"Got a sec kiddo?" Nia asked, catching Yuri on a break as they journeyed down one of the Lutsk sector's starlanes.
"Stop calling me kiddo would you?"
"Get over yourself kid! This is important stuff."
"What is it?"
Glancing up and down the hall, Nia explained.
"When we were fighting Galkin, we got a transmission."
"Oh yeah. Kira told me. Wasn't it all just noise though?" Yuri asked in confusion.
"No, there was a QC pulse mixed in actually."
"What's a QC pulse?"
"A quantum cipher pulse. It's a kind of encrypted code. Very hard to break. Anyway, we broke it, and we found something really interesting inside."
"Let me see." Yuri asked, holding out his hand to take the mobile terminal from Nia's hand. "Tatiana in danger. Let her off ship."
"What's this all about?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in the older woman's direction.
"I don't know. But they say there's people all over the place here that are in cahoots with the Novgorod Pirates. We can't be too careful."
"All right." Yuri said, mind in thought. "Let's just keep this between you and me though."
"Good. That's what I was thinking too."
After going their own separate ways, Yuri stepped onto the bridge when Kira spotted her brother, before approaching him "Yuri. What were you and Nia talking about?"
"Huh? Oh, just some stuff about the ship's maintenance."
"Really? Huh."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing..."
After their meeting with Vladykin regarding Zakhar's data chip, and with time to spare before their return, Yuri had decided to lighten the load a little by targeting some Novgorod fleets.
"Yuri, there's an IP communication coming in."
As the FREEDOM passed Lutsk on its way to Popash, Kira had called out to her brother, gaining Nia's attention too.
"That's weird for a communication to come in from so far away." Nia said, coming to a stop beside Yuri. "You got any idea who it's from?"
"None at all. Let's check it out."
"...read me?" The communication began, the voice of a clearly older man asked. "This is the owner of the pawnshop Coronet in Toropets. Can you read me?"
There was a pause, and what sounded like items breaking as the man continued. "Pirates are attacking my shop -aagh!"
"The pawnshop in Toropets..."
"But that means..." Yuri continued, realization finally dawning on him. "My Epitaph!"
"Looks like we'd better head back to Toropets."
"And fast!" Yuri finished, already shouting instructions to the bridge crew.
Approaching the Coronet, Nia and Yuri darted through the security team's cordon, ignoring their shouts. Inside the shop, glass and items lay shattered around their feet as they spotted the owner.
He sat on a stool at the back of the shop, being tended to by some medical personnel. They found him wrapped in bandages, and he groaned, turning to them. "I'm sorry. Novgorod Pirates came in from Lutsk and ransacked the place." He sighed, putting his head in his hands. "They took everything in the shop. Everything!"
"You mean, they got my Epitaph?!"
"Yes, that too. I'm really very sorry."
"Do you know where they were headed after that?" Nia asked, kneeling down beside him.
"I think they ran off for the Milesk sector." The owner answered. "I hear they gather there a lot. It was about a six-ship fleet."
"The Milesk sector eh?" Nia said to herself turning to face Yuri. "Yeah, come to think of it, I guess there's a starlane between here and there."
"Let's go after them Nia!"
"All right, come on."
"Captain! We found them!"
Finally, he'd been waiting a while for this moment. He'd swoop in and steal the Epitaph right from under the clutches of those Novgorod Pirates.
It won't be long. He thought, as the alarm sounded, signalling the arrival of the Novgorod fleet.
Not long now.
After arriving at the Milesk sector, they saw twisted destroyed scraps of ships. The wreckages looked earie, sending a shiver up Yuri's spine.
"Who are they?"
"Novgorod Pirates. And they've been wiped out."
"Who did it?"
"Yuri! I'm detecting a gravitational wave. There's something really huge out there!" Kira answered. "It's more than 2,000 meters long!"
"2,000 meters? What kind of ship is that big?!"
Nia turned to the teenager, replying quickly "I've never heard of one that big either. At least, not in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Well, except for one. But... nah! It couldn't be."
"It's heading this way."
From the far side of the Milesk sector, they watched a ship emerge. Even from a few thousand miles out, the ship was big, but as it got closer, the group was starting to think they were dreaming.
The ship drew nearer, brushing aside the pieces of scrap left over from the Novgorod fleet. They stared at the ship as it closed the distance between them; slack-jawed in their awe.
"It's enormous! I didn't know ships could be that big."
"This is not good!" Nia said, frozen in her tracks. "I never thought we'd run into this guy in a sector this remote."
"Wait a minute. Do you know who that is?"
"Yup, I'm pretty sure I do, unfortunately." She said, half in fright. "That ship is on just about everyone's do-not-cross list. It's the CORSAIR, and it belongs to Valantin the Pirate."
"Valantin!" The young Captain spat out with venom.
One of the operator's consoles beeped as a one-way communications link opened up.
"Har har har! Do you read me there, you tiny little sloop? All the treasure these Novgorod fools had on their ships... has already been claimed by me: Valantin the Pirate! You're too late to get a single farthing!"
As he finished, Yuri, face growing red with anger, turned to his sister. "Son of a -Kira, open up a line for me!"
Nia's surprise was evident, doing a double take. He really had no idea what he was doing. Trying to antagonize Valantin was just about the stupidest move you could make.
"Hey, wait a minute kiddo. What are you —"
Completely ignoring her, he spoke up again. "Do it now!"
"I'm on it."
Opening a full communications link, Yuri began to speak.
"This is Yuri, the Captain of this ship. Give me back my Epitaph!"
"Epitaph? so that was yours eh?" Valantin asked, voice rough.
"That's right! That's my Epitaph! Give it back to me now!"
Valantin's laugh seemed to make Yuri madder.
"All right, you're on. But if you want it back so badly, you're gonna have to fight me for it."
The ship rocked as Kira let out a short squeal.
"Wh-What's going on?!"
"I think they've pulled up alongside us."
"They're gonna board for a melee battle! Hmph. A pirate through and through, that guy."
"A melee?"
"That's right." Nia said, pulling out her maser blaster. "Well, it doesn't look like we've got much of a choice. C'mon! Let's knock 'em into Grus!"
Yuri and Nia trudged through the ship's hallways, approaching the intersection, where Torlo had already set up the security team. Nia stood front and centre, maser in hand, aiming down the hall.
The sounds of the docking tube connecting echoed through the now silent ship, as Yuri drew his plasmic blade.
The hissing of the door made Yuri tense up as the first of the enemy soldiers turned the corner.
Nia's shot was dead on, slamming into the man's unprotected head, knocking him over as more burst forth. Around them, the soldiers with blasters kept up a volley of laserfire, as the enemy did the same, and Yuri saw Valantin's men slowly pushing forward.
As they drew even with them, Yuri darted out from cover, taking the initiative to take out the first of the enemy. The battle continued for a few minutes as the blade battle waged, blasters firing around them as Yuri cut down three men in quick succession.
Before he knew it, the battle was over, and he found himself bent over, panting. "D-did we drive them back?"
"We haven't even gotten started yet." A voice called out.
It belonged to the biggest man Yuri had ever seen. Almost seven feet tall, long shaggy orange hair, and wearing the strangest clothes he had ever seen. A cream waistcoat stuck out underneath a charcoal jacket that framed the man's upper body, punctuated by massive shoulderpads that reached the top of his head.
"You!"
"He he he. That's Valantin the Pirate to you, boy!" He said, orange ascot moving as he spoke. "Didn't expect ya to be quite so young, but I'm warning ya. I don't hold back for nobody!"
Tightening his grip on his plasmic blade, Yuri stared down the man that all men feared. "Nobody's asking you to." He replied.
Nia looked on in pride and surprise. She really shouldn't have expected any less from him really.
As the battle continued, she caught glimpses of Yuri and Valantin's fight as the swarm of pirates surged around them. Despite his age, Yuri was good, twisting and parrying and striking with his blade. The problem was, Valantin had decades of experience over the young captain... and in the end, it really wasn't a contest.
The grunt of pain from Yuri drew everyone's attention as Valantin's blade made contact with Yuri's leg.
"Damn it! Give me back my Epitaph..." Yuri shouted, slashing at Valantin who sidestepped.
"You got spirit, and that's a good thing kid, but, you gotta choose your opponents wisely." Valantin said, stepping closer. "Out here in space, if you misjudge the enemy... this is what you're gonna get!"
With speed and precision that he had definitely been holding back, Valantin knocked Yuri's blade out of his hand, before thrusting the tip of the blade into his eye.
With shock on his face, Yuri didn't do anything for a second, then, the scream came.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Blood and fluid flew everywhere as the young Captain clutched at his eye, sword on the ground. From somewhere behind them, he could hear Kira screaming, obviously being held back by Nia. "YURI! YURIIIIII!"
"YURI!"
Valantin took a step back, watching Yuri kneeling in pain before him.
He laughed. "I'll let it go with just one eye this time." He said, returning his blade to its place at his belt. "All right my men! Let's go!"
At his call, his men fell back towards the CORSAIR, leaving Valantin alone with them in the hallway. "He heh heh. Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Valantin's laugh echoed as he retreated, and Yuri heard people hovering around him. Minutes later, the overhead speakers pinged, as Valantin's voice came through.
"I'll tell you this much though kid, there's more than one Epitaph ya know! And Epitaphs come to those who were meant to have 'em! If you were meant to have 'em, well then, I guess we'll see each other again someday!"
His chest heaved as he breathed, hearing Kira speaking.
"Nia! Yuri's eye!"
"It's gonna be all right. Calm down Kira. Does it hurt bad kiddo?" Nia asked, cupping his cheeks as she bent down to get a better look.
"Th-this is nothing."
Yuri was obviously putting on a brave face for Kira and his crew. Nia respected that, but even she could tell from the look on his face he was starting to embrace the pain.
He was learning quickly.
"Atta boy! Okay, don't worry. It just looks like the crystalline lens of the eye got vaporized." She said, slapping his back. "You'll be good as new after a few regeneration treatments."
"Thanks Nia." He said, looking her in the face. "But I wonder when I'm ever going to be good enough to take on Valantin..."
"Oh Yuri..."
Nia watched Kira and Torlo escort Yuri down the hall, as the security team began to do the same with the others.
Always looking to the future he was, never focusing too long on the present. It was something she had first told him. Dwelling in your mistakes had ways of changing you... you had to look forward, had to focus on what was coming.
It was in that moment that her opinion of him changed. She had never really been too sure on the kid, always putting on a face to make it seem like she was. But then, in that moment when he had stared down Valantin the Pirate... shown no fear in the face of his enemy, even after his injury... she had seen him differently.
He was already changing before her eyes, and they had barely known each other two weeks.
Yes. She thought. This really would be an interesting adventure indeed.
Upon their return to Toropets, Yuri had been rushed to hospital, where he had received immediate treatments for his eye. After the first two, he had had to stay in the hospital for a day to be monitored, before being cleared to go. They had informed him that he would need to receive two more regeneration treatments before his eye would be at 100%.
As he exited the orbital elevator, he found Nia leaning up against the glass wall, hands folded over her chest as she waited.
"Hey kiddo, you got a sec?"
"Sure Nia."
"I just wanted to see how your eye is doing?" She asked.
"Oh that? It's fine now thanks." He replied, showing her his left eye. "After the treatment, my vision was kind of blurry for a while, but I feel like I'm almost as good as new again."
"Good. I'm glad. And I'm glad it didn't make you give up."
"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion. "Why would I give up?"
"I mean, guys who say they wanna be zero-G dogs are a dime a dozen. But once something bad happens, they sure can change their minds in a hurry."
"Nah, I'm fine. I was pretty much prepared for anything the day I came out into space."
"Heh. Well, I guess you were. Anyway, I'm really glad."
"Thanks. Well I have to go take care of the port entry processing." He explained, knowing that his delay in doing so would cost him.
Even if he was injured.
"Oh, hold on. There's one more thing." Nia said, stepping closer.
"Hm?"
"You lost your Epitaph, and I kind of feel responsible..."
"Aw, it's not your fault Nia."
She smiled warmly. "I had a feeling you'd say that. But still, I thought maybe I'd stay on as a part of your crew, at least until you get your Epitaph back. Whaddya think?"
"Yeah, of course I want you to stay! As long as you're sure about this?"
"Well good then. I'm stayin'. But on one condition."
"What's that?" Yuri asked.
"You may look all sweet and meek, but I know that you've got a real competitive streak in ya. I want you to promise me you're not gonna do some damn reckless thing and wind up in an early grave." She explained, face all serious.
"Of course I'm not going to! I don't want to die." He said. "I want to gain experience, and get really good, and be able to beat Valantin one day!"
She threw her head back and laughed, her chest bouncing. "Well, that's good then. You just do that, Captain."
"I will -"
He was interrupted as Nia leant down, planting her lips on his cheek.
M-my cheek. He thought, holding the spot where she had kissed it.
Watching Nia walk off up the corridor, he had to admit that he was glad she was staying. The thought of her leaving left him feeling sad.
Unknown to the teenager however, a certain silver-haired woman was feeling the exact same way. She was growing fond of her protégé. And to Nia...
She wasn't sure if that was good, or bad.
The wreckage of ships that had previously been destroyed by Valantin still drifted aimlessly through the Milesk sector. Watching from the bridge in silence, Torlo sighed.
"This is a sad sight. No matter how many times I see it, I just can't get used to it."
Staring at the spot where the CORSAIR had been, Yuri's eyes blazed. "One of these days..."
Interrupted by the sound of beeping, he turned his attention to Kira.
"I just confirmed an operating system start-up from one of those wrecks." She explained. "We might be able to salvage some useful data if we take a closer look."
"Okay, let's go search inside and see what we can find." Yuri said, Torlo following towards the docking hatch, where they donned matching space suits.
Almost twenty minutes later, the two returned, Yuri letting out a deep sigh as he removed his helmet. "I thought maybe we'd find something interesting. "
"Hey, this ain't too bad. It might even come in handy."
Opening his hand to reveal the module blueprint inside, they smiled as the blueprint for the Second Bridge MK 1 module, glinted in the light.
Returning to Radimir's tavern was a bad decision.
First he'd made the mistake of going up to the bar to place an order.
The second was that he'd gone up alone.
Radimir had recognized him immediately, and when he did, he hadn't shut up. He had continued to drone on and on about the tavern and his financial situation. It was starting to grate on his nerves.
It didn't help that his friends, having noticed his predicament, had sat and laughed, as if it was the most hilarious thing ever. After five minutes, Yuri had had enough.
"All right, fine! I'll give you money!"
"You will? Oh, thank you!" Radimir continued, shaking his hand, eyes alight with happiness.
"But, in return, I want you to join my crew."
"What? But that would defeat the whole purpose! I need money to keep this tavern open."
"A little bit of money ain't gonna fix your troubles." Torlo said, deciding to take pity on Yuri. "You're gonna be back in the same boat before you know it! Make a clean break while you can."
Radimir stood behind the bar, clearly distressed at the turn of events, head in his hands as he groaned in disgust at the decision.
"Fine. Fine! I'll do it." He answered. "Can you give me some time to set everything in order."
"Sure." Yuri said, handing Torlo the tray of drinks. "Meet us in slip 59 when you're ready."
Taking the last tray laden with food, Yuri returned to the table, grumbling out an "I hate you" as he joined the group again.
During his disappearance, the conversation seemed to be focused on Zakhar now.
"You said your brother was acting funny... but I mean, the guy's doing spy work. You can't expect him to act like Mr. Friendly, can you?" Gadina said, grabbing a handful of chips.
Tatiana was clearly distressed at the conversation. "Maybe your right. But it's really not like him. He's such a cheerful, open person. He's never been cold like that to me in my life, not even when I was visiting him at work."
"So what, do you think he went over to the pirate's side or something?"
"No way! He'd never do something like that! I mean, he'd never leave me alone like that!"
Nia. Hoping to head off a full-blown argument, interjected. "Gadina would ya quit making the poor girl freak out even more?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."
"But yeah, at least we know Zakhar's all right now. Right Tats?" Torlo added, obviously paying more attention to the women on the monitor than the conversation.
"Um, I guess so, but..."
"As soon as we find out where that pirate base is, we're gonna crush those Novgorod jerks good! Don't worry Tats! Zakhar's gonna be free as a bird before you know it!"
"Okay..."
"And by the way." Karlo but in. "They go after the enemy's weakness, be it physical or mental. Those Novgorod Pirates will stoop to any level, so watch your back!"
"Don't sweat it Karlo. Once we crush 'em, their dirty moves are gonna be history!" Torlo told him.
"I've seen with my own eyes what they did to my father and his life's work. I know what they're capable of. So be careful, that's all I'm saying."
"Yuri could you come here a minute?" Kira called, motioning for Yuri to join her. Leaving the table, he watched as his sister looked around furtively, before whispering in his ear as he got close.
"Did you see Zakhar's eyes? They were so... weird."
"What do you mean by weird?"
"It was like he was looking at us, but he wasn't really seeing us. Like a blank stare."
Thinking it over, he asked. "You didn't say anything to Tatiana or Torlo, did you?"
Kira shook her head. No.
Nodding, Yuri continued.
"Good. Let's just keep this between you and me then, okay?"
"All right. I'll do whatever you say."
After jumping back through the Void Gate, The fleet found themselves wandering up and down the sector, targeting any Novgorod fleets they came across.
Yuri didn't seem to realize how hard he was pushing everyone. For two days, the young Captain pushed them, felling pirates left and right as they went. Despite his friends trying to convince him that they needed a break, Yuri refused to hear it.
Only after Nia had literally pulled him aside and almost slapped some sense into him, did Yuri finally relent, agreeing to set down on Lutsk.
After grabbing a table, the group began exchanging stories, Poplo chiming in after a while.
"I think I remember seeing that Galkin fellow's style of navigation somewhere before, but I'm not sure where."
"Are you sayin' you exchanged gunfire with him too?"
"No, not that I can recall offhand. But certain quirks of his seem so oddly familiar."
"Can navigation styles be that recognizable?" Yuri asked.
"Of course. Especially during battle, a person's manoeuvres tend to take on a certain pattern. For example..." Settling in, Yuri listened to Poplo in fascination as he received a lecture on navigation.
Leaving the table, Yuri found himself in a conversation with Rufina. "So Yuri, I hear you're looking after that good-for-nothing butt-kisser nowadays."
"Good-for-nothing...?" Yuri repeated to himself. A second later, and it finally dawned on him who she was talking about. "Oh, you mean Radimir?"
"Well, he really surprised me, I've got to admit." She said, a weird look on her face. "I hadn't heard from him in ages, and he gets in touch to tell me he's working for you now!"
She laughed, a cruel look on her face. "Well, as long as you have him on board, make sure you work him good and proper. Maybe being a zero-G dog will finally put a little backbone in that loser."
Upon returning to the Lutsk base, Yuri had decided that, with the money collected from the battles with the Novgorod Pirates, he would buy a second Orfey-class Destroyer. Ogar had revealed a useful titbit of information then.
"While most spaceports come equipped with a shipyard and Remodelling shop... the shipyard can also be used to scrap old ships, reusing the materials in your new one."
It was a good idea really, and he would receive a slight discount too... as he'd been told.
The second Orfey was identical to the first in every way, and the purchase and remodel of his new ship had set him back a few thousand G. Despite all this, Yuri found himself in the orbital elevator beside Nia and Ogar, headed for the hospital for what would be his final regeneration treatment.
Thinking of his new ship, he couldn't wait to test it out against the pirates. This line of thinking brought Balik and Galkin to the front of his mind.
They would beat them, he was sure of that. Something inside told him that everything would be fine.
And then, he had come up with the name for his second ship, dedicated to his coming defeat over the Novgorod Pirates.
VICTORY!
"Ah, Yuri! I've been waiting for you."
"Did you find the pirate base?"
"Yes indeed." Vladykin answered, nodding to the holotable before him. "Take a look at this."
As they crowded around, Yuri studied the map. Projected onto a large black backdrop, it showed the Lutsk Base at one point, and Balik's in another, connected by two starlanes, meeting at an asteroid field.
"Their base is apparently deep within this asteroid sector." He explained. "With the reduced effectiveness of radar in that area, it looks like the perfect hiding spot."
The map changed, showing the starlane leading to the pirate base, in addition to a semi-circle route, currently highlighted blue.
"According to Lieutenant Agarkov's reports, this indirect route is only lightly guarded, and a small fleet should be able to get through without any problem."
"So that's the route we'll be using for the invasion huh?" Nia chimed in, asking the question that was on all their minds.
"Yes, well, that's the route the better part of our fleet will use anyway. But we're also planning to send a diversionary detail along this route, directly through the asteroids." Oleg announced, pointing to the direct starlane. "You can choose which operation you'd like to take part in. It's your call."
Bending over the table to study the map better, Nia seemed to speak more to herself then the group. "Hm... not an easy decision, is it?"
"Well, there's no need to decide right here on the spot. I'm sure you have other preparations to make as well. Just come back and let me know once you've made up your mind."
Gathering outside the Lodgings to make a decision, Yuri spoke up first.
"All right guys. What do you think?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. Tats, you said your brother was acting all weird, right?"
"That's right. He wasn't himself at all." She answered.
"Yeah well, thinkin' about that's kinda got me all worried here." Torlo announced.
"So what are you trying to say Torlo? Do you think Zakhar's intel is suspect?" Nia asked.
"WHAT?!" Tatiana shouted, turning her glare on the Ropesk boy.
"I wasn't gonna put it like that, but... well..." Torlo said, struggling to find the right words. "You know what I'm sayin', right Kira?"
"Leave me out of this! I have no opinion!"
He was sweating now, looking around at the others for help. "Come on, help a guy out here!"
Butting in before anyone could derail the conversation, she began speaking about the crux of the matter.
"Anyway, it looks like it's gonna be a tough battle no matter what we do. It's all up to you Yuri."
"Yeah, no pressure."
Yuri began thinking to himself as they returned to Vladykin's quarter's. *I wonder what that message meant, the one that came in when we were fighting Galkin... Tatiana in danger. Let her off ship.*
Back in the Officers Lodgings, Vladykin spotted Yuri's group returning.
"So have you made up your mind about which operation to participate in?"
"We'll take the direct route."
"So you're going to participate in the feint operation, are you?" He asked, receiving a confirming nod. "Thank you for your help on this. Just let us know when you're ready to proceed to the pirate base, and we'll all ship out together."
Telling Vladykin that they'd be back in an hour, Yuri's group headed off towards the tavern, as Yuri made the long journey back to the spaceport, planning on double checking everything.
There couldn't be any mistakes or loose ends on this one.
Before he left though, he was bombarded by Tatiana.
"The sooner we get rid of them, the sooner Zakhar will be free Yuri, let's hurry it up!"
"Tatiana, we've gotta go slow and be real careful on this one. These are pirates we're talking about here!"
"I know but —"
"I've never fought an enemy of this scale before either." Yuri added, actually feeling somewhat nervous. "Give me some time to get the ship ready. I want to be sure to do this right."
"Yeah, you're right of course. Sorry about that."
Entering the tavern about half an hour later, the teenager took a seat opposite Gadina, the mercenary taking a long swig from her beer.
"So Captain, this is gonna be your first big operation with a real military force, ain't it?"
"Yeah. And I'm kind of nervous. Well... really nervous actually."
"That's okay. I'll keep you on your toes! But are you making the right use of those ship blueprints you got from Commander Vladykin?" She asked, leaning forward. Yuri could sense a lecture coming on, and perked up as he leaned forward to listen. "Number of ships, weapons, modules, setup of fleet and crew... you'd better take stock of those things before you head to the battlefield!"
"Yes ma'am." Yuri said, taking in what he had just learned.
She had a point, and Yuri stored that lecture away to use another time.
"It's been a while since I took part in such a big operation. I was starting to get rusty with just small-fry pirates to go up against." Poplo added, jumping into the conversation.
"Somebody sounds excited. You just can't wait, can you?"
"Of course I'm excited! Destroying enemy ships, boarding them and sending as many souls into dark matter as possible... these are the moments that make me feel most alive!" He explained, a look of anticipation on his face. "I'm sure the Captain will feel the same joy that I do one day too."
"Sorry Poplo, but I'm not letting you turn that kid into a kill junkie like you." Her expression serious. "Battles are a matter of survival. Not fun and games."
"Ha ha! I wouldn't have expected such conventional thinking from Nia Lochlain. Battles are battles. No matter how you look at it, the object is to kill the enemy, correct?"
"Hmph." Nia grunted, obviously annoyed now. "We're never gonna see eye to eye on this one Poplo. Better just let it go."
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
"We're ready to ship out as well." Vladykin answered.
After their hour was up, Yuri and co returned to the Lutsk Base HQ, where they were ushered into the War Room almost as soon as the guards had spotted them approaching.
"Good luck in the upcoming battle." Commander Mudakov said.
"Yes. Make us proud Commander."
"I'll do my best sir."
Up in the spaceport, Yuri and company made their way towards the slip that housed both the FREEDOM and VICTORY. Looking out into the hangar outside, they watched the military ships exiting. The Central Elgavan Forces Orfey and Askold-class ships making their way out of the hangar, passing the inner and outer marker military patrols.
"Yeah! We're gonna pulverize those pirates!"
Torlo's shout brought a smile to the group, as Yuri turned to his excited friend.
"You're really ready for this, aren't you Torlo?"
"Oh yeah, I'm pumped! I'm gonna fight for my man, fight for my wo-man, for for my life! Yeah!"
The look Yuri shot Torlo's way made the rest of the group laugh.
"Uh, okaaay. Whatever floats your boat."
As they drew nearer to their ships docking slips, he felt a tap on his shoulder, feeling Nia hold him back. Up ahead, Poplo and Gadina were talking with Ogar, while Kira was distracted by Torlo and Tatiana... laughing together.
"Tatiana in danger. Let her off ship." She recited in a hushed voice. "The only people who know she's on board are the crew, Rufina, and the guys at the Lutsk Base."
"So you think somebody from the base is in league with the enemy?" Yuri asked, suddenly feeling as if he was being watched.
"Who knows? I can't say for sure. But it's something we'd better consider. Stay on your toes is what I say."
He let that sink in, looking around him as the last of the Elgavan soldiers made their way to their ships.
Any one of them could be in league with the pirates. Any one of them could be traitors.
And that didn't sit too well with him at all.
As the asteroids passed them by, the fleet of Central Forces ships passed through in tight formation. The bridge inside the Askold at the lead housed many operators, and at the top, Commander Oleg Vladykin; watching their surroundings with narrowed eyes.
"Hm... there are lots of asteroids here too. Watch out for an ambush."
"Roger." One of the operators responded. "Increasing power to the APF shields.
The ship shook, interrupting the man as he spoke.
"Did we run into an asteroid?"
"No it's a... It's a mass shell attack!" The operator said, somewhat surprised. "Here comes the second wave! And the third!"
The mass shell attack continued, slamming into the exposed ships. Around them, Noviks, Gnevnys and other Novgorod ships appeared from behind the asteroids like ghosts.
"So it was an ambush! Why didn't the advance patrol pick up on them?" Vladykin asked.
"It's impossible to properly detect an enemy presence in an asteroid zone like this!"
"Grus!" He yelled, slamming a fist onto the captain's console. "Get me in touch with the FREEDOM."
On the other side of the asteroid field, Yuri stood at the helm of the ship, staring out into their surroundings as they passed through the rocks.
Everything seemed strangely quiet, and as he watched the bridge crew carefully studying their consoles, the communications system sounded, and Kira called out to him.
"Yuri, we've got a transmission coming in from Commander Vladykin."
"Hm? Open a channel."
On the screen, Oleg Vladykin's face appeared, the bridge around him awash with activity.
"Yuri! Can you hear me? Yuri!"
"What's the matter Commander Vladykin?" Yuri asked.
"We walked right into a trap! An enemy fleet was waiting for us. We're currently engaging them." He explained, turning briefly to shout orders at his men.
"What?!"
Yuri's mind was suddenly kicked into overdrive.*That means Lieutenant Agarkov's intel must've been a scam!*He thought.
"Commander, we'll be right over to back you up."
"No, we'll take care of these guys." He told them. "I want you to try to break through the enemy and get to Balik!"
"But Commander —"
"If we can take him out, the others should lose the will to go on. I need you to do this Yuri!"
The commander's pleading tone seem to strike a chord within Yuri... and he found himself suddenly full of confidence. It was as if the older man's words had woken something in him, and he was now free of the doubts and nerves that had previously plagued him.
"All right Commander. FREEDOM, full speed ahead!" Yuri shouted. The others watched as he stepped forward, glaring into the space in front. "We're coming for you Balik!"
As the base came into view, Kira shouted out a warning.
"Yuri! I'm detecting heat sources all around us! It's a solid ammo attack!"
"What?"
The ship shook, as around them, several ships appeared from behind the rocks, much the same situation that Vladykin was facing.
Though on a much smaller scale.
From behind them, came a ship much bigger than the rest. Three prongs jutting forward from the body of the vessel out back. The communications system sounded, and Yuri found himself face to face with an older man.
A Portly, Clean-shaven man, dressed in strange charcoal clothes appeared, laughing as he held his chin. "This is the massive fleet that dares to come after me?"
"You must be Balik."
"That's right. And you can consider it an honour to die by the great Balik's hand, oh little one!"
"You piece of Grus..."
"This looks bad kiddo. We're completely surrounded." Nia said, behind him now as she whispered in his ear. "And they've got a lot of experience fighting in an asteroid sector like this."
Inside Balik's ship, the Captain laughed, amused that anyone had dared try to challenge him. "Now do you realize what a hopeless situation you're in? I can feel your despair just oozing through the screen! Oh, your expressions are simply priceless!"
The ship shook as if possessed, and Balik was taken off his feet in surprise. "What? What was that?"
"C-Captain! Somebody's attacking from the rear!" An underling answered.
"From behind us!"
The Gromki cruiser shook again and again as a lone Rurik popped up, peppering it with laserfire.
"Dedon Galkin!" Balik said to himself. "You dirty double-crosser!"
He shouldn't have expected any less. The man hadn't even been known to him before a few months ago. He had simply shown up out of nowhere with a recommendation from some higher-ups.
Balik had an idea. But he'd get around to that later.
Back aboard the FREEDOM, Torlo's shout drew everyone's attention. "What's the matter? Can't get all your boys to play nice?"
"Looks like that Galkin guy is changing sides on Balik." Nia added.
"This is our chance! We bring Balik down now!"
"I'm with ya Yuri!" Torlo told him. "Anything you say man!"
"Be careful Yuri. His missile attacks are solid ammo, so our APF shields aren't gonna help us." Nia warned, returning to her seat. "Remember, if we get hit, we're gonna get hit bad!"
"Got it Nia! Thanks!"
The battle began with a hail of laserfire from Balik's escorts, and they had no time to dodge either. Ogar had already brought the VICTORY up on the right, protecting the young Captain, and returning fire with attacks of his own.
Nia's coordination between the two ships was superb, timing things right, and making adjustments in the blink of an eye. The pilots of both ships kept them moving, never staying in the same place too long.
Yuri watched as Balik hung back, opening fire randomly, some connected, some didn't. His next two solid ammo barrages hit nothing, but the one after almost struck the FREEDOM's right side.
In the few seconds it had taken for the attack to reach them, Ogar had pushed his ship forward, taking the brunt of the attack. Understanding that they needed to stay on the offense, Yuri had the Sokol and Novik escorts dispatched in the time that it had taken the VICTORY to recover.
Balik seemed to focus on Ogar, slamming the second ship with attacks that would have simply annihilated any other captain. The man's leadership skills and command over the ship were such that he seemed to dance right through each wave, and brace for each attack.
Minutes later though, and Yuri scored a big hit, landing a massive barrage full force against Balik's left side, just as he was distracted.
"Did we get him?"
A second later, and Kira answered. "I see an escape vessel. It's heading for the pirate base."
"We're not letting him get away!"
The crew waited with anticipation as they drew nearer to the base, Ogar letting Yuri know that he would prevent anyone from following after them... even in a wounded ship.
After the docking tube was fastened, and the security team had been assembled, they entered into the deserted spaceport.
"Oh Zakhar!" Tatiana said as soon as they entered, running off down the hall.
"Tatiana! Wait!" Yuri called after her disappearing form.
"We gotta go after her! The place is still crawling with pirates!"
As they trudged up the ramp, Nia turned to the green-haired girl beside her. "Hey Kira!"
"Huh?"
She tossed her a maser blaster, and as the teen caught it, she spoke. "From now on, you're gonna watch out for yourself. Got it?"
"Got it."
On the way down to the planet, Yuri noticed that Balik's pirate base looked more like an artificial planet than anything else, though once safely on the surface, it looked just as any normal planet would.
The three Ropesk natives stared around in wonder, shocked that anything of the sort was even possible, until they were broken out of their stupor by a comment from Nia.
The fortress that Balik had obviously made his home, was built into the side of a hill, two large hangar doors, and several exposed parts of buildings jutting forth.
Finding the entrance door unlocked, the large group entered, finding the interior illuminated in a blood red light.
"I hear a voice..."
Her voice was a whisper, almost afraid that speaking aloud would awaken the pirate's wrath.
"Hey, that's Tats."
Barely able to hear the shouts of his friend, over the murmuring and shuffling, Yuri thought to himself as they came to the end of the corridor, looking both ways.
I'm pretty sure that voice came from this direction.
Taking a chance, Yuri led the others down the left fork in the road, rounding a right-hand bend... and coming to a dead end.
"What's this?"
As Torlo teased Yuri about going the wrong way, Yuri watched Nia call up the base's operating system on the nearby console. As the flood of information passed before their eyes, Nia told them that there was data and designs for a Navigating Bridge MK1 module.
"How in Grus can you read that?" Gadina asked.
"Years of practice." She told them, as they made their way back the way they came. "I trained my brain to pick out important bits and pieces of information."
A few twists and turns later, and the group found themselves in a big room, almost akin to a throne room. The lights glowed a fierce red, and the centre of the room was lined with four chairs on either side.
Several stairs led to a raised platform at the back, an oversized round throne atop with a fire brazier on each side.
"Tats, baby cakes! You're all right!"
"Uh oh."
Tatiana stood in the middle of the room, Balik and an expressionless Zakhar Agarkov standing in front of her.
"ZAKHAR! IT'S ME! WHY DON'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?"
Zakhar's silence led to laughter from Balik. "Don't waste your time little girl. His brain has been completely altered by the servonin in his bloodstream. He doesn't recognize you anymore."
"Servonin?"
The evil smile on Balik's face seemed to reveal that something was about to happen. "Get them! Kill them all Agarkov!"
The brown-haired man tensed before letting out an animalistic yell. Charging forward, he closed the distance between the group in the span of a few seconds, knocking back Nia and Torlo with two massive fists.
Yuri knew he was next even before Zakhar turned in his direction, kicking him back with a strong right leg. Landing on the ground, he watched on as Zakhar battered around the security team, smacking around each member like they were kids.
"His strength...It's superhuman!"
Tatiana's eyes were full of tears as she yelled at her brother to stop. "ZAKHAR, STOP IT! NO ZAKHAR!"
Yuri watched the blood drain from Tatiana's face as Zakhar advanced on her, lifting her off the ground with a big meaty hand... said hand suddenly wrapped around her throat.
He heard her choking, as Zakhar hit her in the side, squeezing tighter.
"Z-Zakhar..." Tatiana managed to let out, her brother's face turning into an ugly sneer.
"GRAAAAAGH!"
"NOOOOO!"
Yuri watched Torlo shout out, picking himself off the floor, and charging towards the two struggling siblings. Torlo's body disappeared from his view suddenly, hidden by Zakhar's massive frame. Seconds later and the sound of a maser blaster filled the room.
Zakhar tumbled to the floor, Tatiana gasping for breath as she clutched at her throat. Beyond them, Torlo stood, arms outstretched, gripping the maser blaster in both hands... a strange look on his face.
Tatiana eventually regained her breathing, finally laying eyes on her brother's immobile form. "Zakhar..."
"Tats! Are you okay?"
"Zakhar... how could you?" She whispered. "HOW COULD YOU SHOOT HIM?! YOU IDIOT! I HATE YOUR GUTS!"
"I-I just..."
Dropping to the floor, she began shaking him, shouting her brother's name. "ZAKHAR! ZAKHAR!"
Approaching the three, he was interrupted when a voice called out from the far side of the room.
"Don't worry. He's still alive. I think he'll be all right."
"Huh?"
Looking up at the man standing in the middle of the room, Yuri recognized him immediately. "Galkin?"
"I don't think he got him in any vital areas. I'm more worried about the cardiac arrest the servonin caused as a side effect." He explained, bending down to examine Zakhar. "But don't worry. He'll pull through if we take care of it quickly."
"R-Really? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Nia approached, coming to a stop in front of them. "So you've been workin' for the military too, huh?"
"Yes, and it's been a tough assignment. And now it looks like Balik got away."
"Huh?" At Galkin's words, Yuri took a long look around the room. Just as the man had said, Balik was nowhere to be seen.
"Commander Mudakov from the Lutsk Base is in these pirates pocket you know."
"Commander Mudakov is?" Yuri asked, surprise evident in his voice.
It really was hard to believe. Mudakov had been so open and friendly to them too. If there was anyone at the base he would have picked, it sure wouldn't have been him.
"Yup. When Mudakov told the pirates Agarkov was a spy, they injected him with a synapse-generating serum called servonin, so they could control his brain."
"In any case, Balik's fleet has been wiped out. Now all we have to do is grab Mudakov."
"I guess you're right. Let's head back to the Lutsk Base."
"Yuri! Thank goodness you're back safe!"
The second they had docked with the military exclusive spaceport above the Lutsk Base, they had been greeted by Vladykin, accompanied by Captain Novikov, and flanked by two soldiers.
"I'm glad you're all right too Commander."
"Thanks to you, Balik's fleet has been demolished. I give you my utmost gratitude!" Novikov beamed.
What an about face. Yuri thought.
"Thanks. But what about Commander Mudakov?"
The look on Vladykin's face before he spoke told them everything they needed to know. "I already got a communication from Lieutenant Galkin that he was in cahoots with the pirates. I hurried back, but Mudakov had already taken off."
"I see." The young Captain said, a dejected look on his face.
"But at least now this sector will finally get a chance to stabilize." The Commander explained. "I'd like to thank you again properly, so please, stop by my lodgings later."
Upon entering Vladykin's quarters in the Officers Lodgings, they found the man in question lounging in a chair, glass of whiskey in hand.
Spotting the group, he almost spilt the drink as he downed the rest, placing the glass on the table as he walked over.
"Ah there you are Yuri! First of all, I wanted to talk to you about Lieutenant Agarkov. I'm afraid his recovery is going to take quite some time. It looks like the servonin they gave him was developed in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and we unfortunately don't have an effective way to go about treating him."
Tatiana stepped forward, pain in her voice. "No! But that means -"
"Don't worry. The military medical organization is devoting its time to hopefully find a solution. I've already made arrangements to have Lieutenant Agarkov sent to Central Elgava."
"Now then." He continued, changing the subject of the conversation. "I want you to know that Balik's forces have been destroyed, and it's all thanks to you. Here's a gift for you from Lieutenant Galkin."
Enclosed in the man's outstretched hand was a copy of the blueprints for a Rurik-class cruiser.
"And as a way of showing my own gratitude, I'd like to invite you to Central Elgavan Headquarters."
"Um... thanks?" He said, unsure.
Nia's opinion was quickly stated, speaking up during the break in conversation. "I dunno. That sounds kinda boring if you ask me."
"But that's where we've archived all our space flight data. In other words —"
"In other words, there might be Epitaph information there! Is that what you're saying?" Yuri asked, excited.
"Precisely. I gave you my word I would look into that, after all. When you get to the Central Elgavan sector, be sure to come visit me at Headquarters on Zvenigorod." He told them with a smile. "The gate to Central Elgava is beyond the planet Berezyi. I hope you have a safe journey!"
So we'll finally be going to Central Elgava! Yuri thought as they walked out.
"What about you Tatiana? What are you gonna do now?" Nia asked her curiously.
"I want to help look for a cure for my brother. If you don't mind, I'd really like to come with you.
Yuri smiled, grateful to have another friend to add to his adventures. "Of course we don't mind. I'll even make you an official crew member."
As they headed for the tavern to celebrate their victory over Balik, Yuri couldn't help but wonder at how far he'd already come.
And how far he would go.
Inside the tavern, Yuri's crew had spread themselves out amongst the place, breaking off into groups. Yuri had situated himself at the screens near the back, watching the news reports as he chatted with his sister.
From his position, he could see Poplo and Ogar chatting away at a table, and Nia and Gadina outdrinking various challengers in drinking games by the bar. They were winning, which only made their pile of money grow along with their laughter.
It was then that he noticed who was missing, taking a second look around, just to be sure. "Huh? Where are Torlo and Tatiana?"
"They took off somewhere." Kira answered.
"Oh, okay." Changing the subject, Yuri found himself reflecting on Tatiana and Zakhar's situation. "It's really awful what happened... what do you think Kira?"
"What do I think about what?"
"Do you think what Torlo did was wrong?" He asked, studying her. "I don't know. All I know is that, at the time, that was the only thing he could do."
"That's true."
"But if it was you and me..."
"Yeah?"
After leaving her sentence hanging, she turned her head, looking him in the eyes as she finished.
"I'd rather die than have you get shot."
Elsewhere, Torlo found himself sitting against the wall, the only light in the hospital corridor shining down on them. Tatiana's cries echoed softly in the silence, and he found he couldn't speak. The words becoming messed up as he opened his mouth.
"Tats... I..."
"I know. You were only trying to save me." She said between sniffles and heaves.
"I didn't know what else to do. I—"
"I know! Just shut up about it already!" She said forcefully.
The silence between them stretched on as they waited for the other to speak.
"Do you think you could...just stay with me for a while?"
In spite of how much he wanted to smile that she actually wanted him around, and despite what he had done to Zakhar, he found himself speaking.
"Of course. Sure. I'll stay as long as ya want me to."
"Thanks Torlo."
Suddenly, he found his left arm snaking out, reaching over to wrap itself around Tatiana's shoulders. He wasn't even aware he'd done it until she stiffened; his body reacting in the same way as he prepared himself for a beating.
Surprising him, Tatiana leaned over, head dropping onto his shoulder as she cried, and he found himself reaching over with his free hand to rub her back.
Yes. He thought. He sure as Grus wasn't leaving her side.
Hours later, after a very long sleep, the friends all regrouped at the local tavern, surprised to see Tatiana sitting by herself in a corner, staring inconsolably at her water glass.
Torlo started towards her, but was stopped with a hand on his shoulder by Nia, who shook her head slowly. "Let's sit somewhere else Torlo. It looks like Tatiana wants to be alone right now."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Yuri watched the girl as he followed the others to an empty table, hoping that Tatiana would get better soon. She will, of course. He thought to himself. She just needs time.
Gathered around the table, they all reached into the centre to pick at the various food dishes they had ordered. Torlo ignored the others initially, as he glanced over at Tatiana every now and then.
"Seeing Galkin's face jogged my memory. He used to work as an intelligence operative for the Central sector of Elgava. He called himself Alabysh back then." Poplo told them.
"Do you think that's his real name?"
"I doubt it. I bet only a handful of people in the military know his true name." He answered. "But just the fact that he was a noted spy for Elgava... that's a real testament to his skill."
"No doubt." Nia said. "Spies usually have to be skilled to be able to infiltrate places and organizations. Even those from Elgava."
She took a sip from her shot, taking it slow for now. She was just getting warmed up.
"Besides... After all this work you've done for him, that Vladykin guy owes you big time."
"Yeah, maybe."
Seeing the look on his face, Nia decided to speak up. "Hey kiddo. I know how you feel, but don't let it get the better of you. You start draggin' that kind of baggage around, and next time it's gonna be you."
"I know it. Thanks."
They winded up in silence, before Gadina returned from her trip to the bar. "We just demolished a pirate base, it's time to kick up our heels and have ourselves a celebration!"
Yuri, Torlo and Kira stared at Gadina in silence.
"Aw, c'mon guys! What gives?"
"I'll party with you Gadina!" Nia added, raising a glass.
"That's my girl. We'll be drinkin' 'til dawn Nia!" The mercenary answered.
"You can say that again. Woo hoo!"
Nia and Gadina laughed as they drank, which was nothing new, since that was routine for them. Judging by the looks in their eyes, and the smiles on their faces as they talked about the upcoming celebration, Yuri knew he should be scared.
They should all be very scared.
"Hmph. So that ragtag team of children have left port, have they?" Captain Novikov asked. "And now with Balik gone, this base should get pretty quiet."
In the aftermath of the battle with Balik, Captain Novikov and Commander Vladykin found themselves alone in the war room of the Lutsk Base HQ.
"Speaking of Balik, I got some very interesting intel from one of our operatives." Vladykin added, ignoring the other man's question.
"Did you now?"
"Yes sir, very interesting indeed." He began, looking his superior dead in the eye. "He told me that one of Balik's men has been transferring funds... into your account, Captain."
Startled at the sudden revelation, Novikov began to stumble over his words. "Wh-What?! I —"
"Relax. Let's just say I'm willing to keep this bit of information to myself. But in return..."
"In return what?" He was almost afraid to ask.
"From now on, I want you to lend your full support to our Reform Faction."
"Hm..."
"Oh! It's the president, Mr. Efimov! Welcome back sir!" An employee said, noticing Karlo and company walking through the building.
"Thank you. But it's thanks to these good people here that Balik was driven out of the sector."
"Oh, was it now? Thank you then! Because of you, we were able to kick the pirates out of our company." The man said, wearing a cream gold business suit. "Will you be coming back to the company now, Mr. Efimov?"
Karlo had already spoken about it with Yuri, who had been more than willing to allow Karlo to stay on. That was why they were here today, for Karlo to put the affairs of the company in order while he would be away... honestly not sure when he'd be back.
"I'm afraid not. I want to spend more time with these people, travelling the universe. I still have a lot to see and learn."
"I see sir. That's a shame for us. But I understand! And while you're gone, we'll do our best to take care of your company for you."
"Before you leave, please take a look at Efimov's fine products." The man told them.
As Karlo bid the man farewell, Yuri paid the few dozen G for weapon blueprints. Walking off with small and medium Anti-Ship missiles.
After stopping off at a nearby cafe for lunch, and Karlo admitting that the battle wouldn't be over until he had exacted his revenge on Mudakov, Yuri had gone on to equip the newly acquired missiles to both ships.
Upon a mutual agreement, Yuri and company headed for the Void Gate that would take them to the Central Elgavan sector. Along the way, the sky survey system on board discovered 300G worth of resources in the asteroid field near Ketrzyn.
Afterwards, their journey towards the Void Gate beyond Berezyi was full of fights, the Novgorod Pirates, despite being leaderless... seemed to be out for blood.
Noviks, Gnevnys, Sokols, Bodrys, they all hunted them down, though the group wasn't deterred. With two Orfey-class destroyers, and Balik's demise behind them, the pirates stood no chance.
As the pair of ships made their way down the starlane, the imposing Void Gate creeping into their vision, Yuri found himself wondering.
Ever since he had ventured into space, he had had to face challenge after challenge. And as the excitement and anticipation grew inside him, he found he couldn't sit still. Finally, after the trials and tribulations that he had been through the last two weeks... he was actually going to Central Elgava.
And he found he couldn't stop smiling.