He sat in silence, and in deep thought. For almost three days the ship had been away the Imperial Center, and away from any contact he had with his family. The mission was highly classified, and without reason or question, the Cadet's ship had been immediatly dispatched. No one had been informed of their destination, or the mission's purpose. They simply followed orders.
But something troubled him. Something deep inside him was warning him, begging him to investigate the reasoning behind the mission, and entrusting him to do it immediatly. Something was brewing, and it was something big. He leaned back onto the slender bed in his quarters, staring up at the metallic ceiling. He'd grown tired of looking out among the stars through the single hatch he was permitted within his quarters; they had grown dull, and boring. Each one seemed the same, and each time he looked out among them, a festering disgust grew within him. It had remained closed for close to a month, and so it would remain.
His thoughts consumed him. Where was the ship headed, and why? What would they find when they got there? A battle? A destroyed Imperial Fleet? Death? He sat up quickly as a faint buzz came through the shadows of the room. Thydin flicked on a light, rubbed his eyes and extended his arms outward, stretching them to the limit.
"Yeah?" he said moments before the airlocked door opened.
He fixed his tired gaze upon Captain Adrias Vestlin - the commander of the ship itself.
Immediatly he rose to his feet, offering an Imperial salute. The Captain returned the salute with a serious expression on his face as he took a seat at a small, well rounded table next to the megar bed.
"I hope I didn't wake you, Cadet." he started. Thydin shook his head, and relented to the bed. He sat with his back strait, and his full attention given to the Captain, a man he respected greatly.
"Good. Then let's get down to business. In a few hours, I will be addressing the crew as to our current mission - where we are going and why. But I'd like to speak with you first. I have plans for you, plans that will bring a great honor to the Empire."
Thydin smiled, but only briefly. Great honors came at a price, and often times that price was death. He felt a cold chill slide down his spine as the color in his face flushed out of him. "With all due respect Captain, why have you choosen me?" Adrias smiled, reading the man's expression. He couldn't promise the man his life. And he couldn't promise that he would come out of the event unscaved. "You're my finest officer. This ship is filled with some of the most incompetant fools I've ever had the loathe to command." the Captain's smile faded. "We're going to Yaga Minor."
Thydin nodded his head briefly, an internal sigh of relief flowing over him. Yaga Minor was nothing, and as far as he knew, nothing bad was going on in the Sesswenna Sector. "What's so bad about Yaga Minor?" he asked in a professional tone. The Captain's expression faided, and the once growing relief that the Cadet felt vanished. "The Imperial Ubigtorate Space Station has not reported to the Imperial Center in three months. No production statistics... no annual reports, and no requests for a resupply. According to Imperial record, the station was due for a resupply about a year ago, and assuming that a Trandosian Trade Ship had come by a few months ago, the Empire let it slip. We've sent dispatches to the Station within the past few weeks, with no reply. We've been sent to investigate."
Thydin nodded his head. "So....?"
"So what?"
"What's so bad about being sent to investigate a Space Station? I mean, they could be having technical problems. What's with all of the secrecy?" The Captain stood for a moment, and headed toward the airlock door. He turned back, his expression weak and weathered. "I guess we'll find out."
<hr>
"There she is..." the Captain exclaimed as he looked out over the unique design of the Imperial Ubigtorate Space Station. It was something that the Empire had taken great pride in building - a sign of Imperial Dominance in the surrounding sectors. Yaga Minor was once renouned for it's Imperial Shipyards following the Battle of Endor. But no more.
"Ensign Jilark?" he said, not turning to face him. The Captain didn't seem to move at all, standing as still as a statue infront of the ship's viewing ports. "Yes, Captain?" Thydin couldn't help but wonder if the Captain knew more than he had lead the crew to believe two days prior. He had to know!
"Is the team prepared?" he continued, still remaining absolutely still as he overlooked the Space Station. His voice seemed distant, as if he were speaking to the Space Station itself. "Yes, Captain." Thydin continued, taking a step forward. "Good. Prepare to dock with the Space Station. Take your team aboard, and find out what the hell is going on." the Captain said as he whirled around, and returned to his command chair. Thydin jumped, but only briefly.
But something troubled him. Something deep inside him was warning him, begging him to investigate the reasoning behind the mission, and entrusting him to do it immediatly. Something was brewing, and it was something big. He leaned back onto the slender bed in his quarters, staring up at the metallic ceiling. He'd grown tired of looking out among the stars through the single hatch he was permitted within his quarters; they had grown dull, and boring. Each one seemed the same, and each time he looked out among them, a festering disgust grew within him. It had remained closed for close to a month, and so it would remain.
His thoughts consumed him. Where was the ship headed, and why? What would they find when they got there? A battle? A destroyed Imperial Fleet? Death? He sat up quickly as a faint buzz came through the shadows of the room. Thydin flicked on a light, rubbed his eyes and extended his arms outward, stretching them to the limit.
"Yeah?" he said moments before the airlocked door opened.
He fixed his tired gaze upon Captain Adrias Vestlin - the commander of the ship itself.
Immediatly he rose to his feet, offering an Imperial salute. The Captain returned the salute with a serious expression on his face as he took a seat at a small, well rounded table next to the megar bed.
"I hope I didn't wake you, Cadet." he started. Thydin shook his head, and relented to the bed. He sat with his back strait, and his full attention given to the Captain, a man he respected greatly.
"Good. Then let's get down to business. In a few hours, I will be addressing the crew as to our current mission - where we are going and why. But I'd like to speak with you first. I have plans for you, plans that will bring a great honor to the Empire."
Thydin smiled, but only briefly. Great honors came at a price, and often times that price was death. He felt a cold chill slide down his spine as the color in his face flushed out of him. "With all due respect Captain, why have you choosen me?" Adrias smiled, reading the man's expression. He couldn't promise the man his life. And he couldn't promise that he would come out of the event unscaved. "You're my finest officer. This ship is filled with some of the most incompetant fools I've ever had the loathe to command." the Captain's smile faded. "We're going to Yaga Minor."
Thydin nodded his head briefly, an internal sigh of relief flowing over him. Yaga Minor was nothing, and as far as he knew, nothing bad was going on in the Sesswenna Sector. "What's so bad about Yaga Minor?" he asked in a professional tone. The Captain's expression faided, and the once growing relief that the Cadet felt vanished. "The Imperial Ubigtorate Space Station has not reported to the Imperial Center in three months. No production statistics... no annual reports, and no requests for a resupply. According to Imperial record, the station was due for a resupply about a year ago, and assuming that a Trandosian Trade Ship had come by a few months ago, the Empire let it slip. We've sent dispatches to the Station within the past few weeks, with no reply. We've been sent to investigate."
Thydin nodded his head. "So....?"
"So what?"
"What's so bad about being sent to investigate a Space Station? I mean, they could be having technical problems. What's with all of the secrecy?" The Captain stood for a moment, and headed toward the airlock door. He turned back, his expression weak and weathered. "I guess we'll find out."
<hr>
Yaga Minor System - Two Days Later
<hr>"There she is..." the Captain exclaimed as he looked out over the unique design of the Imperial Ubigtorate Space Station. It was something that the Empire had taken great pride in building - a sign of Imperial Dominance in the surrounding sectors. Yaga Minor was once renouned for it's Imperial Shipyards following the Battle of Endor. But no more.
"Ensign Jilark?" he said, not turning to face him. The Captain didn't seem to move at all, standing as still as a statue infront of the ship's viewing ports. "Yes, Captain?" Thydin couldn't help but wonder if the Captain knew more than he had lead the crew to believe two days prior. He had to know!
"Is the team prepared?" he continued, still remaining absolutely still as he overlooked the Space Station. His voice seemed distant, as if he were speaking to the Space Station itself. "Yes, Captain." Thydin continued, taking a step forward. "Good. Prepare to dock with the Space Station. Take your team aboard, and find out what the hell is going on." the Captain said as he whirled around, and returned to his command chair. Thydin jumped, but only briefly.