Chapter 58
ISV Liberator
Stariek Orbit
23 March 3303
The man known as Alpha paced the command deck of the ship he dubbed the Liberator. It was a rather small vessel, especially compared to some of those put out by the Hyperion Empire or Druthagar Kingdom. However, he was confident it could outrun any of them and outgun quite a few. The entire vessel was only half a hundred meters long, but it contained weaponry that could punch a hole through the armor protecting the space station it currently trailed through its orbit around Stariek.
Alpha walked amongst the various displays and consoles of the bridge, glancing at each to verify it was in working order.
“Omega, have the Hyperions noticed our arrival?”
The android with impossibly smooth silver skin—if it could be called such—sat at a console near the back of the bridge. It was the only other entity in not only the room but the entirety of the craft. The screen in front of it flashed as its fingers retracted from the specially designed ports, seeming to ooze into existence. Omega turned to Alpha with an impartial expression.
“Negative, creator. Our scanners indicate there has been no diversion of enemy craft after our insertion into the system.” Before Alpha could ask his next question, Omega continued, “We are currently on an approach that will bring us within ten thousand kilometers of the station, with the nearest point of our trajectory occurring in precisely fifty-nine hours, seven minutes, and thirty one seconds. Engines and all nonessential scanners and systems are disabled for minimal signature, though our hull plating should absorb most scanning signals directed towards us.”
“Thank you, Omega.” The robot chirped in the affirmative.
Alpha continued his pacing. One of the consoles in particular held his attention. It held a series of four images, each showing a person of interest to the organization known as the Singularity. In the top left corner of the screen was the Emperor of Hyperia, though this showed only the tarnished metal mask he wore rather than his face. Next to this was Governor Tober Delargivic. The picture for him was taken from a press conference he held a few months ago announcing increased industrial capacity and the resulting increase in jobs for Arcadians. Bottom left held the face of Ardus Kaine, a relatively obscure director from Siatia. Alpha was sure there was more than met the eye given his rather hidden past. Finally, to the right of Kaine was the youngest of the bunch: a boy named Skylar Reid.
Six years ago when the Hyperions first came to Stariek, Alpha tried to rescue the boy and his father before the Empire managed to get a hold on the planet. However, they proved more adept at taking over than he had anticipated. As such, Omega failed in retrieving either, a point the android berated itself for nearly everyday. Ever since, they had been looking for an opportunity to arise that might allow the Singularity to exfiltrate the boy. His father too, if they could find him, though he hadn’t been seen since the initial attack.
Now, they were forced to act sooner than intended. There were rumors of a threat approaching the station that could end in its destruction. If Alpha and Omega didn’t rescue the boy from the station now, they might never get the chance.
Of course, they couldn’t do anything that would draw the Hyperion’s attention. Hence their adherence to strict protocols to minimize their visibility to scanners. If they were detected, they would lose any opportunity at getting Skylar Reid off the station. And though they didn’t know exactly what was so special about the boy, it was impossible to deny that he would be instrumental in the coming war. The war that none of the major powers in the galaxy seemed aware of or, if they were, didn’t care about.
Another fifty-nine hours, and he would have his best chance of freeing the boy. If only it wasn’t going to be in the middle of the battle of the century.
#
Space Station Vertyn
Stariek Orbit
23 March 3303
Skylar scrubbed the floor with a sponge for what felt like the hundredth time that day. No matter how clean he got it, it was inevitable that one of the other cadets would come by and accidentally spill something. Whether it was on the floor he had just cleaned or on himself, it varied. Regardless, he found himself constantly redoing his work in relative silence. Relative given that Lina sat on a nearby table, her feet on one of the chairs, reading from her datapad.
“Have you read the news lately?” she asked, flipping through different screens. Some she studied intently, while others she moved past with hardly a glance at them.
“Lina, I think I have more important things to worry about than news.” He barely kept the annoyance out of his voice that he had done so well in containing thus far. The last spill—a tray of what was supposed to be mashed potatoes and gravy—was proving particularly difficult to clean. “Besides, I don’t really have the time to go through it all the time.”
“You should every now and then. The Averian Empire just joined the war on the Hyperion side. Galactic News Network is saying at this point it’s the first Galactic War since the Praesidium Union rebelled against the Solar Empire nearly eight hundred years ago. There’s rumors that the other three major races may pick sides, but none of them have come out and confirmed anything yet.”
Skylar’s heart hammered in his chest at the thought of a galactic war. It was bad enough when it was just the Druthagar and Hyperions. But now the Thalyssians and Averians, maybe the others too? What was going to happen to him? Or Lina? Would they be sent to the frontlines instead of the Imperial Academy as Zorn had offered?
“Of course, I think it’s rather a moot point at this point.” Lina shrugged and set the datapad aside. She placed her hands to either side of her as she watched Skylar cleaning. “Everyone knows the three superpowers of the galaxy are the Hyperions, the Druthagar, and the Thalyssians. The rest of them can pretend that they’ll make a difference, but they’re really not going to tip the scales either direction.”
“Maybe one of them will surprise the rest.” Skylar put what felt like his entire body weight into scrubbing the sponge against the floor. The stain refused to budge. With a final grunt of exertion, his chest heaving, he set the sponge aside and wiped sweat from his forehead with his bicep, little of it there was. He looked up at Lina who was staring back. “The Zadians haven’t tossed their hat in yet?”
The Zadian Kingdom sat near the far end of the galaxy from the Hyperion Empire. They resembled humanoid rhinos and were well known for their desire for combat. Skylar had never met one in person, but images of the fierce race did not leave him wanting to.
“Nope, though I think it’s just a matter of time. Their last war against the Thalyssians gave them a bunch of territory, and I bet they hope for a repeat of that while they’re distracted by the Hyperions. Last time they were fighting the Druthagar.”
“You know an awful lot about this.” Skylar pulled the thick plastic gloves to make sure they were still up to his elbow and sprayed the stubborn stain with a cleaning solution before assaulting it again with the sponge. Finally, it started to disappear millimeter by millimeter. He looked around and was satisfied to see there were no more messes.
“I read a lot of books and news articles about it.” Lina shrugged. “It helps pass the time, especially now that I’m spending all this time with you in your punishment.”
“Speaking of which, you don’t need to do that.” He peeled the gloves from his hands, feeling the surprisingly satisfying suction as they pulled away from his skin. Placing his hands on his knees, he sat back on his haunches. “Like you said, my punishment. I’m sure you have more important things to do than spend this time with me bored out of your mind.”
“Never a boring moment with you, Skylar. We are best friends, after all. The only other person that isn’t appalled at me for being friends with you is Keith, and, well, he’s not exactly the best company. No offense meant to him, but I don’t remember you being that gross when you were his age.” Skylar raised an eyebrow at the statement. “I overheard him and some of his friends talking about wanting to set off some sort of stink bomb in a girls’ bathroom. I’d rather not get involved in that.”
This story originates from NovelPhoenix. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Skylar couldn’t help but chuckle as Lina reached over and held out a hand to him. He took it and pulled himself up, stretching his back after having been hunched for nearly the last three hours. The mess hall was empty except for the two of them. Silence filled the room, though the subtle rumbles and whirs from the station’s engines vibrated through the floor and walls. They walked out together. Each of their footsteps echoed loudly. The corridors were mostly empty, though they passed the occasional person heading the opposite direction while others jogged around them from behind.
“Want to get a round of simulation training in before bed?” Lina asked. “We should have time for one, it’s only fifteen minutes to ten.”
“As great as it sounds, I’d rather just go and get some sleep.”
“Are you feeling alright?” Lina frowned and put a hand to his forehead. He slapped it away with a laugh. “Who are you and what have you done with Skylar Reid?”
Lina stopped walking suddenly. It took Skylar a moment to stop as well and see what caused her to freeze. He looked up and saw walking towards them in the corridor was Mian. There was a certain determination in the way her jaw was set.
“Skylar, I’d like to talk to you,” she said, taking a deep breath as if needing to summon up the courage. Her eyes flickered to Lina for a fraction of second before going back to Skylar. “Alone, if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll see you back in the dorms,” Lina said before Skylar had a chance to reply. The next moment, she was walking down the corridor and out of sight.
Several silent seconds passed as Mian and Skylar looked at one another. Some other cadets walked past them, eying them for a moment as they went but moving on all the same. Finally, Mian took a deep breath and gestured to a side corridor that led to the lifts.
“Can we take a walk? Don’t know if you’ve been, but I enjoy going to the Green Zone up on Deck Seven.”
Skylar nodded, feeling dumb as his tongue sat as if it had been glued to the roof of his mouth like the potato mixture stuck to the floor. He didn’t know exactly what to say. The thought she would never want to speak to him again after what happened in the mess hall had crossed his mind. It was somewhat surprising to learn that, for now at least, she still seemed interested in talking.
They made their way to the lift in silence. After a short ride up and walk through the corridors, they found themselves entering a full fledged park that took up most of this deck of the space station. Tree roots spread over swaths of grass. Their branches stretched toward the ceiling and scraped against it in places. Birds tweeted and flew between them in ones and twos. The occasional squirrel darted about, rushing up the trunks before stopping and staring at the occasional passerby before continuing their journey. At this time of night, these were few and far between—there were maybe three others walking along the paths winding their way through the trees and around small ponds. Some ducks floated across the surface of one of these with a dozen ducklings following close behind. Wooden benches—at least, what appeared to be wood but was likely actually metal—dotted the path along either side.
“Do you get up here often?” Mian asked as she led him to one of the benches and sat down. He followed suit, being careful not to sit too close. The cold emanating from it told him he was right about it being metal.
Skylar shook his head. In fact, this was the first time he had ever stepped foot inside the park. Lina talked about it a couple times and how beautiful it was. That it was a good change of pace from the monotony of the space station. He never saw the appeal.
“I try to come here whenever I want to clear my head. It’s good for thinking, you know?”
“I can see that.” A bird landed on the path in front of them, pecking at a leave and picking it up in its beak for a moment before dropping it again. Out of the corner of his eye, Skylar could see Mian watching it too.
“I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the mess hall the other day.” Mian kept her eyes on the bird as it flitted to the branches and looked around. She took a great intake of breath and turned to look at him. “I’m glad you actually listened to me. It was horrible the way they were treating you, and they deserve every bit of pain they get. Good job.”
He blinked. Out of all the things he was expecting for her to say, this was not one of them. Especially after how she ran from the mess hall.
“But it didn’t matter.” Skylar tried to keep himself from whining but failed. He gestured to his stained uniform which still bore the remnants of some of the other cadets’ dumping of trash on him. “This is just from tonight. They still treat me like garbage, literally. All I did was give myself extra punishments.”
“They do when you’re cleaning, but I’ve noticed that in the corridors and during meal time, there’s not as many glares at you. Fewer people are muttering behind your back about how to mess with you. Another couple times of that, and I bet none of them will be brave enough.”
Skylar stared at her for a moment. He hadn’t paid close enough attention to notice what she apparently had. Moreover, he could scarcely believe she bothered to notice something that would have seemed so benign to an outsider. Once more, he found himself wondering who exactly this girl was.
“Well, thank you.” Skylar scratched the back of his head. All thoughts of what he was supposed to say ran from his head. “Is that, uh, all you wanted?”
As soon as he said the words, he felt very stupid for doing so. However, she simply reached over and squeezed his hand in a reassuring way. The next second, though, she retracted her hand as if she were burned. When he looked at her, she had a look of concern on her face. Before he could inquire about it, she stood quickly.
“I just wanted to make sure you know you’re doing well.” Mian cleared her throat. “Well, I think I’m going to head off to bed. See you later.”
Her footsteps clinked against the metal floor and faded away. Skylar continued sitting there for several minutes, watching the ducks as they dove into the water for a few seconds before coming back up. They repeated this process several times before coming back up with a fish in its bill. Finally, Skylar stood and made his own way out of the park and back to the dormitory. Lina sat in one of the chairs in the common area, drawing on her datapad with a stylus. The rest of the room was empty and still. Given the late hours, he wasn’t surprised. As he entered, Lina looked up at him.
“So, how’d it go?” She nodded to one of the other rooms. “Your mystery girl came back a few minutes ago alone. Didn’t scare her off did you?”
“I may have.” He sank into the seat next to her and sighed. “I’m terrible at this talking to girls thing.”
“You realize I’m a girl, right?” She smirked at him. “You can talk to me just fine.”
“Yeah, but you’re different. We’ve been friends the entire time we’ve been here. And, well, with Mian it’s not the same.”
“You’ll figure it out eventually.” Lina yawned and strecthed her arms into the air widely. “I’m going to get some sleep. You should do the same before you stay up to late commiserating. See you in the morning.”
She stood and headed towards the dormitory. As she passed him, she reached out to ruffle his hair.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she whispered. Then she disappeared through the door, leaving Skylar alone in the dim common area.
#
War Council Chambers
Druthagon Orbit
23 Movrim’s Favor, 6F1
Thaseas Shadowbrand was alone in the dark War Council Chambers aboard the station orbiting the Druthagar’s dead home planet. It was not uncommon for him to pace in the room. After all, his status as High King afforded him the luxury to go where and do what he please. Those who questioned him were not alive long enough to realize they made a mistake.
Normally, though, he would have retired to his chambers by then. En route, he received a message from his benefactor, Nergal, telling Thaseas to meet him directly. Now, he waited for some sign of the arrival of the mysterious entity.
At the top of the hour, the door into the chamber hissed open. The light spilled forth from the doorway. For a moment, all he saw were the three silhouettes of hulking figures. Then they stepped forward. The door shut behind them, the lights came on, and he took a step back, not able to keep his mouth from dropping open. Standing there were what used to be Druthagar soldiers. Not ones he knew personally. Judging by the insignias on their chests, they were lower ranking, mere conscripts. But their bodies were unfamiliar even for being the same species as himself.
Instead of a left hand, each had been replaced with a sharp, curved blade. It gleamed with each step they took closer to Thaseas. Their right seemed to be still capable of gripping, though it was dark and metallic. Plates covered much of their bodies, including half their face. One of each of their eyes was replaced by some sort of ocular sensor that shone red. Breathing apparatuses similar to gas masks covered their mouths and noses with a tube running behind them. Humming and the sound of heavy air filtration came from their backs. Thaseas could just make out a large tank that hung on each.
Just as he was about to shout for help, the small robotic dog stepped out from behind the dwarves and padded forward ahead of them. It opened its mouth, and the grating voice of Nergal filled the room.
“What is your opinion on these ascendant test subjects?” The dog looked back at the three dwarves. “They are not perfect, but it is a good example of what your people can and will be. Imagine letting loose a squadron of these Brutes in a ship to take control of it. No one would stand a chance against them. They are the future.”
“They… are ugly and terrifying.” Thaseas found them difficult to look at. He did his best to avoid grimacing. They didn’t even look like dwarves as he knew them anymore. After several seconds, he cleared his throat and returned his attention to the dog. “What other updates do you have for me?”
“I am glad you asked. The Emperor of Hyperia is two and a half days out from Stariek.” The dog sat in front of the center of the three cyborgs. “It is time to make a move. You will want to make sure your fleet is in a position that enables it to attack when the Emperor least expects it. With his death, your victory in this war will be guaranteed.”
“How many vessels has he taken with him?” Thaseas smiled widely, momentarily putting the ugly Brutes out of his mind.
“Just the single vessel, the Star’s Eclipse.”
“Bold,” he muttered to himself. Thaseas stroked his beard. “Very bold to take only a singular ship, even if it is one of the largest in their armada. But I suppose he does have the Seventh Fleet stationed in that wretched system. Well, what better way for the beginning of the end of this war than where it all started in the first place? Thank you, Nergal. I will send a fleet to intercept the Emperor when he arrives at the Draconis system.”
“Very good, High King. I am sure you will emerge victorious. Especially with more of these on your side. I estimate there will be five hundred and seven Brutes ready to send that can link up with your fleet and wreak havoc either on spaceships or in the station known as Vertyn itself.”
“I welcome their efforts.” Thaseas bowed sarcastically to the dog, keeping his eyes off the Brutes. “And I appreciate all you have done for me thus far.”
“I am happy to be of assistance. When the Brutes are ready, you will receive a message.”
Without another word, the dog led the three dwarves from the room, leaving Thaseas in the dark as the lights turned off once more.