The Players so far..

Zander Kane, once a trusted and highly decorated general for the United Federation, Kane betrayed not only his own race, but his own flesh and blood to join the Dark Collective, so he could be with the woman he loved. Now, he rides stardust and slipstreams, captaining the Betha, fighting for the collective, in hope of one day freeing the worlds from the federations ruling grasp.

Gadamrie, a Golden Priestess in the Dark Collective, who before the federation came to power boasted over one million hosts as part of her mind hive.

Syin-To-Twenty-Seven (Sin), Betha’s sentient companion, through the link they share Sin can control and communicate between Betha and Zander, as well as accessing and sometimes controlling other forms of technology.

Touvler, Zander’s right hand man and Betha’s co-pilot, Touvler along with two others joined Zander when he defected from the United Federations to the Dark Collective.

General Salidazar, an officer in the Dark Collective, who’s loyalties, may lie somewhere else.

High Priestess Dankika, leader of the Dark Collective, a maker, a being who exists across multiple realities.

High Lord Quinn, Commander for the United Federation, and a Quadrapled, a slang term for a clone. Quinn’s past is still yet to be revealed, but his past association with Zander Kane makes his story more of a mystery.

President Balmires, the current elected president of the united federation, Balmires’ rise to power is one worth of it’s own story, soaked in blood and betrayal.

Last time on Dark Stars

Zander and the crew of Betha find themselves requested by the High Priestess, once touching down, he comes face to face with General Salidazar, who has other plans for Zander. Gadamrie intervened spoiling his plans, as the High Priestess arrived and attempted to quell the already explosive situation, to, no positive end, until Sin relayed a message, what appears to be from Zander himself, warning of the Priestess and Salidazar, verifying the information, he acted, somewhat recklessly, and fled towards an unknown destination, with Salidazar following closely behind, Zander backtracked to take care of him once and for all, but, were faced with a greater problem. Unfortunately Zander and Betha’s crew, found themselves prisoners of High Lord Quinn.

And so we continue…

The light blinds him, he looks up, trying to shield his eyes, but his hands jerk back, as the blue glowing shackles that tether him to the metallic cells surface tighten and pull him back.

“Welcome back to the world of the living Captain Zander, I thought, you were going to rob me of the reveal,” a voice says from somewhere behind the light.

“So you finally decided to come down here and show your face, why? Your boys hands get tired of stroking my fine features with their soft delicate fists?”

“I, am glad to see you are in high spirits, for such a low point in your life.”

“You’re telling me, although, I’m never going to get on my knees like you and service tiny Johnson, to keep on breathing,” Zander says with a wry smile.

“Your words will not help you now Kane, you cannot escape my grasp, although, I am curious that you are not surprised by my appearance?”

“Should I be? Everyone knew you couldn’t to be trusted, that’s why we left you on Parsec Twelve with a bullet ion the back of your head, you ever think who did that? Ever wonder how you managed to get shot in the back of the head, when the enemy we were face were in front of us? Obviously, your upload was damaged in the reboot, I’m taking it, your a sloppy bot, sexting across the galaxy, taking a load or t….”

Quinn slaps Zander across the face and laughs, “Zander, normally, this would amuse me, but, you and I have more pressing matters to discuss.”

“You might as well save your jaw for the president of the alliance, I’m sure he’s expecting you soon, with all the spoils of war, but me, I’m tired of your voice, so, for once listen to me when I say shut up and put a bullet in it.”

“Don’t be foolish Zander, there’s many things we, I, can offer you, a warrior of your skill, could rise higher than many who already sit on Balmires cabinet, join me my friend, and toge….”

Zander laughs, “You think I’m that stupid? I know what this is, and I know Balmires, the things I’ve done, there ain’t no coming back from that, and besides, I’ve been where you are once, I’ve seen war from your side, didn’t like it, I’d rather die than stand by your side. Besides, my friend, the man you were, he died at the battle of the fallen star, this, whatever you are now, you’re not even close to who he was.”

Quinn moves from behind the light, his crimson red uniform shimmers in the light, while his hairless, pale white skin glows, making his empty black eyes seem like holes to another world. “I remember fallen star, many of your race died that day, as did mine, but, we all made choices that day, mine, was for me, yours, was for something else, something stupid. But, it does pain me to hear you say those words, I had hoped you would join me here, in the glory, in, the darkness, maybe, you need more time, perhaps I shouldn’t be so hasty, we have a day or more until we reach the citadel.”

“Don’t waste your time, Balmires and his kind will fall eventually, we’ll bring justice to the worlds, and end what his people have done, free the worlds, let them be their own once again, you’re pockets of sleepers will all come undone, thugs like Salidazar will fail, I may not be around to witness it, but, I know it’ll happen, cause dicks like you, always lose.”

“You’re a fool, they had their chance, but instead all they did was waste it, before his ascension, wars raged for centuries, hate prospered, but, under Balmires rule the universe has healed, has become one with each other, and your dreams, they’re lined with blood.”

“They were your dreams once as well if I remember, but, I guess you’ve forgotte…”

Quinn grabs Zander by the throat and squeezes, deathly staring into his eyes, “I have forgotten nothing, I was blind, like you, like the rest of your people, but I saw the light, I saw we were the ones causing death and destruction, taking innocent lives for a cause that is rotten, blind, worthless, and full of faults. Perhaps it’s better this way, perhaps, my dream of you being able to see the true power, the true way, is, something that is just that, a dream!” he says, as he tosses Zander to the floor, nodding his head to the side, as two similar uniformed men rush towards Zander, pulling him to his feet, as Quinn straightens his uniform , then raises a blaster towards Zander. “I’m disappointed we could not continue this friendship, but know this, when I am done here, with you, I am going to hunt down your precious Gadamrie, one by one, until all those in her depravity of a hive ar….” He stops and tilts his head, his black eyes widen with curiosity, as Zander smiles. “What amuses you? Do you not realise that today, is the beginning of the end, we have won and you, you will die.”

“I’m smiling because you think I was stupid enough to not have some sort of plan in place, you think I’d just give myself up, without a fight? Don’t you remember what happened on Baxter ten?” he says, as a blaster bolt tears through Quinn’s head. The two guards have no time to react as shots tear into them as well. “It took you long enough,” he says as two of Gadamrie’s hive hosts, shimmer into existence.

“I had to wait for the right moment,” She says.

“Where are the others?”

The two golden armoured figures look at each other, then at Zander, “We are all that is left, the others,” she says, lowering her head. “The others are no more.”

“What? How? You said no one would die? What the hell happened to your plan?”

She looks down at Quinn, “He, he wasn’t alone, there was another traitor in our mists.”

“Another? Who the hell is there left to turn on us? What you’re saying doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s something I’m still trying to get my head around, but, the time for speculation will have to wait, if we are to finish this, we must move quickly, time is running out.”

Zander picks up Quinn’s blaster and checks it’s power cell, “I knew this plan was going to back fire.”

To Be Continued