Adventures of Eira

Chapter 9

As Lisbeth clutches her father's hand, panic evident in her eyes, desperate for answers. "Dad, what's happening? Please, tell me!"

With a sense of urgency, her father scoops her up, his black cat ears twitching with each hurried step as they run through the bustling station dock. Surrounding them, people are frantically boarding already overcrowded ships in a chaotic attempt to evacuate. Amidst the commotion, the navy personnel coordinating the evacuation teeter between maintaining order and succumbing to the chaos.

Despite Lisbeth's persistent inquiries, her father remains tight-lipped, his responses veiled in secrecy. No explanations are offered, only that failure to evacuate swiftly will result in catastrophic consequences for everyone. Lisbeth's mind races with questions: What looming threat could possibly warrant such a sudden and massive evacuation? With the galaxy's largest and most advanced navy at their disposal, what adversary could pose such a formidable challenge?

Up in the distance, her father's personal ship comes into view, its name Frigga painted in bright yellow lettering along its hull.

"Your mother's already on board," He says, not looking at his daughter, as he picks up the pace. "Once you're aboard the crew will get both of you to Aura."

"What about you are you going to meet us there?" All she gets is a frown as a response. "You're coming back to us right?!"

He sets Lisbeth down at the boarding ramp, where a few people take her by the arms as she struggles to run back to him wanting some kind of guarantee that she will see him again.

The moment they get her inside and the hatch Is closed the ship breaks away from its mooring, the sounds of twisting metal echoes throughout the ship. Moments later the ship lurches forward throwing Lisbeth to the ground. Panic ensues among the other passengers that managed to make it aboard as engines go full burn out of the station.

"Lady Lisbeth, your presence has been requested at the bridge," a voice says over the intercom.

Lisbeth picks herself off the ground and rushes through the winding corridors of the ship, her heart pounding with each step. She finally reaches the bridge, where her mother stands beside the captain, a holographic display showing all the stations turning into an increasingly small dot behind them.

"Lisbeth," her mother says with relief as she rushes to embrace her daughter. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Mom, what's going on? Why did we have to leave so suddenly?" Lisbeth asks.

Her mother exchanges a worried glance with the captain before sighing heavily. "I don't know."

"It doesn't matter what it is, we just need to get you to safety," the caption says, turning to the pilot. "Once we're clear of the gravity well, activate the warp drive and get us to the column."

"Winding up the warp drive now."

"Wait, are we going to use it in the system? Isn't that extremely dangerous?" Lisbeth asks, stepping back words like someone is pointing a gun at her.

"We don't have a choice," the captain says, taking his seat. While she can't confirm it she feels like they are hiding the reality of the situation from them.

Seconds later the asteroids and planets start flying by as little pin prick of light arching across the bridge. The sight gave a sense of relief as there was no way that they could be intercepted by whatever the enemy was.

Suddenly the ship drops out of warp near a dwarf planet on the outer edge of the system. Alarms start to blare across the bridge with red warning pop ups across every screen in view.