Galaxy in Flames

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

The rat was thrown into the brig, as laser fence powered up behind her. She scrambled back up and gnashed her teeth before turning to three officers. The captain held the mouse close on one of the two bunk beds, while Mika sat apart, on the floor with his hands around his knees.
"Evenin'," the rat nodded to them, still pulsing with aggression.
"'Sup," the winged cat replied. The female rat began to pace from the back wall to the fence, muttering profanities and racial slurs. Her volume grew louder and louder until she dropped the pretence and outright screamed at the guards.
"Save your strength, we'll be here a while," Maxim said. She turned to him and rolled her eyes, turning away.
She only looked back to say, "I dont need advice from you."
"You don't know who I am," he replied.
"I dont care who you are. You could be Emperor of the Eph'tan homeworld and it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. I would still all be stuck in this stupid cell." She slammed her fist against the wall, exerting some energy, calming down. "It was my first real battle as well. My Harpy was beautiful."
"You're a pilot?" the captain asked, layering his tone with curiousity. The rat's twitched into an evaporating smile at the question.
"The best dogfighter-" She stopped mid-sentence and started again. "Yeah, part of TAK 1 of the 107th Direwolves. Bunch of cowards." She looked over to the officers. "You know, once the Ellan went down, and the human fleet arrived, they just ran off, leaving us lot behind to face God knows what twisted fate these humans will have waiting." Her chest heaved with anger.
"Well fighting to the end got us stuck in here. Maybe they had the right idea," the captain said. Kimchi lifted her head, looking to the cat. He glanced to her and smirked. The rat's eyes narrowed, and sneered, looking between the two Eph'tan. She turned away again.
"If everyone fought as hard as I did, these baldies would have been a pushover."

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono lowered his weapon and walked up to Blaire with a tone of concern in his voice. "Couldn't your medical room heal this up?" he asked, tracing a talon over her scar, being extra careful not to open the wound more.

[Gabag]

"Well Well well... so this is the one who gave me so much trouble and almost killed Zev today" said a voice outside the cell.
Upon closer inspection it was Captain Gab, Alpha one, with the other Alphas, who just got back from the debriefing.

"I must say you put up a hell of a fight Miss....." Zev went on to say, but couldn't finish because he didn't know Shock's name.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

"Reyana Abias, my friends call me Shock, you can call me Miss Abias," she said, her voice soaked in a sardonic tone. She stepped up to the fence and stared up into the eyes of the human, visually demanding provocation.

[Gabag]

"Well Miss Abias, I would like to thank you for putting my skills to the limit today.. you are a fine pilot... The name's Gab.. actually Gabe, but no one calls me that, just call me Gab. Where did you learn how to fly like that?"

"Captain you can't be serious, she almost killed Zev and I today and your exchanging pleasantries!?" protested Collins, who had some burns on him.
"Collins.... just go on without me guys, I'll meet you at the procession" retorted the captain, with the rest of the team filing out of the brig to get ready for the funeral, for all those who died today.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

The rat lost her agressive smirk, turning to a frown, confused and searching, to figure this human out.
"I'm just gifted that way. It's rare to find someone who can shoot me down." Her voice built in its violent tone, verbally prodding him. "Where did you learn to shoot down a Goddess?" Captain Maxim smirked at the word.

[Gabag]

"Well hard work and constant training could only get me so far, most of what I bring to the table is combat experience from against the Dissenters, those who wouldn't accept our Emperor... forgive the others... they aren't used to seeing the face of the men and women who killed their friends"
Gab said, glaring accusingly at the command crew, the pilot he could forgive, for all her arrogance, but for a command crew throw away lives of their own and of their allies...

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Shock looked back and forth, from the human to the officers, questions wriggling over he brain. "Well it's war, people die. If your pilots can't handle that then they shouldn't be flying."

Maxim matched glares with the human, his face was stone hard, accepting the accusations, replying with a stare. Kimchi began to stroke the cat's wing-like growths that stuck out from his uniform.
Mika sat in the corner, curling up to avoid the others.

[Gabag]

"They know it's War, but they aren't used to people just turning and shooting them in the back. If we humans did that to your crew Miss Abias you'd be in the same position I am now... being visibly angry at the reckless deaths and destruction caused."

Striker 2 docked, and with it Jameson and his entourage. Jameson was however, not feeling too well.
"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY SEND THESE EPH'TAN TO THE BRIG, THEY SAVED MY LIFE AND OF THE OTHER SOLDIERS OUT THERE!" he yelled at the debreifing officer.
"I'm sorry Sgt. but orders are Orders, you may visit the prisoners if you really want to..." The file of Eph'Tan troops was taken to the brig, with Jameson following, fuming.

Looking behind himself, Gab saw other prisoners, soldiers of the Eph'Tan Conglomerate, looking back at him in disgust. They must've thought he was the interrogation officer, surprisingly they were followed by a visibly pissed off human soldier.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Maxim shook his head and sighed, rolling his eyes at the human. Shock looked back at the officers,
"Well, I dont know anything about that, and frankly I don't care. I just wanted to shoot some baldies." The last word was said with a smirk to the human. When she heard the voices coming from the corridor, she leaned past Gab, and watched as the new arrivals walked in.

[Gabag]

Maxim shook his head and sighed, rolling his eyes at the human. Shock looked back at the officers,
"Well, I dont know anything about that, and frankly I don't care. I just wanted to shoot some baldies." The last word was said with a smirk to the human. When she heard the voices coming from the corridor, she leaned past Gab, and watched as the new arrivals walked in.

"Wow Baldie... that's so hurtful, considering your nothing better then a rug, hell not even, you'd just stink up my room anyways, probably aren't even housebroken!" Said a guard venomously, who had been listening and been infuriated with Shock's crap, the guard volunteered from the Indomitable to keep watch over the Eph'Tan

"PRIVATE JENKINS WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BEING RACIST!"
Suddenly the Pvt. cringed, for Sgt. Jameson was a murderous man when angry.
"YOU TOLD ME TO NOT BE RACIST SIR!"
"WELL I EXPECT YOU TO ABIDE BY THAT SOLDIER, NOW TAKE 10 LAPS AROUND THIS ENTIRE SHIP DOUBLE TIME!"
"SIR YES SIR!"
The soldier took off full sprint.

"i'm sorry about that Miss, Jenkins doesn't know when to keep his trap shut... the name's Jameson pleased to meet ya!" he said, his mood suddenly changing.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Mika lifted his head to see this Jameson person, as the rat watched the guard dart out of the room. She then looked from Jameson to Gab and sighed.
"Alright, what's going on? How come you humans are being all friendly, we're your prisoners aren't we?" she asked.
Kimchi's ears perked up as she decided to keep track of this interaction between species.

[Gabag]

"Just because we're human doesn't mean we dont respect worthy adversaries.. I mean when the Fires of Ellan fell apart, I owe some of the very people I fought my life, as it was them with their E.V.A. suits who kept me from getting sucked into the void." replied Jameson

"The Sgt. is right, just because your our prisoners doesn't mean we can be friendly.. military code prevents us from killing PoWs so you should be safe, but it doesnt say we can't interact with them in a friendly manner.." said the Captain.

"Besides, with a ship full of people out for your blood, it pays to have friends, but I didn't come for that reason Miss Abiass... I came to you with a deal... would you like to join Alpha Squadron?"

He waited for a second to let the full effect of what he was asking take hold.

"Now you may be thinking... 'I just tried to kill him... and he wants me to join him' and thats true, but your raw piloting skills convinced me... It's a chance to try to mend the bad blood between our species..."

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

Every Eph'tan in the cell suddenly became bolt upright, staring at the human in disbelief. Shock began to slowly walk backwards.
"I dont know what kind of messed up trick you're trying, but it won't work. Do you honestly think I'm just gonna jump in bed with you lot?" she said. Suddenly, the captain stood up.
"It's not even her choice to make. As a pilot of the Eph'tan military, she is bound by her duty to serve the Eph'tan Conglomerate," he said, standing taller than any of the humans, puffing his chest, to look as commanding as possible. "If you have any requests to make of my crew, address them to me. I am their Captain after all." Shock did a double take at the winged cat. Slowly, her face transformed as she realised who she had been talking to with such disrespect.
"Ahhh nuts," she said. The captain looked down to her, and she stood to attention, rigidly saluting him. "Sorry for not recognising you, Sir!"
"At ease, pilot. We're not on duty anymore."

[Gabag]

"Well i just wanted to offer a hopefully quicker way of integrating inter species co-operation, but if your crew doesn't wish to do anything, don't force them, because I'm not asking you Captain, I'm asking them, not as soldiers, but people. There is no trick here Miss Abaiss..., but I did not mean mending bad blood in that way...'
Suddenly a beeping was heard.

"Excuse me but I must leave, let me turn on the view screen for you"
Sprinting out of the brig, Gab made post haste to make it to the hanger on time.

On the view screen, a large gathering of humans was there, with coffins lined up into neat and even rows.

"We are gathered here to honor those fallen, in the battle of Sector Sixty Three Nine-Teen. Many a brave men and women died to preserve our way of life. They served the Navy with honor and courage, and dedication. From those who fall in the line of duty, we can offer no greater thanks, then the thanks of a Million worlds under their care. We are also here to honor those Eph'Tan who also fell in the line of duty, and we shall do our best to honor their sacrifice... They fought hard and they fought well, for that there could be no more honorable foe."

Hushed gasps erupted around the crowd at the mention of honoring those dead Eph'Tan. In the ceremonial human navy funeral, the coffins, one by one, were spaced, letting those within be with the stars forever.