Deep Space Odysse Volume 1

Prologue

In the asteroid belt of Ferrobar, a starship was making its way through the vastness of space. The silver trident emblem emblazoned on its hull signified that this vessel belonged to the New Federal Government of Humanity.

It was heading toward a dark, rocky asteroid—unremarkable among the many celestial bodies within the Ferrobar system. This asteroid, with a diameter of merely 800 kilometers and a mass of approximately three billion tons, lay around 180 million kilometers from the nearest star, making it a cold and low-gravity object—ideal for terraforming.

As such, it had been modified to serve as one of the thirty-eight exile stars used by the New Federal Government, designed to house criminals who, while not sentenced to death, could never again enjoy their freedom.

The Crimson Moon, a battleship cruiser, was now carrying a particular passenger to this exile star.

She was an elderly woman, seated in a glass chamber, her figure draped in a white robe. Though she appeared to be in her sixties, her face was flushed with vitality, and her gaze was sharp and focused, locked onto a Rubik's Cube.

But the cube was not in her hands—it floated before her, suspended in midair. Slowly it rotated, as if guided by an invisible hand, occasionally shifting to rearrange its colored squares.

The woman watched it intently, seemingly unaware of Captain Kevin Nelson, who stood outside her glass enclosure.

This disregard irritated the captain. Turning to his young female adjutant, he asked curtly, "How long has she been like this?"

"Three days, sir," replied the adjutant, a woman with long black hair.

The captain shot a look of disdain at the floating cube. "An unnaturally tenacious old crone..."

"You're jealous, Nelson." The old woman's voice rang out suddenly. She still didn't look away from the cube as she spoke, "You envy the power I possess, the strength that eludes you, isn't that right?"

"Perhaps, Senator Loshi," Captain Nelson shrugged, "You've always been perceptive, always able to see through to the heart of things. But what does it matter now? Look at you. Once seated in the highest halls of power, and now? A mere prisoner. What good are your extraordinary abilities? You can't even break through this simple pane of glass between us. What will you do? Kill me with that Rubik's Cube? Or perhaps outlast me with your unrelenting focus over the past three days?"

The old woman's gaze finally shifted from the cube. With a soft thud, it dropped to the floor.

She approached the captain, stopping just short of the glass barrier, and gently traced her fingers along its surface.

This motion caused Captain Nelson to flinch, taking a step back.

But nothing happened.

The woman simply looked at him, her eyes brimming with a mocking amusement, as though it wasn't she who was imprisoned but him.

"You harbor such hostility toward me because of your wretched master," she said quietly. "I know you are his loyal hound. In your mind, each insult you heap upon me brings you closer to your ambitions. But you are nothing more than a pitiful man, groveling for scraps from his table."

Captain Nelson's face twisted with fury.

Bang!

He slammed his fist against the glass wall, causing it to reverberate loudly.

He snarled at her, "Old woman, on this ship, I am in command. You have no idea what hell awaits you for crossing me!"

The old woman remained composed. "In fact," she replied calmly, "I know precisely what's about to happen."

"What?" Nelson stared at her, momentarily stunned.

"First, you'll be incensed by my words and will plan to teach me a lesson. But just as you're about to act, an emergency will arise, requiring your immediate attention. You'll have no choice but to leave me alone and rush to the command deck. Then, one of your subordinates will lead a mutiny and kill you. In the end, I will be freed, and those who follow me will depart from here, leaving behind a nightmare that will haunt your master forever."

Nelson burst into laughter, as though he'd just heard the most absurd joke. "What nonsense are you spewing, old woman? You've clearly been driven mad by your powers. Udi, take her..."

He was about to instruct his adjutant to deal with the elderly woman when suddenly, a sharp alarm blared throughout the ship:

"Warning! Warning! Unidentified fleet approaching! All personnel to battle stations immediately!"

Captain Nelson froze, his expression stiffening as he turned to look at Senator Loshi, who stood watching him with the same serene gaze.

"This must be a coincidence," Nelson muttered, shaking his head before swiftly retreating, racing toward the command deck.

Chaos had already erupted in the command center, with everyone scrambling to prepare for the potential threat of an attack.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Nelson shouted as he burst into the room.

"Just as you see, Captain," an officer pointed toward the viewing window.

Nelson looked out and saw a fleet of black ships, devoid of any identifying markings, steadily advancing toward them.

"Damn it!" Nelson cursed under his breath. He asked, "Do we know who they are?"

"No, sir. Communications have been sending continuous signals to the approaching ships, but there's been no response."

"This doesn't bode well. Raise the shields immediately and fire warning shots—" Nelson paused, Senator Loshi's words suddenly flashing through his mind:

"Then, one of your subordinates will lead a mutiny and kill you."

A shiver ran down his spine. Warily, he glanced at the crew around him, but they were all too busy or awaiting his orders, giving him some semblance of reassurance.

That damned old woman must have been spouting nonsense.

At that moment, his adjutant Udi entered the command center.

"Captain," she called.

"What is it? Make it quick. I don't have time for idle chatter right now," Nelson snapped.

"Yes, sir." Udi pulled out a pistol and pressed it against the captain's forehead.

"Mutiny," she said coldly, pulling the trigger.