The Redsea Signal - Chapter III

Posted on Wed Aug 4th, 2021 @ 1:14pm by Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sequella - East Ba'fan Starport
1226 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

All four of the bulky atmospheric thrusters groaned as the pilot made micro-adjustments, creaking and protesting as their dark metal bodies rapidly expanded from the heat of reentry after being forced awake from their cold sleep in the void. But Sequus built ships to last, and their boxy transports were no different.

Clear ocean water churned violently as the VTOL engines swung forward, blasting the water into a thick foam as the transport gently hovered inside one of the many coastal hangers, the wide-open mouth of the terminal briefly casting the transport in shadow before it moved further inside and under the thick plexiglass roof.

ahead of the craft, two hanger personnel swung bright blinking signal lights in unison, guiding the transport above the awaiting grav locks as it gently lowered itself into their large industrial embrace. Pistons moved and shifted under the vessels tremendous weight as it lowered, gently resting it above the swirling rocky waters below.

"Attention passengers, please start gathering your belongings while ground crews prepare us for disembark..." The pilot sighed through the intercom, seemingly just as happy to be home as everyone. "Doors will be open shortly, thank you for your patience."

Almost instantly the cabin erupted into a frenzy of stampeding hooves as passengers hurried to gather their belongings from overhead, but S'hib simply sat where he was, his eyes fixated on the umbilical bridge slowly extending from the terminal up to the side of the transport, watching the maintenance crews moving about below, their arms and legs wrapped in bright reflective cloth juxtaposed against their otherwise naked forms. It was a strange comfort, seeing his people again in such a normalising way.

He then watched as the umbilical stretched beyond his viewport and past his line of sight, feeling the dull thump of grav locks attaching to the hull moments later, and the slow expulsion of cabin pressure to match that on the surface.

every little mechanical detail hummed along the hull and into his long diamond ear, even if it was somewhat squashed as he leaned against the isolated hull.

Everything is so quiet on the Elysium, he thought, shifting in his seat to idly glance around; something I'm starting to miss, his mind continued as the herd of Sequus around him had begun a cacophony of chatter as they moved about departing the transport.

Then, once the majority had left, S'hib rose from his seat, head hung low as he moved out into the walkway and proceeded towards the exit, nodding politely to the pilot and flight crew as he left, their bright white-uniformed arms folded politely behind their backs as they nodded in return.

The air was cooler now, rushing in from the terminal, cleaner than the heavy musk of the interior of the transport, something he had only just noticed as the slight sting of sea salt filled his lungs.

And now, for once, he was the one with the slowest stride, a culmination of forced habit while serving aboard a starship like the Elysium, that and simply wanting to savour his first steps back home in such a long time.

But whatever happiness filled his heart quickly shrank, as special as this moment was for him, despite its official nature, he had nobody to share it with.

The notion didn't sit well with S'hib as he glanced out of the clear umbilical bridge, peering through the sea spray covered hanger and out into the ocean beyond, his childish expression of wonder quickly ageing with annoyance as his pace quickened. "Let's get this over with." He snorted quietly to himself as he continued through the winding tunnel that led to the main terminal of the Ba'fan Coastal Starport.

"Commander S'hib I presume..." Called out a mottled brown and white mare, her small and petite stature doing little to diminish the commanding presence she exuded.

"What gave it away?" S'hib quipped as he slowly stopped and looked towards the mare, noticing the resplendent dark blue wrap hugged tightly around the entire length of her neck, its finely woven silk, fell gently down over her shoulders before coming to finish just above her breasts.

It was an enticing view, one done on purpose by the mortuary priestesses to keep one's eyes away from where they did not want them, namely the small jewel they all hung atop their brow, their mind's eye.

"Please come with me, we have much to discuss in private." She ordered before turning on her finely trimmed hooves.

The whole interaction had been so jarring and sudden S'hib hadn't even noticed the lone Sovereign that had walked up beside him, only acknowledging his existence once the length of an ornate phase lance thumped him in the back.

"Alright, alright..." S'hib snorted as he was forced forward, quickly falling into step with the priestess as the Sovereign followed behind.

Now things really didn't make any sense S'hib thought as his eyes nervously bounced about the parting crowd ahead of them, his mind too preoccupied to notice the delightful scent catching his nostrils attention.

He had assumed he would be dealing with some arm of the government, perhaps some diplomatic crisis... but the mortuary cult? what in the red sands was going on he thought, half gazing at her behind.

"You wouldn't mind telling me what's going~" S'hib started before being abruptly jabbed in the back by the Sovereign, barking something about needing to be spoken to first, he wasn't entirely sure, suddenly too angry to hear anything but the racing thump of his own heartbeat.

"Do that again..." S'hib snarled with a curled lip, snatching the end of the lance, even as its power cells activated and the firing prism at the end ignited. "And I'll snap this over your damn head..." he neighed, suddenly filled with a strong desire to challenge the male on the other end of the lance.

"That is enough!" bellowed the priestess, her nostrils flaring wide as the Sovereign threw himself to his knees in lamentation, though her eyes remained fixed on S'hib, growing wide and furious as he refused to do the same as her guard.

"There is only one mare I kneel to, and she's not here." S'hib snorted back smugly as he dropped the phase lance to one side, its clatter on the smooth terminal floor all the more prominent amongst the prying eyes of a curious crowd.

The response from the priestess was as quick as it was painful, backhanding her small hoofed digits across the tip of S'hibs nose, a punishment normally reserved for unruly colts by their mothers. "Stupid foal! What part of private did they not teach you in Starfleet?" She neighed, watching him rub his nose.

"Uhh..." S'hib mumbled blankly, almost answering the rhetorical question posed to him.

"Unbelievable," The priestess huffed. "Just... Der'lik, get up off the floor already." She neighed, in abject annoyance. "Commander, I understand you want to know what's going on, but I'm not going to tell you right now, so either you come with me, or you get on a ship and leave."

Her words rung out even as her hooves clicked away across the terminal floor, giving him no time to reply beyond the choice itself.

"Well, that's not going in my report..." S'hib groaned as he breathed in deep, deciding to follow the priestess.