Captains log: Earth standard time 2841.8.14

I'm not even sure why I write these anymore. I suppose it's just something I can do in my spare time. Maybe it's a habit I can't let go of? It doesn't really matter though.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of my wife's death. Every day without her is worse than the last. It doesn't help that all that's left of her is this ship and that I'm stuck in it. Some of the crew have become concerned about my mental health. They find me staring off into space or mumbling to myself at times. It can't be helped if they find their captain wanting. Their lives are in my hands after all, I can't blame them for wanting me to be the best I can be at all times.

Unfortunately for them and myself, I find it harder to wake up every morning. Why do this anymore? Fight in a war with no meaning. Continue to torment myself within these walls. This is no ship, it's a prison of my own making and I am now paying for the consequences of my actions.

The Ordino Sanctificatus teaches that we are destined for paradise. As soldiers, as Humans, and as citizens of the Autarchy we fight not only for ourselves but for every Human in the galaxy. Because of this we are destined for paradise, to live out the rest of time after our deaths within the perfect realm guarded by the gods of Humanity.

I want to go there. If it actually exists then Sophia is definitely there. If anyone deserves to be in paradise it's her. I want to go so badly, so I don't have to be alone anymore. So I don't have to fight, so I don't have to burn any more worlds, so I don't have to watch any more children cry because they have lost everything they know. Their screams still haunt me. Batras IV should have never happened.

I should probably stop now and write something more meaningful.

The UHA Hand of Fire is one of the few battleships still left in this sector, and the only Dominion class ship.

My crew and I included, are confident in our ability to bring down any equally large if not larger foe with minimal effort. Unfortunately, that's only the case when dealing with a single enemy, which rarely is the case. The Hand of Fire is a very special ship. With the thrusters of an Epoch class battleship and the ordinance of an Apocalypse class battleship, the Hand of Fire is truly a special ship.

Sophia worked harder than anyone else to make this ship what it is today. It pains me to see it do everything she hoped it wouldn't. She hoped it would be a beacon for the lost, to protect rather than destroy. Sometimes things don't go the way you hope they would.

But I digress.

Last week we finally caught up to our target. I only wish it had ended at the encounter and we could continue towards our destination, but as I mentioned before not everything turns out as you would hope.

Earth standard time 2841.7.24

"Captain, you've received a missive request from Sector Command."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be taking it in my office."

Rudolf was going over the day's reports when Second Lieutenant Aron snapped him out of his daze. It was tiring to go over the same information day after day. But Rudolf knew that if he didn't go over the reports one day it would bite him in the a*s.

He stood from his Captain's chair at the center of the bridge and walked towards the elevator which led only to his office. Rudolf's office was below the bridge and towards the aft of the ship. It was well protected in the event that someone somehow took an accurate shot at the bridge while he wasn't there. If he was there, he would probably die with the rest of his bridge crew so it wouldn't matter much at that point where his office was.

The automatic door for his office would only open for him, facial recognition at its finest and an intelligent ship AI at its best. Both were marvels of technology and when they worked together they were even better.

His office chair was more comfortable than his bridge Captain seat. Rudolf wished he could just work from here all day but he knew that wouldn't be good for morale so he had to suck it up.

"Captain Reis, how are you this fine morning." The screen on the far end of the office lit up as soon as Rudolf was ready.

"I'm doing well Admiral, and you?" Rudolf was not doing well, but it wouldn't be proper to say that. He knew the Admiral only asked out of courtesy.

"I'm also doing well, thank you for asking."

I hate small talk, thought Rudolf.

"Enough of the pleasantries then. Captain, I believe you're still patrolling the Cestius trade route heading towards Cestia?"

It seemed like this was quite serious. Rudolf groaned internally, this was going to be another headache.

"That's correct Admiral, we are scheduled to arrive at the midpoint station Gaius within the month and make it to Cestia within the year." Rudolf could make it there faster but this trade way was littered with pirates. He had already dispatched eight ships and their crews back to their gods. And that was only within the first three months.

The Hand of Fire already had several dents and scorch marks all over. Several guns needed to be repaired, and he needed more coolant for his engines. He would have to deal with it sooner or later and that would mean returning to the only orbital station with a port large enough to fit his Dominion class battleship, Delta Cartago. Rudolf really...really...really didn't want to go there.

"Unfortunately your trip will become somewhat delayed, Captain. We have received several reports of pirate like activity near the western border. Thus I'll need you to take a detour."

"The western border is quite the detour Admiral. Not only that, but it's also a very large portion of space to check for some "pirate like activity"." And I would prefer not to go. "What about The Litany of Iron, aren't they in the area?"

The Admiral was quiet for a few seconds after that. It didn't bode well Rudolf knew that he had stepped on a landmine of sorts.

"Rudolf, I will send the coordinates to your bridge crew. This is something only you can handle."

The conversation went back and forth for about half an hour. The Admiral would ask about the status of the ship, Rudolf's mission, and his crew. Rudolf would make small comments and give answers as honestly as he could, although he may be ordered to return to Delta Cartago immediately after the Admiral learned about his ship status it was better than going to the sector's western edge.

To Rudolf's unfortunate surprise the Admiral did not order him to return. His head hurt, this wouldn't end well thought Rudolf.

The office door opened leading to the pristine hallway of the Hand of Fire. Rudolf was rubbing his temple as he walked out. He wanted to slouch and lay in bed, but he wouldn't.

"Captain." A young looking officer gave his salute. Closed fist over his heart, ramrod straight, and staring right into Rudolf's eyes.

This was definitely some brat from the nobility. Maybe someone trained at one of the three ports. Rudolf didn't know where exactly this boy came from but he definitely wasn't from this sector.

Rudolf didn't know every single person in his crew. He knew his bridge team, his first lieutenants, his Marine leadership, and many other key roles that made up part of the ships commissioned and noncommissioned officers, but he couldn't know everyone.

Rudolf quickly glanced at the young man's rank. Third Lieutenant, that explains how he was able to get in here.

"Good morning, what can I do for you, Lieutenant?" Rudolf wanted to say Third Lieutenant, but he resisted. It was his first meeting with the boy and didn't want to give too much of a bad impression. It was bad enough that he kept walking and didn't stop rubbing his temple.

"Ehm…. It's well into the afternoon, Captain." The young man was clearly thrown off by the greeting.

Rudolf stopped, pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. Four PM, dang it.

"It's morning somewhere Lieutenant, was that all?" Rudolf kept walking. Normally someone would feel embarrassed from that short exchange. But not Rudolf oh no, he was too tired for that shite right now.

"No, no sir! My name is Michael Kirschenbaum. It is an honor to serve under you onboard the Hand of Fire." Another salute, this time impressively while walking.

Kirschenbaum was clearly an imperial surname. Michael was either sector nobility or naval nobility. Both gave Rudolf a headache, one was a sniveling little shite with no manners. The other was a sniveling little shite with too many manners.

Maybe Rudolf was being too harsh, considering he himself was both sector and naval nobility? Nah, little shites were little shites after all.

"Lieutenant, what is your station?" Rudolf had reached his elevator.

Michael beamed with joy that his Captain had asked him an actual question. "I will be taking over portside weapons management."

"I see, good luck then Lieutenant." The elevator had arrived and Rudolf could finally ditch the little shite.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Captain, my father told me so much about you and I am once again honored to serve under you!" Michael saluted one last time before the elevator door closed.

His father? Who was his father? Now that Rudolf had a moment to think he finally recalled that a new officer would be joining him today, Michael obviously. He had been onboard for nearly a year training under Gun Captain Heinrich Windlebun.

Rudolf was old and tended to forget things. Old age sucked onboard a battleship, thought Rudolf.

Returning to the bridge Rudolf took his place and gave his orders.

"Helmsman, you should have received coordinates for a new destination. Change course and tell me where we're going, please." Before the Helmsman could reply Rudolf changed the comms channel from his chairs control panel and spoke to his lead communications officer.

"Communication to the crew, we're changing course and preparing to meet aggressors. Likely pirates, but I want to be ready to meet an Oligarch fleet at best."

Rudolf changed channels over and over giving different commands to every aspect of his crew from his Master of Arms to his Primus Engineer.

His bridge was massive in size, he would have to scream at the top of his lungs to reach his helmsman who sat closest to the monitors. That's why having an effective means of communication was critical, and his chair gave him just that.

He opened back the channel for his helmsman.

"Captain, we're heading towards trade space near Verdun. I spoke to Lieutenant Minhaj before you opened your line. Verdun is a fortress world, specifically the first world taken by the Autarchy in this sector."

A fortress world. A place like that should be surrounded by a fleet. Even forgetting its strategic value, its significance as being the beachhead for the Sepulcrum sector alone was enough to protect it with a fleet.

"How did Lieutenant Minhaj know about Verdun?"

"He was born there Captain."

Lieutenant Minhaj was the ship's Master at Arms, also known as Master of Arms. It made sense for him to have been born in a fortress world. His military record was impeccable, discipline exemplary, and combat abilities marvelous to say the least. The only downside was that someone that exemplary wouldn't stay onboard for long. Although most of the ship's crew would serve a lifetime sentence onboard, some were even born onboard and this was their home. Few commissioned officers like Lieutenant Minhaj and noncommissioned officers like Shipmaster Rodriguez would be quickly recognized and scouted by either the local Naval Command or maybe even the Galactic Naval Administrations office. Once that happened they would be taken away to who knows where. Probably somewhere where their chances of dying were more unlikely rather than certain.

The only way to keep such fine individuals would be to tarnish their reputations, play down their achievements, or worse.

Rudolf disliked even thinking about it. He had seen it happen onboard other warships too many times and was certain it was happening onboard his own. It was alright to lose a good officer here and there if it improved their lives and the Autarchy's Navy as well.

Rudolf quickly made a mental note to have the ships AI Artemis scour the most recent personnel records for any anomalies.

"Helmsman, please request Lieutenant Minhaj write up a report of Verdun. If he knows anything about its surrounding space as well. And begin sub-light travel to our destination, full speed ahead as it were." Rudolf didn't want to engage light speed travel, that would be expensive and he wasn't made of money. The Admiral didn't ask him to rush and if he got there a little later than expected, ohh well.

"Yes Captain."