FIMBULVETR
STARDATE 01.16.25
High Captain Edda strode through the pure white corridors of Unity Command like a warrior about to engage in a battle to the death. Strapped to his back was his legendary sword, Twilight, which is said to contain primordial fire. For his facial expression, he wore a grim mask of serious determination, a look he was famous for. Small sparks of flame fell from his shoulder length orange hair, evaporating in mid-air before they reached the ground. He entered through a door that opened instantly at his approach. Being eight feet tall, High Captain Edda had to stoop to pass through.
The large chamber within was all white, like the corridors outside, with only two chairs and a small table as its only possessions. The left wall of the room was missing, replaced by a thick, crystal clear piece of glass. This glass held back what seemed like an ocean of water, for High Captain Edda could not see an end to its depths. Within moments, a huge Jellyfish floated toward High Captain Edda. The Jellyfish was a pinkish color, but would pulsate with blue energy intermittently.
High Captain Edda folded both arms and stared at the large jellyfish. “Admiral Hydrozoa,” he said, almost as a statement of fact. The Admiral had come to Planetbase from the Other Sector along with the devastated remnants of their fleets. Since she held such high rank and had decades of experience, she was formally made into a Unity Admiral.
A watery voice replied. “It is good to see you again, High Captain. It has been too long. I trust you are doing well?”
High Captain Edda replied with silence. Finally he spoke, “Why have you brought me here, Admiral?” Edda was not one for small talk and formalities. He was always direct and to the point.
“Are you familiar with the Octavius, High Captain Edda?” the Admiral asked.
“Yes,” High Captain Edda replied, quickly searching his thoughts for the information. “It was a Combine Light Cruiser that was lost at the beginning of the Second Invasion.”
“Lost but never found. But now it has, High Captain. We have received a distress call from Polaron III. It claims to be from survivors of the crashed Octavius.”
High Captain Edda calculated the distance to Polaron III in his mind. “That is four days journey from here at high warp. What do you mean, ‘claims’? You don’t believe the message is authentic? Do you suspect a trap?”
The Jellyfish just floated in a stationary position, quiet for a moment. “We have no choice but to respond. If there truly are Combine Citizens stranded on that icy planet, we must rescue them and transport them back to Planetbase. However, if it is, indeed, a trap set by the Neo-Invaders or their Subjects, I want a formidable ship there that can handle itself in battle.”
High Captain Edda understood immediately. He stood at attention and nodded his head. His eyes burned with flames.
“High Captain Edda, I am sending the Atlas Telamon to Polaron III to search for survivors of the Combine Light Cruiser, Octavius. Your orders are to transport any and all survivors back to Planetbase and to salvage anything you can from the wrecked hull of the Octavius. There may still be valuable components and equipment we can make use of here on Planetbase.”
“And if we encounter the Neo-Invaders?”
Admiral Hydrozoa’s bell glowed bright with blue energy. Her tentacles seemed to shimmer in the blue water.
“BRING OUR PEOPLE HOME, HIGH CAPTAIN EDDA…NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.”
