Getting to Know

"Kai… I pray for your luck, my son. Please… tell me you're still alive out there."

A faint rustling. Static.

"Son… Where are you…?"

A groan. Faint, distorted.

"Kai… Answer me…"

More groaning. The sound of something breaking apart.

"Kai… Kai… KAI!"

With a sharp gasp, Kai jolted awake.

Sweat clung to his skin, drenching his side of the bed. His breathing was ragged, his heart pounding violently in his chest.

Darkness surrounded him. Cold. Silent. He knew exactly where he was.

A soft moan came from beside him. A voice—warm, drowsy—cut through the silence.

"Love…? What happened? You woke up so suddenly…"

A yawn. Half-asleep, but still laced with concern.

Kai turned, meeting the sleepy eyes of Natasha.

He exhaled, forcing a small smile. "No… It's just a nightmare. Sorry for waking you, Nat."

He reached out, gently running his fingers through her hair. She sighed softly, nuzzling into his touch before drifting back to sleep.

But Kai… he couldn't sleep.

Because it wasn't just a nightmare.

It keeps coming back.

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Water streamed down his well-built frame, the shower's scorching heat filling the room with thick steam. Droplets cascaded from his hair, tracing the contours of his body before vanishing down the drain.

He stood there, unmoving. Head lowered. Eyes unfocused.

The nightmare still clung to him—like a phantom whispering in the back of his mind. His head throbbed. A wave of nausea churned in his stomach.

But he forced himself to move.

Stepping out, he grabbed a towel, running it over his damp skin before dressing in his captain's uniform. The crisp fabric felt grounding, a reminder of his duty.

Returning to the bedroom, he found Natasha was already gone—most likely in the medbay. With a sigh, he left as well, making his way toward the kitchen area.

A few crew members greeted him along the way. He nodded in return, grabbing a cup of coffee before heading toward the command room.

The moment he stepped inside, the hum of activity filled the space. Crew members sat at their stations, monitoring screens, adjusting controls, and analyzing data.

Kai took his seat, scanning the vast expanse of the galaxy displayed before him.

Then, Jeanne Keller approached. As always, she was poised, professional—a tablet in her hands.

"Good morning, Captain. You look different. Did something happen?"

Her voice was neutral, more curiosity than concern. Not personal—just duty.

Kai brushed it off. "It's nothing."

She didn't press further. Instead, she straightened her posture, her gaze fixed on the holographic map of the galaxy.

"What's today's report? Have we detected any planets?"

Three days had passed since their departure. Not a single planet yet.

Any celestial body would count as progress—even if it wasn't habitable. But what they needed was more than just a planet.

They were searching for:

A world resembling Earth or UNWC.

Signs of intelligent life—not just animals.

Structures, ruins, or artificial constructs.

A surface safe to land on.

Jeanne glanced at her tablet before responding.

"We have not detected any planets yet, Captain. Only rocks and space debris."

Her tone was flat. Unwavering.

Kai sighed. Not frustration—just exhaustion.

It wasn't boredom. It was the lack of progress.

In a few days, he would be required to send a report to General Hackett. But what was there to report?

For now, all they could do was keep searching.

Since he had nothing to do, Kai got up from his seat and made his way toward the medbay. It had been a while since he checked in on Natasha, and with no new updates on the mission, he figured now was a good time.

When he arrived, Natasha was sitting in a chair, her focus glued to a tablet screen. The soft glow reflected in her eyes as she scrolled through reports.

As soon as she noticed Kai, she rose from her seat, a playful smile forming on her lips before greeting him with a kiss.

"Hey, love. Missed me?" she teased, wrapping her arms around him.

Kai exhaled softly, allowing himself to relax in her embrace.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. "We haven't found a planet yet, so I don't have much to do. Are you busy?"

She shook her head, signaling she wasn't.

"We can spend time together while waiting for something to happen. How about it?" she suggested, eager to spend time with her boyfriend—even though they literally slept together every night.

Kai chuckled at her enthusiasm before guiding her to sit back down. They spent the next half-hour talking, enjoying each other's company in the quiet of the medbay.

Until—

"Miss! We need your help!"

The door slided open, revealing a young crew member supporting his limping friend.

"My friend here injured his leg. Can you treat him?"

Natasha's demeanor shifted instantly—from a playful girlfriend to a professional doctor.

"Put him on the bed there. Let me take a look," she instructed, already approaching them.

The uninjured crew member helped his friend onto the bed while Natasha inspected the injury.

"It doesn't look bad," she observed. "How did this happen?"

The two young men hesitated, glancing at each other like kids caught doing something stupid.

Finally, the injured one, Adam, spoke up, his face turning red.

"Uh… I was taking a nap on my bed, but when I woke up, I forgot it was a double-decker. So… I fell."

Silence.

Kai raised an eyebrow, while Adam's friend, Josh, looked like he wanted to die from secondhand embarrassment.

Natasha giggled. "I see. Rookie mistake." She then glanced at Kai with an amused look.

"Well, I'm going to treat this young man. See you later, love," she said, giving him a quick wave before turning her attention back to Adam.

Kai nodded, suppressing a smirk as he waved back.

With nothing else to do, he turned on his heel and headed toward the weapon storage next.

When Kai arrived at the weapon storage, he spotted a muscular man inspecting and cleaning a row of firearms. The dim lighting cast shadows over the metal frames, making them gleam.

The man glanced up, immediately recognizing him.

"Hey, Captain."

"How's the inventory, Jose?" Kai asked, picking up a pistol and inspecting it.

Jose smirked, giving an assault rifle a firm pat before lifting it up like it was a prized possession.

"Everything's in top condition. General really hooked us up with high-quality gear this time. Just look at this beauty."

Kai nodded, his fingers running over the pistol's smooth barrel. "Yeah, I can see that. Would be nice to put them to the test."

"Hope it doesn't come to that anytime soon," Jose replied, placing the rifle back in its slot.

Then, his smirk widened.

"Say... I heard you took down Coach Armstrong to pass his class. Not saying I don't believe you, but I wasn't there to see it."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "Okay… It happened. What are you getting at?"

Jose leaned forward slightly.

"Let's cut to the chase—spar with me."

Kai raised a brow.

"You want to spar? With me?"

"Yeah. I wanna see with my own eyes if you're the real deal or just riding a lucky rumor." Jose grinned, his stance shifting slightly, itching for a fight.

Kai exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"Alright. I don't mind a bit of sparring. Been a while anyway."

He unzipped his uniform jacket, leaving only the black bodysuit underneath. Watching Kai prepare, Jose did the same, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

They stood face to face, muscles tense, eyes locked.

Then—

Jose struck first, throwing a quick punch.

Kai sidestepped effortlessly, weaving past the attack before countering with a jab. Jose blocked it, barely.

Seeing the brief opening, Kai followed up with a sharp kick to his abdomen, sending Jose skidding backward.

Jose let out a small chuckle, straightening his stance.

"You're quick, Captain."

Without hesitation, he charged forward, aiming low for Kai's legs.

Kai reacted instantly, jumping over the tackle.

"You too, Jose."

The match continued, both fighters pushing their limits—attacking, countering, dodging, and striking. The sound of fists hitting flesh, quick breaths, and shifting feet filled the room.

But in the end—

Kai emerged victorious.

Both men sat down, panting, sweat dripping from their brows. Bruises would no doubt start forming, but there was no animosity—only mutual respect.

Jose grinned through heavy breaths.

"You're the real deal, Captain. Now I believe you actually took down Armstrong by yourself."

He wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"You were aiming for my nerve points, weren't you? Playing dirty like that… Damn, you're terrifying."

He let out a low chuckle.

"Glad I'm not your enemy."

Kai opened his mouth to respond—

[Intercom buzzes.]

"Captain, we need you in the command room. I believe you'll want to see this."

Kai's breath hitched slightly.

Did they find a planet?

There was only one way to find out.

He rose to his feet, shaking off the soreness before giving Jose a nod.

"I'll see you later."

With that, he headed toward the command center, nerves settling in.

Maybe—just maybe—they had finally made progress.