Blue Nova

Chapter 2

Mars - 3 hours after the attack

The union battle cruiser arrived from hyper driver just above Mars's orbit. As it approached the atmosphere, a lone fight burst forth from the ship and darted down towards the service of the red planet. The noise of the shuttle thundered into the planets sky, its red flame glowing brightly behind it as it descended to the sandy red surface below. It shot towards the central city Xanthe-terra, the Central Chamber appeared in the central of the city. The shuttle came into a hover above the sandy landing bay, it's landing thrusters burst to life and brought the shuttle into a gentle landing, throwing red dust up as it touched down. Smoke burst from the landing ramp as it came down from the shuttle. General Zang emerged with a background of smoke and red light. His wolf like leg started to carry him forward down the ramp, his three toes leaving imprints in the dust. "Ah General Zang, what an honor to have you safety return" said Plunkett, the king's private secretary, "his majesty the king and the High Council are waiting for you in the war room". General Zang nodded and followed Plunkett into the chamber building.

Tall Redstone pillars towered high into the sky, as they walked up the red marble steps of the chamber, Zang could see the royal guards standing tall on either side of the door, the unions flag hanging proudly above the door. As the doors opened, a long hall lay before them, more Redstone pillars lined the hall, their shadows dwarfed everything that lay before them. Large statues stood proudly between the pillars of former king's, Queen's and hero's of the Great Mars Union. General Zang's cape slide majestically behind him and he strutted down the hall, towards the war room at the far end of the great hall. The war room's doors stood tall in front of them with two royal guards on either side, the door war as red as the fire pits of hell and depicted battle scenes with destroyed legion ships littering the bottom of the panel's. As the doors opened, Zang and Plunket's face were blasted with the light from within. "Enter" boomed a loud voice within the room. 

Plunket entered the room and Zang closely but nervously followed. As soon as they did enter the large doors of the war room slammed shut with a tremendous bang that would wake the dead from their long and peaceful slumber. "General Zang" boomed the king "may I say, what an honor it is to see you back from your playtime with the legion in one piece". "Thank you sire, it" but before Zang could finish what he was going to say the king raised his and and arose from his red crystal throne and started walking towards him. The members of the high council remained seated around a large Redstone table with a holographic display in the center that depicted the attack on the legion station. "I do not recall authorising an attack on the legion station or any such legion targets" said the king "ah yes sire but" said Zang "silence" boomed the king, his voice echoed round the room "If I require your input general, I will ask for it". General Zang started to shake with fear, the king had the power to send him to the union prison in deep space to serve out the rest of his days with hard labour. "General Zang" said High Priest Wyda "do you understand that what you have down could lead to a large scale war with the United Legion, to which our military might is not ready, it has not recovered since the last conflict". "Could this school boy attack of yours Zang have some sort of petty revenge to provoke it" said Admiral Conbar "we know your family died in the hands of the legion during the battle of Saturn's Rings". "My lords, your majesty, please let me explain" pleaded general Zang "I have been watching the station for a long time and my sources tell me that one board that station was a weapon, a weapon that could destroy the complete Mars Union in one attack". "And what evidence do you process of this General" asked Wyda. "I have an informant on the inside of the Legion my lord" replied Zang. "I find that very hard to believe" said the king "No one in the Legion would ever go against their president". "You would think that sire" replied Zang, "I will have no more of these lies general" Boomed the king, "Wyda, have the embassy send a delegation to Earth to negotiate with the legion, this has all be a terrible mistake from a unhinged general". The room went quite as they knew that the fate of General Zang was about to be delivered. "As for your Zang" said the king "you will return to your cruiser and travel to the Pluto fleet, make sure all is going to plan there". "But sire, give me a chance, I can get you the evidence that you require" begged Zang. "I have spoken general, now you may leave" replied the king "we are done with you, and we will be watching". General Zang looked around the room to all the eye's staring back at him, he bowed to the king slowly and refused to make eye contact with the king, then he turned slowly and left the room.

As he marched forward down the long hall of the chamber, his foot steps echoed around him, his face boomed with anger and he advanced towards the landing bay. As he took of from the landing bay he ignored all speed limits within the city as he zoomed back towards his cruiser, the rage still building up inside him. As he departed his shuttle in the cruisers hanger bay, Commander Bacma was waiting him. "What is our orders from the king sir, is he praising us for our brilliant attack on the scum of the legion" said Bacma happily "far from it" replied Zang, "we have been sent to join the Pluto fleet at the far end of the galaxy". "Oh my, did they not like our attack sir" asked Bacma, a hint of worry alive in his voice as if Zang was about to strike him down. "No they did not captain" boomed Zang, "now sent a course for the Pluto fleet", "yes sir" replied Bacna. "Now if you need me and I assure you captain, if you want to live you do not need me" boomed Zang, "I will be in my quarters".  Zang turned and stormed off up the corridor of the ship, his dark shadow filling all the walls as he walked down to his quarters. His face red with anger, his mind was flowing with thought, but what thoughts.