Skylar and Cavah did not have to wait long before a ship took off from Plantia, a rarely visited desolate planet. Spirit made the ship invisible to radars, and Cavah concealed it in the shadow of the planet. They waited patiently, and a few minutes later, the same ship that had been at Julius Shayne's took off and appeared on the Krœnos's radars. Skylar was right; he wasn't alone.
"Spirit, restart the ship. Cavah, intercept," Skylar ordered.
They obeyed without hesitation. In an instant, the heart of Krœnos warmed, and Cavah set off in pursuit of the ship. No need to understand the captain's mind to know what "interception" meant.
"Doma! We've been spotted, Douar!" exclaimed a crew member.
"What do you mean, spotted?!"
"The Academy ship, it was hidden, I don't know how it wasn't on the radars!"
"That Academician, she's clever... Go into superluminal! She can't follow us! Elise, contact Fr'ehe, tell him we've been spotted!"
"But are you crazy?! In superluminal?!"
"Do as I say!"
Superluminal speed was rarely used due to high energy consumption and the risk of implosion. But it was their only way to escape. The chase began.
"Captain, they're going into superluminal speed. We're going to lose them," Spirit informed.
"Oh, certainly not! Spirit, track their trace, don't let them go!" she ordered, busy at the Engineer's station.
"Cavah, stay on the path marked by Spirit."
"Can we do it? Can we really catch up with them in superluminal speed?"
"We just need the trace of their heart. We create a shortcut and intercept them in the middle of the race."
"It's too dangerous!" Cavah protested.
"Come on, Cavah," she laughed, heading to the Navigation station to create the shortcut. "We've done worse with the Pirates."
"I still don't know if you're a genius or crazy."
"The jurors are still debating!" she replied, knowing he wouldn't understand the reference.
On Douar's side and his crew, everything was ready for the jump to superluminal speed. They were just waiting for his order.
"Now!"
The ship shot off, leaving behind the traces of its thrusters. They thought they were out of danger, thinking the Academician couldn't catch up with them.
"I've got Fr'ehe," Elise announced.
"On screen. Fr'ehe!" said Douar, as Fr'ehe's bloodied face appeared in close-up.
"Doma, what the hell are you doing?!"
"It's not my fault! The Academician spotted us on Plantia; she was waiting for us when we took off. She's not stupid!"
"You idiots, of course, she's not stupid! She's a captain of the Doma Academy! Where are you now? Do I have to save you even from Zetania?!"
"Everything's fine, don't worry, we went into superluminal speed," Douar replied joyfully. "She can't follow us."
"To blow up the ship in addition to intercepting you! You idiots!"
"But she can't follow us," Elise tried.
"Of course, she can! It took her computer only a second to mark the ship's heart and follow you! By now, she's already on her way to intercept you!"
And Fr'ehe was not far from the truth. Barely seconds after his sentence ended, the Krœnos appeared unexpectedly on the left side of the ship and pulled it out of superluminal speed. Douar managed to get the ship back on course somehow. The heart had stopped. The call with Fr'ehe had abruptly cut off. The somewhat dizzy crew looked at each other before realizing that the Academy ship was patiently waiting for them ahead.
"Successful interception, Captain," Spirit announced, almost proudly.
"You see, Cavah, it wasn't that dangerous."
"We can say that."
"Spirit, contact them. With a bit of luck, they're still intact."
Douar and the crew were just recovering from the shock when they were already being contacted.
"Douar...," Elise said. "They're contacting us."
"Doma. On-screen."
Displayed on their screen was a captain sitting upright in his seat and his pilot... Cavah.
"Douar," exclaimed Cavah, getting up from his seat. "I knew I recognized this ship. It's Fr'ehe's, Captain," he informed her, turning towards her.
Skylar got up and joined Cavah. And to think she had almost trusted him.
"Doma Cavah, since when have you been part of the Academy?"
"I'm not part of it."
"Then, what are you doing here?" Elise asked in turn.
"Hey, you shut up, I'm the one asking questions."
"And who are you?" Douar said ironically.
"The one who can blow you up if she feels like it. Captain Skylar Hogan. Now, tell me what you were doing at Julius Shayne's."
"Just a courtesy visit."
"Douar, if you lie to her one more time, believe me, she won't hesitate to blow up the ship."
"She doesn't have the guts..."
"After what you just saw, do you really think so? Now, answer."
"Fr'ehe sent us."
"Elise!"
"I don't want to die because of you."
"Can you contact him?" Skylar asked calmly.
A silence.
"Yes..."
The other crew members looked at Douar and Elise, not really knowing whom to obey.
"Call Fr'ehe, join him in the communication," Douar finally ordered.
A few seconds passed, and finally, Fr'ehe appeared on both the Krœnos's screen and the other ship's screen. He wasn't particularly surprised to see Skylar and Cavah again.
"Fr'ehe," Skylar resumed, "what does this mean? Did you send your team to sabotage our mission?"
"Captain, I'm not surprised to see you again. Perhaps I should have accepted your proposal after all. You kept your word; they did come. It's not pretty, what the Academy is doing to Zars."
"I couldn't care less. Why did you send them? Why don't you want us to find Maginas?"
"I told you, it's a big fish."
"No, no, don't play the altruist. You don't care if we die. There's something else behind this. What is going on behind the back of the Academy?"
But he didn't answer. The silence was becoming oppressive.
"Okay, keep your secrets. I'll find out soon enough. And to think I almost trusted you!"
"Very bad choice."
"Fr'ehe," Cavah intervened, "don't play the smartest one; don't forget the information we have. Moreover, we have your crew in our sights. One order, and..."
"Boom," Skylar finished.
"There are things that don't concern the Academy," Fr'ehe resigned.
"I don't care about your secrets. I'm on my own path; I want to find Maginas."
"You won't like what you find going in that direction. Maginas is not gentle; he's scarier than you think."
"Fr'ehe, I don't care," the human repeated very seriously. "On'ee, your contact Julius Shayne told us about On'ee. Was it a lie?"
"No. Not entirely. It is indeed an old base of Maginas and his clan."
"Does he know where they are now?"
A heavy silence fell, each mind seemed to be in turmoil. Should they lie or tell the truth? Should they lead them to Maginas or take the risk that they discover it?
"No, he doesn't know," Douar finally lied. "It's usually them who contact him. But On'ee is indeed his last known base."
"Do you confirm?" Skylar asked Fr'ehe.
"Yes," he also lied.
"Well, that wasn't so complicated."
"What's going to happen now?" panicked Elise.
"Nothing at all," Skylar said, sitting back in her seat. "You go back to your life, and we go back to our mission. Fr'ehe."
"Yes?"
"I hope never to see you again."
And she cut the communication. She didn't know what to think. She knew they had lied to her; she knew they were hiding something important. No one seemed to want them to find Maginas, why? This question would have to wait. For now, she had a new lead.
"Spirit?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Enter the coordinates Julius provided us. It's time to get back on track."
"At your command."
"Cavah, what do you think?" she asked, sitting at the station next to him.
"I think if we're not more careful, this Last Protocol is at risk of turning into a bloodbath. It's certain now that they're hiding something from us, but it's impossible to get a grip on it."
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this..."
"Don't worry, at least I'm not bored."
Skylar smiled at him, and as the ship headed towards On'ee, they both immersed themselves in their usual tasks. Their journey seemed endless.
The term "Ghost Planets" refers to all uncharted planets, and Farida was one of them. Several reasons explained the lack of census, with the most likely being its non-discovery. Skylar had taken care to send a report to the Academy regarding the discovery of this planet and its name. However, her report ended there; if they wanted to know more, they would have to send a team. Currently, it wasn't her responsibility.
Farida was not a habitable planet. Its atmosphere was unbreathable, saturated with toxic gases emitted by the numerous volcanoes on its surface. It was a planet still in its early phases of existence. In a few million years, it could become habitable and populated. Who and why it was named remained an unanswered question for Skylar.
As for On'ee, the situation was similar. It was a simple inhospitable asteroid, with gravity comparable to that of the Earth's moon.
"Captain," Spirit called as they approached the asteroid.
"Yes?"
"I..." the AI seemed to hesitate. "I don't think it's a good idea to land."
"What do you mean 'you think'?" Cavah asked.
"Speak freely, Spirit," Skylar said.
"I think it would be safer to leave the ship in orbit around Farida and descend to On'ee with the beacon."
A heavy silence followed. Skylar pondered Spirit's words. Why this sudden suggestion when he hadn't hesitated to land on Taung III? Spirit was evolving, and she needed to adapt. It wasn't a bad idea, after all.
"It's not a bad idea, but why here, now?"
"On'ee is not listed, nor is the planet Farida, nor any celestial object in this sector. If it is indeed an old base of Maginas, we need to be ready to leave in case of an emergency. It's better to be in orbit already. We don't know what might be down there."
A new silence settled.
"Alright," the Captain concluded. "Cavah, get into orbit."
Cavah obeyed without fully understanding why she had been convinced by Spirit so quickly. He wasn't wrong, but landing seemed just as feasible.
They passed through the armory, and as they headed towards the teleportation room, a room Cavah had never been to, he spoke up.
"I don't understand why you're so willing to listen to the Computer."
"Cavah, Spirit... it's more than just a Computer. It evolves just like us. It has thoughts and ideas, but it's... special. I don't understand all of it."
"Neither do I, I don't understand."
"I know it's challenging for you. Try to see Spirit as a full member of this crew, alright? It understands things beyond us. Just as Maginas's mind is beyond our reach, Spirit's mind is beyond our understanding."
Cavah could only nod. It wasn't just Spirit's and Maginas's minds that escaped his understanding, but also the Captain's. But that wasn't the current issue. They were likely walking into a trap. Fr'ehe and the others had probably lied to them. They needed to be cautious.
The teleportation room was scarcely larger than a cabin. Ten space suits were neatly hung on one wall – Skylar had taken care to stow away Cavah's suit at the beginning of their journey. They quickly put them on.
In place, Skylar ordered Spirit to activate the beacon. In less than a second, they landed on the asteroid. From where they were, the planet's shadow hid the sun. Armed, they also brought out their lamps.
Skylar illuminated the surroundings. Apart from a few remnants of ships, cargo ruins, and a large building with a ghostly appearance, On'ee was dead. The Captain glanced at Cavah, and he shared the same concern as her about entering. At any moment, something seemed ready to emerge from a corner.
It was as if no one had set foot on On'ee for years now, Skylar thought.
"Why do I feel like they've all lied to us?" Cavah asked as if he had read her thoughts.
"I was thinking the same thing."
"I don't feel like On'ee has been visited for years."
"It could very well be a decoy. Besides, it's an asteroid with rather unstable gravity. No wise person comes here for fun. It's the perfect hideout," Skylar replied, increasingly sure that they wouldn't find Maginas here.
"Captain..."
"We just need one piece of information, just one. After that, I still need to contact the Admiral."
"Why? How does it concern Maginas?" Cavah asked as they were almost at the entrance of the building.
"The airlock...," Skylar pointed with a finger. "I work for the Academy, Cavah. I may be freelance right now, but I still work for them, and something is going on."
"Do you even like working for them?"
Skylar pondered the answer while struggling to open the building's airlock. She had never really asked herself that question. Her position suited her so far, even though she had disagreements with the Admiral since their meeting, but things had evolved.
"Spirit, oxygen level?" Skylar continued as the airlock door closed behind them, and another door opened in front.
"Oxygen level and stable gravity."
"Not as abandoned as it seems."
She removed her helmet and turned to Cavah, who was doing the same.
"It seems so."
"To answer your question," she said before continuing to move forward, "working for the Academy allows me to fulfill my dream, the one that led me to accept Sarek's offer. This position suits me. For now."
Then, with a weapon in one hand and the helmet under her arm, she crossed the door. As soon as she set foot in the room, the lights came on. Motion detector.
"I hope there wasn't an alarm or something like that," Cavah worried.
"Spirit, at the slightest movement, let us know."
"At your command."
"Let's split up. Let's see if we can find something here."
Skylar placed her helmet on one of the chairs and tended to various machines in the room. It was large, with a common area with sofas to the right of the entrance airlock and an area filled with various machines to the left. Straight ahead, a long corridor led to the rest of the building, where Cavah was heading with his helmet still under his arm.
During the following two hours, both searched the building from top to bottom, with no result. Skylar was starting to lose patience and hope. Maginas was simply untraceable, and those who could give him his location had preferred to lie because of a story she knew nothing about.
She sat on one of the sofas, waiting for Cavah to return. She began to consider the options that remained, which were very few. She looked at the entrance airlock in a dead silence. If Sarek had been there, he would have known what to do...
"It's charming of you to think that," a voice said next to her.
At the very beginning when she had heard that voice, she had jumped. Today, she had gotten used to it. It was more present than she could imagine. Skylar knew that if she turned towards it, it would disappear again. So, she just listened.
"Do you really think I would have been able to find Maginas?"
"You would have moved heaven and earth to find him," she murmured in return.
"Isn't that what you're doing too?"
"Sarek..."
"Captain," Cavah interrupted through his earpiece.
She turned to where the voice came from, but as expected, no one was there anymore.
"Yes, what?" she replied, bringing her hand to her ear.
"I've got nothing on my end..."
"Me neither. Come back here, pack it up; it was a setup from the start."
But Cavah could only respond as Spirit shouted in their ears.
"Proximity alert! A ship is heading towards On'ee!"
"What ship?!" Skylar exclaimed as she stood up.
"Archean type, probably Smugglers. I'm bringing you back."
"No!"
"What do you mean, no?!" Cavah exclaimed on his end.
"Spirit, did it detect the Ship?"
"No."
"Good. Bring Cavah back on board. Maybe they know where Maginas is."
"Captain, this is a very bad idea; I strongly disapprove. We don't know how many people are on that ship and who they are!"
"I agree with Cavah," Spirit intervened.
"Hey! I'm not asking for your permission; it's an order. Spirit, bring Cavah. Be ready to leave."
"Captain!"
But Spirit knew he had no choice but to obey his Captain's orders. Without waiting, he brought Cavah back to the Krœnos and waited, just like her, for the Archean ship to land. And just like Cavah, he didn't like this situation.
"Take me down, Spirit!" Cavah yelled as he returned to the Ship.
"The Captain gave us an order."
"An... Spirit, the Captain is losing her mind! She's going to get herself killed!"
"An order is an order... Cavah, you should come to take your post."
Cavah sighed loudly. This Computer was as stubborn as the Captain. He quickly removed his suit and ran to the Command post. He definitely didn't like the direction this situation was taking.
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