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

————Part five————

 “Terra has fallen. Those three words have haunted my people for thousands of years. What followed though… what we did… now those are the real nightmares.” Hearing him speak sent shivers down my spine. There’s no possible way this Terran could have been there… Then I realized what was said. “What… what could be worse than witnessing the destruction of your home-world? Surely there can be nothing more tragic than that…?” Hesitation and fear slowly creeping into my voice. I cannot begin to fathom the pain and sorrow his people must have felt, but to say there is something worse? Impossible. “As you have said Captain, my species is one of determination and sentiment. You have seen the wonders that we made for those we called friends but nothing of the horrors we have left in our wake for those we called enemies…” 
As Vilantis spoke, I looked around at his crew and noticed them looking down or away in mournful shame; Vilantis caught my eye and in his, I was able to confirm my suspicions. “But that is a conversation that must be heard by your Council.” The pain was still there, hidden just below the surface and I knew better that to press my luck. Before I could speak again, I heard my comms unit squawk as my Lieutenant announced, “Capitan, we have several unknown vessels detected by our radar. You’re needed on the bridge, Sir.” I hastily replied my affirmation and ordered my crew to their stations. “Terran Vilantis, have you any idea who could be following us? Who were you running from?” I knew the foe must be dangerous for them to have caused so much damage to the Terran vessel I saw a few hours ago; with that in mind, I had my crew come to battle readiness with a mayday message prepared. “Well Capitan, that would depend on what the signal returns are like.” The sorrow I had seen only moments before was now gone and in its place, a steely determination now masked his face. “Capitan, perhaps I could accompany you to the bridge? This may be your ship, but it is still my war after all…” It took me only a moment to know that we would need all of the help we possibly could. “Of course Terran; you may follow me.” Before we left the crew bay, Vilantis spoke to his remaining crew and as I watched, I saw their expressions change much like his own had. What terrified me though, was in some of the faces I looked upon, it’s almost as if I saw…excitement? Clearly that could not be right… As Vilantis finished what could only have been whispered orders to his crew, I saw them return to their gear and slowly open their crates, bags, and other containers. The last thing I saw as we left the bay was of the Terrans pulling out clearly well worn, heavily battered armor, projectile weapons of an exotic design, and what appeared to be bladed weaponry as well. I knew that this was not the time for questions and ushered Vilantis to the bridge. 
We walked in silence for a time; all the while I was thinking through scenarios, tactics, supply numbers, and more. Vilantis broke the silence by saying, “Do you have boarding crews Capitan?” The question puzzled me, of course we do, I thought to myself. “Yes we do Terran. My ship contains four craft, each with an assigned team of twelve. Why do you ask?” Knowing the answer but unwilling to believe that he would order his crew to fight yet again after narrowly escaping just hours before, I listened to his reason. “If these are readings of our foe, my crew would like the honor of the spearhead when they come into range.” The spearhead? His crew would like the “honor?” They must be in shock… I usually have my teams pick lots for the order; none of them want to be first aboard, it’s nearly always suicide. I tell Vilantis as much and he only laughs and says, “You have yet to see my people fight. Remember, we have been waging war for thousands of years, long before your Federation came along and many thousands of years since. Besides, if it’s a chance to strike back at those who destroyed our ship, it truly will be an honor.” The ferocity of his comment swayed me, for I was terrified to go against him. I informed my boarding teams of the new order they will board in. Each boarding pod can hold sixteen troops and now the first to depart would consist of just the six Terrans, per Vilantis’s request, with the original team now spread out to the other boarding teams. That odd request now sorted, we continued on towards the bridge; this time, the Terran and I spoke of strategy and tactics. He swiftly ran me through some common techniques that his enemy used and I was able to relay this to our ordinance bays to prepare some firing sequences that might come in useful. 
It wasn’t long before we made it to the bridge and I was willing to overlook the lack of protocol as my crew stopped what they were doing to look at the mysterious Terran. I ordered them back to work and requesting a status brief and my hearts were filled with dread; for the radars showed twenty-three unknown ships closing in behind us. This ship is not a war frigate, it is a scouting vessel, we lack the ordinance needed for a prolonged engagement one like this would require… wait… the Terran is… smiling? “Terran Vilantis, what amuses you? We are outnumbered twenty-three to one and do not have the ordinance to engage them all.” The Terran could only laugh and seemed to be crying as well, how strange. “Terran I must ask again, what is so-” He cut me off with a wave of his hand and said, “That signal… the return your crew is getting… that’s the signal beacon of the Shattered Moon! Tell your crew to stand down and to exit the jump now Capitan; the Broken Sage won’t give another warning.” As before, I knew better than to question an order such as that and did as he asked. “Wait, Terran, there are over twenty ships identified by our scans; who else is with this ‘Broken Sage’ of yours?” Could this be a Terran fleet come to aid of Vilantis’s lost crew? I hope they don’t mistake us for the enemy… “No one is with him, Capitan, the Admiral sails alone. As for the multiple returns… well, you’ll understand that when we exit the jump.” The news that this was just one vessel eased my conscious a little but how could it be sending a return equal to twenty-three ships… My only explanation would have to be some form of signal jamming; not unheard of but I have seldom seen it used. We slowed down and exited out of our jump path into the barren emptiness of open space. My crew was on edge, for even telling them that it was a Terran vessel did little to calm them. I was holding up much better but I was still terrified. Terran Gunner Vilantis and his remaining crew stood by my welcoming staff and I as we awaited the arrival of their ship. 
When it entered the system, it was as if a star had collapsed and in its place was now an magnificent, timeless being of metal armor, spiked with weapon ports, and surrounded by a pale green glow. The view was astonishing, something I will never forget for the rest of my days; even knowing that it was armed and prepared for battle could to nothing to diminish the awe with which it left me in. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I heard Vilantis whisper to me as we all watched on in wonder. “Thirty-eight kilometers from bow to stern, twenty-two across at her widest, twenty-six high on average, twenty-eight at the bridge, and carrying enough troops and ordinance to level a planet on her own. Truly a force to be reckoned with.” I could hardly believe it… The new vessel dwarfed my ship much like fully grown Sarlot would dwarf a baby Ran’klet. I realized that my ship was pitifully outmatched and that we were now at the mercy of this “Broken Sage” of theirs. The Terrans around me though, looked proud and strong, the armor the had been wearing before, now polished to a shine. Even with the cracks, dents, and burn marks, they shone like stars themselves. I took it all in and committed it to memory and wished I had a way to capture this moment but I knew that no pict could ever do this the justice it deserved. The Terran ship, Shattered Moon, slowly made its approach; Vilantis had been on the comms since the moment a signal link was established and helped identify us as non-hostile. He as able to help establish this meeting and I was told that their Admiral would be meeting us in person; if the ship was anything to go by, I could hardly prepare myself for the actual meeting. As our two ships docked and pressurized, I couldn’t help but be drawn back to the concept that we were making history here. The airlock opened and the Terran boarding party came through and what a sight they were! Encased in armor the colors of gold and silver, green and dark as the oceans of home, blues as radiant as the forge fires from the smiths of the Esmiridia sector, and visors black as the cosmos themselves. They each carried what was obviously another bladed weapon strapped to one side and an elegant, yet small projectile weapon on the other. In their left hands they carried a banner pole resplendent with symbols and markings, each colored in the same pattern as the one who carried it. The six Terrans moved in lockstep and in such precision I would have sworn they were animatronics of some sort as they filed in, separated, and turned to make their own corridor leading from the entrance. “Those are the Faeyanti Mortue…” The awe with which Vilantis spoke was palpable and I knew these were warriors worthy of great respect. “They are the six Capitan’s of the Admirals forces. To see them here… This is an honor…” In the light of the entryway, I could see a lone figure standing there and even from where I stood, I could tell it was unarmored. In unison, the Terrans, Vilantis and his crew included, dropped to one knee and averted their gaze down and to the right. The figure slowly moved forward and as it did, I heard it speak, “Arise my brothers and sisters… How many times must I say that you need not kneel before me. It is I who should kneel to you.” His voice, for he was clearly male, was soft, almost inaudible and yet… It reached even the most distant corners of the room and was filled with ancient wisdom and authority. The figure continued to move forward and as he passed his crew, they slowly came to their feet, yet Vilantis and his crew remained down. The man strode towards me and he seemed completely at odds with the Captains behind him, for he wore no obvious armor or weapons and stood about one meter shorter than the armored Terrans. His gray robes hung loosely from his hunched frame and was held together by a simple belt of leather with a burnished silver buckle. It was his eyes however, that gave him away as something… more. For in them, it was as if I could see the life of the cosmos themselves, all the years of an age long past, and the weariness that goes with it. “You must be Vilantis.” The Sage spoke, his words soft and slow, was like snow settling over ice, but in the stunned silence, it was impossible to miss. “You need not kneel for me; you have done a great service for our people by simply surviving. Please, stand and be recognized my friend.” The Sage  had yet to even acknowledge my presence and I feared that interrupting him would be a grave insult, so I chose to stay quiet and watch. “I failed you, Sir. We all did… We lost the ship… The rest of the crew… They were my responsibility, sir… And Elona…” As Vilantis spoke, I saw liquid running from his eyes and was able to recognize this as a sign of  immense sorrow and that he couldn’t hold it in anymore. 
The Sage knelt down before Vilantis and place his hand upon his shoulder. As he did so, I saw that the hand as made of a smooth, resplendent and radiant, silvery metal and I wondered just how far the obvious implant went and what was the cause… “The Admiral did her duty, my child. The ship was failing and we could not let it be taken. She will be missed but her name will live forever.” He spoke with such conviction that it seemed as if he was daring the cosmos to go against his words; truly this man was worthy of respect. Vilantis continued to weep as did his crew but they stood and faced the Sage with pride. “You seven are the only survivors of your fleet. All else has been lost and our enemy has disappeared on us again. I am sorry to say that I arrived to late to avenge them but rest assured, they will pay for this.” These Terrans terrified me and my crew was obviously unnerved by their words. The Sage then turned his gaze onto me and I felt a chill run through my spine when we locked eyes. Then he surprised me with what appeared to be a formal bow with an obvious intention of resect, though I could see it was causing the man to feel significant pain to do so. “You are the one to thank for giving refuge to my people?” He asked me as he slowly rose back up. “Greetings Terran Admiral Sage,” I say as I return the bow, best not to cause offence to one such as him. “I am Capitan Xulth’romash Krii’utz. Your people are most welcome aboard my ship and have been highly respectful. Although, it is my crew that saved them, I cannot take the credit for that.” The Sage looked at me strangely, almost as if there was a book between us and he was trying to understand the meaning of it. “Then your crew is to be thanked on behalf of Terra, her people, and myself. Capitan, would you like to dine with my crew and I? There is much that must be discussed.” The offer stunned me; to dine with a Terran? Such a thing hasn’t happened in ages! I was about to say yes when I remembered that we were on a mayday jump to the nearest station and they would be expecting us; I told him as much. “That is a respectable excuse, Capitan. I have need to speak with your Council and I believe they will want to speak with you as well. Allow me to escort you home.” He spoke as if I had no choice in the matter but the mans eyes sang differently, for they made it a question and I realized that for all of their impossible age, it must have been just as long since they were inside the Federations boarders. “Admiral, it would be an honor to be the one to escort you back into the USF. This will be a historic moment!” I allowed my excitement to get the better of me but the Sage merely grinned and asked his Captains to prepare the ship for transit and if Vilantis would like to return the Shattered Moon. “I am sorry Admiral,” Vilantis replied, “I have a story to finish telling my friend here and would hate to leave in the middle of it. I would like your permission to stay aboard so I can continue my discussion with the Capitan.” The Sage was quiet for a time as he pondered the request, then he said, “Gunner, that is be a wonderful idea. Would you mind if I joined you? I always have enjoyed a good story. That is, if it is okay with you as well, Capitan. It is your ship after all.” I stood in more shock than before. Did this man truly wish to stay aboard my vessel? Not only that, he was asking my permission to do so! This man, who could easily snuff us all out with a nod, who commanded warriors of untold prowess, and was as old as time itself, was asking my permission… “I…It would be my honor to host you aboard my vessel, sir Terran.” I cannot help but to let the stunned awe creep into my words. “Great! Captains, You have your orders. Bring the ship alongside this one and prepare for a jump into USF territory. Keep the weapons stowed but be prepared for anything. It has been a long time since we were back here, who knows just how the Council will react.” As our two ships separated, our crews got to work, and Vilantis and the Sage got settled, I had my comms officer relay a message to the station: 
“Resupply Station 119-X03, this is Capitan Xulth’romash Krii’utz of the reconnaissance vessel, Ithreal Sanru. I am requesting a Priority 1 jump to Sector Command on Harn’we. The Terrans have returned and I am escorting them to the Commander. I say again, the Terrans have returned.”

————end Part five————