Date: July 6, 2229
"It's beautiful, is it not?"
"Your people have a strange definition of beauty. This weapon could strike fear into the hearts of billions. It is a tool of war. A harbinger of death. There is nothing beautiful about it or what it brings."
"Quite philosophical of you. Yes, I would agree with you on all accounts. And yet there is something about the harmony between engineering and science. Bringing the idea of the weapon into physical form, to wrest it from the ether and into the material. That, I find beautiful."
"Forgive me if I cannot see the same beauty that you do. Though I cannot deny that this is a momentous occasion. The first updraft at the start of a long flight."
"Speaking of, have you had a chance to review the documents I gave you?"
"Yes, though I must admit that there is one part that I do not understand. Have you named this weapon?"
"It may sound strange to you, but there is great power in names. The weapon's name brings fear, but also strength, courage, and bravery. It can make our soldiers feel that they are invincible with it on their side. For this weapon, we drew upon an ancient god of death. One that weighed the hearts of man and shepherded them to the underworld. Judge, jury, and executioner."
"You channel your gods into your weapons?"
"Not quite as serious as it sounds, we are not religious zealots. It is meant to be evocative. To embolden the morale of those defended by it. To unsettle the enemies who lay their eyes upon it. It is the sword, and the shield. The bastion to which all will rally to."
"..."
"In our tongue, we refer to it as: Anubis."
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Date: May 3, 2235
The ship left the hangar, gliding smoothly through space like a knife through butter. Mikael moved to the helm and cockpit, finding his assistant at the wheel. His name was Nero and has been working under Mikael for over five years. He stood at around the same height, though perhaps a tad shorter. He had natural red hair that was a darker tone. Paler skin and complexion, on the slender side, and clean shaven. Having kind blue eyes that resembled a soft azure. He was dressed in primarily black attire with white accents and flair. A jacket that he wore over top and pants that matched. Though he was in his mid twenties, he looked much younger than his age and sometimes caused pause at military checkpoints.
"Ah, thank you for the speedy response Nero," Mikael began. Taking off his helmet, he joked, "Your expediency is somewhat suspicious though, are you sure you weren't taking the ship for a joyride when I called?"
"Wouldn't dream of it sir. I was actually running some diagnostics when you called," Nero answered, his voice soft and gentle.
"Oh, is that so? Find anything?" Mikael asked, curious.
"The check engine light isn't on, so we're looking good," he replied, a smile fighting to keep itself down.
"Excellent. Looks like we can just kick back and enjoy the ride now," the grand admiral commented.
He moved to the the other captains chair in the helm and leaned back, kicking his feet up over the "dash" of the ship. It was his anyway, no one could tell him what he could and couldn't do. Well... except for someone.
"Sir. You really shouldn't do that. You'll get the controls dirty," Nero said, giving him a look.
Mikael grumbled and slid his feet to the side and back to the floor. Instead resolving to simply recline and relax. He could be back in the lounge area with the others, but he wanted to save explanations for when they actually arrived. It would be much easier that way since they could actually see what he was talking about. Having some help from a friend didn't hurt either.
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In the lounge, four individuals wait in tense silence...
The lounge itself was what you'd expect to see in a luxury ship. A more open space, with couches in chairs in addition to normal seats to strap into. On the right-hand side of the ship was a small bar built into the wall between the lounge and the front of the ship. The cockpit visible down a narrow hallway, flanked by bathrooms and a closet. Maxim had already taken the luxury of grabbing himself a beer from the mini fridge, while Ally sat in a beanbag chair and looked as if she was trying not to hyperventilate. They both kept their helmets on as part of Tom's wishes. He was still concerned about overwhelming Teresh, especially with how he nearly fainted before. Speaking of, Teresh was sat in a comfy lounge chair that was just a tad too large for himself, with Tom sitting on the couch nearby. There was a lengthy span of silence before Tom cleared his throat.
"How're you feeling Teresh? Now that things are coming along?" Tom asked, focusing his gaze on the kooli.
Through the same public channel, his translator echoed, "...Good. I think I'm feeling good."
"Nervous?" Tom prodded.
Teresh shrugged his shoulders, replying, "Immensely, but I'm also happy as well. If the rest of your species is like you, I can't wait for you to join us. It can't be anything but prosperous."
Tom grit his teeth a moment, taking up a softer tone, "Can you tell me about your home, Teresh? What's it like?"
Although he couldn't see his expression, he could tell that there were probably thousands of things that the little bird wanted to say. In time, it seemed that he had composed himself.
"Where to start? There are millions of things I could talk about. So much knowledge to share," Teresh paused. "I'll keep it simple for now, but I have plenty of scrolls to recommend."
He began, "My home planet is called Kurro, it is the origin world of the kooli, my people. It is densely green, filled with vegetation and incredibly tall forests and jungles. Under our twin suns, the planet is quite temperate, lots of rain and humidity. While we do have colder sections near the poles, our planet is fairly consistent with climate and weather. Due to this, we have adapted to the conditions by having wings that can lift us off the ground and grant us flight. We began as small tribes living in treetops, to creating small countries. At one time, there was even an empire that spanned our world, though that history is far behind us. If I'm able, I would love to take you all to see it one day."
As he stopped speaking, Teresh soon realized that the room was dead silent. Their entire crew had been enraptured by his tale, hanging on every word. Admittedly an understandable reaction on their part, it wasn't everyday that you learned about an alien society. At the same time, however, it looked like Teresh was flustered and embarrassed, quickly shifting to face Tom.
"Tom, you mentioned your home before. If you both don't mind, where are you two from? Are you also from Ari-zona?" Teresh asked, suddenly hearing muffled sounds from Maxim.
Tom shot him a look that could pierce through glass, but it wasn't enough for a few chuckles to escape his helmet. He composed himself and responded, "No, sorry. Same nation, different places. I was born in Missorui, and Ally here was born in Washington. Don't worry, you're not missing out on much. We've got the Arch, toasted ravioli, nuevo country music, and the best barbecue you've ever tasted."
"Bar-ba-coo? Ravioli?" Teresh asked curiously, looking over at Maxim.
"Y'know, steak, ribs, chi-" Maxim listed off, suddenly stopping. He coughed a bit, then continued, "Brisket, corn bread, collared greens, hush-puppies. There's more but it's the best food in the world as far as I'm concerned."
"I would quite like to try it, it all sounds delicious!" Teresh bounced in his seat.
The ship itself bounced, causing everyone to hold to their seats. They heard a loud ding overhead, and the intercom came over the cabin.
"Apologies, just entered the atmosphere. We'll be touching down in fifteen, get strapped in before five or you'll have a bumpy landing," a male voice explained, though not Mikael.
Tom looked over at the rest of them, before moving over to a proper seat and strapping himself in. He clicked his tongue, "Come sit with me. Wouldn't want you to get knocked around by Mikael's flying skills."
"O-Okay!" Teresh hopped off his chair, coming to sit beside Tom.
Tom helped him with his seat belt, clicking it into place and making sure it was tightened right. Though mobility was limited, Teresh strained his neck to look over Tom and at Ally.
"Oh, I didn't get to hear about your home," he commented, a bit saddened.
Ally got up and walked over to them, leaning her shoulder on the seat in front of them. Replying, "Don't worry about it. It rains all the time, pretty cold, and too much traffic. There are some fun things that I'll save for later though. Put a pin in it for now."
Teresh happily nodded and settled back into his seat. The two in front being taken up by Ally and Maxim soon after. As time went on, the ship began to rumble as they neared their destination. They must have hit a bit of turbulence because the ship suddenly lurched side to side. Nothing major, but Tom found his arm over Teresh faster than he could have even thought to do so. The shaking lasted for a few moments longer before they felt the ship steady. An impact being felt as their landing gear touched the ground. His strained breathing slowing as the ship powered down. Tom removing his arm with just as much haste.
"Sorry, didn't meant to do that. Old habits," he admitted, putting his hand on the back of his neck.
"It's okay, I appreciate you worrying about my safety. Thank you," Teresh replied thankfully.
"Don't mention it, always happy to help," Tom concluded.
As they were chatting, the cockpit door opened and two figures stepped out. Mikael, now in his usual attire, and his assistant. Tom had met him before in the past on spare occasions, but it never got farther than basic familiarity. The grand admiral took the lead and entered the lounge with a smile on his face, sweeping his arms out to both sides.
"My friends, I hope you enjoyed the trip. Got a little bumpy at the end but such is life," he exclaimed.
"You seem more chipper than usual," Tom commented.
"How could I not be? Do you know what it's like to have to hold a secret for over a decade? Absolutely awful, I must tell you," Mikael replied, exaggerating his words and putting the back of his hand on his forehead.
"A decade?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "You may have been my superior before, but you're going to have to start telling us what the hell is going on."
"Don't worry, all will be explained outside. I promise," he answered, gesturing towards the back of the ship.
Again with promises, Tom grumbled internally. He sighed and looked to Teresh, knowing that he was going to have to keep playing along till they got some real answers.
"Come on kid, let's take the stage," Tom said.
With a hurried nod, Teresh hopped up and followed behind them. Mikael and his assistant led the pack as they approached the back of the ship. Pressing a large blue button on a panel, there was a hiss and clank as the entryway opened and the landing strip extended out to the ground, meeting concrete. Mikael began making his way down as his assistant held them up a moment. Holding a pad in his hands, he tapped away at a few buttons before turning to them, eyeing them with intense blue eyes. Dropping the somewhat friendly demeanor they had seen before.
"You are to do exactly as we say. You will not stray from us, take pictures, or record anything. If anything that occurs today leaves this facility, you will be tossed into the darkest hole we can find and we'll throw away the key. Do not make this difficult for us, or yourselves," he explained, an edge in his voice.
Tom almost wanted to snort. This 5'10" twink secretary was not seriously trying to intimidate him and his crew. Part of him wanted to dare them to try, but his eyes wandered forward towards Mikael. Even if he wasn't scary, the United Nations of Earth Military police were. He wasn't about to burn his best bridges over some threats.
"Understood. Mikael should know that I and my crew are trustworthy and will follow any requirements to the letter," Tom replied, keeping his voice calm.
The assistant's expression seemed to loosen, the intensity fading. Responding, "Thank you, it is simply a precaution. You're about to see things that only a handful of souls have witnessed."
With that, he turned and stepped down the strip. Tom gave his crew a nod and they followed behind. As their boots hit the ground, the sun shined over the treeline. Morning, and the temperature was on the cooler side. Seeing an ocean of tall trees and snow capped mountains in the distance. They were higher up, not on a mountain per se but elevated above the forests below. European for sure, though where was the question. Maybe Sweeden, Germany, somewhere in that area. The air smelled like dew, and in front of them lay a large gray stone and metal facility. Blocky and square like most of the UNEM's architecture, with some square windows that lined the walls. Though that wasn't what caught is eye the most.
Mikael walked ahead and shook hands with a figure. Words lost to the wind as they both turned towards the group. Inside their helmets he heard a chorus of gasps.
"I... I can't believe it," Teresh whispered, his voice barely picked up by the built in microphone.
Tom stayed silent, locked in a similar state of disbelief. Standing beside Mikael, feathered arms behind his back, was an alien that looked just like Teresh. Their feathers were a teal blue in color, with some darker navy shades around the face and neck. Older by the looks of it, with a larger frame and longer head feathers, rippling with yellow, orange, and red colors. They wore a simple red sash around their chest, with a shiny gold badge stamped with the bull of the UNEM. With a gray-black beak sporting a pale scar, they spoke. The circular device around their neck lighting up and translating their words seamlessly.
"Greetings, I have been waiting a long time for you Teresh. My name is Lyze, welcome to the revolution," the male voice announced, giving them all a look of pure satisfaction.