The Signal | SCI FI | (Chapter 6) TriffickShorts

[Music] TR the crew of The Sovereign stood motionless on the bridge enveloped in silence after the Signal's unexpected sensation only the rhythmic blinking of the console lights pierced the Stillness Marcus frowned a lifetime of War had honed his tactical instincts but this strange encounter left him wey without any prior indication the Vox screen abruptly burst into life Illuminating the bridge with the Resolute countenance of Governor Elara her features projected an air of authority and determ

ination as she addressed the gathered crew of The Sovereign A's image flickered momentary before stabilizing she appeared solemn yet composed exuding an air of quiet dignity with a slow breath she began to speak Warriors of the Imperium I come before you today not as an enemy but as a fellow human seeking understanding between our peoples her voice resonated with Clarity and conviction for too long we have hidden our civilization from your gaze cloaking our planet in secrecy and shadows we did t

his not out of spite or ill intent but out of necessity to preserve the sanctity of our world she paused her eyes conveying a deep sadness we have watched your Imperium wage war after brutal war in the name of your emperor we have seen the savagery and destruction born of your Crusades and we feared that our planet our culture would become yet another casualty in your endless conflicts Marcus listened intently his stoic expression masking his churning thoughts her words echoed his own private mi

sgivings about the imperium's rigid doctrines so we hid ourselves our technology our very existence in the hopes that we could remain Untouched by War for thousands of years we have lived in isolation advancing our society not through weapons but through knowledge compassion and balance with nature ard's voice swelled with passion we have forged a civilization where technology serves life not destruction our world knows no famine poverty or suffering it is a sanctuary of peace and Enlightenment

our next words resonated with quiet Defiance but we will will not see it ravaged or enslaved if you seek to seize our world as a prize of War you will find us ready to defend our home with a power you cannot comprehend Marcus tensed knowing her words could be construed as a challenge to the Imperial Fleet yet he also sensed the truth in her convictions Admiral veru however did not follow the same train of thought apparently his face almost folded in half with anger as he began to retort L raised

a hand for stalling his Outburst I wish to bring you here to this place to Bear witness she continued her voice gentle yet unwavering for only the proof seen with your own eyes could be enough to convince you of the choice you must make her piercing gaze turned to Marcus then questioning an intense Captain what do you think would be the best outcome here for all parties involved Marcus hesitated considering his respon carefully his brow furrowed as he weighed the complex factors at play this wa

s no simple matter with implications far beyond this isolated Planet the birthstone represented knowledge and power Dangerous Power in the wrong hands yet hearing her words he could sympathize that A lot's people deserved selfdetermination perhaps there was a compromise to be found if we lived apart from Evil and our only fight was for which direction we could expand into then our lives would be simple and straightforward there would be no need for complex moral reasoning or difficult decisions

that challenge our values our path would be clear focused solely on exploration Discovery and growth how different the universe would be if we did not have to contend with the Sinister forces that seek to destroy and corrupt if the darkness did not lur at the edges threatening to overtake the light if every civilization we encountered shared our noble goals and aspirations rather than praying on the weak and spreading chaos in such a universe devoid of malice and evil we could devote all our ene

rgy to the pursuit of knowledge and advancement our ships could Voyage forth without fear making contact with new species in a spirit of openness and collaboration there will be no need for warships and weapons just vessels of Science and diplomacy we could expand our reach exponentially colonizing new worlds and establishing outposts across the Stars each Discovery would be a joyous Milestone not a source of dread and forboding how far we could progress and evolve if unfettered by the need for

constant vigilance and defense but that is not the reality we inhabit our universe teams with threats that seek to undo all we built we cannot escape this fight it is intrinsic to our existence the best we can do is remain ever watchful for the darkness and meet it when it stirs with courage and resolve though we dream of a different path we know our purpose lies along the harder road to hold back the encroaching night for as long as our strength endures there are no easy choices but we shall fa

ce what comes with faith in our cause and our ability to overcome but if we falter the light will be extinguished and evil shall re unchecked Among the Stars with that in mind I cannot simply leave and abandon this endeavor since we already seem to be engaged in negotiations and the admiral has not yet interjected I will take this opportunity to offer one final chance to reach an amicable resolution given that your parish is small possesses no military force to speak of and has a meager populati

on at best it is clear that your world is of little inherent value to the greater Imperium Beyond providing the basic resource of fighting men which we require as a non-negotiable necessity orbe it in reasonable numbers Marcus trailed off momentary seeming to choose his next words carefully therefore I propose the following arrangement we will allow your Panet to retain autonomy in name you may govern yourselves as you see fit under the banner of the Imp iium but with latitude over Internal Affa

irs naturally any Rebellion or Insurrection against Imperial rule would be unwise in the extreme if you value your lives in return we require only one thing the birthstone this is not negotiable I am asking you personally Governor Elara to accept this offer it is the only peaceful path forward for your people what say you he asked quietly Marcus with hands clasped behind his back awaited her response his Steely gaze belying the gravity of the situation the fate of this small planet hung in the b

alance contingent on the governor's Choice he hoped she would recognize his attempt to find Common Ground not just between them but between the Imperium and her people there were always alternatives to endless war if one knew where to look compromise did not come easily to The Defenders of humanity but for the sake of Peace it was a price Marcus was willing to pay to his surprise aora laughed a silvery melodic sound I agree completely Captain the birthstone is merely an inert Monument now as I h

ave been telling you truthfully all along Marcus stared dumbfounded after the impressive display of EOS defensive power he had assumed the AR fact held deeper significance allora's cander left him conflicted and Unsure how to proceed Admiral verox snarled over the Vox his anger returning in full force his weathered face Twisted into a vicious scowl teeth Beed in Fury you expect us to believe you now after hiding such advanced technology from us all this time the prosperous he bellowed slamming a

n armored fist on the console before him Marcus watched The Exchange unfold with growing unease he knew bck to be a proud and zealous man quick to anger and slow to forgive any perceived slight against the Imperium this Revelation from Governor Elara had clearly wounded his pride Marcus weighed his next words carefully hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated further my Lord Admiral let us not be too hasty he began raising a plating hand Governor aara has been operative up to this poi

nt I believe we shall give her the benefit of the doubt and hear her reasons before passing judgment verox Whirled to face Marcus in the BRX screen eyes blazing give her the benefit of the doubt this swel has been hiding advanced technology that by All rights belongs to the Imperium her Planet should have been brought to heal long ago I will not tolerate such insolence he angrily spat Marcus met the Admiral's tyde with stoic calm be that that as it may we came here under a banner of diplomacy le

t us see this through and find a resolution that benefits all as is the emperor's will for a moment it seemed ver would continue his dire tribe but finally he mastered himself you may proceed with your questioning Captain he bit out but know that I will be watching closely for any further signs of deception Marcus's mind churned with questions as he turned back to the Box GRE but he knew that lashing out would not reveal the truth the captain had learned through long experience that the truth wa

s not something to be forced but gently coaxed with the right keys if he shaped his questions carefully people were often eager to unburden their inner truths for him so he nodded courteously to the Admiral and addressed aora again of course Governor now then perhaps you could Enlighten us as to the nature and purpose of this technology you possess Marcus began his tone even despite the suspicion gwing within he clasped his hands behind his back Standing Tall and composed before the Box screen I

have a question one that has been invading my thoughts since we last spoke when I came to you to listen to your decision on joining the Imperium you mentioned a name a name of someone who had not yet had their say Marcus paused studying elora's reaction closely her genial expression remained unchanged betraying nothing he considered his next words carefully who is this individual you spoke of they seem to hold some influence in your world's Affairs I ask only so that I may gain a fuller underst

anding of your planet's leadership and decision-making process he resisted the urge to glance back at verox knowing the Admiral's impatience would be rising Marcus needed answers and he would have them before this encounter was done Marcus halted attempting to discern any revealing signs in elora's features but once more her face was empty of any response or deception you mentioned the name matria as if a keyword was unlocked in order to progress further her features suddenly relaxed ah matria a

smiled as she nodded very astute of you captain unmoved by her flattery he continued on I would like to press you on who this person is and how they come to have such weight on matters of import while remaining aloof to those that would wish speak with them a subtle change in her posture signaled a misstep from Marcus that he wasn't aware of ah maybe not as clever as I suspected aora said I do hope you have taken a seat Captain as you might not be pleased with what I am about to tell you though

I must ask once more that you permit yourself the chance that a fragment of comprehension could have in some way evaded the boundless wisdom of the Imperium Marcus bristled slightly at alara's thinly veiled jab though he maintained his stoic composure a quick glance to his right confirmed the Admiral was less successful in masking his displeasure if the deepening purple Hue of his face was any indication all right guys there we go I hope you are enjoying this story uh if you could let me know i

f I'm doing a decent job with this uh with keeping to the law I guess and and the way the characters were reating in the war 40K Universe just tell me if the story is good and that's about it that's all you have to do just leave a comment and I'll do the story I'll create the video I'll upload it I'll do all that right only thing you have to do just watch it and leave a little comment or a like or something actually I don't know whether you need to do that or whether it's it's all but um I guess

it seems to help so you know crack on