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| deviantart.com/jerryboucher |
Roxie was able to piece together through fragmented memories she knew what she was doing in a mechanical sense. But somehow it was as if her actions were buried away within her subconscious. A type of automatic response or hypnotic state where she was conscious, thinking, but not engaged with what she was doing. She thought back to times in the past recent weeks where she felt like she had experienced lost time. She now realized during these times she was interacting with others and conducting tasks as if working through reflexive action, almost like an automaton but with more nuance.
Rexan admitted to the others that Roxie had told him their destination. He had wanted to stake a claim to the excavation site before Dr. Brintt to steal the glory (and was prepared to back up his actions with force). However he didn’t seek to cause Dr. Brintt harm. He demanded the crew remain in their quarters as a skeleton crew of his men piloted the ship to Usenedar Prime. He was adamant this had to be reported to local authorities.
Tense hours passed with the ships leaving Usenedar 6 to the prime planet within the system. The group were able to cleverly take control of the ship and secure Rexan’s men without violence. As the Scalawag broke off on a different vector to make a jump pursued by Rexan, a large ship entered in proximity space warning both vessels to power down and prepare to be boarded.
Invictus, an Imperium frigate, docked with the Scalawag and strangely a squad of Federation marines boarded. Securing everyone they separated the crew from Rexan’s personnel. Each member of the crew were isolated and subjected to a thorough medical examination. Roxie overheard medical personnel making a comment she had some unusual brain function, but was otherwise in good health and not under the effects of any altered drugs.
Hours later they were greeted by the newly commissioned Captain Tina Dillon of the Federation Marines, Captain Miles Winters of the Imperium Navy, and Colonel Mura Matsu of the Imperium Intelligence Service. Colonel Matsu explained days after the Scalawag had left the Etudques system, a local operative observing the work of Dr. Brintt had destroyed the excavation site, eliminated all the local researchers involved with the project, destroyed any evidence of Dr. Britt’s research, and then killed himself. This had matched a pattern of past sabotage and destructive behavior of higher status citizens among both the Federation and Imperium.
Both governments were convinced it was the work of an alien species called the Sathar. Little was known of them, however their actions appeared to hide the discovery of a new stable jump dimension. It was projected that this could potentially reach 20 parsecs in distance. With such a stable jump dimension proven, it would lead to rapid development of ship drive technology.
Although such a discovery would clearly provide an advantage to either respective galactic power, the Sathar was deemed such a threat, each government was willing to work together to stop them. The Sather appeared to have psychic powers with a form of mind control. It has been suspected these aliens were directing powerful individuals both in the Federation and Imperium to enact sabotage and acts of subterfuge. Worries of bringing forth another galactic war, or potentially allow the Rezolians an opportunity to strike, was simply too great a risk.
They asked the crew to willingly participate in Onyx Snow, a joint military operation to travel to the Onlanyt-7 system. It was suspected that another site of ruins were located in the system. Col. Matsu had intelligence the Sathar might travel to that system and destroy evidence of newly discovered research being conducted there. Capture of the species and potentially any technology they employed was too great an opportunity to slip by. The crew discussed their plan of action among themselves as the Invictus slipped into jump space.
