What Was Left Behind

Milky Way Date: Year 3752, Famona 20th, Galactic Foundation of Catoq Calendar (3752, G.F.C.C); Year 2038, September 20th, After The Great Disaster (2038, A.G.D)

Milky Way Location: The Unexplored Sector

Planet: Unknown

The muddy terrain made it difficult for the cadets to be able to walk as quickly as possible towards the marked spot and, with Blavius's leg showing no sign that it would improve soon, it would certainly take even longer.

Revius, the strange old man owner of the ship found, showed them a shortcut, without giant worms or creatures with murderous instincts hunting them down. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't have known they were on a planet in the Unexplored Sector, thousands of miles away from their fleet. Most importantly, if it weren't for that man, they would have died right there, without having any contact with the Foundation.

The sky was once again returning to its usual gray color, with the sun covered by passing clouds.

"That guy was weird." Galeg said, the first in line as they walked. "It seems like he has lived here a long time, I would be weird too." Akin said, trying not to trip over the muddy land. "Even more with visitors showing up on my ship out of nowhere."

"What was he really like?" Vantner asked curiously. "He was old, very old." Galeg replied. "He had purple skin and countless wrinkles around his forehead, they were deformed whenever he smiled." Avey said in addition. "He was strange, yes, but he emanated strength and control in the overwhelming situation." Akin said. "And he also had the armor."

"Armor?" Blavius ​​asked as he turned slowly towards Akin. "An armor present in the middle of the ship, in a great condition, but covered in dust." Akin replied. "But it didn't seem to belong to the Foundation, it had a different symbol. Three interconnected triangles."

"I've never heard of such a symbol. And that armor seemed to be much more advanced than any armor belonging to the Foundation." Galeg replied, checking the map transferred to the wrist computer.

Night would fall soon, but the five cadets could not see the sun disappearing from the sky. Gray clouds covered the sky most of the time, night or not, it was always the same darkness.

This time, they wouldn't have to worry too much about being ambushed by wild animals, Revius stated in every word that this place is a route he used to hunt safely. He even offered a small ten-eyed worm to the three, who politely declined.

A noise could be heard through the swamp, something from the gray sky. The five looked up, trying to understand what was going on. They thought it could be some kind of storm, but they were wrong.

"Look!" Blavius ​​shouted, pointing a hand at the dark sky, while trying to balance himself with a single crutch. "It's the Foundation!"

In fact, a ship was coming down from the sky. It was a tenth-generation mid-sized Hero-IV model, in other words, it was an incredible ship.

They were getting ready to land, the five were just a few kilometers from the location. They stayed a day and a half on this smelly planet. Most of the time trying not to die for everything that this planet contained, all its challenges.

They were eager to leave and saddened by the loss of a friend. They failed to recover what was left of Veiggo's body, having fallen somewhere in the swamp. Even if they looked, it was unlikely that they would be able to find, given the number of trees present, the water channels or the giant worms.

Akin, on the other hand, could not stop thinking about the symbol he saw on the armor. He felt that the symbol was familiar, as if he had seen it before. He forced his memory to the maximum, trying to remember, to no avail.

"Can anyone tell me what day it is today? I never remember." Blavius ​​said. "Well, it depends on which calendar you use." Avey replied, looking at her wrist computer. "Today is Famona 20th, on the Galactic Foundation Calendar. And September 20th, on the calendar After The Great Disaster."

The Galactic Foundation calendar was first used a few years after the end of the first Catoq wars, while the second calendar was used based on the Earth calendar. The latter being used mainly by humans, although other planets and races adopted it some time later. Akin and Galeg felt a shiver down their spine at the last mentioned calendar.

Avey probably noticed the two acting strange after what she said, whispering an apology to the two very softly.

After hours of walking on muddy terrain, they finally arrived at the marked location. The ship remained in the center of the rocky terrain, without the presence of trees or water channels around it. The boarding bridge was still closed, probably waiting for them to ask to lower it.

They approached the ship as close as possible. Looking closely, it looked like it was a big ship. Galeg hit the dark metal, echoing through the silent forest. Vantner and Avey were shouting at them to lower the boarding bridge, but there was no answer.

"This is weird." Galeg said, confused. "We should have embarked by now." Thinking hard, the bridge finally started to descend slowly. Upon reaching the rocky soil, the dust and grains of dry land present there flew in the faces of the five cadets.

The interior of the ship had no lighting and no crew disembarked to invite them in. Even with this strange atmosphere, they decided to enter. Akin was about to set foot on the bridge when he felt a strange presence around him, as if watching him from a distance. He looked around trying to find the source, to no avail.

Akin heard muffled sounds from inside the ship and, upon entering, was faced with a scene different from the one he had imagined to find. Instead of a warm welcome, the Foundation was arresting the four cadets who had previously entered.

In fact, these people were not part of the Foundation and, from what was happening, it looked like a kidnapping. "Were they the same people who took them to this planet? Did they come back to eliminate the tracks left?" The boy thought to himself.

"AKIN, RUN!" Avey cried out in despair, trying to break free from one of the kidnappers. He punched her in the face, making her fall to the floor. Akin ran, but instead of leaving the ship, he went after them. He punched the crewman in the chest, seeing that it had no effect, drew his energy pistol, killing him instantly. He turned to the left to find the kidnappers with guns aimed at Galeg and Vantner's heads, and the boy hesitated for a brief moment.

While distracted, he was hit by a stun gun to paralyze him. Akin fell to the cold, metallic floor in agony, being electrocuted by the electric stick in the hands of one of the men. He was about to be killed when one of them intervened. "Not this one. They told us to leave this one here."

The boy did not understand what they meant and, still paralyzed, was pulled off the ship, being thrown on the rocky floor in the middle of the night, in the freezing cold.

His friends and colleagues, now trapped in chairs and with their mouths covered with a small cloth, tried to shout for the boy's name, but he did not respond.

He watched, lying on the hard, icy ground, as the ship left the planet.

And then he passed out.