Calling For Help

Posted on Wed Dec 10th, 2025 @ 9:33am by Rear Admiral Cintia Sha'mer
Edited on on Wed Dec 10th, 2025 @ 11:15pm

855 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Dreamdust
Location: Imperial Star, USS Acturus
Timeline: SD 242512.10

=/\= Landing bay, USS Acturus =/\=

The vessel tucked in a corner of Acturus' landing bay was smaller than a runabout, slightly larger than a shuttle. Far too small, it seemed, to hold the lofty name of 'Imperial Star'. Of course, it was a Vo'Sh'un ship, which meant it had a few tricks to make it more spacious than it appeared to be.

The aperture opened as Ra'lin ran towards it. She climbed in without stopping and dashed forward. The cockpit of the Star was about the size of Ra'lins bathroom in her regular quarters, but she didn't come here to take a shower.

The moment Ra'lin sat down in the pilot chair, the room came alive around her. Soft lights began to glow, a quick checklist appeared on the console, blinked a few times, then faded. Identification complete. Welcome, Ra'lin Sha'mer. The voice was in her head. Always a rather unsettling experience.

"Imperial Star." Ra'lin spoke aloud, deliberately. To stop her thoughts from racing. To get herself under control, as much as possible. To figure out what she wanted to say, what she needed to say, in a language she rarely used. "Send a message to the Vo'Sh'un Empire. Destination, Imperial Palace, Vo'Shala. Recepient: Sha'mer Go'dral Fin, keyed to her mind, directly. Record message."

Standing by.

Ra'lin took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Mom, come back. If you haven't felt it already… Indi needs you. Badly. Hurry."
Message recorded.

"Send." Ra'lin began to stand up, then thought better of it. "Send a copy to Star One, too. Maybe…" Maybe her mother had already felt it. Even across this enormous distance. Maybe she was on her way back.

Please, let her be on her way back.

Messages sent.

Ra'lin sank back in the chair. If she was lucky, her mother would receive the message shortly and send an answer. If not… it might take hours. Days. Maybe longer. Depending on the situation in the Empire. Ra'lin had no idea why her mother had been called back, or why she had even gone, considering how much she hated the place. Maybe it had been aunt Sheryn… or rather, Go'shut, who had called her back.

Strange, how all those old memories came flooding back. Of her childhood back on Trilista, the house on the outskirts of the colony, on the cliffs near the sea where she lived with her mother and the woman who had been a second mom to her. The sea to one side, endless expanse of water under a silvery-blue sky, the colony to the other side, with the spire which housed the Command Centre visible from far away. Distant mountains lining the horizon.

Morning swims with her mother, Ra'lin dashing down the familiar path which lead to the small, sheltered beach, her mother following at a far slower speed. Dropping her clothes or thick bathrobe on the flat stones near the bottom stair, placing the towels next to it. Then the delightful plunge into the cold water, taking her breath away, instantly waking her up in the way no raktajino ever could, no matter how strong. Coming up dripping wet to see her mother carefully getting into the water herself, relaxing in its cold embrace. The one hour per day she had her mother truly to herself.

Days spent in the school of the colony, studying alongside her friends, or remotely from home. Wandering around, exploring her surroundings. Occasional visits to the Command Centre and other colony departments. Meeting other people, people wearing pips like small constellations, commanders, captains, commodores…


She never realised she had dozed off until the Imperial Star alerted her. Incoming hail.

Ra'lin shot up. "Accept."

Long range, audio only. Securing channel. Channel secured. Codes accepted. Lights on the console shifted.

"Ra'lin." Sha'mer didn't bother to speak Vo'Sh'un. "Do you know what's going on?"

A casual listener would have thought Sha'mer was unfazed by Ra'lins message, not worried at all. Ra'lin heard the overtones in her mother's voice and wasn't fooled at all.

"No," she replied instantly. "Admiral MacLaren called. Asked me to find you. She didn't say much. Just an 'it's complicated'." She could easily imagine the look which would cross her mother's face when she heard this, the eyebrow raised a fraction, the brief smirk, quickly hidden. "Time is a factor."

A pause which might have contained a curse or a sigh on the other side of the line. "Where?"

"She didn't say. Message came from Fleet Command, though."

"Very well." The tone meant anything but that. "I'll head there. Meanwhile, I'll see if the admiral will be more forthcoming towards me. Sh-"

"Mom, wait." The channel remained open and Ra'lin quickly continued. "Keep me posted, please. If you can."

"Will do." There was a hint of a smile in Sha'mer's answer. "Sha'mer out."

Ra'lin gave the console in front of her a brief pat as she got up. Thank you.

You are welcome, Ra'lin Sha'mer.

The room went dark as she left, the small vessel returned to its former dormant state.

 

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