Mutiny
Andromeda Galaxy: Year- 2819
(10 months after ark Hyperion arrives)
The Novus, after over 600 years of faster than light travel, had reached her destination. Arriving in her new galaxy, auxiliary systems burst to life and the first few hibernation pods began to open.
Hawk first felt a tingle in his skin, and then a weakness in muscles. His flesh felt cold, and when he opened his eyes, he was welcomed by a very uncomfortable amount of blinding light, expected considering he had spent six centuries in darkness. Confusion than reigned over. A few seconds he didn't know who he was and where he was.
"Welcome to Andromeda, Hawk!" screeched a loud female voice.
"w-what" Hawk managed out, still adjusting to being awake.
"It's ok Hawk. Being confused is a totally normal after effect of long induced cryo sleep. You'll feel much better momentarily" the overly friendly voice said, too loud for Hawk's nearly unfrozen ears. Suddenly a sharp prick was felt in the side of his neck, causing a sharp recoil. "There! That should help you wake!" continued the voice.
Sure enough, within just a few seconds, Hawk felt like he had a night's sleep, and not over half a millennia worth. His vision returning, he was greeted with a female human shaped hologram, inches from his face.
"Hi there Hawk! I'm the Novus's cryo VI, here to help you adjust to waking in our new home."
Hawk? Oh yeah, that's who I am right now
'Hawk' was not his real name. As long as he could remember he had changed names. A useful defence in his often dangerous life.
Other memories started flooding in. The Novus was no ark. No Hyperion. She was a secret ship, an initiative created in the shadows. She was nowhere as large as an Ark, more around the same size as a Cruiser, but far more heavily armed. She was built for combat and built by an organisation Hawk knew very little of, apart from that it and this ships existence were not known by the major powers of the Milky Way. No one but its current inhabitants and probably a few big players back home knew this ship was here, and the Andromeda Initiative sure as hell had no clue they were.
"You are among the first select few of the lucky one thousand five hundred people to be wakened. Today you will-"
The annoying VI never got to finish her greeting. The hologram suddenly disappeared, and a fair haired man was now the thing in Hawk's vision.
"Ugh, sorry about that. Stupid thing." Groaned the man "Name's Will. Nice to meet you."
"Have- have we arrived" Hawk managed to get out.
The man known as Will smiled. "Yep, six hundred years later, and we are finally here."
Almost by instinct, Hawk attempted to climb out his pod, not realising that apparently not using your muscle for six hundred years may make them a little numb.
"Woah, easy there man!" Will said rushing over to catch Hawk. "Let's get you checked up first, give you the debriefing before you start taking planets for yourself."
Practically being dragged to the med bay, Hawk attempted to remember what he could. His position on this ship had been a remarkably simple acquisition. He was approached by a few shady men, told about this 'great opportunity', something that he quickly and easily dismissed as trash. It was only through sheer determination of will that Hawk had managed to hold off for so long. Message after message and random contact after another this organisation had approached him, offering a place upon the Novus with little explanation other than that they admired Hawk's talents and accomplishments. Such knowledge provided Hawk with at least a clue into why he was here. Pursing an official explanation had proved to be difficult at best, with his requests flat out denied and kept tight lipped. Hawk had not considered himself to have amassed many talents in his 24 years of life, but the majority of those had been primarily spent surviving….and tallying a number of kills. His relative short list of abilities must have meant whoever was orchestrating this secret initiative meant they weren't in short need of men of violence. So while Hawk was fairly content into why he was here, he was less so for the real reason he was, as in the reason he accepted the strangers offer. Sure he was an explorer at heart, never wanting to stay in one place and always daring to venture into the unknown, but there was still plenty of that back in the Milky Way. He had been offered opportunity with this initiative. Chances to do great things and influence history. This was mere salesmanship to Hawk. He had accepted this offer for a reason he could not pin down, for as he thought about declining the offer, his mind screamed of the stupidly of such a thing. He was not a superstitious man, destiny was not even a consideration but whatever it was, he felt he should be here.
"Looks like you're in perfect shape. Ready to get out there" said the doctor performing post cryo checks on him.
"You hear that?" cheerfully said Will. "Want me to get us both a shuttle and start exploring?"
"You're an ambitious guy aren't you? Jumping out there without even a foothold in the entire galaxy" Hawk replied dryly, not sure if he even wanted to talk after such a long rest.
Yet despite his obvious annoyance, Hawks words seem to have little effect on Will, quite the opposite in fact. "Hey, not my fault" he laughed, holding his hands up. "I've been awake for a week, every moment wanting to get out there"
"You came out of cryo a week ago? Why?" asked Hawk.
"I'm part of the Novus initiatives management team of our block of lucky sleepers. I'm just eager to get on with it now" The glee of waking more people up and moving the program ahead was obviously an exciting step forward for this friendly but perhaps simple desired man.
"Block? What are you on about?" further questioned Hawk.
"The bunch of guys and gals you and I were in cryo sleep with. We're the people who will be getting things done. The boots on the ground. The-"
"The front line troops" Hawk cut in, causing an awkward laugh from Will.
"Well, yeah I guess"
Knew it
After a few short moments of awkward silence, Will continued his charm offensive. "Anyway we're here now. Tell me about yourself Hawk. Why did you come, what was life like back home? Well, our old home now I guess."
Hawk groaned inside. It wasn't cryo grumpiness, it was annoyance of this overly enthusiastic man. He had no ill desire towards him, but cheerful small talk wasn't his way, but he replied never the less. "Why I'm here? Why not. Life back in the Milky Way? Doesn't really matter now.
There was no rule to say he had to give a good answer.
"Come on now man, we've all got good reasons for being here. I mean, I thought it'd be amazing to help start a new, important life for us all, without working with the Citadel sponsored Initiative. Can't trust those guys right?" Said Will with a sly smile.
This was the main determining factor Hawk had heard from others on this ship, just before he was put in cryo. Wanting everything the other initiative did, just without the shadow of the Citadel. However, that only really applied to the people he was in the same cryo chamber with, or in other words, the workers of this ship. What the higher ups wanted was probably far more illegal and mysterious, maybe even in conflict with the Citadel.
Will however, apparently hadn't finished giving his mundane reasons. "I mean, that guy other there" he said, pointing at another human having a medical check. "He's Cerberus, so I think we both know what he's after here. Human supremacy bla bla bla "
It wasn't surprising to Hawk that Will wasn't really concerned with Cerberus. He was here without knowledge of the Milky Way races, and should this initiative be caught, they'd all be in deep trouble. So why not work with the enemy of your enemy. Hawk didn't subscribe to the rhetoric of Cerberus, but he wasn't really concerned with their activity, especially if it was just a small number of them here.
"…and that guy" Will continued, pointing at another. "Pretty sure he wants to be the self-proclaimed king of a new planet. Crazy guy, but good with the big guns. "
"So I'm surrounded by crazies" scoffed Hawk, laughing at little.
"Hey, we travelled all across dark space, in secret and direct competition with Citadel, all while top brass telling us little to nothing about what we will be up to. I'd say every one of us is a little crazy deep down" laughed Will in return.
Again award silence prevailed. Small talk really wasn't a speciality of Hawk, and while he understood Will was trying to be friendly in a galaxy where the human population was smaller than a single city, Hawk cared very little for making friends right now. He had none after all, which was no great surprise considering his near faith like obsession with anything but a drive of challenge and survival . He had no past, no relocation of anything prior to childhood. No family, no home, just his life.
Brushing such thoughts aside however, Hawk promised himself he needn't bring such memories, or lack of them, to the fore front of his mind, even if he wanted to. New galaxy, new beginning as the cliché went.
"But anyway man, we should probably get to the initiative brief. Get caught up with news and stuff, as well as all the usual info we need from being here"
Hawk grunted in response but complied. Standing up, he followed Will listening in close agony as the only person he knew in this galaxy easily took this chance to fill the verbal void between the two with more stories of himself, his aspirations here and other extremely tedious topics that Hawk tuned himself out to.
With the only desires on Hawk's mind being how to move on from this ship, albeit in a way where he wouldn't get lost on some uninhabited planet, he only occasionally chirped in with comments of his own.
"I thought there were a few other races on board. Where are they?" was one of few.
"Ha! I'm sure our Cerberus friend was jumping with joy if he had that thought. They get their own med bay, Simple logistics and ease of care really. You got an alien friend on board?"
Hawk scoffed, cringing almost. "Definitely not. Just trying to get a clearer picture of who the power that be are like."
"Don't worry man, no simple minded human supremacy here. If we are going to be strong here, we need as many of us working together as possible. Oh and briefing is through this door."
With that, Will and Hawk, with a number of other colonists sat down for a briefing from a senior officer. It went by pretty simply. Procedures and reports. Some useful information, but mostly just things the leadership were forced to say, given the scale of the situation. Hawk could handle himself however, and annoyingly, despite this officer wearing a uniform he didn't know, Hawk found himself no closer to finding out more about the people who had ferried him over here. One piece of interesting information though was, according to cluster wide comms the ship had tapped into, the Andromeda initiative hadn't had the smoothest of rides. From revolts and uninhabitable words, to a hostile alien race known as the Kett, the initiative had almost collapsed were it not for a human pathfinder known as Ryder, and a victory of the hostile Kett and activation of ancient alien tech. It was interesting to learn of, information was the key of course, but now, with fertile planets and a safer cluster, life was almost normal here.
A shame. It would have been very stimulating to have experienced everything the Nexus had.
With the briefing over however, Will and Hawk left the room, the latter desiring to part ways now. "How about I show you to your quarters, might be a few days until you could the opportunity for a scouting mission." Will said.
"Sure, after 600 years of rest, I could do with some more." Sarcasm followed freely from Hawk's mouth.
"No need for that yet man. We could get a drink after, I heard they are selling some really good-" Suddenly and perhaps fortunately for Hawk, Will was cut short as a fast walking figure rammed past, bashing Will on the shoulder.
"Hey careful there. No one's going anywhere yet!" cried out Will to the human walking away. His words practically echoing through the corridor, the ruthful human stopped to turn and face him.
"Watch yourself…..William was it? "And with that, the man continued on his way.
"Wait what- how does he know who I am?" stuttered Will as he got no chance to get his question officially answered.
"Perhaps he's seen the ledger or something?" Hawk considered, a little curious himself.
"No no no. that's information know only to a few select people. Most of whom I've seen, and I've never seen that guy"
Hawk hadn't gotten a good look at the man, but from what he did see, he looked shifty. A look only someone of a more devious and shadowy nature would possess.
"An assassin perhaps?" Hawk simply said.
"What?" questioned Will with a little concern.
"I'm just saying someone in a profession similar to that would most likely want to horde every bit of information he could. He probably stole a data pad. And hey, if they let me on this ship, with everything I've done, an assassin or an information broker could be allowed on here just fine."
"I suppose but- please not again!" Will had obviously heard the sound of quick footsteps approaching, and anticipated another collision. It never came, but the duo still made room. A squad of heavily armed soldiers ran past them, and other crew further down the hallway frantically rushed around. "What the hell is going on?" further questioned Will. He marched down the hallway, curiosity taking over. Hawk, sighing, had to follow or he would never find his room.
"Just leave it Will" Hawk cried after him, Will going around the corner. Finding his 'friend' stood still, observing three men approaching them.
Hawk didn't like this. Something wasn't right.
"Act normal you fool" Hawk warned.
"What?"
"Now!" Hawk whispered as commanding as he could. Hawk touched the back of Will's arm, prompting him to walk forward without arising suspicion. As the two groups walked past each other, eyes caught each other, and it was a look Hawk knew all too well. Both groups continued walking, and Hawk was lucky there was a side corridor.
"Get down now!" cried Hawk, as he dived with Will in tow to said corridor. The two shots that followed barely missed them.
"Woah woah! The Hell?!" shouted out Will in shock.
"Stay down! We need weapons!" shouted Hawk in return as more shots followed.
"That'd be the Amory, and we just so happen to be nowhere near"
I'm not dying yet!
"Fuck! Hawk prepared himself. He was far from helpless in a situation like this, he could end this attack almost immediately. Will would see. Security footage would witness it, and the past Hawk vowed to leave behind would come flooding back, but if he lived, the surely it was worth it.
Such an action never needed to arise. Further shots were heard, further away, and Hawk's attackers began to flee. Not a few seconds after the shots had ceased, alarms cried out and warning lights flashed.
"Alert! All hands on deck! A mutiny is in process! Crush the traitors!"
"That's Captain Decimus!" The captain had a vengeful sound to him, but had an equally panicked tone in his voice. This was more than a few shooters.
"I bet this something to do with that guy who ran into me. We should have got him when we had the chance" Will's demeanour changed from the happy and friendly one Hawk had met, to an angrier version. Understandable perhaps, especially if this initiative all collapsed this early.
"We don't know that and it doesn't matter. " Hawk shot back, uncaring about who or what was causing this, at least until he had a better method to defend himself. Secret or no secret, standing around unable to shoot back was no a position he found comfortable. "I need a weapon."
"Right this way" complied Will, obviously determined for his colonial dream to not end yet. Running towards the Amory, Hawk both heard and occasionally saw on board fighting as we ran past and scanned down hallways and into rooms. Almost whoever had a gun was firing it, and Hawk was honestly having trouble deciphering what the distinction was between the mutiny cause and the resisting cause.
"Crew and passengers of the Novus. I am Varius, and I am now your captain and initiative commander." Said the new voice over the intercom.
"That's not good" pointed out Hawk, much to Will's displeasure.
"You think?! Is the Captain dead?"
His answer was given immediately.
"Captain Decimus is dead. The rest of his foolish command are dead."
Will and Hawk's eyes met as they don't their run. The mutiny, with this swift strike had practically won. Removing the head of the snake. The revisiting crew would no doubt lay down their arms.
"I command all loyal soldiers of the cause to seek out and exterminate all currently awake sleepers from cryo blocks E through G. Any awake members have been restricted to Cryo bay 3. Happy hunting"
Hawk knew, but he needed confirmation. His eyes met Will's.
"That's our block, and that's this bay. What now?" Will said, giving effective leadership to Hawk.
"Guns, trust no one"
"Right, through this door over here" Making their way to a locked door, Will lit up his Omni Tool, attempting to bypass the lock.
"Hurry" hissed Hawk, covering their back with no weapon.
"Just clearing sacristy….and we're in! "The door opened, Will took a step forward, a shot found its target in his head. Collapsing like a bag of bricks, Hawk cursed loudly and dived to the side of the door, seeking cover yet again. Obviously the mutineers were waiting for anyone to try and defend themselves.
A volley of automatic fire swiftly followed the death of only person Hawk knew in the galaxy, ripping to shreds the panels they hit. Hawk took no chances, there were too many enemies and too much fire for even him. He retreated from the armoury, desperately thinking of a new plan.
All this had happened so fast. He still felt a little unaccustomed to being awake after hibernating for all this time, and he was already trying to be murdered.
He needed off this ship and quick. He had no allies, no knowledge of the ship itself. Continued survival was definitely in the single digits. He followed the signs for the escape pods, hiding and stopping whenever soldiers ran down hallways. While he was lucky enough to be making good progress to the nearest escape pods, this was far from a decent reflection of the journey so far. Was this payment for his stupidity in accepting a position here? AT least back in the Milky Way he knew why he was trying to be killed.
Yes!
Escape pods were mere meters from him, and looking out a window, he saw a planet in close orbit, and so if he got off the ship, there was at least a chance he'd have some where to land. Whether or not the planets atmosphere killed him upon leaving the pod was a bridge to cross later.
Entering the pod, and locking the door shut, he sat down and took a deep breath and attempted to compute everything that had just happened.
"Good, you're safe" suddenly said a voice, creating an immediate shock in Hawk. Obviously he was alone in the pod, but someone was watching him. "I have no time to explain, but you need to get out of here and get somewhere safe"
"What's going on? What's all this about" Hawk replied to the voice.
"You're part of this initiative, whether you like it or not.-"A loud noise exploded through the intercom, and shouting was becoming louder. "Shit, they've found me. Find Feron! With the Andromeda Imitative!" further shouting was heard, followed by shots from both parties. "Go! For the Novus!"
With that, the escape pod sprang from its host ship, and its boosters sent Hawk, still not buckled in, falling. It sped towards the planet as the intercom cam increased in static and audible shots until finally, either through the distance from the ship, or the inevitable defeat or whoever was just talking to him, ended. Securing himself in, Hawk waited for his crash landing. He knew no person called Feron, and he knew no reason behind whatever just Tran squired on the Novus. Right now, he had to urge to fulfil the voices request. Sure he would need to get to civilisation, but right now his life was telling a story all too familiar to his old one. It was as it was always had been for Hawk, surviving.
Novus Bridge
"Commander Varius, all conspirators are purged, we have total control"
Varius needn't even look back at the officer who gave this good news. The purge had worked as planned, and the fools and cowards that failed to commit to this great cause were now dead. He could have been angry at this betrayal, what with the discovery of manpower the former weak command had stored in cryo, ready to use once contact with the Andromeda Initiative had been made. Any cooperation with them was practically a sin.
"Are we hidden?" His question was a crucial one, yet he could not help himself observe the beauty and potential of this new galaxy.
"Affirmative Sir, the Andromeda Initiative have no eyes in this system anyway." Replied the officer.
"Good, let's keep it that way." Any previous concern for the mission had long evaporated. All living issues were terminated, sleeping rivals conscripted would never wake from their long rest, and with no one even aware they were here, exploring may be conducted, and Helios native species may be…. Discovered.
"Also Commander, it seems the Initiative has already come into contact with a native race, the Angara I believe"
Immediately, spinning around to face the offer this time, Varius's eyes went wide open, determined to learn more of this exciting news.
"What stage is their civilisation at? Have the initiative established existing and deep contact with them?"
"With great regret Sir, they have already reached the stage of spaceflight. Perhaps, and only temporarily and in a limited form Sir, we present ourselves to the Initiative in order to discover any potential Angaran colonies in a remote sys-"
"I told you all before, we do not stray from the original quest. We do NOT accept cowards in our ranks!" Varius's warning was heeded possibly as well as it could. With one swift swing with his sword, the feeble and traitorous officer had his head freed from his weak body, ensuring all the bridge was well aware what should and should not be. "We are few, but we are also strong." Varius bellowed out. "We allow this rot…this corruption" syncing his words with a disgusted look at the decapitated officer. "We allow it to fester and grow, you will see our numbers thin, and our strength waver. The Milky Way depends on us all, even if they need someone else to do what really needs to be done." Returning back to the observation window, Varius couldn't help but smile. "We are few, but out here, there are many. Many who are primitive enough not to know their true destiny. We will find these races, and give them their greatest gift they will ever receive."
"Commander, Cryo bay 3 detects a life pod ejection" cried out a voice.
Varius never appreciated having to concern himself with such trivial matters, not to mention being interrupted. His physical presence was enough to intimidate any man, and right now, he was planning to use that gift very liberally.
"It's a sleeper from block E. One of the ones a conspirator brought on board."
This wasn't good news of course. Especially if this man escaped to the Nexus. Wouldn't happen though.
"Send a team down. Exterminate him." Commanded Varius.
"Sir…you may want to see this" said the same officer. Varius forced himself to keep his cool and see what the fuss was about.
Varius read the scans of this man. Remnants of past in the Milky Way he thought he'd never see again. "Kill him….KILL HIM NOW!"
He didn't hear it directly, but his crew sprang into life, organising strike teams. It was all blurred out. It seemed the traitorous plot had rooted deeper then he originally thought. The Andromeda galaxy extended in front of him, and everything he saw, and beyond, was his for the taking, and nothing was going to stop that.