en kort historie fra/a short story form the-last-ghost

————Part three————

Since the day the Terrans were banished from the Federation, no one has ever been able to figure out just were they went. It’s strange when you think about it; trillions of them lived amongst us for hundreds of years and then, suddenly, they are banished and they all just, left. No fight, no fuss, and no word on where they were going to. As I’ve said, the few picts of their home world are astounding but I, like so many others, have scoured the USF’s records but there is no mention of just where their home world is located. It was described in much detail by those who claim to have seen it long ago, there are the picts, the stories but no actual location in the cosmos are listed as theirs; even the blockade that was established between their territory and ours is a vague border at best. Now suddenly, out of the shadows, we have found them again…

“Beware. For they are coming.” Not exactly the greatest thing any being would like to hear, let alone coming from them. Yet there it is, those five words, repeating over and over on a long thought dead channel. Coming from a starship belonging to a race we all have thought either a myth, or dead. “All crew to stations. This is not a drill. Full power to shields, bring the ship around, and charge the lance batteries. Do not engage.” I call out the orders, but I know deep down that if the stories are true, it wouldn’t make a difference to them at all if they were here for a fight. “Lieutenant see if we can hail them over open comms and turn off their recording. I want to know just what their intentions are.” As the crew does as they have been directed to, I think about all the scenarios I have put them through but none of them could have prepared us for this. “Sir, shields are up, lance batteries are primed, and a jump route has been established. We have a link to their ship on comms although we are getting no reply. What are your orders?” I can tell that Lieutenant Corzi’tu is nervous, as are we all, so I take control of the comms system. “Terran vessel, you are in USF controlled space. Stand down now, state your name and purpose, and prepare to be boarded or else you will be fired upon.” As we watch through the ships feed, we are able to discern that their ship appears to be slowing down, although it looks just as menacing as ever, even in its damaged state. “Boarding parties to positions. Release on my mark. 5…4…3…2…1…Go!” My ship shudders a little as the four boarding craft disengage and start their journey to the ominous vessel.

It took nearly 19 hours standard for the boarding craft to return; we lost comms with them almost immediately and received no word from the other ship. We all sat there, waiting, wondering if they were taken prisoner or killed, yet unable to know or do anything about it. When they returned, they had 7 Terrans with them, each clearly showing the signs of much struggle and suffering. By this point, we had run our scans of the Terran ship and were astounded that it was still operational, albeit only just. “I take it that you are the one in charge here? Right, well we don’t have the time to explain. We need to get out of this system now; and we need to speak to the Council.” The rough and haggard words were directed towards me by one of the smaller Terrans. Even though he, for I could clearly tell that it was male, was ragged and weary, there was a determination about him that set him apart from the others. “Yes, I am the Captain of this ship. Who are you and what is your purpose here? You must know that this is USF space and that you are tresspa-” I start to speak before being swiftly cut off. “We don’t have time! We MUST leave this sector now! I will explain everything later, but we need to leave!”

In all of the stories, there is the unanimous belief that the Terrans have this innate ability to “sense” danger without ever being able to explain why. Not being the one to want to “test the fates” as they used to say, I immediately ordered my crew to withdraw to the jump point and prepare for a Priority 4 jump to the nearest outpost and a request for a Priority 2 jump to follow. “Wait, Terran, what of the rest of your crew?” The man simply looked at me and said, “We’re all that’s left.” It is difficult for me to process this, for I know that a craft that size could easily hold 1500 Terrans, for there to be only them left… “What of your ship? Would you have us tow it back?” I ask, knowing that in the ancient legends, the Terrans, would seldom abandon their ships. “Our Admiral will handle it, but we should be very far away before then. If you don’t mind…?” He spoke with confidence, authority, and utter certainty but I could hear the immense sorrow that was hidden beneath the words. It wasn’t until we were underway again, that I recalled the Terran tradition, “The Capitan always goes down with the ship.” Just as we were about to enter the jump, I stood at the bridge with the Terrans and together we witnessed the Terran ship detonate in an astonishing explosion. With it, I knew that this would be yet another system that would be marked uninhabitable due to Terran involvement.

Knowing that it would take many days-standard to reach the nearest USF outpost, I sought out the Terrans with the intent to learn all that I could. As I stepped into the barracks that we had cleared out for them, it dawned on me that, for good or ill, this will be a historic moment; the return of the Terrans! Millennia ago, they vanished without a trace, and now, like forgotten spirits from their past, they have returned. Addressing the same male as earlier I say, “Terran, it will be some time before we reach the outpost. Perhaps now you can explain to me just who you are and what is going on.” They each look at me and, now that the sense of danger has passed, I can see the sorrow in their eyes, the exhaustion in their limbs, and the cod weariness that they are feeling. “Well…” one of the Terrans speaks, a young female by the look of it, “It’s a… complicated story. What do you remember about the War against the Orks?” From there I sat and spoke with them for many hours, telling them what I remember from my research about the war and later, their banishment. “We all thought you were nothing but a myth. No one has seen one of you in thousands of years. At best we thought you went extinct following your banishment. Can you tell me what happened? There is very little factual information surrounding your species and its involvement with the Federation.” Despite knowing that these creatures are branded extremely dangerous, I can’t help but feel that it is an unnecessary description for them. These creatures clearly cannot be responsible for everything that the legends say. With eyes full of sorrow, the man, Gunner Vilantis according to him, looked at me and said, “It is a shame to know that so much of the past has been lost… Very well, prepare yourself, for the tale that I will tell is not one of joy, nor happiness, nor victory. Are you ready, child? This is the story of my people greatest failure…” As he say there and spoke, I am just able to start seeing the weariness of the years on him. In his eyes, I can tell that he has seen much more than should be possible. As he told his tale, I found I could do nothing but immerse myself in the story.

“When the Icarus fell, you are correct, it was our first major loss in many, many years. Your records of that incident are very accurate and much of the conflict that followed is true; but your Council ignores one key part of why we reacted the way we did. The loss of the Intrali colony was tragic but that wasn’t what lead to what we did. The USF lost a few colonies, many ships, and that’s all tragic and horrible but we, we lost more. You don’t know where our home is, you wonder why? I see you looking, are you sure you wish to know?” He looks around the room and I notice that many of my off duty crew have gathered around to hear the Terran speak. “We went to war with such dedication because of one reason… We lost Terra.”

————end Part three————