Episode IV
Destiny

    
        We were Vasudan, a strong race, a simple people, in the years before we left the fertile soils of our world. We survived. We thrived among ourselves, our history was dotted with the occasional war, but when we tasted space we lost all that. We were finally united. Then they came. The demons struck, they striped our glorious planet bare and left it a smoldering desert. It took us many years to rebuild our lost planet. When we made it back to space, we found our way to planets, deserted planets, but we mined them for their minerals anyway. The destroyers had left us, but a prophet told us that they would return. He called them Sa’ka’an, the demons. The profit also told us that someday an alien, a warrior that once fought us, would stand to face the Sa’ka’an, and he would be called, the leader for the Shivans. And that someday his destiny would bring him to us, and that it would eventually lead to the end of the devil.
         As the years passed, we forgot the legend, mist covered the words and they disappeared. Our language mirrored the Sa’ka’an, and we continued. Then we found them, they called themselves Terrans, and when we met, friendship turned to the bitter taste of war. We ripped each other apart for fourteen years. And then the legend came true, the Sa’ka’an came forth.
          So we banded with the Terrans, the legend was beginning to resurface. And then we found them a name, we called them.... Shivan. And now it was time to tell a new legend. 

           
           Sam and Vo’tion stood in the docking bay of the Cheops. Space glistened like a velvet cloak outside. The new Vasudan watched Vo’tion as he told his story. “This is.... a Terran Captain, nothing more, nothing less. A simple test pilot, that is all.” The Vasudan nodded. 
          “I see,” he said. “It is good to have you back Tak’eye.” 
          “It is good to be back Sa’toon.” Sa’toon walked over to Sam. 
          “I know why he is back, why have you joined the Hammer of light?” Sam smiled deviously. 
          “Neither of our races will survive if we do not give ourselves up to the Shivans.” Sam walked forward. “They are legend, and they are superior. I just want to survive.” Sa’toon nodded.
           “What do you know of this ‘Leader for the Shivans’?” Sam walked back to his ship. He took his sword out of his ship. 
           “Probably dead in the VT war, but if he’s still alive.....” Sam smiled deviously. Sa’toon smiled and turned back to Vo’tion. 
           “You know your way around here Tak’eye,” he turned to leave, “Keep an eye on the Terran hunter.” Vo’tion nodded. Sam waited till the Vasudan was gone. 
            “What the hell was that?” Sam asked, there was anger growing in his voice. “Damn, who’s side are you on?” Vo’tion slowly turned to look down at Sam. Sam reached for his sword but didn’t draw it. Vo’tion stared for a long moment, nothing moving. Sam stepped back, Vo’tion didn’t move. Slowly his lips moved and the Translator picked it up.
            “I was there, on the day of death.” Sam furrowed his brow.
            “What do you mean?” Sam looked at him. 
             “The day the Vasudans and the Terrans made war. I was there, I killed many Terrans in cold blood. And I was from this ship.” he looked out into space, the wall of stars slowly rotated. “You came forth, and we opened fire, the screams of the first few to die.” He griped his hand into a fist. “I can still remember the day, but the one memory that has scared itself into my mind was not the scream of the dead, nor the yells of my comrades going into battle, not even the sound of my lasers pounding steal flesh, but it was one Vasudans laugh, as your people died.” He looked after Sa’toon, “his laugh.” Vo’tion started to walk away. “Come Sam, let us get this mission over with.” Sam nodded, he closed the cockpit of his ship and followed after Vo’tion. Something caught his eye, and he turned. Like in slow motion a man checked a sheet and then walked past a wall. Sam blinked. “What is it?” Vo’tion asked. Sam shook his head.
               “I don’t know, let’s get the hell out of here.” Vo’tion nodded. They walked into the lift. “Is that why you didn’t want to come back?” Vo’tion nodded.
                “You would not understand Terran.” Vo’tion said, Sam looked up at him. 
                “You would be surprised how much we are alike.” The lift continued. 

                “Get me everything you have on this Morrison.” Sa’toon said as he walked unto the bridge. A Vasudan turned his head and nodded. Affairs continued as normal. “I want to know who he is, what rank he is, and why he’s flying one of those new fighters.” He looked out at space. “Now!” he yelled at the personnel. Sa’toon smiled quietly to himself, he would discover who this new man was, and the secret of his new fighter. 

                Vo’tion showed Sam into his quarters. “This is nice” he commented. Sam eyed the many large Vasudan blades that inhabited the walls. He reached over and picked up the burnt piece of metal. “A friend?” Vo’tion rushed over. 
                 “Put that down.” he grabbed the piece of bulkhead out of Sam’s hands. “This is a piece of death.” the scar ran deep into Vo’tion’s past. He fondled the metallic lump as if it were a child. “This piece of junk is a piece of this very ship.” his eyes glided across the roof. “This tells the story of the day the war began. I was....” 

                  A Much younger version of Vo’tion walked into a room. The lighting was low, he glanced around the room. It was close to fourteen years ago, this was Vo’tion’s quarters, and that of his family. Vo’tion had married and was travelling on the Cheops with his old time friend Sa’toon. Sa’toon was a commander here, and he was escorting Vo’tion to the T’rano colony. The name of the planet had been obscured over time. Vo’tion was a century assigned to that station. His family was going with him. Vo’tion glanced around the room and he saw his wife. She smiled back at him. She looked like a regular Vasudan, except more feminine. She stood and walked over to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders.
                  “It is good to see you my husband.” She said.
                  “And I you.” He smiled back, “and how is the little one?” 
                  “She is resting.” Vo’tion walked into the small a joining room. He looked down at his daughter. Vo’tion smiled at her. He reached in and picked her out. She smiled and giggled. “She is happy to see you Tak’eye” Vo’tion nodded, he took her over to the window. The child looked out at the billions of stars and the glowing red nebula. 
                    “This is space,” Vo’tion said, he bobbed her up and down. “This is where your father lives, and we are heading there.” He pointed at a small dim light. He moved and pointed at the wall. “And we will be moving into subspace in just a few moments.” He placed her down on the table. He made a soaring movement with his hand. The young Vasudan watched in fascination. “ Whsssssh.” He bent over and picked her up in one fluid motion. Her mother smiled in strange joy. A light flashed on a small indicator by the wall. Vo’tion passed the young female Vasudan to her mother. She carried a worried look on her face. Vo’tion touched the pad. “Vo’tion here.” Sa’toon came over the radio. 
                       “Vo’tion, you’d better get up here, we have a slight problem.” Suddenly red lights began to flash. Vo’tion’s wife held her daughter close. Vo’tion hurried away. He was walking down the hall when suddenly he heard an explosion from behind him. Vo’tion turned in horror. He ran back to his quarters. Fire was burning around it. 
                         “No!” Vo’tion yelled. “No.” He threw the bulkhead out of the way, crews began to culminate around the Damage. His wife lay on the ground, she held nothing in her hands. “Where’s Sa’nay?” She shook her head. 
                          “Dead in the explosion.” Vo’tion held his wife close ti him, she backed off and removed her hands from her stomach. Vasudan blood poured out. She smiled up at him. “My destiny has come husband. Do not weep for me, your destiny will come, and we will meet in the end...” she trailed off, she slumped over in Vo’tion’s hands. Vo’tion cried out to the heavens. He found on the ground a piece of the fighter that had crashed into his life. “Damn you Terrans, I will kill you, every last one of you.” He wept over his wife. 
 
                          Vo’tion almost cried on the piece of metal. Sam nodded. “So are you planning to kill me?” Sam asked. Vo’tion shook his head.
                          “I no longer blame your kind. Just this war.” he threw the piece of metal against the wall. And cried something out in Vasudan, Sam looked down at the piece of fighter, there was now a crack in it. He slowly picked it up. It broke away in his hands and he took out the power node in his hand. He turned it over. Triton Dynamics. 
                           “What the hell?” Vo’tion turned.
                           “What is it?” Vo’tion asked, Sam shook his head.
                           “This just came out of that piece of metal you through over here.” he showed the small device to Vo’tion. “Triton Dynamics.” Vo’tion furrowed his brow. If you could call that a brow.
                            “So?” Vo’tion asked. Sam suddenly remember that he hadn’t told Vo’tion anything about his beliefs. He placed the object in his pocket. Sam decided that it would be better to keep it his little secret.
                            “Nothing.” Sam whipped out the little pad. “We’d better check our orders.” another thing noone had stuck around to hear. He flipped the small screen up. A recording of Wolfe appeared on the screen. 
                            “Pilots Attend.” he started. “Your mission is to head into the Cheops and record any valuable information that could be useful. We also require you to send us ship manifests, orders, ship placements, and other such information. Good luck on this mission Captains.” The Image went dark. Sam took one of the swords off the wall. He sliced the device in half, sparks flew as if on fire. The sword made a dent in the floor. Sam placed the blade back on the wall. Vo’tion gave a slight laugh. 
                            “You could have just stepped on it.” Sam looked up at the tall Vasudan and Vo’tion shrugged. 
 

                            Sa’toon eyed the pad in front of him, “Kapton, Savual Moritson.” An officer turned. “Sir, that’s Captain Samuel Morrison” Sa’toon nodded and went back to the screen. 
“Distinguished Service Cross, Conspicuous Gallantry, Galactic Service, Meritorious Unit...” He decided not to continue down the page. “The question is why does a Captain with so many distinguishing awards defect?” The officer shrugged. Sa’toon smiled. “Invite them to dinner, I believe we should get to know this captain Morrison a little better.” He smiled deviously. 

                            The dinner had gone well, idle chat about battles won, and battles to be won. Everyone got to know everyone else. There was a female Vasudan named Cha’ini, and another named Sa’vina. There was a harder officer male Vasudan who went by the name Tan’sua. Vo’tion sat next to Sam. All the Vasudans wore those robes with various stripes and Vasudan words on them. Sam wore some simple Terran civilian clothing. Sa’toon looked over at Sam.
                            “So tell me Captain why does such a decorated officer of the Galactican Terran Alliance defect to the hammer of Light?” Sam half smiled.
                             “I don’t know, you tell me, why does such a decorated Vasudan officer splinter?” Sa’toon laughed. 
                             “Because when something is not right then we must make sure to put it right.” Sam nodded. Sa’toon understood. “So how did our good Vo’tion here discover you.” Vo’tion thought quickly and coughed up an answer. 
                              “I had been transferred to the GTD Galatea, when Captain Morrison here discovered my links to the Hammer. He told me of his wish to join you, to put right the injustice against the Shivans.” Sa’toon nodded slowly. 
                              “And you Morrison, you say you are not the prophecy.” Sam put his head at a slight downward tilt. 
                              “I am saying that I am not,” he smiled. Sa’toon stood. He walked over to the window. It was large, the incandescent swirling blue light of Subspace flickered outside. The room was bright, it had red curtains flowing down the walls. A single door ended the room. Their was a long rectangular table in the middle, around which Sam and the rest of them sat.  
                             “Now on to other matters.” Sa’toon turned. “The Terrans have found a tablet on Mars, a tablet that says, ‘Sa’ka’an the Legends are true.’ But I believe that there is more to this then just those words.” Sam dropped the smile.
                             “What do you mean?” Sam asked.
                             “I mean that I believe that this tablet tells the very name of the Leader for the Shivans.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “I mean to take it from the Terrans.” Sam Laughed. 
                              “And what do you plan to do? Just walk in and take it? The GTA just isn’t going to miss a Typhon class Destroyer walking into the Sol System. And plus we have to go to Delta Surpentis. Do you know how well that system is guarded?” Sam leaned forward in his chair. 
                              “That is where you come in Mr. Morrison.” Sa’toon turned. “A ancient Vasudan myth states that one day the destiny of the Leader for the Shivans would bring him back to us. So the question remains... have you come back to us?” Sa’toon slammed his palms down on the table. It shook with the might of the tall Vasudan. 
                              “Let’s suppose for a minute that I am this Leader for the Shivans, If I was I wouldn’t waste my time on a grim bunch of splintered freaks as you.” Sam wondered if that was a little excessive. Sa’vina started to laugh.
                                “He has you there Sa’toon. Leave the poor Terran alone.” Sa’toon stood up, and threw a hand out to one side. And then clasped it at his side. “Do not mind our gracious commander, he sometimes forgets his place.” Sa’toon turned. 
                                “Sometimes you forget yours.” The ship continued through Subspace. “This is where you come in Terran, you will tell us ship movements so that we can safely travel into the Sol system, and then in one mighty blast we shall take the tablet and you will hunt down the leader for the Shivans and destroy him.” Sam nodded, Sa’toon walked out of the room. “Then we have nothing more to discuss.” The room was left Silent, Tan’sua spoke up.
                                 “Why not go straight to Terra? Forget this whole deal with Mars, we can take this ship, and finish the Terrans off in one final blow.” Sam laughed.
                                  “Because Earth is so well guarded, it would be easier to make light escape from a black hole.” Sam stood. “And now I must take my leave of you; Power to the light.” the rest of them said the same back. Vo’tion stood and then walked out of the room. As soon as they were outside Sam slumped against the wall. “That was hard.” Sam said with conviction. Vo’tion nodded. 
                                 “Yes, but a good way to distract them from what was going on.” Sam furrowed his brow. 
                                  “What the hell are you talking about?” Vo’tion smiled and emerged the small recorder. He hit a button on it and then another.       
                                  “I mean to take it from the Terrans.” The recorder sounded out the exact words of Sa’toon. An eery sound from the darkness. Sam jumped off the wall and smiled. 
                                  “I think we have a report to give to Wolfe.” They walked off down the hallway. 
 

                                  Cron’is bounded down the zero-g hallway. A passing Shivan climbed on to the ruff without making a sound. A slight gust of wind was all that was felt. Cron’is turned the corner and walked into his commanding officers quarters. 
                                   “Cron’is, what is this?” The commander asked. 
                                   “I believe that it would be in our best interests to bring the Too’aki’nar into this system.” Corn’is backed off a bit. 
                                   “It is busy, and plus what good would it be? The T’Vachi is good enough. And plus, what would you have me say to the Too’aki’nar’s commander? I am waiting for your answer Cron’is.” Cron’is thought for a moment, and then remembered his myth. 
                                   “The legend says that someday the Destiny of the Leader for the Shivans would return to the Vasudans, and that it would spell the end of the Devil. Well my sources tell me that he is aboard a Vasudan ship.” The Shivan nodded. “And the Terrans have found a name for our little T’Vachi.” The other Shivan came forward towards Cron’is.
                                   “Continue” He said simply.
                                   “They call it Lucifer, their devil.” The Commanding officer backed off. And then hit a key.
                                   “Get me the commander of the Too’aki’nar.” Someone, or something started to reply on the line. The Shivan didn’t give it time to say anything. “Then wake him, Immediately.” The Shivan turned to Cron’is. “You had better be right about this Cron’is, or I will have both your head and that of the leader for the Shivans”. Cron’is nodded.
                                  “Do not worry, I know what I am doing, the Leader for the Shivans will face me, and I shall shatter his world like the rotting flesh of a Kavoonar. And he shall face my wrath. Cron’is turned and left the room, the Commanding officer started on the machine. 
                                  “Bring the Too’aki’nar here Immediately. The T’avary Jump Node will open in four days, be there.” The Shivan watched Cron’is leave the room, and the door slowly closed. 

                                  To be Continued ...