Part I: The Takeoff

The journey was to begin. The preparations were done. Co-ordinates were set. The course was plotted. And the rise in chatter amongst the men and women shown the increasing nervousness and impatience of the men. Of the men assembled to partake in the send off for Kronus Alpha.

It was to be a simple mission. All they had to do was to warp through space and time to the sector Patriotic Saints. Kronus Alpha was to establish communications and secure the planet for the humans to live in the future. To colonize those planets. That was all. Forty- six cruisers, led by cruisers Darkday, Incarius Piriote and Dawn IIV. Armed to the teeth and filled to the brim with supplies required for at least a decade without income for a hundred men. That was their only objective. Short and sweet.

But simple? That was to be and will forever be, the greatest understatement mankind has ever made. For that fateful voyage, it was to be remembered to be the first ever encounter with the long and writhing hand of The Enemy…

Captain Nova was to commandeer the Darkday cruiser, the greatest and grandest of all cruisers. And as his seconds, Lieutenants Arteloc and Kara. Each were to be in the cockpit of the Incarius Piriote and the Dawn IIV respectively. Each cruiser had about fifty individuals. All had a great amount of supplies. The overall cost for this trip was to take only a couple of billions in preparations.They Were just to transport the Generator, the transmitter for the Hyperpulse relay system.

Yet for all that was human, there was to be error. Is mankind really imperfect?

On the Darkday, the Rendering Audio Derived In Orbit, a.k.a. the RADIO, crackled to life.
‘This is Ground Control. Come in Darkday.’
‘This is Captain Nova. Reporting in Darkday, Ground C.’
‘All systems clear to go?’
‘Yes. Our chance at life anew, away to some forsaken planet to re-inhabit, begins in 5…4…3…2…1… For mankind and the future! We depart now!’

As cheers erupted from the ground and the warp engines flared a sapphire blue, a lone Techmaster, 314, discovered a minor mistake. By the time 314 made it to the parade and spilled the ill news, the fleet had disappeared, to the edge of the system. Out of RADIO range and with only a receiver for the long-range Hyperpulse signals to be sent from the Generator onboard Darkday, they could only wait.

For they, were now alone, and now, Kronus Alpha would be encountering man’s greatest foe. The power of the Dark Gods was infinite.

It was too late. It had begun…