Tha Sinn Lugovalos.
"Ngh..."
Antono Letero groaned as he sat up, small piece's of debris falling off him as the dust rose... making him cough.
"Unh... I-I'm alive?" He found himself saying, looking down at his hands in wonder and shock.
His head suddenly throbbed in pain, and he held a hand up to his temple. Getting unsteadily to his feet, he almost slipped on the rocks and rubble beneath him.
He wrinkled his nose at the acrid burning smell which wafted up his nostrils, surveying the scene around him.
If he hadn't been standing in the room moments before, he dared to say he wouldn't have recognized it.
"Wow, look at this place..." He said in shock, before his mind wandered back to his companion. "Merita! Merita!"
Frantically looking around the room. He spotted a pile of rubble, recognizing Merita's arm protruding out from underneath the rocks.
"Merita! Merita! Hang on Merita! I'm coming!"
He did slip this time, but was on his feet in an instant, ignoring the pain.
Flinging himself to the floor, he lifted his arms, throwing aside debris and rubble, finding his friend's body covered in dust.
He lifted her up, desperately calling out to her as she slept on... unconscious.
Suddenly, he began to cry.
"No... Why...? Merita, you can't be dead!"
Between his sobs, and the drops of tears streaking down his cheeks, Merita spoke.
"I'm not dead."
So shocked was he at the sound of her voice, that he dropped her, jumping back in pain as he slipped on the rubble again... falling down in pain.
"Ack!"
Meanwhile, drifting amidst the remains of Monarho, was Yuri's fleet, barely managing to survive the asteroid storm, which resulted in the moon's destruction.
"...read me... do you read me Yuri?!"
Yuri groaned as he sat up, his body aching as he struggled to his feet. "Unh... Is everybody all right?"
"Yeah... I guess so." Torlo answered, having come up to the bridge in the midst of fleeing the planet.
"Here, let me give you a hand Kira." Ian offered her his hand, lifting the green-haired teenager to her feet.
"Th-Thanks, Ian. Ow..."
Kira's thanks was cut off by a sharp burst of pain.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" He asked.
"No, I'm fine..." She replied... it was really nothing to worry about.
Ian stared at her for a minute, before shrugging his shoulders.
"Yuri! I'm very glad to see that you're all right."
"Captain Valso..." Yuri asked in slight confusion. "What about Najbaro? What happened there?!"
Valso's face looked weary. "We're still assessing the damage, but we estimate at least 500,000 casualties."
"So many?!' Yuri asked.
"Our forces won the engagement over Ermeno and took back Oricum, but I guess the situation is more like a draw right about now, what with all the military power they still have left." The man answered.
Nia shook her head. Big mistake.
"A draw? With all these innocent civilians dead?!" He asked, anger rising.
Valso held up his hands, hoping to calm the boy down. "Now, now Yuri. With what happened on Najbaro, anti-war sentiment is on the rise in both nations. There's an undercurrent movement towards peace, centred around Mr. Lanco."
"I see." He found himself saying.
So the old man had come through.
"In any case, we're really grateful to you for rescuing so many civilians. We've set up a temporary evacuation shelter on Ermeno, so please bring the evacuees there." He informed them.
"Got it."
"Oh!" He added, as if remembering something. "And there are still some Kalymnian stragglers within Nova Nacion territory, so be careful, okay?"
With the communications channel cut off now, the crew looked back at him expectantly.
Well, it wouldn't hurt to have another look on Najbaro for survivors.
"Set a course for Najbaro! We'll check for any survivors before heading to Ermeno to drop off the evacuees."
"What a total disaster! It's a miracle the spaceport is still functioning!" Torlo commented as they walked through the remains of Najbaro's spaceport.
"Thanks to Stelalumo though, at least we avoided the absolute worst-case scenario."
"Do you think Ensign Letero and Ensign Tajloro are still alive?" Tatiana asked.
Well... there's only one way to find out.
Once on the planet's surface, they checked inside the tavern, which was somehow still standing... a miracle in and of itself. The walls were cracked and the floor and roof looked like they had seen much better days.
Inside, people huddled together, wrapped in blankets.
He felt sorry for them.
"So many people..." Yuri said to himself.
"It looks like this place got turned into a temporary shelter." Nia added, and as they exchanged a glance, they wandered inside quickly, curious if anyone wanted to be taken to Ermeno.
Entering the Najbaro Base, or what was left of it, Yuri took a look around. "Wow. It's completely demolished."
"I guess there's no sense in tryin' to get in." Nia said to no one in particular. The others nodded, and they continued on, seeing the familiar Stelalumo Control Bunker coming into view.
"The place is covered with rubble, but the entrance is still there." Nia commented.
"Shall we check it out?" Ian asked.
Yuri's head cocked to the side, and he found himself answering with a yes.
"Yeah, I think we'd better take a look, It's dangerous, so maybe just Torlo and I had better go. Is that okay with you Torlo?"
"Sure thing my man!" Torlo replied with a grin, following the Captain through into the darkened bunker.
"It doesn't look like there's really all that much damage inside." Yuri noticed, footsteps echoing off the walls as they walked.
"Yeah, I don't think it's gonna collapse or anything. And that's a good thing!"
They came across the door to the Stelalumo control room, and Torlo pushed it, to no avail. "Huh? I can't get the control room door open."
"It must've gotten warped with the impact. Here, hold on." Yuri told him, bracing himself against the door.
With a nod, they pushed together, and the door budged open, shifting aside debris as they went.
"Oh!" Merita exclaimed, surprised at their appearance.
"It's open! We're saved Merita!" Letero cried, jumping to his feet in joy.
"Ensign Letero! And Ensign Tajloro too?!" Yuri really hadn't expected them to survive the blast, but was glad they had.
"Captain Yuri! You came back for us! I... I knew you would come!" He told him.
Merita snorted. "Huh? You've been complaining this entire time about how they forgot all about you."
"M-Merita!"
Torlo smiled at their exchange. "So you've been trapped in here the whole time?"
"Yes, and I don't think I could've stood it for another minute, all alone down here with just Letero." Merita added.
"Anyway, I'm really glad you're both safe." He interrupted, noting the awkward silence. "We were able to save a lot of lives today, thanks to you two."
"That's good to hear, but first I want to know if you have anything for us to eat. Oh, and until I get new orders from the military, I want to stay on with your ship." Letero said quickly, prompting a laugh out of Torlo.
"Of course. You can stay on with us for as long as you like." He offered.
"And Merita too, right?" Letero asked, glancing to the woman beside him.
"Hm. Well, the base here is completely out of commission... why not?" She said with a shrug.
Then, they showed the Nova Nacions to the entrance of the bunker...
Where they were greeted to cheering and applause from Yuri's crew.
Leaving Najbaro behind, Letero returned to his position as Assistant Mechanic, while Merita was given a spot as an Assistant Operator... rounding out the last of the operator's positions on the FLAKRUNNER's bridge.
On their journey to Ermeno, they had been attacked by a trio of Kalymnian fleets, which had, unsurprisingly, been waiting for them.
They really weren't much of a threat, but with the Najbaro evacuees aboard, Yuri had made sure to stress the importance of their safety to his crew.
As they entered the Ermeno spaceport, Ian sighed in relief. "Phew. Now we can finally drop off the evacuees."
"Yeah. I'm glad we were able to deliver them here safely. I was worried about having battles with them aboard." He added.
From behind him, Torlo's heavy footsteps announced his presence.
"Yuri, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure Torlo. What is it?" He prodded.
"Now, you can say no if ya want to, but... well... I was thinking about givin' some of our food to these people before we drop 'em off." He admitted. "Even at the shelter, who knows when they're gonna get to eat, or even how much food there's gonna be for 'em?"
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "You want to give them some of our food huh?"
"We're talkin' a lot of people here, so it would probably cost us about 2,000 G. But seriously my man! I'm worried about 'em. A lot of 'em are just little kids!"
Yuri didn't blame the guy. He had been in the same position as Torlo once upon a time. Starving at times, and trying their best to get by with what they had...
He didn't wish that life on anyone.
"Yeah, sure. Let's do it. Talk to Paulo in accounting, and then distribute some food around."
A great smile split Torlo's face. "Really?! Ya mean it?!"
"Of course. I wish I'd thought of it myself. Thanks for thinking of it Torlo." He complimented.
"All right! Thanks Yuri!" Yuri watched him leave to arrange everything... an extra bounce in his step.
"Huh. He can be unexpectedly kind and considerate, that Torlo." Ian added, coming to a stop behind the Captain.
Yuri smiled, before nodding. "Yeah, he's a good guy."
The evacuation shelter was overflowing with Najbaro colonists as they entered, all with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Some refugees who had been rescued by Yuri's crew, called Torlo over.
"Hey Yuri. Those guys over there want to give you this. I think it's like a thank you gift or something."
"Hm?"
Yuri took the data plate from his friend, holding it up to the light... the evacuees smiling at the two gratefully.
"I think it'd be rude not to take it." Torlo whispered.
"I guess you're right." He replied.
Nodding to the evacuees, he stashed the newly acquired captain's cabin MK 2 module blueprint in his pocket as he left.
Despite their win over the Kalymnian forces at the front line, the Joint Headquarters seemed busier now than back when they'd first visited.
Many of the base personnel ran around like they'd just lost their heads, and one, unfortunately, was running so fast that he dropped his paperwork...
And spilled the coffee of the officer coming the other way.
Inside the war room, Yuri and his Circle were spotted almost immediately by Captain Valso, who waved them over.
"Ah, Yuri, you're a sight for sore eyes!"
Surrounding the conference table were several officers, who were discussing what appeared to battle strategy and tactics.
Next to Valso, was a man with slicked back hair, and neatly pressed aqua robes... a long red cape attached at the shoulders. Yuri could only guess that he was someone very high up, a politician, or a government official.
"So you're the crew from the FLAKRUNNER. We're so grateful for your support."
"And you are...?"
"Oh, forgive me." Ulmo smiled, before taking a slight bow. "I am Luchjo Ulmo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
"The Chairman heard about your work so far, and wanted to personally thank you." Valso added.
"There's no need to thank us."
"Nonsense. On behalf of the Nova Nacion military, I must insist that you accept our sincere gratitude." He told Yuri. "After all, you kept casualties at an absolute minimum during Kalymnos's despicable operation."
The moment he finished speaking, Nia cursed under her breath, before looking over at Yuri. Oh boy.
"Despicable?" Yuri asked flatly.
"Yuri..."
Noticing the change in Yuri's mood, Kira hastily began to tug on her brother's arm. Yuri though, ignored the signal meant to reign him in...
"I think the term despicable can apply to both sides, now that you bring it up." He said, trying his best to keep his voice even... though failing.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Ulmo said, looking at the teen with a confused look.
"I'm sure you knew the risks of placing a weapon in the middle of a civilian population Chairman. We spacefarers are supposed to follow a code and only battle others of our own kind!" Yuri explained, dropping his calm demeanour. "Don't you get it? This was all your fault for not following the spacefarer's code!"
Ulmo looked at this boy before him, and he was just that... a boy.
Who is he to judge? Who is he to tell our nation how to act?
"No, we are not subject to any such code. In fact, such codes are really nothing more than an unspoken understanding between outlaws such as yourself. It has no basis in galactic laws or the laws of navigation." He lectured.
"So you're saying you can do whatever the Grus you want? Is that what you're saying?!" Yuri asked angrily.
Seeing the situation spiralling out of control, Captain Valso stepped in, arms raised.
"No, please, wait Yuri."
"I'm sorry Captain Valso, but –"
Cutting him off, Valso turned to the Chairman with a sincere look of apology.
"Please, you must excuse him Chairman. He is, after all, still a young man, and has the quick temper that young men so often do."
Levelling a look in Yuri's direction, Ulmo snorted. "Yes, it would appear so. Anyway, my business is finished here. Now, if you will excuse me."
He turned on his heel, swiftly exiting the war room without so much as a backwards glance.
Yuri watched him leave, before Valso started to speak, but he cut the man off.
"Yuri –"
"I'm sorry, I guess I made a bad first impression, didn't I?" He said.
"Don't worry. Such frankness is, uh, one of the charms of youth." Valso added, trying to reassure the teen that it would be fine.
"How are the peace negotiations going?" Ian questioned.
Valso shrugged. "Top government leaders are meeting right now to hammer out the details. With nothing certain yet, isolated battles are flaring up here and there, but there are no major military operations as of now."
Valso's explanation was enough to get Yuri's mind out of the despicable nature of both nations, and into the conversation at hand.
"I sure hope they find a way to put an end to the bloodshed."
"Normally, I would say intervention by Elgava would have been the best solution. But it seems there's a certain reluctance on their part to act swiftly." Valso said, surprised at Elgava's hesitation to act.
Yuri stayed silent, of course, knowing just why they weren't acting.
Valso continued.
"At any rate, we must remain vigilant until an official cease-fire agreement can be reached. Radical elements that would prefer not to see an end to hostilities are still violating our territory from time to time. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to patrol the surrounding sectors for the time being." The Captain said.
Yuri thought about it for a second, before realizing that it couldn't hurt. They had agreed to join Nova Nacio in the war, the least they could do was try to keep the peace in the meantime.
"Will do."
Before going on their patrol, they all headed for the tavern, looking to have a bit of a break from all the fighting of the last few days.
Surprisingly, Nia was already there, having somehow managed to go on ahead of them. She sat at the bar, talking to someone through her mobile terminal.
"So you're sayin' Elgava has no intention of intervening in the Irvest sector huh?"
She paused, allowing the person on the other end to speak.
"Yeah okay. It's a mess here. We can't get away, so thanks for doing this for us. Keep up the great work." She finished, before hanging up as Yuri and Torlo approached.
"Nia, who were you talking to?"
She turned to face them, not at all surprised at their appearance. "Oh, that was Semias. He was checkin' out the situation in Elgava for us. It looks like they've sent armed forces to some other region."
Torlo frowned. "Armed forces? Who are they gonna fight?"
Nia shrugged, getting up to follow them towards the bartender. "I dunno. But I got a bad feeling about this. I hope we get peace in this area soon."
Spotting the group approaching, the bartender came up to them, an apologetic look already on his face.
"I'm sorry. We're so busy trying to feed all the displaced people, I'm afraid we aren't serving any customers right now." He told them. "You're welcome to just sit and relax though, if that's what you'd like to do."
While a bit disappointed, the three returned to the table, earning a round of groaning from the crew.
As they all sat and talked, the topic of conversation had turned to the war, and the destruction of Monarho.
"So, the roche limit huh? I still can't believe that Kalymnos came up with a plot like that." Yuri commented.
"Yeah, with all those innocent people living on Najbaro..." Torlo said, trailing off.
"I saw on the news that the Kalymnian military weren't the ones who came up with the plan to destroy Monarho." Ian added, taking a seat at the table. "It was apparently the idea of the Kalymnos People's Committee, a group of politicians."
"You mean a non-military group got that out of hand?!" Kira asked.
Turning to the green-haired girl, Nia answered.
"People behind groups like that are far removed from the reality of the actual death and suffering of war. I figure that's why they can be so cold and calculating."
"It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise though..." Admiral Beleko added in his deep voice. "War and battle often bring out the worst in people, and long standing grudges, and bitter hatred or resentment."
"But does it really have to lead to a war?" Kira asked again.
Beleko watched her for a moment, before speaking again. "You may not understand it now, but you will... in time. I mean, look at what came out of this war already..."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Both the Stelalumo laser and the Thalia deflectors are amazing technological feats. It's true what they say about war really advancing technology."
"So you don't think that technology would ever develop if there weren't any wars?" Tatiana asked in curiosity.
Beleko shrugged. "Well, it's never happened in mankind's history that technology has advanced more in peacetime than in wartime." He could see Tatiana frown in thought. "I guess man is just a naturally lazy, but competitive creature. He only moves forward when he's up against somebody else."
Yuri looked up into this man's face as he let out a quick, short laugh.
Leaving the tavern, Yuri and company all gathered in the FLAKRUNNER's messhall, sitting down to a big meal.
Letero dropped back into his chair, hands resting on his bloated stomach. "Whew, I am so pleasantly full! I finally feel like myself again."
Yuri thought back to just a few hours ago, when the Stelalumo laser had destroyed Monarho, and Letero and Merita had been trapped inside the control bunker.
"It must have been so awful, to be trapped under a mountain of rubble like that."
"But Merita was with me, so I never lost heart." Letero said with a smile.
Merita turned to look at the man with a snort. "You can say that again. You had so much heart left, you broke into the storeroom and trashed around, screaming that there weren't any rations in there."
She laughed at the end, leaving Letero red-faced and embarrassed.
"B-But Merita! I was only thinking of you!" He tried to defend himself, before they dropped into an argument.
Nia wasn't really paying attention to the conversation, staring off at the far wall. Noting this, Yuri, from his position beside her, nudged her shoulder softly.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she looked down at Yuri's questioning gaze.
"Hmm? Oh, it's just that... even with this big military conflict going on, there hasn't been a peep out of the Interplanetary Union of Elgava."
"I've tried sending a message to Commander Vladykin too, but no answer. It's especially odd when you consider that they used to be so quick to get involved in just about anything." Ian said.
Even with the Lugovalian Empire on the horizon, Elgava should still have had more than enough firepower and pull to stop the war...
So why hadn't they.
"Something is definitely up with them." Yuri added, trailing off.
In that instant, he turned to Tatiana, having just thought of something. "Tatiana, have you heard anything from Mr. Lanco?"
"Not yet. I tried contacting him, but Mr. Garni answered. He said that Mr. Lanco was still in the middle of negotiations." She replied.
"Both sides oughta be pretty worn down by now." Torlo added. "They've gotta realize they can't keep fightin' forever, ya know?"
Knowing that there wasn't any point dwelling on things out of their control, Nia jumped in, hoping to set them on the right track.
"Well, I guess all we can do is take care of any leftover stragglers as fast as we can, and leave the peace talks to Mr. Lanco."
Yuri nodded in acknowledgement. "Right. Let's just keep going with our patrol."
Receiving nods from around the table, Yuri stood, followed closely by Torlo and Ian as they headed out of the messhall.
"Man, what a guy." Pavlou muttered to himself.
"Is something the matter?" Yuri asked, spotting the look of anger on the former Captain's face.
"That guy that destroyed my ship... that Terzi fellow." Pavlou didn't answer Yuri's question, but just left him with more questions.
"Terzi?!"
Suddenly realizing what this was leading to, Ian cocked his head in thought. "Huh. I bet they gave him a deal and released him on the condition that he help out with the war effort."
Pavlou scoffed. "Yeah, probably huh? I'm in the same boat, so I guess I can't complain, but man! He sure didn't go easy on me. I mean, the guy rammed me for heaven's sake!"
He found his mind wandering back to his last encounter with the Kreios Pirate's boss, and found himself thinking how much more aggressive he sounded now.
He shrugged, knowing that he'd probably never see the man again, and so, had no cause in worrying.
Sometime later however... Yuri found himself back on the FLAKRUNNER's bridge. Watching as each of his crew prepared to leave, he turned to his sister, who was unusually quiet...
Even more so than usual.
"All right, let's ship out. Kira, get permission from control to leave port."
She didn't answer, and at first, he didn't think she'd heard him.
"Kira?" He questioned.
"Oh, sorry. Roger." She turned to speak with the spaceport controller, as Yuri watched her with narrowed eyes.
Something wasn't right.
Meanwhile...
In a sector approximately 2,000 light years away from Central Elgava, the Elgavan fleet was about to make first contact with the Lugovalian Empire.
Standing tall and proud atop the bridge, Rudak Fomich turned to the man on his immediate left.
"Have language generators been exchanged?"
"Yes sir. Just now. The data format is slightly different, but we were able to convert it without any problems." The Adjutant answered quickly.
"Very good. At least they have some level of technological ability anyway."
"We're about to enter radar range. We are planning to make contact thirty seconds after that sir." The man added.
"Very good."
Leaving the Elgavan formation behind him, Fomich's ship pulled ahead, getting closer to the lead Lugovalian vessel. Approaching from the its left side, the crew got their first true look at the might of their enemy.
The flagship of the Lugovalian fleet looked to be almost three times longer than the Borodino battleship, and its guns looked like they could tear the smaller ship in half without so much as breaking a sweat.
Fomich gasped. "I really wasn't expecting to see ships of this size!"
Despite his words of warning to the Elgavan President, he knew that there would be a very strong possibility that they could lose this engagement...
He just didn't realize how badly they were outmatched.
Until now.
"Defense Minister, perhaps we should re-examine our assumptions about the Lugovalian Empire." The Adjutant said nervously.
"Hm..." He wondered.
No, it wouldn't do for his men to see him second guessing himself. If he did that, well...
"Prepare docking procedures, have the ship in standby for my return."
"Yes sir."
Leaving the safety of his own ship, he waved away his personal guard, leaving them behind. Climbing the docking tube, he entered into a dark blue hallway, lit with white lights overhead.
Just beyond the docking tube entrance, was a man dressed in a strange looking clothes... neatly brushed, dark brown hair, and clean shaven face.
He greeted him.
"Welcome to the CAMALUS, the Lugovalian advance troops flagship! The Fleet Commander is right this way!"
With a wave of his hand, Fomich found himself following behind.
"Thank you." He said, not that the man appeared to be listening.
He followed him for a short distance, before entering into what appeared to be a meeting room of sorts.
It was dark, lit only by the light of the large round table in the centre, a purple hologram sitting in the middle... a dozen gold, high backed chairs lining the outside.
Fomich stopped just inside the door, as the man who had led him here, came to a stop at the other end of the table. Standing, chair behind him, was a man with long blond hair and startling blue eyes. His robes were decorated and appeared to made of the finest quality.
If there was anyone who fit the bill of commander, it was him.
"Ah, Rudak Fomich, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the Interplanetary Union of Elgava. I am Niall Eremon, appointed Commander of the Vanguard Fleet to the Small Magellanic Cloud by Emperor Taranis of Lugovalos."
Fomich raised an eyebrow, the man spoke very well. Surprisingly. "Well, what a surprise! Your Elgavan is very beautiful."
As Eremon laughed, Fomich took the only vacant seat before him.
"That young lady behind you, Lyudmila Borisova, taught me the language."
Fomich recognised the name. "Borisova?" He muttered, turning behind him and spotting a young woman amongst the man's many male aides.
She stepped forward with a smile, purple hair cropped short, gone were the last vestiges of her Elgavan heritage...
Replaced only by the new trappings of the Lugovalian Empire.
"I'm Lyudmila Borisova. I used to be head of the Zvenigorod Academy. We've actually met two or three times before Defense Minister. Don't you remember me?"
"Borisova?" He muttered to himself, staring at her. Something seemed to jog his memory, and he spoke with a sudden realization. "You were one of the ones on the Epitaph probe ship that went missing!"
"That's right. Commander Eremon picked me up and took me in."
He wasn't sure how to answer, but he didn't have to, as Commander Eremon spoke up.
"Thanks to Borisova, we already know the political situation and the strengths of each nation in the Small Magellanic Cloud." He began, before beginning the negotiations. "Which leads me to this: We want the Interplanetary Union of Elgava to surrender immediately and unconditionally."
"What?!" He said, startled by the sudden, and very forthcoming terms.
"The current government will be dismantled, and a Viceroy of our choosing will be installed in Zvenigorod. And, of course, the Elgavan military forces will come under our command." He explained.
Eremon seemed to think that they held the advantage, and looking at things logically, he wasn't about to doubt them.
But still, complete and unconditional surrender... what kind of a negotiation was that.
"D-Do you really think we're going to agree to this outrageous proposal?"
Eremon brought a finger up to his chin in thought. "If I recall, I believe the number of Elgava's ships is around 30,000?"
"Hmph." Fomich snorted, acting confident.
"I don't suppose your sector radar has been able to pick up on all of them yet, but the number in our vanguard fleet alone is... 120,000 ships."
Fomich paled. "What?! Y-You're... bluffing."
The man didn't smile. Didn't move. Didn't do anything.
He just sat there like a statue... resilient and unmoving.
"If you think it's a bluff, feel free to call it. I'd be happy to show you we mean business. The Lugovalian Empire is rather good at backing up its claims, I must say." The man said with steely eyes.
The two men continued to watch each other from across the table, and Fomich couldn't stand listening to it anymore.
I won't let my people and my position be insulted like this!
"Hmph. I see there's nothing left for us to talk about then. Good day." He said, standing from his chair.
Turning, he got about halfway to the door, when Eremon's voice stopped him.
"Ambassador Fomich."
"What is it?!"
"Tha sinn Lugovalos." The man stated.
"Huh?" Confused at not knowing the language, Fomich raised an eyebrow.
"It means, We are Lugovalos."
"And that's all you have to say?" He asked.
Eremon smiled in reply, chuckling quietly.
Fomich couldn't stand being in the room anymore, and suddenly, found himself walking back down the hallway towards his ship.
How ironic. He wondered, remembering his last meeting with the President of Elgava.
The man hadn't listened, and Fomich hadn't been given a chance to speak.
He gritted his teeth.
Why does everything always end the same?
With negotiations over, and Defense Minister Fomich now safely out of harms way, Fleet Admiral Malyshev turned to speak into the comm... addressing each man and ship of the fleet. "Illustrious Elgavan soldiers, this is Fleet Commander, Admiral Malyshev! Negotiations with the Lugovalian Empire have failed. In order to protect our nation from this invading aggressor, the Interplanetary Union of Elgava now has no choice but to use military force. Annihilate them, soldiers!"
Aboard the CAMALUS, standing to one side of Commander Eremon, Desmond spoke in mocking surprise. "Oh, my, my, my! The enemy is preparing to fire. I do believe they've decided to resist, Commander Eremon!"
Eremon didn't respond. He didn't do anything. He'd seen this all before, many, many times... though one such occasion always came to mind.
"Well, it looks like it's just as you said Borisova. These people are so tightly hung up in their conservative way of life, they don't realize that the rope that's supporting that life is about to become unravelled." He said with a smile.
"Yes Commander. I believe it's time for this haughty nation to... cease to exist." She said with a pause, unsure how those words felt in her mouth.
The blond-haired man raised a curious eyebrow in her direction. "Isn't that going to be difficult for you?"
Pausing again, she thought on how different things were now, compared to a few months ago.
After witnessing the Lugovalian-ran nation first hand, and being Elgavan herself, she saw how efficient, and how much their people flourished.
In the end, there really wasn't any doubt...
"No sir."
"Now then Commander! What are your orders sir?" Desmond asked.
Eremon responded as if giving Desmond the time. "Destroy them, of course. We are Lugovalos!"
The Adjutant never batted an eye. "Yes sir! All ships, maintain formation! Forward!"
While the Elgavan fleet held position out of attack range, the Lugovalian ships charged...
And into the incoming volley of fire.
Having given orders to the entire fleet, Admiral Malyshev waited, before the first volley of fire erupted from the BRAVYY's guns, along with five thousand others.
He watched with pride as a wall of blue lasers struck home against the incoming Lugovalian fleet.
*You won't take one step into our great nation! Not while I'm alive!*He thought.
He watched as the another volley of fire erupted, and another, and another, until something seemed to give him pause.
Despite the attacks, it appeared that the enemy ships were getting closer, not slowing down. There didn't appear to be any explosions, or evidence of damage whatsoever.
Something wasn't right.
Soon, the blue of the Elgavan laserfire was mixed in with incoming attacks of a dark red hue.
"INCOMING! BRACE FOR IMPACT!" An operator yelled.
Malyshev snorted. And as he watched the streak of red laserfire heading for them he braced himself.
The laser struck the ship, with another landing a devastating blow against the BRAVYY's bridge, incinerating the command crew, and killing all aboard...
"Is the enemy within range?!" Vladykin asked, eyes never leaving the advancing Lugovalian fleet.
"Yes, sir! But our attacks aren't producing any damage!" She replied.
The Imperial ships, which didn't have a problem at all in advancing through the hail of laserfire, seemed to shrug off Elgava's feeble attempts at an attack.
Between one moment and the next, a sea of red-hued laserfire was coming straight for them.
The ship rocked, and even Vladykin's experienced and steady feet were swept out from underneath him.
"Damn it!"
As he stared and cursed himself for being so stupid, he realized just what Novikov was worried about...
Now he could see how powerful the threat truly was; with his own eyes.
"Much of the advance and middle guard is down! Th-the flagship BRAVYY is down too sir!"
Impossible!
"What?! In just one volley of fire?!" He asked in shock.
The operator nodded, and her face paled as she continued consulting her console. "The enemy is headed this way! No change in speed!"
This sent a chill up his spine, and he found himself cursing.
"In the name of –"
The Lugovalian ships moved through the battlefield like one cohesive unit, responding with volleys, upon volleys of barrages that cut through the Elgavan formation like it wasn't even there.
"H-How can this be happening...?" Captain Novikov asked in fear. He'd never seen anything like it before in his life.
"Ships of the Novikov fleet! Report in, please! I-It's no use! We've already lost eighty percent of our fleet!"
Another operator cut in.
"Ships at the rear are already starting to retreat sir! Maybe we should make a break for it too!" He told the Captain, looking up with a hint of fear.
"Retreat?" He asked with a pause. "Make a break for it? And just let these fiends overrun our homeland?"
His hands rested on the console beneath him, and he stayed hunched over, head bent low... eyes closed.
"I may be a military man, but I never even imagined a battle of this magnitude." He wasn't sure if he was speaking to the operator, or just speaking in general. "I thought that after this mission was over I would get a nice promotion, and eventually retire to live in comfort and peace with my family."
"I took in kickbacks from businesses, and considerations from regional forces for special favours too. I would have been content to go to my grave knowing the pride of having been part of the armed forces of a great superpower. But now that I've seen a true threat to the motherland that I love..."
He looked up, all traces of fear and doubt gone from his eyes, steely nerves rising up to claim his body... voice hard as stone.
"Retreat? No. I am a soldier. And my duty is to defend my country, defend my people!" He said firmly.
The operator looked at him with a strange look. He'd never seen or heard his Captain speak like this before. "C-Captain?"
"Get everybody off the ship! I'm going to ram the enemy flagship myself!"
The man nodded silently, and he heard the ship's computer speaking to him over the speakers... but he wasn't listening.
He'd stopped paying attention to the computer's monotone voice.
He'd stopped paying attention to the advancing Lugovalian fleet.
He couldn't feel the ship rocking under his feet.
All he was focused on right now, was the lead vessel. The enemy flagship.
That was his mission. His purpose now. His destiny.
The Borodino moved forward, thrusters burning to capacity.
The damage done to the ship's systems caused the electrical circuits to spark wildly, and several compartments and pieces of the engines were on fire...
Though he payed them no mind.
The ship shook again, and he felt the roof cave in on top of him, crushing his body, and trapping him against the console underneath.
"Ngh..." He grunted in pain, but looked up to stare at the flagship quickly approaching, before crying out in rage and rebellion. "Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Novikov's Borodino collided with the front, left-hand side of the enemy, crumpling and cracking as it folded in on itself.
There was a slight pause, as the massive jolt reverberated throughout the ship, before it exploded in a flash of blue and white...
Inside the CAMALUS, still standing tall and proud, Eremon turned to his Adjutant.
"I believe I felt a slight bump. Did you?" He asked.
Desmond smiled. "Yes, yes, I think I did too sir."
Leaving Ermeno and Universala, Yuri's fleet continued onward, beginning their patrol, and heading straight for Kalymnian territory.
The enemy weren't really much of a threat, though most stayed clear of them.
Those that did opt to fight however, were quickly dealt with.
The first fleet didn't manage to even get a shot off, while the second was able to fight back... even but a little.
The third fleet gave them a little trouble however, ambushing them as they headed for the planet of CL-617.
In the aftermath, Torlo spoke up.
"There. That oughta take care of most of the Kalymnian stragglers, don't you think?"
Yuri answered, turning to face Torlo with a nod. "Yeah, I think you're right. Could you go see if you can retrieve any of the enemy crew?"
Torlo shrugged, not really having much to say. "Sure thing."
Turning to face his sister, Yuri continued.
"Kira, get a pod ready for Torlo would you?"
His sister stayed silent, and he watched her curiously.
"Kira?"
"Oh. Okay..."
She didn't sound like herself, wheezing and taking deep breaths. He was just about to ask her if she was okay, when she fell out of her seat, dropping to the ground.
"Kira?!"
The bridge crew were all on their feet in an instant, Ian already kneeling by her side as Yuri jumped down from the dais.
"Hang in there Kira!" Ian told her, arm resting gently on hers.
Sometime later, and Yuri was running a weary hand down his face, as Tatiana emerged from the room beyond.
"Phew. We've got her lying down in her room for now." She told him with a small smile.
"What did the Doctors say?" He asked, Feodor and Larissa still inside.
"A few of her ribs are cracked. Apparently, it happened when Stelalumo was launched on Monarho." She explained gently. "The poor thing! She's been quietly suffering with her pain this whole time."
Yuri growled. "Damn it. I should've noticed something was wrong with her. I guess I've been too wrapped up in all the battles lately." He said, a defeated look in his face.
"And they said she's suffering from exhaustion from all this travel too. I think we'd better land somewhere and give her a chance to rest." She added.
"I guess you're right."
"There ought to be a military hospital on Ermeno. Let's take her there." Ian commented, having just joined the duo.
Yuri nodded, before stalking back up to the bridge.
"Good idea Ian."
Returning to Ermeno, Yuri's fleet blew through any enemy ships stupid enough to get in their way, Yuri acting possessed as he ordered his crew in precise, confident, and efficient movements.
A few hours later, after speaking with the Doctor, Yuri found himself entering Kira's hospital room.
She was laying back in bed, currently awake. "Kira, how are you feeling?"
"I'm doing a lot better now."
"I'm glad. I'm really sorry you were in pain all that time..." He said, taking a seat at the chair by her bedside.
She shook her head. "No, it's not your fault Yuri. I just didn't want to have to be separated from you."
He grunted, having already known her position on the matter. "Well, they said you'll be as good as new if you stay in the hospital for about a month. You can come back on board then, as soon as you're better."
Now though, she had no choice...
It was out of her hands.
"Okay. I'll miss you Yuri." She added.
Yuri's memory was suddenly jogged as he remembered the other thing he had brought...
"Oh yeah. I brought you some fruit. Here, let me peel it for you." He offered, removing it from the bag at his feet.
"Thanks Yuri." She said with a smile.
He barely removed the fruit from the bag, when the room's door was slammed open... a hairs breadth from impaling Nia, who was currently leaned up on the wall.
In that instant, a man charged in, and despite the group's tense stances, they recognised Captain Valso almost immediately.
"Terrible news Yuri!" He said quickly, out of breath as he bent over, hands on his hips.
"Captain Valso!"
Nia, who had finally snapped out of seeing her life flashing before her eyes, snarled, levelling a steely glare at the intruder.
"We got an injured lady here. Would you guys keep it down?"
"Oh, my apologies. But you won't believe what happened! I can't believe it myself!" He said, a shocked look on his face.
"All right, then spill it already!" Torlo almost yelled, sick of the waiting.
"The Central Forces of the Interplanetary Union of Elgava have been wiped out!" He told them.
"What?!"
The news took them all by surprise, if the collective shout wasn't enough of an indication.
"What do you mean, wiped out?" Tatiana asked, stunned.
"By the Lugovalian Empire?" Nia asked with a deadly serious face.
"Oh, you've heard of the Lugovalian Empire? I won't mince words then." He began, finally calming enough to tell the story. "Three days ago, the Central Elgavan Forces fleet of 5,000 came into contact with this Lugovalian Empire, the invading army. And in just one engagement, they were completely annihilated!"
"Just one...?" Ian asked doubtfully.
Though they had known of the incoming threat, and though they had heard of the Empire's superiority... it hadn't sunk in yet, just what kind of terrible power they wielded.
"The battle took place in a sector about 2,000 light years away from Central Elgava. Even traveling just at cruising speed, they should arrive in the Small Magellanic Cloud within a month!" He explained.
Yuri stayed silent, looking up into Valso's face, angry at the reaction he had received from the various nations that knew.
I told you all about this! I told you all and now you decide to believe me? He scoffed to himself. A little too late now.
"And what are all the countries' responses?" Nia interjected, drawing his attention.
"Elgava has lost its core fleet. They're apparently gathering their regional forces together, but it's unclear what their strength will be. We'll conclude a cease-fire agreement with Kalymnos within the day and regroup our fleets. Then we wait for a government decision." He finished, hands hanging in the air in front of him.
With the news delivered, and a get well to Kira, Vilchjo Valso rushed off; no doubt having plenty to do in the meantime.
The group left behind in the room exchanged grim expressions, before Yuri slammed a fist onto the chair's armrest.
"Damn it! This is exactly what Nia was trying to warm them about! All those soldiers... if only Elgava had listened!"
Nia shook her head. "People like that never listen or learn. There's nothing we can do to change anything now Yuri. They weren't gonna listen to a bunch of dumb zero-G dogs, right?" She asked rhetorically.
"Grus!"
Looking around at the others, Tatiana asked the question on everyone's mind. "But what can we do now? Elgava was the greatest power in the Small Magellanic Cloud. If even they were wiped out in the blink of an eye –"
"Hey, c'mon. We can't give up now! We haven't even gotten started yet!" Torlo added, trying to lift her spirits a little.
"I don't know about that. Even if they gather up all the regional forces, it's going to be a pretty motley crew." Ian said realistically. "If the Central Forces were no match for them, I doubt the regional forces would be any sort of contender against this enemy."
"Damn it Ian! So whaddya want us to do, just roll over and give up before we even give it a shot?!"
"I'm just trying to be realistic. You can't change facts by blustering." He replied.
Torlo's face went red. "Blusterin'?! Why, you son of a –"
He was cut off suddenly by Tatiana, who stepped up to stop him, looking him dead in the eye.
"Knock it off Torlo! We don't have time for this nonsense!"
They watched each other silently, before Torlo backed down, Tatiana's challenging stare winning out.
"Right... Sorry Tats."
Sitting beside the bed in contemplative silence, Yuri turned to look at the older woman in the room
"Nia, is there anything we can do? Just sitting back and watching a foreign aggressor take over the Small Magellanic Cloud... that can't be our only option, can it?"
Nia watched him for a moment, head cocked to one side in thought.
"There just might be one thing we could do."
"What?"
"Really?"
Kira and Tatiana both turned to look at her, eyes suddenly full of hope.
"Yeah, maybe..."
"Well, what is it?" Torlo prodded.
"We get the Large Magellanic Cloud to help. With the military might of the LMC, we just might stand a fighting chance." She explained, to the raised eyebrows of many. "And now, luckily, we know somebody personally in one of the LMC nations. Regeinland."
"Oh, right! The guy we met on Zefiro!" Yuri said to no one.
"Exactly." Nia replied with a nod. "We can get in touch with Captain Schneizer and ask him to send reinforcements."
"Then let's do it right away! We don't have much time."
Despite the hopeful suggestion, Nia dashed their hopes again.
"We can't do it from here. There aren't any IP communication systems between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Pipra on Kashtano is the only one that has a communication device that can reach the LMC."
Ian's eyes lit up suddenly in recognition. "A-ha! So that's one of the reasons she has so much power, is it?"
"Bingo."
"But how are we going to get through the Magellanic Stream without Cico?" Yuri asked logically.
Nia paused for a moment. "Don't worry about that. I'm gonna call in some backup."
"Backup?"
A smile suddenly split Nia's face.
"Yup. I got somebody pretty good too. You just wait and see."
He wasn't sure whether he wanted to know, but he knew that he'd soon find out anyway.
"All right then. Let's get to Kashtano."
"Hey, wait a minute. What about Kira?" Tatiana asked, turning to look at the girl in question.
"I... I'm fine. I can go with you."
She tried to sound confident, but couldn't manage it for long, before wincing.
Yuri however, had already made his mind up. "No way. I'm not taking you into the Magellanic Stream like this! We'll be back before you know it. You just stay here and rest, okay?"
"Okay..." Kira reluctantly agreed.
Shifting on his feet nervously, Torlo suddenly spoke. What he had to say however, shocked Yuri.
"Um, Yuri, do ya mind if I stay behind too?" He asked.
"You too Torlo?"
The boy nodded.
"Yeah. I got lots of friends in Elgava. If things get bad, I wanna be able to help make sure they get away safe."
His determination made Yuri smile, and then, from out of nowhere, another voice broke into the conversation.
"And I have to make sure my wife will be all right!"
Radimir's voice was a surprise addition, as he hadn't been seen, or heard much since agreeing to join the crew.
He'd been spending much time with the rest of the crew, or hard at work to try and better himself, and from what he'd heard... his cooking and people skills too.
"In that case, I'll come with you. I'm worried about Rufina too." Tatiana said, worry creeping into her voice.
"And I'd like to jump ship here also, if I may." Professor Minas added as well.
While letting the others say their pieces, Nia spoke up at the Professor's words.
"Not you too Professor Minas?"
"Yes, I'm worried about Aminda's safety actually. I'd like to get her to come here at least, while there's still time." He admitted.
Taking a look around the room, Yuri sighed as he thought of everything that he'd been through with these people.
They weren't just a crew to him.
They weren't even just friend's... to him... they were family.
And they always would be.
"All right. Try to help as many other people evacuate as you can too." Yuri told them, somewhat reluctant and sad at the loss of so many.
"Sorry about this Yuri. I'll get it done and get back as fast as I can." Torlo said, giving a small nod in Yuri's direction.
"Thanks Torlo." Suddenly thinking of something, Yuri turned to Ian standing next to him. "Oh, and Ian..."
"Yes?"
"Could you please stay here and look after Kira for me?" He asked, surprising everyone.
"Me?" Ian asked, taking a look around to make sure that he was speaking to the right person.
"Yeah, I know I can depend on you." Yuri admitted.
After a long pause, Ian nodded. "All right. I won't let anything happen to her, don't worry."
Yuri smiled. "Thanks Ian."
Reaching out between them, Yuri, and Ian Fenevich suddenly shook hands firmly, but before either could let go, a big meaty hand dropped down on top.
Yuri looked up, straight into the determined, albeit smiling face of Torlo Adkin, who nodded at both. Around the room, the others joined in too. Kira managed to sit herself up in bed, and the three boys shuffled over awkwardly... so as not to strain herself.
Minas joined them from the far side of the room, standing between Tatiana and Nia... although Radimir had left long before.
With the seven hands piled together in a show of solidarity, they all smiled and nodded at each other, knowing that no matter what happened from here on in, they would find a way back to each other.
Always...
Having stopped off at the Joint Headquarters briefly for a goodbye to Captain Valso, the man had assured him that Kira would be given every manner of care possible.
Bidding him farewell, as they weren't sure if they would be seeing each other again, Yuri and his remaining crew met up at the tavern... with the ones that were leaving, going to pack their things.
At the table, Yuri found his thoughts broken by Nichjo Lotuso, who grunted out in his nasally drawl.
"Oh boy... even though there's been an official cease-fire, there are still plenty of Kalymnians who just aren't ready to call it quits."
"How is this war ever going to end?" Yuri asked.
Lotuso's eyes narrowed. "They're still vying to have the greatest advantage over the other when it comes to sign the actual agreement. They're trying to grab as many planets as they can beforehand. Even when the war is over, the grudges are still going to smoulder on."
It made sense, the more Yuri thought about it.
"What can we do about it?"
Lotuso shrugged, never missing a beat with the answer. "Well, we are just zero-G dogs, after all. This thing is way too big for us to really do anything about it. We'd have to be in a position of authority, but that would mean giving up our freedom in the end..."
After that, the conversation changed slightly, and Yuri found himself listening to Ratai.
"It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to kick someone when they're already down." He admitted.
"That's true. But if you hold back at the end, the enemy might find a way to lash back at you in final desperation." Yuri replied logically.
"That's true too. You want to spare the enemy, but you don't want to get killed yourself either. It can be a fine line." Ratai nodded.
Again, the conversation changed, with Poplo this time... though he seemed to be talking aloud to himself more than anything.
"Ah, the Lugovalian Empire. What imposing majesty!"
Yuri frowned.
"Uh, Poplo?" He asked, unsure.
Turning suddenly to face him, Poplo's gaze turned curious. "Captain, wouldn't you just love to have a ship like one of theirs? With a fleet like that, you could take on even Valantin's CORSAIR!"
"Hey, you sound pretty taken with them Poplo. Whose side are you on anyway?" Nia asked.
Poplo answered calmly, not at all scared or frightened in the least. "I'm a member of Yuri's crew, of course. No more, no less. But for any traveller of the cosmos, it is perfectly natural to be drawn to the might of Lugovalian ships. I don't have any personal grudge to hold against the Lugovalian Empire."
"Oh, really?!" She challenged. "Whatever you say Poplo."
Finally finished at the tavern, Yuri and the crew headed up to the Ermeno spaceport, where they were greeted by the welcome sight of Torlo Adkin, Tatiana Agarkov, Professor Gavriil Minas, and Radimir... all standing side by side, waiting for them.
While most of the crew proceeded into the ships, Yuri, Nia, and quite a few others stayed behind, where they all shared a round of final goodbyes.
While they all shook hands and said last words to each other, Torlo came over, and wrapped Yuri in a massive hug, making the others laugh.
"I'll see you soon Yuri my man! And don't worry about us, we'll be okay." He told the Captain.
Yuri found himself nodding. "I know, it's just always hard to say goodbye."
Tatiana smiled as she approached the pair. "We'll don't think of it as a goodbye. Just pretend like we're all going to meet up at the tavern, only, it'll take some time for us all to be there."
Yuri cocked his head briefly. "Nope. That doesn't help at all."
The young girl smile apologetically. "I didn't think it would. Sorry, that's the best I've got."
They both exchanged a final hug goodbye, and as they pulled away, Yuri spoke. "Just take care of Torlo for me, won't you Tatiana. His mouth has a tendency to get him into trouble, even at the best of times."
"HEY!"
This initiated a round of laughter at Torlo's expense, who joined in with the others anyway.
"So..." Yuri began after things had settled. "What will you guys do now? How are you getting to Elgava?"
Tatiana and Torlo exchanged a look, before the former replied. "Well. We had a little chat with Captain Valso, and he found a captain willing to take us back to Elgava."
Minas nodded from behind the two. "But first, we'll be going to the Tineo Observatory."
"Right!" Tatiana finished. "And from there, the captain will be taking us directly Elgava."
Yuri nodded. It seemed like they had everything sorted.
"Well it seems like you have it under control, huh?" He asked, not sure what to say.
"Well... stay safe guys." Nia added.
"We will." Minas began, stepping forward to shake Yuri's hand. "Thank you Yuri. It sure has been a wonderful and interesting experience travelling with you."
Yuri shrugged away the comment. "It's nothing Professor. But I really should be thanking you. Without you, we never would've found the Epitaph in Spetses."
With a final smile, and with his friends waving and shouting goodbye, Yuri and Nia made their way down the docking ramp towards the FLAKRUNNER...
Inside Yuri's head, one thought kept popping up...
Thank you!
Down on Ermeno's surface, Ian had managed to convince the doctors to allow Kira out, hoping that the fresh air of the countryside would do her good.
They were currently heading through a lush, green meadow, grass kissing their ankles as they went, sun streaming down onto their faces.
He glanced over, looking at Kira, who was beginning to run out of breath, despite the relaxing pace in which they were walking...
She stumbled.
He reached over instantly, speaking as he did.
"Shall I give you a hand Kira?"
She shook her head, although, was glad for the offer. "No, I'm all right. Thanks Ian."
She gave him a shaky smile, and as they went, he could hear the wind blowing through the forest canopy ahead, leaves rustling like wild animals.
Ian glanced up suddenly, into the cloudless blue sky above. He smiled, glad that he'd made the suggestion.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to just have a bit of a break.
"I guess Yuri will be shipping out pretty soon." He said to Kira. "There aren't any clouds in the sky today. You might be able to see his lights."
"Yeah."
Looking up along with her friend, she couldn't believe that she was being left behind.
It wasn't something she'd ever thought would happen, but now, it was.
And there wasn't anything in the universe that she, or anyone could do to change it..
The wind blew through the meadow, hair blowing back out of her face, and she wrapped both arm around herself.
She felt cold...
Cold and empty.
Aboard the FLAKRUNNER, and with all the crew aboard, Yuri stood atop the captain's dais, staring out into the great unknown ahead.
It was ironic how they were setting off into the great unknown, and how, with the coming threat, none of their futures were certain...
They too, were all unknown.
"Are you worried?"
Nia's voice broke him from his reverie, and his head twitched to the right.
"Huh?"
"About Kira?" She explained.
"Well, of course I am. She's the only family I've got." He answered, turning back to the viewport.
"Yeah, I understand." She understood alright... more than he would ever know. "Well, let's get this done fast and hurry back then."
She was right though, standing around moping wouldn't help anything.
He nodded, face set...
"Right! Engines, full power! We're heading to Kashtano. Ship out!"