Dream Cycle: Book 1 - A Dream of Flight

Chapter 9: Thieves Part 2

The moon Leken, which was originally organic, created by the initial explosion of energy and following expansion, or by a great battle between the twenty-four gods depending on your creed, had been since, long ago, damaged during the Second Great Galactic War. Widely considered a geographical marvel across the galaxies, in part due to its unique makeup and close boom proximity to most neighboring galaxies (boom technology operating as a web of sorts between areas containing certain energy and high gravitational pull), it was rebuilt a hundred and fifty years after the war had ended, or in calendar verbiage 150 PSW (Post Second War).

As the nature of things seem to be cyclical, and history favors familiar events, in another seventy years it would again be destroyed. This time in a proxy war between the Femorian and Nodeann empires. It would not be reconstructed this time. One of the greatest structures built during the reconstruction era, the Millennium Clock, which stood at nine hundred and seventy five meters, now lay destitute and destroyed, its circular shape undone and resembling something of a crescent moon. Mozzie thought it was ironic, in a way, as The Lazy Wolf lowered onto the top floor of the broken clock, that Leken, a moon itself, held a structure which resembled a crescent moon.

The crew proceeded out, walking across rusted black marble, their figures like wraiths against the black. Another craft, obsidian and more sleek and slender than The Lazy Wolf's, sat a little aways on the crescent. They approached the craft, Mozzie inserting a square, narrow key into a keyhole on the side and the hangar opening, the group proceeding in. Mozzie and Ric sat in the pilot chairs, starting up the ship, Peter in the back next to Steven. A deep hum began to emit, and an array of lights came on.

"Hartshorns we are go."

Mozzie let go of the comm button. No response, save for the silence. After a moment, static greeted them, then a voice.

"Roger that, Lazy Wolf. Wait for our signal."

***

The Andar, a mercenary group originating from the Nodeann Empire, or Kafar galaxy, were having quite the unfortunate week. First, they were chased through the Phohonean sector, a shared space between the Femorian Empire and Nodeann Empire, by law enforcement and military from both sides after trying to steal from the highly regarded King James of the aforementioned Femorian kingdom, who lay invalid due to old age, and empire close to invalid due to war, debt and overspending. Though the young prince David would, and possibly rightfully so, disagree.

After booming to the Na-Hatian moons, believing that their pursuers would lack the conviction to follow them there, their gamble was sadly proven false, and they found themselves not only in battle with the joint military of the Femorian and Nodeanns, but pursued by Ne-Hido fishermen. There, they found themselves going from moon to moon, the oceans as deep as abysses, and waves which seemed more like mountains. On the third moon, their ship, The Iron Wing, was destroyed, cut in half by several Ne-Hido fishermen who descended down from one such wave, a massive slab of Ordaxian stone shaped into something like a sword in their hands, and dove through the armpits of the craft, destroying it, a few of the fishermen themselves dying in the process. One, who dove through the front exterior and managed to semi-destroy the dashboard shouting "Se-em Vidar" upon being shot by Captain Hermes and falling to his death. Se-em Vidar in New Linguistic Collectivism (the foremost language of the Anaxian, Nodeann and Femorian empire, recognized as the default official tongue for most known galaxies) meaning "death to the slavers."

After The Iron Wing plunged into the ocean, they found no reprieve as a Nodeann space force unit had found them, diving for them like a hawk does prey. As tables turn quickly, and chance ultimately controls the fate of every man, the Nodeann fleet quickly found itself the prey, as a Ne-Hido ship arose out of the rushing blue, raining down fire upon the Nodean crafts. Of the Nodeann crafts, which were seven, five were completely destroyed, cannon fire tearing them apart, the salvage that remained washed away in seconds by the ocean. One managed to escape, blue jet fire roaring as it turned from the expansive blue below and towards the blue above, cannon fire still shooting from the Ne-Hido fishermen ship but the craft eventually disappearing. The last, the seventh, was partly damaged, falling into the ocean. The Andar left the wreckage of The Iron Wing, swimming for the Nodeann craft. Upon entering through a hole in the side, they quickly killed the crew and seized the ship.