01:03, January 5th, 2135

“You are cleared to enter hangar bay 2, Asha’dara. Please proceed to landing pad 3. The president’s personal guards are waiting for you there.” The voice came over the shuttle’s radio.

“Understood, Voice of the Stars.” Kayden replied. “Better send some medics too – we’ve got wounded.”

“They’ll be there.” The voice responded before the radio went silent.

“So…which one is hangar bay 2?” Dawn asked, glancing through the windows at the enormous Kel flagship in front of them.

“Highlighting on your display now.” Ali responded helpfully over the radio.

Kayden paused to take in the schematics of the ship on the screen in front of him. From bow to stern it was a little over a kilometer long, and was easily wide enough to rival any of humanity’s carriers. To him it vaguely resembled some sort of aquatic animal, with a bulbous center section to house the hangar bays and long fins on either side that bristled with gun emplacements. The bow of the craft was a hammer shaped wedge sporting another set of guns, and in the middle of the craft he could see rows of windows looking out into the void. The purple metal of the craft shimmered behind what was no doubt a powerful energy shield being projected from a tower structure extending from the center, and the ship was surrounded by various frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and support craft.

All in all, it made for an imposing sight.

“You’d think that with this kind of firepower at their disposal, they’d be a little more willing to join the war.” Kayden couldn’t resist quipping.

“They’re a pacifist nation, remember?” Dawn reminded him from the copilot’s seat. “Sure this is impressive, but I’m willing to bet this is their only real firepower.”

“It could still probably go toe-to-toe with Earth’s pre-war defense fleet, or the Roccan Alliance’s fleet, or even the Lokken.” Kayden countered.

“Maybe.” Dawn admitted. “But you’re comparing one interstellar nation’s fleet to an entire species’ fleet. If they had to go up against all of humanity’s fleets, they’d be outmatched.” She paused and turned around to look at the 3rd and final occupant of the shuttle’s cockpit. “Right Elara?”

Elara nodded in reply but said nothing. Kayden shot a meaningful glance over at Dawn, who shook her head slightly in response before focusing intently on the screen in front of her. He briefly considered turning back to the Broken Shackle and ordering his Kel wife to stay behind, but shook off the thought almost immediately – he doubted she’d listen to him, and as the highest ranking member of the Kel military on his crew he’d need her authority in the next round of negotiations.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry for her. She hadn’t so much as uttered a word since they narrowly escaped being crushed by the tower, instead shedding several silent tears in the back of the shuttle’s cockpit. By the time they’d reached orbit the last of the Voidborn suicide attack was gone, and the remainder of their fleet had retreated. He tried to offer her a hug while Dawn sorted through the chaos on the radio to figure out where to take their rescued Kel, but she wordlessly pushed him away, preferring to focus on the stream of reports coming in on her tablet. Understanding that she needed space, he backed off and refocused on flying the ship as the Kel fleet frantically reoriented to secure the newly-revealed hyperlane. Every so often he tried to create an opening for her to speak about her feelings, but it was only when the Kel flagship asked them to dock to meet with the president and her cabinet that she finally put down the tablet and began responding to them – albeit nonverbally.

Choosing to believe that she’d talk to him when she was ready, Kayden pushed his worries about Elara to the side for a moment. He smoothly guided the shuttle into the bay, following Ali’s instructions on where to fly in the cavernous hangar bay. The moment he touched down on the silvery metal floor he saw dozens of Kel streaming out of a nearby entrance – some of them with gurneys, and some of them with guns.

With a final mental command he lowered the cargo bay to let the Kel survivors out before unplugging his control cable and standing. He took a moment to prepare himself for the inevitable headaches that came along with politicking before looking over at Elara and Dawn. They nodded to him in turn before standing next to him, and together the three of them pulled on their helmets before exiting the cockpit.

As someone who served on several carriers, Kayden couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate the Kel’s hangar operations. Above them there were dozens of fighters, bombers, shuttles, and support craft all hanging from docking stations embedded into the ceiling. To their left and right there were more landing pads designed for larger ships, and ahead of him Kayden saw elevators and a set of stairs leading to a catwalk that snaked around each of the spacecraft above. He turned slowly, his eyes darting from the silvery metal walls and ceiling to the hundreds of Kel navy personnel – many of whom seemed to be helping the survivors off their shuttle and towards a door on the far wall.

“You three. Come.” The curt command came as he finished turning.

His eyes fell upon the speaker – an entirely black-clad guard holding her rifle at the ready. Around her stood what looked like two dozen identically dressed guards, each of them gripping their weapons a bit too tightly for Kayden’s liking. Shaking his head he slowly raised his hands before speaking.

“We’re not here to cause trouble. We’re just here to speak to the president – at her request, too.”

“Yes.” The guard replied simply before turning on her heel and walking towards a nearby door.

Resisting the urge to make a snarky comment, Kayden fell into step behind the lead guard. Elara and Dawn quickly followed, and soon they were surrounded by the group of elite military personnel. They marched out of the hangar and through twisting hallways for several minutes before stopping abruptly in front of a reinforced black door – one that had half a dozen more troopers in front of it.

“Here.” The guard said without preamble, pressing her palm against a scanner beside the door.

The door slid open smoothly to reveal a dramatically lit room. On the far wall there were windows showing the inky blackness of space, and to the left and right there were large screens showing readouts and camera feeds from what could only be the surface of the planet. The middle of the room was dominated by a long metal table, around which most of the senior members of the Kel government were either sitting or standing. Along the walls were yet more guards, but these ones were wearing the blue uniforms of the Kel navy rather than the black armour of the president’s personal guard.

“Good. Our guests are here.” The president said, waving them forward from her seat at the head of the table.

As the trio entered, the few people in the room who were standing took their seats. Kayden couldn’t help but notice that there was nowhere for the three of them to sit, so he came to an awkward halt a few feet away from the table. Moreover, he saw that the president looked far too calm for a leader in wartime – still wearing the same black outfit, but she looked neither upset nor tired despite the late hour. Doing his best not to stare at the pure Kel next to her he took a relaxed stance, clasping his hands behind his back and nodding respectfully to the president.

“Madame President, I want to start by expressing my condolences regarding the Voidborn attack.” Kayden said in a sombre tone. “I’m glad you made it out okay and we saved who we could, but far too many people lost their lives today.”

“On that, we’re in violent agreement.” The high commissioner chimed in from further down the table, her dark skin shining with sweat. “You’re all damn heroes in my book for what you did down there.”

“How much of our government did you manage to save?” The president interrupted, absentmindedly pulling on one of her purple-skinned tendrils. “I would like to know how many of my colleagues survived.”

“We’re not entirely sure.” Dawn answered. “I did a quick headcount on the way here – there were 946 people squeezed onto that shuttle. Some of them were from the Athenium Spire, some were just civilians who happened to be in the area. We also had injured – so your sick bay should be able to give you a casualty report.”

“Very well. That will be all then.” The president said, waving her hand dismissively.

Kayden cocked his head to the side in confusion. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?” The president questioned.

“We didn’t finish our conversation from earlier about coordinating our war efforts against the Voidborn.” Kayden replied. “You’ve seen first-hand what they can do. We should work together, talk about next steps.”

“I would think our next steps should be fairly obvious to you.” The president responded.

A pit formed in Kayden’s stomach. “What do you mean?”

“Now more than ever, we must work to reinforce our borders. This attack underscores the fact that we need every possible ship and soldier here, defending our planet – not out on some wild crusade to free your home world.”

“You’re going to get us all fucking killed.” Elara said through gritted teeth.

The room went deathly quiet as every set of eyes turned to look at her. Kayden blinked several times in disbelief – both at the fact that she was speaking again and the fact that his normally-reserved Kel wife was currently shaking with rage. He glanced between her and the table several times before the president spoke again.

“I beg your pardon, base commander?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Did I fucking stutter?” Elara pressed, taking a step forward. “Or are you as deaf as you are blind?”

“How dare you-I don’t-I never-” The president stuttered, clearly taken aback.

“This attack proves that the Voidborn won’t be content to wait patiently outside of our borders. Our only hope is to join forces with the humans and the Vrul, and defeat them before their force becomes too powerful for us. Otherwise, we’re just prolonging the inevitable.”

“She’s right.” The high commissioner added. “We need to be out there, taking the fight to the enemy.”

“Our fleet stands ready.” The high admiral chimed in.

“We’ve talked about this before.” The pure Kel woman to the right of the president said with a sigh, her amorphous blob of a form jiggling. “Our home is here, and we will defend it. That is our best option – they will crash upon our borders like waves upon the rocks.”

“Are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Elara said, fury laced into every word. “We. Cannot. Hide. Here.”

“I am listening, and I’m telling you that’s not what we are going to do!” The president replied, her anger finally surfacing.

“Oh I’ve long since given up on you.” Elara said dismissively. “That’s why I wasn’t talking to you - I was talking to the people at the table who actually understand the gravity of this situation. I’m hoping they take command from here on out – for the good of our people.”

“Insubordination! Treason!” The president shouted. “Guards, remove the base commander at once! Take her to a holding cell and prepare a military tribunal immediately!”

“A military tribunal?” Elara asked before bitterly tearing her lapel pin – the symbol of her oaths of service to the Kel military – off and tossing it to the ground. “Fuck that. I resign.”

“Take her away!” The president shrieked. “The guard who subdues her will get a promotion to captain!”

A cocoon of nanobots shot out around the three of them, crackling with electricity as it swirled dangerously. Dawn crouched and prepared to flood the room with pheromones while placing a protective hand on Elara’s shoulder.

“Anyone who tries gets sent home in pieces.” Kayden replied, fury in every syllable.

The other guards levelled their weapons but hesitated as the High Admiral stood up and shouted over the sound of the president and her cabinet screaming in terror. “Stop! Everyone just stop!” She cried, her booming voice standing in stark contrast to her advanced age and relatively diminutive body. “Save your fury for the real enemy.”

Kayden took a breath and stopped channelling electricity through his swarm, but didn’t recall them to his arm. “What are you proposing?”

“Given that you saved a good portion of our government, I believe this decision warrants an open debate with the larger assembly.” The high admiral replied.

“There isn’t time!” The president protested.

“The assembly is already here.” The high admiral countered. “I can have officers clear some space in one of the hangar bays for all of us to speak.”

“I agree with the high admiral.” The high commander added. “And while I’m not a legal scholar, I believe any declaration of war would run against our constitution as an interstellar nation and therefore requires a full assembly session anyways.”

“We’re not the ones declaring war! We were the ones that were attacked!” The pure Kel woman warbled. “We’ve already been fighting them for weeks now anyways!”

“True, but now we’re talking about taking a proactive military stance instead of a more reactive, ‘pacifism’ approach.” The high commander responded, shaking her head. “Both options require the assembly’s approval.”

“No I don’t.” The president countered, clearly frustrated.

“You may think you don’t, but if you try I promise anything you do will get bogged down in court for long enough that this debate won’t matter.” The high commander insisted.

Another Kel woman in royal blue robes at the end of the table tilted her head thoughtfully. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she had wrinkles on her pale face and hands. She held her back ramrod straight as she stood and raised one hand, looking towards the president as she did.

“The high commander is correct. We need a vote with the assembly if we are to avoid a constitutional crisis.”

“Is that your opinion, justice minister?” The president challenged.

“No. It is a fact.” She countered sternly.

The president made a disgusted noise before responding. “Very well. Call the assembly.”

The high admiral turned towards Kayden again. “In the mean time, I think it best that you leave. I’ll ensure a shuttle is ready for you in the hangar to take you back to your ship.”

“No! Guards, arrest them!” The president ordered.

“Not on my flagship, ma’am.” The high admiral refuted. “Guards, please escort our guests back to the hangar bay.” She then held up a preemptive hand when the president tried to speak, cutting her off. “I’ll remind you that while you are technically my commander in chief, on this ship I give the orders.”

The president banged both her fists on the table before slumping into her chair, defeated. “Fine. Get out.”

Not wanting to tempt fate any further, Kayden recalled his nanobots to his arm and the trio quickly stepped out of the room. They were met by a large, tense looking group of navy guards who had placed themselves between them and the black-clad presidential guards. There was a moment when it looked like the they might have to fight their way out, but in the end the president’s troops moved to the side and allowed them to pass.

Kayden couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as they rounded the corner away from the conference room and back into the labyrinth of hallways through the ship. As much as he wasn’t afraid of the guards, he didn’t relish the idea of killing Kel – especially not when he knew they’d need every available body against the Voidborn. Glancing to the side as they jogged he saw Dawn had unclenched her fists as well, but Elara was still glancing around furtively as if they were about to be ambushed.

They reached the shuttle and were about to board when Kayden heard a familiar voice calling Elara’s name. Turning around, he saw the high commander – Elara’s boss – sprinting towards them. The navy guards briefly blocked her when she neared, but one withering look was all it took to make them part for her.

“Base Commander Nerys.” The high commander said, coming to a stop in front of them.

“Not anymore.” Elara replied, shaking her head.

Ignoring her commend, the high commander continued. “I’m glad I caught you before you left. I have a mission for you – one that I didn’t feel comfortable communicating in front of the president and her guards.”

“Did you miss the part where I resigned my post?” Elara asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“Yes, that.” The high commander said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out Elara’s discarded lapel pin. “I was hoping you’d reconsider though.”

“Why?” Elara asked.

“Because I think you’re right. And so does the high admiral, and the high commissioner.”

“Then why didn’t you say something in the meeting?” Kayden questioned.

“Because then the president would fire us. Then we’d be replaced by someone who wouldn’t object to the president’s dumbest ideas.”

“But she can’t fire you right now?” Kayden pressed.

“Not without support from the assembly, no. Not unless we do something illegal.”

“So you expect me to believe that your staying in your post is some sort of…sacrifice?” Elara said hesitantly.

“Yes.” The high commander replied, the emotional pain clear in her voice.

“Oh.” Elara said softly.

“Listen, there’s no way we can convince the president that we need to join you. But I think we can convince enough of the assembly that we need to vote her out and choose a new interim president – at least until the war is over.”

“You can…do that?” Kayden asked hesitantly. “It sounds like a coup.”

“It’s actually a pretty common democratic governmental mechanism.” Dawn said. “Lots of human governments over time had it. It’s called a vote of non-confidence.”

“We need over 60% of the assembly to vote for it though, and then 60% again to agree on an interim leader, and the votes need to be on the same day, and well-” The high commander said.

“I get it.” Kayden cut her off. “Can you do it?”

“Probably.” The high commander replied. “But that brings me to your mission. We’d have a much better chance of convincing them if we had the Vrul fleets committed to our cause as well. Maybe a clearly defined plan of attack too. Then it looks less like a suicide mission and more like a coordinated strike.”

“So if we get the Vrul on our side, we’ll get the Kel fleet too?” Elara summarized.

“Yes. Are you ready to continue serving our people, base commander?” The high commander said, offering her lapel pin again.

“I never stopped.” Elara said, pushing it away. “But I think I need to do it on my own terms – not bound by the same hierarchies as you are.”

The high commander blinked several times before nodding. “I understand.”

Elara bit her lip before glancing around to make sure nobody was listening. “There’s something…new…in the vault below the tower we discovered. It’s not something I trust our illustrious leader with though, so we need to be subtle. If you can set up a secure channel, I’ll send you the details.”

“I will. Fair warning - it might take awhile to dig through the rubble enough that we can access the vault.” The commander said. “We can’t just bring in heavy machinery – there could still be survivors, trapped.”

“Do what you can.” Kayden interjected, glancing up to see the president’s black-clad guards marching into the hangar bay. “For now though, I think it’s time we got off this ship.”