Admiral Rodriguez and his three accompanying Kraktol officers make their way through New Pongi, pausing every so often to take note of the capital city’s varying degrees of economic disparity. Huge 20-foot fences separate the slums from more affluent areas, but the poor and the rich often live only a stone’s throw away from each…
José, Soren, Grundle, and Sapphire all stroll down the Slipstream’s forward-facing entry ramp, then wait as the ship closes up behind them. "Keep an eye out for my signal," José says, his words reaching the remaining crew inside the Slipstream. "This operation could always go wrong. If necessary, you might need to drop by and…
"Oooh, those diced steak pieces look good! Can I try a bite?" "Sure! I’ll trade you for half of that hard-boiled egg!" Inside the Bloodbearer’s Mess Hall, hundreds of Kessu and Kraktol mill together, their moods all but completely harmonious, especially compared to when the Kraktol first strode aboard the Bloodbearer five years before. With…
Inside a dense jungle on a planet full of vicious predators, a trio of bipeds fights furiously, one of them firing energy and ballistic projectiles to fend off their attackers. Blat! Blat! "Grundle! The Gosheks are cutting off our path of retreat," Soren yells. "I’m grabbing an elevated position!" Not far away, a huge Kraktol…
Inside the Bloodbearer’s Executive Lounge, a large circular table with a holographic emitter in its middle rests in the center of the room. Many luxurious food and beverage amenities line the walls, along with potted plants taken from Tarus II’s ecosystem, the original plants that decorated the room having long-since perished to the annals of…
More than a thousand Kessu and Kraktol crowd together inside the Bloodbearer’s largest facility, its Holodeck. Even with the chamber’s incredible size and ability to deceive the senses, its ability to contain more than a fraction of the ship’s crew proves limited. With so little space to sit in the spectator stands, many Kessu opt…
Admiral Rodriguez slowly walks through the lower decks of the Bloodbearer, a datapad in his hand, performing routine maintenance on the Bloodbearer’s coolant systems. Dozens of thin steel pipes line the walls, each one sending liquid nitrogen and other similar compounds to various parts of the ship. As the Admiral walks, he taps the datapad,…
Admiral Rodriguez and his newly promoted First Officer, Soren Mudrose, stand on the Bloodbearer’s Bridge, gazing through its windows at the gorgeous green and blue planet ahead of them. A nearby monitor silently visualizes the Red-Tongue’s trajectory as it takes off, vanishing into the void without any fanfare. "We will head to the Core Worlds…
A full minute of silence descends upon all of the Kraktol and Kessu. Stricken with grief, guilt, and confusion, Drall and José’s loyalists alike look at one another, uncertain of what to do. Only Kisa’s choked sobs pierce the gloom, stabbing knives into the hearts of all present. Finally, Kisa speaks. "You… you killed him!"…
"Kill the Terran!" Drall bellows, while stabbing his finger in Admiral Rodriguez’s direction. "If any of you still intend to honor your Thülvik’s commands, then heed mine now! Slay that undying monster at all costs! Do not let his envenomed tongue sway your minds! Graaaaugh!" "Kyargh!" "Graugh!" Hundreds of angry howls erupt amongst the Kraktol….
