Devouring Planet
Samuel stared into the void of space beyond the bridge's viewport, the distant stars offering no solace. He had come into this mission hoping for an early rest, for a semblance of peace after years of service. But now, he felt hollow, like a failure.
"Captain."
The voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see Azrael standing near the doorway. The soldier looked like a dead log, barely holding himself upright, yet his eyes burned with determination.
"I'm sorry for what has happened," Azrael said, his voice steady despite the fatigue weighing him down. "But no one could have prepared us for that... Don't let that guilt consume you, sir."
Samuel stared at him for a long moment. Azrael's words hit deep, but they didn't erase the pain.
"You're right," Samuel finally said, though his tone was heavy.
As silence fell between them, Samuel allowed himself to reminisce one last time. Their faces flashed in his mind, one by one. Smiling. Determined. Alive.
And now... gone.
He clenched his fists. To his squad. To the Spear. To Nobu... To Harold.
"So, what are the orders from Command?" Samuel asked, his voice quiet but resolute. He needed to know the next steps, no matter how dire they were.
Azrael hesitated before answering, his expression grave. "Our orders are to abandon the planet. I have a feeling something big is looming, Captain."
Samuel's eyes narrowed as he processed Azrael's words. Something big... The events on the surface, the destruction, the anomalies—it all pointed to something far greater than what they had anticipated.
"Abandoning the planet won't end this," Samuel muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
Azrael didn't respond, but the weight of his silence spoke volumes.
Samuel straightened, his grief momentarily pushed aside. He needed answers—why his regiment had been thrown into the fire without warning, and what truly lurked on this cursed planet.
The ship's thrusters roared to life.
Engine firing up sounds.
The vibrations reverberated through the bridge as the vessel began its ascent, departing the hostile surface.
Samuel stood near the viewport, his gaze fixed on the fading image of the planet below. He clenched his jaw. Everyone he had brought here, everyone he trusted—they were gone.
He exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath, "Why do I get the feeling—"
Suddenly, his words were cut short.
WOOOOOOMMMM!
A blinding beam of energy tore through the void, a destructive force that Samuel had hoped never to see again.
His instincts took over. He bolted to the nearest terminal, slamming his hand on the comms. "EVASIVE MANEUVERS! RATTLE ENERGY INBOUND!"
The ship's alarms blared as the crew scrambled. The pilot yanked the controls, pulling the ship into a steep dive.
BOOOOOOOM!
The beam grazed past, narrowly missing the ship but unleashing a shockwave that sent vibrations ripping through the hull. Samuel gripped the edge of the table to steady himself.
"Report!" he barked.
A voice crackled through the comms. "Minimal damage to the exterior, Captain, but that was too close!"
Samuel's mind raced. That wasn't a random shot. It was aimed.
Samuel turned back to the viewport, his heart racing. He scanned the void for any sign of what could have fired the beam. Then his breath caught.
"Ah... crap."
His voice trembled as he stepped closer to the glass. What he saw horrified him.
"Azrael..." Samuel's words came hesitantly. "Do you see what I'm seeing?"
Azrael moved beside him, his expression shifting from disbelief to dread. "At this point, Samuel... I think I've gone mad."
Before them, the planet—once lifeless and barren—seemed alive. It had morphed grotesquely, forming a massive, wide grin across its surface, a sinister mockery of life itself. The "face" seemed to stretch impossibly, the smile almost daring them to challenge it further.
Samuel's stomach churned. This was no ordinary planet Artemis was alive
He snapped out of his trance and immediately barked into the comms. "GO! GO! GO! LIGHT SPEED! NOW!"
The ship's thruster roared to life, the vibrations shaking the entire vessel as it prepared to engage.
"ALL SYSTEMS GREEN. LIGHT SPEED IN 3... 2..."
Samuel clenched his fists, staring at the grinning monstrosity below as the countdown continued.
"1... ENGAGE!"
With a deafening BOOM, the ship shot forward, straining to reach the stars. But it felt like they were being yanked back.
"Status report!" Samuel barked.
"It's the gravitational pull," a crew member replied, panic in their voice. "It's keeping us from moving into light speed!"
Samuel's gaze snapped back to the viewport. The planet's grotesque grin widened further, its surface twisting unnaturally as it began to shift.
"It's moving," Samuel muttered in disbelief. "No... it's coming closer."
The sight sent chills through his body.
"For f*ck's sake, when will this end?" he hissed under his breath, his mind racing for a solution.
Then, just as despair began to creep in, something appeared on the horizon. A glimmer of hope.
The 3 remaining battleships, accompanied by the Alma 7, emerged from hyperspace. Their sleek forms glided through the darkness, weapons bristling with readiness.
"For the love of God, finally!" Azrael exhaled, a rare flicker of relief crossing his face.
But relief was short-lived.
The grinning planet's movements quickened. The gravitational pull intensified, and tendrils of energy surged outward from its surface, lashing toward the incoming ships like predators zeroing in on prey.
The deafening silence in the cockpit gave way to stunned murmurs as the ship suddenly accelerated, breaking free of the gravitational pull.
The 3 remaining battleships, accompanied by the Alma 7, emerged from hyperspace. Their sleek forms cut through the darkness, bristling with weapons and energy fields.
"For the love of God, finally!" Azrael exhaled, his usual stoic demeanor cracking for just a moment. Relief flickered across his face.
But the relief didn't last.
The grinning planet's movements quickened, its gravitational pull intensifying. Tendrils of energy surged outward from its surface, slithering toward the incoming ships like hunting predators.
The 3 battleships moved into formation, giving way to the Alma 7. Its sleek hull began to unfold like a blooming flower, revealing a massive umbrella-shaped mechanism. The device began to hum ominously, focusing its power into a single, concentrated energy field.
Samuel's jaw tightened. ".....Any word from command?"
"Nothing, sir," replied the data analyst, their voice trembling.
Samuel leaned back into his chair, feeling the weight of helplessness settle on him once more.
He knew they we're Bait
"What should we do now, sir?" the analyst pressed, desperation seeping into their tone.
Azrael interjected sharply, "Contact Commander Kaelen Stroud. He sho—"
WHOOSH!
A sudden, violent lurch threw everyone forward as the ship surged ahead, breaking free from the planet's grasp.
"How?" Samuel muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he stared at the viewport, the planet shrinking behind them.
The crew exchanged glances, none with an answer.
-----
Down near the planet's surface, the aftermath of a brutal clash unfolded.
"You still... protect that mortal?" the knight wheezed, struggling to rise from the cracked ground. His armor was shattered, his blade embedded deep in the earth beside him.
The machine loomed over him, its metallic frame battered but resolute. Energy pulsated faintly along its limbs, giving it an almost ethereal glow.
"AS I MUST," the machine's voice boomed, cold and unwavering.
The knight let out a dry, raspy chuckle, blood dripping from his cracked jaw. "A puppet of logic... defending the weak. How noble. But it won't matter. That planet... will consume them all."
The machine tilted its head, unfazed by the taunt. "THIS BATTLE IS TEMPORARY. THE MAN'S ROLE IS NOT YET COMPLETE."
The knight let out a rasping laugh, dark and broken. "You still serve that insignificant creature? Protect him all you want—it will only delay the inevitable."
Energy flared along the machine's arm, its circuits glowing brighter. With deliberate precision, it reached into its chest, extracting a glowing core.
"I HOPE THIS REACHES HIM," the machine intoned. It launched the core, a beacon of blinding light streaking away from the planet.
The knight, barely able to stand, sneered despite its broken state. "A noble death... for a mindless tool."
The machine's voice lowered, resonating like a distant storm. "NOBILITY IS IRRELEVANT. DUTY IS ALL." It smiles
With that, the Hungry Planet—and all within it—was consumed by the cold abyss of the black hole generated by Alma-7. The colossal gravitational force warped reality itself, twisting light and space as the planet collapsed into oblivion.
The machine and the knight were the last remnants to fall, their forms vanishing into the swirling void. The knight's laughter echoed one final time, faint and fleeting, before silence reigned.
---
Aboard Samuel's ship:
Samuel watched as the chaos unfolded, his breath caught in his chest. The viewport showed only darkness where the planet had once loomed. The gravitational pull that had threatened to destroy them was gone, but unease clung to the air.
The comms crackled to life. "Captain Hatten, this is Sucrous 9. Do you copy?"
Samuel snapped back to reality, fumbling to respond. "This is Captain Samuel Hatten. I read you loud and clear, Sucrous 9. What the hell just happened down there?"
The voice on the other end hesitated before replying. "Unclear, Captain. All we know is that the planet has been engulfed by the gravity well. We're monitoring the situation remotely."
Samuel leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "Yeah, no kidding..."
Azrael stepped closer, placing a firm hand on Samuel's shoulder. "We made it out, Captain. That's all that matters."
Samuel nodded, though unease still gnawed at him. His gaze lingered on the shrinking planet, now a fractured shell disappearing into the void. He couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over—not by a long shot.
"What's the plan, Captain?" Azrael asked.
Samuel's jaw tightened. His mind raced, caught between relief and dread. "We regroup. We find answers. And... we go home."
The viewport showed only darkness now, but the ghostly grin of the planet seemed burned into his memory. As the ship sped away, Samuel silently resolved—this was just the beginning of something far greater.