WanderStar

Chapter one: Contemplations

Cycle 05, Yr 9237. SefiarSystems databanks, file 3047.

...




"Devin, you there?" crackled the communications system.

More silence.

"Devin!" toned the frequency.

Quiet.


"Devin Saresi!"

"I'm here!" a bloodied man answered into the frequency. "Damn man, I was worried about you! What happened?" The frequency continued urgently. "Nothing. A meteorite pierced my shielding and broke through. My suit shut down around me, but nothing serious." He said. "Diagnosis?" continued the other pilot. "Just a few scrapes. Bad scrapes." He said. "Damn life support." crackled back at Devin.

The man punched a few buttons into his control panel on his upper torso and relaxed as his suit hissed, giving him connection back into the cold interior of his ship. The damage the meteorite had done to his fighter had already been reduced to nothing, powerful shielding covering the hole. Devin sighed and punched in a few buttons. "It's always like this in border patrol. Somebody has to get hurt." He pressed down on his left rudder pedal and swung his fighter to rejoin his squadron. "2, you alright?" crackled into his team frequency. "Yes, Derelict leader." He returned casually. "Slave your navigation systems. We're heading home." Devin, nodding involuntarily, slaved his navigations to the leader of his squadron and felt the thrum of his engines and he whizzed into hyperspace, stars dragging a fiery path into his eyes.

....

Cycle 01, Yr 9238, SefiarSystems databanks, file 40567.

Devin walked down the cold, silvery hallways of the Xzavier II, a combat frigate. He began contemplating his mission. "Bomb Drusha-Prime into submission, kill everyone in sight, clame all for Sefiar. Great plan." he thought cynically as he paced the hallways. He was supposed to be heading to his post, but it could wait. He needed to do some thinking. "The Drushans are powerful opponents. I doubt I'll survive this. But then again, our mission is to just land the troops and blast everything in sight. The Cavalier has the real mission. The bombs. We're being sent here to take a bullet." he thought bitterly.

It was going to be a long day. Devin gazed out the viewport to his right, looking at the aqua-colored world in the distance.

"Here we go." he whispered.