Wanderer Chapter 8: The Coming Of Eclpisa

I could do nothing but watch as I sat inside my craft, dazzling blue lights shining through the windows.

I did everything in my power to regain control of my ship, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't break away from the more advanced Bronze ships that had me trapped in some type of energy field surrounding my ship on all sides.

"Dammit," I muttered, laying back and resting my head on my seat. "What am I going to do now?" I asked myself, unsure where this journey would take me.

***

Exe Borlag sat in his bronze seat, looking out at his men who were all tired from the battle that had almost cost them their lives.

He wanted them to rest, but he knew that now wasn't the time for such luxuries.

"Sir!" one of the Krugar soldiers said, running to his commander and bending his knee.

"Sir, I regret to inform you that our Krugar fleet has taken massive damage and will not be able to maintain hyperspace for much longer."

Exe Borlag shook his head and let out a sigh. "Very well," he said. "We can bring in that strange ship and find out why it's so important to that monster."

"Take us out of hyperspace!" Exe Borlag yelled.

"Yes, sir!"

With a flash of blue light that expanded outward, creating a shockwave of vibrant energy, the entire fleet of bronze ships emerged into the once empty vacuum.

The sudden deceleration caused the ships to shudder. Exe Borlag watched as his fleet stabilized, the stars now steady through the viewport. He quickly scanned the horizon for any threats.

"Status report!" he commanded.

"Sir, we've successfully exited hyperspace," one of the soldiers reported. "All ships are accounted for, but the damage is extensive. We won't be able to jump again for a while."

Exe Borlag nodded. "What about the strange ship?"

"It's still secured in the energy field, sir," the soldier replied.

"Good," Borlag said, rising from his seat. "Prepare to bring it on board. I want to know why it's so important to that giant."

As the crew moved to follow his orders, Borlag couldn't shake the feeling that they were still in grave danger. He turned to his second-in-command, Torvant.

"Keep a lookout for any signs of that monster," he said. "We need to be ready for anything."

"Yes, sir," Torvant replied, his expression grim.

The bronze ships formed a protective formation as the strange ship was carefully brought into the main hangar. Exe Borlag and a team of soldiers waited as the energy field was deactivated and the ship was gently lowered to the deck.

"Open it," Borlag ordered.

The soldiers moved quickly, cutting through the hull of the ship with precision. As the door was pried open, they were met with the sight of a single pilot, looking weary and resigned.

"My name is Exe Borlag, the one who bears the title of Exe, commander of this ship, and from this moment, you're my prisoner," Borlag declared, his voice cold and authoritative.

***

I looked out among the wreckage of ships that formed a graveyard in the void.

I couldn't help but still feel angry, angry at myself. For the first time in centuries, I had finally found something that commanded my interest, and I let it slip away.

I looked down at the small scraps of metal that floated by my chest, the dead bodies that floated in the vacuum, lifeless, unmoving. "All because of you," I thought to myself, grinding my teeth, my muscles tensing.

I turned away from all of this, from the destruction that I caused. I didn't care, not even a little. They would pay, I would make sure of that. Their whole race was on borrowed time. I would make sure of that.

Right now, I needed to find that ship. I needed to find the person it belonged to. Only then would I be able to find out the meaning of my existence, the meaning of all of this.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my little sister."

I turned around, my anger rising, for I recognized that voice, and it irritated me all the same.

She appeared like our kind always did, from the void that made up space.

She had long, flowing black hair, white skin, wore a black dress that came down just past her upper legs, and her wrists were covered in shining golden jewelry. Her black eyes settled on me, and with a cocky smile, I knew, like always, my big sister was up to no good.

"Hello, Eclipsa," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh come now..." she said, floating closer to me, playfully hanging upside down as she began to talk to me. "Couldn't you be a little more overjoyed when you speak to your elder sister?" she said with a fake pout that actually made her a little cute, not that I would ever say that out loud. "I mean, it has been at least 100 years since we last saw each other."

"Uh-huh..." I said, my arms crossed. "Well, it was good to see you again, sister, but if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be..." I quickly turned away from my sister and began to fly in the direction I knew those bronze ships had escaped to. Or at least I tried, for the moment I turned around, Eclipsa was right there, blocking my way.

"And where is it that you have to be in such a rush?" she asked. "I mean, there isn't all that much for our kind to do, other than destroying planets and floating through this empty void for all eternity." She laughed. "Speaking of destruction," Eclipsa said, looking at the small wreckage that floated all around us. "What happened here?"

"They got away," I admitted, feeling a fresh wave of anger wash over me. "I had them, and they slipped through my fingers."

Eclipsa's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Oh? And who might 'they' be? Someone interesting, I hope?"

"Just some insignificant beings," I snapped. "But they have something I need. Something that could give me answers."

"Answers?" Eclipsa repeated, her tone shifting to one of genuine interest. "Now you have my attention. What kind of answers would one such as us need?

"The kind that could tell me who we are, where we came from, and why we exist," I said, my voice trembling with the weight of my frustration and longing.

Eclipsa floated right beside me, and I could honestly see the gears spinning in her head.

"You really think that whatever you're looking for can give you answers that all 10 of our siblings couldn't find?" she asked, her smile disappearing.

"Yes," I said with a nod. I wasn't really used to this side of my sister; it felt strange, her actually being serious. That didn't last, of course, because after a few more minutes of thought, Eclipsa began to smile again.

"Okay," she said with excitement, "I'm in..."

"What?" I asked, not really liking where this was going.

"I'm going to help you, of course. I mean, you're not the only one who has questions that need answering," Eclipsa said with a laugh.

"Fine..." I said, knowing that there was no changing my sister's mind when she was this excited. Can't really blame her. I mean, excitement was a rare luxury for our kind.

"So, what is this thing you're looking for?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her chest.

I smirked as I looked at my sister. "A small ship, and the passenger that it contained."