At the edge of the star system that humanity had designated LZ-Wolf, reality twisted and warped. Energy surged into an area of space several kilometers across as the barrier between normal-space and the higher dimensions of hyper-space flexed, strained, and then violently tore open in a surge of light that, for a brief moment, was brighter than the system’s massive blue star. The flare dissipated within moments to reveal a sleek, predatory starship, scarred by the twisted metal and blistered surface of extensive battle damage.
On the ship’s command deck, perched on a deceptively delicate looking throne-like command chair, an elegant woman with flowing purple hair and shimmering butterfly-like wings examined several holographic displays while the remnants of the ship’s crew worked through their tasks. “Captain Aglaral,” she asked in a smooth, musical voice. “Have we arrived where we expected to?”
“My Lady, this is where we expected to be,” the ship’s captain responded. “However, this star cluster hasn’t been visited by the Stellar Imperium in hundreds of years. Our records are out of date. It appears that this star system is no longer uninhabited.”
“The Solarian Empire?” The lady on the throne asked sharply, her long, slender ears twitching with anxiety. “Why would they be so close to the Vela Dark Clouds? They should avoid this region of space!”
“None of the signatures we’re seeing match known warships of the Solarian Empire,” the captain responded, flipping through several holographic screens as he analyzed the data pouring in from the ship’s powerful sensors. “There are two powerful sensor signatures that may pose a threat, one positioned directly above the system primary. That’s consistent with Solarian doctrine for a local system defense station. There’s another signature at the system edge that has a large electro-magnetic signature, potentially a communications array. We’ve also detected activity on the surface of our target planet as well as a large artificial satellite around the system’s third planet. My Lady,” he said after several moments of consideration. “I think it’s unlikely that these people represent the Solarian Empire but they may be an offshoot from it. I think they’re here for the same reason we are.”
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“They’re mining kerium,” the winged woman agreed. “That should make it easier to secure enough to repair our hyperdrive. Are repairs to our assault shuttles complete? If so, I want one team in each shuttle, one for the system defense station, one for the communications station. Once our teams have launched, set course for the eighth planet immediately. If we can identify one of their mining operations, we’ll target it directly.”
“Your will, My Lady,” the captain responded, immediately issuing orders to prepare for multiple assaults across the system. The sole surviving science shuttle had been sacrificed for parts to repair the most damaged systems of the starship’s two assault shuttles while they limped their way back toward civilized space. “Flight Leader Agravain,” the captain said, turning to his badly injured colleague. “Do you have enough soldiers and functional combat armor to support a simultaneous assault on all of our targets?”
“I have more armor than soldiers,” the other man said as he prepared his own orders. “I’ll draft scientists and acolytes if I have to, even if they just carry Flamelances, I’ll make sure we have as many fighters as possible in each shuttle with a reserve to defend the ship.”
“Do what you have to,” the captain said with a nod. “Even if we lose everything else, we cannot fail to return Lady Nimue home. We cannot transition back to hyperspace without retrieving enough kerium to repair the drive.”
“I know, old friend,” the wounded soldier said. “One way or another, we’ll return her safely home, even if we have to steal a starship from these primitive humans to do it.”
Meanwhile, Lady Nimue waved her hand at one of the holographic displays surrounding her, calling up a projection of one of her most trusted advisors on this mission. “Priestess Eirian,” she asked the projection of the wingless woman. “Has the relic been affected by the transition back to normal-space? Is it still contained?”
“My Lady, there’s still a great deal we don’t know about the relic and how it chooses its next host,” the Priestess said from her lab. “It is still contained, however, it emitted an energy pulse of its own when we translated back to normal space. I believe that it looked for a match again.”
“Did it react the same way it did Vael’s presence?” the woman on the throne asked, leaning forward in anticipation. Vael had been the most capable mech pilot aboard the Spear of Destiny and the only one who had shown signs of compatibility with the strange relic. His death secured their escape but until this moment, no one had known how hard it would be to locate a suitable candidate to use the relic they’d lost so much to retrieve.
“It did, My Lady,” the priestess confirmed, an eager gleam in her eyes. “Somewhere in this star system, there is someone capable of becoming your new Champion.”