ATLAS TELAMON
STARDATE 05.27.25
FIMBULVETR
The starship resembled a circular disc with a flat section attached to its rear. Two long nacelles extended from the flat section, glowing bright blue with energy. The Battlecruiser bore many scars from the countless battles it had fought in. It was an imposing, rigid soldier who was going to do their duty, no matter what the cost. Written across the front of the circular disc in large letters were the words “ATLAS TELAMON.”
Within, High Captain Edda sat across from his First Officer, the Lady of the Stars. She was a beautiful, young woman just entering the prime of her life. Long, blonde hair ran down past her shoulders, so shiny and bright that it seemed to illuminate the entire room. She stared at her Captain with her light blue eyes. She was a small, frail thing compared to the eight foot figure that was seated opposite to her. And yet, as her blue eyes met High Captain Edda’s orange eyes, there was strength and determination that conveyed equality.
“What do we know of Captain Grimsweld?” the High Captain asked.
“That he was a stern, by-the-book, Captain in every respect. He was the one who gave the order to crash land on Polaron III. The Octavius has lost much of her power, nearly all of her weapons, and other essential systems. It would have been a miracle for anyone to survive, much less manage to live this long on a frigid world like Polaron III with its inhospitable climate.”
“And yet it was not Captain Grimsweld who sent the recent distress call? It was his First Officer?”
“That is correct, High Captain. The voice on the distress call is that of Commander Dorothy Winters. She is an unorthodox leader, preferring unpredictability and randomness to predictable patterns. If anyone could have kept a group of survivors alive this long in that harsh environment, it would have been Commander Winters.”
High Captain Edda went quiet for several moments. His mission was to rescue any survivors of the Octavius from Polaron III, salvage anything useful from the wreckage, and return the survivors back to Planetbase. He looked at his First Officer, who was now pregnant with shoulder length hair showing signs of turning grey.
“Estimated time to arrive at Polaron III?”
“Approximately one day,” the pregnant woman answered. She held onto her stomach protectively as she spoke. Her voice was slightly strained, as if the stress of the pregnancy was beginning to take a toll on her physically.
“I will be beaming down to Polaron III to lead the Away Party. Major Ifrit will stay here with you on the Atlas Telamon, in case of Boarding Raids. However, I will still be taking six of his best officers with me down to the planet. I will also be taking a squad of Security Guards and any Officers that I deem to be advantageous to this mission. We will all need winter gear to survive in the harsh conditions.”
The Lady of the Stars was about to voice an objection, but decided against it. She already knew what the response would be. She had served with High Captain Edda for so long now that the two were like flips sides of the same coin.
The High Captain continued, “You are to wait for us in orbit for three days. If we have not contacted by then, your orders are to return to Planetbase. Understood? There are bound to be communication difficulties due to the freezing environment. Keep the Atlas Telamon on Red Alert. I want continuous sensor scans of the surrounding space to detect the approach of any Neo-Invaders or their Servitors. Keep the entire crew on their toes while I am away. Run repeated drills, but not the point of fatigue. Let no one relax for even a moment. Their mental acuity could mean the difference between life and death. I am counting on you, Lady of the Stars. The Atlas Telamon will be in your hands.”
“I will not let you down, High Captain Edda,” the crooked, elderly woman replied in a quivering voice. Her hair was completely grey and her face covered in wrinkles. She was near the end of her days. “And what if you encounter Neo-Invaders on the planet’s surface? What if they have unleashed their Servitors, the Mutant Horde? What if the distress call really was a trap to begin with?”
High Captain Edda seemed to grow even taller as he considered the possibility. The flames on his hair grew brighter and hotter. The runes carved into his dark blue skin glowed white. He thought of the moment when he held his True Love in his arms as she lay dying from battle.
“IF THIS BE MY LAST BATTLEFIELD, THEN AT LAST, I WILL BE REUNITED WITH MY LONG LOST LOVE.”
