The Last Of The Brave - Divided We Fall [PIPBK]

Chapter X [2019]

Commander Barnes, and the rest of the senior staff convened on the port observation deck that was overlooking the Excalibur. The entire crew had pulled out of the ship and had transferred all relevant data to the main memory banks. No one would forget the reasons why they were killed. The treachery of ONI, the lies of Admiral Forest. As they all stood there, the young Engineer who had rigged the ship to explode, handed Barnes the detonator.

The Excalibur, what was left of her was quite literally in his hands. All that would be left of the ship would be vaporized debris. All of it, just dust and echoes. As they all looked forward, Commander Barnes walked over to the wall, and made the call to attention from all hands.

"This is the Commander. As all of you are aware. Hanging off our port side, is our sister ship, the Excalibur. Originally, she was reported lost, with all hands. However, we have found otherwise. The ship had been lost due to illegal cloaking technology testing, it caused her crew to spin out, phase through walls, and be evacuated into space. All things we consider horrible. Today. We the crew of the Spirit of Endurance, the last of the brave, the last crew manning a Venator, must remember the sacrifice made by the crew of the Excalibur. Honor the fallen... Honor the brave. We are all so lucky." Commander Barnes stepped away from the communications panel but left it open. As he stepped back in line, a singular officer removed his whistle, and blew once, giving off a sound that every member of the crew was familiar to. The young officer next to him, began to play the traditional TAPS. As they all stood there, Specialist Kellen put her hand on his shoulder, as he silently gave his final goodbye to his father. After the one-minute funeral bugle commenced he flipped open the detonator, before looking once more at the Excalibur, before flipping the switch.

After a second, there was a brilliant light as it consumed the ship, throughout the Excalibur, her bulkheads snapped apart, and she split into a thousand pieces. Commander Barnes looked forward as the ship flew apart, within a few minutes, only a few pieces of her hull were visible. He turned around when a crewman from the CIC walked up to him, and whispered into his ear, news he didn't want to hear. Barnes nodded, before glancing over at Specialist Kellen, who stood there, with the same stoic appearance as everyone.

He walked over to her, and leaned in.

"We need to talk. My quarters." Specialist Kellen nodded, a slight worried appearance on her face appeared. As they walked to his quarters, she was off put by his silence, something that never happened. They were close – closer than most would consider safe between two different ranked officers. When they walked into his quarters, he took a seat on the small couch. "You should sit down." Kellen nodded, taking a seat directly across from him.

"Sir, what is it?" Kellen asked, she began to look more worried.

"We just received a communique from headquarters. I don't think it would be appropriate to inform the entire crew yet." She nodded. "I..." Barnes paused for a second, trying to put it as best as he can. "I don't know how to really tell you this. It's New Harmony. They were attacked."

"How bad is it?" Barnes shook his head. "Don't you tell me. They can't be." She stood up, running her hands through her hair. He hadn't fully given her the bad news. "I had just gotten a message from my mother yesterday. It – it was fine. Just a normal day."

"Yesterday, it was. Today... By the time the 1st Fleet Arrived. It was gone. The same weapon used by the Insurrectionists at Drexicon was used."

"Please tell me. Were there survivors? I mean, they can't all be dead. My parents." Commander Barnes looked at her, as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"It was a complete loss. As far as they can tell, no one made it off the planet. Liz..." Barnes said. "I – I am so sorry." He stood up, and she collapsed in his arms. He just held her, as she let it all out. "I know how bad this is. I understand if you need time off. Take a few days if you need them." She pulled away and looked at him, shaking her head.

"Remember what you said at the funeral? Mourn the dead later? Well, that's what I intend to do. I'll mourn them in my own way." She said. As she croaked up what she could manage. "Plus, we need to stop them." Barnes nodded, before putting his hands on her shoulders, trying the best to show her what he could manage. He met her parents when they were together, only a few months later, he was forced to call it off after he was promoted.

"Liz. I know what it's like to lose family. If you need to talk. You know where to find me."

"I know. Right here, in observation, or in the CIC. Just like clockwork." As she began to head towards the door, Barnes looked at her.

"One last thing." She stopped in her tracks, before turning around at her. "I need you to do me a favor – like massive favor."

"Okay? What will it be?"

"Someone sent in the clear a transmission to the fleet back at Drexicon. The sudden powerloss?" She nodded. "I had McBatten pour over through the files. Someone transmitted an HA3, it was a backdoor into all our systems. The only reason why we were unaffected was the fact that our computers weren't affected, and your console is analog. Can you trace it back to who sent it?"

"Yeah." She said. "And when we find it, I'll fucking shove him or her out the fucking airlock. They will pay for what they have done. And this war... It won't' be over until every person has been avenged. I don't care that our navy has done illegal things, I need to get pay-back at who started this damn war."

"In time. There are two evils in this world. There is one crewmen, and he needs to figure out where his loyalties lay."