Stargazers

Federation Cruiser Siegfried

Arthur wakes first, his head ringing and his body sluggish. He had been sedated before being brought onboard the ship and now finds himself at rest in an infirmary. The interior is a soft, washed pink. The lights are dimmed. He has a curtain pulled for privacy and can see shadows cast along it. A nearby monitor shows his heartbeat. He sits up before help can come.

A nurse meets him, a short, stout man with dark hair wearing red scrubs with black clothes underneath. He has an identification badge that Arthur only glances at. This man is a member of the Federation military, and that is all Arthur needs to know about him. He doesn't like the scrutiny or the mistrust, but he had been trained for a long time not to trust a Fed, and he can't bring himself to betray the notion now.

"How are the girls?"

"The Commander will be here soon," the nurse says coolly. He has a clipboard and flips over its holographic interface. "Your injuries were largely superficial. We pulled your records, those that were public." The nurse looks at him. "You know how to roll with the punches, don't you?"

Arthur goes quiet. He retreats back into his head and watches from there. It is instinct to him, his military training kicking in. They are not interrogating him yet, and he finds it unlikely that he will be tortured again, but he feels less safe here than he did on Lancelot's ship. At least there he knew who the enemies were. Here, they will hide their blades behind a smile. It is all politics until the first bullet is fired, and then it is war.

The nurse takes Arthur's vitals and records them before leaving him behind his curtain. Arthur hears a door slide open and close. A short time later, the door does this again, and a man enters. This man is tall and strong. His jaw is pronounced, his body long and powerful. He wears an officer's uniform with a series of badges pinned to his chest. Arthur doesn't know enough about the Federation military to discern their meaning, but they are impressive none-the-less and tell him what he needs to know—this man is the Commander.

The Commander regards him quietly. He stands tall, back straight, arms folded behind him. They make eye contact, and the Commander does not look away. After a lingering silence, where Arthur is quietly appraised, the Commander says, "You seem in good health. I trust that my people have been taking care of you."

Arthur stays quiet for a moment and weighs his every action. He allows a nod.

"That is good. You might be wondering where you are—though I have some idea that you might have figured it out already. This is my ship, the Federation Cruiser Siegfried. It is newly built and still getting its kinks worked out, but it is a fine ship that runs smoothly, and it will take you wherever you might need to get to, but we before we discuss where you need get to, I have a few other questions.

"You may or may not know—though I am assuming that you do—but the Federation military does not visit Hades often. No one does, really, except for criminals. We fly the boarders, for various purposes, but we keep clear of this area. A war would erupt—could erupt now—should we be seen interloping in such criminal business. The atmosphere is tense on Hades, which raises the question as to why we stepped in."

The Commander pauses. He gives Arthur a moment to speak. Arthur stares fixedly at the ground, so the Commander continues. "We've heard some interesting radio traffic, and it led us there. Military involvement on the planet Hades is peculiar, almost unheard of, but strange happenings call for strange responses. Would you like to tell me, Captain Jameson Arthur, formerly of the Republic Military's Centurion program, what it was that you were doing on Hades, and what had brought so much firepower down upon you and your friends?"

Arthur keeps a wary silence and watches the Commander as he does. They already know his history—they know about Centurion—which likely means that they suspect him already. Silence could be incriminating, but the wrong words could find him dead. He chooses carefully what he will reveal and what he won't. The Three Army Accord would see a war break out over what was brought onto this ship.