THE FEDERATION CRUSIER
Mass: 643.2 Tonnes
Crew: 54 Members
Value: 336,300 Scrap
Journal of Markand, Captain of the Osprey, Day 1:
The Federation has sent me and my Crew our merry ways. It's Just Me, Nikmi (Female Mantis), Markus (Rockman Male), and Mullett (Engi). We share our small, but very fancy, ship. On it, We have a Prototype Artillery Beam, Probably one of the Deadliest weapons created by the Federation. Seems almost Hypocritical that our mission is to Locate a Rebel Factory, Because should we get Killed, the Rebels will have this ship to research. And I wouldn't like to hear about an enemy with this weapon!
After moving through the blockade, our orders were expanded upon. This Factory is possibly large enough to create new Flagships... Quite a Horrific Proposition! So, It seems obvious that our mission is important. And although I get a feeling a portion of the fleet is chasing us, I'm sure this ship will power through the mission. We were also ordered to destroy Literally EVERYTHING there, and to not leave and Rebel Scum as survivors. Although it sounds morbid, I'm pretty sure death By Artillery Beam would be quick and painless.
Journal of Markand, Day 2:
Nikmi and Markus are sparring. Although I had my bets on the Mantis, Seeing how I know how deadly they can be, Markus was almost equal in strength! So, The fight was really close, and It actually ended in a Tie. They went back to the Medbay after this.
I went back up to the elevated bridge after this. I was drinking my cup of coffee I got a few years back, Dark Blend as usual, because... Well, I can't afford anything fancy due to are small provisions. Then Mullett Came in and reported that we were headed to a Nebulae. This told me just one thing... SLUGS.
Honestly, I know most humans hate Mantises, but Those Disgusting... Worms... They took all my Credits a Fair years back! I used to be Financially stable, and now I'm only living because of this risky work! I wouldn't be stuck here if it weren't for those Scum!
So, I took a deep breath, and told Mullett to set up Dinner. Although I have no Idea what Engi even eat, apparently he's actually a pretty good Chef! So, Even at day one, We quickly discovered who was the most qualified for cooking. Sure, Markus Can't get burnt... But He's also way too clumsy to handle anything related to Cooking.
Dinner was, Unsurprisingly, Good again! Although we did each get different provisions, I.E. Nikmi Is an Insect, So she needs Mainly Sugar and Protein to live, whereas I'm Human... And, Uh, Well... Assuming somebody's reading this, You know what humans eat. We're Mammalian Omnivores! If we can eat something, We're Going to eat it. And we can eat many things, obviously. Rambling about diets aside, I'm also not sure about What Rockmen Eat, and Markus insisted that he wasn't hungry, So he kind of just sat on the sidelines. Mentioning Nikmi again, She Basically Just had a Ton of Filet Minion and Orange Juice. She commented on how she wasn't familiar with them, But they did taste good. As for me, I had a bit of chicken and Salad.
After a long day, I stayed awake and Monitored so that none of those... Abominations, try to Take our supplies while we sleep.
Journal of Markand, Day 3
Honestly, Breakfast was kind of bad. Dinner was the only meal where we could have anything fancy, Because we only have enough provisions to last us all Two Weeks, Tops. So, we just settled for the basics. Every one of my crewmembers commented about how Humans have a strange diet. I laughed and responded, Saying that's what happens when You're descended from Survivors. They all looked at each other and Shrugged. They were all sort of confused by what I meant, because none of them are well-versed in Human biology. But I can't blame them. The only Species I even Remotely understand are the Mantis, Because they are, Indeed, Basically Giant Praying Mantises! As for slugs, Those filth always have a catch with each of them, so I gave up on researching that.
We continued training, but nothing interesting was happening. The sense of Adventure and Peril just kind of... Withered away. To try and Not let my crew die of boredom, I decided to play a Board game with them. In the end, I learned a lot about each of them! Apparently...
Mullett used to be a Slave, and that's where he learned cooking skills. He survived by learning the Skills, and He eventually went on to become Respected, even to his Captors. Eventually, When the Rebels came around and attacked, his captors said that he was exceptional, and they Regretted Mistreating him. He Thanked them, and then Was Jettisoned from the Pod. He also Mentioned that He and Nikmi are actually Good friends, as The People he was working for were actually Nikmi's Foster Parents.
Markus was Exiled due to supporting searches for "The Past", as he calls it. He joined a sort of "Cult" that was researching the Ancestry of the Rockmen. However, Right when he got a good lead- A Stasis Pod, Labelled as Coming from an Unknown Species, The Rock Government attacked and Destroyed the ship. He's uncertain if the Creature inside the Pod is even still alive. He anguishes, as says he was "So close to becoming a hero". After this, All of the Cult was kicked from the Planet, And almost all of the members joined the Federation afterwards. So, now he's here, Hoping to finally achieve his goal.
And Nikmi was apparently the Daughter of a Mantis Pirate. As for who, I'll never know. She also mentioned how Nothing was really stable, so she was later adopted by... Slugs. Hooray. But, This was where She learned how to pirate, before her Foster parents were captured by rebels. So, She joined the Federation Seeking Her Foster Parents... As well as her real father. At first, I didn't know about what happened to her mother, but She later privately told me that She was Killed during the Mantis war, As she served as a Captain. I told her I was sorry for her loss, but she then told me I was there.
At first, I didn't understand, But then, It hit me.
A few years back, I was in a Kestrel. A Fancy one with a Teleporter. Me and An Anonymous friend of mine Boarded An Enemy Mantis ship, and... Well, We Killed the Captain.
Also Known As, Nikmi's Mother.
And I know she was watching because I saw a young mantis hiding behind a Door while it happened.
That's when I felt quite Guilty. Later in the Night, I Apologised. I didn't know that I was the Cause of this. If I could go back in time, I would have Took her prisoner instead. But, The Past happened, and Nobody can help it...
I also realized she lied to everybody else earlier, and Her Mother still kept her... Until she died. Obviously, This is a personal matter, so she decided to hide this truth.
Journal of Markand, Day 8
Nothing interesting happened for a while. Nothing Notable, anyway... Except for the fact that our FTL Drive short-circuited. We're finally out of the Nebulae, and Thank goodness, this is going smoothly. After some time, Mullett came up and told me the good news: The FTL Drive is Functional! You could only imagine my Sigh of relief! But then he told me something else... He said that he didn't sleep last night, and that he was surprised about what he heard. I sighed and faced away from him on my Chair. "I was only doing my job. If I could go back to save her, I would, knowing what this would have caused." Mullett then Responded with this: "Just remember: If it wasn't for that, we'd also not be here today. For you during the Mantis war, that could have been literal. And, I wouldn't even know my friend... Or even, You."
Ah yes, the Multiverse theory. He brings a good point- If I go back in time and save her, then I'll forget why I did it. Then, the cycle would repeat itself forever. So... Sometimes, Curses can be Blessings. Speaking of this, Markus came inside and Said that That was an interesting story. Me and Mullett Looked at each other, and then Mullett asked, "How much did your hear...?"
Yep. He heard everything. Hooray. But, at least we Finally fought something! An auto-scout Attacked the Osprey, and we Annihilated it! The Artillery Beam Decimated it so fast I couldn't Believe my Eyes! I had experience with them, and I knew that they still took a Little while to destroy, but This time, It was within a few short seconds! I'm confident already that we are going to easily annihilate the enemy Rebel Factory!
Journal of Markand, Day 16
We've finally found The Bases' co-ordinates! After a Heated battle with a Rebel Battleship, The ship was destroyed, and we recovered it's Database. In it, we found out quite a ton of stuff, and we sent the Data to the Federation Headquarters. But the main thing we found was, Well, The Bases' location!
Our only problem? We're out of Provisions. Completely. The Crew is starving. Except for Markus. He's really good at Fasting, probably. So, now we SERIOUSLY NEED FOOD. HELP. ALL WE HAVE IS WATER. AND THE TANK'S HALF EMPTY. ONCE AGAIN. HELP.
Journal of Markand, Day 31
We're finally in fighting range of The Rebel Factory. It's been long enough. We've been detected, obviously, but the enemy cannot be Too deadly. The entire crew is relived greatly, as We've gone almost another two weeks without food. Our Water? Only going to last us one more day. So, This is a life-or-death situation. We all remarked that we're going to not only live, but also deal a massive blow to the Rebellion. Wait... We've detected a signal. It's... By God... Well, I end off here on this entry. Let's just say, It's A Ship in Construction. A Scary one. I will keep my journal on my person, as always. But, hopefully, This isn't my last entry.
Journal of Markand, Day 33... The Last Entry... Of a once great captain.
If you are reading this, I'm probably dead. The Rebels have set me up to be killed by my own ship, In a morbid version of a firing squad. They are letting me write this, so that It can go inside the ship later on. (In small text, It says in Morse code: Please remove the tracker at the end of the book.) So, This is pretty much my last will and testimate... Heh, didn't think I'd end off like this. Awaiting to be killed by my own ship... But, my crew has survived. I know this because I blocked the doors while they escaped in The Only Escape pod on the ship. The last thing I said to each of them...
Mullett, I hope that you go onwards, and survive. Later, in the time without war, I know the Galaxy will know your name.
Markus, I know sometime, you will become a hero. If there's any Indication, I'd say an old friend of mine will probably avenge me.
And To Nikmi... I'm Redeeming myself. Your mother died to protect you. So, So am I. I hope you find Your Parents. And, Maybe even your father.
With that, The Osprey is now targeting me. The ship we all became friends on will be my undoing. After this, the Rebels will research the Artillery Beam. I pray they don't Reverse-Engineer it. If you are reading this. Please say yes...
But finally... To The Federation back home... I'm sorry I couldn't complete my mission. I have failed, but I hope you won't. The Federation must live on, Hell or High water. Should the Rebellion win... They'll undo everything. All of these interesting people you've read about? They'll be dead. So will be almost every species except ours. And sure, The Slugs will die, but At least they're more interesting than Us... Be honest, Psionics are awesome- Even for Those Scum of the Universe.
So, With that, I am Markand. My name will never Be Celebrated, Because... I die in Vain.
(After this, There's His signature. But, The signature is messed up, Because he was Shot before he finished.)
The Federation Cruiser was an Experimental ship, Thin but Possessing an Elevated Bridge. The Osprey as depicted in this Story was Surprisingly fancy, and somewhat like a Home. But, after the Rebels took it to be researched, the only thing left on it was Markand's Journal. Years later, His friend in the Mantis wars, The Captain, would recover this journal. They commented about the fact that now they knew what happened to their closest ally from years ago, and they promised to them that they would find the old crew that survived, and they would write an entry.
Obviously, The Federation Cruisers were Experimental, so they were used as testing grounds for new systems, Such as the Oh-So-Infamous Artillery Beam. Interestingly, This Cosmoteer version of the Osprey is actually in all ways cheaper than the Kestrel! But, that may make sense, seeing how the ship was quite slim. By that logic, In the Last stand, The Federation Cruisers were probably Exceptional in the Conflict, Being hard to hit, Fast, Incredibly Lethal, and Surprisingly Durable.
At first, I planned to say that the ship was completely phased out by the Harpy, which is the Fan-made Descendant of the Kestrel, (Which you can see Here ) But I eventually Decided the Federation Cruiser Would live on In The Reformed Federation. This new Ship was Originally going to be named after a bird, but then The Old Crew insisted That It was something like The Markard Or something. Eventually, They agreed on a Name...
THE HORIZON CRUISER
Mass: 565.6 Tonnes
Crew: 124 Members
Value: 606,700 Scrap
The Horizon Is The Perfect Rushing Ship. It can Fly at A Huge Speed, Execute Tight turns, And Also deal Massive damage. It's weakness is it's sides, as If attacked from here, the Reactors are easy pickings. Otherwise, The ship is littered with Point Defenses and it Can even Fire Missiles back Very Well! Generally, The Cruiser Gets in, Destroys Everything, and then Gets out. As for the Name, The Horizon Is a Natural Summoner of Curiosity, a sense of Adventure, and It leads to Discovery... For better or for worse. There's always something over it- And sometimes, You have to Find out what. For the Crew of the Osprey Years back, What was Over the Horizon of the Osprey were great futures, Free of the Rebellion.
As For the Journal, The Captain didn't fail on Executing his Promises. He Found every Crew member, and they happily added to the Journal. Here are their entries:
Mullett: Hello Captain. You were right. I am now one Of the Best Chefs In the Federation, and I am now Known Galaxy-Wide... Even if silently. My live has been going well, And I've kept contact with the Other Crew Members. You might be Interested to know That I narrowly avoided an "Engi Virus" That Killed quite a Few members of My Species. The Captain Reported to me that It's gone now, and the Engi are in a better place than ever. I am now living happily in the Company of my friends, making Thousands of Credits a Week.
Markus: Hey Captain! Guess What? We Were right! We've discovered our Ancestors! The Crystal Species was living the Whole time, and The Captain was the one Who Discovered them! And adding to that, This Crystal Being was found within the Pod from years back! So, after these events, I've become a Negotiator For the Rockmen, And I'm no longer Exiled from my own Species. With that, Hopefully, The Future's bright. It's a Shame how the best captain in the world won't see it.
And Finally...
Nikmi: Hello once again, Captain Markand. Or, His journal, Anyway. Well, I've found My Parents... Both My foster ones as well as my Remaining real one. My Foster ones also Adopted Mullett, this time not as a Slave, Obviously. As for the Real one, He was serving with your Anonymous friend that helped you mur- Er, I mean, Uh, Served with you during the Mantis War. He Helped in taking Down The Rebellion, and apparently I heard some important Slug Died? I mean, Apparently this one wasn't deceptive. So, It may help you in your rest knowing not EVERY Slug was out for your Hard-Earned Credits. That, and My real father was actually pretty famous. He's still confused, though.
After this, The Captain put it onboard the Osprey, which was now on display at a museum. It was re-furnished and all, since it wasn't going to fly again for a Long time at least. Hopefully, Captain Markand can now rest easy, His requests all completed after his death...
Later, further in the Future, Nikmi would Die in "The Event". But, The rest of her family would live on well. Except for The Mantis half of it, As Her Father Would, Well, Become old, and also become sick, and The Only Other Survivor of the Event would have to become a Cyborg to survive. But, that didn't mean He'd become Quite a fighter, as He was taught By an Ex-Legend, and Also, Well, He was a Cyborg. What else do I have to say, Really? CYBORG. MANTIS THING. Sounds like a Death machine when just said. Mullett would also teach the Mantis Culinary skill, and became His Apprentice as well as a Capable Fighter. Finally, Markus sort of Freelanced after the Negotiations, and Went into designing the New, Advanced Alloy Plating Now used In the Harpy and the Horizon Cruisers, as well as More to come. Every year, the Families of the Crew Visit the Osprey in the Museum, and They're permitted to actually go inside of it. From there, They have a Very Casual Party for three hours. During which, They Have some food and Chat about their lives. Some of them, Though, Just make a fool of themselves and spin in the Captain's chair for the Whole time. (It may or may not be Markus.)
But, For now, The Story of the Osprey ends. The Crew had Good Lives in the Reformed Federation... Even if their adventures aren't canon.
