User blog:Knight of Londor/From the Stars- Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Arrival
Space and time rippled and cracked as a sizeable hole was torn through allowing the Odyssey passage back to real space stopping dead in it's tracks once the ship fully emerged and the rift behind it closed.

The door to the bridge opened and Hawkins walk through heading to his chair and holding a cup of coffee, sitting down and leaning back he finished off his drink and placed the empty cup on the armrest.

"I see we've arrived" noticed Hawkins grabbing the attention of the two flight crewmen.

"Yes sir we have arrived at the coordinates and should be within Enigma's orbit by tomorrow morning shiptime" Harrington reported.

After that brief exchange a long awkward silence filled the bridge only being broken when the Navigator Phillips decided to speak.

"So...uh Commander, how was your shore leave"?

"Medical leave not shore leave" Responded Hawkins.

"Sorry... wait, medical leave? What happened"? Asked Phillips

"You're a nosey one aren't you"? answered Hawkins looking at Phillips who now looked quite nervous and didn't know what to say. Hawkins continued, "But lucky for you I like telling stories so listen up". Both the Navigator and the pilot turn their seats to listen. "It all started around 9 or so months ago, I, along with this ship were stationed in the eastern fringes of Commonwealth space surveying planets and gathering data much like we're doing now." Hawkins briefly stopped to take a breath then continued. "So there I was exploring this one planet, can't remember what it was called be it was damn cold, when all of a sudden this massive beast comes out of nowhere and attacks me, now that I think about it I must have been near its nest or something, anyway it attacked me and ripped off my last natural arm, my lower jaw and my right ear, not to mention scratching me up to hell". Hawkins once more stops to take a breath.

"Jesus that's awful"! Exclamed Harrington

"You don't know the half of it, anyway after that Im taken on to the ship and old pilot and navigator see me and freak out, from what I heard they left which was where you two came in, then I was rushed to the nearest medical station given a new arm, jaw, and ear then spent 9 months rotting in my apartment drinking and every now and again being vistied be a Doctor to check on me, until I got the call to take on this mission." Hawkins finished his story.

"It was a miracle you survived". Said Phillips

"Eh, not really, I've been through worse, Im more artifical then you think". Hawkins said tapping the side of his head.

"How much is artifical"? Asked Harrington.

"Well lets see, uhh; eyes, parts of my brain, right ear, lower jaw, arms, legs, heart, lungs, the skin on my back, and I think one of my kidneys". Replied Hawkins finishing off his list, both Harrington and Phillips looking at eachother with disturbed looks.

"So even after all that you're still coming back and risking being killed or ingured again"? Inquired a concerned Phillips.

"Yep, exploring is my life and if I died doing it and came back I'd do it again, which has actually already happend now that I think about it". Said Hawkins saying the last part under his breath. "Now enough about me get back to work you two I need to contact the Quatermaster and get a ground team prepped for tomorrow".

The next morning.

Hawkins awoke, got out of bed, did his morning stretches, and was about to get dressed when suddenly his private terminal lit up, Hawkins goes over to check it.

"Commander you have recieved a message from the Chancellor". The display message read.

Hawkins opened up his message box and read through it.

"Dear Quinlann,

I heard you've taken on a new mission, I hope you have given yourself enough time to recover, mother, father, and myself are very proud of the work you do for the Commonwealth however we are all still worried for your life as an explorer and wish for you to come home a change to a less demanding career, but apart from that I hope your mission goes better then last time, we will talk more when you get back.

P.S. Please come home in one piece this time.

Yours sincerely

Chancellor Issac Hawkins".

"You always look out for me don't you Izzy". Hawkins smiled as finished the message.

After shutting down his terminal and getting dressed Hawkins felt his stomach rumble, he was about to leave his room and get breakfast but was stopped.

"Commander we've reach high orbit around Enigma, requesting your presence on the brigde". Said Harrington over the annoucment system.

"Breakfast can wait I suppose". Said Hawkins with a sigh as he made his to the bridge instead of the cafeteria.

Once Hawkins reached the bridge and sat down he looked out the window and saw planet they were here to explore and began taking data.

"Ok, lets see here, asteroid belt, nitrogen oxygen atmoshpere, lots of green land masses, blue oceans, and large spots of... purple? Its quite similar to Earth minus the asteroid belt and purple spots". Noted Hawkins.

Before Hawkins can get a closer look at the planet the computer displays lit up red as if they had found something or if something had found them.

"Commander I've detected a ship signature coming from behind the asteroid belt It's... wait... oh shit sir It's a Kathari scout ship, I thinks It see us"! Harrington said continuing to moniter the scout ship.

"How did they know we were here damn it! Harrington get us out of here"! Shouted Hawkins slamming his fist on one the arms of his chair.

"We can't jump in an asteroid field sir, I'm going have to turn us around and- oh no, sir, the scout ship is charging Its weapons"!

Thinking quickly Hawking slammed his hand down on the ship wide anncouncment button.

"BRACE, BRACE, BRACE FOR IMPACT"! Hawkins yelled across the ship.

Before the Odyssey could turn around the Kathari scout ship unleashed a volly of fire on it, despite the enemy only being a scout ship it still had more than enought fire power to taken on an unarmed exploration ship.

The whole ship was shaken by the impact making Hawkins fall from his seat, after picking himself back up he looked and saw sparks fly around the bridge.

"Damage report"! Barked Hawkins

"Minor damage Commander the shield took the brunt of the impact but we can't take another hit like that"! Replied Phillips.

Just then the scout ship let loose another volly from Its cannons hitting the Odyssey's engines.

"Commander the main engines just took a hit! Thier down and I can't compensate for the planet gravity"!

The scout ship fired volly after volly pounding the Odyssey's hull sending chucks of it fly off while also being pulled in by Enigma's gravity.

"Commander the ship can't take much more of this what should we do?!... Commander"! Yelled Phillips in paniced voice not knowing what to do.

Hawkins sat in his chair his eyes rapidly looking around the bridge, his heart racing and his breathing paniced, he waited a moument before giving an order.

"Abandon ship". Hawkins said softly.

"WHAT"! Shouted Harrington unable hear what the Commander had said.

Hawkins once more slammed his hand down on the announcement button.

"ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP, I REPEAT ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP"! Hawkins then stood up and ran to Harrington and Phillips. "That means you too now go damn it GO"! Ordered Hawkins waving his hand to signal them to get up and move.

Hawkins, Harrington, and Phillips all ran out of the bridge and towards the escape pods and while the flight crew went to the crew escape pods Hawkins went a different direction to his own personal escape pod However before he could enter it a wall panel to Hawkins side exploded sending shapnel past his side bloodying it.

Clutching his side Hawkins was just about to enter his pod he tripped over a bent piece of floor paneling causing him to hit his head on the entryway of the escape pod.

Grasping his forehead Hawkins could feel the blood begin to run down his face as he stumbled in to the pod, strapping himself in and pressing the lauch button.

Esacpe pod ejection confirmed, Launching in...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

End of chapter 2