Into the Black

(War Room, Blackstone Station, Star’s Reach)

The War Room was tense. It always was. After all, it was a War Room. It wasn’t used for drinks with the boys, or anything relaxing like that.

“So, what do we know?”

One of the intelligence officers straightened at my question, and said, “Sir, per your request, we investigated Nomad disappearances in the Confederacy. The investigation was hampered by the fact that Nomads are, by their nature, nomadic much of the time, and during periods where they are dealing with issues ‘at home’, they may be out of contact for some time due to time dilation between universes. However, since the assassination of the former Terran Empire, starting the Imperial Civil War, Nomads have been going missing at a fairly steady rate within the Confederacy, with a slight upward trend in the last twenty-four months. Not accounting for spikes due to mass trauma events like the Jagloth incident, of course.”

He paused, and then said, “Records we can get from Terran, Ihm, and Consortium sources indicates sporadic jumps in Nomad disappearances, coinciding with policy changes and events in this world at the time. There are no know policies in place by the Confederacy that would account for this kind of scenario. Likewise, there have been no events that could explain this kind of gradual increase.”

I nodded slowly. “And the Free Worlds Alliance? What about them?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know. Due to the fractured nature of the Alliance, reliable data is hard to come by, and is mostly of a strictly local measure. And not all groups in the Alliance have responded to our information gathering positively.”

“So, the rates could be much higher in the Alliance.”

“Yes, sir. However, if they were too high, then surely the Nomads themselves would start to notice?”

“That is an interesting question.” I shook my head. “Unfortunately, it all depends on how connected the Nomads were, and whether they made any kind of announcement to us after the disappearance. Are there any connections between the disappearances in the Confederacy?”

The officer looked back at his notes, and shook his head. “No, sir. The only unifying factor appears to be that they were all loners, or traveled in small groups. None of them had any connections to other known groupings of Nomads, or to significant groups in this world. Those involved with Black Star or groups we have close associations with have been completely untouched.”

I chuckled at that. “So, that confirms that it is definitely not some kind of natural phenomenon. However, the people involved are obviously aware of our history of disproportionate responses, and has been studiously avoiding our attention. That means we’re likely dealing with a group in the Confederacy. More to the point, it is likely someone in the Confederate government itself.”

“The Confederate Government, sir? Why would they do that? The Senate could never get away with causing disappearances on this scale.”

“Oh, I doubt very much if the Senate is involved, beyond a few select committee members getting briefings. If it is them, of course. No, this smells like some black box research group doing some experiments, ones that require living test subjects.”

I sighed, looking at the data. I could guess why the Confederacy’s black programs would want to abduct Nomads. The two biggest things we had going for us were our apparent ability to come back after death, and our communications. The second one was the big thing. Anyone who could find a way to replicate it, in game, would have a huge boost over everyone else. That kind of power was definitely going to get people thinking about doing whatever it took to get their hands on the tech.

I shook my head, and looked at another officer. “Nothing we can do about that now, not until we find out more. What about the other events? What do we know?”

“The reports from sources still in Jagloth report that, shortly after the Governor’s Bunker was destroyed, power readings rose all over the planet. Unfortunately, that was the last transmission we got, as, soon after, the system went dark. Our analysis suggests that whatever was on the planet finished waking up, and decided it didn’t want neighbors.”

I looked at the star chart, studying the distances. “That puts a rather nasty threat very close to Dimiya.” I turned to one of the operations people. “I need plans on how to evacuate our people from Dimiya, if it looks like something’s about to go down.” Looking back to the intelligence officer, I said, “Continue.”

“No further news from Jagloth. However, we are getting reports from in Dimiya itself of energy spikes consistent with Hellspace happening in different parts of the system.”

“Any idea what could be causing it?”

“Unfortunately, all our Hellspace research is either in its infancy, or is based on formerly lost tech that we understand only fractionally. However, the leading consensus so far is that these ‘ripples’ are, in fact, like the ‘bow wake’ you see in ships using warp drives. Normally insignificant, for a single ship, but detectable when you have large groups about to attack.”

“So, we’re looking at potential fleet action incoming to Dimiya?”

“Yes, sir. However, for it to be a bow wake, it would have to be a number of ships greater than even what we saw in the engagements with the Ihm Armada recently. At least four times that number probably more. Much more.”

“Well, that’s not good.”

“Unfortunately, sir, it gets worse. Our defense group in has reported anomalous readings. Confederate Navy are calling them ‘ghost ships’, or assuming they’re our doing. BSN Black Death and her flotilla, including Shinobi squadron off the Providence, have discovered X’thari ships, and X’thari probes in and around Dimiya and the surrounding systems. They believe that an attack by the X’thari is coming, likely targeting Dimiya, but they can’t rule out other targets.”

“Put all fleets on alert. Defensive groups should work on evacuation plans for Black Star civilians in their areas, should they become necessary, and general evacuation plans, in case any operating zones are completely overrun.”

“As you command, Admiral.”

(Throne Room, Inner Throne, Aurum Throni, orbiting Terra)

Empress Meredith shuddered as another vision jolted through her. They were coming faster now, closer together. Some power had been unlocked in her, and it was like a dam bursting. It was all she could do to hold on and keep from getting washed away in the torrent of things that were, things that are, and things that have not yet been.

Gaius and Furia felt their mother’s distress, despite being barely months old. Their tiny hands reached for her, grasped her. Their presence helped to anchor her, keep her grounded. More than that, she felt their presence in her mind, offering her their strength, such as it was.

She stretched out with her senses, and could feel the flows of time. All the myriad paths created by different choices. She was still unpracticed, too raw to make sense of the individual choices that would lead to the best outcomes, but she could see streams, where trends led to better or worse fates. And the fates were growing darker, the more she looked.

“Lucio.”

“Yes, my Empress?”

“Send word to the diplomats. We must go to Dimiya. Call it a state visit to mend the broken bridges of yesteryear’s folly, or whatever. But we need to be there, with the ships of Second Fleet as an escort.”

“The Confederacy’s Prime Minister will not be too keen on having the Imperial Navy sending the Second Fleet into Confederate space, your Majesty. They are bound to object, in the most stringent fashion. A single warship, maybe two, but nothing that could jeopardize their security in their capitol city.”

She shook her head. “No. We need Second Fleet at hand. They can keep out of the system itself, and a smaller escort go in. They can even have Confederate ships watching them. But they need to be there. And I need to be there. Everything depends on it.”

Lucio frowned, but nodded. “I will start reaching out in back channels as well, then. Perhaps it would help if I could give them some reason for the fleet being there? That would go some ways towards easing their concerns.”

“A storm is brewing. War is coming. Forces unseen before now are moving into the light. Unless the powers that be work together, the galaxy shall fall into a future of naught but grim darkness, where there is only war. War without end, hoping only for survival.”

“I understand. I will try and reach out to my contacts in the Confederacy, and start things moving. How soon were you thinking of needing this visit?”

The Empress considered for a moment, and said, “Soon. The storm is coming soon. And if it isn’t held at bay in Dimiya, it will sweep over the entire galaxy unchecked.”

(Bridge, Chaos Vessel Vengeful Spirit, Hellspace)

The Warmaster of the Chaos Brigade, Abaddon Horusson, breathed deeply as he basked in the unbridled glow of Hellspace coming through the transparent steel windows of his bridge. From the Chaos God of Gluttony, Xanaloth, he had received the names of the other chaos gods. There was Baxanke, Chaos Goddess of Pride, who he had met before. Then, there was Uvuil, Chaos God of Wrath, and Ovoill, Chaos God of Envy. Each had gifts they offered, in return for service.

But their gifts had been wasted, squandered by those who held them, used them without vision of the possibilities of what lay beyond. They were weak, and pathetic. Oh, sure, they were deadly, especially when they had the weight of numbers or the advantage of unknown technologies to rely upon, but they had been beaten, time and again, by forces that were their mathematical inferior, and had yet proved superior.

The gifts of chaos were wasted upon their current holders. All they could do was lash out in madness and try and settle their own petty grievances. To truly use their gifts, they would first need to be humbled, and then they would need a new leader, a strong leader, to unite them, and their strengths. A leader like him.

To that end, he had ventured forth, and spoken to each of the gods in turn. Prodded them, and got them to send visions to their followers. Visions that would send them into the teeth of the Confederacy, a crucible through which the weak could be strained away from the strong, and the forces of Chaos tempered in glorious conflict. The gods, whether by wisdom or for their own amusement, had agreed with him, and thrown their faithful into the fray.

Breathing deeply, he watched the patterns flowing in the chaos outside. Soon, everything would come together. Wrath would fall upon Dimiya. Gluttony would devour its people. Envy would steal their technology. And Pride would crush all resistance. All four would be present there, and he would be there to guide them when they failed.

Oh, he knew they would fail. Even if the other major powers didn’t get involved, striking at Dimiya would draw in more than just the Confederacy. Black Star was there, and in force. They would not idly abandon their facilities in Dimiya, and they would never leave their people behind.

The only answer would be for Black Star to rally their fleets. They would be the hammer that caught the warring forces of chaos between them and the anvil of the Confederate Navy. Each of them would be caught, for they had not taken the measure of that man, the owner of Black Star. And, many of them would die.

But not all. No, some would survive, and he would be there, waiting. He would bind them together into a whole, rather than disparate parts, and together, undivided, they would be stronger than ever before. And they would follow his will.

Soon, everything would fall into place. The stage was set, and the players in motion. Now, he just had to wait for Black Star to do what it did best, destroy the enemy, and then he could move on to the next phase of his plans.