Admiral Tovar Latarr stood military rigid, his arms crossed, as he inspected the blueprints his best scientists had been able to produce. The machine he had imagined would become a reality; each of the pieces would function correctly with one another. Electro-grafters hissed as they welded sheets of metal together, the enormous mechanism before the Admiral glinted in the reflection of the work lights shining on it. The mechanism it’s self resembled an enormous heart, a pointed tip stemming from a thicker base with two large lobes on either side. This tool would be used to launch a new era in the Convoy, with the Admiral as its head. The mechanics had been working only for a few hours, but the fruit of their labor was already showing. Though the scientists had insisted that the mechanism would take days to build, under his command the pieces seemed to assemble themselves. The only potential problem that could arise existed in the form of three escaped convicts.
Lalia had found something very much alive on the surface of the planet that had gone supernova. Lalia hid from everyone her discovery; she understood the significance of introducing to the Convoy an unknown alien species. The alien was intelligent, and based off of reports from CLERGY 6, only hours ago it had killed several dangerous criminals and several of Alvar’s soldiers with unusual powers. The creature was far more dangerous than just a concept of exploration; it was a monstrosity capable of slaughtering hundreds of Callos.
The Admiral had already made the orders to send Alvar and his eight remaining soldiers to Ailios; they were currently combing the impact radius of their escape pod. Lalia, no doubt, already led her two cohorts to Ailios; the enormous city would act as a refuge.
“However, once the machine is complete. The Aurrus will scurry, and Lalia, and her pet monster will have no place to hide.” He thought.
“Admiral, Sir!” A Callos soldier called out to him, in the past hour, once news of Lalia and the creature’s escape reached him, the Admiral reinstated the Convoy military. The Admiral now had several dozen soldiers at his disposal, hundreds more Callos in reserve for duty. The Callos knew not of the threat or the situation, but each sensed that the Admiral had reasons for placing them on call.
“Yes. What is it soldier?” The Admiral asked.
“Permission to speak?” The soldier asked.
“Yes, yes. Permission granted.” The Admiral sighed, his ancestral memory failed to recognize the tediousness of military conversations.
“Sir, one of our scouting ships is no longer relaying information back.” The soldier explained.
The Admiral stepped closer to the soldier:
“Was this the shuttle deployed to Aurrus?” He asked, concerned.
“No, Sir. This was the ship assigned front of the Convoy as a scout, Sir.” The soldier replied.
“Do we know the reason for a loss in signal? Is there a dust field?” The Admiral asked, his mind still on Aurrus, Lalia, and the creature.
“No, Sir. But a dust field is the most reasonable explanation for a loss in signal, Sir.” The soldier agreed.
“I will take note of this.” The Admiral cleared his throat.
“Sir, should we send another scout ahead towards Phlasia?” The soldier asked.
“No. We will not need another scout.” The Admiral answered, a lost scout was of little importance, because even if a dust field blocked the Convoy’s trajectory to Phlasia, the Admiral was in no hurry. Phlasia was of no consequence, until the creature had been dealt with, and until the Convoy’s harvester had been modified, the Admiral would just wait.