people walking by, to Forest’s grim expression, it felt as if something was quickening.
Maybe Forest had taken his warning to heart? Could the Coalition now be preparing for the Vex’s immanent attack?
He wouldn’t have long to find out.
Forest led them into a room he recognized as where the Admiral handed out her most pressing and secret of missions. As the head of the Force, he’d been in there multiple times.
Now, as Forest walked in through the parting doors, his eyes narrowed in interest. The large table in the middle was piled high with datapads, interactive holomaps, and artefacts in stasis boxes.
There were a few other scientists and officers in the room, all working in frantic silence.
As Forest walked in, she motioned at them to leave.
The skin on the back of Carson’s neck prickled with a cold sweat.
Everyone else walked in single file out of the room, until it was just the three of them.
It took the Admiral a while to say anything, let alone move. For too long she stared at the ground directly below her, brow furrowed as her eyebrows met in the middle.
She looked up and right at him. ‘Didn’t you ever question why we sent you to Remus 12 in the first place?’
Of all the things she could have said, this had the most effect on him. A punch of adrenaline shot through him as he snapped his back straight and stared at her. ‘. .
. What?’
Of course he’d questioned why the Coalition had organized his first mission to Remus 12.
. . . .
Could they know something about the Vex?
Before he could question, Forest motioned him towards the table.
Though Singh still looked doubtful, she followed in silence, crossing one arm over her middle as she propped her arm on it and rested her chin in her hand. ‘What is this?’ her gaze darted over the artefacts locked in their containment boxes.
They were books, tablets, and old alien devices Carson didn’t immediately recognize.
‘It’s a history, of sorts,’ Forest replied.
‘What culture does it pertain to?’ Singh questioned as she tucked her hands behind her back and peered over at the nearest artefact.
‘Many.’
‘What period in history?’ Singh turned her attention to another box.
‘Many.’
Carson watched the Admiral out of the corner of his eye.
What the hell was going on here?
‘Admiral?’ he questioned quietly.
Though it was clear she was showing them something important, unless it had to do with the Vex, he didn’t care right now.
He already had a priority.
‘Admiral Forest, what’s going on here?’ he prompted her once more.
‘We sent you to Remus 12, Carson, because we wanted to find out if the legends were true,’ the Admiral swallowed.
Carson froze.
‘In records going back for tens of thousands of years, there’s a story about Remus 12.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Singh turned to face her.
Admiral Forest pressed a hand into her face. ‘We weren’t up front with why we sent you to Remus 12, Carson, because we didn’t see the point. We were investigating nothing but a myth . . . .’
The Admiral wasn’t making any sense. The more she spoke, the more his back itched with the need to know whatever she did. ‘Admiral, what about Remus 12? What legend are you talking about?’
She pulled the hand from her face, lifted her gaze, and stared at him. ‘Every five thousand years something comes out of that planet and destroys the most developed race within its reach,’ she said blankly.
Carson’s stomach twisted into a knot so tight it would take a saw to cut it loose.
‘We would have dismissed it as nothing but a story, if the same damn story wasn’t repeated so often. At least ten distinct alien races have a reference to Remus 12,
All repeating the same tale: some technologically advanced race appearing for a single day, only to wipe out and pillage whatever it can, before disappearing completely. We analyzed those legends from across various races, and calculated that another
Maybe Forest had taken his warning to heart? Could the Coalition now be preparing for the Vex’s immanent attack?
He wouldn’t have long to find out.
Forest led them into a room he recognized as where the Admiral handed out her most pressing and secret of missions. As the head of the Force, he’d been in there multiple times.
Now, as Forest walked in through the parting doors, his eyes narrowed in interest. The large table in the middle was piled high with datapads, interactive holomaps, and artefacts in stasis boxes.
There were a few other scientists and officers in the room, all working in frantic silence.
As Forest walked in, she motioned at them to leave.
The skin on the back of Carson’s neck prickled with a cold sweat.
Everyone else walked in single file out of the room, until it was just the three of them.
It took the Admiral a while to say anything, let alone move. For too long she stared at the ground directly below her, brow furrowed as her eyebrows met in the middle.
She looked up and right at him. ‘Didn’t you ever question why we sent you to Remus 12 in the first place?’
Of all the things she could have said, this had the most effect on him. A punch of adrenaline shot through him as he snapped his back straight and stared at her. ‘. .
. What?’
Of course he’d questioned why the Coalition had organized his first mission to Remus 12.
. . . .
Could they know something about the Vex?
Before he could question, Forest motioned him towards the table.
Though Singh still looked doubtful, she followed in silence, crossing one arm over her middle as she propped her arm on it and rested her chin in her hand. ‘What is this?’ her gaze darted over the artefacts locked in their containment boxes.
They were books, tablets, and old alien devices Carson didn’t immediately recognize.
‘It’s a history, of sorts,’ Forest replied.
‘What culture does it pertain to?’ Singh questioned as she tucked her hands behind her back and peered over at the nearest artefact.
‘Many.’
‘What period in history?’ Singh turned her attention to another box.
‘Many.’
Carson watched the Admiral out of the corner of his eye.
What the hell was going on here?
‘Admiral?’ he questioned quietly.
Though it was clear she was showing them something important, unless it had to do with the Vex, he didn’t care right now.
He already had a priority.
‘Admiral Forest, what’s going on here?’ he prompted her once more.
‘We sent you to Remus 12, Carson, because we wanted to find out if the legends were true,’ the Admiral swallowed.
Carson froze.
‘In records going back for tens of thousands of years, there’s a story about Remus 12.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Singh turned to face her.
Admiral Forest pressed a hand into her face. ‘We weren’t up front with why we sent you to Remus 12, Carson, because we didn’t see the point. We were investigating nothing but a myth . . . .’
The Admiral wasn’t making any sense. The more she spoke, the more his back itched with the need to know whatever she did. ‘Admiral, what about Remus 12? What legend are you talking about?’
She pulled the hand from her face, lifted her gaze, and stared at him. ‘Every five thousand years something comes out of that planet and destroys the most developed race within its reach,’ she said blankly.
Carson’s stomach twisted into a knot so tight it would take a saw to cut it loose.
‘We would have dismissed it as nothing but a story, if the same damn story wasn’t repeated so often. At least ten distinct alien races have a reference to Remus 12,
All repeating the same tale: some technologically advanced race appearing for a single day, only to wipe out and pillage whatever it can, before disappearing completely. We analyzed those legends from across various races, and calculated that another
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