Gabatrix: Legacy

"New Olympia....again...," Javier replied.

"Said twice from two separate campaigns. Dean claims he knows nothing, yet something was happening....most interesting," Shira put her cigarette onto the ashtray and pressed her fingers together. "According to him, the pattern was that he was on the same substance that he claimed that he never had prior to his past flights."

Javier seemed to think about it. "He was....seeing things. We are going by the basis of a person's delusions." He scratched his head. "I can't explain what's happening, but it still feels like some coincidence."

"I considered it as well. However, there has been some.....unique evidence to suggest that something else might have played a role in Dean's excellent flying abilities, especially in the flight at Hesa. Take a look at this...."

Shira loaded up a manifest list for Javier to look at. The XO paid careful attention to what he was seeing.

"It's.....a crew manifest of the upcoming transfers to the Lifen," Javier commented. His eye scanned each name. There were five in total due to arrive on the ship to help bolster the numbers of the low crew count. Each name didn't stand out much except for one. It was that of a civilian doctor. Desperation into bolstering the numbers had eventually reached a point where at least one of the crew members would be a civilian. However, he was also a doctor, much like Folar'sha.

"Getting some new crew coming onboard," Javier remarked. "Glad to see that we are getting another medic, due to arrive in about three months. A....Doctor English from...." He paused for a moment as he gave a confounding look. ".....New Olympia?" He paused for a moment and shook his head. "That's...almost unheard of. They avoid sending their own people on other military ships unless there is some profound reason to do so."

"Yes," Shira remarked. "It appears that Dean is correct. The New Olympians are sending someone to us for reasons that I can't fully explain."

New Olympia. Javier's mouth was agape. He remembered it all. The people and its firepower were beyond all UHN capability. They were the mysterious colony, a world that was becoming a myth of godhood, supposed beauty, and devastation. It only took one of their dreadnoughts to vaporize a single Shal'rein warship with one shot of a cannon of incredible power. Yet, in all their attempts to avoid interfering with UWA affairs, their ships would arrive to play minor but significant roles in current human history. What was this colony? Why now? What was so important about the Lifen that would garner their attention? Javier seemed to answer the question for himself.

"They know about us....," Javier said to her. "They clearly knew about our arrival to their system half a year ago. They know the both of us." He looked back at the still recording of Dean's recordings. "How is a man's delusion a link to all this? It can't be....."

"What do you believe?" she asked him.

"I think....that we have stirred the hornet's nest."

"Hornets....or curious onlookers. We are dealing with events that are currently beyond our understanding. However, I do believe that if the New Olympians were to commit to actions of malevolence, they would have already done so. Their actions are something else."

For some reason, Javier could still feel a sense of unease with the idea. Sooner or later, a New Olympian would come aboard the ship. Perhaps it was nothing, but this was approved, nonetheless. Somehow, this person may be more than anyone would ever realize. Regardless, he had to stow his feelings. All that Javier knew was that a pilot was talking about something random that would eventually happen. It could have still been a remarkable coincidence for all he knew.

A beeping sound erupted from the console. Someone was trying to call in. Javier briefly read the information about the source of the outside call. However, it would be Shira that would read it first.

"It seems that Admiral Hazer is interested in talking to us," Shira said. "Putting him on now."

The outside call was patched into the display. The recordings of Dean quickly faded and were replaced with that of Admiral Hazer. Javier lightly straightened his uniform as Shira remained complacent as usual. She pressed her fingers again. Hazer sat at his familiar desk in his office to address her. His gloved hands were neatly clasped together.

"Captain Shira," Hazer said. "May the tides of Earth and New Atrea rush across the Red Void."

"Admiral Hazer," Shira remarked. "You appear to have been reading my poems. What do you wish to discuss?"

Hazer swiped something on his screen to look at it briefly. "I had a chance to review the latest report you offered me. I admit....I find the idea interesting in what you propose."

Javier remained quiet. Shira had already notified him of the plan that she had in place. However, he didn't know how the Admiral would react to it.

"You agree to the mission, then?" She asked calmly.

Hazer sighed. "You don't make things easy for me....then again, you've seen more action than most Admiralty would ever see in a lifetime. You have a month with me before you are to be assigned to Admiral Thiago in the Paloran system. Sadly, most of it is being away from Mars. Within the short time that you've been here, I feel that it would be a crucial loss for me and a critical gain for Thiago."

"Don't worry, sir," Javier commented. "Will do our best against the pirates."

"Javier....," Hazer smiled and looked at him. "I read the report that Shira submitted to me. Good job in that simulated engagement. It appears that both of you are beginning to make more and more of a name to the chain of command here. Aphadus, Mars, and undoubtedly Palora. However, I'm not here to glorify the both of you. I'm here to answer the question that Shira requested. The fact is that I need to question you, Captain, if such an idea would be....safe."

"I can assure you, Admiral," Shira told him. "You will gain things that will be more crucial to you than you will ever know....."

Hazer played with his gloved fingers. "You propose that we send the Lifen, one of our battleships, and a T'rintar warship on a small reconnaissance mission. You wish to explore this.....Outpost-1078 deep in the edge of Aksren clan territory. The goal is to investigate the ruins of the last Alara'jal shipyard."

"Yes, I do."

"It would be dangerous. You would be putting your lives, the crew, and the other lives of the ships in danger as well."

"It is why I'm asking this to be a small detachment of ships, Admiral," Shira said. "A mass fleet movement into Aksren clan territory would only mount a response on their part. I also believe it will be unlikely that the Aksren will place significant defense to protect ruins that they have no desire to be at as well."

"What about the T'rintar?" Javier asked. "Have they contacted you in getting a warship to participate?"

"Not yet," Hazer remarked.

Shira lightly held her hand up. "That won't be necessary, Admiral. I have two of our own delegates that are speaking with Ambassador Ifra. I have no doubt that they will send a battleship to accompany our task force."

Hazer put his hand to the side of his cheek as he seemed to think about it. "I see. I will need to speak to the Fleet Admirals in this manner. The idea of investigating this destroyed outpost might come empty-handed. However, you think that the Alara'jal may still be alive?"

"I can only confirm that suspicion if I can check out the listening post near the main shipyard facility. However, they wouldn't be on that outpost, regardless."

"Can you promise me that the Emphra won't be on that station?"

"If there are any remaining, I can assure you that they will be destroyed."

"The Emphra...." Hazer shook his head. "Even you know of their....gruesome savagery. It will be difficult to sell the Admiralty on doing this."

"Sir," Javier intervened. "If there are any surviving Alara'jal that are still out there in this galaxy, they might just be able to help us out in this war. We have to find them. Sitting here isn't going to accomplish anything."

Hazer took a deep breath as he sighed again. "I believe you. Any potentially lost equipment, information, or munitions could be salvaged. Have you contacted this...." He paused to look at the screen. "......Civilian Paleontologist Fengge Yu?"

"I already have, and he seems more than enthusiastic to be a part of this potential mission," Shira said. Javier admitted that Shira's words were an understatement.

"I see." Hazer paused for a little bit. "Very well. I will bring this up with the rest of the chain of command. Let's call this upcoming op 'Operation Reliquary.' I will contact you again in a few days. Until then, ensure that the Lifen is ready to depart in two weeks. Assume that this has been cleared. You won't have any arguments from me but expect possible resistance from the chain of command. I can't offer any clear promises on this."

"Do the best that you can, Admiral." Shira's fingers lightly rubbed the table. Javier took note of it.

"Through the darkness, I have seen...." Hazer commented with a smile. "The light shines, and the silver is gone....rustic, dying, the hands held up high, cheering their god, we are free."

"An interesting passage, Admiral," Javier replied.

"One that is well spoken by my father," Shira added.

"I can see why Gular'shel is held in such astonishment," Hazer said with admiration. "Even his words were grandiloquent. I like that the passage doesn't suggest who the hands were."

Javier was doing his best to study Hazer. He was different than Fleet Admiral Anaya. It was odd somehow. Anaya always seemed sincere and honest, even with some form of reservation. With Hazer, it almost seemed to be the same thing on the surface. He was supportive and beneficial, but with the subtle hint of a politician. This was almost expected for a person of his position. Perhaps he was purposely overly placating Shira, but the Shal'rein had to acknowledge this as well. Anaya almost seemed to abhor politics even if she was the Fleet Admiral. With Hazer, he had embraced it. There was still so much that he didn't know about him. However, if it was one thing that Javier knew was that politicians had a way of altering facts and stretching the truth to gain power. Some could be cold-faced liars or honest gentlemen, sometimes both.

"There is one passage that I often find interesting with you," Shira said.

"And that would be?" Hazer asked with heavy interest.

"The facets exist. The falsifier remains. The fictitious endure. The fortuitous emboldened."

"Ah...the 'The Fabricator' as I often called it. Yes....one of my least favorite of my written poems."

"Quite the contrary, Admiral. I find it unique. In some Itrean cultures, you will find that poets are liked by both their worst and best of poetry."

"I see..." there was a smirk from Hazer, but it quickly faded. It appeared that the comment really pleased him. "In that case, I will leave you two be."

"I will be here, Admiral."

With that, Hazer tapped a button and the channel closed. It seemed quiet at first. Javier looked over to Shira. A subtle smile could be seen on her face and snout. It wasn't a promise, but the Shal'rein Captain seemed more than sure that this future operation was coming.

"You really think we will find them?" Javier asked her.

"They are out there," she said with no hesitation. She seemed ready to light another cigarette.

Javier knew that the journey wasn't over yet. The shortstop to Mars was only the prelude to another journey. It would be a trip into the sea of stars and into the heart of death to find the truth. What happened to the titans? Did any of the great Alara'jal people survive extinction? Would they be so willing to serve humanity and their sworn enemies of another Itrean clan? There was no definitive answer to those questions. Only time would reveal it......

The End (For Now)