----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael walked out of the lift, curiously looking around as the group followed closely behind him. "This VIP treatment has been pretty good, all things considered." He said, noticing the stark difference compared to the normal levels.

"It's too clean for a space station," Srettia commented, looking around at the well-lit areas and clear white floor. "We're not alone either." She said cautiously, crouching a bit as she scented the air.

"Captain Michael Graeme." A hidden voice stated, uncloaking itself as he did. "You are to come with us immediately."

As Michael was about to object, four more figures decloaked and walked up to him. "What about the ambassadors?" He asked, hoping this wasn't some sort of abduction as he noticed his implant was being interfered with.

"They will be taken care of. Please hand over representative Yirphayen so he can be released into space. I promise no harm will come to the diplomats." The masked form stated.

Michael nodded and shifted Yirphayen gently off his back, handing it over to Ankiah, who had a worried look on her face as Srettia stared defiantly at the men in anger. "It'll be fine. They'd have to be insane to try an abduction, right." Michael asked, looking at the guards who brought him up.

The lift guard nodded, seemingly just as surprised as Michael at the sudden interruption. " They will not come to harm." He promised, giving Michael a crisp salute.

Michael took a moment to look between the soldiers before quickly returning the salute and shifting to Srettia for a moment before turning to walk with the new soldiers, each one seemingly taking up a position around Michael preventing him from running.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, fellas, where we heading?" Michael asked, turning down another hall as the soundless soldiers guided him through a secure area. "Ahh, I see. You'd think I'd be used to this kind of treatment by now. Nice talk, boys." Michael stated loudly to himself.

Nervously chuckling as he received no answer once again, he finally came to a door leading to what he could swear was a private hangar, deciding to watch the soldier closely as he put in some sort of door code. Michael then peered around the man as it opened up to a causeway, leading to a massive ship.

"This way, please." One of the soldiers said, finally breaking the silence.

Michael acknowledged the man with a thin smile and walked into the causeway, looking out the windows at the massive ship as he walked down to the door. "It's a dreadnaught! Haven't seen this class, though." he muttered out as he took in the form of the massive ship.

As he reached the end of the causeway, Michael was unsurprised as the door opened to two regular uniformed soldiers waiting for him. "Ahh, more escorts!" Michael sarcastically announced, earning a chuckle from both sailors.

"Pay no heed to the other chaps, Captain. You know the spec op guys, they don't like to talk." The left man said.

Michael nodded and began following the two men into the ship. "So who am I meeting with? Or who's giving me the pink slate?"

"Still can't tell you, Captain. I serve directly under the guy, and even I don't know why he wants to speak with you." The man replied, stopping at the door. "In here, please." The man finished with a crisp salute, one Michael returned.

Michael watched as the door opened, deciding to walk in and meet his possible maker.

"Captain Michael Graeme. Test Pilot. You were essentially abducted from your residence, nearly forced to fly an experimental ship. Met our second AI. Proceed to rename him. Crashed said experimental ship. Met an alien woman who you've possibly had intercourse with-"

"Uhh, Not yet, sir." Michael replied, laughing as he heard some actual paper being shuffled, something he would have missed if not for the dark room he was now standing in.

"Then you proceed to nearly kill yourself in an attempt to warn the seventh fleet of the inhabited system. Helped said alien woman create peace between our people. Then you progress to discover an unknown enemy, get into two fleet battles, come out unscathed. Then you return to Sol with three alien representatives... That about sum things up?" the voice asked.

Michael nodded as the lights slowly brightened, shining a light on the familiar voice. "Yes, sir."

"You've broken a lot of regulations, Captain." Fleet Admiral Ewart stated, putting the paper back onto his wooden desk.

"Yes, sir," Michael admitted, deciding to play it straight in the presence of his ultimate authority.

"Now... I'm in a difficult position, Captain. On the one hand, your fraternization with a foreign dignitary is against regulations. On the other, she was just your average miner when you initially met her. Though technically, we don't restrict ship romance due to the nature of star travel... However, the fact that she is an alien and a foreign diplomat puts me in an awkward spot." The Admiral stated, confusing Michael as to where he was going.

"I was given authorization from Admiral Mil-"

"I have a proposition for you, captain Michael." Fleet Admiral Ewart stated, cutting Michael off. "I can overlook this breach of regulation. In fact, I want to. It's good PR for the navy and something we need for the war to come."

Michael's mind was racing, just where was the Fleet Admiral going with this. First, he was threatening him. Now he's saying he wants to overlook the issue? "Where are you going with this, sir?"

"I have a mission for you. As I just said, we are at war. But we are not quite ready for one... At least not one so far away from our borders." Ewart said, activating a display. " Our immediate operations will revolve around refitting our entire fleet with fold drives and sending them to and around the Aaster system. What we lack is information." The Admiral stated as he pointed out a display, one that Michael noticed had a very low-quality map displayed. "We need knowledge. And not that, going around on a romantic cruise shit you did with representative Srettia. I mean real shit."

Admiral Ewart paused and allowed Michael to observe the map for a few moments before continuing his briefing. "Ops think the Briolb are a bioweapon."

Michael ripped himself away from the odd map and looked oddly at the Admiral. "How? I mean, their fleet tactics are none existent. How can they be a weapon? How would they be an effective weapon?"

"Look at that map, that sector of space. Everything around it is primitive or one system species. Their ships may be nothing to us, but a single shot from orbit could obliterate a large city, and though their armour can't stop our weapons, ancient chemical firearms wouldn't be very effective on them." The Admiral explained, flipping through a few pictures as he did.

"So you're saying someone gave these guys a fleet and told them to keep the sector in line?" Michael asked as a few more pictures came up.

"Good way to make sure you stay on top of the food chain, isn't it?" The Admiral replied. "Our current theory is something is arming the Briolb. That something Destroyed Acarro and is also supplying the Briolb with the tech to capture Eaenhreph, the tech we're not seeing just yet. And I am not okay with not seeing that tech." The Admiral stated, pausing once again to let Michael consider his words.

Leaning back into his chair, Admiral Ewart zoomed the map into a specific system, one that was slowly blinking red. "Your mission will be to visit predetermined locations. The first being the homeworld of the Voktlix. It's the closest planet to the Aaster system and where we're planning to hit first when the fleet musters. Once you reach their homeworld, determine its state and begin to aid the resistance, if there is any... If it's a full subjection, you are to return to Asster to report. Then you are returning to Sol with the information or leaders you're able to gather."

Michael's face went white at the orders, and he reflectively snuck a look at the door before gathering his wits to look at a grinning Fleet Admiral. "Why me? I'm just a pilot, a nobody."

"Because not only are you the only Terran who's close friends with an Eaenhreph. You're also closely tied to Ankiah and married to Ambassador Srettia, not to mention your 'pal' Jack." The Admiral replied. "Whether by dumb luck or skill, you're in an excellent position to captain a ship full of aliens and carry out this mission."

Michael noticed the display swapped to what looked like a light cruiser causing him to carefully shift his weight... "I don't have any command experience. I'm a fighter pilot." He tried again.

"I wouldn't worry about that. You may find yourself uniquely suited to the role... Now, your crew has been preselected based on their knowledge of Jack and experience with aliens. I'll be uploading it to your implant upon acceptance of this role." Admiral stated firmly, already believing that Michael would accept the position.

Michael looked at the ship's specs as they scrolled across the display and shook his head. "This ship is quite the thing......... Why does it have a Mech bay? The only ships that host mechs double as troop carriers or ARE carriers." Michael asked angrily.

"You didn't think Ankiah just happened to come across the knowledge she was suited for mech piloting by chance, did you? Didn't you find it odd that she was even allowed into a military base, let alone near mechs?"

The Admiral replied with a stern face. "She might have wanted to keep her biology a secret on Leda, but the other two male Voktlix were more than willing to submit to scans when they were informed we might be able to fix their gender disparity."

"You roped my father into this whole shit show, didn't you? What did you do to make him play along with this ruse of yours?" Michael spat out angrily, fighting back the urge to punch the Admiral.

"I just asked him personally. No threats. You have my word. I did mention the coming war when I made my request, however." Ewart replied, not wanting to agitate the Captain further.

Michael shifted his weight once again, trying to calm his nerves as the anger slowly faded from him. "So, what then? She can't even drive a car. How do you expect Ankiah, a civilian, to pilot a fucking mech?"

"I know this may be upsetting, Captain Graeme, but this is where your new crew comes in." Fleet Admiral Ewart replied, standing to move around towards the front of his desk. "You're recommended crew complement will be transferred to you upon your acceptance of this mission." He tried again.

Michael looked over the ship's specs anew, nodding to himself as he weighed the pros and cons of the mission. "So. One last question before I decide, well, maybe two. Why are you so set on Ankiah being a mech pilot, and what happens if I decline?"

Nodding as he brought up the secondary plan, Admiral Ewart let a grin slide across his face. " Well, we have a secondary already selected. However, you'll be the one handing him his orders when you see him, and everything else will proceed without you. You'll effectively be left behind." He stated, changing to a more stern face. "The reason I'm set on having Ankiah be a pilot... If what we think is happening on the Voktlix planet is actually happening. Having one of their own on the battlefield shows off that they can fight back with Terran technology... That would be quite the propaganda, wouldn't you think? ...And aside from that, her people are well suited to be pilots, If we're going to war... I want to field our best equipment. Being held back by biology is the only reason we don't have tens of thousands of pilots out there."

"You want her to fight because of propaganda, and so you can send out her people in mechs?" Michael questioned, feeling the anger build up again.

"Yes." Ewart stated plainly. "Recognize how the Aasteran reacted to our presence... They weren't even invaded. The Voktlix, however, may be under full genocidal occupation. We need to do whatever it takes to earn their trust. If that means equipping one of their own with our most devastating ground equipment and having her slaughter their enemies. Then I'll be damn well sure to make it happen."

Though Michael accepted the answer, he still didn't like it, once again looking between the Briolb starmap and his potential ship. "I'll accept this assignment under one condition. No more tricks. We're past this, and if I find you being manipulative like this again, I'll take that ship and fly it straight down your throat."

Cohen Ewart nodded and transferred all the files to Michael. "The ship is yours to command. Most of the crew you can pick up from Leda upon your return. Others will be boarding upon the ship's arrival to this station and refit on Luna."

Michael sighed, chuckling as a few names he recognized appeared on the list. "You sure Chrarada will allow some of her people to join us on this mission?"

Admiral Ewart laughed as he sat back in his chair. "You kidding? A chance to strike deep into enemy territory and kill some baddies? It wouldn't surprise me if she demands to join you on the mission if her profile was accurate. Though in all honestly, I am expecting her to keep Ethuci to herself if our data is correct."

Michael nodded and turned towards the door. "Anything else, sir?"

"No. You are dismissed, Captain. I'll leave you now to your time off, but you'll depart as soon as it's finished, understood?" Ewart replied, throwing a salute to a surprised Michael.

Returning the salute, Michael left the room, waiting for the door to close before exhaling exhausting. "Is he always like that?" Michael asked the door guard.

"Wouldn't know, Captain." The guard replied, saluting as Michael began to walk off down the hall.

Michael finally reached the causeway exit and saw his implant was back to working order, noticing he had three calls from his mother, two of which were labelled as apologies. Sending a com to his parents, Michael decided to have a very adult conversation with the two, deciding to make his displeasure well known.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Srettia watched as Yirphayen floated out into space, seemingly shimmering for a second before taking off at an amazing speed towards the local star. "Wow... I didn't know it could move that fast."

The guard had his face smashed against the hangar's hard light barrier, watching as a streak of light rocketed towards Sol. "Wow, is definitely accurate." He replied, quickly returning to his guard duty.

"Well, can't it achieve something like warp by itself?" Ankiah asked, nearly bursting into laughter as Srettia realized she was correct.

"Well... Do you want to go check out the market?" Srettia suggested, walking past a few dockworkers gawking at the two diplomats.

"Sure, I don't see any harm in that." Ankiah replied, proceeding to walk out of the private hangar.

"Never seen that class before."

"It must be a new ship. Look at the weapons, most likely for the war.

Must be why all the soldiers are gathering in the hub."

"Yeah, it looks like your right. The engine type is different too. It must be that new fold drive everyone is talking about... It might be experimental."

Srettia stopped and turned to examine the ship that was causing the commotion and small gathering as it slowly moved into the hangar... "I've seen a few Terran warships in my time, but that one looks. Advanced? For a Terran ship." She observed loudly, looking over to Ankiah, who seemed to be nodding.

Oddly enough, the soldier seemed to look to his partner and nodded as if receiving new orders and motioned to get the ambassador's attention. "A Lieutenant Jack is requesting you board that ship when it docks. Do you know of such a man?"

Srettia looked to Ankiah, who returned it with a similar look and shifted to smile at the soldier. "We know of a Jack. Can I speak with him to confirm that it is indeed the same Jack?" Srettia answered, suspicious of the new ranking.

"He says he requires permission to access your datapad. It's still locked to contacts only, and you didn't add him." The guard replied. "He's speaking to me through my implant and says he doesn't want to force his way into your device... Whatever that means."

Srettia chuckled and began walking towards the ship. "That's fine. Tell him we're on our way."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------