Lux Introduction, Part Three
In the Pax Z30 wastespace, near the now-remains of the ice moon Powder IV…
Ezekiel: “Yes, Sergeant Aquila, I know. Believe me, I know. Just stick with her til the job’s done. Rendezvous Pax Zee-Thirty for the next forty eight. We’re assigned to Omega for the time being. And Sergeant? Good Luck.”
Half-Fallen: “Sir? That’s the last of them.”
Ezekiel: “Stow that Sir crap, Ophan. Call me Ezekiel…or Zeke. I much prefer that. Anything but Lord and Sir and Let Me Plant My Lips Upon Thine Arse.”
Ophan: “Naturally, Lord Captain Ezekiel.”
Ezekiel: “(Sigh).”
Ezekiel: “Alright, gents, go to transparent and magnify. I want to see what we’ve done here.”
Ophan: “Captain, it’s hardly worth looking at. We’re a glorified clean up crew. Honestly, I have a hard time even seeing what a well trained Tactical Group like this one is even doing here. Surely, we could be putting our resources to better use.”
Ezekiel: “I requested it, Oph.”
Ophan: “Sir?”
Ezekiel: “It’s simple. This mission suits my needs perfectly…hold on…Paladin, detach the Ring and drop it in that nebula yonder. Set it for long range. I want to know what’s coming in and when. Trigger it to breach the Astral at contact and tune the sensors to peer through the veil, if you please.”
Pilot: “Aye, Sir!”
Ezekiel: “Anyway, as I was saying, a Scythian exploratory vessel will be through this region in a matter of days, if all goes according to plan. Aboard that vessel is a young comm officer we’ve been watching very closely. He’s the most powerful beacon I’ve ever seen, Ophan…it’s remarkable.”
Ophan: “I’m not sure I follow, Captain. When they get here, all they’ll find is a broken system and its debris. Happens all the time throughout the BrikVerse. And it’s not like we can show ourselves to grab him off his ship…”
Ezekiel: “Think it through, man. We’re not going to consecrate this area.”
Ophan: “But Sir! That’s against procedure! But then…the Scythians will pick up on the Purefire destabilization…”
Ezekiel: “Not exactly. It’s not something most sensors are calibrated to notice. But my spy on the young man’s vessel tells me he is extraordinarily perceptive and good at his job. I doubt the Rents will pass his notice. Besides, he’s a beacon…he’s much more likely to sense a disturbance and go looking for an answer anyway.”
Ezekiel: “We’ll hang out here, in the Astral, for the next couple of days until Omega group calls us home. If they show up during that time, we can take a more active role in conversion. If not, I plan to leave the Ring to at least gather some info. Hell’s Bells, Ophan, maybe he’ll even discover it. Wouldn’t that be something?”
Ophan: “You seem very confident about this whole plan, Captain. How can we be sure the Sycthian vessel will even be here? Intelligence on the movement of those ships is notoriously unreliable. Even direct scout reports seem affected somehow. We still have people working out just what, exactly, is causing the interference.”
Ezekiel: “I have Forseen it.”
Ophan: “Oh, yes, your fabled Precognitive power. Of course, sir, forgive me.”
Ezekiel: “Don’t apologize, Ophan. Listen, you’re new here so allow me to be up front with you. I don’t trust the foresight farther than I can throw a DEUS Mech with the artificial g’s turned up. But it has gotten me out of a few scrapes by the tips of my feathers and I’ll rely on it if I have to. That’s why you’re here, Lieutenant. You’re straight as an arrow and you possess a rational mind. I’m going to need you to help me balance it.”
Ophan: “I shall endeavor to do my best, My Lord.”
Ezekiel: “I have no doubts on that score, Oph. No doubts at all.”
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