Heidi

Dyson Sphere

Epsilon Eridini

The view was truly awe-inspiring. The architecture appeared as though it had been plucked straight from the pages of a science fiction novel, with clean bulkheads and deck plating lighting. The decks seemed to stretch on for infinity, creating an illusion of boundless space within the confines of the structure. The Dyson Sphere was a marvel of engineering, a feat so complex that it would take several lifetimes to fully unlock its secrets. Heidi smiled as she admired the deck panels that projected a holographic view of the exterior, revealing the F.W.S. Independence being towed into the megalithic structure for a much-needed overhaul and refit. The Federation's most prized possession was now being defended by thirteen impressive drone-operated Terran Imperial Dreadnaughts. The details surrounding this ancient Empire remained fuzzy, especially their self-identification as 'Terran,' a term that bore a striking resemblance to human culture, mirroring the scientific classification of Terran as well.

The Sumerian Empire sent a fleet periodically to ensure that the system remained secure, 'and to make sure we lower species aren't abusing this technological marvel,' Heidi thought to herself, a wry smile creeping onto her lips. Just then, her contemplative moment was interrupted by Donovan's charming voice.

"Oh love, what are you thinking about, eh?"

Heidi's gaze was broken, and she turned to face him.

"Oh, nothing, just admiring the view!" she replied, continuing her leisurely walk down the corridor.

"Captain, I have that report!" A junior officer startled the pair as she crept up behind them, her face a mix of anxiety and determination.

"Tha…" Captain Joseph Donovan began to say, but before he could finish, Captain Heidi Donovan snatched the tablet from the junior officer's hands with a swift motion. In the four years since the Battle of Epsilon, the couple had grown incredibly close, ultimately culminating in their marriage. There was no conflict over the chain of command, as Commander Donovan at the time had been offered a once-in-a-lifetime promotion to the rank of Captain and Commanding Officer of the Epsilon Eridini Dyson Sphere Project. It was an engineering marvel of such magnitude that he had been given the extraordinary chance to study it, dismantle it, and learn its secrets, all while implementing new technology. Being Chief of Engineering on the Federation's first Anti-Matter-Matter reactor-equipped starship was an achievement in its own right, but nothing compared to the grandeur of an actual Dyson Sphere.

Following the Battle of Epsilon, and the heroic sacrifice of John, Heidi received her promotion to Commanding Officer of the WarpStar herself, an honor she could not refuse. It turned out that John had left an after-action report from one of their battles that explicitly stated, if anything were to happen to him, his immediate request for command would be Heidi. She embraced the honor with pride; as the only true FTL-capable starship in the Federation's fleet, she was now one of the most important captains in the personnel. However, this would soon change. The F.W.S. Hammond SDDE-02 was scheduled for completion within the month, marking the arrival of the second WarpStar-class starship to be produced. The last four years had been arduous; there should have been an impressive fleet of WarpStar-class ships and at least two more Juggernauts, along with a handful of capital ships and a slew of sub-capital vessels already in service. However, the deadly battles of Sol and Epsilon had nearly wiped out the Federation's fleets. The Russian Republic fleet had been completely decimated, with Alpha Centauri left with only three ships. The navy did not receive any bolstering after the Russian Republic signed their joint agreement to join the Federation. Nevertheless, the two superpowers pooled their resources and spent the next four years diligently rebuilding. Europe had seen a remarkable revival; Paris was once again a bustling city. The various space stations scattered throughout Sol had also made significant progress in their reconstruction. Peace had fostered a utopia between former enemies, and humanity was thriving.

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The Alliance had not been seen since their defeat at Epsilon. Reports from various Sumerian sources indicated that the Galactic Alliance was embroiled in a massive civil war, with King Muuktel having survived the turmoil. The sentiment throughout the Federation was clear: 'As long as the Alliance was fighting amongst themselves, they would leave us alone!'

The Legion presented a different matter altogether. John's sacrifice had unlocked the code for the Legion; however, they remained largely uncontrollable. They viewed humanity as a non-threat, allowing them to be left alone and even aiding them in various situations, yet refraining from direct attacks. The Legion relentlessly assaulted Alliance worlds and fleets at any opportunity, but left other governmental bodies undisturbed.

"Hmm, you spelled 'terminal' wrong," Heidi proclaimed, her voice taking on a teasing tone. The junior officer began to tremble slightly at the unexpected critique. "You forgot to put a period after this sentence."

"Uhh, sir?" The junior officer looked nervously at Joseph.

"The formatting is all wrong. You call this a status report?"

"Love, just hand me that tablet, will you? You’re about to give the poor girl a heart attack!"

With a mischievous grin stretching from ear to ear, Heidi slowly handed the tablet to her husband, then turned to the junior officer with a playful smile. "Relax, JO, you're not in my chain of command, so I can't do anything to you. Besides, I was just trying to give my husband a hard time, not you! You're doing great!"

"Thank you, ma'am," the young junior officer barely managed to squeak out, relief washing over her face.

"Cheers, mate. You're dismissed."

"Crikey, there's some top-notch work happening down at the docking bays. We've made significant progress in getting more drone ships unlocked. The repairs on those knackered ships are all wrapped up. The Independence is now properly docked. We should spot Briggs wandering around here somewhere."

Heidi smiled, thoroughly enjoying the heavy Australian accent that filled the air.

"Con C.O."

Damned bells ruin the day sometimes, Heidi thought to herself, rolling her eyes at the interruption.

"C.O. Con."

"Sir, the Ex-O needs you in the Wardroom A.S.A.P.," the officer of the Deck proclaimed with urgency.

"C.O. Con, aye mate." Donovan placed the mic back in its holster on the bulkhead. "Love, have you got a minute to jump in on the convo?" Inviting his wife to a briefing outside of her chain of command may not be strictly protocol, but it would be an easily overlooked offense in light of their unique circumstances.

"Depends on what's going on. The WarpStar is scheduled to depart at oh-four-hundred. The Sumerians tipped us off about a system thirty light-years out that might harbor another civilization ripe for First Contact."

"That sounds pretty exciting, love! I wish I could come along with you."

"Oh honey, no you don't. You're having a ton of fun playing with your giant toy here."

"Bloody hell, can't get anything by you!" They laughed together as they finally entered the Wardroom.

"Sir, you are definitely going to want to see this." Commander Alexander Sergeyevich Ivanov handed a tablet to Captain Donovan. Once a second captain of the Russian Republic, he now held the rank of Commander and Executive Officer of the Epsilon Dyson Sphere Project.

"Thank you, Alex." The proper Russian name would have been Sergey or Sergeyevich, but he preferred to be called Alex.

Captain Donovan stared intently at the tablet, pressing a button every few seconds, his gaze growing increasingly intense each time, until he finally reached the end of the report.

"Bloody fucking hell. Is this real?"

"You tell me; you're a damn good engineer."

Donovan looked over the data one more time, his brow furrowing in concentration. "And our team confirmed it?"

With a thick Russian accent, Alex replied, "Four times."

Joseph just stared at Alex for a moment, then handed the tablet over to his wife. "Get the joint chiefs on the line. They’ll probably want to be here, but just in case, have the holosuites prepped. Bring Admiral Briggs up here as soon as possible. Lock down the Hyperbuoy; if this is true, no one’s coming in or out until we can get a handle on this."

Heidi just stared at her husband, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor as it took an eternity to grab her personal com unit. "WarpStar Actual to OOD."

"WarpStar OOD, WarpStar Actual."

"Set Condition 3. Delay our trip; we're not going anywhere anytime soon. Plot a course to dock at docking bay four to pick me up in four hours."

"WarpStar OOD, aye."

"Love, if this works, this is a fucking game changer!"

"Hole-eee-Shit!" was all Heidi could manage to say, her mind racing with the implications of what lay ahead.