The Relic by RPS (Copyright 2001) The Tenchu colonies are now under attack, and there is nothing the Dominion can do against it. It's October 15th and were already losing the war, a couple of weeks after it started. But our enemy is not our common foe. They fight behind masks, and if their heartbeat stops, signalling death from had to hand combat a small explosive embedded in the spinal cord destroys the body beyond recognition. His Excellency the Emperor has ordered 100 rebels rounded up and killed. Like if that will stop the war. While we were bickering over small matters on Earth Rebels from the Alpha Centaury and the Grondy system appear to have contacted some type of alien life, which is now overpowering our Cruisers and Battleships and turning the tide of the war, a war that we were winning so easily we actually turned a blind eye to it. Their Yundras and Hassins are tearing us apart, while the Rebels ships and destroyers just come after five minutes to pick up the pieces of the Dominion's military. The Yundras, god their good. Nothing like we can make here at earth. And the Hassins, so small yet so destructive. We just can't cope with it. Commander Ramirez gives me a report. The Fortub colony has also been lost. I look at the death toll. I recognise most of the ships, but two names stand out from the rest: the Recognting, the Admirals ship, and the Duras. The Duras, the best dammed ship in the fleet, and now it's a worthless piece of junk with the corpses of Captain Benning and his crew orbiting the ship. I still remember him from the College. We use to party big time we did. Now everyone's gone: Harpwell, Listing, Dorming and Benning. The Fantastic Five we use to be known as. The wild ones, yet the best in class. Came out with a 96 percentile score, all of us. I envy the good old days. Ramirez wakes me up from my virtuous memories. "Sir, sir?" The big dunce, how he got to the rank of commander I'll never know. "What now Commander" I respond with the angry tone in my voice I only reserve for him, and Dr Kimpher, the Hydroponics expert. "Sir, we have 200 incoming hostile. They'll be here in 10 hours." "Why wasn't I told earlier? We should have been able to scan them 3 days from here!" "During the attack on the Remus sector we lost our two sensor stations." To hell with the memories. 200 incoming. I walk over to the tactical station manned by Major Tom Jarvis. Good kid, with a bright future, unless the war had never started. "Ok, everyone listen up!" I try to talk strongly, but even the inexperienced Ramirez picks up the fear and tremble in my voice. "This is what we do people. Ederg, contact Sector Regime and the Planet Authorities. I don't care if it's a cargo ship or a personal shuttle, I want it armed to the teeth ready to fight. Get Fleet Command to give us every ship in an 11 hour radius, 'cause we gonna need everything there is." I let the crew get on with their jobs and worries. Feeling tired and drowsy I head back to my quarters, but decide better on it and make my way to Finnegan's, the Starbases Irish bar. Walk in and I see the usual suspects, Jim, Zach and Andy. In need of a pint I walk towards the bar and say: "Usual Shaun." The barkeeper fills up a glass of Greenways and hands it too me. "So what's happening now laddie? Hear we've got things incoming." I look up at the poor man and respond. "We've got about 200 Rebel Destroyers and the rest Yundras. We're in for it this time. I about to order the evacuation of civilians from TS3 Tobias soon. I'd get packing. Hey, if I get through this keep your daughter in deep freeze, 'cause I'm coming back for her." "Should of known you wouldn't leave her behind. She's at the Gardens if you want to see her." At least I'll be able to say goodbye to her. I look up, take one last drink from my pint and articulate: "Cheers Shaun. Be careful." With my business finished here I go to the nearest headphone station and announce a starbase wide communication. "To all personnel, civilian and loyal soldiers of the Dominion. As of now I am ordering all non-essential personnel to evacuate the station. I repeat, all non-essential personnel evacuate immediately." I stop to see the disorder form around me. People run, to get their stuff from their homes or pick their kids up form school. It's time. I check where I am and walk towards the gardens The gardens are exactly what they sound like. A piece of green in a land of greys, blacks and chromes. "Elisa? Where are you?" She's gone. Ran when she heard the announcement. I'll still try and catch up to her, however in vain it may be. I run from one end of the base to another, but I'm too late. She's down at the surface. I couldn't get her at her quarters, and just missed her shuttle. I send down a message saying that I love her and get ready for the fight. "Ramirez?" I say over the intercom. "Where the hell are you? I need the status of our fleet now." Hearing no response I walk down to the control centre. Everyone is too busy with their orders to notice me. I walk to my chair, and Ramirez walks up to me. "Sir, the fleet has arrived. A total of 1000 ships. But there's bad news too sir. The alien fleet of 900 Hassins. In total, with more rebel ships coming, they outnumber us 2 to 1." Damm it. Now we're done for. I order the crew to battle stations, get comfortable in my chair, bring up my command and diagnostics panel and start to prepare myself psychologically for the incoming battle. I resume my memories I lost when the wait for death commenced. In 4000 years of recorded it's always the same. Enemies come, civilians suffer and the good are made immortalised through death. My old friends are all martyrs now, martyrs to a lost cause. There is nothing to do but wait, wait for the end, when we become martyrs too. And the station? The fleet? Relics, of a time long lost, when we stood a chance.