[Author's note: Apologies for the late completion of the next instalment. The final year at university is taking its toll on all social activities, however, this is the next chapter for you all. If people still like the story/where it is heading, by all means let me know, reviewing the chapters is how I know you're all still interested in the story :). Anyhow, if there are any suggestions or things that people would really like to see in the story, I will do my best to incorporate it into what I have planned. Enjoy!]
Chapter 3:
Across the Stars
Tygrhen found it hard to conceal his excitement. Having never seen anything like the ship he was currently on, he did not pass up the opportunity to explore its many rooms. He walked through the corridors and peered into many of the sections he was able to access.
As he would pass by crew members, they would either walk by as if there were nothing strange about him, or more often than not, they would stare at him with a sense of disdain as he passed them by, mutter to themselves or two crewmates beside them.
He was walking along a lengthy hallway when he felt a hand tapping against his arm. He turned to see an equally enthusiastic Vey'lek standing before him, Tor'wick just behind. "You need to see this."
He followed them back along the corridor. They stopped as the lights started to flicker for a moment. As the vessel rumbled slightly, he placed a hand against the cold metal wall to maintain his stability. The vessel rumbled again. Tygrhen felt a touch of anxiety as the three stood in silence, wondering what just happened. They continued to walk through the metal halls, until they reached a lift. They stepped inside and the doors slid shut. Tygrhen still wasn't used to the sudden movement of the lift, and by the looks on his comrades' faces, he deduced that neither had they.
The lift stopped moving and the door slid open again, revealing the control room. There were several Yautja sitting before screens and many others moving across the room. Several paces in front of him lay the main control panel, where those of higher rank sat, controlling the crucial systems of the ship. As he walked into the room he saw that the room had two levels. There were stairs to his flanks leading to the lower level where more screens and technological devices were located. The room was strange, for the top level was not like a separate layer to the level below, but rather it was as if a part of the lower level had simply been raised to a plateau-like area.
A giant window consumed the front of the room. Tygrhen moved closer, looking at the ship's hull outside the window and the wonders which lay beyond its metal plating. His eyes were wide and his mouth open at the sight that was before him, for beyond the window lay something the likes of which he had never seen. It lay in front of the ship, floating in the darkness of space. It was a mass of colour. Intense blue mixed with purple slowly swirling through its great shapeless mass. Flickers of neon blue lightning streaked all across its gaseous form. Qui'aleen approached the three with a subtle spark of happiness in his eyes at the sight of their exhilaration. "It is an ion storm," he said, noting that their eyes flicked towards him for only a moment before darting back to the magnificent view.
"Why did we drop out of hyperspace?" asked Tygrhen.
The happiness in Qui'aleen's eyes dissipated into a more solemn gaze. "We received a distress signal from a smaller vessel. They came under attack and are stranded in the storm. We shall have to enter it, and so some of the ship's systems may suffer some slight malfunctions, but all the vital systems will remain operational."
"So we're going through it?" queried Tor'wick.
"Indeed," nodded Qui'aleen.
"But isn't that dangerous? We'll be vulnerable, won't we?" concern started to veil Tor'wick's thoughts in a blanket of anxiety.
The elder chuckled. "Fear not, young one. There are no enemies nearby, nor any other threat that need concern you. Systems will return to normal once we've passed through it."
"How do you know there aren't enemies? Who attacked them? What if they come back or what if this is a trap?"
Kaur'an stepped away from the control panel he was checking, standing next to Qui'aleen. "Calm yourself, were there any chance of our ship being damaged I'd be the first to object to this plan. Our scanners can detect no enemy presence. As for the ship we must rescue, it has been damaged in the battle and is now emitting minimal energy signatures."
"Minimal energy signatures? What does that mean?" asked Tygrhen.
"It means their ship has no power. They are lucky we received their call, or else they'd have run out of air and surely perished."
Qui'aleen turned to Kaur'an. "Prepare the docking bay, once we are in the ion storm we'll have to fire grapple cables to reel them in."
Kaur'an gave the elder a nod before returning to his control panel.
The ship steadily moved onwards, the ion storm closing in. The great colourful mass touched the tip of the ship's bow. As the cloud-like storm crept towards the window, the three unblooded warriors stepped back a pace or two. The ship's lights flickered as did the screens. The lights gave one last flicker before shutting off. Some safety lights were still operational, but they provided a dim glow at best. It did not matter, however, for blue light poured into the room from the window. The colour intensified into the most brilliant shades Tygrhen had ever seen. He stepped forward, his eyes set on the window. He slowly came to the railing, where he leaned over to see the lower level just beneath him. Many of the crew were looking out the window as well. He looked back up as the ship was fully engulfed by the storm. Tygrhen shot a hand out to the railing and grasped onto it as the vessel rumbled. The other crewmembers did not seem to have any problems with the trembling. Tor'wick carefully placed one foot before the other as he approached Tygrhen, coming to a standstill on his clan-mate's left side and grappling onto the railing as well. Vey'lek followed suit, standing to the right of Tygrhen, he too held the railing with a tight grip in case the ship shook again.
As the vessel passed into the centre of the storm, the rumbling ceased and a magnificent view unfolded. It was as if they were in a hollow sphere, the storm spiralling around them.
Lightning flickered through the inside of the storm, illuminating the cloud-like structure in flashes of light. The blues and purples melded together, slowly moving as if a great invisible hand gently stirred them. A bolt of electricity arced through the sphere, just in front of the screen, causing the unblooded ones to jump slightly before smiling at the brilliant sight. Qui'aleen came alongside the three, standing with them. The calmness of the crew and of their elder seemed to permeate into the air around them, calming the nerves of the three young hunters. As every trace of anxiety left their bodies, they could truly marvel at the pulsating colours and arcing lightning. The thunder and lightning created muffled booming sounds and a low pitched echo with each burst, like listening to an explosion underwater.
The damaged ship soon came into their view. It was much smaller than the great vessel they currently resided upon. The stranded ship was only large enough to carry and house a crew of approximately ten. Small pieces of metal debris littered the area around the damaged craft which floated amidst the storm. Their great ship slowly eased towards the damaged vessel. Qui'aleen and Kaur'an shouted a few orders as the ship passed over the stranded craft. It had moved out of sight, but below the ship, grapple lines had shot out before reeling it in.
The three young hunters enjoyed the last of the colours as the ship passed through the storm. The rumbling stopped and the lights came back online. The crew went back to work, pressing buttons on screens and checking the ship's diagnostics to make sure all was well. The three young ones still held on to the railing, looking out the window before stepping back. Vey'lek and Tor'wick had their top two mandibles open in a Yautja smile. Tygrhen's smile was still wide on his face as he looked at the other two. "Let's do it again!" said Vey'lek.
Some of the crew close by chuckled while shaking their heads, as did Qui'aleen who patted the young one's shoulder and moved back to the main control panel. Kaur'an joined the elder, also checking some of the systems.
Qui'aleen pressed a button on one of the boards nearby, opening up a communications line with the engineering bay. "Are we ready to jump back into hyperspace yet?"
"Not yet, we need to run some checks before engaging the hyperdrive systems," answered a voice.
"Very well," replied Qui'aleen. "Let us know when we may proceed."
Tor'wick stepped closer to Qui'aleen. "Could we see the engineering bay?"
Kaur'an interjected before an answer could be given. "The engineering room is no place for youths."
"He is right," nodded Qui'aleen.
The three stared at the elder with look which was an amalgamation of an innocent curiosity to explore the ship and sadness at the possibility they may not get the chance to do so. The elder muttered a curse under his breath. "Very well," he yielded. "But do not touch anything and do not get in the way of those at work down there."
"Yes, sir, we won't!" Tor'wick's face lit up as the others nodded in agreement.
The three could not contain their excitement as they made their way down the lift and through the ship's many twisting corridors. Tor'wick's pace quickened, forcing the other two to keep up. He had always had an obsession for technology and had strived to learn how every piece of equipment available in his home settlement worked. He knew how to effectively repair and create equipment using improvised spare parts.
As they walked through the hallways, there was increased traffic from fellow clansmen as they drew closer to the room. They soon reached the engineering section, standing at the door of the great room. Pipes hugged closely to the wall on one side, accompanied by a few large, thick pipes running across the high ceiling of the room. Various sections of the ship were raised and a balcony ran along the side of the right wall where power conduits and numerous screens were attached. The room was very large and filled with busy crewmembers, working laboriously to make sure the ship was in good order. One clansman in particular stood out. He was checking the central console connected to the main reactor, raising his head and barking orders at members of the crew every now and then.
The three walked further into the room, their wide eyes taking in all the sights. As they walked further in, they could see a glow emanating from something. They moved in closer and as the obstacles blocking their vision cleared, they saw a brilliant white sphere of red and orange energy in a separate room joined onto the engineering bay. The room the sphere was in had a large glass window, allowing it to be seen. Strands of lightning-like light arced off its surface, touching the walls. The sphere seemed to pulsate slightly, patches stirring on its bright surface. "That's the main reactor core," said Tor'wick, nodding towards the sphere.
The three approached the clansman who was at the primary console, still raising his head to shout an order here and there. He pressed a button on the control panel. "Bridge, this is engineering. Everything appears to be in good order; you may proceed with the jump."
The three young ones heard Qui'aleen's voice on the other end of the line acknowledging the chief engineer. Electricity arced off the glowing orb with a greater ferocity than before as the ship was preparing to enter hyperspace. White glowing white veins slithered across the moving surface of the orb and the ship gently rumbled as it entered the hyperspace wormhole.
Tygrhen approached the chief engineer who seemed to have calmed down somewhat. He was pressing various buttons when he noticed the young hunters approaching. He turned his head to inspect them. "What is it?"
Tygrhen opened his mouth to speak but Tor'wick beat him to it. "We were given permission to see this area of the ship because we've never been on one before. I am interested in learning how it all operates," he said enthusiastically. "If you have the time of course," he quickly added.
The chief engineer studied them for a moment before nodding. "Very well, you may stay for a short time, but should any situation arise you must leave the area at once."
The three agreed and moved in closer to look at the control panel. The chief engineer explained what some of the buttons and commands did and how they affected the ship. Vey'lek leaned in closer to the panel. "What do those buttons do?" he said, moving a finger closer to press them.
The chief engineer slapped the unblooded one's hand away while making a loud noise. "We will need those systems operational if we want to come out of hyperspace in one piece."
"Oh," Vey'lek nodded before looking at a new set of buttons. "What about this lever?" He said, pulling the lever.
Electricity fiercely bolted forth from the glowing orb and a siren sounded before the chief engineer quickly moved the lever back to its original position. "C'jit!" the chief engineer swore aloud. "Damned child, stop touching everything!"
Vey'lek turned away from the console. "I'm hungry."
Tygrhen and Tor'wick looked at one another, shaking their heads.
Tor'wick stayed with the chief engineer, gaining as much knowledge as he could while Tygrhen and Vey'lek made their way to the mess hall. There they sat and ate, speaking with other members of the crew. Many of the Yautja would not speak with the two simply because they found the presence of a human too distasteful. Some even left the room at the sight of him, as was the case with Kraezak who hastily finished his meal and left the room upon first sight of Tygrhen. There were, however, those who thought nothing of it, joining in the conversation. Tor'wick arrived with a bounce to his step, sitting next to his two comrades and soon becoming a part of the discussion taking place.
"The crew of that wrecked ship say they don't know which clan attacked them," said one of the shipmates. "Apparently the ship came in too fast for them to see anything properly."
"How did they even survive?" queried Tygrhen.
"They say they moved into the ion storm and their enemy could not track them, allowing them to survive," answered one of the ship's navigation officers.
"I don't like the sound of it," said Tor'wick. "It sounds as though their escape was a little too convenient."
"I'd have thought the same," started the navigation officer. "I saw the crew myself and I know fear when I see it. Their story is no lie. It is indeed easy to lose a ship in an ion storm, they are a rather small vessel and with electronics being disrupted, their enemy would have had naught but their own eyes to find the ship."
"There are rumours going around the ship," said a crewmate. "They say that whatever the ship we rescued was carrying, the enemy wanted it something fierce!"
Most of those partaking in the conversation nodded and grunted agreements. "Indeed," said another. "I heard that they were carrying some sort of device. Something the ancients made. Something that was so terrible it was lost to the pages of history, and no one ever dared to seek it out again, but you know what they've been saying."
Tygrhen shook his head. "What has who been saying?"
The navigation officer shook his head. "There are those that believe war is upon us and that the high council has sanctioned the retrieval of both pieces of an artefact. No one knows exactly what it is, not even the high council. They just know that there was a great war long ago, a war between our proud forefathers and those who we called the Mala'kak, in which the artefact was used to bring swift victory. Pay no attention to these rumours. They are nothing more than fiction."
Some shook their heads and grumbled objections. The crewmate who spoke before leaned in closer to the unblooded warriors as all those around him fell silent, their ears entwined in the story he spoke of. "Legend has it that long ago our ancestors met the Mala'kak, a race far superior in technology to our own at that point in time. They gave to us technology and saw our race rise to power over the years. It is said that there was the promise of a civil war among the Mala'kak, and that in the act of foresight, one of the two sides sought to create an ally out of our people. This was done so that should any wars break out, they would have the greater chance of victory. As fate would have it, war indeed broke out as one side sought domination of the stars, while the other side sought the preservation of peace in the galaxy. It was the latter who had made of our race an ally."
"So where did the Mala'kak go? Why have we not seen them?" Vey'lek interrupted.
The crewmate held up a hand. "Yes, yes, I'm getting to that. As I was saying, the side that desired control of the galaxy and held our forefather's enmity came to be known as the H'saru by our people. The war did not start well for them, for they were not counting on the prowess of our ancestors. In their desperation, they captured eggs of the Kainde Amedha from their home world, breeding them in captivity and using them as a weapon. The serpents were not always as aggressive as they are now. The H'saru used science to change the beasts, making them lust battle and crave blood. The H'saru sought to further alter the serpents, making soldiers that would comply with orders. They set about the task of building a great science station on which the very essence of a species could be mixed with another. With such a threat at hand, our forefathers and our Mala'kak allies created a powerful weapon. Not much is known of the weapon. It is said that by the time of its completion, our allies had almost all been destroyed. We carried on, unleashing the weapon and wiping out our enemies before they could finish their science station. By the end of the war, all that was left of the Mala'kak people were remnants scattered across the stars. Their race did not survive. The artefact was deemed too powerful, and so it was split into four pieces and spread across the galaxy. It was ordered that it could never be used unless the gravest of threats faced our people."
"And it is believed that the ship we rescued was carrying one of the pieces?" Tor'wick queried.
The navigation officer answered before anyone else could. "As I said, these are but rumours. Think nothing of them. The ship we rescued was most probably attacked by a band of bad bloods that discovered that piracy is more profitable than honourable ways."
"Well what happens now? Are we taking them with us the whole way to the hunting grounds?" asked Vey'lek.
"No," replied the officer. "We must stop at Il'thora and it is there we shall part with them."
"Il'thora?" Tygrhen inquired. Vey'lek and Tor'wick did not know of the name either.
The other crewmembers in the discussion chuckled. "It is the largest space station in the galaxy," one of the clansmen stated. "We will be stopping there to pick up supplies which must be transported to other clans."
"So we're going to other worlds to deliver supplies?" Vey'lek enquired.
"We are," the officer answered. "You and your fellow unblooded warriors will be dropped off at the designated hunting site before our ship delivers the supplies. The other clans we are delivering the supplies to are nearby so we will have returned by the time you have completed your hunt."
They continued their discussion for a great length of time, learning more about Il'thora and the supplies which were soon to be delivered. It soon came time for the unblooded ones to retire to their sleeping quarters for rest. The ship was estimated to reach Il'thora at the end of the following day.
For Tygrhen, sleep came quickly and it was unusually peaceful for the most part. He did have dreams of the hunt which was to come. He pictured himself standing victorious with his brothers, a skull in each of their hands. The dream seemed to take a turn for the worse, however. He suddenly saw himself side by side with his fellow hunters, all packed together in a defensive ring formation, their spears pointing outwards. It was dark, for they were in the heart of their prey's hive. He saw the great serpents everywhere, surrounding the hunters. From the deep a hissing voice sounded. "Now we shall see. Will you be worthy or will you fall? Only the strongest will survive..." the voice sounded female. It seemed to fade away, as if it were moving further into the distance. "Only the strongest."
He woke briefly, his eyes barely opening before closing again and returning to a deep slumber.
The unblooded warriors woke with new-found energy the next day, filling their bellies with a meal before heading up to the bridge. They looked out into the space beyond, seeing the marvel of the space station in distance. Kraezak and the other unblooded warriors soon joined the group on the bridge, watching the Il'thora as their ship drew closer.
Tygrhen stood in awe as the station grew from a small incomprehensible shape in the distance to a giant fortress-like station. From top down, the station had the appearance of a great star with five long, yet somewhat thin arms reaching outwards from the main body of the station, with another five thinner and shorter arms in between these.
As the ship approached Il'thora from side on, Tygrhen thought that the top of the main body looked like the cap of a mushroom – a large semi-circular object. This was joined to four thick, columnar projections, each attached to the edge of the semi-circular top so that they were evenly spaced, looking almost akin to four great fingers. These curved ever so slightly outwards, creating an arched effect on the columns. The bottoms of these four protrusions were attached to what was by far the largest section of the space station, looking like a large spherical structure with various projections, such as the arm-like extensions which gave the station its star shaped appearance. From this, a cylindrical structure ran downwards, eventually ending in what looked like a series of spikes, but were in fact large antenna structures. The cylindrical structure was ringed by large, circular, pad-like constructions, looking somewhat like flattened mushroom caps. From these, ships docked, allowing their crew to enter the huge station.
The station's architecture was similar to that seen of Yautja ships. The metal plating covered Il'thora in a comparable fashion, but neon-blue lights were scattered across the hulking construction. These lights reminded Tygrhen of the ion storm. They ran in strips down some sections of the station, and others were scattered in a speckled fashion, intermixed with the white lights coming from windows which mottled the structure with a series of luminescent speckles.
The ship soon docked, attaching to the side of one of the pad-like structures. "Make preparations for boarding," ordered Qui'aleen. "Obtain the supplies we require and see to it that the crew of the rescued ship are taken care of."
Crewmembers set about relaying the orders and carrying them out. Qui'aleen turned his gaze to the unblooded ones. "If you wish to see the station, you may go with the crew to help with the supplies. Do not venture too far though, and stay in contact."
They nodded and gave many thanks to him as they left the bridge before making their way down the lift and through the winding tunnels of the ship. Vey'lek and Tor'wick followed Tygrhen as he walked hastily down the corridors. The group came to a section of the ship where the corridor split into four paths like a cross. Tygrhen paused for a moment before turning left. His two companions followed, but Vey'lek looked back at the turnoff for a moment before coming up beside Tygrhen. "Isn't the loading bay that way?" he asked, pointing a finger in the direction from which they had just come.
"We aren't going to the loading bay. Not just yet. I want to know why that ship was attacked."
"Come on, Tygrhen," said Tor'wick. "It was probably just a renegade clan or perhaps a band of bad bloods. It may have even been pirates, just let it go."
Tygrhen shook his head. "I can't. I've got a strange feeling about this," he leaned in closer to his two comrades and spoke with a softer voice. "What if the vessel we rescued has the artefact from the legends?"
"Aren't they just rumours?" Vey'lek inquired.
"I don't know. That's what I want to see. I need to know if they are true."
Vey'lek looked at his brother then turned to Tygrhen. "Well I'm in."
Tor'wick considered for a moment before putting his hands up in a surrendering manner. "Fine, fine, but hurry! The others will suspect something if we take too long."
"Agreed," said Tygrhen.
They quickened their pace, avoiding crewmembers wheresoever they could. It was not long before they reached the compartment in which the rescued ship resided. Tygrhen looked in every direction to see if it was clear before opening the door to the room. A thin layer of smoke poured out of the door, stirring gently as they walked through it into the room, closing the door behind them before one last check for any crewmembers. The smoke caused Tygrhen to cough, but was not thick enough in the air to disrupt breathing to a greater degree.
The ship had the scars of a fierce battle covering its hull. Blackened scorch marks and sections of the ship which were torn away pocked its surface. Electrical wires were exposed in many of the hull breaches, occasionally sending sparks spewing forth from the damaged section.
The three mischievous friends carefully approached the vessel's extended gangway, making sure their footsteps did not create too much sound. They made their way into the ship, observing the damaged corridor as sparks flew out from various exposed circuits. They proceeded with caution, making sure to avoid any of the exposed circuitry and taking care not to make any disruptions to the environment, lest evidence of their mischief be found.
Smoke wafted in the air, stirring as they walked through it. It was not long before they reached a terminal from which records could be obtained. Tygrhen approached it, running a hand over it to brush off small fragments of rubble. The gritty texture of the debris rolled against the palm of his hand, falling to the floor and clearing the screen. "Can you fix it?" he asked, turning his gaze to Tor'wick.
Tor'wick cracked his fingers. "Of course I can. Stand back and watch the master," he said with an air of cockiness.
He knelt down and started to fiddle with the circuitry. A loud crackle sounded and sparks spewed from the wires, knocking Tor'wick to the ground. He lay on his back for a moment, groaning as smoke gently rose from his chest. "Masterfully done, master," said Vey'lek.
Tor'wick gave a grunt as he stood back up, brushing himself off, though it did nothing for the blackened patch now burnt into the chest of his garments. He leant over the terminal, pressing several buttons. The screen flickered on, the wavering image threatening to flick back off at any moment. Tor'wick gave a sigh of relief as the flickering settled and the image cleared.
"Can you tell what happened?" asked Tygrhen, looking over his shoulder nervously to make sure no one was there.
Tor'wick remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the data before him as he scrolled through it. His eyes narrowed and a frown furrowed his brow. "There is a message from the high council. It speaks of war coming to the galaxy. The message requests that the ship seek out and find one of the pieces of an artefact from a set of coordinates given here. There is a reply to the message sent from this ship. It appears to be a voice message."
"Play it," said Vey'lek.
"Very well, but it seems to be damaged. I think it was sent while the ship was under attack," Tor'wick pressed some buttons on the screen.
The audio message started to play part of the way into the recording. Static plagued the recording, making most of the message incoherent. "Ship... under attack... they found us... need help... moving into the... storm... piece of the artefact... secured..."
The message ended, but the three stood motionless for a moment. "Then it's true," said Tygrhen. "Hurry, switch off the terminal, we have to get back to the group before our absence is noticed."
Tor'wick hurriedly pressed buttons and the three left the ship. They made haste in returning to their group, making an excuse for their delay before preparing to leave for the space station.
[Author's note: One last thing to add concerning the space station. I know that the AvP universe doesn't really deal with other intelligent lifeforms other than the Yautja, humans and the extinct Mala'kak (Prometheus/ pilot race), but I was originally planning on having a few other species in the station, so what do people think of this idea? Or would you all be happier if I kept it simple and just stuck with Yautja? R&R please, thanks!]