Mantrin Imperial Guard - Pilot Episode - 001 Darkening Sky

Chapter 9: Event Horizon

The science lab was a large irregularly-shaped room buried deep inside the ship on the third deck. It was stuffed with all kinds of machines for general research and experiments. Although the primary role of Myr'loa class ships was patrol and rapid response, every Imperial ship had an onboard science facility equipped with at least the basics. Despite all the advanced technology inside, one person now used this space in a way it wasn't designed for. As a personal retreat.

With her arms crossed over her chest she sat behind the stellar cartography station, a huge curved viewscreen dominating her field of vision. The computer had almost finished its analysis of the space around Bynali Four. The process was sped up with a direct datalink to the research station's computer and its more powerful sensors. With the other ships also tapped into these resources they had mapped everything to the last cubic step in the time it took for reinforcements to arrive.

Baika wasn't looking at the results. Her eyes stared into nothingness as her mind replayed the scene in the gym over and over again. How could I have said that? You idiot! She liked Jacky and had been looking forward to becoming friends. After all, they were roommates already. Should I have gone after her to apologize? That could have had the opposite effect. She had tried to apologize immediately but Jacky didn't listen. These feelings went deep.

As she grew up in a protected environment, she couldn't fathom what it must have been like. Abandoned by her real parents. Adopted by humans. Jacky told her the first time they met that they cared for her and loved her very much. But still, growing up without members of your own kind? Having to learn everything about your people from a database? She couldn't wrap her mind around it. There were certain things that couldn't be taught from texts and images alone. Being curious by nature she had wanted to ask all about it but now that chance seemed ruined. Her thighs still ached from the last time she hit them with her fists. The knot in her stomach was still there.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the growing number of warnings on the screen in front of her. Until an audible alarm shook her out of her slumber. All of a sudden, her hearts raced when she realized what she had missed. Jumping out of her seat she sped toward the room's exit as a powerful outside force hit the ship and knocked her off balance. A soft cry escaped her beak as she fell, using her strong arms to break her fall. A general alarm chimed in her sensitive ears. Groaning as she scrambled back up, she rubbed her elbows and continued her way, on guard for more sudden tremors.

I gotta get to the bridge.

***

Being responsible for covering the tactical position on the bridge, Norgu had watched the number of contacts around the planet grow during the last cycle. More ships had arrived, reinforcements of the parties present and new organizations. An additional Indarian destroyer as well as two more Akrennian vessels had joined them. One of them was the same type as Ayko's ship, the other a great deal larger and carrying an even more impressive array of particle cannons and missile launchers.

The D'Amarans had sent part of the Mizrate Armada, given the fact that they also took part in the colonization effort of Bynali Four. Their fleet consisted of a small number of attack corvettes and two cruisers. Fast to maneuver and usually numerous, the D'Amarans used strength in numbers and speed to overwhelm their opponents in battle.

The Earth Alliance reinforcements had been the first to arrive. Captain Ben had informed them beforehand that they were coming as he had a 'gut feeling'. As Norgu studied the database information on the Alliance ships, he was impressed and at the same time surprised that for a species preaching to be peaceful, human starships seemed ready to fight a war. ECAS Los Angeles, a Rings of Saturn class heavy cruiser. The same ship class as Captain Ben's Devonshire, it mirrored the impressive array of turreted beam cannons and long-range missile launchers.