Unknown
Unknown
It was a beautiful night the moon light glinting off water smooth as glass only being interrupted by a solitary island. overgrown grass covered this small land mass that appeared as a black gouge in the middle of an other wise mirror like inland sea on a distant unknown planet.
The sole remaining "human" inhabitant of this planet, a young girl in a silver dress, sat in one of the few bare spots on the island hugging her knees to her chest and looking to the sky. she looked at the stars, at the two moons that have always brought her immense comfort and sighed, her sigh contained a myriad of emotions, grief chief among them. she then spoke to no one in particular, a habit she has only recently developed
"chaos is fast approaching, I must take action or this, the last bastion, will fall and with it everything will be lost."
she stood and brushed off her rear before stretching her hands to the sky and muttering something incoherent. Immediately after, a blinding white flash illuminated this far off planet and this far off reality, a flash brighter than any nuclear weapon unleashed by humanity. But was this flash as destructive as these ghastly creations? that answer would eventually become apparent.
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May 12th 2023
Near Hale center, TX, USA
Passing the mailbox with "GREETER" in white letters on the side Colt sighed as he pulled his old pickup onto the drive leading to his fathers ranch in the Texas panhandle.
'damn he's letting this place go' Colt thought to himself as he gazed sadly at the grass flanking the road.
He continued his drive towards the house as the early may sun shone down on his arm dangling from the window and gently reflected off the college ring adorning a finger on the hand grapsing the steering wheel. arriving at the house he parked the old truck and stepped out his boots crunching the gravel as he approached the house, stopping just short of the steps he called out.
"hey old man you still sleeping at noon or are you going to come greet your son who took it upon himself to drive all the way up from the metroplex just to see your grumpy ass?!?!"
The screen door swung open and a grey haired old man with a bushy mustache rushed out, his speed surprising for a man of his apparent age.
"Colton!!!! what in gods name are you doing here? shouldn't you be chasing woman down at some honkey Tonk in the stockyards? I want grandchildren damn it, get on it."
the old man swept colt up in a big bear hug then set him down and swept over his slightly wiry son with proud eyes gazing at his green eyes and dirty blonde hair from himself and the tanned skin and high cheekbones from his late wife, lingering on the scars on his forearm before landing solemnly on the missing middle finger on his left hand.
"how's the hand?" he asked with a hint of shame.
"It hurts from time to time but I've lived with it for so long now I don't mind it too much." Colt replied with a touch of melancholy.
His father smiled before saying "Got some beer in the fridge come on inside out of the dust".
Once inside the old man disappeared into the kitchen and emerged with two long necks he handed one to his son before motioning him to have a seat in a recliner before speaking.
"its good you came actually i wanted to talk to you about something".
Colt took a look at his father and sighed inwardly he knew it was probably something to do with "that" and he really didnt want to talk about "that" now.
"listen dad i know you love this place but i just dont know if this is what I want to do with my life right now." Colt looked staunchley at his father who replied
"Now Colton clearly I'm getting older i really need you back here to help out with things!"
"NO, you kept me cooped up here until i was 18. dad i want to see the world and everything it has to offer, thats why i went to the service but clearly that didnt last to long so let me do me for the time being then I'll come back here when I've had enough I swear"
his stern tone and hard eyes seemed to reach his father as that was all that was said on the matter. They finished their beers then had one more while chatting casually, once it was time to go Colt stood up and headed towards the door with his father, once on the porch he gazed out at the sprawling plains around them.
'I really do love it here' he thought to himself before going down the steps to his truck.
Still standing on the porch his father called out to him "Think on what i said... about the grandkids I mean, im not getting any younger"
Colt laughed before climbing in and starting the old pick up he called back "I'll get right on that soon as i get home".
Backing up and turning around Colt steered the big truck out onto the road and aimed it south, as he was turning onto the main road he was suddenly blinded by a bright white light then there was only darkness.
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05/12/5323
Frontier zone, Caligian space
Lieutenant Commander Kalis Savor of the Caligian republics navy, was currently at her mental breaking point. The Captain and then the XO of the inter-system destroyer 'Swift defense' was rendered bed ridden by an unknown illness 3 weeks into the 4 month voyage in defense of a cargo convoy bound for a colony on the frontier of occupied Caligian space, and as the 'Swift Defense's' 3rd in command Kalis assumed command of the ship. This in and of itself shouldn't have been any problem for her, however, she was receiving immense pressure from the captain of the other defensive ship of the convoy, Captain Robert Gene of the cruiser 'Swift Heat'. Gene was an overbearing, egotistical, ass of a man who got his commission and assignment due to his close relation to a high ranking politician. Of course Kalis nor anyone else would ever say anything like this to the mans face, but he was universally hated amongst his peers with the exception of the usual brown nosing sucker fishs that usually accompany such men.
At the current moment Kalis was sitting in the captains chair on the bridge of the 'Swift defense' looking at the pudgy, sweaty, balding visage of Captain Gene on the large monitor in front of her
'how can any one person be so disgusting?' she thought to herself as she listened to him drone on about course changes and the like.
Kalis wasn't overly concerned about what was said due to most everything being automated anyways and the route they were set on was mostly peaceful not having much in the way of piracy, So all she had to do was relax and try not to mess things up too bad for the remaining month of the mission.
On the screen Gene was saying "And in summary we can expect smooth cruising for some time if we take the path that I referenced earlier"
'God does he ever shut up? This guy is such a loser no wonder he's been passed up for admiral so many times! I guess "connections" can only get a person so far. your navigation officer would make a better leader than you ever would, since he can apparently plot a course.' with these thoughts in mind she cracked a smile to herself.
On the cruiser 'Swift heat' the nav officer sneezed as Captain Gene was secretly delighted with the current situation, looking at the image on his monitor of a icy beautiful blond young officer who suddenly was thrust into a role which Gene viewed as FAR beyond her capabilities he thought to himself 'how lucky am I to have such a cute subordinate? look she's even smiling at me she must be smitten. Too bad she's dumber than a box of rocks, but that's besides the point, once my "surprise" arrives and I swoop in to save the day she'll be all over me. Not only that but I'll be a shoe in for admiral!!! I'm the embodiment of genius.'
Grinning like a fool Gene concluded the morning brief and cut the connection to the 'Swift defense'.
Six hours later Kalis still seated in the Captains chair was massaging her temples due to a fairly intense headache. She asked someone to get her a cup of nrg brew before she could take a sip of the aromatic drink however, an alarm sounded on the bridge of the 'swift defense'
"Ma'am 2 contacts have appeared in the vicinity of the convoy!"
'ok Kalis you can do this it's your job.'
"Can you identify them?"
'Just stay calm you've got this.'
"Yes Ma'am they appear to be pirates."
'Holy shit this is bad but its still managable you just have to keep a cool head.'
"Ma'am would you like to move to engage the targets?"
'just stay calm and think things out girl you're fine.'
"No, we must defend the convoy at all costs, its the 'Swift heats' job to handle the threats."
Kalis looked to the monitors to see the 'Swift heat' turn to close the distance on the enemy ships, but as they approached firing range the monitors flashed white before appearing to fizzle out.
