Jordan seems to be a sarcastic person since he rolls his eyes often lol

Chapter 21

“Well,” said the Dark Avatar with a smile. Jordan couldn’t tell if it was real or with arrogance, “You seem to know more than the average Terran.”

“I’ve been dealing with your kind ever since the war started. I know quite a bit,” replied Jordan.

“You may be a Terran,” said the Dark Avatar, “but knowing about me lets you have a bit of respect.”

Good. I’ve gained some ground. “Now, can we finalize this deal?” asked Jordan

“One good thing isn’t going to change my stance on this,” replied the Dark Avatar. “Think of something that would be beneficial to both of us.”

“You want something that’s beneficial? Fine. I’ll have you know that the Terrans have unleashed a huge fleet to reclaim their territory, as well as their allies. They’ve made that very clear. Now, you can pull your ships back by choice, or be forced to.”

The Dark Avatar laughed. “That is a good reason. But it still doesn’t convince me. We are constantly producing ships, which are more powerful than anything you’ve experienced in the war, including the Lord Kona’s Pride. Plus, I heard about that fleet, and we already outnumber you. I hate to say it, Terran, but your civilizations attempt to strike back, though very brave, is doomed to failure.”

“I believe you’re underestimating our fleet and overestimating yours,” said Jordan. “Besides, you won’t have much time to spend fighting us when you hear of my news.”

The Dark Avatar sighed. “Fine. I’ll pull our fleets out of the core systems of the Terran Alliance and Altarian Republic. They won’t be going all the way out, just to the border. And there will be no ships leaving the Arcean Empire. Not only would it make it a bad deal for us, the Arceans have long been our enemies, and we want to revel in the glory of finally conquering them. I’m not doing this because you have totally convinced me, but because I know you won’t give me or my fellow Avatars some peace until you have your meeting.”

“Yeah, whatever. Thanks for at least listening to be me.”

A grunt came in reply. “You never told me your name. What is it?”

“Is being anonymous an option?”

“No.”

Jordan thought for a second. He didn’t want to give his real name, for obvious reasons. However, he didn’t have any false names to mask his own. He finally decided. “Locke,” he said.

“Locke, huh? There are two people I’ve heard of with the name Locke. The first one is Jordan Locke, who is the leader of a resistance band that has been the bane of our supply lines. You look nothing like him. He has short gray hair, a beard, and scars on his face. Plus, he wouldn’t dare contact us.”

Jordan thought of the picture of himself that he had edited to mask his true appearance from the Drengin. The modifications he had made were nothing short of extensive.

The Dark Avatar continued. “I wish that bastard Jordan Locke were dead at my feet! Lord Kona thinks the same way. He kills a servant in rage whenever he hears about what that man has done next.”

Jesus, thought Jordan. Just how much damage have I done to the Drengin? “Tell me more about this Jordan Locke,” said Jordan, feeling a great deal of pride inside.

“I’m running out of time here, but I’ll let you know about some of his misdeeds. Thanks to him, dozens of freighters and convoys carrying all sorts of things vital to the Drengin Empire, from soldiers to ship designs, are now space junk. We’ve never seen this wretched weasel in action. He strikes, loots anything that appeals to him, and leaves before any help arrives. We even find crude and vulgar things burned onto the remaining scrap metal with lasers.”

“And?” asked Jordan, trying hard not to laugh.

“And recently, we found yet another convoy sacked and destroyed. We found a group of Drengin council members slaughtered and burned with Torian Geyseth water. I would hate to be the messenger that delivered that bit of news. But enough about him. The other Locke I’ve heard is a Terran agent whose first name escapes me. I heard he’s one of the best.”

Jordan had heard of that agent, but he couldn’t remember his first name either. He heard about him when several admirals were talking. He was a very skilled agent, but on one mission, he went missing. Sometime after, he returned insane, jabbering about some new “religious way”, as well as some new civilization called the Krynn. He later committed suicide in his cell at a psychiatric ward. “Well, you’re talking to him,” said Jordan. I’ll need to let Altos or the Terran Alliance government about what’s going on. Heads will spin if they hear about some dead agent performing a mission, he thought.

“Indeed,” said the Dark Avatar. “And your first name?”

“My last name is all you need to know,” said Jordan.

The Dark Avatar spat. “You are beginning to irritate me, Locke. But you will have your way with this one.”

“Good. And the meeting time?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I will see you then,” said Jordan.

The Dark Avatar stood up to turn off his communications console. Before he did, he shouted, “This had better be worth my time, Locke!” As the Dark Avatar broke the connection, Jordan saw that the Drengin had never put a universal translator in his ear.

The screen went blank, and the main menu of the program appeared a second later.

“That went better than expected,” said Jordan, still surprised that the Dark Avatar knew how to speak English.

“Indeed. Even though I believe there was a fair amount of luck involved, you were quite good at convincing him,” said Owen, brushing his dreadlocks back. “I was worried when you talked about the fleet, but he already knew about it.”

“I just hope this guy holds up his end of the bargain,” said Jordan.

“Jordan, just what data did you find?” asked Owen.

“It’s about the Korath. They’re creating a biological weapon.”

“Well, you could have mentioned that the data was about the Korath. Negotiating with him may have been easier if you brought that up.”

“I should have, but the network was hacked, remember? The Korath would try to stop the Dark Avatar from meeting with me.”

“The Dark Avatar…I can’t believe you’re meeting with such a monster. The things he’s done…”

“He’s driven the Drath out of their systems, and now he’s going after the Korx. Hopefully, if he believes what I have to say and convinces the Drengin Empire to move against the Korath, every civilization will have time to rebuild and strengthen themselves. Hopefully, the Drengin won’t be able to conquer on such a scale ever again,” said Jordan.

“Let’s hope,” agreed Owen.

The two sat in silence.

“Jordan?” asked Owen.

“Yeah?”

“I was thinking. Are you the Jordan Locke? The Jordan Locke that led a covert squadron capable of destroying Yor Collective motherships? The one that helped uncover plans for the Drengin assault on Altaria? The one whose squadron destroyed a fifth of the Drengin at the battle there? Sorry if you’re not who I’m talking about, it’s that-“

“That’s me,” said Jordan, with a smile. “You figured out that I was lying to the Dark Avatar pretty quick, huh?”

“That is really something,” said Owen, “You became quite the figure throughout the ranks of the Terran Alliance navy and through the academy. Everyone was talking about you and the things you did.”

Jordan smiled again, “I never knew that. I’m not the kind of hero that likes loads of fame, though I do sometimes enjoy talking about what I’ve been doing. I just do what I have to do, you know? I joined the navy out of a sense of duty. Well, a fascination of space helped too, but still, it’s nice to have some fans.”

“There is one thing, though. You’re personality seems a lot different from what I’ve heard. I’ve heard that you tend to have a sense of humor, a carefree attitude toward things that aren’t life and death, and an eye for the ladies.”

Jordan was quiet for a second. “Well, that was a long time ago, before the Drengin came and ruined everything we know. I’ve…changed since then, and I don’t think it’s been for the better.” Jordan looked back at all the things he had done recently, and he realized how much he had changed. He shivered. He didn’t seem like himself anymore. It’s the damn war, he thought. It’s ruining me.

“Times like this can change anyone, Jordan. Now, we should get to Kiso-Sa. This Dark Avatar clearly isn’t the one to be kept waiting. I’ll let my friends know what’s going on. They’ll be coming with me.”

“Good. I can use some extra help on my ships. When will you be ready to leave?”

“My buddies are always ready to go a moment’s notice, but it can take some time for them to assemble. Give me an hour, maybe two. We usually move throughout Terran space doing jobs to help fight the Drengin, but we have settled down in Solitude Station for quite some time now. I gotta get everyone up and moving again.” Owen turned opened up his communication program and typed something.

“Yeah, boss?” said a voice from the computer.

“Get everyone to meet in the hangar and load up the ships,” said Owen.

“What are we doing now?” asked the voice.

“We have a new group of buddies we’re going to be sticking with. Get everyone and everything ready.”

“I’m on it.”

Owen closed his computer. “There’s a good bar on this station. It’s fairly close to this room. Ask somebody to directions to it. It’s one of the best around. Go check it out while I prepare everything.”

“All right.”

Jordan and Owen got out of their chairs. Owen picked up his computer and the two walked out of the conference room and into the hallway. Before Owen turned a corner, Jordan shouted. “Owen!”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for helping me out today. Whether we win or lose this war, you’ll be remembered. I’ll make sure of that.”

Owen grinned and walked away.

After watching Owen go, Jordan headed for the bar Owen had told him about.

I'm enjoying it. Should be interesting to see how the meeting between Jordan and the DA goes, and how Ordo fits into things.

And something tells me the badassery of this story will soon go off the charts.

Yay, prequels!

Oh, and an odd and somwhat late question: what is Jordan's age, exactly? I'm imagining him somewhere in his early 30's, but I just want to be sure.

God, I am so nit-picky!

Apologies for the delays. New chapter coming ASAP.

Chapter 22

Jordan quickly found the bar, and had several drinks. What Owen had said was true, the bar was excellent. Still, the social atmosphere felt fairly strange to Jordan. It puzzled him. Before the war, he always stood out in settings like these. He had often talked until his throat hurt. Here, he barely said a word to anyone. I haven’t been in a place like this in over a year, thought Jordan. Seems I’ve forgotten what it’s like. I hope this feeling isn’t permanent.

A while later, Owen walked into a bar with another man, who was also African. “Everything’s ready to go,” said Owen.

“All right,” said Jordan, “Who’s this guy?”

The other man stepped forward. “The name’s Johnson Belle,” he said. “I had to see it in order to believe it. Jordan Locke…I can’t believe it. When Owen told me we were going to be flying with Jordan Locke, hell, I thought he was crazy!”

“Guess I’m not, Johnson,” said Owen. “The ships are waiting, Jordan. Let’s go.”

The three of them turned and left the bar, leaving the drinking, shouting, and laughing behind for the ongoing war around them.

Jordan, Owen, and Johnson, walked into the hangar complex. A fairly large group of ships had docked in the various spaces, ranging from merchant ships to military cruisers. From the main hub in the hangar, the three walked through several docking tubes until they arrived in a hangar where several ships stood. The ships varied in size, from what appeared to be heavily armored yachts to ships in a size classification general known as “corvette”. A group of men were in the hangar, some loading equipment into the ships, while others stood about.

“All right!” shouted Owen, getting everyone’s attention. “This is Jordan Locke, the guy I told you about. We’ll be flying with his fleet to the system of Kiso-Sa.”

“Why are we going to some system like that? I hear even big ships get easily wrecked there!” said one of the men by the ships.

Another man stepped forward. “You’ve been listening to too many bar stories. There is wreckage, but only near battle sites, and where that Drengin station exploded because of a faulty reactor. The ship I served on during the war went through there, and I’m not dead, now am I?”

“You keep your damn mouth shut! I honestly don’t need you sticking your nose in my business and saying that kind of crap! Now turn around and-“

“That’s enough,” said Owen calmly. “Now, let’s get everything ready. We need to leave here as soon as possible.”

“Everything’s loaded!” shouted a man.

“Good. Everyone, get onboard your ships! Jordan, follow me.”

Jordan followed Owen to his ship. Like many other newer Terran military ships, Owen ships had an aggressive appearance, rather than the more friendly older styles, which drew upon Arcean and Altarian designs. Jordan and Owen walked to the ship’s main entry point using an access ramp that extended from the observation platform they had been standing on. Owen opened up the hatch, and they both stepped inside. “Welcome aboard the Perseus,” said Owen.

The Perseus was a Hercules-class corvette. Jordan remembered that the line of ships was designed to do tasks even the toughest fighters couldn’t do. Jordan slid into one of the cockpits. Owen did the same. Several seconds later, several men entered the ship and sat down at control stations or entered turret control points. The hatch slid shut. The hangar opened, and the Perseus’ engines flared up and pushed the ship out of the station. The other ships followed.

Owen’s ships soon arrived at Jordan’s fleet. Jordan hailed the Independence. Zane answered. “Did you get a meeting arranged?” he asked.

“Everything’s set up. It’s going to happen tomorrow, somewhere in Kiso-Sa. Set a course there,” said Jordan.

Zane said something a crew member, then turned back to Jordan. “We have the course set. We’ll stop at Taurus Station to make some repairs first, if we can.”

“All right. Open the hangars. We’ve got some new recruits.”

“Will do.” The channel closed.

Owen ordered the smaller ships in his fleet to dock with the ships in Jordan’s fleet. The majority avoided the Altarian carriers and docked with the Independence and Royal Vengeance. “There’s plenty of space on the carriers,” Jordan thought aloud.

“My men generally distrust Altarians,” explained Owen.

“I see,” said Jordan. I’m not the only one who has issues with Altarians. This level of dislike is spreading, thought Jordan. Tresia and her henchmen must be getting their voices heard. I have to get them to shut up, or else there’s going to be violence.

After receiving warp coordinates, Owen activate the ship’s warp drive, and followed the rest of the fleet to Taurus Station.

“Here we are,” said Owen, “Taurus Station.”

Taurus Station was a formerly a mining station that provided ore from asteroids to production facilities and refineries throughout the Terran Alliance. When the asteroids ran out of ore, it became a trading station, and new areas were built onto it, similar to the massive Twilight Station, which orbited Earth. The station got its name from the two large, curved rows of docking clamps that protruded from the station, making the station look like the mythological bull.

Jordan’s fleet docked at several of the clamps, while Owen flew the Perseus into the hangar.

After landing, Jordan found the way to the Independence through an information terminal. As he walked through the corridors of the station, he noticed how many refugees had taken shelter at Taurus. They were scattered throughout the station in their various groups. Those who couldn’t find an empty room simply slept out on hangar bays. Their faces showed true grief and suffering. However, some had the look of veterans about them. They might make good crewmen, thought Jordan. I’m sure they all want to leave here. He then walked up to several bulletin panels. Information and announcements flashed on the screens. Jordan entered an announcement letting people on Taurus Station know about options for service aboard the Independence and Royal Vengeance. He left out the Altarian carriers for fear of culture clashes, which he was all too familiar with. He gave a cutoff date of 10:00 Standard Time on the following day, a half hour before the fleet would leave for Kiso-Sa. When he was satisfied with the details, he uploaded it to the main bulletin system. It flashed on the screen a second later, catching the attention of several men that had the look of soldiers.

Owen, finished with whatever he was doing, met up with Jordan. The two headed for the equipment dock on station, in attempt to get better engine parts for the Independence and Royal Vengeance so the two didn’t have to make so many stops while warping. However, most of the parts were gone, broken, or too expensive. Jordan tried to convince the dealers that he would pay them later, but they demanded that the money come immediately. Jordan considered pulling out his pistol and holding a particularly nasty outfitter at gunpoint until he agreed to sell the parts, but decided not to.

Once Jordan and Owen found the docking place of the Independence, several crew members walked up. “Jordan, there’s a group of people here that says that they’re here for work aboard, the ships. What’s this all about?”

“Don’t worry,” said Jordan, “I’ll take care of it.” He walked past the group of people, and used the stairs to the access tunnel leading to the Independence as a platform. He got everyone’s attention, then began to speak. “I…I’m glad that you responded by my post on the announcement service. My name is Jordan Locke, and I’m the leader of a resistance group fighting the Drengin. My ships have the bare minimum of people needed to run them, a skeleton crew. I need people to work and fight with me. Whatever your specialty is, it will be welcome. However, if you came looking for money in this, or everything to be in our favor, leave. If you work for me, you work with what we have, and receive your pay whenever I can spare it.”

Several people turned and left, but the others stood, showing either their boldness, acceptance, or desperation.

“If you want to work with me, speak to several crew members here. They’ll put you on whatever ship needs you the most. We leave at the time I posted. You can ask any questions to either my men, or me after you sign up.” Jordan turned and walked down the access ramp to the Independence. Walking to up to the warship, he realized that he didn’t think of it as Jim’s anymore, but as his own. He looked back to see his men working with the people that would soon be joining his resistance. He entered the Independence, feeling at home in its grey hallways and dim lights.

Zane came up. “Nice job on getting that meeting, man! Owen told me the details. Kiso-Sa, eh?”

“Brings back memories I’d like to forget, Zane,” said Jordan.

“Yeah, yeah. What’s going on in front of the access ramp?”

“New recruits. Tell people to get quarters ready, and add new people to task lists and squads. Several of the guys will have the info. Tell them what to do. I’m going to get some rest.”

“Will do, Jordan. It’s about time we got some new guys. Owen’s men are a good addition, but we’ve always needed more crew members here.,” Zane turned and walked to the bridge. Jordan walked his room, turned off the lights using a switch rather than telling the computer, laid on his bed, and fell asleep.

Aplogies for the long dealys between chapters. I will write much mor real soon.

Who is your favorite character so far?

Chapter 24

Once Jordan and his men were safely back aboard the Independence, he headed for the bridge. He sat down in the captain’s chair and began to think. The meeting had clearly worked, the Dark Avatar would, or would try, to convince Lord Kona, the emperor of the Drengin Empire, to stop the Korath, which would hopefully trigger the civil war Ordo had calculated. I hope Ordo’s right about this civil war happening, or this strike against the Drengin is going to be a disaster.

After watching the Ka-Akathanis leave, Ashley set a course for the nearest friendly star system.

Zane checked an alert. “Altos is hailing us, Jordan.”

“Open a channel,” replied Jordan.

Altos appeared on the bridge, dressed in his full uniform. “Did the meeting go well?”

“It went fine.”

“It seems so, seeing that you’re in one piece. Did you convince the Dark Avatar to do what Ordo wanted him to do?”

“Starting what could be the biggest civil war in history? Yes, it did. Why are you dressed up so fancy. This is a resistance band, not the Navy.”

“We are planning a celebration, Jordan. Did you hear about what happened recently? Or do you still not watch GNN?”

“I was busy.”

“Let me explain, then. It seems your friend Ordo is doing some damage to the Yor Collective. Scouts from the new Terran Alliance fleet found that several fleets of the Yor were shooting each other. Either Ordo was attacking, or the rest of the Collective was attacking him. Either way, the two sides somehow drove each other out of the Terran Alliance and Altarian Republic. With the Drengin gone too, which confuses me, our civilizations are now secure. This is why we are celebrating. We Altarians may not like violence, but even something this important is something to rejoice at.”

“Cool,” said Jordan. “I’m the partially the reason why the Drengin left. I negotiated with the Dark Avatar to pull back his ships. I’m sure the fleet took care of the rest.”

“Excellent job, Jordan!” said Altos with a smile, “Now, the reason I wanted to talk with you, besides discussing the meeting, is to let you know that you are invited to this event aboard my ship. You have more than earned it.”

“Thanks, Altos,” said Jordan.

“This is a formal event, so please, dress nicely, wash, and for heaven’s sake, cut your hair! If you can’t even do that, tie it back like they do in the Navy. Altarian men do not have shoulder length hair.”

Jordan grinned. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“The party will begin in four hours. See you then.” The channel closed.

“Ever been to an Altarian party?” asked Zane.

“No, but I’m the parties I’ve been to are much more, well, crazy,” replied Jordan.

Zane laughed and turned his attention back to the bridge.

A few hours passed, then Jordan began to get ready for the party aboard Altos’ ship. The proper thing to wear would be his uniform, but that was ripped. He managed with a dark grey dinner jacket and slacks. He then checked in the mirror, and found that his do-it-yourself hair cut looked surprisingly good. He then headed for the docking bay, where a shuttle from Altos’ ship was waiting.

After a quick shuttle ride, Jordan walked to where the event was supposed to be held. The door was open, so he went in.

Inside, the room was filled with Altarians doing various things. Most were crew members, but others were had the looks of the wealthy and elite. The majority of the attendees were doing some sort of Altarian rhythmic dance. The others were in small groups talking amongst themselves.

Altos walked up. “Good, you’re here, and looking somewhat respectable. I’m sure you'll stay for the whole event, right?”

Jordan shrugged. “Depends. Ordo is probably wanting updates on what I’ve been doing, and he probably won’t give my men any peace until I talk to him.”

“Well, I’d like you to stay until Alan Bradley’s address to the Terran Alliance and Altarian Republic is broadcasted.”

“What’s he talking about?”

“The whole offense against the Drengin. It’s a rallying speech, one to give us hope.”

“Good. We all need some of that.”

“Indeed. Now, go talk to some of the people here. I’m probably the only who knows a lot about you.”

“What about Tres-” Jordan began to ask, but a glance from Altos told him to drop the subject.

“Enjoy the party, Jordan,” said Altos. He then turned and began to talk with his crew.

I really hope that old hag isn’t here, thought Jordan. For once I’d like to come aboard this ship without her screeching about how bad of a person I am. If there’s a bad person, it’s her. If she didn’t have so much power and authority, I would have blasted a nice hole in her damn skull long ago. Perhaps I can get Ordo to kill her and call it an “accident” .With a cruel smile, Jordan headed for one of the groups of people.

The other Altarian acknowledged Jordan with nods and smiles. One offered Jordan a sweet tasting drink. One girl moved closer to him. “Welcome to the party,” she said.

“Thanks. What exactly is this?”

“The drink?”

“No, the party.”

She smiled. “This is a Glythiaul. It literally means ‘Party of Gratefulness’ is English.”

“What’s everyone so grateful about?”

“The whole push against the Drengin! Don’t you know?”

“Yeah, I do. I was just wondering.”

“It’s all right.”

The two of the watched the dances going on. Rows of Altarians danced rhythmically to ambient music. The grace of the dancers was amazing. Since this was rather scaled down event, Jordan wondered what the real events would be like. As the girl watched, Jordan began to notice just how beautiful she was. Jeez, I’ve seen loads of hot girls, but this one beats them all. Like almost all other Altarians, she had a blue tattoo on her forehead, which was partially covered by her hair. “You never told me your name. What is it?”

“Aelytha.”

“You’re name’s as pretty as your face.”

Aelytha blushed. “You’re so sweet!” she said with a big smile. “What’s yours?”

“Jordan Locke.”

Her eye widened. “Jordan Locke? Altos told me a lot about you.”

“You know Altos?”

“Know him? I’ve practically become one of his best friends. He’s a good person. He’s also told me a lot of stuff about you.”

“What has he said?”

“He says that you’re a good guy to know, that you’re smart, determined, impulsive, and a leader. He envies you, Jordan. Feel honored.”

“Envies?”

“In a good way. He says a lot of other good things about you, unlike some of the other people aboard here.”

“Tresia and her buddies,” Jordan spat.

“Yes,” said Aelytha, looking down at the ground.

“Why does she hate me so much? We got off on the wrong foot to begin with, but she seems to hate me and my men with a vengeance. Why is this?”

Aelytha looked around, then spoke softly, so no one else could hear. “She part of a movement that has been gaining ground in recent months. It’s called the Uslynthinis Movement. It’s a movement filled with arrogant people who believe Altarians are superior in all aspects to Terrans. It’s disgusting and disrespectful. These people go against our values by doing this.”

“I probably know why. Our species-”

“Terrans and Altarians are exactly the same, Jordan,” said Aelytha.

“Okay, our people are known for violence and killing each other.”

“So are the Drengin.”

“Yeah. Can you let me finish?”

“Sorry.”

“Needless killing goes against the morals and religion of Altarians. So, some zealots wouldn’t like us for that.”

“That’s still a silly reason.”

“It is. But there may be a better reason for them to hate us, and that’s Hyperdrive. It’s amazing how much suffering that piece of technology has caused. It seems that by giving Hyperdrive to the galaxy, we’ve caused isolation, the race for planets, and war. Now our civilizations are in ruins.”

“Giving Hyperdrive to the galaxy may have been a bad decision, but it had good intentions. Your ancestors wanted to create some sort of a galactic utopia with it, with peace and trade. They just didn’t realize how bad some civilizations can be. The followers of Uslynthinis may claim this as a reason to be so hateful, but it is still a bad reason. The Terran Alliance has done much for us.”

“We have. Have you ever spoken out against these people?”

“You don’t understand the power some of these people hold. They have formed a council that decides what to do. Altos is not all-powerful. The council, which Tresia and her followers are a significant part of, could replace Altos and turn on you if they can persuade the council to. Thankfully, they are held in check by more sensible members. I have spoken out against them, but they have tried to get me to be quiet. It is with words now, but they might not be so nice in the future.”

“If they’re giving you crap, you can come aboard my ship. We’re a more welcoming group.”

Aelytha smiled.

Altos moved toward the center stage and began to speak. “I’d like to thank you all for coming here today. As you all know, this Glythiaul is to celebrate the push against the Drengin, and to free our friends. The President of the Terran Alliance, Alan Bradley, will be making an address about this. A projector will activate and show it. Thank you.”

A projector appeared from the ground and displayed a screen. GNN, or the Galactic News Network, showed its logo. A newscaster appeared. “Now, we are proud to show the much-awaited address by President Alan Bradley. Please enjoy.” The screen changed to show a stage which Jordan knew was at one of the capital cities of the Terran Alliance, though he wasn’t sure whether it was at London or Washington D.C. Admiral Jim Ebyon walked up onto the platform. Jordan’s heart skipped a beat. Jim began to speak. “As you know, President Alan Bradley is here to make his address today. Many of you are unclear and frightened about what has been going on in recent months, but I’m sure he will explain it. Thank you.”

“Jim…” said Jordan in a low voice. Jim had changed since they had last seen each other. Jim still wore his hair closely cut, and had a thin beard, but his temples were much grayer now. His face also looked much older. It’s been a long time…

With thunderous applause, President Alan Bradley started his speech. “My fellow citizens, we have begun to reach the light at the dark end of the tunnel. As I said earlier, the war against the Drengin was not a defeat, but merely a negative event. We have gone forward, pressed the attack, and now we reclaim what is rightfully ours!” Applause echoed not from wherever Alan Bradley was making his speech, but also aboard Altos’ ship.

“This new offensive is only the beginning. We will retake our territory, liberate our friends and allies, the Arceans, who showed us the way into the stars and inspired us to create Hyperdrive. The Torians are not forgotten. We will save them, too. Let us not forget how they came to our aid at our most desperate hour at the Battle of Altaria, and drew off Drengin ships during our organized retreat.

“The Drengin will answer for what they have done. This I promise, and more. I swear to you that Lord Kona and his fellow Drengin officials will stand trial for war crimes, as well as for simply starting this war and causing so much pain and suffering. They will not get away!” More applause.

“We will break the back of the Drengin war machine. We will annihilate their ships, shut down their factories and wretched slave pits, and slaughter their legions in victories that will be told throughout the ages! We will be victorious!

“We shall also deal with the Dread Lords, a civilization we once thought dead, which was has chosen to rampage across the galaxy. We have partially defeated them, but they still remain. As long as they remain, they galaxy will never be safe. But be assured, when this is all over, the fires of war will vanish. The rushing currents of peace and justice will quench them once we break the back of the Drengin Empire, so they can never do anything like this again. I urge all of you to remain calm. Do not be afraid. Be strong, strong like all of our brave men, and the souls waging a resistance against intolerable Drengin occupation.” The president continued for around fifteen more minutes, then applause roared throughout the stage like a crashing wave. The cameraman showed people cheering, shouting, stamping their feet, and doing other things. Alan Bradley’s speech had clearly had an excellent effect.

“Short but sweet,” said Jordan. “This guy’s approval ratings are gonna go through the roof.”

Aelytha laughed.

Jordan started to laugh, but something else caught his eye. Tresia and some of the people that were at the meeting where Jordan explained his plan had come into the event. Shit…

Aelytha saw what he was looking at. “Don’t worry,” she said.

Suddenly, the projector screen flashed. It changed from the regular news that it was showing to a scene is space.

“This is a breaking news story,” said the reporter, “We are near the border of the Drengin Empire, where the scene is in utter chaos and destruction. Just a minute ago, ships from Drengin Imperial Fleet opened fire on ships from the powerful Drengin Korath Clan. Already, multiple ships have been destroyed, and the battle is only intensifying. We do not know the reason for such an event to take place, but what we do know is-. Sorry, we are getting more updates. Reports are coming in from all over the Drengin Empire over battles between the Drengin Army and Navy and the Korath.” The camera zoomed in on the battle. The Drengin and Korath ships were shooting and launching seemly every weapon they had. A large red flash appeared next to the Korath fleet. “Wait, something’s coming out of that red area! We…We have a confirmed Dread Lord sighting! Two ships. They’ve just attacked one of the Drengin capital ships, and it seems they have dealt a death blow. The ship is breaking apart.” The camera showed a massive explosion, which engulfed a smaller Drengin ship. “Each side is fighting with everything is has, wait, the Drengin are retreating! It seems that Korath are too much, but why did the Dread Lord ships not attack the Korath? They are sending a ship our way, so we must retreat. Expect more updates.”

The room was silent. Jordan celebrated in his head. It seemed everyone couldn’t comprehend the fact of a possible Drengin civil war.

Jordan turned and saw Tresia and her fellow Uslynthinis members moving toward Jordan. Jordan scowled.

“Come on, Jordan. Let’s not get in any trouble,” said Aelytha, grabbing his shoulder.

“Fine. If you want to, I can show you my ship.”

“That would be great. Wait by the shuttle for me.”

The two of them left the room. While Aelytha headed for her room, Jordan turned his mind back to the battle. Mission accomplished.

Excellent as usual, General E. But I have a questio about the Uslynthinis Movement: Does its doctrine of hate go into Nazi-like levels, or is it less psychotic?

That's not fair!

Well, keep the story coming anyway.

Here's another chapter for you all. Enjoy.

Chapter 25

After the shuttle ride back, Jordan changed back into his regular clothes and showed Aelytha around the Independence. Finishing the tour at the makeshift bar the crew had made, the two of them got drinks.

“The way you run your ship, well, it’s much different than the way Alto does,” said Aelytha.

“That’s true,” said Jordan, taking a sip of his beer, “Not very formal.”

“Don’t you need formality to remain in control? If things get to casual and relaxed, your men might not care or listen to you.”

Jordan smiled. “Don’t worry. They all listen to me. At least the ones that matter do. I didn’t expect to ever be in command of the Independence, much less the whole fleet, but I made it somehow.”

Aelytha’s eyes widened. “Really? How?”

“It’s a bit of story, so stop me if I get too boring,” said Jordan.

“I’m a good listener.”

“All right. It all began when the Terran Navy was retreating to Earth. You probably know about the shield Earth had.”

“I do.”

“So, we were all trying to get to Earth, and they turn it on before we get in. My squad and I were trapped outside, as well as several other ships, including this one. At first we’re all panicking, because the Drengin are coming. People are arguing about what to do. I get on the comm. link, and tell everyone to head to Mars. No one thinks twice about it. So, we all get there. Someone on the Independence tell everyone to come aboard so we can discuss what to do. So, I come onboard. Everyone was arguing, there was no leadership whatsoever. That’s when I step in. I get everyone to shut up and listen to me. I suggest that we form a resistance band to fight the Drengin. I also gave ideas on how things would be organized. Apparently my ideas were good, because no one challenged me. I was then universally elected to be captain. A year and half later, this is where we are now.”

“You’re a leader, Jordan,” said Aelytha, touching his arm.

Jordan was about to say something when he heard what appeared to be the sound of metal boots and Zane shouting something. Another voice sounded, one that Jordan was now familiar with. You couldn’t have picked a worse time, Ordo…

Ordo pushed open the door and entered the bar. Aelytha went pale and let out a small gasp.

“Well, well, well,” said Ordo.

“Well what?” asked Jordan angrily. “I thought you would understand that I don’t appreciate it when you barge aboard my ship.”

“You didn’t say anything about it. Or maybe my memory malfunctioned. Your friend here obviously feels the same way. Such a pointless waste of atoms.”

Zane kicked Ordo in his leg, then yelled and hopped on one foot clutching his other foot, expletives flying. “He’s quite dumb, too.”

“Ordo…” said Jordan with clenched teeth, “What do you want?”

“I invited myself aboard to discuss your apparent success in causing an all out civil war between the Drengin and Korath. Excellent work. The second phase of my plan is now complete. We must now overthrow N-1.”

“Don’t you mean you must overthrow N-1? I’m done with you telling me what to do. I have more important things to do.”

“State an example, then.”

“I am going to help the Terran Navy fight off the Drengin. You can do your whole rebellion thing by yourself. I’ve done all I need to do.”

Ordo laughed. “Not so fast. You’ve still got much to do.”

“Listen, Ordo! If word gets out that I’m working with the Yor, I’m going to be branding a freak or a traitor. It’s just not right!”

Ordo paused. “I understand how you may be feeling, but-“

“You can’t even feel! You’re a f^cking robot, for Christ’s sake! How can you-”

“All right, I understand how you think. You’re clearly experiencing the emotions known as frustration, anger, and a slight bit of confusion. Don’t forget what I plan to do. If I win against N-1, you’ll have a new ally against the Drengin. You cannot afford to miscalculate things like this, Jordan. Our fates are intertwined. You Terrans have an old saying, ‘United we stand,’”

“‘Divided we fall,’”, finished Jordan, “I understand.”

Ordo’s eyes flared green. “I was contemplating things recently, something I hadn’t done before, because normal Yor do not reflect on past tasks and events. Once one task is done, they move on to the next in their routine. That is where I am different. Anyway, I have realized that I may have used you as tool, rather than a friend or accomplice.”

“You have,” said Jordan.

Ordo paused. “After a half a nano-second of futher contemplation, I have decided not to come aboard without your clearance.”

“Thank you. Please treat my men with more respect.”

“You are the only one I know well enough to be worthy of respect.” He turned to Zane. “Punch or kick me again. It humors me to watch stupid creatures like you hurt themselves.”

Jordan rolled his eyes. “Ordo, I need a break. The Terrans need me and my fleet to help them. We need to deal with what’s at hand now. N-1 isn’t an immediate problem right now.”

“He is to me. And he will try to stop me by destroying me or capturing me.”

“Lay low for a while then.”

Ordo paused. “Fine. Help your friends for a while. Then come back to me. Our work isn’t done.” Ordo turned and walked out of the room.

“I’m glad that’s over,” said Zane. “What a dick.”

Jordan turned and looked at Aelytha, who still looked extremely frightened. “You okay?”

“Who…who was that,” Aelytha, shaking slightly.

“That was Ordo. He may be a Yor, but he’s one of the few good ones out there. He claims to have a personality, which seems to be correct. He also wants to overthrow the Yor Collective and make them friendly to our civilizations. He’s essentially forced me to follow him and do what he says. I don’t know what he would do if I refused, but it would most likely involve violence.”

“Yeah. I…I just have a fear of the Yor. Most of them are pure evil, and they scare me.”

“I can tell,” said Jordan. “He’s not one for good first impressions.”

Aelytha smiled. “Jordan, I have a question for you. Why did this Ordo want you to get the Drengin and Korath to fight each other when he wants you to help overthrow the Collective? It doesn’t make sense.”

Jordan thought for a moment. “Well, during the war the Drengin and Yor made an alliance of convenience with each other. If Ordo started his campaign against N-1, the Drengin would have likely sent aid. Still, Ordo most likely strained the alliance by attacking Drengin ships while displaying a Yor Collective sign, making Lord Kona think N-1 was betraying him.”

“So, he wanted to completely separate the Drengin and Yor.”

“It seems so. I also think he wanted to help the Terran Alliance and Altarian Republic by creating a massive distraction for the Drengin. It seems to be working.”

“I hope it does. I just want all this to be over so I can return home. I miss Altaria. You probably miss Earth, unless you came from one of the Terran colonies.”

“Oh, I came from Earth. I miss it all right, even though we’re still trying to fix the damage our ancestors did to it. Our ancestors probably were the stupidest and evilest race in the galaxy at that time, save the Drengin. You Altarians were essentially our saviors. You showed us the light and helped bring an end our wars.”

“Oh, please. We helped you a bit, but you did most of the work yourselves.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I sure wasn’t around when Terrans and Altarians met for the first time. Anyways, I need to get the fleet ready so we can help the Terran Navy. Do you want to go back to the Altarian fleet, or stay here?”

“To be honest, I think I like it here. I’ll stay.”

“You made the right choice. Now, I need to get to the bridge to tell my men what the plan is, and to let Altos know. You can stay here, or find something else to do. Just ask around.”

“I will.”

Jordan left the bar and headed for the bridge.

i like it, Im not famliar with the first story "Altairs ast stand" but this is good stuff. Dialogue is harder to wreite I find and you make it sound to my ears when i read. top notch