Captain Jo’su Orión crossed his arms, the sight of the capital planet of his home system never ceasing to amaze him. He stood at the center of a wrapping hologram, Ixania floating among the countless stars; the twin suns of Linis and Xona’pel shimmering behind the planet.
Jo’su reached forward, enlarging the image in front of him. He smiled inwardly, watching the emerald and blue orb turn ever so slowly. The Clearing Festival had ended a week ago, leaving the planet ripe with vegetation.
From the very first time Orión had laid eyes on Ixania he had been enthralled by its beauty. It was the perfect combination of man, machine and nature. Concrete wrapped in vast floral designs, seemingly endless skyscrapers designed to be functional pieces of art. Ixania was natural beauty draped in sophistication.
Everything on the home world was exaggerated. Bigger. Infinitely more impressive. Sprawling cities, bustling streets, swarming skies. A melting pot of cultures and traditions. It was a delight for the eyes, pleasure for the nose, and stimulation for the mind. Ixania was the epicenter of everything that the Ixanian system was and it was fabulous.
Not that Orión`s home planet of Xiso wasn`t impressive in its own right. He came from a world of rich history, wonderful traditions and cutting edge technology. Xiso was ripe with a beautiful culture like the other planets in the Ixanian system but Ixania always stood out above the rest. But Orión was raised in the poor part of Xiso, nothing as glamorous as the sparkling cities that wrapped around the planet.
Regardless, for all the beauty that Xiso contained it simply wasn`t Ixania. The drama, the sheer bigness. The fashions, the trends. The circus that was life. Nothing could compare. Simply put, Ixania was unique.
Orión had petitioned for an assignment with the Ixanian Defense Organization during his first Celebration of Hands. He had been praying to the Adored One that he be granted the opportunity to study and work on Ixania. Naturally, his family was disappointed. They were pacifists, focusing on building rather than destroying.
Leaving his family and friends behind, Orión left Xiso for Ixania and dedicated himself intensely to his studies and training. He loved living on Ixania and drank it in every second of every day. When he wasn`t in class or training, he was seeing the newest play or visiting works of art.
An exceptional student, Orión graduated at the top of his class and was assigned to the Evelna. One of Ixania`s most advanced space crafts, it was charged with deep space exploration and defense. Over the next few years Jo’su witnessed things that defied the imagination. Supernovas, far away planets and the beauty of forming solar systems. He spent years touring his own system, visiting every planet from Jai to Prien.
Just as Orión was promoted to First Officer of the Evelna tensions between the Ixanians and their longtime adversaries, the Nalash, began to spark again. Several conflicts had broken out along the Ixanian borders. It was during one of those conflicts that Orión had proven his worth as a leader and was promoted to Captain of the Evelna the following cycle.
Despite the indescribable beauties of the universe, nothing compared to the magnificence of Ixania. Orión while silently wished that his visit to Ixania had been for pleasure, this return home was all business.
The Nalash, an aggressive race originating from the neighboring galaxy, had led a war against the Ixanians for almost two centuries. War centric and focused on expansion, their Empire had grown stronger with each annexation of territories. After a particularly brutal defeat, the Nalash were quiet for a few decades but had recently reignited their aggressions toward the Ixanians.
By all intelligence the IDO had gathered, the Nalash had conquered a few more worlds over the years and were amassing a sizable fleet just outside Ixanian territory. For the first time in decades, many Ixanians were beginning to doubt their ability to defend the system.
Looking at Ixania below him, Orión marveled at how quickly life can change. A few hours ago he was he was reading the latest status reports as he awaited his meeting with Admiral Haln`en. He sat nervously in Haln`en’s enormous office on the 110th floor of the Department of Defense Building. The office hung off the main structure like an icicle. The walls and floor had been set to transparent, allowing an uninhibited view of the capital city of Lin`Pael.
Orión stared absently out into the city as aerial transports swirled around him. His glass of talen had cooled, his focus on the meeting distracting him. Evelna had just finished an extensive retrofit and Orión signed off on its inspection this morning.
“Impressive view, isn`t it?” said Admiral Haln`en from behind him.
Orión stood stiffly, turning to the Admiral. He quickly saluted, walking toward the slim and fit Admiral of the fleet. “Admiral,” Orión said, “It is a pleasure to see you.”
Admiral Haln`en smiled, motioning for him to take his seat. A veteran of the war she was well respected and equally feared. Physically, she was imposing, her long, black hair pulled back tightly behind her head. Her dark eyes were difficult to read, painted with a subtle fierceness. She had fought many battles and her prowess for war games was unmatched.
“Your craft has completed its retrofit.,” she stated, staring out at the city beyond the glass. She lifted her tablet, reviewing the information displayed across the glass. “I assume I know why you are here.”
“Affirmative, Admiral,” Orión answered, placing his untouched beverage on the side table and approaching the Admiral`s desk.
“You are preoccupied, Captain,” she stated, sitting behind her glass desk. “It is written all over your essence.”
Orión nodded, pushing away a lock of black hair from his olive brown forehead. “My team. The infiltration mission. We know where they are being held.”
Haln`en nodded. “IAnd you want to go after them, Captain.”
Orión nodded, looking past the Admiral and into the sky. He could almost imagine the Evelna floating above him, set against the dark vastness of space. “They’ve been in captivity for weeks. We owe it them to get them out.”
“I understand your sense of urgency, Jo’su,” Haln`en said, opening her tablet and interfacing it with the holographic projector. Reports with the pictures of his crew members floated above.
“If intelligence reports are accurate,” Haln’en began. “Then they are still alive.”
Orión nodded. “Its reliable and I believe it. Give me authorization to go in and get them.”
Haln’en studied the Nalash warship and the system where they were being held. “You are going in to hornets nest,” Haln’en began.
“With the most advanced and heavily armed ship in the Fleet,” Orión interupted. “And the most experienced crew.”
Haln’en nodded. “All true but even with all this in your favor it is still as close to a suicide mission as you can get.”
Orión crossed his arms, his face determined. “We can do it, Admiral. Trust me. Let me get my people back.”
Haln’en stood quiet for a moment before slowly nodding her head. “Top brass is going to have my head for this but…”
Placing her hand on Orión shoulder and smiling, “You`ve done me more favors than I can count, Jo’su. I owe you more than a few.”
She tapped her tablet quickly. “Mission approved.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” Orión said, saluting and walking stiffly toward the door.
“Captain,” Haln’en said. “I`m making an addition to your team considering you`re down a First officer.”
Orión stopped and turned around, looking at the profile floating above Haln’en. “I am assigning Martin Dashiel to you as your First Officer, are you familiar with him?”
“He served aboard the Ges`on Hal for many cycles with distinction,” aware of who Dashiel was. “If I`m not mistaken he fought in the Battle of Kyup with the ground forces.”
Admiral Haln`en stood up, nodding. “A very talented officer. Captain Tris was sad to lose him but I think that he will serve you well. He is from Xiso,” Haln`en added, “Just like you.”
Orión acknowledged the statement. “His family has a house in a small farming cluster outside of the Capital.”
“He is an asset,” Haln`en stated, “I have no doubt that you will benefit having him as your First Officer. His transfer is effective immediate; he is in transit as we speak.”
“I would have felt more comfortable if he had more time to get to know the ship and crew,” Orión said.
Haln`en nodded and walked around to the front of her desk, crossing her arms. “War waits for no one, Captain. It knows no time and will not have mercy on those who are not ready for it.”
She leaned closer to Orión, her voice like a razor. “It’s your job to make sure they are ready.”
Motioning to the bustling city outside the windows she added, “Our people are depending on it.”
Haln`en stood up and walked back behind her desk. “Besides, you still have Evelna. While your First Officer is new, she certainly is not.”
Orión blinked away his thoughts. Ixania grew small on the holographic image around him, blending into the starscape. Orión closed his eyes, imagining Lin`Pael and its inhabitants in his mind`s eye. All its beauty, its culture. Everything that he loved about his people. All this was now being threatened and he would do anything he had to keep it safe.
Orión cleared his head, focusing on the task at hand. They pulled away from the space dock, leaving Ixanian behind. He stepped through the hologram and into the center of his busy bridge.
The bridge of the massive craft was circular, surrounded by clear glass walls. Stools were in front of the glass, moving along a track. Stations dotted the bridge with varying responsibilities from navigation to tactical. At the center on a raised deck was the Captain`s level where Orión issued the orders to his staff. Beyond the glass walls the rest of the staff moved with purpose, preparing for the upcoming mission.
The Evelna was the most advanced ships in the fleet. Similar in design to other Ixanian crafts in was cylinder in shape with a pointed bow. Six engines flared out at the back of the craft; its hull lined with a pitch black metal.
Larger than most Ixanians crafts, the Evelna stood out with it two observation bays on both sides of the ship. The clear bubbles protruded from the sides, made from a revolutionary clear metal that could withstand the stress of space travel. Designed primarily for exploration, Evelna housed not only those who served on it but their families as well.
More impressive than the craft itself was the technology that powered it. Ixanian crafts were fueled from the Infinite Plains themselves, connected to these awesome energies through the Nexus.
The Nexus was the apex of Ixanian technology, the control center of so much of their society. A Nexus allowed the Ixanians to harvest energy from the Infinite Plains and power their cities, space crafts and so much more. They were the literal heart of every Ixanian craft.
His officers moved from one side to another, confirming last minute orders and instructions. Images and data flew up against the circular walls, information being passed from one person to the next.
“Set Alert Level One,” Orión barked, his strong voice booming over the commotion of the bridge. “All hands to stations. Prepare to Phase.”
The lights on the bridge dimmed as the pulse of the ship’s Nexus beat faster, ramping up for the Phase. Orión stepped up to the circular command table at the center of the bridge, reviewing the holographic projections that floated in front of him.
His new First Officer stood next to him, patiently awaiting his orders. A farmer for many cycles, Dashiel was from the Warrior Caste. Like the rest of the Ixanians he had strikingly dark eyes and olive colored skin. His build was wide, his body firm. And while his features were distinctively Ixanians, there was one feature that set Dashiel apart from the rest.
Long, blond hair was tied up onto the top of the first officer`s head, a sharp contrast to his dark skin and black eyes. While not unheard of in Ixanian culture, it was certainly a rarity. Many religious Ixanian were convinced that it was the symbol of someone touched by the Adored One.
Martin Dashiel had served the Ixanian Military for decades. He was from the Ge`lan Cluster, a small farming town just outside Xiso’s capitol of Lai`sul. Deeply religious, he knew that it was the Adored One`s will that he join the fight against the Nalash. He left his family behind to defend them from the unseen threats hidden amongst the stars above.
He served on several ground units at the end of the Nalash’s previous aggression, fighting in some of the most brutal battles the war had seen. He was a celebrated officer, known for his fighting skills and battle planning. He joined the fleet as Nalash tensions subsided but was in high demand now that the Nalash had resumed their attacks on the Ixanians.
“Commander Dashiel,” Orión said, addressing his first officer. “Are we ready to Phase?”
Phasing involved creating a small tear into the very fabrics of space and time, slipping into the Infinite Plains themselves. Traveling through the Infinite Plains they could cover millions of lightyears in a matter of seconds. The vastness of the universe was only a phase away for them.
Commander Martin Dashiel looked away from one of the projections and responded, “All stations report ready. Waiting on your order, Captain.”
Orión nodded, reviewing the coordinates that were locked into the navigation computer. The Nalash were close, he could feel it in his essence. Decades of silence were about to be shattered and Evelna would be in the thick of the war once again.
“Excellent,” Orión replied, hearing the familiar sound of the ship`s Nexus fully ramped and standing by. “The order is given. Phase.”
