PROLOG:
Breaking Shadow

August 10th, 2034
Pearl Harbor
Submarine docks

Colonel Jason Yamamoto watched as the crew of the various ships in Pearl Harbor returned after a brief shore leave. The Shadow Warrior had also been in drydock for some routine repairs and maintenance. While he chafed at the lack of activity it had given him some time to catch up with Jennifer and his mountain of paperwork. His wife was going over some of the equipment to be loaded onto the Shadow, but when she caught sight of him, she smiled and walked over to him, "Finally, a time of peace to catch up with other things," she said.

"Yes, finally," agreed Jason.

Jennifer leaned over the desk, letting Jason catch more than a little bit of cleavage as she did. Jason looked up from his work with a little smile on his face. "Jen..."

"Yes?"

"As much as I would like to, we do have work to do. And when it's done, then you can have all to yourself. No distractions, " he promised.

August 11th, 2034
Around noon, local time
Bridger's Island
The Caribbean

Robert Bridger, a Commodore in the UEO and captain of the seaQuest DSV, lazed in the Caribbean sun. A full month of not having to answer to anyone but your own family had been nice. His father, also off from the summer break of the UEO Senate, was in another hammock just off to the side. Soft snores betrayed the fact that Nathan Bridger, the current Secretary General of the UEO, was deeply asleep and napping in the noon time sun of the island.

Their wives were likely somewhere else on the island, and Robert's son Micheal played in the water with Darwin.

A snooze was almost upon Robert when a jet of water hit him in the face. Hearing the sputtering sounds of his father, he knew that the same thing had also got him. "What the...?" came Nathan's startled cry.

A chittering dolphin answered the question of where the water had come from. "What?" asked Nathan.

He was only splashed again, this time a thorough soaking. They soon heard the noise of a motor boat heading to the dock. Nathan got up and attempted to shake some of the water out of his clothes and hair. Robert did the same as the boat came up to the dock. On it was a man much grizzled in appearance. "You the Bridger's?"

"Yes," answered Nathan.

A package was thrown onto the dock, "That's for you."

Robert toed it, "Who's it from?"

"Harpe," answered the man as he pulled away from the dock, the delivery made.

The two men looked at each other and Nathan bent down to pick it up. "Well, at least if it blows up we know who to blame."

"So what's this guy's deal?" asked Robert, puzzled.

"He hates me," answered Nathan.

"Oh well, that just explains everything, Dad. Why?"

"Long story," Nathan picked at the tape that held the package together.

They carefully opened the package and when it revealed a simple book, both were somewhat relieved, and disappointed, in what they found. "It's an old book," said Robert in disgust. "What does he own, Barnes and Noble?"

"No, it isn't that simple," his father seemed haunted.

Admiral Katherine Hitchcock sat in her office on board the Aurora. Looking up she saw Captain Jonathan Ford. They stood there for a long time before they began to speak at the same time. "No, you go first," she said.

He smiled and said, "Your captain said you were working too hard."

"So you came to make sure I wasn't?"

"Hey, this is supposed to be a shore leave, Katie," he said. "The Baycourt isn't due in until the fifteenth. Come on, even you need a break."

For a moment she was going to argue, but there was something in his smile that made her reconsider. "Okay," she answered and got up from her desk.

They walked out together once she had made sure anything classified was in their right places and out of prying eyesight. He took her off the ship and to the small restaurant just by the docks. After sitting down she turned to him and he said, "I've been thinking lately."

"Oh?" she tried not to sound too hopeful.

"Yeah, since Lonnie dumped me for Ben, I was thinking about..."

It took all her self control not to leap over the table and throttle him for trailing off at the most importune of moments and shaking him until he got to the point. It must have been in her expression, because he asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing, Jon, what were you saying?"

"I don't know," he said, running one hand through his short cropped hair.

"Jonathan, I..." she trailed off as a familiar figure walked past the window. It can't be... he's dead...

She stood just as her world shattered into flames and smoke.