At 0900 hours, the GTVA 6th fleet entered the subspace portal. They knew not where they were going. The only thing they knew was that they were traveling to an area never before explored by the GTVA.
They exited subspace through another subspace portal, and entered an area unlike any ever seen before. Directly in front of them, was a spectacle that had never been seen, the birth of a star. The clouds of interstellar dust were almost to the point of creating fusion. The star was born just as the GTVA ships all arrived.
Admiral Sean Lodye stood in awe at the forward windows of the Fire Dawn. "Sensors, record all of this." He yelled at the officers in the crew pit.
Kristine's hologram appeared to his right, transmitting from the Fire Dance. "Beautiful isn't it. It's just incredible to see."
"Indeed it is."
Admiral Richard Yaleson's hologram appeared to his left, transmitting from the Fire Dusk. "And there isn't a Shivan in sight. I wonder why?"
"Where do you think they went?"
"Let's break the fleet up." Sean stated. "If we break into smaller units, we can scan the system quickly."
"Good point. Should I stay behind and serve as a backup and command unit?"
"Yeah, I think you should. You can dance when the fire starts."
"You got it. Fire Dance, signing off." Kristine's hologram disappeared.
"Put me through the ship's intercomm." A tall man at the communications station nodded. "All fighter squadrons report to the command briefing room immediately."
The Swords were seated in the middle of the command briefing room. They were the smallest in number, only eleven. Every other squadron had at least 36 pilots, only twelve active at a time. The room was quiet.
Chris looked back as the doors opened and Admiral Sean Loyde entered. Sean immediately activated the projector, which displayed a two dimensional image of the system. "Here's what we know." Sean began. "We are in a system that is startlingly devoid of life. It is outside of our known galaxy, that much is clear. Our immediate goal is to learn more about our general area."
Sean pressed a button on a remote in his hand. The projector changed to display a list of ships and two patrol routes in the system. "We're going to divide into two groups, and search the system. The Fire Dawn will lead one group, while the Fire Dusk leads to other. The Fire Dance will be providing backup and a command station in the system. All fighter squadrons will run two hour patrol shifts. The 999th Black Stars are up first. Second group will be the 75th Emerald Moons. Third will be the 77th Swords along with the 64th Da-bomb squad. Fourth will be the 216th Typhoons. After that, the order will repeat."
Sean turned the projector off. "I'll be honest with you. We have no idea what is in this system. We have no idea what we could encounter here. We must keep up regular reports. If we don't, the GTVA will seal the node to the system. If we are in danger of being overrun, we will leave by the narrowest of margins. Stay frosty, we're in this to go home. Are there any questions." Silence. "Let's go. Black Stars, get down to the flight deck."
Only four hours later, the Swords were readying their fighters for patrol. They were all flying Perseus fighters, armed with the latest variant of the Kayser and the new Tornade MK IV swarm missiles. Chris embraced Anya before getting into his fighter. He fastened his helmet to his head and activated the fighter's avionics and engines.
"Swords, call out readiness." He stated into the radio.
"Alpha 2, all systems green."
"Alpha 3, ready to kick some ass."
"Alpha 4 ready."
"Betas 1-4, are all showing green."
"Gamma 1, ready to go."
"This is Gamma 2 my craft is ready."
"Gamma 3 here, my craft is ready for battle."
"This is the 77th Swords." Chris stated. "Requesting permission to lift off."
"Permission granted Swords." A female flight controller stated. "64th, you have clearance to depart once the Swords are out of the hanger."
"Roger that." The leader of the 64th replied.
Chris rammed the throttle to full and shot out of the hanger, followed by the rest of the squadron. He targeted the Fire Dawn and matched speeds, then heading. Once all of it was locked into his navigation computer, he engaged the autopilot. He then switched his sensors over to active scanner and leaned back in his seat.
"So, two hours of this shit?" Sydney asked over the squadron frequency.
"Yeah." Jack replied. "But don't complain, we had to do far more in Alpha Centauri."
"Hell yeah." Louis replied. "Four hours of mindless patrol, remember. About three months ago, before all this started."
"Before so many of us died." Amy stated quietly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"I mean, I didn't mean to belittle all that's happened."
Jack whistled. "Really? Louis, what happened to you?"
"Hey, shut up Jack."
"Seriously, Louis are you on drugs?"
"No, I just have finally figured out that I'm not invincible. You nearly died in that battle in which we lost Alex, Nicole, and David. All of us nearly died in that battle."
"It is an important lesson." SiHah replied. "One which must be learned at some point in one's life."
"It is the Vasudan proverb of mortality." RaNah added. "The proverb is taught to all Vasudans. Emperor Konsu II has seen to that."
"Glad to know somebody's thinking about moral issues." Nick added. "We've been so busy fighting that we haven't had time to do anything of the sort."
"I don't think Mom and Dad will ever recover." Amy stated. "When I told them Alex had died... Mom severed the connection, in tears. I haven't heard anything since. I haven't even gotten a letter."
"Trust me, you can't ever recover." Chris replied. "You may be able to lessen the pain, but the scars will always be there."
"Heads up pilots." Admiral Sean Loyde's voice boomed over the radio. "We have unknown contacts ahead, lots of them."
"Are they turning to engage?"
"Negative, Chris, take the Swords ahead and try to get a better picture."
"And don't fire unless fired upon, right."
"You got it. Good Luck."
"Alright Swords, let's go!" Chris quickly accelerated to maximum speed. The Swords maintained formation as they rapidly began to close the distance with the unknown contacts, which were little more than blips on the radar screen at the moment.
Suddenly, three of the blips were identified. One was the Harbringer, another a Sathanas Juggernaut, and the final one a massive object unlike any ever seen before. "Fire Dawn, this is Swords Alpha 1." Chris yelled. "We've identified three contacts, the Harbringer, a Sathanas, and an object I've never seen before."
"Give us a description." Admiral Sean Loyde replied.
"Sensors say it's well over a hundred kilometers long. It's also circular in shape, with a massive space in the middle. It's almost like some kind of massive ring. It could be Shivan, then again, it might not. It's so complex that my scanners can't distinguish."
"Chris, keep your distance, but try to learn more."
"I'm currently reading power levels that are off the scale. Computer says they're so large that it can't display them."
"That would have to be well over the combined power of every reactor in the GTVA fleet, including planetary generators."
"Wait, something's happening." A translucent green barrier formed inside of the ring. "Fleet, a massive translucent barrier, looks almost like a liquid, has formed in the ring. The.... GOOD LORD. Fire Dawn, the Harbringer just went through it. It just disappeared. Same with the Sathanas."
"Is it possible they were destroyed?"
"Not likely, there is no debris, no ionization. Nothing to indicate that those two ships went down."
"Is there anything in the area currently?"
"Besides the ring, nothing."
"I'm calling the Fire Dusk, she'll be jumping in right on top of your position, we'll join you shortly."
The Fire Dusk appeared only seconds later, gliding out of subspace just in front of the Swords. It's fighters appeared only moments later. Chris led the Swords forward to get into a covering position of the Fire Dusk.
"Fighters, this is Admiral Richard Yaleson, Fire Dusk. We're getting some stranger readings from the ring. It looks like there was a temporary subspace node created there."
"What????" Louis stated in shock.
"Just what it sounds like. Apparently, this device can make a subspace node and then collapse it. Just like that."
"How is that possible?" Sydney asked.
"Don't ask me. I thought destroying a node required large amount of meason bombs."
"Fire Dawn to Fire Dusk." Sean Loyde stated. "Send a boarding team of marines, armed heavily to that ring. We need to figure out what's inside it, what makes it work. And if we can, shut it down."
"I'll send over Alpha Platoon immediately. Fighter, fly cover for the Fire Dusk, we're moving closer towards the ring."
"He's crazy!" Louis stated, clearly in shock.
"No I'm not Lieutenant. We're docking the whole destroyer because of the shear size of that thing. Do the math. It's like docking an Argo to a Colossus."
"Well.. now that you mention it....."
Jack laughed. "You were shut down Louis."
"Put a cork in it Jack."
It took three hours before the Fire Dusk finally managed to dock with the ring's one and only docking port. The Fire Dawn and the Fire Dance were only a few kilometers away, slowly circling the ring. Every fighter squadron was on patrol.
Captain Hans Gegourt met his platoon just outside the airlock. They all knew what they were about to do. They were prepared. Each soldier was in a full environmental suit. Each soldier was carrying a shoulder cannon version of the Subach HL-7. Each soldier knew that they're chances of surviving were slim, if they found Shivans on the ring.
He motioned forward and led the first squad into the area just beyond the airlock. He checked his suit's external monitoring system. Minimal oxygen, no gravity, and very little air pressure. He reached down and checked his gravity boots, which kept his feet on the floor. He then looked a his motion tracker. It showed nothing except the various shuffling of the troops.
"First and Second squads, follow me." He barked into the helmet mounted radio. The other squads had their own commanders and would all branch off to explore the various tunnels. He led his team down a tunnel that was larger than necessary for his troops. That was good however, as he wanted plenty of space if they got into a fight.
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. Hans noticed this as his feet began to ache. The only bright side was in the nonexistent gravity, his shoulder cannon didn't weigh anything at all. The troops around him were silent as they advanced. They knew that they wouldn't be able to hear anything coming.
Finally, they reached what looked like a door. "Mankowsky, Winters," Hans stated quietly. "Look for a control panel of some sort." He then pressed a button on his suits wrist transmitter. "Admiral Yaleson, we've reach what look like a door of some kind."
"Can you open it?" The Admiral replied.
"Possibly, we're search for a control panel of some sort. We'll blow the door down if this doesn't work."
"Keep me informed."
"Yes sir, and Admiral."
"Yes?"
"This place doesn't seem to be Shivan. I know I'm not qualified to make that decision, but it just doesn't look Shivan. The walls are blue and have a gentle appearance. I've been inside a Shivan ship before, their ships have red walls and are quite rough in appearance. But it's definitely not Terran or Vasudan either."
"I'll keep that in mind. Watch your back Captain."
"Aye sir."
"Sir." Mankowsky yelled. "We've found something. Looks like a control panel."
"Try touching it."
Mankowsky reached out and gentle tapped a large bump on it. The door didn't open, but instead three weapons of some sort came out of the walls. A hologram also appeared as a force field sealed the soldiers into the area.
"Greetings." The hologram stated. The hologram was of a human female, wear some sort of elaborate gown. "I am Natrissar. I am a computer simulation designed to give access to those who are worthy to the great ring."
"Who are you?" Han stated.
"Like I said, I am Natrissar. My soul is what powers the great ring. I am the gate keeper. Only those who are worthy may pass."
"I'm Captain Hans Gegourt, a soldier in the GTVA."
"Please explain GTVA, you are Atreasian, yet you do not bear their code of arms."
"I'm not Atreasian, I'm human, from Earth. The GTVA is the Galactic Terran Vasudan Alliance."
"You are Atreasian, the ring's sensor systems confirm it. You're genetic profile differs in only .000001 of your genes from the data last given to me. Have you come to seek your way home. If so, then this gate leads you only to death."
"What do you mean?"
"For the past ten millennia, the destroyers have used this gate. I cannot bare their access. They also possess the Atreasian genetic code, although they differ in 25 of their code. This gate provides to only know route to the home world of the destroyers."
"You mean the Shivans."
"If that is your name for the destroyers in their black and red vessels of war, then yes, the Shivans. For identification's sake, please identify Earth on this star map." A holographic map appeared. "Is Earth the third planet in this system?"
Hans looked carefully at the map. He counted all nine planets. "Yes, Earth is the third planet in that system."
"Bless the gods, you are the Atreasian decedents. The destroyers did not wipe you out. For your world, is the world of the first born."
Hans chose his words carefully. "What does that mean."
"It means that you are the inheritors of this great destiny. I shall open all of the ring to you. I will guide you to the control center."
The weapons disappeared back into the walls and the force fields deactivated. Then the door opened, and the hologram walked forward. Hans activated his transmitter. "Fire Dusk. We've been given full access to the rings system, and we even have a guide. Apparently, we're an almost exact match in genetics to the beings who created this installation."
"A guide?"
"It's a hologram, I'm guessing, of the beings who created this place, and they were human."
"Human?" The Admiral was puzzled. "But we're the first humans to have ever ventured this far out."
"I know Admiral. But this can't be fake. There's a great amount of history missing from our history books."