Chapter 4: Journey to the Distant Lands

“Umph...,” Fengge said as he put his hand to his head. “That was ... quite a mission.”

“From the reports that Captain Shira made, she seemed impressed with your actions,” Passos replied.

It had been over thirty minutes since the mission to the Alara’jal clan observation base. Fengge was still trying to get a grasp of reality. Did he just go through that? How did he survive that? Little things like that loomed in his mind. The one thing that he was thankful for was being out of his spacesuit and back in his regular expedition clothes right down to wearing his safari hat on top of his bald head.

The interior of the vice admiral’s stateroom had been quiet and seemingly empty despite how grandiose it seemed. All except the leading officer of the task force had been in it. It was as if nothing seemed out of place. It was comforting but ominous for Fengge. He remained eager to put aside the horrors of today as quickly as possible.

Passos sat comfortably by his wooden carved desk. It was neatly bolted to the deck. He sat comfortably on his luxury style chair as his fingers were intertwined. Occasionally, he would frisk his mustache and tweak it back and forth on the top of his lips.

“I can extend the professionalism that those marines exhibited,” Fengge continued. “Against such ... evil ... that was all that I could describe it ... just ... evil.”

“The Emphra...,” Passos seemed to pause again. “I’m too past my prime to ... worry about such things, but perhaps you can help bring more awareness to it. Regardless, thank you for helping out the team and bringing back that data.”

“Has there been any word yet from Shira?”

“It was why I actually called you up here as soon as the doctors cleared you of any possible ... infection or radiation exposure that you might have suffered from.”

“I’m as clean as my dinosaur bones, Passos,” Fengge slapped his chest. “Same with all the marines. Sorry that the Gunnery Sergeant is going to lose his arm, though. At least our technology is always there to replace what we lose.” He paused and flexed his left hand for a moment as he was reminding himself about something.

“Pardon me for asking ... there was something that you did seem to be upset about losing during the mission. What was it?”

“Ah ... that would be Monica.”

“Monica?”

“It’s ... my camera drone. It was very unfortunate that I lost it.”

“Why so?” Passos seemed curious. “Drones can be replaced.”

“Monica is ... let’s just say something given to me by a dear friend. I always took her with me whenever I did my shows. I didn’t know that this would be her last show.”

“I see...”

There was a beeping sound that pinged from Passo’s desk. The vice admiral tapped a button, and the comm link was open. Shira’s face was projected from a small 3d projector. Fengge was still not completely used to seeing a Shal’rein leading an entire UHN ship. Her shark-like features and dark purple hair were obvious. For a brief moment, the paleontologist swore that he saw what looked like a black eyepatch under the hair covering her right eye. The moment that Shira saw Passo’s face, she pressed her fingers together in composure.

“Vice Admiral,” Shira calmly addressed him. “I trust that Doctor Fengge is with you?”

“I am, Captain,” Fengge happily greeted her. “Glad to make it out of there in one piece.”

Fengge walked around the desk and put his hand on it. He wanted Shira to see his face.

“I wanted to commend your performance with my marines, Doctor Fengge,” Shira said to him. “Stone had no complaints about you, and Ioren expresses her thanks for helping her in acquiring the data. There was also Isandro, that wanted to thank you for giving him your ... signature.”

Fengge held his hands out in a prideful shrug. “All in a day’s work, Ma’am. You have one of the best paleontologists and fellow translators available. You lucked out having me be there when the marines needed me the most.”

“Indeed,” her emotion remained neutral before turning her gaze to look at Passos. “Vice Admiral, I have an update with the acquired data.”

“Already?” Passos seemed mildly surprised.

“The information was easily patched together with what my father tried so hard to get over 50 years ago. I will need you to open a link with the Menshe’tat. Their lesser adjuncts need to be informed as well.”

“Understood,” the vice admiral tapped a few buttons on his console. “I’m sure that Youica and Coyaca are waiting on word as well.”

There was a momentary pause as the task force commander waited for a response on his console. Fengge could feel a sense of good news coming. However, it wasn’t easy to read it from Shira’s face. Her composure sometimes made it difficult to tell what she was thinking. However, the urgency in opening a channel with the T’rintar battleship was present. Finally, a link was established.

The twin Yutilian lesser adjuncts’ faces appeared on a separate screen from the desk. It was obvious that a three-way communication channel had been established between all three ships. Youica and Coyaca both seemed to have the same inflections upon seeing Shira, Passo, and Fengge. The rounded pointed snouts would cringe a bit as if they were disgusted seeing them. The feathers on their heads would even contort a little bit as well at the same time.

“Vice Admiral,” Coyaca greeted coldly.

“Passos,” Youica added. “What is it?”

“First, I wanted to offer my thanks for your assistance in evacuating the marines,” Passos added.

“You humans are pathetic creatures,” Youica said.

“Fighters, yes, but not as good as the warriors of Kre,” Coyaca added.

The Kre ... surprisingly, Fengge almost recognized what the two Yutilian captains had just said. It was at least mentioned to him where these two leaders had come from. They had more or less wholly verified the situation and personality of why they were somewhat hard to get along with.

“Lesser adjuncts,” Passos sighed and almost frustratingly waved his hands at the screen. “Please, I gave you two a compliment for helping us. Shira’s marines did most of the hard work for us. They put their lives on the line to ensure that this mission was a success.”

“All the more easier to just had us do the work for you,” Coyaca said.

“Our warriors can handle an Emphra infestation with ease,” Youica added. “Instead, you ... rely on a Shal’rein clan spy’s...” She didn’t seem to have the words to complete her sentence as one sister spoke to another in Itrean. Their English was acceptable but not perfect. However, Fengge understood enough of what they said, which wasn’t kind.

“So rude of you two,” Fengge remarked with a mild hint of anger. “I was with Shira’s marines, and they performed more than adequately. I bet in no time I could bop you in the nose for your discourtesy.”

“I would like to see you try,” Youica said with a couple of clicks in her voice.

“You humans ... all you good are for ... ferti ... fertilizing us. The Kre send us because they know that you would not succeed without us.”

Shira momentarily closed her eye and lifted her hand to calmly speak. “The longer that we sit here berating and chastising each other, the greater the chances that an Aksren clan fleet will come to attack us. I would suggest that you listen to what I have to say.”

“Very well,” Coyaca replied.

“Yes, speak so we can finish this mission sooner,” Youica added.

“The base to Zalri’eko Gamma ceased to function 186 Earth years ago due to the actions of the Alara’jal crew that decided to shunt air away from their compartments. Essentially, they decided to end their own lives rather than face the inevitable process of starvation and dehydration. Gular’Shel also surmised this as well to the rest of Zalri’Eko. However, the sensor logs still recorded all the gate events that transpired prior to the base’s shutdown.”

“And when the Emphra eventually showed up, they found several Alara’jal husks that were preserved in the cold vacuum,” Passos confidently concluded.

“Precisely. The logs recorded two wormhole events that occurred 185 Earth years ago, a year prior to the complete shutdown of the entire outpost. One consisted of a fleet of at least four Fibotartin battleships and one Reck’sa dreadnought. The supposed end trajectory of the gate coordinates and fleet composition suggests the fleet layout of the Battle of Sector Jox’ta 3. In other words, in English, what we called the ‘The Last Battle of the Alara’jal.’”

“And the other?” Passos asked.

“There is one Fibotartin battleship identified as the ‘Alaron’ that departed to an unknown region shortly before the departure of the main fleet. The known location is outside of all clan territories.”

“A single ship?” Fengge questioned. “Do we have the known coordinates?”

“Yes. However, while it can be traced, gate folding technology is difficult to calculate its end trajectory point from separate scanners. My computer suggests three possible endpoints where this ‘Alaron’ went to.”

“So ... there maybe survivors after all?”

“Possibly,” Shira commented. “I surmise that the Alara’jal had grown desperate 200 years ago. Zalri’Eko was the last outpost used by the Alara’jal clan. One fleet departed to engage the Aksren clan while another ship departed into unknown territory ... for reasons unknown.”

“We need to find the Alaron then...”

“Vice Admiral,” Shira pulled out a cigarette and seemed to be pulling out a laser light. “Here is what I propose. We split our task force into two groups. The UHN Lifen, along with a pair of shuttles from the Drake or Menshe’tat, will depart to find the last coordinates of the Alara’jal fleet that engaged in Sector Jox’ta 3.”

“Don’t you already have the last coordinates of ... Jox’ta 3?” Passos asked. “Why go to a place with a destroyed fleet?”

“Yes,” Coyaca questioned as well.

“And we don’t find the need to part with one of our shuttles,” Youica added.

“To answer your question, Vice Admiral,” Shira continued as she lit her cigarette. “The known whereabouts of the fleet in Sector Jox’ta 3 were only recorded by the Aksren clan fleets that destroyed them. The information eventually was passed to the other clans, but no precise location as to where it occurred. This was mostly done to prevent looting of the destroyed fleet since it occurred in Aksren territory. For the Lesser Adjuncts, I will answer your question with a question. What would the Itreans respond if there were possible technology or weapons that lay within that fleet?”

It was a valid point that drove a nail into Coyaca and Youica’s argument. It was one of the original reasons why they went out here, to begin with. The very prospect was something intriguing. They had no choice but to respond to Shira’s question.

“Heavy autoguns ... planetary defense battery size,” Coyaca said, almost salivating.

“Antimatter torpedoes ... more rare than any weapon in existence,” Youica added.

“Very well,” both the lesser adjuncts said in unison. “You will have two of our shuttles.”

“I will take the Lifen and explore the fleet’s last known location,” Shira explained as she took a puff of her cigarette. “I will attempt to find anything of value. The other step would be for the Drake and the Menshe’tat to head to the system for the last known location of the Alaron.”

Passos seemed to think for a little bit. Fengge noticed that Coyaca and Youica seemed to be also thinking about it.

“You want us to separate our task force into two?” the vice admiral questioned. “You would be heading deeper into Aksren clan territory. It would be just you and a couple of shuttles. The risk of the Lifen would be significant.”

“Do not worry about me, Vice Admiral,” Shira said. She took a drag of her cigarette. “The last known coordinates of the fleet are in an isolated area of their space. Most likely, the destroyed ships would have been looted long ago, but I trust that there is something that hasn’t been picked clean yet. Besides, you underestimate my abilities to evade our enemies when pressed to do so.”

“Ah ... ah ... yes,” Passos fumbled with his mustache. “Yes ... I read a little bit about your recent history in UHN service. Of course.”

Fengge noticed how Shira would often lead the conversations in her direction if needed. It sounded dangerous, but it didn’t seem any more difficult than they currently were. Passos was no pushover in the argument-making process, but the task force was out here for obvious reasons.

“You’re waiting on me to make a decision then?” the vice admiral considered it. “Very well, Captain Shira. You will head to those coordinates and begin any scavenging operation that you can take. Just...” He waved his hand to tone down the non-existent enthusiasm that Shira had. “Just ... make sure to bring the Lifen back in one piece. As soon as any enemy shows themselves, you leave the area immediately.”

“Understood,” the Shal’rein Captain replied as she took another drag of her cigarette. “I have sent the suspected coordinates of the Alaron to you. I would suggest checking out the three areas in tandem to my departure.”

“What happens if the Alaron isn’t present?”

“That would be unlikely. There was a reason for the Alaron to vacate this system before the complete demise of Zalri’Eko. Desperation would only bring a ship and crew so far before they would run out of gate probes unless there was a specific location that they were trying to reach. It is possible that there would be nothing present in those locations. Perhaps, the ship had failed to find anything or jumped to another system. Perhaps it was serving as reconnaissance, gathering data for the final fleet. If that were the case and nothing is found, then I would suggest rendezvousing with the Lifen to aid in the search for anything salvageable.”

“You really think that the Alara’jal may have found a new home?” Fengge wondered in delight.

“A home or a tomb. One cannot be both, Doctor.”

“Hmmm ... we can’t stay here much longer,” Passos said. “We will begin probe preps so that we can evaluate the three sets of coordinates. What say you two?” The vice admiral was looking at the two Yutilians.

“We would more prefer to be you, Vice Admiral,” Youica said.

“We would prefer to be away from any ... Shal’rein ... UHN or not,” Coyaca added.

Passos sighed. Fengge was growing more and more annoyed with the two women.

“Then let’s make our gate probe preparations,” Passos tried to conclude. “Carry out with whatever actions you need before we make our departure.”

Without any further words, the lesser adjuncts closed the channel. This only left the commlink open between Passos and Shira. However, Shira still kept the commlink open with the vice admiral. She was busy smoking her cigarette.

“Was there something that you wanted to add, Captain?” Passos questioned her.

“I was waiting for those two to finally end communications,” Shira said.

“Ah...,” Passos remarked, shaking his head. “I must apologize that you are facing such ... scrutiny. I can place my complaints, but I doubt that it will do much to dissuade the T’rintar clan from their ... attitudes toward a proven member of the UHN, such as yourself.”

“Quite the contrary, Vice Admiral. I find their personality to be quite received.”

“Really?” Fengge remarked with some surprise. “They’re rude and openly counterintuitive to this whole mission.”

“Do you know the Kingdom of Kre, Doctor?”

“I’ve heard of it ... at least mentioned by some of the Yutilians that worked with me. Never really encountered them, though.”

Shira took a drag of her cigarette. “Of the four Yutilian kingdoms, the Kre are the most warlike. In times of conflict, it’s the Kre that usually carries the most burden in combat. Their ships were the most well-armed, and crews that were equally belligerent. Even the weakest of Shal’rein commanders have learned to respect or reconsider battle plans that involve attacking Kre worlds. Their people are usually just as open about their feelings and preconceptions about things that they disagree with. They are more likely to openly challenge others as other Yutilians would simply tolerate or, at worst, lie about the things they hold issue with.”

“So you actually don’t have an issue with them?”

“My feelings are irrelevant,” she blew a heavy puff of smoke through her nostrils. “However, treat my advice with due diligence. You will need them if you are to survive this mission.”

The vice admiral gave a skeptical look at the Shal’rein officer. “You seem to know something that I don’t. What do you mean by that?”

“I’m saying that Coyaca and Youica are competent in the rigors of war. They have been often nicknamed the ‘Twins of Suffering’ by their peers. Use them to help you achieve victory. Do not let your emotions rule over you when they make their ... idol complaints. Instead, use it to your advantage. The Menshe’tat is a more potent combat vessel than the Drake, and their crew is most likely just as vigilant.”

“You helped create this mission, Captain,” Passos continued questioning her. “You personally recommended to have them?”

“Yes, I did. In time, they will also realize that, but I prefer for them to figure that out for themselves later. For now, the next time you speak with them, learn to placate them even if your emotions tell you otherwise. The Kre respect strength but avoid publicly challenging them every time they bring nuance to the discussion. Otherwise, we will need the Doctor to help use his skills of translation to ... proposition them in hopes of diffusing a situation.”

“Ah!” Fengge slapped his head in shame. “I knew you wouldn’t let that one go.”

“I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself, Fengge,” Shira gave a very subtle hint of a smile on her face before it disappeared. “Your Itrean is far better than most humans could ever speak. It’s a challenging language to learn. It will prove to be more important than you realize.”

“How many crew members are on this ... Alaron, anyway?”

“For a Fibotartin class Battleship, the typical crew complement would be around 100 depending on the mission.”

“So even if we find survivors, we aren’t going to find many,” Fengge commented with a hint of disappointment.

“Assuming that you do, the numbers wouldn’t be that great.” Shira turned her single eye towards Passos. “Vice Admiral, I need you to listen carefully to my recommendations. The next several hours may prove crucial for this mission to become a potential success.”

“I’m listening,” Passos said.

“Here is what I propose...”

“Sir,” a female voice echoed in the Drake’s bridge. “Our probes have identified a planet in Sector 0221.”

“It’s the only set of coordinates that have registered anything with a planet,” Passos remarked. “What can you tell me about the planet?”

“It’s...” there was a pause. “A habitable planet ... rich in oxygen ... water...”

It had been less than forty minutes. Fengge had to remark upon the Drake’s bridge. It was spacious and capable of holding an array of different consoles. Passo’s console sat in the center of the room. It had a single seat with the vice admiral comfortably sitting and monitoring the displays. A few of the bridge crew were sitting behind their consoles, relaying information to their CO. The bridge itself had a large overlay display that covered a 240-degree arc. It was like looking out of a window into space, but it was all camera feed information. The bridge was well buried under armor with a railgun turret to consume the rear deck compartments.

Being outside of the spinning ring was the reality of being in a zero-gravity environment. Fengge had his magnetic boots on to keep him anchored to the deck along with the rest of the crew. At least the paleontologist could thank himself for being bald and not worrying about any unwanted hair floating around freely.

The small tiny wormholes served as gateways to different pockets of the galaxy. Shira’s information seemed to prove accurate. One of the destination points showed a single habitable planet. The probe information was relayed to the main screen.

“Confirmed,” another male crew member explained. “Sector 0221 registers a habitable world. Not picking up anything else, except a tiny object approximately 150,000 kilometers.”

“What can you tell me about the object?” Passos asked as he frisked his mustache.

“Ehh ... not much, sir. The probe is merely picking up an object measured to be about 700 to 800 meters in length. The sensors can’t identify anything else. The planet is orbiting two binary stars, G-type. Registering a few other worlds also in the solar system.”

“Did we find them?” Fengge asked.

“Hmm ... it’s the best we can assume,” the vice admiral happily remarked. “Even if there are no Alara’jal there ... a habitable world outside of Itrean space. It’s worth checking it out. Might be able to leave with something for my record after all ... a world discovered by me and the Drake’s crew. Hmph ... Too bad the Lifen already departed.”

“We do know of their coordinates. We can just contact them again after we assess the area.”

“Let’s not waste our time any longer. Petty Officer Simon establish a gate ring in parallel with the orbiting object, 50,000 kilometers from it. We’re heading to that sector.”

“Aye, sir,” Simon replied. “Redeploying gate probes.”

“Go ahead and deactivate the other gates. Contact the Menshe’tat.”

Fengge could feel a sense of relief as he watched the three small wormhole probe rings deactivate. The small swirling vortexes ceased and collapsed on themselves, leaving an empty void of space. The three probe arrays started to move. Since they were already in space, the Drake didn’t have to deploy anymore. Instead, they began to conjoin and form a much larger ring.

“I have the Menshe’tat on the line,” another male crew member responded.

“At my console. On-screen,” Passos directed.

One of the displays on Passo’s console depicted the two Itrean captains. Youica and Coyaca were both assuming the same sitting posture. Were they both sitting on one large chair? Whatever it was, they were close together and operating in unison.