Fiction:Cyrannia's Legacy/Future's Beginning

"The universe has changed in the long years since the rise of the Empire. With the Oikoumene Emperor gone, the stewardship of his grand Imperatore fell into the hands of lesser beings. Nevertheless, we persevered and prospered. We joined the hands of friendship with our kin in the Republic. We grew stronger. We believed the comforting lie that no threat could harm us. As we soon found out, we were wrong. They came out of the darkness swallowing up our former enemies and allies alike. The Xeranbha showed no mercy or weakness. Yet they stopped. Are they watching us? Testing us? Irrelevant. All we can do now is wait. Wait for our end. Wait for our salvation."

- Unknown Imperial Historian, circa 1250 NE

Future's Beginning is set in an alternate future set in the year 1250 NE, a future in which large tracts of the universe have fallen to an unknown alien intelligence known as the Xeranbha. Almost half of the has fallen victim to these unknown villains, with the other half being split between what remains of the  and a future evolution of the  known as the Cyrandian Republic.

The story begins in the present day, onboard the Exiled Republic starship Avenger, under the command of.

Story
Prologue= The year is 03 NE. In the, of the  sat in his quarters aboard his flagship, the “Avenger”. Republic Command gave the captain strict orders to remain at the eastern border of the Exiled Republic in order to ensure that Imperial probes didn’t discover the location of the few remaining democratic colonies. It was a tedious job. Roslia was far more interested in studying the spatial anomalies that were rumoured to exist to the Republic’s northern border. Alas, he thought, Admiral Shavalera would never approve of such a waste of military resources.

Roslia’s eyes began to close. Just as he began to succumb to his fatigue, his mysterious companion known only as Sonja suddenly appeared on his bed.


 * Sonja – Funny, Helo. I never pictured you as someone who'd blindly follow orders.

Helo rose to his feet, startled by the sudden appearance of his messenger.


 * Helo – Oh Gods. Sonja, I wish you wouldn’t do that.
 * Sonja – We both know that you want to investigate those anomalies. It is important that you do so.
 * Helo – How could you possibly know that?
 * Sonja – All the long years I have been at your side. Have you not come to trust me?

Helo folded his arms.


 * Helo – Implicitly.
 * Sonja – Then do what I ask. Go to the place where the anomalies dwell. Leave a squadron of fighters here, just to put your mind at rest. I assure you, the Empire will not come.

Helo smiled and pressed a tab on his gauntlet.


 * Helo – Commander Trebob, launch Col-Nem Squadron. Tell them to remain at this location, if they encounter any Imperial patrols, they have permission to destroy them. Plot a course to the NX-01 Sector. I’ll join you on the bridge in a few moments.
 * Trebob – Yes captain.

Helo closed the communication and smiled at Sonja, who smiled back.


 * Helo – Happy?

Chapter One= When the Avenger dropped out of hyperspace, Captain Roslia observed the nearby space using his viewscreen. The rumours were correct, the area was full of unusual stellar activity, the likes of which no Republic captain has ever seen. Roslia pulled himself away from the viewscreen and motioned to his science officer.


 * Helo - Commander, please search Cyrandia records for any documented voyages through this area of space.

Commander Sevine, a young Ortella, nodded and began to interact with her monitor. After a few seconds, she turned toward the captain.


 * Sevine - No documented encounters with any of these anomolies, sir. We are the first to explore this area of Quadrant 82.

Helo couldn't stop smiling. It was his dream for many years to be an explorer, rather than a warrior.


 * Helo - Interesting. Scan for any naturally occuring wormholes.
 * Sevine - There are two captain. One off our starboard side, and another off our port.

Suddenly, Helo felt someone breathing down his neck. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.


 * Sonja - ''Use the one off the port side, Helo. The other one leads six light years from.

Helo whispered as quietly as he could, after all, he was the only one who could see Sonja and it would be inappropriate for a captain to be seen talking to an invisible person on the bridge. Or for that matter, as Helo thought to himself, talking to an invisible person any place at all.


 * Helo - Where does the other one lead?
 * Sonja - Where would be the fun in telling? I assure you, travelling into that wormhole is very important to the Plan.

Helo contemplated Sonja's words.


 * Helo - Lieutenant T'Ran, take us into the wormhole, full impulse.
 * T'Ran - Yes, captain.

As the Avenger entered the wormhole, an array of colours flooded the bridge as it travelled through. Within a few seconds, the ship had emerged on the other side.


 * Sevine - Sir, we have left the wormhole.
 * Helo - Triangulate our position.

Sevine's eyes bulged as she calibrated her data.


 * Sevine - ...Sir! According to my data, we are in the Odysseia Region of Cyrannus. In the year... 1250 NE!
 * Helo - What?! Helm, take us back into the wormhol-

Suddenly, the tactical officer, Ateloz, rose from her seat in shock.


 * Ateloz - Captain! A ship just appeared out of nowhere directly in front of us. Make that two! Three! Fourteen ships!
 * T'Ran - We are being hailed, captain.
 * Helo - Onscreen.

A young male Libertus appeared on the viewscreen. He looked vaguely familar to Helo. The Libertus scowled.


 * Libertus - This is Captain Aquillius Cretacea of the CRS Phoebus! You have entered the space of the Cyrandian Republic without prior permission. State your name and intentions.

Helo muttered under his breath.


 * Helo - Cretacea?

He spoke up.


 * Helo - I am Captain Helo Roslia of the Republic Star Destroyer "Avenger". I originate in the year 03 NE. We travelled through a wormhole and emerged in your time. I assure you, we have no hostile intent.

Aquillius studied Helo's facial expressions and turned to one of his officers, giving her a command which Helo and his crew couldn't quite make out.


 * Aquillius - I recognise your name from history, Captain Roslia. As I'm sure you recogise mine.
 * Helo - Of course. And may I say, it's an honour to meet a member of the Creta-

He was interrupted by Aquillius.


 * Aquillius - Captain Roslia, we will escort your ship to our capital on Mou'Cyran. If you would be so kind as to agree, this will be an entirely peaceful affair. Thank you.

Aquillius suddenly closed the channel. Helo turned to his officers.


 * Helo - Do not worry. I'll get you home one way or another. But now, it would be best to do what we are told. Who knows? Perhaps these people need us for something.

Helo's guess was confirmed with a wry smile on Sonja's face.

Factions
Galactic Empire of Cyrannus=


 * Official Name - Imperatore Cyrannica
 * Head of State - Empress Naya Mizio
 * Capital - New Orbispira

Essentially the same Cyrannian Empire that exists in the era of the, the Empire remains one of the only surviving civilisations that weathered the Xeranbha Storm. Unlike the modern Empire, this new Empire isn't ruled by Antediluvian, who mysteriously left many centuries ago in this timeline. In his stead, mortal rulers took to the throne, the current Empress being Naya Mizio, an honourable woman descended from the Mizios of.

In the intervening time since the Dark Times, the Empire has advanced exponentially in terms of technological development, but its power in the outer galaxies was completely decimated by the Xeranbha, leaving only ten million planets remaining in the Imperatore region of Cyrannus.


 * Starships

Trivia

 * The Xeranbha were mentioned in a January 2010 edit of the page, and were forgotten about until now. They may or may not exist in the current Fiction Universe.
 * Future's Beginning may kickstart more stories set in the same time-period if it is deemed successful.