Executive Officer David Anderson was sitting quietly in his designated quarters. Aboard the freighter ship built by the human Alliance and known as the Hastings, David and the rest of the crew were used to the long absences of the elusive Captain Belliard.
Nearing his middle-ages, battle-hardened and stockily-built, XO Anderson found it hard to get used to quiet moments like this, though he found that they didn't last for too long.
David closed his eyes with a light exhale as the overhead speaker pinged.
"Sir, we've got an incoming distress beacon from Mindoir."
Hands clasped and resting his chin, David frowned as he uncurled his slouched back. It had been the Hastings' pilot, Melissa Crant who had relayed the message. Though the red-haired woman was fairly composed, David could have sworn that he'd heard a waver in her voice.
Within a few moments, the XO had brought up a brief overview and static image of the world in distress. He'd never personally been, but it always looked peaceful and inviting from the vids, with its rolling plains and agricultural-based communities. Alongside Eden Prime, Mindoir had been one of the first human-based colonies to establish outside of Earth.
"What are the details, Mel?" David said with a heavy accent and demeanor as he leant into the console's mic. Flickering further through Mindoir's database, he saw that it was located within the Attican Traverse. The Hastings was currently stationary within the neighbouring Skyllian Verge.
"I…" the pilot paused - uncharacteristically. "It looks to be some sort of attack, sir. That's all I can make of the message. The colony's communications must have been jammed."
"Set a course for Mindoir, then," David responded shortly, with a sense of determination. As his order was confirmed, the dark-skinned man switched to an open channel, broadcasting to all decks of the ship. "All hands to their stations. We've received word of a human colony in distress. I want everyone to remain focused and ready for when we arrive."
Just as the man got from his swivelling chair to rejoin the rest of the crew on the bridge, his eye caught a final message that flashed on the holographic screen of his terminal.
It read:
'Estimated travel - two hours.'
We'll have to hope that the colonists' can hold out for that long, David grimaced as he made way for the bridge.
+
Three Hours Earlier
The clouds above the farmlands of Mindoir rolled above in silent, fluid motions. Blotchy with blue sky, the conditions of the world were very similar to those present on Earth. And the landscape, too, before the cities had expanded into overreaching megalopolises.
Sixteen-year old Jason Shepard often felt that his eyes would wander to the sky, and beyond the clouds, which often distracted him from completing his designated chores, or so his mother repeatedly said.
"Looks like the rain will be a ways off," the elderly man named Joseph Stiller commented with a light chuckle, likely noticing Jason's said gaze. Being one of the first in the small town to have migrated from Earth, Joseph spoke in a heavy western accent, a tone that amused the young Jason, considering most of the settlers had adapted more galactic-based accents.
"Oh, dad will probably be making some sort of comment about that," Jason sighed, handing the man a couple of gold-tinted credits. Joseph also happened to run a small, but popular bakery. Jason was retrieving a loaf on behalf of his mother. "Thanks, Mr Stiller!"
"My pleasure, young man," Joseph said with a happy hum, counting the credits as he turned back to the confines of his traditional-style bakery. "You run along now, eh? I know you young-un types tend to get distracted. Just make sure your mother gets that bread first. That's good-quality dough!"
+
The stomach-rumbling scent of baked bread and pastry goods were replaced with all of those that a common populace would bring. The community that Jason lived in bore resemblance to what would be called a suburb back on Earth, though not as advanced. White-walled homes and buildings lined the village's main square, somehow pristine as dirt and mud was kicked up from people and livestock passing by.
It was a place where everyone knew each other, where no one was left out. It was something that Jason Shepard took solace in, despite his eyes wanting more beyond what was here on Mindoir.
"Sorry, Jay!" A young woman close to Jason's age cried out, their shoulders bumping together as she strode by. "Digger escaped again, you didn't see him running past, did you?"
Jason grinned as he met with his friend, a girl named Talitha. Her brunette hair flowed around a face of fair-skin and dark eyes. Digger was her family's dog.
"No, I didn't see him," Jason shrugged, giving her a look of sympathy. "Though if I had, I bet Digger would have stopped right in his tracks as soon as he saw the goods."
He gestured to his bakery loot, and Talitha laughed, despite still showing concern.
"Thanks, Jay. I'll keep looking around. He shouldn't be too far!" With a knowing look, the girl hurried back into the flowing crowds that trekked the street. Watching her go for a moment, Jason turned back to the direction of his home, realising that he'd squished one of the loaves in surprise.
"There goes the 'baked goods'," he muttered under his breath. "Mom is going to kill me…"
Almost in response to his words, a loud explosion rocked through the main street of the village, the force of the blast sending Jason off his feet. Settlers cried out in terror and alarm as a swarm of jet-black fighters shot overhead. The noise of their engines was deafening, and Jason dropped the bread in haste to cover his ears. Another explosion followed, further away, but somehow just as loud.
Glancing behind himself, Jason eyes widened as smoke and ash now flooded the street. Smaller fires burned in hollowed-out buildings. People Jacen knew lay either dead or unconscious in the dirt with blood streaking down their face - a sight that would forever burn into the boy's mind.
Jason felt sick, but there was only one thing on his mind now. He had to get back. He had to make sure his parents were okay.
+
Carnage continued to erupt with every step Jason took. His breathing inhaled and exhaled with rapid succession, falling just as heavy as his own feet did. It didn't help that the road to his home was at the top of an incline, and by the time he'd burst through the front door, Jason was practically winded.
"Jason!" His mother rushed in from one of the back rooms, her long black hair ragged in a mess. She brushed a hand over her son's forehead, trying to clear the dirt and ash away. "Thank goodness you're alive. Come quick, your father's in the back.
"Wh-what's going on, mom?" Jacen sobbed, the cuts on his face stinging as the tears streaked down. "There… there was an explosion, a-and…"
Again, seemingly on his mark, another force rocked the entire house, causing both Jason and his mother to stumble.
"There'll be time for answers later," she assured him, guiding her son back to where her husband was. "Quick! Go to your father…"
Jason didn't see the roof collapse, he only heard the cry of terror escape from his mother.
+
The Hastings dropped into the atmosphere like a bullet, its wings streaking entrails through the smog-filled sky. David Andersan gripped Melissa's seat, his keen eyes focused heavily on the burning town below them.
"My God…" Melissa gasped, gripping the steering yoke tightly, driving the ship into a steady dive. "It's… it's been ravaged."
"Take us in, slowly," David advised her, his eyes scanning the town closely. "We need to search for survivors."
"Yes sir," Melissa nodded solemnly, though another ship suddenly shot out of nowhere, streaking cannonfire down the Hastings' flank. Out of the corner of his eye, David saw the form of a small, stocky starship coated in black armour platings.
"That was a Batarian slaver ship!" Navigator Peter Ushings cried in alarm as the Hastings' hull shuddered from the onslaught. David mirrored the ship's own mannerisms. Batarians were ruthless, their brown, leather-like faces and dual sets of eyes being their most recognisable features.
Everyone on the ship went silent, waiting for the XO's next order.
"There's probably slaves onboard," David said through gritted teeth. "Fresh from the colony. I want evasive maneuvers! Set weapons to low capacity - we want to ground the Batarians, not shoot them out of the sky."
"Sir… wait," Melissa suddenly spoke up, her eyes flickering to the cockpit's consoles. "The scanners are picking up heat signatures down below. Possible survivors?"
"How many?"
"Two, sir."
"The Batarians are fleeing the atmosphere!" A crewmember from the rear of the bridge called out, putting pressure on David to make a decision.
"Take us down," he said, his voice heavy with regret. There was no way to truly know whether or not there were humans on the enemy ship, but he could clearly see that there was someone down there. And they needed help.
+
Jason flickered in and out of consciousness, aware of aching pains streaking all across his body. Completely in disarray, the only thing he could make sense of was that he was stuck under something. Only a thin ray of sunlight seeped through, allowing him to see the crumpled floorboards pressing against his body.
"H-help…" he moaned weakly, though his eardrums were shot. He choked a sob, allowing for dust to make him stutter. Was he dead? It sure felt like he was. "M-om? D-Dad?"
"In here! Someone's in here!" A voice suddenly called from beyond the void. Jason barely felt the debris scatter from his body, as hands worked hastily to free him from the rubble. "It's a kid…!"
"H-help…" Jason uttered again, his voice hoarse from the dust circulating in his lungs. "Please…"
"Don't worry, son," David assured the boy, waving for fellow crewmates to join the rescue. The light's shine grew wider with each moment, finally bringing Jason's full state into view. Strong arms gripped him tightly, lifting Jason out from under the ruins of his house. "You're safe now."
+
Jason felt himself lapse in and out through consciousness, the previous moments that lead to his current state flashed violently through his mind, yet somehow distant all the same. Flickering his eyes open, he felt the blinding, white lights of a medbay shine into his face.
"Ah, it's good to see that you're finally awake, young man."
Still coming to his senses, Jason felt himself instinctively flinch at the feminine voice to his side, oddly reminiscent to that of his mother's.
It was only when the full gravity of his situation dawned, causing the boy to shoot up in alarm.
"Woah, easy now," the woman told him softly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. Jason levelled his gaze to see who was attending him. A human woman who looked to be in her thirties sat in a short stool by his medical cot. She had silver-black hair, sitting atop a tanned face. "You must have had quite a scare back there. Don't worry, you and your furry friend are safe now."
"Furry… friend?" Jason muttered, raising a hand to feel the fresh bandage wrapped around his forehead. The nurse turned back to observe some paperwork placed on her desk.
"Yes, he helped us find you," the woman smiled. "Usually animals aren't allowed on vessels such as this, but I think an exception could be made. I'll let the XO know that you're awake. We won't ask too many questions to start off with, but it's a miracle that you survived."
Jason felt his head continue to spin as the woman made an announcement on the Hastings' overhead speaker. A moment later, David Anderson entered the medical bay, with a bouncing ball of fluff trotting by his side.
"D-Digger?" Jason blinked, surprised to see Talitha's pet cavalier. The dog let out a short yip at the sight of him, keeling up to place his front paws on the edge of the bed. Jason couldn't help but respond with a solemn smile.
"Thanks for the alert, Doctor Chakwas," David smiled as he watched the dog. "I hope you don't mind the visit?"
"Just as long as he doesn't get into the medical equipment," the nurse chuckled, then turning to Jason. "This is Executive Officer David Anderson. He's part of the crew who pulled you from the wreckage."
"You must be quite the strong young man to have survived all that," David remarked, offering his hand, though quickly retracted it in realisation as Jason uttered a pained grunt. "What's your name, son?"
"J…" Jason started, grimacing as he felt a surge of pain throb within his head. "J-Jason, sir. Jason Shepard."
He winced as Digger uttered another short bark, his tail wagging in swift succession.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jason," David smiled, nodding in acknowledgement. "You're currently onboard the Hastings, an Alliance frigate. We were near Mindoir's system when we received the alert. I'm… sorry that we got too late."
Jason nodded quietly, unsure how to respond in the moment. A wave of sadness washed over him as he tried not to imagine the lifeless bodies of his friends and family crushed or burned within piles of rubble. He shuddered, lowering his eyes to the cot. He let out a soft sob, breathing heavily.
David felt a surge of anger rise within him. How dare the Batarians do something as cruel as this? To slaughter an entire, defenseless settlement and enslave those who remained. Something needed to be done in retribution; the Council needed to be alerted.
Not that there's any chance of them taking direct action, he thought grimly. But it's worth a try…
"See to it that our friends get some rest, Doctor," the XO nodded to Doctor Chakwas. "I'll have Navigator Ushings plot a course to an Alliance outpost. We need to tell people what happened here."
"Aye, sir," Chakwas acknowledged, watching as David gave Jason a final gesture of sympathy as he left the medbay. "I just need to run some medical tests on you, Jason. Don't worry, it won't hurt at all. I promise…"