"Alright boys," Captain Andrew turner said aloud. "We've got a new mission."
"Another paranoid freighter saw a fleet of Zrynt?" Ensign Sara Ortiz, his communications officer asked.
"Close. If it were a credible report, do you think they would send us?" he replied.
"I really wished you wouldn't have pissed off The Council, Captain," added his pilot, Lieutenant Jay Nelson.
"It's not my fault that they are behaving like five year olds," Captain Turner replied. "If they want to waste their best captain chasing ghosts, then that's fine with me. At least we get to see some amazing sights and still earn our combat pay."
"True, but I've heard some amazing stories about the Titan class ships," Lieutenant Nelson said wistfully.
"It's all exaggerated. Now, if you are done belittling your CO, I will get back to the briefing. We have a report of a single Zrynt ship. Multiple ships claimed to have seen it, so this has been deemed a credible sighting. Start the clock and initiate jump when ready." The word credible had taken on a new meaning among his crew. Credible was another way of saying that The Council was getting annoyed with Captain Turner and wanted some peace and quiet for a few days.
It had been almost seven years since he was given command of the Vengeance. It was now considered outdated and outclassed. Since the Terran fleet had developed the Titan class ships, smaller ships like the Vengeance were quickly being decommissioned. The Vengeance and the Unity had been spared because they were considered historic. It had been Andrew's quick thinking that had kept the Vengeance away from the mothballs. With a few major modifications, the Vengeance needed a fraction of the crew it had previously. The downside of this situation, is that its roll had been demoted to that of a scout. Andrew's primary mission was to investigate possible Zrynt sightings. There had been no actual Zrynt sightings in over a year, and no combat engagements for even longer than that. Ever since the destruction of the two Zrynt Lords, they Zrynt had gone to ground. Nobody knew where they went.
Captain Turner was pulled from his musings as the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach began to grow. The jump drives were about to transport them away from the comfort of their berth. The trip would require a series of jumps over the next day and a half.
The moment they arrived, Captain Turner knew something was wrong. There was a tension in his crew that he hadn't seen since they first started hunting Zrynt. "Captain, unidentified vessel one hundred thousand klicks ahead."
"Go to condition Alpha and ready all weapons," Captain Turner stated. The easygoing nature that had seeped into his ship was instantly banished. It had been years since he had seen any action, and he was unsure if he was excited or upset.
"I want that ship scanned and a threat assessment made immediately." Captain Turner ordered. "Launch probes and keep an eye out for any other ships in the vicinity. Send a message back to HQ informing them we have sighted an unidentified vessel and are investigating."
"Sir, vessel appears to be without power and is slowly leaking atmospherics. The hull shows significant damage from some kind of energy weapon," said Lieutenant Max King, his weapons/tactical officer.
"Take us in. Keep your fingers on the trigger, but don't fire until I give the order." Any cadet would have realized the damage was fresh. No ship could lose atmospherics like that for very long. The question was, who caused the damage. There hadn't been any fighting what seemed like an eternity. Let's see if the calm before the storm is now over, Andrew mused to himself.
