In Silent Dreams

CHAPTER 2 - Into The Dark

"Our lives are determined by the very first ship we board. I took my first steps on a ship when I was eighteen. Never looked back after that. The ISS Jaeger. We saw our first military operation on Camdena, fighting against a designated 'rogue' army. Back then, they had mediocre anti-air systems and disorganized infantry. But one thing that stood out was their dedication to their cause. The operation lasted for a month, and on the fifth week we intercepted a transmission from an enemy scout fighter ship. The pilot had taken multiple hits on his ship. His left wing was clipped off by lasers, and his engines were hit so badly that his ship was left in an eventual dive towards the planet. Despite all that, the pilot sent his last transmission back to base. And I remember it to this very day.

He said, remember me not by the ship I flew, not by the innocent people who were sent by the empire and killed by me. Remember me, not by the medals I won, or the allies whom I have saved.

Remember me, instead, as your friend. Your brother. Someone just like you who is fighting, not against the enemy pilots we see before us, but against the evil and injustice that befell upon our universe. One day we will see empire and resistance citizens holding hands in the streets of Camdena. And until that day, we will not give up.

I resigned from the imperial army in the year thirty-seven fifty-six, and the death of Imperator Wolfe saw the collapse of the empire three years after. Today, we see citizens, brothers, people like you and me, and we see harmony. We vowed never to go to war with each other again, to instead work together to discover the universe. To explore, to trade, to dwelve in the fine arts and entertain each other with dance and drink. My fellow citizens, this was the vision we set with the birth of the United Galactic Government, and we shall uphold this vision with grit and honor, to humanity's dying grave. Thank you."

- President Mich Holtz, United Galactic Government, rally speech 3771

Eva: We are fast approaching the Turs Relay Station. The station has been abandoned for decades, and no activity has been reported since then. Apparently a faulty terminal caused a meltdown in the station's environment reactors, causing systems such as the gravitational field generators and life support to fail.

Elizabeth: "Nothing the MARK VI can't take care of."

Eva: This should be a cakewalk for someone of your calibre.

E: "Can't take anything for granted. Breach the station, power the backup generators, locate the data mainframe, download the schematics data onto the transponder. Eva, I need you on sentry while I am inside."

Eva: Right. I will lower my system power to an aware state, reducing my EM signatures. Additionally, I will prepare scramblers in the event we find unwanted visitors. It's a remote area of the system, so there should not be anyone else, but precaution is always necessary.

E: "Dock on the West collar. If my knowledge on Comm station architecture serves me right, Comm stations are always artificially tuned to orbit in a preset direction. According to your ship's tuned local time, the planet behind the station's shadow will overcast the ship and hide it from view on the western face for about two Gaian hours."

Eva: Will do. I shall perform an initial sweep of the station's exteriors first.

Elizabeth suited up in the MARK VI, a multi-purpose environmental operations suit. The MARK VI is able to provide the user with at least eighty hours of arngen, a potent oxygen substitute. MARK VI features other inclusions such as a mini reactor, environmental readings, in-built thrusters system and up to hand-class five weapon protection.

Elizabeth: "Suit check. ballistic rifle check. Illuminations check. Zero-G Combat gear check. Comms Transponder Test."

Eva: Comms Transponder received. Data download and upload link functional. All systems are good to go. Be careful of floating hazards in there.