Stellaris: Breaking Horizons

by dannny43

Chapter 1: The Heavens Burned Aflame.

Captain Davis Maron, the senior official of all staff aboard the UEC Audalis, was no stranger to cryo-sleep. Having served aboard the Audalis for 43 expeditions with decades being spent confined within an ice-cube, wake-up procedures had become second nature. His bodies' reanimation followed a simple routine he had observed through his time. The first sensations he experienced were the rhythmic palpitations that pumped all across his insides, followed by the freezing cold blanketing him from head to toe, whereupon pins of needles overwhelmed all senses as his body gradually receded from its state of numbness, and was finished with a burning sensation that quivered in his lungs upon instinctively gulping for fresh air. It was not a pleasant experience to say the least, but usually that was the most one would experience for a few minutes as they acclimatized themselves to their memories before exiting their casket.

Unfortunately for Davis, he was not given those minutes to relax his body as without warning, a surge of energy and adrenaline flooded his system as a rush of stimuli ran rampant through his mind. His bloodshot eyes scanned his tiny space for the culprit, finding a mechanical syringe as it emptied its contents within his left arm's veins. Following instinct only, Davis did not hesitate to rip the offending object from its origin point, tearing wires and spilling fluid around his tiny cabin. Upon immediately doing so, a monotone but deafening voice emerged from all angles.

[MAL-MAL-MALFUNCTION DETECTED: EMER-ER-ERGENCY WAKE-UP STIM UNRESPONSI-SI-SIVE.]

...Wake-Up stims...unnecessary with proper resuscitation procedures. Vital only in... emergency conditions. "Ains- *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*, g-godda- *Cough* *Cough*, Ainsly!? What the f-f-fu-" Any further attempts at speech were cut off as the Captain leaned to the side, clutching his chest as his body attempted to vacate his innards.

The voice of Ainsly emerged again from all angles.

[CA-CA-CA-CAPTAIN MAR-MAR-MAR-... I'M EXPERIENCING CRITICAL FA-FA-FAILURE...UNSEALING YOUR H-H-HUSHED CA-CA-CASKE-]

The last of Ainsly's words died off as power fluctuated within Davis's pod. Fortunately, it was then that the casket hissed in a release of pressure and his dark confines were flooded with the blaring sirens and flashes of the emergency backup lights. The Captain did not hesitate to peek over the edge and stain the ground with his stomach contents, the pressure having reached its climax. After a few minutes, the shock and flood of stimuli gradually receded, with the true extent of what was happening hitting him.

Just like himself, Mutiple other cryo-pods were undergoing the same procedure, with each occupant reacting similarly if not worse. Amid the noise and flashing lights, Davis could feel an unprecedented quake rattling along all surfaces alike, a detrimental and severe sign of structural failure. As if to confirm his wishes, a resounding crash of metal echoed within the cryo-chamber, and within moments, one of the pods in the adjacent corner lit up like an electric storm. The occupant, still trapped within, muted the room with their panicked bawling before finally being silenced when the pod combusted, showering all nearby with sparks and fragments of metal and burnt flesh. The blast knocked the wind from the Captain and left his ears ringing.

Recovering from his ordeal, Davis sluggishly propelled himself from within, before finding himself lurching uncontrollably to the side. Fortunately, a pair of hands clasped themselves around his waist before anything serious could happen, whereupon an unknown Samaritan guided Davis to a nearby bench to recline on. Davis's clouded mind hindered him from observing his surroundings but as it cleared up, the face of a distraught crew member bared itself before him.

"...ptain!? ...ir ..ey need you ...idge now!" The man gave him a few shakes, pleading eyes erratically bouncing from one space to the next with every blare and flash before continuing further, "Do you understand, Sir!? You're requested on the bridge ASAP! No time to rest! Get up!"

Before he could even muster a thought, Davis found himself being dragged by the Ensign through red hued halls and screeching corridors, each area suffering electrical damage more so than the last. Ruptures of explosions, flames, and steam afflicted each direction they turned to, with every hazard racking an ever increasing body count. Faces of men and woman sworn under Davis's command that would never again behold the wonders of life. Davis could only spare them scant seconds, mark another tally of failure, before bareing witness to the next, repeating a scathingly frequent cycle.

Eventually, he couldn't keep track of the damage, each body putting too much strain on his heart and mind. As they continued, most of the journey remained hazy, but Davis couldn't ignore the increasingly groaning strain that reverberated not only throughout the ship's corridors, but also within himself and his Ensign subordinate. Their chest cavities recoiling with the sheer force of energy as if they were practicing within a firing range. Any attempts to contact Ainsly were met with failure.

Officers, crew and security personnel could be seen rushing to and fro, here and there, across and in-between and all over, each one behaving more frantic then the last. Tripping and screaming and clinging and weeping, each one struggling to overcome themselves or the enviroment. Shakes and quakes and metal groans plagued the halls of the Audalis as she strained against the ever-increasing stress. Multiple power failures dotted across all sectors of the ship, forcing the Captain and Ensign to find alternate routes, delaying their arrival to the bridge.

Eventually they arrived at an impasse, an obstruction of metal and tubes. The Ensign released Davis as he moved closer to inspect the rubble, allowing the Captain to regain his breath and finally vocalize to his companion.

"*Cough* *Cough* F-Fuck, what the hell is happening, Tandin!?" The Captain strained to inquire.

Ensign Tandin did not respond immediately, his frazzled mind too preoccupied with clearing a piece of scaffolding to allow them passage ahead, "Hhng... I don't know! Argh, I don't have your answers, Captain! I'm barely holding this thing up! Go, uargh, now! Move!"

Davis did just so, squatting to the floor as he shuffled past the opening, exposed electrical wiring sparking overhead forcing him to keep his head down. Once clear of the danger, Davis turned back to the ensign to signal him further but was interrupted by a deep mettle groan that rocked the section they occupied. The flooring quaked beneath their feet, jostling loose more exposed scaffolding. Before Tandin could clear away, one piece barely slashed against his back, hurtling him into the exposed live wires. Davis could only watch as Tandin was fried before him, tangled in an electric web. He had no choice but to continue further on, adding another tally within his mind.

---

By the time Davis finally reached the exterior of the bridge, the chaos only increased in crescendo. Screaming and yelling, not of fear but of anger, flooded the local area as a crowd of frantic officers and ensigns crowded around the XO, demanding a request to abandon ship.

Davis was not one for half measures, having carefully selected his crew from the toughest of hombres his salary could afford. Crew members who could and have handled emergency pressure before. So, finding his experienced staff bumbling about and squawking like chickens was far beyond the professional behavior he had routinely drilled into them, not that it was their fault. The issue lied within the Wake-Up stims, illegal contraband due to its addictive nature among other things but with properties that significantly improved and accelerated crew resuscitation for emergencies. Davis had never needed to utilize them before now, but figured that they were handy to have available, regardless of any legal issues.

Now he knew the reasons why they weren't regularly issued to UEC vessels, his team was awake and energized, but without focus or a collected mind. Instead of manning stations and reading reports, various members were in a tense standoff with several having fished out their Reager Pistols, each barrel finding its mark on Davis's XO, Officer Dudly. A stoic and headstrong man, his calm demeanor that he always carried wavered not an inch amidst the present mutinous and crumbling atmosphere.

"Just shoot the fucker!" A voice cried among the crowd. "We can use his codes to get off this damn fireball!"

"He'd condemn us for nothing!"

"The ships falling apart! What the fuck are you waiting for!?"

"Ladies, Gentlemen," Dudly's deep voice boomed, his calm eyes scanning one face to the next, not a bead of sweat in sight, "I have said it once and I will not say it again. Dereliction of duty is punishable by ejection within the UEC Colonial Administration: Articles of Conduct. We are facing a red alert situation. Security is already on its way to handle our 'guest'. Report to your stations now, two-thousand lives are at stake and I will not have your mutiny cost us our efforts to salvage our predicament."

"Salvage!? There's nothing we can fucking do! We're locked out of controls, flying dumb, deaf, blind, and speeding straight towards that planet!" The officer stepped closer, barrel inches from Dudly's face. "The Captain's likely dead, and we need to save our asses before it's too late, so get off your goddamn high horse and issue the damn evac order!"

"Enough!" Davis managed to shout, having finally reached the interior chamber. "I will be the judge of that!"

"Captain on deck!" Dudly proclaimed before he and all the others present instinctively stood at attention, all tension from before simmering down to a degree.

"At ease! All of you, stations, now!" Davis ordered, but hesitation still festered among the group.

"Captain," one of the officers Piped up, "Sir, I'm sorry but this ship is lost, we have little time be-"

"I am well aware of our current calamity, Lt. Von, and I understand all of you are in an impaired state of mind of my fault, but you cannot let your fear undermine your responsibilities." The captain finished, applying an affirming hand onto his subordinates shoulder before addressing the others. "All of you are beyond terrified, but we're dealing with something we've been training decades for. You all swore an oath, a duty to serve and shepherd those before you, and there is no better moment then right here and right now to a shine a light on your convictions." Convictions that I muddied because of my goddamn negligence.

Davis's face adorned a remorseful mask as he continued further. "But, because of your addled mind from my irresponsible action, I will not force you to uphold your sworn obligations, not when I have neglected them myself. If you wish to evacuate, if you feel you will do more harm than good here, then make haste for the pods, I will not stop you. But, for those of you that wish to stay, I can make no promises that we'll see this through to the end."

For a few moments, nobody dared to make a move. The now passive group only muttered and examined one another, taking consideration of the Captain's words. If only the peace had maintained for just a few seconds more.

A resounding crash from an undeterminable location shook the bridge rigorously, knocking everyone off their feet. Sirens and warnings blared once more within the bridge as everyone was forced to brace. Once stability settled, chaos resumed amongst the agitated group once more as any chance of staying within the bridge was trampled as they stampeded out the entrance. The few that dared to look back couldn't bare to face Davis's eyes. Only one young lad, Ensign Wilkins, even botherd with an apology before he too disappeared.

Taking stock of who remained, little more than a third of the bridge crew stood at the ready. Their bare faces betraying their attempts to conceal their underlining anxiety, but nonetheless they remained, resolute to their duty. Davis could only offer a nod before re-issuing his order once more, "Stations, now!"

As his remaining crew assumed their duties, Davis was finally allowed to address his XO. "We've wasted enough time with this debacle. XO Dudly, status report!"

The now relieved Dudly didn't hesitate for an instant. "Sir! All systems compromised, power fluctuating and failing across all sectors, Ainsley has been sabatoged, planetary impact imminent, and the ship has been infiltrated!" Dudly listed off with ease, each problem no doubt adding more grey streaks to the Captain in the years to come, if he lives long enough.

The last issue, however, captured the full attention of Davis. "Infiltrated!? By who!?"

Without a word, Dudly shifted his attention to a port-side view panel of the exterior. There, nestled along the outer hull, the distinctly sleek shape of a violet otherworldly vessel can be seen clinging to the side of the ship like a barnacle in the sea. Several thick tethers gutted into the Audalis, keeping them hoisted together. Chunks of the Audalis itself easily drifted from the inflicted wound when the alien ship rammed through the armored hull, its violet figure not even baring a single scratch to match.

Davis could only narrow his eyes and clench his fists, his face a fierce snarl. "Fulguri." He openly seethed.

"I've already dispatched the Primary Security Force, Sir. Chief Officer Owens is enroute to engage. The Secondary Force has been assigned a shipwide sweep for our infiltrator, and I have been having trouble establishing contact with the Tertiary Force. Aside from that, we have no other options to expulse the Fulgurians. I regret to report that exterior defenses are offline and I also conclude that that thing has hijacked our vessel's steering, plotting our ship straight for the planet ahead."

"I comend your initiative, Dudly, but our security forces are hardly a match against the Fulguri." Captain Maron pondered for a moment on his next course of action. "Nevermind that for now, Nav! Where are we? How much time do we have left before impact?"

Ensign Fia scrambled to make sense of her station, but errors and glitches within the terminal were all she could find. "I can't access our data! ...Rudimentary scan reports three unidentified celestial bodies... no buoys detected... can't get any familier readings, we're in an unknown star system! Roughly twelve minutes to impact! We cannot course correct at this speed, Sir! Not unless we regain controls at this very moment!"

"Helmsman!" Davis directed his attention to the bow, "Status!?"

"It's no good sir!" Helmsman Donnelly replied. The sweat drenched young pilot furiously keyed away at the steering to no avail, "Fucking xeno's overriding all controls, I can't regain a hold of her!"

"What of our firewalls? Our cyber-defenses? Can we flush them out of our system?" Davis questioned to Dudly.

"Negetive." Dudly added with a shake of his head, "Like I said, complete infiltration. One of the synth bastards integrated themselves physically into our mainframe before booking it. Scrambled damn near everything."

"Shit! *Crkt* Officer Owens, come in. This is Captain Maron, do you read? *Crkt*." The radio held silence for a minute or two. Repeated attempts yielded similar results until finally, heavy breathing breached the radio waves.

"*Crkt* This is Owe-... fuck, move! ...I read, Captain! We're facing some heat over here! Make it quic-... goddammit! Make it quick!"

"*Crkt* Have you breached the Fulguri ship? *Crkt*" Davis radioed. Again he was met with silence before the radio chirped.

..."*Crkt* Negative! ...-uckers have their docking tube full of turrets, mines, and drones! ...My men can't get past their defenses! They've breached the aft cargo hold! *Crkt*"

Davis could only curse under his breath. "Dammit. Ainsly, you back with me?"

[AFFIRMATIVE-IVE-IVE.]

"Where's our intruder? Are they still aboard?" Davis asked, a pleading edge in his voice.

[UN-UN-UNKNOWN. EXFILTRATION LIKILY-HOOD: 95%.]

"Sir!" Ensign Fia called out, "Eight minutes to impact!"

"Goddammit!" Frustration boiled over within. "Is there anything we can do to take my ship back!?"

[UN-UN-UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, N-NO.]

"Dammit!" The Captain cursed openly, his hands tied with no other choices left, except face the music. "...Dudly, forget the Fulguri. Get security to cryo, have them prep the civvies for immediate evac."

"Sir you can't!" Piped one of the deck crew, "At our current velocity and atmospheric entry angle, no escape pods will likely survive the fall!"

"They have a far better chance than staying on this ship!" Without missing a beat Davis connected himself to the intercom, relaying for all to hear, "Attention all hands! This is Captain Maron! Evacuation is in effect! Repeat, evacuation is in effect! Impact immine-" His words were cut short as a sudden lurch from the port side forced all present to find a foothold to cling to. A low base hum reverberated across the bridge, its origin transcending from beyond the hull and glass.

[WARNING: UNKNOWN ENERGY SURGE PROLIFERATING.]

The hum strengthened in note and intensity. Eventually, Davis managed to rise to his knees and crawl toward the port view panel, whereupon he witnessed the Fulguri ship pulse with energy amidst the hum that it emanated. Its tethers trembled and collapsed. Its docking port retracted and with a release of an energy pulse, it uncuppled itself from the exterior of the Audalis.

[WARNING: UNKNOWN ENERGY PULSE IMMINENT: BRAC-]

Ainsly's voice was cut off as the energy surged through out the ship, sending sparks flying among the instruments and knocking various systems offline or out of order. For the bridge, they experienced a loss of gravity as the centrifuge overloaded, leaving all to flail aimlessly.

[GRAVITY CENTRIFUGE REBOOTING.]

As quick as it was lost, gravity was promptly restored, leaving a few bruises and pains.

Scrambling off the floor, Davis could scarcely spare a look at the window. Amidst the floating debris and freshly ejected escape pods was the, now free, Fulguri craft. At the tillted angle that was presented to Davis, he could note the remarkable damage that scarred the underside of the alien ship. The damage was too severe to be from the colony ship's light armament and judging from the scratch marks that jutted outwards, it did not damage itself by ramming into the Audalis. Strangest of all however was its complete dormant state. No propulsion, no offensive actions, not even any lights, save the golden glow of heat that now adorned every object in view as the planet's horizon crept further from the windows edge.

"It's offline." Davis Whispered to himself in disbelief before shaking his head and relaying the info towards the rest of the bridge, "It's offline!"

It took the crew a few seconds to register the information before b-lining back to their stations. One of the remaining officers soon shouted for Davis's attention, "Controls online and operational, Sir! Adjusting new course parameters!"

"It's too late!" Ensign Fia interjected, "We've passed our window, planetary impact is inevitable!"

"It doesn't matter!" The officer retorted back, "We have controls back, we need to make the most of it! Adjusting our entry angle now!"

The Captain decided otherwise. "Belay that! We're cutting it too close, and I can only thank God that the Fulguri pulled out at the last minute! Report to your pods, we're evacing now!"

Things were falling apart too fast, any attempts at course correction were futile at this point. So long as most of the crew and passengers escaped, nothing else needed doing. Atleast not until XO Dudly relayed the bad news, "Captain! Chief Owens reports critical power failure within cryo's exterior hatches! They can't reach the colonists!"

Oh, are you fucking kidding me! "Get Engineer Adams on the line and tell him to redirect power from a local battery station if he hasn't already evacuated!"

"I already did!" Dudly replied back. For the first time in forever, his face adorned a distressed look. "Engineering is under lockdown following that energy surge and all attempts to override has failed! All remaining engineers have no choice but to brace for impact within! They can't remotely access cryo either!"

"Ainsly! Override the lockdown now!" Davis demanded.

[ACCESS TO LEVEL 1 AND 2 COMPROMISED. E-E-ENERGY SURGE HAS TEMPORARILY SCRAMBLED ALL OF MY LOCAL SOFTWARE.]

"Captain! We have rudimentary access to power flow via our intercom system. If we manually divert power to the colonists, will they have enough time to thaw out?"

"Even if that works and security succesfully enters cryo, the colonists will not resuscitate in time! Less than five minutes to impact!" Following Ensign Fia's claim, a burst of quakes rocked the bridge, rocking all to their knees once more. The sirens and blares sounded off a moment later.

"Then administer the wake-up stims! You hear me Ainsly!? Administer them all!"

[IM SORRY DAV-DAV-DAVIS, IM AFRAID I CANNOT DO THAT. ELECTRICAL CIRCU-CU-CULATION WITHIN CRYO IS IN AN ISOLATED FE-FE-FEEDBACK LOOP. DISTURBING IT MAY CAU-CAU-CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO ALL CRYO-PODS AND ITS O-O-OCCUPENTS. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THE COLONI-NI-NISTS TO EVAC.]

The Captain didn't respond back, instead turning his back to the deck crew, refusing to respond further.

The remaining staff timidly eyed one another, none sure of how to proceed.

"...Captain? Sir, what do we do?"

"...Well, I guess that settles it. Nav! I need a reading of the surface elements now! Helmsman, correct our entry angle and maintain stability. Raise the blast covers and direct all reserve power to forward shields now!"

Following a series of 'aye!'s the crew moved and worked like a well oiled machine. The blast covers reinforced the bridge, blocking all view ports and the increase in shields should hold the scorching heat at bay. With the redirect of emergency power, the blaring sirens ceased, settling the bridge in a somewhat companionable quiet.

"Terrain telemetry incoming, Sir!" Reported Ensign Fia. "Rocky outcrops are dotting the landscape... I'm not sure how accurate our readings are... I'm getting gome some crazy disturbances here...we may be forwarded faulty data!"

"We have no choice but to trust it, Mrs. Dawson. Can you get a measurement of the atmosphere?"

"No, Sir. No time. We're lucky we have deep range scanners working at all." Fia replied back.

"Fair enough. I'm initiating ship-wide quaratine. In the event we fa-" Davis was interrupted as a resounding crash boomed throughout the bridge. Electrical overloads burst into flames and sparks across several terminals and outlets as exterior structural damage took its toll.

Davis racked in a coughing fit as smoke flooded his lungs. "*COUGH* *COUGH* Report!"

"We've entered the upper atmosphere!" A voice echoed out. "Our speed's too fast! It's tearing the ship apart!"

"Reverse thrusters! Deploy all breaks and flaps! Whatever it takes to slow her down! Hell, deploy the solar arrays! Do whatever you can for extra drag!" Davis barked out.

Several voices rang out with reports of their actions. Barely audible amidst the screeching exterior.

"Repulsion systems at max!"

"Gravity centrifuge damaged but stable! Should provide some negative force!"

"Deployed exterior docking bays!"

"Venting shafts extended!"

After a minute, Davis needed a new report. "Helmsman! How are we looking!?"

The young pilot wiped his face before responding, "Velocity is bleeding ...shields are holding... barely able to steer her, she's fighting me the whole way through, but... we're leveling out!"

"Nav!" Davis called out. "I need some good news! Sitrep!?"

Ensign Fia initially shook her head. "I'm getting a fuck-ton of strange readings here, Sir, but...telemetry looks good! Ideal landing zone plotted, Sir! Maintaining this course will bring us down within a clearing!"

A sigh of relief escaped from the Captain. "Good. Very good. Excellent work people. Relay our coordinates to all surviving flotilla. We'll rendezvous with survivors and establi-" Davis was cut short by his distraught XO.

"Sir, structural failure exceeding across Cryo and Engineering! If we don't redirect shields, this ship will tear apart!"

"Are you crazy!? Redirecting shields now will leave bridge a charred husk! Those blast covers aren't enough to compensate!" Cried one of the junior officers, a cadet by all means.

"What the hell are you suggesting, leave those colonists and engineers to die!? Along with the entire ship!?"

"I didn't say that!" The cadet turned his gaze untoward the Captain. "Sir, we have filled all parameters for an emergency landing. If we let Ainsly take the wheel, we can still reach the escape pods in time!"

"You had your chance earlier, Lyle!" Fia exclaimed as she too turned to face the Captain. "Captain, navigations cannot run without an operative at station! With Ainsley compromised and crippled, I'm not confident he can make calculations or adjust to atmospheric disturbances, of which are plaguing my station at this very moment! There'll also be no one to approve of new course corrections if need be. This ship will veer off course or collapse within moments!"

"Auto-pilot is offline, so I have to stay to pilot the ship regardless, Sir. But, I agree with Fia, I don't trust that Ainsly can provide accurate data in his condition, but the decision is up to you." Helmsman Donnelly replied, a pale look of acceptance plastered on his face.

If it was not one thing, then it was another, a sentiment Davis could agree entirely with. "Ainsly, are you fit for duty?"

[...I-I-I... I'M SORRY.]

That was all he needed to hear. "I see... redirect shields to the main hull on my mark. Use all available power in reserve. We will not allow those colonists to die. Not now, not ever! We'll hold to the last second if need be. Make your peace now people. It was an honor."

Solemn peace reigned on the bridge as the ship continued to careen away. None of the remaining personal dared to leave their station, following their commitment to the safety of all lives on board to a fiery grave.

"Structural integrity decreasing." Dudly relayed as the data compiled at his station. "Threshold almost reached, now or never, Captain!"

The lives of the few for the many...I hope I get a statue one day. "Engage shields now! All hands brace!"

Like frogs in a pot, no one felt any changes at first. An occasional gust of heat that streaked around the cabin, a small cloud of smoke that disippated seconds later and an increase in the illumination from the slivers of light that penetrated into the view ports were the only immediate signs of change. That is until the sirens started kicking in.

[WARNING: TE-TE-TEMPERATURE EXCEEDING SAFETY MEA-S-S-SURES. DEPLOYING FIRE SUPRESSENT... ERROR CANNOT C-C-C-COMPLY]

[ALERT: HULL ENTEGRITY F-F-FAILING. EVACUATE THE A-A-AREA IMMIEDIETLY.]

"Transfer all power from the EAS to the forward bulkhead, keep those blast covers up!"

"Power couplings failing!" An unknown voice rang out. "Breaches imminent!"

"T-minus two minutes to impact!" Fia exclaimed for all to hear, her face adorned with a bewildered smile. "Ha..ha-ha, we... we might actually make it!"

Damage control managed to secure most of the breaches that reached within the exterior plating, but the few that surpassed it took a heavy toll.

Within meer moments of one small breach, the anguished cries and screams of several deck crew reached Davis's ears as he was forced to duck under his captain's Command Center. The stench of smoke and ash and charred flesh clogged its way down his esophagus seconds later.

Then another breach opened. Like a thrown Lance from hell, scorching fire cascaded through the main view window. Those few immediate to it flashed into ash and dust. Damage control rectified immediately.

Casting his eyes to the portside, Davis was witness to the rear view window collapsing in itself with damage control rectifying the hull breach within seconds. But, it was not soon enough to save Officer Dudly, whos scorched corpse collapsed, staining a mixture of red and black on the floor. His demise along with his charred body failed to register within Davis's mind at the moment.

Temperatures soared far above recommended levels. Life support struggled to replenish the atmosphere that was continually being vented from the room.

All in all, the hellish conditions persisted for what felt like hours, but what little of the bridge that survived persevered to the bitter end. Davis couldn't be more proud.

"Blast covers are failing!" An unrecognized officer screamed over the haunting wails of the outside. As far as Davis knew, this officer was the only other survivor present after having witnissed all the others fall. Davis was glad he was not alone within his final moments. He closed his eyes towards the thought. "Damage control can't compensate! Oh, shit! Pressure spike rea-"

...
...
...

Nothing further would ever be reported on the bridge as one of the view ports fully caved in.

All lives within the bridge would be lost in the line of duty.

But their efforts were not in vain, for the ship continued its blood paved journey with relative ease and as much afforded safety for the remaining souls as possible.

With a resounding thud that echoed across the land and quaked the very earth, the UEC Audalis finished its final voyage, with a finalized record of service spanning over 63 years of travel among the stars. Throughout all corners of the planet, witnessed by various eyes across a multitude of species, debris and pods streaked along the sky, marking a new chapter for humanity.