Who’s next on your list?

Could you at least wait for me to sit down again before you continue?

Com‘on now, Flex. You don’t need your hands or eyes to follow my gossip. So, who’s next?

Tuonis Junpid.

That’s a lengthy one.

Then you better get started or I’m going to skin you.

No need for threats, Flex. Tuonis Junpid, despite the short name, was hatched under the predecessor of our Empress and became a renowned Captain. He was known to be a diligent soldier and inspired absolute loyalty in those who worked under him. While it’s unclear if he used a rare psychic ability or is just a great leader remains unclear. The most interesting factoid of his, is his involvement with the Timebomb Incident.

I heard of this incident a couple of Circles ago. The former Empress ordered singularity bombs to be detonated inside artificial wormholes in order to create a time-portal. Every test was a failure as far as I know.

They were failures because they didn’t have the results the former Empress wanted. They were too instabile and had the tendency to create temporary blackholes. Nasty business, which is why the former Empress forced a gag order and only allowed the First and Second Steward access to the data, which was lifted once our Empress took the crown. Despite the whole affair being considered one giant failure, one experiment turned out somewhat right, and this was the one Tuonis got mixed in.

During this test run, a portal was created, which didn’t immediately collapse into a temporary blackhole. Exited, a few scout ships were sent towards it. Tuonis was the main commander during this mission and coordinated the scouts as well as the potential rescue mission he had planned in the case something went wrong. And something did go wrong.

After the first set of readings were transmitted to the main network, the portal became unstable. The first scout ship was immediately crushed by a gravity-shift, while the second was caught in a strong isomagnetic field. The third was the lucky one and managed to escape the pull of the portal. And that’s where such stories usually end. We lose a few expendable ships and gather some useful information, but Tuonis wasn’t like your typical commander. He ordered his ship to dive in and rescue the second one as its hull was still intact.

So, you tell me this moron got pulled into a time-warp because he tried to save a stupid scout squat? Those aren’t even worth a salvage operation once the ships get destroyed.

Those are the exact thoughts any sane captain should have, but those are the reason behind the nominal loyalties within our precious Fleet. Tuonis thought differently, which’s why his team was so loyal to him. Without a second thought, he ordered the rescue mission into motion he had prepared without the Empress knowledge and headed into the collapsing portal. While he managed to save the scout ship, his own got pulled into the collapsing portal. A moment later, the thing erupted into a massive blackhole, which nearly destroyed a whole sector before it was caught in a stabilisation field and starved until it collapsed. Needless to say, Tuonis and his crew were written off as a lost.

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Not entirely lost, judging by the fact we’ve to deal with him.

I see why you’re such a great Interviewer. Implacable logic.

I’d rather you continue the story than force me to show you some interrogation techniques I learned.

You’ve no humour, Flex.

Not with the headache I still suffer.

In that case, I’ll continue. As you know, Tuonis and his crew aren’t dead. About five or four Circles ago, a portal opened behind planet Vestran and spit out an outdated ship of the Neutron Class. Confused but well, he was interviewed by the scientists who had started the experiment over two thousand Circles ago.

As rumours go, there were a few shifts in his and his crew members' behaviour. Considering his profile from before the incident, he had become more ruthless and cruel, as well as less loyal to the Fleet or even the Empress.

Considering he was thrown well over two thousand circles into the future from one moment to the next, I can sort of unterstand him.

So, you’re telling me that you would dissent so easily as well?

We talk about a new Empress, Scar. Being thrown so many years into the future sure doesn’t feel great, I presume. It’s kind of understandable that he isn’t such a big fan of our Empress. If I remember correctly, there is some sort of ritual involved with the change of Empress. Something he missed. It would be like walking into your living quarters and finding other people being there, claiming to live there from now on, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Put like this, it makes much more sense.

Good to know, you still got a brain left in your skull, considering your habits.

Do remind me of my tonic, Flex. I’ll become sad, and once that happens, I won’t tell you anything anymore.

You’re pathetic.

Sounds like a you-problem.

Whatever. Continue.

So… Since Junpid and his crew were almost immediately considered deserters, they were sentences to the lengthy re-education program.

The one where you get demoted to recruit? That’s worse than execution.

But execution is much longer lasting than the re-education program. Still, I like to imagine he had the same reaction as you. He accepted, though, and was placed along his crew under the guard of a new captain. I think his name was Valerian Valestin, but that’s beside the point. The whole ordeal didn’t last long. Especially since they asked of him to also cut his tail fin, something unheard of during his time. That and the fact Valerian hazed his crew badly, he hatched a plan to steal one of the Prototype Flares. Needless to say, he and his crew sacked the thing, killed Valerian and went to Cetus.

For some time, they made their living by attacking and stealing from the Fleet wherever they found a post until they made contact with the Cult of the Pale God about two Circles ago. Since then, they mainly attack the labour-units and steal the sorry sots forced to work there, while still ransacking Fleet properties whenever they can. The rest you know from the Dossiers.

I think we should be carful around him. If one of those misfits poses any form of danger, then it’s him and his crew.

Smart idea, Flex. On another note, would you mind getting me something to drink?

You haven’t even started to tremble yet, or are you telling me you already feel withdrawal kicking in?

I thought about water.

Oh. Still, get it yourself, Scar.

Fine.