To Cradle a Star [a Sci-fi love story]

To Cradle a Star

[Elaine Loche]

Elaine Locke
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Rank: Destroyer Captain, junior admiral, Tartorus fleet.
Status: Active duty, lightning raid in the Stellar Nursery.
Ship: destroyer class, The Cerberus ascendant

[Begin log]

Elaine watched the displays of her ship and pointed towards a spot that held an enemy outpost. Far enough from the civilian population to avoid unnecessary casualties. She quickly ordered her mechanized troops to hold their position and let the walker tanks throw a few rounds into the camp to soften up the resistance.

The Valdari, not mankind's first intergalactic dance partner, were some of the most advanced and powerful military forces that humanity had ever seen. Elaine respected them for their way of war. They believed that war was only for the warriors and left human civilians unharmed. The war with the Valdari had begun nearly thirty years ago now in an event known as the first contact massacre, nobody's proudest moment there. They had fought since then, the Valdari slowly but steadily pushing back the Teran forces into a stalemate, but one that set humanity on the back foot. Yes, Elaine respected her enemy, but that respect didn't stop her from hitting the Valdari compound with an orbital strike.

"Let's pack up, we need to take this sector and then meet up with the chimera fleet, treds up in-" she flashed her eyes to the tactical display as it began to chime for her staff's attention.

With a small jingle, the holographic form of a man appeared before all of them. A white-haired man with a square jaw and a brutally unattractive face, General Overvitch, High comander of the Teran Stellar Navy.

"Men and women of the Teran Aliance, I have news. I won't mince words, so bare with me on this," the man took a long deep breath before he continued, "it's over.... the war, all teran forces are hearby ordered to stand down and return to their port of origin. Through negotiations with the enemy, an agreement for a peace treaty has been put forward by the Valdari and ratified by the Teran command. All hostilities towards Teran and Valdari forces will cease."

The man's weary face broke into a grin as he looked around, "we fought this war to a stand still, our bravery in the face of any odds was seen by the enemy and they found respect in us. Ladies and gentlemen of all Teran armed forces, we did it. We kept our homes and families safe. BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ARMS! WE SURVIVED! and now it's time for all of you to come home. We need our heroes here for us to rebuild"

The hologram stood straight at attention and saluted to them all, and just like that, the universe changed.

[One week later]

Elaine looked down at her enemy, at the dark, inhuman eyes that locked with hers as she attempted to trick them into releasing her objective. All of her training, her wartime experience. Everything that made her Elaine "the ferry woman" locke into this one battle.

"What's that over their?!" She pointed, and her enemy turned with the utmost in stupidity and excitement. Elaine grinned with pride at her tactical genius. She pulled her slipper away from the family dog, Mya.

In the time since the peace treaty between the Valdari and human race, Elaine had found herself home for the first time in five years. She had still been living with her parents when she had been drafted into the Stellar Navy, so she didn't have a place of her own yet, but her parents were happy to help.

"Elaine," her mother called from the kitchen, "Come get some dinner, I don't want my daughter waisting away because the Navy couldn't cook as good as me."

Elains mother was a retired field medic, having served before the Valdari conflict had begun when humans were content enough to kill each other. Elaine knew better than to argue with a home cooked dinner. She rushed down the steps, sliding into her regular seat next to her younger brother and sister. The twins Jim and Sarah were only twelve now, and they looked up to Elaine like she were some type of superhero.