The Stars are in his Eyes // Starlight Brigade

Chapter 13: Freedom

Strive's entire form rattled when Havve pushed open the large metallic doors in front of them, mindfully ducking his shoulders so that his passenger wouldn't graze the low overhang. It was difficult to hold on, but he had managed to stay afloat his whole ride there. Due to his higher position, it was easy for him to spot the two remaining crew members ahead, their postures tense and incredibly serious as they huddled around an illuminated table. Upon the sudden entrance of their delayed members, the two of them looked up, surprised to see Strive atop the robot's bulky shoulders.

Meouch looked flabbergasted, an eyebrow raised in confusion as he pointed towards the odd duo. "Ah, are we gonna address that, Sung?"

Sung's reply was curt and unusually dry towards his comrade. "No. We have bigger things to worry about." He motioned for the crew to gather closer to the table, encouraging Havve to tilt further so Strive could see better. "What's the situation?"

"A little concerning, to be honest."

The crew directed their eyes towards the source of the grim voice. A woman appeared with her hands clasped behind her back, slowly marching her way towards the group. She held an air of authority, an intimidating power radiating off her stern stance. Her lips were firmly set, her expression further accentuating her battle worn face. Strive caught a glimpse of a distinct scar gouged across her chin, the impressive mark clawing its way down her calloused skin. There wasn't much to go by when observing her, the rest of her face obscured by a jet black visor, her helmet firmly stuck in place as it tried to contain the wild, brown hair by her shoulders.

The woman took her spot by the table, turning her head to address the entire group. "It's been a while, Brigade. I trust you've been well."

Sung answered for his teammates, articulating the crew's collective bouts of nods and hums. "Long time no see, Swift. We've been good, though I wish we could have been your company under better circumstances."

"Hmm, yes. Unfortunately, my job is not a pleasurable one; we've no time for leisure now. I suppose you'd like to know why I've called you all here." Swift leaned in front of the circular table, swiping her gloved palm above the surface. Strive watched in amazement as numerous shapes materialized above the table, their ghostly structures made up of transparent, blue light. Looking closely, they appeared to mimic various bits of the cosmos. He could see the outlines of rocky debris, unknown particles, and the staggering size of Headquarters, the humongous ship dwarfing anything within its wake

Swift dragged her fingertips across the map, using her hands to grab the digital terrain and shrinking its components drastically. Headquarters was reduced to the size of a dust particle, the map spanning way beyond their current domain. "We've just received intel regarding the location of a suspected Void ship gathering. While not the same size as a fully realized fleet, their increasing numbers has us greatly concerned. Their activity has been labeled suspicious—it's unlike anything we've ever documented before."

The entire crew leaned closer to the map, the room suddenly growing tense with this new information. "What do ya mean by 'suspicious'?" questioned Meouch. "What's so different about this group of ships? It's normal for small bouts to gather in the empty corridors of space. We can easily pick off a few scavengers with a simple fly-by."

Swift shook her head. "A few, yes. But their numbers are growing at an unnerving rate. We had initially thought that they were preparing for another attack on an undocumented section of the cosmos. However, the section they're occupying has already been claimed." Strive gulped when he heard this, knowing first hand what kind of attacks she was referring to. "It's unusual for them to stagnate in a region they've already conquered."

"How many do ya figure there are?"

"It's difficult to say, but we've estimated around fifty in counting."