What the Future Holds.
Citrus watched the enemy space craft from the command bridge of the battle cruiser, Death Raptor. Since arriving aboard the ship, the whole place had been at battle stations. However, as Citrus and Fleet Admiral Stark watched the enemy, they notice that the ship was turning away.
"What are they doing?" Citrus thought to himself.
Just as he finished saying this, the enemy vessel jumped to hyperspace, and was now gone.
"Why did they leave?" wondered Stark out loud, "they never run from a fight, even if they know that they have no chance they always battle, so why choose to disappear?"
"I don't know. Something's not right." Citrus replied.
Just at that moment, one of the midshipmen came running up to them.
"Commander Citrus, sir. I have a request from Captain Mace. He wishes to speak with you urgently about some information, which may prove useful in the war effort, sir."
"Thank you, Smith. I'll go see him now."
-X-
The medical ward aboard the battle cruiser was in mint condition as though the ship had never seen a single battle. The beds had few occupants, even now, when Skree and Brom had arrived to fully recover from their injuries. One of the doctors was fixing up Brom. They were attaching his nervous system to the new mechanical hand, since the loss of his human one left him a bit more dependent on others. Every time they connected up one of the nerves, Brom clenched his teeth, as he winced in pain. Mace watched the soldier from the other side of the room with his newly replaced robotic eye. He felt lucky that he had been unconscious whilst he'd had parts of his body replaced in the same way. Then again, although they came with their advantages, Mace wished he still had his complete human form. As he sat, and tested his new vision, Mace spotted Citrus coming over to him. He must have received the message Mace had asked the midshipman, Smith, to give to him.
"Sir, over here," he said, raising a hand to make sure he got his attention.
Citrus walked over to where Mace was sitting.
"You wanted to see me, Mace?"
"Yes. I have some important information, which you may find useful."
"Would it be better to go somewhere quieter, so no-one over hears this. They did say that they had our own soldiers turning and joining them, without us even knowing."
"Yeah, that would probably be safer."
Both he and Citrus left the medical ward in search of an empty room to discuss what Mace had to say.
"Mace," asked Citrus as they walked along, "I'm sorry to ask, but… do you have any doubts about any of the men in our company? I mean with them turning and joining the enemy."
"I… I don't really… know, sir. None of them seem like they'd fall victim to the enemy's influence."
"I hope you're right. I trust them, but I just worry. You understand, right?"
"I do, sir. But, you shouldn't let those years come back and affect you, not again."
"You're right. This one looks okay," Citrus said gravely as they past an empty room.
They both stepped inside and closed the door behind them. Inside the room were a few chairs and two tables. Choosing spots opposite each other, they sat down.
"So, what was it that you wished to speak with me about?"
"I know where they are."
"What? Where 'who' are?"
"The leaders of Chaos. They're on the planet Malai, in the city of Esuoh Yab."
"H… wha… h… how? How did you find out where they were?" replied Citrus, overwhelmed at what he'd just heard.
"Well, I was outside their camp, when I started to hear voices speaking about where their forces were using as a base of operations."
As Mace told of what happened and of what he heard, a smile grew across Citrus' face more and more. If they gathered a large enough force, they could wipe out they enemy's leaders and end the war!
"That's brilliant Mace. Thank you, so much for this information. It needs to be passed on to the court straight away. I'll have the ship return back home this very second. Thank you, once again Mace. We can now end this god forsaken war."
Citrus jumped up and bolted out of the door in the direction of the command bridge. It would finally end. Mace walked over to the door in time to see Citrus disappear. He smiled, slyly, to himself.
"Try as much as you can Citrus," he muttered to himself, "Whatever happens now from this point onwards, is all your own doing. You best be prepared to accept that fact."
-X-
"What is it that you plan on doing now, my lord?" yelled Lord Nasher his blood reaching boiling point. "The enemy is gaining control of more and more of the planets through out the empire, and our destroying everything that remains. After claiming a city, they wipe it from all existence, disintegrating all of it. Even the bodies of civilians and our soldiers are destroyed, so we are unable to give them a proper burial. What do you plan to do to stop them now?"
"Do you not believe that I am doing everything in my power, to end this war, Nasher?" High Lord Romana shouted back, "We have no useful enemy Intel, other than that coming from the front line; and even then, the amount of information that's coming from our men is quickly diminishing as more and more of them are being killed before they can report it!"
"Sir, even that information is completely useless. Yet, when we act in accordance to the Intel, none of it gives us a lead on the whereabouts of the enemy's leaders," said Lord Vorok cautiously, unwilling to get on the bad side of his master.
"Well, even though we aren't getting anywhere with winning this war, we are still doing everything that's possible."
There was a knock on the large wooden door at the end of the courtroom. The sound echoed throughout the hall, and all the Lords of the court looked towards the door as it was opened, and a messenger stepped in.
"High Lord Romana," said the messenger as he ran up to the end at which Romana sat, "I have urgent news from Task Force number 12. One of their troops, Captain James Kronos Mace, has information on the location at which the enemy's leaders are residing."
Each of the Lords of the court stood on the spot, flabbergast.
"I… I can't… believe it!" stuttered Lord Nasher, "it can't be reliable, this information."
"It's true. The information that Mace has for us is the one that we've been waiting for," said a voice from the shadows. All of the people inside the court turned to where the voice had emanated from. The outline of a figure moved into the light that filled the room. Naganemnom smiled at them all. He wore a robe, similar to that of a roman senator. His face was both thin and long, and very pale, but despite this, he always looked like the one person in the universe who could be trusted.
Each of the Lords and the messenger bowed before their Great Leader. Even Romana stood up, and paid his respects to Naganemnom.
"But, it must just be coincidence that this information has come to us at the time we need it the most," said one of the Lords: Hughes.
"Really? There is no such thing as coincidence. Time creates its own path to make the future inevitable," replied Naganemnom, still smiling.
"What should we do then?" Lord Vorok asked Romana.
Romana looked over to Naganemnom.
"I need command of both the Dark Veteran squads, in addition to those of the First Company. I have a plan, but the men will need to be completely prepared for the assault."
"They won't need to be prepared for the battle," replied Naganemnom confidently, "Their own determination to end the war will keep them aware and valiant. I will join them in battle, as I know that Belial, their Great Lord will be there. It's what must be done."
"Are you sure, sir? Would it not be wiser to have our men ready for the battle?" asked Romana.
There was a pause, during which Naganemnom glared at the High Lord.
"No," Naganemnom said slowly, "you will do as I say. And also, Lord Nasher, I need you to send a message to Commander Rufidus Citrus. I need to see him urgently in the Tower of Dawn, but you will need to inform him that he and his squad will be joining me in the frontal assault."
"I shall do so, right now, my lord," replied Nasher, heading towards the door and bowing before stepping out.
"Now that's being sorted out, I am going to call this court adjourned," said Naganemnom, "You're all dismissed. Good luck."
-X-
Citrus stared out of the glass window in the gravity pad that was taking him to the top of the Tower of Dawn. A Kallacal bird flew past the window, and glided over the tall surrounding buildings. Citrus watched the creature and noticed a white stripe on its back, as it continued to soar onwards, above the Hall of Justice, and off towards the mountains. He smiled sadly to himself. Something inside him was saying that the news that his Great Lord needed to tell him of wasn't good; but also at the same time he felt that the new wasn't going to be bad. It just did not make any sense.
The pad reached the top, and Citrus stepped out into a small chamber. In fact, the chamber wasn't small; it was tiny. He noticed that half of his body remained unable to fit inside the room. Over everything else, Citrus least expected the tower to be this small. Finding it hard to breath, he quickly pushed against the wall in front of him, and found it gave way, to open like a door. Stepping though, Citrus now found himself in a room only a bit larger than the last one, but at least this one could fit about two people inside; which was clarified by the fact that Naganemnom was already up here waiting and they were both able to stand about a metre apart.
"Ah, Citrus," said Naganemnom looking over his shoulder at him, "I'm pleased that you came."
"It's my pleasure, sir."
"Take a seat," Naganemnom said indicating the only seat in the room, "and I'll get straight to the point."
Citrus sat down, and waited for Naganemnom to continue. Naganemnom turned back towards the wall and clicked his fingers. The walls suddenly turned from their solid concrete form into glass. Citrus looked round, and saw the Kallacal bird he'd seen earlier fly past the window.
"You are to follow in my stead."
Naganemnom's words shocked Citrus; one, from being distracted at the time, and two, from the fact that it was completely unexpected that Naganemnom would have asked him.
Citrus blinked hard, as though trying to see if he was dreaming, yet he wasn't.
"I'm sorry, sir? Can you say it again, I'm unsure of whether I heard you correctly or not."
"You heard me right, Citrus. You will take my place as the Space Lord God, when I pass from this world. But that's not all. In twenty days time, someone will appear to you. Do as they say, and you will live. If you fail to do so, everything will fade from existence."
"Sir, you're not making sense. I don't understand."
"You don't need to know. You will understand when you meet him. My time is soon, that's why you are to take over from me. But, we will meet one last time after my passing."
"Sir, I…" Citrus began.
"… Citrus, you must trust me here," said Naganemnom, turning and looking Citrus in the eyes. There was something about them that Citrus found comforting, as though, as long as Naganemnom was alive everything would be okay.
"I do, sir," said Citrus after pausing for a second.
"Then be prepared. Everything is going to change, for both us and the enemy."
