Realm of Silence

Refrain of Silence

The Tacey Colony

Both Captain and Pilot knew that something was seriously wrong when they entered the room, the quiet air was filled with urgency and what could be, perhaps, labeled as fear of the uncertain. Limbs sprawled out at awkward angles, Seph looked as if he had fallen into the plush chair, a look of deep contemplation on his face. Eyes almost closed it was a wonder if he wasn’t sleeping, but both knew him better than to think that a possibility. Ash sat where she had been left, her fingers threaded through her hair as her palms rested against her forehead, elbows propped up against the table in front of her. Cassidy unconsciously tightened his grip around his Captain’s shoulders, his form instantly going rigid as he let the feelings around him sink into his skin, nothing had seemed this serious for all of them since… Since he’d last seen Chemosh, when they were trapped in the Nexian Station. A feeling of foreboding entered his mind, and no matter what he thought at it, the feeling just wouldn’t leave.

Despite the feeling, Pan knew that she would have to break the lack of words and she truly didn’t want to—she didn’t want to find out what was wrong, she truly wanted to find the Lethe but this feeling, it just made her shudder to as where she didn’t want to know its origins. But it was her job as Captain to maintain her ship and its crew, and something was seriously wrong with two of the people she felt she was closest to—even if she didn’t know Ash that well, she was still an important part of the group of four, because she was important to Cassidy and that was all Pan needed to admire her. Clearing her throat the female Captain broke the silence. “Cassidy dragged me down here with out telling me why, so Ash, Seph, would one of you two be kind enough to explain?”

Laughing cynically, Ash spun on her stool to signal that the door should be shut, and Cassidy moved to comply. “Lock it while you’re at it, Cas. I think, and Seph agrees, that we need to keep this under wraps—also if you don’t agree, Pan, we plan on taking our rights as senior officers to demand that no one that hasn’t seen this goes onto the Tacey.”

“Is it really that bad?” If a cat could squeak, Pan came as close to that as possible, her voice high pitched in what was cold shock. Could anything really be that bad about the station they’d come across? Had they walked onto the scene of a massacre? And if they had, what right did she have to keep the crew in this type of situation?

“Unfortunately it is, in most likelihood, worse than what we know. This isn’t just some station that was abandoned during the last war. This ship, the Tacey, is a colony. A colony that has no inhabitants that we can tell, a colony that, with out any active defenses, took out a probe. ‘That bad’ is an understatement.” Seph’s voice was calm and steady, nothing wrong with his phrasing, although Cassidy was sure that he wanted badly to be babbling off every word. Hell, the video must have been worse than he had even let himself begin to imagine.

Standing, Ash stretched, popping her back as she did so, “I don’t know everything about the Tacey, mostly I only know its name. Fry didn’t get very far in before… Before things went dark. What we really need to find is if what happened here is related to the disappearances, and we can hope that it will give us more clues.”

Seph shifted in his seat so that he was sitting up, able to look both of the room’s newer occupants in their eyes. “You need to remember we are totally freelancers right now, we don’t answer to any Guild so we can actually pause to look at this.”

Ash, why don’t you use the bigger screen to show them the video?” The Nishalian questioned the mechanic, nodding in approval when she removed the in-put plug from the smaller screen before maneuvering her way to the back of the room where a similar plug was placed into the wall. Plugging it in, the wall quickly flared into a purple haze, a glow that illuminated the sparsely lit room. Quickly the mechanic moved away from the wall, back towards her desk where she proceeded to sit before punching a few keys into her pad. The wall quickly faded in colour only to finally solidify into a view of halls painted in stainless steel.

Maneuvering the small craft was no where as easy as one would think, but some how the navy pod moved seamlessly through the area of space. Dvořá’s Symphony No. 5 echoed around (and through) the ship, filling the airless void with its ambiance of peace. Lulled by the tempo—fast and upbeat, yet slow and soothing during portions—the ship gave it’s pilot no problems, which amazed the man who sat at the controls. Dark bangs tickled a pale nose as the pilot leaned over the control panel, knuckles white from their grip, wrapped tightly around the controls. Iblis Cahya didn’t allow his amazement to distract him from concentrating on the controls, this was only his third time piloting one of the ship’s shuttles, and his first doing so alone. The worry of driving the ship was no more over powering than the worry for his friends and co-workers at the station, he’d tried to contact them at the appointed times—tried several times in fact—only to fail, the signal dwindling into nothing as if the station didn’t exist at all. The young Ishlan’s mind had been working at light-speed since the third try, and he knew that it wouldn’t be satisfied till he made his way back to the station.

Iblis knew that their was more reason than his “gaining experience” to why the Commander had sent him to explore a deserted city on the surface of the unnamed moon—at least it was assumed to be a moon, debris around it served to prove that once their had been something larger near it—but he had yet to have an inkling to what, that is until he couldn’t reach the station. Now he couldn’t help but think that the Commander knew something was going to happen, and, Iblis couldn’t help but think, that the Commander had an idea that his help would be need. And it would be needed unhindered as it was, because his mind could come up with no other reason that he had been sent to check over what had been explored more than a dozen times before.

Approaching the station, Iblis eased his grip on the controls before attempting to open a line to the looming ship. When that failed—and he sighed at that happening, because it meant that something was truly and utterly wrong!—he took a moment to look around the area, looking desperately for signs of what must have happened. His pale red eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of a ship, widening in time with a signal alerted him to an incoming hail.

“Unknown vessel, this is the Mnemosyne, repeat this is the Mnemosyne, please identify yourself. Unknown vessel, you are in authorized space, please respond.” Drowned a monotone voice, some how hidden behind everything Iblis could hear a tone of surprise—did this “Mnemosyne” not expect to find anyone else?

“Mnemosyne, this is Shuttle 557G, Chief Master Sergeant Iblis Cahya of the Colony Tacey returning from scheduled mission. Repeat this is Iblis Cahya of the Tacey.”

Pan stood shocked at the images that had just faded from the screen, although she wasn’t given a chance to expand on her thoughts when the speaker in the room blared into life. “Cap’n we have a shuttle approaching the unknown station. Identified themselves as Shuttle 557G carrying Sergeant Cahya of the Colony Tacey. Requesting authorization to allow him to dock with the Mnemosyne.”

The four in the room exchanged glances, this was defiantly something unexpected, since their had yet to be a survivor of any of the incidents. How had this person evedade who ever it was that was kidnapping people and ships? That was a question that Pan hoped could soon be answered as now she had some one who’d know more about the Tacey than any of them.

“Ambros, I’ll take control of the situation, please get a room ready for our guest and patch the signal through to Mechanics.” Pan paused, eyeing the other three in the room, noticing that they all waited in a strange anticipation that she felt in her own bones. Hearing the quiet buzz that signaled that she was talking to another ship, Pan raised her voice so that she would be heard no matter what static may exist in the lines. “Sergeant Cahya, this is Captain Panilla Nisha of the Mnemosyne, I request that you dock with our ships. Situation on the Tacey is currently unknown and thus unstable. My people are currently preparing you a room, since I’m sure you are most likely tired from your jourey. The ship’s mechanic will meet you in the shuttle bay and bring you to a room where I may talk to you, because there are some serious matters you and I need to discuss.”

“With all due respect, Cap’n, I need to Commander’s permission to dock with any other ship. Have you been able to establish contact with the Tacey?”

Ash heard the worry in the man’s voice, she wasn’t sure if the others did but she knew that it would eventually become more apparent to all of them—they were worried with the situation, one of the Tacey’s crew was probably freaking out even more. Wordlessly she moved towards the door, pausing in her steps to respond for Pan. “We’ve been unable to establish any forms of life signatures on the Tacey, that is the true reason why the Captain is having you dock with us, we need some one who knows the Colony, and I’m sure no one wants you to befall the same fates as your crew-mates.”

“… Excuse me?” Disbelief was clear in the voice, but Ash was already vanishing through the door when the other’s voice had came through.

“That was the Mnemosyne’s mechanic, she’s no longer in the room but I can guarantee that she wasn’t lying. I think it best we wait until we are face to face to discuss this matter more.” With that Pan terminated the line, knowing that otherwise she’d be argued with, turning to the other’s she saw that Cassidy’s eye-brow was raised- raised so little that no one would notice if they didn’t truly know him.

“So, Cap’n, what exactly do you think this means?”

If he was one to express amazement aloud, Iblis would be gasping at the flight deck of the Mnemosyne, he knew that the ship wasn’t part of a fleet—he imagined it was a ship from the Mersy’s or Hunter’s Guild—but the docking area was built like that of a small battle-station. Having grown up hopping from ship to ship, the ravenette knew that this area wouldn’t have come cheap. Perhaps it was a former military cruiser? That would defiantly explain the look of the inside, although the outside was radically different than any military ship he’d ever seen, different than any ship he’d ever seen in fact. He’d never before seen a ship painted almost completely in pure ebony, it was common knowledge not to paint the ship in such a blackened colour because it would not be seen by others navigating the stars, and even the detailing on theMnemosyne was dark, a deeply burnt orange that made him wonder if the ship had seen combat recently. Battle was something that was seen rarely in these days of peace and alliances, tensions were high between many of these alliances but they simply stared at each other from their respective locations, none moving towards war—the last war had devastated many cultures, and destroyed many more planets than it did lives alone. What Iblis truly couldn’t figure out waswhy such a ship would have a flight deck that was battle compatible, did this crew explore the Outlands?

Slightly adjusting his hands, Iblis pulled up on the controls moving his shuttle into a halt, smoothly fitting into the first slot he came into. He had to admit that even the shuttle’s the Mnemosyne carried looked similar to those that governments used in their forces, he couldn’t help but wonder where exactly such a ship found the money to afford their equipment. Mind racing as the hatch opened, the young Sergeant decided that these were questions for a different time—he needed to know what happened to the Tacey, it had been made to sound like similar events had happened else where… But surely the Tacey’s crew would have been informed if something like that was happening. Wouldn’t they? Or did the Tacey’s crew mean so little to the Colony System? Opening the hatch, Iblis propped his hands on the window’s seals, pulling himself up and out of the chair, reclining on the side of the ships main carrier. His mind ground to the halt as he saw something that struck him as familiar. Lilac-white hair, a hue that he could never forget, flickered through his memories—no. This hair wasn’t quite right, but how often had he run into some one with that colour of hair? His mind whispered that there had to be a connection, there had to be. Who ever this was… Who ever this was had to related to the Tacey’s battle commander. They had to be. Red locked with emerald, and he was startled to realize that the person before him was female.

“Sergeant Cahya, I presume. Welcome aboard the Mnemosyne, I must ask you to accompany me to the mechanic bay.” The girl- woman really- before him diplomatically swept a hand through the air, a silent signal to disembark and not to create a scene. And then he witnessed her eyes catching hold of the shuttle he occupied, an eyebrow quickly raising in question. He knew the shuttle was in a poor state, he had pushed it through a debris shower in order to reach the Tacey… But her look was accusing—like he had wounded a living thing! Turning he watched her wave over one of the flight deck’s hands, “Freion, please take a look at this shuttle. Send reports to my work-station, the Cap’n and I will look over them there.”

Iblis watched in amusement as the man-Freion- slapped his heels together, hand thrown up in a military salute, the girl simply glaring at him as the man let the words slip from his lips, and Iblis knew he had to be military trained. “Sir, yessir!”

“Freion!” A shriek of rage, and a slap on the hand elicited from his response came from another of the crew, her face red with what Iblis could only call anger—although he had a sinking suspicion that it was actually embarrassment. “Stop being an idiot. Now apologize to M’lady.”

The woman’s scowl deepened, her eyes falling shut before a sigh escaped her lips. “Both of you stop it. You know how the Cap’n hates formalities, the only one with a title to be called is Pan. Get it? Now quit being so formal with me!”

Iblis took the moment to slip down the ground of the flight deck, his curiosity peeked—not that he would say anything. In fact he wondered if he had been forgotten.

“Sergeant. If you’d please follow me.”

So much for that theory, seemed like this person was as good with multitasking as the Tacey’s battle commander. Huh, that defiantly meant they were related. Looking alike and acting similar… No, they really didn’t act all that similar, the battle commander was a sadistic bastard. “I was told I’d be meeting the ship’s mechanic, miss. I’m sorry but until I meet them I will not be leaving the bay.”

With out turning the burgundy clad woman decided to answer him, “I am the Mnemosyne’s mechanic, Sergeant.” Ohh, the voice had gone cold, a bitter bite to the soft tones. “Now if you please, we really should be getting to where the Cap’n is. She’s patient, but not all of the others are so.”

“Including you?” His jaw clamped down on itself, he hadn’t meant to voice that thought—he’d already been enough of an ass by implying that the mechanic couldn’t possibly be a woman, which in truth was absurd… Women were rare in such a position, but they did exist. Women were just rare in general in aspect to jobs on ships, the only ones that he had seen tended to be on cruise-liners—but the voice of the Mnemosyne’s Captain sounded feminine… Damn. He was going to come off as a chauvinistic pig!

“Normally? No. Normally I have patience. Normally I’m calm… But normally I haven’t been working on a case that includes friends among the missing, and normally I haven’t witnessed a ship absorbing a probe.”

“Ab… Absorbing a probe?” His voice came out as a whisper, following her lowered voice, and some how he could tell that she was glad—was this, what ever it was, something that the crew had yet to be informed off? Then why did the mechanic risk telling him anything? As if in answer to his silent question, the mechanic refused to speak, not giving a response to his vocalized question. Something was going on… Something, Iblis had a feeling, he had landed right into the center off.
Pacing was something she did a lot, Cassidy decided. The Captain was putting his own worries into her foot work… Ash shouldn’t have taken so long in getting the Mnemosyne’s newest inhabitant! So that meant either he refused to follow, refused to believe that she was the mechanic, was outraged the Mnemosyne’s Captain was female… Or he was in no condition to make it to the mechanic’s quarters, and that was perhaps the worst situation they could be in. So it was no wonder that his “little sister” was pacing, it was her own habit when she was worried and there was nothing she could do. If he were any one else he would be pacing as well, but he was not given to that. He had to be calm and collected for those around him, that was what he had learned when in the Guild. Eyes roaming the room, they settled on Seph. His co-pilot showed no worry, instead Seph looked exhausted—like he would collapse at any moment, and Cassidy knew that he might. They’d been up for hours, along with Ash, after they’d first saw the blimp that proved to be the Tacey. Hours with little to no rest, and that, he decided, was what they would do first after this meeting. He would insist that nothing happen otherwise, they need rest or else they would be doomed to failure in the end—they would fall asleep on their feet in the middle of their work, which could prove to be fatal if what the probe had shown them was true. Snapping out of his thoughts, his head whipped back to the door as it hissed open… And in stormed a silently pissed Ashtart Turax, shortly followed by a guilty looking man, his hands rung behind his back and a sheepish look marring his face. This would prove to be a bad thing, if he truly insulted Ash to a point she would fail to forgive. Cassidy hoped that isn’t what happened.

Pan froze in her pacing, eyes focusing on the new comer, slowly allowing him to make the first move. The other three knew that this was a way of measuring how much trust he would receive. If he approached either one of the pilots, his credibility would be shot—after all he had talked to the Cap’n and Pan had identified herself as such—while if he out right approached Pan she would not give him full trust. The only option left was the choice Iblis chose to take. Slipping into his role as a member of the military he followed custom, his right arm bending across his chest while his left kept straight to his side as he bowed. From his bowed position he spoke, before snapping back to standing. “Chief Master Sergeant Iblis Cahya of the ColonyTacey. It is both an honor and a privilege to be invited into your fine vessel.”

Leaning on the wall behind the Sergeant, Ash snorted. She quickly glanced away as Pan sent her a cold look that told her the feline Cap’n was more than happy with the introduction—as was shown to all when she lightly clapped three times. “Well, Sergeant, I’m sure my mechanic has already welcomed you to the Mnemosyne, but I feel under the circumstances that it is in order that I welcome you my self.”

A black gloved hand extended towards the Ishlan as the Captain continued. “I am Pan Nisha, Captain of the Mnemosyne. On this ship we have no first mate, but a circle of my immediate underlings.”

Seph let out a laugh, crisp and clear, watching as the man twitched when Pan finished her statement but none-the-less shook the feline’s hand. Extracting himself from his seated position he decided to make every thing easier for Pan, she had too much on her mind to play the mediator with this fledgling—and Ash was in a mood, so her normal role as “ambassador” wasn’t about to happen. Before speaking, he took note that the Captain had not used her full name during the introduction so he decided to continue along those lines. “Of herunderlings, as Pan so nicely named us, there are three of us. All of us are actually in this room at the moment. Pilot, Seph Bravered at your servos, to the Cap’n’s right is my other fellow pilot Cassidy Sekhmet, who also serves as second-in-command during battle situations. Lastly, since I doubt she has done much to introduce herself, is Ash Turax, the Mnemosyne’s mechanic and in most situations our… ambassador to other ships. Only reason she’s got that role is she defiantly knows how to play people, eh Ash?”

“In the blood, Joseph. All in the blood.”

AN- Details:
Ishlan—a race similar to the Nishalians, and exact replicas of humans except for their enhanced physical abilities and senses
Outlands- a sector of space that remains relatively unexplored, pirates and such inhabit the border, just outside of any government’s jurisdiction. Located near our solar system (border actually hits on side of it). Actually located as a “pocket” area in side of “civilized” space.