Chapter 22:

StationMaster Rolo sat at his desk, trying to come to terms with the recent developments. The collective hadn't been to war for a very long time, except for dealing with Fusari raiders, which could be a pain, especially since they took slaves. But all-out war, a war that threatened all four members of the dysfunctional council, was unnerving.

He looked over the departure logs. If all the ships that were displaced from this sector and other sectors were unable to repel the sudden surprise attack, then in a few hours, he and the station crew would meet their end. He was old enough to die; it shouldn't matter. But he was worried about everyone else on the station. Some crew members had their entire families there. The defensive platform above the station may be able to stop one ship, maybe two, if it was a small fleet. But a larger force would destroy them in mere moments. It was a chilling thought.

Then the sensors picked up six signatures at the edge of the system. They weren't coming from the direction of the Fusari but from the opposite side, and they were moving closer. As they came into sensor range, the system picked up their signature. They were Terran.

Rolo's blood went cold. Were the Terrans in league with the Fusari? The Fusari had allies, but nothing was said about who they were. Or did they learn about the attack and decide to join in?

The station's master of security and his assistant both barged into the room. They saw them too. The security master was about to speak when a hail came from the Terran ships—six in total. In the confusion, Rolo instinctively pressed his paw to the display, answering the hail.

Suddenly, he had a full view of a Terran bridge. At first, he didn't notice ClanHead Garden Ren or ShipMaster Dorfo. His eyes were fixated on the Terrans. When he was growing up, Terrans were the stuff of nightmares. The Strunin had never fought them, but they were part of every scary bedtime story. Before he could have a proper reaction, a Strunin voice spoke. He didn't notice them before, but there were two Strunin males and a Yoranian woman standing next to a very nasty-looking Terran. He recognized the two Strunin males as ShipMaster Dorfo, who docked at the station regularly, and ClanHead Garden Ren. He never met him in person, but he knew who he was. He didn't recognize the Yoranian woman.

Before he could say anything, Garden Ren spoke. "Greetings, am I addressing the StationMaster?"

Rolo was confused. His assistant and the security master had stepped out of view, probably too frightened by the Terrans. Not that he wasn't afraid; the ships seemed out of direct comms range. There were no communication platforms in this system to boost the signal. That meant that the Terran communication systems were more advanced than their own. He needed to find out what was going on. He was afraid; his mind was full of speculation, but he may as well answer.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Well met, ClanHead Ren. Indeed, I am Rolo Pag, StationMaster of station 37005. Welcome."

"Ah, excellent. I was using the services of Luxury Six when we experienced an attack by a whole Fusari fleet within our borders. We lost four of our escorts when ShipMaster Dorfo here ordered a jump. But the Luxury Six was hit before the drive came online, and our jump led us deep into dead space, where we became stranded. ShipMaster Dorfo informed me later that our drive was severely damaged, and that we had no FTL capability without repairs. But before that, the Fusari fleet followed us and attempted to confiscate the ship's goods and enslave everyone on board. In that moment, the Terrans came to our aid. They had picked up ShipMaster Dorfo's distress signal and rather quickly eliminated the Fusari fleet. For that reason, I invited their leader to the Luxury Six to thank them personally. Thanks to these kind Terrans, I am alive, and they granted me the honor of a diplomatic agreement and offered us transport to the nearest station in Strunin space, so we find ourselves here."

Rolo was not fully convinced. Why would the Terrans offer aid to Strunin? They did not even wish to communicate. And why would Garden Ren use the services of the Luxury Six? He had his own ships. Something was very wrong. The Luxury Six was here for supplies, and its route was designated as going in the opposite direction from dead space. Transport ships had to share a log of passengers and inventory when they docked. He was looking at the logs; Garden Ren was not on the list. He considered current events and the attack on the Collective. What in the name of the all-knowing gods was going on here?

"I am glad you are safe, ClanHead Ren. I welcome you to the station, but we are on high alert. Please forgive my directness. But the Terrans are still regarded as hostile, and we cannot allow them to approach. I am afraid that if that happens, the automated defense systems will open fire."

He said, surprised at his own calmness despite himself. He realized he wasn't looking at the screen as he said that, so he looked up and saw almost half the Terrans on that bridge were now flashing their predatory teeth. Fear gripped him. He was about to die. Terrans do not leave anything alive. He couldn't muster any more courage. The ClanHead looked like he was about to speak, but he heard the Terran standing next to him say, "Cut the comms," and his screen went black.