A few days later, Commander Aquila is performing a routine inspection patrol, checking that the crew members are all pulling their weight properly. With Medical, Security, and Marines inspected, Aquila begins to make his way to Engineering. As he's riding the elevator down, his wrist communicator vibrates.

Aquila activates the communicator. "Commander Kawaguchi reporting."

"How's the inspection going?" Captain Shankara asks.

"Well enough," Aquila reports. "Had to discipline a couple of louts in the Marines though."

"When you say 'discipline'…"

"Light injuries," Aquila assures. "They're fit to fight."

"Good," Shankara replies. "We may need them."

"What's up?"

"Come to the bridge," Shankara commands. "I'll brief you here."

Five minutes later, Aquila joins his father on the bridge.

"Does that ship look familiar to you?" Shankara asks his son, pointing to the steel blue starship on the viewscreen.

Aquila takes a long look at the starship, taking in the eight curved fins sweeping back from the nose, the bullet-like fuselage, the oversized engines that form the tail, and the hints of purple iridescence where the hull catches the starlight just right. "Whoever it is, I get the feeling we don't want to mess with them."

"Exactly," Shankara agrees. "The lieutenant is keeping us far enough away to stay out of trouble until we've worked out who it is. Speaking of… Lieutenant, any results from the scans?"

"Correlating the data with the stolen Coalition database, sir," the lieutenant replies. "I'll have the results moment- I have a positive ID sir."

"And?" Shankara prompts impatiently.

"The ship is called Dreadnought, and its captain is Lord Arktivus Brevon," the lieutenant reports. "According to the records, he's one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy, sir."

"Brevon," Shankara repeats. "I've heard some… disturbing stories about him. Lieutenant, get us out of here."

"Aye-aye, sir," the lieutenant acknowledges as he turns the ship around and starts to plot a course.

Suddenly, the attack alarm bursts into life.

"Target lock!" the lieutenant barks, frantically working to raise the shields and begin evasive manœuvres.

"Get us out of here now!" Shankara commands urgently.

But it's too late: the ship lurches as the missiles strike.

"Damage report!" Shankara yells as he picks himself up off the floor and sprints to his seat, Aquila taking his station at the tactical console a moment later.

"Hyperdrive is crippled, impulse engines have powered down, and weapons are offline," Aquila reports. "Diverting all available power to shields."

"Incoming hail, sir," the lieutenant announces. "It's Brevon."

"Commander, get weapons back online. Lieutenant, turn us around and put Brevon on screen," Shankara commands.

The viewscreen switches to the bridge of Dreadnought, on which Brevon is sat in an opulent, ornate, and intimidating throne. "It has come to my attention you possess items that are of considerable interest to me," he informs menacingly. "I offer you a simple choice. Surrender the Crystals, and I might let you live."

"I will not be intimidated by a coward who fires unprovoked," Shankara growls in response. "We'll only surrender when we're dead."

"That can be arranged," Brevon promises.