by Boris Mosso
He still had one more thing to do before performing the small leap controlled by almost eight light hours to join the fleet, behind the last gaseous planets from the planet in relation to its sun; near planet Cratias, the tenth and last planet from the Solarian System.
Cratias name had been taken from a mythological ancestral god; deity which ruled the destinies and avatars from an old and primitive lost culture, at the beginning of the Espacian civilization.
This gaseous giant, surrounded by huge and disproportionate rings, orbited at seven light hours from its central star.
In other nearby coordinates to this world, the huge, improvised and heterogeneous evacuation fleet was formed. It would take off from there in a few more hours with a very different destiny.
Tronius went into his big quarters crestfallen, which lit up automatically upon detecting his presence and he settled in a couch which shaped his body into it, to then levitate him close to the transparent partitions.
His hands ran through his big forehead marked by a few and thin horizontal lines, following then his bent head’s curve, with a twitch obtained in his childhood.
With his left hand’s slight movement, a tridimensional holographic screen appeared. He took a deep breath and then his other hand slipped down to his chest, at some ten centimeters away. Instantly, his simple Admirals jacket’s seams opened at the same time detaching harmoniously and stylishly. The strong fabric consisted of graphite dithering filaments having thermal properties with high resistance to heat and impacts.
In the holographic, a sequence of battles registered in dozens of solar systems began to show since the beginning of the invasion. He allowed them to run freely for too long at times. Other times he repeated certain segments over and over, or focused on specific battle areas looking for patterns, trying to decipher the complex and mysterious strategies from the enemy.
In the last couple of days, he noticed an unusual detail in the way to pose the confrontations when the enemy couldn’t defeat quickly. They modified something. Something that he didn’t quite understand and nevertheless his sense of accomplished strategist, led him to unravel that mystery.
It wasn’t just about his bold and drastic measure to open their dark energy core, trying to destroy communications in an important portion of the conflict period. Maneuver, in which they certainly sacrificed some of their mother spaceships, which upon suddenly finding themselves without substantial energy from their essence, they lost their shield and the abilities to leap into hyperspace.
Parallel to that, asking to go into combat periodically and despite of that, the Astral’s Unified Command, sustained the Espacian strike force as reserve so far. Thus, they were persistently ignored by the coalition directors, whose policy had been to favor the most numerous and experienced fleets in recent battles. That was another reason how a species that didn’t go into massive combat was underestimated during five Espacian centuries to this date.
With a subtle gesture he eliminated the bloody struggles developing in the holographic. The deadly dark energy missiles could be seen sweeping away the allied spaceships there.
Suddenly, Inia’s life size image was formed in the air. His hands caressed the beautiful Baltarian’s hologram. It was never allowed to cry before her virtual image, he just stood there before her, like waiting for it to come alive.
He remembered being a young officer assigned to an undercover and classified expedition, forty-two years ago. Explained to the small audience who would care, like a scientific expedition finding to extend knowledge about Espacia, from the supernovas and dark matter in central areas in the great spiral; but far away still from the central bar of stars and from the maze of black super massive holes, in the same galaxy’s rotation axis.
However, they never approached those faraway and dangerous areas from the unexplored galaxy. On the contrary, the mysterious expedition approached a group of stars located at two hundred light years from Espacia. The incursion originally would last one year, but they remained roaming through space and without any kind of communication during that period, for two years.
In the end, they complied, saving the Solarian System from a devastating and complete destruction in the distant future, of what exclusively the Systematic Council, the Eapacian Foreign Intelligence Office and the fleet’s High Command, had knowledge of in that era, even up until today.
With the passing of years and decades, details not officially recognized leaked, which wove some sort of legend around the Admiral and the incredible events occurring during the mysterious expedition.
Before leaving, he promised Inia that they would tie their eternal love vows at the Ancestor’s Invocation Ceremony, next to the rock at the hill on Lenodon’s outskirts; to not ever depart from each other.
When he returned tired, but covered in secret glory, he brutally found out that Inia had died in a confusing accident in space near the Baltar Moon, her place of birth, a month after his departure. He was a living dead man for a long time.
The despair from the first years, gave way to an absolute and permanent silence. In the following periods, he focused with all his might on his work, until he became the youngest Espacian Fleet Supreme Command in all its history.
Now, forty-one years later from Inia’s terrible loss, he was considered a living legend and despite that, hardly anyone knew his intimate and tragic story.
At a specific time, it was another woman’s hologram that emerged in the middle of the room. Taller than Inia and not looking like her much. Instead, she had fine and harsh features from Tronius, but her eyes did, he thought, they’re Inia’s blue violet eyes. The thin and tall woman had a Espacian Fleet uniform on, showing a Vector’s Captain rank on her shoulders.
His thoughts were interrupted by a call from the bridge.
—Admiral, the STF spacecraft is approaching.
—Fine, once Captain Gander boards, send him here.
—Understood.
He stood up and moved forward some ten steps, looking for the calmness he needed in a few minutes. The Vector’s back side hangars came to his visual field and that way he was able to watch the three crew members small and stylish raider, coming in with a swift maneuver which continued its quick route towards the attack fleet deployed in the Solarian System’s exterior.
After a few minutes he heard the soft, harmonious and musical sound. With a mental command he turned off the hologram, where the young woman’s image still displayed in the middle of his room. He straightened out his uniform and approached his room’s exit.
—Doors…
The doors opened instantly and a tall, about thirty-five years old man appeared. He wore a green suit, different from the Terrestrial combat forces. He was standing upright and still like a pole. On his left shoulders side, a little emblem could barely be seen. It was a skull with a sun on its forehead, an unmistakably STF emblem. The sun was the Solarian System’s star and the skull represented the commitment to fight for Espacia until death.
Tronius looked at him kindly. He felt deep respect for the Stealthy Terrestrial Operations’ soldiers Special Forces since his young perilous days.
—Come in Captain Gander.
—Thank you, Sir.
The very tall soldier, with a poised dark blue gaze, shaved head and athletic built, came to a halt in the middle of Tronius’ huge lobby lounge, barely hiding his anxiety upon hearing his name called by the Admiral. He didn’t even move a muscle. Tronius decided to go straight to the point.
—Captain Gander, listen, there’s no time for formalities or beating around the bush. I have a secret mission for you.
—At your command, Admiral.
—Please… sit down.
—Excuse me, Sir?
—Sit down, Gander.
Gander was absolutely puzzled upon sitting down. There he was, some mere Captain from the Terrestrial Force alike other thousands of them, settling in a comfortable seat located in Admiral Tronius’s personal spaceship’s private rooms, the
entire Espacian’s fleet Commander, of its colonies and satellites. He was probably the most distinguished and famous Espacian from the last fifty years, besides, it was the Admiral himself who served him a glass of water and gave it to him with his right hand, not a service droid, it was unreal.
—Captain, we’re very close to leap into the impending battle in the Atirov System.
—Yes, we are, Sir. We’re ready to go into combat and if necessary, to defend the allied planet’s inhabitants, leaping with my RMOD from behind the enemy lines.
—No, Captain, you won’t go to Atirov with us.
—Excuse me Sir? I don’t understand.
—You have been assigned to the evacuation fleet. You will embark in an Espacian Intelligence and the Systemic Council’s secret mission there. You will use a Vector spacecraft, really two. Your direct Officers will go along with you.
—Right, Admiral.
Gander resorted to his strict training and fierce discipline, in order not to bombard him with dozen questions which sprouted by heaps in his mind.
—You see Captain, this issue has suffered a new focus, replacing several crewmen at the last minute, for safety.
—As you order, Admiral.
—Gander, the mission is doubly secret. The spaceship’s Captain or, it would be better to say, the woman spaceship’s Captain and the entire expedition’s Commander, will be barely notified about her new assignment in a few more minutes.
The Admiral stood in front of the STF’s Captain. He also stood immediately, as if pushed by a spring.
—Gander, I’m sending you to this incursion, to watch the Solarian System’s interests, as well as for you to take care of that woman. This will be a secret between you and me. She should be protected at all costs.
Tronius turned, stopping again in front of the exterior window. Gander anxiously perceived that the matter didn’t go along with a very normal procedure
—Captain Gander. That woman’s name is Lena and she’s my daughter. Nobody knows she is and nobody else should know, including her. Just you, me and a few more know about this situation.
Despite Gander being a very harsh and a little squeamish man, he couldn’t help but wonder and he just contained an amazement exclamation. Everyone in the Solarian knew full well that the legendary Admiral Tronius, had no family at all.
—Right, Admiral… I understand.
—I chose you because you and your unit have been highly recommended by Fran from Lust, the Tenth Tubular Group’s General Commander. They tell me you have extensive experience in classified operations, which include some very dangerous landings in the distant Solar Systems. Besides your unit, being the ones from few Espacian ground forces that have been in real combat more than once, which is rather unusual as you are aware. In fact, … I understand you were one of the few STF’s that survived the disastrous rescue of Trodia’s hostages, five years ago.
—About the Lender Solar System… yes, it was a nightmare, a real massacre.
—That’s how we also classify it. Because of all this, Captain Gander, count with all my trust.
—Thank you, Sir, I’ll protect her with my life.
—I appreciate it from my inmost soul. It’s time, you should leave. Your RMOD is already on board the expeditionary spaceship. You must take your men to one of the Councils spaceship’s hangars, number eight. You will take off from there in a couple of more hours. Good luck, Captain; I hope we see each other again someday, and be able to thank you for what you’re doing for me, as it is appropriate and in better circumstances for our people and for us.
—It’s not necessary. It will be an honor to protect your daughter, Admiral. See you later.
—Goodbye, may the wisdom of the Ancestors guide you and preserve you.
Gander left instantly, understanding that the brief meeting had ended. The Admiral drank a glass of water in one sip and plopped on the levitator couch. Both images appeared together now in the hologram, both women in the middle of the room; from that position he saw the STF’s spaceship quickly go by crossing towards the evacuation fleet.
Ten seconds later, his personal spaceship leaped into hyperspace to meet the Espacian War Fleet.
3 - Lena
Lena had chosen to take a shower with water instead of the purifier ions normally used in the fleet’s sanitary services. She took that pleasure in view of the upcoming leap to the great battle that her Vector would undertake in about four more hours, as it could perfectly be her last shower.
The general orders had already been given and her magnificent Vector remained waiting, along some other thousands of identical spaceships. She could see them at a glance from her bathroom through the transparent alloys’ dividers. They were positioned in a symmetrical quadrangular shape.
Sharpening her sight, she saw the dark blue fuselages, almost black and without visible lights or windows. They looked like herds of giant and mysterious animals, sleeping soundly.
She tried to find some peace with the normal tapping from the warm drops, but her excitement and nervousness, caused occasional jitters despite the water’s warmth.
Suddenly, she remembered the last nightmare from the night before. Somewhat a different version of the overwhelming dream which frequently appeared during months in her unconscious. It happened during the last night programmed cycle, according to the City of Lenodon’s timetable. The operating time zone in all the Espacian fleet’s spaceships.
It was always the same, but with new and subtle features inaccurately and intriguingly added to the surreal sequence. She remembered the clear image of a starry space against a dark background, at the beginning of the dream. She seemed to be floating in the emptiness, confused and frozen from the cold; therein the same voice arising again, whispering unintelligible words, instilling fear and restlessness.
She fussily discerned and for the umpteen time, an undefined threatening aerial figure approaching, which always terrified her and felt deep helplessness, at the same time losing her mobility completely, feeling fastened in some type of harness which she wasn’t ever able to see.
Just as always at the end of the nightmare, she sensed the clothes or tunics’ folds in the middle of the suffocating darkness, as if waving from a sea breeze. When she dared to focus her sight, she discerned an elongated fuzzy shape floating very close to her, feeling it brushing against her.
She closed her eyes to erase the disturbing images, while the warm water unhurriedly caressed her perfect back. From there, the fine streamlets traveled the rest of her fibrous and harmonious one meter and seventy-three centimeters tall body.
When she opened her eyes again, her powerful blue with visible violet traces gaze, fixed on a whole-body holographic mirror floating to the side of the shower; she wondered if that body would get someone’s caresses again, or if she would feel the warmth of a long and deep kiss on her lips once more.
Few tears came out and went down her cheeks slowly, although she recovered quickly. She understood that those were the last tolerable feelings from then on. The confrontation was about to begin in an uncertain and difficult scenery, being the spaceship’s Commander, where forty crewmembers and hunting spaceships’ Officers depended on her decisions.
Before turning the water off mentally, a priority call came in, which was answered unilaterally. While a dark and almost one centimeter thick two-dimensional holographic, covered her body completely.
Communications from that rank were answered immediately and automatically, with no respect or regard for the privacy of the receiver or considering the receiver’s intimacy, in case the systems detected the message’s recipient in the room. Realizing that it came from a superior entity, was the only alternative.
Lena was taken aback after finding out who the communication’s requester was, or rather, to whom it was imposed.
4
- Gander
Through a rectangular compact window, Captain Gander watched Tronius’ spaceship being sucked into a dazzling portion into space
in front of it.
The compact triangular device moved away from that position at the same time. The STF third class Officer called Blesten, was the one who introduced the evacuation fleet’s coordinates, just as Gander had finished giving new orders to Rombar, his second Officer. This STF had short blond hair, a broad jaw and a deep black-eyed cold gaze. The bulky soldier looked expressionless on a little suspended holographic in front of Gander.
—Rombar, we’ll meet there then. Apparently our RMODs, weapons and supplies, are already in the main Vector; as soon as you get to the Espacian System Council’s spaceship, verify it.
—Very well Sir, is our new destiny known? Until about a few minutes ago, we were on front road for landing in one of the Atirov System’s planets, and now…
—I know, it has taken me by surprise also, but for some reason we’ve been moved in another direction at the last minute. It’s not our place to question that situation.
—I understand, we’ll all be there to meet with you.
—Very well, over.
He should get used to the discomfort feeling, from hiding part or direct orders given by Tronius permanently, and that already began to bother him.
He continued confused and amazed by the unexpected course his life was taking during these critical hours for the Espacian race. He psyched up for weeks waiting for the moment to go into combat against the fearsome enemy on the surface of some planet in the Atirov System and now, his objectives, veered one hundred and eighty degrees.
—Shall we go, Bles?
—We’re about to leap into the new coordinates.
—Very well.
The STF Officer’s perfect profile, was clearly drawn against the traffic and navigation holographic’s light. The dim light was not enough to conceal the worried frown on her face upon following the new and unexpected instructions, provided by Gander recently.
