Starfire

Chapter 11: Violence Breeds More Violence

   It wasn't just the bunks that had snapped into formation at the sound of the alarm. The restless movement that had kept him awake the night before was gone, and had been replaced by a clipped, seemingly rehearsed set of movements. Rehearsed by everyone, it seemed, except for Najma.

   Garter stood almost exactly in the center of the room, surveying the crowd and nodding as her soldiers passed by. Najma was separated from her by a whole column of marchers in uniforms exactly like his, even down to the FF beneath the shooting star. Even over the sea of heads, he was sure that she caught his eye and offered a brief nod.

   Dead ahead was the gaping hangar door of the biggest starship. It had been repainted black, but Najma could see swatches of bright orange patches of the original hull peaking through in the crevices. He was in the belly of the ship before he had a chance to examine it any further. Thiths was waiting in the center of the hold, and she watched with her hands folded behind her back as the group took their places in the seats attached to the walls. She was a shadow that refused to be illuminated, eyes steely. The FF thinned until Najma was the next up. He took a seat beside a pale biped that radiated cold. He tried and failed to remember what his neighbor was. One of the many Laurangins that Najma had seen thus far took a seat on Najma's left.

   There was a moment of silence as the ship gave a lurch and began to rise.

   "We are the Fight Force!" Thiths suddenly shouted. Her eerily hiss-like voice was no better at a louder volume. Najma felt a shiver crawl up his spine, and tried to ignore the reminder of his trepidation.

   The exclamation evoked a raucous cheer.
  
   Apparently, all she needed were five words to inspire her crew. All Najma could manage to feel was the familiar unease. He didn't even make an attempt to dredge up the remains of his hope.

   "We will be the first line of attack. This whole mission depends on us." She continued, her voice crackling in the back of her throat. "Some of you may think you've been on missions before, but those were nothing compared to this. I guarantee that none of you are ready. But you don't need to be. All we need is the best we can be. We are the Fight Force!"

   Another cheer, this one closer to a war cry, sounded through the ship. Najma's gut sank lower. Their vessel slipped smoothly into faster-than-light travel. Thith's speech felt more like a condemnation than anything even close to inspiring.

   "We are en route to the biggest intergalactic starship that has ever been constructed." She silenced the last remnants of the cheer with one sharp gesture. "We will be breaking in... Very unannounced. If there is any resistance, we will not hesitate to eliminate it."

   Why would they attack the Intrepid?

   "Of course, the biggest ship in the quadrant will have heavy security. If every single soldier here is not on the very peak of performance, things could go sour. But even if there are casualties, we can't give up. The future of the quadrant depends on this mission. I trust that none of you will fail us, not even the freshest faces among us. This is our opportunity for the seizing. Another chance like this may never come."

   Her featureless face turned on her thin neck. Najma knew that, though it was brief, her gaze landed on him before she turned on her blade-like toes and glided from the room. He could only assume, based on the position of the doorway, that she was heading for the cockpit.

   Why?

   Either the others in the fight force had already been briefed on details, or they didn't care to ask questions. Thith's words had left him none the wiser and more unsettled than ever.