KINDLING
STARDATE 08.10.24
OMEGA REGENESIS
Captain Hafnyr stared at the Ramoreen Battlecruiser that sat far out of weapon range on the View Screen. He had saved his ship and crew…for now.
Following Vesper’s suggestion, the Kindling sped toward the Waterfalls of Nereid, hoping the location would give them a tactical advantage over the Ramoreen’s Fire Technology. The Waterfalls of Nereid were the result of hundreds of Micro Subspace Rifts that were torn open during the Subspace Ragnarok. Strange liquids, which looked similar to water, began to flow into our region of space from another dimension. Collectively, these liquids looked like Waterfalls and were extremely beautiful to gaze upon.
Vesper had been right. The Kindling barely arrived at the Waterfalls of Nereid before the Ramoreen caught up to them. As the Kindling dived into the strange, flowing liquids, the Ramoreen Battlecruiser slowed and then came to a halt, sensing the disadvantage that may come from entering the Waterfalls. To test this, the Ramoreen launched one Fire Torpedo into the Waterfalls of Nereid, targeted at the Kindling. As soon as the Fire Torpedo entered the “water-filled domain”, it was extinguished. Afterward, the Ramoreen Battlecruiser decided to wait patiently outside of the Waterfalls of Nereid for her prey to reemerge. She has been sitting there waiting for thirty six hours now.
Captain Hafnyr looked around the Bridge at his crew. He stared at Zep, the floating balloon creature that served at his Science Officer, Gwen, his sullen black-haired Communications Officer who could transform into something dangerous based on her mood, Pandora, his stunningly beautiful Navigator who looked human but was not organic, and Oto, his small hummingbird Helmsman who flitted in place with his ultra-fast, transparent, butterfly wings. To Captain Hafnyr’s left stood Bour, his anxious, over-impulsive, young tree man who served as his Chief of Security, and to his right stood Sir Tristan, the honorable, righteous, chivalrous Otter Knight who represented the Kindling as its Ambassador. Each of them was stressed and overworked due to their current situation, lacking the breaks and relief they would normally receive. At that moment, Captain Hafnyr was so very proud of all of them. If all these different beings from every part of this Sector could work together toward their collective survival, then perhaps there was hope for all the empires in this Sector to work together once all the Subspace Chasms were repaired.
Suddenly, the Ramoreen Battlecruiser turned around and began moving away from the Kindling. They appeared to have abandoned the chase. But why now?
“Pandora, report,” Captain Hafnyr said to his Navigator in a calm, cool voice.
His beautiful, inhuman Navigator quickly examined her console with her light purple eyes. Her delicate fingers ran softly and swiftly over the controls.
“A Ruppeli Light Cruiser, Captain. Bearing 43, Mark 89. She has just entered our region of space. The Ramoreen Battlecruiser is on an intercept course.”
Captain Hafnyr gritted his plant like teeth. The Ruppeli were vulture beings who scavenged anything they could find. They disdained violence and avoided conflict. Their vessels would be lightly armed, if at all. They would be easy prey for the Ramoreen Battlecruiser.
Unless the Kindling intervened. But to do so would put the crew and their mission at great risk.
“OTO, BRING US OUT OF THE WATERFALLS OF NEREID. MAXIMUM WARP. ENGAGE THE RAMOREEN BATTLECRUISER.”
