Untold Stories of a Galaxy - Kysaek: The Beginning

The decision had been made! The scouting mission had been successful and had confirmed every suspicion - Trident Three existed and had undoubtedly been built with forbidden technology. That in itself was reason enough to act, as Elder Rila had emphasised afterwards. The experiences and reports of Kysaek’s group were of course no less decisive. It was time to put a stop to PGI! To this end, parts of the Consulate’s fleet were gathering near the largest military space station at Anuket at that very moment. Around 250 ships held their positions in the vacuum or joined the gathering, while a few cruised in the flotilla that was forming. Most of the war machinery was purely military and a colourful mix in terms of design. The technology, however, was lacking here and there. Certainly not all the ships were of the latest or average standard and certainly a quarter of the fleet had previously been civilian in nature but had clearly been upgraded with military equipment. However, this was no cause for concern, as the instructions had been very clear and every crew member had been fervently sworn in for this important upcoming battle and if they all fought with half the vigour they had shown against Neo Solaris, Trident Three’s days were numbered! But there was still a short way to go and a plan was needed.

That’s why Kysaek, together with Galaen, was attending a briefing on the nearby consulate space station and quietly listening to the report on the scouting mission and how they intended to proceed.

The room was large, filled with hundreds of officers of various ranks and set up appropriately for its purpose, with high rows of seats so that everyone could look down and listen to the admiral’s presentation. “So these are the recordings that Vector 14 made itself and received from Vector 13,” explained Jonathan Griffith. He was a man of fifty-five years of age with a dark skin colour. His white hair was barely distinguishable from a bald head, but his full beard of the same colour was all the more distinct and neatly trimmed. “As you can all see, the station is right next to an asteroid belt. Presumably this and the other belts in the otherwise empty solar system were used to procure resources for construction. At the same time, the asteroids serve as protection for the station.”

The images were clear, as explained. A smaller graphic showed that no planets were orbiting the blue sun in this system, which did not yet have a name. It hadn’t been marked on star charts before, so for now it was called the Greypoint and there were five widely spaced asteroid belts within it. Trident Three was located on the second, innermost ring and was also surrounded by a dozen or so much smaller, automated defence stations, about the size of a frigate. However, the number of stations was not entirely clear, nor was the strength of the PGI fleet present there. The reconnaissance was able to detect a good fifty-one state-of-the-art military vessels, but it was assumed that there were several more. Two of the best Consulate scouts had approached Greypoint from different sides and collected data, but, as feared, the scouts had been detected with persistent presence and one of them had been destroyed. But before that could happen, it was able to transmit its data to the sister ship, which escaped. So now they had to work with what they had captured.

“Even with our fleet strength, we can’t simply break through these defences,” Jonathan warned and enlarged Triden Three himself, the station being several kilometres high and at least one wide. He emphasised the three outward-facing arms on the lower side of the space station, which considerably extended the radius of the construct and on each of which, above and below, a huge, heavy magnetic gun was emblazoned. He pointed out six of them. “Our first and foremost objective must be to take out as many of these guns as possible.”

One of the many officers, a Hishek, stood up and waited to be given the floor. “Sir, this station is made up of First-class technology. The shields alone need massive firepower and unhindered, but the enemy fleet and platforms will never allow that. I don’t see any way we can do that.”

“Very good observation, Captain,” Jonathan agreed. The Hishek sat down again and the admiral continued. “In our preliminary analysis, the admirals and General Akaro came to the same conclusion, but the general has come up with a risky, but possibly our only solution. Take a look at it.” Jonathan ran a simulation in which the incoming consular fleet launched prepared transmission beacons as soon as the battle began, placing them almost directly in front of the station and above the heavy guns. “We combine the destruction of the guns with the second, primary objective of the first mission phase - boarding the station. To this end, we will place transmission beacons in front of the station via torpedoes and generate precise exit points so that a series of six big transport ships can exit the IPF precisely. This will also kill several birds with one stone.” The simulation showed how the aforementioned transporters appeared on the battlefield, very close to the station. The exit from the IPF not only brought them almost into contact with Trident Three. Due to the repulsive gravitational effect of the dark energy particles as they left the IPF, the possible formation of the enemy fleet was also briefly shattered and the enemy would have to reorganise. Time enough for the transporters, fully loaded with manned bolt droppers and explosives, to disperse to the guns. One ship, one attempt, for each gun. As they were not projectiles or highly concentrated energy, the ships could easily pass through the space station’s protective shield and before they hit to destroy the guns with them, their Bold Droppers left the carrier. The smaller transport planes scattered over a wide area of the steel surface, destroying as many of Trident Three’s smaller defence weapons as possible before landing and with the help of missile batteries below them. The dropper crews would then try to make their way into the interior.

This plan caused an unsteady murmur to go through the hall, but who could blame them? It was pure suicide. “Sir, with all due respect,” a Talin squad leader stood up. “We’ll probably suffer heavy casualties on landing. Why don’t we use this jump tactic with the transporters and instead chase a ship loaded with a powerful neutron bomb into the station? After all, destruction is one of the three main objectives of the mission, correct?”

“That’s correct,” said Jonathan, stepping away from the console displays and towards the rows of seats. His posture remained tightly military, with both hands clasped behind his back. “But by eliminating them, we would completely miss the remaining objectives of the operation, if I may remind you: priority one, capture any data from the station. Number two: Destroy the station at all costs, even if objective one fails. Objective Three: If possible, capture or, if necessary, eliminate Skarg Peeks.”

“That’s asking a lot sir, if I may say so.”

“You may. I think we all realise how devastating this battle will be, but nonetheless we must fight it. Not for the Consulate or because it is our mere duty as soldiers,” Jonathan said sternly, but with a clear and sincere look through the ranks. “We must do this to honour the past sacrifices of the Solaris War and to secure the future for everyone in this galaxy! If we don’t fight, history will repeat itself and all the selfless dedication and valour of so long ago will have been for nothing.”

No one was keen on this battle, that was clear. Even by soldier standards and especially in this short time frame. Still, everyone was certainly aware that it had to be done and many nodded silently to the Admiral’s words and the Talin squad leader sat down again.

“Once the boarding teams are in the station, we need to get reliable schematics of its layout as quickly as possible in order to find the reactor and a usable data centre. Try not to form groups that are too large. We are relying on small teams that are scattered everywhere and bind enemies. Based on the size of Trident Three, we’re looking at a crew of 4000 to 8000, certainly more civilian personnel than soldiers, but still more than enough combat power, along with likely defences and bots. Maybe even units of the First. You have to be prepared for anything. After all, we assume that Skarg Peeks has been assimilated and is now serving new masters.”

Kysaek glanced at Galaen without a word. As one of the first people involved in this whole story about PGI and heroine of the Consulate, she had been given the highest authority within the station. All units were supposed to act on their own initiative, of course, and otherwise it was business as usual according to rank, but at the very top, Kysaek’s word was the last thing to come out of Trident Three. Only Admiral Jonathan would trump her if he saw no way out and ordered Kysaek and everyone else to retreat or take similar, drastic steps. After all, this was the Consulate’s army and therefore Jonathan’s responsibility. While Kysaek would have preferred General Akaro to be there as supreme commander of the forces, his place was here, right now on Anuket, because a potential danger had arisen. Shortly after the return of Vector 14, there had been direct warnings from the Palanian Junta. Officially because of the unauthorised crossing of their territory, but curiously the warnings came from separate politicians, through private channels and not from the Junta leadership. Political influence, no doubt, which Skarg Peeks wanted to use, but the Consulate was unanimous: Triden Three had to be removed at all costs. Thanks to this attitude, the proverbial stone had fallen from Kysaek’s heart and she had gratefully accepted the command of the infantry. She had been given every tool possible. She was once again the master of her own destiny.

“If there are no more questions,” Jonathan threw into the room and waited a moment. No one answered him and he closed the meeting. “Each of you will once again receive all the details of this immensely important operation. The fleet should be ready for departure in just under two hours. After that, we have about twenty-two hours to Trident Three. One hour before we reach our destination, we will make a final stop and crew the transport ships. Prepare your crews for battle and focus them calmly. Once again, there will be a Dawn and we are at the end of the briefing. I wish us all good luck and success.”

There was deliberately no big speech from Kysaek, not yet. As the leader of the boarding troops, she was only supposed to give one shortly before the battle began. She also thought Jonathan had done a good job with the conclusion alone: “Once again, there will be a Dawn. It described. when a large fleet of ships left the IPF together. The dark energy created an artificial red haze in the background, which was seen differently by many: The hope of a rising sun, the blood-red veil of death, the revenge of the righteous, a doom for the future. A lot of philosophy, a lot of soldier jargon, but all leading to one important point. In this case, the pursuit of PGI’s end. Once she had left the Consulate’s space station and was back on the Nebula, Kysaek had to prepare her crew for that very destination. In the ship’s briefing room, this meant first repeating what Jonathan had said, supplemented by the details and breakdowns of the mission. “So when we get to the station,” said Kysaek, looking through the ranks of those present. “We’ll all be operating in separate teams, each with our own objective.”

In addition to her confidants, such as Galaen, Vorrn and Thais, Lieutenant Stemford, his task force, Dios and Kuren were also present in the room. “Are we really supposed to remain permanently on call?” asked Dios indecisively. Fleets colliding, finally an important flight and she was supposed to act passively with her sister in the Nebula’s scout ship. She didn’t like that at all. “While everyone else is fighting?”

“The Dormant is not a battleship. It’s fast and can attack, yes,” emphasised Kysaek. She understood the pilots’ frustration. Now that the Sororans’ moment to shine had come, Kysaek had to rein them in and use them where she saw them best. “These are exactly the skills we need if you have to get to the station quickly to pick us up. I don’t want to risk you being damaged or even shot down in battle beforehand. We need you in one piece.”

“Your concern is honourable, but we won’t be destroyed that easily,” said Kuren, with great conviction. “And at the latest when the fleets enter the active phase, it will hardly be possible to hold back. Unless we stay out of the battle ... which would be absolutely unacceptable. After all, the Nebula is also doing its part to support Admiral Griffith’s command ship.”

Kysaek didn’t know what to do. In her opinion, pushing through this order was essential. On the other hand, it could damage morale and she believed in the twins and their abilities. It wasn’t like that. But how could she convince them?

“How about this,” Galaen suggested. “The Dormant is deployed as a defender for the command ship and remains on call. No offensive manoeuvres - but defence.”

The Sororanians looked at each other, with Dios nodding. “I think that’s good. Do you?”

“Without command ships, every fleet falls apart,” Kuren agreed. “An important task.”

“So?” Galaen addressed her leader.

Kysaek praised the idea. “Good tactics. So the Dormant will protect Admiral Griffith’s ship and get us off the station if necessary.”

“It’s just a question of time,” Wolfgang said, analysing the scant details of Trident Three. “If I find the reactor, PGI will pay and I’m very keen to do so. So expect a call from us soon.”

“The only time I like to play lookout,” Vorrn added. He was on the same team as Wolfgang and their task was to find and sabotage the reactor of Trident Three in order to destroy the station. “My patience is finally paying off!”

“Patience,” Wolfgang drew in a sharp breath. “No more patience. Brute force is the meal at which we will judge.”

“Absolutely.”

“Stay focussed!” said Douglas. His arms were crossed and his muscles were naturally tense. He was also part of the reactor squad. “We have one goal, and it’s not slaughter. We’ll have that without looking for it.”

“He’s right,” Thais agreed, albeit moderately. You could literally feel how little she thought of the old soldier. “But that’s all he’s right about.”

That bounced off Douglas. “And it’s all that is needed, for me.”

“I appreciate the commitment,” Kysaek interjected, trying to smooth things over. She looked up at the ceiling and addressed the most important part of the whole thing for her. “How far along are you with your upgrade?”

“Ninety per cent complete,” came back from Dorvan over the audio equipment. “And, as I mentioned, this is just a precaution.”

“Better to have and not need than not have and need.”

“That philosophy is hardly apt,” Dorvan thought. He had expressed concern that the station might cause interference in the frequencies or even block them. This could make it difficult or even impossible for him to control his avatar. That’s why he had just installed the latest in terms of transmission power and transmitters, sponsored by the Consulate and modified by himself. “I always need the best possible connection, with or without interference. That’s why I always have and always need it.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Kysaek said, her eyes falling on Galaen. “Recovering valid data is an absolute priority. Stemford and some of his people will accompany you. Avoid combat if possible and protect Dorvan by any means necessary. He’s our best chance of success.”

“You can count on us!” Galaen returned. “And you? Don’t you want to take some reinforcements with you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kysaek replied before looking at Thais and Tavis. Together with both of them, she would search the station for Skarg so that the Nebula’s crew would be involved in all three mission objectives. “I think the smaller the better. Peeks will also be so nervous if the three of us use prismatics and bombs to smash our way through to him. Plus, salvage and destruction are more of a priority, so these teams will get all the strength they can.”

Galaen radiated pure confidence, a born officer. “As long as my group reaches its destination quickly, we can support you in the search afterwards.”

“Let’s wait and see the situation on the ground,” Kysaek skilfully put the brakes on the euphoria. She wanted Skarg, she really wanted him. Especially after what he had tried to do to Auranis and had tricked her on top of it, but Kysak tried to see the battle from the tactical side. “The reactor will certainly be fiercely defended and you may be needed there, or it may be the other way round, in the search for evidence. We will react according to the situation.”

“Understood, that’s probably for the best,” Galaen agreed. The Palanian had a good sense of when she could pursue a point more vigorously or leave it alone. “If I’ve got this right, we’ve covered every detail so far. Shall we start with the preparations within the teams?”

“In a moment,” said Kysaek Her team was a different case again from the consulate’s army. She didn’t want to make a big speech as she was trying to implement Tavis advice about trust. Still, she felt that her people deserved and certainly expected a few personal words from her. With one goal in mind, her path, Kysaek was able to brush aside any uncertainty from before and present herself as a leader to her people, lofty and powerful for everyone on the ship to hear. “Listen up, this is Kysaek,” she announced, pausing for a moment. “Soon the time will come and we will begin our most important battle. So I really want to tell everyone - I’m damn proud of everyone on board. Some may not have been around as long as others, but that makes no difference. Everyone is here because they want to be. There are different reasons: Whether it’s persecution, revenge, getting into it by accident, for the glory of battle, for honour and justice and more. All this is a valid motivation, which I respect and which ultimately leads to a common goal - the end of PGI. That is the motive of us all! Remember that when you soon find yourself in one of the biggest battles of your life, and above all, remember that you are not alone! We will get through this together until the final victory! And now, finish your work and then treat yourself to some well-earned rest. Kysaek, over.”

Most of the people in the room reacted very enthusiastically to these brief but upright and emphatic words. Stemford and a few of the soldiers saluted before everyone left the meeting one by one.

Kysaek remained at the end, as did Vorrn. “Are you backing out?” the Hishek asked coolly. He had previously been given a little extra role for this mission.

“No,” replied Kysaek. The reactor was important, but that wasn’t the only reason she had assigned the lecherous mercenary to Wolfgang’s group, and she spoke carefully and seriously as they approached. “At the slightest sign of treachery...”

“You’ve already experienced it yourself,” said Vorrn, his nostrils flaring. He had made short work of the Brawlers on Central, simply because their filthy treachery disgusted him. “Traitors are the lowest scum. Maybe I’ll take care of him too, if he wants to play the boss.”

“No, again, you don’t,” Kysaek ordered. She saw a hint of amusement in Vorrn’s wrinkled, leathery features and gave a hardened guess. “Or are you just trying to win the bet?”

The corner of Hishek’s mouth lifted. “That would be the opportunity, wouldn’t it?”

“It would be, it would be, and I’d certainly be the last to stop you, but he’s earned his chance,” Kysaek sighed, sticking to her no. “Anything short of betrayal, I won’t accept. So pray for the betrayal, for both of us.”

“You really don’t like Douglas, do you?”

“Who knows,” Kysaek lifted her shoulder and looked back over it as she walked to the exit of the briefing room. “Maybe it’s a silly dislike. Or maybe it’s the last vestige of normality from my old life.”

Instead of backchat or spiteful words, Vorrn gave her an appraising look. It was as if he was remembering something, or at least thinking harder, until the closing door made him disappear.

The calm before the storm applied to Kysaek, as it did to everyone else. At least that was almost the case. Once again, she found herself in her spacious commander’s quarters, sitting at her desk and having a conversation about the kit there. “My crew is more than ready, but what about the consular troops? What was the feedback from the officers?”

Admiral Jonathan’s face was visible on the transmission and also appeared to be in a private cabin. “Don’t worry about that,” the man said confidently. “So far I’ve only received positive reports from the units. Just as General Akaro and I thought, you are acting as a spearhead and leading figure.”

“Which is probably also due to the fact that many of the Enter troops were involved in the attack on the Neo Solaris base,” said Kysaek knowingly, as she had complete insight into every detail of the mission and many units had a note about the mission on Anuket at the time.

“Of course,” the admiral remarked clearly. Men like him and General Akaro knew their trade only too well. “These soldiers know first-hand what you can do and embody, and they are still extremely grateful to you for saving them from making a terrible mistake. Such loyalty is priceless.”

“I hope I can prove myself worthy of it.”

“You certainly will,” Jonathan replied, glancing sideways for a moment. “You win on the ground and I win in space.”

“Sounds like a simple plan. I like it.”

“Me too, but now I have to oversee the final preparations. I think the fleet will be leaving in a quarter of an hour,” Jonathan said, giving some personal, if obvious, advice. “Use your time of rest. Every minute until such a big battle is some of the most precious time you can have. Believe me.”

“I’ll take it to heart,” Kysaek replied with a smile, switching off the kit. “Kysaek out.” Her words weren’t just words, either. Trayden, Anuket, Cipi - those were no less battles, but what was to come was definitely different. At least it felt different to Kysaek, even if she couldn’t put her finger on it. The tension was there. Anything else would have been strange for her if that wasn’t the case. Nevertheless, she was fine so far and after completing her preparations, she watched the holoscreen above her bed, mesmerised.

The 250 or so ships were actually a rather small fleet by galactic standards, but for the modest Consulate it was a considerable part of their strike force that they were now sending out. First it was a scout ship that disappeared in the red flash of the IPF. Then followed similar ships, smaller frigates and destroyers, until gradually and with each passing second, dozens of parts of the fleet were fading into interphase flight almost simultaneously, just as the Nebula finally did, and where before there had been a fleet and dark space, now the all too familiar reddish energy took over the whole picture, like an eternal, endless tunnel.

Kysaek looked at it for a while before switching off the holoscreen and thinking about how she could follow the admiral’s advice: A few hours of sleep would come anyway, but that wasn’t a use of time for her. Perhaps a warm shower, a good meal and there were even a few gamma in her fridge again, although she certainly didn’t want to overdo it with the latter before the fight. She had a small list in her head and yet she continued to pace her room thoughtfully. Should Kysaek perhaps mingle with the team? No. She knew it all too well from her time in the military. Her former comrades and she usually felt uncomfortable in the presence of the commanding officers when it came to private time. It was certainly no different on this ship, but at least Kysaek used her kit again and switched through the Nebula’s cameras without sound. She only wanted to watch, not listen.

Even at the important stations, such as the engine room and bridge, the atmosphere was relaxed. Someone had to be on duty, but during the IPF there was usually very little for them to do, and while some of them were chatting, a group of technicians were playing Seven Lies. The tables in the mess hall were full, while the corridors were almost empty.

Kysaek didn’t even look closely for her inner circle. She had only seen them all at the meeting and none of them gave the impression that she had anything to worry about. But what was Kysaek supposed to do? She thought again and grabbed her upper arms, which she rubbed weakly and walked back to the bench. Finally, the realisation hit her like a bolt of lightning - she was lonely and felt isolated. Until now, everything had always been closely interwoven, ever since her escape from Cipi. They made plans together, often spent time together, ate and worked together. However, the larger her group became, especially after the donation of the Nebula and its volunteer crew, the more the familiar routines of travelling changed. She had previously told the crew that no one on board was alone, and that was true, but there was a huge difference between being alone and being lonely. Kysaek rubbed the tears that were beginning to form from her eyes. Maybe the shower will help, she thought. What else could she do and freshen up? A nice, warm, perhaps a little too long shower. Back in her casual team uniform, a towel over her shoulders and her hair still discreetly wet, the prospect of a meal was not particularly tingling. The shower was soothing, but it hadn’t changed the way she felt and she remembered the day before. “Yesterday was a nice change, maybe...” she whispered temptingly to herself and without giving it much thought, she put on her vortex cuff and used it.

“Kysaek, what,” Tavi’s face appeared as a small image and he looked puzzled. “Are you all right? Are humans shedding or what’s wrong with your, that hair?”

Intentional or not, that lifted Kysaek’s spirits directly. “You know how to flatter a woman. Never seen a human with wet hair? Or wet hair or Davoc fur at all?”

“Not that I know of. Maybe I’ve seen it once, but if you don’t have such appendages yourself, you might tend to block it out. Only now, I mean, it literally jumps out at me.”

“Don’t you want to take a closer look? That could expand your knowledge of Xeno.”

“Take a closer look?” Tavis repeated, running his claws skilfully over the ridges on his chin. “Is that an invitation to higher society?”

“More of a suggestion,” Kysaek dismissed nonchalantly, grinning tightly. “I mean, you showed yourself to be very cultured on your last visit, in keeping with higher society, and this time I’d also have Gamma and could send for a good meal fit for Palanias. I might even add a Palanian chocolate on top.”

For a moment, it seemed as if Tavis was taking the bait, but he haggled away. “I’m more of a cookie guy.”

“Pretty big demands, but I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Well, how could I say no? Give me a while. I’ve got one more thing to do first.”

“Sure thing, I’ll wait,” Kysaek replied, ending the digital exchange. Using her vortex cuff, she sent out an order directly and a short time later a servant Bot brought a packet of Palanian ready-made food to her cabin, plus a small packet of biscuits. It wasn’t difficult and she prepared the ready-made food for both Tavis and herself, although the Palanian took his time.

A good half an hour later, he came through the door that had been unlocked for him. “Sorry I took so long,” Tavis apologised. He was without his jacket and bag today.

“Don’t worry,” Kysaek raised her right hand and sat down at the narrow table where the packets lay. “I haven’t unpacked the food yet. It’s certainly warm.”

“And actually cookies,” Tavis marvelled and also took a seat. “And I thought you were just trying to bait me.”

The pre-packaged biscuits could be torn open easily and without much force, as Kysaek elegantly demonstrated. A proper meal was waiting inside, spread out on a deep tray. “You should know by now that I’m a true tp my word.”

“Well, that can be good or bad,” Tavis replied and opened his menu as well. “Depending on which side you’re on.”

“Yes, but let’s not go into any more detail now. A few hours without all the things we usually do would be very convenient for me.”

“Change of subject? My speciality,” Tavis said and seemed to scan the table. “You said something about Gamma?”

“Oh, almost forgot!” came from Kysaek awkwardly, and she skilfully slid out of her seat to retrieve two metal bottles with Gamma’s logo on them from her mini-fridge. She handed one to the Palanian.

Tavis grabbed the bottle. “Thank you, and if it’s not too rude, your hair looks better again.”

“I’m flattered anew,” Kysaek smiled politely. Her hair was dry again, no more, and she raised her bottle for a toast. “But since you’re so full of good words: What are we toasting to?”

“Mhh, how about a good time? We could definitely do with more of that.”

“Hear, hear,” Kysaek agreed and the metal of the bottles clinked together. She and Tavis started to drink. With their hands raised and their heads resting lightly on their necks, Kysaek noticed out of the corner of her eye that the ends of the Palanians claws were covered in safety paste, but she didn’t let that realisation dawn on her. She simply shrugged it off for the moment and began eating the meal of meat, potatoes and gravy instead. “Mhh, not bad at all for airtight food.”

“That’s right,” Tavis tasted his ration. It looked absolutely identical, but customised to Palanian biology. “But let’s be honest - a good drink makes a lot of meals bearable.”

“Sometimes, but nothing beats a fine cigarette. A real universal solution to problems.”

“Yeah, except they don’t sprinkle the tobacco in their food,” Tavis shook his shoulders and arms. “At least I hope so.”

Kysaek acted amused and shocked. “Is that what Palanians do? Or what makes you think that?”

“I’m just exploring the possibilities. Besides, I don’t actively smoke and you never know what connoisseurs might do. Maybe you use the tobacco as a flavouring for the meat?”

“I don’t think even a Negdrog would eat that combination.”

Tavis was also amused. “Do you really think radioactive waste devouring animals are that picky?”

“Are we really talking about whether Negdrog would eat meat with tobacco flavouring? Or anyone eats cigarettes at all?”

“Hey, you brought the real pleasure into it,” Tavis feigned innocence, raising his bottle. “I’m just trying to keep up.”

It seemed kind of silly to her, maybe even a little forced. Still, it had just been too long since Kysaek had been able to behave normally or even ludicrously: talking about pointless topics, acting a little out of character or flirting harmlessly. “They keep up pretty well and have almost always had a surprise in store. I almost make a sport out of luring you out of your reserve or tricking you.”

“You can try anything,” said Tavis and took a sip of gamma. Up to this point, he had usually expressed himself relatively eloquently, but here and now he did not allow himself to be deprived of a pompous undertone. “Don’t be surprised if I’m always on top in the end, though.”

“If I’m wondering, or rather asking, it would be because of your plans after the PGI thing is done.”

“What was that again? A few hours without all that?”

“I’m sticking to the rule,” Kysaek smiled coquettishly. Moreover, this question had been on her mind for some time, because given the circumstances that had led the Palanian to join her team, he was actually involved in something himself. “We’re talking about afterwards and, thinking back, you were apparently looking for someone. Have you given up on that?”

“I never would,” Tavis denied There it was again, his rule of personal and business, that was clear. He put his bottle down, but this time he seemed conflicted. Did it really make a difference if he stuck to it now? In just under fifteen hours he might be dead, Kysaek as well, all of them, and so he put his claws together calmly. “Shortly after we left Trayden, however, I realised that my search was no longer so easy and yes, I am looking for a friend who fortunately did not appear in the registers of Trayden’s facility.”

“A ray of hope, but why did you stop with that realisation? PGI was never your fight.”

“No, no it wasn’t,” the Palanian said. He was not a noble hero who acted for noble reasons, although of course he was no brute either. “I had to adapt, though. First I helped annoy Reed and then PGI. When you have a crosshair on your forehead, everything gets a lot harder.”

“Maybe, but you’ve also been in dangerous territory before.”

“Well, there’s a difference between having to keep an eye on a couple of crooks and two powerful enemies who can stretch their arms across the whole galaxy, and two arms can quickly encircle you.”

Kysaek tapped the edge of her plate with her cutlery thoughtfully, trying to understand the man’s motives. “So you’re putting all your eggs in our basket? Eliminate PGI first and then leave?”

“I have to,” Tavis said directly, looking his counterpart in the eye. “I think Reed will be less of a threat once PGI has been dealt with and my tracks are already more than cold.”

“You’re probably right,” Kysaek replied and looked back. The prospect of the Palanian going his own way again after Trident Three saddened her. “Even if I would find it regrettable if you were to leave us.”

“Would you rather like it, if that wasn’t the case?”

Kysaek hastily contradicted herself. “No, well, yes, but I know you have to go and I mean, even if your quest didn’t exist, what would keep you here?”

“Fame and fortune,” Tavis said, shrugging his shoulders, but he quickly corrected this bad joke. “No seriously, I don’t really know. I certainly won’t be gone right away, but I’ll have to think. Maybe, once PGI is gone, I could enlist the help of the crew in my search?”

“Sounds like a really important search,” said Kysaek. She had no intention of refusing this request: With PGI out of the picture, what was wrong with that? “I mean, we’ll have a lot more time, but which friend are you looking for exactly?”

“His name is Tanoko Rav, a Davoc, and he’s one of the few people I consider a very good friend and trust, and I think that’s saying something among crooks.”

“Ah, he also engages in less legal activities?”

“Your art of words, always a pleasure,” Tavis said happily, but his mood was fleeting. The subject was too serious for him. “Yes, he’s also a criminal. One of the good guys and that’s what got him into Reed’s clutches.”

“Why?” Kysaek listened with interest. Her food was half gone and she set the cutlery aside. “He was good? Did he work against him?”

“Not in that sense of good. It’s probably the oldest story in the galaxy,” Tavis said matter-of-factly. No matter the era, the place or the species, some things were the same. “A friend of Tanoko’s, called Francis, had a horrendous debt to Reed, so he wanted to help him. To pay off this debt, the Syndicate boss wanted Francis to steal a valuable art object from the Davoc. Valuable doesn’t mean easy to obtain and Tanoko realised that the two of them couldn’t do it alone. So he asked me for help.”

“He asked you for help?” Kysaek repeated, sipping her gamma. “But I thought you were looking for him because he was captured by Reed?”

“Patience, I’ll get to that now. I agreed and we travelled to Upatu, a world in Davo territory, where we had to break into a museum. It really wasn’t easy, I can tell you that, but the three of us had the necessary talent for the job and were able to steal the bust of the Conqueror without being caught.”

“Bust of the conqueror? Which conqueror?”

“I call it that because,” Tavis admitted embarrassedly, scratching his hard cheek. “I honestly forgot the name all the time, even back then. All that matters is that the bust was made of pure gold, beautiful to many, steeped in history and worth hundreds of millions.”

“Hundreds of millions?” Kysaek guessed in advance, rubbing her thumb and fingers together. “Let me guess: Your friends got too greedy and wanted to bag the bust themselves?”

“Not really, no,” Tavis claimed upright, trying to mimic the greedy finger gesture. With slightly stiffer claws, it wasn’t easy for him. “How do you do that and why?”

“Never seen it before? That’s what you do with humans when it comes to money.”

“There´s something too it,” Tavis marvelled. He could half imitate the movement. “In any case, we didn’t do anything to upset Reed. We left Upatu without any problems and returned to the Maw. Everything was fine and I separated from the two of them on a space station beforehand. Tanoko stayed with Francis to make sure nothing happened and Themis was his home anyway. So the two of them continued their journey together.”

“Did Reed cheat them? Were Francis’ debts not settled after all? I mean, surely he didn’t owe hundreds of millions?”

“It didn’t even come close to that. I can only speculate as of this point, but supposedly a group of pirates snatched the bust and when Francis was empty-handed in front of Reed, he allegedly killed him. Tanoko was apparently spared, but now he was in debt and was enslaved by Reed as compensation.”

“Excuse me?” Kysaek wondered. It made no sense to her and she thundered her elbows on the table indignantly. “Tanoko only helped Francis, nothing else! How can he be in debt?”

“It’s probably pointless to question the rage of a big syndicate boss. Tanoko was probably just in his sights, otherwise I wouldn’t be here now,” sighed Tavis. To his regret, he was also plagued by feelings of guilt. “I should have been more forceful. I warned Tanoko several times that it’s never good to work for Roskor Reed. I should have stopped him.”

“That’s nonsense, Tavis,” Kysaek replied with conviction. When she saw how much the Palanian was affected by this, she sympathetically grabbed one of his claws. “You helped a friend who wanted to help a friend. Who knows what would have happened without your help. The two of them would probably have been caught or even killed during the robbery.”

Tavis looked at the hand resting over his and raised his bleary eyes. “Nice of you to say so, but I was against this theft from the start and in the end you could see why.”

“Even if that’s the case, you’re trying to save your friend now. You’re trying to make amends.”

“It’s the least I can and must do,” Tavis breathed out heavily and placed his free claw over the back of the woman’s hand. However, he was less concerned with returning the sympathy for this story. The Palanian wanted nothing more than the touch itself. “But that still lies in an uncertain future and I prefer to enjoy the here and now.”

“So do I, and I’m glad you accepted my invitation,” Kysaek smiled, feeling the rustic skin of Tavi’s claws. It was different from a soft, warm hand and quite rugged, but the firm surface alone gave a sense of security, though Kysaek felt unsure of her choice of words. “Oh what am I saying, sorry. That must have sounded really needy.”

“Not at all,” Tavis reassured, also looking as if he had never touched or felt a non-Palanian in such a way before. “My finger had been trying to contact you just before you called. The crew from the engine room had invited me to play cards, but somehow I didn’t feel like it.”

That surprised Kyxaek. “You were about to dial me? What stopped you?”

“It seemed a bit inappropriate, I think,” Tavis revealed. He gently took both hands back, not quite knowing how to put them down, and swung them around in explanation. “I thought you must have more important things to do right now. Talking to admirals, motivating soldiers. There couldn’t be room for a Palanian who really wants nothing more than a break.”

“A break? You have one, now as well as before.”

“It’s more of a breather and with what we’re facing, I think you’re longing all the more for your normality to return.”

“Normality? What do you mean?”

“As I say,” said Tavis as he steadied his hands and let his front slump forwards. However, the usually serene rogue seemed more distracted than ever at that moment, finally showing that Kysaek wasn’t the only one with her battles on her mind. “My life in the underworld was never safe and there were challenging situations here and there. But since I joined you, all this, one huge blow after another and now we’re on the verge of perhaps accomplishing something unimaginable... so I’d give anything to feel a little more normal again, but I know - I’m sure that wish sounds strange and ridiculous.”

All at once, Kysaek had to swallow a big lump and her heart began to pound more noticeably. Normal, that word alone and the longing for something simple made Kysaek quite upset, but in a good way. “No, it’s not ridiculous,” she breathed to herself, looking at the Palanians with a fervent expression. The corners of Kysaek’s mouth pulled apart warmly and she shifted her upper body across the table and kissed Tavis on the centre of his larger, unyielding, lip-loose mouth.

The Palanian didn’t move and was perplexed when the kiss ended and the woman lingered close to his face. “Well, if I know nothing else about humans, but I’ve seen this before,” Tavis said excitedly, gripping the woman’s cheeks with both claws. “And now, for the first time, I’ve experienced it for myself.”

“Oh, there’s a lot more to experience... if you want,” Kysaek replied very personally.

“All i want right now is you,” Tavis murmured intimately, running a few claws over the woman’s soft skin and stroking her hair exploratively. “It’s just ... I don’t know anything about humans, as far as that goes. I don’t know what you like so much.”

Kysaek grabbed one of the Palanians wrists and smiled. “I don’t know much about Palanians either,” she confessed, nuzzling her cheek against the rough-feeling clawed hand. It gave her goosebumps, the feeling of something unknown ahead. “Let’s just ... see, shall we? Bit by bit. The main thing is that you’re with me now.”

“Your words couldn’t have been more beautiful,” Tavis said, moving his claws carefully. He was more than aware of the soft flesh between his safety-paste-covered fingers. “This thing with your lips, this kissing, could you...?”

Not a word came from Kysaek and she repeated what she had done before. She kissed the Palanian leisurely, briefly, and in a few places on his mouth. “How do Palanians do that? How do you show your affection?”

“As for this part, it’s more about the spirit and closeness. Let me show you,” Tavis said, pulling the woman’s head closer until forehead to forehead and the Palanian closed his eyes peacefully.

Kysaek did the same and tried to realise the man’s words by stretching out both her hands towards his face and wordlessly running her fingers over the bony ridges.

Tavis took full advantage of this silent moment before opening his eyes a crack. “You’ll just have to warn me if I get too rough.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just right and you came prepared,” Kysaek finally remarked, grinning and tapping a piece of the safety paste. “Is this what you were hoping for?”

“What’s happening now? No, I wanted some distraction before the station, but I more than welcome the turn of events,” Tavis said coquettishly, glancing sideways. The reason for applying the paste made him uncomfortable. “I used to do that before our big fights. It can get messy and hectic quickly and I don’t want anyone to cut themselves fatally on me.”

Kysaek had never noticed this before, but the Palanians precaution was both sweet and responsible. “Come on, it’s more comfortable downstairs,” she whispered promisingly and withdrew from the Palanians clutches, while at the same time grabbing his wrists and slowly pulling him with her towards her bed.

Both of them were more than fond of what was to come and yet there was this naivety, the innocence of the unknowing. The beginning was the easiest part, when Tavis grabbed Kysaek’s shirt by the hem and she stretched her arms up so he could remove her top. It was much the same with Tavis’s synthetic shirt, albeit slightly heavier. All Kysaek had to do was open the tabs at the front so that the Palanian could remove his clothes and reveal his seemingly rock-hard torso. The blue paste stuck all over the man, covering the sharp blades of skin, and Kysaek glided over those areas to show that she wasn’t afraid. Tavis took notice and placed his right claws against the woman’s cheek again, though it wasn’t long before his eyes fell on the woman’s unfamiliar, velvet-wrapped mounds. His claws from the cheek slid lower and rested on Kysaek’s shoulder, puzzled. The first puzzle opened up for the Palanian, who tugged at the bra’s straps and tried to pull it off like a shirt, causing Kysaek to giggle harmlessly and squirm. The movement of her arms came in handy, however, as she took over this part for Tavis and undid her bra at the back to slip it off casually to the front. Waiting, the woman looked up at the Palanian, who scanned the contours of the unfamiliar female forms with his eyes, but did not take hold. Instead, Tavis had his hands at the same height and moved his claws indecisively. He just didn’t know what to do and Kysaek gently guided him by pressing his claws to her bosom. Not that the woman was one of the plumpest, but for the Palanian it was a completely different world to hold such soft and supple flesh between his claws. Despite the paste over his claws, Tavis restrained his limbs and that was just right for the woman. Gentle and sensitive, it pleased Kysaek, who finally wrapped her arms around the Palanian’s neck and gradually sank into a sideways position on the bed with him. Warm kisses were her favour and every touch of her lips sent comforting, if animalistic-sounding, tones flowing from the man’s lungs. Surprisingly, Tavis quickly discovered the most sensitive spots on Kysaek’s mounds, so she bit her lips and explored the man’s body. There was scaly, hard skin everywhere. Nothing she could compare to human men and made her hesitate, but just as she had guided the Palanian, Tavis did it for her now. He gently pulled one of her hands from the back of his neck and released Kysaek’s fingers from his grip on one of his bony ridges. She looked scrutinisingly into his eyes and once again he made that pleasing sound before the woman ran her fingers forcefully over the ridges, eliciting unmistakable sounds of pleasure from the Palanian. Both had taken their first steps, still without haste and savouring the intense closeness to each other more than the sexual act itself. That didn’t mean that the sexual act itself was secondary, however, and after each of them had found something stimulating about the other and every piece of clothing had finally disappeared from their bodies, Kysaek and Tavis ventured deeper into the passionate act. It was definitely not perfect and a bit bumpy all over again, but this immortal moment for two belonged only to them and was still a thing shared by many species in the galaxy. Normal, or rather the most natural occurrence of all, filled Kysaek and Tavis with a sense of joy that was simple yet hard to describe. Everything was forgotten for the moment and together they had to smile broadly. There was one aspect of this sensual act that was very much the same for both humans and Palanians, albeit less flexible, as their loins fused together and the last of the stress evaporated. For a few hours, during which Kysaek and Tavis gave themselves to each other, the galaxy was fine. Even the end couldn’t change that.

Kysaek lay relaxed on the Palanian, covered halfway up her back, with the left side of her head resting on her crossed arms. “I didn’t expect you to be such a comfortable underground,” Kysaek said softly, jokingly. The Palanians seemingly rigid scaly skin looked like a kind of light massage mat, dotted with tiny bumps that moulded themselves to the woman’s body.

“That’s what’s going through your mind right now?” Tavis asked peacefully and delightedly, resting his back on a large pillow. His right claw rested near the woman’s neck and he repeatedly ran it over her skin, twirling the short hair faintly, still mesmerised.

“Rather a nice feeling to share with you.”

“Well, from the looks of it, I’m only too happy to accept your gifts,” Tavis cajoled, but he didn’t exaggerate his sweet words. “Anything at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such peace.”

“Peace, meh,” Kysaek murmured cheekily, resting her chin on her hands. “I would rather call it exhausted and satisfied, coupled with a pinch of happiness.”

“Hehe, apt word too. After all i wanted to prove myself worthy of the high society with my words, though.”

“And I thought a professional like you would have realised long ago that it was just a trick of mine to lure you in.”

“Not bad, but never trick the trickster,” Tavis countered, stretching out his free arm on the bed. “My plan worked like a charm. I wanted to sleep in the best bed on the ship.”

Kysaek pouted playfully. “Mhh, so you used me for my bed?”

“I’m sorry you’re finding out this way, but at least I shared with you, right?”

“How generous to let me into my own bed,” Kysaek said with amusement before resting her face back on her hands with the other side of her cheek and closing her eyes contemplatively. “How much longer?”

“Just over eleven hours,” came back Tavis quietly, wrapping his arm more around the woman. “Time enough to enjoy this and put everything else on hold.”

“Postponing, I used to do that a lot. It’s good to finally fall back into old patterns.”

“Personally, I like your current pattern.”

“Right now, I’ve slept with you and I’m lying naked on top of you,” Tavis said and briefly kissed the Palanian’s chest. “I don’t think there’s anything you don’t like about me.”

“And I lie naked under you. Fair trade.”

Blissfully, Kysaek giggled and snuggled tiredly against the scaly man. There was no love involved, not on her part and she didn’t get the impression from the Palanian either. Nevertheless, she felt happy and comfortable at the moment and had the feeling that this would be the best sleep she had had in a long time. Kysaek murmured to herself accordingly. “Tavis?”

“Yes?”

“Whatever happens soon, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for these wonderful hours and everything else.”

Tavis realised that the woman on top of him was slipping into the land of dreams and instead of replying with words, the Palanian gently slid his claws onto the woman’s head and let himself be pulled along on the same wave of sleep.

The comforting sleep of security, before an inevitable horror on the horizon.