The Beginning

Galactic Coordinates:

Star Date:(1:33)17E 255C

Earth Date:2070

The night sky was dark, stars twinkling in their countless millions around the blue green planet. Children sleep soundly in their beds, mothers and fathers slumber, wrapped in each other's arms. Above them, aboard the Independent Space Command Satellite, Private Oshenko stares at his monitor, watching the long range scanner sweep back and forth through the Sol Star System. Watch Commander Greyson sits alert in the Officer's Chair, red hair and pale skin easily visible in the bright lights of the Bridge. She turns around, surveying the crew seated around her. Her left eye glows a pale blue, a cybernetic implant received as a reward for outstanding valour.

"Bring left forward kinetic shields to 200%. Alert all crew of impending light meteor shower at approximately 2200." She orders, her light voice sounding throughout the entire star base.

"Yes Ma'am. Shields to 200%. Reactors 1 and 2 are handling the load." Replies Shield Officer Anderson, his voice sounding clear in the large room.

"Oshenko. Anything on the Deep Scanner?" She asks, turning to face Oshenko. He quickly scans his monitor. 

"No ma'am. Nothing on the-" He stops talking, a small red blip appearing on his monitor. His eyes widen, instincts kicking in immediately. He overrides the manual safeguards on the Base Wide P.A, his hands a blur on the keyboard. Yellow lights pop down in every compartment, a quiet but shrill alarm sounding across the entire base. All 2000 personnel stop their tasks immediately, and stand still, looking at the lights in fear. Oshenko speaks loudly into his headset, his voice booming over every speaker on the station.

"Code 6 Alert. I repeat, we are now in a Code 6 Alert. All nonessential crew report immediately to the lifeboats for evac off station. Security Personnel report to barracks 1 and 2."

Crewman all aboard the station move toward the lifeboats, leaving the crew of 30 officers and 300 IFS Marines aboard the giant star base. On the bridge, Greyson stands from her chair and activates her battle console. The flat silver desk rises from the floor of the bridge, stopping at rib height. Holographic displays appear, on the left showing her the screens of every officer on the bridge, and on the right a 3 dimensional scan of the solar system.

"Oshenko. What is it? Ground Command will need a report and estimate in 5 minutes."

Oshenko stares at the scanner, long range particle lasers scanning the material of the hull from the orbit of Pluto.

"Object passing around Pluto at over 75 million kilometres an hour. Perfect flyby, no gravitational effect recorded. Mineral scan complete in T-minus 180 seconds."

Far below, Lord Admiral Davidoff stirs in his bed. The phone beside him rings, and he reaches over and pulls it from it's cradle.

"This is Commander Greyson. We have a Code 6 Alert in immediate effect aboard the Independent. Advise course of action."

"Activate Valkyrie Weapon Systems. Draw target vectors and maintain lock until further command. The President must be alerted." He replies, sitting up in bed and turning on his lights. 

"Sir. There is simply no time. The object is going to enter low orbit of Earth in 65 minutes. Mineral scan complete in 60 seconds. It's only us, Sir." Greyson says.

"This is ISF Command. We are aware of your scanner readings. Ground Command has been fully mobilised in all territories. The Earth Leagues have been ordered into ceasefire. Target the object with Valkyrie and fire immediately. Override Order 635GU92. Clearance OverLord."

The Valkyrie laser weapons on the hull of the Space Station rotate and face the same infinitely small space soaring past Uranus. 

"Valkyrie Weapons 1 through 100 sounding clear target," shouts Weapons Officer Michaels, "in three, two, one-"

100 pinpricks of light flash in the dark space around the star base, superheated bolts of light arcing forward faster than the eye could see.

They instantly hit the object, punching basketball sized holes through the ship in a hundred non critical places.

"Perfect hit. All 100 on target. Debris moving in at 45,000 km/h-" Oshenko reads, before his monitor goes dark.

The voice of OverLord emerges from the speaker. 

"Blackout ordered. Hard drive data is being taken for analysis. System wide reset in 5 seconds. Code 6 Alert rescinded. Return to normal duties."

Oshenko's monitor snaps to life, his scanner completely blank.