CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The Orbit of Accrakos - Naval Armada

Tumultuous coils of primeval nature blanketed the planet's surface. The marbled swath of violet hues represented the fiercest storm any of the Naval officers had ever encountered; Impossible to pass for even the hardiest of ships. Admiral Hail slouched at the helm of the Noche Protega, looking down on the Maelstrom with seething resentment. The inability to act was a circumstance he detested. He was a steadfast leader of men, and being left to stew in his frustration set his crew on edge. They could feel the temperature of the bridge creeping upward alongside his smoldering impatience.

Demystifying the strange abilities possessed by each Admiral was limited at best. Hail's secrets were firmly locked away and a stranglehold of fear prevented even a murmur of discussion from his subordinates. His Captain -- the unshakable Susa Noctei -- stood impeccably straight, rouge beads of sweat trickling down her cheek onto a pristinely folded collar. Having already felt the consequence of failure, the ever-present promise of further discipline kept her lips tightly bound.

Hail took long draws on his cigarette. Smoke seeping through the unruly mustache hairs curled over his top lip. He let out a grumble with each exhalation and the technicians at the station in front shuddered with unease.

A portly lieutenant shuffled through gasping doors to the right of the room. Already out of breath, he stood panting to the side of the Admiral, his presence going unacknowledged.

“Pardon the intrusion Admiral but there still hasn’t been any word from Mr.Teege and his men.” He reported nervously, unable to capture even a glimmer of interest from the Admiral.

“All attempted contact with the Accra has gone unanswered and the scans show unnatural levels of seismic activity across the entire planet. The other Captains await your orders sir.” Every other word was fumbled by a pronounced stammer which the lieutenant could see was displeasing the Admiral. Hail turned his head and a long plume of smoke was dragged through his lips. He locked eyes with his terrified subordinate, the news doing nothing but worsen his perpetually foul mood.

“No word from the other two? I assume off on a ridiculous peace offering or trying to turn pirate filth into good soldiers. Never around when the pressure is on. When there's real work to be done.” Hail said, flicking the butt of his cigarette and narrowly missing the ear of a trembling technician. His disdain for his peers was well known so mention of them was omitted from the majority of discussions.

“Admiral’s Indra and Gesa have both been informed of the unfolding situation and are headed to our location as we speak sir. Admiral Gesa reported a second Levantikar sighting. Her intel shows it approaching the galaxy's outer spiral arm.” He paused as the mention of a Levantikar piqued Hail’s interest.

“Go on.”

“After tracking the trajectory of the entity we encountered, their destinations seem to be identical. They’re heading toward Accrakos sir.” All bridge staff turned to face the lieutenant, hoping desperately that he had misspoken. Hail reclined in his chair, head sunken into his shoulders and dark circles engulfing his eyes. Despite the Levantikar not being prone to attack, a creature of that size could wipe out the entire armada if evasive maneuvers were not carried out. With the majority of the Naval fleet assembled above Accrakos, their position had become jeopardized. Hail had to make a decision.

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He let out a sigh, pulling himself from his chair and activating a standing salute from his crew.

“Order half of the fleet back to HQ. The rest to the Golgotha. I want nothing to come within a hundred thousand kilometers of that place. Nothing. The Lanza and two destroyers stay here. The Cybel will not leave here alive.” Hail's words were like hot embers bellowing from a furnace. Volka and Khan had alluded Naval capture for over a century and, much like Teege, Hail had taken it personally.

A salute followed by a chorus of yes sir's echoed throughout the bridge before the crew scrambled to their various stations. Hail knew that his request of three ships remaining behind wouldn’t be sufficient for taking on the Cybel, but with the planetary-sized threat of two Levantikar heading their way he was forced to put the safety of the armada above his grudge.

“Go on then. Back to your ship.” Hail grunted at Noctei and her eyes widened with surprise. After the beating she received for failing him against the Gallowmare, she was sure her chances of promotion had been extinguished.

“Yes Sir.” She replied, proceeding swiftly to the transport vessel with her Naval insignia cape swaying proudly behind her. Her redemption had come and at a more pivotal point in history, there was not. Like the Penumbra onslaught and Eureka Calamity before, the unfolding events would be chronicled as the era when the tides turned in the fight against the pirate menace. There was no doubt in her mind that Captain Noctei of the Plata Lanza would be a name immortalized, a true champion of justice.

Noctei approached the narrow, brightly lit hallway that led to the central dock. As she marched toward her transport vessel, the hallway fell into darkness. Red emergency lighting kicked in almost immediately and proximity warnings flashed onto nearby Holo-screens.

“Impossible” She muttered to herself. The Levantikar were still days away from their position. However, the scale of the object the scanners had identified was beyond anything she had ever seen. She tore herself away from the troubling discovery and sprinted to the dock.

Panicked Naval officers scurried around her, attempting to get a handle on the situation. She emerged into the grand expanse of the landing bay and joined a group of engineers that were staring intently through the immense glass window of the docking iris.

Her lips fell apart. Accrakos sat dead center. The vicious storms that had been ravaging her surface had parted in a fissure of brilliant white. Vast oceans peeled from the surface, gravity contorting the cosmic rivers into helix-shaped structures as they drifted into the void. The true spectacle, however, was emerging from the planet's innermost depths. The once dormant heart of the oceanic paradise burst forth into the universe, releasing a cry of revival that would reverberate to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. A third Levantikar had awoken.