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Chapter One Descending Promethean

On an open field stood massive hosts facing one another, carrying the sigil of their respective houses and kingdoms on the banners they held. It wasn't because they were separated at a great distance that one could almost hear the heavy breathing from both sides if they stood in the center of these two hosts.

Two individuals broke from the lines of The Two Hosts, riding towards the center on the powerful and speedy eight legs of their scaly mounts. The two riders stopped a fair distance from one another but were close enough to hear where one could speak and listen to each other.

One of the leaders of the imposing army took off their helmets, revealing their canine faces with light brown and white cream fur. He had placed his helmet in front of his lap on the saddle, his eyes conveying his reluctance yet acceptance of what he must do for his Duty and honor. “Edmund, imposing as ever,” he managed to smirk despite the forlorn look in his eyes.

Now named Edmund, he let out a chuff sound as he reached behind his helmet to unclasp the little clamp that held it together, allowing his antlers to poke out from the top and revealing his tan fur stag. Just like the one in front of him, he placed his helmet in front of his lap on the saddle. "You are still that skittish puppy I would knock around when we were fostering under that old goat, eh, Kien?" Just like his friend, he too smirked partially. He was reminiscing on simpler times before his smirk turned into a hardened resolve. "You know I won't surrender, nor will I submit to your older brother's demands." His words were as stern as his expression, and his gaze was fixed on the wolf before him.

Kien closed his eyes for a brief moment, breathing in through his nostrils before letting it out through his mouth and a large, steamy huff. He had opened up his eyes, staring stubbornly at the one other person he would consider his brother. “I know, but still, you need not waste the lives of your men or yourself; you just need to give up your crown kneel before my brother, and he will grant you the authority to rule over your people in perpetuity,” he said, which is as hard as Stern's expression.

“And for what to sacrifice my pride, I am a stag of the Iron Forest, and my will is as hard and as enduring as Ironwood. I will not bend the knee for your power-hungry shit of a wolf he is. Even if you take my head, I will still defy him even in death.” Just like his friend, his words were as stern as his expression.

The two had stared at each other; their glares were matching intensity, and neither one of them wanted to break the eye contact, knowing that as soon as they would break away into their respective armies and start the battle.

“Can I at least get one concession from you?” Kien asked, his expression not changing while staring into the eyes of whom he would have to fight.

The stag's ear twitched in annoyance while his eyes remained fixed on the wolf before him. “And what is it that needs me to do something special when I kill you?” he asked sarcastically.

"There is nothing special, but I would like a one-on-one fight, none of us killing each other's forces; a true duel between Foster siblings, letting our own forces handle each other, leaving us to see who the gods favor more, me or you,” Kien suggested.

Edmund had considered it for a brief moment. Hell, he would gladly accept a duel right here and now just to deny the opposing army their leader by crushing their skull. That was, if the person he was doing battle with was someone he didn't know, but he knew this wolf. He had spent his early teen years learning the difference between a stick and a sword and sparring with one another, so he was quite familiar with how his opponent would fight, and in those little mock fights, it always ended in a tie. After years of separation, each of them going to their respective kingdoms to finish their training under the supervision of their own families may have changed the way they fought, but if anything, it would just be truly worth all the stakes that were on the line.

“I accept your request; so long as your blade is not bloody, one of my hammers will not be bloodied by one of yours.” Edmund accepted the request that was given by his wolf brother. He made his Mount move closer to his soon-to-be opponent and extended a hand to seal the deal that was now struck.

Kien had extended his own right hand and grabbed the forearm of his former Foster brother and now his opponent. “I shall not bloody my blade on yours just as your hammer will not bloody mine, and I shall inform all those who follow me not to strike you lest they meet the end of my own blade. as you shall command yours to do the same for me,” he added to the deal, knowing that a few, if not a lot, of their forces might take advantage, taking on an army commander that was unwilling to fight back and forcing them to break the pack between Gods and Men.

“I'll do the same, though I would be regretful for a few of the few idiots I would have to crush if so much as one of them even looks at you funny before I have a chance to smash that pretty muzzle of yours.” Edmund had a vicious grin as he let go of the enemy commander's forearm.

“Well, I hope I'm able to mount your head on my wall. I think that's the best way I could honor such a fierce opponent. I'll try to keep your antlers dusted. I'll try to chase away all the spider webs that would form in between them, but no promises to keep the bugs out of your ears.” Kien shot back.

The two began throwing their heads back and started laughing—the same type of laughter they once shared when they were younger, but the jocularity They shared soon ended their good humor with strong glares at each other as they placed their helmets back on their heads, quickly turned their Mounts back to their respected armies, and rode back to inform their men of the change in how this battle was going to go down and whom they were not to engage lest they meet the ends of the weapon of their commander.

Riding on their mounts, both commanders made sure the formation of the ranks was ready to perform their duties for the king and the realm. The sun was just at the very end of setting before both commanders drew out their weapons and let out a war cry. Their armies mimicked the same war cry right before both sides charged to meet their enemy head-on. Within a few minutes of the start of the battle, the ground was becoming slick with mud thanks to the amount of crimson blood that was being spilled, either from a wolf or stag. It mattered; it was not all the same.

He was trying to avoid much of the fighting and the stacking of the dead. Kien fought the urge to break faith and join his men in battle after hearing a number of them cry out for him by name to save them from a stag spear or blade. Still, just as he had informed all of them, he would refuse to draw his blade and dishonor himself before his respected foe, the gods themselves, Sully, his honor, and his descendants forever. Within a few more moments of traversing and riding over the dead, that's where he found his foe standing in the center of the last bit of green grass that wasn't upturned by the stomping of feet or stained by blood. Getting off his mount, he slapped the scaly rear of the beast that he rode into battle, causing it a sharp whistling hiss before running away from its rider and the battle itself.

“Not one speck of mud or blood on you; that's good; you won't have any excuses when I cave in your chest when we both stand before the gods," Edmund commented as he hefted his Warhammer, slinging it over his shoulder, and took several steps forward.

Kien was taken aback at the comment, “I would say the same for you, but I think if it weren't for the fact that we have sworn oaths, you would be bloodier than I would be, especially given the fact that you are wielding a warhammer that's twice the size of a cub.” He shot back as he matched the pace of his opponent, stepping closer to their little private space while the battle was raging around them, almost as if they were in the eye of a storm.

“Yes, I would be much more decorated by the blood and brains of your men, but I would be worn out a bit and you would be worn out a bit when we finally fight, and I hope the gods are watching for one of the greatest warriors of the realm to soon be standing beside them,” Edmund stated this and stopped moving at least 10 paces away from his opponent.

Nodding his head in agreement, he checked the shield on his left arm, making sure it was tightly fastened right before drawing his sword, which he had sheathed soon after he had led his men into the battle and fought begun. The rippling pattern of gunmetal gray and light silver had captured the few rays of sunlight as the sun began to set, putting the blade's beauty on partial display. “Let us see if God's Fang can beat the demon's fist,” he said, pointing his sword at his opponent.

“Let us see then.” The stag let out a bellowing war cry, willing his Warhammer to the demon's fist, and swung it with both strength and speed that would defy mortal comprehension.

Using his superior mobility and agility, Kien avoided the first club swing and watched as the Warhammer touched the ground, immediately embedding itself into the earth before quickly being lifted up and swung again from the side, causing him to dodge or use his shield to deflect the corresponding swings. He knew his foster brother well, and these few swings were nothing to him. The first swing was only half the strength of what the fully-grown stag could do, along with having stamina matching the stag's strength, which would have made lesser combatants cower in fear, but not the wolf that was waiting for the opening to strike.

He hated these types of fights. Quick and agile, Edmund couldn't begrudge his opponent, who had all the strength and stamina to wield the weapon he wielded, along with the thick armor he wore to compensate for not having a shield. His opponent had hardened boiled leather and chainmail, favoring both sword and shield. Despite the annoyance of the type of opponent he was dealing with, he absolutely loved that he was fighting a true fight unlike the last few battles he had fought before this one—the one battle he wanted, the one battle he desired to prove to himself and the gods that he was the mightiest warrior in this region—a title he would gladly add to his title, King of the Iron Forest.

The two continued fighting, one swinging, the other dodging and nearly grazing each other, with the wolf nearly cutting through the gaps in the plate armor to swing his sword, while the stag nearly caught the wolf on swings from the sides or from the bottom to the top. They did not know how long this duel had been happening, but hearing the battle around them still continuing, it had not been long enough for the light of the sun to completely disappear. As the sun had already set on the horizon, the last rays of light still illuminated the field with ever-growing shadows.

‘Now it's time.’ Kien thought to himself as he used his sword to flash the light of the final rays of light, shining the brightest before darkness consumed the land to be shined into his opponent's eyes.

Edmund let out a disgruntled grunt at the sudden bright flash of light. He tried stepping several paces away from his opponent as he blinked the spots out of his eyes before feeling a white, blinding sensation of pain from his side, then his leg, causing him to topple over onto his back. Once his vision cleared, his helmet was ripped off, and he could see the wolf on top of him with a large paw pressing onto the armor plate on his chest, keeping him pinned. “Finish it!” he said through gritted teeth. He was defeated, and he would not allow himself to become a craven, beg for mercy, and be a hostage, forcing those still loyal to him to surrender if it meant he would be spared. The only other thing that came to mind was his doe, his beloved Queen, and the little fawn Prince he'll never have a chance to meet. It was the last lingering thought he had before closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable.

Tossing aside his shield, Kien nodded in agreement to finish this and grabbed his sword with both hands pointed downwards, ready to strike. Just as he was about to thrust the blade down, something caught his eye - a burning star emerging from the veil of night slowly descending upon the land. He wasn't the only one to notice; many of the wolves and stags halted their battle to gaze at the approaching star, growing bigger and brighter with a deafening, almost roaring sound.

“WHAT THE HELLES IS TAKING SO LONG FOR YOU TO FINISH ME?!” shouted Edmund from his spot, opening his eyes to see his former opponent now distracted, along with everyone else, as they all fixated on the incoming star. “WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!” he yelled out, but no one answered, captivated by the fiery object drawing closer with an ominous rumble akin to a charging beast.

Feeling his instincts urging him to flee, Kien hesitated but ultimately grabbed his shield, dropping it in front of himself and Edmund, tensing every muscle in anticipation. He knew he couldn't outrun what was approaching, sensing the impending doom that awaited all on the battlefield.

As Kien tensed his grip on the shield, both he and Edmund found themselves cowering behind it, struck by pure instinctual terror. They huddled together, reinforcing the shield as the burning star-like object swept by, igniting the field and engulfing those unfortunate enough to be in its path in flames that incinerated everything they touched. The screams of agony filled the air as bodies burned and armor melted into flesh, the harrowing sounds drowned out by the relentless inferno.

Protected by the shield, Kien and Edmund felt the intense heat and heard the screams of their men as they perished in the fiery wrath from above. The shield diverted the flames away from them, but they couldn't escape the smell of burning flesh and soil, enduring what felt like an eternity in the blazing inferno before it finally subsided.

Letting out a pained yell, the wolf desperately attempted to remove the shield from his arm as the metal heated up, causing his flesh to fuse with it. Another hand came to his aid, helping him tear off the shield but also stripping away a significant amount of leather, fur, and flesh, revealing burnt reddish flesh oozing with oils and blood. Kien looked up at Edmund, who was surveying the aftermath, and like the wolf, he too was horrified by the devastation around them.

Both commanders had witnessed their fair share of battles, but the scale of death and destruction before them now was beyond anything they could comprehend. The bodies of both stags and wolves lay burned and melted, unrecognizable. The scorched ground resembled glass in some areas, with lingering flames providing an eerie illumination.

After a moment of silence, broken only by the dying flames, Edmund picked up his Warhammer and checked its condition before slinging it over his shoulder. “I am withdrawing because the gods have unleashed their fury upon us. I suggest you do the same and inform your brother that the gods are displeased with our conflict, though I doubt he will heed the warning,” Edmund declared, his hooves feeling the residual heat of the ground.

“I agree. My brother may not be pleased, but I believe some may be willing to listen and consider postponing this conflict,” Kien responded, tending to his burns with a water skin and testing his shield, which had partially melted. 'So the legends were true about this shield; it can withstand even the gods' fury,' he internally mused. Once the shield cooled, he planned to attach it to his back and begin the march back home, navigating the hot ground and avoiding the emerging glass-like formations.

=Sometime earlier=

The whooshing sound of a magnetic airtight door opened, releasing a large amount of steam along with a figure: a Caucasian Terran male in his mid-twenties with short grayish silver hair, wearing very little other than a bathrobe and boxers. He put his well-fit body on display as he exited the ship refresher and headed straight for the galley, a small space perfect for one person to move around. He headed straight for the synthesized food processor and pushed several buttons, selecting his preferred beverage for the morning by the universal Terran time chart.

The food synthesizer 3D printed and filled the ceramic cup with completely synthesized CF (coffee). This process only took at least 20 seconds before completion.

Opening the door within the processor, the man breathed in the scent of the coffee and immediately frowned. “Damn, this thing still can't make the coffee realistic; it smells like burnt plastic with cat piss on it,” he cursed as he brought the steaming mug to his lips. The taste was similar to the smell, which was bad, but at least the caffeine was realistic enough to clear out the early morning cobwebs from his mind. He finished the coffee rather quickly, something he wouldn't have done with real coffee, where he would normally savor it instead of simply gulping down the caffeine-enriched fluid. With his shower done and the fake coffee in his stomach, he grabbed a protein paste and headed straight for his quarters, got himself into the appropriate company-approved uniform, and headed straight for his workstation.

Passing through a few security doors that led away from his living compartment on the ship, he stepped into a mostly automated cockpit space big enough for a small walk around, with a single pilot chair near the center and several holographic displays showing the flight route the ship was taking and the ETA time upon arrival. Moving past the holographic display, he plopped down onto the pilot's chair, opened up the protein pack with his teeth, and began sucking down the burrito-flavored paste.

“Comrade Yuri, it is a most excellent morning for Stellar Courier Express,” chimed the onboard AI, showing the corporate symbol that was a conjoined SCE.

He swallowed the rest of his Pace breakfast before tossing the empty packaging to the side. “It's just another morning on route to..." He paused, then looked at the charts to see where they were heading. “Lithium 4 is just on the very edge of Terran territory,” he stated while looking at their current routes along with other additional routes that have yet to be made within the first few months of his employment.

“Indeed, comrade, we should arrive within the next month,” stated the AI.

Yuri couldn't help but grimace at another month of eating paste food, poorly synthesized coffee, and other regulated fluids and substances. Heaven forbid he was allowed to bring his homemade true Terran vodka. If he had access to the foodstuff of the cargo that he was hauling, he would have Jerry-rigged the synthesizers to process a few potatoes into passable alcohol. However, sealed containers could not be breached without setting off alarms that would notify corporate security and lead to a corporate hearing and potential penalties. “Are there any possibilities of shortening that distance by maybe cutting through some uncharted parts of space? I really don't want to have to remain on the ship any longer than necessary. If anything, I wouldn't mind getting something that will warm my belly other than this fake crap I'm forced to consume every day,” he said to the assisted AI with a disgusted look at the thought of enduring another month on the ship.

The iconic loading swirl appeared as the AI was processing the request before generating a solution. “There is a possible route to shorten the distance between our current projector and destination within 2 weeks of travel.” The AIS words perked up Yuri's interest, while at the same time, his own instincts were telling him that such a shortened route was too good to be true if it just now came to the AI's knowledge and they had not informed him of an optional route earlier before maintaining the current course.

“I take it that there's a big but in this shortcut that you have not informed me when we finally entered this stage of our journey, yes?” He queried the AI and hated the fact that his instincts were going to prove him right.

The AI brought up an image of the shortened route as well as the current route that was being taken, and in the area of the shortened route, there was a cautionary spatial anomaly on top of the shortened route. “You are correct, pilot Yuri. The shortened route has been designated as a hazardous route for any pilots it's to take due to a celestial event that happened centuries ago. The star within the sector that the route intersects had gone critical and left remnants of it. Superheated plasma and elevated background radiation both exceed the shielding parameters of the cargo frigate the T.C.E. employees for the transportation of goods. Is it advised to avoid this sector while the natural hazards have yet to intenuate to more safe and acceptable levels?” The AI explained, showing multiple screens indicating sensors and data that had been sent to Earth before the formation of the Terran Federation and the r bless his historyechristened of Earth's name to Terra.

"Question: Has this information been updated since the formation of the Terran Federation, and have there been new astrological probes sent in to survey the area of space prior to the Federation making the first contact with Fen’Que species and the second contact with Qox?” Yuri questioned the AI while it was processing; it was comparing information and the events that had occurred within the 400 years since the star went supernova.

“On all queries, there have not been any astrological scan probes that have been launched into this area of space, and according to available information from other treaty-bound species with the Terran Federation, there has not been any deep probing of this area of space on any front.” The AI answered while displaying some holographic projections of a timeline of events that had happened since the earliest that man began sending out unmanned probes into space before the collapse of the separate nations of Earth.

Bringing his hand underneath his freshly shaven face, Yuri couldn't help but think of the possibility that the area of space that was currently a hazard zone may not be so hazardous and possibly never had any supernovas that may have occurred. less his history to be proven incorrect late 21st century weren't that technologically advanced and it was prone to errors either made by humans or the roach level of intelligent AI may have miscalculated. “Let's say that we decide to go through this route and discover that the area is quite safe for travel, and we arrive at our destiny at Target under the expected time upon delivery. What would that say to the company and my service record for the company?” He had both stated and asked while placing both hands on the back of his head as he watched the AI process his words and what they would mean for both the shipment of goods and the company's reputation.

“There are multiple positives. If your theory proves to be correct, if the area of space happens to be non-hazardous, we can arrive far sooner and increase the reputation of your stellar career. Upon arrival on one of the destination planets on our route, of course, your suggestion to take the route and discover that it happened to be safe would earn you a pay increase by company regulations for new space routes that are safely charted for corporate proprietary use, along with other legalities that must be processed with a pay increase in bonus upon discovery of the new route.” The AI replied, showing a bunch of legal jargon that Yuri barely even glanced over, knowing that he would have to sign a non-disclosure discovery contract to receive his pay, basically locking the route for corporate use only so it would help them compete with their competitors and forbidding him from using the route if somehow his employment was terminated.

Waving his hand, dismissing many of the holograms, and only displaying the route that he would like to try, despite the risks associated with it compared to the rewards he would gain from it. “Then my own decision is final. Let us take this route unless there are elevated forms of radiation or the hull of the ship begins to detect elevated temperatures, then abort and return to the previous route. A few hours of delay from our original route shouldn't hurt our delivery,” he said to the AI, who watched as it began to process his words.

“Before we take this route, you must give a liability disclosure upon taking this course that you are liable for all events that would happen to the ship and cargo upon taking this route despite the numerous hazards of the astrological dangers by the existing information in regards to the system.” The AI replied with a holographic mirror showing Yuri's face, and in the upper right corner, a red dot was flashing, showing that it was recording.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Yuri lifted his right hand and said, "I, Yuri Borisyuk, shall take full responsibility for any damage to the ship and its cargo if any astrological hazards may have occurred upon my decision to take this rather unsafe route according to the current records.” He robotically said, and at the end, he flipped off the recording that would no doubt be sent straight to corporate headquarters, but it would take a few months before it finally reached the homeworld of the company's headquarters.

The AI let out an affirmative ping as it completed its recording and scanning of Yuri's handprints and biochip. He felt a slight tingling warmth in the back right part of his neck as it verified his ID. A holographic screen showed a message being sent to HQ. By the time it reached its destination, either the ship would be docked and offloading its cargo with a happy Yuri enjoying the company of a few ladies while drinking the best alcohol he could get his hands on, or he would be reduced to some new fundamental particles and matter. Either way, he wouldn't be paying the damages on account of either being dead or well beyond schedule.

“New course selected: entering Hyper in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... engaging hyperdrive.” As soon as the AI announced the engagement of hyperdrive, a colorful display of lights and colors began as the ship entered speeds approaching and slightly beyond light speed. When the ship reached its optimal speed, all light within the viewport vanished, a slight side effect of faster-than-light travel technology.

During the 20th and 21st centuries, it was a theoretical impossibility to reach speeds beyond the speed of light by conventional means. However, when humanity unlocked that technology and began traversing the stars, they realized that light from nearby stars or distant galaxies couldn't keep up with the speed, creating a void. This phenomenon occurred when ships reached their optimal speed, so pilots were always recommended not to stare too much into the endless darkness to avoid space insanity.

Fortunately, Yuri entertained himself with holographic Civ XXL and played off his old save. “Let's see if these sanctions will cripple your economy,” he said to his virtual opponent. This continued for some time before he got bored and switched to checking the current route and how far they had to go before exiting hyper to make necessary adjustments to the approaching system.

“We will be approaching the system in an hour,” the AI announced while displaying various scan reports from the sensors. It did not detect increased levels of background cosmic radiation or exotic matter that materializes shortly after a star goes supernova.

half-hour later

Yuri watched as the ship passed the threshold considered the point of no return for entering astrological dangers. Seeing the indicator on the route going past the red line without any alerts or him winking out of existence, he threw his head back and laughed. "It looks like my gamble was spot on; we haven't disintegrated, and no gravitational anomalies are stopping us from continuing our current route. I think it's a fair bet that the company is going to give me a bonus for discovering a new route to shorten the delivery time,” he said to himself, imagining the additional zeros in his upcoming credit check.

“Your analysis seems to be correct; there are no detections of any astrological hazards. I shall record and send this information to corporate headquarters upon our exit from hyper,” AI stated while giving a thumbs-up holographic gesture.

~

The remaining time for the ship to exit out of hyper-past was fairly quickly, as Yuri had gazed upon an Intex star system with several planets that he could see on the holo display, one of which happened to be in the Goldilocks zone of habitability. “Mmm, why don't we get a little closer to the fourth planet of the system? It seems to be almost exactly the size of Earth, if not slightly bigger, if the instruments are correct and the measurements and a basic atmospheric and bioscan of the planet's surface are correct." Yuri commanded the AI as he considered the possibility that there was an undetected habitable planet. Sure, the route to the habitable planet would be locked behind corporate scrutiny for delivering packages, but the higher-ups might want to visit a private garden planet and bring many of their shareholders just to wine and dine and whatever fancy crap the aristocrats of society would go for..

“Acknowledge.” The AI chirped as it engaged the course of the sublight engine toward a possible habitable planet. Once in range, the various scanners began to come alive and display the holographic results of deep-level scans.

Looking upon result after result, URI couldn't help but grin, “Wow, pre-federated Earth technology to detect habitable planets and intact star systems is really stellar at capturing things quite accurately.” He's sarcastically stated the obvious, as he could see strong indicators that the planet was more than habitable and had a great deal of life on it: fauna, fungus, bacteria, and so on. The atmosphere was at the correct levels for human breathability and a perfect climate.

“Though I am not programmed to give criticisms of the pre-federation states of Earth Technology, it is an accurate summation of the humanities lack of accurate analysis when it comes down to detecting things within their range of interstellar surveying.” The AI commented while compressing all the data that was being extracted from the various sensors into one large data packet that would be sent at Yuri's discretion.

“Alright, I think we've seen enough. We should get back on. Of course, I'll send the data to HQ myself once we reach port. Firefighters will definitely love the opportunity to set up their own little vacation spot in the virgin world.” He stated as he prepared to have the information downloaded into his biochip so he can safely keep the information about the habitable planet until the opportunity presents itself to present it before the higher-ups people who are above his actual boss, or maybe secretly message one of the shareholders once he gets contact information about them who may have stocks in planetary vacation destinations.

The holographic display screen showed a file moving towards a humanoid shape. Along with that, Yuri felt his biochip slightly begin to warm up as it was being uploaded with the relevant data. After that, the ship began to turn and head away from the planet before a large satellite structure appeared right behind two of the moons of the planet.

“Now what in the hell is that?” Yuri asked as he looked at the structure, the holographic display showing a 3D model that looked like a decaying satellite.

It took the AI a few seconds before bringing up relevant data on the satellite, “It is one of the few experimental satellites launched by the few tech companies that were vested in the corporate space race of the 21st Century. Armed with the latest forms of robotics and biological engineering, they were only launched from Earth until the company collapsed after many of the board members and CEOs were charged for felony tax evasion,” the AI answered while showing several displays of the various companies that engaged in this particular form of space exploration and experimentation.

“This one is called Hephaestus. It says here that the CEO was quite eccentric, claiming to have visions of a future of some kind. Despite his insanity and complete loss of himself, he was successful in launching this into space and used some primitive form of interstellar travel, unlike our hyperdrive technology” he read out loud while also looking over the specs. It definitely helped relax his nerves, thinking that someone else may have claimed dominion over the star system, but it seems that it had been done by a dead CEO centuries ago in a time and place that no longer exists.

While the cargo ship was continuing on its route away from the planet, the AI detected something and began blaring alarms. “Warning, weapon lock detected. Warning, weapon lock detected.” The red flashing holographic projection showed, along with the decaying satellite's 3D version, showing what looked like an insect stinger unfolding out and revealing a nasty-looking Gauss cannon.

“Give me the stick; full power to the engines, stat.” He barked out, and the AI did not waste any time.The two armrests on his seat folded outwards, revealing two flight sticks. Grasping hold of them, he began to try to maneuver the cargo ship away from the locked target.

= Hephaestus System=

[Target Locked]....( unknown ship)

[Gauss cannon].....(100% charge)

“Fire!”

[Verbal command acknowledge] ( commence fire)

The overall structure of the ancient satellite shook as it fired the Gauss cannon on the various flickering monitors that were still operational. As a Tungsten rod moving at 75% the speed of light hit the intruding object that had entered this private section of space, hitting the midsection of the cigar-shaped ship,.

“My garden now shall remain undisturbed and unspoiled.”

The ship had broken up into two pieces and got caught in gravity. If anyone was paying attention, they would watch as the debris and the two different sections of the ship began to enter the atmosphere of the planet.

= Yuri’s point of view=

The massive impact of the tungsten rod that had shot through the cargo section of his cargo ship had knocked him out of his pilot seat and caused a little jostling around, dislocating his shoulder and bruising a few ribs. “Fuck, this is going to hurt more than having it hang here,” he hissed in between clinched teeth as he grabbed hold of his right arm and forcefully popped his shoulder back into its socket with a loud pop. “Motherfucker, that hurts,” he hissed out as he climbed back into his pilot chair. The holographic display of the ship was flickering as some of the systems were damaged thanks to the EM effect from the Gauss Canon projectile. “Status,” he commanded. The flick ring holographic display stopped for a brief moment as the emergency backup systems kicked online.

A holographic display showed the cargo ship split, along with some projections that the ship was being pulled into the closest gravity well on the planet that he had just surveyed not too long ago on a dangerous re-entry pattern.

“Here, I thought my day couldn't get any better.” He sarcastically stated this to himself as he began quickly thinking of the best course of action given his current dire circumstances. It was only then that he had an idea, remembering the emergency release.

Getting up from his chair, he headed straight towards the door that led into the expansive cockpit space. He pulled on a panel revealing an emergency release. He grabbed hold of the yellow and orange-striped lever and yanked it, and immediately he could feel the disengaging from what's left of the cargo ship, and whatever remaining emergency power the cockpit was connected to immediately deactivate the artificial gravity and redirect power to life support and emergency thrusters. With the ship disengaged, Yuri went to a different panel that contained survival equipment and slipped on a ballistic impact latex suit that had taken him no less than a few moments to get on before floating back to his command chair, buckled up, and engaged the thrusters to enter a more safe re-entry into the planet's atmosphere.

Within a few moments, the friction of the planet's atmosphere began filling up the viewport of the cockpit. All I could do was keep it level on his slow descent and prepare himself for the worst. “It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me, piece of 21st century technological shit. Once I get back into orbit, I'm going to throw your ancient ass into the sun,” he said hatefully in between curses and his mother tongue, but he spoke while making the correct adjustments.

About 20 minutes later, I got cleared through the worst of the atmosphere while trailing a bit of flames that still covered the Escape pod-like cockpit. It was only then that I felt the sudden pull forward as the ship hit and ground against the rocky terrain once, twice, and three times as the vessel skipped across the land before finally starting to grind against the ground, slowly decelerating the last piece of cargo ship before it came to a complete halt.

Yuri's hands immediately hit his seat belt's emergency release as the cockpit began filling with smoke. He headed towards the only other exit and reached into the same panel that he had used to disengage the cockpit from the rest of the ship and pushed a button that ejected both the magnetic doors and frame from the cockpit, sending him a great distance away and allowing him to escape the smoke-filled coffin. He let out a few coughs from the small bit of smoke he inhaled. With his hands on his knees, he briefly looked up at the trail of upturn and terrain fire trails and watched the rest of the cargo ship begin to break up in the planet's atmosphere, with larger chunks moving past his current position to crash land elsewhere.

“So much for my bonuses,” he joked, making light of his current situation.

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