Imperial Guard – 006 Lost Planet of the Ancients
Bear McCreary - Battlestar Galactica Season 1 - Main Title (US version): youtube /watch?v=0bnHJZL-NVA
The galaxy isn't what you'd call a friendly place. Some situations require what I describe as special treatment. My crew and I have been selected to handle these cases in the name of the Emperor. For we serve the most powerful military organization in the quadrant: The Imperial Guard.
Chapter 1 Remembrance
Norgu knew from the start that his crewmates were bound to inquire about the changes in his behavior and appearance. If there was a different way to achieve the same goal he would've gone that route.
The Logri who called the polar continent of Hotor on Solbrecht their home didn't wear jackets or other types of modern clothing. On occasion the skins of large polar animals such as the Na'ganthur, as an extra layer of protection during the arctic winter. They also made for warm and comfortable blankets and ground covering inside the mountainous region's caves of which the largest were the home of entire Logri tribes.
If one wanted to fit in, even for a period as short as a family visit, which was rarely shorter than a couple of days, it was important to adhere to the local customs and traditions, which included the wearing of native forms of body coverings only. In summertime a thick layer of blubber was often sufficient to not grow cold out in the open.
He was therefore glad, that despite his parents moving to a warmer climate, members of his particular subspecies never lost the ability to gain weight in a short period of time when putting in the effort. To achieve this, he had already started to make a significant dent in the amount of fresh meat and fish they had stocked during the last resupply.
Seated on one of the large floor pillows alongside the middle of the long rectangular wooden tables in the mess hall, his thick tail whopped the deck with the occasional dull thump as he downed a second plate to speed up the process. It had been days since they left Solbrecht and went on their journey to the center of the galaxy after a brief stop at Sogowa Prime and the results were very noticeable.
"Ehm, Norgu? Is everything okay?"
Still chewing on a mouthful of raw meat, which was high in fat and sprinkled with little more than a bit of salt, he looked up from his wooden plate. Watching the ears of Azdar and Masai flatten, he answered the latter with a grunt, swallowing down the mouthful with an audible gulp. Licking his lips, he attempted to smile away their questioning looks. Although the contents of their plates were considered a healthy portion for an adult member of their species, they paled in comparison to what he had already stuffed under his belt.
"Don't worry about me. I'm going on a family visit next time we visit Solbrecht."
"And you're worried there won't be enough food for guests?" Azdar asked. "Uiisa, I don't really get it."
Failing to suppress a chuckle, he leaned backwards on his stocky arms, to which he had managed to add even more bulk, revealing what used to be a moderate paunch. His belly had grown to considerable size, now enveloping his entire waist. Eyeing the sizable mass and being satisfied with the results so far, the corners of his beak creeped upwards as the thought of living like a true member of his kind for a couple of days crossed his mind.
"Nah, it's more of a cultural thing. If you wanna fit in with the crowd, you better act and look like 'em. I'm just fattening up."
Watching in amusement as his crewmates exchanged glances at his casual embrace of temporary obesity, it was Azdar who responded.
"I guess it slipped my mind. I do remember some details about Logri culture. I'd never figured you'd go to such lengths."
"If I recall correctly," Masai began. "You also don't suffer any ill effects to your health by doing this."
"Nope. I'll be fine for the most part. Gotta get used to carrying all the extra weight around though. Puts extra pressure on my back and joints. I'm keeping up by visiting the gym. There's a definite sweet spot and I'm almost there." Rubbing his bloated belly, he gave a suppressed belch and blew out his breath. "I need to size up my uniform again." Noticing their hesitation, he gestured to the empty seats in front of him. "You can sit down if you want."
After taking their seats and a first bite, Masai inquired further.
"I've never seen the arctic continents. Neither on Sogowa Prime nor Solbrecht. It gets pretty cold out there, doesn't it?"
He nodded in response.
"Well below freezing in winter. None of you would be able to survive out there without extra protection. I've visited both the tribe that my parents used to be a part of, as well as my mate's several times now. I always fatten up in advance."
Clearing his mouth, Azdar raised an eye ridge, picking up another slice of seasoned meat.
"Why didn't you visit when we were on Solbrecht a couple of days ago?"
"I hadn't planned on it. Five days is a bit short. And we learned right before I left that a member of my parents' tribe has fallen ill for the second time in a short while. They are one of the tribe's vaelu and very revered. They also assisted in my care when I was still a baby. I must go to pay my respect to them, for they might not live for much longer."
Had he come across as cold and uncaring in the very beginning, Azdar's time aboard the Myr'shala had changed him into becoming more concerned about the rest of the crew and their personal issues. It was because everyone had shown the same level of concern for his and it had done him good. So much that he put down the slice of meat, his ears lowering.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I wish you and them much strength and I hope they get well soon."
"Me too," Masai added. "Hope they'll be all right."
"Hyami. Raeth granted me permission to leave after we finish the mission. Speaking of which, we should be arriving at our destination very soon."
"I'm glad to hear it," Azdar said, munching away on the vegetable portion of his meal. "One gets tired of doing maintenance, working out, battle drills and VR simming after a while. Need some real-life excitement."
Masai laughed.
"Something tells me you might get your wish granted."
If anyone would have told her, less than a few lunar cycles ago, that she would receive the opportunity to find her parents in the near future, Seylah would not have believed it. The thought of what could have happened to them in her absence since the last time she saw them had haunted her through her teenage years and into adulthood.
Her hands clawed around the pull-up bar, her legs dangling under angles that would have been uncomfortable were she standing on her feet, she was up to 198 pulls. Drenched in sweat, which soaked her black Imperial Guard tank top and training shorts, she felt the droplets roll down her arms and legs, the metal of the bar feeling slippery in her hands.
Just two more. I can do it.
Having already tapped into buried anger over the criminal injustice done to her parents, which she barely understood at the time it happened, getting to the 200 came down to mental strength. It was all in her mind. The strain in her arms with her entire weight pulling on them. Her deep and rapid breathing. The sweat that covered every inch of her skin. Forcing it all to the background, she gathered all her strength and willpower and for the penultimate time lifted her entire weight until the bar touched her chest.
Lowering herself to her previous position, her arms trembled under the strain of fatigue. Beads of sweat dripped from her muzzle, blown away by powerful bursts of air expelled from her lungs. Almost there, but the exercise had taken its toll.
One more…
Strengthening her grip on the bar for the final time, she pulled her considerable weight away from the mat below one more time, bringing the bar closer and closer to her chest. There was the slip of a finger, a kick of her leg as her body tried to compensate for her loss of balance. Two more fingers slipped. Her hand let go of the bar, the sudden increase in weight and muscle weakness causing the other to lose its grip as well.
A short yell escaped her mouth as she collapsed on the thick mat below, skillfully breaking her fall using her legs and arms. Leaning on her elbows, a string of curses echoed through the gym as her frustration got the better of her. Breathing hard, watching little droplets of sweat and spittle fall on the synthetic leather of the mat, she caught both Freya and Le'tan making their way toward her from the corner of her eye.
Reaching for the large white towel, which was draped over a corner of the mat, she gave the leather a quick wipe before flinging her legs over the edge. Drying her face and top of her head, making sure to catch the bases of her glowing ears, she hung the towel in her neck as her hands balled into fists around the ends, her tail beating on the mat.
Reaching for the canteen of water she brought with her, she took a swig after catching her breath, closing her eyes while trying to feel good about the burning tingling in her arms. If only she could.
"Hey, you all right?" Le'tan's gentle voice sounded in her ears, followed by the tap of resting one end of his yuchiik on the floor.
"It looked like you were really doing a number on yourself," Freya added.
Opening her eyes, she put the canteen down and wiped her mouth with one end of the towel before looking up at their frowning faces and flattened ears. She hadn't gotten used yet to Le'tan's one-eared look. Her own experiences on Solbrecht had been very different from those of other members of the crew, to a shocking degree.
"I've been slacking," she grunted. "I used to be able to do this easily."
"Slacking?" both her crewmates asked in unison while exchanging glances.
"Girl, you just did two sets of two hundred," Freya said with a shrug. "You call that slacking?"
"Wrong," she disagreed. Taking a deep breath, her claws scratching the floor of the gym as she curled her toes, she rolled one shoulder after the other as her bulging muscles continued to glow. "I did one set of two hundred, and one of one hundred ninety-nine and a half."
Again, her crewmates looked at each other, this time without an exchange of words. The expressions of concern on their faces said more than enough.
"Why do you keep pushing yourself so hard?"
"I am-" It was her own surprise that stopped her right in the middle of lashing out. If she were honest to herself, she had been angry with herself since leaving Solbrecht. "I am… am I?"
"Is there something you wanna tell us?"
Le'tan's compassionate way of speaking took away the last bits of doubt that withheld her from doing so.
"Before we left Sogowa Prime, Raeth gave me permission to go look for my parents." It was at that point that she realized she had been balling her fists a little too hard, with one claw having punctured her skin, drawing a trickle of blood. Licking the palm of her hand, she forced herself to calm down by taking another breath. "I refused. I'm not ready to find out what happened to them just yet. I wanna do one last mission first. After that I'll be leaving you guys for a little while." Watching two mouths fall open, she tried to smile away their concern. "Don't worry, I'm gonna come back. I like you a lot. All of you. And doing this gives me a sense of belonging. Of purpose."
Shifting their stance, the tails of her crewmates began to move with calmer sweeps as they both smiled back.
"Congratulations," Le'tan said with a slight bow of the head. "You've discovered for yourself what it means to be a Guardswoman."
"Hyami. I guess you're right. And Raeth does so too. He's been thinking about promoting me to a junior officer's rank, provided I'm willing to stay after my break."
"That's incredible!" Freya exclaimed. "Congratulations indeed. You are aware that you normally have to go through an extensive training program, right?"
She nodded. Raeth had reminded her that as a Ginjha, he held the authority to award a field promotion, either during combat conditions or if the recipient showed exceptional skill in certain areas of expertise. She knew Majih had a hand in it too, for during her short time aboard the Myr'shala, she had surprised her fellow engineers a few times already with her quick thinking and skilled handiwork.
"All hands, this is your Ginjha. We'll reach the rendezvous point in about half a cycle. Remain vigilant as always, but don't forget to enjoy the view."
"Ship's log, Raeth, House of Meztar. Following in the wake of the expeditionary force, which is following the strongest energy trail the Ancients have ever left of themselves in the galaxy, the Myr'shala has arrived at the edge of what is sometimes referred to as a stellar nursery, deep in the galactic core.
Our journey has been treacherous, navigation made difficult due to the abundance of spatial anomalies in this area of space. The crew however has shown remarkable vigilance, working together better than ever before in the face of danger. The Myr'shala herself held up extremely well, given the intense bursts of radiation and particle bombardment hammering her shields. She's been made tough alright, and it is their combined strength that brought us to our destination with nothing but a few bumps and scratches to show for it."
The bridge bathed in the warm orange light of a nearby star, its luminous output dialed back by the panoramic viewport's filters. The molecular cloud was a collection of intense splashes of color, painted by the various wavelengths of light emitted by the bright young stars it had given birth to. Taking a millicycle to admire the view, Le'tan, who relieved Syrran, slowed their approach toward the sizable fleet of large and small science vessels, belonging to a number of different entities.
They were in turn guarded by a smaller number of military starships patrolling the perimeter of the small inconspicuous system in which they held position at a safe distance from the yellow dwarf star.
"Any idea what's got everyone psyched, Jetreycka?"
"Scans reveal no habitable worlds in this system. At least not to most intelligent forms of life. But there is something that won't show up on visual sensors. Some kind of large gravitational disturbance, bearing zero-two-seven mark one-five. Distance, roughly two hundred fifty thousand leaps."
"I see it," Houn acknowledged. "Navigation computer can't make much of it, so it suggests going evasive. It reads as a large celestial body the size of the average planet, except there's nothing there. At least not to the naked eye."
Gazing into the endless void, his view unobstructed in the direction where the ship's sensors were able to detect something colossal, Raeth relaxed his shoulders as his eyes caught one of the Imperial Guard's largest science vessels, the moment Houn commented on it.
"Is that a Laeisenna class?"
A class of ship closely related to the combat-oriented Laeisia class, the more science-focused Laeisenna class was based on her more heavily armed cousin, sacrificing armament and making room for a much greater number of advanced science facilities. Designed for these kinds of expeditions in deep space, it could operate for long periods without resupplying while having at least the size and defensive capabilities to scare off any possible attackers.
"That's our lead ship, the Kealii," Raeth confirmed. "Speaking of which, Jetreycka, why don't you give her a call."
"Aye, sir."
Rising out of his seat in unison with Jirro, to greet a fellow Ginjha with the respect they deserved, Raeth made himself look tall as he stood on the seal of the Imperial Guard etched into the metal below his feet. The Kealii's commanding officer did not take long to respond. The female Goureg stood just as tall and proud as he did, as did her First Officer, a Sogowan male of average size.
The well-lit bridge of her ship was much larger than that of the Myr'shala, and equipped with a couple of extra stations crewed by top-level scientists. The layout was also very different, with in the back a raised plateau, accessible by broad stairs. Three crew members surrounded a detailed holographic representation of the entire system, the section itself surrounded by several smaller workstations.
"This is Yuhka, House of Korin, of the Imperial starship Kealii."
"Raeth, House of Meztar of the Myr'shala. It's good to see you Yuhka."
"You're a sight for sore eyes, Raeth. We could use some fresh goods. And you're here just in time, or at least that's what I've let the scientists tell me."
Yuhka's enthusiasm was contagious, the tails of both Houn and Le'tan beginning to swish in a more energetic way. Raeth's own tail hit the deck with a dull tap as well, as an invigorating feeling took hold of him.
"Can you tell us more on what you've discovered thus far?"
Yuhka nodded.
"We can. In short, we believe we've found one of their worlds. A cloaked planet. We've been making attempts for it to reveal itself, but the cloaking field has remained intact. We're considering a more direct approach next. We did bring an Ancient artifact that has shown some activity ever since we arrived in this system. It could be the key."
"We'll transfer the supplies first and stay with you for the duration of your next attempt. Would be nice if we can report something back to command."
"Right on, Raeth. Starboard docking port two is ready. See you in a tick. Kealii out."
With the 'end of transmission' screen dismissed, Le'tan maneuvered the Myr'shala into position for docking with the heavy cruiser, while Trezka lowered the portside shields, reducing the other vectors to a minimum power level.
"I have to admit, I am curious," Jirro expressed his thoughts, without letting his voice reflect even a drop of excitement.
The complete opposite of Jetreycka, who could no longer keep hers suppressed.
"Oh c'mon, Jirro. Aren't you even a little excited? This could be the discovery of a lifetime and that's all you have to say?" Raising an eye ridge, he gave her a questioning look, as if he were about to ask her why. "Well, I for one can't wait to run a few scans on a world once populated by the civilizations of old."
"They were very advanced in everything, right?" Trezka asked, using her long legs to slide her seat back and forth on its rail.
"It is believed that the Ancients were on a whole different level. Not just technologically, but biologically as well. They were capable of manipulating space and time itself. Store the very energies of the universe itself inside their own bodies and draw them out when needed. To perform labor. To be able to fly without conventional means. Even to fight, using that very energy to increase their own physical abilities or use it directly as a weapon."
From the very start, those of the crew not occupied with docking maneuvers hung on her every word, Raeth himself included. As a scientist, it was impossible for her not to be intrigued by all this, but Jetreycka also seemed to know a great deal about the subject. It was one of those mysteries that captivated the minds of many. The idea that an entire galaxy teeming with intelligent life, and civilizations so advanced their technology and abilities would seem like magic even to today's star travelers, could disappear overnight, leaving behind no clues as to what could have happened.
"And if they really possessed that kind of power," Houn called over his shoulder, "then what could have caused their disappearance?"
"Exactly," Jetreycka responded. "Much of it is speculation. That which could bring about the end of a galactic cycle is difficult to even imagine. As far as I know, no evidence of a hypothetical apocalypse has been uncovered. However, if the expeditionary force has indeed found a planet, we might get a lot of answers to our questions."
"Who or whatever is still present on that cloaked planet, the energy trail we've followed back here must've been from some kind of automated probe."
Being a scientist herself, who just happened to have the best skills in leadership, Yuhka had received them at the docking port in person after all the cargo had been transferred to the Kealii. After the two ships had detached, she led those who were interested to her ship's main science lab, which was an enormous complex within the Laeisenna class's bowels. The area was two standard decks high, enough for any Mantrin to stretch their legs without the risk of collecting a bruise on the head. The sound of soft taps on consoles, electronic beeps, footsteps and quiet conversations filled the giant space, against the backdrop of the air filtering systems and gentle hum of larger machinery.
Although the appearance of such workspaces was usually cold and functional, Raeth wasn't that surprised at the presence of closed terraria, of which some contained entire trees, dotted around the lab. The ceiling lights had a pleasant color and intensity that mimicked the light of day, and the deck was covered with a type of carpet that had a very convincing grass-like texture.
With the expedition being a cooperative mission, dozens of scientists of different species manned the analysis stations, keeping an eye on new and collected data from not just the Kealii's sensor arrays, but the networked arrays of all the other science vessels in the fleet.
"We've been networking from the start," Yuhka explained, showing the status of the interlink on one of the large displays along the wall. "By combining our resources we're able to conduct real-time analysis of the incoming data."
"This is incredible," Jacky whispered to Baika, her eyes sparkling in the light of the countless conventional and holographic displays.
Trying not to disturb the working scientists, they and other members of the crew tried to look over their shoulders to find out what they were working on while Yuhka led them to the thing that captured everyone's attention soon enough. A fragment of Ancient tech, large enough that it would require at least two pairs of hands to carry, and suspended in a forcefield in the very center of the lab, with an amount of empty space around it that would make one think they were dismantling a bomb. Its gray metallic surface appeared to be lined with dormant circuitry, visible only when reflecting the light under a certain angle.
"I have never seen one of these before," Jirro grunted.
Spreading his legs, he crossed his enormous arms in front of his chest and flattened an ear, while Yuhka, Raeth and the other portion of his crew lined up beside him while keeping their distance from the mild shimmer of the forcefield.
"Very few mortals have," Yuhka spoke in a reverent manner. "This piece has been in the possession of scientists ever since it was uncovered on Khuuras III. We surmised that any Ancient tech we would find might react to the presence of another and vice versa. We are ready to test this theory by making contact with the cloaking field with our shields down."
"Wouldn't that pose an enormous risk?" Baika asked. "I mean, what if there's some kind of defensive weapon system?"
Yuhka nodded in affirmation.
"The probes we launched did come back without a scratch, but also without any results. They simply didn't record any data."
Yuhka's small ears jumped at the sound of her wristcom's chime. Several members of her crew had stopped with what they were doing and stood at attention near their stations.
"Yuhka here. Go ahead."
"Ginjha, we're ready to take the dive. All systems on standby."
"Excellent. Kaedar, you have the bridge. I want to witness this from the lab."
Gesturing toward a member of her crew, he proceeded by putting up a live view of the bridge on one of the monitors.
"Aye, Ginjha."
Raeth felt the Goureg Mantrinesse's piercing blue green eyes rest upon him as she eyed her visitors with a swish of her short tail, a few teeth showing as the corners of her beak curved upwards.
"Brace yourselves."
Turning around to face the row of giant displays along the bulkhead, all who were present began to hold their breath in suspense, Raeth himself included. Nothing about the view of outer space betrayed that the ship was moving, though he could feel the subtle vibrations under his feet through the carpet as the engines pushed the Kealii closer to the invisible planet while preventing gravity from getting too much of a hold.
The maneuver her pilot was in the process of attempting was a literal nosedive into the planet's gravity field, therefore getting close enough to breach through the cloaking barrier. With the Laeisenna class heavy cruiser being incapable of precise atmospheric flight, this posed a significant risk. A risk Yuhka deemed acceptable to prove her hypothesis.
"We have entered the planet's gravitational pull," the ship's pilot reported. "Slowing down forward momentum."
The vibrations intensifying as the engines fought back against gravity's pull, Raeth felt his toe claws grip the carpet. It wasn't enough to knock him off balance, though any sudden jolt could, which is what everyone seemed to brace for.
"Ginjha!" one of the scientists yelled from across the room.
It was hard to miss what they were clamoring about. From his peripheral vision, Raeth watched the scientists' hypothesis being proved in front of their very eyes. The artifact, still suspended inside the forcefield, began to respond to the presence of its creators. The circuitry covering its surface shimmered to life, pulsating like veins in a dark purple color that grew in brightness. An electronic buzz filled the air that made a couple crewmen reach for their ears as it swelled to a powerful drone which exerted considerable pressure.
"This is it! It's happening!" Yuhka exclaimed in triumph. Retreating with shuffling steps and a lashing tail, she spread her arms, gesturing everyone to keep their distance from the awakening artifact, without tearing her own eyes from it. The forcefield shimmered and crackled, but continued to hold as the artifact reached a stable equilibrium after emitting a powerful energy pulse. "It's stabilizing."
"Ginjha, you might want to take a look at the screen."
Where there had been empty space, the surface of a planet filled the entire view. As the Kealii's engines pulled the ship back to a safer distance, the absence of the cloaking field allowed them to lay eyes on a lush green world, of which the surface appeared to be littered with structures large enough to be visible from outer space. Structures that did not appear dormant, like the artifact had been a moment ago, but emitting a faint glow in the same purple color.
"I can't believe it," Jetreycka whispered.
"You were entirely right," Baika admitted to her superior.
"This must be one of the greatest discoveries in the history of the current cycle," Yuhka added. "Please, magnify," she ordered as she stepped closer to the screen.
Upon the touch of a button, the ship's visual sensors pierced through the atmosphere, zooming in on one of the humongous structures on the planet's surface. Everyone was in awe at the sight of the blocky crystalline shapes which shimmered in the light of the nearby sun. Everyone including Jirro, who was at a genuine loss for words for the first time in his life.
The entire lab turned into a bustle of activity not long thereafter as the incoming data begged for analysis. Watching his own crew jump into a discussion amongst themselves, Raeth was about to join in, yet decided to inquire first, for he had a hunch. He and Yuhka turned out to be on the same wavelength, for she managed to leave the analysis to her team and confronted him at the same time.
"You're planning to go down and take a look, aren't you?"
A sly grin crept along the scientist's face, her appetite for discovery held back only by her concern for the safety of her crew.
"Would I still be able to call myself a scientist if I didn't? Atmospheric composition is less agreeable to that idea though. We might want to suit up for this one."