The Intergalactic Commandship, Audrey, warped the atmosphere and clouds as it came crashing down on Tambokh's desert.
Zanari outpost. Watchtower. An officer reported to the commander, "Sir, Audrey has been destroyed. A Nomad scout fled the scene. Our fighters tried to chase it, but the pilot was too sharp."
The Zanari commander nodded and dismissed him. Seconds later, a screen in the room lit up — a human-like figure wearing a General's attire appeared.
"You were supposed to help Klasneck escape before commanding destroyers."
"That traitor? What good use would we have of him? He did his job. He served."
"This is not how the agency works… he carried important intel on the IC commandships and you just—"
"It worked. Two IC commanders are dead along with their traitor. How is this not a good win for us?"
"Do you even know who was on that ship?"
"Yes. The dead. Buried in the ship's wreckage, decaying in Tambokh's desert. Is there anything else?"
The commander cued the operator in the room to cut the feed as the General barely recorded his response: "If you weren't my son…"
The screen dimmed. He walked to the window, watching the towering pile of the ship in the distant horizon.
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"So what are our options?" Mira addressed the IC committee in a holographic meeting.
"Under no circumstances is Nomad to wander anywhere close to Tambokh."
"My commander… my queen is down there. Or have you forgotten how Andromedans acted when she was abducted?"
"Mira, we are on your side. But we can't wage war on Zanari on the premise that our ship was spying in their jurisdiction. You know the rulebook."
"Zanari attacked the ship instead of warning us. The mole lured Vostok. It was all planned."
"Nonetheless, political affairs hang in the balance," one committee member commented.
"Then I'll take my ship and go myself."
"Zanari is a delicate matter. You know the story."
"She's trapped in Tambokh, no comms, no supplies. What do you want me to do? Do nothing?"
"You said you believed in her no matter what. Let us have faith in her," the human representative spoke up.
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The ship's hull cracked open. Eve emerged from Audrey's wreckage in the desert. The ship had crash-landed vertically and stood like a skyscraper. Pieces and chunks were scattered all over the desert.
Eve had been down there for months. She had turned Audrey's wreck into a fortress — her base. For months, Zanari warriors and the army tried to get to her, but she defeated them every time.
On one occasion, she captured a Zanari soldier. "Tell your commander, if I wanted to escape, I would have a long time ago," she said, letting go of the soldier's neck. The human-like figure dropped to the ground and fled.
Eve, with no regeneration pod, had battle scars all over her body. She could not heal completely and used medical kits from the wrecked ship to treat her wounds.
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The Zanari commander spoke to the General. "Father, please, I am begging you. She's going to kill me."
"She demands we evacuate Tambokh."
"It's a barren land. We've been trying to colonize it for years, but civilians aren't buying it. This whole campaign is a failure."
"Still, handing out an entire planet like that… it's not even in my authority."
"Then tell the Zanari Council — either we offer Tambokh as a peace gesture to the IC to compensate for their downed ship, or she takes it by force. Can they handle the stain on their military?"
"It is all your fault. Had you listened—"
"I'll present myself to the council. Let them be my judge. It's a matter of time before she starts attacking our outposts."
"I'll talk to the council."
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Eight months into the battle, the Zanari army had given up. Eve had started attacking back, destroying many Zanari outposts.
One day, Zanari approached the dead wreckage with a peace convoy, offering Eve an escort home and the evacuation of Tambokh as she demanded.
"I'll leave when Zanari are gone," she said, smashing the radio against the wall.
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Eve stood on Nomad's deck-top, watching Zanari forces roll out. Ground vehicles and crafts moved into a Zanari spaceship. IC spaceships were parked on the other side, as alliance soldiers took over the outposts — a peaceful transfer of the desert planet.
Mira came to her. "Vostok was a great man. And a friend."
"It wasn't just about him."
Mira said nothing, just listened.
"After Audrey's fall, stuck out here… I had time to think. What if it was Nomad in the same situation?"
Eve knew the committee wouldn't let her fight Zanari as an IC commander, so she didn't escape. She fought back as their own hostage. It took Zanari forces some time to realize she was holding the entire planet hostage instead.
"You know, Mira, Tambokh is a Zanari name — it means 'scorching winds.' Vostok was a brave soldier. A star you couldn't shoot down. But betrayal got to him."
The Intergalactic Committee renamed the newly acquired planet to Vostok. You could visit Vostok and see Audrey's wreckage from miles away, towering in the sand.
The first alliance-built outpost became a hub of future operations. It was named… Star Scream.