Author's Note:
Great news, I passed all the written exams in the first round! I only have one oral exam left, and then I'll have to present my thesis. Then I'll have my diploma and be able to work in private clinics or hospitals. I'm the first in my family to earn a university degree.
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Story Arc: First Contact with a Rogue Trader Militant
Episode 2: The world inside the alien spaceship (II)
Chapter 6: The Little Chatty Guy and the Bunny Girl Blogger
Plot: The SSV Tokyo group is bundled into a vehicle and transported to who knows where; during the transport, the humans encounter some particularly chatty alien soldiers.
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POV Narrator
The Moonbreaker's crew escorted the humans out of the containment hangar. A few sharp words from the Captains were enough to keep the lines in order, avoiding friction. The main corridor ran straight, blocked by safety bulkheads: heavy alloy blocks dropped from the ceiling or emerged from the floor with a pneumatic hiss, sealing off every secondary passageway. Step by step, the march stopped in a monumental corridor, like an underground station. There, motionless on the tracks, a high-speed passenger train awaited. Inside the first car, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
The humans took their places along the seats arranged on either side. The environment smelled of new plastic, pristine fabrics, and chemical cleaners, like a car fresh from the factory. The air conditioning maintained a neutral temperature, breaking the sultry confinement. The anatomical seats accommodated the weight of their bodies, easing any tension; by Earthly standards, it was public transportation, and comfort was merely a facade.
Contrasting the humans' relaxation was the alien stillness: the out-of-this-world guards remained standing, monumental. Two manned each side of each access point, five more lined the central corridor, their armor plates glistening under the cold lights. Captain Anderson, Malloy, Aiden Shepard, Isaac, and Alara sat close together on the starboard side of car number one.
"If the fool and the genius are getting along, it means we're nearing the end of the galaxy," thought Aiden Shepard, having rarely seen Malloy and Isaac get along; but today it looked like they were about to become best friends. The world is about to end.
"At least we're being treated decently, and our morale isn't at rock bottom," Captain Anderson thought, pleasantly surprised they'd gotten such civilized conditions. A part of him, when he'd seen the train, had imagined himself standing in a crowded car without air or light, like cattle. Unlike his subordinates, Anderson was the one with the lowest morale: although surrender had been the best option available to them, his pride had taken a severe blow.
"A train inside a ship," Malloy murmured in wonder, taking in every angle as if it were the first time he'd ever ridden a train. "Not a toy train, but a real train big enough to seat every human in a five-ship Systems Alliance patrol force," Malloy continued, glancing left and right.
"They certainly spared no expense, this place is immaculate and the seats are extremely comfortable," Alara commented, finding herself extremely comfortable.
"I agree with you, Malloy, this train is impressive. Even more impressive is the reason for its existence: the Moonbreaker is such a large ship that a train was built to move around inside it. A simple concept, but to actually build it… their level of engineering and construction skill surpasses ours more than we realize," Isaac said, admiring it all as if it were the work of Leonardo da Vinci.
Isaac was certainly the happiest prisoner in human history to have been captured by aliens.
"No more impressive than seeing a conglomerate of races from another galaxy. Although I'd like to see them under their helmets," Alara said, extremely curious about the matter; her gaze first fell on an armored alien barely three feet tall, then on a normal-sized alien woman with two rabbit ears protruding from her head.
"The Citadel Council will tear their hair out," Malloy said with an amused expression, imagining a scenario worthy of a sitcom. The helmsman of the SSV Tokyo, for better or worse, was a man with a strong sense of humor and a vivid imagination.
"Asari, salarians, and turians don't have hair. Of all the Citadel Council races, only quarians have hair," Isaac said, having some trouble understanding. Despite being the most intelligent human on the train, certain metaphors and idioms were indecipherable to him.
"I meant that metaphorically," Captain Anderson said in a tired voice. It clearly wasn't his day; in fact, it might be the worst day in his decades of military service.
"I understand," Isaac said, nodding. "Malloy's right. Faced with such a feat of macro-engineering that surpasses anything we have, the numbers are on their side. Not to mention the fact that the usual methods of pressure won't work, because their economy and society are located in another galaxy." Isaac quickly explained how the Citadel Council's usual methods wouldn't work against these aliens.
"Now I have to agree with you, Isaac. The bureaucrats will immediately think of economic sanctions, grandiose speeches in front of the press, or other shady stuff, but it won't work with these guys," said Aiden Shepard, understanding Isaac's point very well and knowing how things worked at the top.
"The fossils will probably finally give up their seats to the young ones, no offense, Captain Anderson," Alara said, looking towards her Captain who was the oldest man present.
"No problem, and you're certainly not wrong. Some politicians have been sitting at their desks so long they're over a hundred and want to keep going," Captain Anderson muttered, not liking how the miracles of modern medicine had allowed old politicians to grow even older and more stubborn.
"We should focus on the present and not discuss sociopolitical consequences. We are soldiers, not politicians," said Aiden Shepard, focused on the problem before him and not on the problems that would reach outsiders further down the road.
"Intelligence gathering should be our first priority. The Moonbreaker crew will already be painstakingly analyzing every terabyte of data stored in our ships' computers. They will know everything about us, while we know next to nothing about them," Isaac said, laying out their first major obstacle: a lack of information.
"In any type of conflict, whether military or diplomatic, you need information. Without it, we're virtually blind," Captain Anderson said, agreeing with this proposition.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Malloy said, ready to do something... stupidly brilliant. The SSV Tokyo's helmsman raised his hand in the air as if he were a student in class.
The three-foot-tall alien, seeing the commotion, approached the group that included Malloy.
"Good morning or good evening. I'm sorry to bother you, but my friends and I are a little tense, but equally curious about you, about all you've built, and about your culture. Would you mind answering some of our questions?" Malloy asked in a gentle tone, using a direct approach without the slightest attempt at subterfuge or deception.
'If we end up camping on a remote planet when food supplies run low, I know who to kill first,' thought Aiden Shepard, tempted to strangle Malloy right here and now.
A hydraulic hiss shatters the silence. The steel of the helmet splits in perfect geometric lines, sliding backward. The metal segments overlap, slide over the neck, and snap together at the shoulders, exposing flesh. This helmet technology looks like something out of Dead Space or a futuristic version of a certain knight of treachery's armor.
Beneath the armor, a face emerges. The features are incredibly human: the straight profile of the nose, the soft line of the lips, the clean curve of the jaw. But the illusion fades in the details. Two bright yellow eyes, filled with an unnatural light, stare into space. The taut skin of the cheeks is dotted with geometric tattoos, dark as ink beneath the skin. The ears end in a sharp point, while a mop of short, coarse green hair crowns the head.
The contrast is stark. He has the features of a child, a delicate, defenseless quality so pronounced that it makes your stomach clench. He has a clean, almost magnetic beauty, capable of awakening morbid, distorted protective instincts in anyone who looks at him. In short, he's so cute that some girls and women might develop a tendency to swagger.
'Adorable,' Alara thought, blushing a little and feeling the urge to hug the little alien, but she didn't.
'Another aesthetic similarity that surpasses all the laws of numbers and evolution,' Isaac muses, seeing in her eyes the proof that the science he knew had just received another punch in the face, metaphorically speaking.
'What do these aliens drink to be so pleasing to the eye,' thought Captain Anderson, feeling as if he were meeting the Asari again, but in a much more fantasy version.
"I am Koko Boroko, a member of the Lalafell race and a Sergeant of the Astra Navis. What are your names?" Koko asked, introducing themselves politely.
Four of the five humans blink in surprise that the little alien is talking to them; Malloy, on the other hand, is smiling as if he's finally won an impossible prize.
"I'm Malloy, this is Aiden, Isaac, Alara, and Anderson," the red-haired helmsman said, sounding friendly.
Koko looks at the five humans one at a time, memorizing their names and associating them with faces.
"Nice to meet you... humans," Koko said, still being polite.
Considering how these extragalactic aliens have presented themselves so far, it comes as a surprise to humans to receive such courtesy.
"First of all, how old are you?" Aiden Shepard asked, desperate to know if he was talking to a little alien girl or just a short alien.
For once, Aiden Shepard made a mistake; no one is perfect, not even N-7 soldiers.
"My friend meant to say..." Malloy tries to correct the SSV Tokyo XO's mistake, but it wasn't necessary.
"I'm a 114-year-old adult woman, not a child soldier, abused, or conscripted. I'm here to serve in Moonbreaker of my own free will, and I'm in perfect physical, mental, and spiritual health," Koko explained, sounding like someone who's given this answer time and time again.
"Does it often happen that people ask you questions like that?" Alara asked, raising an eyebrow, noticing that such expressions sounded like they were taken from travel guides.
"We Lalafell are used to it, especially with races that don't know us," Koko said, having faced similar discussions many times in her life, and knowing she would have more of them.
"How come?" Isaac asked, wanting to know more about everything.
"Most breeds are around 170 centimeters tall. This makes us breeds under 100 centimeters tall vulnerable to questions like: Are you old enough to drink? Where are your parents? And so on," said Koko, knowing the problem that plagues small breeds when living around large breeds.
"That must be difficult," Alara commented, feeling a little sorry for Koko. Alara isn't a particularly tall or large woman, but at least she's average compared to most other women, while Koko is the height of small children.
"A little annoying, but those who hang around long enough begin to understand the little signs that distinguish a baby Lalafell from an adult Lalafell," Lalafell said, as if it were obvious to tell the difference.
'The idea that adults and children are the same height in a race is something that has never been addressed,' thought Isaac, intrigued by the biology and evolutionary path of the little aliens.
"Plus, we have our share of perks: we're considered cute, adorable, and beautiful by so many people," Koko said with a small, victorious smile.
"Beautiful?" Aiden Shepard asked, blinking as if someone had hit him in the face with a fish.
"We can say that many of the larger races, especially the Ysatnafians, have a soft spot for us Lalafell, and a fair number of us reciprocate," Koko said, as if it were a fairly well-known fact.
Koko's eye shifts discreetly towards the alien woman with the bunny ears.
"Large women can be intimidating at first glance, but once you get used to it, there are several advantages and qualities that Lalafell women don't have," Koko murmured, placing a hand on her chest; she is certainly a Lalafell woman who appreciates the women of the large races.
'I understand the pain of being a flat woman,' Alara thinks, slightly annoyed by her lack of curves.
The little alien stiffens for a moment, interpreting Alara's frown as something negative.
"Don't tell me you're the kind of aliens who have trouble with interspecies or same-sex relationships, because then we'd have a lot of problems," Koko said, her grip on the spear she held tightening.
Humans immediately begin to deny this conclusion.
"There is no law against relationships or marriages with other species or people of the same sex," Captain Anderson said, though he was a little surprised that this was one of the first topics raised.
"I spend part of my salary visiting asari strip clubs," Malloy confessed freely, willing to reveal his timeline if it would allow him to live longer.
"The asari are a monosex species, typically female in appearance by human standards. A rather fascinating species," Isaac said, expressing his scientific interest.
"Tokyo's second officer and chief tactical officer, Bortus, is gay. We sometimes have drinks together and discuss weapons. He told me how much he misses his husband and daughter," Aiden Shepard said, not caring about privacy at this moment.
"I honestly prefer human males and don't personally know any homosexual men or women, but I will admit that Admiral Ignis is quite attractive," Alara said, a small blush on her cheeks.
Koko looks at the humans as if assessing the sincerity of their words. Then she smiles, convinced that the humans are telling the truth.
"A relief. We Voidwalkers can be patient and tolerate many of the cultural and social peculiarities of other species, but we have zero tolerance for many things, such as slavery, xenophobia, homophobia, genocide, and the destruction of worlds," Koko said, listing the crimes unacceptable to Voidwalkers.
'The Batarians are going to have a lot of trouble in the near future,' Aiden Shepard thought with a small, evil smile, having very little sympathy for those four eyes.
"Does the situation of the krogan and quarians count as genocide?" Alara thinks, reflecting on the galaxy's outcasts slowly dying off. She has a feeling that the future will change in more ways than one.
"May I ask the reasons for such an opinion? After all, the majority of sentient beings prefer relationships with members of the same species and the opposite sex," Isaac asked out of pure sociological curiosity, not caring about other races at the moment.
"There are so many reasons, but the strongest is the fact that the First King is demisexual. He had three mothers and no father; for every known sexual orientation, the King had a sister who was part of it," Koko explained simply and directly how homophobia is frowned upon by Voidwalkers.
"It makes sense: if the leader belongs to a minority, he will do something to help the minority," Alara commented, accepting it easily.
"Secondly, let's go back to the First King: he is a hybrid and makes no distinction between races when it comes to adding concubines or lovers to his court. The same principle applies to the forty-seven princesses and princes. The Twelfth Princess married a Lalafell and conceived three daughters," Koko said, as if this were a major milestone for her race.
A long moment of silence falls around the humans, who finally process the words: King, Concubines, forty-seven Princesses, and Hybrids. Koko interprets the silence as a sign to continue speaking.
"The concept of a pureblood being superior was disproved a long time ago, and the royal family tends to interbreed with whoever they want, regardless of race or gender," Koko finished her explanation.
Sensing a possible problem, Aiden Shepard turns his head and approaches Isaac.
"If you ask a question about cross-dimensional mating or the existence of hybrids, I will have you dishonorably discharged," Aiden Shepard whispered in a deadly serious voice.
Then, the XO of the SSV Tokyo turns to Malloy.
"If you try to make a joke about pedophilia or lolicons, I'll castrate you myself the first chance I get," Aiden Shepard whispered, wanting to prevent Malloy from doing anything crazy; his luck won't last long.
"What are you whispering?" Koko asked suspiciously.
"I'm just telling my friends not to make jokes about monarchs or say anything disrespectful about the monarchy; this galaxy hasn't seen kings and princesses in a very long time," Aiden Shepard said, lying but conveying a message.
"A real shame for you, monarchy is the only path to true greatness," Koko commented, looking down as if the lack of space monarchy were a tragedy or a terrible shortcoming.
"Could you tell us who's in charge here? I've been invited by Admiral Ignis to dine with his Master," Captain Anderson asked, wanting to get an idea of who he'll be meeting later. Besides, he doesn't want to discuss any differences in policy with these aliens.
"You don't realize what an honor and privilege this is coming to you," Koko exclaimed, sounding almost jealous of what will happen to Captain Anderson.
'Lord Admiral Ignis must be an extremely important and highly reputable individual,' thought Isaac, observing Koko's behavior.
"True, we don't know what kind of honor lies ahead; can you give us a little explanation?" Malloy asked, understanding only that it was something or someone important.
"The chief of chiefs, the one who rules the High Table of the Fleet and the Senatorum of Commorragh is called Lord Bahamut," said Koko, placing her hand on her heart and speaking as if this leader were the highest authority to be worshipped and feared in equal measure.
Koko's gesture did not go unnoticed by the humans.
'The translation system must have some kind of glitch, because their leader has the name of a video game's final boss,' Aiden Shepard thought, finding the whole situation a little odd, but he didn't say anything.
"Lord Bahamut is the Rogue Trader Militant, the undisputed leader of the Voidwalker Fleet and the flawless Governor of Commorragh, but many prefer to call him by the title of Darkus Archon," Koko continued speaking with reverence.
The other aliens in the first car focus on Koko.
'These aliens are either Chūnibyō or were born from the mind of a Chūnibyō,' Malloy thought with an amused smile on his lips, finding this eccentricity amusing.
"I remember the Turians: they are soldiers devoted to their leaders, the Primarchs," Isaac commented, ignoring the bizarre names and titles.
"I understand everything, except the Rogue Trader Militant thing," said Captain Anderson, certain that a trader couldn't have a ship a hundred kilometers long.
"A Rogue Trader is a private space explorer with near-absolute power, operating on behalf of USKY and the Family as a cross between a conqueror, a noble pirate, a great merchant, and an ambassador," Koko said, as if it were everyone's dream job.
'The conqueror's part is obvious,' thought all humans who heard this explanation.
"But Lord Bahamut is no ordinary Rogue Trader: he was first the Warmaster, one of the highest military positions, and the Lord of Star of the Bahamut Sector, having one-twelfth of the Kingdom under his supervision. Then, when the First King passed the crown to the Second King, Lord Bahamut appointed his first son as Regent Lord of Star, and he became the first Rogue Trader to lead an extragalactic expedition," Koko explained why Lord Bahamut is such an important, even mythical, figure.
"I'll have to speak to a decorated former general, with enormous political influence, who took one of the two finest warships you have and became an extragalactic privateer," Captain Anderson summarized, unsure whether the situation had gotten worse or better.
'Right now I'm just happy to be a helmsman and not have to talk to a Pirate Lord,' thought Malloy, happy to be a small cog in a big machine.
"I've heard mention of the Voidwalker Fleet several times, but so far I've only seen the Moonbreaker and six ships that emerged from portals," Isaac said, wanting clarification on this.
The alien woman with bunny ears approaches Koko and the five humans. Her weapon is a whip-like weapon held behind her back. This bunny woman stands 167 centimeters tall and measures B86/W61/H88. Her helmet can be removed just like the Lalafell helmet. This alien woman looks terribly young, almost a teenager, and has tanned skin. Her hair is silvery-gray, pulled back in a distinctive high side ponytail. Her hair features messy bangs and a quiff that falls to the right side of her face. Authentic bunny ears sprout from the top of her head. The alien girl has large, expressive eyes that are dark blue or gray-blue. She wears a simple accessory: an orange heart-shaped hair clip on the right side of her head.
'I'm never spending money on Asari again,' Malloy thought, having a new favorite race of sexy aliens.
"I'm Corporal Julie M. Maws, a female of the Viera race," Julie said, speaking professionally. "In my spare time, I'm a blogger. Can I join in on this conversation and post it on my blog?" Julie asked with a friendly expression, opening her hand, revealing a small holographic rectangle displaying a blog screen.
'If one Malloy wasn't enough for me, I just met a Bunnygirl who's just as much of a troublemaker as him,' thought Aiden Shepard with a frown on his face.
"Julie, I don't think this is the time to indulge your hobby," Koko said as she touched her forehead, having undoubtedly faced similar situations before.
"My favorite words from the Lord Trader: As long as you get results and get the job done, I don't care how you do it," Julie said with a victorious expression.
'I wish Army officers had a policy like that,' thought Malloy, having had his share of trouble because he was too loose under the Army code of conduct.
"I remain convinced that such words apply to SPECTRA, the Inquisitors, the Kingsglaive, the Rainbow Coven Witches, the Mechanicus Geniuses and the Mechanicus Pilots, not to us common soldiers," Koko said, mentioning the elite corps of their faction.
'These extragalactic aliens have a penchant for fanciful names,' thought Captain Anderson.
"I'm practicing for the future: one day I'll be promoted, I'll leave Astra Navis to join the Kingsglaive and I'll be able to interview the Lord Trader; all my dozen sisters will be dying of envy," Julie said, having grand goals.
'Did he just say dozens of sisters? I can barely stand my sister with her numerous degrees and achievements in the scientific community,' Alara thinks, not wanting to imagine what her life would be like with so many sisters.
"You're only fifty, you'll need another hundred to join the Kingsglaive; you know they're the elite of soldiers for a reason," Koko said, trying to keep Julie grounded.
"I'm fifty-one! If I get two more degrees, I might be eligible to compete for mayor," Julie said, as if that meant she was a grown-up girl now.
'Fifty-one years older than me, and yet she looks like a young girl,' thinks Captain Anderson, a little surprised, but not that much: there is the Asari precedent, after all.
"It's easier to become mayor than to become a member of the Kingsglaive," Koko commented, and she wasn't wrong: there are several tens of thousands of mayors in USKY, but there are only 350,000 Kingsglaive.
"I'm a Viera, I have eight hundred and fifty years left to live, perhaps even more if medicine continues to advance; time is on my side," Julie said, knowing the advantages of being one of the long-lived species.
"I have three hundred and eighty-six years left and I don't dream of becoming a Star Lord," Koko commented, trying to be realistic.
'The Viera live to be nine hundred years old, and the Lalafell to be five hundred years old; I wonder if the other aliens on Moonbreaker count their years in centuries instead of decades,' Isaac thinks, pondering the possible advantages and disadvantages of a conglomerate of races living for several centuries.
"You talk to them to tame them, I'll do the same; plus, it'll be to our benefit, you know there's a limit to how much we can learn about a race from their computers alone," Julie said slyly.
"Besides your silver hair, you also have a silver tongue," Koko commented, letting Julie play her game with the humans.
"It seems fair to me that you ask us a question and we ask you the same question, as they say: give and receive," Malloy said, bringing up something he's seen often on TV.
"Great idea! I'll go first: what kind of government do you have?" Julie asked, clasping her fingers together as if to form a video camera or a still camera.
"The Systems Alliance is a democratic, parliamentary, supranational government," Captain Anderson replied, agreeing to play this game.
"Democrats... wonderful," Koko commented sarcastically, slapping herself on the forehead as if she saw a pest returning to infest her bean fields again.
"Democrats... that explains why your Starships are so small," Julie said, as if she had received a universal answer to so many of her questions.
"Commander Shepard, I'm no genius, but I don't think they're fans of democracy," Malloy whispered to the SSV Tokyo's XO.
"What is your government like?" asked Captain Anderson, needing to know what kind of government Lord Bahamut represents.
"Our government is an absolute oligarchic monarchy!" Julie exclaimed with great pride and happiness.
"Many people on Earth won't be happy about this, especially Americans," thinks Aiden Shepard, knowing the US still has its historical grudges. Surely the arrival of aliens from an absolute, oligarchic monarchy will inspire nostalgics to cry, "The alien Soviets have arrived!" or some other such madness.
"Three famous historical regimes in Earth's history appear in my head: the Carolingian Empire of Charlemagne, the Kingdom of France under Louis XIV, and the Russian Empire of the Romanovs," Isaac commented, remembering some history lessons from his childhood.
"Next question: I heard you mentioned other aliens, the Asari. Does that mean you're part of a multi-species alliance, or do you have sworn enemies?" Julie asked, continuing the interview.
"The Systems Alliance is part of the Citadel Council, which can be considered the supreme political, executive, and legislative body governing the galaxy. It is headquartered on the Citadel Space Station and represents an oligarchic alliance composed of the most influential and advanced species in Council space. The Council can be considered a bureaucratic and meritocratic oligarchy," Isaac explained, using precise words without favoritism or demonization.
"A little common sense," Koko commented quietly, but her joke was heard.
"How do things work within the Voidwalker Fleet from an organizational and military standpoint?" Aiden Shepard asked, wanting more sensible information that was relevant to their situation.
"This is going to be a bit of a difficult answer to give, Koko, could you give me a hand?" Julie asked kindly.
"We Voidwalkers can be divided into two groups: the Commorragh Guard, those who stay behind and protect our base, and the Obsidian Vanguard, those who pursue our Lord into the unknown," Koko said, gesturing with her arm to indicate everyone present.
Julie held up two fingers of her hand while smiling.
"The Obsidian Vanguard is practically synonymous with the Voidwalker Fleet. However, the Fleet is divided into seven Divisions: Turquoise, Amber, Purple, Green, Blue, Red, and White," Koko said, starting with the absolute basics of how things work there.
Julie held up seven fingers: two on her left hand and five on her right hand.
'I wonder why they chose to use colors instead of numbers or other designations,' Isaac thinks, keeping all the details in mind.
"Each of the Divisions is led by a Rear Admiral; reaching that position is the dream of the most ambitious of the Obsidian Vanguard," Koko continued, painting an organized picture and adding a little of her own flour.
"Now it's our turn: I noticed that your armor is different from the others, are you part of some special army unit?" asked Julie, turning to Aiden Shepard.
"N7 is the most prestigious military designation in the human Systems Alliance armed forces. It represents the highest rank attainable within the human special forces," said Aiden Shepard, showing pride in his rank.
"The N code identifies Special Forces personnel, while the number 7 indicates the level of training and competence. The scale goes from 1, the basic, to 7, the absolute elite," Isaac said, adding some details.
"We also have a ranking system, but we use letters, not numbers. It goes from E, D, C, B, A, AA, AAA, S, SS, SSS, all the way to EX," Koko said, joining the discussion.
'Are these aliens from another galaxy, or did they emerge from a video game through a strange portal between the physical and digital worlds?' Malloy thinks, his imagination running wild.
"What Division is the Moonbreaker a part of?" asked Captain Anderson, wanting to know more about the largest ship that ever existed.
"The Moonbreaker is a special case: it's not part of a Division, it's a force unto itself," Julie said, conjuring up small holographic screens in her hands showing photographs of the Moonbreaker as it passes through various galaxies and star systems unknown to humanity.
"A force unto itself? Not impossible to believe with its size and the mechs we've seen," said Captain Anderson, confident that having such a gargantuan vessel would change the landscape of military power in the entire galaxy.
"To the ignorant, the Moonbreaker may be perceived only as the flagship starship of the entire Voidwalker Fleet, where Lord Admiral Ignis leads us to carry out Lord Bahamut's will; but the Moonbreaker is not part of the seven divisions, it leads them," Koko only shows pride and patriotism in her voice.
"Just serving on the Moonbreaker is a huge honor in itself for us and our families; my entire family is proud that I'm aboard the Moonbreaker," Julie said with a smile, feeling extremely proud of her current position.
"We who serve here are collectively called the Black Guard, the best and most loyal of the entire Fleet: we alone have the honor of living and dying under the direct leadership of Lord Bahamut! Kupaa Joka!" Koko exclaimed decisively, her right fist clenched against her chest.
As soon as the words are spoken, all the soldiers present on the train imitate the same action and shout: "Kupaa Joka!"
'They're fanatics!' Captain Anderson thinks in alarm, as this cry becomes the only thing heard on the train.
"Long live patriotism," Alara muttered, having seen worse at the stadium during football matches.
Shortly thereafter, the spirits of the extragalactic aliens were appeased.
"Sorry, but we're particularly close-knit about stuff like this," Julie said, looking a little embarrassed by her earlier actions.
"What alien species are part of your alliance?" Koko asked, wanting to know how many aliens they might encounter in this galaxy.
"Asari, salarians, turians, volus, elcor, hanar, drell, and humans," Alara replies, naming the eight races.
"Neither too many nor too few," Julie commented politely.
"Our turn again: how large is the crew of this colossal vessel?" asked Aiden Shepard, needing to know how outnumbered they are.
"There are approximately one hundred million Black Guard members on the Moonbreaker, and each of us has sworn an oath of loyalty to Lord Bahamut. If anyone tries to harm or disrespect him, our sense of cordiality and tolerance will end," Koko said, banging her spear against the floor of the train.
'What has this Lord Bahamut done to be so highly regarded by his crew,' thinks Captain Anderson, certain that no Systems Alliance soldier would do such a thing for a superior.
"Did Sergeant Koko just say the Black Guard is made up of one hundred million soldiers?" Aiden Shepard asked incredulously, focusing on this particular detail.
"More or less. I don't work in logistics, which has to handle these details, but according to last year's census, we're thirty-five percent pure soldiers; the other sixty-five percent is split among other categories to keep Moonbreaker running," Julie explained, overestimating numbers she can't quite remember.
"The entire human military force, space and ground, numbers approximately three hundred and forty-five million men. Moonbreaker's thirty-five million soldiers therefore equate to approximately ten percent of the entire human military in the galaxy," Isaac declared in amazement.
'These guys are a galactic threat,' think many of the humans present.
"I suddenly appreciate the mercy of Admiral Ignis and the Lady High Scientist of Mechanicus for considering us a neutral alien race," Malloy said, hoping that humanity doesn't end up on the wrong side of these sexy aliens.
Julie's bunny ears pop up taut, straight as spindles.
"We should continue the interview later, but you're about to see a breathtaking view, turn towards the window," Julie said with an adorable pout.
Malloy jumped up, his leg muscles tensing, and planted himself in front of the glass.
The train roared out of the tunnel. The darkness vanished, overwhelmed by blinding light. Before them, a utopia of concrete and reflections opened up. A monumental room contained an entire city. Above, a holographic blue sky simulated the atmosphere. At the center of the ceiling, set like a beating heart, a huge yellow crystal radiated heat and sunlight, burning like a real, artificial sun.
Kilometer-long skyscraper spires cut vertically through the space, anchored to the ceiling like steel pillars; veritable arteries connecting the ship's floors. Suspension bridges and massive heptagonal platforms linked the towers, bustling with markets and crowds. Beyond the steel core, the landscape unfolded into geometric apartment buildings, rural neighborhoods, expansions of living grass, colossal trees, and still bodies of water. Steel rail lines entwined the city in a pulsating network, making it resemble a metal heart.
"Are we still inside a ship?" Aiden Shepard asked. He dug his fingers into his cheek, pinching the flesh tightly to dispel the hallucination.
"This is Lumity City, Moonbreaker's largest civilian settlement," Julie said. Her camera clicked repeatedly, capturing the humans' disbelieving grimaces.
Isaac stared at Lumity City. His knees suddenly buckled, his eyes rolled back, and his body collapsed onto the floor of the train car, unconscious.
Continue...
XXX
Codex - USKY Starship Rankings:
■ Supercarrier - Crownmaker [MB]
Length: 100,000 meters
Width: 16,000 meters
Altitude: 20,000 meters
Weight: 30,000,000 million tons
Crew: 100,000,000
■ Corvette
Length: 250 meters
Width: 120 meters
Height: 60 meters
Weight: 4 million tons
Crew: 400
■ Frigates
Length: 3,000 meters
Width: 1,400 meters
Height: 1,200 meters
Weight: 5,000 million tons
Crew: 150,000
■ Destroyers
Length: 7,000 meters
Width: 2,200 meters
Height: 2,000 meters
Weight: 30,000 million tons
Crew: 800,000
■ Cruisers
Length: 15,000 meters
Width: 3,800 meters
Altitude: 4,300 meters
Weight: 240,000 million metric tons
Crew: 7,000,000
■ Battleships
Length: 35,000 meters
Width: 8,000 meters
Altitude: 9,000 meters
Weight: 2,500,000 million tons
Crew: 70,000,000
■ Aircraft carrier
Length: 25,000 meters
Width: 6,000 meters
Altitude: 7,000 meters
Weight: 1,000,000 million metric tons
Crew: 25,000,000
■ Superaircraft carriers
Length: 40,000 meters
Width: 18,000 meters
Altitude: 15,000 meters
Weight: 10,000,000 million tons
Crew: 200,000,000
■ Colonial Starships
Length: 30,000 meters
Width: 9,500 meters
Altitude: 8,500 meters
Mass: 2,200,000 million tons
Crew: 70,000,000
■ Starship hospitals
Length: 25,000 meters
Width: 8,000 meters
Altitude: 6,900 meters
Mass: 1,300,000 million tons
Crew: 35,000,000
■ Scientific Starships
Length: 6,000 meters
Width: 2,800 meters
Altitude: 2,400 meters
Mass: 40,000 million tons
Crew: 1,000,000
■ Mining Starships
Length: 18,000 meters
Width: 6,000 meters
Altitude: 5,400 meters
Mass: 540,000 million tons
Crew: 14,000,000
■ Industrial/Factory Starships
Length: 40,000 meters
Width: 10,000 meters
Altitude: 12,000 meters
Mass: 4,500,000 million tons
Crew: 130,000,000
■ Repair Starship
Length: 38,000 meters
Width: 7,000 meters
Altitude: 9,000 meters
Mass: 2,240,000 million metric tons
Crew: 65,000,000
■ Agricultural Starships
Length: 16,000 meters
Width: 6,000 meters
Altitude: 4,000 meters
Mass: 350,000 million tons
Crew: 11,000,000
PS If anyone noticed, yes, I made some technical changes to the Starship mass and crew count.