Falling Star

Part 1

A treacherous calm floated amid the eternal darkness separated only by the glisten of distant stars. Even the mighty hum of a division's worth of Cornerian engines could not permeate its vacuum as they hovered above the orange and barren giant, Titania. Still, their presence was an absolute, especially so of the flag ship at their tactical center which bore the words 'Tredegar' in bold print across its gun peppered flanks. Firmly affixed at high orbit, it took no offensive stance, yet each frigate and cruiser abreast it lay with guns loaded and ready to pounce. At the helm, a nervous heron stood scanning the starry horizon beyond the observation deck with a particular intensity, running the fingers of his right hand along the grooves of the Navy medal adorning the left side of his chest while those of the left pressed against his back in a fist. Those of lesser rank filed back and forth behind him, though even their urgency and steadfast attention could not ease him of his tension. It was only when a clean-cut husky emerged from the crowd, her straight-line march perfectly complimenting her tight fit uniform free of any dust or lint, and approached him that he was relieved of his static conscience.

"Captain Salk!" She spoke, planting her feet before him and giving the proper salutation in almost robotic fashion.

"At ease, Ensign Pond," Salk returned, moving his right hand down to mimic the left and turning his head just so that he could lay eyes on her. "any report from 2nd division?"

"Still only heat signatures they detected from Sector X," Pond replied, inching her finger down the data pad on which the report was archived as she read it. "and considering 2nd division's been in orbit around Fichina for over a week now, they don't think any Androssian ships will be headed in that direction."

"I see," Salk murmured, "they've been able to outrun us so far, but it looks like we finally have them trapped."

"You think they'll try to make the jump to MacBeth?" said Pond, swiping the data pad so that the report could be displayed on the panels in front of Salk.

"It'd be quite a task for Venomian blitz drives," Salk answered, moving his left hand over his mouth as he pondered, "Sacrificing load capacity for speed, it wouldn't be without risk of catastrophic overload."

"Still, they aren't in a position to play it safe, and Oikonny's no stranger to gutsy moves," he continued, his eyes moving about the panels as he analyzed the jump distances between nearby planets, "I assume Near Space Ranging is still coming up empty?"

"If it wasn't, you'd know about it by now," Pond sighed as she stepped forward to stand next to him, taking her usual moment to try and accustom herself to the near foot in height he had on her despite their equal age, "you know as well as I do comms doesn't wait for my hourly report."

"Makes sense, your reports were always more of an excuse for us to be able to chat every now and then."

"And lucky for you I am duty bound to oblige," Pond jabbed, giving him a smile which Salk met with a gentle crow in the kind of low baritone timbre only he could produce.

"You know," she began again, her tone softening, "you didn't have to commission me just to talk to you." Salk fell silent.

"Nav deck is only a lift ride away, and I'm sure the other NCO's would be pleased to know their captain isn't all work and no leisure."

"Try telling that to the admirals," Salk grumbled, his head grown slightly downcast.

"They may have granted me command of 4th division, and all that implies, but to them I'm just another soldier," he explained with a certain nihilism, "and military code requires dignified conduct at all times, especially at the cost of organic behavior."

"Almost makes you harken back to the academy days, huh?" Pond mused, a brief memory of them first meeting amidst their induction ceremony flashing through her head before Salk responded.

"That's an understatement," he said, a blank expression coupling his reminiscence, "'Be all you can be for the Republic' was the tune I sang to myself for those four years, and every year after that as I crawled up the ranks; following every command, sacrificing every ounce of my determination."

"When the war broke out I was excited, I'm ashamed to admit, itching to get my piece of the action, the glory," he continued, Pond listening with growing concern as he seemed to deflect any attempt of hers to look him in the eyes, "I remember the day they finally put the Captain pin on my collar, gave me my very own ship..."

"That was the day Andross took his last breath at the hands of Star Fox, leaving me to chase the heat signatures of his ghosts across the Lylat system." The end of his sentence seemed louder than any word he had uttered in that moment as he, again, fell silent. Seconds passed, though it seemed like an eternity as Pond tried to extend a hand out to embrace his cold shoulder.

"Captain Salk!" A voice rang out, interrupting her inches before making contact as an NCO from the navigation deck appeared on the holo-interface, "NSR is lighting up! Androssian ships will be entering the gravity well momentarily." Salks head bobbed upwards, his conscious buzz from earlier returning.

"Hm, today might not be a bad day after all," he said, a grin almost arising from his expression as he and Pond's eyes met once more.