Captain Gregor waited for the crew to assemble. Most would be in attendance, but there would be several whose duties required their constant attention. There were many systems aboard the ship which required such supervision — both etheric and electronic. The last thing they needed was a wild ether storm to hit while they had their guard down.
Though he had to correct himself — now he might presume that the newest Oberon would give them sufficient warning. He still wasn’t quite aware of exactly how the boy could know that an ether storm was impending. Hunter could do something that his top-of-their-class crew could not. He was a strange young man, but overall he had a decent impression of Hunter Oberon Koar. During one of their weekly dinners, the Mr. Oberon had filled him in on the boy’s history, and how he’s risen to face challenges most people couldn’t even imagine with an intensity of focus that the Captain could only admire.
With a man like Trey Oberon as a mentor, he was sure that Hunter would turn into an outstanding leader. Apparently, he’d shown no interest in taking over the reins of the corporation in the future — not that he’d have much luck doing so with the presence of his adoptive sister. Hunter was being guided toward smaller leadership roles, but Trey had groomed Aera from birth to inherit his position leading the company.
Captain Gregor had hoped to be retired by then. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be subordinate to the next generation of Oberon’s. Not out of enmity, but out of disinterest in having to adapt to a new leadership style and vision. He was a professional to the core, but in his silver years, what need had he to change his ways if he didn’t have to? However, the circumstances convinced him that his retirement was indefinitely postponed.
Instead of being disappointed, he decided he would embrace the opportunity to make his mark on history. He had absolutely no doubt that the men and women on this ship, and on the ships who would transition into Skyhold’s skies over the next weeks and months, had what it took to build the perfect foundation for a thriving future.
They might not be aware of it, but the crew noted how their leaders lived their lives — even future leaders. The discipline, professionalism, and the inner drive to improve that the Oberons had shown had helped the crew stay focused on their long journey. It also helped that Aera seemed to have made it her personal mission to ensure that everyone associated with the company, no matter what their rank, was presenting themselves as competently as possible.
In a few minutes, he would need to do his job. Being a captain wasn’t just the role of an administrator, it was to serve as a voice for the crew’s heart.
Hunter, Aera, and Trey were the last to arrive. They shook his hand, but stood far to his side. They lined up at an angle, as if their attention wasn’t just on the Captain, but the crew as well.
The Captain stood straight. He allowed the slightest of smiles to show. Some passengers who were accompanying them took cameras out. Administrators, assistants, historians and researchers who didn’t have an official position in Trey’s navy or Guardsman force.
He cleared his throat, and a crewman nearby flipped a switch.
“My fellow crew, my friends, members of our great company,” he started, and he could make out the faint sound of his voice echoing through the hall outside. They would project it through the ship’s intercom for everyone who couldn’t attend.
“11 months, 25 days, and 18 hours. We have conducted the longest inter-realm voyage in the history of our civilization. There were 1500 of us when we set off. In that time, we’ve welcomed a few new junior crewmembers,” he said, letting his smile widen a bit.
Some passengers had gotten very familiar during the voyage. Now he would catch the odd wail of a crying babe echoing down the hallways, every once in a while. It was a strange sound to hear aboard an inter-realm vessel. But these were strange days.
“As I stand before you now, I feel the weight of every long day, every sleepless night, and every sacrifice we’ve made to get here. Nearly a year ago, we left behind the only home we’d ever known. We left behind the familiar. This was our choice. The alternative would have been as good as slavery, at best. But our leader had another vision for us. Isn’t that right, Mr. Oberon?”
He turned to look at their leader, who gave a solemn nod. Turning back to the crew, he continued.
“You have been patient. With your preparation, planning, and hard work, our landing will be more than just progress; it will lay the groundwork for something far grander than we could have imagined on Sanctuary. You have done so without complaint, and with an inner strength that inspires me every day. For that, I thank you. No captain could ask for a better crew. But I’ll be honest.” he paused and took a deep breath.
Landing does not signal the end of our challenge. It only signals the genesis of more. Once we land, the actual work begins — and there will be dangers all around us. This journey, this last year, has only been the prelude. Ahead of us lies building the future which we have been planning and dreaming of—one that is worthy of the trials we’ve overcome.
I won’t tell you it will be easy, but I will tell you this: every moment of hardship from here on out will mean something. Every stone we lay, every seed we plant, every sunrise we greet on this new world is a step toward transforming this colony into more than just a home, or a means to survive — we are not here to survive. We will create a future. We will build something better than what was taken from us. This new world isn’t just a place to live, it’s a place where we will thrive. A living testament to what we can accomplish together.
So, take pride in what we’ve done, but take even more pride in what we’re about to do. The horizon ahead is vast, uncharted, and full of challenges, yes—but it is also full of possibilities, more than we can yet imagine.
Keep that in mind, in the days and months ahead. Our challenges are not obstacles, they are the pressures that will shape us into something stronger, and beautiful,” he said, clenching his fist in front of his heart. “Hold on to that vision, make it a part of you. Make it the first thing you think about in the morning, and the last thing you think about at night. This is our duty, our honor, and our privilege as pioneers, as builders of a glorious future, as members of the great Oberon family.”
He took a step back from his podium and saluted.
The snapping sound that hundreds of uniforms made when the crew saluted together was always incredibly satisfying.
He smiled. He looked towards Mr. Oberon and raised his eyebrow. Trey nodded and winked.
Not too shabby, the man would probably say if they were in private.
He walked over to the man in question and shook his hand, as well as the hands of his heirs. Aera responded as he expected, as gestures like this were par for the course. But Hunter looked at him with unguarded curiosity and a hint of nervousness.
For the crucible that has shaped the young man so far, he showed very little sign of it. Where some men would find their spirits broken or wilted, Hunter maintained an inquisitive spirit and openness to the world, it seemed.
He gave them all a last nod and stood by the door, shaking the hands of his crew as they filtered out. It was a rare chance for them all to be shown personal appreciation and respect from their captain, and he wasn’t about to let that opportunity slip him by.
They really were a great crew.
Captain Gregor left once most of them had cleared out and made his way to the bridge. Within an hour, they would reach the transition point, and soon after that, they would contact the Skyhold outpost to get them organized before the ship landed.
He’d had to endure an 8 hour meeting with the various department heads aboard the ship, who would take over key aspects of the outpost’s expansion into a colony. They all had a request for the Captain to take care of in his first contact with the outpost, certain information and orders they needed to convey. The problem was that there was only so much he could convey, and only so much labour he could demand from the outpost on such short notice.
They negotiated with each other, with the Captain moderating to ensure a healthy compromise. The outposts maintenance teams would be the first to be mobilized. They would secure an area beyond the storage hanger near the woefully undersized landing pad the outpost had. After that, they should be ready to receive and organize all the Merciful Cloud’s cargo for ease of access.
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The Captain usually let Commander Striker deal with these tedious administration jobs, but Striker had a thousand things to deal with today. The Commander had distinguished himself over the long flight. As soon as he could, he would put in a recommendation for the man to be promoted. He wasn’t sure when they would build new ships — and he hoped that Mr. Oberon had had the time to deconstruct a floating shipyard and bring it along, somehow.
Something told him that their timetable had been far too sped up for that, though. Even he was surprised by the sudden order to execute Exodus; Trey had prepared him for such an order at any time. That meant that Trey was probably just as rushed as everyone else to make sure they had the bare minimum to succeed.
That being said, he wasn’t worried about running out of resources. They had some of the finest intellectual talents in the world with them. If anyone was going to survive so far from their old home, it was the people aboard this ship, and the ones who were on their way.
“Transition imminent, Captain,” his navigator reported as Captain Gregor sat in his seat at the center of the bridge.
“Look’s like I’m just in time!” he heard his boss declare just after the door to the bridge slid open.
“Mr. Oberon, thank you for joining us,” the Captain said, standing and saluting. An optional gesture, of course, but the man had more than earned the Captain’s respect, and the respect of the crew. The rest of the bridge stood and saluted, following the Captain’s example.
“No need to stand on ceremony. You’ve all got jobs to do.” Trey waved them all down. The Captain smiled and invited Trey to stand by the Captain’s chair.
“You wouldn’t have any coffee up here, would you?”
“That’s not like you, to neglect bringing your own,” the Captain said, genuinely surprised at his boss’s lapse in routine.
Trey sighed.
“The rations I’d portioned out for he trip dried out a few days ago. I had even allocated extra for myself, knowing how addicted I am to the stuff. And yet,” he said, letting the rest of the sentence drift into the ether.
“And yet, prominent men have great appetites,” Captain Gregor finished the thought.
Trey snorted.
“Indeed. Well put, Captain.”
Suddenly, the bridge was engulfed in a black void; a trillion particles danced around and through it, like holographic fireflies or folklore fairies. The little fairies shifted in hue and saturation. Some would drift in and out of existence — if existence is even the right word. Why wouldn’t it be? They were right there, and yet…
“I’m sure the kids are enjoying the show,” Trey said.
The Captain raised an eyebrow.
“Right, I was going to ask about that. I had expected them to join us on the bridge.”
“You know how kids can be. They wanted to watch the festivities from the observation deck — an unobstructed view. I believe it’s the first time either of them have been able to enjoy a transition into a new world,” Trey said.
“Then they’re in a for a lovely sight,” the captain exclaimed.
As suddenly as the void had appeared, they left it behind. The field of particles became a vast blue sky, stretching out to be obscured by Skyhold’s horizon.
“Ah, gorgeous,” Trey said, staring out the large view port at the front of the bridge.
“The sight never gets old,” the Captain agreed. He looked towards his communication’s officer.
“Comms, are we too far out from Skyhold to make contact?”
“We’ll be within radio range in a minute, sir.”
The Captain nodded.
“Any more amendments you’d like me to make to the broadcast?” the Captain asked his boss.
Trey shook his head.
“I’ll leave it to your discretion.”
The Captain nodded. Soon, the communication window opened.
“Let them know our intentions, comms.”
The communication officer nodded, pressing her headphones to her ears and attempted to establish contact with the outpost.
“This is the O.S.S. Merciful Cloud to the Skyhold outpost, do you read? Over,” she said.
Except for some static, the radio was silent.
Skyhold sprawled before them off into the horizon. He couldn’t yet make out the outpost, but he knew it would be down there. His new home, the new headquarters for the entire Oberon Enterprise corporation, would soon host thousands of hopeful migrants motivated to thrive in a strange new world.
Skyhold’s namesake grew closer. How did something like that grow so large? And why was it so unique in the world?
“This is O.S.S. Merciful Cloud to the outpost Skyhold, do you read? Over,” the communication officer repeated.
More static. The crewman looked to him, “Sir—”
“Skyhold to Merciful Cloud, we read you loud and clear. Excuse us for the delay, we weren’t expecting visitors today,” a male voice spoke from the speakers, which were set to broadcast throughout the bridge.
The Captain narrowed his eyes. That was sloppy.
“The next scheduled delivery of supplies and personnel was probably a few months out,” Trey offered, seemingly unconcerned about the fidelity of his employees.
“Still,” the Captain mumbled, “that office receives communications from the entire outpost. It’s not like they go months without having to use a radio.”
Trey shrugged. “If a personnel or leadership change is in order, I have no issue with making that call.”
Captain Gregor unhooked his personal radio from his seat.
“This is Captain Abraham Gregor, commanding officer of the Merciful Cloud. We’ve got a lot of updates for you, Skyhold. I need to speak with Guard Captain Amos. Over.”
There was another pause in their response.
“I, uh, well about that, sir,” the man on the other end said. “Guard Captain Amos, he’s gone, sir. Over.”
Captain Gregor frowned, his grip on his microphone tightened.
“Please clarify.”
The bridge crew was tense. They were all listening, but Commander Striker was doing his job well, looking over their shoulders at a time like this to make sure that the crew’s focus was where it needed to be.
Outside, rolling green hills silently passed them by.
“This is Guard Captain Clarke. Who am I speaking to?” Came a new voice, the man’s words came through sharply. He sounded angry.
Captain Gregor traded glances with Trey, who was frowning, his eyes narrowed. It matched the drop in Captain Gregor’s mood. Something was wrong, here.
“This is Captain Abraham Gregor, commanding the O.S.S. Merciful Cloud, flagship of the Oberon Enterprise fleet. Your man was just about to clarify what he meant when he said that Guard Captain Amos was gone,” Captain Gregor said, Hunter had never seen him so tense.
“Yes, yes, I’m well aware of the status of the Merciful Cloud. Amos died a few months ago, Captain. I’ve assumed command of the outpost while we’ve awaited reinforcements,” Vice-Captain Clarke said.
Trey gripped the seat tightly. His jaw tensed.
What the fuck? One crewman silently mouthed to another. Commander Striker saw the exchange and snapped his finger. The chastised crewmen got back to work.
“Forgive me for my tone, Vice-Captain, but I believe it would have been prudent to inform the company of the late captain’s demise. May I ask, how did he die? We were old friends. And you should have received reinforcement from a platoon under the command of Guard Captain Bell. Where might he be? Over.”
There was a sigh on the other end of the connection.
“It’s Guard Captain now, Gregor. We received no reinforcements. I think we should have this conversation in person.”
“Of course. We have quite a bit to inform you all about, as well. Did Guard Captain Amos brief you on the expansion plans? Things are about to get chaotic around here, over.”
There was a long pause. The Captain was about to say something else, but ‘Guard Captain’ Clarke spoke up again.
“I see. Over and out.”
The Captain muttered to Trey, “I’m not sure I like where this is going.”
“Me neither,” Trey said. “I’m unsettled by the Vice-Captain’s tone, and his abrupt exit.”
“Guard Captain, apparently,” the captain sighed.
“Yes, so it would seem,” Trey said, rubbing his chin. “It’s not sitting right with me. I gave no such promotion. And the guidelines are clear, a Vice-Captain rank is more than enough to hold authority while the company officially instated a replacement or promotion — at my behest.”
“How do you want to handle this, sir?” the Captain asked. The situation had just got a lot more sensitive, and he knew when to step back and let the boss take command.
“Proceed as planned. We’ll investigate once we’ve landed. Worst-case scenario; we’ll strip Guard Captain Clarke of his command, and give Guard Captain Niklaus full authority over the colony’s forces, for now. At least until General Marko arrives with the Admiral.”
“I’m troubled by what he said regarding Guard Captain Bell’s platoon,” the Captain said. He and Bell had gone to the same academy and had become good friends over the years.
“As am I, Captain, but there’s only so many problems we can solve at once when there are so many unknown variables facing us.”
The Captain nodded.
“Lower the shield,” he commanded, and the communications officer radioed to the shield room.
The rippling shell surrounding the ship dissipated. Hunter and Aera must be enjoying the sudden breath of fresh air. He envied them. It must feel great.
“We’re receiving a strange signal, sir,” the communications officer said. “It’s etheric, but it’s cutting in and out.”
“Ether comms? I wasn’t aware that Skyhold had any,” Captain Gregor said.
“They didn’t until recently. But we sent some parts for etheric communications with Guard Captain Bell and his platoon,” Trey said slowly.
Captain Gregor connected some mental dots. A tension was flourishing in his chest. He gripped the arms of his chair and tensed his jaw as he thought.
They could make out a glimmer in the distance as the valley rendered itself into detail, as well as the individual mountains, rivers, and lakes situated beyond the outpost. The forest stretched in all directions, covering most of the untamed world.
“Comms, strip the authorization requirements in order to catch the ether beam. If it’s Bell, then we need to know what that beam is broadcasting to us.”
“Yes sir. I’m having trouble with stabilizing the transmission. I think the problem is that by the time our system has accepted the broadcast, it’s already lost alignment, stripping authorization requirements now,” the communication officer said.
The communication officer studied their display intently while they tapped away at their keyboard. Then they turned a dial to the side of the display, and a warbled transmission sounded across the bridge.
“This.. toon.. Guard Captain…Cloud..diate dange…”
“Adjusting sensor alignment,” the communication officer said, subtly turning another dial with great care.
“I repeat, this is Guard Captain Bell. Clarke shot down my platoon as we approached. The Merciful Cloud is in immediate danger! I repeat, this is Guard Captain—”
“Set condition: Red!” the Captain yelled.
“Sir, two rapidly approaching objects. They appeared out of nowhere—”
“Get the shield up!” he ordered and then thumbed a switch on his chair that would let him broadcast his voice throughout the entire ship. “All hands, brace for impact!”