This is chapter 1, obviously. I apologize for any errors, this chapter is over a year old. Despite my best efforts I'm sure that there are still a few lurking around... nasty little buggers.


Chapter 1: Mission Failure



Audio Log #1: Recorded by Captain Arle on October 2nd 2352. 9:08 Cornerian time. Subject: Distress Call

Oh my god! This is Captain Arle of the Cornerian army. We need all support ships to come to Cornerian sector fourteen! We are under attack by a massive pirate fleet! We need... oh my god they've already boarded! Can anyone hear us? The sound of the captain's voice cuts out as the ships alarm system blares in the distance. After a few more minutes the captain's voice comes back online.

Damn there's too many of them. We need assistance right now! We won't last much longer. Wait... hold on here, somethings not right... The captain's voice cuts out and is replaced by another soldier's voice.

Sir! they have reached sector four of the ship! They've deactivated thrusters three to eight.

The captain speaks again in a worried way. No.. they must not get their hands on-. An explosion is heard in the distance as their voices are replaced with static...

*END OF RECORDING*

***

I'm staring at a tall figure. He has a medal on his uniform that I do not recognize. As he walks closer, I notice a scar near his left eye. He has a smirk on his face, almost as if he was happy, but not quite. On his belt is a blaster. He's wearing black pants, and a pale vest and shirt. With a deep sigh, he pulls up a chair from the corner of my room and sits down.

'He must be a soldier,' I think to myself. 'His uniform gives it away...'

"You don't remember me... do you?" He says in an almost sarcastic manner.

I shake my head. "No... I do not," I cough out.

"My name is Wolf," he replies as he gets comfortable. " I am the leader of an elite group of mercenaries known as Star Wolf."

He said 'Wolf' with a slight grin each time, as if he was proud to say it.

"Your name is Nikki," he continues as he rubs his ear. "and I sent you here to Corneria for an... investigation."

"Investigation?" I interrupt with a hint of confusion in my voice.

"Yes," He says in a slightly raised tone. "Our team was hired to investigate a new top secret Cornerian weapon. It was being transported and guarded on that ship. Your mission was to obtain a Cornerian soldier disguise, sneak on board, and hack the weapon data from the ship's motherboard."

I take a few more sips of water and place the cup on an end table beside me.

"I was alone?" I manage to say.

"Yes," Wolf responds hesitantly. "it was supposed to be a quick and easy mission with no fatalities, so I sent you by yourself because your specialty is infiltration and stealth."

Wolf sighs deeply then keeps going. "Obviously, the mission failed. The space pirates somehow got their claws on information about the weapon. They attacked that ship so that Corneria wouldn't use the weapon against them. Pirates can be quite nasty that way."

There is a sudden knock on my door. I look to my left and I see Fran popping her head into the room. She walks in and turns towards Wolf.

"I'm sorry sir but you'll have to leave now," Fran says concernedly. "This patient needs her rest."

"Her name is Nikki," Wolf replies as he stands up. "and I'm glad to do it."

He turns to me just before leaving and says. "I'll be back to pick you up once you've recovered. Which should be in a few weeks, I'm guessing."

Without so much as a 'get well soon' or a 'have a nice day,' he makes his exit.

I suddenly notice a sharp pain in my right leg and I groan in surprise. I lift up my blanket and notice a bloodied bandage is wrapped around my leg.

'What happened to my leg?' I think to myself.

"Sorry," Fran says as if she just read my mind. "I forgot to give you your morphine when you woke up."

She pulls a needle out of a container that she is carrying. I cannot read what it says because my vision is still blurry. She injects the needle through a small tube in my I.V. and I feel the pain slowly decrease in my leg.

Fran keeps speaking as I breathe a sigh of relief. "When the rescue crew found you, you had a metal rod in your leg. The doctors had to do an emergency surgery or you would have bled to death slowly. Either that or your arteries would have clotted and you would have lost your leg."

As I stare at her, I'm listening intently. I am trying to understand everything that she is telling me. However I feel so overwhelmed inside that I cannot concentrate. My head is filled with questions.

What was the top secret weapon on that ship? Where is my home? Do I even have a home? How did I come to join a group of mercenaries known as 'Star Wolf'? How could a group of space pirates overtake such a huge ship that had more than six hundred passengers?

"I'm very sleepy," I manage to mumble as I close my eyes.

"It's the morphine, hon," Fran replies. "I'll let you sleep now."

"Nikki," I say, half asleep. "My name is... Nikki."

"Are you sure about that?" Fran questions.

"Yes... more than anything," I say, relieved.

And it is true. It is my name. I've never been more confident about anything. Nikki sounded... perfect. Finally I knew something, anything, that made sense. Dwelling on that one positive thought, I drift off into a peaceful sleep.