It has been fourteen hours since Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Van Cleave brought our attention to the exponentially increasing population on aboard Space Station Requiem. “Ghost” reports have been occurring all over the station as the occupants who are out of phase with our dimension fade in and out. He is some sort of clever to have found a way to track all of these temporal distortions. We have been experiencing unexplained system failures across the station, many “explosions” then have weapons damage visible after the fact. It is as if our station is under attack in multiple realities and it is bleeding through to this one. Inhabitants of the station have been herded into the central station hub and promenades for safety. The level of fear on the station is threatening to overwhelm many of our highest rated empaths, myself included. Montolongue had been vaguely quiet over what was about to happen, but ever near me. Like a silent advisor with something important to say, but unsure how to say it.
“Captain, I am telling you that all of these souls on board is affecting us! Why will you never listen to me?” Christopher openly yelled at his mother in front of everyone present.
Anna clasped her hands in front of her face and rubbed the throbbing muscle in her temples, thinking, “here we go again…” Out loud she stated, “Senior Chief Petty Officer Van Cleave, may I remind you that we have a lot of variables happening right now. There is no concrete way of knowing how our current situation is affecting us or the station.” She lowered her hands to glare at her son knowing he was so very much like her and his father. “Someday he is going to be an amazing leader. Today, was not that day,” were her thoughts as another explosion rocked the station.
“CAPTAIN! LOOK!” Hammock visibly paled as he stood and gestured to the view window, pointing at the brilliant red and white eruptions from the rift as the tentacles of a dark and menacing Cthulhu type ship began to emerge. Everyone stood to watch as they saw their enemy’s ship for the first time emerge from the rift as alarm klaxons sounded across the station.
Many fell to the floor as words screamed into their heads “We are the Ja’Desh. You have violated our home. You will all perish a thousand deaths for eternity.” Anna threw up mental blocks, so the words became whispered torments as she looked around at many of her crew and family by choice, screaming in pain, blood pouring from their eyes and ears. Her gaze came to rest on her son and Lt. Hammock, who stood as tall as her, both apparently immune to the empathic onslaught facing the station. Lieutenant Jan, Specialist Lester, Recruit DiGravely, and Lady Desiree of Troyus all entered the room. Their faces pale and fresh blood splattered on their clothing. Their eyes wide in horror. The feeling of Déjà vu could not be shaken. They had all lived this before. So many, many, many times before.
“Anna, come!” Montolongue grabbed her hand and pulled her from the Ready Room. The others followed. Crew members lay dead in the Command-and-Control Center. The ghosts of other realms lay strewn upon the floor as well. Pools of blood and looks of horror on their faces. Every species imaginable, and many unimaginable, were now in her command center. Dead. She turned to look at Montolongue as large wings began to unfold from under his cloak. “It is time to fight this battle once and for all, my queen.” He knelt before her and continued, “It is time you know the truth about this place. The place where you were born. Where you were all born.” He looked at each one with purpose and meaning. “I have stayed quiet too many times. Over 2000 days have passed since I arrived just twenty-four hours ago. The only difference I can now make is to awaken your heritage before this universe falls to the Ja’Desh as well. This universe, and you, are all there is to stop them now.”
Anna felt a hand on her shoulder, to see the shadowed twin face of her missing brother staring at her. She wanted to weep with reunited joy; she had missed him so, but now was not the time for questions or reunions. It was the time for action. As she watched, Cristöpher morphed into the same being as Montolongue. She could feel a familiar sensation across her back and was not surprised to see scales and wings unfold on those standing around her. She looked down at her hands, as they turned into bluish and silver toned scaled talons, mirroring that of Cristöpher’s black and golden tones. “We are the Vir Requis and this is Draconis ve Requiem. We have been guardians to this dimension and many more. The time to fight is now.” Montolongue stated with bravery she had not seen in him prior, as he now stood before her in his red and emerald scaled glory.
A blast shook the station once more, leaving a gaping hole where the viewports once were. Static of the automatic forcefields glistened brightly blue against the twin pillars of red light from the Rift. The Ja’Desh were slicing her station to pieces. Her station. Her home and her people. They were all here. All that were alive in the Command Center now resembled humanoid dragons of lore from so many planets across the galaxy. Their rainbow collection of colored scales glistened with the electric blue of the force field. Eyes glistening with comprehension on why they all “belonged” here. They were Guardians to this realm. With a mighty roar, Anna took to space, effortlessly passing through the force field. Her army of scaled winged warriors following suit from all the breeches in the station. Hundreds of thousands swarmed into space, young and old, heading to the rift and the awaiting Ja’Desh armada that was coming through.
The thought was clear in her head, “This ends here, and it ends now.” A brief glance to each side showed that the others agreed. As other Guardians from the space station arrived so did shuttles, pods, and ships. They were commanded by other species that were not affected by the Ja’Desh mental attack of the humanoids of this dimension. The ghosts of other dimensional ships now solidifying as well, dwarfing the breach of the rift and impending doom.
All of time and space, in one moment once more. The battle would begin and ended in just a few moments of time. “We all belong in the here and in this now. We fight to the death!” She roared as she flew at the main Ja’Desh ship, flames of blue energy came from her hands, aimed at the armada.