Chronicles of Sol: The Fall

Captain’s Log January 1st 002 SDE

Today marks the start of another new year, another year since we lost our homeworld at the hands of the Cathamari. I still see that pain in the faces of everyone. Yet time and action has helped soothe that wound. It seems that more and more people are beginning to call the Enterprise,... home. Its a good sign really, and with it morale soars. Seeing as it is a new year, we have scheduled festivities throughout the day, and I have invited our Valorian guests to attend. Perhaps the festival will help raise spirits and promote relations. With any luck, perhaps by the end of this trip to the open Valorian port of Cantra, we can say that the wounds formed by the admittedly disastrous first contact at Delta Four will have been smoothed over. Although since we are plodding along at warp four it will be a while yet before we reach the system. As we have only been traveling towards it for 32 days. Its been interesting to take it slow again, but we did spend all those months plodding along at warp three just to reach Alpha Centauri, a distance a tenth of what we had been faced with when we started this trip. A distance that we had already traveled by more than double in just a month. A distance that had taken us half a year to travel at warp three. That difference simply underscores the difference that a single warp factor could make. A fact that makes quite apparent how fast warp four really is, even if it feels so slow after we have been zipping along at warp five.

The average person aboard ship doesn’t seem to really notice the difference, and frankly, I can see why. We have no set destination, no schedule to keep either. What does it matter if we reach our destination in a year, a month, or a week? It changes nothing. As until we find our new home, this ship is our home, and we all know we won’t find our new home at Cantra. What we will find is up to debate, but I have my hopes. New friends, and perhaps a shorter route to the region I believe we may find our new home. If we do find our new home that much sooner because of this little trip, it will be worth it. Of course, when we do find it, we will have to defend that. Projects Saber, and Battlehawk would be so much more valuable that day.

Tika slipped into the seat at her bedroom desk. Blearily she blinked away the sleep. It was the middle of the ship’s night, and she was most unhappy about this. The monitor on her desk blinked, and beeped incessantly at her. Across the screen was emblazoned a logo, one that even in her half-awake state she recognized as important. It depicted an ancient bird, wielding two swords, and positioned defensively around an egg. An egg that looked quite like the homeworld. The background was a field of purple and gold. A ribbon wrapped around the egg was emblazoned with the fleet motto. It was written in an ancient Krall dialect, but the meaning still rang true today. Tika didn’t consider the words, however, instead, she focused on what seeing that logo meant. It meant this message came straight from the Office of Imperial Fleet Command.

Without thinking about it, Tika pressed the accept. Instantly the monitor shifted, and an older woman appeared on her screen. A woman old enough that her scales had lost their luster, and her features seemed somewhat haggard.

Before Tika could say a word, the woman was speaking, “I see I caught you at a bad time.”

“Well it is the middle of ship’s night. I was asleep, but what can I do for you Fleet Leader...?

“So it is, but might I suggest that you put on a top before we continue?”

Tika blinked. For a moment the statement didn’t quite register. Then she looked down, and was greeted with the sight of bare scales, and a rather free pair of boobs. Uncovered, and unconstrained by cloth. Her scales didn’t cover them entirely either. Tika blushed deeply, as she realized that she had done something so... inappropriate. She didn’t often wear much when she went to bed. Flustered, she rushed to her closet to grab a top, and slipped it on. The entire time she was much more aware of her breasts, and how they moved as she did.

Tika pushed the feelings aside, and settled back in the chair. Trying not to feel underdressed at the moment, but it was kind of hard when the only thing she was wearing aside from a loose top was the panties she liked to wear to bed. “Sorry about that.”

The older woman waved it off, “Don’t worry about it. Not the first time I’ve seen somthing like that, and it’s not why I called.”

“I see. What can I help you with Fleet Leader?”

“I’m Mid Fleet Leader, Temura, and unfortunately I have a mission of some urgency for you. We are redirecting you to Cantra.”

“Cantra?” she frowned. Tika was familiar with the system. It was an open port on the edge of Valorian space. A rather distant system as well. “Why? I’m not even remotely close to that system.”

Temura sighed, “Yes, but your ship is the only one capable of reaching the system in time, and powerful enough for the task at hand.”

Now she was worried. Powerful enough? That didn’t sound good. “Um, powerful? What exactly is going on?”

“Some rather concerning developments have been reported to my office lately.” she paused, “I’ve sent the relevant information via encrypted data transfer to your ship. I suggest you review it on the way. In the meantime, you are to change course immediately, and make best possible speed for the Cantra system,”

“I see. I would like to know why I am being redirected though.”

“One of the Cathamari warlords has built himself a new ship, using a mix of Cathamari, and Valorian technology. Along with a few components stolen from us. I believe you may recall a certain incident at Illeria? I believe you were present at the time?”

Tika nodded, “I thought the IKS Rikar successfully intercepted and destroyed the freighter carrying the stolen equipment.”

“She did, but not before some of those components were transferred to other vessels. All but one of those was intercepted and destroyed by the crew of the Rikar. Unfortunately, its the one that escaped that is the problem. You will see what I mean when you review those documents, but suffice to say your mission is to intercept this new Cathamari dreadnought and destroy it before the warlord can complete it. We have learned he is heading for Cantra where his allies in the Valorian confederation are awaiting him with the components needed to complete his ship. He must be stopped, if not that ship could end the Cathamari civil war in a matter of weeks, and...”

“And then he would set his sights on the conquest of his neighbors. Possibly even us. I understand.”

Moments later the mid fleet leader signed off, and she just stared at the screen for a moment or two. Before reaching for the comm, where she promptly ordered a new course for Cantra best possible speed. It seemed they were going to be pushing the engines, and crew to their limits. She was not looking forward to this. A few moments, later a bit of nausea underscored why.

After that passed, she accessed her monitor and dug up the new files she was asked to review. It took a moment for the computer to decrypt them, and then she was presented with intelligence on a truly massive warship, grandly named as the Grand Warlord’s Throne. Obviously meant to serve as a symbol, and be a singularly potent warship all the same. Sixteen kilometers long, outfitted with a hybrid drive system that made it faster than any other Cathamari ship and protected by Valorian energy shielding. Then she noted the armor, it looked somewhat unusual with enhanced structural fields. In fact, it seemed not dissimilar to what she knew of human armor. As it was protected by dedicated structural field generators and had a high-intensity energy field running right through the plating which generated a strong polarization effect. One that could be tuned to help repel charged energy blasts such as enemy plasma rounds. It didn’t have a dispersion field though, so it was perhaps inferior. It was an impressive 470 meters thick, however. Problematic, but she felt the shields would be more trouble.

Her biggest worry was the weapons. It was heavily armed with tens of thousands of weapons mounts. Numerous heavy plasma cannon emplacements, heavy plasma torpedoes, plasma missiles, and most interestingly a spinal mounted plasma lance. If the intelligence listed here was correct that weapon alone represented enough firepower to vaporize most capital ships in use by the major powers. What that meant to the galaxy at large was nothing good, not in the hands of a warlike race, especially not one as war-hungry as the Cathamari. Thankfully the weapon was not yet complete, and it required an example of Krall technology to function. If they destroyed this ship, the Cathamari would likely not be able to replicate the weapon. Regardless she had to agree the existence of this ship was a concerning development.

Sali entered the work floor. She had been working here for months, now. At least she thought it was months, it certainly felt like it. Hell for all she knew it could have been years. It was kind of hard to keep track of time, on this ship. Yet she had been here long enough to know what was normal, and what she saw wasn’t normal. Normally this floor was bustling with hundreds of aliens, now only a few dozen were working here.

Not really expecting an answer, she asked out loud, “Where is everyone?”

Behind her the guard answered, “Today is the first day of the new year, everyone not here is out enjoying the festivities. The people still here are the ones who couldn’t get out of work for the day, or needed the higher payout that working today gives.”

“I see,” she replied and mentally noted that the job normally paid. Not that she saw anything from doing this. Although maybe they were paying her, and she didn’t know it. Sali didn’t much care either way. She wasn’t planning to stay for her full sentence anyway. From the sound of it right now might be a prime chance to escape, but she had no idea where they were.

After a moment, she inquired, “So its the dawn of a new year? How long have I been here?

“It’s been over seven months since you got here. Why ask?”

She blinked, she’d asked the question before and never gotten an answer. Maybe she just never found the right person to ask? Regardless the question had been answered. Seven months, seven whole months, and she was still no closer to finding a way off this damn ship. She’d seen a few opportunities to escape custody, but without a plan to avoid recapture she had ignored them. That was the bigger issue in fact, avoiding recapture. She had learned a few things, by asking around or simply listening. Most people wouldn’t answer her questions, but she might find the answer by simply listening to people. Although that didn’t help her answer every question she wanted to know the answer to. There was much that remained unknown, like where they were in the galaxy.

“Seven months!? Its been that long?’

“Longer, but yes. Now why don’t you hurry along to your station? You do have better things to be doing than asking questions, and you can save the questions for lady Greyman.”

She sighed, nodded and headed along to her station. It seemed her opportunity to learn more had dried up already. As for Lady Greyman, she didn’t much answer her questions, unless they were related to the lesson. She was also perhaps a little strict, but Sali had to admit that she was learning from those lessons. Sali did still have questions about how that all started, and as of yet no answers. Regardless she was glad for the lessons, as they helped her understand the people around her. Some of them anyway. Her vocabulary wasn’t very expansive, and as it turned out her alien captors were multi-lingual, and lady Greyman had only taught her one language, one she hadn’t even mastered yet either. Part of why eavesdropping only got her so far.

As she reached her station on the floor, she pushed those thoughts aside. With a sigh, she picked up a cloudy grey brick, that was quite heavy in her hand. Very heavy in fact, and the brick was quite small barely larger than her palm. Sali knew what this brick was too. It was unrefined Rydium. What the aliens did with the stuff, she had a vague idea as well. Somehow it was used in propulsion, but the principles behind that escaped her. She didn’t really know what other applications it was used for. What she did know was how to safely handle it, and transport it.

Carefully she transfered the first brick into a ready cart, and then the next. It wasn’t even a grav cart she was loading, but a small hand cart with wheels. Every couple of minutes alien machinery would deposit a new brick on the surface of her station. Having done it often enough it only took her a couple of minutes to load up the cart, but it seemed unlike usual no-one was coming along to collect it.

With a sigh, she started to push the cart. It wasn’t like Sali could mess up the destination. It was locked into a guide track on the floor. Not to mention the Rydium wasn’t going to a spot all that far away. It kind of sucked, having to push this cart without anti-grav assistance, but apparently anti-grav carts and large quantities of unrefined Rydium were a bad mix. In what way she had no idea.

Thankfully her destination was close, and she delivered the load to a large open pool. One in which a massive crystal was forming. It was one of several such pools in this area. Around it a few workers were monitoring the pool. Occasionally a brick of material would be added to the pool, and it would dissolve near instantly. Not every brick added was Rydium, but no matter the material it would dissolve in seconds. The sight was kind of scary, so Sali simply left the cart, and grabbed an empty one on a track meant for her station. Moving away from the pool quickly. It just seemed so scary, even if she had been told that it was safe. Sali wasn’t going to trust those words. Even if she couldn’t come up with a reason for why they would lie to her on that. Even with that in mind, she just didn’t want to be near an open pool filled with a liquid that could break down solid metal bricks in seconds. Her common sense screamed danger with that. So she quickly hightailed it back to her station, to load up another cart.

Reia watched as the guard she had been following tapped a button on the panel besides one of the doors in the hall. She had been invited by Captain Countryman to a dinner party, and since the fleet was on a warp pause for the day, it seemed like a good idea to attend. From the sound of it this one was going to be all day due to the festivities that the People of Sol were engaged in for the day. She took it as a sign that as a whole their people placed great importance on their new year. Not a very alien concept mind you, as back home they had new years festivals as well. In fact they were huge, and the markets would swell with special products for those festivals. Even if their original meaning had long been lost.

From what she had seen since she had come aboard today. It seemed to be a very different affair, but it was a celebration nonetheless. One that seemed to come with everything such large festivals entailed. She had passed a few couples obviously flirting, and spotted a couple that seemed to be sneaking off on her way here.

Her mind didn’t dwell on that. Instead she was wondering about this dinner party, as the invite did not say much. Countryman didn’t even say who was attending. A swishing sound resounded as the door slid open, and her sister was standing there to greet her. Reia blinked, having not quite expected her sister to be the one to greet her.

As she entered the room, she noticed the other guests. Countryman was behind a counter, holding a black pan, a steaming pan whose underside seemed a little pitted. He smiled, “Ah, you are just in time, the fish is about done.”

She looked around, “Not a lot of people here for a dinner party.”

There really weren’t a lot of people in fact, aside from herself, her sister, and Countryman only two others were in the room. “Well I only invited ship captains to this party. I figured it would promote a cozier environment in which we could actually talk.”

“I see,” then her gaze turned to the pan. Before she could comment or say anything really Countryman was speaking.

“Chef Simons does a decent job, but unlike me, she doesn’t really know fish. Not the way I do. You are in for quite the treat. Pan-seared trout, lightly seasoned served with rice, and a lemon butter sauce. I’ve had this recipe for decades, and I’ve refined it over the years. Had to make some adjustments since I don’t have access to real butter anymore. It would have been so much better with that, but its alright without.”

She frowned and muttered a bit to herself as she picked out the details. Countryman must have heard her as he clarified.

“The butter is resequenced nutrient paste, as for the other thing. I’ve been cooking most of my life. My father taught me, and while I’m not the most talented person to ever grace the kitchen, I’ve been around long enough to learn a few tricks. Simons is talented, but she is still quite young. I’m sure in a decade or two, she will be able to outdo me, but that’s not today.”

Reia frowned, “Resequenced?”

“I’m an expert on many things, but that is not one of them. You’d have to ask someone else to clarify on the process. Although that isn’t to say I don’t know anything about the process.”

“I see. Anyway, I don’t think you invited us to dinner just to chat about this.”

Countryman smiled, as he worked, “Well, there is something I wish to discuss.”

Reia gave him a look, “Are you going to tell me whatever it is that you people are hiding?”

“You maybe, your people? Not so much,”