Disturbance
Location: Terra, homeworld of the Terrans
Date: more than two weeks following outbreak of Virus 106 on an undisclosed ice world
“It’s been almost a week since we’ve lost communication with System LN23. If it were simply a technical failure, it would have been fixed by now. We suspect the hand of a Marauder flotilla that has been harassing the star systems in that area lately. We need you, Admiral Morgan, to personally oversee an investigation force and determine the exact cause of this disturbance.”
“Do we really need this many ships to investigate a small scale Marauder incursion, sir?”
“We don’t want to take any chances, Admiral. That system is one of only two in the Terran empire that currently has a strafez extractor. We believe this strafez may be the key to defeating the Marauders. In order to continue our research with this material, we need to secure LN23.”
“Understood, sir. We’ll have this situation sorted out within the week.”
Meanwhile, back in System LN23:
Victor held the wide-eyed and struggling Marauder captive by the neck, lifted off the ground. The Marauders are a race of large, brutish beings that are unrivaled in tests of physical strength. To physically subdue a Marauder in close combat with bare hands is entirely unheard of. Besides their well known strength, Marauders stand 6 feet tall at the minimum with short hair all over and a small stubble of a tail on an otherwise very humanoid body. Marauders are a war-like species, constantly raiding the outskirts of the Terran empire and then retreating with their captive slaves and loot. They tend to have a number of ornamentations to showcase their victories in battle and this Marauder was decked out with many such items taken from dead enemies.
Victor stared into the Marauder’s eyes as he held him aloft. “Tell me, creature, is that fear in your eyes? Is it death that you fear so much? I can assure you that I will deal you something far more cruel.”
E
ExuleOP