"Why? Why can't they send somebody else though?" the woman asked, her voice low and filled with obvious sadness and also a bit of annoyance as well. "Honey, you know it doesn't work that way. The brass makes a decision and everyone else is left executing it", the man calmly replied as he attempted to defuse the situation. He wasn't thrilled about this next mission that was assigned to him either but unlike his wife he knew all to well that he couldn't really argue his way out of it. That wasn't the way things worked after all...
"There has to be something we can do though. Someone we can appeal to? Things are different now, Barkel", the woman insisted but it was clear that somewhere deep down she already began resigning herself to the inevitable. The man sighed and approached, hugging the human female and giving her a light kiss afterward. He took a step back and stared in her clear blue eyes. Oh how he loved staring in those azure orbs. Whenever he did that the man felt as if all reality just ceased to exist - there was just him and her, now and forever.
"I know baby, I know", he smiled as he stretched his arm and reached for the woman's belly, touching it gently. Although it still didn't show yet the man knew that in a few months time a kid would pop out from there. It would be their first one so the man was quite excited. It was in fact this very turn of events that made him go and request a safer but still well paying assignment. And now he would end up having just such a job. The only drawback? Its location was classified and he would be forced to stay there for quite a long time.
"I promise to be here for you and Junior when I return though", the man continued and truly hoped he would be able to keep his word. "Promise?" she cooed. Smiling, the man closed in for another kiss, a passional one this time around. "Of course. Besides, I'll send you holovids each week and before you'll know it I'll be back already. Then I'll smother you with so much attention that you'll end up dreaming of the peace and quiet you had without me."
"Peace and quiet you say? Will I even want you to get back then?" the woman returned her husband's smile as she bated him to reply. "Peace..." The man paused to give the woman a quick kiss. "Quiet..." Another kiss followed. "And an unnatural urge to get more of this..." That final kiss was again a longer one, perhaps the best one yet. "Hmm, speaking of urges", the woman laughed, grabbed his hand and with a feline's grace led the way to the bedroom.
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"Wake up buddy, I think we're there", one of the other guards nudged Barkel, waking the latter up. It took the man a moment or two to realize that the thing he was dreaming about was nothing but a memory, one of the last he shared with his wife before leaving for this new assignment. He frowned as he realized that his dream had been cut short before even getting to the best part. Still, he was up now and if they were indeed at their destination then there was no point to try and fall asleep once more.
Whilst Barkel began readying his gear he couldn't help but notice some commotion at the front of the transport. A lot of whispering and some very strange faces too. Some alarmed, some anxious, some quite sour looking... Whatever the reason, a lot of the eggheads and some of the leading military personnel were talking and gesticulating to one another.
But then again it wasn't like Barkel would be invited to join in anyway. He was just a lowly sergeant serving in the Vast Empire Army, currently assigned as a security guard to some research expedition somewhere in the middle of nowhere. His job was supposed to be a simple and uneventful one - just make sure the whitecoats didn't try slapping one another to death over some dispute involving whose scientific idea was better or otherwise came first. Scientists - they were all alike... all thinking they were smarter than anyone else, all thinking that someday they would change the galaxy, all thinking that their names will forever mark the big historical holovids.
The transport finally docked with the station found too damn close to a sun for the lowly guard's liking. Everyone disembarked only to find... nothing. Or rather nobody. There were crates scattered around, a few idle droids, the lighting and other equipment also appeared to be in working condition as well. So that then raised the question - where was everyone?
The whispering amongst the Zeta relief team grew even more and for the first time since he woke up Barkel managed to make out some of the whispers in question. It seemed the station had not responded to their hails earlier either. No response and now no people to greet them either? If pirates had attacked - an unlikely scenario - then the transport's pilot would've no doubt noticed some blaster burns on the station's exterior. If so then protocol dictated that headquarters be notified and only the security team be deployed to investigate. Since protocol wasn't followed chances were no signs of foul play were discovered.
So what then? What could possibly be the reason for all this? The atmosphere was still breathable so nobody suffocated. Sabotage was still a possibility, but at least in the hangar area there were no signs of blaster fire or explosions, blood, limbs or full corpses to stumble across. Weird...
"Calhys, Dristoe, Fugow, Gursko, Hoond, Jalvyt, Lorbaz - you're with me", Lieutenant Korstal instructed and all those named fell into place by his side. It was just one of the six teams formed to investigate the station and report any anomalies. The remaining security personnel stood behind to form a defensive perimeter and ensure the brainiacs were kept safe.
And so the journey of Barkel Calhys, member of the Zeta relief team, began. A journey through the eerily silent OP 86-A station. A journey that would forever change him...
