Hannah Shepard leaned back into her cushioned seat and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the image of her boys’ tear-streaked faces, of the look in her husband’s eyes when they had shared once last lingering gaze. Her eyes stung and welled with tears, and she pinched the bridge of her nose, wiping them dry. Yes, leaving them had been like pulling her own heart out.
But duty called.
Yes, what kind of woman would she be if she sat idly by and just let the Silent Ones unleash unspeakable horrors upon the people of Mindoir?
“Still thinking about them?” Anderson asked.
She looked at him, then huffed through her nose. No doubt, she appreciated Anderson’s concern. But how could he ever understand? According to her husband, Anderson was a bachelor with no kids and no close family members. “Yeah…”
Anderson sighed. “I don’t know what’s like to be married or to be a parent, but the look on your face, while you were hugging your boys goodbye...it couldn’t have been easy. If it means anything, though, know that you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. Mark and the boys are damn well aware of that, and I have no doubt that you’ll never let them down.”
“Thank you, Anderson,” she said. Briefly, her mind wandered back to the past, to all those moments Anderson had been a reliable pillar of support for her husband. Yes, without Anderson, she might have never crossed paths with Mark in the first place, when they had all been serving on the SSV Centurion, hunting cells of the Prophet’s Hand, or keeping shipping lanes pirate-free. “Thank you.”
“Anderson doesn’t just push you to succeed, he believes in you until you believe in yourself.”
Her husband’s words. rang in her mind. Smiling, she settled back into her seat and couldn’t help but agree with them.
Soon, Rael returned from the cockpit and looked at her. Even behind Rael’s impassive, mirror-like visor, she could feel the apprehension in his glowing eyes. “ Khanah ?”
“Yes?”
“Once we are aboard my ship,” he said, “I need you to join me for one last meeting with the Admirals and a few of my officers. Many of them want to speak to you.”
A knot tightened in her stomach. The Admirals of the quarian fleet…
Yes, this would be the first time she’d be involved in such a high-level meeting. “What do they want to talk about?”
“About your role in our plan to drive out the Silent Ones from this region of space,” Rael said, “and in…negotiating with the humans of the Sol system.”
A tense silence ensued. During it, a chill raced down her spine. Indeed, this wasn’t just about her family or the colony anymore.
This was about all of humanity.
Soon, they finally reached their destination when their shuttle stopped and began to descend. And after a gentle jolt, the shuttle’s side door opened with a hiss of air.
Finally, she and her companions stood up, then stepped outside, only to come face-to-face with a sight straight out of some grandiose holo-drama.
The docking bay was a sprawl of glossy, purplish-blue metal and soft, neon lights that teemed with illegible holo-screens, with busy quarians either moving to and fro, or working at various stations and machines she could hardly describe. It was as if she had just stepped into another world, a world of technological wonders, and for a while, she froze. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, blinking rapidly, as she struggled to process her surroundings.
Likewise, her companions were also frozen with awe, their eyes wide, their mouths agape.
But then Rael cleared his throat.
She stirred, then looked at him. “Oh…uhm…I’m sorry. It’s just…all of this, it’s just so…”
“Overwhelming?” Rael asked. “Unfamiliar?”
“Yes…” she said. And for a moment, she looked back to her days on the SSV Centurion, and its comparatively crude and cramped interior, “none of our ships back in the Sol system have anything like…like all of this.”
“That is perfectly understandable, Khanah, ” Rael said. “But we are pressed for time.” Just then, Rael looked towards a quarian officer with a red visor and called out to him in the quarian language. Soon, the officer approached, then nodded at Rael. And Rael gave him some orders in their native tongue that she couldn’t understand. Rael looked back at her. “I just asked a colleague of mine to escort your companions towards the crew deck for orientation. In the meantime, follow me.”
She nodded. “Right behind you.”
She followed Rael through a large, circular door with a holo-sign just above it. And as they traversed several polished corridors, passing by numerous quarians going about their duties, she couldn’t help but marvel at her surroundings. Every few steps, she spotted dazzling displays of quarian script and holographic data, flowing along the walls. Within expansive junctions leading to other corridors, streams of automated drones whirred above, flying in and out of countless ducts and shafts, or working meticulously at bizarre, alien machines with their flexible robotic arms. The entire ship hummed with the quiet symphony of innumerable unseen processes.
And as she absorbed more and more details around her, she exhaled, feeling so small, so humbled. Yes, even as an ember of their former selves, the quarians had truly breathtaking technology. So what were they capable of before the Great Betrayal, during the height of the Veil Republic?
She shook her head, then pursed her lips. Better not to know.
Eventually, after ascending several decks via an elevator, they arrived at some sort of conference room. And inside, the quarian admirals were standing in a circle below some gleaming, hemispherical projector. Through the viewport ahead, the sheer magnitude of the quarian fleet spread before her eyes.
And she gulped, her pulse climbing. So many ships…
So many ships in orbit over her home…
Briefly, she looked at the ground. A chill snaked down her spine, and goosebumps prickled her skin. Thank goodness they’re on our side. Yes, in any conflict, the Alliance would stand absolutely no chance against them. And if one day the quarians ever turned on humanity for whatever reason, then–
Stop! Steeling herself, she squinted her eyes and clenched her jaw before huffing through her nose. Yes, now was not the time to engage with such thoughts. Finally, she looked back at the Admirals.
Clasping their hands behind their backs, each Admiral carried an air of iron-hard authority, and their stern, glowing eyes reflected the weight of countless battles, of countless sacrifices for the greater good.
But two of them dominated the room.
They towered over everyone else and were clad in imposing battle suits, composed of artificial muscles and interlocking, mirror-like plates. Behind their visors, their red eyes burned with the intesity of novas about to explode.
Briefly, she remembered such soldiers from the presentation Rael had shown her back in the colony Forum Building, from old footage of battles during the Rachni Wars and Krogan Rebellions. Must be their elites. In their presence, she couldn’t help but feel like a child standing before two titanic statues hewn from obsidian.
Momentarily, light flickered around one of the Admirals, and she tilted her head. Are they all holograms? If so, then goodness…they were so life-like.
Rael began talking to them in the quarian language, and a few of them nodded, offering remarks and counterpoints. She tilted her head, blinking faster than usual. What are talking about? Could it be about her role in whatever was to come?
“ Khanah, ” Rael said. “Allow me to introduce you to the Admirals, and to a few of my associates.” Rael cleared his throat, then pointed towards one of the armored giants. “First, meet Captain Zhoru’Larik of the Malukor Corps.”
Zhoru looked at her with measured curiosity. As she looked into his blazing red eyes, her pulse climbed, but she could hardly look away. So majestic. Yes, he looked like the hero of some holo-drama her boys would watch. Zhoru nodded. “Greetings.”
Rael pointed towards the other armored giant. Unlike Zhoru, his armor had a reddish tint, and over it, he was wearing a black cloak patterned with red filigree. “Admiral Koron’Reegar of the Heavy Fleet.”
Koron looked at her, as though she was some untested cadet about to face their first battle. He seemed so formidable and severe, yet under his intense gaze, she sensed an inkling of respect. “Welcome, Khanah. ”
Rael pointed towards the next Admiral, a short, feeble quarian woman with white cloths and a matching visor. “Ulaya’Vael of the Scouting and Intelligence Fleet.”
“Welcome, Khanah, ” Ulaya said, her voice soft yet stern, commanding respect despite her stature. “Welcome.”
Despite Ulaya’s apparent frailty, she sensed an undercurrent of steel in the way the Admiral carried herself, a resilience born from surviving against all odds.
Rael pointed towards the next Admiral, a tall, wiry quarian man wearing long, forest green cloths and a matching visor. “Jhago’Nara of the Science and Exploration Fleet.”
Jhago bowed slightly. “Greetings. We look forward to cooperating with you and the rest of your species.”
Rael pointed towards the next Admiral, a lithe, nimble quarian woman with sapphire blue cloths and a matching visor. “Naala’Korris of the Civilian Fleet.”
“Ah, welcome, Khanah’Shepard. Welcome,” Naala said, her voice warm and gentle, like a harmonious melody. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Momentarily, she smiled. So friendly. Yes, undoubtedly, Naal seemed to be the friendliest and most energetic.
Rael pointed towards the next Admiral, who wore an ebony hood and cloths embroidered with gold filigree, over his…unique suit. All of the Admirals limbs looked bionic. His entire body was encased in an exoskeleton of interlocking, metallic plates as black as the void of space. And instead of a visor, his suit had a faceplate with glowing, gold eyes, giving him an air of dark majesty and daunting authority. “Khairun’Zorah, the Prime Admiral of the Fleet.”
Khairun nodded. “Greetings, Khanah’Shepard ,” he said, his voice metallic but strangely soothing.
Prime Admiral…
Goodness, she could see why.
“And finally,” Rael said, pointing towards the last two. “Captains Shaala’Raan and Han’Gerrel.”
Shaala, garbed in shades of gray, and Han, bearing a striking suit of black and red, were standing at parade rest. Each carried an air of gravitas that reflected their prowess and combat experience.
Shaala nodded. “Greetings, Khanah. I’m looking forward to working with your people.”
“As am I, ” Han said.
For a moment, she paused, looking at the ground. Damn it. What do I say to them? She looked back at them. “Thank you for the warm welcome. I feel very honored to be here today, and hope this will be the beginning of a very long and fruitful relationship between our species.”
“The feeling is mutual, Khanah, ” Khairun said before letting out a wheezing cough. Khairun cleared his throat. “Now, let us begin.” Khairun looked at Han’Gerrel and Shaala’Raan. “Captains. Brief us on your current operations.”
Shaala nodded, then conjured her holo-computer and began executing a series of swift, precise keystrokes. The projector above hummed, and a galaxy map materialized before the gathered quarians with a sharp whit. “As of now…” she said, zooming in a particular system, revealing a detailed, three-dimensional representation of the system in question. Around the system’s blue gas giant were hundreds of holographic miniatures of Silent One warships amassing into a vast armada. “It seems the Silent Ones are nearly finished mustering their forces, that it is only a matter of time before they strike.”
“But we are prepared,” Han said. He conjured his own holo-computer, then began inputting commands. He zoomed out, then in, onto the system situated only four light years away from Mindoir, home to the mass relay through which the Silent Ones will likely invade. In it were dozens of holographic miniatures of quarian warships, labeled by unit, in key positions. “Both Shaala and I’s squadrons have already sown a path of minefields and debris clouds through which the Silent Ones must pass. And we both stand ready to ambush them as they exit the relay, to delay their advance as long as possible with hit-and-run tactics.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Excellent,” Koron said. “But tell me, Captain Shaala. What is the relative strength of their forces compared to yours and Han’s? What kind of adversary will you be ambushing?”
“As of the most recent scouting and reconnaissance reports...” Shaala said, checking something on her holo-computer. “An armada of five to eight hundred enemy warships.”
“Against our combined force of one-hundred and forty-six,” Han said.
A grim silence ensued.
She gulped. A cold knot twisted painfully in her stomach, and briefly, she looked at the ground. They’ll be so outnumbered…
Yes, with guerilla tactics, Han and Shaala’s forces might just come out of such a battle alive. But regardless of how it would go, so many quarians would be dying for humans, for a species they only recently met.
Momentarily, she gritted her teeth. Yes, the people of Mindoir – and humanity at large – had better be grateful.
“But once the Silent Ones break through to the Mindoir system…” Rael added, breaking the silence. Once more, the hologram zoomed out, then in on the Mindoir system, with small, blinking holographic renditions of warships poised at key chokepoints. Staring at the hologram, Rael cleared his throat and his voice took on a steely resolve, “squadrons of the defensive contingent of my forces will ambush them once again. Hopefully, if all proceeds smoothly, this will delay them long enough for Han and Shaala’s forces to regroup, then to enter the Mindoir system and strike them from the rear.” Rael looked at her. “And hopefully, this will afford Khanah sufficient time to persuade the humans of Mindoir to cooperate and initiate evacuation protocols immediately.”
Suddenly, everyone was staring at her, as if anticipating her response to the task at hand. She cleared her throat. “Rest assured that my companions and I will do everything we can to convince them that quarians are friends of humanity, not enemies. And that we fully intend for this evacuation to go as smoothly as possible – for the safety of everyone involved.”
Everyone began muttering amongst themselves in the quarian language. She tilted her head. Goodness, what are they talking about?
“ Khanah, ” Khairun said. “Has Captain Rael’Zorah briefed you on what we plan next? On what we require of you after the evacuation?”
She narrowed her eyes. “No…why?” Briefly, she looked at Rael. What have you not told me?
“Post-evacuation,” Khairun said, and the galaxy map shifted, displaying the Silent One fleet in pursuit of Rael’s forces, carrying the Mindoir refugees, “the Silent Ones will surely chase you. So we plan to have them do so into a trap of our choosing.”
“Towards a prize they will not be able to resist,” Ulaya added, her fingers gliding over the keys of her holo-computer, zooming in on a specific system…
Until the hologram showed Earth.
Her eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped. And she gasped. Lure the Silent Ones to Earth?! Looking at the ground, she gulped. Goodness, what were these Admirals thinking? Yes, even if their plan went well, how many people would the Silent Ones slaughter in the Sol system before the quarians routed their fleet? Or worse, what if the plan failed, and at least one Silent One warship reached within striking range of Earth?
Her mind raced through all the possible worst-case scenarios, and her heart pounded in her chest. Was this plan just a convenient way for the quarians to flex their military might and present themselves as saviors to the humans of the Sol system?
“Care to share your concerns with us, Khanah ?” Khairun asked.
“Yeah…” she said, with a hint of acid in her voice. “Tell me, what makes you think that this is a good idea? Billions of lives are at stake here, and if just one part of your plan goes wrong, then millions could still die.”
An oppressive silence fell over the room.
“ Khanah…” Naala said, her voice carrying a solemn undertone. “Right now, you have every right to be afraid. The fate of your species is at stake, and indeed, millions of humans could still die, even if we are successful. But compared to alternative plans…”
“It is the best path forward,” Koron said. “The sooner we strike a devastating blow to the Silent One invaders, the faster we break their momentum. And the faster we break their momentum, the sooner we can counterattack and expel them from this region of space.”
“It is worth the risk, Khanah, ” Khairun said. “Admiral Koron is absolutely correct in that more conservative strategies risk allowing the Silent Ones to establish a beachhead on one of your colonies. And if they manage to do that…”
“Then this situation,” Rael added, “could escalate into a long, drawn-out war, one that could easily undo all of your species' interstellar expansion.”
A heavy silence filled the room, with tension crackling like static in the air.
Looking at the ground, she gulped. Her heart pounded in her chest, and an ice-cold chill raced through her insides. Undo all of our interstellar expansion…
Goodness, if that ever happened, then Earth would descend into pandemonium, and the Alliance might collapse, or at least suffer irreparable damage.
She sighed. Damn it. They had a point. Yes, no doubt, they had to break the Silent One’s momentum and do whatever was necessary to stop this situation from spiraling out of control into a long, bloody interstellar war.
But what would happen next, after the quarians dealt their decisive blow?
“Ok…” she said. She pursed her lips. “I understand what you’re telling me, and I have to admit…despite the risks, you’re right.” She took a deep breath. “But tell me, after our victory in the Sol system, what’s next? How are we going to deal with the Silent Ones knowing Earth’s location? And how are we going to stop them from ever invading again?”
“Those are perfectly understandable concerns,” Khairun said. Looking at Koron, the Prime Admiral nodded. “And I think Admiral Koron is best qualified to address your first one.”
Koron nodded, then conjured his holo-computer and began typing away. “ Khanah’Shepard ?”
“Yes?”
“Has Captain Rael’Zorah briefed you about the Silent War?”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “The Silent War? You mean the war everyone fought seven-hundred years ago to keep the Silent Ones contained to the Attican Traverse?”
“Yes…” Koron said, his voice a calm bass. “Exactly that one.”
Above the galaxy map, several windows popped up, depicting footage of warzones from a bygone era, abound with ruined, burning cities; with toxic, hellish wastelands; and with hordes of grotesque, biomechanical monstrosities laying waste to everything in their path with uncanny weaponry. She paled. Her stomach churned. And her skin crawled. Goodness, some of their weapons unleashed destructive waves of energy that reduced anything they struck to molten slag.
And a few of the monstrosities were the size of small buildings and looked like nightmares made manifest, like hideous amalgamations of flesh and machinery with writhing, biomechanical tentacles; soul-piercing, multi-colored eyes; and menacing, spider-like limbs terminating in cruelly sharp talons. Regularly, they fired searing energy beams from their colossal mounted cannons, devastating entire city blocks in cataclysmic explosions.
“During that war,” he said, “the Silent Ones absorbed billions into their Collective and learned the locations of their homeworlds, including ours.” Koron sighed. “Several times, back when I was only a Captain, I engaged and destroyed so many of their scoutships, prowling in our own home system, and…” Momentarily, Koron glanced at Zhoru, and Zhoru nodded. “And I was not alone in believing it was only a matter of time before they would blockade Old Rannoch in preparation for a siege.” Koron closed the windows, then looked at her. “And yet that never happened. Even now, they have not launched any direct assaults on any species’ homeworld, nor any system they consider too heavily defended. Now, I suspect, they are far more cautious, focused on consolidating their territory, and only picking battles they are assured of winning.”
Briefly, her eyes widened, and she exhaled. Goodness, just how old are you? If Admiral Koron fought in a war that raged over seven hundred years ago, then just how long did Malukors live?
“Moreover,” Koron continued, “we have already taken every measure to mitigate the risks you mentioned, leaving nothing to chance.”
Again, Koron typed a few commands into his holo-computer, and then the hologram shifted to a view of the entire Sol system. “By the time you and Rael arrive to the Sol system, Khairun and I’s fleets – precisely one thousand six-hundred and twenty-two warships – will already be in position to ambush the Silent Ones once they arrive.” Markers appeared on the hologram, showing indicating the hidden locations of Koron’s and Khairun’s fleets, nestled somewhere within the icy debris of the Kuiper Belt.
Momentarily, her eyes went wide. Looking at the ground, she gulped, then pursed her lips. A force that big just staying unnoticed right on our doorstep…
What kind of stealth technology would even allow such a massive force to do that?
“ Khanah, never forget that we are fighting for the same cause,” Naala said, her voice gentle and reassuring, “that quarian interests align with those of humanity.”
“And that with our support and guidance,” Jhago chimed in, his voice resonating with unyielding determination, “we can accelerate your species’ social and technological evolution into an era over a thousand years ahead of where you are now.”
“Into a future that we have lived,” Naala said, “and can help you navigate.”
Once more, she looked at the deck, her eyes wide, her mouth agape. Over a thousand years…
Yes, such a staggering leap forward would bring about unimaginable advancements, and the benefits seemed beyond measure. She gulped. Yet, the risk was so monumental. Yes, very soon, human civilization would face a pivotal juncture in its timeline, teetering on the edge of either a catastrophic disaster or a golden age like nothing before.
So what would this leap cost?
“From everything you’ve told me, I can’t help but thank all of you for your willingness to be so generous with humanity,” she said. “Clearly, we have everything to gain and so little to lose, if we ever become close allies. But…” she sighed. Were the quarians offering all of this because they lacked the manpower and resources to stand against the Citadel Council alone? “But, I guess such a leap forward won’t come without a cost. Will it? Without humanity having to fight alongside you in case the Ascendant ever declares war…”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Amidst it, she glanced at Rael, and he nodded. Looking back at the Admirals, she cleared her throat. “Rael has already done a fantastic job of telling me about the Citadel Council, how all of its member-species will never have anything but hostile intentions towards humanity. But I need to know more. What exactly might happen if the Ascendant ever conquered Earth?”
“Oh, I would be more than happy to tell you,” Naala said. Inputting commands into her holo-computer, she cleared her throat. “But first, Khanah, did Captain Rael’Zorah ever elaborate on the Thessian Empire’s client races, like the drell, the elcor, and above all, the Zhan’Shairho?”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Why single out the Zhan’Shairho? “No, he hasn’t.”
“Then before you leave this system,” Naala said, typing away at her holo-computer. “I will send Rael some translated files, which he can relay to you later. On the way to Mindoir, I highly recommend that you study them.”
“And once you do so,” Khairun said, his voice filled with iron-hard resolve, “you will see exactly what awaits any species who bows before the Ascendant.”
She gulped and a cold, hollow sensation racked her chest. Goodness, in those files, what kinds of horrors and atrocities would she read about? Would they eclipse those of Earth’s age of imperialism, when the empires of Europe had dominated the world?
If so, then oh…humanity would definitely have a strong reason to stand against the Thessian empire. Yes, knowing the Alliance, nobody would take away humanity’s sovereignty and cultural heritage without a bitter fight until the end.
Just then, Rael checked his holo-computer, then looked at her. “I just received the files. Before we leave, I will make sure that these reach you.”
“Excellent,” Khairun said. “Now that we’ve addressed your concerns, Khanah, I must ask…Once we defeat the Silent Ones in the Sol system, will you be our advocate?”
“And communicate our intentions faithfully?” Naala asked.
For a moment, time seemed to run at a standstill. She took a deep breath. Yes, there was no backing out of this. She had chosen this path, and damn it, she would follow through. “Yes. Yes, I’ll be your advocate.”
“Very well,” Khairun said, sounding pleased, as the galaxy map winked out, “then this meeting is over. Keelah Sel’ai.”
“Keelah Sel’ai,” echoed every quarian in the room, their voices resounding with unified resolve.
Keelah Sel’ai? Momentarily, she smiled. Yes, whenever she got the chance, she’d definitely ask somebody for that phrase’s meaning. Must mean something special.
One by one, each Admiral’s hologram flickered, then vanished, until only Koron’s remained. “ Khanah? ”
“Yes, Admiral?”
“From now until we expel the Silent Ones from this region of space,” Koron said, “you and your companions will be staying aboard the Az’khaelon , under the command of Captain Zhoru and his company of Malukors. Throughout your journey, I have tasked them to prepare and equip you and your companions in any way they can, and for them to keep you safe – alive to follow through on your word after our victory in the Sol system.” Momentarily, Koron’s gaze pierced right through her soul. “Understood?”
Briefly, she broke eye contact with Koron and looked at the deck, her heart pounding in her chest. Yes, not only had Koron spoken that last word like a threat. But what the Admirals wanted… it all seemed so daunting, so crushing, with such high stakes and such little room for failure. But damn it, she could do this. I Can. Do. This. She nodded. “Understood.”
“Perfect,” Koron said. “May the ancestors watch over you.”
Finally, Koron’s hologram flickered, then vanished.
Rael sighed, then looked at her. “It’s time I report to the bridge. Our departure is imminent, and you heard Admiral Koron. For now, your place is aboard the Az ’khaelon. So until then, Khanah. ”
She nodded. “Until then…”
Rael left the room, and once he was out of sight, she locked eyes with Zhoru, his gaze burning red.
“ Khanah’Shepard? ” Zhoru asked. “Are you ready for whatever lies ahead?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Then follow me,” Zhoru said, exuding such calm determination, as he turned on his heel, “Your destiny awaits.”
----------------------------------------
On the MFV Endaara, Captain Rael’Zorah strode briskly onto the bridge, drinking in the flurry of activity around him. As he sat in his command throne, a cold knot twisted in his guts and sent a chill racing up his spine. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.
The enormity of their mission weighed heavy on his heart. Each life aboard his fleet, a sacred trust placed in his hands. And then there were the humans, who were still yet untested against an enemy as abominable as the Silent Ones. Unlike the rest of galactic civilization, humanity had never endured the horrors they unleashed during the Silent War.
So hopefully, Khanah and her companions would be adequately prepared.
Hopefully, they would not crumble when the storm of battle descended upon them.
“Captain,” Kharo said, approaching. Kharo stopped, then saluted. As always, it was so crisp. “All ships are in position, and Captain Zhoru’Larrik reports that every human is secured aboard the Az’khaelon. Their lives, he assured, are in safe hands.”
“Excellent,” he said. “Plot a course for Mindoir. Engage engines at full thrust. We make for the jump point with haste.”
Obediently, his bridge crew set to work, their hands dancing over holographic interfaces with practiced expertise. The hum of the ship intensified, propelling the fleet forward. And before long, its ships were blazing a trail through the void, in precise formation.
As the starscape shifted around them, he swept his gaze over his bridge crew – over so many loyal souls he was privileged to command, souls he would fearlessly lead into the inferno of war.
“Ready to jump at your command, Captain,” Kharo reported eventually.
“Acknowledged.” And with a final nod, he activated the fleetwide communication system from his command throne’s haptic display.
“Soldiers, comrades, friends, heed my words,” he began. “In the vast cosmic tapestry, threads of fate intertwine in strange and often mysterious ways. And today, we find ourselves bound by such a thread to our friends, the humans. We are their lifeline, their beacon in the shadowed unknown, their shield against the encroaching storm.
Remember, it is not just the might of our arms or the speed of our ships that makes us their saviors, it is the strength of our conviction, the depth of our compassion, and the resilience of our spirit. Remember that our legacy is written not in the victories of battles won, but in the lives we touch, in the souls we save, and in the hope we kindle.”
Briefly, he paused, allowing his words to sink in.
“Look to the stars, my brothers and sisters,” he continued, “for they are not merely distant lights, but reminders of the countless lives, the myriad civilizations sharing this universe with us. Now, it is our duty, our purpose, to ensure that humanity’s light never fades, that it endures alongside ours for eons to come.
So onward to Mindoir, with courage in our hearts and determination in our souls! Let the universe bear witness: We will not falter, we will not fail. Engage!”
At his command, the stars transformed into streaks of brilliant light. And with a thunderous surge of power, his ships speared through the void, hurtling forward into the jaws of the unknown.