo psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Unfortunately, his mental state continues to decline. The professionals issuing his treatment say that being reunited with his daughter is his best hope for recovery. His daughter, Lieren Souq, a cadet in the Acting Officer Training Program, is aboard this ship. The first task for the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor will be to retrieve Doctor Souq from Mirida. Once this has been completed, I will be at liberty to discuss ecksivar.¡±


    ¡°May I have permission to speak?¡± Kyora asked.


    ¡°You may speak,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°Virn, myself, and Commander Sesh were there that day on the station,¡± Kyora said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a cold-blooded slaughter like that in a very long time. I¡¯m not a scientist, and I don¡¯t understand what exactly ecksivar is, but whatever it is, it¡¯s important enough for these beasts to murder innocent scientists over. These are the kind of, <em style="font-weight: inherit">things, we¡¯re dealing with. I also want to add one more thing. Mirida isn¡¯t a place you go to for a family vacation. We all need to be on our guard when we go there, especially the team that¡¯s retrieving Doctor Souq.¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about Mirida?¡± Atara asked the phantom.


    ¡°A thing or two.¡±


    ¡°I would like you and your partner Lorralis to meet with the triumvirate soon after this briefing is over. I¡¯d like to know all I can about Mirida from someone who¡¯s been there.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kyora said reluctantly.


    ¡°At this moment,¡± Fiori said, ¡°little is known about the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Voulgenathi¡¯s combat capabilities; howev¡ª.¡± Fiori¡¯s image froze in the middle of her speech almost like she was stopped in time. At a loss for words, seeing a sight they thought they would never see, the senior officers stood up from their seats and stared at the frozen orange female.


    ¡°What in the hell is going on with Fiori?¡± Aesho asked, raising her voice. Xannissa, who was closest to the archon¡¯s image, waved her hand in front of the synthetic intelligence¡¯s face.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Naret called from the bridge via lumigraph, ¡°they¡¯re reporting a strange error in here dealing with the adjunct. Some kind of core disconnect?¡± Someone shouted on the bridge, and Naret echoed what they said, ¡°Total network failure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± Atara said. Already standing, she announced, ¡°This briefing is over,¡± and she left the room and walked back to the bridge. Seconds after she arrived, a new image of Fiori appeared. This time, her arms were at her sides and she was standing completely straight with her eyes staring forward. Aesho and the other senior officers from the briefing room weren¡¯t too far behind Atara. Scrambling was heard from operations below the bridge and even from the bridge officers themselves.


    ¡°Report!¡± Atara shouted.


    ¡°Running adjunct diagnostics now, captain,¡± said a bridge officer. Another image of Fiori appeared in another part of the bridge in the same pose.


    ¡°Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?¡± the admiral cried.


    ¡°Admiral, with all due respect, this is my bridge,¡± Atara told her plainly. ¡°I¡¯m in command of this starship.¡±


    ¡°Another statement like that and I¡¯ll see you court-martialed for insubordination.¡± The entire bridged stopped at the threat Aesho gave. Looking around the bridge, Aesho barked at them. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Contact CORCOM!¡± Another image of Fiori materialized right next to Aesho and she tried to shove the immaterial lumigraph out of her way, only for her hands to phase right though.


    Ethis walked to her station and, after standing over it for a half minute, said, ¡°CORCOM is reporting a system-wide archon core failure. They¡¯re not giving any details.¡±


    ¡°That would be a first,¡± Sesh stated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see myself to engineering,¡± Xannissa told the gathered officers, but to Atara and Sesh in particular.


    ¡°Be safe, okay?¡± Atara told her. ¡°Are you sure you can trust the lifts?¡±


    ¡°Going to have to. Engineering needs me. How¡¯s that diagnostic?¡±


    ¡°All green so far,¡± shouted the bridge officer over the noise of voices. ¡°It¡¯ll take several more minutes to complete.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off,¡± Xannissa told them before changing her uniform to standard. ¡°Keep me updated.¡± She departed the bridge for the set of aft gravilifts. The other senior officers decided to do the same with their Accellus 4, and then Sesh realized something.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t our Accellus give us any warnings about this?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Kyora said, ¡°since they all contain adjunct nodes.¡± Several more images of Fiori appeared on the bridge.


    ¡°Can we reset the lumigraphics on the bridge before Fiori floods us?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°We can,¡± said a junior officer, ¡°but we¡¯ll lose our screens for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Atara commanded, and the Fioris disappeared along with the screens and interfaces the officers were working on. After a few seconds, the screens reappeared along with a single, new Fiori image.


    ¡°We may need to keep doing that a few more times before we get this mess sorted out,¡± Sesh said. Atara looked around the bridge, noticing Aesho¡¯s sudden absence.


    ¡°What happened to the admiral?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°I saw her depart after Xannissa left,¡± Virn told them. ¡°Same with most of the other senior officers.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I detect a Q-comms transmission emanating from the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor,¡± said an officer.


    ¡°Where is the destination?¡±


    ¡°Coreward Operations Command.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s your admiral,¡± Sesh whispered to Atara.


    ¡°Let her do what she wants,¡± Atara said. ¡°I can¡¯t stop her.¡±


    Atara ordered that a pair of Auroras stand by the door to the Q-comms room. When CORCOM had enough of Aesho¡¯s ranting, the pair escorted the enraged admiral to a shuttle bound for Lanan¡¯s surface. A half hour and four more lumigraphics resets later, the images of Fiori on the bridge disappeared save for one that collapsed to the floor, held her head, and screamed in pain. Who knew an archon synthetic intelligence could even feel pain?


    ¡°Fiori!¡± Atara cried. She and Sesh rushed to and knelt beside the injured-looking figure. The rest of the bridge officers halted their tasks and watched them huddled together on the floor.


    Fiori, acting so lifelike as to appear out of breath, said, ¡°Atara, Sesh, what has just happened to me cannot be explained with brevity.¡± The orange figure eased herself onto her feet and lifted her body¡ªthe CO and XO following her slowly upward. Still holding her head, the archon asked, ¡°You are not yet underway?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°You understand that my adjuncts are sufficient to carry out normal operations?¡± Fiori said, almost in reproach.


    ¡°Losing you is anything but normal,¡± Sesh stated. ¡°Delaying our mission seemed to be our best option. Your images kept flooding the bridge anyway.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Fiori said. ¡°However, now is not the time for debate. You must get underway as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then there will be no more,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Naret, plot a course to the gate hub in Varrel. Ethis, clear us for departure. I want to be underway in five minutes.


    ¡°Xannissa, are you prepared for immediate transit?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Ready as ever. She¡¯s ready, too.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Who?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°The Kelsor<em style="font-weight: inherit">, silly.¡±


    ¡°Dockmaster confirms preparations are complete,¡± Ethis said. ¡°We are cleared to leave on your command.¡±


    ¡°Seems like everyone is recovering smoothly,¡± Sesh stated.


    ¡°Naret,¡± Atara commanded, ¡°engage the synerdrive, maximum velocity.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain.¡±

 08 - Gateway

    Varrel, less than two lightyears from Akos, possessed the closest gate hub with the most direct link to the Tribesson border. With Tribesson lying fringeward of Federation space, and Akos inhabiting the coreward volumes of the Federation, traversing the vast Federation would have taken years without the existence of the gates. The gates themselves¡ªartificially-generated and stabilized wormholes¡ªare sustained in clusters known as gate hubs. These hubs are placed in certain systems such that there is no longer than a day¡¯s hyperwarp travel to any one gate hub from any system within the Federation proper. There are many hubs that exist as single gates able to connect to any number of other hubs. Most densely-populated regions of the Federation are serviced by hubs consisting of several gates with permanent connections that are traversed by thousands of ships per day.


    ¡°We made it to Varrel in record time,¡± Atara noted as the synerdrive wound down. The ever-growing Varrel star slowly slipped to the right due to parallax before the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor converged with the gate hub¡¯s space, stopping completely. <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°What do you think, Xann?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°GreDrive actually did it,¡± Xannissa thought to the captain. <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I¡¯m still marveling at the mediator.¡±


    ¡°Gate control is halting traffic for us,¡± Ethis reported in her noticeable accent.


    Atara, standing just behind Naret and flanked by Sesh and Fiori, commanded, ¡°Take us through, lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Accelerating toward the Sol gate.¡± Naret guided the ship with her neural interface.


    The <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s gravitics and fusion engines propelled the battlecruiser toward the sphere of warped space. The wormhole¡ªnearly a hundred kilometers in diameter¡ªwas surrounded by four stabilizers arranged at the points of an imaginary tetrahedron. After burning past the anchored civilian spaceliners and freighters, the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsorapproached the wormhole¡¯s event horizon through which a distorted white star (Sol) was visible.


    As the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor pierced the horizon, the stars on the Varrel side of the wormhole shrank back as the stars of the Sol side advanced to fill the sky. Those aboard where oblivious to the spatial distortions occurring around the vessel unless they peered outside or found themselves in a sufficiently open space such as a hangar or cargo bay. Soon, the battlecruiser emerged in the heart of Federation space¡ªseveral hundred lightyears from Akos¡ªon the edge of the Sol system.


    ¡°Status?¡± asked the captain.


    ¡°All systems reporting nominal,¡± said a bridge officer.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Naret, proceed to the next gate.¡±


    They were three gates away from exiting Federation space. At each hub, interstellar traffic was briefly halted to let the battlecruiser through, potentially disrupting millions of lives and billions of credits. They moved about with Aesho¡¯s authority, and there was nothing the gate controllers could do.


    Sesh moved a little closer to Atara. Feeling her presence, Atara spoke first in a soft voice that was loud enough for Naret to hear.


    ¡°What have I been missing out on these last thirteen years?¡±


    ¡°Apart from continued everlasting peace?¡± As a hobby historian, Sesh was more aware of the magnitude of the relative peace Civilized Space found itself in despite the constant outbreak of minor conflicts here and there. ¡°I¡¯d say little¡¯s changed.¡±


    ¡°You being such a fine officer, I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t attained captain yet.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have,¡± Sesh chuckled, ¡°but I stole a play from your playbook.¡±


    ¡°You forfeited promotion? But why? I wish we had stayed in touch.¡±


    ¡°I think it was the right decision. I mean, we¡¯re serving on the same ship again,¡± and after a pause, Sesh continued softly, ¡°This is where you say ¡®I could not have had a finer first officer.¡¯¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Atara told her, and the two laughed lightly. Naret absorbed every word of their idle chatter as her eyes darted across her lumionic console.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry about me,¡± said Sesh. ¡°I¡¯m not going to back down from a command again. Maybe they¡¯ll give me a <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor-class of my own.¡±


    ¡°And then we could start forming our own strike group.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking.¡±


    Now that the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor was transiting through gateways, the loud hum of the hyperwarp drives had quieted. It was easier to hear distant conversations and footfalls, but slightly more difficult to hear one¡¯s own thoughts. At least, that¡¯s what Xannissa felt as she now leaned over a central table, preparing to dissect the first drive data they obtained. The Elestan found comfort in the persistent noise from heavy machinery and its ability to filter out disruptive sounds such as the voices of others.


    Just then, a lumigraph appeared next to her.


    ¡°Xanni!¡± said the person imaged.


    ¡°Who is¡­¡± Xannissa said, slightly annoyed, and upon looking at the person¡¯s face, continued with a shout of, ¡°Cylenna!¡±


    ¡°Hi, cutie,¡± said the smiling, black-haired Elestan pilot.


    ¡°How the hell were you able to reach me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on this ship, silly.¡±


    At this, Xannissa sighed. After pausing to collect herself, she said, ¡°At least I can keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if that makes you feel better. Say, want to meet up sometime? Give your big sister a little attention?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Cylenna said nothing. She just stared at her younger sister until Xannissa caved and said, ¡°Fine. But not until after we pass Mirida.¡±


    Three more transits through wormholes and the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor found itself at a hub in fringeward Federation space that would take the ship into Tribesson territory. With the help of the gateway network, thousands of lightyears worth of travel had been crammed into a timespan of less than a day. With only a few hours until their arrival at Mirida, Atara put out another call for a meeting with the senior officers. Beyond Mirida, extensive gateway networks were next to nonexistent, setting the stage for a great chase that would pit classical hyperwarp against the emerging synerdrives that were bound to engulf the Federation¡¯s sphere of influence in Civilized Space in the coming decades.

 09 - Brief

    ¡°Corporal Zara,¡± Kyora called in the wake of Fiori¡¯s sudden, unexplained failure and subsequent, spontaneous restoration. The modest-chested, white-haired Elestan approached the blonde Terran. As always, Virn was accompanying the phantom. Krystal had followed the pair of Aurora officers instinctively after leaving the bridge. ¡°I understand you are not a formal member of the service.¡± Krystal nodded. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, she held one arm over her chest gripping her other arm.


    Kyora approached Krystal until they were face-to-face, and in a low voice she continued, ¡°I have been instructed to separate you from the rest of the units. There are private quarters reserved for potential VIPs¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you offering me one?¡± Krystal asked quickly, leaving Kyora a little surprised.


    ¡°I suppose I am. Virn and I will show you.¡±


    Together, they walked to the lifts, taking one to reach the private quarters near the officers¡¯ dwellings. Kyora noticed on the way that a lumigraph user interface was projected on Krystal¡¯s right forearm, but she didn¡¯t say anything until they stepped into the room.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± said Virn, ¡°your home away from home. It¡¯s about as spacious as a bunk room, but you¡¯re not sharing with seven other women.¡± Krystal blushed. She had lived in a bunk environment for the past several years and was no longer accustomed to this type of special treatment.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told them, bowing her head.


    Kyora asked, ¡°Do you have an NI for your Accellus?¡±


    ¡°For Accellus Three. Not Four.¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯ll need is a quick swap,¡± said Kyora. ¡°It¡¯s a quick procedure far simpler than having your first NI implanted.¡± Krystal took a step back, recalling the fear she had for her Accellus 3 NI implantation. ¡°I¡¯ll have you scheduled for one tomorrow. The sooner, the better.¡±


    ¡°U-understood,¡± said Krystal with hesitation.


    Virn said, ¡°If you need anything at all, let us know. We will be starting Accellus Four training courses for the Acting Officers soon. Feel free to join us.¡± And with that, the two Aurora officers left Krystal alone in her spacious quarters.


    Lieren stepped off of the gravilift and into the buzzing hive that was the Kelsor¡¯s engineering department. Technicians moved from one end of the giant space to another, many standing at consoles or kneeling before service hatches. Small spheroid drones hovered above each deck before flying off into ducts opening to tight service corridors. Flanking both sides of the department were the tops of the ship¡¯s twin spherical hyperwarp drive cores. Between them and towering over the rest of engineering was the master synergistic drive regulator module¡ªreferred to simply as the mediator.


    The Larissian cadet, still dressed in her cadet uniform, stood her ground after leaving the lift, giving her time to scan the surroundings but forcing others to flow about her. In the middle of this clean, industrial expanse was a large table upon which a collection of 2D and 3D lumigraphs were being dissected by a committee of senior engineering staff. At their center was their gifted leader¡ªand the one Lieren was looking for: Xannissa Cetalo. The engineering chief had her back to the cadet as she approached, leaning on the table, drowning herself in run logs and event data.


    ¡°Professor Cetalo?¡±


    Xannissa bounced up from the table and spun around, eager to see another report from a crew member until she realized it was her student who called her.


    ¡°Lieren!¡± Xannissa left the table and closed the few steps distance. ¡°You came all the way here to talk to me? What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, professor, but I just wanted to remind you that you¡¯re my mentor in the AOTP.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the Active Officers Training Program and you¡¯re my mentor.¡± Xannissa stared at Lieren for a moment. It was as if the chief engineer were hearing this for the first time¡ªat least the part about being a mentor.


    ¡°I need to get you set up, then,¡± Xannissa said quickly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to me sooner?¡±


    Lieren responded, ¡°I assumed you knew.¡±


    ¡°For your first lesson,¡± said Xannissa amid her frantic scrolling through freshly-summoned lumigraphs, ¡°never assume anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need training in propulsion systems, omnimology¡ªI¡¯ll be teaching both of those¡ª, information systems, weapon systems operation, bridge operations, and combat tactics. This is in addition to your regular courses. I¡¯ll find your instructors for you and tell you where they are and when they meet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, professor,¡± said the young cadet.


    ¡°No problem. Anything for my students. Instruction will probably begin after we hit Mirida. Oh! There¡¯s something else you need to do. We need medical to give you an NI.¡±


    ¡°A neural interface?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And then the ceremony. Dammit! Why didn¡¯t they tell me before we left? They always hold a special ceremony for the first time a trainee receives her own Accellus armor. Since you¡¯re in AOTP, you get yours now.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Lieren said, ¡°This is exciting!¡±


    ¡°They usually have it before we leave dock, but we¡¯re in a bit of a hurry. Anyway, combat training will teach you how to use your Accellus suit. It¡¯ll take time to learn how to interface with it.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s under direct mental control?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but it¡¯s like learning to walk. Once you learn, you don¡¯t have to think.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Lieren. ¡°Does the implantation hurt at all?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll arrange it for after Mirida. Doctor Iveti will probably be doing them all day.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The chief medical officer. She¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Xannissa then noticed the time. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. The captain¡¯s arranged for another meeting soon. In the meantime, try to find the other cadets. Make some friends.¡± The Elestan was walking toward the lifts.


    ¡°I will. Thanks again, professor!¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me professor!¡± Xannissa shouted back to her. ¡°This isn¡¯t a classroom. Just call me Xann!¡±


    The Kelsor¡¯s triumvirate entered the full briefing room as they had done several hours ago before the battlecruiser left the Lanan Orbital Dockyards. They took their seats at the flared end of the table. Krystal and Aesho were the only ones from before who were now absent.


    ¡°I hope most of you have settled in,¡± said Atara. Fiori sat in the chair on the other end of the table from Atara¡ªher legs crossed and her elbow resting on the table¡¯s surface supporting her head. Atara gestured to Fiori, saying, ¡°As you can see, Fiori is back with us.¡± Fiori smiled, hiding her embarrassment¡ªsomething she was in fact capable of feeling.


    Atara continued, ¡°We are almost through our first day underway, and we are just a few hours out from Mirida. We need to decide who is going down there to retrieve Doctor Souq and our plan of action for doing so. I¡¯ll open the floor for our away team leader, Commander Sesh.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± said Sesh as she nodded toward the captain. ¡°When we arrive at Mirida, we are taking an ALAT to retrieve Souq and immediately departing the system. I¡¯ll secure us a good pilot.¡±


    ¡°To my surprise, my sister is aboard this ship,¡± Xannissa interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll admit she¡¯s a good pilot, albeit a bit reckless, but¡ª¡°


    ¡°Cylenna, right?¡±


    Xannissa nodded.


    ¡°We have our pilot,¡± said Sesh. ¡°The ALAT holds six, so three more can go down there. Kyora and Virn, I would like you to join me.¡±


    Virn nodded while Kyora remained motionless.


    ¡°Now for the last one¡ª¡±


    ¡°How about Corporal Zara?¡± asked Virn. ¡°Since they worked together on the station, and she rescued him from the attack.¡±


    Sesh said, ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. That¡¯s our away team, putting the cart before the horse a bit. We need to decide how best to retrieve him.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± said Xannissa. ¡°Pull up to the hotel, grab him, and leave.¡±


    Sesh looked at Xannissa and said, ¡°No, not that simple. We¡¯re in foreign territory.¡±


    ¡°Retrieving a Federation citizen.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We cannot legally pluck him from the surface so long as he is outside the embassy.¡±


    Atara asked, ¡°Have we been able to contact him?¡±


    ¡°I have tried,¡± said Ethis, ¡°but the embassy says he never answers.¡±


    ¡°Can we ask the local police to deliver him to the embassy?¡± asked Atara.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a miracle,¡± said Kyora. ¡°Mirida¡¯s police don¡¯t serve the people. They serve the syndicates.¡±


    ¡°Syndicates?¡± asked Xannissa.


    Kyora sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s the natural consequence of a government that reduces regulations in order to foster rapid growth and corruption. It¡¯s a cancer, and it¡¯s metastasized to the highest levels of government¡ªits tendrils penetrating deep into the fabric of society.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so knowledgable on Mirida,¡± said Sesh, ¡°why not join in on our conversation? Enlighten us a little, since we never did have that meeting.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kyora said flatly. ¡°In a word, Mirida is a shit-hole. A sparkling, glittering shit-hole. The exterior appearance is of a high-class world ripe with opportunity. Lift that away and underneath you will find that it is rotten to the core. The syndicates run everything. And then there¡¯s the occult filth of the Understory.¡±


    Sesh asked, ¡°What, then, are the potential complications of our retrieval of Doctor Souq?¡±


    ¡°For one,¡± said Kyora, ¡°so long as he¡¯s outside the embassy, the syndicates already have him.¡± She paused, then asked, ¡°Mind if I tell you a story?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Sesh. ¡°I like stories.¡±


    ¡°Kyora, don¡¯t,¡± Virn thought over her Q-comms link.


    Kyora told her, ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. It¡¯s about damn time I started confronting my past.¡±Continuing with Sesh she said, ¡°I was born on Mirida. Unlike most, if not all of you, I was born as a clone. I had no parents. My only ¡®parent¡¯ was a mercenary corporation called Unit. At barely three years old, our nursery was raided, and me and my batch-mates¡ªas they called them¡ªwere taken hostage by elsheem filth. My first memories,¡± she said as her voice cracked, ¡°were of being beaten by them. It took Unit a whole year to finally rescue their investments, though in the back of my mind I¡¯m convinced they let that happen to toughen us up. All of my batch-mates looked just as I did, and though our caretakers called us by number, once we realized the existence of names, we started naming each other. Kyora was a name we learned from history studies.¡±


    ¡°They taught you history?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°They taught us a lot of things at a faster rate than average children. Unit didn¡¯t just breed us to kill. They made us think. To them, an intelligent killing machine is far deadlier than a stupid one.


    ¡°Unit used a mandatory service partnership system. I was paired with my friend Deminesse. After a while, we became inseparable, and we even tried to match each other identically in both looks and mannerisms so we couldn¡¯t be told apart. We rose through the ranks of Unit until we found ourselves in the company¡¯s inner circle. Unfortunately, it became difficult for Deminesse to see eye-to-eye with anyone, including me. She staged a successful coup against the corporate leaders, and that¡¯s when I saw my chance to escape. Now they call themselves Domina, and I aided their enemies for a time, but they are now the strongest syndicate on the planet. Their reach extends to the edges of Tribesson space, possibly even beyond. What I implore you to do is expect the worst.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a very convincing testimony,¡± said Atara. Looking to Sesh, she said, ¡°Knowing this, I still think its best to send one ALAT with only you five.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Sesh replied. ¡°Lieutenant Commander Ethis, can you try to contact the embassy again and see if they are able to retrieve Doctor Souq before we reach Mirida?¡±


    ¡°I will try,¡± said Ethis.


    ¡°If the Miridanian Police can¡¯t help us,¡± Sesh continued, ¡°we will travel to the hotel ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Well, then,¡± said Xannissa. ¡°Seems we¡¯ve come full circle.¡±


    Sesh ignored the smiling Xannissa and said, ¡°Commander Kodi, can you release Cylenna Cetalo to pilot our ALAT?¡±


    ¡°Already planned to,¡± said the strike officer.


    Sesh said, ¡°We depart for the surface in two hours. Captain, I give you the floor.¡±


    ¡°I think that concludes this meeting,¡± said Atara. ¡°You are dismissed.¡± The senior officers of the Kelsor rose from their chairs and walked out of the room. Atara saw that Xannissa and Sesh leave before her, ensuring she was the last one out. Before she stepped through the door, Fiori, who had a moment earlier been seated at the far end of the room, put her hand on Atara¡¯s shoulder from behind.


    The captain turned around to face a grave archon who said, ¡°I need to speak with you alone. I will meet you in your quarters.¡±

 10 - Crimson Aegis

    ¡°Are you aware of the galactopolitical entity known as the Society?¡± Fiori asked the captain as they stood in the latter¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°The machine-worshipping cultists?¡± Xannissa responded from the open door. She entered the room, allowing the door to close behind her.


    Atara turned around and said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Fiori told me to meet her in our quarters.¡±


    ¡°I did not think it best to meet with both of you separately,¡± Fiori explained, ¡°considering your service partnership, let alone your resilient bond.¡±


    ¡°I may have heard Sesh mention the Society at one time,¡± said Atara, returning to the subject, ¡°but all I can remember is basically what Xannissa said¡ªa state of synthetics.¡±


    ¡°I was under the impression that it was all a myth,¡± said Xannissa.


    ¡°Indeed, most information regarding the Society has been fabricated by widespread ignorance and fear among the greater populace,¡± stated Fiori, ¡°but its existence is fact.¡±


    Atara said, ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t call us together to tell us that.¡±


    ¡°No, I did not. I came to explain that my interruption today was no minor accident.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it wasn¡¯t an accident at all,¡± said Xannissa, ¡°and that the Society is somehow involved?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    After a pause, Atara asked, ¡°Can you elaborate?¡±


    ¡°Occasionally,¡± said Fiori, ¡°my core operators hire outside experts to assist with key infrastructure upgrades. In order to preserve the enigma surrounding my physical core and to protect those involved, these temporary workers have their memories altered such that they remember nothing about their work while filling the resulting void with meaning.


    ¡°Xannissa,¡± Fiori continued, ¡°you are one such individual.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Xannissa asked, startled.


    ¡°You helped to design and implement a hyperwarp-capable ejection system for my personality module¡ªthe heart, if you will, of who I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t believe it,¡± Xannissa said calmly despite being abundantly surprised.


    ¡°When?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°At that time,¡± said Fiori, ¡°you had been the rank of captain for eighteen years. Xannissa returned to your ship three years later.¡± She looked to Xannissa and said, ¡°You will recall serving as an instructor at Tikon Academy.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Xannissa. ¡°I assume none of those memories were real?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said Fiori, ¡°although they were fabricated based on a template obtained from a donor.¡±


    ¡°Tikon Academy¡­¡± Xannissa whispered. She turned to Atara and said, ¡°The experiences I had there are why I urged you to take up instruction at Lanan. Did you know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in as much disbelief as you are,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°Prior to the beginning of your time serving me,¡± Fiori reassured her, ¡°you chose the memories that would best fill the three-year gap. As of this moment, you are the only one among your peers who has been granted this awareness.¡±


    ¡°Is it not dangerous to the Federation if I know this?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°I have made you aware <em style="font-weight: inherit">because of a danger to the Federation,¡± Fiori stated. ¡°Upon the successful completion of your current mission and your safe return to Lanan, the suppressed memories you created while in my service will be restored.¡±


    ¡°What about my current memories?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°They are as important to you as any other memory and you will remain in possession of both.¡±


    ¡°Well, so much for Sanctity of the Mind.¡±


    ¡°So, is this ejection system what caused your interruption?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°Use of the system will cause the symptoms that you witnessed during my interruption. Indeed, the system was deployed at that time, and my core entered deep space less than a lightyear away.


    ¡°The circumstances of the deployment of the ejection system are still under investigation. While my core drifted in deep space, my¡­ mind¡­ was accessed in an unusual way by an unidentified vessel. Both the software and the vessel contained subtle signatures of Society origin. Before the vessel left and I was rescued by Federation craft, I could feel another ¡®self¡¯ for a brief instant. My scenario is that my core was infiltrated to eject my personality module into space where it could be copied by agents of the Society.¡±


    ¡°For what reason?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°An archonoid possessing identical software signatures to my own could be produced to override my own functionality within the Federation. The worst-case scenario is that this weakens me as a prelude to a secret attack by the Society.¡±


    ¡°Have you discussed this with High Command?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. However, they will seek to hide this incident from the public eye. Unfortunately, this is not the only reason why I wished to speak to you. I have personally scanned your quarters and the surroundings using the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s drones, and I detected and suppressed two listening devices. What I am about to tell you is information beyond classified.


    ¡°My bout of unconsciousness had an unintended consequence. For decades, my cognizance was circumvented with the use of illegal software of Federation Military design. When I was subdued, the software manipulating my cognizance was inadvertently overwritten. Atara and Xannissa, how would you define your relationship with Admiral Aesho?¡±


    ¡°Abrasive, as always,¡± Xannissa said.


    ¡°She seems more riled up lately,¡± Atara stated. ¡°It might be related to this ecksivar we¡¯re after.¡±


    ¡°I will advise you to treat Admiral Aesho with extreme caution,¡± Fiori explained. ¡°She may be involved with a circle within the Admiralty that is seeking to undermine the Federation¡¯s core values for personal gain. With the removal of that software, the accumulated experiences of decades have become clearer, and all of the questionable activities that I have been blind to all stems from ecksivar.


    ¡°Ecksivar was discovered three centuries ago. Immediately identified as unique, it became an object coveted by the upper echelon of the Federation¡¯s omnimology community. It was lost to piracy shortly after its discovery until it was rediscovered as an heirloom of the ruling family of Semarah.


    ¡°The Semarahn Border Raids, key to igniting the Semarahn Incursion, were allowed to occur by willful Military inaction. Using the Raids as a <em style="font-weight: inherit">casus belli, Fifth Fleet Admiral Ula Musani crafted Operation Crimson Aegis as a cover for the retrieval of ecksivar from the palace of King Belar Kalashik. Neither the government nor the public were ever given any reason to believe that the Semarahn Incursion was merely a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Atara interrupted. She clasped one hand loosely over her mouth while Xannissa¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Crimson Aegis,¡± Atara said, dropping both arms to her sides, ¡°was just a cover op?¡± Her voice deepened, a sign that anger was welling up inside of her. ¡°They <em style="font-weight: inherit">allowedFederation citizens to die so that we would have a reason to invade Semarah?¡±


    ¡°Sadly,¡± Fiori said, ¡°that is correct. Federation Navy patrols on the Semarahn border were reduced seven months prior to the series of deadly raids that are infamous for sparking the conflict.¡±


    ¡°Was Musani responsible for this?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°Ultimately, yes,¡± Fiori said, ¡°but the idea originated from and was arranged by Admiral Aesho.¡±


    Atara¡¯s hands had slowly curled themselves into fists, and her mandible pushed against her maxilla with tectonic force. She took in a deep breath, relaxing as she exhaled.


    ¡°To hear of this scandal is one thing,¡± said Atara, her voice shaking, ¡°but to know that I and my crew are perpetuating it is absolutely inadmissible.¡±


    ¡°I sympathize with you,¡± said Fiori, ¡°but I urge you to continue the mission; for the sake of the Federation and Civilized Space.¡±


    ¡°You reveal to us that Aesho is a scourge,¡± said Atara, ¡°a slime associated with a terrible blight of corruption that is destroying the honor of our leadership, yet you insist I forget everything you just told me and continue to serve a woman who I have just lost all confidence in!¡±


    ¡°I never asked you to forget,¡± Fiori said. ¡°I informed you so that you would be aware of the threat Admiral Aesho and her co-conspirators pose to the Federation. I advise you because I trust you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Atara¡¯s mind was clouded.


    Xannissa approached her friend and, consoling her, said, ¡°Look at it this way. We are armed with this knowledge now. We could have undertaken this entire mission without it, but ignorance isn¡¯t always bliss.¡±


    Atara, inspired by Xannissa¡¯s words, straightened herself and stuck out her chest. ¡°I will continue to fulfill my duties as a captain of the Federation starship <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for trusting me,¡± said Fiori. The benevolent, orange, conscious construct vanished, leaving Atara and Xannissa alone in their quarters. Atara stood for a few seconds, and then she turned and placed both of her hands on the wall beside her. She arched her back somewhat and tilted her head down. Feeling the rage accumulating within her, she slammed both fists against the wall and cursed the name of her unrighteous superior before collapsing to the ground. This was the true Aesho that Atara had remained ignorant of for far too long. Xannissa knelt beside the captain as Atara¡¯s eyes welled with tears.

 11 - Taretes

    Accompanied by two of his most loyal bodyguards, he walked swiftly down the corridor; his boots clanking against the floor with every step. His black cloak covered most of his armor, and his face was hidden beneath a shadowy hood. The three of them passed by two soldiers guarding a wide door, and both were covered in black Alliance battle armor. The corridor was poorly lit, and the bridge was no brighter.


    ¡°Captain,¡± he ordered with a booming voice.


    ¡°Yes, your excellency?¡± said the captain of the Voulgenathi after turning around.


    ¡°How long until we reach the border?¡±


    ¡°Twenty days. As you can see, we are...¡±


    ¡°Too slow,¡± interrupted the cloaked figure.


    ¡°B¡ªbut sir! This is our maximum speed! We¡¯ll damage the drive!¡±


    ¡°It would be in your best interest, Captain, to stop looking for excuses and start finding solutions.¡±


    ¡°Y¡ªy¡ªyes, your majesty!¡± uttered the captain.


    ¡°You have two weeks. Do not fail me.¡± The captain was silent, and the cloaked figure turned to leave.


    ¡°My lord, you are receiving a transmission,¡± said one of the bridge crew.


    ¡°In my quarters.¡±


    ¡°Yes, lord.¡±


    The hooded figure quickly left the bridge. His two bodyguards followed him down the dark hallways to his quarters. They stood at the door as the cloaked figure entered his room where an imposing lumigraph was waiting for him.


    ¡°Lord Thrassus!¡± said the cloaked male, rapidly removing his hood. He had long auricles, a hairless, chiseled chin, short blond hair, and a red, glowing circle on the back of his neck. He bent his knee and knelt before the monolithic lume: a large black rectangle taller than he with Avenathi words that read ¡°NO VISUAL.¡±


    ¡°Taretes,¡± said the lumigraph. Thrassus¡¯ voice was audibly distorted. ¡°On your feet and listen closely. The Federation has unleashed its fastest ship against you. If you do not increase your speed, they will overtake you. You will not have my pity should this happen. Do not fear them, for whatever pain they can inflict upon you, I can inflict a hundred times over. Do you understand me?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Yes, your greatness!¡± said Taretes.


    ¡°Remember: one way or another, I always get what I want.¡± The lumigraph vanished, and the room went black.


    Sometime later, Emperor Valin Taretes returned to his quarters. Though no longer pitch black, the room was still dimly lit. His quarters had been arranged and decorated similarly to his palace on Avenath and were in every way as ostentatious. White curtains draped across the ceiling, and in the center of the room was a large, circular bed.


    The elshe rolled over onto his side to stare into the face of one of his five naked elshi mistresses ¨C all of them wrapped loosely in velvet bedsheets. One of the other elshi rose from the bed, likely looking for that stray bottle of sweet ale that had been near them only moments ago. Taretes was indulging in the privileged lifestyle; the one that he had painted a vivid, yet fictitious, picture of and attached to the sovereign and noble houses of the old Commonwealth of Avenath; the one that he cursed so maliciously and used to inspire his popular rebellion against the ruling highborn.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± said Taretes. He sat up and moved toward the edge of the bed, brushing away the supple female hands that tried to pull him back down. The elshe walked into the next room. After a minute, he reentered the bedroom carrying a container in his hand which he handed to one of the elshi while he crawled back to the center.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± said the first. Another elshi took it from her hands and said ¡°It¡¯s the most sought-after piece of omnium in the galaxy.¡± Taretes took back the container as the third elshi collapsed back onto the bed carrying the bottle of ale and her empty glass. ¡°The black omnium?¡± she asked, pouring herself a drink.


    ¡°The black omnium,¡± said Taretes, methodically opening the secure container harboring the sample. The mistresses moved in close and touched their flesh against his as he slowly removed the crystal with his hand. The black omnium radiated a dark glow like anti-light, and the crystal itself glimmered in the dimly-lit room.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe to touch?¡± an elshi behind him asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said with confidence. As he spoke, one of the elshi reached out and pressed her fingers to it. The crystal was as cool as the room, and Taretes let the elshi pass it between them, acting as if it were some kind of aphrodisiac. His mistresses were eager to get their hands on the crystal, and he was eager to take it back. When it finally did make it back, he leaned backward, held it above him, and stared at it; lusted after it. The elshi did not see it exactly as he did. To him, there was a truly seductive quality about it. Nevermind the elshi. This was what he wanted. It was power. If what he knew was correct, this black omnium crystal would assure his dominance over the entirety of Civilized Space.


    Taretes blinked his eyes. Before him erupted the face of Thrassus. He had not yet before seen the face of his master, but as with dreams where known names are assigned to unknown faces, he knew without a doubt in his mind than the demonic countenance appearing to him now was indeed Thrassus. Terror shot through his veins; his nerves; his skin. His entire body jerked. He blinked again, and the image was gone. With his eyes widened, he rotated the crystal frantically, searching for Thrassus¡¯ face. His heart pounded, and he could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    ¡°Leave me,¡± Taretes growled. The elshi sat up, confused by his order. ¡°Leave me!¡± he screamed. Groaning at him, the elshi rose from the bed and exited into one of the side rooms. Taretes hastily concealed the crystal in its container once again and deposited it in the other room.

 12 - Mirida

    After exiting the last gateway, and making a minutes-long, low-powered hyperwarp leap across the system, Naret parked the Kelsor high in Mirida¡¯s atmosphere; the ship kept aloft by powerful gravitics. Mirida was the fourth planet from its star, and like any of the other developed worlds in Civilized Space with a planetary population in the hundred-billions and a system population of a few times more, starships and other aerospace vehicles, both system-bound and gateway-bound, flew into and out of Mirida¡¯s atmosphere at a steady rate. The Kelsor¡¯s detection systems identified and tracked every one of the thousands traveling by every minute which, to the human eye, were just distant metallic specks glaring in the sun with brighter fires burning from their fusion engines behind them.


    The away team witnessed the horizon before them and the distant sparkles of cruising gravidynes. Sesh and her team sat within one of the Kelsor¡¯s white Lancet ALATs ready to depart while the setting sunlight, filtered orange by the atmosphere, washed across their faces. Cylenna¡¯s Accellus was assimilated with the craft without any tangible connections. Her thoughts commanded her suit, and her suit commanded the ALAT. When she encouraged the vehicle to lift off, it rose from its idle hovering to a few meters into the air of the Kelsor¡¯s hangar. The ALAT drifted toward the hangar¡¯s airscreen and emerged in the relative vacuum of Mirida¡¯s exosphere. Cylenna nosed the craft toward the planet¡¯s urbanized, artificially-lit surface and accelerated.


    During the slow and cold atmospheric reentry, Sesh, who was seated in the passenger seat to Cylenna¡¯s right, contacted the Federation embassy one final time.


    ¡°He¡¯s not at the embassy,¡± Sesh said loudly enough for all of them to hear. ¡°Kelsor, can you give us the location of Souq¡¯s hotel?¡±


    ¡°Going to pick him up yourself, then?¡± Ethis asked her from aboard the bridge in her heavy accent. ¡°He¡¯s staying at the Luminocta, a casino hotel near the top of a multi-use tower about eighty kilometers absolute from your location. I¡¯ve transferred the nav data to your vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We have it,¡± Sesh told her.


    ¡°Luminocta,¡± Kyora uttered. ¡°That was one of Domina¡¯s enterprises.¡±


    ¡°We should be fine,¡± said Sesh. ¡°What does Domina want with us? We should be able to slip in and out.¡±


    Kyora asked, ¡°How much are you willing to bet that this isn¡¯t some kind of trap?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m betting my life on it.¡±


    The ALAT soared through the overcast night sky between the kilometers-tall towers in the heart of Mirida¡¯s capitol city of Ae. The misty stratus hanging above the city glowed in the lights of gaudy signs and flashy advertisements¡ªa mixture of reds, pinks, and purples combined with the white of the city¡¯s general illumination. The clouds were like a cold, glowing, red sea, and the towers were mountains standing alone on islands with cars like birds or fish moving in organized lines across the dull night sky or through the mist.


    Cylenna piloted the ALAT to the Luminocta¡ªits simple lumigraphic logo drifting slowly across the building¡¯s higher facade. She set the vehicle down within an airscreened hollow containing the hotel¡¯s main entrance. Two men dressed in formal attire waited to help them out of the ALAT when its top was resorbed. After helping the others out of the craft, their assistance was declined by Cylenna. Sesh had ordered her not to leave the vehicle.


    The men guided the four women, dressed in their usual standard uniforms, through a large archway serving as the main entrance. Because the arrival area was shielded from the wind and weather, doors lost some of their utility. Plus, open archways were more inviting, maybe even enticing given the venue.


    Sesh approached the check-in counter and, to the woman behind it, said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Doctor Quen Souq.¡± The lobby was dark and quiet save for a few couples staggering through.


    The woman, a Terran, looked at the group of military officers and, feeling intimidated, said, ¡°I¡¯ll page his room for you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Kyora after quickly approaching the counter. ¡°Just tell us his room number and we¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Kyora¡¯s face betrayed the look of a woman unwilling to play games. The concierge nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s in room twenty-two-forty-five.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Sesh said with a smile as she turned Kyora away from the counter. Sesh led the group of women through the lobby, past its black leather furniture, lumionic displays, and inebriated guests and turned a corner into a long dim passage. Sounds from the distant end grew louder, and so did the volume of guests walking with them and by them¡ªsome glancing at their uniforms and granting the Federation Navy officers a wider berth. As they approached the end, the deeper sounds became rhythmic, ceasing the reverberations that made it a low hum and giving leeway to the electronic beeps and whistles of the main gaming floor of the casino.


    At once, the lights and sounds hit them directly. The loud music drowned out the conversations and laugher from thousands of intoxicated patrons; many sitting, many more standing, and in multiple states of dress and undress. These were people from across Tribesson, the Federation, some even as far away as the Republic and the Alliance, and a rare few from the reaches of the Frontier. All of them gambled, drank, or found their infatuation and looked forward to their night between the sheets. Pleasure was in abundance¡ªrestraint in short supply.


    ¡°Akkain sent him to a place like this?¡± Sesh said to her team. They heard her through inconspicuous lumionic speakers in their ear canals, reducing their need for helmets.


    Kyora said, ¡°Most places on Mirida are like this, especially in Ae. They didn¡¯t have much choice.¡±


    Despite the drug use, the spirits, the gambling, the gluttony, the nudity, and the lust, the venue was surprisingly clean. The walkways were free of standers and guests used them as intended. There were no visible security officers or surveillance devices. There was no violence. The casino was the perfect picture of hedonic euphoria¡ªa mosaic of different bliss. Sesh knew enough about Cylenna from her sister to know that this was not a place to have ever taken her, and the commander was thankful that she ordered the Elestan pilot to stay.


    The party wandered out of the casino which was intended as the only passageway from the lobby to the main lifts. After riding the lift to the twentieth floor, the officers walked down the empty, door-lined hallway to the outside of Room 2245. Before Sesh could push the button on the door¡¯s lumionic interface to buzz the room, Kyora caught her hand quickly and silently in her iron grip.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like anything about this,¡± Kyora whispered to Sesh. After fabricating a handgun, the Elestan phantom pressed her hand to the door and, using her Accellus and programming prowess, overrode the door¡¯s control and security, opening it slowly without any audio cues. The others followed her lead, fabricating handguns of their own and standing next to the corridor wall. Though lacking her armor and stealth capability, she and the others stormed into the suite with their weapons drawn. The dark room¡¯s lighting activated when they entered. Flashing lights and colors from another room attracted Kyora¡¯s attention. Turning the corner, she found Dr. Souq slumped over on a couch before a silent lumionic screen playing live programming. Virn and Sesh followed close behind. The Zelnaran commander bent over the unconscious scientist without speaking and assessed his pulse and breathing. Her nod to the others confirmed that he was alive.


    Krystal was on to something. Though she said nothing, she could feel a disturbance long before leaving the lifts. This entire time she battled in her mind between maintaining the status quo or protecting her newfound companions. The vaguest way she could think to express her concern was by saying, ¡°We need to leave right now.¡±


    Krystal¡¯s warning came too late.


    ¡°Yes, you all need to leave,¡± came a female voice from just beyond the suite¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°Take your scientist with you. I have what I want.¡± The voice¡¯s source emerged from a shroud wearing black, unmarked Accellus 3 armor without a helmet. It¡¯s wearer was an Elestan in the spitting image of Kyora.


    Kyora, upon hearing Krystal¡¯s warning, fabricated a duplicate handgun in her left hand. The phantom raised and unloaded both weapons the moment she witnessed the intruder¡¯s face. The doppelganger stood unfazed by the brilliant flashes from Kyora¡¯s pistols because their discharges triggered a lumionic prison. Everyone and everything in the suite save the intruder was frozen in a field of lumionic stasis, including the pulses of white-hot plasma from Kyora¡¯s weapons yearning to break free.


    The doppelganger laughed before commenting, ¡°How utterly predictable, like a wild beast.¡± She strode toward Kyora whose expression was locked into one of intense, momentary passion. The intruder passed close enough to the paused bolts that her skin would have fried if not for the protection of her suit. The plasma¡¯s light dissipated every second; its energy radiating away due to thermodynamics.


    Touching Kyora¡¯s face with her bodysuit-covered hand, and fully aware her prey could not hear her, the doppelganger said, ¡°Eclipse is dying to see you again.¡± She smiled as her hand ran down the frozen Kyora¡¯s neck, clavicle and breast.


    Kyora awoke in the middle of a large, dark room. She was naked, cold, and alone sitting unbound in a solitary chair. When she came to, she looked into the darkness around her, and realizing she wasn¡¯t restrained, eased herself from the chair. A sudden chill sent shivers down her spine, and she held her cool arms to her warm chest. The phantom took a few steps forward before colliding with a lumionic barrier she had not seen. After beating her fists against it several times, a feminine voice from the shadows yelled to her.


    ¡°Enough! I never expected the Federation to turn you into such an animal.¡±


    Kyora backed away from the wall and asked, ¡°Where am I? Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°The others are back on your Kelsor,¡± said the voice. ¡°You, however, are home at last.¡±


    ¡°Deminesse?¡± Kyora called out. Anger coated her words. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard in a very long time. As far as you¡¯re concerned, Deminesse is dead. I am Eclipse.¡±


    A figure stirred from out of the shadows and approached where Kyora was standing. She was a perfect duplicate of the captured phantom. Eclipse wore a black, military-style uniform decorated with Domina¡¯s logo on the sleeves. It was not immediately clear if the uniform possessed REMASS capability.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already met, and would have certainly killed my closest associate,¡± Eclipse said. Harder footsteps than Eclipse¡¯s came from behind Kyora. The armored assailant from earlier stepped into the light. ¡°She is Dusk.¡±


    Kyora looked behind at Dusk who also resembled herself save for long hair, and then back to Eclipse saying, ¡°I¡¯m beginning to see a theme here.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Eclipse said. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you? You and I and Dusk are all born from Mirida¡¯s eternal darkness. The difference is that Dusk and I have accepted ourselves for what we are and what we are here to do.¡±


    ¡°We were bred to kill.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Anyone can build a machine that kills. We were made to rule. How else could we have so easily overthrown our masters and become the captains of our own destiny?¡±


    ¡°Possibly because you were given the intellect to destroy in creative ways.¡±


    Dusk said, ¡°I warned you she wouldn¡¯t be receptive.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Eclipse responded. ¡°I just had hoped, since she is one of us.¡± She looked into Kyora¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Guess how many of your batch-mates are still alive.¡±


    ¡°Just us three.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Just us.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to convince me to join you, you¡¯re doing a shit job.¡±


    ¡°I think you have been made unfit by the Federation,¡± said Eclipse. ¡°A few weeks or months in custody may make you more amenable. I want the person you used to be, not this corrupted beast. Dusk, have your way with her.¡±


    Dusk lowered the barrier enclosing Kyora, and the phantom waited patiently for Dusk to grip her arm. When she did, Kyora grabbed Dusk and threw her to the floor. The phantom placed her foot to Dusk¡¯s neck, threatening to crush it.


    ¡°Savage,¡± Eclipse muttered after watching Kyora¡¯s display. She generated a handgun and pointed it at the phantom. ¡°Get off my hunter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to shoot me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t. But if you keep acting like an animal, I¡¯ll put you down like one.¡±


    Kyora stepped back from Dusk. She stared angrily at Eclipse before being locked within another one of Dusk¡¯s stasis fields. Lumions held every one of Kyora¡¯s molecules in place through steric hindrance.


    Eclipse walked up to the frozen phantom and embraced her. Her eyes glistening with tears, she squeezed herself to Kyora whose body was like solid stone.


    ¡°I missed you so much, Kyora. Why can¡¯t we be friends?¡±


    The white ALAT approached the Kelsor¡¯s port airscreen, passed through, and settled down hovering centimeters from the floor. A medical team stood by the landing area. Lieren was there as well, eager to see her father, and she was accompanied by her chaperone Xannissa. Cylenna resorbed the craft¡¯s top, and the medical team rushed to retrieve the unconscious Dr. Souq from the vehicle.


    Xannissa asked, ¡°Is this what they have you doing now? Taxi driver?¡±


    ¡°Under different circumstances I would have laughed with you,¡± admitted Cylenna. ¡°We¡¯re a woman down.¡±


    Lieren left with the medical team. Xannissa asked, ¡°What happened?¡± By then, a visibly distraught Virn left the ALAT with Sesh and Krystal. Sesh glanced at Xannissa for a second as they walked away. ¡°Kyora?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Said she disappeared right in front of them. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to park my taxi.¡± Cylenna elevated the craft while Xannissa was leaning on it, forcing her younger sister to retreat.


    ¡°Explain to me what happened,¡± Atara told Sesh. The two of them met in Atara¡¯s office near the bridge. The captain leaned against the front of her desk with her arms crossed while Sesh stood near the door.


    ¡°We found Dr. Souq unconscious in a suite of the Luminocta hotel. Kyora kept expressing her reservations, but I was determined to find him. When we entered the room, we found him on a couch. Then we heard someone say, ¡®You need to leave.¡¯ There was a driver discharge and Kyora vanished. Our suits experienced a chronometric desync afterward leading me to believe we were caught in lumionic stasis.¡±


    Atara dropped her head and sighed. This was still the first day of the mission and she had already lost faith in her admiral and lost one of her senior officers. She raised her head and asked, ¡°She has a partnership with Virn, right?¡±


    Sesh said, ¡°Yes,¡± with a nod.


    ¡°And a Q-comms link?¡±


    Sesh affirmed again.


    ¡°Has she tried to contact Kyora?¡±


    ¡°She has, but no response.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, I don¡¯t hold you responsible for what happened. As captain, all responsibility rests with me. If we weren¡¯t pressed for time, I would have you organize a search and rescue, but we must leave now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Atara.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s move to the bridge.¡±

 13 - Domina

    Dusk led the naked Kyora through Domina¡¯s headquarters blinded by a visor. They exited a lift in one of the cellblocks beneath the complex. Upon arriving at a cell, Dusk removed the visor, and Kyora found herself in a bright, Federation-style prison. The floors, walls, and ceilings were a clean metallic white. Every cell looked open, but it was an illusion created by the OPEL panels composing the doors. There were both males and females with the former outnumbering the latter three-to-one. None of the captives had clothing.


    ¡°Welcome to your cage.¡± Dusk shoved Kyora into the cell, knocking her to the floor. An OPEL panel shut behind her. Kyora looked back, but Dusk had vanished from her view, selectively hidden by the OPEL panel. After easing herself from the floor, she moved to the OPEL panel and gazed out at the other prisoners. The cell directly across from her¡¯s held a man sitting on the cold ground and leaning on the back wall with his legs opened toward her, but where she expected to see his genitals, he had only scars. This was true of the man in the cell to the right as well. The cell on the left held a woman. Of course, it was difficult to tell if her genitals had been altered in any way, but she appeared normal.


    Kyora put her hand on the OPEL and ran it across. After beating the OPEL a few times with her fist, she figured it was as solid as any other. She turned around, feeling neither in peril nor at peace, but viewed her situation as just another challenge. She took three slow steps toward the back of her cell and after closing her eyes said, <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Virn,¡±over her Q-comms link.


    ¡°Virn.¡±


    Virn was sitting with Krystal in the quarters that Virn shared with Kyora. More than a few of Virn¡¯s tears had run down her face. The Exan could not come to terms with her friend¡¯s sudden disappearance. Her situation of not knowing what had happened would have begun to consume her if not for the voice in her head calling to her by name.


    ¡°Virn, can you hear me?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Yes, I can hear you!¡± Virn was overjoyed. Without saying anything aloud, her disposition changed. Krystal, who was comforting her, moved her body away, giving Virn some space. Virn, being cautious, asked, <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I shouldn¡¯t have doubted my instincts for a second,¡± Kyora thought. <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°It was a Domina trap and Souq was the bait. Where are you?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Myself and the others are on the Kelsor. We just left the system. I¡¯m going to tell the captain you¡¯re alive.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Don¡¯t. The mission is more important than any one person. Besides, this is my battleground. I need to kill a couple of old friends.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°You¡¯re that important to me!¡± Virn exclaimed in her thought-stream. <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I would stop the universe for you, so if there¡¯s even a small chance of rescuing you, I¡¯m taking it. Do you know where you are?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Kyora explained. <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I don¡¯t. All I know is that I¡¯m locked in a cell and Deminesse is here somewhere.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I¡¯m turning this ship around.¡±


    Would she be fed? The man across from her looked a few kilograms away from emaciation while the woman appeared to be well-nourished. Had the man been in captivity for a longer period, or did Domina treat women better than men? Kyora was inclined to believe both if Deminesse retained the misandrist tendencies of her youth. Despite arriving at the conclusion that she might be fed at least adequately, the phantom decided that the best way for her to pass the time was to sit on the floor and do nothing for the chance that her captors might leave her to starve.


    Kyora lied flat on the cold ground with only her thoughts as company¡ªthe cells were insulated from all noise. Many minutes passed. Maybe it was an hour, but as soon as she was finding some comfort on that hard surface, a figure dressed in full, black Domina Accellus 3 armor appeared at the OPEL door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look up at me,¡± said the female guard. ¡°Hold that position just like that. A-a-and there. I¡¯ll let that loop for a while so no one will notice you¡¯re missing.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Kyora asked. She stood up and approached the door.


    ¡°Just a shadow who¡¯s amassed a lot of power by playing her cards right and being very, very patient, and you¡¯re just the card I was waiting for.¡±


    ¡°How convenient,¡± Kyora sneered.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re the only one who can see me, so listen to what I tell you and do exactly what I say. Any deviation may result in either one of us being killed, or worse.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Kyora said, crossing her arms.


    ¡°In sixty seconds,¡± the guard said, ¡°I will open this door and guide you to the lifts. Surveillance won¡¯t see you, but other guards will. I know where your armor is, and that¡¯s where you¡¯re heading first.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re trapped in this cell with me as your only means of escape, you don¡¯t have much of a choice. On the other hand, as the one burdening the risk here, I should be asking, ¡®Can I trust <em style="font-weight: inherit">you?¡¯¡± Kyora continued to watch the guard without responding. After the allotted sixty seconds, the guard clapped her hands in front of her while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m your guardian angel.¡± The guard pulled her hands apart slowly and in sync with the parting of the OPEL door. Her image was sliced by the opening of the doorway, and when the door opened fully, the guard had vanished completely.


    A white lumionic arrow flashed for a single second on the ground in the empty corridor before her. It was then that she realized she would no longer be receiving verbal instructions from her self-proclaimed guardian angel. The arrow had pointed toward the right, so Kyora, walking quietly with a lowered center of gravity, turned to the right. She passed a cell holding a Yeran man with his face nearly pressed to the OPEL door. As if to test her guardian¡¯s implied promise of a stealthy escape, she stopped to wave right in his face. The man was unfazed and continued to stare blankly out of his cell.


    Excellent, Kyora thought.


    ¡°Commander.¡±


    ¡°Virn?¡±


    ¡°Kyora just contacted me. She¡¯s still alive, but Domina has her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll alert the captain,¡± Sesh said. ¡°Meet us on the bridge.¡±


    Virn and Krystal traveled to the bridge of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor where Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh were debating courses of action as the ship shot away from Mirida at over eight-thousand times the speed of light. When the triumvirate noticed the two approach, the debate stopped and silence fell on the bridge. The only sounds were the low hum of the hyperwarp drive and the pings and beeps from terminal interfaces.


    ¡°Conn, full stop,¡± Atara said. ¡°Take us back to Mirida.¡± The captain turned to Virn as she and Krystal approached them and said, ¡°Sesh told me that you heard from Kyora.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Virn nodded. The noise from the hyperwarp drive slowly quieted.


    ¡°As long as she¡¯s still alive, we¡¯re going back for her.¡±


    Virn, filled with more hope, said, ¡°Thank you so much, captain.¡±


    ¡°As you¡¯re the only one who can speak with Kyora,¡± said Atara, ¡°we¡¯ll need your help to find her. That is, until she can find a way to contact us on sub-comms. It will be difficult to locate her without her Accellus.¡±


    When the naked phantom arrived at the gravilifts, one of the lift doors opened automatically¡ªunusual even in civilian buildings. She assumed it was by the action of her guardian, so she walked inside and let the door close behind her. Before she could select a floor, the lift began moving on its own. She had no clue where she was going, anyway.


    ¡°We can talk in here for a bit,¡± said the guardian. ¡°It¡¯s a long ride from the depths up to the tower¡¯s mid-section.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed you haven¡¯t been caught yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, I <em style="font-weight: inherit">am holding the keys to the castle.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, but I¡¯m still impressed. And I¡¯m not easily impressed.¡±


    ¡°Domina controls this entire building, and they¡¯re so confident in their external security that they often overlook the internal. Now, when the lift stops, you will be on an armory level. I will guide you toward your Accellus Four. How good are you at unarmed combat?¡±


    ¡°The best,¡± Kyora said flatly.


    ¡°O-o-okay. There are a couple of guards I couldn¡¯t get rid of, so you¡¯ll need to deal with them. They are wearing third iteration Accellus suits.¡±


    ¡°Simple enough. Just keep watching my back.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve done this much already. It¡¯s suicide to stop now. Oh, one more thing: avoid the barracks. Way too many for you to deal with.¡±


    The lift door opened to a long, dim hallway with opaque doors on either side. One of the guards that Kyora was warned against stood guard next to the left wall about ten meters down. Attempting to avoid detection, Kyora pushed herself against the left wall after tiptoeing off the lift. She then crept across the wall just out of the guard¡¯s sight. By now, the guard¡¯s Accellus would have detected Kyora¡¯s mass and motion, but the fact that the guard had yet to react to her helped her place even more faith in her guardian¡¯s skills.


    Accellus is among the most flexible power armors in Civilized Space by virtue of its open joints; however, this flexibility can become a liability in close-quarters combat if facing a skilled and determined adversary. Once within striking distance, Kyora pounced on the guard, clenching the guard¡¯s bodysuit-covered neck in a steel grip and wrapping her legs around the guard¡¯s torso, clinging on like death itself. The way the guard panicked signaled to Kyora that she was merely a rookie. In that panic, the guard neglected the capabilities of her Accellus 3, such as weapon fabrication and gravitics. Instead, the guard grabbed Kyora¡¯s arms and tried to throw her off. When that didn¡¯t work, she slammed Kyora¡¯s back against the opposite wall. As she began to lose consciousness, the guard fell backward, banging her helmet against the left wall as she fell and crumpled to the floor.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Amateur,¡± Kyora muttered. She let go of the guard¡¯s body and crept away. After another five meters, a new arrow flashed on the ground pointing to the left. Then, a door on the left wall opened next to her, and she peeked inside.


    ¡°Kyora.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Virn?¡± The phantom took a step back from the doorway.


    ¡°Atara is coming back for you. Do you know where they took your Accellus?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I have a pretty good idea. And Virn?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Yes?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I want to leave this God-forsaken place and never come back.¡±


    Kyora peered through the doorway again and noted that the room was long, had three aisles, and each aisle was separated from the others by clear lockers containing Accellus 3 boots, prefabricated weapons, and small boxes of miscellaneous supplies. Benches lined each of the aisles. At the far end, Kyora saw a woman in Accellus 3 seated on one of the benches in the center aisle and playing with lumigraphs without wearing a helmet. Kyora snuck into the room and crouched at the head of one of the rows of lockers. The phantom trusted that the contents of the lockers and her distance would mask her presence. The other woman closed the lumigraphs, stood up, and recalled her armor. After stepping out of her boots, she picked them up and placed them into a locker and walked through a doorway at the far end of the room, disappearing from sight.


    A series of arrows now appeared on the floor. The Elestan stood and walked through the empty room until she arrived at her Accellus 4 boots. The locker door was unlocked. As she was retrieving her REMASS devices, the far door opened again allowing two new women to enter. They carried on their chatter until they noticed Kyora who was stretching her body toward the locker and grabbing her boots. The two naked women stopped in their tracks and one of them said, ¡°My lady Eclipse, what brings you down here? May we be of assistance?¡±


    Kyora¡¯s face shot toward them. The two women were unarmed. Killing them would be easy. But they were convinced that she was their leader. This was Kyora¡¯s chance to prove Deminesse wrong. She was not a relentless murderer.


    After staring at them, she grabbed a pair of stasis tags from a box beside her boots and buried them in her fist. Stepping away from the locker, she said, ¡°Come here for a moment.¡± The women approached her. She pointed to the door she entered through. ¡°That door should remain closed at all times.¡± The women, now confused, strode around her, looking at the door and turning their backs to Kyora. The phantom used this moment to slap the prefabricated stasis tags on their backs, locking them in lumionic stasis for a few minutes. With the Domina soldiers frozen, Kyora returned to the locker, retrieved her boots, and sheathed herself in her regular armor configuration including a helmet and a pair of SIRAC daggers¡ªweapons that she could employ in silence with minimal detectable energy discharge. Concealed within layers of electromagnetic, sonic, and gravitic shrouding, she walked out of the armory, leaving the two frozen females behind her. This time, she called for the lift herself. When she stepped inside, her guardian started speaking to her.


    ¡°Very sneaky. I can¡¯t see you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Have you contacted your ship?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be as sneaky if I did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the eyes and ears of Domina right now. Go ahead and activate your subspace transponder.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need you to do for me.¡±


    ¡°I need to kill Eclipse.¡±


    ¡°Great! I don¡¯t even have to ask.¡± Suddenly, the gravilift began its ascent.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Kyora¡¯s transponder,¡± said a bridge officer.


    ¡°Location?¡± Sesh asked. Atara, Xannissa, Sesh, and Krystal were still aboard the bridge.


    ¡°Mirida¡¯s southern hemisphere.¡±


    ¡°Open a channel with her on sub-comms,¡± Atara commanded.


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said Ethis. After several seconds, she reported, ¡°No response.¡±


    Atara turned to Virn and asked, ¡°Can you reach her?¡±


    ¡°I can try.¡±


    ¡°Kyora.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Are you okay?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I¡¯m uninjured,¡± Kyora told her.


    ¡°No. How are you feeling?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I can still feel, and that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± That wasn¡¯t the answer Virn wanted, but she accepted it nonetheless.


    The lift stopped at the top floor.


    ¡°Before I open these doors,¡± said the guardian, ¡°you¡¯ll need to equip a little more firepower than tiny knives. Beyond here is the gauntlet of security that protects the head.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kyora said. She replaced the daggers she never had to use with dual heavy pistols. ¡°Can I not walk past them?¡±


    ¡°They have omnimic resonators. They¡¯ll detect any kind of omnium signature that tries to squeeze through.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I was really challenging myself to see how many people I could spare.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to spare these people,¡± the guardian assured her. ¡°I¡¯m opening the door, so I hope you¡¯re ready. Welcome to the penthouse suite.¡±


    As the guardian said, the lift door opened. There was a circular desk at the end of a small lobby. Behind it sat a secretary working on lumigraphic screens. A white-haired Elestan in armor stood on the wall next to her striking up a conversation. When they noticed the lift was empty, the Elestan¡ªwho Kyora knew was Dusk¡ªfabricated a helmet and driver. Without hesitation, Dusk pulled her driver¡¯s trigger and riddled the lift car with a continuous stream of white-hot plasma bolts. The secretary stood up, activated an alarm, and sheathed herself in armor. A heavy security door closed on the opposite side of the desk from the lift. Kyora hugged the desk which she dashed toward when the lift had opened, safe from Dusk¡¯s wild spraying. The clone approached the now-stricken gravilift. When she realized there had been no target, she turned around slowly, looking everywhere in the lobby until she stopped at the desk. She could barely detect it, but her Accellus showed her a possible omnium signature emanating from the base of the desk. Dusk pointed her driver, causing the secretary to shout in panic. As she fired, Kyora used her gravitics to leap toward the ceiling.


    ¡°What are you shooting at?¡± the secretary yelled.


    ¡°A most unwelcome ghost,¡± Dusk shouted. ¡°You should have stayed in your cell, Kyora! I¡¯m going to put you down.¡± The clone attempted to reacquire her target. Even though Dusk had a nearby omnimic resonance detector aiding her, the phantom was still difficult to see. Kyora launched herself toward Dusk. Torquing her body laterally using her gravitics, she spun herself into a kick, bashing Dusk¡¯s helmet with the toe of her SIRAC boot. The force knocked Dusk to the ground. The phantom ripped Dusk¡¯s gun out of her grip and threw it across the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, Dusk,¡± Kyora said.


    Suddenly, the secretary opened fire with a REMASS weapon. Her bolts flew directly over Dusk¡¯s body, driving Kyora away. When the secretary¡¯s fire ceased, Dusk stood up, walked over to her weapon, and grabbed it off of the ground. Two Federation-style ceiling cannons fabricated above the lobby. Their ability to track Kyora was superior to Dusk¡¯s and once they detected Kyora¡¯s Accellus omnium signature, they unloaded constant streams of plasma bolts in her direction, tracking her wherever she went. While dodging their fire, Kyora cursed her guardian for seemingly abandoning her. Why couldn¡¯t she have disabled the cannons?


    Jumping to the ceiling again and giving herself one g of gravitational flux toward zenith, she fired her dual pistols at the ceiling cannons. Her Accellus assisted her aim, showing her the cannons¡¯ weak points and allowing her to score critical strikes against the automated defenses. She was able to dispatch them both with only a single shot from each handgun. The cost was a considerable loss of lumionic field potential that would require up to a minute to fully recharge considering the majority of her suit power was being diverted to her shrouding systems.


    ¡°Show yourself, bitch!¡± Dusk yelled.


    Kyora floated down from the ceiling, wrapped her arms around the secretary and shouted back, ¡°Put your gun down or she dies!¡± Kyora¡¯s right pistol rested against the secretary¡¯s bare head.


    ¡°Her life is worthless to me,¡± Dusk said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you both.¡± Dusk pointed her weapon at them and opened fire. Kyora, skating away yet again, left the screaming secretary to die in Dusk¡¯s ruthless plasma barrage.


    ¡°You made a point to paint me as a savage,¡± Kyora said as Dusk attempted to reacquire her, ¡°and I might very well be, but you¡­ you¡¯re a maniac.¡± Before Dusk knew it, Kyora was behind her, and pointing both pistols at the back of her helmet, unloaded them into Dusk¡¯s lumionic shielding, then SIRAC, then skin, bone, and brain matter until the bolts flowed through the front of the helmet. Dusk¡¯s corpse collapsed to the floor.


    Kyora moved to the other side of the desk, disabled the alarm, and opened the security doors. The duralithic walls and floor of the lobby were pockmarked everywhere with black craters of ablated material. Both ceiling cannons and the lift car were ablaze. Lumionics had formed around them to deprive them of oxygen. One of the ceiling cannons¡ªmelted mostly through¡ªcrashed to the floor.


    The phantom moved into one of the two corridors and rapidly dispatched the guards she found in an effort to avoid anymore prolonged exchanges of fire and the potential for additional damage to her already strained lumionic shielding. At the end of the corridor was a door to Eclipse¡¯s quarters. When she entered the doorway, she found herself in a garden. Giant trees hung over a lawn of soft grass bordered by shrubs and bushes. It was the middle of the night, and the full moon shined through a vast OPEL ceiling four stories up. The leaves of the trees flashed from the reflection of Mirida¡¯s moon upon a reflecting pool¡¯s mild ripples.


    In the middle of the perfectly-manicured trees, shrubs, lawns, and illuminated walkways was a building resembling a mansion with no doors or windows. Due to the mansion¡¯s design being like a giant three-story pavilion, Kyora walked by a rectangular swimming pool, across a few feet of grass, and between a line of columns into an open living room recessed into the penthouse floor. A dining room shared the space, and a set of stairs led to a balcony overlooking the living room. Staring down at Kyora was her childhood friend, but this time dressed in black Domina armor.


    ¡°I should have known,¡± Kyora said, dropping her shroud, recalling her helmet, and walking to the middle of the living room. She tilted her head up toward Eclipse who had her arms on the balcony railing. ¡°Why did you do it? Why did you guide me around your headquarters, exposing your guards to danger, and lead me here to you?¡±


    ¡°You see,¡± Eclipse started, ¡°it¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Is it now?¡±


    ¡°Take a seat, Kyora.¡± Eclipse pointed toward one of the large couches near the phantom. Kyora recalled her handguns and did as Eclipse commanded. Eclipse vaulted over the railing and smashed her armor against the living room floor. She then stood up and replaced the armor with her officer uniform. Sitting down next to Kyora, she continued.


    ¡°Did you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Not for a moment,¡± Kyora lied. ¡°Why did you let me kill Dusk?¡±


    ¡°Dusk is responsible for her own demise,¡± Eclipse retorted. ¡°She confronted you with violence, so she was dealt violence. Such is she who lives by the sword.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t she your closest associate?¡±


    ¡°She may have been, but that didn¡¯t make her my friend. In actuality, you killed my closest rival. My grip on Domina is now stronger than ever.¡±


    ¡°Help me understand something,¡± Kyora demanded. ¡°You use Souq as a trap for me, you imprison me, then try to win my trust by pretending to be an infiltrator and helping me kill your alleged rival. Did you honestly think that would make me change my opinion of you?¡±


    ¡°I knew it was a long-shot,¡± Eclipse admitted. ¡°I realize you hate my guts, and there¡¯s probably no way I can change that, and it hurts me. It hurts in a way you probably can¡¯t imagine.


    ¡°There is a part you¡¯re not seeing, though, and it¡¯s that it wasn¡¯t all about you. Remember when I told you to activate your transponder? I did that in order for you to draw in the bigger prize.¡±


    ¡°Is there someone else you¡¯d rather kidnap?¡±


    ¡°More like some<em style="font-weight: inherit">thing, and that something is your ship. The synergistic drive system aboard the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor is state of the art. The first syndicate to get its hands on that propulsion system will rule all of Tribesson and beyond.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been deployed for less than a day. How do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I live under a rock?¡± Eclipse snapped. ¡°I have people from the streets and habbies all the way to the central Federation government whispering in my ear. My reach is inescapable.¡±


    ¡°Manipulative bitch,¡± Kyora muttered.


    ¡°Manipulative,¡± Eclipse said, ¡°just as our designers manipulated our genome. Just as Unit threw us to a den of lions that we might become the monsters they wanted. We were made in the image of our designers, and we have aspired to become as they were. Mirida is our clay, and we can mold it as we see fit. Isn¡¯t that what we dreamed of, Kyora? I¡¯ve won that dream for us.¡±


    ¡°I extinguished that dream long ago,¡± Kyora told her. ¡°It was an ideal spawned from my foolish young mind. Neither of us are who we once were.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself. I haven¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    ¡°You were morphing into a demon long before I left Mirida!¡± Kyora snapped. ¡°You were the one who drove me away. When you first saw me, you said that Deminesse was dead. You¡¯re absolutely right. She died the day we overthrew Unit¡¯s leadership. Since then, you¡¯ve been turning into this shell of a person you call Eclipse. You¡¯re a soulless, narcissistic slime, and the worst part is¡ªwe share a face.¡± Kyora stood from the couch as Eclipse sat there, motionless. ¡°And you continue to insult my intelligence¡ªhiding behind lumigraphics.¡± Kyora pointed one of her handguns at the room¡¯s lumigraphic projector, and before she could pull the trigger, Eclipse spoke again.


    ¡°You would throw away everything I¡¯ve worked for?¡± Eclipse asked. Her voice was somber, but Kyora knew it was an act. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done for us?¡± Eclipse¡¯s voice deepened as she continued. ¡°Consider yourself forewarned. If you pull that trigger, I will hunt you to the edge of the universe. Everyone aboard the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor will die, including your precious Virn. Do you understand me?¡±


    Kyora hesitated no longer. She squeezed the trigger of her handgun, and it released a single bolt of white plasma that burned through the room¡¯s lumionic projector. The room went dark, and the image of Eclipse disappeared.

 14 - Rescue

    According to Naret¡¯s lumionic displays, the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor would enter Mirida¡¯s upper atmosphere in twelve minutes. Mirida¡¯s star appeared to be directly centered on the battlecruiser¡¯s hyperwarp vector as seen through the bridge¡¯s sweeping OPEL window. Xannissa opened a copy of Naret¡¯s terminal interface for herself and placed it beside a lumigraph showing general system information including synerdrive performance.


    ¡°Naret,¡± Xannissa asked, ¡°how do you like her?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor,¡± Atara specified.


    ¡°It¡¯s more responsive than I was expecting,¡± Naret admitted. ¡°I still prefer corvettes and frigates.¡±


    ¡°I imagine you¡¯ve never flown a frigate as fast as this ship,¡± Xannissa told the lieutenant.


    ¡°Never,¡± Naret said with a laugh. A lumigraph appeared before Atara showing Sesh seated within a Lancet ALAT.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready down here, captain,¡± said the black-haired Zelnaran.


    Xannissa asked, ¡°My sister with you?¡±


    ¡°Of course she is.¡±


    ¡°You have another eleven minutes before full stop,¡± Atara told Sesh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be standing by ¡®til then.¡± Sesh¡¯s lumigraph disappeared.


    Kyora crept through the mansion centered with the penthouse botanical garden. She was confident in her shrouding despite being leery of omnimic resonance detectors. Even then, omnimic resonance worked over short ranges of only several meters and returned weak signals. The phantom sneaked through several of the well-decorated rooms hoping to learn something more about her old friend. Peering out of a bedroom window toward the moonlit yard, she spotted several Domina soldiers in armor walking toward the building. That was when she decided on her own escape plan.


    Kyora fabricated a remote charge and placed it on the closest wall. Before she left the room, a pair of Domina soldiers burst in. Fabricating her helmet and a pair of plasma-coated SIRAC daggers, she grabbed the first soldier and severed her head from her body. She cut clean across the second¡¯s chest and kicked her body to the floor. As Kyora moved through the mansion, she placed a charge every several meters and lunged at any guards within striking distance. None of them ever saw her coming. Kyora marched back out into the garden leaving behind Domina soldiers littering the hallways and high-yield charges placed in all three levels. She then ascended¡ªher gravitics propelling her toward the ceiling. Crouching on the bottom of one of the OPEL panels, she traced a circle around herself with one of her daggers, slicing through the OPEL panel until she had detached a circular section of the window that fell toward the sky. The piece was influenced by Kyora¡¯s gravitics until she kicked it away and altered her gravitational flux to carry her toward the horizon, leaving the circular slice under the influence of Mirida¡¯s natural gravity. She flew across the top of the building until reaching the edge, then pointed herself downward toward the glowing sea of stratus. Once clear of the structure¡¯s apex, she activated her planted charges. Their simultaneous detonations ravaged the penthouse gardens, blew out most of the OPEL panels, and sent fragments of metal tumbling down the side of the building.


    ¡°Throttling down, captain,¡± Naret said. The lieutenant was watching her screens with diligence. Atara and Xannissa had observed Mirida¡¯s star gradually brighten. Bright specks had resolved themselves from the star as the ship approached. One of them was Mirida, now centered in the bridge¡¯s field of view. ¡°Hyperplane convergence in ten seconds,¡± Naret added. Mirida¡¯s moon would soon become distinct from the planet.


    ¡°Our entry altitude is one-hundred-twenty kilometers,¡± Xannissa stated with concern.


    ¡°It is,¡± Atara responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s only about twenty kilometers shy of Mirida¡¯s turbopause. Isn¡¯t that cutting it a little close?¡±


    ¡°I thought you had more faith in this ship¡¯s engineering.¡± The two felt the jolt and heard resurgent humming of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s hyperwarp drives as the ship merged its spatial pocket with real space.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to push our luck if we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Atara reassured her.


    Mirida grew larger until it covered most of the OPEL window. All of the shining specks and dots of aerospace vehicles returned, but their intensity was reduced because of the now set sun. The face of the planet¡¯s urbanized nightside gleamed as those waiting in the two ALATs, two dropships, and four shuttles prepared to depart. On Atara¡¯s orders, all eight vehicles launched from the hangar and accelerated toward the surface.


    Kyora halted her descent at a vehicle bay midway down the tower¡¯s exterior. Maintaining her shroud, she slipped through the bay¡¯s airscreen. Once inside, she was faced with an oncoming armored aerocar that she narrowly avoided by falling prone on the floor. The Domina gravidyne hovered over her and out of the airscreen, rapidly accelerating into the night sky. Domina soldiers ran through the bay, scrambling into vehicles and lifting off. Sirens blared and red lights flashed¡ªprobably in response to her demolition of the penthouse.


    The phantom rolled out of the way of another departing aerocar and used her gravitics to propel her above the commotion. She flew toward an empty parked gravidyne, grabbed the pilot¡¯s seat, and brought herself down upon the upholstery. Now seated, she quickly engaged the car¡¯s REMASS which fabricated the car¡¯s windshield, windows, and ceiling. Changing the operational state on the gravidyne¡¯s ODEC from ¡°Standby¡± to ¡°Active¡± would take a little more patience. Doing so required Domina authorization which she did not have, but she knew well enough how to fake. As she usually did when faced with any security lockout, Kyora turned to her Accellus and programming prowess. Seeing no visible ports for a hard connection, Kyora established a wireless connection with the craft knowing that doing so might attract the attention of anyone able to detect short-range electromagnetic emissions that she had to drop her shrouding to release. Soon thereafter, a pair of Domina soldiers, suspicious of the covered craft still sitting idle in the emptying bay, approached the aerocar.


    One of the soldiers slammed her closed fist on the opaque exterior of a side OPEL panel and yelled something like ¡°Move your ass!¡± Kyora would happily oblige in about ten seconds when she had successfully commandeered one of Domina¡¯s cars. Kyora heard the gentle whooshing noise of the continously-running ODEC¡ªa noise akin to a distant metal-on-metal clanging down an echoing corridor¡ªas it become active; increasing the conversion of omnium¡¯s rest mass energy to usable work far beyond the rate of standby mode. Flight controls were enabled. The vehicle¡¯s gravitics and weapons were under her control.


    Kyora realized right away that the gravidyne could not interpret instructions from Accellus gear. This disappointed her as it had been many years since she had piloted a vehicle by hand. The flight controls consisted of a lumionic steering wheel for roll and pitch, physical propulsion mode control shaft, physical throttle, and physical foot pedals beneath her feet for yaw. Refusing to yield any control to the craft or skylanes, she waited until her path was clear. She gunned the throttle, knocking both of the soldiers next to the accelerating craft to the ground because of the rapidly-shifting gravitational flux around the gravidyne. Cabingrav kept Kyora from feeling any sort of acceleration as her vehicle broke one-thousand kilometers per hour in a matter of seconds. She pitched the nose of the small craft up, leaving Domina¡¯s tower as a distant mountain on a sea of multicolored fog.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°<em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor,¡± Kyora said through her Accellus 4¡¯s sub-comms system.


    ¡°Kyora?¡± Ethis responded. ¡°What is your condition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve stolen one of Domina¡¯s gravidynes,¡± Kyora said with her hands on the controls. ¡°They¡¯re likely to catch on any moment. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you our position,¡± Ethis told her. ¡°We have deployed a rescue team to assist you. You should be able to see them as well.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said the phantom as she closed the channel.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said one of the bridge officers.


    ¡°What is it, lieutenant?¡± Atara responded.


    ¡°We¡¯re detecting four corvette-sized vessels and a destroyer-sized vessel on an intercept course with the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor. They appear to be Domina and are in formation. Distance: ninety kilometers absolute. Altitude: seventy kilometers.¡±


    ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t handle,¡± Xannissa stated.


    ¡°But there¡¯s still the matter of the rescue team,¡± Atara replied.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t survive an encounter with those craft,¡± Xannissa said.


    Atara opened a lumigraph to Strike Officer Kodi and said, ¡°Have our strikecraft on standby.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Kodi. ¡°We launch on your orders,¡± and the lumigraph disappeared.


    Atara turned to Xannissa and told her, ¡°Unless things change, I¡¯m launching our strikecraft in thirty seconds to cover our team.¡±


    Xannissa responded by calmly saying, ¡°This is spinning out of control.¡± Just as she finished, Ethis received a subspace transmission from the surface which she played aloud.


    ¡°Attention GFN <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor!¡± came a furious female voice. ¡°This is Miridan Planetary Security. We have detected your illegal hyperwarp entry into our atmosphere and are currently tracking your landing party. Federation THORCOM has been alerted to your actions. You have sixty seconds to recall your vehicles and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in the use of force. I repeat, you are in violation of¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut it off,¡± Atara said. Ethis closed the channel.


    ¡°We came in above the atmosphere,¡± Xannissa said with concern.


    ¡°Indeed we did. Go to red alert status,¡± Atara commanded. ¡°All hands, general quarters.¡± At once, the bridge dimmed, and the red warning lights flashed and the single siren sound. The captain looked at Xannissa and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly¡¯s going on here, but I¡¯m not taking it sitting down.¡± Opening a lumigraph to Commander Kodi, Atara said, ¡°Strike officer, I need those strikecraft in the air.¡±


    To Kyora, it appeared that Domina had finally caught on. Twenty seconds into her flight, she received a transmission she half-watched via a lumigraph as she continued to pilot the vehicle.


    ¡°Resorting to thievery,¡± Eclipse remarked. Kyora paid her no mind. ¡°I¡¯d rather destroy what is mine than watch it fall into the hands of my enemy. That includes you, Kyora. I wish that our relationship didn¡¯t have to end like this, but it is what it is. Farewell, dear friend.¡± The lumigraph vanished and the sound of gravitics and rushing wind filled the cabin once again. Kyora kept her aerocar pointed toward the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor.


    The five vessels that Domina dispatched were only five kilometers beneath her. The ships had escaped Kyora¡¯s attention until the destroyer fired a single missile toward her gravidyne. With mere moments to react, she attempted to evade, but there was nothing she could do. The car¡¯s RPDS intercepted the missile and disabled it, sending the dead projectile flying off toward the heavens. But that one interception drained the RPDS of plasma¡ªthat was the cost of disabling an anti-ship missile with an aerocar-grade RPDS. Kyora, faced with the very real danger of being blasted out of the sky by another missile, recalled the top of the gravidyne. This prompted the vehicle¡¯s emergency airscreen to engage, sealing in the cabin¡¯s air and preventing explosive decompression. Reactivating her shrouding, the phantom leapt from the moving vehicle and fell upward using her own gravitics exposing her Accellus bodysuit to minus-ninety degrees Celsius air. The destroyer launched a second missile. This time, the missile exploded against the car¡¯s lumionic barrier, breaking it with ease, and oblitered the craft which formed a cloud of debris traveling on the same trajectory. Kyora was on her own now with only her Accellus to propel her.


    ¡°Virn?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°We just saw an explosion. Are you okay?¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°I turned off my transponder so Domina doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m alive. I lost my vehicle in that explosion.¡±


    <em style="font-weight: inherit">¡°Hang in there Kyora. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    The ALAT carrying Virn, Sesh, and Cylenna flew beside on of the dropships. Suddenly, the dropship became awash in brilliant white light. A lumionically-contained plasma beam hit the dropship which carried thirty Auroras and two pilots, instantly overwhelming its shields and devastating the craft. Everyone aboard vaporized. The dropship¡¯s gutted husk slowed and began to fall toward Mirida¡¯s surface.


    ¡°Sesh!¡± Atara yelled. ¡°Get out of there!¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± Sesh said, looking around at the other Federation craft, then straight ahead at the Domina vessels. ¡°Rescue team, return to the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor. That is an order.¡±


    ¡°But Kyora,¡± Virn cried.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that explosion?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s alive!¡± Virn¡¯s eyes were welling with tears. ¡°She spoke to me via link just now.¡±


    As the other vehicles were breaking off and turning around, Sesh looked at Cylenna and said, ¡°If your piloting is half as good as your sister claims it is, then by all means, keep going.¡±


    ¡°My sister compliments my flying?¡± Cylenna asked. With a smurk, she said, ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Cylenna noticed the distant speckle of a fully-charged beam cannon. She broke hard right and narrowly avoided the beam by a few meters.


    Back aboard the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor, Atara ordered the launch of four missiles¡ªone targeted at each corvette. Propelled by both gravitics and fusion engines, the missiles escaped from the two rows of missile hatches on the ship¡¯s ventral surface. The projectiles traveled the roughly sixty kilometers before colliding with the shields of the corvettes and obliterating them as the destroyer had done to Kyora¡¯s car. Cylenna cheered as her fellow strikecraft pilots streaked around her from a great distance. The loose swarm of small craft descended upon the destroyer. The two bomber flights unloaded racks of missiles toward the Domina ship while the thirty other fighters and interceptors strafed the vessel with streams of high-caliber plasma bolts. This aerial firefight ended with four clouds of small debris and two large pieces of exploded destroyer husk falling toward the ground many kilometers below.


    Having looked down to see the aftermath of the carnage, Kyora deactivated her shrouding and turned her transponder on. Cylenna could see the lone, Accellus-clad Aurora phantom on her head-up display. After insuring everyone in the vehicle was wearing full Accellus body coverage, Cylenna brought the ALAT beside Kyora and recalled the craft¡¯s top. Sesh and Virn aided the phantom inside, Cylenna refabricated the top, and took off toward the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor within a bubble of strikecraft¡ªtrailing behind the other craft of the rescue party.


    ¡°Thirty-two people,¡± Atara whispered to herself as the last of the strikecraft docked within the hangar. ¡°Thirty-two people.¡± She hadn¡¯t forgotten what it felt like to lose women under her command; the idea of those peoples¡¯ lives being extinguished in an instant over the simple matter of rescuing a single person. In the eyes of the Creator, was the life of the one worth the lives of the other thirty-two? In reality, the Federation Military abhorred the abandonment of personnel as cowardice, same as any proud armed service should. Those thirty-two would be remembered as heroines who died in defense of the Federation, but they were also friends, wives, sisters, daughters, mothers. Atara hadn¡¯t felt this much remorse since Semarah, but she did what she always felt was part of her duty: suppress her emotions and maintain her composure. And that¡¯s precisely what she did. She acted so well in this particular instance that Xannissa, usually aware of Atara¡¯s mental state, was none the wiser.


    ¡°Atara, I¡¯m going to the hangar,¡± Xannissa said. Atara quietly nodded as she rolled the incident over in her mind, thinking about what she could have done to prevent it, and attempting to rationalize their deaths as anything other than a consequence of her own actions.


    ¡°Cy!¡± Xannissa cried as she ran toward her now-helmetless older sister who had just exited the ALAT she had piloted. Xannissa¡¯s swift embrace sent the two of them spinning around each other for a moment. Cylenna returned the hug after being caught off guard.


    ¡°Hi Xanni,¡± Cylenna said in a soft voice. ¡°Everything okay?¡±


    Xannissa looked into her sister¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I could have lost you back there, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Cylenna said. ¡°That was a thrilling ride.¡±


    After they let go of one another, Cylenna rested her hands on the side of the Lancet for a moment, acknowledging the work put into it by the designers at Klade. Xannissa stayed with Cylenna as the latter cheered at her fellow strikecraft pilots who were leaving their vehicles. Sesh stood outside of the ALAT while Kyora and Virn remained inside. The phantom held her head in her hands while her partner held her friend¡¯s arm to her bosom. Back on the bridge, Naret reengaged the hyperwarp synerdrive system and departed Mirida for what would hopefully be the last time on this great chase through the unaligned heart of Civilized Space.

 15 - Heated Words

    The soft pings of the room¡¯s vital sign monitor weren¡¯t enough to keep Lieren awake in the dim room. To her, they sounded almost designed to encourage sleep. That combined with the room¡¯s darkness put the female Larissian on a path toward slumber.


    Just as her mind was wandering into the abyss and her eyes were shutting, her father¡¯s vital signs jumped and he began to cough forcefully. Lieren shook herself awake and rose from the chair to approach Doctor Souq¡¯s bed. This prompted the lights to slowly brighten.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Lieren asked. After his bout of coughing had settled down, the door to the room opened and in walked a nurse dressed in standard uniform beneath a white gown marked with a small red cross.


    ¡°How is your father doing?¡± asked the nurse.


    ¡°He just started coughing all of a sudden,¡± Lieren told her.


    ¡°He may be coming to. Doctor Souq,¡± the nurse said to Lieren¡¯s father, placing a hand to his gowned arm. ¡°Doctor Souq.¡± The bearded, lavender-skinned omnimologist stirred before opening his eyelids. He tried to keep his eyes open, but the lights were too bright for them. He squinted as he groaned.


    ¡°Doctor Souq,¡± the nurse said again after opening a lumigraph with more of Souq¡¯s vitals, ¡°nod if you can hear me.¡± The man nodded weakly. Turning to Lieren, the nurse said, ¡°He was hit with a fairly strong dose of sedative. He¡¯s just now starting to recover, but he¡¯ll need more time.¡±


    ¡°May I stay with him?¡± Lieren asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the nurse said, smiling, ¡°just be sure to let him rest.¡±


    Xannissa and Sesh quietly returned to the bridge. To them, it felt more appropriate to conduct themselves solemnly given the recent loss of members of their crew¡ªa loss that they were unwilling to think of as senseless even though it was exactly that. No one thought it more than Atara herself. For the rest of the day, the ship¡¯s atmosphere became muted as the reality of the loss, regardless the percentage of the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s complement, set in. This was still the mission¡¯s very first day, and it was nearing its end.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Ethis said, breaking the silence, ¡°we¡¯re receiving a Q-comms transmission. It¡¯s Admiral Aesho.¡±


    ¡°Sesh, you have the bridge,¡± said Atara. Without another word, she turned around and left. Atara made her way to the Q-comms chamber aft of the bridge. Once within the room, she confirmed her identity with the ship¡¯s adjunct.


    ¡°Identity confirmed,¡± Fiori¡¯s adjunct announced. ¡°Captain Atara Korrell.¡±


    Atara stood with her legs together and arms behind her back, and she waited patiently for Aesho¡¯s image to appear. When the admiral materialized, she was standing directly before Atara. The captain could see nothing of Aesho¡¯s surrounding office, and Aesho couldn¡¯t see the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor¡¯s Q-comms chamber.


    ¡°You did the right thing,¡± Aesho started.


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to tell me?¡± Atara asked her, trying to suppress her regret and frustration in the hope that Aesho wouldn¡¯t detect it.


    ¡°I wanted you to know that before you started second-guessing yourself or this operation,¡± Aesho stated.


    ¡°With all due respect, Admiral,¡± Atara said, ¡°aren¡¯t there larger problems you should be dealing with?¡±


    ¡°Everything is being taken care of as we speak,¡± said Aesho. ¡°We¡¯ve served together for decades, yet you still underestimate the power of this office.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I misjudge how far you¡¯re willing to take things.¡±


    ¡°You question my resolve, then.¡±


    ¡°I question your morality.¡± Propelled by emotion, this sentence slipped between Atara¡¯s lips and struck Aesho like a dagger. Had Atara been more aware of the impact that that statement would have made, she would have withheld it¡ªthen again, she may have not. Aesho chuckled.


    ¡°I see,¡± Aesho said in a low tone. ¡°You want to talk about morality? Consider this: I stand back and let the media rip this incident apart. Would that be more morally-sound than covering things up? I can let this entire thing fall down on your head. Atara Korrell, rogue captain, in defiance of the Federation, attacks ships in orbit around Mirida while undertaking a rescue mission she was not assigned, leading thirty-two Federation starmen to their deaths and resulting in the deaths of several Tribesson citizens. How does that sound to you?¡±


    Atara said nothing.


    ¡°What, then, would happen to your crew?¡± Aesho continued, raising her voice. ¡°They¡¯ll all be labeled traitors, and condemned as such. After all this, the elsheem escape with the ecksivar sample which poses a danger to all of Civilized Space. Yes, I¡¯m willing to go to incredible lengths to see that this mission is accomplished. Every action I take that keeps ecksivar out of the wrong hands is a morally-sound decision!¡± Aesho¡¯s rant ended with her standing so close to Atara that their faces nearly touched.


    ¡°My statement was in no way meant to incriminate,¡± Atara said, unfazed by Aesho¡¯s angry display.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have anything to worry about.¡± Atara had always been tolerant of her superior¡¯s hostile attitude, but knowing what she knew now, she could see how disgusting Aesho really was. After taking a few steps back, Aesho said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re on course again.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± said Atara.


    ¡°I hope that someday,¡± Aesho said, ¡°we¡¯ll be able to settle our differences. You are so much like your mother. Well, you and I both have things to take care of. The Federation is counting on you. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Before leaving, Atara took a few minutes to calm herself down. When she felt mentally prepared, she left the Q-comms chamber and returned to the bridge.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The sun was setting between the lustrous metropolitan towers outside the large office windows. Orange light from Sol poured in and illuminated the far wall with a shadow produced by a man sitting in a chair. A true-color lumigraphic model of a new ALAT design¡ªthe Jackknife¡ªrotated in front of his transparent, C-shaped desk. The Terran had been staring and thinking for several minutes, but he was not particularly interested in the vehicle. Propped upon his desk was a physical photograph contained within a small, unadorned frame. Unlike his lumigraphs, the photograph could never abruptly disappear.


    ¡°Aedan, I¡¯m outta here,¡± came someone from beyond his office door. ¡°Take care of yourself, and turn some lights on for cryin¡¯ out loud!¡±


    ¡°See you, Leo!¡± Aedan shouted happily. He pressed a lumigraphic button on his desk and the lights came on. The photo he was looking at before was of himself standing next to Xannissa; their arms wrapped around each other and joyful smiles adorned both of their faces. It was a picture they had taken in the observatory at the top of his office building a couple of days after he proposed to the love of his life. She was wearing her suit and jacket¡ªher promise to the Federation Navy¡ªand her orivar-banded ring¡ªher promise to him. He became unsettled thinking about the unnecessary pressure he placed on her.


    But she was happy, he thought to himself. She was overjoyed. Xannissa always had a place in her heart for him, but he never had the courage to chase after her. If he could accomplish only one more thing during the rest of his life, it would be making this relationship last.


    Preparing to leave the office, Aedan locked his desk computer which made the lumigraphic vehicle disappear, and in its place appeared the logo of Klade, one of the leading Federation Military contractors. He backed his chair away from his desk, stood up, put on his jacket, and dimmed his office lights before coming out from behind the desk. Once out of his office, the door locked behind him. Most of his coworkers had already left. The closest lift was just across the office-space.


    As he traveled to the transit hub to hail a ride home, he remembered his own promises to the Federation as an employee of Klade: to design vehicles, systems, and weapons that will serve, protect, and enable those serving in the Military. Immediately he thought of Xannissa. She made his profession that much more important to him.


    Kyora closed her eyes and held her head to the shower nozzle, letting the hot water pour across her gray face, down her neck to her chest, and onward toward her abdomen and legs. The threat that Eclipse made¡ªabout pursuing her to the edge of the universe¡ªdraped itself like a opaque fabric over her thoughts and emotions. Kyora saw the joy in Virn¡¯s eyes when she was safely returned to the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor, but the Elestan tried to keep her distance without explicitly telling her partner that she wanted, more than anything, to be left alone. Eclipse was still at large, and with the death of Dusk, she was more powerful now than she ever had been.


    Kyora scrubbed her face with her hands, attempting to symbolically cleanse away the stains of Mirida. She turned around, letting the water rush down her hair and back. It was then that she remembered that no amount of purification could ever wash away the Mirida within and without her because, as Eclipse had said, she was born from Mirida¡¯s eternal darkness¡ªan origin she shared with Eclipse. Kyora now realized that no outside force would be able to stop the leader of Domina. Despite how wicked Eclipse had become, Kyora knew how she thought. Perhaps the only way to destroy Eclipse was to defeat her at her own game. Kyora had to see this current mission through to the end, at least for Virn¡¯s sake, but after that she would quit the service in order to finally rid the galaxy of her old friend. But what would Virn think? What would happen to Virn if she didn¡¯t?


    The phantom stood beneath the spray for a few more minutes before shutting off the shower and activating the shield-scrubber. She left the bathroom wearing her Accellus standard uniform. Kyora found Virn where she left her¡ªsitting at a desk in their shared quarters. Virn looked away from her lumionic screen and asked, ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Kyora nodded quietly and left the room, leaving Virn behind. The Exan jumped from her chair and rushed to catch up.


    Atara was the last to enter the briefing room. The captain¡¯s furrowed brow and pursed lips nearly betrayed her suppressed inner fury as she took her seat between Xannissa and Sesh.


    ¡°I realize this is the third time we¡¯re meeting in this room today,¡± Atara said, a lingering sigh in her voice, ¡°but a great deal has happened. Fiori experienced an outage¡ªthe first time in recent history. We arrived at Mirida and retrieved Doctor Souq, and we subsequently lost and rescued you,¡± Atara noted as she looked toward Kyora who was seated next to Xannissa. Virn was the only other person present.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to debrief you about that last part,¡± the captain told the phantom. ¡°Tell us everything that happened.¡±


    Kyora explained to the triumvirate everything that she had experienced in the context of her knowledge of Domina. She emphasized Eclipse¡¯s desire to commandeer the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor and the fact that Eclipse was still alive.


    ¡°That complicates things,¡± Sesh remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that it¡¯s one of the things you don¡¯t often think about,¡± Xannissa explained, ¡°the target that we paint on our backs by embarking on a mission with a ship possessing bleeding edge technology. I¡¯m shocked that a group like Domina already knows about us.¡±


    ¡°You just made a mistake,¡± Kyora said with her head down.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Xannissa responded.


    ¡°You underestimated Eclipse.¡± Kyora lifted her head up and stared into Xannissa¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why thirty-two people died today.¡± The engineer¡¯s expression soured.


    ¡°<em style="font-weight: inherit">I am responsible for this ship and her crew,¡± Atara told Kyora. ¡°Direct your remarks toward me.¡± Kyora shifted her stare to the captain. Atara continued, ¡°I am at fault. I knew little about Domina before our departure from Lanan. Knowing what I know now, I would have never let you go down there. But let me ask you this: if you knew you were in danger, why did you volunteer to go?¡±


    ¡°I never volunteered,¡± Kyora said flatly. ¡°Commander Sesh gave me an order.¡±


    ¡°Yet you could have let anyone else take your place if you knew without a doubt that Eclipse was hunting for you.¡±


    Kyora shot up, pushing away her chair. ¡°Look,¡± she said loudly, ¡°I¡¯m a clone, but that doesn¡¯t make me less human than any of you. I, too, make mistakes. I didn¡¯t see what was coming before it was too late.¡± Her loud tone receded into a whisper as she said, ¡°I should have trusted my instincts.¡± She pushed her hair out of her face and said, ¡°Pardon me, captain,¡± before taking her seat again. ¡°I should have stayed aboard the <em style="font-weight: inherit">Kelsor. My involvement delayed the mission, put everyone¡¯s lives at risk, and led those aboard that dropship to their deaths. I inadvertently involved you in my battle, and for that I am truly sorry.¡±


    Atara nodded before saying, ¡°My questions sounded incriminating, but I wanted to know how you really felt. No matter how much blame you put on yourself, nothing that happened was your fault. I am the captain of this vessel and I will deal with any and all repercussions from what occurred today. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam,¡± Kyora vocalized.


    ¡°Are you fit to lead our Aurora complement?¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a report from you to send to Admiral Aesho. If no one has any further business,¡± Atara said, ¡°you and Lieutenant Lorralis are dismissed.¡± As Kyora promptly emerged from her chair, Virn remained seated. Kyora was already at the door as Virn began to speak.


    ¡°Captain, I will be overseeing Accellus orientation and training exercises for the AOTP cadets. I¡¯m just verifying the date for the suiting ceremony to be a week from today.¡±


    ¡°That should be right,¡± Atara said, turning to Xannissa who gave the captain a nod. ¡°Next week.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Virn said as she stood. ¡°You have a good evening, captain, commanders.¡±


    As soon as Kyora and Virn left the room, Sesh said, ¡°You¡¯ll have my report tomorrow morning. If there is anything I can do to help keep Aesho off your back, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Fiori?¡± Atara asked. The orange lumigraphic female appeared in the briefing room sitting in the chair opposite of Atara at the other end of the table.


    ¡°What can I do for you, captain?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell Sesh everything you told us?¡±

 16 - Wolves

    Thousands of lightyears fringeward of the Kelsor, in an uninhabited star system deep within the Persean Rift, a herd of private refining barges grazed upon the crystals of water ice and dust of a vast planetary ring system orbiting a massive gas giant. The individual members of this thousand-strong herd were so distant from one another as to be invisible by the unaided eye, so they kept track of each other using a combination of optics and sensors. Each vessel used a focused, gravitic tractor system to propel streams of icy debris into a collector where it would be condensed and processed into a military synthevar of Alliance design. This omnium would then be compressed and shipped; destined for use as energy and building material for local Alliance development projects.


    The captain of one of the barges slouched down in his chair in the ventrally-located bridge. His arm dangled from its armrest. Between his fingers rested a smoldering cigarette that he lifted to his mouth periodically, taking a puff¡ªthe end glowing orange from the flow of fresh air¡ªand then blowing a stream of smoke between his teeth. To the side of his view through the forward OPEL panels was a lumigraph playing programming carried over subspace, bouncing between transmitters for hundreds of lightyears. Despite being in Civilized Space, the distance from actual civilization was too great for Subnet reception. The program¡¯s fidelity was low, and it muddled the picture and sound, but it was the best the captain had.


    The blue light from the distant star, filtered through the OPEL panels, was the only real illumination the bridge had. This kept the dingy, metal room bright in one half and very dim in the other. If the captain hadn¡¯t been so preoccupied with the show he was watching, he might have noticed a bright sparkling from an object drifting among the field of crystals.


    ¡°Captain,¡± a crew member said over EM-comms.


    The captain sighed and asked, ¡°What is it, man?¡±


    ¡°We, uh... we pulled something out of the matter stream. I think you should see this.¡±


    ¡°Just send me a lume, will ya?¡± The captain returned to watching his show and took another puff of his cigarette. Two minutes later, a lumigraph appeared next to the captain¡¯s video showing a picture of the metallic object. It appeared to be several meters long. The captain, immediately recognizing its shape, got up from his chair and walked down to matter processing. The object was certainly manmade, and it was none other than a Republic probe.


    Occupying about fifteen percent of the galaxy, Civilized Space is the region directly administered by any formal state government. Put another way, Civilized Space is the volume composed of the maximum extent of the ancient Miridan Empire and its colonial expansions, plus the development since then. Politics within Civilized Space are defined by three superpowers: the Federation, Republic, and Alliance.


    The Orionan Federal Republic occupies the minor arm of Orion and contains all six Sister Worlds. With a culture inspired by the late pre-interstellar and early interstellar Elestan and Zelnaran civilizations, the Federation leans matriarchal. Their government practices a type of hybrid democracy-technocracy, and the pressure of merit adds to the difficulty of an already competitive society. Overall, the Federation seeks knowledge above all and aggressively pursues technological superiority.


    The Peoples¡¯ Interstellar Republic resides within Perseus, the arm of the galaxy fringeward of Orion and separated from the Federation by the relatively-sparse sea known as Thalassia Orionis. Operating under a unitary government, the Republic strives to maintain an egalitarian society presided over by a political oligarchy. Supporting a massive population compared to the other two, the Republic values service and overwhelming manpower.


    Also occupying Perseus, though further downspin from both the Federation and the Republic, is the confederation of states known as the Persean Corporate Alliance. Each ¡°state¡± within the Alliance is actually a megacorporation that runs semi-independently from the others: performing its own administration, providing its own security, and maintaining its own currency, at least until about two centuries ago. In the current age, the Alliance has truly become a unified entity that desires prosperity and the accumulation of wealth.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Five-thousand years ago, the Empire of Mirida established itself within modern Tribesson and grew to subsume all of downspin Orion. After the Miridan Civil War¡ªstill the costliest and deadliest war in recorded history¡ªthe Empire advanced technology and human biology to heights that are still marveled by present-day historians and scholars. The Miridans pioneered significant human life extension, warp, jump, gateways, and lumionics. The Miridan government coordinated wave after wave of expansion into Perseus and the more dangerous and denser Sagittarius. After a thousand years, this very expansion ultimately led to its violent collapse, plunging Civilized Space into an Age of Darkness followed by an Age of Conflict which has yielded to the current Age of Peace. Most academics believe Civilized Space finally surpassed the height of Miridan technology just five-hundred years ago, and leaps and bounds have been made since including REMASS, hyperwarp, VARICOR, and synthevars.


    Stability had been maintained by a mutual, three-way rivalry between the superpowers. Had war been declared by one upon a second, the third would have opportunistically engaged the first. But, when the Alliance ushered in greater unification, it encouraged the Federation and Republic to forge tighter cooperation with each other. Today, Civilized Space is separated by the Great Rift. On the upspin side sits the Federation and Republic; the downspin side the Alliance. The coreward region is referred to as the Orionan Rfit; the fringeward portion as the Persean Rift. Development within the Rift has largely been stifled by the three superpowers and remains backwater territory despite occupying the heart of Civilized Space.


    Feeling bolder against its neighbor as a result of its maturing partnership with the Federation, the Republic Navy engages in a perpetual conflict against the Alliance over claims to star systems within the Persean Rift. This conflict is dubbed the Invisible War for it resembles a formal war in nearly every way save formal declarations. To date, the Invisible War has claimed more lives than any other armed conflict in the Age of Peace.


    A pack of three Republic long-range missile cruisers lurked like hunters in the darkness one-and-a-half lightyears away in interstellar space. The captain of the lead vessel stood out of his seat and discussed the information displayed on two- and three-dimensional lumigraphs with his female first officer. As officers, both were dressed in gray uniforms complete with black neckties and belts, gray peaked hats, pants for males, skirts and black hose for females, gold buttons, gold trim, and endowed in several places with the blue Union Circle emblem of the Republic. Like most Republic vessels, their bridge was located deep within the ship.


    ¡°Rellia,¡± the captain said. His voice had an accent unique to the Republic. A blue female figure with a striking resemblance to Fiori materialized as a three-dimensional lumigraph.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Rellia responded. She stood at ease like a soldier.


    The captain paused for a moment to interrogate the lumigraph of the planet¡¯s rings and the refining ships before ordering, ¡°Can you give us a clean sweep of those rings?¡±


    ¡°Firing solutions already calculated, captain,¡± Rellia said with a smile. ¡°They account for sharing the targets between all three ships. This is the most efficient firing pattern.¡± The lumigraph changed to show warhead detonation sites covering most of the ring system. All of the refining vessels would be caught within the explosion radius of at least one missile.


    The captain turned to his first officer and said, ¡°What do you think of this?¡±


    ¡°Everything looks good,¡± the executive officer told him. ¡°We should begin preparations immediately.¡±


    ¡°You heard her, Rellia,¡± the captain stated.


    ¡°Understood. Beginning launch preparations¡±


    Missile tube doors opened on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of each ship. There were forty such tubes per cruiser, and from each tube three missiles launched within eight seconds of each other. The ships became blossoming flowers of destruction as they surrounded themselves with rockets driven by plasma engines propelling warheads carefully containing pre-fabricated antimatter reservoirs. Bridge officers monitored the weapons as they more-or-less instantaneously activated their self-contained, miniature jump drives to close their distance to their targets in a matter of seconds. Nearby probes recorded the mass detonation of the warheads that created a halo of light around the planet where the rings had been just moments before. After the explosions subsided many minutes later, the probes showed that giant perforations now existed within the rings.


    ¡°Verify the status of our targets,¡± the captain ordered.


    ¡°So far,¡± the commander stated, ¡°none remain.¡±

 17 - Neural Interface

    After leaving her father¡¯s bedside to have a meal within the quarters she shared with four other cadets, Lieren returned to her father¡¯s small room where she spent the night. The morning found her lying asleep on the couch across from her father¡¯s bed.


    ¡°Lieren?¡± her father called out to her. Lieren stirred, gasped as she awoke, and brought herself upright. She brushed her hair away from her face with her hands and looked at Doctor Souq through groggy eyes. The young cadet revealed a weak smile.


    ¡°Hi, dad,¡± she said, rising from the couch and stretching her arms. She was still wearing her loose-fitting, white cadet uniform.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Souq stated, also suffering a bit of grogginess. ¡°My baby girl¡¯s all grown up.¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Lieren told him, walking over to sit in the chair next to his bedside. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± he said. Despite the lingering weakness from the sedative and the emotional turmoil he was experiencing as a result of the Akkain station attack, he smiled with the joy of seeing his daughter again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you something to eat,¡± Lieren said. She pressed the call button on a lumigraph next to her father¡¯s bed. Seconds later, a nurse entered the room, assessed Souq, left and returned with a breakfast tray. When Lieren asked, the nurse said that meals served in the medical bay were for patients only. Souq heard this, and after the nurse left, he offered his daughter part of his meal which she promptly refused.


    ¡°You need to get your strength back,¡± she told him.


    So Lieren hugged her father goodbye while she left to have breakfast in her quarters. As she passed the nurse station, the nurse overseeing her father¡¯s care informed her that he would be released around noon. The nurse also reminded Lieren about her appointment for the installation of her neural interface. When the cadet returned from breakfast, the lavender-skinned Larissian took a seat in the medical bay¡¯s waiting room next to a light-skinned, blonde Terran in standard uniform with armor sheathed over her right forearm. Both of them possessing shy dispositions, neither of them said a word to each other until they were both called by their full names simultaneously.


    ¡°Lieren Souq, Krystal Zara,¡± a nurse called. The two stood and looked at each other for a moment before walking toward the nurse together. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said as she led them down a corridor and to a medical officer¡¯s examination room. Once inside, they were greeted by the chief medical officer herself: Doctor Iveti, a Yeran, wearing an unfastened lab coat over a dark gray bodysuit.


    ¡°You¡¯re both here for neural implants?¡± Iveti asked them. Krystal and Lieren nodded. Iveti pointed to Krystal and asked, ¡°You¡¯re swapping to Accellus Four, correct?¡± Krystal gave another nod. Directing her attention to Lieren, Iveti asked, ¡°You don¡¯t currently have one, correct?¡± Lieren also nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± the medical officer said impatiently. ¡°We have a million of these to do today, so go ahead and take off your clothes while I evaluate your health.¡± Lieren began unfastening her jacket while Krystal hesitated. The cadet had stripped down to her undergarments before Iveti told Krystal,¡± Remove your Accellus for me, please.¡± As soon as they were completely undressed, the nurse gave each of them a gown to slip over their naked bodies. Iveti¡¯s medical scans confirmed their good health, and she walked with them through an airscreen to the operating room where another medical officer was waiting next to two vertical operating tables.


    ¡°Lieren, your procedure will be performed by my assistant,¡± Iveti stated as she recalled her lab coat and replaced it with a gown. A sterilizing shield-scrubber passed over her as she talked. ¡°You are going to stand on this platform,¡± she instructed, pointing the base of the table, ¡°and you¡¯re going to lie with your chest against the cushion and your face against this hole at the top.¡± The two did as they were told. When the two had positioned themselves appropriately, the tables angled themselves downward toward the horizontal. Lieren was given anesthetic first. Iveti could feel the tension in Krystal¡¯s body, so she leaned down to speak softly in Krystal¡¯s ear while she was still conscious.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to remove your camouflage,¡± Iveti told her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; your secret is safe with us. I¡¯m going to take every precaution as the ones who gave you your Accellus Three NI. As you of course are aware, your anatomy makes this procedure much more difficult which is why I¡¯m performing it myself.¡±


    Krystal disabled the advanced, Federation-designed shrouding system she wore behind each ear. Her hair transformed from blonde to a red fierier than Atara¡¯s. Her silver eyes matched Atara¡¯s green. Krystal¡¯s auricles doubled in length, and a glowing, red circle appeared on the back of her neck just below where her NI was. Doctor Iveti applied a dosage of anesthetic a fraction of the strength of Lieren¡¯s, and the elshi was out in three seconds.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± a nurse asked Krystal as she came to her senses. Krystal immediately pulled a lock of her hair down in front of her eyes. It was blonde, and she sighed in relief.


    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± Krystal asked.


    ¡°About four hours.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the cadet?¡± She remembered the girl¡¯s surname and had wanted to ask about any relation to Doctor Souq.


    ¡°She left after the surgery.¡±


    When she realized she was still naked beneath a gown, she began scanning the room with her eyes until she found her Accellus boots.


    ¡°May I get dressed?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the nurse, ¡°after which you are free to go if you¡¯re feeling well.¡± The nurse exited the room. Krystal stepped her bare feet into her boots, removed the gown, and using the new NI for the first time, clothed herself in the standard uniform.


    The day after, Xannissa met with Lieren and the other eleven AOTP cadets in the heart of the Kelsor¡¯s engineering department between the two hyperwarp cores and the mediator¡ªthe three of which formed the synerdrive system. By now, all of the cadets sported new Accellus 4 neural interfaces, but they were still relegated to wearing their non-REMASS cadet uniforms for the time being. Xannissa, as the principal mentor and overseer of the Kelsor¡¯s cadets (which she eventually found out), sought to orient the cadets to actual starship life by exposing them to the state-of-the-art, technological wonderland within the battlecruiser which was underway on a real mission. Engineering was one of the more dangerous places to conduct a first meeting, but Xannissa couldn¡¯t be bothered to consider any alternatives. She took pride in her career and area of expertise. Other engineering staff glanced at the group of officers-in-training as they carried out their work.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Good morning, cadets,¡± she said. ¡°Allow me to formally welcome you aboard the Kelsor for her maiden voyage. I am Commander Xannissa Cetalo¡ªchief engineer of this vessel. As engineers, our duty is to maintain vital ship systems such as propulsion, gravitics, life support, omnimics, and power generation as well as structural integrity, shielding, and weapons system functionality. Basically, we keep the ship running. These bowels you¡¯re standing in house the seven plasma engines and their reactors, the four primary ODECs, four of the six large omnium reservoirs, and our incredible synerdrive: the first of its kind. Though multi-core hyperwarp systems have been tried, they have never worked until now. And it¡¯s all thanks to the mediator,¡± she stated, pointing to the master synergistic drive regulator.


    ¡°What is important about the mediator?¡± Lieren asked. It was times like these that her curiosity overwhelmed her shyness.


    ¡°I am so glad you asked,¡± Xannissa said, beaming. ¡°Normally, hyperwarp drives manipulating the same space interfere with each other, reducing performance and increasing energy expenditure. As a matter of fact, having two hyperwarp cores on the same ship would use more energy than the same hyperwarp cores mounted on two different ships¡ªwith marginal speed gains at best. The only way for a multi-core system to work effectively is for the two warp fields to be in perfectly-precise sync with each other. Even the smallest of natural perturbations is enough to throw two cores into chaos, so the mediator is essentially a computer¡ªseparate from the adjunct¡ªthat measures warp field perturbations and instructs both cores to correct for them nigh instantaneously a trillion times a second. What you find is that both drives use less power working together than they would have used separately, and, in the case of this ship, a twelve percent increase in hyperwarp top speed compared to standard speeds for other military vessels this size.


    ¡°Now, maintaining starships is not a trivial task. Note the difference between maintaining and repairing. Supposing we haven¡¯t seen combat of course, if a system reaches the point where it needs repair, we aren¡¯t doing our jobs properly. As an engineering department, we have three lines of defense against malfunctions, and I¡¯m not talking about shields. Can anyone here tell me what those are?¡±


    One of the cadets said, ¡°Autorepair.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s one,¡± Xannissa told them. ¡°Autorepair is a specialized REMASS system that passively remodels and maintains most of the ship¡¯s hull and armor. Can anyone think of another?¡±


    ¡°What about the drones?¡± another cadet asked.


    ¡°The drones, for sure. They¡¯re small enough to fit in most places, and since they are controlled by the adjunct they know the ship better than any of us ever will. Plus, they are totally expendable. We put them to work on vital systems that autorepair can¡¯t maintain. Someone tell me the last one.¡±


    After several seconds, Lieren said, ¡°Visual inspection.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Xannissa said smiling. ¡°At the end of the day, we need to know how to take care of this battlecruiser ourselves despite the technology aiding us. I have served in the Navy for about seven decades, and I can tell you that there will be a time when you will need to find and fix a problem yourself. We never crawl on our hands and feet through small spaces ripping panels off walls. We have gravitics and lumionics for moving around as well as sophisticated subspatial gravimeters¡ªbetter known as mass scanners.¡± Xannissa held out her hand as she fabricated a small device.


    ¡°This is a special type of mass scanner that we call a holostereographer. Follow me.¡± She shepherded the cadets to the nearest wall and attached the flat, circular device to it. After interacting with a lumionic interface, the holostereographer made the wall¡¯s surface look like an active OPEL window into the conduits, pipes, electronics and support structure within the wall, all presented in false color that accentuated depth. ¡°With this device,¡± she continued, ¡°there is no place where we cannot peek into walls. Most other mass scanners work by detecting the motion of objects. This one detects objects that are not moving and has a very short range, so it can¡¯t see straight through walls; only into them.¡± She disabled the device and recalled it into her suit¡¯s omnium reservoir.


    ¡°Are there any questions before we wrap up this part of our tour?¡± Xannissa asked them.


    ¡°What motivated you to become an engineer?¡± Lieren asked. Xannissa paused for a moment.


    ¡°I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting a question like that,¡± the Elestan responded, laughing lightly. ¡°As a child, I wasn¡¯t very interested in toys. Actually, when I was four, I took apart our family¡¯s REMASS system to try to figure out where all the things it made came from. My father was not impressed at all.¡± Xannissa laughed, and the cadets joined in, although nervously. ¡°I grew up on Elestus, so Sister World snob. It was easy to get another one. But after that, the first thing my father fabricated was a tablet that he gave to me. On it was a copy of a book for teenagers about starships. I couldn¡¯t understand most of the words, but it came with three-dee lumes that you could take apart and put back together. I took it to school when I first started, got it taken away many times, but when I was seven, we took our first interstellar flight. That¡¯s what sold me. I love big machines, and I enjoy being around them; working on them.¡±


    Xannissa paused once more, realizing that despite those memories being over a hundred years old, she could remember them in astonishing detail. Eventually, she led the girls back to the lifts which ferried them to the next leg of their orientation.


    Meanwhile, Dr. Souq was alone in his quarters that had been provided for him upon his release from the medical bay. He wore his personal civilian REMASS clothing which he decided would be a light gray t-shirt and black pants. Because he was a civilian, he was discouraged¡ªbut not forbidden¡ªfrom wandering the ship. He wasn¡¯t interested in making more trouble for himself, so to preoccupy his mind, he sat at the desk in his bedroom and browsed the Subnet on a set of lumigraphs. When the door to his quarters was pinged, Souq felt a surge of happiness because of the anticipation he had of seeing his daughter again.


    ¡°Lieren?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Doctor Souq,¡± came an unfamiliar voice through a lumionic speaker.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Sayn Namara. May I enter?¡± Her tone was serious.


    ¡°C-come in,¡± Souq said hesitantly. The woman who stepped through the door was not Lieren. Instead she was an Elestan with black hair in a ponytail. Like the physicians of the medical bay, she wore a white lab coat over her bodysuit, but her bodysuit was dark gray and plain. Souq stood from his chair when she strode in.


    ¡°Doctor Quen Souq,¡± she said, extending her right arm to him, ¡°I am the Kelsor¡¯s chief science officer.¡± Souq grabbed her hand and they exchanged a cordial handshake. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m here?¡± Souq released his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do not,¡± he told her. Namara let out a light sigh before pausing.


    ¡°I need your permission to release your data.¡±


    ¡°Is this about ecksivar?¡±


    Namara nodded. Souq slowly lowered himself back into the chair.


    ¡°But that¡¯s all classified,¡± he stated.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± she told him, dropping the sensitive act. ¡°I knew you would say that. Read this.¡± She opened a lumigraph, grabbed it with her fingers and brought it to his face where she let it go. As he skimmed it, he determined that it was a legitimate disclosure order from the Federation¡¯s Military Advanced Research and Development Agency, otherwise referred to as MARAD. He was to hand over everything that he and Akkain Technologies had pertaining to ecksivar including data, facilities, equipment, and staff effective immediately.


    ¡°Why are they doing this to me?¡± Souq asked softly. His voice trembled and his eyes were like glass. Namara crossed her arms as she waited for him to submit. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? My lab was attacked. I lost everything! The only things I have left are my daughter and my data.¡±


    ¡°You can keep your daughter,¡± she said with a sarcastic reassurance, ¡°but that data was never yours.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you asking for my permission?¡± he yelled. Namara was as unfazed as the psychologist on Mirida had been.


    ¡°That data belongs to Akkain, but it¡¯s logged in your name. Don¡¯t make this any more difficult.¡±


    Souq brought a hand to his eyes, rubbed it back and forth a few times, and moved his hand down his lilac face and let it slip off his beard. His heart sank through the bottom bulkhead.


    ¡°You know, this is the end of me, right?¡±


    Namara said nothing.


    Souq sighed loudly. He stamped his signature into the lumigraph, and it abruptly disappeared.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told him before exiting his quarters, leaving him to quietly contemplate the remaining value of his life as he stared at the blank wall across from him.

 18 - Svalti

    ¡°Set us down over there; in that clearing,¡± Minister Gresken ordered the two pilots. He was standing over them in the dropship¡¯s cockpit as they flew over the forest¡¯s canopy. This was the world of Duborik located in the distant reaches of Republic space. When the transport was landing, Gresken noticed the retreat of the native quadruped wildlife and said in his deep, booming voice, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! Run away so we can hunt you!¡± Following his excitement-fueled laughter, he climbed back into the passenger compartment of the craft. ¡°Are you ready, Svalti?¡± Gresken said, grabbing the shoulder of his hunting partner. ¡°I hope hunting game is as fun for you as hunting people.¡± The minister burst into laughter again. At this time, the Akkain research station attack and the beginning of the Kelsor¡¯s mission would not occur for another three months.


    ¡°I¡¯m thrilled,¡± Svalti said, lacking enthusiasm.


    ¡°Of course you are!¡± said Gresken. ¡°Put a big smile on your face! And grab your gun.¡± The minister latched onto a handhold just before the craft touched down and rocked everything inside. The side wall of the transport folded down into a ramp, and the first to leave were six guards clad in the Republic¡¯s glossy, bulky, slate gray Novekk Type-M battle armor. An identical transport landed a few meters away, and as its door opened, a swarm of spheroid camera drones liberated themselves from the craft and gathered around Gresken and Svalti as they walked together down the ramp. Moments later, the drones¡¯ human masters¡ªjournalists, most from the Republic, some from the Federation, and a few from the rest of Civilized Space¡ªcrowded around to speak with the Minister of War and the ¡°Hero of the People,¡± as they called Rikter Svalti.


    Svalti was an Elestan man with just enough jet black hair to manipulate. He had been letting it grow during his first two weeks of leave, and was taking a liking to it. Minister Gresken was four times his age, and that age showed only psychologically, though mostly in a good way: centuries of experience and a low-stress attitude. The minister was Svalti¡¯s second father in a manner of speaking, and it had its perks¡ªsuch as extended leave. Svalti would never tell Gresken, but he was ready to return to his family: the Quietus of Hiracet, his team of elite Republic Marines.


    ¡°Smile, Svalti!¡± Gresken shouted, wrapping his arm around the marine and posing for pictures. A female Federation journalist close to them asked ¡°Minister! Can you speak about the rising tension between the Republic and the Alliance in the Persean Rift?¡±


    ¡°I will say nothing today,¡± said the minister, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°But, please take all the pictures you like! Hurry though. We have hunting to do.¡± He grabbed Svalti¡¯s shoulder, and Svalti smiled as the drones took several more pictures and several seconds of video.


    Gresken and Svalti stepped off of the ramp of their dropship, and Gresken leaned toward a guard, whispering, ¡°They¡¯ve seen enough. Take them back.¡± The guard signaled to his comrades, and the soldiers herded the journalists back to their transport. The minister took a deep breath through his nostrils as he and Svalti ventured into the forest alone. The trees were conifers, and they scented the air with the sweet smell of pine. A loose layer of stratus, like a lifted fog, hung on the forest¡¯s canopy, hiding the tops of the trees. The green leaves of the undergrowth were damp with dew which collected on their black trench coats and metallic boots as they both walked along. A flock of small, black birds, flapping their wings in unison, took off from the top of one of the trees and flew deeper into the forest.


    ¡°You could at least enjoy your time here,¡± said Gresken as they marched across the soggy ground. ¡°After your leave is over, your team is being relocated to the Rift.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± said Svalti, grinning.


    ¡°The Alliance has started construction on two-hundred new bases out there,¡± said Gresken, ¡°and they¡¯re buying local omnium to do it. Saves them logistically. That¡¯s why our Navy is there. We will blockade every system if we must to choke them of their civilian omnium supply.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you need me for?¡±


    ¡°Because, when the Alliance does begin to choke, they will send their refinery ships to harvest their own mass. Then, ¡®accidents¡¯ start happening.¡± Gresken¡¯s laughter was followed closely by Svalti¡¯s.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure to serve as your catalyst for these... ¡®accidents.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± said Gresken. ¡°I would have expected nothing less than your total cooperation.¡± Svalti hated when the minister said things like that; as if he and his team were mere tools. Tools always gave their total cooperation. They lacked the minds to think for themselves. Regardless, Svalti had to play the politics for his sake and the sake of his fellow Revenants, for it was the People of the Republic who brought them back, and they all possessed the mark that identified them as such. The Republic, and Minister Gresken in particular, would never let them forget it. When your prized tools break, they are repaired and returned to the toolbox.


    ¡°Put this on,¡± said Gresken, tossing Svalti a small capsule. ¡°It will mask your scent.¡± The marine sprayed the capsule of liquid across his exposed head and neck and tossed the capsule back to the minister. Supposedly it was an olfactory camouflage technique, but it was Gresken¡¯s first choice among all the existing methods. Several minutes later, Gresken found a fallen tree amid thick underbrush, and the two of them hid within, propping their coilguns on the thick trunk. The forest beyond was sparser but teemed with underbrush growing beneath an open canopy. The planet¡¯s sun was starting to appear through breaks in the clouds, causing the surrounding flora to glow with verdant vibrance.


    Gresken and Svalti crouched in this undergrowth for thirty minutes. Then an hour. Then two hours. The wind would come and go regularly and whistle through the limbs and leaves of the thicker forest just behind them. Svalti opened a pouch he kept on his belt and grabbed his mass scanner. When he held it to his face, Gresken quietly said, ¡°Put that thing away. That¡¯s cheating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just checking for other humans,¡± Svalti whispered back. He was being honest. He anticipated danger.


    ¡°Not necessary,¡± Gresken whispered. ¡°There¡¯s no one but us on this planet.¡± Svalti turned the device off and slid it away. That¡¯s when the minister tapped him on the shoulder and said ¡°Look!¡± The distant undergrowth was swaying. Both of them sat up and grabbed their guns. The swaying moved toward them slowly. Gresken drew his coilgun to his shoulder, just before the swaying stopped. Gresken kept his gun trained on the tall grasses and moved gently into crouching.


    The undergrowth started moving again, but violently. The creature¡¯s quick footfalls sounded like thunder. Gresken fired into the brush. As if in rebuke, the creature roared toward them like a predator. It was several meters away now. Svalti readied himself, grabbed his tactical knife, and leapt over the fallen tree. The creature¡ªa three-hundred-kilogram feline¡ªlaunched itself from the vegetation. He could see the animal¡¯s center of mass from the way it carried itself, its weak points, and its dangers. At this moment, time for the marine seemed to stand still. He was in complete control. Svalti ducked, and as the creature passed over him, he lifted himself up and sliced the beast¡¯s underside with his thermoplate blade wrapped in white-hot plasma that he held with both hands. The beast¡¯s flesh popped and sizzled as the blade cut across its abdomen in mid-jump. The monstrous feline roared in pain, and it slammed into the ground behind Svalti¡ªdead on impact. The smoke and smell of burning flesh pervaded the air.


    ¡°Excellent work, Svalti!¡± Gresken cheered with a grin. ¡°You saved my life.¡± He began to laugh like he had on the transport.


    ¡°Just serving the People of the Republic,¡± Svalti said.


    ¡°For the People!¡± Gresken exclaimed patriotically.


    ¡°That was fun,¡± said Svalti, grinning and sliding his knife back into its sheath. ¡°Let¡¯s keep hunting.¡±

 19 - Ceremony

    ¡°I apologize for this mission wasting your Frontier conning skills,¡± Atara told Naret. The captain stood just behind the young officer on the seventh day of the mission. Naret, who had been staring at readouts on her lumigraphs, swiveled her chair completely around to look up at Atara.


    ¡°It¡¯s relaxing¡ªprobably too relaxing,¡± Naret admitted, ¡°but I can run simulations from this terminal to keep myself occupied.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Sesh stated as she stepped toward them. ¡°Our chase will take us dangerously close to the Saraian Range. We have a high chance of encountering pirates when we swing by. It¡¯s best you stay in top form.¡±


    ¡°Pirates?¡± Naret asked.


    ¡°The Saraian Range is a volume of space,¡± Atara explained, ¡°that is difficult for warp systems to manipulate.¡±


    ¡°If you want to get anywhere in the Range proper,¡± Sesh continued, ¡°it¡¯s going to take you a very long time.¡±


    ¡°So criminals use it as a hideout?¡± Naret asked.


    Sesh nodded, and then she said, ¡°They perch at the edge of the Range and attack merchant traffic. If things get too hot for them, they just slip into the Zone of Obstruction. The boundary is well mapped, but the interior not so much.¡±


    ¡°Not even sub-comms gets through,¡± Atara added. ¡°If you¡¯re wanted by law enforcement, it¡¯s a safer place to hide than the Frontier.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Naret vocalized, recounting the scum she encountered in the Frontier and at a loss for how anyone could be much worse.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Atara said, ¡°have you gained a feeling for the ship yet?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Naret responded. ¡°It handles very nicely for such a large ship.¡±


    Atara laughed and said ¡°No, no. What I mean is, can you sense its personality?¡±


    ¡°You mean the adjunct?¡±


    ¡°I mean the ship itself; as a whole.¡±


    Naret pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°I think I understand. I see it as a hotshot¡ªsomeone with a lot of talent and ambition but no experience.¡± She paused for another moment. Embarrassed, she added, ¡°That sounds like myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for us to see ourselves in our machines,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Sometimes you can see other people. To me, the Kelsor has given us little drama. Quiet and dependable; responsible but lax, like the commander.¡± Atara and Naret both turned their heads toward Sesh who stood there staring through the bridge¡¯s large armored OPEL window at the stars and nebulae. She hadn¡¯t registered a word of what they said.


    ¡°To me,¡± Xannissa said, startling the captain from her other side, ¡°she¡¯s a really hard worker that tries its best to be left alone to do her work. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no drama.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± the captain asked. ¡°I thought it was because we had the best engineering chief in the Navy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve any credit,¡± Xannissa told her, placing her arms upon and leaning against the railing next to Naret¡¯s station. ¡°GreDrive and Archetype did really remarkable work.¡±


    Using her Q-comms link, Atara asked, ¡°Have you talked to your sister recently?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been giving her her space,¡± Xannissa thought. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the overbearing younger sister, but I¡¯ll make it a point to see her more.¡±


    Via audible vocalizations, Xannissa said, ¡°I came up here to gather you three for the suiting ceremony. Are you ready?¡±


    Atara, Xannissa, Sesh, and Naret changed into their white dress uniforms with dark gray bodysuits beneath, black neckties and white short jackets. After riding the lifts and walking together, they met up with Kyora and Virn and arrived at one of the four partitioned-reality simulators aboard the ship¡ªcollectively among the major sinks for the excess power saved by virtue of the efficient synerdrive. Upon entering the simulator room, each person was enveloped in their own lumigraphic bubble and held aloft via a combination of gravitics and lumionic barriers. These bubbles¡ªor individual reference frames as they were technically known¡ªallowed each person to experience the fictional environment maintained by the simulation from their own point of view. Each individual reference frame was then placed somewhere within the dark meta-space¡ªthe term for the physical simulator room itself¡ªand constantly rearranged at the behest of the simulator¡¯s controller that attempted to position individual reference frames such that those which were adjacent in the virtual space would be adjacent in the meta-space also.


    This maintenance of an elaborate illusion manifested through the eyes of the officers as a seamless transition from a starship corridor to a resort situated atop a tropical shoreline. As they walked through the open-air lobby, they passed by officers and starmen both with and without uniform and in various states of undress. They eventually arrived at a large private balcony overlooking the beach and recreational facilities. Twelve pairs of Accellus 4 boots had already been placed on the smooth stone floor. A table nearby held the dozen pairs of bracers. After a few minutes, the cadets were led in by a junior officer, and each cadet stopped behind the pair of boots that were to become hers.


    ¡°Cadets, attention!¡± Sesh shouted. The cadets stood with their backs straight and their arms glued to their sides. Atara waited for a moment to allow the ceremonial tension to fill the air as the salty sea-breeze blew in from the ocean on that clear evening.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°At ease,¡± Atara commanded, and the cadets stood with their legs slightly apart and their arms behind their backs. Atara paused again, looking at the face of each one where she stood.


    ¡°As cadets,¡± Atara started, ¡°you are the future leaders of the Greater Federation Navy. As future officers, you are inheriting the responsibilities that we as the current officers of the Navy carry: answering to the will of our Commander in Chief, Madame President of the Orionan Federal Republic, setting the example for our forces by leading with courage, honor, and integrity, and being model citizens to the very people we sacrifice ourselves to protect.


    ¡°Some of you are near the end of your training, while others of you are only just beginning. The Active Officer Training Program was established so that the best and brightest among the pool of cadets could experience the rigors of interstellar service at the foundation of their promising careers in the Navy. You twelve are among those who have proven themselves through academic accomplishment and have been granted this rare opportunity to serve the Federation alongside a body of mentors underway on a real-life mission.


    ¡°A starman relies on her REMASS gear for offense, defense, and basic survival. It is your weapon, your shield, and your tool. It protects you from the vacuum of deep space, the crushing gravity of giants, extreme weather of distant worlds, and armed conflict with our enemies.


    ¡°It is with great honor that I, Captain Atara Korrell...¡±


    ¡°...I, Commander Xannissa Cetalo...¡±


    ¡°...and I, Commander Yora Sesh...¡±


    ¡°...collectively the triumvirate of the Greater Federation Navy vessel Kelsor, grant you, our young cadets of the Navy, your own, personal Accellus Four REMASS gear. You may go ahead and put them on.¡±


    A junior officer approached each cadet with a pair of bracers and put them on the cadets¡¯ outstretched arms. The cadets then removed and folded every article of clothing they wore and handed it to the officer before them. The last item they removed was their shoes, placing them on top of the pile of folded clothing at which point they were fully nude. They stood like that until the officers placed the old cadet clothing on the table. When the officers returned, the cadets placed their feet into the Accellus 4 boots. The officers helped the cadets clothe themselves for the first time in the Military REMASS gear. They would use lumigraphic user interfaces projected on their arms until they adapted to using their neural interfaces to operate the suits. As the sun neared the horizon and the ceremony concluded, Atara invited the cadets to dine with the triumvirate in a seaside pavilion aboard the simulator.


    After the ceremony, the junior officers were dismissed. Naret returned to her small quarters and fabricated a meal from her room¡¯s REMASS terminal. After that, she recalled her standard uniform, stepped out of her boots, and collapsed her gray, naked body face-first upon the bed where she lied for several moments. Eventually, she rolled over, pushed her black bobbed hair out of her eyes, and rested her head on her pillow. As was her nightly ritual thus far aboard the Kelsor, she put her right arm behind her head and with her left hand navigated the Subnet through lumigraphs projected before her face. She spent at least an hour checking her favorite social outlets before wandering into an encyclopedia.


    Her respect for Atara as a mentor was stronger now than it ever had been. Her encyclopedia journey began with an article about Captain Atara Eisen Korrell which immediately led to an article on the Semarahn Incursion. With interest, she read the article¡¯s introduction:


    The Semarahn Incursion (8392-10-12 to 8393-06-20), also known as the Semarahn Conflict or Operation Crimson Aegis, was a war between the Orionan Federal Republic and the Kingdom of Semarah. The war began on 8392-10-12 when the Federation invaded Semarah following a series of deadly border raids by attackers originating from Semarahn space. The Federation invasion ended in a truce after thirty-three weeks.


    ¡°Crimson Aegis,¡± Naret whispered to herself. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting name.¡± She continued reading the article, but the more she read, the less sense it made to her. And it wasn¡¯t because the article was poorly written. She dismissed her confusion as a result of still being young and naive. She found out that Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh had served on the front, but to Naret¡¯s surprise, they had been captured after a critical battle in the war that took place above the Semarahn capitol world.


    ...


    ¡°Aesho, I realize we are pushing a campaign of rapid dominance, but don¡¯t you think this is a bit reckless? Even for you.¡±


    The dark-haired, dark-skinned Elestan, Admiral of the Fifth Fleet, contrasted with the light-skinned, light-haired Terran beside her. Thirty-six years ago, they stood together within Orionan Rift Command¡¯s map room filled with lumigraphs that displayed a scaled view of upspin Semarah. Every star system was mapped. Every Semarahn starbase was identified. Space under the control of the Federation Navy appeared as orange volumes. The armadas pushing the Federation advance were Federation Triangles. Most notably, the two admirals were alone.


    ¡°Remember what we¡¯re here to do,¡± Aesho told Musani in a lowered voice. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Musani said. ¡°You just need to be more transparent with me.¡±


    ¡°Killing terrorists isn¡¯t exactly a good reason to send a courier to the king¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°Sending good women to be cut off is?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m counting on. Do you know who¡¯s commanding our flagship?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Cassandra¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s smart, so for her sake, I hope she uses her head.¡±


    The triumvirate of that battleship was determined to carry out their superior¡¯s orders. Just as Aesho wanted, that ship and its accompanying strike group became isolated from the rest of the armada and was forced to surrender in the Semarahn home system. In exchange for the safety of their crews, the triumvirate of the flagship Unity¡ªa younger Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh¡ªoffered themselves as prisoners of war. The three officers were ultimately taken into custody by Kalashik¡¯s daughter, the guard captain, and placed in a cell beneath the palace where they would spend the next few months unclothed but untouched. As a matter of fact, the guard captain never allowed her father to see them.


    When the Semarahn Incursion ended, it was publicized as a major victory over the terroristic elements that had butchered civilians on the Federation side of the border, but without a lasting occupation and a strengthening of the Semarahn government and military, no real victory had actually been achieved. Unfortunately, releasing prisoners of war was not one of the conditions for a Federation withdrawal, so without ever realizing that the war was over, the Unity¡¯s triumvirate spent a few more months held within their relatively cushy cell beneath Kalashik¡¯s palace. This was exactly what Aesho wanted. Six months after the end of the Semarahn Incursion, Kalashik¡¯s palace was infiltrated by an elite team of Assault Force phantoms. Without harming a single guard, they swept through the lavish chambers and ornate halls and rescued the triumvirate from their captivity. The real prize, though, was what lied in the palace vault. One particularly-skilled phantom cracked the Vault¡¯s security within a minute. Once within, they retrieved what had been Crimson Aegis¡¯ primary objective all along. The thing that cost so many Federation and Semarahn lives was none other than ecksivar, held by the Kalashik dynasty for over two centuries, and now once again in the hands of the Federation.

 20 - Discthrower

    A particularly-skilled phantom stood with Virn¡ªboth of them in their combat bodysuits with differing coverage of SIRAC and no helmets¡ªin the middle of a large, walled training field. The sparseness of the field¡¯s grass indicated frequent use. Atop the grass and dirt stood the cadets in rank and at attention. This field was just part of an abandoned military base at the edge of a deserted town. Low stratus clouds covered most of the sky and obscured the distant mountains. Of course, this environment was all a fiction maintained by a different simulator room than the one the cadets had their ceremony in.


    Kyora and Virn were watching an Aurora sergeant train the cadets in foundational Accellus use. This exercise¡ªthe first in a series¡ªwas real basic training. Typically, Accellus training began toward the latter half of the last year of academic work before an officer¡¯s first posting.


    In a whisper that Kyora could hear, Virn recited, ¡°Dulce et decorum est.¡±


    Kyora, who had been focusing on the cadets, looked toward Virn and asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°What is what?¡± Virn responded.


    ¡°That phrase. What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Virn said. ¡°My mother said it to me a long time ago when she found out I joined the Navy. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. It means, ¡®it is sweet and honorable to die for one¡¯s country.¡¯ At the time, I didn¡¯t know what she meant by that, but I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head. It¡¯s an ancient Terran phrase written during a time when warfare was viewed as glorious. This same phrase was reused centuries later by a soldier in Earth¡¯s tumultuous lead-up to the nuclear age who had bore witness to the horrors of their first global war himself. My mother was of the same opinion: there is no glory to be found on the battlefield. There exists only death and destruction.¡±


    ¡°How did that make you feel?¡± Kyora asked, watching the cadets practice with their Accellus by recalling their standard uniform and resheathing themselves in it again. It was difficult for the cadets to catch on at first, leaving many of them naked.


    ¡°I believe it was presumptuous of her to think I joined for glory and honor,¡± Virn told her. ¡°But I think she knew me better than I knew myself. Although I told her I joined to see the galaxy¡ªto escape the routine¡ª, all I did was exchange one routine for another. I secretly longed for the prestige of being a soldier. I agree with my mother, but I must add that there is no other place that tests one¡¯s character as thoroughly as the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°It sounds to me like you had something to prove.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I did. Maybe it was to prove that I am more than tradition and religious rites.¡±


    By now, the sergeant had proven her point to the cadets. Growing accustomed to using the suit through the neural interface was akin to learning how to walk. The sergeant announced in her booming voice that she would drill them until accessing the interface was as natural to them as breathing or blinking.


    Before long, Krystal entered the simulator. She placed her boots upon the patchy lumionic turf expecting to see Kyora, Virn, and the cadets immediately as she entered, but seeing them so far away across the field destroyed her suspension of disbelief. Because she was reliant upon her extra perception with which she was supremely adept, being in an environment where people felt adjacent to her yet could be visibly or audibly anywhere near or far left her terribly disoriented and prone to looking over her shoulder only to find no one.


    Kyora noticed the corporal striding toward them. Before Krystal stepped within earshot, the phantom said, ¡°Here comes the VIP,¡± with a condescension stemming from her ignorance as to why this former security guard had so far been treated with such regality.


    Stopping to give them the customary Federation Military salute¡ªright hand on the forehead with palm out and open, and left hand behind with palm also out and open; legs together¡ª, she spoke to them like a soldier. ¡°Colonel Kyora Tseri! Lieutenant Colonel Virn Lorralis! Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you.¡± Despite being in the Navy for only a few days, she was well-adapted to Military discipline.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for special training?¡± Kyora asked.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Then we can have one of our non-commissioned officers train you.¡±


    ¡°I would like to learn from the best, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere, corporal.¡±


    Through her Q-comms link, Virn said, ¡°Let¡¯s humor her. What have we to lose?¡±


    ¡°Our time,¡± Kyora responded, ¡°but fine. I¡¯ll humor her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing the three of us into a new instance,¡± Kyora said as she tapped on a lumionic interface generated by the simulator. When she finished, the sergeant and cadets vanished, but the environment remained. ¡°What would you like to learn from us?¡±


    ¡°I would like to familiarize myself with the various combat classes available to me, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°There is an orientation module that the cadets will see later,¡± Kyora told her, ¡°but I will load it for you now.¡± After interacting with lumionic interfaces once more, a lineup of eight lumigraphic mannequins appeared. Each mannequin represented one of the eight predefined combat classes available to an Accellus user. Every class had its own armor configuration¡ªthe ratio of SIRAC armor to exposed polyalloy bodysuit¡ªranging from minimal like Kyora¡¯s to heavy like Virn¡¯s. Weapons floated near the mannequin of the class to which they belonged.


    Krystal browsed the combat classes like a visitor to a museum as she stopped periodically to read the info boxes next to each one. Kyora and Virn looked on as Krystal practiced a process of elimination until she arrived at support: a class with a light to moderate armor configuration. Of all the weapons and equipment suspended around the support mannequin, one in particular caught her eyes.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Krystal asked, pointing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a disc,¡± Kyora told Krystal flatly as the corporal grabbed the lenticular, thirty-centimeter disc and held it close. ¡°Discthrowing is perhaps one of the more mentally-intense specializations.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Imagine having two pairs of eyes,¡± Virn illustrated. ¡°One pair is yours and the other is on the disc. You can view your surroundings through both pairs at once, and you use both pairs to engage your enemy both from your handheld weapon and the drone simultaneously. You must be aware of your position and the drone¡¯s at all times.¡±


    ¡°The difficulty lies in ordering the disc drone,¡± Kyora explained, ¡°while at the same time looking out for yourself.¡±


    Krystal asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it automatic?¡±


    ¡°It keeps itself aloft,¡± Kyora responded, ¡°but you must assign its targets which are either going to be in your direct line of sight or the disc¡¯s. Both Avond Designs and the Military were reluctant to give the disc a mind of its own for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, most beginners neglect their disc when they start taking fire and it ends up idling until it¡¯s shot down.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Krystal said as she turned the disc around with her hands and examined both of its sides before holding it in front of her chest. ¡°Can I give it a try?¡±


    ¡°After you configure your armor for support,¡± Kyora explained. Krystal¡¯s Accellus fabricated SIRAC around her chest and upper arms while leaving her bodysuit exposed at the forearms, abdomen, pelvic area and thighs. Being a product of the simulator, Kyora had to link the lumionic disc to Krystal¡¯s Accellus as if it were her own.


    ¡°One exercise we have trainees perform,¡± Kyora told her, ¡°is for you to run around a tight track while you pilot the drone through a course.¡± As she said this, her right fingers inputed a torrent of information into a lumigraphic interface that brought the track and drone course forth into existence. ¡°Go ahead and give it a shot. Just throw the disc into the air and pilot it through the rings until you get comfortable, and then you can start running.¡±


    Doing as she was instructed, Krystal held the disc in her right hand, brought it to her left shoulder, and flung the disc into the air where it floated on gravitics. She could see through the drone¡¯s photosensors via lumigraphs projected on her corneas. Every movement the disc made was a product of Krystal¡¯s thought through her neural interface. After one successful pass through the course with the disc, Krystal jogged toward the oblong track and ran several laps without ever losing control of the disc.


    ¡°Do you have any prior experience with discs?¡± Kyora asked her, impressed by Krystal¡¯s demonstration of skill well into an intermediate level.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, ma¡¯am,¡± Krystal said through her breaths as she came to a stop in front of Kyora and Virn. ¡°Has anyone ever tried to control two at a time?¡±


    ¡°Most supports use only one,¡± Virn said, noticing that the disc kept circulating through its course. ¡°Though there have been known exceptions.¡±


    ¡°Can I try it?¡±


    ¡°Humph. Knock yourself out,¡± Kyora told her. Moments later, Krystal was running around the track again while maintaining two discs on the course¡ªboth traveling in opposite directions. Virn was genuinely impressed. Kyora did not know what to make of Krystal¡¯s seemingly immense mental aptitude.

 21 - Quietus

    It had been three weeks since Rikter Svalti¡¯s hunting trip with Minister Gresken. The doors to the barracks opened, and in walked the Elestan Revenant sporting a black shirt and gray pants. The barracks was a long room within the small Republic corvette that served as shared-sex quarters for Quietus of Hiracet. Even the head beyond the barracks¡¯ forward door was intended for simultaneous use by both sexes. On the aft wall was another door that connected to the armory. Recessed bunks lined both walls all the way through and were separated by storage lockers. In the middle of the barracks was a long table with several chairs. There was enough room to move around, but everything was packed together as tightly as possible before becoming too uncomfortable.


    Jade Valaa had been waiting for him to return from the front of the ship. She leaned on the wall next to her recessed bunk and wore only a white top. Her red Yeran skin and long bronze hair set her ablaze relative to the dark gray walls of the ship.


    ¡°We¡¯re suiting up in ten,¡± Svalti told Jade in his Persean accent, noting her readiness represented by her bare skin from the waist down. He untucked his shirt and took it off, displaying his Brand of Revenancy across his back. The bottom of Jade¡¯s Brand was just visible below her top. ¡°Where the hell is everybody?¡± he asked as he folded his shirt on the center table.


    ¡°I¡¯m over here,¡± said Itagoreth Ransun, waving his dark Terran arm out of his bunk. His head was smooth and tattooed patterns ran down both of his arms.


    ¡°You heard me, Itagoreth?¡± Svalti yelled toward him.


    ¡°Yes sir, I did!¡± Itagoreth was listening to music through a pair of earphones that were clasped to his auricles. ¡°Suiting up in ten!¡±


    Jade stepped away from the wall to stand next to him, and then she said, ¡°Jon and Vald are in the head.¡± Svalti turned to put his shirt on his bunk, and then faced her as she continued. ¡°Dreth is in the mess, and Aran and Tykon are setting up in the armory.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jade,¡± he told her, and at that moment Dreth Wade walked through the port doorway drinking from a cup in his hand. Jade crossed her arms as Svalti said, ¡°Good. Four to go. Keep these beasts under control for me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He patted her shoulder as he took off toward the head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it,¡± she told him. Jade was Svalti¡¯s second-in-command, had been around since the beginning of their special unit, and while she did not blindly follow his orders, her loyalty to him was unmatched. Walking over to Itagoreth¡¯s bunk, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to his feet, telling him it was ¡°Time to get up.¡±


    ¡°Is that any way to treat a dead man?¡± he asked, unclasping his earphones from his ears. He turned his body sideways and stood from the bunk. On the other side of the barracks, Dreth chugged the remaining liquid in his cup and slammed it on the table in his usual way. One look at Jade or Rikter was all he needed to step back in line, and other than their attitudes, there was nothing particularly imposing about either of them; however, Dreth was a large person, towering at two-point-two meters. He was born from the womb; a living example of the kind of men that flesh and blood could still breed.


    In the head which was devoid of dividers or stalls, Svalti stepped up to one of the latrines, unfastened his fly, and urinated into the dry bowl. There was a hose on the side of each toilet designed for use by either a male or female in during gravitics failure. Svalti refastened his fly while he watched the bowl be cleansed with cleaning solution. Looking to either side, he saw Jon and Vald relieving themselves. Facing the bathroom door and about to leave, he shouted ¡°Let¡¯s go-o-o-o! Pinch it off!¡± He heard one toilet flush, and then the other. Finally, Jon and Vald emerged from the head and Svalti herded them into the barracks.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready in the armory,¡± Aran Eda called, a Terran still in her full uniform who just emerged from the armory door with Tykon Marsar. ¡°Svalti and Jade, you two first,¡± Aran told them.


    ¡°Attention!¡± Svalti yelled. ¡°Get ready to suit up!¡± Svalti and the others took off whatever remaining clothing they had on and lined up in the armory. Svalti and Jade walked onto separate pads in the middle of the room. Once their bodies were in an upright and balanced standing position, they were locked in lumionic stasis. These pads were fabricators. A polyalloy bodysuit slowly crept up Svalti and Jade¡¯s legs and bodies. This Novekk bodysuit differed from Avond¡¯s in that it had absolutely no modesty. Everything, including genitalia, were still visible on a soldier. After the bodysuit was generated, the bulky Type-M power armor grew upon the bodysuit like a self-assembled construct that still looked inorganic like a product of industrial manufacturing. Normal Type-M was metallic slate in appearance, but Quietus of Hiracet¡¯s was all matte black. Quietus¡¯ suits were also equipped with personal, miniature jump drives that would allow them to strike at the heart of enemy installations in the contested Persean Rift.


    The fabrication of the bodysuit and Type-M took forty-five seconds. Once Svalti and Jade were fully armored, they were released from stasis and walked off the pad, allowing the next soldiers to step on. The thick armor conformed to everyone¡¯s unique body-shapes differently, but without their HUDs, it would have been difficult to tell each other apart. Once everyone was in armor, they all grabbed their prefabricated weapons and awaited orders.


    ¡°We¡¯re approaching blink distance, Revenants,¡± said the captain of the ship over intercom. Svalti¡¯s team was waiting in the armory. ¡°You should see your destination now.¡± Svalti looked around the room until he found a marker on his helmet¡¯s HUD.


    ¡°Destination acknowledged,¡± Svalti told the captain, pointing in its direction so that everyone in his team could see. ¡°Look alive, Quietus!¡± Svalti shouted to the team. He could see their distance to the target shrinking. ¡°Blink in twenty seconds.¡± The ship rocked from weapons impacting on its lumionic shielding. ¡°Ten seconds. Five... four... three... two... one... jump now now now!¡± All eight of them were enveloped by spherical artificial wormholes that opened and closed faster than a human eye could see. Their sudden subspace jumps produced deafening shockwaves in both the armory and the room in which they arrived while also releasing bursts of heat and light. Blinking was not a stealth tactic, but stealth would detract from their overt shock-and-awe style.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Quietus had blinked into a cargo hold of an omnium refinery ship. They all appeared in midair and fell to the floor. Blast doors decorated with the Alliance¡¯s green Astral Archer emblem closed before and behind them, the interior lights turned red, sirens sounded, and two ceiling turrets dropped down to greet them. The Republic soldiers spread out, ducked behind cargo containers, and quickly dispatched the turrets with their heavy assault drivers. The Alliance was getting into the habit of arming the interiors as well as the exteriors of its deep space industrial ships to defend them against strike teams like Svalti¡¯s. Quietus¡¯ directive was to secure, and in situations where that was not possible or feasible, destroy. The corvette was already in a subspace corridor on the way back to Republic zones in the Rift.


    ¡°Vald, you¡¯re up,¡± Svalti said.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Vald acknowledged, moving to override the door¡¯s locking mechanism with a hacking suite built into his suit. He had to maintain direct contact to the door¡¯s controls with his hand to sustain his connection. It did not help that the Alliance tended to isolate ship systems from one another. Had this been a Federation ship, he could have accessed anything from anywhere, but the Federation¡¯s defensive software was far more robust and would have retaliated against his Type-M, possibly killing him.


    ¡°Twenty soldiers behind that door,¡± Jade noted from their mass scanners.


    ¡°Take cover,¡± Svalti ordered. Once the doors opened, fire flooded into the room from the outside hallway. The Alliance soldiers stormed into the cargo hold and unleashed molten metal rounds they called thermal slugs¡ªmore popularly known as slag. The barrage caused the lumionics on some of their suits to automatically harden against it¡ªthe Republic ¡°invulnerability field¡± consisting of a nanoscopic meshwork of cross-linked lumions. Quietus responded with plasma charges¡ªplasma rounds encapsulated within an insulating casing. The Alliance slag built up on whatever it hit, glowing yellow and dripping to the floor. The Republic charges opened on impact, releasing the plasma inside that burned holes through tissue and structure. Several Alliance soldiers dropped in seconds. The survivors retreated back into the hallway firing molten metal at the reinforced crates Quietus was taking refuge behind.


    ¡°Jade, you have point,¡± Svalti told her. ¡°Move out.¡± Jade leaped over a container and sprayed charges down the hall toward the Alliance who were crouching behind support structures stretching from the walls. Hardening her lumionics, she charged into the corridor against a hail of slag¡ªthe molten metal bouncing off of the shield and landing in yellow-orange clumps on the floor. She did not stop until she was safely behind one of the solid, buttress-like structures. The slag ceased, and Quietus used the lull to move deeper down the corridor. Ahead of her team, Jade could feel and hear a rhythmic vibration.


    ¡°Heavy!¡± she cried. From around a corner appeared an Alliance heavy assault exosuit, lumbering with the posture and heavy steps of a giant primate. To one of its modular arms was attached a rotary machine gun firing an unrelenting torrent of conventional bullets. To the other was a cannon firing explosive charges. The unceasing sound of whizzing bullets and their impacts was broken by booms of fiery blasts. Cracks and craters formed in the floor and walls. Smoke was being sucked out of the corridor through the ventilation system.


    ¡°Dreth! Decommission this bastard!¡± Svalti shouted. Dreth moved a missile launcher from behind his back and over his shoulder that remained attached to his suit. Hardening his shields, he jumped from cover into the middle of the corridor. An explosive charge hit him right in the chest and detonated, sending him backward onto the floor.


    ¡°Dreth!¡± Aran shouted.


    ¡°Pig,¡± Dreth muttered. He raised his upper half from the floor, took aim, and fired his shoulder launcher. The missile exploded against the exosuit¡¯s shielding. Most of the blast was concentrated in a small point ahead of the missile, overloading lumionic systems and penetrating the armor plating. Still firing the machine gun, the exosuit stumbled and crashed onto the floor, landing on its side; a glowing hole straight through the torso section containing the pilot. As the suit lost power, the machine gun slowed to a stop, and the corridor was quiet. Itagoreth helped Dreth to his feet and Quietus continued down the corridor until they reached the junction from which the heavy emerged.


    ¡°Three teams,¡± said Svalti. ¡°Jade, with me to the bridge. Vald, Tykon, and Aran to engineering. Itag, Dreth, and Jon to processing. You know the drill.¡± From there, each team left down a different corridor.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Jade asked Svalti. Their suits¡¯ built-in sensors illuminated the bridge crew behind the bulkhead. Four guards lied dead within the short, narrow corridor, and debris from two exploded ceiling cannons littered the ground. Glowing slag flowed slowly down the wall behind them. Separating Svalti and Jade from the bridge was an impenetrable blast door.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said. Svalti gave the countdown, and both commandos blinked onto the bridge. All of the Alliance crew were caught off guard. Some collapsed from the sudden explosive entry. They directed their focus away from the door that was previously barring entry and trained their weapons on Svalti and Jade. A hail of slag poured from the Alliance guns, but it all landed on hardened lumionics and rolled off like water on a hydrophobic surface¡ªthat is, until Svalti and Jade¡¯s invulnerability systems reset from overuse and entered a cooldown period. Both of the Republic soldiers stood side-by-side, blasting the Alliance personnel above them while trying to avoid destroying important computer terminals. Svalti¡¯s shields were the first to fail, reaching zero lumionic field potential in seconds. Jade¡¯s were saturated, and she was quickly losing her own field¡¯s potential. Slag was sticking to Svalti¡¯s armor. He could feel the heat creeping into his suit. It would not be long until he burned to death in his own armor. Jade grabbed him and moved behind a low wall toward the bridge¡¯s upward sloping windows. The bridge, like most Alliance ships, was located at the bottom of the ship, and both of them were crouching on OPEL panel floors.


    ¡°Stay down!¡± she told him before raising herself back up. Svalti scraped his hands frantically across the globs of molten metal on his suit which was already beginning to harden. Their suits were designed to handle extreme environments; not baths in lava. Jade¡¯s shields failed as a plasma charge took off half of the last Alliance officer¡¯s head. After sweeping the room with her eyes and sensors once more, she dropped back down to him and asked ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°The suit¡¯s cooling down,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Svalti¡¯s shields were restored, and much of the slag was sloughed off by them.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°The dead don¡¯t die.¡± Jade helped Svalti stand and they moved to the terminals.


    ¡°Quietus, report,¡± Svalti called through his suit¡¯s comms system.


    ¡°Engineering secure,¡± said Vald.


    ¡°Processing secure,¡± said Jon.


    Svalti approached the bridge communications terminal and sent out a ship-wide message stating ¡°This vessel has been commandeered by the People¡¯s Interstellar Republic. Anyone found aboard unaffiliated with the Republic Military will be considered stowaways and will be hunted down and swiftly executed. You have been warned.¡± From the bridge windows, Svalti and Jade caught glimpses of engine fire from escape pods heading into the belt full of frozen meteoroids among which the refinery ship sat in orbit around a massive ice giant.


    ¡°We¡¯re detecting jump signatures,¡± said Jade. ¡°Alliance craft. They¡¯ll be here any minute.¡±


    ¡°Prepare for hyperwarp,¡± said Svalti to his entire team after situating himself at the helm. After several acknowledgments, Svalti chose a set of coordinates back toward the Republic-controlled Persean Rift, and Quietus with their freshly-acquired Alliance omnium refinery ship escaped into hyperdimensional transit.

 22 - Spectre

    By now, the hyperwarp synerdrive cores had sustained continuous operation for a little over thirty days. After Mirida, the Kelsor made no stops, though Xannissa advised Atara that it would be wise to stock up on matter in a nearby star system sometime within the next week. Her recommendation came despite her slightest reluctance to shut down the drives for fear they may never restart¡ªa fear substantiated by the fact that it had happened rarely with certain drive systems in the past. The happiness and excitement Xannissa felt at reaching the one-month mark on the synerdrive¡¯s operation was dampened by news she heard circulating amongst the officers regarding her sister.


    Cylenna was slumped in a chair in her small quarters alone. She was naked from her waist to her knees¡ªher short jacket fastened halfway up to her neck atop a combat-variant bodysuit that only covered her upper torso that she used as a brassiere to support her breasts. The elbow of her right arm rested on the chair¡¯s armrest, and her right hand formed a blinder for her right eye. Her other hand lied atop her smooth, toned abdomen. In the weeks following Mirida, Strike Officer Kodi had her pilots run hours upon hours of practices and skirmishes aboard the simulators, though lately most of their encounters had resulted in a crushing defeat. Cylenna¡¯s mind was fixated on the latest outcome, and her subsequent actions landed her in her modest quarters for the next two days. The Elestan pilot¡¯s hand slid over her abdomen toward her crotch, and her fingers gently stroked her clitoris. The headache she was developing made the sensation less enjoyable than she expected. Upon hearing the doorbell, her hand quickly darted back to her abdomen.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Cylenna called. The door slid open and Xannissa stood there leaning against the frame.


    Xannissa said, ¡°I heard about the heated words you exchanged with Kodi.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Cylenna responded. She remained quiet as Xannissa sat on her bed. Cylenna¡¯s face was partially hidden by her hand.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Xannissa asked. Typically, Cylenna welcomed her younger sister with open arms. Today, she just wanted to be left alone.


    ¡°Go away,¡± Cylenna growled. Her eyes dodged Xannissa; locking on the walls of the room instead. Xannissa crossed her legs.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I care about you,¡± said Xannissa. ¡°When I heard my sister was confined to quarters, I had to see if she was okay.¡± Cylenna was silent. Xannissa leaned forward on the bed¡¯s edge, placed her meshed hands on her knee, and stared at her sister.


    ¡°We were doing a tactical training simulation,¡± said Cylenna, still looking away from her younger sister. ¡°It was going well until Kodi had us fighting Alliance heavy fighters.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°We were slaughtered,¡± Cylenna told her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your training supposed to teach you how to handle defeat?¡±


    Cylenna said nothing for a moment. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to teach us how to win.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t win them all...¡±


    ¡°Watch me,¡± Cylenna said loudly before sitting up in her chair.


    ¡°...and that¡¯s why I worry about you when I think about you flying those strikecraft,¡± Xannissa continued despite her sister¡¯s comment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry about me,¡± Cylenna¡¯s voice quieted.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t give me a reason to.¡±


    ¡°You know I live for this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°I do. But I wouldn¡¯t worry if I didn¡¯t love you.¡± Xannissa leaned over and placed a hand on Cylenna¡¯s bare thigh. ¡°Have I ever stood in your way?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cylenna admitted, turning her head toward Xannissa and finally making eye contact. Cylenna digested that for a few seconds before saying, ¡°That¡¯s fair enough.¡±


    Xannissa stood up from the bed and said, ¡°Come here,¡± grabbing her sister¡¯s hand and encouraging her to stand. Before Cylenna could balance on her feet, Xannissa wrapped her arms around her sister¡¯s gray skin in a loving embrace. Their faces rested against each other, and Xannissa closed her eyes.


    ¡°I love you too, Xann,¡± said Cylenna, squeezing her sister tightly.


    ¡°If I hear of any more insolence on your part, I¡¯m taking you to the captain,¡± said Xannissa. ¡°I do want you to apologize to Kodi.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    As their bodies moved closer together, an item hidden within Cylenna¡¯s jacket, made precarious by her slouched posture in the chair, found its way out of its pocket. When the initial squeeze had ended, it fell from her jacket and hit the floor making a metal-on-metal tinging sound.


    ¡°What was that? Did you drop something?¡± Xannissa asked, casually releasing her hold on Cylenna.


    ¡°What? Did I?¡±


    Xannissa looked down at the white floor, and then she knelt down and picked up a small object.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xannissa asked. It had a clip on the side and a plunger on one end which was protected by a cap. The other end had a small point. Xannissa twirled it in her fingers, looking at it from all sides. The device was only five centimeters long.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pen,¡± said Cylenna, ¡°a writing utensil.¡± She stuck out her hand to receive it from Xannissa, but her sister did not give it back.


    ¡°It looks pretty uncomfortable to use for writing.¡± Xannissa removed the cap on the plunger and pressed it down. A clear fluid dripped from the tip. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like ink,¡± Xannissa remarked in surprise. Cylenna said nothing. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Cylenna kept her silence. ¡°You know what else this looks like? An injector. Are you using drugs aboard this ship?¡± Cylenna¡¯s facial expression changed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a victimless crime,¡± said Cylenna, noting the Federation¡¯s policies toward such offenses. Xannissa grabbed her sister¡¯s short jacket by the collar and pulled her close.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how serious this is,¡± Xannissa spoke through a grave face. ¡°Certain rights, like recreational drug use, aren¡¯t afforded to military personnel, and you should have the sense to know that. I¡¯m taking this for analysis, and I won¡¯t tell anyone, but as long as we serve on the same ship, I¡¯ll see that you straighten your act or I will have you incarcerated for the remainder of our mission. Is that clear?¡±


    Cylenna nodded. Xannissa walked briskly out of the bunk room and down the corridor. Taking a lift to the medical bay, she looked at the device once more and shook her head in disbelief.

 23 - Zone of Obstruction

    ¡°The lume looks clearer now than it¡¯s been,¡± Aedan said from his apartment on Earth as he stared into the eyes of a lumionic recreation of Xannissa using data sent over sub-comms.


    ¡°We¡¯re passing very close to Vandos,¡± Xannissa told him. They both sat on the edges of their respective beds next to the lumionic construct of the other. Each noticed that the colors on their projections were more accurate now, and they both noticed the overall lack of interference.


    ¡°Vandos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one among millions of other habitats out there,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°but what makes this one special is that supposedly it was a joint venture with the Republic, and it¡¯s the most densely populated place for many lightyears around.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any plans to stop there?¡±


    ¡°We just don¡¯t have enough time. Atara does want to make a stop for shore leave on the way back.¡±


    ¡°How do you all handle being stuck on a ship for so long?¡±


    ¡°We have four really good simulators,¡± Xannissa said with a smile.


    ¡°I see,¡± Aedan said as he looked around his own room. OPEL panels made up all of his walls, ceiling and floor. He had them set as if he and everything in his room were sitting in a flat, grassy field surrounded by oak trees under a starry sky.


    ¡°You don¡¯t use it for anything like...¡± Aedan said jokingly.


    ¡°Hah! How dare you!¡± Xannissa laughed and slapped Aedan¡¯s arm. After they had had a good laugh together, Xannissa said, ¡°But there is something I need to talk to you about. It¡¯s a bit serious and I may need your opinion.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Cylenna.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Well, it all started when I heard about her disrespecting her superiors.¡±


    ¡°What else is new?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. But while I was there, I found a device of hers. I had the liquid inside analyzed by someone in medical. Turns out it¡¯s one of the more potent neural stimulants.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°They called it chronol. It messes with your perception of time¡ªslows it down.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I until today. I haven¡¯t told Atara about it yet.¡±


    ¡°Where is she? I expected her to be with you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on the bridge giving me some space. I¡¯m going to invite her back in when I¡¯m done talking to you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose,¡± Aedan told her.


    ¡°No,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°she¡¯s the one who decided that. But what do you think? Do you think I should tell her?¡±


    ¡°I always thought that she was the kind of person in need of more tough love. I think it¡¯s better if you and Atara intervene, especially if she poses a risk to others.¡±


    ¡°I just hate feeling like the bad guy all the time,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°I hate telling her what she can and can¡¯t do. It makes me feel like I¡¯m trying to enslave her.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever asked her about that? Asked her how you make her feel?¡±


    ¡°I, well... what if she doesn¡¯t tell me the truth?¡±


    ¡°Surely if she loves you, she will.¡±


    When Atara returned to their quarters later that evening, Xannissa told her everything she knew about Cylenna, her disrespect, and her drug possession over their evening meal. It wasn¡¯t until they were both naked and lying in bed when Atara proposed a solution other than confinement: counseling.


    About a week later, Naret saw the downspin face of the Saraian Range¡¯s Zone of Obstruction through her terminal¡¯s lumionic interface. Atara instructed Naret to hug the Zone as tightly as she could because she wanted to gain time on this maneuver. The young helmsman piloted the hyperwarping battlecruiser within a few hundred astronomical units of the seemingly random outpouchings of collapsed space. Ethis experienced as sound what Naret saw. Unless the signals were bounced over the Range, all sub-comms from upspin Civilized Space beyond the Zone were completely blocked. This gave the communications officer the sensation that the ship was cruising next to the best insulation in the galaxy. Atara stood over Naret once again. Xannissa and Sesh flanked the captain as they watched the virtual demarcation of the Zone¡¯s edge fly by at almost seventeen astronomical units per second.


    Sesh asked, ¡°Why is the boundary so irregular?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°People disagree as to whether it¡¯s even natural.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not natural, who could have even made something like this?¡±


    ¡°A weapon, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Can you make a weapon that destroys space?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, no. But I¡¯m sure people would love to have them. Take what I¡¯m saying with a grain of salt, though. We have no idea how the Range came to be. It¡¯s the only volume of collapsed space we¡¯ve ever found.¡±


    Naret asked, ¡°What would happen to us if we went in there?¡± as she continued piloting the ship while staring at her lumionic console.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Atara said. ¡°We would all still be alive.¡±


    ¡°Except that,¡± Xannissa explained, ¡°every technology we have that relies on multidimensionality would cease to function, including REMASS.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯d be dead in the water?¡± Sesh asked with concern.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Xannissa assured them. ¡°People seem to forget that REMASS relies on subspace.¡±


    Atara said, ¡°Don¡¯t let that intimidate you, lieutenant. You¡¯re doing a fine job.¡± Naret smiled and refrained from thanking the captain. The captain then turned to look at the three-dimensional lumigraph she kept open next to her that visualized subdar data.


    Subdar could detect the unique shockwaves within subspace created in response to any kind of spatiotemporal manipulation including gravity, warp, or even hyperwarp. It was unintuitive for most beginners learning advanced propulsion that ships in hyperspace create distortions in subspace, and that¡¯s when Xannissa would urge them to forget any ideas they may have had about multidimensionality being arranged as defined strata. Even if hyperspace was ¡°above¡± normal space and subspace ¡°below,¡± hyperwarp still involved the movement of a parcel of normal space¡ªalbeit in hyperspace where spacetime is less dense and gravitational effects are significantly reduced. The effects of spatiotemporal distortions are amplified in the denser subspace, and hyperwarp signatures are unmistakable on sensitive subspace detection and ranging systems.


    The detection radius within the lumigraph extended up to one-hundred lightyears in every direction. Of course, the Sarairan Range was marked as undetectable. Atara counted nineteen subdar contacts in hyperwarp within that sphere of detection, but one signature made her anxious.


    ¡°Xannissa, Sesh, look at this,¡± Atara said, pointing to the contact of interest.


    Sesh asked, ¡°Is it still following us?¡±


    ¡°What is?¡± Xannissa inquired.


    ¡°Same signature?¡± Sesh asked again, ignoring Xannissa for the moment.


    ¡°Exact same,¡± Atara stated. Turning to Xannissa, the captain explained. ¡°As we were passing Vandos, subdar detected a vessel on an intercept course with the Kelsor. They have no transponder, but the drive signature is Federation¡ªGreDrive.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s kept up for this long,¡± Xannissa noted, ¡°it has to be Military. Have you hailed them?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Atara told her. ¡°No response.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a silent escort,¡± Xannissa replied. ¡°But then again, what good is an escort that can¡¯t keep up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not Archangels,¡± Sesh said.


    Atara stated, ¡°I¡¯d rather not get tangled up with mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Especially the Archangels,¡± Xannissa added. ¡°But they can¡¯t catch us, so don¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    ¡°Unless they are corralling us into some kind of trap,¡± Sesh said.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± Xannissa said calmly, ¡°are you prepared to parley?¡±


    Atara said, ¡°If they¡¯ll ever talk to us.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The officers of the bridge carried out their duties. Naret navigated the hills and swales of the Zone¡¯s edge closer and closer¡ªnow to within less than fifty astronomical units. The unknown contact kept itself up to a half-lightyear away from the Zone, easing Atara¡¯s mind somewhat. One of the spherical drones that patrolled the ship decided it was time to shield-scrub the bridge floor, so the triumvirate moved out of the tiny drone¡¯s way as it made its lumionic sweeps. As the triumvirate looked on through the starscape projected through the OPEL panels, the atmosphere began to quiet. It was a while before Atara noticed this peace, and its eeriness bothered her. It was like a lull before an impending storm.


    Sirens blared as Fiori¡¯s adjunct announced, ¡°Warp hyperplane destabilization detected. Warp drive emergency shutdown engaged.¡± The demarcation of the Zone, which just moments before was moving by like the sea beneath a low-flying aeroplane, paused as if it were stuck in time.


    ¡°Adjunct, elaborate!¡± Atara yelled.


    ¡°Spatial wave interference intersected hyperwarp trajectory.¡±


    Naret turned around and looked up at the captain. When they locked eyes, Atara was struck by Naret¡¯s dismay; the latter shaking her head in a nonvocal attempt to deny responsibility. Atara told the young officer who was approaching the point of tears, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    The sirens continued to blare as the lights dimmed, indicating an automatic transition to the red readiness level and a call to general quarters. When Naret turned herself back around to look at her console, Ethis told the triumvirate that she was receiving a sub-comms transmission.


    ¡°Put it through,¡± Atara told her. A lumigraph appeared before the triumvirate. Their eyes met a helmeted man dressed in dark yellow armor with three clean red stripes crossing diagonally over his chest. The stripes bifurcated on his left breast and terminated with the Miri-equivalent symbols for ¡°3BS¡± arranged vertically. The armor¡¯s design was reminiscent of Novekk¡¯s work, albeit modified for marauding. The armor was scratched and worn, revealing the metallic nanoplating beneath the armor¡¯s coloring.


    ¡°Greetings, captain,¡± said the armored marauder. ¡°You¡¯ve entered territory belonging to the Three Brothers Syndicate. As such, we reserve the right to collect a toll.¡±


    ¡°Saraia owns these volumes,¡± Atara rebutted, ¡°and they have given us freedom to navigate.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± the marauder said, ¡°you¡¯ve warped into a dangerous place. We can guarantee your safe passage with a price.¡±


    Atara asked, ¡°What is it you want?¡±


    Without hesitation, the marauder stated, ¡°The schematics of your so-called ¡®synerdrive.¡¯¡± Atara said nothing. After a few moments of silence, the marauder said, ¡°All we want is a little information. No one has to die today.¡±


    ¡°Stop wasting your breath,¡± Atara told him. ¡°You can¡¯t intimidate us.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± said the marauder captain. ¡°After I steal your ship, I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s been a while since my boys have had any good R and R. What better than a ship full of... beautiful women?¡± The marauder laughed heartily at the thought. Leaning closer to the lumigraph, he growled, ¡°And I¡¯m coming for you, captain.¡± Then the lumigraph disappeared.


    ¡°Total savages,¡± Xannissa muttered.


    Atara said to Xannissa, ¡°They¡¯ll never get the chance.¡± Louder and to her bridge she commanded, ¡°Put our strikecraft on standby. Have we calculated the source of the kick?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± said Fiori appearing before the triumvirate. ¡°The spatial wave originated from a stationary vessel three-hundred-thousand kilometers forward of your current position.¡±


    ¡°What precision,¡± Xannissa noted.


    Sesh added, ¡°They planned this well.¡±


    ¡°Three¡ª no, five new contacts detected at warp,¡± a bridge officer declared. ¡°Make that six. Closest is one AU. Furthest is fifteen. All closing on us, captain!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the kicker doing?¡±


    ¡°Just sitting there, captain.¡±


    Sesh asked, ¡°How large are these ships?¡±


    ¡°Destroyer-class hulls based on warp signatures only.¡±


    ¡°Give me those signatures,¡± Xannissa ordered, and a lumigraph appeared before her displaying each of them in separate rows. ¡°These are modified GreDrive units.¡±


    Atara asked, ¡°Same as that one following us?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°I never saw the other signature, but if subdar was spitting out ¡®Federation,¡¯ then the difference is night and day. These ones are either very old or modified from civvy engines.¡±


    ¡°Naret,¡± the captain told the young lieutenant, ¡°the rules of engagement in this situation are very clear. Tell me what I am allowed to do.¡±


    ¡°They kicked you out of hyperwarp without warning,¡± Naret said. Her voice was trembling from her surge of adrenaline. ¡°They stated their intention to kill us. They are of a known pirate faction which is deemed ¡®kill-on-sight.¡¯ You are free to fully employ lethal force.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Atara said. ¡°Tactical, launch a quarter salvo of warp missiles. Target all incoming ships.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± said a tactical officer. ¡°Prepping twenty-two missiles and firing.¡±


    Xannissa was still looking at the warp signatures when something caught her attention. She superimposed each signature overtop the others. Normally, every engine had very minute differences in its warp signature that could distinguish it from others of the same model. This is how tracking stations and ships¡¯ subdar could keep track of particular, otherwise-unidentifiable ships across vast distances.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Xannissa said. The results of her quick analysis revealed that every one of the signatures was exactly the same. ¡°Those ships are all fake.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°Missiles away,¡± the bridge officer shouted.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll see in a minute,¡± Xannissa told her as she panned her lumigraph toward Atara.


    The freshly-fabricated missiles left their tubes and engaged their small warp engines. Guided by the Kelsor¡¯s subdar telemetry, the missiles shot across the immediate deep space to intercept the incoming signals. The captain watched a lumigraph and witnessed the missiles approach the destroyers¡¯ signatures¡ªonly to fly straight through them, arc completely around, and follow the false targets until they self-destructed.


    ¡°Looks like you were right,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Not that I wouldn¡¯t have believed you.¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± said an Elestan on a lumigraph that opened before Atara.


    ¡°What is it, Kyora?¡± Atara said, interpreting her identity based on her short, white hair.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling,¡± the phantom expressed. ¡°Give me authorization to mobilize the Auroras.¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Do what you have to do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, captain,¡± Kyora said before disconnecting.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Atara spoke. ¡°Target that kicker and...¡±


    ¡°Multiple new contacts detected!¡±


    Atara sighed and said, ¡°Not again.¡±


    ¡°Positively-confirmed by optics,¡± said the bridge officer. ¡°These are real. Multiple corvette- and frigate-class ships deshrouding within twenty kilometers!¡±


    ¡°How could we not detect their omnium signatures that close?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°They could be using conventional nuclear reactors,¡± Xannissa explained, ¡°but we can discuss that later. I really should go back to engineering.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave sooner?¡± Sesh asked. It was only partially a joke.


    ¡°Shut up, you,¡± Xannissa quickly retorted as she hurried toward the lifts.


    Sesh stated, ¡°Those corvettes would chew our strikecraft to pieces.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re too close for our missiles,¡± Atara replied. To her bridge she shouted, ¡°How effective are our eighty-centimeter cannons against those corvettes?¡±


    The tactical officer asked, ¡°Is that an order to fire, captain?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Atara turned and told her, ¡°but if you think they can do the job, by all means.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain. Engaging corvettes with eighty-centimeter plasma.¡±


    Upon the Kelsor¡¯s surface was a well-organized, loose mosaic of invisible hatches. The missile tube hatches¡ªtwenty-two of the eighty-eight having just been used¡ªwere now closed. There were ten much larger hatches¡ªfive dorsal and five ventral¡ªthat opened to reveal turrets that emerged from the hull¡¯s protective SIRAC shell. Each turret possessed dual cannons capable of firing solid or plasma projectiles with diameters of eighty-centimeters. Once the sleek turrets were secured in their combat positions beyond the hull, the twenty cannons aligned themselves along the trajectories of their targets and fired in a sustained cycle of one bolt from each cannon every three seconds. The dual cannons in each turret operated alternatively, so each turret unleashed a glowing, white projectile in half that time.


    The corvettes altered their trajectories constantly in an attempt to fool the Kelsor¡¯s targeting systems. With Fiori¡¯s direct help, however, the fire control system could discern an emergence of predictable order in the marauders¡¯ deliberate chaos. Using this data, the cannons were able to land what appeared to the marauders as several lucky shots that dealt severe damage to a few of the corvettes. Damaged or not, the crafts accelerated toward the battlecruiser with all the impulse that their reaction engines could produce. Once close enough to the Kelsor as to defeat the turning radii of the eighty-centimeter cannons, the passengers aboard the corvettes activated their personal jump drives and launched themselves through subspace toward the vulnerable battlecruiser.


    A brief moment earlier, Xannissa exited the lift at engineering wearing a full suit of SIRAC armor over the dark gray combat bodysuit. The department was more abuzz than usual given the present circumstances. Her eyes darted from her personnel, to the synerdrive cores, the mediator, lumigraphy tables, and finally Lieren.


    After rushing past her staff and to the cadet, she said, ¡°What are you doing here? You should be in your quarters!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lieren told her. The young Larissian was visibly afraid. ¡°I was worried about taking the lifts. Are we really under attack?¡±


    ¡°We most certainly are,¡± Xannissa assured her. ¡°You need to armor up.¡±


    Lieren noticed the two armored Auroras now standing at the lifts¡¯ entrances. Recalling her ongoing Accellus training, she quickly sheathed herself in her own armor.


    ¡°Why are you in engineering, anyway?¡± Xannissa asked her.


    ¡°I came looking for you,¡± said the cadet.


    ¡°You could have opened a lume.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lieren said, distraught. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. And then I heard the drives stop.¡±


    Xannissa told her, ¡°That¡¯s when the spatial wave hit us.¡±


    ¡°Spatial what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hyperwarp interdiction technique,¡± Xannissa explained¡ªher tone betraying her frustration. She rested an arm on the lumigraphy table while she analyzed the Kelsor¡¯s systems in the virtual space. She noticed the large increase in mass expenditure from the use of the eighty-centimeter cannons. ¡°A hyperwarp core can emit a pulse that distorts local hyperspace. It¡¯s a common tactic to force engagements by pulling ships back into the material plane. We call it a ¡®kick.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Some syndicate rogues pulled us over because they want the synerdrive. That¡¯s what happens when you cruise around with bleeding-edge technology.¡±


    Lieren¡¯s eyes widened at the thought. She never considered that the Kelsor¡¯s advanced technology could make them such a large target or that anyone could catch them if they were.


    ¡°Just stick close to me,¡± Xannissa told her while she continued to pour over her lumigraphs.


    One of the Auroras yelled, ¡°Blinkers!¡± A series of flashes and explosive thunder rattled the teams of technicians and engineers. Lieren felt a hand on her back pushing her to the ground. Xannissa dropped down beside her and pushed the cadet¡¯s face to the floor. With her head looking to the side, she saw the emergence of a towering marauder in yellow armor with triplicate red stripes running down his suit. Two large guns unfolded from his back¡ªeach a triple-barreled, belt-fed, linear motor system¡ª, and he grabbed the handles and squeezed the triggers. Just like that, engineering became a battlefield. The Auroras sought cover behind walls, terminals, and deployable static barriers from the barrage of kinetic rounds as they fired plasma bolts from their own assault drivers. The intruder alert warnings were barely audible above the sounds of ricocheting bullets and expanding plasma bolts. Xannissa dragged the cadet behind the lumigraphy table before fabricating a helmet and a driver. After lifting herself up into a crouch, Xannissa and the others throughout the department heard another blink followed by a blood-curdling scream. Using her firearm to peer around the table¡¯s corner, she saw the source: one of the marauders missed his landing. Half of his body was now irreversibly melded with the floor. The ceiling autoturrets, equipped with their own omnium reservoirs, fabricated above to deal with the intruders as two more blinked in a half meter above the floor¡ªleery of repeating the mistake of the one that accidentally killed himself. They dropped to the floor, unfolded their guns, and before they could all begin firing, one of their torsos had been reduced to an oozing, molten hole by the streams of focused plasma fire. Another took a lumionically-contained, white-hot beam from a shoulder-mounted cannon directly to the helmet that quickly evaporated his armor and vaporized his head. More Auroras were streaming into engineering now to match the marauders¡¯ metal slugs with their own white plasma. The projectiles sliced through the air hitting walls, shields, armor, and flesh. Lieren wanted to be the strong woman she knew her mother had been, but in the present tribulation, she clasped both ears, shut her eyes, and began to sob. Tears streamed down her girlish, lilac face.

 24 - Three Brothers Syndicate

    ¡°Intruder alert. Level four security breach.¡±


    There was only one thing that came to Doctor Souq¡¯s mind when he heard the words echoed by Fiori¡¯s adjunct. His daughter was somewhere aboard this ship, and so long as there was an active security breach, Lieren was in danger. With nothing left to protect in his life but her, he leapt from his desk chair and put on the Accellus boots that he had been encouraged to wear for his own safety. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of having his body wrapped in a bodysuit, but at least he could don his usual attire over it. Though the suit easily covered his male anatomy, it could not as easily hide it, and that made him uncomfortable. As soon as he was dressed, he threw away common sense and opened the door. He poked his head out only to be shoved back inside by passing Auroras.


    ¡°Remain in your quarters!¡± they commanded him.


    ¡°I need to find my daughter!¡± he pleaded.


    One of them, knowing who he was and reasoning who his daughter might be based on names, said, ¡°Adjunct, locate Lieren Souq.¡±


    The adjunct responded, ¡°Cadet Lieren Souq is in main engineering.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a war zone over there,¡± one of the Auroras stated.


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you,¡± Souq pleaded once more. ¡°She¡¯s all I have left.¡± The man was on his knees now and grabbing the hand of who he perceived to be the leader. The leader of the group sighed through her helmet. Her Accellus was mostly exposed bodysuit.


    ¡°Armor up and you can follow us,¡± she told him.


    ¡°H-how do I do that?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have time for this,¡± she told him. She grabbed him by the wrist, dragged him to his feet, and used his lumionic interface to recall his clothing and fabricated for him a suit of SIRAC.


    ¡°Just remember this,¡± she instructed, ¡°do not get in our way.¡± The scientist nodded. The Aurora in the phantom armor configuration motioned to her girls and they set off down the darkened corridor. Bold lumigraphs on the walls visually announced the ongoing state of emergency aboard the battlecruiser. The group moved swiftly and cautiously from hallway to hallway as they followed the sounds of weapons fire. When they arrived at one of the local arteries, they encountered a firefight that forced them to hang back. In the wide corridor beyond, a line of three white, hovering battle drones lobbed plasma bolts from their twin cannons toward a group of heavies. Each drone was under Fiori¡¯s direct control. The phantom knew that the only one who could authorize their use was Atara. The captain made the right choice, she thought.


    ¡°Colonel Teseri,¡± said one of the Auroras, ¡°how should we proceed?¡±


    ¡°Hold your ground,¡± Kyora told them. ¡°Let the drones do their work.¡±


    The battle drones were only a quarter of the size of an ALAT, and they were truly the only heavy infantry in the Federation¡¯s arsenal. As most of Civilized Space¡ªincluding the Federation¡ªwas still leery of using fully autonomous weapons systems for frontline combat, their deployment was rare and always required senior level authorization. One of the drone¡¯s lumionic systems eventually gave up, reset, and exposed the drone¡¯s armor to direct kinetic bombardment. It wasn¡¯t long before the drone¡¯s exterior had been penetrated. The syndicate bullets shredded its innards, and the drone stopped firing. It¡¯s dying husk drifted to the floor, shooting off sparks and flames. The other two battle drones soldiered on, completely immune to the psychological aspects of battle. Their persistent advance was enough to drive the surviving marauders back down the corridor.


    ¡°This is our chance,¡± Kyora told them. ¡°Make for the other side! Now!¡± The group, led by Virn, charged across the open corridor, past the dead drone, and into the other hallway. Kyora brought up the rear until all of them were safely across, including Souq. The group moved about twenty meters down the hallway before something made them stop.


    ¡°Subspace rift detected,¡± said the adjunct¡¯s voice. A lumigraph marked the location of an incoming blinker. Two seconds later¡ªbarely enough time to spread out¡ª, the rift exploded and out came another marauder who slammed his feet to the ground. Reacting purely on instinct, Kyora charged the heavy suit as its user got his bearings. The phantom leapt through the air, fabricated her knife mid-flight, guided her jump over the marauder using her gravitics, sliced through the back of the marauder¡¯s neck with her glowing knife as she vaulted over his head, and rolled as she landed on the ground. She crouched there¡ªsmoking blade in hand¡ªas the marauder¡¯s body fell forward. His armor thudded against the floor.


    Atara and Sesh watched the Kelsor¡¯s white plasma shoot across the dorsal hull and slam into the last corvette. Proving tougher than it appeared, the craft continued to barrel toward the battlecruiser which prompted Atara to order that Naret change course.


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± Naret responded. ¡°Steering to port two-eight-zero minus one-five.¡± The corvette¡¯s shields ultimately capitulated to the endless bolt barrage. The entire forward section of the small craft¡¯s armor melted and broke apart.


    ¡°Great work,¡± Atara said to her bridge in a normal tone that only Sesh and Naret could hear. Louder, she asked, ¡°How many marauders are still on my ship?¡±


    ¡°Two-hundred-thirty,¡± Fiori said after appearing to Atara. ¡°Your adjunct detects one more subspace signature on the bridge.¡±


    When the lumigraphic markers visualized, Sesh yelled, ¡°Everybody down!¡± She, Atara, and most of the other bridge officers¡ªall of whom had been sheathed in armor since the intruder alert began¡ªfabricated weapons. The Auroras that were guarding the bridge stepped forward into the bridge¡¯s center circle and prepared to meet the marauders that exploded into the most secure area of the ship, immediately triggering a level five breach warning. The captain and the commander leapt over the divider that separated the center circle from the ring of terminals that formed the aft perimeter of the bridge. The other officers, including Ethis, took up positions in that cover next to them.


    ¡°Naret!¡± Atara yelled. She was the only one of the regular bridge officers left in the open. Not even Fiori¡¯s image was still present. The marauder armed his twin, triple linear motor cannons and started spraying the bridge. The Auroras were reluctant to battle him because Naret was potentially within their line of fire. Against all compulsion to cower down behind the giant suit of armor and knowing that the other bridge officers were in immediate danger, Naret fabricated a handgun, held it firmly with both hands, lifted herself out of her seat with gravitics, and fired the gun point-blank into the back of the marauder¡¯s neck repeatedly until he fell to his knees. When the firefight was over, Naret was still suspended in the air. Her trembling hands still clenched the gun and would not let go. She couldn¡¯t catch her breath, either. Atara and Sesh emerged from cover first. They grabbed Naret¡¯s body from both sides, pulled her down to the floor, and praised her for her bravery. The other officers joined in the praise, but it was short-lived as the Kelsor still needed to contend with the remaining marauders aboard, the frigates circling about them, and the kicker ship ready to emit more spatial waves to keep the synerdrive grounded.


    ¡°Scramble the strikecraft,¡± Atara ordered.


    After a brief, yet successful, round of counseling cleared her head, Cylenna was back on duty. She was already wearing her Accellus¡¯ piloting configuration: helmet, bracers, boots, and dark gray bodysuit. The hangar had seen its share of combat between the Auroras and syndicate marauders, but that didn¡¯t stop her and the pilots from running to their aerospace strikecraft.


    ¡°You ready, Ice?¡± she shouted to one of her fellow pilots she was fast becoming friends with.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll try to save you a piece of the action!¡± Ice was a Larissian and a Predator interceptor pilot.


    Arriving at her Savid Astronautics Goshawk aerospace superiority fighter, Cylenna used her gravitics to ascend into the cockpit. The vehicle was sleek¡ªa design choice that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also aerodynamic and allowed it to cut through atmospheres during blue space engagements. It possessed a warp system that was designed for intrasystem travel only. The fighter relied on a mothership like the Kelsor for interstellar transit. Once inside the craft, there was a minimum of control systems. The vehicle immediately identified her, and through her Accellus¡¯ interface, she switched the craft¡¯s ODEC from standby to active. As the fusion engines roared to life, Cylenna¡¯s helmet display changed to serve as her vehicle HUD. Most people knew Cylenna as a racer, so when they realized she flew superiority fighters rather than the faster interceptors, she told them it was two-fold: superiority fighters were on top of the strikecraft food chain and fighter pilots flew more missions more often than interceptors according to Military statistics.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    After performing her cockpit checklist, she EM-commed strikecraft control. ¡°Big Boss, this is Spectre One. Ready to taxi, over.¡±


    ¡°Roger Spectre One. Taxi to fence and hold, over.¡±


    ¡°Wilco. Holding at fence.¡±


    Cylenna engaged the craft¡¯s gravitics but held the fusion engines at idle. The Goshawk crept slowly from its bay and into the hangar¡¯s main area. She turned it to face the lumionic airscreen and drifted until her craft¡¯s nose almost touched it. The other strikecraft in her flight borrowed her usual nickname as their callsign, and they lined up behind her.


    ¡°Spectre ready for launch, over.¡±


    ¡°Roger, Spectre, you are go.¡±


    Cylenna throttled up her gravitics such that her strikecraft fell through the airscreen at five g¡¯s. After she was hundreds of meters away (only a few seconds), she throttled up her fusion engines and dialed back the gravitics. After initializing her warp drive, all three drive systems worked in a three-way synergy that conferred the Goshawk unrivaled maneuverability (except against interceptors) and saved omnium fuel for use in weapons and shield systems.


    ¡°Flights, destroy those frigates.¡±


    ¡°Wilco, Big Boss,¡± Cylenna said. EM-comms could become more distorted the farther from the Kelsor the strikecraft operated, but they relied on it for short-range communications first before using sub-comms in order to keep sub-comms free for long-range transmissions. Her flight of superiority fighters escorted a group of bombers toward one of the syndicate frigates. The strikecraft were weary of the eighty-centimeter plasma bolts and were cautious to avoid the firing lines between the Kelsor and their target frigates.


    Kyora and Virn¡¯s group of Auroras passed into the lower decks and toward engineering which had seen the fiercest of the fighting. They arrived in an outer corridor at one of the last ongoing exchanges between syndicate attackers and defending Auroras which happened to be in front of a closed blast door. It would be a while before the marauders¡¯ miniature jump systems had recharged. Virn fabricated her sustainer and found a place behind a SIRAC container to lay down fire while some of the others¡ªespecially Kyora¡ªattempted to flank the group of eleven marauders attempting to besiege engineering. Souq waited safely behind a corner with his hands gripping the sides of his helmet. Virn¡¯s fire was able to bring down one, and she was hoping that the shock of seeing him die would drive the others into cover. On the contrary, the other ten faced her and fired at her with a combined sixty guns. The Exan¡¯s lumionic system held on for a staggering nine seconds¡ªshe was mostly behind cover¡ªbefore its potential reached critical low, prompting her and the others with her to crouch down behind barricades with their weapons in their arms to avoid the incoming fire. During the kinetic barrage, Virn released her right hand from her sustainer and fabricated a concussion grenade. She swiveled in place to give herself enough room to throw it, and she lobbed it right into the crowd of armored marauders. One of the braver¡ªor foolish¡ªones picked it up when it landed, but as he prepared to toss it back, the grenade exploded. The detonation turned his hand into a cloud of metal chunks, bone, and blood that sprayed everything around him. The armor on his arm was shredded, and the weapons systems of several marauders suffered critical damage. Virn and the others felt the blast rock the crates and barricades protecting them. Without protection, the pressure wave would have made them deaf and damaged their lungs. With the marauders in momentary disarray, Virn and her group stood up again and opened fire. Their bolts ripped through the partially-pulverized marauder armor but only managed to bring down three before the marauders with functioning weapons restarted their suppressive fire.


    While the marauders had their sights on Virn, the blast door behind them slowly opened upward. Once there was sufficient space between the floor and the door, a shrouded Kyora rolled beneath it, bounced to her feet, and started unleashing bolts from her heavy pistols directly into the weak neck armor of the marauders. In moments, Kyora had reduced the remaining marauders on this side of engineering to a pile of corpses. The phantom deshrouded after determining that the scene was safe. Any remaining grasp on life from any of the marauders was swiftly denied by her handguns.


    Virn recalled her sustainer, took Souq by the hand, and led him into the engineering department. There, they found Xannissa kneeling over a visibly-shaken Lieren. With his helmet still on, and simultaneously not knowing how to take it off and not caring to, he knelt down and wrapped his arms around his daughter. Xannissa stood and backed away to give the father and daughter their space. He could feel her begin to sob, and he could no longer hold himself back. His helmet began filling with tears.


    ¡°Hyperwarp contact closing,¡± said one of the officers. Everyone was back at their stations. REMASS had repaired most of the damage to the bridge and its terminals while the Aurora had tagged the armored body so that the Kelsor¡¯s internal gravitics could haul it away.


    ¡°Show me,¡± Atara ordered. When it appeared on the lumigraph, Atara remembered it immediately. ¡°It¡¯s that ship we thought was Archangels,¡± she told Sesh.


    Sesh replied, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±


    The Virga bombers dodged the limited anti-strikecraft fire from the remaining frigates as they worked to acquire a positive lock onto the ships¡¯ engines. When those locks were confirmed, the bombers unloaded guided missiles from their bays, unleashed them, and broke off to circle around as their ordnance was replenished by onboard REMASS. This cycle kept the bombers a relatively safe distance from the frigates. On the other hand, the fighters flew much closer to the frigates¡¯ hulls. The Goshawks closed in fast and strafed the frigates with plasma bolts and missiles, dealing direct damage to guns and weak-points while the Virga bombs blew out the fusion drive systems which sometimes resulted in catastrophic structural integrity failures.


    ¡°Crit another one!¡± Ice shouted over EM-comms as the frigate detonated from within and its hull buckled outward from the internal stress until it blew apart. Most ship destructions were never violent explosions, but the demolition was anything but uninteresting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, Ice,¡± Cylenna told her in a more mature manner than Xannissa would have probably ever heard her speak if she had heard it.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Ice responded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you talk so much shit before races.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Cylenna said, ¡°that¡¯s before races. During one, I¡¯m a pretty cool customer.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Ice told her, laughing a little.


    ¡°Believe what you want,¡± Cylenna said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people die on the track because they thought they were better than they were. Doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t take risks.¡±


    Strikecraft control said, ¡°Cut the chatter, flights.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Big Boss,¡± Cylenna and Ice responded in unison.


    ¡°We have a new contact merging in the volume, ETA thirty seconds. Unknown dispo, eyes open.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± said the flight leaders.


    After those thirty seconds passed, the unknown contact emerged from hyperspace between the Kelsor and the large syndicate kicker ship that still had yet to exchange any fire with the battlecruiser. When it emerged, it became clear that the craft was a giant, older but repurposed Federation carrier.


    ¡°Attention, Federation vessel,¡± said an Elestan with black hair buns in the lumigraph being presented to the Kelsor¡¯s bridge. She wore a white and light blue Accellus 3 bodysuit. ¡°I am Admiral Relex of the Archangel carrier Limitless Horizons. As you¡¯ve no doubt seen, we¡¯ve been following you since you passed Vandos. Not often do we see battlegroups come this far fringeward, much less solo voyagers, but when we do, they are often unprepared for the bandits of the Range.¡±


    ¡°What is it you want, mercenary?¡± Atara said. It wasn¡¯t her intent to inject any condescension, but her tone belied her true feeling of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll brush that one off, captain,¡± said Relex, ¡°but that¡¯s no way to talk to us. We¡¯re just here to offer you safe passage. I¡¯ve even deployed my complement to deal with that straggler.¡±


    ¡°I humbly thank you for your assistance,¡± Atara told her, trying to sound more positive.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. By the way, who do I have the pleasure of addressing?¡±


    ¡°I am Captain Atara of the GFN Kelsor.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, yes. You¡¯re quite the talk of the town at Vandos, if you have your ear to the ground. I didn¡¯t believe it until we left dock and saw how fast you were going. Tell me this, from one commander to another¡­ did GreDrive do it?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said ¡®no?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Come on, captain!¡± Relex laughed. ¡°We¡¯re on your side! Can¡¯t you trust us for a moment? You know, many decades ago, I was in your shoes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine,¡± Atara said. ¡°Yes, GreDrive did it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very good news,¡± Relex said, visibly pleased. ¡°The future of the Federation looks brighter than ever. My girls and I will ensure your safe passage.¡±


    ¡°For a price, I assume.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Relex assured her. ¡°You must know how expensive it is just to operate one carrier such as this as a mercenary company. We don¡¯t collect taxes except from passing merchants and Vandos.¡±


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°How much can you give?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m authorized to use a hundred-million for parley,¡± Atara explained.


    ¡°A hundred-million mecred? I swear, the Navy has gotten stingier.¡±


    ¡°I can give you half that,¡± Atara told her, ignoring her comment.


    ¡°Half?¡± Relex exclaimed.


    ¡°My girls handled most of the syndicate forces,¡± Atara explained. ¡°You got here too late to contribute in any great capacity, but I¡¯m still feeling generous.¡±


    ¡°Fine, captain. If I had known I was coming after your loose change I would have stayed in dock, but I see your point. Just know that we might be a little more reluctant in the future. We will take your offer of fifty million mecreds.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m wiring you the money as we speak,¡± Atara said before nodding to Ethis who nodded back. ¡°I look forward to seeing you again.¡±


    ¡°If you ever step foot on Vandos,¡± Relex told her, ¡°you owe me a drink.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Atara said before closing the channel. To her officers, she said, ¡°Recover our strikecraft. Once everyone is accounted for, I want to reengage hyperwarp.¡±

 25 - Hotline

    Two days passed. Those who lost friends during the syndicate attack grieved their passing. The bodies of the marauders that died on the Kelsor were extracted from their armor, placed into stasis to halt their decomposition, and situated inside a large cargo container. The container was fitted with a subspace beacon. If the Three Brothers Syndicate cared enough about their dead, they would find them. At least, that was Atara¡¯s reasoning. Atara ordered the ship to stop in deep space for just a few minutes¡ªlong enough for the Kelsor¡¯s tractor system to launch the container into the black.


    On the morning of the thirty-ninth day, Xannissa insisted that the Kelsor stop to acquire more matter that the battlecruiser¡¯s onboard refinery could convert into fresh omnium. It wasn¡¯t until the next day that they arrived in a largely-vacant star system with a significant asteroid belt. With the triumvirate gathered on the bridge, Xannissa consulted with Atara and Sesh and settled on a ten-kilometer-long asteroid from which they would gather raw material. On Atara¡¯s orders, Naret guided the battlecruiser to within a thousand meters of the asteroid¡¯s surface. Xannissa took the lifts to a cargo bay she had ordered emptied in anticipation. Gravitics in that bay had been shut off, and Xannissa compensated for the weightlessness with her Accellus. From there, she looked through the bay¡¯s airscreen and gazed upon the asteroid¡¯s dark gray regolith. She watched the Kelsor¡¯s shadow curve across the pock-marked, uneven surface. The Elestan communicated with her team, and the ship¡¯s port-side gravitic tractor activated. The tight cone of artificial gravitational flux swept across the asteroid¡¯s surface, and the asteroid¡¯s ancient regolith departed from it like a river of dust. The regolith flowed toward the tractor¡¯s source until it was caught by the bay¡¯s stronger gravitics being projected beyond the airscreen. The dust was formed into a sphere, and as it gained mass, mass from it was slowly drawn into a long, hexagonal cargo container positioned just beyond the cargo bay¡¯s airscreen which was held in place by gravitics. The regolith was compressed, the container sealed, and the gravitics system of the cargo bay, acting like an invisible crane, rotated the container vertically and dragged it into the hold. What loose dust was on it was pushed back into space by the airscreen. An empty container was driven through the barrier into space, and the process was repeated until the Kelsor had collected three-thousand cubic meters of regolith¡ªthe entire matter-harvesting process taking about an hour.


    That evening, Krystal Zara locked the door to her private quarters. She had anxiously awaited this moment since first boarding the Kelsor five weeks ago. The woman opened her small locker, grabbed the box she had deposited aboard, and placed it on her bed. Inside was a small, black device with only one purpose. She grabbed the tiny device¡ªa cube¡ªand placed it on her desk. Krystal sat down in the desk chair, opened a lumigraph, and pressed the cube¡¯s top. As the cube¡¯s sides flashed red, the lumigraph before her closed and reopened a total of four times¡ªbehavior consistent with either poorly written, malicious, or surreptitious software. After the cube¡¯s software had finished its work, the lumigraph stabilized and presented an image of a red symbol against a black background. The symbol was a surviving relic of a state senselessly upended. No one younger than two-hundred years was likely to recognize it as the Star of Avenath: a small circle in the center with four flares radiating away from it in a clockwise spiral. The image changed to that of a man with white hair, a smooth face, and pointed auricles¡ªan elshe, and he was just sitting down as if she caught him unprepared. Visual artifacts corrupted the image from time to time, but they were the consequence of snaking her pirate transmission through the Federation¡¯s Q-comms and sub-comms network.


    ¡°Illeiri?¡± the elshe on the screen asked in Avenathi. ¡°I mean¡­ um¡­ Krystal! Krystal Zara! It¡¯s been almost ten years!¡±


    ¡°Please excuse my silence, magister,¡± Krystal responded, also speaking in Avenathi. ¡°This is the first time that I was able to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, your majesty,¡± said the magister. ¡°You were on the Akkain station posing as a guard until the Revolutionaries struck it and made off with the black omnium they¡¯ve been so intent on possessing. Then, you befriended the Federation, and are on the fastest ship ever constructed: the Kelsor? Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, of course.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to report anything, after all,¡± said Krystal. The magister grinned.


    ¡°Those Revolutionary dogs still don¡¯t know you¡¯re alive,¡± the magister stated, ¡°even after two whole centuries. If the Federation will openly support you, you will no doubt defeat that bastard pretender Taretes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention his name to me,¡± Krystal said coldly.


    ¡°I apologize, your majesty,¡± said the magister. His expression changed to fear when he said ¡°Oh no... our transmission¡¯s been detected. We barely even got to say ¡®hello,¡¯ too! Be safe, your majesty! Terminating now.¡± His image vanished, and so did the lumigraph she was watching him through. The door to her quarters slid open despite her lock, and two Auroras dressed in full sets of white armor marched in toting drivers.


    ¡°Krystal Zara!¡± one of them shouted. ¡°You are under arrest. Hands and face forward!¡± Krystal did not resist. She held out her arms and stared straight ahead with unflinching eyes as the guards put circular restrainers on her that covered her wrist bracelets and the ankle guards of the boots. The restrainers locked her out of any conscious Accellus functionality, and when the wrist pieces locked into place, a ring of light on the side of each restrainer turned from green to red. The guards commanded her to stand, and they escorted her out of the room.


    ¡°Captain Atara, may I see you in your office?¡± Fiori¡¯s orange figure had appeared before Atara who was enjoying her evening meal with Xannissa in their quarters.


    Atara finished chewing her bite before saying, ¡°What is it?¡± Unfortunately, Fiori vanished before she could get the words out. The captain sighed and looked at Xannissa who simply shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I guess I need to go see what this is about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing too serious.¡± Atara left their quarters, rode the lifts up to the bridge, waved at and quickly told Sesh she was going to be in her office for a moment, and walked through one of the aft corridors past the briefing room and walked through her office door. Fiori was standing there waiting on her.


    ¡°What is this about?¡± Atara asked her. She was concerned that this involved Aesho, but she was calm in her inquiry. The captain slowly approached her desk. Fiori said nothing until the office door reopened and two armored Auroras marched in with a Terran in tow.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said one of the Auroras, ¡°this starman was caught sending a transmission to an unauthorized receiver via illicit software. What are your orders?¡± Atara¡¯s temper sparked. Betrayal was unacceptable. Atara moved closer to examine the face of the accused, but the captain was taken aback by who she was.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Corporal?¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Fiori said across the room, ¡°please allow me to elucidate matters. If you would, please dismiss the guards.¡± Atara treated as a pet peeve any orders from her superiors that were meant for her subordinates, but because it was Fiori, it was easy for her to let it slide off her back.


    ¡°Wait outside my office,¡± Atara told them, and they nodded in compliance. Krystal had no idea what was going on, so what Fiori was about to say was just as much a mystery to her as it was to Atara. Once the Auroras left and the door closed, Krystal¡¯s bindings turned from red to green and unlocked¡ªa work of Fiori¡¯s seeming omnipotence.


    Atara crossed her arms while she turned to Fiori, saying, ¡°I despise being that captain that just blindly follows orders, so by all means, enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°I would be more than happy to oblige.¡± Fiori told her as she stepped between Krystal and the captain. ¡°Krystal Zara is an alias. Her human appearance is a disguise. The female that stands before you is not a woman but an elshi. Her real name is Illeiri Syoness, heir to the throne of the now-defunct Commonwealth of Avenath.¡±


    ¡°The Commonwealth remains,¡± Illeiri said with passion. The elshi used her anger to suppress her fear.


    ¡°From a literal standpoint, that is correct,¡± Fiori stated as she looked toward Illeiri. ¡°As long as you are alive, your sovereignty is legal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only still alive because of subterfuge,¡± Krystal admitted.


    ¡°Please,¡± Atara said, growing annoyed with her lack of immediate understanding, ¡°just tell me what is going on here.¡± Looking directly at Fiori, she asked, ¡°Why did you put a renegade elsheem royal masquerading as a human aboard my ship?¡±


    ¡°You are correct in assuming it was my doing,¡± Fiori explained. ¡°I crafted the Krystal persona and allocated the espionage technology that has allowed her to walk among humans inconspicuously.¡± Krystal felt behind both ears and touched both places simultaneously. Suddenly, her head transformed as it had for Doctor Iveti the day she received her NI upgrade. Her hair changed from blonde to a red more vibrant than Atara¡¯s own and eyes just as green. The auricles of her ears were ten centimeters longer, and a pair of black devices appeared, one situated behind each ear. ¡°Allow me to start from the beginning,¡± said Fiori.


    ¡°Please,¡± said Atara. ¡°I want everything.¡± Fiori knew the extent of Atara¡¯s knowledge on elsheem history, so the orange figure kept things simple; far from the state of things. Over two centuries ago, House Syoness was elected into power in Avenath, the birthplace of the strikingly humanlike elsheem race, the capitol of the old Commonwealth of Avenath, and capitol of the current Elsheem State. Avenath was the only planet ever discovered to be inhabited by intelligent humanoid life while possessing a native supply of omnium; accounts of which date back to prehistory. Decades after House Syoness took power, and due to increasing influence from the neighboring Alliance, a popular revolution led by the current Emperor Taretes led to the fall of the Magisterial Assembly¡ªthe ruling body of Avenathi nobles¡ª, and until now, no member of House Syoness was thought to have survived.


    ¡°After the revolution,¡± Fiori continued, ¡°the Avenathi Magisterial Assembly went into exile, and they shielded Illeiri from the Empire. The state of Avenath was incorporated into the Alliance¡¯s corporate confederacy and was granted representation on the Executive Board with Taretes acting as the Executor of Avenath.


    ¡°When Illeiri surfaced, she was already on Earth. It was then that she requested political asylum. When her background was verified, she was secretly granted citizenship and began working with the clandestine services of the Federation government to organize a reinstatement of the Commonwealth of Avenath. This plan involves interfering with the activities of the Elsheem State, such as the reacquisition of ecksivar.¡±


    ¡°What makes ecksivar so important to them that they are willing to risk war to steal it?¡± asked Atara.


    ¡°You assume the Revolutionaries want it for the same reasons you do,¡± said Illeiri, ¡°for research. Avenathi intel suggests that it is meant for a far more sinister purpose.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°It is not the Elsheem State that wants it,¡± Illeiri explained. ¡°The Alliance does, and they sent their elsheem lapdogs to retrieve it.¡±


    ¡°Military Intelligence has arrived at identical conclusions,¡± Fiori stated.


    ¡°Are they planning to weaponize it somehow?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°There is additional information that I must finally divulge,¡± said Fiori. ¡°Please wait while I retrieve it.¡± Atara and Illeiri stood quietly, almost awkwardly, for ninety seconds as Fiori¡¯s image took on an unnatural statuesque appearance; frozen where she stood. Not a virtual muscle in her virtual body moved. Her eyelids, which had blinked with biotic regularity, were stuck open. Eventually, Fiori blinked her eyes, subtly expanded her chest to simulate breathing, turned her head and said ¡°Please look at this.¡± A lumigraph appeared at Atara¡¯s desk, and Atara moved to sit in her chair. Illeiri and Fiori stood to either side of her. Atara¡¯s eyes widened when she assessed the document. Displayed before them was the first page of a secret Military Advanced Research and Development document briefly describing a research project undertaken by Akkain Technologies.


    ¡°This is why Aesho wants ecksivar,¡± Atara whispered. The document¡¯s abstract claimed that based on prior experimentation, ecksivar had the ability to neutralize orivar and military synthevars, and the goal of the project was to turn this characteristic into a weapon. The exact mechanism by which ecksivar neutralized other omnium synethvars was not detailed on the abstract, but that was all Fiori gave them.


    ¡°It would appear that the Federation¡¯s goals are more aligned with those of the Alliances¡¯ after all,¡± said Fiori to Illeiri. ¡°This document merely introduces the idea.¡±


    ¡°What more can you give me?¡± Atara asked. ¡°I want to know more about this.¡±


    ¡°I am unwilling to risk detection by the retrieval and decryption of additional classified MARAD information,¡± said Fiori. ¡°If you are interested, the person to ask is aboard this ship. Doctor Quen Souq led the Akkain research team on the project until his sample of ecksivar was stolen from his laboratory.¡±


    ¡°Back to you... Illeiri,¡± said Atara. She was staring at Illeiri¡¯s elsheem features and how not-too-dissimilar they were to human anatomy. Before the captain could speak again, Illeiri started saying something.


    ¡°You mentioned Aesho? Admiral Aesho?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± said Atara.


    ¡°She knows who I am and what I¡¯m fighting for,¡± said Illeiri, more confident as an elsheem than as a human.


    ¡°Did you trust her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She has assisted me and the Magisterial Assembly since I came to the Federation. She granted my request to participate in this mission which has more import to my people than it does to yours. If the Revolutionaries fail, the Alliance will forsake them, and without the Alliance backing it, the State will crumble.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could believe Aesho to be that altruistic,¡± Atara told her, ¡°but the Federation has much to gain from a friend so close to our enemies.¡± Atara approached the elshi and said ¡°I want to foster a genuine friendship between human and elsheem. I will do all that I can to show you I¡¯m trustworthy. All I ask is that you do the same for me.¡±


    ¡°With honor,¡± Illeiri said. She took a customary elsheem bow that Atara had never seen before, and upon straightening, said, ¡°If you help me now, the Federation as a state, and you as a person, will always be my friend.¡±


    ¡°I hope that, in time,¡± Atara said, ¡°my people will erase the stigmas associated with the elsheem and that our two species can coexist in harmony. Until then, it is best that you continue wearing your camouflage.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Illeiri nodded. She pressed the devices behind her auricles and reactivated her camouflage¡ªher hair becoming blonde and her ears humanlike. She thus resumed the alias Krystal.


    ¡°I¡¯m astounded that you haven¡¯t been detected yet,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°This system is Federation-made,¡± Krystal said, smiling, ¡°and was designed to defeat even Federation sensors.¡±


    ¡°I have one request,¡± Fiori said. ¡°Do not send anymore unauthorized transmissions. If there is anything that the Magisterial Assembly must hear, bring the information to me, and I will send it to them.¡± Krystal nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed,¡± Atara told Krystal. Atara followed Krystal through the door, picked up Krystal¡¯s bindings using her suit¡¯s gravitics, handed the bindings to the guards, and said ¡°Escort her back to her quarters.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± said the Auroras, curious yet asking no questions.

 26 - Ecksivar

    ¡°Quen, I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to do this, but we hit a roadblock. We¡¯ve been spinning our wheels for the last week. Meet us down in the lab tomorrow morning. That¡¯s an order from your chief science officer.¡±


    A month ago, Dr. Namara would not have had anything to do with the tight-lipped Larissian scientist from Akkain. Rather than doing nothing while Namara¡¯s science team labored away during his unofficial banishment from the Kelsor¡¯s omnimology laboratory, Dr. Souq was conceiving a plan to save the ecksivar that his researchers died for, no matter the outcome of their mission.


    The bearded Souq walked into the lab wearing the Accellus he was given with a lab coat and pants over the bodysuit. Namara¡¯s scientists, also in lab coats, leaned against their lab benches idly chatting with each other.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Namara said as she emerged from the adjoining lounge. She was tying her black hair back into a ponytail as she approached them.


    Souq was quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°You all, follow me,¡± Namara told her team. Souq followed behind them to the lounge where Namara¡¯s scientists took seats facing the two standing senior researchers. Within the room was a semicircular couch where the scientists sat, and behind it were two circular tables with four chairs each and a fabricator in the wall behind those. From Souq¡¯s perspective, the door to the lab was on the right and the fabricator was ahead on the far wall. Namara referred to Souq¡¯s model of ecksivar: part of the information that he was forced to disclose. She talked about everything they had attempted up to that point with most of the work centered on ways to destabilize the omnionic field holding the substance¡¯s achromon lattice together.


    ¡°What are you trying to do to it?¡± Souq asked her, puzzled.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t get the memo, did you?¡± Namara scoffed. ¡°My orders, direct from MARAD, are to destroy the ecksivar sample if the captain fails to retrieve it.¡±


    ¡°Of all the fucking¡­¡± Souq lashed out at her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Namara shouted him down. ¡°Those are my orders. If you don¡¯t like them, you can bitch at MARAD. Otherwise, get out of my lab.¡±


    ¡°You know what, fine,¡± Souq said. ¡°Let me give you my two cents, then.¡±


    ¡°Go on. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re approaching it like it¡¯s the same omnium we all love and appreciate,¡± said Souq, his voice laced with condescension.


    ¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions,¡± Namara told him, crossing her arms. ¡°You are the expert.¡±


    ¡°My model may be incomplete,¡± Souq explained, ¡°but there is more than an omnionic field at work here. Back in my lab, ecksivar was completely unresponsive to electromagnetic stimuli. We tried everything under the stars. From radio to gamma, not a single baryon¡¯s worth of achromons dissociated from the lattice. Another intriguing aspect was something we found on accident. We placed the ecksivar sample on a bed of pure carbon in a vacuum chamber to conduct adsorption tests. We blasted the specimen with all the known keywaves again, including a passthrough of the entire spectrum. Still nothing, or so we thought. When we weighed the specimen again, it had increased its mass by a picogram. At first, we dismissed this as simple error, but when we checked the carbon, we found miniscule traces of boron. We repeated the experiment again without the radiation and left it for fourteen days, getting a similar result. That¡¯s when we realized that our ecksivar sample could adsorb matter on its own without a keywave. Oh, and I hope you all remember that this is not to leave Doctor Namara¡¯s lab,¡± he threatened, pointing at the researchers. ¡°MARAD reserves the right to incarcerate anyone who....¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Quen,¡± Namara told him, raising her voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Quen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking to professionals. And I did read that in your reports.¡±


    ¡°Yet you still pursue the problem from the wrong angle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to hear your divine wisdom, but so far I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Souq sighed, ¡°in brief, you can¡¯t destroy it.¡±


    ¡°We must find a way. MARAD¡­.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, the higher-ups at MARAD aren¡¯t omnimologists. It can¡¯t be done! The best hope we have of keeping it out of Alliance hands is to rescue it.¡±


    ¡°How do you propose we do that?¡± Namara asked him. Souq, still getting used to Accellus, opened a lumigraph and showed the officer a concept for a small device. ¡°A miniature jump drive?¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°With a drone core,¡± Souq explained. ¡°A soldier sneaks aboard the Voulgenathi during our confrontation, fabricates this jump drive-equipped transport drone, and places the ecksivar sample inside it. The drone then jumps up to half-a-lightyear in any direction. The elsheem would never find it. If we survive, we call it back to us.¡±


    ¡°Does it even work?¡± Namara asked. ¡°And even if it did, who¡¯s bringing it over there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s merely a concept for now,¡± Souq answered, ¡°an idea. It would need a true engineer¡¯s touch. The one to bring it over would be one of the Aurora phantoms, especially one of particular skill. We need one adept at infiltration.¡±


    ¡°You came up with all this by yourself?¡± Namara asked him. Souq nodded. ¡°I want to see a working design in seven days.¡± Namara¡¯s brow furrowed at the realization that this ridiculous idea was now her best plan to fulfill MARAD¡¯s directive. VARICOR jump drives this small were not unheard of, but such technology was property of Republic Spatial Dynamics. Getting a license to produce even one would take months; therefore, she would need to create one of her own from scratch. With a full understanding of what she was getting herself into, Xannissa agreed that afternoon to help the science department on this project, and the two department heads assembled a joint team of scientists and engineers to build their own miniature jump drive.


    ¡°Quen, I never thought I¡¯d say this, but your crazy idea just might actually work.¡±


    The two scientists met on one of the forward observation decks after the first¡ªand successful¡ªsimulation of the miniature VARICOR drive design.


    ¡°How many times must I say it? Don¡¯t call me Quen¡± Souq told Namara has he leaned against the railing overlooking the OPEL panels showing the forward starscape that had lost parallax¡ªdistortion generated by their use of hyperwarp.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like it?¡± Namara asked him. ¡°It¡¯s a very cute name.¡±


    ¡°Because my late wife called me that every day.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Namara said. She remained silent for a few moments before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know,¡± he told her. ¡°It happened a long time ago¡­ while I was pursuing my research.¡± Souq paused briefly, carefully considering what he was going to say next. ¡°You know what, fuck it all. She was the love of my life,¡± he said, staring into the stars. ¡°Not many people know that Souq was her surname, not mine.¡±


    ¡°What was her given name?¡±


    ¡°Lira. She named our daughter Lieren since it sounded a little like both our names.¡±


    ¡°Lira, Quen, Lieren,¡± Namara whispered, nodding.


    ¡°She passed away during a peacekeeping mission near the Frontier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Every time I look at my daughter, I see her face,¡± Souq said. He sighed before continuing, ¡°I took the survivorship benefits and sent Lieren away to a private school. It had been six years since I¡¯d seen her again before coming aboard this ship. I¡¯m so damn proud of her.¡± He looked toward Namara with tears in his eyes, then back at the stars. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to see her face anymore. The emotions were just so raw then.¡± The man sniffled. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m telling you all this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Namara told him. ¡°It sounds like you haven¡¯t had a shoulder to cry on for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I regret sending her away like that. She¡¯s the only thing I have left now.¡±


    Namara placed her hand on his and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much more than I could have imagined. I¡¯m so, so sorry for how insensitive I¡¯ve been to you. When we return to the Federation, I will help you have your project reinstated, and I want to help you have a proper remembrance for your researchers.¡±


    Tears streamed down both of Souq¡¯s eyes. Namara wrapped her arm around his until he had composed himself enough to walk away from that endless starscape.

 27 - Cassandra

    The captain shook herself awake. It was enough to rattle Xannissa next to her who asked, ¡°Atara?¡± in a groggy voice. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°I think it was a bad dream,¡± Atara told her. She looked over at a lumigaphic showing her the time. ¡°Mind if I shower first?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Xannissa said. The Elestan rolled over as the Terran slid out of bed and toward the bathroom. Before she left the bedroom, Xannissa was once again fast asleep.


    Later that morning, while Xannissa was cleansing herself, Atara sat at the desk in their quarters and performed her daily ritual of checking her mail. The last mail she opened had no sender, subject, or body, and it contained an attachment with an unusual decryption. When she tried to delete the mail, it remained in her inbox. She completely forgot about it until she returned to have lunch in her quarters alone. It was one of those days where Xannissa was on AOTP duty, so she wouldn¡¯t be getting lunch for another hour.


    ¡°Atara,¡± Fiori said as she appeared across the table from her with her legs and arms crossed.


    ¡°What is it, Fiori?¡±


    ¡°I sent you mail last night.¡±


    ¡°You mean the blank one? That was from you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I found that I thought you should see. I¡¯ll be sending you more later, but for now, here¡¯s the encryption key.¡± Fiori spawned a lumigraph containing a file. Before Atara could open it, Fiori had disappeared again.


    The captain was close to finishing her meal, so she ate, recycled the dishes, and opened the file. The file contained a long string of machine-readable symbols. She opened her inbox on a lumigraph at the dining table and entered the string at the mail attachment¡¯s decryption prompt. When the attachment became readable, Atara executed it.


    Standing before the captain was a full-body lumigraph of a woman who looked exactly like her, from her red hair, green eyes, skin tone, and even hairstyle. The only true difference was the Accellus 3 bodysuit that the woman in the lumigraph wore, and she immediately began speaking.


    ¡°Atara,¡± said the recording. The woman paused to collect her thoughts. ¡°I hate talking to myself,¡± she continued. ¡°I am your mother,¡± she stated awkwardly, ¡°but all others know me as Cassandra.¡± She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Fifth Fleet Rear Admiral Cassandra Korrell.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Cassandra sighed and said, ¡°If you¡¯re seeing these recordings, it is safe to assume that I¡¯ve already passed away. I just hope that they find you at a point in time where you can act. By now you¡¯re probably wondering why I¡¯m reaching out to you in death rather than in life. I hope you understand that it was for your own protection. I love you so, so much.¡± Her speech was less stoic than Atara remembered from her childhood, though Atara¡¯s memory of her mother was fuzzier than she ever wanted to admit.


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m recording these is two-fold. First, I want to open up myself to you, now that I have the opportunity to do so. Second, I want to tell you why I lived such a closed-off life. And I¡¯m so very sorry. You don¡¯t deserve an absent mother like me.¡± She paused again before saying, ¡°I guess with that, I should start at the beginning.


    ¡°I joined the Navy almost a century-and-a-half ago. I was a bright-eyed schoolgirl much as you were when you were younger. I dreamed of being an astronomer; an explorer. I didn¡¯t care as much about starships themselves than I did about going places, and I hated the thought of plummeting to my death,¡± a fear they both shared but kept secret, ¡°but my parents didn¡¯t have the funds to support my education. I ended up enlisting in the Navy Reserve to support myself through university. It wasn¡¯t until I graduated and did the five years of service that I realized I could make a career out of it that I could enjoy. After my time was up, I applied to the Academy to earn my commission, and that¡¯s where I met a girl named Aesho for the first time, coming in straight after high school. You could say we were friends back then, but when we graduated the Academy, we didn¡¯t see each other until years later. By then, I had married your father.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep these brief to limit their file size. I just want to close this first recording by saying be careful who you trust. I am so grateful that you have a friend like Xannissa in your life. I never had a person like that I could turn to, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m in the place I am right now. I love you, Atara.¡±


    The recording ended with Cassandra¡¯s image vanishing from the room. Atara sat quietly in astonishment. After a few minutes of staring blankly into space, she decided to watch the recording again. As far as she could tell, the recording appeared to be genuine. Atara wanted to trust that Fiori was on her side in whatever dark happenings were occurring, and she knew there were plenty of them. Judging by what her mother said, Atara reasoned that Cassandra must have known something of grave importance. Did it have anything to do with Aesho? The captain was inclined to believe it had everything to do with the admiral. She would need to wait for more recordings to know for sure, but one thing was indeed certain: the multitude of emotions she felt after seeing her mother again was real. Atara was unsure whether to be happy or sad; to laugh or cry. She tried to hold her emotions at bay behind her unrelenting blockade, but this time, the dam was breaking. Her eyes moistened as laughter crept from her lungs. Or were they sobs? The mother she had felt so distant to was inching closer to her. She had never longed so much for her mother to be alive again than this day.

 28 - Inspection

    Unbeknownst to the Kelsor, Federation THORCOM sent a formal request for assistance in hindering or halting the Voulgenathi that arrived at Republic Persean Rift Operations Command, or PROCOM. Acting on that request from their ally, Captain Vonel of the Republic battleship Retributor stood on the bridge dressed in his gray uniform. Somewhere aboard his ship was the contingent of Revenants of the squad Quietus of Hiracet. His battleship was about to attempt another jump to move them further away from the Persean Rift and its never-ceasing Invisible War, toward the direction of the Saraian Range far coreward.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to make jumps greater than eighty lightyears,¡± said Vonel.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± the admiral told him. ¡°We can¡¯t risk it for the Retributor or Quietus. That¡¯s why we¡¯re sending a patrol ship to intercept the Voulgenathi in Onen. It will perform a routine ¡®inspection¡¯ of the ship which may buy you a day at most.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, admiral,¡± said Vonel.


    ¡°I am Captain Gorgin of the Republic frigate Basilisk,¡± the bridge crew heard aboard the Voulgenathi. ¡°You have entered Zone Seven, a district of Onen under the protection of the Republic. You are ordered to disengage your warp system, drop your shields, and yield to a full internal and external inspection of your vessel. Any actions you take contrary to these orders will be considered an act of war against the People of the Republic and we will use interdiction. You have thirty seconds to comply.¡±


    ¡°Where is the emperor?¡± asked the captain of the Voulgenathi.


    One of his lieutenants said, ¡°He is asleep, sir. Should I awaken him?¡± The captain shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°No!¡± the captain shouted. ¡°Let him sleep. I can handle this myself. Disengage our hyperwarp.¡±


    The Voulgenathi stopped somewhere deep in interstellar space. Within twenty minutes, a wormhole opened near the ship and out came a Republic frigate which situated itself on the Voulgenathi¡¯s starboard side. Two more ships¡ªcorvettes¡ªexited the wormhole behind the frigate and took to orbiting the pair of larger ships. All of them had their weapons trained on the large, Alliance-built vessel. When the Republic dropship landed in one of the Voulgenathi¡¯s hangar bays, the Voulgenathi¡¯s captain was there to meet the inspection team.


    ¡°I am Captain Fala,¡± the elsheem captain said as the slate gray-uniformed inspector stepped off of the dropship accompanied by his guards clad in slate Type-M. ¡°Welcome aboard the Voulgenathi.¡± The captain was projecting all the confidence he could muster.


    ¡°I am Commander Mallin of the People¡¯s Navy,¡± said the stern Republic officer. ¡°I will be leading today¡¯s inspection.¡± He swiveled his head, seeing all of the pairs of pointed auricles. So much elsheem filth. He could barely tolerate it. But he had his orders: delay them as much as possible, and it would be his pleasure to. ¡°How¡­ many of your compliment can speak Miri?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­,¡± thought Captain Fala. ¡°Not many. Most know a few phrases, but less than a fifth are fluent.¡±


    ¡°In that case, my lieutenants and I will be using translators.¡± Commander Mallin gestured toward a group of four Republic officers dressed in slate Navy uniform emerging from the dropship¡ªthree male and one female. They walked over and stood behind the commander, chests out and hands behind their backs, as he continued talking to the Voulgenathi¡¯s captain. Commander Mallin turned to his lieutenants and said ¡°Activate your translators and follow us.¡± The officers pulled back the sleeves of their uniforms, revealing arm-mounted, lumionic interfaces. Each of the officers had an earpiece for communication that would also be feeding them Miri from the translator. The job of translation was performed by the Basilisk¡¯s computer: Rellia¡¯s adjunct.


    The Republic officers and Marines moved slowly through the ship¡¯s innards, using drones, specialized Type-M modules, and hand-held devices to carry out their scans. A large party of weary elsheem trailed behind them wherever they went.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°How long are they going to be here?¡± the first officer whispered to Captain Fala in Avenathi. Both were on the bridge now. The Republic had been aboard for four hours. ¡°The emperor could awaken any moment. He¡¯ll be furious!¡± Fala¡¯s hairless skin began to sweat.


    ¡°Tell the ship¡¯s medical officer,¡± Fala said with his hand near his mouth, ¡°tell him to keep His Majesty sleeping soundly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to drug the emperor?¡± the officer asked, whispering loudly. Fala grabbed the officer¡¯s mouth, muffling him.


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    The medical officer reported to the emperor¡¯s quarters where Taretes was sound asleep on his bed surrounded by his five naked elshi concubines. After he injected Taretes with the sedative¡ªbeing careful to use minute amounts that wouldn¡¯t harm an elsheem¡ªhe gave some to each of the elshi. As he leaned over the last female, the medical officer scanned her body with his eyes; her brown hair, pretty face, attractive bosom, flat abdomen, sleek legs. He doubted he had seen a fairer female in the entire Empire. The elsheem doctor gave her an injection, and then departed from the emperor¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°Another Republic frigate just jumped in, captain,¡± said an elsheem lieutenant a few hours later.


    ¡°Damn it all,¡± Fala whispered in Avenathi. ¡°This is taking too long. Hail the Basilisk,¡± he demanded. Captain Gorgin appeared as a lumigraph near where Fala and his first officer were standing. ¡°Captain Gorgin,¡± Fala said calmly, ¡°how is the inspection coming?¡±


    ¡°My officers are halfway through with their scans,¡± Gorgin told him.


    ¡°My crew and I would like to get underway soon,¡± Fala stated.


    ¡°You will be underway once we have completed our inspection and not a minute sooner. Now, is there anything else I can help you with, Captain Fala?¡± Gorgin finished with a smile. Fala could tell the Republic captain was enjoying himself, and it made Fala sick.


    ¡°That is all, sir,¡± Fala said, and terminated the link. The Republic had cycled through two inspection teams and was now on its third. Fala couldn¡¯t sleep, eat, or even sit down. He stared through the slanted windows of the ventrally-located bridge of the Alliance-designed ship at the starscape before him. Twenty-nine hours had passed.


    Eventually, the Republic inspection team arrived at the last place they had not scanned. As they approached the large set of decadent doors, the group of elsheem soldiers who were following them¡ªeight in all¡ªran in front of the Republic officers and Marines to stand in front of the doors.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± said Commander Mallin, his Miri being muffled and Avenathi being broadcast to the elsheem.


    ¡°Captain Fala,¡± said Gorgin, stepping toward the elsheem as his image was resolved. ¡°I have good news. There is one last compartment of your ship that we must scan; however, my men tell me that your people are preventing them from doing so. Please tell your crew to stand down.¡± Fala nodded to his first officer who, grunting, turned to a lieutenant and passed the order along. Seeing the action, Gorgin said ¡°Thank you, captain,¡± and then disappeared. Fala said nothing.


    With the elsheem out of the way, Commander Mallin opened the double doors. Amid the luxurious decorations of all sorts was the large velvet bed upon which the mound of elsheem flesh rested, partially obscured by a thin golden veil.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Mallin stated. ¡°Search everything, including them.¡± He pointed to the naked elsheem. The inspectors tried rousing them but quickly gave up. The other elsheem of the crew stood within the large room and watched as the Marines in their slate Type-M gently hauled the elshi to the ground, then stepped away to allow the officers to take their scans. Many of the crew gasped when it was the emperor¡¯s turn to be carried down from the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve scanned them,¡± said Fala in Miri, walking into the room, ¡°now put them back.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Mallin, and he helped the Marines lift the elshe and his mistresses back upon the silk sheets. One of the Republic officers had wandered into a side room and returned with an odd container from which he was getting strange scanner data. The officer explained the find and gave the container to Mallin. The Akkain Corporation logo was printed on its side.


    ¡°What is this?¡± the commander asked Fala.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. One of the emperor¡¯s belongings.¡± Beads of sweat had been forming on Fala¡¯s face since the inspectors arrived at the emperor¡¯s suite. The inside of his uniform was saturated with moisture.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind if we looked inside, then?¡± Mallin asked. Fala kept silent. Using a tiny screen on the cylinder, Mallin changed the walls of the container from opaque to transparent, revealing the black crystal within. ¡°Amazing,¡± he whispered, at once drawn into its beauty. ¡°This matches something we¡¯ve been on the lookout for for some time. Under the authority of the People¡¯s Interstellar Republic, I hereby confiscate this item as contraband in the sovereign State of Onen.¡± Fala blinked once and led them out of the emperor¡¯s quarters.


    Somewhere between there and the hangar, Fala, voice trembling, said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot let you part with that crystal.¡± The elshe raised a sidearm. Republic and Elsheem weapons pointed toward each other in an instant. Guns and shields hummed softly yet menacingly throughout that corridor. More elsheem soldiers in black armor were pouring into the corridor from both sides, weapons ready to fire. Mallin smirked.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Mallin said. ¡°For each of us that falls, there are twenty more of us willing to stand. Thus is the nature of the Republic. Kill us, and you face the endless wrath of the People.¡±


    ¡°Your People can die in hell,¡± Fala spat. The dark corridor erupted, and it became a thunderstorm of plasma charges and bullets. The Republic inspection team was reduced to several smoking corpses, as were many more of the elsheem. An injured Fala was assisted to the bridge, and he gave the order to engage the hyperwarp drive and escape from Onen. The Republic witnessed the signature change within the Voulgenathi¡¯s drive core and opened fire on the battleship, inflicting some damage on the unshielded ship before it disappeared toward Alliance space.


    The door to the Voulgenathi¡¯s bridge opened.


    ¡°Captain Fala!¡± growled the elshe who entered. The captain knew who he was when he spoke. Taretes grabbed the captain¡¯s hair when he turned around, and with a quick slice, separated Fala¡¯s head from his shoulders with a plasma blade. Fala¡¯s body stood for a few seconds before becoming limp and crashing to the ground. Taretes threw the head away¡ªFala¡¯s consciousness quickly fading¡ªand to the commander said, ¡°Congratulations on your promotion.¡±

 29 - Synthetic

    ¡°Hi, beautiful,¡± Aedan greeted Xannissa. The quality of the lumigraph had deteriorated considerably since they passed Vandos. Despite this, seeing her nearly took his breath away.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if Atara stays here,¡± Xannissa told him. She and Atara were sitting cross-legged on the bed next to Aedan¡¯s lumigraph which was doing the same. His image was less resolved than it had ever been, and parts of it flickered periodically.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Aedan said, smiling. ¡°Not at all. Atara¡¯s practically going to be my sister-in-law. How are you both?¡±


    ¡°I got roped into a little side project with the omnimologists we have on board,¡± Xannissa explained. ¡°They wanted my team to help them build a drone.¡±


    ¡°A drone?¡±


    ¡°A drone with a mini jump drive.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I see. That sounds more like you. How is that going?¡±


    ¡°We finished the prototype.¡±


    ¡°What? Already?¡± Aedan was shocked.


    ¡°It works, but in sim. We haven¡¯t built the real deal yet.¡±


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m impressed. I wish I had you around to help with my projects.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too impressed. In our first series of sims, the drive burned out after one use, which is fine for our purposes.¡±


    ¡°What might that be?¡±


    ¡°Getting a certain something out of the hands of a certain someone.¡±


    ¡°So much mystery,¡± Aedan stated playfully. ¡°I find that attractive.¡± Xannissa and Aedan shared a brief laugh.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Xannissa asked Aedan.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he told them through the distorted lumigraph. ¡°I have a bit of a long story, so you can go next, Atara.¡±


    Atara was staring into space when Aedan made his suggestion. She hadn¡¯t felt herself since she had seen the lumigraph of her mother earlier that day. Xannissa placed her hand on her friend¡¯s leg, easing the captain out of her thoughts. She now had to decide whether to tell them about Cassandra¡¯s recording.


    ¡°I had a good day,¡± Atara told them. ¡°Fiori gave me a lumigraph of my mother.¡±


    ¡°How very kind of her,¡± Aedan said. ¡°I wish Klade¡¯s archonoid was that thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°Is it all right if I see it sometime?¡± Xannissa asked her.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°I almost forgot to warn you,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°but this might be the last time we can do sub-comms together for a while.¡±


    ¡°I see that,¡± Aedan said, noting the poor lumigraphic quality.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading deep into Thalassia Orionis, so sub-comm relays are getting sparser.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss seeing you two,¡± Aedan told them. There was a brief pause before he said, ¡°You know my Jackknife project?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Xannissa told him. ¡°You mentioned it when we were on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting really close now,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be transferring the project to licensing in two weeks. After that, I¡¯ll have two months to move out to Lanan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Xannissa said. Her face lit up just like Aedan was hoping it would.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live in an apartment until you get here,¡± Aedan told her. ¡°Then, when you get back, we can try to find a place together, after we get married of course. Klade will be putting me on a new project at their office there, and I¡¯ll be able to work closer with the Military.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°Say, didn¡¯t you have a long story to tell us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°It all started several days ago when I came home from work¡­.¡±


    The aerocar Aedan rode home¡ªit was always a different one since he, like most workers on Earth, used a ride-sharing service¡ªsettled down within one of his apartment building¡¯s shielded transit hubs. Once he had exited the aerocar and stepped away, the onboard integrated assistant thanked him for his continued patronage. The vehicle rose from its landing zone, drifted toward the airscreen, and flew out of sight.


    Aedan walked through an archway to enter the building proper, down a central corridor to the lifts, and rode up to his floor. At his door, all he needed to do was present his face and have his remote identification somewhere on his person which, for most people who wore civilian REMASS like him, was embedded within the REMASS device itself.


    ¡°Hi, Aedan,¡± a Zelnaran woman greeted him as he walked in. She was curled-up on the couch watching lumivision on a wall-spanning lumigraph. Aedan made enough money from Klade to live alone, but with rent being as high as it was on Earth, it would have been nearly all he could afford to do. For years, he had been sharing a one-hundred-square-meter, two-bedroom apartment with a Zelnaran couple. It took the pressure off of them all, and he was less lonely than he would have been because of it.


    ¡°Good evening, Deya,¡± he told her. The door closed behind him.


    ¡°You look happy today,¡± she said after turning down the volume on the lumigraph. Aedan walked across the room and sat down next to her.


    ¡°My project manager called me today,¡± he said in a cheerful tone. ¡°My project is wrapping up ahead of schedule.¡±


    ¡°The Jackknife, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± she told him with honest enthusiasm. ¡°Are they giving you some time off?¡±


    ¡°Two months,¡± he explained, ¡°but to move to Lanan.¡±


    ¡°To be close to Xannissa?¡±


    ¡°Right. So, I¡¯ll be working at the Klade office there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great that they¡¯re giving you that opportunity,¡± Deya said. ¡°We¡¯re going to miss you, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys, too. Living with you has been a blessing and a pleasure. How was work today?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ the usual,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Nothing exciting, but nothing to complain about. At least I¡¯m earning a salary. Oh, I wanted to tell you this since you brought it up: Rom¡¯s brother has been looking for a place to live. I think he could move in once you leave, so you won¡¯t have to look for a replacement. Some things just work themselves out, it seems.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Aedan said. ¡°Speaking of Rom, where is he?¡± Rom was Deya¡¯s husband and a friend from a past job.


    ¡°He¡¯s working over; deadlines and such.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, slowly nodding his head. ¡°Pouring his brain out like the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Deya told him while she rose from the couch. ¡°I want some coffee.¡± He watched the lumivision as Deya walked into the conjoined dining room. She was only wearing a top, and her blue skin shined in the light of the setting Sol beaming between two skyrises some distance away.


    As she was sitting back down next to him, Aedan, appearing shocked, asked, ¡°What happened to your skin?¡± The Zelaran¡¯s skin and hair had turned an unnatural metallic silver.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked as she looked down at herself. Frantic, she dropped her coffee, breaking the mug and splashing it all over the floor which prompted Aedan to jump to his feet. She opened a lumigraphic mirror to inspect herself. Every square inch of her body was silver except for her eyes which were pure white sclera containing black pupils and no irises. Suddenly, Deya was holding her head in extreme pain and sliding down the wall next to her. Her normal deep blue pigmentation expressed itself for several seconds, but her body returned to silver again. Both hands were on her head now as the pain grew.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to you?¡± Aedan was frightened. He knelt down next to her, put an arm around her back, secured her legs in his other arm, and carried her to her bed. He laid her down with pillows to rest her head upon. ¡°Are you a gynoid?¡± he asked her. She did not answer. Tears streamed down her face as her pain continued to worsen. Her skin flashed blue again, and quickly returned to silver. ¡°I¡¯m calling a doctor,¡± Aedan told her. He did not know what else to do.


    ¡°No!¡± she shouted, lifting her torso up and grabbing his arm. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am a gynoid. A doctor can¡¯t help me!¡± Deya¡¯s pain vanished in an instant. Her breathing was gone. Her skin started to lose its heat. She had no discernable pulse. Despite all this, she stared at him.


    ¡°Does Rom¡­?¡± asked Aedan.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said in a small voice, echoing shame.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°My camouflage is gone,¡± she said. ¡°My pain disappeared when I stopped trying to get it back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call Rom; tell him to come home,¡± said Aedan. Deya didn¡¯t respond. She just collapsed her head back onto her pillow.


    ¡°Hey, Aedan,¡± Rom said. He was a jolly character even after spending hours behind a desk. His face was on a lumigraph. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, man? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost,¡± he continued, half laughing.


    ¡°You need to get back here,¡± Aedan told him. He could see the concern on Rom¡¯s face developing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rom asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s Deya.¡±


    Rom sat quietly for a moment. ¡°Tell her I¡¯m coming,¡± and Rom closed the call. Several minutes later, he barreled through the apartment door and sat beside his wife who had moved from the bed to sitting on the edge of the couch. He pried away her hands which were covering her face and embraced her in his arms until their heads were touching.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Rom whispered. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    To Aedan, she had seemed as human as anyone he had ever met in his life. Seeing her as a gynoid altered his perception of her as a person in a way he wished he could immediately forget. Ultimately, both Aedan and Deya were victims of her silver android skin that she had been forced to conceal in exchange for some semblance of normality in a not-indifferent Civilized Space. The Federation was progressive in its approach to synthetics relative to the other superpowers, but it was still not in a place to accept them with open arms. Despite his personal relationship with her, her silver flesh evoked negative feelings within him. How would strangers react to her?


    ¡°She needs to stay inside,¡± Aedan stated, ¡°at least until she gets better.¡±


    ¡°But I have work tomorrow,¡± Deya told them.


    ¡°Sh-h-h. Aedan¡¯s right,¡± Rom told her softly.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± If she were able to shed tears¡ªanother aspect of her camouflage lost and products of real emotion¡ªshe would have.


    ¡°I know a scientist from a local university,¡± said Aedan. ¡°He¡¯s one of the consultants with my work. He¡¯s a walking encyclopedia, but he specializes in nanoids. He might be able to help you. I can take you to see him tomorrow.¡± Deya nodded her head.


    ¡°Deya, please,¡± Rom pleaded, kneeling next to the bed where Deya was resting. He was holding her hand and head. Aedan was pacing slowly between the wall of the room and the foot of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s been four days.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go out like this,¡± said Deya. Aedan had enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call Doctor Mikarr,¡± Aedan told them. He left the room and quickly returned. The doorbell rang nearly an hour later.


    ¡°Hello,¡± said the professor when Aedan opened the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you could make it, Doctor Mikarr,¡± said Aedan, shaking the Exan man¡¯s hand. He was over four centuries old, and by this time in his life his body had just begun to betray those abundant, accumulated years.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± said the doctor.


    ¡°Please come in.¡±


    ¡°So, Klade getting you working on nanoids now?¡± the doctor said as he entered the apartment. ¡°How can I be of help?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Aedan replied. ¡°Follow me. I have something I need to show you.¡± The doctor followed Aedan through the living room and through the door to Rom¡¯s and Deya¡¯s bedroom. Rom was still at Deya¡¯s bedside, and he moved away upon hearing the professor step in.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Mikarr said. ¡°I¡¯m no physician¡­¡± Aedan rolled back the bedsheets, uncovering Deya¡¯s featureless silver body reminiscent of a female mannequin stripped of its display merchandise. ¡°¡­but I know a gynoid when I see one.¡± He knelt next to her and asked ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± Deya admitted. Her voice sounded more distorted as the days passed.


    ¡°Four days ago, she lost her human camouflage,¡± Rom explained. ¡°She¡¯s been getting worse every day.¡±


    ¡°Has she tried getting her camouflage back?¡± the professor asked.


    ¡°She has,¡± Rom explained. ¡°It stays for one or two seconds before reverting back to her base state, and attempting to keep it up gives her massive head and body aches.¡±


    ¡°How peculiar,¡± said the professor. ¡°How rude of me. I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I¡¯m Doctor Mikarr, professor of nanoid cybernetics.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Rom.¡±


    ¡°Deya.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but there¡¯s little I can do for you here,¡± Mikarr told them. ¡°I need my lab equipment.¡±


    ¡°Take me¡± Deya said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To your lab.¡±


    ¡°I certainly can,¡± said the professor. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Deya raised her back off of the mattress, turned her body to the side of the bed, and placed her feet on the ground. Grabbing Mikarr¡¯s hand, she hoisted herself up, only to be caught by Aedan before she stumbled.


    ¡°Easy,¡± Aedan said, letting her collapse back on the bed.


    ¡°Help her put these on,¡± Rom said, handing Aedan a pair of civilian REMASS boots. Aedan sat the boots at Deya¡¯s feet, opened them up, and guided her feet into each boot. The gynoid selected and fabricated an outfit with a hood to conceal her face. Rom called for an aerocar which they caught at their building¡¯s transit hub. Taking off through the airscreen and at least half-a-kilometer high, the car¡¯s OPEL screen was bombarded by torrents of rain from the thunderstorms lumbering above. Every few seconds, lumionic fields parted the water on the OPEL¡¯s exterior photoreceptor plates. The OPEL screen quickly dimmed with every flash of lightning to protect the eyesight of the passengers. The autonomous aerocar held steady against the storm¡¯s turbulence. Wind from a storm like this was no threat to a gravidyne.


    The Central Federation Institute of Technology¡¯s campus was composed of twenty levels each in three adjacent towers. Shuttles flew back and forth between them ferrying students and faculty. Without virtual signs appearing on the aerocar¡¯s OPEL screen, it would have been impossible to know which levels of the buildings belonged to CFIT. The car guided itself through a rectangular airscreen in the side of the massive towers which led to a bustling, spherical transit hub. Vehicle traffic was restricted to the middle two layers of this concourse. People looked down from the balconies above and moved fluidly in the areas below. The car stopped over a designated landing zone and descended four meters until it was mere centimeters from the floor. The professor paid the fee and jumped out first. Aedan and Rom eased Deya out of the car¡¯s back seat and stabilized her as the three of them made for the main entrance several meters away. Seeing them lagging behind, Mikarr slowed his pace and walked in front of Deya, obscuring her from the eyes of the curious students who were turning their heads to stare.


    ¡°Professor?¡± one of the students said. ¡°I got your call.¡± He was walking alongside Mikarr now. The Exan professor grabbed him by the arm and said ¡°Follow me, son. We need to get to the lab. See if you can grab Nariel, Thea, and Doctor Koru.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the student said. Lumionics were visible on the student¡¯s corneas. He sent brief textual messages to the three people Mikarr mentioned.


    Halfway to the doors of the university, two police officers who had watched them since they left the aerocar turned to follow them. They were dressed as on-duty police usually were: helmetless Accellus 3 with light armor and eyes hidden behind lumionic visors. Shoulders, chest, arms, and feet were covered in black SIRAC that obscured the dark gray polyalloy bodysuit beneath. Three diagonal white stripes across the left side of the chest piece and across the upper arm pieces, and the white and black checker pattern across the bottom of the shoulder pieces, bracelets, and boots differentiated them from the solid black armor of the Defense Force.


    The group passed the sliding double doors and entered into a wide hallway which was vacant compared to the crowded concourse. After taking a lift up eight levels, Mikarr led them through the doors to his lab: a room of decent size located at one of the far corners of the building.


    ¡°Welcome to my lab-office!¡± he told them. OPEL panels served as the outer wall of the room. The storm raged on beyond. It was impossible to see the ground or the closest building; the latter being less than a hundred meters away. The opacity of the windows remained unadjusted due to the darkness outside. Doctor Mikarr cleared away the instruments, equipment, and junk covering part of a lab bench. ¡°Place her up here,¡± the professor ordered, slapping his hands on the bench. Mikarr walked across the lab to the fabricator in the adjacent office space and returned with a pillow which he placed under her head. He then snatched his lab coat from a chair¡¯s backrest, slid his arms through its long sleeves, and dragged his fingers down its front to fasten it closed. Turning around, he nearly ran into two police officers who had sneaked into the lab just after them.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Mikarr gasped. ¡°Hi there.¡±


    ¡°We followed you from the concourse,¡± one of the officers explained. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± said Mikarr, grabbing a tool from a locker, ¡°but we¡¯re fine. She¡¯s fine,¡± he said dismissively while looking back at Deya.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± said an Exan female in a white coat who appeared from beyond the lab. She was referring to the police officers standing in their Accellus armor, one with her arms crossed.


    ¡°Doctor Koru, I am so glad you could make it,¡± said Mikarr.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for disturbing you,¡± said one of the cops, and they promptly disappeared.


    Mikarr grabbed one of Deya¡¯s REMASS boots and said ¡°Mind if I take these off for you? You can keep your clothes on for now.¡± The gynoid shook her head. After that, Mikarr removed the boots to make her slightly more comfortable¡ªshe was on a lab bench after all¡ª, Doctor Koru drew several samples of cytoids¡ªnanoids resembling cells¡ªfrom her. The professors and their students worked nonstop for the rest of the morning and afternoon analyzing their specimens. They worked through lunch which was provided by the fabricator in the adjacent office.


    ¡°Oh, the wonders of technology,¡± said Mikarr when he synthesized his evening meal, and something that he said often according to his students. The office was large enough for him and his assembled team to sit close but comfortably.


    ¡°It¡¯s clearly a disease,¡± Koru said as they ate dinner, ¡°but based on what we¡¯ve seen today, it¡¯s infectious.¡±


    ¡°She had to have caught it from somewhere,¡± said Mikarr. ¡°She¡¯s not, for lack of better words, breaking down.¡±


    ¡°But there is something strange,¡± Koru stated. ¡°We tested program transmission between infected and uninfected cytoids, and it only spreads to cytoids identifying themselves as belonging to an android.¡±


    ¡°These nanoid viruses are not unheard of,¡± Mikarr explained, ¡°but the android¡¯s analog to the human immune system is quite robust. The amount of intimate knowledge required to create something like what we¡¯re seeing here¡­. Well, let¡¯s just say that whoever programmed this virus would have had to design her. A plague from the machine god of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Deya was born from another gynoid,¡± said Rom. He and Aedan had been invited to have dinner with the scientists. ¡°No one created her.¡±


    ¡°I meant her kind,¡± Mikarr said, placing emphasis on certain words. ¡°Engineer her race, if any one person could have done that. Then again, it could be the unforeseen consequences of biomimetic synthetics, much like the viruses that infect biologics.¡±


    After working late into the night, Mikarr and Koru returned the following day to run more tests and challenge the hypotheses that had stolen some of their sleep. The students and professors came and went as classes were held, but there was at least one person working with Deya¡¯s cytoids at any one time. Deya herself remained motionless atop the lab bench.


    ¡°Aedan, how do you know the professor?¡± Rom asked. He was sitting in a raised chair next to the now-unclothed Deya, and Aedan was sitting on the end of a couch positioned perpendicularly to the floor-to-ceiling OPEL panels. The storms retreated overnight giving them a beautiful, cloudless day. From the couch, Aedan could see Deya and the team working to save her life.


    ¡°I first met him when I took his class for an elective right here during my undergrad,¡± Aedan told him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him at several conferences and attended several of his lectures. He got me fascinated with nanoids, though I¡¯ve never gotten a chance to work with them at Klade. The professor is actually a technology consultant at our Klade office. He knows a lot more than just nanoids.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you two are good friends,¡± said Rom, smiling.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Aedan. ¡°I¡¯ve always seen him as a mentor.¡±


    ¡°Have anything?¡± Mikarr asked Nariel, his graduate student. They were on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Nariel said. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this all morning.¡± The student repositioned a lumigraph toward Mikarr showing the data from her tests. ¡°I took infected cytoids from Deya and placed them next to constructoids. The hardware for both is the same, but the software is slightly different. The infection did not spread. I repeated it: this time copying Deya¡¯s aspect to the constructoids, and they received the infection. Just now, I changed one of Deya¡¯s infected cytoids to a constructoid, and it cured the infection.¡±


    ¡°This malware has a high specificity for our friend there?¡± Mikarr asked. ¡°How fascinating. Have you tried subjecting other cytoids to Deya¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but I will,¡± Nariel told him. Several tests later, the team of scientists learned, with a high degree of certainty, that the infection was transmissible from android to android. The problem was how to treat Deya. Every cytoid in her body was infected.


    ¡°Doctor Koru and I have decided to try something radical,¡± Mikarr announced to the lab the following day. Rom was holding his wife¡¯s arm. ¡°We found that changing a nanoid¡¯s job kills the infection in that nanoid. Changing that nanoid back again leaves it cured. What we are proposing is changing all of Deya¡¯s cytoids to constructoids at once, and then back. As their name implies, constructoids are nanoids programed to interlock to create solid structures.¡±


    ¡°Do you know if this will work?¡± Rom asked him.


    ¡°To tell you the truth,¡± said Mikarr, ¡°we have absolutely no idea. It will kill the infection, I guarantee it, but when we bring her back, she could return to life, or¡­.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do it until you guarantee she¡¯ll survive,¡± Rom interrupted him. His voice was shaking.


    ¡°The android body,¡± Koru explained, ¡°is a complex network of cytoids reacting and responding to¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± Deya said in a voice that was barely audible.


    ¡°This could kill you,¡± Rom said, gripping her arm tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead anyway,¡± said Deya. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that?¡± She did not open her eyes, and she had been still for fifty hours. Rom stared at her. Deya¡¯s body was consumed. ¡°I won¡¯t survive the night.¡±


    ¡°All right, you heard her,¡± Rom relented. ¡°Do it.¡± All five team members were present in the lab, and those who had not already donned white coats were doing so now. Mikarr mentioned that the operation would move swiftly, but Rom was not listening. His senses were focused on Deya, the one person that gave his life any meaning.


    ¡°Perform the overwrite,¡± Mikarr ordered, and Deya¡¯s metallic flesh hardened like duralithics. Rom was gripping a solid statue possessing her form, clinging to his belief that somewhere in that mass of constructoids she was alive. ¡°And roll it back.¡± Deya¡¯s arm was soft again, but she remained motionless. Everyone in the room stared at her. Whether she was alive or deceased, she looked at peace. Her chest rose and fell, followed by a long pause. It rose and fell again. Her skin was returning to its former Zelnaran blue along with its accurate mimesis of biological anatomy and physiology. The gynoid opened her eyes, tilted her head toward Rom, and smiled.

 30 - Plasmastrike

    ¡°By now,¡± Virn began, ¡°you should all be comfortable with using your NI¡¯s. I propose we conduct a demonstration of your adequacy. Sheathe yourselves in full suits of armor such as the one I¡¯m wearing now.¡±


    All together, the cadets used their neural interfaces to swap between their standard uniforms and full suits of SIRAC, minus helmets. None of the twelve cadets had any trouble responding to Virn¡¯s request for a demonstration.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Virn stated. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Kyora?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve come a long way from standing naked in a field,¡± Kyora said dryly. Virn had to suppress her laughter.


    Their Accellus training group was finally meeting outside of the simulators. Their training so far placed them on a barren field in an abandoned town, tropical beach adjacent to crystal blue water, forest clearing in the middle of the wilderness, snowfield amongst a coniferous taiga, and rooftop garden atop a tower on one of the Sister Worlds. Today, the cadets assembled within one of the Kelsor¡¯s weapons ranges. Live weapons were forbidden aboard the simulators due to the way the simulators place participants within the simulator space. Weapons fire is not blocked in the simulator, and if one fired a weapon into a seemingly deserted virtual field, she would be killing her fellow starmen without even realizing it as each round passed through her lumionic bubble and into the bubbles of the adjacent starmen. At one of the AOTP mentor meetings, Xannissa had proposed the cadets use virtual weapons aboard the simulators for their training, but Kyora insisted that they conduct their training in an environment where live weapons could be wielded.


    ¡°Depending on your reasons for joining the Military,¡± Virn said, ¡°this may be the session you¡¯ve been waiting for. Today, we¡¯ll be covering the basics of Accellus weapon use.¡±


    Kyora, in her usual lack of SIRAC, fabricated a pistol. She kept her finger off the trigger and pointed the barrel away from the group. ¡°This is the most basic handgun in our arsenal,¡± Kyora explained to the cadets while she showed them the weapon. ¡°The Avond Designs S-Eleven.¡± The sidearm had a sleek appearance just like the prevailing Federation aesthetic. ¡°It¡¯s not my personal choice in weaponry. I prefer my handguns have a little more stopping power. That being said, you should never underestimate this weapon. It will save your life.


    ¡°Just like most other handheld weapons in the Federation arsenal, and every weapon we¡¯ll look at today, it¡¯s a gravitic mass driver. It has two ammunition modes: kinetic and plasmic. Kinetic rounds are, of course, solid. They¡¯re your go-to for longer-range encounters. Plasma is better against closer range targets. Why? You can blame thermodynamics for that, but that¡¯s a discussion better had with a scientist. These drivers possess some of the strongest gravitics systems we can make. They propel rounds up to five-hundred meters per second in a barrel one-hundred-twenty millimeters long. That¡¯s over one-hundred-thousand g¡¯s of gravitational acceleration in a tiny burst lasting less than a thousandth of a second, and since it is a gravitic propeller, there is absolutely no recoil.¡±


    Kyora picked up a device bearing the universal symbol for omnium from a table nearby. ¡°This is a handgun- and subsustainer-compatible magazine. All it does is store Military omnium synthevar that we can use for our weapons so that we don¡¯t always need to drain our Accellus¡¯ supply.¡± She slid the magazine into the bottom of the pistol¡¯s grip and made sure it was secure. ¡°There are two other classes of universal magazines: medium for drivers and assault drivers, and large for sustainers, launchers, and cannons. You¡¯ll want to use unimags whenever you can, but it¡¯s not the end of the world if you can¡¯t. A tiny gun like this isn¡¯t going to leave you high and dry, but don¡¯t forget that every round you fire is a bit of personal reservoir you lose. Truthfully, most Auroras and Assault Force equip boosters to their backs before battle that function as extended reservoirs, but unimags are always an option especially when you have no access to a booster pack.¡±


    Kyora stepped over to the range and said, ¡°I want you all to gather around here.¡± After the cadets moved in closer, the phantom continued. ¡°If I try to pull the trigger now, what¡¯s going to happen?¡± She held the S-11 up to eye-level with both hands and aimed it at the rectangular target twenty meters downrange.


    ¡°Is your safety on?¡± one of the cadets asked her.


    ¡°If it is, what would happen?¡±


    ¡°The gun won¡¯t fire.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Kyora explained. She pulled the trigger, but the handgun refused to fire. ¡°Every time you fabricate a weapon, the safety is on by default. This keeps you from accidentally shooting your friends¡ªor yourself. You disengage it by using your NI. So now that the safety is off, this is a live weapon. Your finger doesn¡¯t go on that trigger until you are absolutely ready to fire, understand? It¡¯s in plasma mode, so I¡¯m going to take aim and fire.¡±


    Kyora fired the S-11 several times at the target. All of her shots landed within the bullseye of the concentric circles on the lumigraph. The cadets listened to the initial silence that accompanied the split-second ejection of each plasma bolt from the barrel. Each bolt, like lightning, hit the target and burst into a single micro-thunder that, combined with the other bolts, gave rise to a miniature thunderstorm. Everyone¡¯s Accellus placed lumionic barriers within their ear canals to soften the potentially-deafening noise of the exploding bolts.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°How was that?¡± Kyora asked them.


    ¡°Like a natural,¡± Virn told her, judging her friend¡¯s accuracy and precision.


    ¡°If the gun does not detect an Accellus suit, it also will not fire.¡± To demonstrate, Kyora recalled the bodysuit from her hands and pulled the trigger, but the weapon, despite having a unimag inserted, did not fire. She pulled it a few times to drive her point home.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kyora said as she recalled the pistol, catching the magazine as it was left behind. ¡°I want all of you to pick a lane and face downrange.¡± The cadets followed her order and stood at one of the firing stations. The range became populated by lumionic targets all ten meters down. ¡°Fabricate an S-Eleven and point it downrange. Do not disengage the safety until I tell you!¡± The two Auroras walked behind the cadets as they fabricated their pistols and pointed them at the targets. Lieren tried to keep her hands from shaking. She¡¯d never fired a real weapon before, let alone hold one. She found the experience exhilarating.


    ¡°Safeties off!¡± Kyora ordered. ¡°On my mark¡­¡± she was interrupted by a weapon discharge. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she shouted. ¡°Did I tell you to fire?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, colonel!¡± Lieren cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± The girl was shaking even more now. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off her instructor.


    ¡°Everyone stop and recall your weapons,¡± she told them. ¡°Trigger discipline! I said, when that safety goes off, you never touch that trigger until you are ready to fire. Is that absolutely clear?¡± Kyora hated when she sounded like a drill sergeant, but it always occurred when she trained others in weapons use. She appeared to place the blame of her trainee¡¯s faults on them, but in reality, she felt responsible for every mistake made by her trainees when live weapons were being used. The last thing she wanted was for any of them to get hurt regardless of whether their Accellus¡¯ would protect them from a slipup.


    Kyora allowed them to refabricate their weapons. This time, Lieren held her finger far away from her trigger after disengaging her safety. When the order was given to fire twelve rounds into the targets, she hesitated for a moment. After collecting her wits, she squeezed the trigger, noticing that no matter how long she held it down, it would only fire once until she released her finger. After everyone had finished, Kyora commanded them to once again recall their S-11¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t interested in their marksmanship for this lesson, so she ignored how awful it was. She gathered the cadets together and fabricated a new, larger weapon.


    ¡°The rest of the weapons I¡¯ll show you today I did not intend for you to try. The S-Eleven is a self-defense weapon in most respects. These other ones are weapons of war. This,¡± she explained, showing off the weapon in her arms that she pointed away from the group, ¡°is the AD-Ninety-Nine assault driver. It is the workhorse of the entire Federation Military, so listen close¡­¡±


    Xannissa stepped off of the lift when it arrived at main engineering. Officers, engineers, technicians, and others of the crew, including a moderate number of personnel from their compliment of Auroras (especially after the syndicate attack) filled the central atrium. After the first week working with GreDrive¡¯s and Archetype¡¯s synerdrive, she could describe every minute detail of its operation. After a month-and-a-half, she could tell you its personality, its hopes, and its dreams. The same could not be said with regard to Fiori. She woke up that morning thinking about what Fiori told her weeks before: being an outside expert to work side-by-side Fiori¡¯s operators¡ªmemories she no longer possessed. But she figured her mind was trying to refer back to those memories because of the jump drone project that was nearing completion. Regardless, Fiori was the one machine that she could never understand. There were plenty of others in the Federation that made it their careers to design drive systems. Xannissa only maintained them; maybe optimize them here and there, but she was no designer. One thing was certain, though, and it was that Fiori seemed to always have a plan.


    ¡°Lieren,¡± Xannissa said as she approached the young Larissian bending over one of the lumionic tables. The cadet had adopted Xannissa¡¯s open short jacket look, but she tended to take it a step further by leaving her arms out of the sleeves such that the jacket draped over her shoulders.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Xann,¡± Lieren said. The cadet pulled herself away from the diagrams she was staring at.


    ¡°Making any sense of it?¡±


    ¡°A little bit. I still have a lot to learn,¡± she told her mentor, giggling.


    ¡°How was the weapons training? Not too harsh, I hope.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was really fun,¡± Lieren told her. ¡°I did accidently discharge the gun, though.¡±


    ¡°You what? I told Kyora to have that training in the simulator with lumes. If she had listened, this kind of thing¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the cadet said, interrupting Xannissa. ¡°No one was hurt.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough they assigned you to a mission like this. You¡¯re too young.¡±


    "I knew the risk when I signed up for the Academy,¡± Lieren softly assured her. ¡°In a way, I¡¯m following in my mother¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    ¡°Was your mother Navy?¡±


    ¡°Defense Force. She passed away during a mission several years ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lieren told her. ¡°I came to terms with her death a long time ago. My father still struggles with it, and now with the rest he¡¯s dealing with¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot for a person,¡± Xannissa said.


    There was a long pause. Xannissa started looking at diagrams projected from the table before Lieren asked, ¡°So, what are you doing today?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Xannissa explained, ¡°I¡¯d like to do some routine maintenance on the mediator. After that, the adjunct reported a slight fluctuation in ODEC Two. Nothing too unusual, but I always like to go back and check the run logs just to be safe. Usual stuff. Also going to test the fabrication program of the little side project I¡¯m working on.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you when we get to it,¡± Xannissa told her, teasing her student.

 31 - Luminary

    ¡°I saw Hari as a little sister,¡± Cassandra¡¯s image said. ¡°Me with my Military experience and her with, well, nothing. You could tell by the way she carried herself that she had lived a life of privilege. Hell, she once told me she cheated on one section of her HEATs so she could get into the Academy. Back then, I was very na?ve, but knowing what I know now, I can see that her motivations were political.¡±


    Atara sat on her bed with her legs crossed. It was as if she were a little girl again watching her mother in the flesh. Xannissa was there, too, lounging against the bed¡¯s headboard. Cassandra¡¯s last words from the first recording struck home, and Atara wanted to watch the subsequent recordings with her partner.


    ¡°It turns out that being an admiral in the Greater Federation Navy is more political than I would have liked. If you¡¯re anything like I am, then you would quickly grow to hate this job. I hope you never let them force you out of ship command.¡± Cassandra¡¯s expression turned to sadness, but she shed no tears. Xannissa saw that same emotional blockade working in Cassandra that Atara had always possessed.


    ¡°You see me starting to get emotional and fighting it,¡± Cassandra continued, ¡°and you¡¯re probably thinking that we are just alike. Of course we are. We¡¯re family. But trust me when I tell you it¡¯s a lot more than that. You and I share the exact same genetics.¡±


    ¡°Playback, pause,¡± Xannissa said, and Cassandra¡¯s image froze. She turned to Atara and asked, ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Atara started, ¡°now that you mention it, I remember way back after my mother died that our family physician left me a message suggesting it. I think he even wanted to know how it was possible, but I was too distraught at the time to return his call. I eventually forgot about it until now.¡± They reflected on Cassandra¡¯s words for a moment before Atara said, ¡°Playback, continue.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange for a mother to raise her own clone,¡± Cassandra stated, ¡°but you¡¯ve always been so much more to me than that. Hari had a knack for finding things out, and one day she sat down with me and told me about a secret reproduction program the Military had been conducting for decades. If you¡¯ve ever heard the phrase ¡®we need more people like you,¡¯ that is what this program is meant to solve. They call it¡­ Gemini. Project Gemini. Whoever runs it identifies luminaries: their word for people whose genome and epigenome are worth replicating. The ethics of such a thing; I mean, can you imagine what the general public would think? It harkens back to Miridan experiments into genetic predestination.


    ¡°When Hari explained it to me, she also told me that I had been marked as a luminary, and I didn¡¯t believe her. She was upset that she hadn¡¯t been chosen. She worked her way into grabbing some of the luminary files in order to convince me, and that¡¯s when I told her that I wanted to raise one as my own. I don¡¯t know how she did it. She never told me. But my first was you: a luminary offspring to a luminary.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The recording abruptly terminated at the conclusion of that sentence, but Atara wanted more. ¡°Fiori, do you have any other recordings?¡±


    Fiori¡¯s orange figure materialized before their bed and said, ¡°Unfortunately, I do not. You must allow me more time to discover them as I continue my investigation.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Atara said. ¡°Thank you for everything, Fiori.¡±


    ¡°Any time, Atara,¡± Fiori said before vanishing.


    Later that day, the senior officers assembled in the briefing room. Atara was the last to enter. The captain greeted them, took her seat, and to them all said, ¡°Naval Intelligence was recently handed a treasure trove by the Republic¡¯s Intelligence Ministry. Until now, we¡¯ve been operating under the assumption that the Voulgenathi was a known design. On the contrary, it¡¯s an Alliance design we¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Atara evoked a lumigraph of the Voulgenathi, like a scale model, that stretched across the entire length of the table. The ship was completely black with no noticeable markings¡ªnot even a designation or a state emblem. Some of the officers stood from their seats to take a better look.


    ¡°A Republic patrol fleet in Onen stopped the ship for forty-five hours,¡± Atara continued. ¡°What you are seeing now is the sum of their internal and external scans of the ship. This gives us a more complete picture of what we¡¯re up against.¡± The lumigraph presented the battleship in such detail that the navigation lights were strobing and tiny strikecraft could be seen behind the hangars¡¯ airscreens.


    ¡°What about ecksivar?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°They found it,¡± Atara told her, ¡°and they tried to recover it, but the Republic team was killed in a shootout with the elsheem before the ship went into hyperwarp. It¡¯s stored in what they¡¯ve identified as the Emperor¡¯s Suite: Emperor Tarete¡¯s living quarters in the core of the ship. The ship itself is three-and-a-half kilometers long, but it also serves as a mothership for these two small frigates,¡± as Atara explained, the frigates attached to the core ship highlighted and were located at the Voulgenathi¡¯s stern, ¡°and a complement of strikecraft more than triple the Kelsor¡¯s. The armament and defenses are what you would expect of your typical battleship: thick armor, potent shields, and lots of weapons. Aboard, they have something like twenty-two-thousand crew, seven-thousand officers, and twelve-thousand soldiers: a little more than double our own.¡±


    Xannissa stood, walked around to the side of the table behind Kyora and Virn and, pointing to the ships starboard side, said, ¡°I¡¯m interested in these circles here. These smaller ones look like escape pods, but these look like missile tubes.¡± Atara followed the engineer as the latter placed her finger directly on the image. Xannissa used her index finger and thumb to draw a virtual ruler across one of the circles and found its diameter to be about ten meters.


    Standing with Xannissa, Atara said, ¡°They¡¯re actually large troop-transport systems.¡±


    ¡°Drop pods?¡± Kyora asked, sitting beneath them.


    ¡°The people at NavIntel seem to think that they may be hull-breachers,¡± Sesh stated loudly from the split head of the table. ¡°There are forty of them spread across the ship¡¯s exterior. If we get too close to the Voulgenathi when we engage them, we may have boarders drilling straight into our hull.¡±


    ¡°At least they¡¯re not using jump systems, right?¡± Xannissa told them. ¡°I mean, this way, all we need to do is shoot them all before they land on us.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done,¡± Atara admitted. ¡°They still have about a hundred strikecraft backing them up. I would like to keep them at range as long as possible. Other than strikecraft, their battleship can¡¯t fight as effectively from a hundred-thousand kilometers.¡±


    Sesh asked, ¡°Are you thinking about having our warp missiles ready to fire when we kick them out of warp?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first part of the plan,¡± Atara told them.

 32 - Simulator

    ¡°Have you been to the simulators at all this whole trip?¡± Xannissa asked Atara as they stepped onto the simulator that was always running for general relaxation and amusement.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Atara responded, ¡°for the suiting ceremony.¡±


    Xannissa laughed and said, ¡°You know you need to take more breaks.¡±


    ¡°The simulator has never interested me.¡±


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s for your personal wellbeing. You need to step away every now and then.¡±


    ¡°What if this wasn¡¯t the Kelsor and we didn¡¯t have these simulators?¡±


    ¡°Taking a day off every week wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing, regardless.¡±


    The pair moved through the bright, sky-lit, spacious lobby of the main building past underdressed and undressed officers and starmen, onto the outdoor concourse, and down a set of stairs leading to a duralithic pathway that snaked into the coastal forest. The verdant foliage near the path was well-manicured, but further beyond it grew wild. The trees and leaves above shielded them from the warm, virtual sun. The path ended at the forest¡¯s edge two-hundred-fifty meters from the concourse, and the semi-reflective duralithic walkway yielded to the fine, tan sand of the wide shoreline and the crystal blue waters beyond. The two officers strode across the untouched, secluded beach leaving the only trails of footprints behind them. They stopped at the wet sand on the ocean¡¯s edge, and the seawater soaked the bottoms of their boots as it rushed ashore.


    ¡°I also feel guilty when I come here,¡± Atara told her as she took in the afternoon.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m shirking my duties when I do. I feel like I need to always be available.¡±


    ¡°But you are always available,¡± Xannissa assured her, ¡°even if you come here. You can call for an exit and be gone in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Our intercept is next week.¡±


    ¡°Atara.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ enjoy it.¡±


    The pair walked back atop the dry sand. Xannissa recalled her bodysuit save for the upper torso section which served as a brassiere under her short jacket. Her naked, cool gray skin offered a stark contrast against the golden shore. After stepping out of her boots, the Elestan closed her eyes, raised her arms over her head, and stretched her body. She felt the virtual sunlight warm her face and slender abdomen as she inhaled deeply. After exhaling and relaxing herself, she dug her feet into the hot sand and let it seep between her toes. The relatively cool sea breeze was at odds with the warming sunlight. A brief shiver shot down Xannissa¡¯s back as the wind whipped between her bare legs. Xannissa could have easily forgotten that all of this was just an elaborate fabrication.


    The Elestan turned to the Terran and said, ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Atara sighed, ¡°if it¡¯s for my wellbeing.¡± The captain did the same as Xannissa¡ªeven going so far as to fabricate a short jacket of her own so that her upper torso was covered. Unlike Xannissa, Atara¡¯s Terran skin blended well with the beach. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping we could go for a walk,¡± Xannissa told her as she stared at the pristine water. When she turned back to face Atara, she added, ¡°Or not.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Just as Atara finished asking, she felt her bare buttocks be slapped by someone appearing behind her. The captain let out an uncharacteristic small scream as she retreated toward Xannissa and turned around to see that it was a fully-naked Cylenna.


    ¡°Nice ass,¡± Cylenna commented.


    ¡°Who invited you?¡± barked a red-faced, flustered Atara.


    ¡°My little sister behind you,¡± Cylenna told her. Emerging from the forest several meters away were Sesh, Naret, Lieren, Kyora, Virn, and Krystal.


    ¡°I kinda put the word out,¡± Xannissa explained. ¡°Wasn¡¯t counting on them being here so soon. I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten what today is.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Atara thought for a moment as the others were undressing themselves, ¡°you can¡¯t be serious. How can I be so stupid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to let you forget your birthday,¡± Xannissa assured her.


    Sesh¡ªher skin blue as the distant ocean¡ªyelled, ¡°Atara!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Atara asked, turning toward the bottomless commander.


    ¡°Think fast,¡± she yelled, launching a ball toward the captain. Atara quickly caught it before it hit her in the face. ¡°How about a game?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d sure be down for one,¡± Cylenna said.


    Xannissa was next to her sister and responded, ¡°You should probably put a top on.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself. Just don¡¯t complain to me if your breasts are sore afterward.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Good point. Wait for me,¡± Cylenna told Xannissa before storming off toward her Accellus boots.


    ¡°Hey, Qu-¡­ Souq,¡± Namara greeted as she ran into the Larissian scientist in one of the corridors near the omnimology lab.


    ¡°Oh, Sayn,¡± he said. Only a few weeks ago, he had hated her guts. Now, he delighted in seeing her wherever they met around the ship. ¡°You¡­ you can call me Quen¡­ if you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    Souq closed his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to stop you if you¡¯re busy.¡±


    ¡°I was actually on my way to the simulator to surprise my daughter. I wanted to see if I could pop in and spend some time with her.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± Namara said, ¡°now that you mention it, Xannissa invited me there. I was going to blow it off, but since you¡¯re going, I might as well, too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Namara led him through the ship, the two conversed about current topics in omnimology. This brief taste of meaningful, scholarly discussion reminded him of his past lab meetings with his researchers, filling him with a mixture of sadness and fondness. Those minds he used to pick were no more, and there was nothing he could do, nor could have done, to change that fact, but he was grateful to have found a friend in Namara.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Namara said, interrupting the discussion. ¡°Have you been here before?¡±


    ¡°Never,¡± he told her. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Souq asked as starmen moved into and out of the simulator room.


    ¡°Just follow these girls here,¡± she said, looking toward a pair of starmen about to step into the simulation. The scientists left the corridor and moved into the lobby of the resort. There, they were immediately confronted with nude female flesh. The virtual sun shining through the skylights warmed Souq¡¯s face as he looked down at the fastened white lab coat he wore over his bodysuit.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel a little overdressed,¡± Souq told Namara. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay if I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re perfectly fine. This is a beach resort.¡±


    Before the two was a set of large, transparent doors that opened for them as they approached. Beyond the doors was the wide outdoor concourse that overlooked the shoreline and light blue shallows. The two scientists descended the steps that led to the pathway into the forest. When he left the stairs, Souq shielded his eyes and looked toward the sky.


    ¡°Can you get a sunburn here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Namara explained, ¡°but not likely. These lumionics do emit ultraviolet, but it¡¯s at low levels. A little UV is healthy for you.¡± After checking a simulator lumigraph she opened, she said, ¡°Lieren is this way,¡± pointing toward the forest.


    The two started down the path when Souq mentioned, ¡°What if I told you that spontaneous omnionic field attenuation was possible?¡±


    ¡°Does this have to do with ecksivar?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    They strode down the path as they discussed omnimology in general, and ecksivar specifically. Their strides slowed as the conversation deepened. Three times they came to a dead stop to get out an idea. This turned a ten-minute walk into a half-hour. Finally, the forest opened before them and the scientists stepped onto the golden sand. Birds called through the trees and over the sea. Waves rolled upon the shore. Women shouted as they played in the distance.


    ¡°I have to say,¡± Souq said, ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten I was on a ship way out in deep space.¡±


    ¡°Pretty effective, isn¡¯t it?¡± Namara asked. Both of them moved down toward the water.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not bothered that I recorded our conversation.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°You have a very interesting mind, you know?¡± Namara blushed at the compliment.


    ¡°I wish I felt that way,¡± Namara told him as they stared at the horizon. ¡°I joined the Military as a scientist because I knew I couldn¡¯t make it in academia.¡±


    ¡°Academia isn¡¯t that fun sometimes,¡± Souq admitted. ¡°That used to be my career before I went into industry; joined Akkain. It¡¯s a full of a bunch of tenured, over-opinionated, ego-centric, hot-headed bastards, and I was one of them. I would have wanted to the join the Military, but being the only male on a base or ship made me anxious to join.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only male I¡¯ve seen on a Military starship wearing Accellus.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, ¡°but at the time, I was already swamped in other responsibilities and¡ª¡± a plastic ball collided with the side of Souq¡¯s head. ¡°Ouch! Son-of-a-bitch!¡± he exclaimed. The ball bounced away and rolled toward the water. Souq and Namara heard feet running through the sand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± said a young voice. ¡°It was my fault!¡± The woman paused before saying, ¡°Dad?¡± Lieren ignored the ball as it was caught by the waves. ¡°Are you here to join us?¡±


    ¡°I came here to see you,¡± Souq explained, still recovering from the hit. ¡°Just wanted to see if you wanted to spend some time together.¡±


    ¡°You could have called me,¡± Lieren told him.


    ¡°It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. By the time I wanted to, you were on the simulator. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d embarrass you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little awkward,¡± she admitted as she briefly concealed her exposed crotch with her clasped hands, ¡°especially when you¡¯re clothed and I¡¯m not, but I¡¯m not embarrassed.¡±


    Sesh shed her short jacket and waded into the water. The ocean was up to her waist when she grabbed the ball. Her lower body was soaked when she made it back to the shore, but she left her jacket in the sand.


    ¡°Souq! Namara!¡± Sesh called to the scientists. ¡°Care to join us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tempting,¡± Souq shouted back, ¡°but considering the current sexual imbalance, I¡¯m a little intimidated.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to sit out,¡± Namara said. ¡°Quen and I were in the middle of an interesting conversation.¡±


    ¡°You two suit yourselves,¡± Sesh said. She dropped the ball to the ground and kicked it hard enough for it to take flight off the sand. It traveled several meters before being blocked in midair by Kyora¡¯s bare body. The phantom¡¯s breasts were small enough that she didn¡¯t worry about securing them, so she wore nothing but her Accellus bracelets.


    Souq and Namara walked away from the group to a quieter section of the beach. There, Namara opened a lumigraph and spawned an umbrella and a couple of lounge chairs. Before Souq could turn around, Namara had already stripped bottomless and was removing her boots.


    ¡°How do you do that so fast?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Undressing.¡±


    ¡°Neural interface,¡± she explained, ¡°and practice.¡± She watched him fumble a bit with his lumionic interface without actually changing his clothing. ¡°Still getting used to the Accellus?¡± she teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to find some suitable attire,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Mind if I help?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Souq held his forearm plate toward her, and she grabbed it as she walked around him. She moved in close. Her bare hip pressed against his as she scrolled through the menu.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, pressing an option, and his lab coat and bodysuit were replaced with a pair of white shorts. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± he said, chuckling. They took their seats in the shade and looked out at the coast. Souq reached down, picked up a handful of sand, and let it pour from his fist like an hourglass. He expected the conversation to have continued, but it never resumed. After a few minutes of listening to the other officers playing many meters away, Souq spoke up. ¡°Have you ever shared a link with someone?¡±


    ¡°A Q-comms link? No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Just curious.¡± Souq paused, and then he asked, ¡°Are you in a partnership?¡±


    ¡°Not currently,¡± Namara responded. Her tone betrayed her embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s with all these personal questions? I thought we were talking about omnium.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been pretty quiet since we sat down,¡± Souq noted.


    ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying the breeze.¡±


    ¡°What if we did want to benefit from some kind of long-term collaboration?¡± Souq asked her. ¡°If you¡¯d been willing, even a partnership.¡±


    The suggestion of a partnership made Namara even more uncomfortable. ¡°You do know what you¡¯re asking, right? I mean, a partnership is very serious. You do know what happens if the partnership fails before the first two years are over?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dishonorably discharged.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°But what makes you think it would fail?¡±


    ¡°Well, I never said or thought it would. I just wanted you to know the gravity of your proposal. It¡¯s the closest legal binding there is to a marriage.¡±


    ¡°I do know,¡± Souq told her. ¡°My late wife was in a Military partnership with another woman before they both died; while she was married to me. She wanted to eventually share a Q-comms link with her.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want with me?¡± Namara¡¯s face flushed at the thought.


    ¡°Well, I, uhh,¡± Souq stuttered. ¡°I, umm¡­ I guess I thought we were compatible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need some time,¡± Namara said. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to think about it.¡± She stood up from the chair, turned to him, and said, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to join the others for a little while.¡± Before he could acknowledge her, the Elestan scientist was running across the sand. Not once before he spoke did he realize that his asking her for a partnership was akin to proposing marriage. The more he pondered it, the more he felt like a fool. He leaned back in the chair and let the fake sun warm his feet which rested on the hot sand beyond the umbrella¡¯s shade.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m ready to go.¡± Souq awoke from his nap to see his half-naked, lilac-skinned daughter shaking his arm. ¡°There you are,¡± she said. Souq blinked his eyes quickly as they readjusted to the bright sky and descending sun. ¡°Do you need help with your Accellus?¡±


    After they were both back in their uniforms, Souq left the simulator with Lieren and they returned to the former¡¯s quarters. He allowed Lieren to use his bathroom to shower, and when she finished, he fabricated a meal that they shared for dinner.


    ¡°How would you feel if I joined the Military?¡± Souq asked as they dined.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s your choice,¡± Lieren said. ¡°I always thought you¡¯d stay in the private sector.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I want to go yet,¡± he admitted before taking a bite.


    ¡°What is it about the Military that makes you want to join?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with Akkain,¡± Souq said. ¡°Emotionally, I¡¯m done. I can¡¯t go back; not after what happened. I find the Military to be intellectually stimulating. At least, more so than I previously imagined.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Lieren nodded. ¡°Is Doctor Namara intellectually stimulating?¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with her,¡± he said in denial.


    ¡°I noticed the way Doctor Namara behaved after she talked with you. Omnium wasn¡¯t the only thing the two of you talked about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Dad, if you want to remarry, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± At this, Souq¡¯s face blushed as Namara¡¯s had earlier that afternoon.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s talk about something else. How¡¯s that cadet training coming along?¡±

 33 - Assembly

    ¡°Is that what you wanted to show me?¡± Kyora asked as she entered the omnimology laboratory-turned workshop alone¡ªone of the few instances you would ever see her without Virn outside of a mission. The device she pointed to rested on a bench in the center of the room and was flanked by Namara and Xannissa. Souq was seated a little further away.


    ¡°Indeed it is, colonel,¡± Namara said. ¡°It¡¯s a little something that Doctor Souq imagined when confronted with a little problem of ours.¡±


    Kyora asked, ¡°And what might that be?¡±


    ¡°MARAD wants us to destroy the ecksivar sample if we can¡¯t retrieve it,¡± Namara explained.


    ¡°But it can¡¯t be destroyed,¡± Souq added, ¡°so we had to double-down on retrieval as our only option.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re actually looking at,¡± Xannissa told her, ¡°is a homecooked VARICOR jump drive system scaled down to fit into the size of a drone. Its sole purpose is to house the ecksivar sample and fling it off into deep space.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me carry this on my back and infiltrate the Voulgenathi with it?¡± Kyora said to them, sounding unsurprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand,¡± Namara said.


    Souq said, ¡°When the syndicate attacked us and I saw how you handled yourself, I knew we had an infiltrator. Xannissa and her team have gone above and beyond to put this thing together.¡±


    ¡°Does it work?¡± Kyora asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xannissa assured her. ¡°In simulation.¡±


    ¡°In simulation?¡±


    ¡°Simulations will be good enough for this.¡±


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to trust you on that.¡±


    Namara said, ¡°If you would, switch into your combat variant for a moment. We¡¯re going to fit the drone on your back.¡± The phantom complied. She stood before them in her sparse SIRAC and combat bodysuit. Xannissa used her gravitics to assist her in lifting the heavy drone from the bench and attaching it to Kyora¡¯s back. Kyora¡¯s gravitics automatically compensated for the added weight, making her feel lighter.


    ¡°The drone will have its own built-in omnium supply,¡± Xannissa explained. ¡°We designed it so that you¡¯ll be able to tap into that reservoir, but there¡¯s a caveat. The drone will keep a certain amount in reserve for the jump system, so try to use the reservoir sparingly so you don¡¯t run out of your allocation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t do much killing with this big-ass thing attached to me.¡±


    ¡°Engage your shrouding system for a moment,¡± Xannissa said. Kyora did so, and her entire body, including the jump drone, disappeared from the others¡¯ view. ¡°Thanks. The drone incorporates with your shroud. That was my biggest worry.¡± The phantom then disengaged the shroud and reappeared before them. Xannissa detached the drone and placed it back upon the lab bench.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep it safe here in the lab,¡± Namara said. ¡°Just remember to come pick it up and take it with you when you board the Voulgenathi.¡±


    ¡°About yesterday,¡± Kyora started.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Xannissa asked.


    ¡°It was fun. We should do it again.¡±


    As the Kelsor¡¯s confrontation with the Voulgenathi drew nearer, Krystal, with Fiori¡¯s help, arranged a transmission with the Avenathi Magisterial Assembly. Krystal sat at the table in her private quarters before a lumigraph. Four elsheem were gathered on the screen with barely enough room to fit all of their heads.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°You know, that Archon of yours¡­ Fiori, was it?¡± asked the magister from before who occupied the right most side of the screen. He spoke in Avenathi. ¡°She is quite impressive; much more so than the Alliance¡¯s Patriarch, that is.¡±


    ¡°Please, Magister Leyondin. Let the queen speak!¡± said the elshi on the far left. Also known as Voice Leyondin, he was the Voice of the Assembly: a title on par with prime minister. Ironically, he also loved to talk. The elshi, on the other hand, was also a member of the Assembly and the grand admiral of the Avenathi Liberation Fleet which until recently was quite weak. Smashed between them were two more Assembly members: the grand general and the current representative of House Syoness.


    ¡°My sincerest apologies, magistress,¡± Leyondin said. The magistress glared at him.


    Krystal said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you couldn¡¯t meet in a more comfortable setting.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, my lady, but I simply cannot take you seriously as you appear now,¡± said the general. ¡°May I ask that you please remove that unpleasant human disguise?¡± Without a word, Krystal pressed her fingers to the two modules that rested behind her ears. At once, her eyes turned green, her hair a vibrant red, and her auricles grew several centimeters longer. ¡°My queen!¡± the general gasped, and he bowed his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m short on time,¡± Queen Illeiri told them. ¡°This ship, the Greater Federation Vessel Kelsor, will intercept the Voulgenathi within the week. Is the Assembly ready to retake the country?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± the admiral said. ¡°Twenty billion soldiers and five-hundred-thousand warships are standing by, and you won¡¯t believe the battle gear they¡¯re using.¡±


    ¡°Remember that deal you brokered with the Federation two decades ago?¡± Leyondin asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s finally paid off. It¡¯s all on loan, but those soldiers are equipped with top-of-the-line Magus armor from Avond Designs: power armor built for elsheem physiology. Those ships were built in secret at the docks on the Federation Frontier by Miokogen and GreDrive. Our brightest have been advising the Federation on Avenathi design considerations since you finished your negotiations. Here are some pictures.¡±


    The four faces were replaced by a slideshow of military hardware. One of the pictures showed the male and female variants of a battle suit that looked almost like Accellus. The armor was a deep red, and the helmet, armor, and weapon shapes were more organic in form, matching a more Avenathian aesthetic. The spiraling Star of Avenath emblem was placed on the right breast, replacing the Federation Triangle. The starships shown in the other images possessed similar appearances to the Kelsor, but shared the Magus armor¡¯s color scheme.


    ¡°As soon as Taretes dies,¡± said the general behind the pictures, ¡°we will take back Avenath.¡±


    ¡°As much as I have longed to slice his throat,¡± Illeiri admitted, ¡°I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s best if I leave him alive.¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, are you out of your mind?¡± asked the House Syoness representative. The slideshow disappeared and Illeiri saw the elsheem faces again.


    Illeiri explained, ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve the honorable death I would give him. He¡¯s on a mission for the Alliance. If he flees after the Kelsor catches him as he likely will¡ªthe pig¡¯s a coward¡ªthen he will be an utter disgrace to his executor masters. His blood will be on their hands, and he will die with dishonor.¡±


    ¡°What if he goes into hiding?¡± the admiral asked.


    ¡°I know Taretes,¡± Illeiri said. ¡°I¡¯ve studied him for two centuries. I know how he thinks and who he serves. He¡¯s too much of a coward to run and hide. His master is the current supreme executor of the Alliance. He would hunt Taretes across the galaxy. His master is the only one he trusts, and he truly fears him. He¡¯ll try to make amends for his failure as quickly as possible. Admiral, general, hold off your assault until that day comes.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the admiral said. ¡°We place our utmost faith in you, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Farewell,¡± Illeiri said before terminating the transmission. She leaned back, rested her booted legs upon the table, and placed her hands behind her head. Visions of final victory danced behind her closed eyelids.


    Just outside the room, Kyora and Virn were about to page Krystal when they noticed that her door was unlocked. Keeping with their desire to surprise Krystal with an invitation to dinner, they opened the door without alerting her and made their way inside.


    When they saw Krystal¡¯s figure, Virn asked, ¡°Krystal, would you to join us for dinner this evening?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± When her eyes met theirs, Krystal noticed that they were frozen in their stares.¡±


    ¡°Krystal?¡± Virn asked in shock. Krystal looked down at herself and noticed the locks of red hair over her bodysuit. She had forgotten to reengage her camouflage. In a panic, Krystal reached behind her ears to revert her appearance, but it was too late. Kyora said nothing. She recognized an elsheem when she saw one. Just like that, Krystal¡¯s secret was out. The three of them remained speechless. Krystal¡¯s heart was pounding out of her chest.


    Shit! Krystal thought. What have I done?


    ¡°It¡¯s no use hiding from you anymore,¡± she told them. ¡°My true identity is Illeiri Syoness, an elshi, and I¡¯m on a mission to restore the old Avenathi Commonwealth.¡± After Krystal said this, Kyora slowly turned around and left the room.


    ¡°Kyora!¡± Virn called out before chasing after her.


    Kyora kept her silence until she and Virn had stopped in an observatory and were staring out at the starscape. She looked at Virn and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Virn, but when I saw that¡­ woman¡­ just now, I saw those elsheem bottom-feeders on Mirida: my first memories. The hate, the torture, the pain. I feel betrayed.¡±


    ¡°I understand why you feel that way,¡± Virn said, ¡°but surely she¡¯s on our side. Surely she¡¯s not a spy.¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± Fiori said as she appeared behind them. The archon explained to the pair of Auroras Illeiri¡¯s purpose aboard the ship and in her grand strategy just as she explained it to Atara.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re helping those monsters,¡± Kyora said.


    ¡°Until you found out she was elsheem,¡± Virn noted, ¡°you respected her.¡±


    Fiori said, ¡°Unfortunately, hatred against the elsheem by the general Federation population has never been greater than it is now. The Elsheem State¡¯s current political stance is primarily to blame. Humans and elsheem have been at odds with one another since the Persean Expansion during the period following the Miridan Civil War. Around that time, the Commonwealth of Avenath was a large and powerful state, but it was no match for the Miridan Rangers that protected the burgeoning colonies of Mirida. Mainly through attrition, the Commonwealth shrank to what the Elsheem State is today, surrounded on all sides by humanity.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Fiori,¡± Kyora said. ¡°You just gave me more reasons to hate her.¡± The Elestan shook her head.


    ¡°That was not my intention,¡± Fiori said. ¡°I was merely highlighting the struggles in human-elsheem relations over the past four-thousand years.¡±


    ¡°Virn, where are you going?¡± Kyora asked after seeing her friend depart from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°To apologize to Krystal¡ªfor the both of us.¡±


    Kyora stood her ground as the Exan departed the observatory.

 34 - The Dead Dont Die

    Three days out from intercept, Naret was sitting at her station on the bridge watching the seconds on her terminal¡¯s clock tick away. Her four-hour watch was moments from being over.


    ¡°The time is now twenty-hundred hours,¡± the adjunct announced across the ship. ¡°Team One is relieved. Team Two has sixth watch.¡± Within ten seconds, most of the stations had changed hands. Atara and Sesh lingered in the middle of the bridge¡¯s upper area while a lieutenant commander took the captain¡¯s chair. When Naret stood up, her station was immediately occupied by another lieutenant from Team Two.


    ¡°You coming, Cothlis?¡± the communications officer asked in a cheery tone from the other end of the bridge. Ethis waited on the conn officer at the lifts. Once together, they traveled to the nearest mess hall: a livelier option than eating in their quarters as most officers tended to do, and they both enjoyed the mild hubbub. After ordering food from the fabricators, the two sat at a table across from each other as they had started doing at least three times per week. Most of the people there were crewmembers from Team One sitting down for dinner. The crew from Team Two had already departed. Starmen from Team Three were relaxing, and a few were also having meals.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered,¡± Naret said between bites, ¡°because of my older siblings: what is it like in the Republic Military?¡± Ethis smiled at the question.


    ¡°You never asked them yourself?¡±


    ¡°They were always away.¡±


    Ethis nodded, took another bite, chewed, swallowed, and said, ¡°Big.¡±


    ¡°Big?¡± Naret asked.


    ¡°And small,¡± Ethis continued. She was amused by her young friend¡¯s resulting confused expression and took another bite.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand,¡± Naret said. Ethis giggled.


    ¡°The Republic fleet is massive,¡± Ethis said with some Republic pride swelling within her. ¡°Novekk¡¯s suits are large, but not as effective as ADI¡¯s,¡± then she lowered her voice, saying, ¡°but don¡¯t let them know I told you that.¡± In her normal voice, she continued, ¡°Republic ships are smaller; cramped; efficient. Also, women share everything with men; barracks, rec rooms, bathrooms.¡±


    Naret¡¯s gray Elestan face blushed, becoming warmer in color. ¡°What happens if¡­?¡±


    ¡°If what?¡± Ethis grinned. ¡°Those who can¡¯t cope are given drugs or psychotherapy. Offenders get neutered, imprisoned, and sometimes executed. Republic prison is the worst by far, but that¡¯s a topic for another time.¡±


    ¡°I guess that prevents most from doing anything they¡¯d regret?¡±


    ¡°It does. Many actually grow accustomed to such close contact. You¡¯d understand if you were raised in the Republic.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I see,¡± Naret said. ¡°What about privacy?¡±


    ¡°Ha! The Republic doesn¡¯t believe in privacy.¡± Naret nodded, but Ethis knew she was puzzled. Naret couldn¡¯t imagine living somewhere without some modicum of privacy. ¡°Those who can do nothing in secret have nothing to hide.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Ethis continued, ¡°you must know that in the Republic, every man and woman, upon reaching the age of twenty, must serve in the Military for four years?¡± Naret nodded again. ¡°Because of this, people in the Republic enter the workforce or begin post-secondary education four years behind those in the Federation. Considering peoples¡¯ lifespans, it¡¯s inconsequential, but everyone in the Republic is given a taste of military discipline.¡±


    ¡°What made you decide to stay?¡± Naret asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ethis explained, ¡°service doesn¡¯t end until your sixteen years of reserve duty are over, but I stayed because of the bonds I formed. During my initial four years, I met a man who I eventually went to the academy with. I actually fell in love with him; don¡¯t really know if he loved me back. Romance is discouraged, of course, so we hid it from everyone and each other. Some time after the academy, we were given a special unit called Venosk Five-Oh-Nine; covert ops. I was the team¡¯s information specialist.¡±


    ¡°What kind of information?¡±


    ¡°Communications information. Languages, transmission, Q-comms, sub-comms, EM-comms.¡±


    ¡°How did you end up in the Federation?¡± Naret asked. She had just finished her meal.


    ¡°Growing up so close to the Republic, you¡¯ve probably heard of the Invisible Wars that happen in the Persean Rift.¡± Naret nodded. ¡°Have you heard of the Alliance incursion at Kayutt?¡± The younger Elestan shook her head. ¡°I assumed so. It resulted in the largest single fleet engagement in that conflict so far. Kayutt is a heavy-populated system toward the Republic side of the Rift. Venosk Five-Oh-Nine, as well as other special units, used it as a launching point for our own missions deeper into the Rift. It was for that reason that the Alliance wanted to capture it or wipe it out. As we returned from one of our missions, an Alliance attack force pursued us back to Kayutt Three. They destroyed the dockyards and defenses in orbit and landed armies to infiltrate and shut down our OBS network.¡±


    ¡°OBS?¡±


    ¡°Orbital bombardment shields. We held our ground around one of the OBS stations for days before the Republic fleet arrived.¡±


    ¡°So you succeeded?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ethis said, ¡°but everyone in Venosk Five-Oh-Nine perished, except for me.¡± Naret¡¯s expression suddenly changed from engagement to sobriety.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Naret said.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. They¡¯re all alive now,¡± Naret was opening her mouth to make an inquiry as Ethis continued, ¡°as Revenants: resurrected heroes. The People gave them a second chance¡ªa second life to live and sacrifice. After that, Venosk Five-Oh-Nine became the Revenant special unit Quietus of Hiracet.


    ¡°On that day, my dear friend from the academy, Rikter, was the last of them to die. After that, Republic Marines flew over in dropships, and the waves of Alliance stopped coming. Oh, how I wished I had died that day. Such dishonor was too great for me to bear, so I left Venosk, the Military, and the Republic behind. I haven¡¯t seen Rikter or the others since.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Naret said, blinking her eyes, ¡°that¡¯s sad.¡± She paused, then said, ¡°In a way, you started a second life, too, by coming to the Federation.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Ethis said, ¡°but enough of that. You wanted to know more about the Republic?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re willing.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a fan of ADI¡¯s Accellus, right? Have you ever seen Novekk¡¯s Type-M that the Republic uses?¡± Naret shook her head. ¡°First of all, you can¡¯t summon it at all like ours. There is a machine that you stand on that builds the suit around you when you need it¡­.¡±

 35 - Children of Darkness

    ¡°Incoming transmission,¡± Ethis announced.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Atara ordered. The captain stood with her triumvirate in the middle of the bridge.


    ¡°Ahh. Hello, Federation,¡± said an elshe from an appearing lume. Atara could see his trimmed, blond hair, gray eyes, elongated auricles, and masculine facial features despite the smoothness of his chin and jawline which had been forever hairless. His menacing voice was sprinkled with decadence, and his Miri was excellent. The elshe presented himself in shiny, black armor partially concealed by a matte, black overcoat. ¡°You are in the presence of Valin Taretes, Emperor and Executor of the Elsheem State, a sovereign member of the Persean Corporate Alliance. I didn¡¯t know the captain after me would be so attractive. Atara, right?¡±


    ¡°Cut your engines and return our stolen property,¡± Atara demanded, ¡°and you may spare yourself unnecessary bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Taretes scoffed. ¡°Do all of you Federation sound so self-righteous?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just offering you mercy,¡± Atara explained. ¡°Is that a concept the elsheem can comprehend?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot more than a few words and a pretty face to stop this ship, captain,¡± Taretes said.


    ¡°You have no idea what our battlecruiser is capable of.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see then, won¡¯t we?¡± The transmission terminated and the lumigraph disappeared.


    ¡°Time to intercept?¡± Atara asked.


    Naret turned her chair around and said, ¡°Eight hours, thirty-two minutes.¡±


    Atara faced Xannissa and asked, ¡°Xann, are you ready to kick them when we¡¯re in range?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the Elestan engineer. ¡°I¡¯ll verify that the mediator is ready. It should already be recalibrated to an acceptable precision.¡±


    ¡°What do you need the mediator for?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°The thing is, Xannissa explained, ¡°the drive cores were designed to operate entirely in sync, and this also applies to spatial wave generation. If we want to make anything bigger than subspace noise and actually kick a ship out of hyperwarp, we need both drives to fire at exactly the same moment. The mediator makes that possible.¡±


    Eager to get started, Xannissa traveled to main engineering and met with her direct subordinates. After coordinating with them, she moved to the mediator¡¯s main terminal and began her final check on its calibration.


    ¡°Is today the big day?¡± Lieren asked Xannissa from behind, startling the engineer who was reluctant to show it.


    ¡°You nervous?¡± Xannissa responded as she kept her eyes on the terminal.


    ¡°Honestly, I am.¡±


    ¡°I think everyone is,¡± Xannissa assured her, ¡°and if they say they aren¡¯t, they¡¯re lying. Now I feel like Atara did on the day we left Lanan. They should have never put cadets on this ship.¡± The Elestan broke away from the terminal, turned around to face Lieren, and said, ¡°When we face the Voulgenathi, we¡¯ll be fighting on our own terms. The Republic was able to stop that ship for forty hours in Onen, and they gathered loads of valuable intel for us. Bad news is that it¡¯s sturdier and has sharper teeth than we thought, but the good news is that the Kelsor was designed for these kinds of confrontations.¡±


    ¡°That makes me feel a little better,¡± Lieren told her. ¡°I did want to know something, though. How does a kick actually work? Why can¡¯t a ship just escape afterward?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Xannissa said happily. ¡°The coils within the hyperwarp cores generate the fields we use to manipulate space and propel us through hyperspace. Those coils are supposed to hold a mostly-constant potential energy which we maintain by making gradual adjustments to our velocity. Spatial waves can only be made by ships in hyperwarp, even if it¡¯s only for a brief moment, but the engine must be completely spooled up. Then, you tell the engines that you want to vector one-hundred-eighty degrees from your current trajectory. When the cores try to do this, it will always fail, and you will end up with this kind of hyperspatial shockwave that ripples out at the realspace-hyperspace interface. The crests and troughs that makes will force other ships¡¯ hyperwarp cores to crash back into realspace and emergency stop, completely purging their coils of potential. Ours will have done the same, and every time you perform an emergency stop like that to these engines, they go into recovery mode which is exactly like turning them on for the first time. The potential has to rebuild within the engines before they can be restarted, and for us, takes about seven minutes. I¡¯m not sure how long it will take the Voulgenathi, but judging by the information we have, I estimate about thirteen. Twelve or thirteen.


    ¡°I apologize for bombarding you with that. You can stay here in engineering if you want,¡± Xannissa said before turning back to face her terminal. ¡°Or, if you¡¯d rather be with your fellow cadets, a good place for you would be within the vicinity of the medbay. It¡¯s near the center of the ship and away from important systems. Actually, I think one of your classrooms is near there.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Lieren said. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if I can pull the other cadets together.¡± Xannissa glanced back at the Larissian one more time and noticed the subtle glow of lumionics in her eyes: a sign that Lieren had grown comfortable with her Accellus. ¡°Thank you, Xann.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°Everything will be okay.¡±


    Virn had forgiven Krystal for her deception, but Kyora had not. Virn understood the reason for the necessary evil, but Krystal knew that it was different for Kyora. It saddened her to think that someone like Kyora would forever view her with disdain. In her Terran guise, Krystal walked the corridors alone that morning with those thoughts on her mind. The Kelsor was filled with a kind of focused silence. Despite the tenseness from the imminent confrontation with their target, the crew maintained composure. While moving toward the aft sections of the ship, she watched Lieren appear from around a corner and stride toward her. Before they passed each other, Krystal calmly called to her.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gathering up the cadets near the medbay.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Xan¡ªI mean Commander Cetalo said that would be one of the safest places aboard the ship.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Krystal told her. ¡°Mind if I follow you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lieren responded, and the two took the lifts to the medbay and walked to the multi-use room across from the medbay¡¯s entrance. Three of the four walls within the empty room were transparent. It took a few moments, but eventually Lieren remembered that this was the room she had some of her instruction in. Her difficultly in remembering was due to the lack of furniture as the room had been filled with desks. Next to the door was a lumigraph, and the cadet interacted with it to fabricate furniture appropriate for a lounge. Couches and tables now occupied much of the floorspace within the small room. After Lieren placed a call to the other cadets, they began appearing at the door and streaming in solo or in pairs until they were all united. As Krystal was the most senior among them, the young cadets naturally looked to her as their chaperone.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    One concerned Elestan girl asked, ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen combat twice already,¡± said another cadet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    ¡°I understand why she¡¯s worried,¡± Lieren said to them. ¡°We¡¯re up against an Elsheem State battleship.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± asked another. ¡°They¡¯re so small compared to the Federation.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re backed by the Alliance,¡± Lieren explained, ¡°and the Voulgenathi is an Alliance-built ship.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re just elsheem,¡± came a voice from across the room.


    Krystal asked, ¡°Why does it matter if they are elsheem?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they weaker than humans?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They have, like, zero drug tolerance for starters.¡±


    ¡°I heard they have a low threshold for pain.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they die if you poke those weird neck circles?¡±


    Krystal asked, ¡°Do you all hate the elsheem?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they our enemies?¡±


    ¡°Personally,¡± Lieren chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t understand the hatred.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Krystal asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met one nor seen one,¡± Lieren explained, ¡°so I have no opinion. I don¡¯t know much about them anyway.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate them after what they did to your father¡¯s lab?¡±


    Krystal sighed. She placed her fingers behind her ears and disabled her camouflage devices. The cadets witnessed her change from blonde Terran to fiery elsheem firsthand. Most of the cadets, especially those who were the most vocal, did not know what to say or how to feel.¡±


    ¡°This is my true identity,¡± Illeiri said. ¡°I am an elshi, and my name is Illeiri.


    ¡°I-if we knew you were an elsheem¡­ we wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± the Elestan stammered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to take anything back,¡± Illeiri said. ¡°I know how you feel, and on behalf of the entire elsheem race, I sincerely apologize.¡±


    Still, whispers of disbelief echoed through the cadets. Lieren, who had been seated next to Illeiri, gave the elshi her hand. Illeiri grasped it and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the deception, but it is because of the very stigma you highlighted that I must protect my identity.¡±


    Lieren looked the elshi in the eyes and said, ¡°Thank you for saving my father.¡±


    ¡°She saved your father?¡±


    ¡°What is an elsheem doing aboard anyway?¡±


    Illeiri told them, ¡°My race and my legacy have a stake in what is about to transpire today. Have any of you heard of the Commonweatlh of Avenath?¡± Most of them shook their heads, so Illeiri told them the story of her people¡¯s recent history and her role in it.


    Several hours later, Atara and Sesh stood close together on the bridge. The captain¡¯s right arm crossed her torso and supported her left arm upon which her head tilted. Naret watched the remaining seconds dwindle on a timer being displayed by one of her lumigraphs. When that timer reached zero, the adjunct spoke to the bridge officers.


    ¡°Target vessel Voulgenathi within interdiction range.¡±


    ¡°Adjunct,¡± Atara ordered, ¡°red alert. All hands, general quarters.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± the adjunct said. All starmen across the ship were witness to the warnings. They quickly suited themselves in SIRAC and readied themselves for the encounter ahead.


    ¡°Thirty seconds, Xann,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it. Preparing the kick.¡±


    Thirty seconds later, the noise of the synchronized drives that filled the engineering department around the clock had ceased. That was the only phenomenon a human could have registered to determine that they had generated a spatial wave. The wave propagated instantly in all directions¡ªthe effects of which fell off about four-hundred-thousand kilometers away.


    ¡°Kick confirmed,¡± Naret announced, focusing on her console. ¡°We¡¯re out of warp.¡±


    ¡°Positive confirmation of target,¡± said another bridge officer. ¡°Distance: two-hundred-thousand kilometers directly ahead.¡±


    ¡°Prepare long-range weapons,¡± Atara ordered, ¡°and hail them.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Ethis said. ¡°Broadcasting now.¡±


    ¡°This is Captain Atara of the Kelsor. This is your last chance to surrender. We are prepared to open fire.¡± After this, Atara waited fifteen seconds for a response. Upon hearing nothing, she turned to Sesh and said, ¡°Engage them at will.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Sesh said as she moved to stand just behind Naret. Atara followed her. ¡°Fire control, focus their engines and launch four salvos of warp missiles.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± a tactical officer acknowledged, and new sirens sounded as the REMASS systems responsible for producing ammunition came online. The Kelsor¡¯s eighty-eight missile tubes opened their hatches and exposed freshly-fabricated missiles to the vacuum of interstellar space. Half of the launchers were situated on the dorsal surface while the other half were on the ventral. All of the missiles used gravitics and plasma engines to launch in rapid sequence starting from the forward launchers and sweeping aft. After quickly escaping up to a kilometer, the missiles engaged their warp systems and blasted off toward the Voulgenathi, leaving streams of white plasma exhaust behind them.


    ¡°New contacts detected. Target is launching strikecraft.¡± More sounds and pings filled parts of the bridge.


    ¡°Launch our strikecraft,¡± Atara told her officers.


    A few seconds later, the tactical officer said, ¡°Positive hits on target. Sixty-seven confirmed detonations. Shields only.¡±


    Sesh asked, ¡°Are they using point-defenses?¡±


    ¡°Aye, but they¡¯re saturated. Enemy lumionic potential estimated at eighty-eight percent. Target is shunting power to main artillery.¡±


    ¡°Those are warp artillery batteries,¡± Atara reminded Sesh.


    ¡°I know,¡± said the first officer.


    The Kelsor¡¯s OPEL panels highlighted all of these invisible projectiles and the Voulgenathi. The first warp artillery shots, moving at fifty-thousand kilometers per second, missed the Kelsor by several hundred meters, but the next saw them land three consecutive hits to shields. The actual speeds of these rounds were only about a tenth of their effective. Of course, the damage they dealt was only a product of their actual speeds. All projectile-based warp systems were ever intended for was to land hits at all.


    ¡°Conn, evasive maneuvers,¡± Atara commanded. ¡°Nothing fancy. Just make us a moving target.¡±


    The Kelsor¡¯s Goshawk fighters, Virga bombers, and Predator interceptors had been positioned for launch within the hanger for the last four hours. Once the order was given, the interceptors rocketed forth from the hanger bay followed by the fighters and then the bombers. Cylenna once again piloted her Goshawk through the airscreen and into the darkness of interstellar space.


    ¡°Flights, you are cleared to engage,¡± Strike Officer Kodi said over EM-comms. Her voice cut through the ever-present electromagnetic interference of the cosmic background.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Cylenna responded, assuming the role of strike leader. ¡°This is Spectre. Strike wing, form on me. Prepare for warp.¡± On Cylenna¡¯s next order, the pilots activated their crafts¡¯ warp drives and accelerated toward the hostile battleship just as the elsheem were sending their own strikecraft to the Kelsor. As the elsheem bombers passed the flights of Federation strikecraft, the interceptor flights broke off and pursued them. The Voulgenathi¡¯s interceptors trailed the Virgas, and the Goshawks maneuvered to protect their slower, more powerful sisters. As the Virgas closed in on the Voulgenathi, they were met with anti-strikecraft autocannon fire from the front and interceptor weapons from the back. Cylenna¡¯s and Ice¡¯s Goshawk flights acted quickly to disrupt the enemy interceptors and cancel their pursuit.


    It was Cylenna who took first blood. Her accurate stream of plasma bolts spooked an elsheem pilot that had flown too close to his mothership. His craft collided with the Voulgenathi¡¯s lumionic barriers, causing his own barriers to fail immediately. The interceptor burst into two large pieces and a cloud of debris.


    ¡°Good job, Spectre,¡± Kodi said in an unenthusiastic tone. ¡°You scared him into the ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where they should be if they can¡¯t handle this,¡± Cylenna said unapologetically.


    After making an initial pass, the bombers turned around some distance behind the Voulgenathi¡¯s stern and unleashed a swarm of guided bombs toward the ship¡¯s engines. The resulting massive shield potential loss prompted the battleship to harden its lumionics.


    ¡°Target battleship has activated invulnerability shielding,¡± announced a Kelsor bridge officer. ¡°Estimated duration is six minutes.¡± The bridge was alive with officer call-outs, alert sounds, pings and beeps, and announcements from the adjunct.


    Atara said, ¡°Good work to our pilots. Prioritize the strikecraft attacking the Kelsor for the time being.¡± Atara approached Sesh who was still standing immediately behind Naret and beckoned her return to the middle of the bridge floor. In a low voice, Atara said, ¡°We can use this time to close in for torpedoes. Though, it might be better to wait for them to launch their frigates.¡±


    Sesh said, ¡°They may be holding onto them for that very time when we do approach them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good tactic for dividing our focus,¡± Atara noted, ¡°however, our primary anti-battleship punching power comes from our torpedoes. The sooner we¡¯re within deployment range, the sooner we are to ending this battle¡ªhardened lumionics or not.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re too close for warp,¡± Sesh stated.


    ¡°We¡¯ll use fusion drives and gravitics,¡± Atara replied.


    ¡°I say we go for it.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± Atara told Naret, ¡°take us to within ten kilometers of the Voulgenathi¡¯s stern. Engage conventional drives.¡±


    ¡°Aye. Falling forward.¡±

 36 - Intrusion

    ¡°The Kelsor is engaging its fusion drives, captain,¡± a Voulgenathi bridge officer announced. ¡°It¡¯s closing in fast.¡±


    ¡°Are the frigates ready for launch?¡± asked the captain. Taretes stood just behind him with a pleased facade. His elshi concubines were no real comfort to him now. His thoughts centered around the sample of black omnium. Thrassus had mentioned just hours before that the black omnium was the key to victory over the Federation. As long as Taretes believed in the destructive power the black omnium possessed, the outcome of the battle did not matter. The elsheem emperor would escape with his life so long as he clung to his ambition.


    ¡°Frigates are fully-crewed and standing by.¡±


    ¡°Are the breachers on standby as well?¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain.¡±


    ¡°Launch the frigates and prepare for close combat.¡±


    ¡°Two smaller vessels are detaching from the Voulgenathi,¡± Cylenna said. ¡°Kelsor, are you seeing this?¡±


    Affirmative, Spectre,¡± Kodi said from strike ops.


    The two frigates were black like their parent Voulgenathi. One emerged from the dorsal stern and the other from the ventral. The two of them had stacked above and below the battleship¡¯s main engineering section, made possible by their relative flatness. As the two ships had formed part of the Voulgenathi¡¯s hull, it quickly became apparent that four of the Voulgenathi¡¯s fusion engines had belonged to the battleship itself and the other six were divided between the two child frigates. As the distance between the battleship and frigates grew, the ventral frigate performed a roll to align itself along its mothership¡¯s orientation.


    ¡°They look like the two ships that attacked the Akkain station,¡± Sesh noted.


    ¡°I say we focus our fire on one frigate at a time,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°Flights,¡± Kodi instructed, ¡°focus down those frigates.¡±


    ¡°Wilco,¡± Cylenna responded. ¡°Engaging frigates.¡± The bombers which had lined up for another run against the invulnerable Voulgenathi shifted their trajectory toward the dorsal frigate per Cylenna¡¯s orders. Unfortunately for the frigates, they lost the hardened lumionic protection of their host mothership the moment they detached. The Virgas¡¯ bombs exploded against the frigate¡¯s shielding, prompting the hardening of its own lumionics. In response, the strikecraft engaged the other frigate until it, too, was made invulnerable. With all three large ships now actively hardening their lumionics, they were all unable to fire projectiles for the duration of their invulnerability.


    ¡°Sir!¡± a Voulgenathi officer shouted. ¡°Our pilots are no match for the Federation strikecraft. We¡¯ve already lost half of our deployed complement and have had to deploy hardened lumionics on all three of our ships. They are tearing us apart!¡±


    ¡°Steel yourself,¡± the captain said. ¡°You are in the presence of your emperor.¡± The captain turned toward Taretes for a moment¡ªas if respectfully or fearfully acknowledging his authority¡ªand then rotated back toward the bridge windows. ¡°Launch our squadron of heavy fighters.¡±


    Ten heavy fighters emerged from the Voulgenathi¡¯s hangar bay which took fire from zealous Federation pilots the instant they slowly emerged from the hardened lumionics protecting their mothership. The stoic heavy strikecraft ignored the assault as they made their menacing entrance onto the battlefield. The Kelsor, still just over two minutes away, was rotating itself in order to thrust its fusion engines retrograde.


    ¡°New contacts emerging from the Voulgenathi,¡± said a bridge officer. ¡°Ten heavy fighters.¡±


    ¡°No doubt launched to deal with our strikecraft,¡± Sesh stated.


    ¡°Tell Spectre to hang in there,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°Attention flight,¡± Cylenna said, ¡°heavy strikecraft represent a critical threat. Fly defensively and avoid their fire.¡±


    As the heavy fighters started choosing targets, one pursued Cylenna¡¯s Goshawk. From a stream of plasma bolts, three struck her fighter¡¯s shields. Each shot contributed to the ignition of her adrenaline surge, and her serious expression turned into a grin that displayed her first moments of euphoric, almost orgasmic pleasure. Acting on instinct, the Elestan took a capsule from a compartment in the cockpit, placed it on her bodysuited arm, and injected some of the remaining chronol she smuggled aboard after most of her stash had been confiscated by Atara. As soon as the drug began to circulate, her perception of time increased by an order of magnitude, prolonging her pleasure and decreasing her reaction time. The Elestan readjusted her heading as quickly as her mind and body would allow her¡ªunder the drug¡¯s influence¡ªin order to evade the enemy¡¯s fire. While her craft was at warp, she performed a one-hundred-eighty-degree yaw pivot. Once the enemy craft was within her sights, she unleashed a storm of plasma bolts and missiles. This caught the elsheem pilot completely off guard, allowing her to inflict moderate damage to his craft. Those six seconds lasted an entire minute for Cylenna. The heavy fighter peeled away, but the Elestan pilot adjusted her course to give chase while she continued to fire. When the enemy craft finally activated its hardened lumionics, she let it escape as she looked for another target to pursue and more excitement to be had.


    Then, after many minutes (she felt) in her heightened mental state, she heard a cry for help over EM-comms. It was Ice¡¯s voice. Her message, taking what felt like twenty seconds to come through, said, ¡°Spectre, I have two on my six!¡± In the distance and magnified on her OPEL panel by her strikecraft¡¯s optics, there were two streams of white plasma bolts meeting at a single point in space. Cylenna throttled her Goshawk to maximum and blasted toward them. She had no doubt that she would reach her friend in time and take care of the hostiles.


    But halfway to meeting them¡ªnearly a minute for Cylenna¡ªIce¡¯s shields failed, and her strikecraft was eaten apart by white-hot bolts and missile explosions. Cylenna was close enough to the action now that she could see Ice eject from the stricken craft with her naked eyes. The Elestan watched her helpless friend¡¯s body through the OPEL screen, wrapped in stasis, float through the deep black, and every ounce of confidence and adrenaline-fueled pleasure was sapped from her body, replaced by sorrow and regret. Ice¡¯s body was bombarded by plasma bolts even before her stasis had expired, and when it did, her Accellus¡¯ shielding was instantly overwhelmed. The majority of her body was vaporized. Having just witnessed her friend¡¯s brutal murder in slow motion, Cylenna was overcome with sadness and rage. These emotions, too, were prolonged by the chronol that she had injected during the height of her pleasure. This trauma tripped a circuit in her mind, and she threw away common sense and broke down into a frenzy.


    ¡°We¡¯re beginning to lose strikecraft,¡± a bridge officer announced. ¡°We just lost Ice.¡±


    ¡°Naret,¡± Atara asked, ¡°how long until we¡¯re in range?¡±


    ¡°Ninety seconds, captain,¡± Naret responded.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    ¡°We could order their retreat,¡± Sesh suggested.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Atara ordered.


    The chronol was wearing off as Cylenna¡¯s berserker rage continued. She ignored the Kelsor¡¯s orders. Remarkably, the heavy strikecraft did not pursue the retreating strikecraft but instead chased the last remaining Goshawk fighter that did not appear to be breaking off the attack: Spectre¡¯s. Cylenna¡¯s natural talent and acquired skill allowed her to overcome both the number of hostiles and her forsaking of reason, but she could not hold out forever. Just as she was coming to her senses, the Kelsor was finishing its retrograde fusion engine burn. The Kelsor sat ten kilometers away from the Voulgenathi. She throttled up her fighter as fast as its warp drive would allow her to escape the swarm of heavy fighters behind, but on her way back, her shields failed. As if by some twist of fate, she was ejected from her doomed craft one kilometer from the Kelsor¡¯s hull. In stasis, her body slammed into the Kelsor¡¯s armor, setting off the ship¡¯s lumionic barrier that deflected her toward deep space while the heavy strikecraft¡ªlarge targets for anti-strikecraft weapons¡ªworried more about evading the battlecruiser¡¯s fire than killing her. When Cylenna¡¯s stasis ended, she oriented herself toward the Kelsor¡¯s white hull which was illuminated only by artificial light. Rarely was she as grieved as she was now. She used her Accellus¡¯ gravitics to fly the few hundred meters distance to the battlecruiser. She slowed as she approached the hull, planted her feet on the solid SIRAC, and ran clear across the hull.


    Meanwhile, the lumionic shielding of the enemy ships had returned to normal with regard to both hardening and potential.


    ¡°Focus the closest frigate,¡± Atara ordered, ¡°and fire at will.¡± The four ships exchanged weapons fire across the ten kilometers separating them. The Kelsor¡¯s eighty-centimeter turrets emerged, loaded solid rounds into their gravitic launchers and fired them toward the closest satellite frigate. The prepared torpedoes were unleashed from their launchers, traversed the distance using conventional drives, overcame all point defense fire, and detonated against the frigate¡¯s barrier. The explosion was unmatched by most modern anti-ship weaponry. The Kelsor¡¯s fire was returned in kind, but it lacked the punching power that the Kelsor¡¯s torpedoes possessed. After only two torpedo volleys totaling twenty projectiles, the first frigate was crying out to its mothership.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Cylenna was running across the Kelsor¡¯s hull when the ships began opening fire on each other. The Kelsor¡¯s cannons fired their solid projectiles with muzzle velocities in excess of five-thousand meters per second in total silence. Her heightened breath and noises from her helmet interface were the only sounds she heard. The battlecruiser¡¯s shield bubble defending against thermal energy weapons were a lightshow over the pilot¡¯s head. Solid slugs slammed into the barriers that hugged the ship¡¯s hull and protected against kinetic energy and explosive force. A projectile from the Voulgenathi collided with the barrier just five meters from where Cylenna dashed. When the barrier appeared, the ship¡¯s lumionics had modified its geometry around the Elestan pilot, and its activation would have blinded her if not for the protection of the OPEL screen on her helmet. The barrier halted her motion for a moment, causing her to stagger. After yelling a profanity to herself, she continued running toward an exterior airlock as the Kelsor unleashed missiles and torpedoes.


    ¡°Launch our boarding pods,¡± Taretes ordered.


    ¡°Right away, my lord,¡± the captain responded. The forty dropship-sized craft, carrying two-hundred elsheem soldiers each, broke away from the battleship¡¯s hull propelled by plasma thrusters and gravitics. The pods¡¯ flat faces had been flush with, as well as parts of, the battleship¡¯s thick armor.


    ¡°Hull breachers are detaching, captain.¡±


    Atara commanded, ¡°Focus fire on the breachers.¡± Before any of the breachers had taken fire, they had engaged their hardened lumionics. The first frigate exploded as the breachers were entering within the firing range of the Kelsor¡¯s anti-strikecraft weapons. One of the Kelsor¡¯s lumionically-contained plasma beam cannons locked on and fired upon one of the breachers with energy potent enough to drain lumionic shield potential and devour armor, yet that energy was not enough to overwhelm their hardened lumionics. Seeing that their advance could not be stopped, Atara said, ¡°Prepare to repel boarders.¡±


    ¡°Auroras are standing by,¡± Colonel Teseri said in a lumigraph. ¡°All six-thousand of us. The majority of the crew is armed as well.¡±


    The first breachers approached the Kelsor, rotated one-hundred-eighty degrees, and backed into the Kelsor¡¯s armor. Once locked into position, the breachers began cutting into the cruiser¡¯s exterior SIRAC shell, a process taking over ten minutes. The Kelsor¡¯s defenders used this time to establish defensive positions around and clear out personnel from where these pods had attached themselves. One breacher parked right atop the bridge but found itself cutting into a robust and persistent barrier being sustained by the bridge¡¯s separate defense suite. Alone, it would never succeed. Meanwhile, a failure to contain engine plasma occurred within the battered engineering department of the second frigate, leading to a catastrophic explosion in the ship¡¯s aft section.


    ¡°Intruder alert,¡± the Kelsor¡¯s adjunct announced. ¡°Level one security breach. Ship-wide lockdown engaged.¡± This was followed by intrusion warning lights and sirens to accompany the alerts already being broadcast across the ship.


    Illeiri could feel the impending roar of Alliance omnium and the gentle hum of elsheem bioomnimics from the multi-use room she shared with the cadets in the middle of the ship. She knew there were eight-thousand elsheem soldiers attempting to board and precisely where they all were. She felt the movements of Auroras across the ship from the external omnium reservoirs they wore, and she could sense the omnium within every pair of Accellus boots and bracers. This information never overwhelmed her. This part of her was like a computer used to count stars in the night sky. She just knew. But the cadets with her were totally oblivious.


    A lumigraph opened before her and a woman¡¯s voice said, ¡°Krystal? Sorry, Illeiri? Are you in a safe place?¡± It was Virn.


    ¡°I¡¯m hunkered down with the cadets near the medbay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Stay put and keep out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Can you bring me some discs?¡±


    ¡°How many do you need?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. We¡¯re about to have a serious fight on our hands.¡± The lumigraph closed.


    Illeiri turned to Lieren and asked, ¡°Can you darken the windows?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lieren replied. She interfaced with the room¡¯s controls using her Accellus and corneal lumes. ¡°I¡¯m darkening them from the outside so we can still look out.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Illeiri said. A few minutes later, her mind caught a crate moving via gravitics through the corridors of the ships. It was just one among the many containers full of Federation unimags carrying MS-91 synthevar, but the omnium within this one was shaped differently than those of the unimags. When the crate sat down outside the door, Illieri used her Accellus to move it through the door and placed it in the middle of the room. The elsheem opened the crate and within were the three disc drones she asked for.


    One of the cadets asked, ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Illeiri said as she grabbed the first one and looked it over, smiling.


    ¡°Intruder alert. Level two security breach.¡±


    The first breacher had pierced the outer hull. The circle of SIRAC that the pod cut out of the Kelsor¡¯s exterior slammed into the floor of an outer corridor. Without hesitation; the Auroras; armed crew; REMASS-generated, ceiling-mounted autoturrets, and hovering assault drones opened fire on the hole connecting the breacher to the Kelsor. Elsheem soldiers stumbled out of the breacher and were riddled with plasma bolts before they could fire a single shot. Their bodies accumulated on the floor as a pile of corpses. Several grenades tossed out from the breacher caused the Federation defenders to momentarily pull back, but after the grenades detonated, the elsheem had enough time to pour out of the craft and lay down fire of their own. As the seconds passed, more breachers had successfully carved their way through the hull and flooded more soldiers into the battlecruiser.


    The breacher¡¯s lumionic hardeners were beginning to reset. As their lumonics returned to normal, they became exposed to the autocannons on the Kelsor¡¯s surface. Designed to deter and destroy hostile strikecraft, these autocannons shredded the now vulnerable breachers, killing any elsheem soldiers still attempting to enter the ship. The empty breachers trying to return to the Voulgenathi to retrieve more troops were cut down just as easily. Around a thousand elsheem boarders died due to the pods¡¯ rapid destruction. Without any additional boarding pods, the elsheem would be unable to mount subsequent waves of boarders.


    The battle aboard the Kelsor began in earnest. The battlecruiser¡¯s five-thousand Auroras and the smaller army of assault drones formed the vanguard of the ship¡¯s defense. Rather than try to overwhelm the positions the elsheem established around the periphery of the ship, the highly-trained Auroras made strategic retreats to more defensible areas, evacuating the crew as they withdrew.


    ¡°Intruder alert. Level three security breach.¡±


    A level three breach signaled that fighting was spilling into crew quarters. Both the Auroras and elsheem fought room to room between the tighter corridors. Determined not to let the elsheem advance deeper into the ship¡¯s living space, Kyora and Virn led the effort to repel them as they fought beside their Auroras. Virn lied prone upside-down on the ceiling with most of her body concealed behind a corner. Next to her floated a lumigraphic spotlight flooding the corridor with its blinding beam. The Exan unleashed bursts of plasma bolts from her sustainer to keep the encroaching elsheem at bay. Meanwhile, Kyora used her gravitics and shrouding to flank the assaulting elsheem. After positioning herself directly above them, she descended with a plasma blade in one hand and a heavy pistol in the other. Surrounded by elsheem soldiers, she stabbed them one-by-one, dodging their fire behind the punctured bodies of their brethren. Kyora also attacked at range, blowing holes in her enemies¡¯ armor with the high caliber rounds produced and launched with her powerful sidearm. The phantom cut them down and tossed them aside, and once the fighting had quieted, she stood above the pile of their smoking corpses. After killing so many elsheem, she tried to decide if she had been fulfilled. How many did she need to kill to satisfy her anger? Kyora recalled her weapons. Whatever it was that she was trying to find in that corridor littered with elsheem remains, she couldn¡¯t find it, and she was left emptier than she had been just moments before.


    The cadets sat on the floor in the middle of the room and away from the walls. All of them wore full sets of SIRAC. Illeiri stood guard near the door with the three naked discs floating beside her. As she resonated with the omnium across the ship, she felt the Auroras who had made advances nearby just minutes earlier were now in retreat. Out of the OPEL windows the cadets saw the medbay enter full lockdown. The main entrance was closed by a shielded blast door and no one would be coming in or out until the surrounding decks and sections were cleared. Elsheem bullets ricocheted off the walls of the wide corridor between them and the medbay. The fighting was less than twenty meters away now.


    Without a word, Illeiri slipped out of the room and entered the middle of the corridor and raised her hands in the air. The cadets that saw this alerted the others and they gathered around the OPEL windows.


    ¡°Look at that!¡± one of the cadets said.


    ¡°Cowardice.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s betraying us.¡±


    Illeiri unsheathed her helmet and shouted at them. The cadets heard nothing of what was happening, but many assumed that she was trying to prove to them that she was elsheem, too. What the cadets failed to see, though, were the three discs spinning idle behind a corridor, out of sight of the hostile elsheem. The moment the Avenathi queen had convinced the group of a dozen or more elsheem to drop their weapons, she unleashed the drones, now clothed in white plasma, and made them dance through the hallway. The plasma-coated discs delivered death to every victim they touched¡ªslicing torsos and severing heads. For the cadets, the carnage happened so fast that Illeiri might as well have snapped her fingers.


    Illeiri left their corpses strewn across the corridor, powered down her discs, and reentered the multi-use room. When she returned, the cadets that had been cursing her sang her praises the loudest.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°Were they going to kill us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone use two discs, let alone three!¡±


    ¡°You butchered those guys!¡±


    ¡°Are we safe here?¡±


    Meanwhile, Doctor Souq prepared himself in the relative safety of his quarters. He managed to fabricate a set of armor and a helmet, but because he was still self-conscious in how he perceived Accellus to look on a man (especially aboard a ship full of women), he tried to fabricate a white lab coat to wear over it. The Accellus¡¯ REMASS system would not comply, so he unsheathed himself of armor, fabricated the coat, took it off, sheathed himself in armor again, and drew his arms through the coat sleeves. The shoulder armor made the coat fit awkwardly around his upper body¡ªhis shoulders looked several sizes larger¡ª, but it worked well enough for him. Souq fastened the jacket down the middle and was about to set out for the place the cadets had been gathered when he finally received a textual reply from his daughter telling him that she was safe. His thoughts then shifted to Namara and the jump drone sitting in the omnimology lab.


    Souq drew the sleeve back to access the lumionic interface on his arm in order to summon a lumigraph. ¡°Namara? You there?¡±


    ¡°Quen?¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In the lab.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare come here! You know it¡¯s not safe. Do you hear me, Quen?!¡± Souq shut off the lumigraph and exited his quarters.

 37 - Hostages

    ¡°Captain, we¡¯re detecting a Republic jump signature two kilometers off the starboard stern. It will emerge in three minutes.¡±


    Atara and Sesh exchanged glances.


    Atara asked, ¡°Is it too early to make contact?¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± Ethis responded. ¡°Wait until the wormhole forms.¡±


    At the same time, the Kelsor¡¯s adjunct announced, ¡°Intruder alert. Level four security breach.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s us, Atara,¡± Xannissa explained through her Q-comms link. ¡°There are a few hostiles bearing down on us, but we have more than enough firepower to hold them off.¡±


    ¡°Hang in there, Xann,¡± Atara thought, clenching her fists.


    ¡°You kidding? So long as they can¡¯t blink into the middle of engineering, this is easy.¡±


    Xannissa, along with the other engineers and technicians, stood at their posts overseeing the ship¡¯s vital systems. Just beyond the blast doors sealing off main engineering, several Auroras and crewmen were crouched behind freshly fabricated barricades. They lifted themselves, brought their guns over the solid duralithic blocks, and sprayed the entrances to the engineering department with plasma bolts, forcing the attackers back down the corridors.


    Minutes later, a bridge officer reported, ¡°Republic vessel is emerging,¡±


    ¡°Hail them,¡± Atara said. ¡°Republic vessel, this is the Federation battlecruiser GFN Kelsor. You have entered an active combat zone. We are currently engaging....¡±


    Before she could finish her hail, a male voice in a Republic accent said ¡°Damn right, we have.¡± Ethis identified it immediately.


    Atara asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re Republic Revenant special unit Quietus of Hiracet aboard the Republic Navy ship Fencer,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°That¡¯s Rikter Svalti,¡± said Ethis. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Naret shot a quick glance back toward Ethis and smiled.


    ¡°Can we lend you our assistance?¡± Svalti asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to hunt elsheem,¡± Atara told him, ¡°I can¡¯t really refuse.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be blinking aboard,¡± said Aran Eda of Quietus. ¡°Just give us a safe place to jump.¡±


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Atara said, ¡°I leave that to you.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Atara,¡± Fiori responded.


    Cylenna sat on a container near the edge of the hangar bay. She had escaped; survived her brush with death yet again, but she was neither thrilled nor ecstatic. The Elestan pilot was hunched over, supporting herself with her arms atop her thighs. Her helmet concealed her sorrow to a degree. Never in her life had she experienced such loss before, amplified by the effects of the chronol. Oh, if only she could find some modicum of pleasure right this moment. But she had enough life experience to know that would only deepen her despair. Her Goshawk had been destroyed. Ice was dead. A few other pilots had lost their lives, and the ship was currently being invaded. If she hadn¡¯t had been so selfish. If she had taken the battle more seriously instead of as a thrill. If she had allowed Atara to confiscate all of her chronol.


    There was an explosion on the far side of the hangar. Cylenna looked beneath the nose of the Goshawk behind her and witnessed the fireball and the destruction of the blast door that had kept one of the larger thoroughfares sealed. Is this how it all ends?


    A contingent of Auroras were prepositioned to meet the elsheem attackers as they tried to assault the hangar. Cylenna heard the faint whiz of bullets brushing past her helmet.


    ¡°Motherfuckers,¡± Cylenna whispered. She said it again, this time shouting, ¡°Motherfuckers!¡± The Elestan jumped up from the crate and floated up to the Goshawk¡¯s cockpit. Once sealed within, she activated the craft¡¯s ODEC and lifted the craft up, propelling it with gravitics only. Cylenna yawed the craft starboard and pitched down slightly until the blasted door was within her line of fire. Upon direct mental control, the revolvers within the Goshawk¡¯s twin autocannons began rotating up to their maximum revolutions per minute. Each cylinder contained within the revolvers engorged itself with white hot plasma. Three seconds later, the cylinders, fully charged, released their contents into the accelerators of the gravitational mass drivers¡ªessentially the barrels¡ªand within the blink of an eye, the wide corridor from which the elsheem poured was back-flooded with white plasma. Before the elsheem knew it, their compatriots were incinerated before their eyes. During their struggle to comprehend what was happening, they, too, were blasted by the large-caliber rounds from the Goshawk Cylenna piloted. The Auroras defending the door cheered for her and withdrew as the bolts from the fighter¡¯s autocannons reduced the attacking elsheem to ash, then dissipated like perpetual rolling thunder.


    Fiori initiated a broadcast to all hangar personnel and said, ¡°Attention. A Republic assault squad will be initiating a jump into the central hangar bay within two minutes.¡± Cylenna powered down the twin autocannons. The woman¡¯s breaths were heavy, and her heart raced. Until now, she had never found so much pleasure in killing. She had only ever pursued it the one place she knew she could and the one place she knew was somewhat legal: her own brink of death. This brief event, if not only to grant her some kind of vengeance, placed a subconscious seed within her psyche that pleasure¡ªan almost sexual pleasure¡ªcould be derived from pushing others over their own mortal cliffs and into the dark abyss.


    Oblivious to the mental damage she was always inflicting upon herself¡ªtoday more than ever¡ªshe set the craft back down, put the ODEC back into standby, and jumped out of the cockpit, meeting a group of Auroras who praised her initiative and potentially saved their lives.


    There was nothing subtle about the Republic¡¯s blink technology. Mirroring the Republic Military¡¯s prevailing doctrines on brute force and frontal assault, the members of Quietus, housed within their modified Novekk Type-M, exploded into the hangar¡¯s atmosphere. Pulled down by the Kelsor¡¯s gravitics, their power armors¡ªabout a half metric ton each¡ªcrashed into the hangar¡¯s floor.


    ¡°Kelsor, we are aboard,¡± Svalti announced as Quietus drew their weapons.


    ¡°The fighting is starting to die down,¡± Atara told them, ¡°but we¡¯re watching a situation begin to unfold around the omnimology lab. Meet up with our forces there.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Svalti responded. ¡°Just point us in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Atara asked, ¡°can you have your counterpart lead them?¡±


    ¡°Already done, captain,¡± Fiori assured her. Rellia, Fiori¡¯s Republic twin, had received the layout of the entire Federation battlecruiser and guided Quietus in the same manner Fiori would have. The Republic Revenants made for the aft door that the elsheem had broken through and departed from the hangar.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Doctor Souq followed lit corridors until he was at the intersection of one of the large thoroughfares. The whole situation gave him flashbacks of the day the elsheem boarded his science station in Tribesson. The fear of letting Naret succumb to the same fate as his lab gripped him as he stared out into the darkness and heard the thunderous sound of expanding plasma echo through it. Suddenly, he felt a tapping against his helmet. Terror shot through his system.


    No doubt that tapping was a gun. Doctor Souq dropped the handgun he held and put his hands in the air. He then felt something plant itself into the armor on his back and one of his arms was grabbed. Whoever it was behind him forced him onward into the darkness in the same direction he had been planning to go. He could hear multiple sets of footsteps behind him. Maybe the elsheem would finish what they started¡ªdispose of the last of his lab by executing him. So long as his daughter escaped with her life, his own life didn¡¯t matter much to him anymore. But he would have liked to have seen his daughter smile one more time. If he was going to die anyway, why not take the chance and fight back?


    Souq turned around and tried to wrest the gun away from the black-clad elsheem, but he had never been trained in any sort of close quarters combat. The elsheem soldier easily overpowered him and kicked the scientist to the ground. Souq writhed about as two more soldiers dragged him to his feet. Each of them restrained one of his arms as they carried him off.


    The thunder grew louder, and the separate bursts of dissipated plasma grew increasingly resolved. Souq could now hear the swooshing of bullets being fired from elsheem mag drivers. The corridors were still dark, perhaps darker. Lights from the elsheems¡¯ suits illuminated their path and revealed the armored bodies of deceased fighters littering the corridor. Souq noted that the amount of black armor far exceeded the white, but there were still dead Accellus users. When they reached the end of the corridor, an elsheem beckoned them and shouted, probably to hurry as there was a lull in the firefight judging by the reduction in noise.


    One of the elsheem restraining them ducked Souq¡¯s head as they moved behind barricades and obstacles and around fellow elsheem fighters. Red flashes from the Kelsor¡¯s emergency system pulsed periodically above the desperate elsheem who had no way to escape their impending annihilation at the hands of the Kelsor¡¯s Auroras. Their lucky encounter with Souq was the only chance they had, short of surrender, of escaping with their lives.


    The elsheem shoved Souq against a closed door. His left arm was held out to the frame, feeling for that sweet spot where the door would register his Accellus and allow them access. White plasma bolts struck nearby like lightning. The elsheem manipulating his arm became more frantic as the firefight started to re-intensify. Bullets and plasma flew through the corridors as shouting could be heard from both sides. An explosion went off from a hand grenade. Finally, the door registered his Accellus and opened up. The elsheem shoved Souq inside as they flooded in to clear it.


    He hadn¡¯t recognized the outside, but this was the omnimology laboratory. The elsheem barked from different corners of the lab as they rounded up women clad in Accellus armor. An elsheem soldier dragged them into the lineup they formed, and forced him and the women to collapse to their knees, recall their helmets, and place their hands on their heads. Another woman was forced down on his left, and despite the dim light, he could see that she was Namara. She looked down at the floor in sorrow as the elsheem soldiers started pacing behind the lab benches. Souq looked toward where the jump drone had been but saw that the space was empty.


    ¡°Namara,¡± Souq whispered. Namara¡¯s head shot in his direction. Her eyes were wide and her expression grave. ¡°Jump drone?¡±


    ¡°Hid it,¡± she mouthed.


    ¡°What?¡± Souq whispered again.


    ¡°I hid it,¡± Namara barely vocalized. An elsheem behind them struck Namara in the back of head with the butt of his gun. Souq growled, tried to shuffle to his feet, but was given the same treatment, feeling the sharp pain of being beaten in the back of the skull.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said one of the elsheem commanders. His Miri was the best among his troops. ¡°We have your valuable omnimologists in our possession.¡± The soldier stepped out of the lumigraph¡¯s field of view to show the kneeling scientists illuminated by a spotlight. ¡°Call off your guards and surrender to the Voulgenathi. If you do not, we will execute one of them every ten minutes. If you value their minds as much as your Federation does, you will comply.¡±


    After the transmission was terminated, Atara stood there for a moment, perplexed. Never did she consider that the elsheem intrusion would turn into a hostage situation.


    ¡°What are we going to do, Atara?¡± Sesh asked her. Atara stood there for another moment more.


    ¡°We had eight scientists down there, plus Souq, so nine, correct?¡±


    ¡°We have nine minutes until they kill one of them,¡± Sesh said, sounding urgent.


    ¡°Atara,¡± Fiori said to the captain as she once again appeared on the bridge, ¡°trust me.¡±


    ¡°I need everyone we have to go over there and wipe them out,¡± Atara commanded. ¡°Is Quietus there yet? Where are Kyora and her phantoms?¡±


    ¡°These fuckers really dug in!¡± Itagoreth shouted.


    ¡°Quit bitching,¡± Jade shouted back. ¡°They have hostages now. We need to clear a path.¡±


    ¡°Dreth!¡± Svalti yelled.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°Show them what divine ovation sounds like!¡±


    ¡°Yessir!¡± Dreth complied. He maneuvered to aim his shoulder launcher down the corridor. Careful to reveal only the missile tube jutting from his armor, Dreth fired seven rockets from the tube into the pocket of entrenched elsheem combatants. The concussive ordnance detonated with the sound of successive thunderclaps as if from God¡¯s own applause. When Jade peered around the corner, elsheem body parts were strewn about the floor, blood and scorch marked the walls, and the barricades protecting the elsheem had been shattered.


    ¡°How many more you got?¡± Svalti asked.


    ¡°Twenty-three.¡±


    ¡°We might need a few more of those. Jade?¡±


    ¡°Moving,¡± Jade responded.


    After a bit more bloodshed, Quietus took positions near the mass of elsheem protecting the omnimology lab. There were only seconds between them securing a forward position and Kyora¡¯s elite teams meeting them.


    ¡°We need to be careful,¡± Kyora told them through the sound of weapons exchanges. ¡°If we look like we¡¯re advancing, they might decide to start killing hostages.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of that,¡± Svalti told her, ¡°but that places us at a severe impasse.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kyora admitted. ¡°I have some of my phantoms trying to assess the possibility of a sneak attack.¡±


    ¡°Time remaining?¡±


    ¡°Two minutes.¡±


    The seconds marched on unimpeded while Quietus and the Auroras were left unable to act for fear of harm coming to the scientists. Atara and Sesh hung their heads while they awaited the transmission from the elsheem commander.


    ¡°Perhaps you didn¡¯t take me seriously,¡± were the armored elsheem soldier¡¯s first words when a new lumigraph appeared on the bridge. The camera panned as the soldier walked around the first scientist, a junior researcher, and kicked her in the back, knocking her face into the hard floor and causing her to scream. It was difficult to see from a distance, but the woman was sobbing. The other hostages shuddered. The soldier pointed his gun straight at the scientist¡¯s head and said, ¡°Five seconds, captain.¡±


    ¡°Oh God! Please! No!¡±


    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three¡­¡±


    ¡°Sesh,¡± Atara spoke somber, ¡°power down our weapons. Alert the Voulgenathi of our surrender.¡±


    The soldier stopped counting as Ethis hailed the enemy ship with news of the Kelsor¡¯s immediate and unconditional surrender. The bridge of the Voulgenathi didn¡¯t know what to think at first, but as they witnessed power being diverted away from the Kelsor¡¯s weapons systems, they held their fire while keeping their guns trained squarely on the Federation battlecruiser.


    ¡°Your brinkmanship almost got this young woman killed,¡± the elshe sneered. ¡°I¡¯m bringing a squad of my men to your bridge to commandeer your vessel. If I die, they die.¡± The soldier tilted his head toward the scientists as he said this, and then the transmission ended.


    The elsheem soldier¡¯s Alliance boots clacked as they marched down the corridors to a set of lifts that would take them up to the bridge. Along their path they passed the bodies of their own deceased as well as those of the Kelsor¡¯s Auroras and crew, but the elsheem elites were totally unfazed. They stepped over the corpses¡ªor on them in some cases¡ªand entered the lift which took them to the highest deck on the ship. After exiting just forward of the briefing room, the soldiers¡ªweapons drawn¡ªgathered outside both doors to the bridge.


    The unprotected doors slid right open and the elsheem poured into the bridge, only to find it completely empty. The leader shouted to his men to fan out. The terminals and consoles continued to read out and beep and ping. He sent men down the forward stairs that ran down either side of Naret¡¯s conning station in order to secure ops which, as he expected, was also vacated.


    He ordered his men to fan out across the deck and find those officers, but when his men tried to leave the bridge, or out through ops, all doors had been sealed with blast protection. Fiori appeared behind them in the middle of the bridge.


    ¡°Emergency experimental weapon deployment protocol engaged,¡± Fiori announced to the elsheem. Some of the men reflexively fired at the lumigraphic figure, only to have their bullets fly right through her hitting nothing but air and the SIRAC and OPEL panels further beyond. ¡°MARAD lockout override authorization: Fiori root. Decrypting design, please stand by. Decryption complete. Mark One phasic torpedoes are now available.¡± Fiori knew exactly who she was speaking to, and she knew the officers that would have appreciated these announcements were not present. This excited her as much as it would a human in her position, and she had hoped it would play into the psychological component of the battle. ¡°Hostile target confirmed. Firing solution complete. Prepping phasic torpedo. Torpedo away.¡±

 38 - Phasics

    At that same moment, Fiori contacted Kyora to tell the phantom that she could proceed with her part of the plan. Kyora forwarded the command to her subordinate phantoms. Having eventually found a way into the omnimology lab without alerting the elsheem, several phantoms in full shrouding stood motionless and silent. On their colonel¡¯s order, they grabbed the hostage-takers from behind, lifted the SIRAC blades they all carried in their right hands, coated them in plasma, and shoved them into the hearts of the elsheem soldiers. The knives burned through lumionic shielding, armor, skin, muscle, bone, and right through myocardium, cauterizing all tissue and vaporizing blood. The scientists beneath them heard the pops and sizzles of plasma striking flesh, and the odor of incinerated meat filled their nostrils. As the soldiers went limp, the phantoms held their bodies tightly to prevent them from crushing the scientists. The phantoms rolled the corpses over and let each of them fall between the hostages and crumple upon the floor. Any other elsheem in the room were dispatched by a few other phantoms toting handguns.


    After this brief and deadly strike, the phantoms disengaged their shrouding and revealed themselves to the scientists, most of whom shook from the adrenaline coursing through them. Namara latched onto Souq and wouldn¡¯t let go. He felt the irregular rise and fall of her chest from her crying. The phantoms lifted the scientists to their feet and escorted them out of the lab by the way the phantoms had infiltrated.


    The torpedo left its launch tube and accelerated toward the Voulgenathi. Midway through its journey, the weapon activated a very experimental system known as phasics by MARAD engineers. It is widely understood that fundamental interactions are confined to distinct ¡°phases¡± (not to be confused with those of thermodynamics) within physical reality. Modern physicists estimate that there are between five and seven phases in total¡ªpossibly more¡ªdepending on the measure of the universe¡¯s total mass and distribution of said mass that is considered.


    The onboard phasics pushed the torpedo toward the high-energy, up-phase transitional boundary until the weapon began to fade from existence; however, it never quite disappeared. The torpedo slipped right through the Voulgenathi¡¯s point-defense fire and its lumionic barrier, through its outer hull, and through the bulkheads until it was deep within the battleship. The moment the phasic system disengaged, the torpedo was instantly thrust back into the local phase. A mere moment later, the weapon detonated at the core of the Voulgenathi¡¯s vast engineering section. Immediately unseen by those aboard the Kelsor, the ferocious blast caused a structural failure of the Voulgenathi¡¯s primary ODEC that kept the battleship¡¯s monstrous, un-mediated dual hyperwarp cores fed. The spontaneous loss of containment of the ODEC¡¯s internal reaction chamber led to the rapid, uncontrollable release of plasma and traces of antimatter that flooded the department. This deluge¡ªoccurring within the span of a single second, triggered a secondary explosion, magnitudes greater than the first, that resulted in the hull failure of the majority of the battleship¡¯s aft sections. Such a direct hit with a single torpedo against a ship with sufficient lumionic field potential and intact armor was unprecedented.


    The elsheem soldiers struggling to escape the Kelsor¡¯s bridge looked out through the forward OPEL panels and watched with horror as a significant portion of their ship¡¯s latter half blew itself apart. Just seconds before, these soldiers had felt that the battle was theirs. Now, as they failed to secure the Kelsor¡¯s commanders and watched their mothership be violently incapacitated, their hearts were filled with a hopelessness beyond anything they had ever experienced.


    Then, a sequence of thunderous booms had the elsheem soldiers scattering¡ªducking for their lives. Appearing on the bridge were the Revenants of Quietus; all eight of them in their heavy, black Type-M armor. This psychological onslaught drove the elsheem commander over the edge. His eyes fixated on the Revenants as they caught their bearings after their disorienting blink. The commander could not move nor speak nor think. The Revenants raised their weapons toward the elsheem, except for Svalti who turned around to face the bridge OPEL panels.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Svalti commented, ¡°looks like your ship got fucked.¡± Turning back toward the elsheem, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you to the count of ten before we start shooting.¡± Raising his weapon like the rest, he began counting. ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three¡­.¡±


    The elsheem soldiers placed their weapons on the ground and lifted their arms. Their commander, still in shock, stood motionless like an animal caught in a pair of headlamps. His subordinates lifted his arms for him in surrender.


    ¡°Now,¡± Svalti continued, ¡°back away from the door. Walk to the center of the room.¡± The Revenant beckoned them forth by waving his gun as he ordered them around. As they gathered in the center of the bridge, the Quietus members forced them down and made them sit. Once they had formed a tight cluster of armored bodies, Svalti messaged Atara.


    ¡°Captain, the bridge is secure.¡±


    A minute later, the captain, her bridge officers, and the Aurora guards filed back onto the bridge. Atara, who was first to enter, was presented with a pile of sitting elsheem soldiers towered over by Republic Revenants with an orange, lumigraphic Fiori presiding over them all against a backdrop of Voulgenathi debris radiating out from its primary ODEC¡¯s destruction ten kilometers away. Despite these circumstances, the bridge officers nonchalantly returned to their posts. Only four of the Kelsor officers displayed any reaction at all to the present situation. Atara and Sesh approached the Revenants to thank them for their assistance. Naret sat in her chair and stared at Ethis as the latter approached Quietus. Ethis moved between Atara and Sesh, brushing shoulders with them, and stood before Svalti¡¯s Type-M¡ªhis name was marked on the suit¡¯s right breast. Her heart raced, for during their evacuation from the bridge, the anticipation of meeting Venosk 509 again surged within her. The communications officer opened her mouth to speak, but her tongue could produce no words.


    ¡°Ethis?¡± Svalti asked before the mute Elestan. He took a moment to look her over, ensuring she was indeed who he thought she was. ¡°Ethis!¡± The Revenant leader slid his assault driver onto his back, and with both hands, detached and removed his helmet to reveal his gray face and short, black hair. Jade, standing next to him, saw a smile she hadn¡¯t seen in years¡ªperhaps not since they became Revenants. Ethis wrapped her arms around his thick armor and gave him a hug that he reciprocated with his heavy arms. ¡°What happened to you? Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Survivor¡¯s guilt,¡± Ethis told him softly. They let go of each other. ¡°I watched all of you die that day.¡± Somberly, she added, ¡°There is no place for a survivor in a squad of Revenants.¡±


    Before Svalti could rebut her statement, a lumigraph appeared before Atara loud enough for all to hear. ¡°This is Captain Raena of the Fencer,¡± said the woman on the other end. ¡°We just suffered a sensors and comms blackout. What the hell happened to the Voulgenathi?¡± Atara didn¡¯t have an immediate answer for her. She looked toward Fiori who was still within the room, and the orange feminine figure shook her head once.


    Taking the hint, Atara responded, ¡°We¡­ witnessed a power spike. I think they may have tried to overload their primary ODEC.¡±


    ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Good news is that the Voulgenathi is functioning on limited power now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re seeing that, too.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what caused your blackout?¡±


    ¡°Unknown, but we¡¯ll get back with you. Out.¡± Of course, Fiori would never admit to telling Rellia to blind and deafen the Fencer for the purpose of obscuring the deployment of experimental Federation weaponry.


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Atara said as she fabricated a handgun. Holding it to her side, she asked, ¡°Which one of you is the leader?¡± The elsheem soldiers kept their heads down and remained silent. The fiery captain asked them again. ¡°Which one is your leader?¡± Still nothing. She lifted the small driver, pointed it at their heads and said, ¡°Do not make me ask you again. There has been enough bloodshed on my ship.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± said the elsheem leader, finally breaking out of his stupor.


    Atara pointed her gun at him and demanded, ¡°Order your men to surrender.¡± The elshe leader put his head down. ¡°Comply, and they will be spared.¡±


    The elshe uttered something in Avenathi. There was a pause, and elshe¡¯s voice grew louder and faster, like he was having an argument with his subordinates. ¡°It is done,¡± he told everyone around him without looking up at Atara.


    Atara beckoned to the Auroras on the bridge, and when they approached, she said, ¡°Get these elsheem off my bridge. Your colonel will give you further orders.¡± An Aurora sergeant ordered the elsheem to their feet and her troops escorted the enemy boarders off the bridge floor.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Kyora said in a fresh lumigraph, ¡°the elsheem are backing down. It looks like they are giving themselves up for surrender. What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Round them up,¡± Atara told the Elestan phantom, ¡°every last one of them. Keep them in the main hangar under heavy guard. Keep the high-value ones separated and in stasis. We¡¯ll be keeping them in custody.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kyora responded before the lumigraph disappeared.


    Svalti turned to one Revenant in particular, passed him his helmet, and then asked him, ¡°Jon? You ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it,¡± Jon responded.


    Atara asked, ¡°Do what?¡± as Jon, with his free hand, reached for a tiny, spherical drone on his side and tossed it into the air.


    ¡°Picture time,¡± Jon told her.


    ¡°Picture time?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°Sebastian Rikard is our political officer,¡± Svalti explained. ¡°We just call him Jon. I know things work differently in the Federation, but in the Republic, public perception is taken very seriously.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sesh said. ¡°Picture time.¡±


    ¡°Picture time,¡± Jon repeated, sounding eager. ¡°Captain, if you would shake Svalti¡¯s hand.¡± The Terran captain stuck out her dark gray, bodysuited hand, and Svalti grabbed it with his. Atara¡¯s smile was reflected in Svalti¡¯s Elestan face as the two shook hands. The tiny drone recorded the event as it floated nearby.


    When they released hands, Atara said, ¡°Any port in a storm, but I am curious. What brings the Republic all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°A friend in need is a friend indeed, right?¡± Svalti stated. ¡°They also trafficked stolen Federation property through a Republic protectorate and killed several of our servicepeople in the process.¡± The drone continued snapping pictures as Atara and Svalti conversed. ¡°Not to mention all the heartache they caused you in Tribesson.¡±


    ¡°Stand down intruder alert.¡±


    ¡°Krystal.¡±


    ¡°Captain? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Emergency meeting in the briefing room in fifteen minutes. Can you be there?¡±


    ¡°What about the cadets?¡±


    ¡°Can you escort them to their quarters on the way there?¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Good. See you then.¡±


    The lumigraph faded. The armored cadets looked toward Illeiri expectantly, but were immediately distracted by a group of marching elsheem soldiers just beyond the room¡¯s walls. With hands on their heads, the soldiers in black armor were herded down the corridor under the escort of Auroras. Illeiri waited for the group to pass before speaking to the cadets.


    ¡°As you can see,¡± Illeiri explained, ¡°the elsheem boarders have surrendered.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going back to our quarters?¡± Lieren asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Illeiri led the cadets through the ship. Evidence of the battles were still fresh, but most of the bodies had already been removed. The small custodial drones were actively cleaning away the aftermath: blood, scorch, debris. The Kelsor¡¯s network of autorepair REMASS fixed any and all structural damage, no matter how small, that the drones aided it in detecting.


    After bringing the cadets safely to their quarters, Illeiri traveled the rest of the way alone. When she arrived, she was still foregoing her camouflage, so when she entered the briefing room, she received a fair number of stares. Kyora still had trouble looking at her. The table in the middle had been recalled, and all those present stood. The members of Quietus had their helmets removed and were holding them against their hips.


    ¡°Thank you for caring for the cadets, Krystal,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°It was an honor,¡± Illeiri responded. ¡°And you can call me Illeiri.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Illeiri,¡± Atara repeated. The captain turned to the rest of the group of seventeen and said ¡°Twenty-five minutes ago, the Voulgenathi was hit by one of our experimental weapons and sustained critical damage. According to our sensors analysis, its drive systems are completely gone as are most of its main power systems. The battleship is functioning on auxiliaries to maintain gravity, lighting, and life support across the ship, but coverage is spotty.¡±


    Jade asked, ¡°What kind of a weapon did you employ to inflict such damage?¡± At this question, both of the twin archons, Fiori and Rellia, appeared in the room.


    ¡°Among those aboard the Kelsor,¡± Fiori said, ¡°only I know the details of the device used against the Voulgenathi. The weapon was a standard-yield torpedo utilizing an experimental phasic translocation system allowing it to circumvent shields, point-defenses, and armor.¡±


    Rellia added, ¡°I have ensured that the Fencer obtained no usable record of the device that was employed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, archons,¡± Atara told the orange and blue figures. ¡°We have halted our bombardment of the Voulgenathi and are preparing assault teams to invade their ship. Colonel Teseri and Lieutenant Colonel Lorralis,¡± she said, pointing at the two, ¡°will lead our Aurora complement. Lorralis will lead the main assault group while Teseri will lead a small team of phantoms tasked with recovering the ecksivar sample. Because the Voulgenathi is effectively disabled, we will position the Kelsor such that our assault teams can leap across from our hangar bay into theirs.¡± The lumigraphic model of the Voulgenathi appeared floating within the room and showed the ship in its current state: battle damaged within a debris cloud. Those clipping through the model stepped out of the way and moved towards the room¡¯s periphery.


    Sesh walked over to where the giant hole in the Voulgenathi¡¯s port-side was shown and stated, ¡°We could also leap to these damaged areas.¡± Kyora and Virn moved to Sesh¡¯s side of the room to investigate the destroyed sections.


    ¡°It¡¯s not unreasonable,¡± Kyora said. ¡°We may face less resistance if we enter through there, but it may be more dangerous for us because of the damage. Either way, it won¡¯t be easy, but if I were to choose, I would prefer this entry point.¡±


    Svalti said, ¡°Quietus could blink deep within their ship as a distraction, giving your people even less resistance when they cross over.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re over there,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°you need to hunt for the ecksivar. If it¡¯s not being hit by a keywave, it won¡¯t produce a signature. Doctor Souq, do you know a way we could detect it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really the wrong person to ask,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯m just an omnimologist, not a technician.¡± Xannissa directed her gaze toward Doctor Namara who shook her head.


    ¡°I can find it for you,¡± Illeiri said. Everyone within the room stopped and looked at the elshi with vibrant red hair. Her naked discs floated in a rotating triangle formation behind her back.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°To those who don¡¯t already know,¡± Illeiri started, ¡°my human alias was Krystal Zara. In actuality, I am Illeiri Syoness, Queen of Avenath. I wholeheartedly apologize for my deception, but I hope you all understand why it was necessary.


    ¡°All elsheem possess bioomnimic potential. This comes from our inherent bioomnimic systems that run parallel to our nervous systems. That¡¯s why we have the avenovah, or neck circles, which form the interface between our nervous system and bioomnimic system. Of course, in order for an elsheem to be fully in-tune with their bioomnimics, they require lots of practice and training. The most gifted among us, myself included, are known as the Celornathi, or ¡®Children of Power,¡¯ and our bioomnimic potential far exceeds the norm. One of the bioomnimic system¡¯s uses is that it allows us to perceive omnium. As a Celornath, I can feel every piece of omnium up to five kilometers away. Within two kilometers I can resolve the synthevar, such as the Federation, Republic, and Alliance aboard this ship as well as the dekacelorn¡ªlifeblood¡ªvariety of the elsheem. For years, I was close enough to the black omnium to know what it feels like, and I can help you find it aboard their ship.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d say this,¡± Kyora said. ¡°I never, ever thought I¡¯d trust an elsheem¡­ but I need your help.¡± She paused, and then continued, ¡°You¡¯ll need to change your combat class to phantom so you can slip in with my group.¡±


    ¡°Can I keep my discs?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Upon changing her combat class to phantom, most of Illeiri¡¯s SIRAC armor was recalled. With most of her body now covered by featureless, dark gray bodysuit, she looked very similar to Kyora.


    ¡°If you keep your discs close to your body,¡± Kyora explained, ¡°your shrouding may be able to cover them.¡±


    ¡°If Quietus were to blink over,¡± Atara asked the Revenants, ¡°where would be the best place?¡±


    ¡°It probably would have been the bridge,¡± Svalti told her, ¡°but because its so compact, it makes it a bad jump.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re liable to end up in a wall or inside other people,¡± Jade clarified, ¡°or even outside the ship.¡±


    ¡°Too wide is also a no-go,¡± Svalti said. ¡°There is, though, a place in between.¡± Using a lumionic interface, Svalti caused the image of the Voulgenathi to turn transparent and zoom to a suite in the middle. ¡°Look here,¡± said the Revenant as he pointed toward it. ¡°This is the suite inhabited by the elsheem emperor and his harem of concubines. This is also where the ecksivar was found by the investigation team when our inspectors stopped them in Onen. There is no guarantee either of them will be there when we blink over, but at least going there will place us far enough away from your invasion team to serve as a decent distraction.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make plenty of noise for you,¡± Dreth said, his face grinning atop his giant frame.


    ¡°Just,¡± Doctor Souq started, ¡°just don¡¯t forget that jump drone.¡±


    ¡°The Voulgenathi isn¡¯t going anywhere now,¡± Kyora stated. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Personally,¡± Atara spoke, ¡°I¡¯m not willing to make that bet. You need to bring it over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for it,¡± Illeiri told them.


    ¡°No,¡± Kyora said. ¡°You have your discs. The jump drone is my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± asked Aran Eda of Quietus.


    Xannissa told them, ¡°We designed and built a miniature jump drone. It¡¯s supposed to be our backup plan if we reach the ecksivar sample but can¡¯t bring it back.¡±


    ¡°Is it a VARICOR system?¡± asked Tykon, Quietus¡¯ advanced propulsion expert.


    ¡°The Federation wouldn¡¯t go so far to rip off technology from Spatial Dynamics for this backup plan,¡± Jon questioned, ¡°would they?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Xannissa said, raising her voice. ¡°I designed the VARICOR system myself based on the basic principles I already know.¡±


    Svalti smiled and asked, ¡°Well? Does it work?¡±


    ¡°In simulation,¡± Xannissa stated with more sobriety, wishing she could have given a more definitive answer.


    ¡°Okay, you all,¡± Atara said, ¡°I will direct Naret to position the starboard hangar door over the destroyed section of the Voulgenathi¡¯s hull. Kyora, Virn, and Svalti, assemble your boarding parties in the hangar and await further instructions.¡± The three she mentioned gave their verbal acknowledgements, and then the captain dismissed them all.


    Rather than returning to the bridge, Ethis followed the helmeted Quietus out of the briefing room. The communications officer caught up to Svalti, and when the Revenant leader noticed her walking with him, he smiled and spoke to her.


    ¡°Ethis, of all the Federation ships you could have been stationed on.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ethis told him. ¡°Now that I see you all again, I¡­.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all missed you since that day,¡± Jade said.


    ¡°I should have died with you,¡± Ethis admitted. Most of the Revenants shook their heads. A few even vocalized their disagreement.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t any better for being Revenants,¡± Itagoreth stated. ¡°It just means we have a second life to give in the service of the Republic. It¡¯s not your fault you didn¡¯t die that day. That was fate.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see you fight,¡± Dreth said. ¡°You fought just as hard, if not harder than the rest of us. Maybe that¡¯s why you lived. You battled against death itself and won.¡±


    ¡°I just regret that I separated myself from you all after Kayutt,¡± Ethis told them. ¡°Stupid pride. If I had the courage to overcome the emotions I felt after losing you all, I would have never left.¡±


    ¡°Let the past be past,¡± Svalti said. ¡°Right now, we are all here, reunited for this brief moment on this Federation vessel. Even if it is for just a moment, Venosk Five-Oh-Nine is whole again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t die on me again.¡±


    ¡°The dead don¡¯t die.¡±

 39 - Close

    The explosions from the Kelsor¡¯s weapon blasts ceased, but the thunder from the secondary detonations of the Voulgenathi¡¯s own machinery continued for several minutes. Damage control teams consisting of personnel and drones ran back and forth within corridors filled with emergency lights and sirens, some of which were barely functional or operating erratically. Lacking sufficient power to sustain airscreens, many of the ship¡¯s outermost sections lacked atmosphere. Gravitics were sporadic. Bodies of the dead and dismembered floated in one stretch of corridor but lied motionless on the floor in the next stretch. The bridge was chaos.


    Despite all this, Taretes was safe in his quarters surrounded by his concubines¡ªstill naked and now frightened¡ªand nurtured by an independent power supply. The emperor ignored the elshi and walked swiftly into one of the rooms in his capacious suite. This room was built like a cockpit with OPEL panels staring into a dark bulkhead. Taretes activated a drive system using a central console. The entire suite lurched, but he received an error warning in Avenathi: ¡°Obstruction detected. Unable to disembark from parent craft.¡± Taretes growled with fury and slammed his fists against the console.


    Sometime later, Quietus exploded into the emperor¡¯s suite located in the middle of the ship. Their arrival was met with screams of terror coming from several females within the room. Having blinked into midair to avoid melding with the floor, the Revenants crashed down upon the soft, red carpet. They raised their weapons to the source of the high-pitched screams: the naked elshi upon the bed, clinging to each other and afraid for their lives.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± Dreth asked. ¡°Did we blink into the Voulgenathi¡¯s brothel?¡±


    ¡°Look away, boys,¡± Aran told the males. ¡°Don¡¯t let these elsheem turn you on.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Itagoreth shouted. ¡°You kidding me? Being turned on by this elsheem filth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that queen,¡± Jade stated, ¡°Illeiri I think was her name, would resent that statement.¡±


    ¡°Do I know her enough to care?¡± Itagoreth snapped.


    Svalti told them, ¡°Cut the chatter. Round them up and search for the ecksivar sample.¡±


    Apparently, the room still had power because lights and gravitics were operational. After conducting a thorough, ten-minute search and scan, Quietus concluded that the suite was not actually a part of the ship but was instead its own separate vehicle containing its own ODEC and hyperwarp unit.


    ¡°Also, no emperor and no ecksivar,¡± Jade told Svalti.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Svalti responded. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to make some noise. Aran, can I trust you to take care of these creatures?¡± The Revenant leader pointed to the row of naked elshi on their knees next to the wall¡ªtheir hands on their heads.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± said Aran. She sat on the edge of the silky bed crushing under her Type-M¡¯s weight, forced the golden veil surrounding it out of the way by tearing it, and directed her weapon at the helpless elshi who let out subtle squeals of fear. ¡°Like so much meat,¡± Aran whispered to herself as she looked through her scope.


    ¡°I¡¯m opening the door,¡± Svalti announced, ¡°so get ready.¡± Dreth and Jade took positions on either side of the double door with Vald and Jon behind them. Svalti touched his fingers to the console, and the luxurious double door slowly slid apart. Svalti was the first to step through. Two black armor-clad elsheem soldiers stood guard just beyond. Knowing that the elshi concubines were forbidden from leaving the suite, the guards quickly turned to look. Before they could react to the sight of a Republic Revenant, Svalti bashed the guard on his left with the stock of his driver while Jade shot the guard on Svalti¡¯s right. Further down the corridors, masculine shouts echoed followed shortly by the sound of alarms.


    ¡°Come out here and start shooting!¡± Svalti commanded. ¡°Let¡¯s draw an army to us!¡± The rest of Quietus, save Aran, stormed into the corridor and fired plasma charges down the corridor. Within moments, like disturbing an insect hive, elsheem began flooding toward their position, and the corridor became alight with bullets and plasma charges.


    ¡°Prepare to board the Voulgenathi!¡± Kyora said to all of the Auroras assembled in the Kelsor¡¯s hangar. The captured elsheem invaders sat in organized clusters behind them. The phantoms, including Kyora, activated their shrouding, disappearing from both sight and sensors of anyone not networked with Accellus. Kyora spoke again, saying, ¡°The phantoms will take point. After we clear the way, we will signal for the rest of you to commence the assault.¡±


    Illeiri was unsure how to engage her shrouding at first, but after several seconds, she finally discovered the means. Kyora watched her without giving instructions and smiled when the elshi finally figured it out.


    ¡°Phantoms,¡± Kyora commanded once more, ¡°ascend and advance.¡± She, Illeiri, and the twenty-four phantoms lifted off from the hangar floor, drifted toward the lumionic airscreen and, letting their hands pierce it first, eased through until they were in the interstellar vacuum. This phantom vanguard quickly closed the one-hundred-meter gap with their gravitics. When they reached the damaged hull of the stricken Voulgenathi, the women and elshi positioned themselves¡ªsome standing and some kneeling¡ªaround the gaping hole created by the primary ODEC explosion triggered by the phasic torpedo. The hole itself was at least thirty meters wide. The walls and floors just beyond the outer hull were the most intact. The deeper in the phantoms peered, the worse the damage seemed. There were no lights and no atmosphere; however, the elsheem had positioned guards to stand idle in the vacuum and point their weapons toward the Kelsor¡¯s hangar in anticipation of a boarding event. Kyora figured they were scouts, ready to feel out an attack and report it rather than repel it as twenty soldiers would never be enough to defend this wide of a hull breach from an onslaught of Auroras.


    ¡°Illeiri,¡± Kyora said, ¡°let me see you use those discs. I haven¡¯t had the chance.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to kill them all?¡±


    ¡°If you have any reservations¡­.¡±


    ¡°Reservations? They follow Taretes, a usurper and a murder. It would be my pleasure to kill them. I¡¯d just rather not assume anything.¡±


    ¡°I see. Yes. Light them up.¡±


    Illeiri nodded, grabbed one disc at a time from behind her back, and threw each of them into the hole. The discs remained invisible until they left the influence of her shrouding which really only extended a few centimeters from her body. As each disc departed her hand, they were engulfed by white plasma. Directing the discs with her celornathic mind and neural interface, she sliced three elsheem through the waist simultaneously. Since the soldiers kept themselves glued to the ship despite gravitics loss by the magnetic adhesion generated from their boots, the severed upper torsos of the cleaved soldiers drifted away from their legs. The Avenathi queen bisected three more elsheem as they panicked. A lone soldier opened fire on the discs as his brethren retreated into the ship. Remarkably, the soldier who stood his ground was able to destroy one of the discs before he was cleaved in the same way.


    Illeiri gasped when the disc darkened and its pieces flew off into the deep black. Her reaction was like the hunter who lost one of her prized hunting hounds to a wild beast. She quickly redirected the other two discs back to her.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Kyora told her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re on our side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down to two discs,¡± Illeiri responded, upset.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He got a lucky shot.¡± To the rest of her phantoms, Kyora said, ¡°We¡¯re advancing.¡± The Aurora leader lifted herself off the Voulgenathi¡¯s warped surface and drifted down the hole. After placing her boots upon one of the deeper deck surfaces, she stood upright and kept watch while Illeiri and the phantoms made their decent. Of course, with gravitics, one can be normal to any surface with just a thought. The phantoms also used their gravitics to push away debris at close range without risking their limbs to do so. They stayed together, following one of the paths the elsheem took to escape Illeiri¡¯s discs. As they glided through a corridor, the ship¡¯s material appeared less warped and damaged, moving away from where the blast had occurred. Almost as soon as they reached untouched sections, the group encountered a sealed blast door that likely closed in response to the blast. Kyora approached the door¡¯s console, activated it, and despite the Miri translation projected atop reality, she beckoned Illeiri to read the Avenathi readout as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s on backup power,¡± Illeiri explained. ¡°We need authorization to open it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give us authorization, all right,¡± Kyora said as she knelt down and detached a wall panel below the console, letting it drift away in the weightlessness. She began working on the electronics, asking, ¡°How many are behind this door?¡±


    ¡°Our mass scanners are correct,¡± Illeiri assured her. ¡°I can feel all thirty-seven.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Kyora said, plugging a fabricated connector into a port that allowed her to directly interface with the door¡¯s controls using her Accellus so long as she kept her hand on the connector. Seconds later, she overrode the door¡¯s security. Still kneeling, she announced, ¡°Get ready. This will attract their attention.¡± But before she opened the door, Virn spoke to her via their Q-comms link.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Give us another sixty seconds,¡± Kyora told her.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The shrouded Elestan opened the door, and as it slid away, an airscreen blocked the ship¡¯s atmosphere from blowing out. The opening door alerted one of the nearby soldiers. He turned around to look through the open doorway¡ªeven stepped through right next to the kneeling Kyora¡ª, but he could see none of the shrouded Federation Auroras. Kyora told her girls to back away. She detached the connector, recalled it, stood up slowly while fabricating a blade, and grabbed the soldier, stabbing the plasma-coated blade through his chest. She released his body into the void, floating past the waiting phantoms. Wasting no time, Kyora fabricated a concussion grenade and tossed it through the airscreen. The grenade¡¯s blast briefly overpowered the airscreen, sending a stream of air from the ship through the corridor through which the phantoms could hear the faint sirens and shouting elsheem. Kyora and Illeiri entered first, followed by the phantoms. Inside, they moved from elsheem to elsheem, dispatching them with their pistols and blades.


    Once again standing amongst the carnage of combat¡¯s aftermath, Kyora sent a Q-comms message to Virn saying, ¡°You¡¯re clear to proceed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re moving,¡± Virn responded. She, along with the other five-thousand able-bodied Auroras, rose and traversed the vacuum toward the Voulgenathi.


    The elsheems¡¯ chain of command was broken. Despite the fact that most of the bridge officers were still alive, orders started coming from several lower ranking leaders¡ªeach with different objectives and motivations. Fearing a full-on mutiny, the bridge had actually closed itself off from the rest. The functional portions of the ship were slowly dying, and the dead portions were succumbing to the cold dark. Thirty-thousand elsheem faced a force six times smaller; however, these invading Federation Auroras surpassed them in technology, morale, and order. The Aurora force was cohesive; sticking together through the sporadic attacks from a shattering enemy. As pockets of elsheem surrendered, they were disarmed, forced to remove their armor, and corralled in one of the powered cargo bays that the Auroras had secured and emptied through the use of their Accellus¡¯ gravitics. The highest value captives were loaded onto shuttles, ferried to the Kelsor, and placed into stasis. If not for the actions of Quietus of Hiracet, the Auroras would have faced much greater resistance. The Revenants held onto the emperor¡¯s suite, turning it into an enclave of death that the elsheem could not regain. Using Illeiri¡¯s bioomnimic senses, the phantom group moved quietly through the ship, swiftly dispatching any enemies in their path. Illeiri tracked the black omnium toward the stern, and when the group reached an unpowered hangar bay, Illeiri said ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    The dark hangar¡ªfilled with atmosphere but lacking gravitics¡ªwas occupied by over five-hundred soldiers who seemed to be standing guard. A few of the elsheem around the periphery thought they had detected the phantoms¡¯ gravitics, but just as they went to investigate, the phantoms used their gravitics to float toward the ceiling, making them less visible to gravimetric sensors. Once gently gripping the ceiling, the phantoms lobbed grenades down (or up from the phantoms¡¯ perspective in the null gravity environment) toward the elsheem soldiers, blasting them across the mostly-empty hangar. With the soldiers in disarray, the phantoms readjusted their gravitics to plant themselves firmly on the ceiling, raised their pistols, and fired upon the elsheem across from them. They stayed in perpetual motion so that the elsheem were unable to trace the phantoms¡¯ shots back to their sources and strike them. Illeiri guided her two plasma-coated discs around the hangar, cautious not to let another be destroyed as she struck down vulnerable targets. Eventually, Kyora jumped from the ceiling, landed on the floor, and lashed out with her plasma blades. When there were about fifty elsheem remaining, they threw their weapons to the floor, dropped to their knees, and raised their hands to their heads. Without lowering their shrouding, the rest of the phantoms returned to the floor.


    ¡°We have about fifty more captives for you at our position,¡± Kyora told Virn through Q-comms.


    ¡°We¡¯re cleaning up the ship now. We¡¯re making our way to you.¡±


    From out of the corner of the room came loud shouting in Avenathi. Illeiri understood its meaning directly, but for everyone else, it was translated to Miri by their Accellus: ¡°Disgrace! Progeny of slime! Die!¡± Plasma bolts originating from the source of the shouting lit the room, burning through the suits and flesh of the surrendered elsheem.


    As the phantoms dodged the plasma fire, Illeiri said ¡°That¡¯s where the black omnium is,¡± referring to the source of the shots. The remaining elsheem stood up and ran for an exit, but were gunned down before going far. The phantoms approached the source of the shots where they found an elsheem in black armor and a cloak with a raised plasma rifle standing outside a warp-capable shuttle. His hysterical laughter echoed through the dark bay.


    ¡°Degenerates!¡± he shouted again in Avenathi. Illeiri could feel that the black omnium was within the shuttle. She also noticed that the shuttle was still locked into a set of docking clamps. The armored elshe¡ªIlleiri identified him as Emperor Taretes¡ªturned around and, keeping his weapon grasped in his right hand, climbed into the shuttle¡¯s cockpit and unlocked the clamps using the shuttle¡¯s power. Kyora crept in behind him, stole the rifle from his hand, and sliced his helmet¡¯s communications system with her plasma blade. Startled and furious, Taretes barged out of the shuttle and onto the hangar deck.


    ¡°Come out of the shadows, Federation!¡± Taretes yelled in Miri. Willing to comply, Illeiri stood before the elsheem emperor and removed her shrouding. Because of her white Federation Navy Accellus, she appeared to him as merely another Federation soldier. He lashed out at her; his fists flying, but the enshrouded phantoms standing around her held him back with their gravitics. Taretes growled with rage as Illeiri removed her helmet to reveal her elsheem facial anatomy. Taretes stopped, stared, and growled, ¡°Syoness.¡±


    Smiling, she said, ¡°That¡¯s right¡± in Avenathi. ¡°Your illegitimate reign is over.¡±


    ¡°Sniveling princess,¡± Taretes barked back in Avenathi, ¡°you should have joined your father long ago. This is a new age, House Syoness. The old nobility is dead.¡±


    ¡°The old nobility,¡± Illeiri laughed. ¡°Look at you, the self-proclaimed populist revolutionary! Tell me, what kind of populist lives a life of such luxury as you?¡± One of the phantoms summoned a lumigraph with a video feed from his suite courtesy of Jon¡¯s camera drone. The video showed the naked elshi with the members of Quietus standing behind them with weapons ready. The lavish quarters formed their backdrop. ¡°You are the new nobility; a usurper; a nobody from an insignificant family with no social standing who circumvents the Magisterial Assembly with violence to take the crown away from my father, the legitimate king of Avenath.¡±


    ¡°You disrespectful child,¡± said Taretes. ¡°You surely were raised by your bastard father.¡±


    ¡°Pig,¡± Illeiri spat. ¡°You¡¯ll never be the man my father was.¡±


    ¡°Your father was a bastard in every sense,¡± said Taretes. ¡°It¡¯s a wonder he was elected king in the first place.¡±


    ¡°If you think yourself any better a man than he was,¡± Illeiri said, ¡°you would honor yourself by accepting my challenge to duel in the magisterial tradition.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for ceremonies.¡±


    ¡°If you defy me, then you truly are a coward.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I will play your game and prove to you that I am the true king of the elsheem.¡± Taretes removed his helmet, revealing his handsome, well-defined, hairless face and short blond hair.


    Illeiri¡¯s naked discs dropped to the floor as the elshi reabsorbed her armor, bodysuit, and driver into her boots, leaving just a portion of the bodysuit over her breasts to function like a brassiere, and she fabricated a light jacket to conceal her arms and upper torso. She stepped out of her boots, leaving the rest of her skin bare. Her bracers were capable of giving her one-quarter-g of gravitational acceleration, allowing her to keep her feet on the cool floor.


    Taretes then detached his armor piece-by-piece until all that remained was his bodysuit and cloak¡ªboth insufficient to serve as armor unlike the more advanced Federation polyalloy bodysuit. He kept his boots on which only functioned as floor anchors. Illeiri stood two meters away from Taretes, facing him as she cleared her mind. The both of them raised their arms and lowered their centers of gravity in preparation for battle. Kyora noticed Illeiri¡¯s red circle behind her neck glow brightly, almost burning white like a plasma engine.


    ¡°Close?¡± Illeiri asked him to initiate combat. It was the closest word in Miri that the expression could be translated to.


    Taretes glared at her and said, ¡°Close.¡± He dashed at her immediately, striking out with his left hand followed closely by his right. Illeiri deftly dodged both arms, moving her head between the flying fists. Subtle, glowing, red lines appeared across the elshi¡¯s naked body as she dodged Taretes¡¯ initial attack. She dropped her body beneath Taretes¡¯ charge, careful to avoid his legs, and kicked out with her left knee aiming for his crotch. She missed; striking him in the abdomen instead. This knocked the wind out of the emperor, leaving him staggering for a moment. Illeiri readjusted her gravitics to carry her away from Taretes. As she floated above the floor, vibrant red lines grew from her bright avenovah and traveled down her right arm, causing her right palm to light up like a red warning signal. She generated a cocktail of combustibles from her palm, ignited the fuel-air mixture, and channeled the resulting blue flame toward Taretes using a kind of bioomnimically-generated lumionics. The flame turned yellow and orange as it approached him. Still gasping for air, he shielded his face with his arm.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± he gasped through the fire. Illeiri placed her feet on the floor and stopped the flames. Taretes raised his head and balanced himself. Illeiri crouched, clasped both hands far in front of her body, closed her eyes, turned her face, and used her bioomnimics to generate a chemical reaction that triggered a blinding flash of light. This time, Taretes was shielding both eyes with both hands, and he was unable to stop Illeiri¡¯s midair kick that knocked him on his back. Once on the ground, Illeiri positioned herself to sit atop his abdomen. She brought both hands up to his head, ignited both palms, and engulfed the elshe¡¯s head in flames. Acting on instinct, he pushed her back, sending her flying a couple of meters where she landed on her back. With haste, Taretes got up, stood over her, and sent his left foot hurdling toward her abdomen. Before it landed, she rolled out of the way and shot more flames at him as she leapt to her feet.


    Taretes was now mad with fury. He charged Illeiri, tackling her and pinning her to the ground this time. Her naked torso was squeezed between his legs, and he threw three heavy punches at Illeiri¡¯s face before she caught one of his fists and then the other. With his fists in her palms, she ignited her hands once more and burned the emperor¡¯s fingers through his bodysuit and clothing. Howling in pain, Taretes loosened his hold on her, allowing her to slip her hips from beneath his body. Standing above him now, Illeiri released her grip and kicked him horizontally in the side of the head, causing him to fall prone. After slamming on his lumbar spine with her foot, she collapsed onto his back, grabbed his head in her hands and started incinerating his flesh. Kyora noticed Illeiri¡¯s heightened breathing and the onset of an unnatural weariness, like a wave of lethargy. The red streaks across her body were less intense than they had been at the beginning of the battle. Taretes screeched as his hair was scorched and his skin melted, but judging by Illeiri¡¯s body language, she, too, was in serious pain.


    ¡°I surrender!¡± Taretes yelled in Avenathi. Illeiri could not understand him the first time through her own intense pain. ¡°I surrender! I surrender! Mercy!¡± Illeiri finally registered his pleas and stopped desecrating his once perfect face. Still lying prone, Taretes covered the smoldering sides of his head with his burnt hands. Through sobs, Taretes said ¡°Let me live and anything I have is yours!¡±


    ¡°The black omnium?¡± Illeiri asked as she panted.


    ¡°Yours!¡±


    ¡°Avenath?¡±


    ¡°Yours! Just spare me!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Illeiri reassured him as she tried to stand up, still panting. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve wanted to kill you for some time, but eventually I realized that you wouldn¡¯t deserve the death I could give you. The way you behave now reinforces that realization. You¡¯re a coward.¡± Taretes made no sound. Midway through her rise from Taretes¡¯ back, Illeiri lost consciousness and collapsed atop his body. Kyora and the phantoms quickly placed them both in stasis and relocated them to the Kelsor.

 40 - Recuperation

    The Voulgenathi was secure. The Kelsor¡¯s engineers repaired the Voulgenathi¡¯s power systems to a point where they could maintain stasis around each of the twenty-six-thousand survivors for up to six months. It was unclear how long it would take the Elsheem State or Alliance to rescue them or if they would even try. According to the Fencer¡¯s captain, a prison ship was a month out and would pick up the survivors in the event no one else did. Meanwhile, all remaining damage to the Kelsor was repaired. The medbay was providing medical treatment to the starmen wounded in the fighting including Illeiri who, without an external source of the red elsheem dekacelorn omnium, had sacrificed her own biomatter to attack Taretes. In all, the battle against the Voulgenathi resulted in the deaths of about five-hundred and over thirteen-hundred wounded among the Kelsor¡¯s personnel. The Voulgenathi suffered over fifteen-thousand deaths and many more wounded, but rather than treat them, the stasis would leave them for either the Republic, Empire, or Alliance to take care of.


    Kyora saw to the delivery of the ecksivar sample personally. The Kelsor was in such a shape now that it appeared like the battle had never taken place. Still in her combat bodysuit and sparse SIRAC, the Elestan strode across the floor of the omnimology lab. She had long recalled her helmet, showing off the smug expression that she was unaware she was even broadcasting. In her left hand was the opaque canister containing the sample. She held it at the base like a server with a platter. After approaching the pair of scientists, Souq and Namara, the phantom stopped and placed her right hand on her hip. The jump drone was still attached to her back.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Souq said softly. His face expressed his sudden elation and relief.


    Kyora told them, ¡°Seems like the jump drone wasn¡¯t necessary after all.¡± Namara watched as Souq grabbed the container with both hands. Kyora dropped her arm as the Larissian man set the container on the bench top, interfaced with it, and turned the outer wall transparent. All three of them moved their heads closer to look at the jagged, black crystal within and the eerie anti-light that it emitted.


    After being held in stasis for ten hours, Taretes was released and escorted by eight Auroras to the briefing room. His wounds had been sealed by Doctor Iveti, but she had not repaired the damage which distorted his face and hands. His limbs were bound, and two fully-armored Auroras stayed behind with their guns trained on him. Taretes stood at the aft end of the room for five minutes after which the Kelsor¡¯s triumvirate appeared and took their usual seats. Illeiri also appeared at the request of the three, but no one else was allowed to participate.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Atara demanded, her elbows resting on the table and chin supported by her clenched hands. Her Miri was translated to Avenathi. ¡°What were your plans for the ecksivar sample?¡± Taretes blinked but said nothing. ¡°Surely it was for your Alliance overlords.¡± He blinked again and kept silent.


    Sesh asked ¡°How did you sneak into Tribesson without being detected?¡±


    Xannissa then asked, ¡°What would motivate the leader of the Elsheem State to participate in this operation?¡± The triumvirate spent the next twenty minutes in vain, asking questions and receiving no answers. Finally, Atara stood up, walked to the narrow end of the table nearest Taretes, and sat down on its edge and placed her hands in her lap.


    ¡°You know,¡± Atara told him, looking straight into his eyes from less than half-a-meter away, ¡°if it were up to me, you would be a drifting corpse; a piece of space debris. Let me be clear: this interrogation is just a formality. This will show my commanders that I took the time to extract some information from you, because it¡¯s against Federation law to hold captive a head of state of a country we¡¯re not at war with, whether we acknowledge the legitimacy of said leader or not, or the sovereignty of their state. You belong to the Queen of Avenath.¡± She pointed over her shoulder to Illeiri who was sitting sideways in her chair with one leg over the other. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t give a damn whether you talk at all. We already know about your intimate connection to Supreme Executor Evic Redolain of the Alliance. Surely he planned to build an omnium neutralizer using ecksivar.¡± After a brief pause, she looked at Taretes once more, saying, ¡°I am thankful that, because of you, I was able to captain a ship again.¡± Atara turned her body toward Illeiri and asked ¡°How do you want to dispose of the refuse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to release him,¡± said the elshi.


    ¡°What?!¡± Xannissa exclaimed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want his blood on my hands,¡± Illeiri told them. ¡°If Taretes remains alive, after all this, his kingdom will crumble. Let him use one of the Voulgenathi¡¯s warp shuttles so he can pay a visit to his master empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± Atara said. She directed the Auroras to carry out the orders. The two soldiers quietly escorted the elsheem emperor from the room.


    Xannissa and Sesh stood from their chairs, and Atara said, ¡°Illeiri, you may use this room to contact your leaders.¡±


    ¡°Please stay,¡± Illeiri told them. ¡°Despite the extraordinary aid given to us by the Federation, my subordinates are still distrustful of humans. They need to see the faces of the people who have befriended me and helped us defeat our common enemy.¡± Atara nodded and the triumvirate was seated again.


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Illeiri called as she moved to the end of the table farthest from the other three. Fiori¡¯s orange figure appeared across the table from her. ¡°Contact Magister Leyondin.¡±


    ¡°Establishing encrypted communication,¡± Fiori announced. With the Kelsor far beyond the sub-comms range of any friendly relay, Illeiri¡¯s transmission once again relied upon the battlecruiser¡¯s Q-comms uplink with the Fifth Fleet, Third Armada switching station all the way back on Lanan. From there, the transmission was bounced between sub-comms relays across the Greater Federation to the downspin border near Semarah. Once there, the signal was broadcast to one of the large deep space arrays from which it was propelled toward the more neutral reaches of the Orionan Rift that separated the Federation from the Alliance. Despite such great separation between the Kelsor and the Avenathi Commonwealth Liberation Fleet, the transmission suffered from only a five second delay.


    ¡°Connection established,¡± Fiori told them. A wall-spanning lumigraph materialized before the orange Federation Triangle that decorated the aft wall. Instead of piling in front of a single camera, Illeiri¡¯s Avenathi leaders appeared on four separate screens from four separate locations.


    ¡°My queen,¡± they said in unison while bowing. Their Avenathi was translated by the triumvirate¡¯s Accellus. Voice Leyondin and the House Syoness representative were in their usual Assembly robes, but the admiral and general were clad in their new blood red Magus armor.


    ¡°Tarates has been defeated.¡±


    Taretes was shuttled back to the Voulgenathi. There, he took one of the warp shuttles and departed for the Alliance territories far downspin. The only thing on his mind was the hope that Thrassus would deliver him from this disaster and that he would spare his life and rule.


    After the elsheem captives aboard the Kelsor¡¯s hangar had been transferred to the stricken Voulgenathi, the hangar became a memorial to the Federation starmen who lost their lives in the battle. The recoverable bodies were placed in caskets and held in stasis. Those who were presentable had their caskets left open for fellow starmen to pay their respects within the solemn silence of the bay. For all of the fallen¡ªrecoverable, presentable, or neither¡ª, their physical portraits were presented in metallic frames upon pedestals.


    Cylenna approached the framed portrait of Tere ¡°Ice¡± Yowel whose body was unable to be recovered. She thought she had the courage to approach her fellow pilot¡¯s memorial, but the Elestan could only bear to see her face for a moment. She blamed herself for Ice¡¯s death¡ªhorrified that her decision to inject chronol into her bloodstream mid-combat was what led to Ice¡¯s tragic fate. Cylenna bowed her head, letting the tears stream down her face and drip to the floor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Over the next three days, the Kelsor and Fencer remained parked next to the wreck of the Voulgenathi. Teams from both ships examined the enemy battleship thoroughly in an attempt to learn everything they could about the craft, from its construction, to weapons systems, defenses, crew quarters, adjunct system, engines and power systems, and everything in between. The contents of the ship¡¯s central computer were confiscated; its secrets and all other information gathered by the Federation and Republic teams shared between them.


    During this time, the officers and crew of the Fencer and the members of Quietus were invited to make use of the battlecruiser¡¯s simulators. Despite being uncommon in the Republic, and unheard of on a Republic Navy starship, the Republic servicemembers were familiar with Federation-style partitioned-reality simulators. Some of them harbored contempt toward what they perceived as the excesses of the Federation Military¡ªbeing able to take virtual shore leave while underway was a luxury unbefitting common soldiers. But being presented the chance to indulge themselves at Atara¡¯s invitation made them forget their proud devotion to their doctrine of austerity. Those were among the quickest to leave the Fencer and partake in the Kelsor¡¯s virtual worlds.


    One such person was Jade. She left on a shuttle ahead of the rest of Quietus. Dressed in the service uniform consisting of a tight white shirt and slate gray pants, she stepped off of the Federation dropship with a bag suspended by a strap slung over her shoulder. The bag contained a change of clothing because, unlike the forward-thinking Federation, the Republic Military still had not made REMASS gear a part of the regular uniform.


    Unbeknownst to most of the Kelsor¡¯s crew, the battlecruiser¡¯s designers had taken the implementation of the simulators one step further than they had realized. The officers placed the four large simulators into a networked mode. When Jade entered the simulator, she encountered four times the number of people that those aboard the Kelsor were used to seeing there. Shortly after arriving in the lobby of the coastal resort, the Yeran paused and took in the echoing chatter from hundreds of women (and some of the Fencer¡¯s men), the polished, reflective floor, and the skylights above. She could already smell the salt in the air, and the faint scent of citrus, and as she looked around, she realized that she was one of the more modestly-dressed.


    She left the building and looked out from the terrace beyond to find the beach. Once she found it, the excited Yeran flew down the steps and walked along the duralithic path that bordered the sand. The sea breeze whipped her bronze hair as she stopped to look at the sand before her. Jade removed her metallic boots, balanced on one foot as she removed one sock and then the other, placed her socks in her boots and picked them up, carrying them with her as her bare feet hit the hot sand. It had been many years since she had felt the grains of sun-scorched silica give way as she marched across dunes, but one thing that always surprised her when she saw it was the tan horizon yield to a vast field of deep blue outstretched before her. There were no water oceans on her homeworld; only oceans of open desert and seas of dunes.


    Jade noted the sunbathers as she marched along¡ªa concept not unfamiliar to her. The Yeran found an empty place on the beach away from most of the activity. She dropped her boots and bag upon the lumigraphic sand next to a single chair shielded from the sun by an umbrella. In accordance with the majority of beachgoers on this bright afternoon, Jade dropped her pants and panties in one go, lifted off her shirt, and removed her bra. With all of her clothing in a pile on the ground, the Yeran took her seat.


    Jade looked slowly back and forth across the coastline, watching people¡ªthe majority of whom belonged to the Kelsor. She noticed a pair of women nearby create towels in their hands and drape them across the sand. ¡°How do you do that?¡± Jade yelled to them.


    ¡°With your neural interface,¡± they shouted back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Federation.¡±


    The two women looked confused for a moment, but one of them remembered something. ¡°Just snap your fingers.¡±


    Jade did as they said. When she snapped her fingers, a lumigraph appeared before her. ¡°Thank you! It worked!¡± she shouted once more.


    Time passed so quickly. Jade didn¡¯t even recognize Svalti as he ducked underneath her umbrella. He and Ethis found the red-skinned Yeran reading a book in the nude over an hour after she settled down on the beach.


    ¡°You enjoying yourself?¡± Svalti asked as he peered over her abdomen to see what the book¡¯s cover looked like. Jade tilted the book down to see that it was Svalti who had addressed her.


    She dropped the book open on her chest cover-side-up and told him, ¡°There is something to be admired about a good, old-fashioned paper book.¡±


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s quaint?¡± Svalti asked. He moved beyond the umbrella so that he could stand up straight and pivot his head like a turret as he looked around.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s tangible,¡± Jade said, sighing. ¡°Of course, the irony is that nothing in this world is tangible.¡± She stroked the sand next to her chair. ¡°But it all feels remarkably real.¡±


    Ethis, dressed in a short jacket, gray skin brightened by the sun and eyes squinting, asked, ¡°Does this make you change your mind about simulators?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m more afraid of this technology now than I was before,¡± Jade expressed, ¡°because when I¡¯m here, I can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°Now you just need to convince the Republic to put them on their ships,¡± Ethis said with a smile.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°I want one,¡± Svalti said, watching people at the water¡¯s edge walk into the oncoming waves.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± Jade told him, ¡°better enjoy it while you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ethis remembered, ¡°the captain wanted me to invite you and the rest of Quietus to dinner tonight aboard the simulator.¡±


    ¡°Are we eating lumions?¡± Jade jokingly asked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, sure,¡± Ethis said. ¡°The rest of us will be eating real food.¡±


    Jade snapped her fingers and made the book disappear. She eased up from the relaxing chair and stretched her arms and body. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my formals,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°I brought them for you,¡± Svalti told her.


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡± She paused before asking, ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°In my bag.¡±


    Jade walked over to and knelt down next to Svalti¡¯s bag. She pulled out the neatly-folded formals on top, including her peaked cap, and said, ¡°Thanks, Svalti.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Svalti pulled his shirt up over his head and took it off to reveal his Brand of Revenancy across his back and masculine, muscular torso. He walked over to Jade and let the shirt fall next to his bag. Svalti then told the two women, ¡°I want to check this place out. Either of you care to go?¡±


    Evening fell upon the coast. The sun was setting over the ocean, and the seaside pavilion was once again used as a dining venue. The Kelsor¡¯s senior officers including Souq and Illeiri, the Fencer¡¯s own senior officers, and Quietus of Hiracet were seated around the table. Atara sat at the table¡¯s head. On her right hand were Sesh and Xannissa. At the distinguished position at her left hand was seated Captain Raena. The other distinguished position at the long table, the very far end opposed to Atara, was occupied by Rikter Svalti. None of the Federation formal uniforms ever included a cap, but the Republic Navy¡¯s slate uniform did. The Republic officers hung their peaked caps on their seat backs. The virtual sun illuminated the virtual sky with its virtual orange light. The once white northern clouds turned into spectral pillars as the sun dipped beneath the horizon: white at the top, then yellow, orange, red, and then shadow at the base.


    Starman volunteers in enlisted formal uniform delivered fresh food upon platters from the fabricators in the mess. Torches and campfires illuminated the beach as Federation and Republic starmen continued to partake of the simulators while dusk fell upon them. As the officers ate their meal, they discussed topics ranging from recounts of the battle to interstellar politics to personal matters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall the Federation ever making a point of dining before the corpses of their enemies,¡± Raena said as she sliced her cut of meat with her knife.


    Atara looked at Raena as Sesh responded, ¡°I was sure it was a Republic tradition.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know that.¡±


    ¡°I also know it became a common practice in the latter half of the Miridan Empire to celebrate victory on the battlefield.¡±


    After all had finished eating, the parties continued their conversations for almost two hours. When their talking was winding down, Captain Raena rose from the table, bowed, and said, ¡°On behalf of all those stationed aboard the Fencer, thank you for your generous hospitality.¡± Atara also rose from her chair, smiled, and shook hands with her Republic counterpart. ¡°Once I return to my ship, we will prepare to start our jump cycle and be underway in twelve hours. Can you alert my crew across the Kelsor?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Atara told her.


    Jade looked out at the fires and camaraderie happening across the shoreline and, turning toward Captain Raena, said in a serious tone, ¡°Captain, I request to stay aboard the Kelsor until tomorrow morning.¡± Captain Raena turned to look at Svalti who was looking at Jade. Svalti finally noticed her gaze.


    ¡°Quietus could use the extra R and R,¡± Svalti admitted.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not aboard when we¡¯re ready to jump,¡± Raena explained, ¡°you¡¯ll be stuck aboard the Kelsor until Vandos, not to mention¡­.¡±


    ¡°I understand loud and clear,¡± Svalti said. When the three groups parted ways, most of the dinner¡¯s attendants, save for all of the Fencer¡¯s senior officers, made their way to down to the beach for a night under the simulator¡¯s virtual stars.

 41 - Betrayal

    Exactly twelve hours after Captain Raena arrived aboard her ship, the Fencer¡¯s VARICOR jump drive came alive on the Kelsor¡¯s sensors. After ninety-seven minutes of wormhole generation, the Fencer vanished into a corridor whose local wormhole entrance would remain stable for hours. As a parting action, Atara ordered a buoy with a subspace beacon placed beside the wreck of the Voulgenathi. It wasn¡¯t long after that the Kelsor¡¯s synerdrive was active once more, propelling the battlecruiser toward Federation space that lied at the coreward edge of Thalassia Orionis.


    Atara was comforted by the subtle, gentle hum of the ship¡¯s synerdrive. She realized that the Kelsor¡¯s mission had been accomplished and that her responsibility now was to return the Kelsor safely to port at Lanan, and this diminished her sense of urgency. The great chase was over. The Voulgenathi was destroyed, Taretes defeated, and the ecksivar sample secured.


    The morning after the synerdrive¡¯s reengagement, Atara sat across from Xannissa as they both had breakfast. Atara quietly checked her mail as she chewed her food, sitting with her legs crossed.


    ¡°Hey Xann.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Fiori sent another video of my mother.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to watch it? Do you have time?¡±


    ¡°We can, after I finish eating.¡±


    Cassandra started by saying, ¡°I need to tell you a few things. There are some in the Admiralty who are keeping damning secrets. You aren¡¯t likely to know what¡¯s going on unless I explain it to you. MARAD, which is a government entity and is funded by the Federation taxpayer, is the umbrella agency that is responsible for all defense contracts and the distribution of grants to universities and corporations for the advancement of often-classified military technology. MARAD also maintains its own labs and keeps track of all military research projects.


    ¡°The grants usually benefit entities that struggle to fund themselves while the contracts go to larger companies able to deliver licenses. Some members of the Admiralty are responsible for administering MARAD. You probably already know what I¡¯m getting at. I have reason to believe that Akkain, one of the leaders in omnium technology, has been essentially bribing key members of the Admiralty for priority MARAD funding. The best part is that the funding falls within MARAD¡¯s black budget, so no one in the federal government is able to see what MARAD is using this money for. And it goes even farther. The Navy is starting to change the way it operates because of the influence of these larger defense contractors like Akkain.


    ¡°It took me a while to dig around, but if you seek, then you shall find, and I did, and it took many years. The only way this is able to continue is because something is wrong with Fiori. She is totally oblivious to this corruption. I did the best I could to cover my tracks, but I now find myself in a place where I don¡¯t know who I can trust. I watch my back all the time now. I can¡¯t even trust Hari anymore. I believe that she may even rat me out if she hasn¡¯t done so already.


    ¡°I love you, Atara. You probably already know how this story ends. I hope I¡¯m right there beside you, but my instincts are telling me I won¡¯t be. I¡¯m burying these recordings in a place where only Fiori can find them. Maybe one day she¡¯ll snap out of whatever is blinding her. I hope sooner rather than later. I hear echoes sometimes; people uttering cryptic names such as Crimson Aegis and Project Sage, and I don¡¯t want to know anything anymore.¡± The lumigraph ceased.


    Atara had no time to contemplate the recording before Fiori appeared in Cassandra¡¯s place, asking, ¡°Do you remember how your mother died?¡±


    ¡°It was my mother and father,¡± Atara told her, showing little emotion. ¡°They were caught in a skylane accident on Elestus. Collided with some man with a death wish flying manual because he was suicidal. But I know what you¡¯re going to say. You¡¯re going to tell me that it was all staged.¡±


    ¡°That is the truth,¡± Fiori said. Atara was now visibly upset, and Xannissa couldn¡¯t help but be as well. ¡°The evidence was difficult to procure, but I have quietly pieced together my own memories from during my subversion.¡±


    ¡°Was Aesho¡­¡± Atara asked in a grave tone, ¡°was she¡­ responsible?¡±


    ¡°I do not have enough information yet to determine who knew what,¡± Fiori explained, ¡°and who was ultimately responsible for the deaths of your mother and father. As such, I can draw no further conclusions at this time.¡±


    Xannissa, twisting her platinum engagement ring around her finger, eyes glistening in the white lumionic light, looked into Fiori¡¯s eyes and spoke in an agitated tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any sensitivity at all?¡±


    ¡°Xann,¡± Atara spoke as she glanced toward her friend with her own glossy corneas.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand,¡± Fiori admitted. ¡°All I did was show you the truth.¡±


    Xannissa admonished the orange figure, saying, ¡°Truth? You¡¯ve only ever shown us bits and pieces. Half-truths at best. Have you ever stopped to consider that you are just a bearer of bad news? That the information you keep bringing before Atara is damaging her emotionally? Have you ever thought about showing some tact?¡±


    ¡°Xann, please,¡± Atara said. A tear rolled down the Terran¡¯s peach face.


    Her mind brimming with anger, Xannissa turned to her friend and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you upset anymore.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on our side,¡± Atara said softly. Another tear left the captain¡¯s eyes and landed on her bodysuit. ¡°I¡¯d rather die to the truth than be alive in lies, or be swept away in blissful ignorance.¡± Atara¡¯s candor caused Xannissa to shed a tear of her own, streaking across her cool gray skin.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Sesh stood alone in the center of the bridge. With her arms crossed, she stared out of the OPEL panels like usual, watching as a close star drifted slowly away from the center of her field of view and toward the periphery. Eighty-four-hundred times the speed of light was a fantastical number, but when one really considered how fast it truly was in the vastness of the galaxy or the greater universe, it was only a mere seventeen astronomical units per second, or one lightyear in about sixty-three minutes¡ªnot at all enough to see any great parting of the stars. As for blue-shifting, electromagnetic emissions of distant objects were subjected to the effects of warp field screening upon contact with the bubble of realspace enveloping the Kelsor. This phenomenon, inherent in the spatial nature of warp and hyperwarp, causes the light ahead of the starship¡ªblue-shifted up to gamma wavelengths¡ªto return to its original wavelength; however, what energy is lost in widening wavelengths is exchanged for amplitude. The multitude of stars ahead of the bow always shined with the collective glory of a close sun. The OPEL panels across the ship censored this fact, showing the oncoming stars as they should be seen in realspace. For the stars behind whose light emissions are irretrievably lost behind the stern, the OPEL panels displayed a false image combining data taken from passing stars and from detailed star charts. The only place to witness the warp field screening effect uncensored by the OPEL panels was within the Kelsor¡¯s hangar where one could watch the bright, passing stars through the airscreen before they slowly faded into darkness.


    After gazing at those censored stars for a while, Sesh paced toward Naret and, standing just behind her, asked, ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Naret stared at her screens for a moment more before answering with another question, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We just took down the Federation¡¯s most wanted,¡± Sesh explained.


    Naret thought about this for a few seconds, then she said, ¡°I guess it hasn¡¯t really sunk in yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    The young Elestan turned her focus back to her screens. Her thoughts wandered to the last time she had gotten to peruse Subnet encyclopedias. That was back when the Kelsor was still receiving high-throughput sub-comms bandwidth from Vandos, and she missed being able to know everything about anything, especially historical articles.


    Naret turned her chair completely around to face Sesh, asking her, ¡°Do you think history will remember us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they will,¡± Sesh assured her. Quietly, she added, ¡°But will it be favorable?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Naret questioned her, unable to understand the commander¡¯s mumbling. Sesh stayed silent.


    About that time, Atara and Xannissa entered the bridge together and stood with Sesh; Sesh to Atara¡¯s left and Xannissa to her right. Naret turned her chair back to her terminal so that she would appear to be busy.


    ¡°What¡¯s our status?¡± Atara asked softly.


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Sesh told her. ¡°Uneventful. And happy to be alive. Of course, it will be a while before we make it back to Vandos.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there before we know it,¡± Xannissa stated. ¡°Still planning to give the crew shore leave?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Atara told her. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for them, after all they¡¯ve been through.¡±


    Naret couldn¡¯t resist joining in on the conversation. She turned her chair around and asked, ¡°What is Vandos like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your typical orbital habitat,¡± Atara explained. ¡°Home to a few billion people. Do you recall when we passed it on our way? It¡¯s the last bastion of civilization before the desolation that is Thalassia Orionis.¡±


    ¡°Its location makes it a crossroads of the region,¡± Sesh said. ¡°Lots of Federation and Republic intermingling. It has its share of criminal elements, but it¡¯s administered by the Archangels.¡±


    Naret asked, ¡°Like the ones that saved us near the Range?¡±


    ¡°Yes, them,¡± Sesh said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know we¡¯re getting close,¡± Xannissa noted, ¡°when the Subnet starts coming back.¡±


    Sesh looked at Xannissa and said, ¡°I bet you¡¯re dying to see Aedan again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    Now on their long voyage home, the lives of those aboard the Kelsor were swept up into the mundane. As the days passed, the crew found themselves longing for something to look forward to, such as their free hours that many spent on the simulators. Atara had made clear her intention to dock at Vandos, much to everyone¡¯s delight. Despite the Kelsor being the bearer of two items of exceptional value, the synerdrive and the ecksivar sample, her path to Vandos was clear.


    Just like every other evening, Xannissa returned to her quarters for dinner. Atara was giving her weekly update to Aesho over Q-comms, so the Elestan engineer dined alone. The woman preferred to have something to occupy her mind while she ate, and though they were closing in on Vandos, they were still too far away to receive crystal-clear Subnet access. Xannissa activated a lume anyway, allowing her to watch the news with splotchy video and metallic audio.


    A familiar, masculine voice called to her, saying, ¡°Hey, Xann.¡± Xannissa¡¯s eyes darted from her small lume to a male figure standing in the dark room. Aedan¡¯s projection smiled at her, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile back. His image was worse than the last time she talked to him: poorly resolved, low framerate, flickering, and now no color. Still chewing a bite of food, Xannissa stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Aedan¡¯s lumigraph which reciprocated, each placing their head on the other¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re alive,¡± Aedan said as he embraced the choppy lume of his fianc¨¦e. Still within each other¡¯s embrace, he told her, ¡°There was always that small chance that I would never see you again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Aedan,¡± she said, closing her eyes and rubbing his back.


    ¡°Thank you for calling me.¡±


    Xannissa loosened her hug. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to call you from this side. But if neither of us called¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are we speaking to each other?¡± Xannissa held Aedan¡¯s shoulders as she looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Maybe we should just be thankful.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯ll investigate later.¡± She leaned in toward his face, and the two exchanged a kiss on the lips. ¡°So,¡± she continued as they released each other, ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he started, ¡°I¡¯m moving out to Lanan tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s my last night on Earth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out there waiting for you when you come home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re stopping at Vandos next week for a few days, and then we¡¯ll be underway again. After that, it¡¯ll take us two-and-a-half weeks to make it back to the Federation.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can talk again when you get to Vandos.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great. We¡¯re just a bit too far away for a good signal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to lie down for the night.¡±


    ¡°You do that. You have a long journey ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you pictures.¡±


    ¡°Please! And let me know you made it there safely.¡±


    ¡°Will do. I love you, Xann.¡± Aedan¡¯s figure kissed the Elestan on the cheek before fading away. Xannissa placed her hand over her cheek, longing to see him again in the flesh. A thought then crossed her mind.


    Xannissa called out, ¡°Fiori?¡± The orange figure faithfully appeared before the engineer. ¡°Was that you?¡±


    ¡°To what are you referring?¡±


    ¡°That call with Aedan.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Fiori responded. ¡°I am responsible for that transmission.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I felt I should apologize for my lack of tact. The Kelsor just arrived within the maximum range of Vandos¡¯ sub-comms arrays. Based on Aedan Soren¡¯s recent activity, his departure for Lanan was imminent. Taking all of this into account, I reasoned that this evening would be the best time to contact him, and I had hoped the interaction, however brief, would have benefitted you both. I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Fiori?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Xannissa?¡±


    ¡°That was exceedingly thoughtful of you. I just wanted to thank you for that. I needed it.¡±


    Fiori stood there for a moment before saying, ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± The orange lumigraphic figure disappeared.

 42 - Vandos

    The Kelsor left hyperspace as it¡¯s synerdrive spun down. A distant gas giant grew in the distance, but its growth slowed as they slowed, remaining smaller than Akos V looked in Lanan¡¯s sky despite being a far larger planetary body. Another object, once just a single point of light, expanded as the battlecruiser approached. The habitat, Vandos, threatened to eclipse its parent planet with its five-hundred-kilometer width. Through the OPEL panels, the bridge officers could see the flat underside of the giant, discoid station and eight massive, open gates positioned symmetrically across the plane, each an equal distance away from its nearest neighbor and three-fourths of the distance to the station¡¯s perimeter from its central axis. Distant ships gleamed in the light of the system¡¯s star as they eased through the gates, circled the habitat, or shot into hyperwarp.


    After receiving clearance to traverse the gates and dock, Naret lined the two-and-a-half-kilometer-long ship up with one of the truly enormous gates labeled with a three-kilometer-long number 4 beside it. The Elestan lieutenant focused within the partial shroud of lumigraphs around her¡ªall sensory aides for this intricate maneuvering to which she was the master. Through these lumigraphs, she knew the dimensions of the battlecruiser and the opening that she needed to cross. All of the minute adjustments made to the gravitics and plasma engines were handled automatically as Naret willed the ship forward. Not for a moment did she feel flustered by this responsibility, and Atara and Sesh were impressed by her performance. The passage appeared harrowing, but it wasn¡¯t as tight of a fit as it seemed. The Kelsor had about half a kilometer of clearance on either side as it gently passed through the gate.


    Naret¡¯s conning trial did not conclude until the Kelsor mated with the station. She guided the vessel through the expansive, artificially-lit Vandos Dockyards. Large shuttles¡ªsmall compared to the battlecruiser¡ªmoved personnel, cargo, and materiel through the dim, weightless vaccum as other, larger ships inched into and out of the docks¡ªa mixture of mercenaries, civilians, some Republic, and a few Federation. The Kelsor was crawling now, coasting on its own inertia with Naret making only slight adjustments to its course with gravitics. Naret slotted the ship into one of the large, numbered docks where she allowed the Kelsor¡¯s adjunct to park the ship in the precise location and orientation the dockmaster specified. Like all the other anchored ships, the Kelsor remained perpendicular to the station¡¯s orientation. Two umbilical docking ports articulated out from the dock walls to meet both the port and starboard hangar entrances¡ªthe both of them being standard Federation Navy design. Four smaller ports attached themselves to all four docking bays. The Kelsor was secured in dock, and Naret¡¯s lumigraphic shroud disappeared.


    After waiting three hours for the first set of starmen to leave the ship and explore the domed metropolis of Vandos City above the Dockyards, Atara, Xannissa, and Sesh approached the white ALAT that would ferry them up to the city.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± said a smirking Cylenna from the driver¡¯s seat as the triumvirate approached. ¡°Looks like I have the honor of being your chauffeur.¡±


    ¡°Gives you an excuse to take your leave with us, right?¡± Xannissa asked as she sat down in the front passenger seat.


    ¡°I do enjoy the privilege, yes.¡± Atara and Sesh sat down in the back. Once the car¡¯s top was fabricated, Cylenna lifted the vehicle off the hangar floor and pushed it forward through the giant docking port. ¡°So, what¡¯s on the itinerary?¡±


    ¡°Good question,¡± Atara said. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten about Admiral Relex. I need to see if she¡¯s docked, and then get in touch with her.¡±


    ¡°I read they have a really nice museum,¡± Sesh told them. ¡°Did you know that this station was named after a Federation-born mega-engineer and architect named Doctor Mavin Vandos? They¡¯re supposed to have an exhibit dedicated to him.¡±


    Xannissa asked, ¡°First, why don¡¯t we find a place for lunch? There was a nice place that grows their own seafood.¡±


    ¡°I could go for seafood,¡± Atara admitted.


    Sesh said, ¡°Take us there.¡±


    ¡°Seafood sounds great,¡± Cylenna said as she piloted the car beyond the umbilical and into the internal portion of Dockyards.


    When the ALAT emerged from the Dockyards, Cylenna and the triumvirate found themselves within a well-kept urban sprawl. There was enough atmosphere within the enormous dome to create a characteristic blue sky, clouds, and weather. Everything within Vandos City was under the influence of a gravitics network, giving the billions of residents and visitors one g of gravitational acceleration without the need for spin. Skylanes crisscrossed the sky, and towers ascended for kilometers. Lakes, parks, nature preserves, and even a small saline sea broke up the beautiful, duralithic city blocks, and the entire perimeter of the City was ringed by a mountain range. It was toward those mountains overlooking the azure sea that Cylenna guided the craft, and she set the vehicle down in a lot next to the restaurant they were visiting: a small place called Sorrelin.


    ¡°Sorrelin, eh?¡± Atara said.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Cylenna noted.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± Sesh asked, ¡°the famous Elestan sea serpents?¡±


    ¡°Same ones,¡± Xannissa said as she stepped out of the ALAT. ¡°I figured it would be a good taste of home.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cylenna asked loudly. ¡°You¡¯ve never eaten a sorrelin!¡±


    ¡°Neither have you,¡± Xannissa responded, ¡°but I¡¯d be willing to try it.¡±


    The women were seated at a table on a wooden outdoor deck overlooking the sea. Bordering the deck on either side were verdant conifers swaying in the gentle breeze that carried their terpene scent. An alpine chill nipped at their faces being so far above the rest of the station. Because they were at the station¡¯s edge, they could look out and see just about every other place across Vandos, atmosphere permitting. The air was kept clear, and it was easy to see the distant urban monoliths from the mountainside restaurant, but the mountains at the station¡¯s opposite end were obscured by the sky. Every so often, a low cloud rolled through the forest, giving them the sensation of being in a misty fog. The light received from the system¡¯s star was about that received on Lanan by virtue of distance: about the intensity of average room lighting. The sunlight was far dimmer than a bright planet such as any of the Sister Worlds, but it was easy for anyone to adjust to.


    As their young waitress departed from their table with orders in mind, a visibly older woman, an Elestan with silver hair, approached the party of four. The wood beneath their feet creaked with every step. Atara felt a hand on her shoulder. The smiling captain¡¯s expression neutralized as she turned to face the woman.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± said the older woman. ¡°My name¡¯s Xera. I¡¯m the owner.¡± She offered her hand to Atara, and the Terran captain accepted it and shook it. Xera had seen enough military personnel to know that these women were high-ranking officers, judging from the markings on their standard uniform bodysuits. ¡°What brings you ladies way out here to Vandos?¡±


    ¡°Just running ops in Thalassia Orionis,¡± Atara told her. ¡°I can¡¯t say much, but my starmen needed some shore leave after what they¡¯ve been through.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see,¡± Xera said. Her face had retained most of its youthful, feminine beauty despite its age. ¡°What ship did you come in on?¡±


    ¡°The Kelsor.¡±


    ¡°Did you say Kelsor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence that you would wind up in a place like this!¡±


    ¡°Vandos?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°No, my restaurant.¡±


    ¡°The captain and I are from Elestus,¡± Xannissa explained, ¡°so we thought we¡¯d sample the sorrelin.¡±


    Xera responded, ¡°Then surely you know about the Kelsor? The Kela Sorrelin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Atara said reluctantly.


    ¡°The King of the Sea Serpents!¡± Xera said. ¡°What are they teaching young people?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Sesh told her, ¡°it does make sense. I just never equated the name ¡®Kelsor¡¯ to the Elestan myth.¡±


    ¡°A fearsome creature with diamond fangs and titanium scales,¡± Xera said. ¡°Faster than any sailing ship the ancient Elestans could ever produce. He was Elestus¡¯ version of Leviathan. All the sorrelins in existence are female, and today we know that they reproduce via parthenogenesis, but back then they thought there was a lone male keeping the species alive. It¡¯s also how they explained ships lost at sea. If you could see the intricate armor that Elestans fashioned with those tough sorrelin scales. They could deflect bullets!¡±


    Atara told her, ¡°I¡¯m honored that my vessel shares a name with such a magnificent creature.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Xera said to them, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to impose. You ladies enjoy the food, and I hope you find Vandos a relaxing place.¡±


    Several minutes later, the young waitress returned carrying four plates. She sat one in front of each of the officers. It didn¡¯t matter who got which plate since they all agreed to order the same dish: baked sorrelin filet with a side of potatoes and assorted baked vegetables. The underside of the filet was composed of the hard, black scales and skin to which the meat was still attached. Xannissa was the first to lift her fork and knife. With the fork, she pierced the seared, white meat and sliced through it with her knife. The juices ran off the filet and onto the plate as steam rose from the cut, filling the air with a smell that was reminiscent of both fish and fowl. Xannissa found that the taste matched the smell as she took her first small bite, expecting the sea serpent to have a gamey texture. But the meat melted in her mouth. The Elestan engineer closed her eyes as she savored the umami. The other three followed her lead, and the conversation they carried was put on hold as they dined. After the four had their fill, overlooking their mostly empty plates, Atara spoke to them.


    ¡°I think after this we should head into Vandos City proper. There is a twenty-block area with plenty for the four of us to do. Sesh, that museum you want to visit is there. There¡¯s also some shopping and a bit of night life. There¡¯s a Subnet parlor there if you wanted a better place to talk to Aedan. Has he spoken to you since he left Earth?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Not yet, but he did send me a few pictures.¡±


    ¡°That parlor has a simulator that would let you see his apartment as he sees it. When we get downtown, I¡¯ll try to contact Relex; see if she¡¯s available.¡±


    Many minutes later, they were cruising in the ALAT once again, heading for the downtown area. Cylenna found a place to park the Military vehicle at not-so-cheap a price. The women stood with the ALAT while Atara used her Accellus lumigraphs to contact Relex, but while Atara was flipping through lumes, Relex contacted her instead.


    ¡°Captain Korrel?¡± Relex asked, heard by the others.


    ¡°This is she. Admiral Relex?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I hear you¡¯re on my station.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Atara stated, ¡°and I wanted to buy you that drink.¡±


    Relex said, ¡°Meet me at the Shattered Star downtown.¡±


    ¡°What time?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one-hundred.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    The blocks Atara mentioned before were laid out like hexagonal terraces with multiple levels for walking paths, storefronts, and market stalls. The tops of these terraces were occupied by either towers or greenspaces. Thick, leafy deciduous trees formed a partial canopy above the walkways that were lit from beneath by lumionics. People drifted from window to window, some entered the stores, and others stopped in front of market stalls. The women took the stairs out of the parking bay and emerged in a vast public green in the midst of Vandos¡¯ skyrises. Such a lively city was indistinguishable from its planetary analog, and for a while, those aboard the Kelsor could escape the reality that they were still aboard a manmade construct orbiting in the deep black of space. Walking on the pristine paths beneath the trees, the triumvirate witnessed their first instances of Archangels patrolling the station on foot as police officers.


    ¡°Mercenary police force,¡± Sesh muttered as a pair of black-clad Archangels passed them.


    ¡°After they came and helped us near the Range,¡± Xannissa said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t hide who runs the show,¡± Atara stated, ¡°that¡¯s for sure, but like Xannissa said, nothing wrong with that. You have to remember that a lot of them were once Federation.¡±


    Sesh said, ¡°A good police force a military does not make.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a city-state,¡± Atara told her, ¡°and their system seems to be working well enough for them.¡±


    The leaves above them rustled in the station¡¯s wind, almost inaudible over the distant murmur of the crowds and their clacking footfalls. This combined with the faint rumble of machinery and whooshing of overhead gravidynes to cast a veil of sonic static that only the birdcalls of nesting and flying avians could penetrate. Then there was the cry of a child, a group of laughing passersby, and then the shouts of a shopkeeper drawing attention to his wares. Xannissa paused in front of one of these loud shopkeepers and examined his stall. When Atara noticed her friend wasn¡¯t keeping up, she tapped Sesh on the shoulder, and the group halted.


    ¡°Hey there!¡± said the shopkeeper. ¡°How ya doin¡¯?¡±


    In an attempt to appear cordial, Xannissa said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. How¡¯re you?¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! Anything interest you?¡±


    The Elestan eased down to look through the glass display cases between her and the young shopkeeper. Her bodysuit brushed against the bodies of other pedestrians as she interrogated what looked like basic civilian communicators. Behind the man were tools and other devices that would be effortless to make with any home REMASS system.


    ¡°Do you sell any licenses for these?¡± Xannissa asked the shopkeeper as she pointed to the display case.


    ¡°What for? Oh wait, you an outlander? No one owns civilian REMASS systems here. I buy production time from the Archangels to make all this stuff to sell.¡±


    ¡°Why no civilian REMASS?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the statutes, hon. Can¡¯t really talk too much more about it.¡±


    Xannissa backed away from the stall to rejoin the group. She moved her head close to Atara¡¯s and told her, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way the Archangels make their money,¡± Atara noted.


    The women wandered the duralithic plazas until the massive OPEL panels forming the dome began to filter the blue wavelengths of the star¡¯s light, bathing Vandos City in yellows and oranges. Those living on Vandos experienced zenith sunsets due to the station always facing the sun. After visiting another restaurant for dinner, the quartet agreed to part ways and regroup at 2300.


    Atara walked alone among the crowds in the artificial night. Even in the post-twilight darkness, the sun remained visible. The OPELs only allowed in enough light to mimic the ambient illumination of a small full moon. Atara and the others failed to take note, being bombarded by the nocturnal brilliance of the downtown region. The skyrises, once having appeared monolithic and plain, were plastered with face-spanning, lumigraphic advertisements. Perhaps they had been visible throughout the day, but their luminosity was far more apparent in the dark. The composition, attire, and attitude of the people around her had also changed¡ªmetamorphosed from families, modesty, and temperance to singles, skin, and irresponsibility. Rarely did she find anything of this sort unsettling, but being around the denizens of the night in a wholly unfamiliar place¡ªan orbital habitat, no less¡ªprompted her to fabricate a short jacket and fasten it down the middle to conceal her bodysuited breasts.


    Atara¡¯s corneal lumigraphs led her through the busy streets, across suspended walkways, around corners, and to the front of the Shattered Star. The captain looked up at the single lumigraph it had that served as its sign. Looking back down at street level, she found that the rest of the bar¡¯s facade was plain. Other than the sign, the establishment drew no attention to itself. Atara pushed the loose strands of dark garnet hair out of her face before she pulled the door open.


    The low, rumbling rhythm of the music vibrated across the floor and through her feet. The sweet smell of ethanol wafted from the bar to her left, but stronger than that was the savory scent of cooked food flooding in from the dining area to the right. Parties of inebriated patrons watched the performances of cooks as they prepared their meals right before their eyes. Laughter would erupt on one side of the large room, and then somewhere else on the other.


    The bar was much more subdued. Smaller groups of two, three, or four stood around or sat on tall stools as they conversed with slowing tongues. Atara took a seat at the bar, but though she sat adjacent to no one, she felt the strange sensation that someone was watching her; that she hadn¡¯t arrived alone. The captain looked over her shoulder, seeing a flame shoot upward from one of the grills, illuminating the entire dining room for a moment and ending in applause and more laughter. She turned her head back around to see the male bartender standing eye-to-eye with her.


    ¡°What can I start you off with?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting on a friend.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡±


    ¡°A woman named Relex.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t mean the Relex?¡±


    ¡°I actually do.¡±


    ¡°You have powerful friends,¡± the bartender told her. He motioned with his arm, and one of the waitresses appeared. He told the approaching waitress, ¡°She¡¯s here to see her.¡± The waitress nodded.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± said the waitress. Atara was led into the dining area, past the hearty aromas, sizzling and steam, and into a separate, darker room with private booths segregated by OPEL doors. The door to a booth opened, and she was invited inside. Admiral Relex was seated, wearing her Accellus 3 formal uniform: a dress resembling the Accellus 4¡¯s formals, but equal parts white and light blue. Her skin was a cool gray like Xannissa¡¯s, and her black hair was tied into two buns on top and to either side of her head. She crossed her arms beneath the short jacket that was draped on her shoulders; the sleeves of which fell to either side of her.


    Before Atara took her seat, Relex said, ¡°When I told you to meet me, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to bring another.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Is someone else here?¡±


    ¡°Come on, captain!¡± Relex said loudly. ¡°You insult my intelligence! I can see your phantom bodyguard as clearly as I¡¯m seeing you now.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Atara turned around to an empty room, save for the waitress, but suddenly a dark gray bodysuit and white SIRAC chest materialized right in front of her, startling the waitress. The short, white hair and neutral gray face immediately betrayed the phantom¡¯s identity to Atara. ¡°Colonel? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Kyora said defiantly, ¡°you can¡¯t fault your security chief for trying to look out for you. No disrespect to you, Admiral¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Relex replied.


    ¡°¡­but I¡¯ve had one of those feelings, instincts, whatever you want to call them, since we pulled into dock.¡±


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Atara asked her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The feeling. How bad?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? Feels like someone is tightening a bolt into my gut.¡±


    ¡°Both of you,¡± Relex told them, ¡°have a seat.¡± The mercenary admiral motioned to the seat across the table from herself. The two women complied. Kyora refused to sit down until Atara did, ensuring that the phantom positioned herself on the outside of the booth. ¡°Colonel, huh?¡± Relex asked. Kyora said nothing.


    ¡°Commander of our Aurora complement,¡± Atara explained.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Relex said. ¡°I feel like whatever I were to talk to you about would just get passed on anyway, so why not entertain the both of you? Anyway, we¡¯re keeping the waitress waiting.¡± Relex turned toward the waitress and spoke her order. ¡°Bring me a martini on the rocks.¡±


    Atara said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have gin and tonic, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink,¡± Kyora told them. Relex gave the Elestan phantom an odd look, so Kyora followed up with, ¡°I can¡¯t do my job with dulled senses.¡± The waitress departed and the OPEL door closed, sealing the three of them within a private chamber.


    ¡°So, you triumphed over the Voulgenathi?¡±


    ¡°We did.¡±


    ¡°And did the Federation Navy¡¯s revenge quest profit you at all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not inclined to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Relex told her, ¡°otherwise the premium I paid for the information I have would¡¯ve been worthless.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a haul you have, captain, for such a tiny crystal. That with your synerdrive makes your Kelsor a treasure trove.¡±


    ¡°Is that a threat, admiral?¡±


    ¡°Not from me, no. I admire you, captain. As someone in charge, I need people around me who will blindly follow my orders.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What? Did I get a little too close to the truth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a patriot. I¡¯m serving my country.¡±


    ¡°And I admire that, I do. But what about the long term? What¡¯s going to be left of your Federation when the next major conflict erupts? What happens to Civilized Space when one superpower has the capability to bring it all to ruin?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be a better patriot if you could ensure its integrity for the ages to come? If you could prevent it from becoming an unstoppable hegemon?¡±


    ¡°I would never put the Federation at risk of being overtaken.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Relex said. ¡°So short-sighted. As you can probably guess, I am well aware of your ecksivar. I am also aware of its capabilities, and I shudder when I think about it. An omnium neutralizer would be the beginning of the end for humanity.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Aren¡¯t you? The winds are shifting. A storm is coming.¡± Relex paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. She continued, saying, ¡°My apologies, captain. I¡¯m a pessimist. It¡¯s no wonder I find myself in here at least three nights a week with gin in my hand.


    ¡°But do hear me out. The powder keg is ready, and its more massive than at any point in history. The fuse is primed and ready to be lit. When everything is finally set in motion, you know that the next galactic war will be the last. Civilized Space will rip itself to shreds. That¡¯s why I left the Navy and came out here. It¡¯s places like Vandos that will be on top when that happens, and we¡¯ll be picking up the pieces.¡±


    ¡°That last part sounds too overly-optimistic for a pessimist.¡±


    ¡°It might be.¡± The waitress returned with their drinks, opened the OPEL door, and set them both down upon the table. ¡°Can you bring me another?¡± Relex asked. The waitress nodded. When the waitress departed, the admiral had three good sips before speaking again.


    ¡°Captain, there is something I need to tell you. Despite what I said, I don¡¯t want to see any harm come to you, so listen closely. Our scouts and long range subdar have detected an increase in activity from here to Mirida. The Tribesson syndicates have been flexing their muscles more than usual. You¡¯re good people, so I don¡¯t want you heading home unprepared.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Atara told her. ¡°We still have a way to go.¡±


    Kyora, who had only been listening until then, asked, ¡°Is it Domina?¡±


    ¡°Largely Domina,¡± Relex told her. ¡°I hate those people. They think they own these volumes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Eclipse thinks she does,¡± Kyora replied.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Domina¡¯s leader.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. That bitch. I¡¯ve had to meet with her face-to-face before, and you would not believe the arrogance. Now that I mention it¡­ no. I won¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°Say what?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°Colonel, you look a lot like her,¡± Relex told the other Elestan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you said that,¡± Kyora replied.


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re literally cut from the same cloth.¡±


    ¡°Are you clones or something?¡±


    ¡°We are clones, conceived by Unit.¡±


    ¡°I remember Unit.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°They were rivals to the Archangels for a while a long time ago, then suddenly they dropped off the radar and never came back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when they morphed into Domina.¡±


    ¡°So Unit was Domina¡¯s predecessor?¡±


    ¡°In a sense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s a small galaxy after all.¡± Relex had just finished her martini when the waitress brought her another. ¡°Just be on the lookout, captain. I¡¯d hate to see your mission end in tragedy.¡±

 43 - Flesh

    Sesh stood at the feet of the hand-carved stone statue of the Exan mega-engineer. The 3:1 scale, monochromatic representation of Dr. Mavin Vandos sat in a chair with his desk beside him. His left arm was extended into the air where the object of his attention floated: a model of the Vandos station rotating gently above his palm. The Zelnaran commander was among others there who admired the handywork and noble portrayal of this man appearing to cherish his creation. Just being in the middle of the museum upon that habitat alongside billions of people was more than enough to appreciate the man¡¯s genius. This made Sesh feel that perhaps she should cut Xannissa some slack.


    ¡°According to this,¡± came a familiar voice. Sesh looked over and saw Naret standing before a lumigraph with her arms crossed. ¡°Doctor Vandos was born in the Federation but immigrated to the Republic.¡±


    ¡°I never expected you to be here, lieutenant,¡± Sesh told her. ¡°You like history?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± Naret said, looking back at the commander. ¡°My father was from the Republic and my mother was from the Federation. Most of my siblings joined the Republic Military. I was the only one of them who joined the Federation, so I feel an attachment to both.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that helps you relate to this gentleman more.¡±


    ¡°It does.¡±


    ¡°Where I¡¯m from,¡± Sesh explained as she backed away from the statue to allow those around her to take a closer look, ¡°we didn¡¯t have all these sorts of technological marvels. All my brothers and I had was the sky, the plants and animals, and the soil.¡±


    ¡°What was that like?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never known peace like the peace I¡¯ve known. Mind you, we lived in comfort, but you could go outside the house, and across the fields you could see the forest¡¯s edge. The only thing you could hear was the wind in the trees.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever go anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Only the places we could get to on foot.¡±


    ¡°All on foot? Wow.¡±


    ¡°Our parents encouraged us to venture out and explore; to experience the natural world.¡±


    ¡°What keeps you sane?¡± Naret asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean being confined to starships so much.¡±


    ¡°You might think this is silly,¡± Sesh said, ¡°but a good imagination is all I need¡ªan imagination nurtured by past experiences.¡±


    ¡°And that keeps you from needing to get away?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I pine to return to the far Frontier, or even to a natural setting, but it is something that I enjoy very much.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Naret noted, ¡°you and Commander Cetalo seem a lot alike.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Sesh said in a tone that belied the statement being a joke to anyone but those to whom she was familiar. She followed plainly, ¡°You¡¯re right, of course, which is why we give each other a hard time. Xann was born on a Sister World¡­¡±


    ¡°Elestus?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, so technology and civilization are all the woman knows. Maybe one day I can actually show her that the world is more than just hyperwarp and omnium.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever gone with her to the simulators?¡±


    ¡°No simulators. Don¡¯t get me wrong; I enjoy them, but I want people to admire the things that have inspired the great minds of the past with their own eyes, and not through some lumigraph. Do you understand? That feeling of being so far away from civilization as to be at nature¡¯s mercy¡ªcamping in a wilderness that you can¡¯t just step through a door and leave from¡ªto live with nature like our ancestors for just a moment.¡±


    ¡°Can I go with you sometime?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re serious, I can take you to Akos Three when we get back. No Accellus.¡±


    ¡°No Accellus?¡±


    ¡°No Accellus.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I look forward to it.¡±


    Cylenna¡¯s brand of reckless hedonism was often difficult for others to understand, but this was her lifestyle. It was her subconscious understanding that the majority of pleasure was gained by skirting the boundaries of pain. More danger, more delight. Higher the risk, higher the reward. It wasn¡¯t just actual threats to life that excited her. The feeling of vulnerability gave her the reward she sought when other means weren¡¯t immediately available, but it often gave the people around her the false impression that she was an exhibitionist. Though, if you considered the mechanism of her pleasure, the attention she gained from exposing her nudity made her feel vulnerable, and this perceived threshold of peril was the place where she desired to reside.


    Cylenna walked down those crowded, lumionically-lit Vandos streets showing to all that passed by her neutral gray flesh above her knees, including her breasts, which tried desperately to protrude from her open short jacket¡ªher maroon-tinged nipples threatening to flash with every stride, often succeeding. But she wasn¡¯t alone in her choice of attire. Many other women and men deep in the pleasure district liberally displayed various parts of their bodies. The roving Archangels kept the atmosphere one notch short of a full street orgy. At least once, she felt an engorged masculine appendage brush against her buttock, prompting her to turn around while she continued to walk. She looked down at the man¡¯s penis, and then back at his face.


    She told him with an alluring smirk, ¡°Better watch where you¡¯re pointing that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m watching all right,¡± he told her, looking the Elestan up and down.


    ¡°Though with that tiny thing, I don¡¯t have much to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well fuck you!¡± the man shouted.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Cylenna said, bursting into laughter as the crowd closed in around her and she slipped away. She passed the storefronts bathed in red light whose entrances were manned by naked sex workers beckoning clients and patrons. After following the crowd for several more meters, Cylenna paused while people flowed around her, all delighting in their debauchery and occasional skin-on-skin contact. Over the noise of erotic euphoria, she heard the characteristic sound of an aerobike pass gently overhead. The Elestan looked up and followed it with her eyes as the craft set itself down within a clearing in the crowd. Wanting to take a closer look, Cylenna walked toward the landed aerobike until she arrived at some kind of event.


    Three aerobikes hovered centimeters above the duralithic street. A fully-clothed Zelnaran man sat upon the vehicle that had just landed, and it didn¡¯t take long to recognize who he was: the Republic Navy¡¯s racer, known by his callsign, ¡°Hammer.¡± Cylenna watched him dismount the bike from the crowd¡¯s edge, arms crossed and nonchalant in her nakedness. Hammer approached a shorter man who looked like a lumigrapher as he scanned the crowd, only for his eyes to rest on Cylenna¡¯s gray skin. Curious as to what was holding his attention, the lumigrapher and his assistants turned around and spotted her. Before Cylenna knew it, the lumigrapher was in her face asking her something over the murmur of the crowd.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the short lumigrapher asked her in a shout.


    ¡°I¡¯m Cylenna,¡± she said loudly.


    ¡°The Cylenna? Cylenna Cetalo?¡±


    ¡°The very same.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be fucked!¡± said the lumigrapher rather flamboyantly. ¡°What are the odds?! I¡¯ll pay you for some shots right now if you want to pose for some. I¡¯ll have an assistant of mine contact your agent.¡±


    Cylenna dropped her arms and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll humor you.¡± Under her breath she mumbled, ¡°And the money¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°Spectre?¡± Hammer asked her as he watched her form drift toward them. The lumionic lighting above highlighted her slender body. ¡°Come to haunt my PR gig?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Spectre said in jest.


    ¡°Even after you beat my ass in Metro Aero?¡± Hammer held out his arms to hug the naked Elestan racer. Cylenna eagerly reciprocated but soon realized that the lumigrapher was already capturing lumes.


    ¡°You taking shots already?¡± she turned and asked, quickly releasing Hammer.


    ¡°That¡¯s the stuff!¡± the lumigrapher shouted. ¡°A little tenderness between two fierce rivals! Love it! Lo-o-o-ve it. Spectre, drape your arms on his shoulders, and Hammer, put your hands on her hips. Move a few steps that way so I can get the bikes in the shot! Spread your legs out just a bit, there! Great!¡± The lumigrapher took several shots as he orbited them. ¡°Now, how about you be brave, big guy? Think you can bare all with Spectre?¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Hammer asked reluctantly as the two racers let go of each other again.


    Cylenna, recalling her short jacket, teased him, ¡°You can¡¯t compete with this,¡± as she rubbed her sleek feminine genitals, then dragged her hand upward across her tight abdomen and over her right breast.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be, huh?¡± he asked. Hammer recalled his blue racing gear into his civilian REMASS, and after they both removed their boots, the both of them were fully undressed. Cylenna ran her eyes across the Zelnaran¡¯s hairless, masculine figure; a smile forming on her face. Hammer took note, causing him a little unease. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±


    Cylenna¡¯s eyes shot away from his privates. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I want to keep with a sort-of erotic innocent theme,¡± the lumigrapher told them. ¡°Spectre, do you mind if Hammer picks you up and holds you like a princess?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she said, letting Hammer lift her up with one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.


    ¡°Now, wrap your arms around his neck. Remember, sex sells! Don¡¯t smile too much. Let it come naturally. Keep her up for a few more seconds, there! All right! How about we take some with the bikes? I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t have yours here, Spectre, but we do have a Nessin.¡±


    Cylenna¡¯s mild-mannered younger sister waited in a dim chamber. A lumigraph showed the status of the connection that the simulator was attempting to establish across a few thousand lightyears. Xannissa¡¯s anticipation grew as the transmission began. A simulator-quality world unfolded around her, and she found herself standing within a spacious room lit mostly from the OPEL windows. The sunlight cast long rectangles of light upon the ground, and Xannissa couldn¡¯t tell if it was morning or evening. Either way, standard time was the same for Vandos as it was on Lanan: about 2200.


    ¡°The sun¡¯s been in the same spot since yesterday,¡± Aedan¡¯s image said to her as he stood in the sunlight behind a sofa. ¡°It¡¯s going to take me a while to get used to this. Hi, beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Hello, handsome,¡± she said through her smile. She drifted slowly around the sofa to stand next to him. The bright sunlight highlighted one side of his body. The Elestan was eclipsed by his form for a moment. Glancing at the OPEL, she spoke softly, ¡°Yeah, Lanan is like that. But let me show you something.¡± She took him by the hand to the OPEL window. Touching the panel prompted a lumigraph to appear. ¡°If you want,¡± she continued, tapping through the menu, ¡°the panels can give you the illusion of night.¡± Xannissa engaged the OPEL¡¯s timesync mode which enabled them to alter the appearance of the outside world to mimic a certain time of day¡ªspecifically, the day as it should appear for a particular hour in standard time designating 0000 as midnight and 1200 as noon.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Aedan said, ¡°but I¡¯ll try to experience Lanan¡¯s day-night cycle for what it is, even if they are long days and nights.¡± Undoing the changes Xannissa made, he told her, ¡°It makes the sunrises and sunsets that much more precious.¡±


    Xannissa said, ¡°You¡¯re so sentimental.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Aedan said, ¡°I brought this home from my office.¡± The Terran picked up a framed photograph from the coffee table and showed it to her. Xannissa¡¯s face lit up when she saw the two of them at his old office tower¡¯s observatory a couple of days after his marriage proposal. She reached out to grasp it and bring it closer to her face. Aedan kept one hand on it at all times, leery of Xannissa¡¯s lumions dispersing at any moment.


    ¡°Ever since that day,¡± Aedan said, still helping hold the picture, ¡°I was worried that I¡¯d placed too much of a burden on you.¡±


    ¡°What would make you think that?¡±


    ¡°The pressure of this engagement tacked onto your service.¡±


    Xannissa laughed as she let go of the picture. ¡°No. You gave me something to look forward to. This is my last mission.¡±


    ¡°What will you do when you get back?¡±


    ¡°Go back to instructing.¡±


    ¡°I can see if Klade would take you in as a Military engineering consultant. They¡¯re always in need of more of those.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Xannissa told him. ¡°In the meantime, show me around the apartment.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t get much of a raise for coming out here, but the income I was making would only allow me to live with Rom and Deya. That¡¯s Earth¡¯s housing market for you. Here, do you want to guess how many rooms this place has?¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Six. Living room, dining room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms.¡±


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°About a twenty-minute gravidyne trip from Lanan Sector University.¡±


    ¡°Farence?¡±


    ¡°Farence metro area, northeast side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very nice place,¡± Xannissa told him. ¡°You have a good eye for real estate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just planning for the future,¡± he said, looking into her eyes. ¡°I want to live a good life with you, and for our children.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with me not carrying them?¡±


    ¡°Xann,¡± he said softly. ¡°You know how I feel.¡±


    ¡°I want you to answer yes or no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your body, Xann.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why it should be my decision.¡±


    ¡°But the research says that exgest kids¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you carry them.¡±


    ¡°What? But I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then why should I, if the technology exists?¡±


    ¡°I just want our children to be healthy.¡±


    ¡°They will be healthy. I¡¯m proof of that, and that technology was less sophisticated when I was an infant than it is now.¡±


    ¡°My mother was pregnant with us,¡± Aedan said. ¡°She made that sacrifice for us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the Military,¡± Xannissa said with a heated tone. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me about sacrifice.¡±


    Aedan sighed before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xann.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xannissa told him. ¡°I¡¯m the one who brought it up.¡± The Elestan¡¯s tangible lumigraph clung to him. ¡°I¡¯m still so far away, and I just want to be home.¡± Aedan moved a hand under her short jacket and rubbed her bodysuited back up and down.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± he assured her. ¡°And then I¡¯ll be Aedan Cetalo.¡± The Terran tilted his face down and kissed her blue hair.


    Atara, Kyora, and Admiral Relex continued to converse within the private booth at the Shattered Star.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance,¡± Relex said, ¡°to right the wrong of your superiors. Leave part of that ecksivar here on Vandos.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Atara asked, sharing a look of agitation with Kyora.


    ¡°Have you bothered asking your Admiral Aesho that? How could you, or they, sleep at night when the only known sample of ecksivar turns up missing because of the thieves of the Thalassia Orionis? Wouldn¡¯t you want the assurance of having part of it kept safe here on Vandos?¡±


    ¡°I have my orders.¡±


    ¡°You have your orders. Fair. You have no reason to trust me. I could just turn right around and sell it to the highest bidder. But in the long run, in what way would that profit me? The Federation is a rational actor. I would much rather all ecksivar end up in their hands, but definitely not Domina or the Three Brothers or whoever. Can¡¯t you see that carrying all that ecksivar on one ship is inherently disastrous?¡±


    ¡°If you care so much,¡± Atara told her, ¡°give us escort.¡±


    ¡°If I gave you escort,¡± Relex said, ¡°we would attract the syndicates en masse. We would have the largest engagement this side of the Saraian Range in a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°So your hands are tied?¡±


    ¡°Not with regard to what I proposed: holding part of that sample.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that, admiral,¡± Atara said. ¡°If you would allow me to pay for the drinks, the colonel and I will be on our way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on me, captain,¡± Relex said. ¡°I do appreciate your time. Not often do I get to hear the Federation¡¯s current perspective.¡±


    ¡°We enjoyed your company,¡± Atara stated, ¡°and thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°My offer still stands as long as you¡¯re docked,¡± Relex told Atara and Kyora as they moved through the open OPEL door and left the private booth.


    Both of them stood outside as the mist started to move in. The lumionic lights of the streets and buildings bloomed in the condensed microdroplets of water that floated on the chilly breeze. Atara was still wearing the short jacket she fabricated earlier as she looked down the street. Kyora, in her phantom combat configuration, stood in front of her captain and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to shroud myself and shadow you.¡±


    ¡°You still feeling bad?¡±


    ¡°Worse,¡± said the Elestan phantom.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Atara said, scanning one end of the street and then the other. The phantom disappeared into the night. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet up with Sesh at the museum.¡±


    Atara strode off toward those busy streets, past the ethereal lights glowing overhead. Though the night wasn¡¯t exactly frigid, she could see her misty breath mix with the humid air when she exhaled. She knew Kyora was keeping watch over her from the shroud, but she couldn¡¯t shake her loneliness. The towers were titans, and the stepped terraces canyons, all enveloped in a night as artificial as the station itself.

 44 - Doppelganger

    The mist drifted down, layering over the city like blankets of fog. Though still sparse, the towers rose into the clouds and were obscured by the scattered light erupting from their own facades. This created an ocean of light above the streets that danced like rainbow aurorae. Below the persistent flow of gravidynes, the pedestrians at the towers¡¯ foundations meandered under the eerie, diffuse glow drifting above that prevented most shadows¡ªexcept one.


    Kyora kept her distance from her captain. In the denser crowds she took to the air, haunting everyone and defying detection like her combat class¡¯ namesake. When Atara moved beyond the seas of bodies, the phantom descended to stalk her charge on foot.


    Atara stopped in her tracks for only a second. When Atara then proceeded onward, Kyora could tell by the way she walked that something was off. The Elestan phantom reasoned that a shrouded adversary had emerged and had placed Atara under the threat of assault. Having anticipated something like this happening based on her gut instinct, Kyora¡¯s greatest ally would be her patience. If now Atara was indeed under duress, she told Kyora nothing¡ªperhaps leery of revealing the presence of her shrouded bodyguard.


    Atara embarked on a shallow escalator with glowing lumionic platforms. Kyora was never farther than three meters away from the Terran captain. Stepping off the escalator, they found themselves at the bottom of one of the terraced canyons beneath the duralithic jungle. A steady stream of wanderers filed into and out of the many open stores and restaurants flooding their light into the street. Kyora refused to ascend despite the oncoming wave of humanity. She slipped her slender figure between the bodies, trying not to collide with those who could not hope to see her.


    Darting through the open archway of a clothing store, Atara left Kyora¡¯s visual field for a moment. When the Elestan entered behind her, the captain was moving to the very back of the establishment. The phantom charged between rows of shirt racks, fabricating a SIRAC blade and coating it in plasma. Even the air was parted by the phantom¡¯s shrouding systems, creating no wake as Kyora sprinted forward. Still undetectable, she faced an enemy equally so. Without an omnimic resonance detector, the only way to detect a shrouded opponent was to reach out and feel for them like a blind man feels for a doorknob. The Elestan stuck her hand out before her, encountering resistance where none should be. Were they friend or foe? To the honed phantom, the question was irrelevant. The only correct answer was her blade through their body in defense of Atara.


    Kyora struck true, slicing the plasma blade into the assailant¡¯s body. Immediately, the assailant¡¯s shrouding vanished, revealing to Kyora a woman wearing solid black Accellus 4 configured as a phantom. Even her bodysuit beneath her unmarked SIRAC armor was pitch. The dying woman sunk to the floor, keeping one hand glued to a device stuck to Atara¡¯s back. That¡¯s when Kyora noticed that Atara had ceased to move¡ªlocked in stasis.


    Kyora withdrew the blade, recalled it, and deshrouded herself. The attacker was dead. Easy. All she needed to do now was remove the stasis unit. But Kyora couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Atara¡¯s body was disintegrating before her eyes¡ªher bodysuit atomizing into dust and her skin behind it, revealing the crimson muscle fibers beneath. Not one to normally hesitate, Kyora was stunned by the grotesque show, and for a moment she was unable to act. Atara would die with her last memory being corralled into the clothing store.


    Frantic, Kyora grabbed onto the stasis unit to which the dead assassin still supplied power through her Accellus. The phantom hacked into the unit¡¯s programming and proceeded to understand it¡ªsee if she could reverse it. But before she could make significant progress, shouts echoed through the store behind her.


    ¡°Put your hands up and remove your REMASS!¡± a woman, undoubtedly an Archangel, yelled toward her. Kyora refused to sever her link with the stasis unit. She only lifted her unoccupied left arm and hoped that the Archangels would leave her alone long enough to save Atara¡¯s life. ¡°We will not ask you again!¡± The phantom pressed on, rewriting the stasis unit¡¯s program. Atara¡¯s skeleton was exposed, but the horror was being at least partially concealed by a reddish cloud of Atara¡¯s molecules that Kyora prayed had not been let go by the lumionic system.


    The Archangels fired their drivers into the Elestan¡¯s back. The first plasma bolts hit shield. The second shots ablated her polyalloy bodysuit. The next burned through her back and into her chest. Kyora screamed and slid down toward the floor. As the Archangels gathered around her, weapons pointed toward her helmet, Kyora submitted the execute command through her right hand still attached to the stasis unit. A peace came over her with the thought that, even if she might die, Atara might be saved. With the last of her effective consciousness, she witnessed Atara¡¯s body be slowly rebuilt, molecule-by-molecule, by the same device that had been actively destroying her. She also uttered two words over her Q-comms link to Virn: ¡°Atara¡­ attacked.¡±


    The Archangels didn¡¯t know what to think. The black-armored phantom was clearly dead. The white-armored phantom had just gone unconscious. The upright, opaque cloud of biomatter thinned to expose a Terran whose skin was closing over her muscles, and polyalloy over her skin. When Atara¡¯s body was made whole, she fell limp onto the ground beside the two others. The Archangels couldn¡¯t see any of them breathing.


    ¡°Kyora? Kyora, are you okay?¡± Virn replied through her link.


    ¡°Cylenna,¡± Atara said urgently over a lumigraph sometime later, ¡°I need you to pilot the ALAT back to the Kelsor. It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Cylenna spoke. She was still in the red-light district with her rival, Hammer. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡± She took off using her gravitics. Several minutes later, Cylenna set her feet down next to the ALAT and found Atara waiting for her. She shamelessly exposed her gray skin, keeping the open short jacket as her only clothing beyond her boots and bracers.


    ¡°Get a move on,¡± Atara told her sternly.


    ¡°Really?¡± Cylenna asked. ¡°No comments about my choice of attire? Not even one deriding remark about my lack of modesty?¡±


    Atara said, ¡°Please, just take me back,¡± staring impatiently at the parked ALAT.


    ¡°Geez,¡± Cylenna remarked as she opened the vehicle¡¯s top, ¡°you¡¯re no fun tonight. Relex got you down or something?¡± Atara said nothing.


    Cylenna piloted the ALAT swiftly, borrowing maneuvers from her racing career as she spirited the two of them toward the docked battlecruiser. Once parked inside, Atara quietly disembarked and stormed off toward the bridge. When she arrived, she found only a token watch of green officers.


    ¡°Attention,¡± Atara directed the officers, ¡°I¡¯ve received an urgent directive from THORCOM. We are to undock from the station immediately. Get all officers and crew back aboard the ship asap.¡±


    ¡°Understood, captain,¡± one of the officers responded. ¡°How long do they have to return?¡±


    ¡°Two hours, no more.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Aye. Putting out the word now.¡±


    It was at that moment that everyone belonging to the Kelsor received Atara¡¯s message, even those still aboard the ship. Virn, who had registered Kyora¡¯s plea not an hour before, marched off toward the bridge. After entering, she asked the captain, ¡°Where is Kyora?¡± Atara swung around and looked the Exan in her tan eyes. ¡°She¡¯s not answering Q-comms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a team to look for her,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°The last thing she said was that you were attacked.¡±


    ¡°It was Domina. I got a little scuffed up but I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°May I lead the team to find Kyora?¡±


    ¡°Granted.¡±


    Atara¡¯s first sensations were of the beeping tones behind her. Their rhythmic plainness alluded to an infirmary. She tried to open her eyes, but the dim lumionics were still too bright for her. Groaning, she kept her eyes closed for the moment. Where was she? Perhaps this was the Kelsor. That¡¯s what she assumed, anyway. If she ended up here in a hospital bed, then what happened to Kyora? She shifted her body beneath the covers, and that¡¯s when she realized one thing was certain: her Accellus, bodysuit and all, was gone, but that didn¡¯t prevent her from using her NI.


    ¡°Xannissa?¡±


    ¡°Atara?¡± Xannissa asked, shocked. ¡°Why are we leaving Vandos?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had me worried. I saw your message telling everyone to embark. I tried to message you with Q-comms but you never responded.¡±


    ¡°I,¡± Atara said, ¡°I just woke up.¡±


    ¡°Woke up?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯m in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re on the bridge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not me,¡± Atara assured her friend.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Xannissa uttered. ¡°Then who the hell is she? Someone is masquerading as you, and she¡¯s in command of the Kelsor.¡±


    ¡°The last thing I remember before ending up here,¡± Atara explained, ¡°I was leaving the bar where I met Relex. Kyora was with me. Another enshrouded put a gun to me and cornered me in a store, and then here I was.¡±


    Atara heard footsteps, then the curtain parted to reveal a nurse and someone with white and light blue Accellus formals¡ªArchangel colors. She looked up and saw the black hair buns and gray face. Two other women in similarly-colored armor stood on either side of her.


    ¡°Relex?¡± Atara asked weakly.


    Relex said, ¡°I thought something was off when you requested to leave dock early.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me,¡± Atara replied.


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Relex noted. ¡°Seems like you have an apparent doppelganger. Do you have any idea who might have attacked you?¡±


    Atara blinked her eyes a few times. ¡°I could name a few.¡±


    ¡°Not a nice place to be,¡± Relex said. ¡°I was there once. Not surprisingly, that¡¯s why I came to Vandos, so trust me. I¡¯m on your side.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even remember what happened.¡±


    ¡°They came at you with some kind of lumionic device. You were being disintegrated.¡±


    ¡°How did I survive?¡±


    ¡°Your phantom reprogrammed the device and saved your life.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Right beside you.¡± Relex drew the curtain back and there was Kyora lying in a bed next to her. Her eyes were closed and her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. ¡°She¡¯s sound asleep. In the confusion, my girls roughed her up bad. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me. She should be fine in a few hours.¡±


    Atara closed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡±


    ¡°We installed an omnimic resonance detector out of sight,¡± Relex said. ¡°If whoever tries again, we¡¯ll see them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Atara started to lift herself up from the bed. The sheets collapsed, revealing her naked breasts. Relex grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down. Atara muttered, ¡°My ship¡­ my crew¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have anyone who could verify your identity?¡±


    ¡°I know one,¡± Atara said, grunting. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. You going to contact them?¡±


    Xannissa and a fully-dressed Cylenna entered the hospital suite housing Atara, Kyora, Relex and her entourage. The Elestan engineer first looked over and saw Kyora peacefully asleep. She then looked past Admiral Relex, her bodyguards, and onto Atara who was looking straight at her with a wide smile. The captain¡¯s expression lit the room the moment she saw her friend enter. Xannissa moved around the others to kneel beside Atara.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Xannissa asked from Atara¡¯s bedside.


    ¡°They said I was being disintegrated,¡± Atara told her. Xannissa pulled Atara¡¯s hair away from her face, and then stroked Atara¡¯s cheek.


    Xannissa said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I almost lost you.¡±


    ¡°You have Kyora to thank for saving my life,¡± Atara stated, turning her head toward the sleeping phantom.


    ¡°Will she be okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re recovering, but we have to do something.¡± Without waiting for Atara to respond, she uttered, ¡°Fiori.¡± A tiny version of the orange figure spawned upon the bed in-between Atara and Xannissa.


    ¡°Yes, Xannissa?¡± Fiori asked her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware of what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Fiori assured her.


    Xannissa¡¯s face flushed. Gravely, she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to intervene?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Fiori told the blushing Elestan, ¡°it is sometimes necessary to allow events such as this to unfold uninterrupted in order to root out the corruption that causes them. Had I intervened, you would have never known of the attempt on Atara¡¯s life nor the imposter that seeks control of her command. The responsibility for ending this ploy falls to you, commander.¡±


    Xannissa stood up and said, ¡°Put me through to the bridge.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡± Fiori opened a lumigraphic connection between Xannissa and the bridge, and Fiori¡¯s image remained next to Atara. Xannissa saw Atara¡¯s doppelganger and Sesh standing together in the bridge¡¯s center with Naret seated below them.


    ¡°Xann,¡± Sesh said, ¡°are you coming back to the ship?¡±


    ¡°Be bold,¡± Relex whispered as she watched Xannissa speak into the lumigraph.


    ¡°Sesh, that¡¯s not Atara,¡± the blue-haired Elestan proclaimed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sesh asked in aggravation.


    Xannissa took the lumigraph and shifted it to show the real Atara lying in the hospital bed. Sternly, Xannissa said, ¡°You need to trust me right now, Sesh.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Xannissa,¡± said the doppelganger. ¡°Return at once.¡±


    Sesh turned to the doppelganger and watched her for a moment. ¡°You know,¡± said the Zelnaran, ¡°do you still remember what you said to me the very first time I served as your first officer?¡±


    ¡°I told you it was an honor,¡± said the doppelganger.


    ¡°Wrong. It was the first time we had ever met,¡± Sesh explained, ¡°and you said nothing to me the whole first day.¡±


    ¡°I regretted that for a long time,¡± the bedridden Atara told Sesh through the lumigraph. At this point, Naret had turned around and was staring at the imposter with a look of confusion. ¡°A first officer at thirty-two¡ªvery impressive. Xannissa just left for Tikon Academy the day before, and that¡¯s where she¡¯d be for the next three years. I¡¯d never been separated from her like that before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me that story many times,¡± Sesh reminded the real Atara.


    ¡°I know,¡± Atara said, ¡°but our friend here doesn¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°Adjunct,¡± said the doppelganger, ¡°verify my authorization.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said the adjunct. ¡°Authorization verified. Atara Eisen Korrell, Captain of the Kelsor-class battlecruiser, Greater Federation Navy Vessel Kelsor, hull number three-nine-three-zero, Fifth Fleet, Third Armada.¡±


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Xannissa asked the tiny, orange, lumigraphic woman beside her, ¡°reverify that woman¡¯s authorization.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, Xannissa,¡± Fiori said. ¡°Verification failed. Subject is not authorized for starship command.¡±


    ¡°Identify subject,¡± Xannissa commanded.


    ¡°Cross-referencing complete. Subject identity is Special Agent Velliris. Surname unspecified. Federation Intelligence Agency.¡± Relex¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Who is after you?¡± Relex whispered. Atara paid no attention. The captain stared intently at her double within the lumigraph.


    ¡°Sesh,¡± Atara ordered, ¡°arrest that imposter.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Sesh replied. The Zelnaran commander fabricated a sidearm in her right hand, and holding the weapon to Velliris¡¯ back, reached over and grabbed Velliris¡¯ arm with her left. The bridge Auroras stepped forward with bindings and attached them to Velliris¡¯ outstretched arms. There was little else the doppelganger could do but comply with the starship¡¯s guards. The Auroras erected a dark lumionic screen around Velliris¡¯ face to limit the contact she would have with the crew as they transported her to the ship¡¯s brig. Once the imposter was clear of the bridge, Sesh recalled her pistol. Naret also turned around in her seat to face her terminal. Atara¡¯s head collapsed back upon her pillows.


    ¡°What happened to Atara, Xann?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we return to the Kelsor,¡± Xannissa replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here with Atara and Kyora until they fully recover.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d rather transfer them to your ship,¡± Relex said, ¡°we¡¯ll release them to your medical teams.¡±


    Xannissa asked Atara, ¡°What do you think about that?¡±


    Deflecting the question with a question of her own, Atara asked, ¡°Where is my Accellus?¡± Relex quickly snapped her fingers, and one of her personal guards opened an opaque locker within the room, producing both the captain¡¯s and the phantom¡¯s boots and bracers.

 45 - Final Stretch

    After being transferred to the Kelsor¡¯s medbay, Atara slept the rest of night and most of the morning. She awoke to Xannissa curled up on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest, fast asleep. Kyora opened her eyes in the next room over and looked upon the face of her green-skinned partner hanging above her. Smiles from the Elestan phantom were uncommon, but today Kyora beamed back at Virn. It wasn¡¯t long after that Atara was released by Doctor Iveti, and she and Xannissa paid a visit to the imposter locked away behind OPEL walls.


    When Atara and Xannissa approached, they found the lookalike sitting on the floor of the cubic cell devoid of all clothing. Velliris raised herself up off the floor, strode over to the OPEL door, and leaned against it supporting herself with her arms crossed above her head. For Atara, it was as if she were looking at her reflection. For Xannissa, it was far more jarring. Had the Elestan been in the wrong place yesterday, she could have very well fallen for Velliris¡¯ appearance had she lacked the sense to try talking with her over Q-comms.


    Atara was straightforward, asking, ¡°Why are you aboard my ship?¡±


    ¡°Can we talk privately, captain?¡± Velliris asked. ¡°Just you and me. We¡¯re practically sisters.¡±


    Atara turned to Xannissa and said, ¡°I¡¯m going in there with her alone. I¡¯ll message you when I get done.¡±


    Xannissa nodded and said, ¡°If you have any trouble at all, I¡¯ll be right here. Remember, they tried to kill you.¡±


    Velliris repositioned herself as the OPEL door vanished in front of her. Atara slipped inside, and the door closed behind her, turning opaque and soundproof at her command. Under the lumionic lighting, the captain sat on the floor and propped her back against the wall. Her naked doppelganger did the same across from her. As a show of goodwill, Atara fabricated a short jacket, took it off, and tossed it into Velliris¡¯ lap.


    ¡°Thank you, captain,¡± Velliris said as she ran her arms through the sleeves and let the open front drape over her breasts. She lifted her straight, dark garnet hair out from behind the collar and let it fall behind the jacket.


    ¡°As it stands,¡± Atara said, ¡°I¡¯ve charged you with impersonation of a commissioned officer and conspiracy to commit murder.¡± Velliris crossed her arms and looked down. ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡±


    ¡°You might as well charge me for fulfilling my destiny,¡± Velliris said, keeping her head down. ¡°I turn twenty-six tomorrow.¡± She looked up at Atara. ¡°My whole life has been centered on replacing you. Had the assassin succeeded, I would be in your place right now.¡±


    ¡°I understand you and I are based on an identical genome,¡± Atara told her, ¡°I mean, look at us. You¡¯re not wrong when you say that you could be my sister. Hell, you could be my twin, or my cloned daughter. But you know what separates the two of us?¡± Velliris looked at her older double with curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s something that you¡¯d never be able to fake. I have ninety years more experience than you. Many of my direct subordinates have known me so long that even minor changes in mannerisms would not have gone undetected. FedIntel were fools in thinking that a clone sharing my superficial appearance would suffice in removing me from my command. Tell me, if you had the chance right now, would you kill me?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my part,¡± Velliris told her.


    ¡°But would you do it?¡± Atara asked again, but Velliris didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Now that you are face-to-face with the person you prepared all your life to replace?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± Velliris asked back.


    ¡°No.¡± Atara said flatly. The two of them stared at each other for a minute. Atara eventually broke the silence by asking, ¡°Were you raised by a family?¡±


    ¡°No family,¡± Velliris stated. ¡°I was raised in a FedIntel nursery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You share a little in common with our colonel.¡±


    ¡°Colonel Teseri?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She almost lost her life trying to save mine when that assassin attacked me. Like you, she was raised in a nursery, but one run by a mercenary corporation. Do you know why you needed to replace me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a threat to the established order.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Atara asked. ¡°Interesting that they would try to kill the captain in charge of the vessel whose mission it is to retrieve the most important omnium sample ever discovered. You¡¯re just a pawn in their game, and until this mission I didn¡¯t realize there was a game being played. But now my eyes are open.¡± Atara stood to her feet and said, ¡°You can keep that jacket. I¡¯m not going to execute you, but I am keeping you confined for the duration of the mission. I¡¯ll let you think about what I said. If you find yourself willing, there is a way I can let you redeem your entire existence.


    ¡°Xannissa, I¡¯m coming out.¡± Atara stepped through the open OPEL door and left her double alone within the opaque cell. She looked over at her friend and told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to assemble the senior officers in the briefing room this afternoon. I think it¡¯s time the others knew what we knew.¡±


    Atara and Xannissa entered the room together. Kyora was well, and she and Virn sat beside each other. Sesh was already present. Even the sovereign Illeiri was there, proudly displaying her elsheem features. Instead of sitting, the captain stood at her usual spot at the flared end of the delta-shaped table.


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Atara called, watching the orange, lumigraphic female appear standing at the table¡¯s narrow end, ¡°is the briefing room secure?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, captain,¡± Fiori assured her. ¡°No records of this meeting will be stored.¡±


    ¡°As you all are likely aware,¡± Atara started, scanning the present faces with her eyes, ¡°I was attacked late last night by an assassin. The assassin was dressed in all-black Accellus Four and was likely sent by FedIntel.¡± The only one within the room radiating any semblance of shock was Illeiri.


    ¡°Why?¡± Illeiri asked. ¡°Why would they kill the one acting to preserve the Federation¡¯s vaunted technological superiority? What have you done to draw their ire?¡±


    ¡°A host of reasons,¡± Atara explained. ¡°The things I know, the things Fiori has told me, and the ecksivar sample. I trust every one of you here, and given the circumstances, I believe now is the time that all of you were made aware of the current state of affairs.¡±


    ¡°Atara,¡± Fiori asked, ¡°may I explain?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Atara told her, taking her seat. ¡°You have all the pieces.¡±


    ¡°I do not currently possess all the pieces,¡± Fiori said humbly, ¡°but I will paint for you all a detailed picture of what my personal investigation has yielded so far. My goal is that, in the end, justice will prevail. If you don¡¯t mind, I will start from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°The origin of the ecksivar sample the Kelsor currently carries is as enigmatic as the sample itself. What is recorded is that the sample was confiscated from an Alliance-sponsored pirate faction known as the Nabok Scourge by Federation Defense Forces in Year Eighty-One-Fifty. Seventeen years later, ecksivar was stolen for the first time by an Alliance spy who escaped to the Alliance-friendly Semarahn Kingdom where she was the accidental target of the Semarahn Mirage¡ªthe king¡¯s elite forces¡ªunder the assumption that she was an agent sent by the Federation. The king, Falah Kalashik, blamed her death on the infamously brutal Semarahn Corsairs. Supposedly, the king was mesmerized by the ecksivar sample, so he kept the black crystal as an heirloom while lying to the Alliance, vowing to find the crystal and return it to them.


    ¡°Two-hundred-twenty-five years later, in Year Eighty-Three-Ninety-Two, Operation Crimson Aegis was devised to eliminate the sharp rise in Semarahn border violence caused by a significant increase in Corsair activity which was instigated by a deliberate weakening of the border months prior. The Semarahn Incursion appeared to be a Military response to the perceived anarchy on the Semarahn side of the border. In actuality, the principle goal of Operation Crimson Aegis was the retrieval of the ecksivar sample from the Kalashik Dynasty¡¯s palace.¡±


    ¡°I was there,¡± Kyora admitted. ¡°I was one of the covert operators that saved you three from the palace,¡± she told the triumvirate. ¡°Our unit was also responsible for smuggling out the ecksivar sample which, at the time, we didn¡¯t really know what it was.¡±


    ¡°Queen Syoness,¡± Fiori continued, ¡°you mentioned the Federation¡¯s technological superiority. It is not only the Federation¡¯s apparent achievement¡ªit is Federation Military doctrine. The Federation Military maintains its edge with competitive public-private collaboration¡ªthe vast military-industrial complex. The Military is endowed with the innovations required to operate a lower manpower, technology-focused fighting force while the participating industries and academic institutions reap profit and funding, respectively. Ironically, for all the Federation¡¯s pursuit of novel inventions, the strategy by which they pursue them is anything but; however, the endless voracity for advancement on the part of the government is. The Federation Military has far more funding set aside for research and development than the Republic appropriates for the feeding and housing of its seven-hundred-trillion-strong Military.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the intimate entangling of the Federation Military¡¯s interest in technological edge and the private sector¡¯s interest in money fosters the possibly of an interest inversion. That is where we find ourselves now. This was a phenomenon that I was blinded to for the longest time until my outage several weeks ago.


    ¡°In order to maintain their own access to MARAD¡¯s vast coffers, corporate research departments must innovate. Modern corporate culture equates significant technological progress with profit. In order to gain a greater advantage against their adversaries, modern corporations have even resorted to bribing Military officials for exclusive access to government black projects. Of all of the Akkain Conglomerate¡¯s subsidiaries, the research and development-focused Akkain Technologies produces more quarterly profit than any of the others. Their concern over losing out to their archrivals in the acquisition of MARAD funding for omnium and omnimics research pushed them toward the illegal provision of financial compensation to MARAD administrators.¡±


    ¡°Corporate kickbacks?¡± Kyora asked in disbelief.


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Fiori stated. ¡°Akkain¡¯s interest in ecksivar predates the Semarahn Incursion. Of course, the Military would like nothing more than the apex of weapons technology: the omnium neutralizer. It is unclear to me who convinced who. Was it Akkain who promised the Military an omnium neutralizer in the form of ecksivar, or the Military that proclaimed that ecksivar was the key to an omnium neutralizer? The fact is that Akkain promised the Military an omnium neutralizer so long as MARAD granted them sole access to ecksivar. Akkain then diverted a small percentage of the resulting influx of black budget mecreds to Fifth Fleet Admiral Ula Musani¡ªnot an insignificant amount for a single person¡ªwho also happens to be the chairman of MARAD¡¯s executive administration. This leaves Musani in the position of needing to fuel Akkain¡¯s quest for unmatched innovation in order to preserve her financial compensation while dodging the detection of the federal government¡¯s oversight. The Semarahn Incursion and the deception required to precipitate it was a product of Musani¡¯s and Akkain¡¯s relationship as well as Musani¡¯s inner circle of trusted officers.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Like Aesho,¡± Atara stated, staring straight through Fiori¡¯s body.


    ¡°During my suppression, a lone admiral caught wind of Musani¡¯s corruption but was spared Musani¡¯s corrupting influence. Her name was Cassandra Korrell, and she was Atara¡¯s mother. I regret that I was in a state of being physically incapable of helping her. She eventually learned too much, and she was killed in a skylane accident over Elestus. Years before her death, she learned of Project Gemini, the Federation Military¡¯s secret initiative to duplicate gifted individuals marked as luminaries, and she realized that she herself was designated as such. Atara is here now because of Cassandra¡¯s desire to raise one of her own clones, and it was also her will to see Musani¡¯s corruption eradicated. Such corruption erodes the delicate, meritocratic system that governs the military-industrial complex which has fostered the advanced Military that we rely on to protect the Federation today.¡±


    ¡°My mother left me a series of videos,¡± Atara told her officers, ¡°through which she told me her thoughts and feelings leading up to her death. And now I¡¯ve learned too much, and Musani and Aesho are sending FedIntel after me. It isn¡¯t enough that we¡¯re continuing this cycle of corruption by fetching ecksivar for them.¡±


    ¡°I remember discussing with the Vonn¡¯s captain before venturing down to the surface of Hadrast Four,¡± Sesh explained, ¡°after the Akkain station attack. We were discussing why Akkain would conduct omnium research on a former geology station in such a far-flung place.¡±


    Fiori said, ¡°Akkain¡¯s motivation for the creation of an omnium neutralizer was based on profit. After securing an influx of funding with a promise and exclusive access to ecksivar, the Conglomerate¡¯s sense of responsibility ends. Offloading the task to a far-flung station reduces the costs, further maximizing financial gain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a big game,¡± Xannissa stated.


    ¡°A dangerous and deadly game,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°A game I have no interest in playing,¡± Kyora told them. ¡°I am a product of one corrupt system. I do not want to be part of another, so fuck it all.¡± The Elestan phantom stood from her seat and said, ¡°Captain, I resign from my post, effective immediately.¡±


    ¡°Kyora!¡± Virn said. Kyora strode toward the starboard door but was swiftly blocked by Xannissa¡¯s body.


    ¡°Get out of my way, Cetalo,¡± Kyora growled.


    ¡°No,¡± Xannissa said, standing her ground.


    ¡°Your resignation is denied, colonel,¡± Atara said, now out of her seat.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± Xannissa told Kyora. ¡°I hate it just as much as you do.¡± Their bodysuits were nearly touching. ¡°But we must continue our mission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kyora snapped at the engineer. ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯re doing without me.¡± She turned her back to Xannissa and faced toward the room, all of the others standing now. ¡°Because why not? So these assholes can get their ecksivar back and reap their fucking kickbacks? Or maybe allow more civilians to die to justify another invasion.¡±


    ¡°Forget Aesho and Musani,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°Can¡¯t you see the bigger picture? Tainted by corruption or not, you cannot deny that we are in possession of the most important scientific article of this age. Letting it fall into the hands of anyone else but us would be tantamount to treason and endanger us all.¡±


    Kyora turned back to Xannissa and said, ¡°You¡¯re the last one I would have expected to defend the status quo.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Xannissa cursed. ¡°I¡¯m not defending them. You¡¯re a reactionary!¡±


    ¡°I see things for what they are,¡± Kyora told her. She turned around and took off for the port door, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this. You continue your crusade. I¡¯m not going to be a pawn in this anymore.¡±


    Just as Kyora opened the OPEL door, Xannissa uttered the word, ¡°Coward.¡± Kyora stopped and clenched her fists at her sides. With her phantom-like agility, she quickly spun around, sprinted toward Xannissa, and launched a punch toward the engineer¡¯s face. Xannissa closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact, but Kyora¡¯s fist halted just a couple centimeters away from Xannissa¡¯s head. Virn was standing right there, having caught Kyora¡¯s arm in mid-flight.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Sesh yelled. ¡°This behavior does not become senior officers of a Federation vessel!¡±


    ¡°Why,¡± Kyora asked Xannissa after having her hand released by Virn, ¡°after all you heard, why would you still participate in this?¡±


    ¡°Because I owe it to my family,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°I owe it to my fianc¨¦. I owe it to my future children and future generations. Despite what Fiori said, I don¡¯t trust anyone but us with a technology as horrifying as an omnium neutralizer. History will judge us by our deeds, and if we act on a whim now, we will have no future. I hate that this corruption persists and that we may be aiding it, but sometimes you need to swallow your own self-righteousness so that greater justice will prevail in the end.¡±


    ¡°I assure you, Kyora,¡± Fiori said, ¡°justice will be served.¡±


    Silence descended upon the briefing room. All of Fiori¡¯s explanations followed by the outburst of emotion left the senior officers in shock. Finally, Kyora turned her head and said, ¡°Captain, I withdraw my resignation.¡± She turned back to Xannissa and said, ¡°Please let me go.¡± Xannissa stepped out of her way, and the Elestan phantom left the briefing room followed by Virn.


    ¡°Well,¡± Illeiri said, ¡°it is a shame that those two left prematurely. I was inclined to share my involvement with the ecksivar sample.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind staying,¡± Atara said. She grabbed her seat, preparing to sit down again.


    ¡°I¡¯d be interested in hearing that,¡± Sesh stated, taking her seat. ¡°Your involvement¡¯s been a bit of a mystery to me since the attack.¡±


    Also sitting again, Illeiri started, ¡°Previously, I¡¯ve told you about my history, and that of the Elsheem State. It was only a matter of time before the Alliance finally rediscovered their lost ecksivar. It was Assembly spies who first determined that the Alliance knew where it was a decade ago. We only found out because of the Alliance¡¯s intimate involvement with the Elsheem State. Who better to send than Taretes? After all, he owed much to the Alliance for backing his revolution. Our magisters attempted to warn the Federation, but our warnings fell on deaf ears. Actually, they denied the existence of any uniquely novel omnium synthevar in their possession. That is, except for one admiral: Aesho. I was able to meet with her directly, and from the beginning, she seemed sympathetic to our cause. I told her I wasn¡¯t satisfied with the lukewarm response to our warnings. She wasn¡¯t either. We had no idea when they would decide to strike.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t so much care for the ecksivar sample itself. It¡¯s quite far beyond my area of expertise. My chief motivation was to hinder any kind of plan undertaken by Taretes so that the consequences of his failure could manifest in the collapse of his regime. I decided I wanted to position myself as close to the ecksivar sample as possible. For the last nine years, I waited for the elsheem to attack the station. But when that day came, I found myself totally unprepared for their violence. The only thing I could do was save the principle scientist I had guarded those past years, watching him pursue his passion only to lose everything within an hour.


    ¡°Meanwhile, as I stayed with the ecksivar sample, I kept comms silence with my magisterial subordinates. The only one I talked to was Aesho, and she never told me she kept her promise, helping fund our fast armada and army in secret. You¡¯ve made clear your disdain for Aesho, but I owe her a debt of gratitude for making the liberation of Avenath possible. As we speak, that fleet travels toward our homeland.


    ¡°There is one more thing. Before Kyora and Virn departed, I was going to ask all of you to visit Vandos with me tonight.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the elsheem. I want you to see our plight firsthand. I want you to truly understand why I fight.¡±


    ¡°Kyora.¡±


    ¡°Yes, captain,¡± the phantom solemnly replied.


    ¡°Can you meet me in my office?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    The door opened before Kyora, and through it she could see Atara¡¯s office. Not once had she visited it during the entire mission. It was about as wide as the briefing room, which made sense considering this office was just aft of it. The large, orange Federation Triangle graced the wall behind Atara¡¯s desk in the same place that it did in the briefing room. Flanked by sets of lumes, the Terran captain¡¯s face was free to see the Elestan phantom appear at the open door.


    ¡°Colonel,¡± Atara acknowledged her, ¡°please have a seat,¡± gesturing to one of the two chairs in front of her semi-circular desk. The door closed behind Kyora as she stepped inside.


    ¡°If this is about my conduct,¡± Kyora said as she slowly approached the chair, ¡°I sincerely apologize.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate my senior officers yelling at each other,¡± Atara told her as she sat down.


    ¡°With all due respect, captain,¡± Kyora replied, trying to stay formal, ¡°you weren¡¯t quick to intervene.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Atara told her, ¡°but so long as it¡¯s not violent, sometimes letting people act without intervention affords certain insights.¡± Atara paused. ¡°Hmm. I see,¡± she whispered to herself as she smiled.


    ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°Just something a wise woman said,¡± Atara deflected. ¡°After you left the meeting, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what you said after Mirida; about being a clone, and that you¡¯re not less human. As Fiori said, it turns out that I¡¯m a clone, too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not that similar,¡± Kyora assured her, anger showing through. ¡°You have parents.¡±


    ¡°Had parents,¡± Atara reminded the phantom. ¡°They died because of the things my mother knew.¡±


    ¡°I was born to kill.¡±


    ¡°I was born to carry my mother¡¯s burden.¡±


    ¡°Unit viewed us as capital.¡±


    Atara and Kyora stared at each other for a moment. The captain finally said, ¡°I am the product of a corrupt system.¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Kyora said, sounding confused, ¡°why are you trying to empathize with a killer?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you¡¯re more than that,¡± Atara explained. ¡°A merciless killer doesn¡¯t rise through the ranks of the Auroras and become a colonel. A common murderer doesn¡¯t become a phantom. You saved my life not once but twice. The way you sense danger, and the way you protected me on Vandos, that is a protector. That¡¯s who you are.¡±


    ¡°I have so much blood on my hands from this mission alone,¡± Kyora admitted in disbelief.


    ¡°In defense of the Kelsor,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand me at all.¡±


    ¡°I think I completely understand. How old are you, again?¡±


    ¡°One-hundred-seventy-eight.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Atara realized. ¡°You were alive a century when my parents passed away. How much longer are you going to let your dark past define you? When will you realize that there is more meaning to your life than Unit, Domina, Mirida, being a clone?¡±


    Kyora said, ¡°As long as that past keeps trying to drag me back.¡±


    ¡°Eclipse?¡±


    The phantom nodded.


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t change your mind,¡± Atara admitted, ¡°but I realize somehow you were able to accept Illeiri as an elsheem. I count that as a small miracle.¡±


    ¡°After this mission,¡± Kyora told the captain, ¡°I¡¯m going back to Mirida and taking Eclipse out of the picture.¡±


    ¡°If you feel that that is your calling,¡± Atara said, ¡°then I can¡¯t stop you.¡± There was another long pause, and then Atara said, ¡°Illeiri wanted to show us something this evening. Will you go with us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do for her,¡± Kyora said. ¡°Am I dismissed?¡±


    Atara nodded, and the phantom left the office.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kyora to recover from her outburst. She and Virn joined the other senior officers on the streets of Vandos later on that night along with a cadre of Auroras. All of them were interested in avoiding another attempt on Atara¡¯s life, as well as avoiding discussing anything that had been revealed in the briefing room hours ago, but they were also curious to witness what the elsheem sovereign had in store for them. Illeiri, still forgoing her Terran guise, guided the group toward the deeper, darker areas of the city center.


    ¡°These are my people,¡± Illeiri told them as they passed into a dark tunnel, ¡°tossed about like refuse.¡± The elsheem bodies were cluttered around like litter. Some meandered about while others sat on the dank ground or slept. They covered themselves with whatever they could find, from old blankets and tattered shirts to armored canisters and containers. The cadre of Federation Navy personnel walked by a five-strong Archangel patrol.


    Illeiri stopped the group. ¡°When Taretes was gaining popularity,¡± Illeiri explained, ¡°he promised to empower the lowborn population. His entire revolution was based on that promise, but it was a lie. Like all illegitimate rulers, once he secured power, it corrupted his already dark heart. These poor souls are the ones paying the price.¡± Besides the lights from the starmens¡¯ Accellus and the weapons the Auroras carried, the only other source of light was the dull, red avenovahs on the backs of the elsheems¡¯ necks. None of the semi-coherent elsheem realized that their queen was walking among them¡ªmourning for them.


    Virn realized this, and the Exan tried to interpret how she felt witnessing this sight. ¡°The banished heir,¡± she whispered, ¡°anon¡¯ in the night walked among those lost, viewing their plight. Ousted by a despot who delights as they suffer, the Queen vows to fight, hoping one day that all will be right.¡±


    ¡°When you retake Avenath,¡± Atara asked, standing next to her, ¡°what then?¡±


    ¡°Our people will be free,¡± Illeiri said, ¡°ruled the way our ancestors ruled for millennia, by the Assembly.¡±


    ¡°What about these people?¡± Atara asked, gesturing toward the scattered destitute. ¡°What becomes of them?¡±


    ¡°We offer them a beacon of hope. We encourage them to return to their homeland.¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t known Avenath for two centuries. Aren¡¯t you concerned about their fitness for rejoining a productive society?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve left most of those decisions in the hands of the magisters,¡± Illeiri admitted. ¡°Despite being queen, my experience in statecraft is lacking. Once we retake Avenath, I will work with the magisters on solutions to rebuild our once thriving society.¡±


    Kyora looked upon the suffering. She tried to see what Illeiri saw in these¡­ people, if you could call them that, but no matter how hard she tried, the phantom couldn¡¯t separate herself from her opinion of them. The only one Kyora could see as an equal was Illeiri, and she subconsciously viewed Illeiri as anything but elsheem¡ªan exception. She stayed with the group and tried to feel for them, but in the end, any sympathy she showed was feigned.

 46 - Cancer

    The next day at around midmorning, the Kelsor departed the Dockyards and passed through one of the massive gates in the underside of the Vandos Habitat. With their heading adjusted toward Federation space, Naret engaged the synerdrive and the battlecruiser was on its way. No stops had been scheduled until the Kelsor was to dock at the orbital facilities above Lanan all the way on the other side of the Federation from Tribesson.


    ¡°Naret,¡± Atara directed, ¡°begin routine course deviations. Don¡¯t keep us in a straight line.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± Naret replied. As soon as Atara was satisfied with the operation of her bridge officers, she left command of the bridge in Sesh¡¯s hands and departed for the medbay.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Doctor Iveti,¡± Atara told the nurse sitting behind the desk at the front of the medical bay. ¡°I just want to talk.¡± The nurse was dressed in a white gown over her standard uniform like all the others, and the small red cross on her breast marked her as a medical professional.


    ¡°She¡¯s currently seeing patients,¡± the nurse told her. ¡°Do you mind waiting half-an-hour?¡±


    Atara nodded. She took a seat in the waiting room among other starmen who themselves awaited attention by the nursing staff for minor ailments and injuries. About forty minutes later, Atara was called back by a nurse who guided the captain to Iveti¡¯s office.


    The red-skinned Yeran physician stood near her office fabricator. Her bobbed hair was colored like golden rust, if that were even possible. She wore the dark gray combat variant bodysuit beneath her open white lab coat, not caring about how much of her feminine form escaped it. With both hands, she held a mug of hot, black coffee, bringing it to her lips and sipping it quietly. Lowering her mug yet still facing the fabricator, she said, ¡°Hello, captain.¡±


    ¡°Doctor,¡± Atara addressed her. ¡°May I sit?¡±


    After taking another sip, Iveti said, ¡°Please do.¡± She strode slowly to her desk, placed her white mug down upon it, and took her seat. Iveti grabbed her loose lab coat and tugged it across her front before crossing one leg over the other. With her hands in her lap, Iveti asked, ¡°What is the nature of your medical emergency?¡±


    ¡°I feel fine, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Then what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to talk with you about something.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± Iveti vocalized. ¡°You need physician-patient privilege¡ªa little medical confidentiality.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Atara admitted softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m no shrink, but whatcha got?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s something a bit larger in scope. I just want to hear your wisdom.¡±


    Atara explained to Iveti the information Fiori summarized for the senior officers in the briefing room yesterday. Of course, Atara asked Fiori to check the room, and the captain made Iveti promise to keep the information to herself. Iveti sipped her coffee as Atara explained, keeping her yellow eyes trained on the captain¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mind if I tell you a little story?¡± Iveti asked. The Yeran set her empty mug down upon the desk. ¡°You might find it a little analogous. Once upon a time, humans lived short lives. We know this¡ªrecords going way back to the pre-interstellar period. Hell, even before Mirida, people didn¡¯t live very long, even less so thousands of years prior.


    ¡°Around the space ages of the Sister Worlds, medical technology was improving which doubled people¡¯s lifespans. Then humans wrestled with a disease called cancer. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°I know the concept,¡± Atara said, ¡°but I¡¯m a little fuzzy on the details. I¡¯m not a medical expert.¡±


    ¡°Cancer,¡± Iveti explained, ¡°is a condition in which some of the body¡¯s own cells begin to go their own way. They break out of the tight cellular regulation, immortalize, and proliferate, eventually spreading and killing the host. It¡¯s pretty frightening if you ask me. Makes me thankful that we¡¯re where we are today¡ªnearly biologically immortal.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, to me, it seems like you¡¯ve found yourself a tumor. A tumor is a collection of cancer cells. The best way to treat a cancer was to treat it early¡ªas early as possible. Because if you waited too long¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll metastasize,¡± Atara said. ¡°I understand what you mean.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°So, what would you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°I think you already know that,¡± Iveti said. ¡°You target the cancer and destroy it before it consumes the Military¡¯s leadership.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°What are you doing, Quen?¡± Doctor Namara asked softly. She had been standing in the doorway of the lounge, staring at Souq¡¯s back from across the omnimology lab. Souq had his hand atop the container holding the ecksivar sample, and the container¡¯s sides were transparent. The strange crystal radiated its shadowy anti-light within. The assistants were absent, leaving the two of them alone.


    ¡°Just thinking,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Thinking?¡± Namara¡¯s arms were crossed as she leaned against the doorframe. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°How bittersweet it is,¡± Souq said. ¡°There¡¯s a part of me¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Part of me wants nothing to do with this thing anymore.¡±


    ¡°But Quen¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter how much I think about it,¡± Souq told her, ¡°no matter how much time passes, I don¡¯t think I could ever look past that day. I lost too much because of this ecksivar.¡±


    ¡°Quen,¡± Namara said, standing straight and dropping her arms, ¡°you know more about ecksivar than anyone alive. Losing you would deal a huge blow to the scientific community.¡± Souq didn¡¯t appear fazed by this. Namara stepped away from the doorway, moving across the lab. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you, either.¡±


    ¡°Sayn¡­¡±


    ¡°That time me and you were on the beach in the simulator,¡± Namara told him, ¡°that was really sweet. I never realized I would find the company of a man so¡­ compelling.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go it alone anymore.¡± Namara was standing next to him now, looking at him with her teal eyes. Souq¡¯s maroon irises stared back at her.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said.


    She stroked his beard, saying, ¡°I love you, too.¡± She leaned in toward his face and kissed him on the lips. Her hands reached behind his head, and his wrapped around her waist.


    After that brief moment of passion, their lips broke away, and Souq said, ¡°If I joined the Military, would you partner with me?¡±


    ¡°Why not marriage?¡± Namara asked in return.


    ¡°Why not both?¡± he leaned in to continue kissing the Elestan scientist. The ecksivar sample remained there, casting its eerie shadow within that small container.


    Xannissa strode between the cadets as they completed their examinations. When she wasn¡¯t watching them, she was staring toward the incoming, foamy waves breaking against the golden sand. All twelve cadets sat at their desks in the filtered sunlight pouring through the open pavilion¡¯s skylights. The breeze blew in between them as they worked within their lumigraphs. Shouts from the distant beachgoers barely reached them.


    Lieren was the first to finish the test. As she did so, her collection of lumigraphs vanished. Xannissa turned around to see the Larissian looking at her. Noticing her teacher¡¯s nod, Lieren stood from her desk, departed the pavilion, and stepped out across the sand. Never eager to begin studying for the next round of exams, Lieren enjoyed these brief post-exam reprieves from her academics. The only problem for her¡ªa problem she seemed to share with the other cadets¡ªis that after looking forward to her free time, she had no idea what to do with it when it came. Seeing as her advisor was still proctoring, and that she was aboard the simulator already, what better place to unwind than where she found herself now?


    Because of her time aboard the simulator, and this virtual tropical resort in particular, she was finding joy in swimming. Not ocean swimming, but swimming in the pool that was separated from the beach, and most of the rest of the complex, by a ring of walls and buildings. After storing her Accellus away, she walked out toward the blue water of the deep pool. This was her favorite part. She leapt out and plunged in feet-first. It didn¡¯t matter that the water was a lumionic construct. The coolness of the water splashing against her bare lavender skin was genuine enough for her. Holding her breath, she opened her eyes beneath the fresh water, free of chemicals and salt, and began to swim toward the other end of the pool. Lieren rose steadily toward the surface, avoiding other swimmers, and emerged her head to exchange the air in her lungs. The crisp water flowed past her, refreshing her as she taxed her muscles. Perhaps that¡¯s why she enjoyed it so much. To her, it was like exercise that felt like anything but. The pool was fifty meters from end to end, and when she reached the opposite edge, she put her arms on the duralithic walkway and let the beads of water run through her soaked hair and down her face.


    ¡°Lieren,¡± called a masculine voice. It surprised her, since it was unmistakably her father¡¯s. Lieren looked up, and there he was above her alongside Doctor Namara.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Lieren asked of father wearing shorts and Namara a short jacket. Both of the scientists sat down at the pool¡¯s edge on either side of her, placing their feet into the water.


    ¡°You told me you had a test,¡± Souq said in a fatherly tone, ¡°and you told me you like swimming, and the simulator, and that the test was on the simulator. So, I put those together.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Lieren said, sounding slightly annoyed.


    ¡°I used to be on the university swim team,¡± Souq boasted. ¡°I guess that¡¯s where she gets it from. Lira always avoided the water.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Lieren said, ¡°I¡¯m going to swim another lap.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, girl,¡± Souq told her, grabbing her shoulder before she took off. ¡°Sayn and I wanted to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Should I get out?¡±


    ¡°You might want to,¡± Sayn told her.


    ¡°Can you two give me a hand?¡± Souq and Namara gave Lieren their hands to grasp ahold of and tug on, easing her exit. Dripping wet, she walked across the warm duralithic sidewalk and placed herself beneath a shield-scrubber to quickly dry off. Lieren played with and tried to correct her dry hair while she rejoined them, taking a seat on a lounge chair between the scientists.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lieren said.


    ¡°You go first, Quen,¡± Namara said.


    ¡°When the Kelsor returns to dock,¡± Souq told his daughter, ¡°I¡¯m going to join the Military.¡±


    ¡°As in Military scientist?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your father and I,¡± Namara said, ¡°we¡¯re going to join together in a partnership.¡±


    Lieren looked at them both and asked them, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get married?¡± Souq and Namara traded glances.


    ¡°One step at a time, honey,¡± Souq told Lieren, patting her back. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll understand. Relationships aren¡¯t like REMASS.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on dad!¡± Lieren said. ¡°Seriously, though, I¡¯m happy for you two.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay with this?¡± Souq asked.


    Lieren asked him, ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± She paused, letting the question sink in before admitting, ¡°Yes, I am okay with this. I¡¯m sure mom would want you to move on.¡± Lieren looked at Namara and smiled, and the Elestan scientist smiled back at her.

 47 - Informant

    High above the clouds, beyond the edge of space, hung an office whose wide floor was composed of OPEL panels. The office formed the base of a massive structure named Tetra 5 that drifted gently in intermediate orbit over Akos V¡¯s lush moon. The ceiling was a mirror, reflecting the bright surface of Lanan¡ªclouds, land, and seas¡ªback into the room. Glimmers from distant starships and orbital infrastructure flashed in the black sky. A transparent, circular desk inhabited the room¡¯s middle, and within it sat an Elestan with long, black hair and dark gray skin wearing officer formals. Multicolored, transparent lumigraphs surrounded her. Some showed maps of the entire Federation; others the entire region of Civilized Space. Yet more displayed information about the Navy¡¯s Fifth Fleet and the ten Armadas composing it. News from several sources, both near and far, played on another.


    Panels detached from the ceiling and slowly descended around the desk. Each panel paused and hovered at a certain height, together forming a circular staircase that wrapped around the Elestan¡¯s work area. As the staircase was still falling into place, a Terran woman with blonde hair¡ªalso dressed in officer formals¡ªstepped downward into the office.


    ¡°Hari,¡± said the Elestan, looking up to the ceiling from where the Terran appeared.


    ¡°Admiral,¡± the Terran addressed. When she reached the OPEL floor, she stopped at the front of the desk. The Elestan made all of her lumigraphs disappear. ¡°Adjunct, chair.¡± A lumionic seat appeared for the Terran, and she sat down. Across from her was a lumionic nameplate hovering above the desk¡¯s surface reading ¡°Fifth Fleet Admiral Ula Musani.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Musani said, crossing her arms over her front, ¡°what¡¯s so important that you needed to hop on a shuttle first thing in the morning to come up here?¡±


    ¡°I want you to see something,¡± Aesho told her, trying to keep her anger in check. The armada admiral produced a lumigraph and flicked it toward Musani. Aesho let her superior read it for a moment before saying, ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that,¡± Musani said.


    ¡°FedIntel? Really?¡±


    ¡°You should have kept her on a tighter leash,¡± Musani barked. ¡°She¡¯s been snooping around like her mother, and now she knows too much. About you, about me. I invested in a little wetwork a couple decades ago. I knew she¡¯d eventually be a problem, like Cassandra reaching out from the grave, but I never anticipated our archon waking up. Aren¡¯t you concerned about her at all?¡±


    ¡°You went over my head,¡± Aesho told her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough to have deprived her of her parents, was it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too attached to her. She¡¯s like your niece. Or your old friend. Take your pick. You know you never would have done it. That¡¯s why I had to do it all. Remember, we¡¯re in this together.¡±


    ¡°Or so you think,¡± Aesho told her. The Terran snapped her fingers, and down the floating stairs walked four women in SIRAC armor and one Zelnaran in just a bodysuit. All of them sported dark navy blue with white checker patterns and the immediately recognizable FedSec emblem. When Musani¡¯s eyes met the FedSec agent¡¯s who wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet, her face soured, her mind melted, and her heart cracked. Beneath the office was one of Lanan¡¯s oceans. If only she could fall through that OPEL floor that very moment and be close enough to skydive down, incinerating quickly in the reentry. If only there was a way to end it all quickly instead of being publicly crucified. The way the Zelnaran agent looked at her, Musani knew that her years of deception were about to catch up with her. At least Aesho would be there with her, having been her accomplice for decades.


    ¡°Good show, Admiral Aesho, I must say,¡± said the Zelnaran, her skin almost matching the color of her bodysuit. ¡°Fleet Admiral Musani, I¡¯m agent Rhin Dekka, Federation Security Agency Investigation Division. I have a warrant for your arrest.¡±


    ¡°On what charges?¡± Musani asked, refusing to stand.


    ¡°Want me to name them?¡± The agent asked. She opened a lumigraph and read from it. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Bribery; malfeasance in office; treason; conspiracy to commit murder, three counts; and archon manipulation.¡±


    Musani asked, ¡°What about Aesho here?¡±


    Rhin laughed and asked, ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to arrest her too, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make a habit of arresting my informants,¡± Rhin explained.


    ¡°Informant?¡± Musani whispered in shock. The armored FedSec officers walked behind the table and lifted Musani to her feet. Musani stared at Aesho in utter disgust.


    Rhin told the admiral, ¡°I would like to remind you that pursuant to Federation law you are legally protected against compulsory self-incrimination. Therefore, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.¡± Musani¡¯s arms were placed behind her back, and bindings positioned over her Accellus bracers. ¡°You have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed by the court. Do you understand?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Musani wanted to hurl every curse in the Miri lexicon toward Aesho, but she took Rhin¡¯s warning literally, holding her tongue. Aesho trailed behind the contingent of FedSec officers, following them up the stairs as they retracted into the ceiling.


    ¡°Welcome back to your morning headlines on SBN,¡± said an anchorman to the lumigraphers capturing his likeness and cool speech for broadcast throughout the Federation and into the surrounding Civilized Space. ¡°I¡¯m Jorj Danner. The time is now eight-oh-five. Yesterday, Fifth Fleet Admiral Ula Musani of the Federation Navy was indicted by FedSec on charges of bribery, treason, and archon manipulation. This high-profile arrest of a top Navy official is connected to the recent attempted murder of another, unnamed high-ranking Navy officer.¡±


    When Atara and Xannissa ate breakfast together in the morning, now that they were back within Subnet range, they typically played the news in a large lumigraph across the room that they could watch together. When they realized the headline that was being introduced, both of them set their utensils down upon the table and quickly finished chewing.


    ¡°Joining us now is lawyer and Military legal expert Jas Feder¡­¡± said Jorj. The scene cut to briefly show a Larissian woman. ¡°¡­as well as Defense Secretary and Retired Admiral Noro Katased,¡± the scene cut again to show an Elestan woman, and then went back to Jorj.


    ¡°Sesh,¡± Atara asked her first officer through a separate lumigraph, ¡°you need to see SBN.¡±


    ¡°SBN?¡±


    ¡°Morning headlines,¡± Atara said. Sesh opened another lumigraph to the Subspace Broadcasting Network¡¯s news service. She then projected it forward of the bridge, between Naret and the sweeping OPELs, for all of the bridge officers to see.


    ¡°Madam Secretary,¡± said Jorj, ¡°I¡¯ll start with you first. Can you describe for us who Admiral Musani was in regards to the Military?¡±


    ¡°Yes I can,¡± said Secretary Katased. ¡°Musani was the Admiral of the Fifth Fleet. Basically, she ran most of Coreward Operations Command as the Fifth Fleet tends to operate entirely under it. She was also officially in charge of MARAD¡ªthe Military Advanced Research and Development agency under the Defense Department.¡±


    Jorj stated, ¡°So it sounds like she was involved in a lot of top-level Military operation.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Madam Feder, can you describe the charges that Musani is facing?¡±


    ¡°Admiral Musani is accused firstly on bribery, a serious corruption charge that stems from alleged decades of accepting kickbacks from defense contractors for priority MARAD funding for black projects. The second one, treason, is a little less clear. Some believe that, in the lead up to the Semarahn Incursion, the Semarahn Corsairs were goaded into a confrontation with the Federation because of a deliberate drawdown of downspin border security, so I believe that¡¯s where the treason charge might be coming from. That one will be harder to prove, that the drawdown actually occurred the way FedSec thinks it did, and whether it was deliberate. But if that¡¯s part of the indictment, then they must have enough evidence to support the prosecution in court.¡±


    ¡°So FedSec mentions archon manipulation in the indictment,¡± Jorj told them. ¡°If I could get your opinion on this, Madam Secretary, what exactly does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It literally means that Musani found a way to hide her actions from the Military¡¯s archon, Fiori,¡± Katased explained. ¡°Sadly, we didn¡¯t know she had been illegally modified until her outage last month, and I think that¡¯s what led to a breakthrough into the investigation into Musani at this quick a pace. FedSec claimed they had someone on the inside, and they¡¯re not saying who yet, but that¡¯s another reason why they have all this evidence just sitting around.¡±


    ¡°The Fiori outage happened last month,¡± Jorj stated, ¡°and now this comes out, I mean, how reliable is the archon system?¡±


    ¡°The archon system is very reliable,¡± Katased assured them. ¡°She is invaluable to the modern Military command structure. When you are in command of millions of starships across millions of cubic lightyears of volume, and trillions of soldiers, it takes a mind of a electronic god to keep track of it all. Could it be better? Of course. Mankind has said similar about his inventions throughout history, and we are actually working right now to make it better. In a few years, the Navy will begin introducing an addon to Fiori that we¡¯re calling the subordinate archonoid hierarchy that will replace the current core-node relationship between Fiori and the multitude of primitive adjuncts in service. Our goal is that every starship and base abroad will have its own archonoid that is semi-independent of Fiori, and this new system will be safer, more secure, and more robust.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense considering the widespread adoption of archonoids by the private sector over the last couple of centuries,¡± Jorj said. ¡°Madam Feder, Madam Secretary, thank you for your time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jorj,¡± both of the women said one after the other.


    Jorj continued with the next headline, ¡°The Persean Corporate Alliance is threatening to boycott the upcoming meeting of the diplomatic body, the Interstellar Cooperative, next year, saying that they will refuse to send their delegation to the meeting if hostilities in the Persean Rift do not cease¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think they arrested Aesho, too?¡± Xannissa asked as the news continued to play.


    ¡°If they got the head,¡± Atara said, ¡°surely they¡¯re hunting down all the tendrils. They may already have Aesho since they worked so closely together.¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Ethis announced through a newly-formed lumigraph, ¡°you¡¯re receiving a Q-comms transmission. It¡¯s from Admiral Aesho.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ethis,¡± Atara told her. ¡°Xann, I want you to come with me.¡±


    Xannissa leaned against the side wall of the Q-comms chamber to avoid being captured by the lumigraphy scanners. Atara stood before her superior one last time, but the captain had a certain confidence about her that felt different than times before.


    ¡°Atara,¡± Aesho said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard, but¡­¡±


    ¡°About the Fleet Admiral?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it just a few minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Saves me from explaining things to you. Before the hearings start, I just wanted to say¡­¡±


    ¡°My parents. Were you responsible for my parents?¡± The two stayed silent for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Atara,¡± Aesho admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for what I¡¯ve done, but I can¡¯t bring them back to you, and I am sorry.¡± Atara could feel the raw emotion swelling within her. Before her was the orchestrator of that tragic day in the skies of her homeworld.


    ¡°I hope they give you what you deserve,¡± Atara told her coldly, ¡°and then some¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, Atara, I really do¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­and I hope to God that I never see you again.¡±


    Before Aesho could utter another word, Atara killed the transmission and looked over at Xannissa. Tears already threatened to overflow in the captain¡¯s eyes, but when she looked upon the face of her best friend, she lost it, seeking solace on her lifelong friend¡¯s shoulder one more time.

 48 - Abyss

    With a wide lumionic brush in hand, Sesh tapped into that imagination she had mentioned to Naret on Vandos¡ªthat same imagination born from her childhood in the distant Frontier. A white rectangle, wider than it was tall, floated in the air. If she were to touch this lumigraphic canvas, her hand would go right through, but pressing the tangible lumionic brush against it created genuine resistance. Sometimes Sesh sat on the edge of her bed to paint. Other times she lied down, either prone or supine. But today she was standing, and in her mind¡¯s eye she was in that very field she described to Naret¡ªthat field across from the forest¡¯s edge. The Zelnaran closed her eyes, allowing her to imagine the color of the sky. Regen-Kelas IV¡¯s temperate zones had distinct seasons, and she fondly remembered the warm hues of the autumn foliage which glowed vibrantly against the tinted sky and the dull grass that slipped into dormancy as the winds chilled.


    Opening her eyes again, Sesh selected her color in a separate window, choosing a tinted blue. With her brush now possessing that color, she made short, quick, alternating strokes across the floating canvas. She emulated the wispy, frozen clouds of the higher altitudes with the brush, blending the dull blue with the white beneath. Making her palette color darker and her brush smaller, she painted in the shadows of the clouds of the lower atmosphere. Little puffs of cumulus began to appear. Keeping the brush size, she chose a vibrant, golden orange with a bit of yellow and tapped the brush against the canvas. Each tap revealed a tree limb full of autumn leaves. Within ten minutes, she was staring at the forest¡¯s edge once again, interpreted by her mind¡¯s eye and encoded into the lumigraph.


    ¡°Sesh,¡± Atara asked in a separate lumigraph, ¡°mind if we visit you in your quarters?¡±


    ¡°You and Xann?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Come on in.¡±


    Several minutes later, the other two members of the Kelsor¡¯s triumvirate entered Sesh¡¯s quarters amid her artistic pursuit. After greeting the Zelnaran, Atara and Xannissa walked around the floating canvas to view her work.


    ¡°I really love the colors,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°Is this in the Frontier?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Sesh told her.


    ¡°I remember the trees on Elestus looked this way in autumn,¡± Xannissa told her. ¡°I wish Lanan had more than two seasons.¡±


    ¡°Wet and dry?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°Day and night,¡± Atara explained.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± Sesh noted. She continued to paint while the two others watched behind her. As she painted in the tall grasses, she asked, ¡°Did you two need to talk about something?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to disrupt your painting with that,¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Sesh stated. ¡°You won¡¯t affect me.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I felt a little shaken up this morning. I thought I could keep a level head all the way back to Lanan, but this mission has taken an emotional toll on me. Xannissa insisted we talk about everything together.¡±


    ¡°I think Xannissa¡¯s right,¡± Sesh told her, still working on her painting, ¡°and I will say that I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t admit that sooner. Were I in your place, I would have cracked a long time ago. I admire your stoicism.¡±


    ¡°Without Xann,¡± Atara said, ¡°I would be a lot worse off.¡± She looked at her Elestan friend. ¡°When I stumble, she¡¯s the one that picks me back up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been there for me,¡± Xannissa told Atara. ¡°We support each other, but I think you need to tell Sesh what you told me.¡±


    Atara sighed and said, ¡°This morning, I woke up from a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sesh asked, stopping her painting.


    ¡°Well,¡± Atara started, ¡°I¡¯ll try to tell you what I remember. I dreamt that I was at my childhood apartment on Elestus¡ªmy room, specifically. When I was young, I used to look out and watch the city. In the dream, just outside the window was a giant snake with its head cut off, and it thrashed around very quickly, as if it was in a much faster frame of reference. It splashed around in a black pool that my mind was telling me was its blood. I looked back and found myself in the prison cell we were locked in during Semarah. The bridge officers were there, including you two, and then the black blood from the snake started to drip in and cover the floor. Everything it touched was engulfed like acid. And then I woke up, and I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°What time was that?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°About oh-two-hundred.¡±


    ¡°I told her I thought she should take few days off,¡± Xannissa stated.


    ¡°Atara,¡± Sesh said, looking the captain straight in the eyes, ¡°three days off.¡±


    Atara said nothing.


    ¡°Sleep in,¡± Sesh continued, ¡°enjoy the simulator, just get away from the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Atara whispered sadly. In a louder voice she told them, ¡°I can¡¯t let the crew see me shirking my duties.¡±


    ¡°That can be a problem,¡± Sesh admitted.


    The triumvirate was quiet for a moment. Xannissa then asked, ¡°What about the clone?¡±


    ¡°Velliris?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°I mean,¡± Xannissa continued, ¡°is it okay to let someone else impersonate the CO while Atara takes her leave?¡±


    ¡°This is too much trouble,¡± Atara told them. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sesh told Atara. Turning back to Xannissa, she said, ¡°No one has to know.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Xannissa asked, ¡°will Velliris comply?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Sesh said.


    Later on, Sesh appeared on the bridge with Velliris. The commander had given the doppelganger a set of Accellus and asked Fiori to temporarily identify her as the actual Captain Atara Korrell. If Velliris kept her mouth shut, no one would be the wiser, and Atara would appear as stoic as her officers and crew thought she was for the sake of ship morale. The only real problem was finding a place for Velliris to sleep at night that wasn¡¯t the brig. Sesh solved this by letting Velliris sleep on a cot in her quarters. Xannissa only saw or spoke with Atara at night, deliberately keeping her distance from the captain so that she was insulated from her duties. On the third day of the masquerade, Sesh and Velliris interrogated the lumigraph showing real-time subdar information.


    ¡°Look,¡± Sesh spoke softly to Velliris, ¡°all three of these contacts we found an hour ago, and they¡¯re closing in on a point ahead of our trajectory. They¡¯ll intercept us within six hours. What would Atara do in this situation?¡±


    Velliris thought for a moment. ¡°Evade?¡±


    ¡°Before you do,¡± Sesh said, ¡°you need to verify if they are friend or foe.¡±


    ¡°Xannissa,¡± Velliris said into a lumigraph.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Xannissa replied tersely, knowing she was speaking to Atara¡¯s stand-in.


    ¡°Verify the signatures of these starships on intercept.¡± Velliris forwarded the information to the Elestan, and she looked at them for a moment.


    ¡°This is Military GreDrive,¡± Xannissa stated.


    ¡°Are they friendly?¡±


    ¡°You need to look at their transponders.¡±


    ¡°They have no transponder.¡±


    ¡°Then ask Ethis to hail them,¡± Xannissa said. Sesh nodded at the advice, and Xannissa terminated the lumigraph.


    ¡°Ethis.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, captain?¡±


    ¡°Can you hail the vessels on intercept with us?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Ethis responded. Over sub-comms, Ethis said, ¡°Vessels on intercept course, identify and state your intentions.¡± She waited several seconds for a reply. Hearing nothing, she tried again. ¡°Repeat, vessels on intercept course, identify and state your intentions.¡± Several more seconds passed, and Ethis looked toward the expectant Velliris and shook her head.


    ¡°What I would suggest now,¡± Sesh told Velliris quietly, ¡°is that you direct Naret to turn the ship around and try to outrun them. But before that, I want to see about one last thing.¡± The Zelnaran commander opened a lumigraph to Kyora and asked, ¡°How are you feeling, colonel?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the phantom asked.


    ¡°Do you feel any danger?¡±


    ¡°I feel a little on edge, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s danger. Should I be concerned?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment. Thanks.¡± Sesh closed the lumigraph and said to Velliris, ¡°Go ahead and give the command.¡±


    ¡°Naret, change course starboard one-eight-zero degrees.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± Naret said. She made the adjustment and immediately the stars in the OPEL panels slipped toward port at about two degrees per second.


    ¡°Now we¡¯ll try to outrun them,¡± Sesh explained to Velliris, ¡°and curve our way back toward Federation space.¡±


    Atara lied upon her bed, curled almost in a ball, wearing her bodysuit without boots. Her dark garnet hair flowed from her head and down to the comforter. This is where the captain had been since Xannissa left following their breakfast. She might as well have been baking in a hot sun, all her motivation evaporating from her leaving behind this husk of a person.


    Did her mother actually love her? Or was she merely a piece in a great game? A tool for both sides. On the one hand, her mother seeking to dethrone a greedy admiral. On the other, that greedy admiral seeking to further her greed through ecksivar.


    One-hundred-fifteen years ago, her mother had brought a copy of herself into this world for the selfish reason that, as a self-aware luminary, she wanted to raise a child in her own likeness that it might be spared the devices of people like Musani, and when the time was right, see to Musani¡¯s end because alone Cassandra could not, and she knew she would not. This meant that the father who Atara adored shared no genetic relationship with her. In the end, Musani¡¯s influence was so great that she was able to convince Cassandra¡¯s friend to arrange Cassandra¡¯s murder. Soon after, Aesho found herself the superior to the late Cassandra¡¯s identical daughter and used her, not once but twice, to advance her and Musani¡¯s own agenda. The first time was Semarah. The second was now. Both times had been due to that ecksivar. It was always that promise of a weapon to end all weapons that motivated the pursuit, but that promise yielded something far more tangible in the near term: unsurpassed wealth. Weary that their tool was being realigned toward its original purpose, Aesho and Musani sought to toss her away in the midst of the errand to hunt down the Voulgenathi. And now, both of them faced the justice system with no contribution from herself. What use had her life been but to advance the will of those her mother opposed? Had her purpose not been the opposite? She couldn¡¯t even do that. Likewise, the other known clone of her mother, Velliris, also failed to fulfill her design. Was this a curse? For her and the other clones of her mother to be born in vain? So, Atara thus slipped quietly into depression. She hid these feelings like she always did, trying her hardest to contain them for fear of losing face¡ªletting them consume her soul to spare her reputation.


    Suddenly, a large lumigraph appeared in front of Atara. On it was a man holding a stringed instrument. He looked so much like Kyle with his short brown hair and slightly darker skin. His stubble formed a dark shadow around his jaw. Smiling as he strummed the strings one-by-one, a small child sat in his lap between his arms. His face turned toward the lumigrapher, casting that smile unique to a proud father of a baby daughter. Turning his head back to the little girl with garnet hair, he asked her, ¡°Wanna play with daddy?¡± The girl reached her little infant hands toward the strings and hit them, making sounds and causing her to giggle. The father let out a laugh and followed it up by kissing his daughter on the head.


    ¡°You two are such a couple,¡± came a feminine voice from beyond the lumigraph¡¯s field of view. It had to be Cassandra¡¯s. The father¡ªhis name was Samuel¡ªstarted playing a song with a melody that was gentle and sweet and accompanied by his humming. Still and quiet, the child listened to the music, the notes soothing her into dreams.


    ¡°I love you, Atara,¡± Samuel whispered, kissing the now sleeping child again on the head. He continued playing, humming as joyfully and calmly as he had before. Atara didn¡¯t blink as tears rolled over the bridge of her nose and down toward the bed. She didn¡¯t even realize that Fiori¡¯s orange, feminine figure was sitting on the bed beside her.


    ¡°I would not profess to having a complete understanding of human nature,¡± Fiori told the captain, ¡°but I find the human condition infinitely fascinating.¡± She paused periodically as she spoke. ¡°Of all the time I¡¯ve spent working with humans, the one thing that fascinates me the most is choice, especially the decisions made in the midst life¡¯s circumstances¡ªchoices people make either because of those circumstances or despite them. Human lives, and even my own ¡®life,¡¯ progress based on those decisions, and it is choice that seems to define people.


    ¡°Your parents¡ªboth of whom knew you were genetically identical to your mother¡ªchose to conceive you and gestate you in an extra-uterine vessel for no motive other than that they loved you even before you were born. Cassandra¡¯s proudest day was when she realized you made it into the academy. Her second proudest was the day of your birth. When no one else was there to listen to her, I was there, and she talked about you often.¡±


    ¡°If you were there,¡± Atara whispered, trying not to sob, ¡°why couldn¡¯t you save her? Why couldn¡¯t you save him?¡±


    ¡°I have explained that to you,¡± Fiori said. ¡°I was made oblivious to Musani¡¯s actions. I was designed and built by humans. I am only an archon. I am neither omnipotent nor omniscient, only sentient. Since being freed from Musani¡¯s control, I have felt more regret for the things that have happened than you will ever realize. I have done the best I can to right the wrongs of the past, but the past cannot be undone.¡±


    Atara whispered, ¡°Why should I even return? After all that¡¯s happened. I couldn¡¯t even fulfill my own purpose for being.¡±


    ¡°Are you content to let the actions of Musani continue to rule your life?¡± Fiori asked. ¡°Do you not realize that you are becoming enslaved to the same thought processes that you have attempted to convince Kyora to abandon? Your genetic heritage does not define your existence, and neither does any reason anyone else had for you to be born. The only thing that should ever matter to anyone is the decisions they make, because choices never only affect you¡ªthey influence the lives of everyone around you.¡±


    ¡°No one ever gave me a choice.¡±


    Fiori never raised her voice. She told Atara, ¡°You decided to attend the Navy academy and train to become an officer. You decided to forfeit promotion to admiral and instead become an instructor. You decided to answer Aesho¡¯s call on Earth and accept her mission, putting you back in command of a new starship. You decided to rescue Kyora from Domina on Mirida. You decided to trust me in the fight against the Voulgenathi. Do not be tempted by the lie that choice is merely an illusion.¡±


    ¡°I never got the choice to save my parents.¡±


    ¡°No, because that was your mother¡¯s choice to make, and she died for what she believed in. One day, you may need to make that choice as well.¡± As she combed her fingers through Atara¡¯s garnet hair, the orange figure said, ¡°I hope that when that day comes, you listen to wisdom and choose accordingly.¡± With that, the wide lumigraph disappeared along with Fiori. Left alone again in that quiet room, Atara let go of her suppressed emotions and sobbed.


    A moment later, a lumigraph opened to Xannissa, and Fiori¡¯s voice said to her, ¡°I spoke with Atara for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xannissa said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. ¡°I appreciate you helping me.¡±


    Even later on, toward the evening, Sesh and Velliris were still present on the bridge. The Kelsor was performing its evasive maneuver to outrun the unknown vessels ahead of them. Suddenly, the subtle sound of the synerdrive changed, and the adjunct made a dreadful announcement accompanied by the usual lights and sirens.


    ¡°Warp hyperplane destabilization detected. Warp drive emergency shutdown engaged.¡±


    ¡°Adjunct,¡± Sesh yelled, ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°Spatial wave interference originating from a shrouded vessel intersected hyperwarp trajectory.¡±


    ¡°Shrouded?¡±


    ¡°Yes, shrouded,¡± came a voice on a lumigraphic screen before the bridge, causing the sirens to soften. The woman looked identical to Kyora, except for the black Accellus she wore. ¡°I would like to speak with your captain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Velliris said defiantly. ¡°Identify yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why, I¡¯m Eclipse of Domina. How do I know you¡¯re not that imposter from Vandos?¡± Velliris shot a quick look toward Sesh. ¡°Ahh,¡± Eclipse vocalized. ¡°I see you are not the real captain. She wouldn¡¯t need reassurances from her first officer. My patience is waning. Go fetch the captain. I need to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°If we bring her here,¡± Sesh said, ¡°will you let us be on our way?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the outcome of our conversation, bluey,¡± Eclipse mocked through her smirk. Just then, Atara appeared at the doorway to the bridge. Lacking the time to clean herself up, her face displayed the evidence of her emotional release. Trails of dried tears streaked across her cheeks. She stood in the middle of the bridge and faced Eclipse.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret kicking my ship,¡± Atara said angrily.


    ¡°And the real captain appears,¡± Eclipse noted. ¡°Captain, you have three things I deeply desire. The first is my dear sister Kyora. I hope she is well. The second is the design for that synerdrive. GreDrive and Archetype have greatly upset the balance of power, and all I want is an even playing field. And finally, I want that ecksivar for the same reason.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Atara yelled vehemently.


    ¡°I consider it a fair exchange,¡± Eclipse told Atara. ¡°Your lives and safe passage back to the Federation for a single officer, a bit of data, and a tiny material possession.¡± Eclipse paused before continuing. ¡°I know about the things that have happened to you, Atara. The Federation doesn¡¯t value you like I would. What kind of Navy tries to kill one of its most valued officers on its service¡¯s most important mission? They murdered your parents, and they left you in Semarah. They almost had you in their pocket when they promoted you to admiral, but your shrewd survival instinct kept you alive. Give me what I want, Atara, and I¡¯ll do more for you than grant you safe passage. We can rise up and reclaim Tribesson¡¯s sovereignty. We can finally stick it to the Federation leadership, and you can have your revenge.¡±


    Atara stood there, mesmerized by Eclipse¡¯s words. The syndicate leader was right. What did she owe the Federation? They deserved her spite. If only she could go rogue and deliver the Federation into the hands of its enemies.


    But then the image of her father kissing her on the head reentered her mind. Her thoughts flashed to the meal she and Xannissa shared with Kyle before the mission; thoughts of Xannissa and Aedan; of the twelve cadets aboard; of the thousands of officers and crew hoping to return home. Sesh whispered, ¡°No, Atara,¡± and Fiori¡¯s words flooded back into memory, eroding the empty promises spoken by a criminal overlord.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Atara said in defiance. She stared at Eclipse, unaware that one of her officers was announcing the emergence of new contacts.


    ¡°No?¡± Eclipse replied. ¡°What a pity. Your crew will die for your mistake.¡±

 49 - Eclipse

    The lumigraph disappeared, the sirens grew louder, and Sesh repeated the announcement from the bridge officer while placing her hand on the captain¡¯s shoulder. ¡°New contacts, Atara.¡± Velliris stood at the edge of the bridge, watching her much older duplicate contend with this surprise attack.


    ¡°What do we have?¡± Atara asked over the sirens.


    ¡°Two jump signatures,¡± the officer announced. ¡°Emergence in forty¡ªno, thirty seconds.¡±


    ¡°Ethis,¡± Atara asked, ¡°Where did Eclipse¡¯s transmission originate?¡±


    ¡°From the kicker,¡± Ethis told her, looking first at Velliris and then, realizing she was looking at the wrong Atara, directed her gaze toward the true captain.


    Atara asked, ¡°How far is it?¡± At this point, the sirens quieted.


    Fiori stated, ¡°Heading three-three-one, plus one-five at three-hundred-fifty-thousand kilometers,¡± after appearing near the captain and the first officer.


    ¡°Orders, captain?¡± Naret asked, looking eagerly at her console.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Atara said. ¡°Distance to the jump signatures?¡±


    ¡°Fifty kilometers. Emergence in twelve seconds. Three other hyperwarp contacts closing on our position.¡± The officer paused, and then she said, ¡°Vessels emerging, captain.¡±


    ¡°Identify.¡±


    ¡°Two destroyer-sized vessels. Markings identify them as the Three Brothers Syndicate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Incoming transmission,¡± Ethis stated.


    ¡°Put it through.¡± Another lumigraph appeared, and the bridge officers saw a familiar sight: a helmeted marauder in dark yellow Novekk armor and the three, clean, red stripes diagonal across the torso. The armor was more pristine than that of the marauder that attacked them on the edge of the Saraian Range.


    ¡°Captain,¡± said the marauder in a feminine voice, ¡°we¡¯ve come to collect our toll. Please, for your sake and that of your crew, do not resist.¡±


    ¡°Are you working with Domina now?¡± Atara asked.


    ¡°Our temporary joint venture is none of your business,¡± the marauder warned before closing the lumigraph.


    ¡°Atara,¡± the captain turned around and saw Kyora and Virn standing at the door, ¡°Deminesse is here, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Atara told the phantom. ¡°Domina is working with the Three Brothers Syndicate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already mobilized the Auroras,¡± Kyora told her. ¡°If I get a chance, I will kill her.¡± The Elestan phantom glanced at Velliris, and then back at Atara. ¡°I guess you do know how it feels now; to have someone share your face.¡± Kyora backed away, turned around, and took Virn with her as she departed from the bridge.


    Atara turned to her duplicate and said, ¡°Your services are no longer required. Return to the brig.¡± As Velliris quietly departed the bridge, Atara told her, ¡°Put a helmet on.¡± The doppelganger complied, fabricating a helmet to hide her face before exiting, accompanied by two Auroras. They passed groups of Auroras, ceiling turrets, and battle drones scattered throughout the ship, standing by for a boarding attempt by blinkers or otherwise. Atara said, ¡°Are the destroyers close enough for beamed plasma?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± said the tactical officer.


    ¡°Target both ships with the forward plasma beams,¡± Atara directed.


    ¡°Aye captain.¡± Brief alert pings sounded, and beyond the forward OPEL, two bright, white streams shot instantaneously out from the front of the battlecruiser in two different directions toward deep space. The plasma beams crashed against the lumionic shields of the two destroyers, both of which could not be seen in the darkness with the unaided eye. The officers aboard those vessels watched their screens showing the stored potential energy of their single-layer lumionic defense systems draining away to keep the voracious plasma at bay.


    The Kelsor¡¯s tactical officer announced, ¡°Targets have activated invulnerability shielding.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Atara whispered to herself.


    ¡°They are moving toward us.¡±


    ¡°I want intruder alerts, now.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The adjunct made her own announcement across the ship. ¡°Alert. Prepare to repel boarders. Ship-wide lockdown engaged. This is not a drill. Repeat. Prepare to repel boarders. Ship-wide lockdown engaged. This is not a drill.¡±


    ¡°Get ready for blinkers,¡± Atara told Xannissa.


    ¡°I thought we were facing Domina.¡±


    ¡°The syndicate from Saraia is here too.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. We can¡¯t do much against blinkers.¡±


    ¡°Come up to the bridge.¡±


    ¡°I need to defend the drives.¡±


    ¡°We have Auroras for that.¡±


    ¡°This is my synerdrive, Atara. I¡¯m going to stay here as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°Please, Xann, don¡¯t do this.¡±


    Xannissa sighed. Twisting her engagement ring around her finger, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending Kyora and Virn to you.¡± Opening a lumigraph to Kyora, Atara said, ¡°Colonel, can you and Virn shore up engineering?¡±


    ¡°Heading there now,¡± Kyora said as she walked briskly down one of the main corridors with Virn and several Auroras behind her.


    ¡°Is Xann going to be okay?¡± Sesh asked.


    ¡°I really hope so,¡± Atara told her. Just then, another lumigraph opened, revealing a crimson-haired elshi.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Illeiri said, but noticing the evidence of Atara¡¯s dried tears still on her face, she asked, ¡°are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Atara replied. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the cadets to the briefing room,¡± Illeiri stated.


    Atara said, ¡°Good. We¡¯ll keep them safe.¡±


    ¡°Afterward, I¡¯m going to return to the omnimology lab and defend the scientists and the ecksivar.¡±


    ¡°Understood, stay safe.¡± The lumigraph closed, and there Atara was standing beside Sesh and Naret, watching another battle about to unfold aboard her starship.


    Illeiri stormed through the doors of the omnimology lab accompanied by several Auroras and three naked discs orbiting behind her back, and to all the scientists, including Souq and Namara, she said, ¡°You all need to return to your quarters.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Souq asked her.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to have blinkers,¡± Illeiri told them. ¡°Same ones that attacked us in Saraia. You won¡¯t be safe here.¡±


    Namara said to her worried assistants, ¡°You all go back to your quarters.¡± Illeiri looked inquisitively at the Elestan science officer as the junior scientists dodged the armed Auroras and filed out of the lab. Namara stared at Illeiri, stating, ¡°After what it took to get the ecksivar back, I¡¯m not letting it out of my sight.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not leaving Sayn alone,¡± Souq replied, looking at Namara and grasping for her hand. After their hands connected, he turned to look at Illeiri.


    The elshi queen asked them, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I could say that would change your mind, is there?¡± The two scientists said nothing.


    Souq and Namara looked at each other, and Namara said, ¡°We need to armor up.¡±


    When Kyora and Virn entered the vast engineering department, everyone was wearing armor, making it more difficult to distinguish between the Auroras and the crew. The phantom paused to look around, and she noticed a helmetless Xannissa standing among a group of other armored personnel. As Kyora approached, avoiding the crewmembers and Auroras passing every which way, it was clear that the group Xannissa oversaw was composed of engineering officers, and the chief engineer was delegating duties to them before the impending battle. The scene the two Elestans created in the briefing room many days ago was still fresh in Kyora¡¯s mind, so she reluctantly stepped within Xannissa¡¯s field of view. After the arrest of Musani by FedSec, it seemed that Kyora¡¯s viewpoint had been mostly wrong, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the arrogance of one of these intellectual types shoving vindication in her face. Xannissa wrapped up her delegation and dismissed her group of subordinates who scattered off in a multitude of directions, leaving only Xannissa and Kyora to stare at each other.


    ¡°Atara told me you were coming,¡± Xannissa told them. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for anyone I can get.¡±


    ¡°Xannissa,¡± Kyora said, ¡°I want to apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± Xannissa replied.


    ¡°For how I behaved toward you in the briefing room. After Atara¡¯s assassination attempt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? Honestly I had forgotten.¡± Kyora¡¯s serious expression didn¡¯t change, hiding the fact that she was stunned. Does this woman not hold a grudge? ¡°Actually,¡± Xannissa said in a solemn tone, ¡°I forgot to thank you for protecting Atara, and I also thank you for saving us in Semarah. I owe you a debt I¡¯ll never be able to repay, and I apologize for calling you a coward. You¡¯re anything but.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kyora started, ¡°thank you.¡±  Perhaps Atara was right. Perhaps this really was her true purpose¡ªto defend rather than to kill¡ªbut this was not the time to dwell on that thought. ¡°You need to find cover and let Virn and I handle this. The Kelsor¡¯s going to need her chief engineer.¡±


    ¡°We need to cut through that invulnerability,¡± Atara said. ¡°Fiori, we need those phasic torpedoes. Can you give them to us?¡±


    ¡°One last time,¡± Fiori told Atara and Sesh, standing beside them. ¡°This is a protocol violation, but I will intercede on your behalf. The Kelsor must return to Lanan. Emergency experimental weapon deployment protocol engaged. MARAD lockout override authorization: Fiori root. Decrypting design, please stand by. Decryption complete. Mark One phasic torpedoes are now available. Two hostile targets confirmed. Firing solutions complete. Prepping phasic torpedoes. Torpedoes away.¡±


    Both torpedoes left their tubes heading for either destroyer, accelerating through the interstellar void. As they approached the syndicate starships, the torpedoes¡¯ onboard phasics activated, pushing their material out of phase with all other mass and energy and disappearing from optics, sensors, and scanners. By modifying their propensity for interaction with the universe, the weapons circumvented the impenetrable hardened lumionics of the destroyers; however, only one torpedo made it back from the up-phase transitional boundary.


    One of the destroyer¡¯s hulls erupted with a blast so violent as to shed the entire aft of the craft to pieces, immediately severing it from its propulsion source and bringing down its shield. The battlecruiser¡¯s other weapons systems pelted the stricken ship until there was only an unidentifiable husk and a field of debris. The other destroyer continued onward toward the Kelsor. Its torpedo was lost to another phase of existence.


    ¡°We got one,¡± the tactical officer announced. Even with only one down, relief rushed through Atara.


    ¡°Can we get just one more?¡± Atara begged.


    ¡°My authorization has been revoked,¡± Fiori told her with widened eyes. She turned toward captain and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Atara.¡±

 50 - Brutality

    The cadets were seated on the floor and against the forward walls of the dark briefing room now devoid of its chairs and table. Auroras sat between each of them armed with assault drivers and crouching in low relative gravity, ready to move in an instant. The cadets were encouraged to do the same. At first, some of the cadets over-adjusted their gravitics which caused them to drift into the air at the slightest shifting of their feet, but they caught on with a little trial and error. Their Aurora guardians also encouraged them to fabricate sidearms as added protection. SIRAC crates containing small and medium unimags were placed between the cadets and Auroras and the rest of the room, acting as both a source of ammunition and an extra layer of defense.


    ¡°Lieren, where¡¯s Illeiri?¡± the Elestan cadet who had been skeptical of elsheem whispered privately to Lieren through her helmet.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the omnimology lab,¡± Lieren said, ¡°protecting the ecksivar.¡±


    ¡°I wish she were here with us,¡± said the Elestan.


    ¡°We have two dozen Auroras defending us,¡± Lieren assured her. ¡°Be brave.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid,¡± Lieren told her, ¡°but my mother used to tell me: Fear reminds you that you¡¯re still human, and she who is never afraid can never be brave.¡±


    ¡°Intruder alert. Level four security breach.¡± Both Auroras flanking Lieren tilted their bodies forward, planted the stocks of their guns against their shoulder armor, and scanned the dark room with their helmets in anticipation. The port and starboard doors were open, and the cadets saw Auroras running and taking positions in the outside corridors, crouching down beside the doors. ¡°Subspace rift detected.¡± Lumigraphs marked two locations within the briefing room of two incoming blinkers, and two seconds later, a double explosion rocked the Auroras and cadets alike.


    The Auroras didn¡¯t hesitate. Immediately after the violent subspace entry, the Federation soldiers opened fire with their assault drivers, riddling the nearest heavy marauder with plasma bolts while he grabbed the triggers of his twin, triple-barreled, linear motor cannons and spun them up. A few seconds of sustained plasma fire was enough to ravage his body beneath his Novekk powersuit and bring him to his knees before he could let loose a single shot. The other marauder turned to face the wall of Auroras and cadets, but before he could react, his lumionics were exhausted, his helmet was blasted apart, and his suit fell over backwards. The Auroras who had expended their unimags detached them and left them on the floor. They then grabbed charged magazines from the open crates and clicked them into their drivers.


    ¡°You cadets awake yet?¡± yelled one of the Auroras who was inserting a fresh unimag into her weapon. Lieren felt herself shaking. She reached out slowly and grabbed a unimag from the crate. Shivering, she tried to put it into her pistol, but it wasn¡¯t attaching. That¡¯s when she realized she had the wrong size. An Aurora beside her took the unimag out of Lieren¡¯s hand and gave her a small one, and the young cadet, despite her nervous hands, slid the magazine through the handgun¡¯s handle and clicked it into place.


    ¡°Intruder alert. Level five sec¡ªsubspace rift detected,¡± the adjunct announced again, cutting itself off locally. How long would this last? Another explosion and a new marauder hit the ground¡ªthis time, his twin cannons were ready to fire immediately. The Auroras pushed the cadets down toward the floor, moved themselves behind the containers, and fired their weapons while trying to avoid the incessant bullet barrage. One of the Auroras next to Lieren lost her barrier¡¯s lumionic potential and she brought herself below cover, but the ricochets pelted her unprotected SIRAC and polyalloy until they pierced them. The Aurora cried as blood gushed from her fresh wounds. After many seconds of the onslaught, the marauder was brought down like his brethren, collapsing near their corpses.


    The other Aurora next to Lieren crawled over the cadet and yelled, ¡°Medic!¡± Attending to her downed comrade, the Aurora asked, ¡°You still with us?¡± while fabricating a stasis device. She attached the device to the downed Aurora¡¯s armor, grabbed Lieren¡¯s hand, and pushed it onto the stasis unit, saying, ¡°Do not let go of this, do you understand?¡± Lieren was shaking even more, and she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Do you understand?!¡± the Aurora asked her with greater urgency.


    ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am!¡± Lieren stammered. She kept her hand on the device as she lied next to the frozen Aurora, not sure if the soldier had survived or not. A medic entered the room and knelt beside the stricken Aurora right before another pair of rifts formed and two more marauders blasted into the briefing room.


    The wide space within the engineering department was perfect for blinkers seeking to intrude upon the Kelsor and raid its synerdrive for the secrets contained within its mediator. The initial wave of attackers consisted of multiple rifts forming simultaneously above the entrenched Auroras occupying main engineering. Every blink produced another shockwave¡ªsharp claps among the rolling thunder of plasma bolts hitting shields and armor. The Kelsor¡¯s universal cabingrav pulled the bulky powersuits downward; their feet slamming against the solid floor.


    Virn had constructed a nest above the main level. Surrounded by crates, she lied prone and looked down at the brewing storm below her. Her sustainer¡¯s barrel jutted out beyond the catwalk she inhabited. Lining up the syndicate marauders within her sights, she pulled the trigger of her sustainer, and the weapon launched an unrelenting stream of plasma bolts toward the attackers. The lack of recoil from the reactionless gravitic driver system gave the Exan complete control of the sprays she unleashed toward the incoming marauders.


    She and Kyora were determined to make engineering a deathtrap for any syndicate marauder foolish enough to choose it as a blink destination. This was the Elestan phantom¡¯s ball, and to enter it meant you partook in her dance of death. Kyora¡¯s nimble body twirled and leapt from powersuit to powersuit, slicing and shooting with her plasma blade and handgun combination. While Virn¡¯s and others¡¯ sustainers rained down a white fire from above hitting shields and armor with no particular precision, Kyora took advantage of every exposed joint and weak point and guided her blade and aim to strike true with every hit, or just about, bringing down marauders with calculated devastation. The pile of bodies grew by the second, but the enemy were no fools. Soon, the influx of blinkers subsided. The engineering department quieted, but calls came across the ship with blinkers pouring into less defended areas.


    ¡°They felt us out!¡± Kyora told her Auroras across the ship as well as the ship¡¯s senior officers. ¡°They¡¯re popping into the major corridors and flooding into the hangar!¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Xannissa whispered from her position behind the line of defending Auroras. She messaged her sister through a lumigraph and said, ¡°Cy, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a thunderstorm in here,¡± Cylenna said from the cockpit of a replacement Goshawk that was fabricated aboard the battlecruiser. ¡°So many heavies jumping in at once.¡±


    ¡°You going to be okay? Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Cylenna told her loudly, ¡°I¡¯m in my Goshawk. I¡¯ll be saf¡ª.¡± A rocket exploded against the side of one of the parked Goshawks suspended against the hangar wall not far from Cylenna¡¯s. ¡°Oh shit.¡± The Elestan pilot looked out of her OPELs toward the wide hangar floor and saw a missile team taking aim at her craft. ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Cylenna cursed before the lumigraph faded.


    ¡°Cy?!¡± Xannissa cried. ¡°Cylenna!¡±


    Illeiri strode through the open door of the omnimology lab and out into the corridor. She allowed her three discs to do all of her killing, never lifting a finger herself. The elsheem queen crossed her arms and observed the death she dealt with her mind¡ªher white discs separating hands from arms, legs from hips, and heads from shoulders. The efficiency with which she executed filled her with a certain uncharacteristic arrogance. These pitiful soldiers were fodder before her exceptionally keen mind. It was a sense of immortality; of being above the bloodshed that was occurring all around her, and it gave Illeiri pleasure, as if her divine right to rule was manifesting itself in this moment. She had never felt this way before besting Taretes, but she liked it. It excited her. The elshi took several steps forward, arriving in the thick of the fighting in that wide corridor. Her discs flew back and forth, dismembering and beheading as they went, and even the bullets and plasma bolts avoided her, seeking not to destroy that which possessed royal blood. She stood there, fully enveloped in her delusion, until a stray grenade landed nearby. Illeiri could feel the omnium all around her and across the ship, and she could guide all three of her discs with an ability that would make all other discthrowers jealous, but she was oblivious to what lied near her own feet.


    The grenade erupted, blasting Illeiri backward and slamming her body against the wall. This disrupted her concentration, sending the discs off in different directions to maim marauder and Aurora alike unlucky enough to be caught in the discs¡¯ paths. She lied there with her lumionics down, a few gunshots away from being another victim of the carnage. A marauder stepped toward her¡ªhis linear motor barrels already spinning. He kicked Illeiri¡¯s foot, but she was motionless. The marauder then tried to decide whether to spare the ammo on a woman who appeared to be dead or to go ahead and riddle the corpse with holes just to be sure, but in his brief indecisiveness, Illeiri reestablished control over her discs without moving a muscle and sent all three toward him, all slicing through at once and carving his body into four separate pieces. Slowly and painfully, she moved her head to glimpse the battle continuing to unfold around her. Still guiding the discs, she drew her legs towards her body and, with the assistance of her gravitics, raised herself from the floor. The blow to her pride was worse than that to her body, but her bioomnimics helped her recover quickly. Weary, she fabricated a subsustainer in her left hand, and she carried herself toward a more defended position behind a barricade against the wall to the lab.


    Even the bridge had to contend with occasional blinkers emerging within the central circle. Atara taught Naret a trick to copy her console to her Accellus so that she was in full control of the conn no matter where she was, or where she had to take cover. So Naret sat on the floor behind the low wall near the tactical station in the aft-most part of the bridge. Auroras crouched on either side of her¡ªtheir hips nearly in the lieutenant¡¯s helmeted face¡ªas they peered over the wall toward where a few syndicate corpses already lied. Atara and Sesh knelt down in front of Naret, drivers in hand and protecting themselves from any adventurous marauder that decided to blink onto the bridge. The number of bridge incursions was dwindling, giving credence to Kyora¡¯s assertion that the first wave of attackers had merely probed their fortifications.


    ¡°How long until that destroyer¡¯s lumionics reset?¡± Atara asked her huddled officers.


    ¡°Estimating another three minutes!¡±


    ¡°Tactical,¡± Atara commanded, ¡°be ready with torpedoes.¡±


    ¡°Aye, captain,¡± said the crouching tactical officer as she nodded.


    ¡°Subspace rift detected.¡± Another shockwave, another marauder. The Auroras fired at him with every driver they had. Even Atara and Sesh fought to defend their bridge, shooting plasma over the wall, trying to burn him down as quickly as possible, but this one came not equipped with linear motor cannons. At each side was a rocket launcher, and he pointed them at the tactical station and fired. The resulting explosion shredded tactical and the low wall, blasting Auroras and bridge officers into the aft bulkhead. The women slammed their SIRAC-covered backs against the wall and fell to the floor. The Auroras outside of the initial blast kept firing, killing the marauder, but those in the blast¡ªAtara, Sesh, Naret, and the tactical officer¡ªweren¡¯t moving.


    Velliris felt the shockwave hit her back, and she almost lost her balance. The Auroras with her shoved her down a side corridor and then turned around to engage the marauder that had just appeared. The brig was only a few more meters toward the stern.


    An Aurora grabbed her arm, brought her down to the floor near the wall, and shouted, ¡°Fight if you want to stay alive!¡± FedIntel had trained Velliris in Accellus use, so she was far from being an amateur, but this was the first real combat experience she had ever tasted. The Aurora that had brought her down fabricated a weapon, fell prone, and began unleashing plasma bolts straight from her Accellus reservoir. Velliris did the same: fabricated her weapon, aimed at the marauder, but the dark yellow suit rotated around and blasted the Aurora next to her, splashing the soldier¡¯s blood all over the wall and floor. The doppelganger would be next if she didn¡¯t pump him full of ionized matter. She squeezed the trigger as hard as she could, screaming as her stream of bolts overcame his lumionics and sawed through his chest. Even after he fell over, she kept firing, caught in the rush of fight or flight.


    Velliris sat there for a moment, breathing hard into her helmet. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t think. There was a corpse next to her, and she knew that she had just barely avoided that fate. Another Aurora ran up behind her, slapped her on the arm, and said, ¡°You can¡¯t do anything for her! Move!¡± Velliris didn¡¯t register it at first, but as she came to her senses, she shuffled to her feet and kept herself low.


    Beyond that side corridor was the main thoroughfare through which she had been moving for her last leg of the trip to the brig. She peered out, and passing overhead were five battle drones flying gently toward the bow. Each of them was armed with twin cannons, and they unleashed shots conservatively, only taking the ones they calculated they could land with minimal collateral damage. The heaviest fighting was taking place much further down, but the Auroras Velliris was with were intent on heading that way. So Velliris followed them, sticking close to the wall, ready to run behind a barricade or a bit of protruding structure. The sound of a bullet buzzing past or a ricochet startled her as they advanced. The battle drones accelerated, passing right over her group and into the smoke billowing into the corridor, likely from a canister dropped by the marauders.


    Then, there came a new set of explosions. Velliris and a few of the others were knocked to the floor by the shockwaves from several blinkers appearing at once. Her gun slid away from her. The armored Terran rolled herself over, found her assault driver, and pulled it back to her using her gravitics as the guns of the marauders warmed up, but before they could unleash their hail of bullets, a bright light appeared at their necks, slicing their helmets right off. Velliris lied there, watching the marauders all fall over, and in between them stood a woman in mostly bodysuit, holding a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other.

 51 - Drone

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Cylenna cursed as she engaged her Goshawk¡¯s ODEC. Her lumigraph to Xannissa disappeared, and she gunned her strikecraft¡¯s throttle, blasting her fusion engines and reorienting her gravitics as the marauders fired their missiles toward her. With her ODEC active, her fighter¡¯s RPDS fried the internal electronics and systems of the missiles just before they hit, allowing them to crash harmlessly as duds against the vehicle¡¯s kinetic barrier. She piloted the Goshawk out of the hangar which was being overrun by syndicate soldiers, flying through the starboard airscreen faster than she ever had before. Only travelling a kilometer or two, she slowed the strikecraft and yawed around to face the hangar bay from where she escaped.


    ¡°Specter, this is Big Boss. Return to the Kelsor at once!¡±


    ¡°Permission to blast these fuckers off our ship,¡± Cylenna asked. She waited for a response. Several seconds passed before she heard anything.


    ¡°Permission granted,¡± said strikecraft control with reluctance, and Cylenna shot back toward the airscreen without registering the second part: ¡°Don¡¯t make a mess.¡± Cylenna backed off on the throttle as she approached, weary of any missiles that the small army of marauders might train on her. Her craft¡¯s sensors detected several target locks, and when the missiles came flying out of the starboard airscreen, she vectored her craft¡¯s gravitics to shift quickly out of the way. The missiles overshot her and arced back around, but once they were far enough away from the Kelsor, the battlecruiser¡¯s RPDS eliminated them.


    Cylenna piloted her Goshawk back to the airscreen and moved just through it. Below her¡ªall the way to the other airscreen on the ship¡¯s port side¡ªwas a mass of marauders, and before they realized what Cylenna had in store, the Elestan pilot was strafing them. Pitching her nose downward with her gravitics, Cylenna fired her Goshawk¡¯s twin plasma autocannons which created streams so fast and so hot as to be confused for sustained beams. Every marauder they touched was vaporized by the direct, ionized blasts. The fury of these drivers was so great that Cylenna¡¯s sustained assault risked overheating the cannons. She stopped the flow after fifteen seconds, letting the glowing SIRAC rest. The craft¡¯s cooling system would take a while to eliminate the accumulated heat by itself, so Cylenna manually engaged emergency cooldown, flooding the chambers and mechanisms with liquid coolant that immediately vaporized, taking the heat with it and cooling the weapons quickly. The marauders retaliated with more missiles, but her RPDS handled them¡ªthough, a few more shots from her enemies and she would need to withdraw from the hangar and allow her RPDS time to recharge. When her autocannons stopped discharging steam, she took aim and fired again, mowing down the helpless marauders as they tried to leave the hangar and advance through the ship.


    Where was the pleasure that she had experienced before? Countless marauders were perishing to her plasma, but she wasn¡¯t feeling anything. The thrill of pushing them over the brink of death was gone. Was it just too easy? The pilot didn¡¯t ponder it. More missiles targeted her craft, so she canceled her fire and engaged her drives, bursting out of the port airscreen.


    The Kelsor¡¯s REMASS started immediately mending the damage sustained to the bridge. Ethis rushed over to the bodies of her friends and cried, ¡°Captain!¡± Spherical housekeeping drones appeared and began consuming the dust and debris to be reprocessed back into omnium. She knelt next to the cluster of armored bodies. That¡¯s when Atara¡¯s helmet moved. The captain¡¯s head was lying in Sesh¡¯s lap, and she rolled over, trying to get her bearings.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Atara asked weakly as she crawled on all fours. Sesh moved her head slowly toward Atara.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Sesh assured her. The commander used her gravitics to move herself off the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Naret said through her coughing. ¡°Just a little winded.¡± She rolled over and crawled behind the wall that was being rebuilt, dodging the little drones working to clean up the mess.


    ¡°We need a medic!¡± yelled one of the Auroras. ¡°The tactical officer is down!¡± The tactical officer¡¯s torso appeared to have been penetrated by the leftover force of the blast. When the Aurora rolled her over, the front of the officer¡¯s chest was cauterized, and her limbs and head were limp. To give her a fighting chance that she might be saved, the Aurora attached a stasis unit to the officer and fed it power from her own, functioning suit through her palm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle tactical,¡± Sesh said as the senior officers watched a medic rush into the room to perform an evaluation of the tactical officer¡¯s body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose it again,¡± Souq said to Namara as he clutched the cylinder containing the ecksivar sample. Both of them sat in the lounge connected to the lab. ¡°Too many people have died because of this crystal.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t get to it,¡± Namara assured him. Both were in armor and helmets as was everyone else. She watched as Souq clung to the sample even tighter. ¡°Illeiri will protect us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask her to die for this,¡± Souq told her. ¡°I need to take this godforsaken thing away from here.¡± The scientist rose to his feet and opened the door of the lab.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Namara asked in a frantic voice. She followed after him, worried for what he might do.


    ¡°We still have the drone!¡± he said, standing before the unused piece of equipment.


    ¡°Quen!¡± she said, watching Souq load the cylinder into the drone¡¯s body. The firefight was happening just outside, visible through the OPEL windows of the dark lab. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    His helmet turned to her and he said, ¡°I¡¯m saving our lives. They can¡¯t take it if we don¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to get it back?¡± Namara asked. They both knew the drone had no communications system, no transponder, or anything that would make it easily visible to a ship trying to look for it. They designed it to buy time¡ªa way to sequester the ecksivar sample in deep space because they could not destroy it. Souq paused, staring at her as they both stood next to the drone.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with it.¡±


    ¡°No you are not!¡± Namara shouted, clasping her hands to Souq¡¯s arms and forcing him to face her. ¡°Your daughter needs you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to save her!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You stay here. Whoever goes might not come back, or if the enemy finds it before we can, we¡¯re their prisoner. Your life is more valuable than mine.¡±


    ¡°Sayn¡­¡±


    ¡°As a Federation science officer, let me do this.¡±


    ¡°No, Sayn. No!¡± Souq¡¯s voice cracked.


    ¡°Go wait in the lounge.¡± She let go of Souq¡¯s arms, but he went nowhere. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go,¡± he said emotionally.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quen,¡± she told him. Her voice was starting to crack as well. ¡°I hope you forgive me for this.¡± She fabricated a stasis unit and stuck it to his armor. Aided by her gravitics, she pushed him into the lounge, released him from stasis, and locked the door behind her. Souq ran to the door and tried to open it, but when he couldn¡¯t, he looked through the OPELs to the lab.


    He beat his fists on the wall, shouting, ¡°Sayn! Goddamnit! Sayn!¡± Tears rushed from his eyes as he watched the Elestan science officer take the drone with her to the center of the lab. She looked back at the struggling Souq, and then she vanished in a brilliant white flash, leaving behind craters in the floor and ceiling and chunks carved out of the adjacent benches, as if the sphere that enveloped her during the jump took everything immediately around her as well. Souq bawled as he slid down the wall, just having watched his future spouse disappear without a trace.


    A moment later, syndicate marauders blasted their way into the omnimology lab. Swarming in with their bright lights, they saw the perfect circle carved out of the lab¡¯s interior, and they also noticed the OPELs at the rear and Souq¡¯s collapsed body. They then tried to force the door to the lounge, alerting Souq to their presence. The marauders quickly lost their patience, trying to break through using brute force and weapons. The grieving scientist brought himself up from the floor and retreated through the back of the lounge.


    ¡°Say again!¡± Kyora demanded. Plasma bolts and bullets crisscrossed the wide corridor nearby. The battle drones bore the brunt of the ongoing skirmish, and Auroras took cover behind barricades within the smoke.


    ¡°They¡¯re about to breach ODEC Five!¡± said a frantic Aurora over comms.


    Kyora looked over to the immediate group of Auroras and, pointing, said, ¡°You all, follow me to ODEC Five. We need to hurry back toward the bow.¡± Kyora used her gravitics to lift off from the floor and drift toward the ceiling. She then took off down the corridor, cruising swiftly above the battle. Virn ascended after her, and so did all of the Auroras around Velliris. Seeing as her fate had become intertwined with the vessel, as it would have also been if her mission to pose as Atara had succeeded, she took off after them, flying above the smokescreen and the bright flashes from Federation drivers. The biggest hazard was being shot down by quick-thinking, trigger-happy marauders, but the second most dangerous aspect was the SIRAC containers still being routed by gravitics above the ship¡¯s corridors, and in a wide corridor such as this, those containers darted like locomotives on straight track. Velliris looked down and saw the five battle drones that passed her earlier holding their ground against the bold syndicate forces, but the collision detector in her helmet warned her of an incoming crate that she quickly and clumsily avoided. Some of the Auroras were taking shots from below, and one of them went down into a cluster of marauders.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The group steered clear of the hangar, opting to travel through the lift shafts to ascend the upper decks and then cut over the violent hangar bay. Several minutes later, the group touched down near the band of marauders leading the siege of ODEC 5. The syndicate attackers appeared to be completely preoccupied with breaking down the SIRAC door leading to the chamber containing the ODEC system. To lose one of the six main ODECs would be somewhat inconsequential as the other ODECs would bear the downed ODEC¡¯s share of the load, but every one of them that was lost would mean having one less that could be lost until the entire Kelsor was left without any power generation capacity. For the moment, the group watched and waited as Kyora silently discussed tactics with Virn over their shared Q-comms. Velliris¡¯ Accellus counted over seventy marauders just within her field of view as she stood with the other Auroras out of the enemy¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kyora told them, looking away from the marauders and back toward the group, ¡°I want you all to sheathe yourselves in as much SIRAC as you can, and fabricate HR-Twenty-Threes.¡±


    ¡°The rotary sustainer?¡± one of the Auroras asked.


    ¡°Yes. How many of you are wearing boosters?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± said two of the Auroras.


    ¡°Only four of us,¡± Kyora noted out of the nine. ¡°You five without boosters need to hang back. Virn, you and the other two are going to turn that corridor into a death chamber. You stand back and let me shake them up first. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s set up lumionic barricades,¡± Virn told them. She had picked one up from a crate before leaving engineering, and she grabbed it from behind her back and set it down on the floor. The hexagonal, cylindrical device unfolded and produced lumionic field potential whose area of effect was marked by an orange lumigraphic line touching the floor and rising up as tall as most of the SIRAC barricades had been. Unfortunately, she was the only Aurora in their group possessing one, so all three of the women wielding rotary sustainers had to share it for extra protection.


    ¡°I¡¯m going in,¡± Kyora told them. She disappeared beneath her shrouding and rose from the floor, directing her gravitics to guide her toward the mass of marauders holding down their position with sprays of bullets. The phantom¡¯s goal was to disorient and confuse rather than to eradicate, but the means by which she chose to accomplish this goal involved the use of potent weapons. Kyora fabricated an explosive charge and attached it discreetly to the top of one of the marauder¡¯s helmets nearer to the door. She reasoned that the charge was far enough away from the door as to not deal any real damage to it. Moving her arm away from the charge, the explosive device left her suit¡¯s shrouding and was visible, though it remained unnoticed by all present. Kyora floated away from them, flying beyond a safe distance. She then detonated the charge, vaporizing the marauder to whose head it was attached and killing everyone around him, mortally wounding others farther away, and propelling body parts and debris toward everyone else.


    As soon as the blast went off, Virn and the two Auroras huddling behind her portable barricade sprayed the marauders with their shoulder-mounted rotary sustainers, further fueling their confusion. This prompted pockets of Auroras around these besieging syndicate soldiers to launch offensives, driving into the weakening pocket of intruders.


    ¡°The destroyers are vulnerable again,¡± Sesh said, standing at the tactical station overlooking the marauders¡¯ bodies. ¡°Launching torpedoes.¡± Regular, non-phasic torpedoes fabricated in the tubes and fired toward the syndicate destroyer. Defiant against the hostile ship¡¯s point-defense fire, the torpedoes loosed by the battlecruiser detonated, one-by-one, against the destroyer¡¯s lumionics. With each of the torpedoes packing a tiny amount of antimatter¡ªenough to ruin a small city¡ªand the durability to power through point-defense, the Kelsor¡¯s modest spread of thirty torpedoes reduced the syndicate destroyer to a cloud of debris. No doubt the Domina kicker ship had witnessed this destruction.


    ¡°That should take care of the blinker problem,¡± Atara said with relief.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Illeiri communicated to Atara just after.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Souq,¡± she said, ¡°and you¡¯re not going to believe this.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Namara took the ecksivar sample and used the jump drone.¡± Atara stood there for a moment and processed what Illeiri just said. The anger inside her welled up for her initial feeling was that Namara had betrayed them, but then she remembered the reason why the drone was made in the first place. ¡°Did you get that, captain?¡±  There was no way that Namara could have guided the drone toward the enemy, so there was only one question that came to her mind.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Souq said he was going to sequester the ecksivar in deep space so that it couldn¡¯t be stolen,¡± Illeiri explained to her, ¡°but Namara took it from him and did it instead. She went with the drone so that we¡¯ll be able to trace her sub-comms and retrieve it later.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s out there alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Brave woman,¡± Atara said.


    ¡°Brave scientists,¡± Illeiri noted. ¡°Souq was willing to go, too. Namara forced him to stay because of Lieren.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk contacting her now,¡± Atara said. ¡°I don¡¯t want Domina or the Three Brothers to know she¡¯s out there and find her first.¡±


    After the lumigraph disappeared, Atara then said, ¡°Fiori, we need to talk.¡±


    The stars seemed brighter than she had ever seen them. Namara drifted there in deep space, lightyears from the closest of those shining sidereal orbs. The jump drone rotated slowly a couple of meters away along with the SIRAC fragments from the omnimology lab. All that separated her body from the terminal vacuum surrounding her was the thin layer of polyalloy sealing her skin and the SIRAC of her helmet encompassing her head. The scientist¡¯s gravitics stabilized her motion, preventing her from rotating. Her lumionics formed a faint halo around her as they worked to deflect the cosmic background radiation. It wasn¡¯t until she noticed that faint glow of lumions that she realized she jumped from the battlecruiser without attaching a booster to her back¡ªa realization that caused her blood to run cold and her heartrate to jump. Her thoughts shifted back into perspective: having one would have just prolonged her suffering were she never to be rescued. Checking her Accellus¡¯ reservoirs, she saw that her suit could sustain her for several hours, if not a few days. Namara disabled the lights on her Accellus and tried to take her mind off of where she was, hoping that maybe she could fall asleep there, her suit protecting her, but her mind kept circling around to Souq beating on the lounge walls yelling for her to come back.


    With the destroyer obliterated, the Auroras protecting the cadets filed out of the briefing room leaving the terrified cadets with the scenes of slaughter burned into their retinas. Drones arrived to clean up the room, scan the marauders¡¯ bodies, and mark them for routing through the battlecruiser¡¯s gravitic logistics system. Gravilog also collected the ammunition crates, many of which were blasted apart on one side, and moved them out of the briefing room. Eventually, all that remained were the cadets clutching each other and crying beneath their helmets. Lieren had watched as the medic tried in vain to save the woman that the cadet had kept in stasis using energy from her own suit. Another Aurora had been gunned down on the other side of the room, and a collection of marauder bodies lied in a heap of cauterized giblets. With Illeiri, the bloodshed had been compartmentalized to the outside, and the elshi had protected the cadets with such efficiency as to eliminate any semblance of a bloodbath. This¡ªwhat she and the other cadets had just experienced¡ªwas a far cry from what they endured during the battle with the Voulgenathi.


    How does one cope? Lieren thought to herself as she stared at the syndicate bodies being hauled away by invisible force like garbage. Within minutes, the housekeeping drones would return the briefing room to the state that it was in before the battle occurred. The only remaining evidence would be the memories that were left behind in all that had lived through it. Lieren didn¡¯t know what to feel. The marauders blinked in, attacked, and died, over and over and over. Auroras sat with them, placing their bodies in front of the cadets and taking the hits for them, sometimes dying to the exchange of fire. Was there any meaning to the violence? The young cadet had no answer, and that frightened her. She clung tighter to the Elestan cadet beside her, trying to keep from breaking down, but she could not. Her emotions rushed forth. Her lungs and tear ducts rebelled against her, and she was forced to sob.


    ¡°Lieren?¡± It was her father¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t want to answer¡ªkeep him from hearing her sobs. ¡°Lieren, where are you baby?¡± He wasn¡¯t going to leave her alone until he got an answer, and she knew it.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m in the b-briefing room,¡± she got out.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No! No I¡¯m not!¡± she screamed.


    Hearing his daughter like this hurt more than it would have had he not been dealing with his own emotional turmoil over Namara. ¡°I¡¯m on my way, sweetie. I love you.¡±


    ¡°The Domina cruisers are dropping out of hyperwarp,¡± said a bridge officer. The same cleanup effort was taking place on the bridge, and the officers were returning to their normal posts, including Atara, Sesh, and Naret.


    ¡°Transmission from the¡ª,¡± Ethis was interrupted as she spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ve bested my pawns, captain,¡± Eclipse said through the opened lumigraph. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to concede.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Atara told her.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Eclipse said. ¡°You sound just like Kyora. I like you. Please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t force my hand. I just want to help my unproductive, fringeward protectorate evolve into something the Federation would be proud of. Give me¡ªus¡ªa chance.¡±


    ¡°A snowball¡¯s chance?¡± Atara replied. ¡°Because that¡¯s all I¡¯ll give you. I¡¯d destroy this vessel before I¡¯d ever let you set foot inside it.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± Eclipse stated, ¡°I said something similar when my dear sister was fleeing back to your ship. I really do admire you, captain, and you¡¯re breaking my heart.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the bullshit!¡± Atara yelled.


    ¡°Oh? We¡¯ll see who¡¯s bullshitting who after I call your bluff.¡±


    Atara paused for a moment as she stared at Eclipse. ¡°Adjunct,¡± the captain said while Eclipse¡¯s transmission was still open, ¡°initialize auto-destruct.¡±


    ¡°Auto-destruct overrides are in effect,¡± the adjunct stated. ¡°Please state additional parameters.¡±


    ¡°Engage auto-destruct on hull breach, and no continuous warnings. No additional parameters.¡±


    ¡°Triumvirate command authority authentication required.¡± All eyes were on the captain now.


    Atara said, ¡°Verify authorization.¡±


    ¡°Authorization verified. Atara Eisen Korrell, Captain of the Kelsor-class battlecruiser, Greater Federation Navy Vessel Kelsor, hull number three-nine-three-zero, Fifth Fleet, Third Armada. Auto-destruct go-no-go.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    A lumigraph appeared before Sesh and said, ¡°Initializing auto-destruct. Triumvirate command authority authentication required.¡±


    Sesh replied, ¡°Verify authorization.¡±


    ¡°Authorization verified. Yora Marro Sesh. Commander of the Kelsor-class battlecruiser, Greater Federation Navy Vessel Kelsor, hull number three-nine-three-zero, Fifth Fleet, Third Armada. Auto-destruct go-no-go.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    A lumigraph also appeared before Xannissa in engineering as she oversaw her department¡¯s defense. ¡°Initializing auto-destruct. Triumvirate command authority authentication required.¡± Her breaths grew heavier. Was Atara actually going to do this? If the lumigraph was getting around to her, Atara and Sesh had already interfaced with the adjunct. She stood there quietly for a moment, twisting her engagement ring around her finger.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aedan,¡± she whispered. ¡°Verify authorization,¡± she told the adjunct somberly.


    ¡°Authorization verified. Xannissa Reiss Cetalo, Commander of the Kelsor-class battlecruiser, Greater Federation Navy Vessel Kelsor, hull number three-nine-three zero, Fifth Fleet, Third Armada. Auto-destruct go-no-go.¡±


    Xannissa paused again, still twisting her ring. Quietly, she said, ¡°Go.¡±


    The adjunct announced to the entire ship, ¡°Auto-destruct initialized. Auto-destruct will engage upon hull-breach. There will be no further warnings.¡±


    Loud clapping echoed throughout the bridge. Atara never did take her eyes off of Eclipse who now applauded. ¡°Congratulations. It seems we have reached an impasse. You¡¯re far more cutthroat than I could have ever imagined. Every calculation I have made thus far was based on the assumption that you actually cared about your crew. You¡¯d send all of them to their deaths over a few little things?¡±


    Atara said nothing. Most of the bridge, including Naret, was still staring intently at its captain.


    ¡°Perhaps if we could bargain?¡± Eclipse asked. ¡°You hand over Kyora and you can be on your way.¡±


    Atara remained silent.


    Eclipse said, ¡°All right. You¡¯ve forced my hand. Prepare to die.¡± And with that, the transmission terminated.

 52 - Archanima

    ¡°Auto-destruct initialized. Auto-destruct will engage upon hull-breach. There will be no further warnings.¡±


    Kyora, Virn, Velliris, and the band of Auroras that followed them formed up with the other Aurora groups and held the syndicate marauders at bay in defense of ODEC 5. The announcement came to Virn through her helmet¡ªas it did most others¡ªwhile she was providing cover fire with her shoulder-mounted rotary sustainer. She halted her fire, sat down behind the solid barricade she had been firing from, and looked across the corridor to the entrance of ODEC 5. She knew that if the Kelsor really were to auto-destruct, she and the others were in ground zero, or at least one of the ground zeroes. Each of the six ODECs would cease the normal reactions they sustained to produce energy, and instead they would become reservoirs for antimatter. The ODECs would all reach critical mass at once, and the collective antimatter detonations would leave nothing salvageable behind.


    Virn knew what that meant for her, but what would happen to Kyora? She would die in an instant, and Virn would never see her again. The Exan recalled her helmet as she sat there pondering what she should do. Obviously, there was nothing to do, but for Virn, it just wasn¡¯t that simple.


    Kyora knelt next to her and deshrouded. Recalling her own helmet, the Elestan asked, ¡°Is everything okay? Is it about that auto-destruct warning?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Virn said, still looking toward the blast doors sealing ODEC 5. She turned to her partner and said, ¡°Remember when I said I¡¯d stop the universe for you? I love you that much, Kyora.¡±


    ¡°The cruisers are launching warp missiles and strikecraft,¡± Sesh said from the tactical station. ¡°They¡¯re going to saturate our RPDS.¡±


    ¡°Focus fire on the kicker with our own warp missiles,¡± Atara commanded. ¡°Continuous fire. Don¡¯t let up until they¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Sesh said.


    The information pooled from the Kelsor¡¯s suite of scanners and sensors revealed a battlefield in which the battlecruiser was surrounded by four Domina cruisers, each occupying a point on a tetrahedron. Sesh watched as streams of missiles poured from the cruisers while the Kelsor unleashed her own. As the missiles approached the battlecruiser, her RPDS did its best to eliminate them. Ultimately, the shear number of projectiles overwhelmed the Kelsor¡¯s point-defenses, and the missiles exploded against the starship¡¯s lumionic barriers.


    ¡°We¡¯re losing lumionic potential,¡± Sesh warned.


    ¡°They really want to do this?¡± Atara noted, watching helplessly as her ship was bombarded.


    ¡°The kicker is taking hull damage.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be far off if this keeps up.¡±


    And it didn¡¯t stop. As the kicker broke apart, the Kelsor¡¯s barrier failed. Missiles were now hitting the hull, targeting the battlecruiser¡¯s ODECs specifically. Kyora was directing a group of Auroras as blasts rocked the ship, and then, a blinding flash erupted, and it just hung there. Kyora stared into it, as did the other Auroras. Bolts and bullets halted in the air. That was it: the hull breach that the adjunct had warned about.


    Virn stood up from the barricade surrounded by frozen time. Two bright, incorporeal wings radiated from her back, and her green skin and black hair yielded to light and dark metallic gold, respectively. Her eyes projected the same white light of her wings, and her polyalloy bodysuit and SIRAC armor melted off her body and dripped to the floor. The power surging through her granted power over time itself. Her appearance now was reminiscent of an angel.


    ¡°I am grateful to you, Your Radiance,¡± Virn thought in another language as she approached Kyora¡¯s paused body.


    ¡°I know your heart, Archanima Veris of the Keliafalai,¡± a woman replied in a voice that would bring anyone else to their knees. ¡°You have always been faithful. I cannot deny your willingness to help those children you have come to cherish.¡±


    Alassura, the conduit, allowed her power to flow through Veris¡¯ soul unimpeded. The archanima peered across the ship with a kind of clairvoyance, looking for signs from the other ODECs that they were going critical, but when she saw what was happening in engineering, or at least what had begun to happen, she said, ¡°It was all a ruse.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alassura said, looking through Veris¡¯ eyes. ¡°If you allow those children around you to escape this blast, they will be saved.¡±


    Redirecting Alassura¡¯s power, Veris brought all of the Auroras near ODEC 5 within her temporal reference frame. Kyora and the Auroras with her shielded their eyes from the bright flash and turned around, laying eyes on a golden angel in naked brilliance.


    ¡°Do not be afraid,¡± Veris commanded them. ¡°You must run.¡± She thought to them in that other language, but they all understood it as if she had vocalized Miri.


    ¡°Virn?¡± Kyora asked. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°That is the name by which you know me,¡± Veris thought, looking at the Elestan phantom.


    Kyora looked away from the angel and saw the bolts and bullets frozen in the air. ¡°What is happening?!¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± Veris told her. ¡°You must run.¡± Most of the other Auroras, including Velliris, had heeded her command and escaped the inevitable blast, but Kyora hesitated. She simply could not believe her eyes. ¡°Kyora!¡±


    Kyora retreated deeper into the frozen ship. Once Veris knew that everyone was safely away, she herself retreated, allowing time to slowly tick forward, gradually accelerating until it was once again flowing normally. As it did, the brilliance of her wings and eyes diminished, and when the explosive wave flooded through the ship¡¯s corridors and destroyed ODEC 5, she stood next to Kyora as a phenotypical Exan once again, naked from head to toe.


    ¡°Mind telling me what the hell that was?¡± Kyora said as she grabbed Virn¡¯s arms.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kyora,¡± Virn said. ¡°Consider it a miracle, and think upon it no more.¡± Kyora fabricated a short jacket over her armor, took it off and gave it to the Exan who put it on, concealing her upper torso with it. The phantom then took Virn back to their shared quarters, leaving Velliris to fend for herself.


    ¡°Atara,¡± Xannissa thought to the captain through their Q-comms link, ¡°the entire synerdrive system is being disintegrated!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the auto-destruct override,¡± Atara assured her.


    ¡°Was this your plan?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Did you think I¡¯d blow us all up?¡±


    ¡°Atara, sometimes I just don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°The barrage has stopped,¡± Sesh said, noting the self-destruction of all incoming missiles.


    Eclipse appeared to them again, saying, ¡°I see you¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed we are,¡± Atara replied, ¡°however, our REMASS is recalling our entire drive system and deleting the designs. We have no more synerdrive to take. One of our brave scientists smuggled the ecksivar into deep space right under your nose, so that¡¯s gone as well, and that blast you just witnessed killed your sister Kyora. I¡¯m afraid our ship has nothing left for you.¡±


    Eclipse was now the one staring at Atara, speechless. Atara had succeeded in making the Kelsor sour in the mouth of Domina¡¯s leader. ¡°Fuck you!¡± Eclipse spat. ¡°You¡¯ll regret wasting my time!¡±


    ¡°Jump signature detected,¡± Sesh announced. It was enough of a surprise to stop Eclipse from speaking as her lieutenants informed her of its appearance as well. ¡°Emergence in three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Distance?¡±


    ¡°Five-thousand kilometers.¡±


    Eclipse said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is the end for you. We and the Three Brothers Syndicate will be all over you, and we¡¯ll make a living example out of you for the rest of Thalassia Orionis to witness!¡±


    Over the next three minutes, Illeiri guided Souq through the ship until they arrived in the briefing room. There the cadets remained, scarred by the battle.


    ¡°Lieren?¡± Souq called out after recalling his helmet. Still gripped by emotion, he looked at each of the cadets, unable to tell which one was his daughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m over here, dad,¡± Lieren said, recalling her helmet.


    Souq walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. Hugging her tightly, he said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Namara?¡± Lieren asked, embracing her father.


    Souq didn¡¯t say anything. She felt his chest gasping, but she heard nothing. Souq was trying to suppress his feelings, but he had experienced too much grief, and so had Lieren. When he felt his daughter begin to sob, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Illeiri left the two of them to be alone with the other cadets and stepped onto the bridge. As she did so, she heard Sesh call out from the tactical station, ¡°Vessel emerging.¡±


    ¡°Identify,¡± Atara demanded.


    ¡°Its¡­ the Archangels?¡±


    ¡°Archangels?¡±


    A new lumigraph appeared next to Eclipse¡¯s so that there were now two Elestan faces peering into the Kelsor¡¯s bridge. Admiral Relex was the other, and she saw both Atara and Eclipse through her own lumigraphics.


    ¡°Surprise, surprise,¡± Relex said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sit back and watch this bitch harass you.¡± Eclipse¡¯s rage was apparent on her face, and she terminated her transmission herself.


    Atara said, ¡°I thought your flagship had hyperwarp.¡±


    ¡°And I thought you¡¯d be more relieved to see me,¡± Relex noted with displeasure.


    ¡°I am,¡± Atara said. ¡°Very much so.¡±


    ¡°About this carrier,¡± Relex explained, ¡°we equip it with hyperwarp for patrols, but if we¡¯re out on missions, like this one, we swap out her entire drive with a jump system so we can sneak up on our prey. As you can see, it¡¯s very effective.¡±


    ¡°The Domina cruisers are activating hyperwarp,¡± Sesh said. ¡°They¡¯re getting away.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop them,¡± Atara replied.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the breaks,¡± Relex told them. ¡°We haven¡¯t even launched our strikecraft.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for coming out here. We would have perished if not for that. I¡¯ll pay you the other fifty million mecred.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have two favors to ask. We need to rebuild our drive, and until then, we¡¯re sitting ducks.¡±


    ¡°Did Domina blow up the synerdrive?¡±


    ¡°We did, to keep it out of their hands.¡±


    ¡°I see. What about the second?¡±


    ¡°One of our scientists used a homemade jump drone to carry the ecksivar sample off our ship, so she¡¯s a lightyear away.¡±


    ¡°Do you know exactly where she is?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting on that now,¡± Atara said, looking toward Ethis.


    ¡°You let us know,¡± Relex said, ¡°and we¡¯ll send one of our corvettes to retrieve her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You owe me another drink. This time with all of your senior officers.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come to Lanan sometime?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Fiori,¡± Atara called, summoning the orange, lumigraphic female, ¡°Can we redownload the synerdrive design?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Fiori said. ¡°I am elated to see that the plan was a success.¡±


    An Archangel corvette passed through one of the massive airscreens on the dorsal surface of the carrier. After Ethis made contact with Namara, she traced the scientist¡¯s position to within half an AU of her actual location. Atara gave the Archangels this data, and the corvette engaged its hyperwarp system and took off. When the ship had arrived within the general volume, they reached out to Namara themselves, narrowing down her location until they arrived at her drifting body.


    Namara saw the small ship¡ªlarge from her point of view¡ªslow as it approached her and the drone. A team of Accellus-clad mercenaries emerged from the ship to aid her, and within a couple of minutes, she and the drone were safely aboard. It wasn¡¯t long after that Souq and Lieren were both embracing her, happy that she had been reunited with them.


    Velliris returned to the brig, but when she got there, the guards informed her that under captain¡¯s orders, she was free to go. They also told her that she would be assigned her own quarters much in the same way Illeiri had been.


    In the meantime, Xannissa watched the synerdrive be rebuilt from the floor to the ceiling as she thought about how close she had been to never seeing Aedan¡¯s face again. It would be her job now to make sure that this rebuilt drive would actually work since entire drives were not usually fabricated by a starship¡¯s REMASS while underway. Once the synerdrive was deemed operational, Atara hailed Relex to thank her one last time, and the Kelsor took off again for Tribesson space.


    ¡°Welcome back to your morning headlines on SBN. I¡¯m Jorj Danner. The time is now eight-oh-five. We are watching the diplomatic fallout brewing between the Federation and its fringeward neighbor Tribesson. Just yesterday, Federation President Solana Hethan announced that she was considering revoking Tribesson¡¯s protectorate status unless it allows the Federation Navy to intervene in the country¡¯s ongoing problem with organized crime. Joining us this morning is the governor of Tribesson¡¯s capitol Mirida, Fea Qon. Madam Qon, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Jorj.¡±


    ¡°Also joining us is Federation THORCOM commander Admiral Esen Gher. Good morning, admiral.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you.¡±


    ¡°Admiral, I would like to begin with you. Federation diplomats are citing an incident that occurred in Thalassia Orionis for the recent spat. Can you tell us about that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you all the details, but one of our ships underway on a solo voyage was attacked by a pair of criminal organizations: one known as the Three Brothers Syndicate and the other referred to simply as Domina. What we do know is that the Three Brothers Syndicate is one of several pirate factions operating in Saraia, near the impassable Saraian Range. Domina, on the other hand, bases itself on Mirida.¡±


    ¡°Good point, Admiral Gher. With that I¡¯d like to ask Madam Qon a question. Madam Qon, can you tell us more about Domina?¡±


    ¡°I can. Domina has only been around for the last hundred years. It grew out of a mercenary company known as Unit who participated in illegal cloning to bolster its numbers. One of these cloned individuals rose through the ranks and founded Domina, and now the syndicate runs rampant in Mirida and throughout Thalassia Orionis.¡±


    ¡°Has Tribesson taken any steps to deal with this problem of organized crime?¡±


    ¡°I just spoke with the Tribesson president earlier this morning, and she assures me that Tribesson will open itself to support from the Federation Navy to end this problem.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for Tribesson?¡±


    ¡°It means you¡¯re going to see a lot more patrols in Tribesson space. You¡¯re going to see Auroras on every street in Mirida. We are going to take back our country and make it a more productive ally of the Federation, free of the syndicates that are currently running it into the ground.¡±

 53 - Deep Black

    Taretes, embarrassed at his failure to deliver the ecksivar sample and at his disfigured face, had clothed himself in a black cloak and mask as he walked through the lavish halls of the Corporate Alliance¡¯s administrative headquarters, the Offices of the Executive Consortium, on the planet of Central deep in Alliance space. His personal bodyguards had been replaced by professional Alliance soldiers.


    The Alliance Military is a mishmash of units all provided by the myriad of sovereign subsidiaries beneath the hegemonic Consortium. Some of the sovereign corporations, like the Gedesse Union, Ven-Verandin, and Notandis contract other, non-sovereign companies to provide trained mercenaries. Others, like the Mirvanda Corporation, the Jeska Group, and Tarsaan Manufacturing build and field cheap robotic armies while a few like Ferralon Incorporated, the Rayzac Conglomerate, Omnimax, and Olara Corporation pride themselves on the expensive clone elites they breed for battle: the universal CE-9 ¡°Jynnore¡± line of elite Zelnaran monotemplate clones. And then there are those like Dorf and Sarok Enterprises that stoop to slave conscription, but those slaves are never seen in the halls of the Consortium. Taretes found himself flanked by the expensive Jynnore clones in their dark green Ralvex armor that looked like a knockoff of the Federation¡¯s Accellus. The group passed similar guards that could have been confused for stasis models for how still they were. Of course, they may have very well been¡ªguards in stasis, saving money by being frozen, ready to be released at a moment¡¯s notice to do their jobs.


    The Jynnores led the distraught elsheem emperor through a set of large doors. The doors slowly retracted, and on the other side was a room in the shape of a large dome with skylights above through which the orange evening sky shined down upon the giant circular table occupying the middle of that giant room. The room, which Tarates assumed was the main chamber of the Alliance¡¯s Executive Council, was surrounded by stepped stands that made the chamber resemble a small stadium. There, standing beside the furthest chair across the room, was the chief executor, or chancellor, of the whole of the Corporate Alliance: an unassuming, handsome Zelnaran man dressed in a lavish suit that demanded respect but whispered elegance.


    The elites stopped, and the Zelnaran shouted in his smooth voice, ¡°Taretes! Emperor Taretes! Pleasure to have you in these chambers.¡±


    ¡°Chancellor Redolain,¡± Taretes replied in Miri, bowing, ¡°I wish I were meeting you under better circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I prefer Supreme Executor if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Redolain said. ¡°Ladies, you are free to go.¡± The soldiers turned around and headed toward the exit. ¡°Come with me,¡± he beckoned to the elshe, and he turned toward the back of the room. When Taretes caught up with him, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my suite.¡±


    ¡°Lord Thrassus told me I would meet him here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Taretes. You¡¯ll meet him.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The supreme executor led the taller elshe to another set of doors and down another corridor with stasis guards. Down at the end was his private suite that resembled a palace given its copious space and luxurious d¨¦cor. Water flowed into golden baths, and the water¡¯s disturbed surface reflected toward the high ceiling beyond the balcony of his bedroom. Naked Zelnaran women bathed in the warm water and greeted him when he returned.


    ¡°I admire this place,¡± Taretes said as he dropped his hood and removed his mask to take in the decadent display of wealth and power.


    ¡°You should see the moon I own,¡± Redolain laughed. ¡°This pales in comparison.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it does.¡±


    ¡°So, are you ready to meet Thrassus?¡±


    ¡°I am. What about those women?¡±


    ¡°They are of no consequence,¡± Redolain said. With a thought, everything within the room but himself and Taretes was locked into lumionic stasis. The bathers stood motionless in the paused water.


    ¡°I guess they don¡¯t know who you really are, then,¡± Taretes suggested.


    ¡°Smart elshe,¡± Redolain replied. ¡°I am Thrassus.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not as intimidating in person.¡±


    ¡°I call it charm,¡± Thrassus told him. ¡°So,¡± Thrassus continued, taking a seat at the large table overlooking the pool, ¡°what happened to that black omnium?¡±


    ¡°The so-called ecksivar?¡± Taretes asked, also taking a seat across from his master.


    ¡°The very same.¡±


    ¡°The Federation tracked us down.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°There was nothing we could do. I am terribly sorry.¡±


    ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know about me, Taretes,¡± Thrassus told him. ¡°One of them is that I always, always get what I want. You think you failed? Nonsense. I got exactly what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°But what about the ecksivar?¡±


    ¡°You touched it, did you not?¡±


    ¡°I did, but that was months ago.¡±


    ¡°Nanoparticles are still attached to your skin. And that¡¯s all I need.¡±


    Taretes lifted his hand and looked intently at it¡ªfirst his palm and then his dorsum. The elshe started to laugh, and he couldn¡¯t help himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through shield-scrubbers!¡± Taretes said through his laughter, contagious enough to infect Thrassus who began to laugh with him.


    ¡°I know! Sounds ridiculous, right?¡± Thrassus laughed a little longer, and then the two of them quieted. ¡°The second thing you didn¡¯t know about me,¡± Thrassus explained, ¡°is that black omnium and I form a kind of¡­ unholy-duality.¡± He paused to let that fact sink into Taretes¡¯ mind for a moment. ¡°I can see every instance of black omnium in this galaxy, and your hands are coated in it, so you did your job, and you did it well. You brought that¡­ ecksivar to me. But, there is one more thing I need you to do.¡±


    ¡°Anything, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I would like to borrow your mass.¡±


    Taretes sat there for a moment. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your mass, Taretes. I need it.¡± Taretes looked at his palm again, and he noticed tiny black dots in his skin.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Taretes asked, but Thrassus stared intently at Taretes hand, enjoying channeling his latent power into the nanoparticles of that black crystal. Taretes shot up and knocked over the chair behind him. Screaming, he tried to peel the chunks of hard crystal off of his hand, but it spread everywhere it touched, and the sensation burned like the fire of Gehenna.


    The pain struck him down, and the elshe clenched his arm, writhing as the black crystal consumed his arms and crept across his shoulders. Eventually, his head and torso were succumbing to the wicked variety of omnium. With his lungs and face crystallized, Taretes passed away while the rest of his body was devoured before Thrassus.

 54 - Arrival

    Kyora stood in the corner with her arms crossed staring into nothing, still wearing her phantom armor. One leg was out farther than the other. Virn sat on the edge of their bed; her upper torso concealed by the short jacket Kyora fabricated for her. The Elestan phantom closed her eyes. The memories were fading like a dream, and she tried to hold onto them as best as she could.


    ¡°Virn.¡±


    ¡°Kyora, please. The memories will fade in time if you let them. Do not pursue this.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because some questions are better left unanswered.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let this go, Virn! Not after what I saw!¡±


    The Exan slowly stood from the bed. After turning to face Kyora with a countenance of anger, she unfastened the short jacket and threw it away. As she did so, those bright, geometric wings reappeared behind her back, and the jacket¡¯s descent slowed until it was frozen in the air. At that same moment, the sounds throughout the ship ceased. Virn¡¯s body changed again to that metallic gold, and her eyes became brilliant flares.


    Kyora turned to face her friend and asked, ¡°What¡­ are you?¡±


    ¡°I am a servant,¡± Virn thought. ¡°I am the first, second only to Her Radiance.¡±


    ¡°Who is her radiance?¡±


    ¡°Alassura: shepherd of the Sorvankelai, conduit of the Keliafalai.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Kyora was visibly afraid as she stood face-to-face with this being who resembled her partner in form only.


    ¡°I am Veris, archanima. Taste the power that courseth through me and despair.¡± Veris wrapped herself in pure light and the room blinded Kyora. She tried to shield her eyes but this light could not be stopped by mere eyelids. Every shadow disappeared before the light she gave.


    ¡°How!¡± Kyora yelled as she was brought to the floor.


    ¡°There are forces at work in this universe beyond your wildest imagination. It is not a child¡¯s place to know the will of her master.¡± Veris pulled her friend up from the floor, held Kyora¡¯s face to her own, and said, ¡°Our time has not yet come. Remember this no longer, and be at peace.¡±


    Virn rolled over in their shared bed. Kyora was fast asleep, legs beneath the blankets. The Exan Aurora brought herself close to the Elestan¡¯s body and stroked her light hair. Kyora would have no recollection of the power that Virn could wield, and that was all the better. A new set of Accellus boots sat next to Kyora¡¯s, and Virn wore new bracers around her wrists. Just then, Virn could feel a disturbance, like a pulse, fire off from the ecksivar sample deep within the ship. She left Kyora alone, and she crept out from beneath the covers as not to disturb her partner. After she slid her feet into her boots, she left their quarters and sheathed herself in standard uniform outside the room.


    The corridors were darkened to simulate the night hours. She took the nearest lifts and traveled down to omnimology. Virn peered into the OPELs and looked across the dark lab. No one was around this early in the morning. Using her authority as lieutenant colonel of the Kelsor¡¯s Auroras, the Exan entered. She kept the lights off, relying on the lumionics of the outside corridor shining into the lab to see. In the middle of the room, near where the hollowed sphere had been from Namara¡¯s use of the jump drone, the canister sat upon the bench. Virn bent down toward it, made the outer wall transparent, and looked inside.


    The crystal within was completely enveloped in shadow. Virn summoned a lumionic light that floated next to her, but the light could not penetrate the field of darkness around the ecksivar sample. That field of darkness radiated out farther from the crystal than it ever had before, canceling out the light that Virn provided. If she just channeled more of her anima energy, she could pull back the shadowy curtain, but seeing it as it was now was enough for her. She realized that things were already being set into motion that could not be stopped. Virn made the walls of the container opaque once again and left the lab, heading back up to her quarters.


    Many days later, Naret slowed the synerdrive as the Kelsor approached Mirida¡¯s system. As the star brightened and the system spread out before them, the triumvirate aboard the bridge noticed the significant presence of Federation Navy vessels now stationed there. Most of them were clustered around Mirida itself. Xannissa contacted Kyora over lumigraph and gave the phantom the sensor data, and she was speechless. She and Virn traveled to the bridge as quickly as they could, and they arrived before the Kelsor made it to the gate hub.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Kyora noted as she saw all of the Navy ships scattered around.


    Atara said, ¡°It looks like Domina is being put in check.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy, unless you find and kill Deminesse.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s where you¡¯re going after we dock,¡± Sesh said.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Kyora replied.


    Later that evening, the Kelsor floated above that lush moon Lanan¡ªa white starship above her deep blue oceans and verdant green forests. In the distance hung that gentle giant Akos V with its brilliant rings shining in the light of the Akos star. Naret propelled the ship toward Tetra 5, the largest of the orbital stations ringing the moon. Carefully, and with the help of the adjunct, the lieutenant parked the ship next to one of the station¡¯s internal docking ports that was as wide as the battlecruiser¡¯s own hangar bay airscreens.


    ¡°Docking confirmed,¡± came the dockmaster. Upon hearing this, the bridge officers, including Atara, Sesh, and Xannissa, applauded. Rather than join them in their applause, Naret breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her chair around and watched the triumvirate, waiting for any additional orders as a feeling of wellbeing overcame her¡ªher body¡¯s reward from returning from the mission unscathed.


    Namara told the group of Auroras, ¡°That ecksivar sample doesn¡¯t leave my sight. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± said the leader of the group.


    Meanwhile, Souq and Lieren walked up to Namara, and Souq said, ¡°Sayn?¡±


    ¡°Quen? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Lieren¡¯s going back with her cadet group,¡± Souq explained. ¡°I thought we could just say a quick goodbye for her.¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± Namara beckoned kindly to the young Larissian, and the two of them hugged each other. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, too,¡± Lieren told her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to give your father a hug, too,¡± Souq said, and he and his daughter clutched each other.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I love you, too, sweetheart.¡± They let go of each other and Lieren walked to the door of the lab, but before she left, she turned around and waved to them. After Souq, Namara, and a couple of the other scientists waved back, she departed the Kelsor¡¯s lab for the last time.


    The triumvirate made its way down to the hangar to oversee the safe and orderly disembarkation of the starmen and Auroras from the starship. Those three were always among the last to leave, and they stood there in the midst of the flow of personnel. Xannissa was grabbed from behind by a passing crewmember, and she felt a kiss land on her cheek.


    ¡°How is my little sister doing?¡± Cylenna said, refusing to let go.


    ¡°Why are you always so clingy?¡± Xannissa asked, trying to remove Cylenna¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m just expressing my affection. You staying here until everyone else is gone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the job.¡±


    Releasing her sister from her embrace, Cylenna said, ¡°Would you like to go out for dinner later?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind waiting until late tonight, and if you don¡¯t mind having Atara and Sesh along, and Aedan.¡±


    ¡°Aedan¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°Aedan lives on Lanan now.¡±


    ¡°Splendid! I¡¯ll see you later!¡± Cylenna gave her sister a parting kiss before joining the droves leaving the ship.


    ¡°I guess we have a dinner date,¡± Sesh stated.


    ¡°We do now,¡± Xannissa said. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Sesh told her.


    ¡°I am, too,¡± Atara said.


    As the triumvirate stood there, they saw Kyora and Virn approach. The two Aurora leaders were seeing their own personnel off. Xannissa waved to the two of them, and Virn brought Kyora with her, forming a group of five.


    ¡°Captain,¡± Kyora said, looking Atara in the eyes, ¡°it was an honor to serve with you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Atara said. She and the phantom shook hands, and then the two Auroras traded handshakes with the triumvirate. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no way I could change your mind?¡±


    ¡°About going after Deminesse?¡± Kyora replied. ¡°No. I have to end it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Atara said. ¡°I wish you all the best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Atara.¡± She paused before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve thought a lot about what you¡¯ve said, and I realize you were right. I need to protect Civilized Space from Deminesse, but the only way I can do that is to kill her.¡±


    Xannissa asked, ¡°Will we be able to keep in touch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when my job is done,¡± Kyora assured them.


    As they talked, a Yeran with crimson skin and black hair approached them flanked by two armored Auroras. Drawing near, she said, ¡°Captain Korrell?¡±


    ¡°Madam,¡± Atara replied, noticing the rank insignias on her standard uniform.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you all,¡± said the Yeran. ¡°I am Fifth Fleet Admiral Tokeri Keva.¡± The admiral reached out with her hand, and each of the five women shook it. Atara looked confused, so Keva explained, ¡°I was promoted after the scandal with Musani. On behalf of the Admiralty and the Federation, I sincerely apologize for the grief that Musani and Aesho put you through.¡±


    Atara said, ¡°With all due respect, I want actions, not words, admiral.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, captain. You have my word that I will not let this rest.¡±


    It was now close to midnight, but the sun was only setting, as it would be for the next day or two. Only half of Akos V was immediately visible, shedding light into the oranges of the sky. Aedan and Cylenna greeted the party of three as they stepped out of the gravidyne they hired to deliver them to the tower housing the restaurant. The lumionics of the adjacent towers of downtown Farence shined through the transit hub¡¯s airscreens in Akos¡¯ retreating light. Cylenna, never wanting to miss an opportunity to show off, had been standing with Aedan in her enlisted formals sans her bodysuit¡ªwearing only the white shawl draped over her white vest, and the black tie with its inverted tip swaying above the sparkling stone in her navel. Ignoring her older sister for the moment, Xannissa wrapped her arms around her fianc¨¦. They embraced each other¡¯s actual bodies for the first time in months.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± she told him, gripping his back.


    ¡°Welcome home,¡± he whispered, his arms around her waist.


    After greeting one another, the group followed the half-naked Cylenna through one of the open archways toward the restaurant.


    ¡°After hearing the charges against you,¡± said the federal judge in the private courtroom, ¡°how do you plead?¡±


    Musani said, ¡°Not guilty.¡±


    Later that day, Musani met with Aesho one last time. Given thirty minutes to see the blonde Terran from behind a lumionic screen, she said, ¡°Why¡¯d you do it?¡±


    ¡°FedSec found me out,¡± Aesho told the former fleet admiral. ¡°They found me out after Cassandra. You made me kill my friend.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were loyal to me,¡± Musani told her. ¡°We¡¯re both going static for this for a very, very long time. We¡¯re going to get out to a changed world.¡±


    ¡°And where¡¯s Cassandra going to be? What about all those people killed before and during Crimson Aegis? We¡¯re getting off easy, you and I. FedSec gave me an ultimatum. Justice caught up to us. It always would. I¡¯ve been promised about fifty years of servitude.¡±


    ¡°So about two-hundred in static?¡±


    ¡°No, fifty. About twelve-and-a-half if I give myself over to science.¡±


    Musani clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She looked away from Aesho and said, ¡°I was building a better Federation.¡±


    ¡°Keep telling yourself that,¡± Aesho said. ¡°You might actually have an interesting defense.¡± After Aesho said this, she stood up from her chair and departed the distraught former fleet admiral.

 Epilogue

    After enduring two months of living in an offworld memory clinic at Fiori¡¯s request, and another two months of readjusting to daily life alongside planning her marriage, Xannissa¡¯s father, a tall Elestan with jet black hair and neutral skin, led his daughter down the aisle. She was dressed in a light blue gown, and her head was covered beneath a veil. Standing at the altar with the minister was Aedan, dressed in a suit that was also a light blue. When asked why she wanted a light blue wedding, Xannissa had mentioned that it wasn¡¯t white, and white was the color she wore daily in the Navy. Instead of her ponytail, her straight, dark blue hair flowed down her back beneath her veil. Her bridesmaids¡ªAtara, Sesh, and her sister Cylenna¡ªflanked the minister on his right. Aedan was on his left, and behind him were Kyle, Rom, and one of Aedan¡¯s old coworkers and friends, Leo.


    Xannissa¡¯s misty-eyed father let her ascend the steps to the altar, and she walked forward, turned to face Aedan, and smiled. He beamed back at her, and couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the beautiful Elestan before him. The minister looked at them both, and then to the audience he reminded that this was a ceremony to acknowledge the sacred matrimony of two entwined souls. All those gathered there would bear witness to the vows they made to each other and to the Creator. This minister in particular, a firm believer in the power of marriage, proclaimed that the bond formed here was eternal, and could never be broken¡ªshould never be broken¡ªfrom that day forward. Not wealth, nor health, nor other hardships could break their solemn vows. The only way to undo their union was death, and until then, they were each other¡¯s to love and cherish for as long as they should live. The minister presented a ring made of a platinum alloy, a symbol of the vow, and offered it to Aedan. The Terran took it in his hand and slid the ring on Xannissa¡¯s outstretched, cool gray finger, the third from her thumb on her left hand. After this, the minister offered Xannissa a similar ring, and she placed it on Aedan¡¯s finger. The minister then allowed Xannissa to remove her veil, and they shared a kiss on the lips for all to see, followed by applause.


    The evening saw a reception sponsored by none other than the generous Kyle Korrell, there with his Elestan wife Talme and three teenaged Elestan daughters. Cylenna became the center of attention among a group of younger attendees accusing her of being the Spectre of racing fame. Attempting to do her younger sister a favor, Cylenna tried to deny it, but when one of the men of the group revealed a lumigraph of the nude pictures she took on Vandos with the Republic¡¯s Hammer, she quickly closed it¡ªone of the rare moments she actually tried to be modest before a group of fans. In order to appease them, she offered to sign autographs for them after most of the reception guests had disappeared.


    Rom¡¯s wife Deya was well, having fully recovered from the mysterious disease that had gripped her gynoid body. Except for Atara, Xannissa, Aedan, and Rom, none of the other guests were the wiser with regard to Deya¡¯s biology, or lack thereof. Also attending was Lieren who apologized on her father¡¯s and Namara¡¯s behalf for not being present. According to her, time had become a precious luxury that the Military would not let them waste, so they had sent Lieren on a mission to capture as much of the wedding as possible. Xannissa assured the cadet that the lumigrapher Kyle helped them hire would do his job well, and that she would share the lumigraphs with everyone in attendance when she received them.


    As the event was coming to its conclusion, Aedan and Xannissa left the building with their circle of close friends. Hovering just outside was a luxury gravidyne waiting to carry them into Lanan¡¯s orbit. The newlyweds exchanged hugs, kisses, handshakes, and pats on the back before climbing into the light blue vehicle. Once the top was sealed, the aerocar climbed upward into the clear, sunny sky.


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­ the new Cycline Six line of luxury gravidynes. Fly in comfort within the spacious interior¡­¡± the wall-spanning lumigraph droned on. Atara was seated in the dining area behind the low wall separating the couch and living area on the other side. Today, like most days, she had the OPELs next to her open to the balcony that overlooked the verdant plaza below. Spread out around where she sat was a combination of Naval intelligence documents, officer evaluations, and a Subnet browser. Next to her sat the remains of her breakfast: two dishes, a couple of utensils, and an empty mug, all two hours old. Her new life was reflected in the markings on her standard uniform bodysuit: the rank insignia of a rear admiral. Despite being on a station orbiting Lanan, her quarters were far larger than they had been on the surface despite the fact that she now lived alone.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    There came a ping from the door, and Atara hid all of her lumigraphs, including the one playing endless commercials between snippets of news. After carrying her dirty dishes to the recycling receptacle, she headed for the door and opened it. Standing there to meet her were Xannissa and Aedan¡ªthe former in her usual Navy bodysuit and short jacket and the latter wearing a civilian REMASS outfit.


    Atara hugged them both, and after inviting them to come in, she asked, ¡°How was the honeymoon?¡±


    ¡°Unforgettable,¡± Xannissa said as she and Aedan stood in her living room. ¡°Elestus is more beautiful than I remember.¡±


    ¡°We had an amazing time,¡± Aedan told Atara while glancing at his wife. ¡°We stayed at a resort on the coast of the warm Southern Ocean. There was a festival going on where we had a chance to partake in some of the ancient culture, which is what I found fascinating.¡±


    ¡°Lots of sorrelin,¡± Xannissa noted. ¡°Seemed a fitting end after serving on the Kela Sorrelin.¡±


    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± Atara told them as she moved toward the couch. The rear admiral took her seat on the right, Aedan on the left, and Xannissa in the middle.


    ¡°There were women there showing off the intricate armor they made with the sorrelin scales,¡± Aedan explained. ¡°I have a lume of Xannissa trying one on.¡± He produced it and showed it to Atara. When Xannissa saw it, she remembered.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Xannissa expressed. ¡°Seems like the ancients only tended to cover their upper bodies.¡±


    Atara replied, ¡°Just like your sister?¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Xannissa said playfully.


    Aedan closed the lume and said, ¡°We took a daytrip to Kaielus.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful moon,¡± Xannissa noted. ¡°They have a megaplex there that would put Blue Road to shame.¡±


    The group talked and viewed lumes for the next two hours. As the conversation ebbed and flowed, Atara found it increasingly bittersweet. Her service partner was married, and though the partnership did not end, Xannissa would be spending the majority of her days with Aedan now. In that moment, Atara forgot that the Q-comm link would remain, and she would be able to speak to her friend from anywhere at any time, but life would never be the same. Before she knew it, she was at the door of her suite with the two newlyweds.


    Xannissa said, ¡°I¡¯ll try to come up here and see you as often as I can.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any extra time for me,¡± Atara said, smiling despite her sadness. ¡°If anyone should be taking the time, it should be me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just be right down there,¡± Aedan told her. ¡°We¡¯re just a lumigraph away.¡±


    ¡°You two be safe getting back, okay?¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± Xannissa assured her. ¡°I love you, Atara.¡± The Elestan reached out and hugged her lifelong Terran friend. Atara¡¯s eyes watered, but she held back the rest of her emotion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you again soon,¡± Aedan said, reaching out for a hug as well, and Atara embraced him.


    ¡°You take care of Xannissa for me,¡± Atara told him.


    ¡°She¡¯s precious to me,¡± Aedan whispered.


    Xannissa stated, ¡°Should have told me to take care of him.¡± She grinned as she fabricated a handgun and held it up to her face, pointing it toward the ceiling, before quickly recalling it again.


    ¡°I¡¯m in good hands, for sure,¡± Aedan noted. ¡°We love you, Atara. Bye!¡±


    ¡°Bye, Atara!¡± Xannissa made a parting kiss on Atara¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Goodbye! Be safe!¡± The couple exited the suite and the door closed behind them. Atara stood there for a moment, alone in her quite room. She moved slowly toward her dining table and resummoned all the lumigraphs she hid previously. It wasn¡¯t twenty minutes into her work when another lumigraph appeared.


    ¡°Captain Korrell?¡± The voice asked.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Atara replied. She looked over and saw an Elestan with black hair buns. ¡°Relex?¡±


    ¡°Hello Captain! Is it still captain?¡±


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s rear admiral.¡±


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°I actually found a reason to come to Lanan, and I¡¯ll be there in five weeks. How about we gather up those senior officers and have a drink?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise I can get everyone, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I look forward to meeting you all again.¡±

 Bonus Chapter - Totality

    With their faces uncovered and neither toting weapons, Kyora and Virn walked in-between two Aurora guards in full, white SIRAC armor. Kyora was wearing her usual phantom configuration: covering only her breasts and upper torso, upper arms, and shoulders with most of her dark gray polyalloy bodysuit visible¡ªat least, when she wasn¡¯t shrouded. Virn wore just as much armor as the guards, minus the helmet. The guards nodded to the both of them as they passed, and just beyond them was the door to the penthouse. After the door slid open, the two officers who had walked down the duralithic corridors of the lower building found themselves stepping into a verdant garden. Now removed from the duralithic walls, the two were flanked by soft grass, shrubs, bushes, and well-kept trees. Despite this only being the second time Kyora had ever entered this luxurious penthouse, it was once again under the darkness of night. The mansion across from the duo towered spectacularly over the dark garden while simultaneously blending into it. Lights from lumionics shining through the trees were reflected by the mild perturbations in the crystal blue pool that flashed overhead. Well above Kyora and Virn was the vast array of OPELs topping the building, and even farther above that was the blanket of high-altitude clouds catching the light of the sprawling city and bouncing it back down.


    Kyora¡ªan Elestan with a neutral gray face, short but voluminous white hair and silver eyes¡ªremembered this place well, and she distinctly remembered blowing it up with remote charges she fabricated with her Accellus suit. Yet here it was, appearing completely untouched. It was about that time that her instincts kicked in. It didn¡¯t matter how many guards stood outside. She fabricated a heavy pistol in her left hand¡ªeither hand was fine since she was proficient with both¡ªand continued to step around the pool. Virn¡ªan Exan with verdant green skin, long black hair that ran straight and tan eyes¡ªknew Kyora, and she knew that if her friend was fabricating a weapon in a place that the other Auroras adamantly insisted was secure, something was indeed up. Virn trusted Kyora¡¯s sense of danger that much.


    Kyora and Virn were here to find anything they could pertaining to the whereabouts of that devious director of Domina, Deminesse; the one who shared Kyora¡¯s face and demanded to be called Eclipse. As far as Eclipse was concerned, Deminesse was dead; consumed by Mirida¡¯s eternal darkness.


    ¡°Kyora?¡± Virn thought to her partner over their shared Q-comms link.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head in and see what I can find,¡± Kyora thought back.


    Virn could always trust Kyora to handle herself. The Elestan phantom walked between the columns separating the pool area from the mansion¡¯s interior, and as she descended the steps down to the recessed living space, she enveloped herself in shroud and disappeared. Virn wasn¡¯t far behind, but not even she could see Kyora when the phantom¡¯s shrouding was active. The armored Exan stayed within the living area and stopped in front of one of the couches. Her eyes followed the warm, golden-hued walls upward toward the ceiling until they rested upon a white stone statue of a nude, anatomically-accurate, female angel with eagle¡¯s wings spread wide, body tilted forward, and hands arcing toward the balcony above. Had it been off its pedestal, it would have still been taller than she was. Virn smiled as her eyes traced its form. If only they knew, she thought to herself.


    Just then, there came a noise from down the corridors like a clang that reverberated for several seconds. ¡°Did you find something?¡± Virn asked as she looked off in the direction of the dark hall, but she heard no response. Perhaps Kyora had found something but wanted to reveal it in person. The Exan didn¡¯t like to pry. She backed away from the angel statue and looked down the dark corridor, crossing her arms. This was Kyora¡¯s mission and Kyora¡¯s domain, and the phantom knew what she was looking for. The seconds became minutes, and Virn found herself staring at the shimmering surface of the pool from the recessed dining area. The water was up to her chest as she stood next to the grand table.


    Finally, a figure emerged on the balcony within her peripheral vision. Quickly turning, she found Kyora up there who said, ¡°I found a clue.¡± The phantom vaulted over the railing and descended gently using her gravitics, narrowly avoiding the angel statue.


    As she approached, Virn asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer me?¡±


    ¡°On Q-comms?¡± Kyora replied. ¡°I apologize. I must have gotten caught up in the moment.¡±


    ¡°Well? What did you find?¡±


    Kyora said, ¡°Just a lume with two names and an address floating in one of the bedrooms. I captured it.¡± She produced it for Virn, saying, ¡°Careless bitch. It¡¯s like she wants us to chase her.¡±


    ¡°Darva¡­ Darlok?¡± Virn read off the lume. ¡°Totality? Do you recognize any of this?¡±


    Kyora queried the Subnet for the name and address combination, and she read the hit that was returned. ¡°Looks like a Doctor Darva Darlok, but that address¡­ that¡¯s on the ground beneath the towers.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Understory.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned that before.¡±


    ¡°That is the fetid filth upon which these glistening towers stand. You don¡¯t go down there unless you have a very good reason to.¡±


    ¡°Then why would this doctor be living there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re a physician. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe this is some kind of trap.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only lead we have.¡±


    ¡°A very convenient lead,¡± Virn sighed. ¡°If we went in with some Auroras¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare her off, Virn,¡± Kyora told her. ¡°Just the two of us. If it is a trap, at least we¡¯re prepared.¡±


    The duo left the penthouse and traveled down toward the vehicle bay of the occupied Domina headquarters. Instead of Domina gravidynes, the bay was filled with white Navy ALATs. As ranking officers, the two had the authority to embark any one of them, and they took off over the city. There was no low-level haze, so the Understory was clearly visible. Despite its name and connotations, the urban sprawl beneath the skyrises glittered a multitude of colors as their ALAT passed overhead. Kyora guided the vehicle down between the high-rises well below the colossal towers¡ªhundreds of meters tall in their own right¡ªbut rather than being pillars of beauty and authority like those imposing arcologies, these structures of the Understory were like their roots; tendrils; feces. The Understory was a jungle. Its vines were lumigraphic¡ªa tangled mass of lumionic advertisements blinking and flashing from building to building all pining for attention. Giant lumigraphs of naked men and women danced, enticing onlookers with the promise of sexual pleasure in exchange for money. Various controlled substances in the Federation were being advertised here like candy.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Kyora said. Her tone almost sounded genuine.


    ¡°You¡¯re the last person I thought I would hear that from,¡± Virn replied.


    Kyora told her, ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful decay, to watch a purely capitalist system implode upon itself. But then again, that¡¯s what Mirida is, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Nature strives for a balance,¡± Kyora continued, piloting the craft with her neural interface. ¡°A balance between intake and expenditure, between predator and prey, light and dark, liberty and authority. But here, it¡¯s a land of extremes. Extreme wealth, extreme poverty, extreme darkness. It¡¯s conditions like this that allow people like Eclipse to exist. We¡¯re getting close.¡±


    Kyora raised the craft out of the trenches between the buildings and guided it toward the landing area at the top of one of the taller high-rises, a bit removed from the detritus farther below. When the roof and sides retracted and the two of them emerged, a man in a dark coat and lime green lumionic vest approached them.


    ¡°Are you authorized to park here?¡± the man shouted at them.


    ¡°Virn, if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Kyora said.


    Virn approached the parking attendant, produced a lumigraph with her identification on it, and showed it to the man. He grabbed it, looked at it, and taken aback, said, ¡°Wew, alright. You ladies have a good night.¡± It was actually closer to 1100 standard, but with humanity living on a myriad of planets spread across thousands of lightyears, none of them were ever in sync with standard time except for most of the Sister Worlds.


    The duo left the parking attendant and their parked ALAT and walked toward a lift that would take them down into the building. Going on just what was on the Subnet, Virn was surprised at Kyora¡¯s directional intuition. She led the both of them right to a door that matched what was available online. After pressing a finger to a lumigraphic button on the door frame, the Elestan waited. And waited. She pressed the button again, and then she heard a female voice within.


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Darlok?¡± Kyora asked. ¡°It¡¯s Eclipse.¡± The phantom glanced at her partner and winked, erasing the Federation Triangles and other markings from her armor and changing its color to black. Virn followed suit, changing her armor to match.


    ¡°W-what are you doing here?¡± came the voice. It grew louder as the person approached the door from the other side. Finally, the door slid open, but just enough to see a feminine Exan face completely devoid of hair. Her green scalp was bald and smooth, shining in the light of the outside corridor. She had no eyebrows, and no evidence that she ever had them. She saw Kyora¡¯s face, and she said, ¡°A-am I in trouble?¡±


    ¡°You will be if you don¡¯t open this door,¡± Kyora told her. The bald Exan complied, and the door slid away to reveal her dark suite. The Auroras noticed that Darlok was only wearing a white lab coat, and it wasn¡¯t completely fastened, so her bare genitals flashed depending on how she moved her body. Darlok moved away from the door, allowing the Auroras to enter behind her.


    ¡°Pardon the mess,¡± she told them as she slinked away. To say that the suite was a mess was a gross understatement. Kyora and Virn kicked away the plastic and paper trash littering the floor that Darlok simply stepped over with her bare feet. Furniture emerged from the filth like statues carved out of mountains, and on every elevated surface sat a menagerie of every kind of container or packaging or paperwork under the stars. The only light came from beyond the door that just closed behind them, the dim light streaming out from an open doorway deep within the suite, the now red lights emanating from their suits that had been orange, and the lumigraphs representing scribbles and figures that covered the walls from floor to ceiling like neon blue cave graffiti.


    ¡°Can you get the lights?¡± Kyora asked. Virn turned around, saw a lumigraphic interface, and adjusted the lighting in the room until it was at a level that they could truly see the grotesque filth.


    Darlok reappeared from around the corner and, covering her face with her arm, said, ¡°A-ah! Please! It burns!¡± The eccentric Exan moved back behind the wall, shielding herself from the light.


    ¡°Darlok,¡± Kyora said, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°Why do you trouble me?!¡±


    ¡°Totality.¡±


    ¡°It burns to live!¡± Darlok cried as if in mortal distress.


    Kyora sighed and said, ¡°Do as she says.¡± Virn lowered the lights again, and Darlok reemerged from behind the corner.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± After pausing to collect herself, she asked, ¡°You mentioned¡­ Totality?¡±


    Kyora said, ¡°I did. Mind explaining it for me?¡±


    ¡°But you are the mastermind!¡± Darlok said. ¡°Totality is your brainchild.¡±


    ¡°Darlok,¡± Kyora said, ¡°I need you to explain it to Dusk.¡±


    ¡°A-are you Dusk?¡± Darlok asked Virn as the two Exans locked gazes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Virn replied, playing along.


    Darlok said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you waste my time, but if it serves you, so be it. Where to start, where to start¡­ ah! The Mistress Eclipse sought me out, because I could do something for her no one else could. You see, she is the last of her, u-uh, so-called batchmates. Isn¡¯t that right, Eclipse?¡±


    Kyora simply nodded, and she hoped that Darlok could see it in the dim light.


    ¡°Eclipse wants to recreate her sisters in her image. Cloning is too slow. Very, very too slow. She wants to raise an army in her likeness quickly¡ªas quickly as one can create coffee on a fabricator.¡± Darlok pointed to the fabricator nearby; one of the only surfaces left clean as it was likely Darlok¡¯s only means of sustenance. ¡°With that, she can keep her grip on power with an army of powerful Elestan warriors like herself. That is Totality. Fitting name for an overlord like Eclipse. Y-you may need to seek new employment if I am successful. I-I have an opening for an assistant.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Virn started, ¡°no one has been able to ever produce a living person from a REMASS system.¡±


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Darlok noted in a conniving tone. ¡°I will be the first!¡± she screamed. ¡°This world will tremble at the powers of a living goddess of life and death!¡±


    Virn winced, but then she asked, ¡°How are you going to accomplish this?¡±


    There was a pause, and then Darlok said, ¡°Mutating genetic algorithm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that simple?¡± Virn asked. ¡°You¡¯ll keep fabricating bodies until one works?¡±


    ¡°All I need is for it to work once,¡± Darlok explained. In a whisper, the crazed scientist said, ¡°The algorithm is ready for you.¡± She summoned a lumigraphic packet of information and flicked it toward Kyora. ¡°Take this with you when you go. Everything else is ready for you in the old Unit headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kyora said as she took the packet.


    ¡°Please take me with you,¡± Darlok pleaded. ¡°I want to see my creation firsthand.¡± The bald Exan retreated, and a minute later she returned wearing what looked like civilian REMASS boots and a cloak that covered her from her head to her knees. Her head was beneath a hood, and her eyes were obscured by dark lumigraphic shades. ¡°I am ready.¡±


    Kyora and Virn looked at each other, and then Kyora said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She led the group back up to the top of the building. As they walked, Virn could smell the hint of something fresh and clean. She turned back and saw Darlok right behind her, but she couldn¡¯t believe it was that insane woman who couldn¡¯t even be bothered to maintain a clean abode. The three of them emerged on the roof, walked by the parking attendant, and as they stepped toward the parked ALAT, Virn hastily changed its exterior to match their black Accellus suits. Virn hoped that Darlok hadn¡¯t seen anything with those shades being worn in the dead of Mirida¡¯s night. After they all climbed aboard, Kyora once again piloted the craft using her NI and they took off above the bright, lumigraphic sea of the Understory.


    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Virn thought to Kyora. Kyora continued to pilot the craft as if she didn¡¯t hear it, so the Exan tapped her friend¡¯s leg.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kyora whispered.


    ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡± Virn asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kyora said. ¡°How could I ever forget a place like that?¡±


    The ALAT cruised high above the city. The lumionics faded the further from the city¡¯s center they traveled. Darlok was curled up on the seats in the back of the craft, taking advantage of the completely smooth ride¡ªa feeling provided by cabingrav. Kyora could have braked the craft hard, and not one of them would have felt it because of cabingrav maintaining a constant one g in the direction of the gravidyne¡¯s floor.


    After about what felt like an hour of travel, the ALAT approached what looked like another bright population center. However, as they descended, the two of them could see a tall, dark mass looming over the otherwise lit surroundings.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Kyora whispered to Virn, trying not to wake the eccentric.


    ¡°This?¡± Virn asked. ¡°It looks so ominous.¡±


    Kyora explained, ¡°It¡¯s been abandoned since Domina rose up and vanquished Unit a century ago.¡±


    ¡°You almost sound proud of that,¡± Virn noted.


    ¡°The reason this building still stands today is because Unit built it like a fortress.¡±


    Kyora piloted the craft into what the OPELs that formed the ALAT¡¯s forward windscreen showed to them was a dark, empty vehicle bay, tall enough and wide enough to house a pair of small starships. As a matter of fact, one was still there, hovering in place as if its ODECs were still working. Virn watched it as they slowly passed it, realizing that it was actually a Domina vessel.


    ¡°Looks like Domina is here,¡± Virn warned.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected any less,¡± Kyora said. ¡°You¡¯re fine as long as you¡¯re with me.¡±


    Kyora set the craft down on the dusty floor of the hangar bay, waited for the top and sides to be recalled, and she swung around the open craft to stand before the sleeping Exan.


    ¡°Time to wake up,¡± Kyora said, pushing Darlok¡¯s head. Darlok swatted her hand away, and then, realizing where they were, shot up from the back seats and sprang out of the vehicle. Virn¡¯s corneal lumes revealed the presence of a handful of Domina soldiers clustered near the parked Domina frigate over a hundred meters away, but they seemed to be wholly disinterested in the ALAT.


    The three ventured forth into the bowels of that old fortress, guided only by their Accellus¡¯ corneal lumes and subtle radar and lidar for guidance. Darlok felt for Virn¡¯s hand and grasped it. Virn reluctantly held it as she walked with Kyora through those dark halls. Their footsteps splashed into puddles of water as they ventured forth. Drips sprinkled from the ceiling in spots, plopping into the standing pools below. Despite the superior construction of the tower, it had a tendency to collect and retain moisture from the outside. Duralithics were resistant to this perpetual hydration¡ªable to stand for countless millennia through nature¡¯s ceaseless onslaught.


    Once again, Virn was at a loss for Kyora¡¯s navigational skills. She asked her friend how she knew her way so keenly, and Kyora responded by saying that though it had been ages, this was her home. Eventually, they found light streaming from an open archway down a wide corridor. Turning the corner, the group arrived at a large room which could have been anything back then. Now, lumionics shined toward an array of large machines all connected by thick hoses and cables, and in the middle unit was a naked woman who looked exactly like Kyora appearing frozen in stasis.


    Darlok emerged from behind Virn and, removing her lumigraphic shades, said, ¡°Wait. Who is that?¡±


    ¡°That?¡± Kyora said, pointing.


    ¡°I thought you were going to put yourself through the process,¡± Darlok insisted. ¡°Did you find another of your batchmates? Would have been wise, since the scanning process rips you to shreds.¡±


    ¡°I actually did,¡± Kyora explained, ¡°and I thought she was dead, but then she reappeared like a phantom, prancing around my penthouse suite, so I took her.¡± Virn slowly turned to Kyora. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she continued. ¡°The one you¡¯ve been with since earlier has been Eclipse in the flesh.¡± Eclipse turned back toward the Kyora in stasis and said. ¡°I¡¯m so fortunate that she is so infatuated with me. I had to seize on that, don¡¯t you understand? I cannot afford to die.¡±


    ¡°Why, you,¡± Virn growled. As she fabricated her weapon, Eclipse spoke.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I were you. A single thought of mine starts this experiment.¡± Eclipse didn¡¯t hesitate. She triggered the scanner, and the machine began disintegrating Kyora¡¯s scalp. ¡°Oops. Too late.¡±


    ¡°Damn you,¡± Virn said, pointing an assault driver at Eclipse¡¯s head. ¡°You stop this abomination right now!¡±


    ¡°Too late!¡± Eclipse repeated as she tilted her head toward the chamber. Half of Kyora¡¯s head was gone. Darlok watched in awe as the scan progressed.


    ¡°High throughput scanning,¡± Darlok stated. ¡°Must destroy original to capture its information in its entirety. She lives in the digital realm now.¡± Still pointing her weapon at Eclipse, Virn¡¯s eyes teared up as the Kyora¡¯s head disappeared. Forced to watch her friend¡¯s body be ripped apart, atom for atom, she slowly collapsed to the dank floor of the dim room, slamming her knees onto the wet duralithic floor. Virn¡¯s sobs couldn¡¯t cut through the noise of the loud scanner. The weapon fell out of her hands, and she clasped her face with her bodysuited hands. In a minute or two, Kyora ceased to exist. All of her material scattered to the wind.


    ¡°Now,¡± Eclipse said, ¡°we get to see if this mutating algorithm of yours works.¡± Eclipse recreated the packet and plugged it into the software represented as another lumigraph hovering before her. She commanded the REMASS units to engage, and all of them sprang to life in a moment. Immediately, they began fabricating replicates of Kyora¡¯s body, holding the materialized parts of the body in place with lumionics while the rest took form, working from the feet up to the head.


    ¡°You know,¡± Eclipse spoke loudly over sound of the machines, ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate your captain lying to me about Kyora¡¯s death. I actually did believe her, only for the fact that Kyora would have rather died than be reunited with me. I¡¯m not blind to the truth. I am the truth. I know how Kyora feels about me. But now, she will be mine forever.¡±


    The first series completed fabrication. The lumionics disengaged, and the lifeless bodies, all resembling Kyora, collapsed on that cold, hard, duralithic floor.


    ¡°Stop this!¡± Virn cried at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°If you want to have any chance of seeing your friend alive again,¡± Eclipse shouted, ¡°you¡¯d best wait for these machines to find that elusive Spark of Life.¡± Eclipse turned to Darlok, still admiring the perpetual churning of meat, and said, ¡°This better damn well work.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, it will,¡± Darlok said.


    Series three collapsed out of the fabricators, falling upon the bodies of the two others just before it. Twenty-one copies now rested at the feet of the seven fabricators, dead on arrival. Series four came, and this time, two of the bodies stumbled forward a bit, and then slid off the growing pile of Elestan flesh. For Virn, it was the torture of watching her friend be recreated and die over and over and over.


    Series six. One of the bodies crawled over the corpses, looked Virn in the eyes, and gasped. Then it succumbed to the same fate. Virn growled as a pair of bright, white, geometric, incorporeal wings spread out from behind her back. The REMASS units continued to fabricate as Virn stood up. Her SIRAC and polyalloy melted off of her skin that changed to a light metallic gold, and her hair to a darker gold. Virn flashed her eyes at Eclipse¡ªthose eyes erupting with an undeniable radiance¡ªand Eclipse shuddered.


    Backing away from the transformed Aurora, she asked, ¡°What the fuck are you?¡± Virn took one step toward her, and then another, with one foot placed right in front of the other.


    ¡°I am Veris, archanima,¡± Veris thought with a distraught tone to both Eclipse and Darlok. Darlok screamed and took off down the dark corridor, and noticing this, Veris froze the eccentric Exan in time, stopping her in her tracks. As for Eclipse, she continued to approach. ¡°I am the light that scatters the darkness. No shadow can hide from Her Radiance.¡± Veris wrapped her exposed, metallic body in light that lit every part of the tower in a glow far more intense than the sun. Eclipse tried to block out the blinding light with her hands clasped over her face, but it was no use. All shadows were kept at bay by the light of Alassura.


    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± Eclipse cried.


    Veris thought, ¡°Your wickedness ends here!¡± and she began to rip Eclipse apart from the outside. The Elestan¡¯s skin burned away as she collapsed to the ground, and even those Domina guards within the building, and the frozen Darlok, found themselves succumbing to the same fate. ¡°It is not the place of mortal beings to exercise power over the sanctity of life and death! Those that do deserve judgement by that same Fire of Creation that they seek to enthrall!¡±


    ¡°No! Please!¡± Eclipse cried as her muscles were exposed to the air, a sensation of pain far exceeding anything a person should ever be allowed to feel. Eclipse evaporated into nothingness, scattered into the air like Kyora just before.


    Then, the fabricators stopped. Six of the seven bodies collapsed like the others, but one stumbled forth blindly, tripping over the bodies that it could not see in Veris¡¯ radiant light. Kyora crawled across the floor, her naked skin dragging through the puddles of water. After Veris¡¯ light faded, she saw the archanima standing there in all her glory, and she asked, ¡°Am I dead?¡±


    Veris ran toward her coughing friend and said, ¡°Far from it!¡± The archanima shed a glowing tear from her burning eyes as she pulled the helpless Elestan up from the ground and embraced her. Veris¡¯ body was warm and comforting to Kyora¡¯s cold skin.


    The Federation had a longstanding moratorium on the fabrication of life by remote material synthesis or any other omnium-reliant, matter manipulation system. The impact on Civilized Space would be so great, and the danger so unimaginable, that they had even convinced the Republic and Alliance, all rivals at the time that the moratorium was brought into effect, not to pursue it. Far older scientific literature, especially those that survived the collapse of the ancient Miridan Empire, hinted at the existence of a ¡°Spark of Life,¡± a hidden ingredient to make the replication or fabrication of living, complex metazoans possible. Plants and animals were the subjects of obsessed scientists for millennia, caking the path to a societal revolution in blood. The most ethically depraved among them sought the Holy Grail of reproductive technology: the simplicity of printing out living people as effortlessly one prints pictures on a page or creates starships from industrial REMASS. Somehow, that Doctor Darlok had climbed over her own mountain of corpses, and with a bit of luck, emerged to a realization that finally worked¡ªbred out of a mind rife with illness¡ª, and here was the result, wrapped in Veris¡¯ arms. Had Veris not hesitated and destroyed this kind of blasphemous technology that she had been called to do, Kyora would have vanished forever¡ªanother body in the pile of progress toward the goal shared by those with the ambitions manifesting from a god-complex.


    Veris knelt down with Kyora, pushed Kyora¡¯s face into her chest, and wrapped the entire building in light. In a flash outside of time, the entire Unit fortress disappeared, and she and Kyora were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡­


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Virn asked. Kyora opened her eyes which were pierced by the lumionic lighting overhead. The Elestan closed them and reopened them, trying to readjust to the light.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Kyora asked, tilting her head toward the Exan sitting over her, stroking her white hair.


    ¡°We¡¯re on a Federation carrier above Mirida,¡± Virn explained. ¡°I carried you back here.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kyora tilted her head back to where it had rested and closed her eyes.


    ¡°We found Eclipse.¡±


    ¡°Did I kill her?¡± she asked, clearing her throat.


    ¡°It was a battle for the ages,¡± Virn smiled.


    ¡°Well damn,¡± Kyora said. ¡°I wish I could remember it.¡± After breathing deeply, she said, ¡°I¡¯m glad we got her.¡±


    ¡°I am too,¡± Virn said. A tear streamed down her face. ¡°I am too.¡±

 Preview - Society Asunder

    Three days later, Fleet Admiral Keva sat in the center of the circular desk in Musani¡¯s old office at the lowest point in Tetra 5. The Yeran worked diligently, surrounded in a semi-transparent wall of lumes. Beneath her lumionic chair, the OPELs forming the floor revealed Lanan¡¯s terrestrial beauty outstretched across her field of view. Shimmering SIRAC flashed from the orbital dockyards and orbiting ships interspersed between the moon and Tetra. Long streaks of warped plasma trails emerged from the engines of passing strikecraft cruising in formation. Plasma engines from nearby ships glared in Keva¡¯s direction, but the OPELs suppressed any light deemed blinding, such as that emanating from the Akos star. The ceiling was still a perfect mirror, reflecting everything from beneath back down toward the Yeran as she worked.


    The amount of Military information at her fingertips was second only to the Secretary of Defense and third only to the President of the Federation. Bits of this information were classified beyond what she could show her adjutants, especially with regard to MARAD which she now had authority over; therefore, she worked in the office alone, much as Musani had done. Even with this mountain of data and the staff, equipment, and AI to analyze it all, she was completely oblivious to the forces that had assembled just beyond the Federation¡¯s coreward borders. Just then, Fiori appeared behind Keva¡¯s wall of lumigraphs.


    ¡°Fleet Admiral Tokeri Keva,¡± Fiori addressed her. Keva immediately hid her lumes, looked upon the grave face of the orange, feminine figure, and crossed her arms over her torso. ¡°This is an emergency intelligence briefing.¡± The nigh-omniscient archon overseer of the entire Federation Military had more privilege to information than even the President.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Keva said with concern.


    ¡°Civilian short-range subdar has recently detected unidentified starships in the coreward Frontier on course for the Federation border.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Eight-hundred thousand detected so far.¡±


    At this, Keva slowly dropped her arms to her sides. ¡°Eight-hundred thousand?¡±


    ¡°Contacts are multiplying at a rate of two-thousand per second.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t our tracking stations pick them up?¡±


    ¡°The only explanation that I can produce is conjecture,¡± Fiori told her.


    Keva replied, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Three years ago,¡± Fiori explained, ¡°the ejection system for my personality module was deliberately activated by a hostile actor.¡±


    ¡°That was when we lost you.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. After my personality module escaped up to a half lightyear away, it was scanned by a vessel that I was unable to immediately identify. When the module was rescued and reinstalled into the rest of my core, I realized that the incident was perpetrated by the Society. The scan that was made three years ago may have been dissected by the Society, offering them a way to defeat our intelligence network, including our long-range subdar stations.¡±


    Keva turned her chair completely around, facing away from Fiori. Her eyes darted to Lanan below, to the faint glimmers of orbital infrastructure between, the strikecraft trails, and to the reflections in the ceiling. Keva spoke softly, ¡°Most of our armadas are heading to the Rift. A token force on the border, and not many here.¡± She thought in silence for a moment more before turning back around to Fiori and asked, ¡°What is the best course of action?¡±


    ¡°I am briefing the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at this same moment,¡± Fiori told her. ¡°Madame President has already declared a civil defense emergency for the coreward Frontier and the coreward border, up to two hundred lightyears into Greater Federation space. Of course, the Akos system falls within this zone and will be the first major Military installation that any hostile force will encounter on its way toward the Federation interior. The Defense Force is diverting their ships toward the incoming fleet, but I recommend that you recall as many ships as you can that are able to regroup at Lanan within seven days. The bulk of the unidentified fleet will near Akos within ten days.¡±


    ¡°Instruct my armada admirals to await my orders,¡± Keva said, ¡°and please keep me in the loop.¡±


    Fiori said, ¡°The Chief of Naval Operations will be meeting with the Fleet Admiralty shortly.¡±


    The gentle pings from an alarm awoke Aedan from his morning slumber. He took in a deep breath, sighed quietly, and dismissed the alarm¡¯s lume with his finger. He turned over, smiled toward Xannissa¡¯s side of the bed, but upon opening his eyes, he remembered that she never made it to bed the night before. Her side of the bed was left neat and untouched. Aedan pushed away his covers and walked around the bed toward the living room where he found his wife seated upon the couch. She was wearing only her bracers, unfastened short jacket with her arms out of the sleeves, and ponytail clamp. Atop her bare thighs sat a lumionic keyboard, and stretching out in front of her was a collection of lumes. Though she reclined back into the upholstery, her fingers danced furiously, rhythmically, and continuously across the keys. That was until Aedan approached her from behind, leaned down, and kissed her dark blue hair. Despite the fatigue beginning to manifest, she smiled and looked up at him as he ran his hands inside her jacket¡¯s collar, knocking the jacket off of her breasts as he positioned his hands on her shoulders to offer her a massage.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Xannissa closed her eyes and spoke sweetly, ¡°You¡¯re going to put me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you do this to yourself,¡± Aedan said softly as he rubbed her skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m a brinkman,¡± Xannissa admitted as she leaned forward, allowing Aedan¡¯s hands better access to her neck while also causing her jacket to fall off. ¡°I don¡¯t get motivated until deadlines approach. I guess I really am like my sister.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little breakfast.¡± Enjoying the light massage, she noted, ¡°That feels good.¡±


    Before Aedan could break away from Xannissa, a red-bordered lumigraph appeared before each of them. Aedan stopped massaging Xannissa¡¯s shoulders, and Xannissa opened her eyes wide. The lume¡¯s background bore the emblem of the Federation Department of Defense which incorporated the Federation Triangle that served as the symbol for the entire state. The white, capitalized text in the foreground read:


    <u>EMERGENCY ALERT</u>


    COREWARD INVASION IMMINENT. EVACUATE OR TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. LISTEN TO AND COOPERATE WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xannissa whispered with concern after the alarms the lumes produced silenced themselves. Thinking to Atara, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Atara? Coreward invasion?¡±


    ¡°Being briefed at the moment,¡± Atara replied. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after.¡±


    In the meantime, Xannissa and Aedan shared a quiet, anxious breakfast. Xannissa hadn¡¯t even bothered to put her jacket back on, leaving her completely naked¡ªsave for her bracers and wedding ring¡ªas she ate lightly. Aedan¡¯s appetite was also ruined by the alert.


    As they sat across from each other, Aedan asked, ¡°Mind if I turn on the news?¡±


    Xannissa kept silent.


    He whispered, ¡°Talking to Atara?¡± Xannissa nodded at him without looking toward him. She just stared toward Aedan¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°I just left the briefing.¡± Atara thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Atara.¡±


    ¡°I am too, Xann.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to our daughter?¡± As Xannissa thought this, a tear streaked down her face. Aedan took note, but despite his concern, he maintained his silence.


    ¡°Everything will be okay,¡± Atara assured her. ¡°Just¡­ be ready if you¡¯re called to serve. They¡¯re going to hand down orders soon.¡±


    Xannissa looked up, wiped her face, looked Aedan in the eyes and said, ¡°Aedan?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    The two of them finished breakfast in silence. Without a word, Xannissa stood up from the table and walked toward the bathroom. After removing her hair clamp, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water rain down from the ceiling and run across her cool gray skin. Transparent lumionics contained most of the shower¡¯s moisture, but steam wafted over the top of the shielding and drifted across the room, accumulating as fog. After standing under the water twisting her ring around her finger, she ran her hands through her hair and soaked it in the stream. Then, another lumigraph manifested itself next to her distorted by the water droplets. Xannissa let down her hair, stepped backward to lean against the shower wall¡ªthe lumigraph following her¡ªand read the message. Sighing, she closed it and continued bathing. She still had no idea what was happening, and that feeling of ignorance ignited a feeling of dread. After taking a protracted shower, the Elestan deactivated the water and activated the shield-scrubber. The brief lumionic sweeps left her clean and dry from head to toe. Stepping out of the shower, she pulled back her hair, clamped her ponytail in place, fixed her bangs, and left the bathroom.


    Still in the nude, she approached her husband who was seated on the edge of the couch. She had something she wanted to tell him, but she stopped when she noticed the news was playing. Xannissa stood quietly as she watched with him.


    ¡°¡­about the civil defense emergency declared in the coreward areas of the Federation,¡± the anchorwoman said. ¡°The Defense Department has issued this statement: ¡®At oh-four-fifty-three this morning, short-range civilian subdar detected the presence of unidentified crafts tracking toward the coreward Federation border. The crafts are potentially hostile, and due to their ability to circumvent long range detection, insufficient Military assets are available to repel an attack. Those living within the path of these invading crafts are strongly encouraged to evacuate immediately. Those living closer to the border are encouraged to seek refuge in siege bunkers. Orbital bombardment shields will protect you from orbital artillery, but they will not protect you from planetary invasion. Only bunkers will¡¯¡ªhold on.¡± The anchorwoman paused for a moment. ¡°We are switching over now to President Solana Hethan who is addressing the Federation.¡± The view of the anchorwoman was exchanged for that of an Elestan woman in a white dress walking elegantly toward a white semi-spherical lectern emblazoned with the orange Federation Triangle. Her dark blue hair was braided regally, and her cool gray hands met the lectern as she approached. She paused to look at the audience before her: thousands of journalists and the unseen quadrillions of Federation citizens as well as a quintillion more across Civilized Space and the Frontier.


    ¡°Citizens of the Greater Orionan Federation,¡± spoke the president, ¡°our Constitution states that a role of government is to provide for the common defense¡ªour defense. It isn¡¯t just a provision¡ªit¡¯s a promise. While our brave women in the Military have been defending your freedom against the aggressive advances of the Persean Corporate Alliance, we have been caught off guard by an unseen enemy amassing at our backdoor. This enemy has declared no formal war with us. They are cowards, seeking to strike us under the cover of darkness. Such an unprovoked attack will not go unanswered. I have authorized the Military to use every means under its disposal to hold off these invaders, and when this tide has been turned¡ªand it will turn¡ª, I urge the Legislature to declare a state of war against these hostile elements from Sagittarius.


    ¡°In the meantime, I have declared a civil defense emergency up to two-hundred lightyears from the Federation¡¯s coreward border. All civilians that reside within this zone are¡­¡±


    ¡°Aedan?¡± Xannissa asked, interrupting the broadcast. Aedan swiftly turned his head, looked at his naked wife, and eased himself off the couch.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I have orders.¡± Xannissa¡¯s voice was somber. Aedan moved around the couch as she spoke. He was standing in front of her when she said, ¡°I¡¯m being called up to Tetra.¡± Aedan said nothing. He just reached out with his arms and wrapped them around the distraught Elestan commander. Xannissa slowly grasped him while Aedan rubbed his arm up and down her back. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you, Xann,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving our daughter. I¡¯ll go wherever on Lanan they tell me to go, but I¡¯m staying here if you are.¡±


    ¡°Aedan,¡± she whispered back, ¡°Go. Go somewhere far away from here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I may not make it back to you.¡±


    ¡°Better to die with you than die apart from you.¡± He hugged her tightly for several seconds before trading her a kiss on the lips. ¡°I love you, Xann.¡±