1,172 words
/ cloudy with a chance of catastrophe
"You are positive that these were the coordinates General Keyvar said he was travelling to?"
Keyvar was a patient person, capable of repeating an answer to a question asked countless time. He was not angered by such trivialities as the puttering of a politician or simpering of a sycophant.
Too bad he wasn't there.
Because Ishton was none of those things.
"Commander? Commander did you hear me?"
A shudder ran down through Ishton's wings as he tried to suppress the urge to unsheathe his sword and put it through the annoyance.
Unfortunately he could visualize Keyvar's look of disappointment all too vividly and he kept his hands clasped together tightly in front of him "There is no doubt. This are the supplied coordinates and the last record we have of his ship was within this nebula."
"But I don't see anything," the Curator questioned and another shudder ran through Ishton as he physically repressed his irritation. There was glances from the bridge crew, who were all apparently more emotionally intelligent than the single idiot standing next to Ishton. And, apparently, they were all anticipating Ishton's snap.
But he wasn't going to do it, he was better than that, he wasn't going to kill someone just because they were annoying him. Scratch the fact that he had, in fact, killed people because they were annoying him.
He took in a long breath and let it out slowly, hoping for some sort of steadying affect, perhaps, a little too enthusiastically.
"Do you have an affliction?" Curator Jeat turned to look at him fully, eyes bright "You should be careful Commander, a malady in the breathing system can create a weakness in the body. Hardly fit for a soldier on the battlefield."
Only there were no more fields to do battles on were there? But Ishton didn't air that thought, it would prove nothing and only lower the already fragile morale.
"I am fine," Ishton said, emphasizing each syllable "Just concerned for the well being of General Keyvar."
"Your breath shouldn't whistle like that, have you been for an exam lately?"
"I assure you Dr. Kwet is quite thorough and would have noted any anomalies in my health," Ishton was going to need to go to the medical bay for a check on his finger joints if he kept clenching his fists though.
"Sir, we're picking up on readings from another ship," Daya called from her station. Not exactly protocol, but like Jeat knew anything about protocol.
"Can you get it on screen?"
"A moment sir," Daikaia flitted back from Daya's console to several others and then the screen buzzed to life, filtering through the noise of the nebula and a silhouette appeared, gliding through the rolling azure clouds.
"Is that Keyvar?" Jeat asked, while everyone else fell dead silent.
"No," Ishton said quietly "Daya, have they picked up on us?"
"They've just stopped, so I suppose they have."
"Is it Keyvar?" Jeat asked again, his voice growing more insistent "Who is it?"
"No," Ishton informed him coldly "That is Diocore's flagship."
"What!?" Jeat physically jumped "What are you talking about? What is HE doing here?"
"Probably the same thing we are," Ishton snapped his wings open, trying to find a bit of stability in the movement "Daya, give me updates, are they priming their weapons?"
"No, they have all their shields activated but I'm not getting any readings from priming weapons. They're still not moving."
"They're waiting for us to make a move," Haravon commented quietly.
Ishton had almost forgotten he was there and made a face as he realized that the solider had been purposely hiding in the corner trying to avoid the Curator.
"It seems so."
"Why would Diocore do that?" Jeat asked and for once he had a point.
"Because Diocore isn't giving the orders," A distant look touched Ishton's face and Haravon looked towards him, eyebrows raised.
"Daikaia, try to hail them."
"What!?" Jeat followed Ishton as the commanding Vive set himself front and center before the viewscreen "Are you insane?"
"Ishton," Haravon's voice was a beacon of honest concern in contrast to Jeat and the rising sensation of dread inside of Ishton "What are you thinking?"
"They didn't fire on us immediately, which means Diocore most likely isn't commanding, which means for some reason his flagship is flying without him, in the same nebula we are currently combing for another missing military figure," Ishton drew his wings up tightly and then released them with another long sigh "You ever get a really, really, bad feeling?"
Haravon's face sunk into a nervous frown and he stepped out of the sight of the view screen and hovered behind Daya. Jeat, however, stayed put.
"They're receiving our hail," Daya said and Ishton glared sideways at Jeat.
"What?" oh, so the Curator wasn't blind "I am in equal authority to you."
"So, if it is Diocore and he's just in a good mood, you want to talk to him?"
Jeat blanched and quickly retreated back to his former spot towards the back of the bridge as the viewscreen faded from the view of Diocore's flagship to the bridge, Shrring front and center, mirroring Ishton's pose.
"Commander."
"Commander."
There was a terse silence for several seconds as the two sized each other up.
"Well, I would say a pleasant surprise, but it really isn't," Ishtron broke the standoff with a tilt of his head.
"No, no it isn't," Shrring agreed and Ishton felt all the more cold for the lack of a barbed reply "I suppose you aren't all too keen on sharing your purpose in the middle of a useless nebula?"
Ishton was silent for a moment before inclining his head "I suppose we could make a trade, but I do believe I already know what you're doing, so no."
"Oh do you? How presumptuous." And there! There was the snap and spark Ishton had become accustomed to hear in his rival's voice and oddly it comforted him to hear.
"You've lost Diocore, somehow. Have you not?"
Shrring didn't react, outwardly at least, aside from the slight narrowing of his eyes "Quick. Too quick, unless you aren't facing the same dilemma."
"Odd that two such important people should go missing at the same time into the same place."
"Indeed," Shrring agreed and he leaned back on one heel, fingers clamping together tighter "Very odd."
They stared at each other, barely moving, not so much as a blink or a breath traded between them.
"Alright," Shrring said after a long moment that dragged on for every single person "Truce then."
"Alright, within the confines of the nebula."
"Until they are found."
"Until we have left."
"I cannot guarantee any truce or ceasefire will be honored by Diocore once he re-assumes command of this vessel."
"Understood. Until they are found."
Shrring nodded and waved a hand to someone off screen. The connection cut.
Ishton sighed.
"Are you sure you don't have some sort of respiratory issue?" Jeat's asked "You really do seem to be wheezing."