Star Bate Saga IX

Earlier

The ship moved slowly through the stars. It glided, effortlessly really, its shined and metallic exterior reflecting that of a thousand suns and enticing all but rock and ice.

Angel Carraway looked out at the space beyond. They were approaching their destination, a planet in desperate need of salt. It was the ship's first big mission; his first big mission.

It was pretty perfect. A glorious ship-new make, a rogue (and ruggedly handsome) adventurer captaining it, and a crew so loyal that they would die for him. He loved the crew; all professionals and dedicated to the spices! Some of them even stayed up into the required resting time to take inventory! He was a lucky man. A smart man, for that's how he got this ship.

He got up out of the chair and paced toward a circuit board. He pushed a few buttons and started to pull up on a lever. The lever connected to the screen, which started to slowly lift up, letting in heat from outside the glass.

Suddenly a man slapped away his hand and configured the screen to close again. "What are you doing?!"

Angel was taken aback. "Just trying to get a better view at the wonder around us!"

"Well don't do that! You're lifting the screens that protect us from being obliterated. That lovely world around us is bright enough to incinerate us." 

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and the whole room was filled in a vivid red light that bounced back and forth.

"Oh great, what did you do now?!" said the man as he raced off back to his monitor. Angel threw up his hands.

"Breach!" called a female officer. Everyone started to scramble as Angel raced back to his chair. He typed out a sequence to lock all exits. As he did, the alarm ceased.

Angel sighed. "See. Under control! Probably a renegade we picked up from our last dock. He's probably being contained right now."

"Guess again." the voice slunk in like a cat about to pounced and dripped acidly. Angel turned as two men pried open the doors and in walked a daunting woman, mahogany in skin tone and dressed in a lavish blue coat.

Angel's eyes grew wide. "Fe." He whispered.

The woman smiled. She approached him, her boots making hollow clanking sounds on the tile. She smiled at him, and then proceeded to strike him with the hilt of her dagger. He fell gracelessly to the floor.

"All right then." she called. "My name's Firmament and I'm now captain of this ship." She smiled at their wide eyes and stunned faces. "Chatoyant," she called, "Take them below deck and have them checked out and detained. Oh and nice work boys." Anderson called out an 'aye' and Grayson laughed coyly, while Chatoyant strolled in, snapping cuffs on the few officers on the bridge.

Chatoyant chuckled, "The blind leading the blind." She then started to lead the crew out the doors.

Angel grunted, "Blind? blind? She's blind."

"She can handled herself." As a testament to this, one of the officers leaped towards Chatoyant, aiming to take her down. She landed her elbow under his chin, took his hand, and flipped him unto his back, taking the whole chain with him. Firmament chuckled.

"Get up," Chatoyant said lightly, "You'll be late for your medical checkups. The gloves might get cold." The crew heavily got up and marched out, leaving behind Angel and Firmament.

Firmament paced a circle around him, cautiously waiting for something to occur.

"Is it, is it you?"

"I think so," she quipped.

"Why?"

Firmament frowned. She sucked in her cheeks. "You know damn well why. This is my ship. And I've come to take it back."

"But you didn't-"

"Enough." She tensed and struck him with the hilt of her dagger again. This time, he lay unconscious.

She turned and looked out at the space before her. She was like this before whispering,

"War is hell."

Fate finally seemed to be on her side.