“He’s coming along. But don’t test his patience – it was a begrudging compromise.”

  “Thank you for –” I began, but Amorina hastily interjected.

  “Don’t think my doing this lets you off the hook!”

  I rolled my eyes and muttered, “I guess I had that coming,” as she marched away towards the dropship.

  I glanced back and saw Emma, who had patiently waited on a bench through it all.

  “Come on, sweetie pie. We need to get on board to go on our adventure!”

  Emma hopped off the bench and ran up to me. “All right, Daddy.”

  At least someone isn’t mad at me.

  We walked side by side to the dropship, where the others had already gathered.

  “Sorry for the delay,” I whispered to Zavis as I sat beside him.

  Zavis nodded slightly, knowing it would be better to remain silent.

  I heard a quiet hiss followed by a pop as the rear door of the dropship sealed us inside and the cabin pressurised.

  “We’re cleared for take-off,” the pilot’s voice echoed throughout the ship. “Please remain in your seat for the duration of this flight, which should take about ten minutes.”

  As soon as the pilot’s announcement finished, I heard the engines roar to life and felt a jolt as the ship lifted off the ground, the force of Gaia’s gravity slowly fading away. I felt the vessel surge upward, and the powerful thrum of the engines reverberated throughout the vessel and its occupants. After a few minutes of ascent, the ship felt like it had evened out, though it was just my senses as they adapted to the lack of a reference point of gravity.

  “Engaging artificial gravity now, folks.”

  The gravity systems activated and pulled me back down just as I began to rise out of my seat. The trajectory of the dropship, as it curved around Gaia, treated the passengers to a breathtaking panoramic view of the planet and the surrounding stars.

  Gaia was always stunning to behold; it consisted of more land than water, and its lush forest-covered lands, still relatively untouched by its human inhabitants, were a natural paradise among the stars. I glanced over and saw Ichirō, his eyes filled with wonder as he took in the view, and I couldn’t help but smile; this was precisely the sort of experience I’d wanted him to have.

  “Whoa!” Ichirō exclaimed.

  I turned back to my port side window and saw the same stunning view that my son now marvelled at: a majestic, elongated vessel with an elegant white exterior that seemed to emit a sense of diplomacy and peace.

  “That’s an impressive ship!”

  “It certainly is remarkable,” said Zavis. “It’s my pleasure to introduce the ROHS Stardove, the Republic’s most advanced, premier diplomatic vessel.”

  Even without Zavis’s introduction, the ship’s splendour was apparent in its bright and gleaming surfaces. A feeling of tranquillity radiated from the ship, yet its immense size and modernity gave off a foreboding presence as if it were saying, “I’m not here to start a fight, but I will if I have to.”

  “I like the design!”

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Zavis said as he proudly gazed out at the vessel. “The downfall of the Empire resulted in the merger of their research and development with that of the Republic. She’s one creation of that technological merger and reaps many benefits from the advancements, like a doubled top warp speed.”

  “I’m not interested in space travel, but I must admit, this ship is quite a sight to behold!” Amorina remarked.

  “What do you think, kids?” I asked as I turned towards Emma and Ichirō.

  Ichirō shrugged and pretended to be more interested in his smartphone than us or the ship.

  Emma beamed as she said, “I like the name.”

  Amorina, Zavis, and I laughed.

  Zavis chuckled as he said, “So do I, little one. Stardove is a perfect name!”

  I looked out the window and watched as the Stardove drew nearer until it filled the entire view. The dropship flew into a starboard side hanger and touched down. We waited as the hangar doors were closed and the air pressure restored. The safety lights in the room changed from red to green.

  The pilot spoke over the intercom, “You are now cleared for disembarkment.”

  As the rear of the dropship opened, we made our way down the ramp into the hangar where a small reception awaited us.

  “It’s my pleasure to extend a heartfelt welcome to you, Governor Raith, Councillor Zavis, and all our guests!” greeted a lady in a crisp, azure Republic captain’s uniform. “I am Captain Kathleen Edgell, and I’m honoured to have you on board the Stardove.”

  “It’s a pleasure to be here, Captain Edgell. Thank you for having us aboard!” I replied.

  “Anytime. We’re scheduled to depart in thirty minutes. My second in command, First Lieutenant Orwig,” Captain Edgell gestured to the lieutenant on her left, “will show you to the cryosleep chamber. The interstellar conditions are favourable for our journey, and we are expecting a six-month travel time.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” I replied, then turned towards the first lieutenant.

  Orwig nodded courteously and gestured towards the exit, his eagerness to walk to the cryosleep chamber clear.

  “Lieutenant Orwig, could you possibly put my children and myself into cryo after we’ve launched? I’d like them to experience something first.”

  “Yes, of course, sir,” Orwig said with another nod.

  “I’m not interested in watching whatever it is. I just want to go to cryo,” snapped Ichirō.

  I shifted my attention to my son. “Hey, come on, mate. Work with me here, okay?”

  Ichirō refused to meet my gaze and muttered something unintelligible. I leaned in and placed my hand lightly on my son’s shoulder, which caused him to glare up at me.

  “I’ve got something extraordinary to show you,” I whispered. “I think you’ll be amazed!”

  “Fine, whatever,” Ichirō said as he rolled his eyes. “And when this thing is lame, I’ll have grounds to argue against future ‘experiences’!”

  “Thank you,” I said with a grateful smile, then turned back towards the captain and lieutenant.

  “I’ll take you to the observation deck myself,” Captain Edgell said. “And the lieutenant will get everyone else settled in for the journey.”

  “Thank you.”

  I directed my attention towards Amorina and caught a steely gaze.

  “Have a good, ah … sleep, I guess,” I said, feeling like an awkward teenager.

  “Yeah. Same to you,” she replied as she avoided eye contact whilst giving me a quick hug.

  “Catch you on the flip side?”

  This drew a brief smile from Amorina, and she nodded, then headed towards the exit.

  “And I’ll catch you later as well, Zavis.”

  Zavis smiled warmly. “Will do, Raith. Enjoy the show, kids.”

  As Amorina and Zavis followed the lieutenant into the ship's depths, I turned towards Emma and Ichirō.

  “Come on, guys – we’ve got a show to catch!”

  [)
  Half an hour later, Emma, Ichirō, and I were seated in a bow-facing lounge on the observation deck.

  “Our departure is imminent. All conscious passengers, please remain seated until we have departed,” came an announcement over the intercom.

  “It’s almost show time, guys! Put away your devices and look out the windows.”

  Emma joyfully gave her Arachnobot the command to enter watch mode, then cuddled against me while she gazed out on the great expanse before us. Ichirō, on the other hand, sat a few seats away from me, ignored my request, his attention fixed on his smartphone.

  “Come on, Ichirō – put your phone away. You’ll miss the spectacle otherwise!”

  “Fine!” He barked as he stuffed the phone into his pocket. “Happy now?”

  “Yes. Thank you for listening.”

  “Whatever,” he sneered, and with his arms and legs crossed, he slumped back into the chair, his expression a scowl of indifference.

  A low rumble filled the air as the ship began to move, and the deck vibrated beneath our feet.

  “What’s going on?” Emma asked.

  “The pilot is preparing the ship for warp. They’re activating the warp engines with a process called spooling. When they’ve got it all ready, they’ll jump into warp, and we’ll be flying faster than light!”

  “Whoa!” Emma exclaimed as her little eyes widened with excitement.

  “Warping in three … two …” came another intercom announcement.

  “Get ready, guys, it’s happening!”

  “One … warp!” finished the announcement.

  Through the observation lounge windows, every glimmer of light shifted to azure blue, then merged into a royal purple, before the light vanished into the darkness entirely. Then, all at once, the entire view transformed, filled with a deep Prussian blue hue, which then condensed into a cone, the brightest point at the centre that faded to black as it spread outwards.

  “Warp achieved,” came one last announcement.

  “Whoa!” Emma shrieked, and her voice echoed through the lounge. “It was so lovely!”

  I glanced in Ichirō’s direction; he’d sat up, his attention still riveted on the blue cone before us. A smile spread across my face, glad he’d paid attention and seemed to have enjoyed the experience.

  “What did you think, Ichirō?”

  “That was … absolutely … breathtaking! I’ve seen nothing like it before!”

  I felt a sense of relief come over me; the arguments and disagreements had been worth it to get Ichirō here – or at least I thought so.

  “Was it worth your time to come here, then?”

  “Yeah. Cheers, I guess,” he begrudgingly acquiesced.

  I tried to conceal my joy from Ichirō, aware that he may not take kindly to it, but a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Still, in my parenting struggles with my son, any win, no matter how small, was a victory worth smiling about.

  “You’re most welcome. Alright, let’s go, you two. Let’s head to the cryosleep chamber and drift off alongside the others.”

  [)
  Darkness engulfed me. I could hear fires crackling, and smoke stung my eyes and throat. Figures rushed by in a blur of colours and noise, their voices panicked. A cacophony of cries filled the air, shrill screams and loud shouts, but I couldn’t make sense of anything over the persistent ringing in my ears. I lurched to the side and retched, coughing out a stream of cryofluid onto the floor. My sight cleared enough for me to make out the blood streaking my arms and hands. It was dripping into the puddle of cryofluid. Raising a hand, I gingerly touched my head and found the gash responsible for the mess. My stomach heaved again, and I expelled another stream of fluid. With a final gasp, my lungs were completely empty, and I could breathe again. I heard a faint voice nearby, but I couldn’t decipher what it was saying. A pair of hands came into view, grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me into a seated position. Captain Edgell’s face broke through the fuzz. I could see her lips moving as she spoke to me, but nothing reached my ears. I shook my head and closed my eyes tightly – I needed to regain my focus.

  “Governor Raith? Governor Raith! Can you hear me?” Captain Edgell’s voice finally came into focus.

  “Yeah,” I croaked, my voice barely audible. “What’s happened?”

  “I’ve got no idea. Something or someone abruptly ejected us from warp! I’ve never come across anything like it before.”

  I willed my fuzzy brain to keep up with what the captain had told me. Ejected from warp? I’d never heard of anything like that either, but it sounded violent. I became aware of the pain that coursed through my body, which seemed to affirm that, yes, it had been violent.

  “Casualties?”

  “Three dead, seven injured, as far as I know. Your family and Zavis are okay – their cryopod doors held, although they were likely jostled around. You, on the other hand, busted right through your pod door!”

  That explains a lot.

  “What’s the status of the ship?”

  “There are system faults throughout the ship. Multiple systems are non-responsive. It’ll take time to determine the exact extent of the damage, but for now, we’re not going anywhere.”

  I nodded in acknowledgment, conscious of our dire predicament.

  What could cause the ship to drop out of warp? From what I could see of the ship’s state, it was clearly a scenario it hadn’t been designed for.

  “I need to return to the bridge, but I’ll send a medic to assess you.”

  I shook my head. “No, take me with you. I can be of more help to you than just sitting here.”

  The captain looked hesitant.

  “Please – give me a hand and help me get to the bridge. I can be of assistance.”

  “Fine.”

  Edgell put an arm around me and lifted me to my feet, then walked us both towards the bridge.

  “Can you think of anything else that might shed some light on the situation?”

  We walked silently for a few minutes before the captain replied.

  “Yes, I suppose there could be. I’m unsure what the connection is, but we got an emergency broadcast from Akka. A large unidentified object – perhaps a ship – is approaching the colony. It destroyed a scout vessel sent to meet it, so they urgently requested Republic forces for help.”

  “How far away are we from Akka?”

  “We still have three more months ahead of us. Could something be attacking Akka and us? I’d held higher hopes for humanity’s true first contact.”

  Captain Edgell’s recollection of the emergency broadcast didn’t sound good, but it didn’t sound the same as what the ship had experienced. We turned a corner and ventured onto the bridge, and the captain guided me to a seat off to the side.

  “Do we have any operational sensors? Can you detect anything in our vicinity?”

  The captain glanced at me. “You’re here in a consulting capacity, not a commanding one.”

  “Sorry,” I said, holding my hands up in apology.

  “That being said, let me check what’s working,” the captain replied as she moved to a nearby console.

  As she worked on the console, I gazed out the bridge window and scanned the stars before us. Small chunks of debris floated about chaotically, likely dislodged from the ship, but otherwise there didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary.

  “A space-time anomaly is opening right in front of us!” the captain shouted.

  I spun to stare at her and noticed a flash out of the corner of my eye. Turning back to the window, I saw an Empire frigate now positioned in front of the Stardove.

  “Oh, my god!” Edgell gasped.

  I felt a chill run through me as I recognised the cartoonish piranha on the frigate’s nose, and my eyes widened with disbelief. This was one of the two Empire vessels that I had shown mercy five years ago.

  “That’s an Empi –”

  “Empire ship, I know,” Edgell interrupted with a quivering voice.

  The communications panel on the other side of the bridge lit up and emitted a tone.

  “They’re hailing us,” she whispered.

  “We might as well open a channel.”

  The captain rushed across the bridge and accepted the call.

  A voice rang out through the established channel, announcing, “This is the Empire Frigate Piranha.”

  “This is Captain Edgell of the ROHS Stardove. We are on a peaceful mission to Ak –”

  “Shut up, bitch. We don’t want to talk to you.”

  The captain frowned. “Then … who do you want to talk to?”

  “You know who,” the voice said.

  Edgell glanced at me and shrugged.

  With all the authority I could muster, I said, “This is Governor Raith of Gaia. The ROHS Stardove is a peaceful vessel on a diplomatic mission to Akka. Stand down, Piranha – stand down!”

  Cruel laughter echoed throughout the bridge.

  “We do not recognise your authority here, Governor Raith, for you are nothing more than a traitor to the one true emperor! Prepare to be boarded. Surrender all hands.”

  The connection cut off, and the captain and I looked at each other.

  I sighed heavily and said, “This isn’t going to turn out well.”

  “What is our next move?”

  “I don’t think there is a next move – you said it yourself, we’re dead in the water.”

  We both returned our attention to the Empire frigate in front of us and watched two shuttles leave it and make their way over. They flew past the bridge and out of our view; we listened to the sound of the vessels docking with our own. It wasn’t long before the sound of heavy boots filled the halls of the Stardove.

  “Put your hands on your head and keep them there!” the Empire troopers shouted as they advanced onto the bridge.

  The captain and I obeyed, and moments later, somebody seized my arms and twisted them behind my back, followed by the sharp sensation of a syringe piercing my neck.

  “What the he–”

  Chapter 3

  An Uncanny Resemblance

  2158, Common Era – Frontier Space, Tynan Empire

  Darkness surrounded me again. My vision was hazy, and my hearing was once more muted. But not from smoke, this time I had a foggy disorientation clouding my mind.

  As my senses slowly returned, I started to make sense of my situation. Thick leather straps bound my arms and legs firmly in place to the arms and legs of the chair I was in. Scars adorned my forearms. They were still pink and slightly raised telling me they were recent – were they from smashing through the cryopod?

  Fuck me. How long was I sedated for?

  My eyesight was returning to normal, and I expanded the analysis to my surroundings now that the details of the world were coming into focus. I noticed the fluorescent lights that shined off the white walls and stainless-steel benchtops, covered with all manner of scientific equipment, and realized I was in a laboratory. The people in lab coats who bustled about the room from one workstation to the next backed up my epiphany.