POV: Humanity
Sol Space Outskirts, Iridium Supply Planet Chernakov 8 – Earth Date December 24, 2433, 20:01 Hours (Earth Standard Time)
The lights of the colony shimmered against the icy landscape of Chernakov 8, casting long, soft shadows across the snow-dusted mining outpost. Despite the planet’s unforgiving cold, warmth emanated from within its domed habitats.
Inside of one of the main domes, families and workers had gathered in the common hall. A small, artificial fir tree, its green needles gleaming with iridium tinsel, stood at the center of the room. Laughter echoed as children tore through wrapped gifts, their shrill shrieks of joy carrying through the enclosed space.
Captain Selena Moriarty stood by the viewport overlooking the mining complex, her arms crossed over her chest. Her reflection, faint against the glass, mirrored her rare, contented smile. “Quiet night,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the distant hum of the dome’s systems.
Beside her, Lieutenant Jaden Laigos, her second-in-command, leaned casually against the console. “It is, yeah. Makes me wonder how my family’s holding up back on Vesper Prime. Probably passing around stories by now, eating mom’s cooking.”
Moriarty turned toward him, a hint of warmth in her usually sharp tone. “I’m sure your mother is doing well, Lieutenant. She always was a strong-“
A piercing alarm drowned out her words, the room’s festive atmosphere frozen in an instant.
“Warning: Dreadnaught-class warship detected. Planetary defense grid activated.”
Moriarty’s smile vanished as the viewport lit up with crimson indicators. Outside, the dark horizon came alive with columns of light as the automated planetary grid powered up, brilliant streaks piercing the heavens.
“Warning: Scanners indicate additional Dreadnaught-class warships. Lockdown override initiated.”
The colony’s power dimmed, plunging the common hall into momentary darkness. The iridium tinsel on the tree gleamed faintly in the residual emergency lighting.
“All personnel to battle stations!” Moriarty barked, her voice cutting through the confusion like a blade. “Lieutenant, get me status reports from all sectors! NOW!”
The dome shuddered as the cold fusion reactors redirected their energy to the planetary shields. A deep, mechanical hum reverberated through the walls, signaling the shields’ activation.
Laigos scrambled to a nearby console, his fingers flying across the display. “Planetary AI has taken over external systems,” he reported, his voice tight with urgency. “Shields are holding at max capacity, but…” His words trailed off as new data populated the screen.
“What is it?” Moriarty demanded, stepping beside him.
“Four…no, five dreadnaughts,” Laigos said, his face pale. “All Zoranian. They’re coming in hot.”
“Damn it.” Moriarty clenched her fists. “How long until our defenses can target them?”
“The grid’s already firing up, but Captain… these aren’t skirmisher ships. The dreadnaughts will hammer us into slag if reinforcements don’t-“
A bone-shaking explosion cut him off. The dome trembled violently, and the viewport’s surface flickered with the glow of distant impacts. Through the glass, Moriarty could see the first wave of Zoranian fire streaking toward the planet, glowing brighter as they tore through the thin atmosphere.
“Get those shields stabilized!” Moriarty yelled, grabbing the comms unit. “This is Captain Selena Moriarty to all Chernakov defense personnel: we are under attack. All hands to your stations. This is not a drill!”
Laigos pulled up another display, his face grim. “Captain, the civilians-“
“I know,” Moriarty said, cutting him off. Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled as she keyed the comms again. “All non-essential personnel, evacuate to the emergency bunkers immediately. Escort the families. Do not panic.”
Outside, the streaks of energy intensified as the planetary defense grid fired its opening salvo. The first dreadnaught wavered in its course as it absorbed a direct hit, but its shields held, glowing faintly before the ship pressed onward.
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Laigos turned to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What do we do, Captain?”
Moriarty met his gaze, her jaw tightening. “We fight. We hold the line.”
Laigos nodded, his hands racing over the console as the planetary defenses roared to life, delivering another salvo into the frozen night. Outside, the sky lit up with streaks of crimson and gold as energy bolts tore across the atmosphere, striking the Zoranian fleet.
“Captain,” he said, his voice tight. “Errors across the grid… reactor stability dropping!”
Before Moriarty could respond, the AI’s voice cut through the noise.
“Warning: Secondary reactor offline. Shield stability at seventy-three percent.”
The dome trembled again, this time harder, as another Zoranian bombardment struck the planetary shields. A flicker of light crossed the viewport… brief, faint, but unmistakable.
“Secondary reactor’s coolant system took a hit,” Laigos replied, sweat beading on his forehead. “Shields are holding, but they’ll start failing in less than five minutes if we don’t reroute power.”
Moriarty glanced toward the viewport, watching as the first dreadnaught pushed through the defense grid’s fire. Its shields rippled with each hit, but the massive vessel pressed forward undeterred. Behind it, smaller Zoranian ships swarmed like predators, darting through gaps in the planetary defenses.
“Already trying,” Laigos muttered, his fingers moving in a blur. “But if we pull too much, the turrets go dark, and then we’re-“
“Warning: Shields at sixty-eight percent.”
The room shook violently as another impact rocked the outpost. A monitor near the back of the command center sparked and went dark, sending a shower of light across the tense faces of the crew.
“Do it,” Moriarty ordered. “Pull power from the turrets if you have to, but those shields stay up. Get me every second you can!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Laigos said, his voice steady despite the chaos.
Moriarty turned toward the comms, her eyes narrowing. “AI, patch me through to planetary command.”
“This is Captain Selena Moriarty,” she said, her voice cutting through the static. “All available personnel, we’re facing imminent shield failure. Engineers, focus on reactor repair. Security teams, prioritize bunker evacuations. We need every civilian underground, now!”
The AI’s voice interrupted again, cold and clinical. “Warning: Enemy boarding craft detected. Impact in T-minus two minutes.”
Moriarty’s blood ran cold. “Boarding craft?”
Laigos’s eyes widened as new alerts flashed across his display. “They’re sending troops, Captain. Straight for the main habitat domes.”
“Damn it!” Moriarty slammed her fist against the console. “They’re targeting the civilians.”
The main dome shuddered violently as the first boarding craft pierced the planetary shield and slammed into the frozen ground outside the colony. A deep, guttural screech echoed through the halls as the Zoranians breached the outer defenses, the sound of tearing metal and rupturing airlocks heralding their arrival.
Sergeant Lena Rorschach braced against the wall, her pulse rifle clutched tightly to her chest. Around her, a dozen soldiers in heavy exo-suits adjusted their weapons and checked their armor. The flickering emergency lights cast their faces in shadow, but the tension was unmistakable.
“They’re in,” Rorschach said grimly, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. “Positions. We hold the line here.”
Private Tomlinson, barely out of training, swallowed hard. “Do you think reinforcements will-“
“Doesn’t matter,” Rorschach snapped, cutting him off. “We’re not here to wait for help. We’re here to keep them away from the civilians. Understood?”
The squad murmured their confirmation, though their voices carried the weight of uncertainty.
From down the corridor, the sound of heavy footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the metallic clatter of Zoranian weapons. The air itself seemed to shift, growing heavier, as if the Zoranians carried the weight of their conquest with them.
“Eyes up!” Rorschach barked. “Here they come!”
The first Zoranian appeared at the far end of the corridor, its hulking frame illuminated by the glow of its armor. Its scaled skin shimmered beneath the polished plating, and its yellow eyes burned with predatory focus. Behind it, more Zoranians fanned out, their weapons raised.
“Fire!”
Rorschach’s voice barely reached her squad before the corridor erupted into chaos. Pulse rifles spat blue-white bolts of energy, the concussive blasts lighting up the narrow space. The Zoranians advanced without hesitation, their shields flaring as they absorbed the opening salvo.
“Keep them pinned!” Rorschach shouted, moving to cover as the Zoranians returned fire.
The air filled with the sharp crack of Zoranian plasma bolts, their searing heat melting through steel and flesh alike. One soldier cried out as a bolt struck their shoulder, the armor slagging instantly.
“They’re pushing!” Tomlinson yelled, his voice cracking as he fired wildly.
Rorschach gritted her teeth, her rifle kicking against her shoulder as she emptied another clip. “Fall back to the secondary line!”
The squad moved in practiced formation, covering one another as they retreated toward a reinforced bulkhead. The Zoranians pressed forward, relentless, their war cries echoing through the corridors.
“Secondary position breached in T-minus sixty seconds,” the AI’s voice announced over the comms.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Rorschach muttered under her breath.
She turned to Tomlinson and two other soldiers, gesturing toward the rear. “Get to the bunkers. Help the civilians. Go!”
“But-”
“GO!”
The soldiers hesitated for a moment before breaking away, their footsteps fading into the distance. Rorschach turned back to the advancing Zoranians, her jaw tightening.
“This is as far as you get,” she growled.
With a roar, the lead Zoranian charged, its claws raking through the bulkhead door as if it were paper. Rorschach fired point-blank, the pulse rifle’s blast slamming into its chest. The alien staggered but didn’t fall, its yellow eyes narrowing as it lunged forward.
The last thing Rorschach saw was the glint of its claws before darkness swallowed her.