Lost

By | December 5, 2019

War, no matter how brief, creates change and leaves its mark.  The crew of the Agamemnon under the leadership of the recently proven green captain Jeem is struggling with the results of its involvement in a civil war, stirred on by one of their own.  After finding themselves crash landed on a foreign world, far off from the masseffect relays the captain along with her crew officers enter into an arrangement with the world’s leaders, a powerful Asari matriarch who long ago abandoned citadel space.  The Agamemnon brought chaos in its crashing wake to the planet as several of the former crew abandoned the ship to strike off and set themselves up as gods to the locals.  The Matriarch’s deal was simple, help eradicate the rebellion and she would see the Agamemnon and her crew safely off planet and on their way back to Citadel Space.

It has been 30 cycles since the end of the conflict and the Agamemnon and her surviving crew left the strange world plotting a course back home.  True to her word the Matriarch’s parting gift to Captain Jeem was the ship that brought their original people to this planet, a second generation Salarian deep space colony ship.  She also required one last term in her agreement, that the captain take a portion of the rebel population who could not be trusted to remain on world any longer but whom executing would only insight renewed hostilities.

On the bridge of the Agamemnon the command staff once again debates what to do with their new guest.  They have thus far kept to themselves taking up residence in one of the colony ships habitation pods.  Lily, an Asari commando now acting as the captain of the ships marine detachment has had no love for their guest.  “We should space them and be done with it.  We have enough mouths to feed to barely contribute as is”.

[Randy – I don’t have your character’s name], a Drell assassin turned specter.  “We cannot just blow the airlock and send them to space.  We don’t know what crimes, if any, they committed against a government we don’t understand.  We should put them to work as idle hands work against the Enkindlers”.

Gurlon, a Salarian scientist and engineer and the former bounty of [Randy], has been functioning as both the Agamemnon’s chief engineer and medical officer.  “The colony ship is designed for well over 5000 inhabitants.  We can use them to help restore some of the systems that have decayed over time.  While the Matriarch was kind enough to evict us from her planet she did so with barely any fuel left in the tank.  We had just enough to clear the nebula surrounding this region.”

As the same debate picks up once more the systems aboard the ship begin the flicker before blacking out altogether. “Status Report!”
“Ma’am we’ve lost power to… well everything?”
“Flip a switch and get the lights back on then.”
“Ma’am there’s no ‘Turn the ship back on’ button.”
“Who designed my ship”?

Gurlon frantically going over a station console nearby. “This doesn’t make ship, the VI is online but everything is locked out and the systems are all rebooting.”

A few moments later the lights and stations start to come back online. A nearby view screen turns on but only displays static and white noise.  Slowly each view screen all over the ship comes online and displays the same.

“Status.”
“The systems are coming back up and controls are back online, we have been dropped from FTL and are adrift.”

The view screen jump to life, the Matriarch in full view.  “Captain, you and your crew need not panic over the reset of your system. If I had meant you harm it would have been dealt out many moons ago.  Someone will be shortly reporting that both of your ships logs and systems have been purged and reset, a necessary precaution against the eyes of the Council.  If I had wanted you dead and forgotten I would have left you adrift in the nebula, this is my last gift to you and your crew”

“You have a long trip ahead for you and your crew and with a little guidance and luck you might make citadel space once more.  A bit of advice though before you truly begin your journey, I provide it free with no stipulations.  We once made the same journey you are about to make.”  The Matriarch eyes become slightly unfocused and the barest hint on a smile forms at the corner of her lips.  The moment passes before it anyone realizes it was occurring.

“Take the time to stop and see the galaxy that is out there.  It is a different place, full one oddity and unknowns once you leave the safety and development of the mass effect relays.  You are duty bound to bring your charges home but don’t be to blind to the chances that our out there.  We were forced to leave Citadel space and had no opportunity to see the wonders we passed.  Learn from that.”

The Matriarch’s eyes soften once more but only slightly.

“Captain, fair winds and following seas.”

The view screens go blank and shortly afterwards return to their previous states.

 

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