Kershala had slept the soundest he had slept probably in his adult life; he was surrounded for the first time in a safe familiarity that he had mostly gone without for years. Being surrounded by his own people was welcoming and comfortable. Just being able to live easy even if only for a few hours was a welcome change. Even since he had met Kale he had never really felt as safe as he did now. The Daoran resistance seemed to have their affairs in order and with him not looking to take over as their leader they were helpful. The weapon cache that Eshalaron had left him would prove to be invaluable.
After seeing the children and holding Adeoye' and helping him with the implant Kershala felt a renewed sense of duty. Without question he knew what he was fighting for and his determination was stronger than ever. He had stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the wards of the city ship. A warm wind blew across his back as he stood there in his undergarments and even though it was artificial it reminded him of home. The artificial lighting and atmospheric system were mimicking a sun rise on Yaria and the sight of it almost brought Kershala to tears as he stood taking it in. The warmth hitting his skin triggering memories of his room that overlooked the capital city. He let out a sigh as he looked back at Kale who still lay sleeping in the bed, the bed was positioned in such a way that all Kershala could see was a leg hanging over the edge of the bed. Kale wasn't used to the warmer temperature yet and had to spend most of the night uncovered. Kershala took a last look at the vista from the balcony and walked back inside. He knew they had to start getting on the move or they would be late for the departure. Kershala didn't really feel nervous about the upcoming task itself but nervous that he would be officially responsible for others on a mission for the first time. He mostly preferred to work alone, most of the Daoran's on the mission likely wouldn't be able to keep pace with him in combat and Kershala didn't want any unnecessary loss of life. He walked over to Kale and touched his face to wake him, he opened his eyes and smiled before kissing the palm of Kershala's hand.
"Good morning," he whispered.
"Good morning to you." Kershala met his gentle eyes and leaned down and kissed him. "It is time to get ready to go." Kale sat up on the corner of the bed and stood up quickly. After last night Kershala wasn't sure how he'd be feeling or if there would be any lasting effects from their bond. Kershala was nervous at first that there may have been some damage, but Kale seemed to shrug it off. As Kale stood up, he got dressed in the body suit they had found as it was still the most protective thing they had for him to wear until Kershala had time to design some type of body armor for him. Something he hoped to get into during their trip to their destination as he would likely have the time. Kershala stood and walked through the bathroom and went into the main living area. He proceeded to the food synthesizer and used it to create an energy supplement that would keep his body fueled for the next two days. A full mixture or proteins, fats and amino acids that he had learned to make from his patriarch when food was scarce. It was much more efficient than anything they could eat, using very different specifications he created a scaled down version for Kale as well and took it from the synthesizer. "Here drink this, it will get your body ready for the mission and make sure you're well fed." He passed the sixteen-ounce cup to Kale and he looked it over.
"What's it made of?" he asked.
"Do not worry, I checked the database before I programmed it. It will taste like chocolate." Kershala smiled as Kale's expression turned to that of surprise.
"What? Really?" Kershala beckoned for him to try the drink and Kale reluctantly took a sip of the liquid. "That's surprisingly familiar. It's really good." Kale smacked his lips a bit after the first sip as if sampling the flavour profile. "And really thick." Kale laughed before taking another bit of it.
"Drink it slowly. It has a very dense nutrient profile. Just bring it with you." Kershala picked his own drink up from the synthesizer and took a sip of it. His personal favourite flavor was of a fruit that grew on the home world. He wasn't sure if it even existed anymore, but the synthesizer knew what it was, so he'd always be able to have it. They walked to the exit with their drinks in hand and Kershala deployed the nanites, he decided to change the color profile to be more discreet while he was on the city ship. He still hadn't revealed who he was to the general populace yet and decided it best not to in the meantime.
"That's different," Kale commented noticing the difference right away as he picked up the case of medical nanites.
"Discretion," said Kershala as they exited the living quarters. They walked to the public transport system and Kershala signalled for a pickup. There were a couple of others standing at the pickup station, a young woman and her partner, Kershala could see they were eyeing Kale. "He is human. The Sol system." The women and her partner looked at Kershala and smiled.
"That's what the AI had said, I've never seen any of your people around before, I used to travel to different space stations quite frequently back in my service days," said the women. Kershala would have guessed the women to be well into her later adulthood stage.
"Um, no we actually aren't space fairing. I'm probably the only one out here right now," said Kale. Kershala could tell just saying it made it hit home for Kale that he was out in space and nowhere near his home planet. The transport pod showed up and all four of them stepped into it. Kershala and Kale sat down next to one another and the older couple sat across from the them.
"How did you get here then?" she asked. Kale smiled at Kershala.
"My friend here brought me out here. I didn't want to be left behind." Kershala smiled at Kale as he spoke and looked down at his feet.
"I see. Are you two heading to the docks as well?"
"Yes. We have a mission on the Sironia," answered Kershala.
"That is Atondra's ship. You are very lucky. She has always been such a great commander," said the women's companion. "A very high success rate."
"What do you two do at the docks?" asked Kale.
"We are part of the chief operating crew," he answered.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the dock where the Sironia was docked. They exited the pod and were standing in front of the airlock they had entered the Typhonus from. The chief operators stayed on the pod likely continuing on to the operations section of the docks. They were part of the team who guided the ships into the docking bay. The docking bay was open as they approached on foot. The AI had arrived at the same time with Rotabu and Lenari having spent the night taking analysis of Sashir's condition. It floated over to them ahead of the other two crewmen.
"Any change on Sashir's condition?" asked Kershala.
"No, but I believe we have gathered most pertinent data on his condition. The medical team will use it to devise a work around for his situation," explained Anubis. "Atondra and Omall are already on the Sironia, they will meet us at the command center." They approached the open bay area and proceeded back down the tunnel of the dock and entered the Sironia.
"Anubis do you know if they found anything useful on the Arktora's ship yet?" asked Kershala. He really wanted to know if they had made any more sense of what was in the ships database.
"There have been no major developments." They continued to the command center meeting Ralu and Zaree along the way. Lenari waited for them to catch up and now walked along with them as well. Ralu and Zaree had spent the entire trip back to the Typhonus on the Arktora's vessel and Kershala hadn't actually met them yet. Though he was sure that Ralu was the same soldier he incapacitated in their initial meeting on the bridge of the ship. They walked into the command center deck and met Atondra, Omall, Jelani and Elara. Atondra stood at her command position and the others were gathered around the aft stations, Kershala could tell the mission briefing was about to start.
"Everyone is here so we will get started. I will try to keep it brief as time is against us," Atondra started, her inflection showing concern. "As you have all read the report. Our mission is to destroy the Letracite refinery located in the Lorendar system. Anubis has discovered that the refined letracite is the main component of the neural disruption weapon that Sashir is suffering from and Ashal was lost to." Atondra lingered on the thought of Ashal and Sashir for a brief time. Kershala could tell it still weighed heavy on her. "The refinery is located in the Lorendar System one of the first systems we lost to the Shironian occupying forces. Currently it is thirty-six hours away at maximum velocity, because of the location we will be under a high likely hood of attack. To prepare for this the Sironia underwent a refit over night to upgrade our defensive capabilities; they have also added an integrated AI control so that Anubis may directly interface with the ships systems to allow for a quicker response time in combat." Atondra took a step down from her command post as she spoke. "During the trip I would like for Rotabu, and you Kershala to run drills so that the crew can be refined in the event that a boarding party finds it way on to the ship again." Kershala stood at attention at the mention of his name.
"I will gladly assist," he said.
"I thought you might," Atondra continued, "Once we arrive at our destination, we will have to evade the defense net that has been put in place. Because the Sironia is a small ship this will be easier, we have evaded their defense nets before, and it will be no different this time. As we get in teleporter range, we will send in a team consisting of Kershala, Rotabu, Lenari and Omall."
"I would like Kale to come along as well," Kershala interjected. He could tell that Atondra wasn't pleased with him, but she continued anyway.
"If you think it is wise for him to go along, I will leave his well being in your charge." Atondra stepped back to her command post before continuing. "We will be teleporting you into the waste management system where the security sensors are at minimal function. Our combat suits and Kershala's suit will be undetectable. You will need to proceed from there through the letracite mine. Anubis will you pull up the schematic, it is in the ships database?" The AI core hovered to the center of the room and activated a holographic projection of the facility. From the visual Kershala could tell the facility was incredibly large and would be easy to get lost in.
"This projection is based on intel that is one hundred years old. It is to be used as a proximation only. As new information is made available, I will be able to update it, but if we try to acquire new information through scans we will likely be detected. It is recommended that once you are aboard you acquire an updated map from a Shironian personal computer, it will like be found on a high-ranking officer," explained Anubis. "If they are using this refinery to create weapons you can expect to find that sections will be repurposed as laboratories and testing facilities."
"Once you find your way into the mining system you will likely encounter Daoran slaves."
"Slaves?" said Kale.
"Yes. You need to be prepared for the fact that we will not be able to save them, our ship simply does not have the resources and it is not the focus of our mission." The idea of leaving Daoran's behind to the Shironians disgusted Kershala he could feel a rage suddenly grow inside him. Kale rested a hand on his forearm. "I know Kershala, this is not something that any of us want to admit. Our mission is too important to risk it. We must focus on those we can still save. Think of the lives that could be lost so easily if these weapons go into mass production."
"I am well aware of the situation Atondra, but I do not have to like it!" he growled. Atondra nodded her head to him out of respect and continued.
"Once we confirm Anubis' suspicions as to the manufacturing of these weapons. You will proceed to the power core and destroy the facility in its entirety. We have brought neutronic explosives with us that may be timed to give the team time to escape. Any questions?"
"Do we know what to expect for Shironian resistance?" asked Omall.
"Due to how far it is inside occupied space and the fact it is not a military installation there is not expected to be a full regiment of soldiers, but there will be guards," Atondra answered.
"You should be prepared to face any number of the different Shironians. If this is an experimental weapons facility, there may be more than standard security. But also, if the Scientist is here, we could encounter far worse than the typical Shironian soldiers." Kershala looked around the room at each of those who would be accompanying him on the mission. He could see a certain steel in their eyes that reflected their determination and he knew that the team would perform as best as they possibly could, but he feared it may not be enough. The room fell quiet for several long seconds and the silence was broken by the communications chime.
"Sironia, you have been cleared for departure, may Zarai watch over you." The voice over the communication system was familiar as Kershala recognized the women they met on the transport pod.
"Everyone, take your stations," said Atondra turning to face the main viewer. "We hear you Typhonus." Jelani, Omall and Rotabu took their stations and Elara and Lenari left the command center. "Jelani once we clear the station lock in our destination and take us to maximum velocity. Rotabu engage the stealth drive."
"Yes Commander," said Jelani tapping in several commands on the holographic console she now sat at. Kershala watched through the main viewer as they pulled from the Typhonus, it was quickly out of site as Jelani brought the ship about and engaged the FTL drive. Kershala could tell that the ship was much faster without having to tow another vessel. As they broke the light barrier there was a bright flash of light and the ship was travelling at top speed.
"Rotabu, run a simulation on the new battle systems I want to make sure everything will be functioning properly when and if we engage the enemy," Atondra ordered. "Once you are finished the first drill will begin. Kershala I would have you do the next one later this evening."
"Certainly Atondra," said Kershala, "In the meantime I wish to make use of the armory. I am going to create a suitable body armor for Kale."
"It is the bottom deck; Anubis can access it for you." With that Kale and Kershala left the deck. Anubis stayed in the command center where it would integrate with the Sironia for the remainder of the mission.
"How are you going to create body armor for me?" asked Kale as they walked to the lift that would take them down to the armory. They had each finished the drinks Kershala had made them and put the cups in a disposal unit along the way to the lift.
"The armory has a chamber devoted to armor modification that will be greatly useful." The two of them stepped into the lift and the door shut behind them. The decent began and didn't take very long. It opened again to a small corridor leading to a double door. As Kershala stepped up to the door it recognized him and opened quickly as he expected it would. They walked into the fairly large open room, on one wall several different energy weapons were hung on display. Kershala recognized most of them but there were a few that were of a varied design. On the other wall the Daoran battle armor hung in contained chambers that would require authorization to open. In the middle of the room were several tables made for weapon modification where the weapons could be analyzed and modified using fabrication technology. Usually used for modifying weapons for use on particular missions. Beside it there was a clear fabrication chamber, Kershala could tell this was what he was looking for, using the nanites he would be able to use it to create an armor from scratch that would be suited for Kale to use in combat. "Over here." Kershala walked over to the console and interfaced with it using the implant. The glass chamber opened. Kale walked over and looked it over before looking at the console.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked. Kershala turned to face him and reached out taking his hand.
"I am going to use the nanites to take your body measurements. It is going to feel very strange, but you must be still for them to get an accurate reading," Kershala explained. Kale looked at him with an unsure look on his face. "You know I would never hurt you Kale."
"It's not that, just seems like a weird way to take measurements, but I guess it'll be as accurate as it can," Kale smiled. "Go ahead." The nanites in Kershala's suit began to travel from the suit itself down his arm and enveloped Kale's body. He knew that Kale could feel them crawling on him, but he was remaining very still none the less. They slowly spread across his body, Kershala could feel them taking information on his body as they travelled. They began crawling up his neck and Kale lifted his head seemingly instinctively.
"You will be able to breath," said Kershala. With that Kale adjusted and lowered his head back to a resting position and closed his eyes as the nanites crawled up his neck and encased his whole body. He was encased only briefly before the nanites started their journey back to Kershala's suit.
"That was definitely weird," Kale laughed and Kershala smiled with him as he turned his attention back to the console. Kale leaned in close and watched him inputting information into the station, Kershala could feel his breath on his neck. "You really think it'll be okay for me to come along on this mission?"
"Yes, unless you wish to stay on the ship," For the first time Kershala could see doubt in Kale's resolve. "Kale I trained you in a very specific type of combat, with this suit you will be able to fully utilize that training."
"If you're sure. I just don't want to get in the way." Kale rested his chin on Kershala's shoulder and put an arm around him.
"I want you to be by my side for this mission. I know that when I see those Daoran slaves…" Kershala paused and could feel Kale squeeze a little tighter. "I want you to be there to keep me grounded."
"If you need me, I'm there." Kale kissed him on the cheek as he finished inputting the information on Kale's body measurements. Kershala smiled at Kale before walking up to the chamber and releasing the nanites into it. The door to the chamber shut and several fabrication units descended inside of it. "Is that what's going to build it?"
"Yes, the nanites will construct the armor out of a metallic mesh," Kershala walked back to the console where Kale stood and activated the machine. "It should have extensive impact defense and will take heavy energy weapon fire."
"Cool. Will it have one of those nifty cloaking devices, they were using when they found us?" asked Kale a certain awe lingering in his voice.
"They are not useful against Shironians, those devices work with a technology that is based around the refraction and reflection of light. Most of the Shironians can see that part of the spectrum. We may implement it later if the mission calls for it though." They watched for a few seconds as they fabrication device and the nanites began constructing the armor.
"Well that's really disappointing. I guess it could never just be easy huh?"
"It usually is not." Kershala checked the machine and scanned the progress with his implant. "It is going to take approximately sixteen hours for the construction process to complete due to the complexity of the materials used, we should rejoin the crew for Rotabu's drill shortly."
"Sounds good let's head back up." They headed back to the main deck of the ship leaving the nanites to construct the body armor. As they stepped off the lift and into the main hall Anubis activated their private com channel.
"Kershala, I wish to speak with you regarding your growing connection with Kale," it said. "It would be best to have the discussion alone."
"Kale go to the lab and have Elara and Lenari show you how to use the scanning equipment," said Kershala, "it will be useful during the boarding mission. I need to speak to Anubis about the mission."
"Okay, that's not a bad idea. I'll see you in a bit." Kale smiled and leaned in kissing Kershala before walking toward the lab. Kershala proceeded to the private quarters they had used during their first stay on the Sironia he walked in and the door sealed behind him.
"I have analyzed your vitals from your most recent interaction with Kale," Anubis continued over the private channel even though it didn't seem necessary, "The results are alarming."
"In what way?" Kershala was concerned even though he was preparing himself for another lecture of how he shouldn't be with Kale.
"It would seem as though your connection has become much deeper than either of you seem to understand, Kershala. I do not know if Kale is aware of it, but I know that you have felt it several times from the readings I have gathered from your body." Kershala sat down on the bed and waited as the AI seemed to pause. "I fear you are reaching the point of no return. You must stop this before it is too late. You endanger both you and Kale with your recklessness. The connection that is forming within the two of you may have unforeseen harmful effects on Kale's brain."
"This conversation is over," said Kershala standing to leave.
"During your last interaction Kale's parietal lobe was hyper stimulated almost to a point that could have caused damage. The link you are developing is what caused this. Kershala I am not talking about your relationship, I am talking about the Daoran biochemical response to bonding with someone. The human brain has not been tested toward it. At this point there is no way to say what effect a separation may have on either of you." Kershala stood at the doorway to the room breathing heavy, even with what the AI was saying he couldn't leave Kale. Even if it was selfish, he didn't care, he wanted to be selfish for a change.
"Anubis, please use your downtime to find a solution to this problem. I cannot be without him; for now, I know we will never be separated," said Kershala.
"I have been analysing the data but so far it is in the preliminary stages. There may not be a solution. In the meantime, Kershala I beg that you try to limit your sexual contact, as this seems to be what makes the connection stronger." Kershala looked down at the floor not wanting to hear any of what the AI was saying. He would at least try to refrain himself, though for now at least it shouldn't be that hard to avoid considering the circumstances they were currently wrapped up in. The door opened and Kershala let out a sigh as he exited the room.