[2346 A.D., Three Years Later]
As Commander Elias Thorton sat in the captain's chair of the CSS Victory, his eyes scanned over a nearby holo-screen as the men and women of his crew diligently performed their duties. The man couldn't help but admire how hard the sailors under his command worked every day to keep the ship up and running. And the fact that they had managed to make it this far was a testament to both their skills and their determination. Although the Victory was considered to be a perfect ship by many in the Navy, it was the crew that gave the vessel its true strength. And Elias knew the men and women that he was observing right now were worth far more than any hunk of metal within all of space.
'It looks like it's going to be another normal day.' Elias said to himself as he sat back in his seat, looking to take advantage of the brief respite he had from writing reports and doing updates.
It had been three years since Elias was first given command of the Victory. Throughout that time, the sharp edges of his initial uncertainty had been worn down and faded away into the vacuum of space. Sure, at times, the man still felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. But these days, he was far more comfortable with his position and his ability to lead his troops from the captain's chair.
This confidence wasn't the only thing that Elias had gained, however. Over the last few years, the Victory itself had gained quite a reputation within the Navy and beyond. One that marked both the ship and its crew as efficient, disciplined, and always victorious in battle.
Even so, Elias did not allow himself to get a big head over this. He'd be damned if he let a little bit of popularity lead him into making a decision that could cost him the lives of his crew. Too many people had already allowed themselves to fall into such a trap, and the green-eyed man was determined to never become one of them. Space, at the end of the day, was both unbiased and unforgiving to everyone who dared to venture out into its domain. Every mission could mean life or death for his crew and the colonies they were tasked to protect. And there wasn't a day that went by where Elias didn't wonder if this would be the day a mistake cost someone their life.
The young Commander once again glanced over the ship's bridge to take note of what was happening around him.
Petty Officer Braun, the ship's helmsman, was at the navigation terminal, her fingers flying over the controls, and a calm expression on her face.
A few meters away, his second-in-command, Lieutenant Herrera, was speaking with Lieutenant Nakagawa, the ship's weapons officer. The two of them were reviewing some data from the ship's most recent weapons drill.
Directly to his right, one of the ship's Marines, Corporal Wallace, was finalizing a report on one of the free terminals.
'Everyone seems to be doing alright.' Elias surmised as he went back to reading some documents on his terminal. It was nice to know that he could trust them all without question. It was the kind of trust that had been built over years of hardship, shared victories, and the relentless march of time. And it was exactly the kind of environment that he hoped to foster within his ship.
With the peaceful environment around him, Elias allowed himself a rare moment of reflection as the Victory sailed through the quiet expanse of space.
Though prosperous in many ways, the colonies had always lived on the edge of conflict. Space had a habit of creating an environment that left scars in the minds of every leader, soldier, and worker within its grasp. Even now, rumors of new threats loomed on the horizon. But for the past three years, the Victory had stood as a sentinel, a protector of the colonies. And Elias had led the ship through every challenge.
The man's momentary peace was suddenly broken when an alert came through on his terminal. After seeing who it was from, Elias quickly straightened himself out before pressing the button to accept the call. It was never a good idea to keep your boss waiting after all.
"Commander Thorton." Admiral Gravely, the current commander of the 2nd Fleet, said in a sharp tone as an image of him appeared on the screen. His face displayed his usual stern and stoic demeanor. "We've just received some new intelligence. I need you to gather your crew and be ready for a briefing."
Without hesitation, Elias signaled his crew. The officers and senior enlisted personnel quickly assembled around the command chair as they waited for their orders. Once all of the necessary people were present, the Admiral began to speak.
"A group calling themselves the Rift Marauders, a growing pirate-terrorist organization, has recently started harassing supply routes and performing raids against mining colonies on the moon. As of today, the Federation government has deemed them to be a significant threat to the safety and security of our way of life."
Elias leaned forward in his chair has did his best to absorb every word that the Admiral was saying. He had a feeling that this was going to be big.
"According to the information that I have on their latest raids, this group has shown an alarming shift in their tactics. From the looks of it, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to their attacks. Over the last few days, they've been hitting random outposts, causing chaos, and leaving without taking much in the way of equipment or resources. What's more, their ideology is more dangerous than anything we've seen before. One of their captured members claimed that they were doing this because the space-based economy has robbed Earth's working class of their livelihood. And because of that, they're seeking revenge."
"We've been hearing rhetoric like this from groups on Earth for some time now." Lieutenant Herrera then said as he tried to look up some more information on the group on his tablet. "But I didn't think anyone would be bold enough to actually act on it."
Elias's brow furrowed as he looked at the Admiral through the monitor. "Do we know how large their force is?"
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to get an accurate number." Admiral Gravely replied. "But our estimates put them at around five hundred people, spread across numerous cells. They're surprisingly well-organized, seemingly well-funded, and have no qualms about excessive violence against those who live in space. We've intercepted communications showing they're planning some large operation in the near future. But as to what that operation is, well...we're still trying to figure that out."
"Wonderful..." One of the Victory's crewmen rolled their eyes.
"Due to your close proximity, your ship is being deployed to investigate a distress signal from a mining outpost on Luna. It's near the coordinates of a recent Rift Marauders sighting. Be ready for anything. And try to bring back some more intel if you can."
"Understood, sir." Elias nodded as the coordinates of their new objective were transferred over to the ship's computers.
The connection ended abruptly, leaving Elias in deep thought. This was not the man's first team hearing about the Rift Marauders. From what he remembered, they were originally a small group of pirates based on Earth that usually attacked cargo ships leaving the planet. But now, they've appeared to have evolved into a growing cancer for everyone in space. For a group like that to be defeated, it would take more than just firepower to put them down.
Elias could already feel the tension rising within his crew. They knew what they were up against.
-(o)-
With new orders in hand, the Victory immediately altered its course toward the lunar outpost. Along the way, the crew worked with an elevated sense of urgency that matched Elias's own as he furiously tried to gather as much information as he could on the mining outpost itself. And soon enough, their target was in sight.
As they neared the outpost, Elias could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something didn't feel right.
"Nakagawa." He called to his weapons officer. "Any signs of ships nearby?"
"Negative, sir." The Lieutenant replied, her voice tense. "It's quiet."
"In any case, let's not take any chances. Herrera, activate the ship's stealth-"
Elias was cut off by the shrill warning of an incoming missile. It was a trap.
Three pirate ships then appeared out of nowhere, all of them emerging from the shadowed part of the moon's surface just outside the range of the Victory's scanners. They were fast, aggressive, and they wasted no time in launching an attack.
Elias's heart began to pound in his chest, but he still somehow managed to remain calm.
"All hands, battle stations!" He then ordered the crew. "Braun, evasive maneuvers!"
The Victory's engines roared to life as the ship dodged the incoming fire, and Elias began guiding his crew with the precision that had earned him his reputation as one of the fleet's best young officers.
'The stealth function's going to take too long to deploy under these conditions. So there's no point in even trying until we get some breathing room.' The man thought to himself as he tried to get a hold of the situation.
Weapon fire erupted across the vastness of space. The cold vacuum practically lit up with a series of short bursts, explosions, and long-range cannon fire as the battle quickly intensified. The Rift Marauders fought like animals, almost as if their lives meant nothing to them. It was clear that this was a fight to the death, the ugly kind that makes your skin crawl just thinking about it.
Elias's mind raced as he barked orders, his crew responding with the precision of a well-oiled machine.
The Victory fired back at every enemy, its cannons roaring with fury as the crew did what they could to keep themselves alive. And just as quickly as they appeared, the horde of enemy ships went into retreat. In doing so, they all somehow managed to vanish by using the shadows and mountains on the moon's surface to cover their escape.
The Victory had survived, but to call this a win would be nothing short of a lie.
Elias could see the shock in the eyes of his crew as things settled down; it was a feeling that he very much shared with them. The sheer savagery of these Rift Marauders was something they had never seen before. Even the most reckless of smugglers and pirates still made sure to do what they could to keep themselves safe when engaging in space combat. These guys, however, did not share the same philosophy.
'What the hell are we up against?' Elias couldn't help but wonder as the crew continued on with their mission, albeit with the stealth function of their ship engaged to avoid any more surprises.
Thankfully, the mining outpost was safe. As it turns out, the Victory had managed to show up before the terrorists could actually do anything to the people who lived there. And after a couple of days of steadily patrolling the area, a new detachment of ships and troops was stationed in the area to keep an eye on things. Thus, allowing Elias and his crew to head home and make some much-needed repairs to their ship.
Later on, as the Victory limped back to the safety of the main part of the fleet, Elias couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
The Rift Marauders were more than just terrorists, they were a symptom of something deeper, a growing divide between Earth and space. And now, Elias found himself at the center of a storm that had only just begun to unfold.
Outside the ship, stars flickered like distant memories. In his heart, Elias knew that the struggle ahead would be one for the ages.