The Black

United Galactic Navy ship Convergent Dawn finished Her decel burn into geosynchronous Orbit above Bricus4. Her sleek, aggressive form glided to a relative halt 50,000 ‘Kilometers’ away from the GHO station.

A whistling Klakson sounded as Captain Kar Grekurious entered the CIC.

“Captain on deck!” Barked chief of the watch before relinquishing the command chair to the Master under the void of the Dawn. Like most warships of the Galactic Unity, Convergent Dawn was a Thermian Crew, the Traditional warrior cast species of the the Galactic Unity.

Thermians were roughly 3 ‘meter’ tall barrel chested bipedal reptile species that developed on a desert planet that became their namesake as its apex. Plated in tan and brown scales, they possessed a natural armor. Thicker parts of their body had proven semi resistant to short burn laser and infantry level plasma weapons. a short-ish lizard like tail proved a powerful weapon. It was often also used to sit/stabilize on. A longish neck connected to what a human would most closely associate with a bearded dragon.

“Hail the GHO facility”- Kar’s Curt air of command was long familiar to his veteran crew.

The hologram of an older female Saurian sharpened itself in front of the command chair “Coordinator Aminaira, your reputation precedes you. I am Kar, Captain of the Convergent Dawn. We are here on an investigation of the recent pirate incident.”

Ami nodded Cordially, “A pleasure, we have a serious situation to work on. I apologize for any curtness, But What can I do for you.”

“We don’t intend any interference in your operation. All we require is your sensor logs of the incident. We will also be conducting salvage operations in the system regarding the same incident. A couple of larger pieces of the second pirate barge made it to the surface it seems. We will see to those as well. Gods guide you in your mission. “ Kar glanced at the Comm station, already flashing with incoming data. As to be expected from one of the Legends of the Void.

“And with yours, Transmission packet sent. GHO Aminairi out” The Saurian nodded her courtesy and the hologram vanished.

“Hm, efficient and concise. Admirable.” Cpt Kar rumbled to himself, “Comms, send it down to analysis. Let’s see what the brains down there can figure out.

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“Holy fuckin’ Void! HOW!” Tristen was in trouble. They were two laps from 10k and his legs were on fire, his lungs heaving for oxygen... Mac was breathing heavily and soaked to the bone in his own sweat.

“When… we moved… to open space……… hunting…. We learned…. To… persistence hunt…… basically running ……our prey into……. the ground… until …..they collapsed from exhaustion…..” them Mac gave him a big TOOTHY grin, “LIKE THIS!” Tristen wast startled by the grin ‘is he mad at me’. Then Mac did something Tristen had no answer for.. Mac made the last loop of the 10k at a dead sprint. The room shook as he almost doubled his previous speed and thundered around the track in his infernal weighted vest. A full 2 ‘minutes’ later, Tristen struggled up to where Mac had stopped next to his spare weights, data pad and towel.

“What…. The…. Actual…. Fucking… Fuck.. Was… That!” He struggled to get out as Mac handed him his towel. Then started chugging a massive container of light green fluid for himself.

"That is what I was holding back. One final push in the last lap. Its Kinda my tradition for running. Finish Strong, never surrender." Mac responded, albeit after finishing his drink and walking another full lap with his hands on his head, Tristen in tow. Both knew when it was time to cool down.

"That's... terrifying...", Tristen mumbled. still recovering a little.

Martin finally got up from where he was talking to Tili, "Met your match have now have you Tristen?" he called out. then clamped Mac on the shoulder, "Now it makes since why you eat so much. 25k without the vest hmm?"

Mac only shrugged, Feeling the eyes of Lyrian and her mother burning holes in the back of his shirt. "Something like that."

Tristen finally caught his breath, "That makes you the new Ship Record Holder. Nobody here can do a 10K outside of me and you.. and you smoked me on time with that 'sprint' of yours. Let’s get showered up. our duty shift starts in a half-hour."

The showers turned out to be communal, but THANKFULLY segregated, and Tristen seemed to be content to just get cleaned up instead of ask questions. Mac, Tristen, and Lyrian all emerged from their respective showers just in time for the ships bell to ring. Mac waved to them and prepared to head down to Hanger3. he needed to grab some sundries from the Hab section of Concord.

Mac reached for his translators to start another playlist just as a sliver and auburn hand landed on his forearm.

He turned to see Lyrian step up beside him, "Where ya goin'."

"Uh, my ship; Concord. I need to pick up a few uh-things." Mac stuttered just a little 'oh for fucks sake, am I still in high-school? I'm a grown ass man stuttering in front of a grown ass woman.'

"May I come? I'm still on... leave.. Ma' and Da' are on shift. I don't really feel like being alone right now" she looked down at something very interesting at her feet.

"Oh", Mac recognized that all too familiar sentiment. He put on a smile 'no teeth this time dumbass' "Hey, Sure! Can’t hurt anything. Just don't touch stuff i tell you not to ok? wouldn't want to accidentally Fox 2 Sicurro while he lurks on us getting my toothbrush"

There was a Huff from behind them.

A soft slightly confused giggle escaped Lyrian, "Fox 2?"

Mac just let out a laugh, "common, TomTom says it’s this way" waving his data-pad. That successfully got a proper laugh out of the Girl.

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Mac and Lyrian finally reached hanger3 and the doors hissed open to reveal Concord, crouched where Mac had left her, Starboard side facing the Door, Nose Pointed toward the Exterior Doors.

"Whoa...” a flash of a terrified whisper escaped Lyrian, “ That's... It looks... " She stammered.

"She, Concord is a she" Mac responded gently. “You need not fear her.”

"She?" The confusion was clear on her face.

"Its a Human custom. ships, cars, aircraft, and spacecraft have all been traditionally 'female'", mac shrugged, "Its been going on for millenia on my home world"

"Oh, well.. She looks... Dangerous" Lyrian finished.

"She can be, although few of her opponents ever saw her." Mac mused, then shook himself, He hoped the shadows in his eyes weren’t too visible. "Anyway, let’s get what I came for" He walked over to a panel under the cockpit and Concord Hissed as her cockpit opened and a ladder folded itself out and down to where they were standing. "let me get up there first, I need to put in some codes to get access". He set his vest on the ground, and quickly climbed the ladder."Alright, come on up" he said after a moment.

"Hop in the back seat, you need to be in the seat to get into the Living quarters", Mac indicated to the seat behind the one he was sitting in as she crested the lip of the cockpit seal. She nodded, climbing down into a seat that was a touch small, but not uncomfortable.

"You good back there?" Mac asked. She nodded then started to get worried when the canopy started to come down.

"Uh... Mac?" her Trepidation bled through her question.

"We aren't launching, It’s a safety feature, you cannot get into the Living space without the canopy closed and sealed. It’s why you guys only thought this was the 'living compartment' when I first arrived.". Mac explained, "Now, don't panic, what's next is how you get in. Just keep your hands in your lap. It won’t activate if they aren't." Mac waited a moment, then hit the button. Both chairs dropped away from all the consoles and screens in the canopy. The two of them Descended down through the floor about one and a half meters to reveal a passage on the right side of the chairs.

"Now, if you roll out of the chair to the right, you should be able to crawl back behind your seat into the Living compartment. our G suits are bulkier than your void suits, and this a no suit hop so you should have plenty room... don't worry, I'm right behind you." Mac called from in front of her.

She poked her head into the crawls space and found that she could probably crouch walk through it, she looked forward to find Mac out of his seat, on his hands and knees. He gave her a reassuring wave, "This was designed for us to get into the seats, in our suits, in zero-G. you won’t get stuck I promise. Martin might be a tight squeeze though" He smiled as he elicited a giggle that seemed to calm Lyrian a bit. She led the way back behind the two chairs. into a more open space 3 'meters' behind the aft chair. She stood up into a room with a single corridor just barely tall enough to stand in with one small single person bunk on either side and storage compartments above and below the small sleeping culverts.

"You lived like this?" She whispered... then jumped a little when she heard him take a deep breath behind her. She did not like small spaces. She turned around to face him to find their bodies almost touching. She had to crouch a little to fit in the standing room available and that had brought her forehead to forehead with Mac, who was standing comfortably; well, almost.

"It might be easier if you crawled into one of the bunks, Concord wasn't built with comfort in mind, only survival. What I am after, is behind you" Mac explained with a reassuring smile.

She thought for a moment, then crawled into the Larboard side bunk, having to curl up just a bit. and looked up at him,

"How long did you live like this" She asked.

"Many training missions, then years in the field. The navy jokingly called us the "Second Silent Service" on account of just how like early submariners we ended up living.... sorry. early internal combustion and electric boats designed to live and fight under water. ironically, they had about the same living room as these did. Hence the reference" Mac explained, recognizing her confusion.

"Your people fought wars like that?" She asked in horror.

Mac looked around, somehow casually indicating their current predicament, "Still do". He chuckled, "Now here we go, jackpot.” He opened the storage over the other bed and pulled out a massive green duffel bag, then shifted into a trapdoor style compartment to the rear of the Ship’s hab. It disappeared with a faintly hydraulic hiss. He then turned to face her and did the same with another duffel over the top of the Bed she was laying in.

"That should about do it. I should be able to cover the Three s's for a bit. and at least give me some variety in what i can wear." Mac mumbled, mentally checking off a list. Then he paused, bending down to face her as she lay there.

"Um.." she began as he leaned in towards her.

"I brought a spare suit, it’s under you" Mac mentioned, before opening the compartment below her and pulling out a white duffel back with yellow stitching. Mac placed it into the trapdoors with the other.

"There, that should about do it", Me mused reaching a hand down to her, "Ready to go?"

Lyrian Nodded, Taking his hand, and wiggling out of the cramped Berth she had been watching from.

"You good?" He grasped her on the shoulder with one hand. He steadied her with it while, with his other hand, helped her up.

"Yea, Im fine. I just don't like tight spaces normally", She replied slowly.

"Yea, this can be an acquired taste. Clint almost failed a training module because of that." Mac chuckled. "He hated small spaces too, in the beginning. We had to be able to live here, for over a year at times. physically recovering from long missions sucked. It’s partly why I'm kind of a Gym rat now. Took me a month to get space worthy again after that Mission." Mac turned and settled down on all fours, "Out we go."

Lyrian followed him back down the crawl space to the chairs and settled back into the rear seat as Mac pecked at a control and the chairs raised themselves back onto the cockpit proper. the canopy opened and Mac laughed, "I've always wanted to do this" and he launched himself out of the front seat with a shout to plummet down to the Hanger floor with a thunderous landing… He landed right next to chief Sicurro, who was scrambling away from him, cursing.

The Security chief caught Lyrian looking over the lip of the cockpit seal giggling and spun angrily to Mac.

"What were you doing in there!! You were in there too long! Why did your dome close! where did you go!!" He started Waving a finger at Mac as Lyrian began climbing down the ladder at a more sedate pace. pausing at the bottom rung at the bit of a drop below.

"Shit, forgot the last step is a duezey. just Let go, I got you" Mac waved Lyrian down... She paused, then jumped towards him, Mac catching her easily around the waist, "Your light" He mused, pausing slightly before setting her down on her feet.

He turned to the Irate Chief of Security. "Easy Chief, Nothin bad happened. You guys just didn't know that there was a living space inside. I went to get some clothes, and personal things like teeth cleaning and soap. Lyrian wanted to come along" Mac kept his voice calm. It was Siccuro's job. He didn't blame the Irate Delmar for watching a strange being disappear inside a strange ship with the Niece of the captain in tow 'great job dumbass, think that one through next time'.

"Here, I'll show you" Mac raised his palms to face Sicurro and then pointed toward the back of Concord.

Siccuro Nodded slowly and Mac walked over and pulled a small tool from his pocket. quickly opened a panel and pulled a lever. Concord Hissed as a larger panel lowered to reveal the three Duffel bags Lyrian had seen Mac put into the trapdoors inside.

"Its a Cargo lift for the Hab" Mac explained, "These are what I went in to get."

Mac grabbed two of the duffels with one hand, and the G suit bag with the other, "this gets much easier in your gravity. but I might want one of those pallets for the haul to my room." Mac dropped all three onto the anti grav pallet with a thump and walked over to Concord, closing the lift and the canopy from the outside.

"I'll help" Lyrian bounced up Jumping onto the floating pallet, completely nonplussed by Siccurro’s reaction. "You push, I’ll Nav. Staring at that dam pad will have you running into stuff." the Smirk she had on made Mac let out a belly laugh.

"Lead on, my dear!" he waved a hand toward the door.

"I’m watching you, Human" Siccuro Scowled but otherwise didn't impede their departure down the corridor.

A Rumble came from Mac’s passenger as he pushed the pallet through the corridors between Hanger 3 and his quarters. "Hungry?" He called out to Lyrian who was sitting cross legged at the front of the pallet.

Lyrian looked at her time piece/comm/data piece, sighing "Looks like we skipped lunch. dinner won’t be for another 3 'hours' or so." She responded.

"Whelp, you are in luck. aside from my glorious collection of Hawaiian Shirts, we may be transporting one of the most rare, and PREACIOUS commodity in this part of the galaxy" He teased.

"OH really? Take a right Here at 429, What are you talking about... and what is a Hawaiian Shirt." she looked back, giving him a heart stopping adorably quizzical look.

"Snacks... HUMAN snacks.. " Mac gave a Smile baring his teeth for a moment before covering them, "Shit sorry, teeth bad."

Lyrian looked at him for a moment, then giggled, "Ill forgive you. for the promise of HUUUMON, SNACKS" she mispronounced His species on purpose with an evil smile, this time baring her teeth as well.

"Ok, I’m confused, I thought teeth are bad. or are you messing with me" Mac quirked an eyebrow.

Lyrian pondered for a moment one dainty finger on her chin, "Yes" she said finally.

Mac just Barked a laugh and continued.

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20 min later, Mac and Lyrian arrived at Mac's quarters. "Open" Mac ordered, and the Door recognized his voice and opened. mac pushed the pallet in, and the Lights came on. mac pulled the pallet to the side.

"Mac?.... Uhg.... " Came a distressed sound from Lyrian. Mac turned to look at her in worry to see her straining to hold herself up with her arms, still cross legged.

"OH FUCK!" Mac sprinted to the desk console and dialed the gravity back down to Delmar standard.

Lyrian Collapsed to her elbows and began to fall off the pallet.

"I got you; Im so sorry" Mac bounded over in the much lower gravity and caught the panting Lyrian turning her fall into a lean on his shoulder.

"That... Hurt... need.. a min" Lyrian groaned.

" Let’s get you laid down" Mac answered kindly. Worry creased his face as he shifter her to bridle carry and effortlessly hoisted her off the pallet and to his bed, "I forgot I had left My room at earth standard. Are you sure you are OK? Do need to get your father?"

She leaned into him for a moment, she didn't want to admit she liked how warm he was. then relented when he set her on his bed. "I'll be fine, But I think definitely owe me snacks now." she sat up, not completely comfortable laying out on HIS bed.

"Yup, I think I do. Humans like three main things for snack's that aren't atrociously sweet or extremely bad for you" Mac began, "Dried Meat, Dried Fruit, and Mixed Nuts. Doc Gave me a scanner to use while I figured out what I could eat, it should work in reverse" Mac pulled a medical scanner from his desk. Then he opened one of the duffel bags and pulled out a smaller bag, walking over to the bed dragging the desk chair behind him.

Lyrian scooted toward the foot of the bed and Mac sat down in the chair at its head, pouring out the bag apparently FULL of human snacks.

Mac waved the scanner across the pile, pulling out some packets and placing them aside and leaving others. soon there were three piles, "Ok, this pile” he pointed to the furthest pile from her, “are no goes. Apparently Humans have some tastes in seasonings that could possibly hurt or kill you. The pile in the middle is questionable. Basically, the Scanner has no clue. Everything close to you shouldn't give you any trouble. let’s stick to that pile till we get more info, shall we?"

Lyrian nodded, pointing to a packet of single strip original jerky, "what’s that".

"That's the dried smoked meat I told you about. meat cloning was in its infancy when I left on the test that brought me here, so much of the meat came from a living being, not cloned meat. Not intelligent life just Farmed animals. We don't eat people. The only option available would have been each other, and we consider that abhorrent. My brain kind of transfer's that a little, so I'm pretty sure I have no interest in eating fresh thinking alien.”

"We still farm a little bit. So, I think it will be ok. I’ll try it." Lyrian picked it up quickly tearing into it the packaging ignoring the recommended opening spots.

She looked up just as Mac opened his packet the right way and he chuckled at her, "Oh this is going to be a blast". He mused, watching her slowly pull the package out of her mouth to open it correctly with a sheepish expression.

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Two days had passed. Cpt Kar had been requested to the conference room by the analysts in charge of the Pirate engagement investigation. They were... unusually enthusiastic... It was unsettling.

Kar settled into his chair at the head of the table, flanked by his number 1 and His Navigational Chief who doubled as a 'Science officer' when needed aboard a warship. ‘I guess its good to have hobbies.’

"Alright, Yurgari, you seem to consider this extremely urgent. Let’s have it", Kar's Reptilian eyes bored into the thin Lycan Scientist in his lab coat.

"Yes, well.. Um Captain.. We don't know much.. but what we do know is.. disturbing. We were unable to recover the smaller crafts black boxes, but we acquired both of the Pirate Barges Flight recorders..." Yurgari perked his ears waiting. Kar nodded for him to continue.

"We only know three things for sure captain. and 2 that we suspect but cannot prove conclusively.First, ALL of the Damage to the Hull's of both of the Pirate Barges, and the Fighters... was kinetic..

Kar slowly sat up, "That's odd, but not entirely out of the ordinary, many of the more primitive or poorer races use kinetics in space. The Delmar seem to be particularly attached to their 'Flak Kannon'”

Yurgari nodded vigorously, "Normally you would be correct, My captain, but we have not seen any kinetics that expel a projectile at both this high rate of fire... and with such high of a projectile velocity...

"How fast are we talking" Kar responded, eyes narrowing. Something had these Scientists spooked.

"A significant percentage of the speed of light. Captain" Yurgari stated, "So fast in fact that the projectiles themselves have not been found. We can trace their trajectories through all of the larger targets, and estimate their paths on the smaller targets... they... They didn't stop Captain. they blew clean through pirate capital ships at about a percent of the speed of light.."

Kars eyes widened and he sat back, His chief or Nav let out a low whistle, "Captain, do you know of anything capable of that?"

"I do not, Drakori... Yurgari how large of a projectile was it" Kar turned his attention from his old friend to the rented science team leader.

"That's one of the things we suspect, but cannot prove... we suspect that each projectile to be no more than 30 'millimeters' in diameter... and we suspect, by the impacts recorded on the flight recorders, that we are dealing with a weapon that has a rate of fire several thousand projectiles per second..

"that's... that should not be possible.. " Kar had sat up fully. "My apologies, continue."

Yugari nodded "Anyway, the second thing we know for sure is that there was a launch detected aboard the would-be victim... a freighter by the name of... Lucid Traveler, Delmar Confederation flagged. but There are no sensor readings of ANYTHING coming out of their larboard hanger or any new sensor readings from the GHO, or the pirate Barges until after the fight."

"What changed after the fight" Kar asked.

"There was an internal beacon brought online inside of whatever it was. and that beacon entered into the Hanger of the Lucid Traveler. the Same hanger that a launch was previously reported from.

"Do we have the data from this Lucid Traveler?" Kar demanded.

"No, my captain. They departed days later for.... Pru'Mrul Prime with a transit payment as thanks by the GHO for their quick response. They will be picking up their new Contract in that system most likely today.”

"Prep for jump, Notify the GHO of our immediate departure. let move people, we have a Freighter to Catch" Captain Kar rose from his chair, but the room was already half empty.

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Cpt Silu Leaned back in his private quarter’s office chair. Had been on the Horn with the Law-masters on Delmar Prime and searching the books since their departure from Bricus4, and all the way through their Contract Pickup on Pru'Mrul Prime. Lucid Traveler was currently full to bursting with farming supplies and Seed bound for a long haul out to a Rim World known as Argorania... It would be a 3 week trip at standard Sub-Space. He had taken an extra day to have the Final Drives and the Subspace field generators cleaned. 'I don't like long hauls like this. but the money is good. and they need this for the colony to succeed.' he thought. scrolling through his messages one final time before they reached the beacon out of Pru'Mrul. he noticed a new message flashing urgent... from the GHO..

Silu sat up straight and opened it. it was from Ami..

Ami's face appeared on his viewscreen, "Silu, my dear friend... I pray to the Gods of the void that this Message reaches you in time. A UGN Warship showed up hours after you left. No, you are not in trouble... technically.... but there is something you should know." Twenty 'minutes' later Silu sat back in his chair fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. His mind whirred with options and possible outcomes... severely limited though they would now be. He keyed his Intercom.

"Icario here. Something the matter, Captain?"