"Launch countermeasures and give me a full gravscan, Jonas in the Cerberus and give me a 5 light second perimeter"

Barely inside the edge of a star system at the fringes of Empire s.p.a.ce a single light frigate exited a self made warpgate. The light frigate had no name, registration or outward markings and its rugged cigar shape was painted pure black and was of a cla.s.s that did not officially exist. Immediately after clearing the warpgate the 12 stabilizers returned and attached themself to the s.h.i.+p, then the area around it was covered in reflective caff and a single fighter sized s.h.i.+p launched from the frigate, quikly accelerating away from the mothers.h.i.+p.

"Orders confirmed, Lieutenant 4-7 launch confirmed. Anything else captain?"

Inside the frigate was only a single room with just enough room for 6 people placed in a row with a large gap between the 5th and 6th. The chairs were lined with loads of monitors filled sensory readings, and the overall cramped s.p.a.ce seemed a effect of the extreme miniaturization one had to make for constructing a warp capable s.h.i.+p of that size. Even though the frigate looked to be designed for 6 operators it was only currently manned by 2 sitting in the front most seats. In the front was woman about 2 meters high in a full vac.u.msiut with cables and tubes for not only life support but also datatrafik running from her back into her chair revealing she was partly cybernetic. Only her green vertical slit eyes and a tiny bit of brown skin with white scars where visible through her visor, revealing her to be a qiton. Sitting behind her was a man way over 2 meters high of the same race as her, but the single tube running into his chair revealed him to be entirely flesh and blood.

"Just get me that scan Phillipa"

"It's coming online now captain, link and see for yourself"

The captain reached behind him and grabbed a cable floating beside him plugged it into the back of his own helmet, and immediately a bunch of information popped up on his heads up display.

"Looks.. clear? What's that void at heading 439, 7 light seconds out?"

"That's just a deadzone, no gravsig contact."

"Phillipa I know this is not a combat situation but don't get sloppy now, get visual confirmation."

"Whatever you need Capitan~"

["This is Jonas, all clear out till 10 light seconds. I'm RTB now"]

"Affirmative on com, return via vector 24."

After talking to Jonas on the radio Phillipa turned around in her seat to face the captain sitting behind her

"So Dax, are you gonna tell us why we are all the way you here?"

"You are aware that information is need to know right?"

"..."

"I'll tell you both some of it when Jonas returns."

"Must be nice, being a elite and getting to know everything."

"You are aware that statement could be considered insubordination right?"

"But you would never report me for that would you capitan?"

"And why wouldn't i do that?"

"Because unlike me and Jonas you need to breathe air at normal pressure, being a pure organic. I wonder what would happen if the life support systems on this highly prototype s.h.i.+p broke?"

"The only reason you can pull that s.h.i.+t is because we grew up together, if you said that to any other CO he would properly execute you on sight, please try and take this seriously"

"Hahahaha! You're so serious captain!~"

(Maybe you should at least take some things serious!?)

Instead of reb.u.t.ting her, Dax just sighed and leaned back in his chair while waiting for Jonas to return.

"You guys ever heard of Irongate industrial?"

"Irongate industrial?"

"Ain't they the largest suppliers raw iron nickel alloys in the galaxy? Heard they're mostly from the dark systems, 99.9% of the company are natives from there, they call themself the iron race right?"

"That's correct, any-"

"What the h.e.l.l is 'the dark systems'?"

"you tell her Jonas."

"This was in the briefing Phillipa."

"Ehehe~"

"The dark systems are a concentration of star systems that all have covered up their stars."

"Why would they be covered up?"

"For energy generation, and a s.h.i.+tton of it. I believe the basic concept is a dyson sphere? Anyway the dark systems is about 20 systems all with extreme energy generation, all the energy is put into planetwide smelterries, forges and orbital construction complexes the size of a small moons."

After Jonas finished his explanation, Phillipa sat back in her chair to try and imagine how a system like that would look.

"The systems are also completely depleted of any metals, the Iron race even reduced their own home planet to a ball of dirt with no magnetic field by mining it for over 4000 years."

"But what does all that have to do with us being all the way out here? navsystems says this is a restricted system."

"Excellent question Jonas, they have been suspected of molten core extractions without authentication from the senate. There have been 3 incidents over the past 5 years that suggest they target remote systems like this one."

"While that is bad I don't really see why a black ops operation like this is needed? I mean can't the senate just indict them and get it over with?"

"There's not enough evidence to make a official indictment. Saying any more that this would open you two up to a potential court martial if any of this blows back so I'll refrain from saying anything more."

"Come on capitan don't be like that"

"Yeah we already know the stakes. There's often only one reason for a bigshot like you to recruit people like us right out of the academy, this is wetwork right? Would explain this s.h.i.+p, there's no identifications of any kind on it, and I've never even heard of a design this small capable of warp."

"Okay then, but if we are ever captured or killed the senate will not only deny any involvement but also brand you and your whole family as extremists, I expect such plans have already been laid when you both accepted this a.s.signment."

Switching gears, Dax grabbed his pistol from its holster and pulled out its magazine, then extracted a small chip form it.

"Plug this in then."

"What is that?"

"Data storage, and yeah I know you've never seen anything like it but it should fit into that socket at you 7 o clock."

"Where? Ah there. Did I tell you it's really f.u.c.king hard to pilot this thing when none of the controls or inputs are labeled?"

"Yeah you did, about 245 times so far."

"It's 246 times now captain."

"And that's why I have you as my XO Jonas. Anyway look at the data sharing, this is Avoxaian 4 and its moon Avoxaian 4a. They're both confirmed precursor sites and the reason this system and anything else within 50 light years is restricted."

As Dax explained a blue planet came into view on the monitors. The almost entirely blue planet also looked to have small amounts of land, as small green islands dotted the surface.

"Precursors!? You mean the super advanced race and long lost race that made us qitons? Why isn't this system crawling with researchers?"

"Why is a system normally restricted Phillipa?"

"Umm?.. Ehehe~"

"For f.u.c.k sake.. Jonas?"

"There are multiple reasons, most common would be a unstable star and after that is native and intelligent life- Don't tell me!?"

"Yep, Avoxaian 4 is home to a type 2 civilization. Normally the first contact division would deal with this but their recon satellite in this system went dark about a week ago. This matches Iron industries suspected method of operation. Our orders is to guard Avoxaian 4 until the first contact division can get here and establish a permanent base for observation and protection. If we spot any s.h.i.+p that is not from the first contact division or from Avoxaian 4 we are ordered to destroy it and execute any and all survivors with extreme prejudice."

"So those f.u.c.kkers want to mine a inhabited planet!? That would kill all the inhabitants.."

"That's so f.u.c.king messed up.. Wait you said Avoxaian 4 s.h.i.+ps?"

"That's right Phillipa, Avoxaian 4 have been confirmed to have a s.p.a.ce program, they've visited their two closest planets and even have a small moon base on Avoxaian 4a. Now give me a stealth jump to Lagrange point 2 between Avoxaian 4 and Avoxaian 4a get us in observation range."

"Roger capitan, Plotting jump point to the dark side of their moon~ Computer give me a point estimation and the wavesig I need to match."

[CONFIRMED, SCANNING FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SIGNATURE.. LOCADED, POINT

ESTIMATES AT 400 KILOMETERS, MARGIN OF ERROR AT LEVEL 2. STARTING WARP GATE CONSTRUCTION, NAVIGATION HANDOVER COMPLETE, PLEASE EXECUTE WITHIN THRESHOLD.]

"What the h.e.l.l are these coordinates computer? f.u.c.k it, let me eyeball it instead~ Override, give me full control"

Under almost all circ.u.mstances Dax would never trust Phillipa 'eyeballing' anything, but anything related to s.p.a.ce flight was the exception. Phillipa proved problematic in warschool but all that was redeemed when she got behind a flight simulator and proceeded to make a fool of not only her instructor, but also the 'unbeatable' simulator AI. As her instructor was furious with Phillipa she was accused of cheating and almost expelled but managed to stay on after challenging and winning over her instructor in live wargames. Phillipa graduated at the top of her cla.s.s, even with her problematic att.i.tude, and close in second place was Jonas. Being born with immunodeficiency in a high cla.s.s family Jonas grew up a sheltered life, until he turned 18 and went behind his parents and had most of his body cybernetically augmented, allowing him to breathe air that was not from a canister for the first time in his life. But his parents were advocates against cybernetic implants and he quickly found himself disinherited and thrown out of the house as effect. Joining the galactic navy on a dare, Jonas quickly showed talent for fighterpiloting and following orders to the letter, graduating at a respectable number 2 in his cla.s.s, behind the unbeatable 'monster'.

"Coordinates fine tuned, ready to start gate construction on your order captain~"

"Punch it."

"Orders confirmed~ Computer take it away"

[AFFIRMATIVE, MOVING REACTOR TO OUTPUT LEVEL 5… STEP UP CONFIRMED. POWERING STABILIZERS, GATE ONLINE AND HOLDING STABLE.]

After the stabilizing rods had moved out in front of the s.h.i.+p they tore a small hole in s.p.a.cetime. After the gate had opened half the stabilizers went into it as the single main truster on the light frigate started glowing a faint purple.

"Take us through."

At Dax's command the s.h.i.+p started accelerating forward slowly, and as it reached the gate the remaining stabilizers followed it through the gate.

[EXITING GATE IN 5..4..3..2.. BRACE]

"What's our status?"

"Stealth jump complete~ We had no gravsig so we're in the clear."

"Okay I want visual on the planet, take me down to the surface of Avoxaian 4a and crawl along the surface until we have visual, then set us down somewhere we can see the planet."

"Orders confirmed~ My s.h.i.+p?"

"Yeah take it away, but don't use the anti grav drive until you're closer to the moon, we still want stealth, I'll get some sleep, wake me in 4 hours."

"Sleep tight captain~"

As the frigate slowly fell towards the crater filled gray moon, Dax turned his visor black and disabled the audio input and leaned back in his chair before drifting off to sleep. But his sleep was short lived.

"Dax! DAX! Wake up now!"

"Ah f.u.c.k, what is it?"

"The planet is-"

"Holy s.h.i.+t."

Dax had been woken about 2 hours later, in that time Phillipa had skillfully navigated down the surface of Avoxaian 4a and slowly crept along the equator of it until Avoxaian 4 was visible, but something was wrong, the planet was no longer blue. What Dax and the others saw would come to haunt their dreams for years to come. Avoxaian 4 the once blue planet was turned entirely gray, with small segments of ice that had still yet to boil off in the vacuum.

"What is that!?"

"Phillipa scan for gravsigs now!"

"Wh-"

"JUST f.u.c.kING DO IT!"

"Hii! scanning now!.. One contact found, it's a Irongate industes planet cla.s.s miner at the north pole!"

"I f.u.c.kING KNEW IT! THOSE f.u.kKERS ACTUALLY STARTED TO MINE THE CORE OF A POPULATED WORLD"

Failing to contain his anger, Dax bit off a large part of his own lip and almost punctured his own vacuum suit by clenching his hands he gave a order

"Give me a range to that Irongate industes planet cla.s.s miner."

"Range is… 1.135 light seconds"

"Target: Irongate industes planet cla.s.s miner, prepare the railgun to fire time delayed burst ammunition"

"Captain that target is civilian!"

"And they just committed genocide for something as trivial as profit! Ignore my orders again and I will personally kick you off my s.h.i.+p!"

Floating about 100 kilometers above what used to be the sea at the north pole was a ma.s.sive s.h.i.+p. The Irongate industes planet cla.s.s miner was perhaps the largest civilian s.h.i.+p one would encounter in Empire s.p.a.ce. Its 50 kilometer wide circular storage matter compression pod is its most eye catching feature, that along with its comparatively small command module and laser drill bit and its main propulsion that sits on multiple stilks one can compare it to a emormus tick. In the pressurized command and control module surrounding the laser drill stood a young engineer and looked at the planet below. She was of the iron race, like almost all other Irongate employees, caratrazied by her short stature and pale white skin, a effect of growing up on a planet with a high gravitational pull in the dark systems where no starlight ever reached outside the dyson spheres.

"The laser drill appears to have entirely burned off the atmosphere, were this planet not home to life captain?"

"Yeah it was, some strange primitives living below the sea, but that hardly matters now. Anyway all this new material is gonna make us rich, I can't believe the senate hid such a jucy world from us."

"Yeah that really is strange.. With this amount of raw materials we could construct a new lower gravity ring for habitation, imagine how many young wouldn't die at birth!"

"But that's never gonna happen, the board already decided what this haul is being used for. That's a long enough of break, get back to work now."

"About that I have a concern, we disabled the spy satellite but I don't think we'll get to mine this planet before the senate observers get here."

"Ah that, don't worry about it. We've deployed scouts all around this system so we'll have a good while to pull out before they get here."

"That's good then, I was worried for a bit."

"What's the statu-"

In that second almost all life was brutally snuffed out inside the command module. About a thousand steel darts peppered the entire module and instantly depressurized it while turning every person inside to minced meat, then the second after the fusion torpedos. .h.i.t. 4 fusion torpedos impacted sequentially on the large matter compression tank, making the gravity containment fail, and the 50 kilometer wide compression tank popped like a balloon as the super hot metals within expended out. Dax had ordered the frigate to fire at the the miner with its railguns from the moon's surface. Taking advantage of the projectiles travel time, (about a minute) Phillipa's skill as a navigator, and the stealth capabilities of the frigate Dax had executed a jump to within torpedo range and matched them to impact just after the railgun projectiles.

"Main structure containment failure confirmed."

"Good, scan for signs of communication traffic. If anything sends any form of communication I want it hit within 10 seconds."

"Permission to speak my mind captain?"

"Yeah go for it Philippa"

"We just murdered over 200 people, and they were all civilians. Are you really okay with that captain!?"

Looking for a second at the panicked qiton in front of him, Dax sighed before laying out the hard facts.

"This was our orders. 'Destroy any and all s.h.i.+ps that is not us, Avoxaian or from the first contact division with extreme prejudice'. That of course includes civilian s.h.i.+ps, if somehow a cruise s.h.i.+p with 5000 people on board had strayed into this restricted system my orders would be the same. Welcome to spec ops wetwork Phillipa you've finally become a 'elite' like me. Jonas do you have any issue with this?"

"No sir. Lifeboats at point 4, permission to destroy them?"

"Permission granted. Use the point defence cannons to puncture them, we need to save railgun ammunition. Phillipa do you need to excuse yourself from service?"

"N-no sir."

"Good. Continue to scan for signs of communication signatures."

For about a hour after that the unmarked frigate hovered as a vulture and routinely culled any sign of life appearing from the wreck. Inside anyone was dead or dying, expect for one. The young engineer had survived, being close to the edge of the command module she had somehow not been hit directly by the railgun blast and was wearing a vacuum suit, a decision of paranoia from being in s.p.a.ce for the first time.

"HIII! What the f.u.c.k!?"

Being thrown into s.p.a.ce as the life support systems on her suit activated and saved her life by closing any holes from fragmentation and pressurizing her suit.

"f.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k!! What the f.u.c.k happened!?"

Floating around in zero gravity the young engineer scrambled to find out what just happened. She struggled around in the void for about a minute before she even saw the destroyed mining s.h.i.+p, only catching a glimpse as she spun around.

"s.h.i.+T s.h.i.+T is that pirates!? No they destroyed the containment chamber."

Struggling around for about half an hour she continued to rashly expend her limited air supply, and that combined with wounds from fragmentation she gently slipped into eternal rest, slowly falling towards the planet she helped decimate.

"I think we got them all captain, any survivors would be dead by now. And we destroyed about 60 lifeboats."

"Okay then let's pack up and leave this system. Nuke the wreck one more time and let's call that it, I really want to get home and take a bath now."

"Umm captain?"

"What now?"

"Didn't you say the Avoxaian's had a moonbase?"

"Another event Ra, but this time it looks.. different somehow."

"Different how?"

"It's… Hidden somehow, or more like it tries to hide itself. About .000002 microseconds after the original gravitational wave a counter wave followed, it seems to be a stealth system of some kind intended to fool systems less precise than ours."

"Where did it come from?"

"Star Watcher 2 and 7 picked it up about a hour ago, taking the position of the satellites into account and triangulating the wave puts the event at the bare edge of our system"

"You think that's the precursors?"

"Might be, the other visitors only appeared to be interested in our molten core but I'm not so sure they're them. The precursors would arrive at our planet and not at the edge of the system, and the stealth is also strange I can't see any logical reason for that."

"But this haven't been a day of logic."

"Then let's hope."

The Avoxaian's were a strange race, even themselves would agree with that. First is their almost absolute lack of aggression, only if a single individual is not only treated with their own destruction but the destruction of family they will answer with violence, in effect making their planet entirely conflict free. Then their bodies, they have large blue eyes and internal gills making them a underwater species, but nothing prevents them from living on land as their entire respiratory system is dual purpose and extremely adaptable. They are also extremely wise and posses amazing metal processing abilities, making them natural scientists. Their environment were also just as strange Avoxaian 4 had no carnivores, nor a single hostile species. Their planets magnetic s.h.i.+elding was effective beyond logic, and food was way to nutrishus beyond any evolutionary need. The strange irregularities in themselves and their environment combined with the Avoxaian's own intellect and cooperation quickly made them conclude that they were created and given their planet by some unknown creator. That revelation changed their entire society overnight, who and what where their creators? That thought fascinated them, and they were obsessed with finding out. After 50 years they had searched their entire planet and advanced their own technology countless decades. Finding proof of their creator they were ecstatic, but in the end it was only proof. Not finding their creators on the planet they realized they had to expand their search and started to look towards the stars. Developing a s.p.a.ce program in record time they expanded their search to the entire system. Finding further proof and even a abandoned observation station in orbit of a nearby planet, searching that station they found advanced technology and learned how to detect faster than light travel. Using that knowledge they set up observation posts all over their system they were absolutely ecstatic when signs of faster than light travel were finally detected and proof of extraterrestrial life taking the form of a small surveillance satellite they readied for first contact. And then years later it happened, something found them and traveled to their home world and destroyed it. The only survivors were the 2 Avoxaian's at the moon base and they had since struggled to understand why their world was wiped out, as them themselves had little knowledge of economics or violence. The 2 Avoxaian sisters named Ra and Mu had spent the time observing and discussing the intent of the s.h.i.+p orbiting above their homeworlds north pole, completely ignoring the fact and implication that their entire race was just wiped out. Ra was the older sister by about a year she was about a meter 80 tall she was tall for her race and had green and bluish skin with bright blue eyes and short blue hair. Her brilliance and quick wit secured her a s.p.a.ce on the moon station, with her younger sister, the planets number one expert on the idea of faster than light travel Mu was a bit shorter at a meter 60 she had the same skin tone as her sister and had long green hair.

"Is it some kind of ritual perhaps?"

"I don't think so Mu, it looks way too destructive for that, and we have no prior evidence of something like this happening. I'm way more interested in that other event, it would make logical sense that it's another faction or party"

"I agree entirely on that point Ra, the wave signature looks to be from a entirely different jump system than our other visitor."

"Oh here it is again. This one was way closer, they're moving… Triangulation puts it at L2 between home and here, they're on the other side of the moon."

"On the other side? I wonder why.."

Having no idea of the concept 'stalking a prey' as Avoxaian 4 had no predators the sisters where once more puzzled, and even more so when the one s.h.i.+p destroyed the other and then it jumped to right on top of them.

"Woah! What is that?"

"Must be whatever destroyed that other s.h.i.+p. I really don't want that thing near us."

Looking at the strange pure black s.h.i.+p looming about 50 kilometers above them through a monitor Ra felt danger from the s.h.i.+p that they observed culling the other s.h.i.+p without mercy.

"Ra?"

"I don't want that thing near us. It might try to kill us."

After hovering above them for about a minute the strange s.h.i.+p it slowly lowered its alt.i.tude to about a kilometer and then it dropped something before flying away.

["Is this really a good idea capitan?"]

"Yeah, I'll attempt to start a dialogue on my own. If that doesn't work I'll leave the CO2 scrubber and the O2 canisters out here."

Dax had decided that the survival of the Avoxaian race trumped everything and he had even told Jonas about a secret nearby supply cache and he alone went to deliver life necessary supplies alone.

["See you in about 4 hours."]

"Yeah, but if you see anything out of the normal leave me behind and rejoin the fleet command."

["Don't worry captain we'll leave you behind~"]

"Please do, I really hate my work."

Watching the frigate leave him behind, Dax breathed a sigh and then turned towards the Avoxaian moon base. The base not much more than a hill with antennas sticking out from it with a air lock at the front. The air lock had a single small window and right beside it was a small camera set up on a pole.

"Okay… time for first contact.. What was it again, to smile or not smile. to smile or not to smile?"

Going over his extremely limited first contact training in his head Dax slowly and corsusly moved closer to the camera in the moon's low gravity by cautiously bunny hopping closer to it.

"I remember now, it was no smiling. But that hardly matters when I have the visor down and they can't see my face… Now I feel really stupid."

Continuing his monologue he was unaware that his suit was currently recording everything he said and it would be publicly available as he was about to make first contact with a new species, in what would become a historical event.

"Okay here goes nothing."

Sitting down the gear he brought with him, Dax sat down in front of the camera.

"Now to show that I'm in no way hostile.. But I'm a Qiton for f.u.c.ks sake… 'Here I am to try and speak with you guys peacefully, how do you do my name is Dax and I'm a genetically engineered weapon of war.' This will go over so G.o.dd.a.m.n f.u.c.king well, if I can even speak to them before they try and kill me.."

About a hour later Dax sensed vibrations in the coa.r.s.e moon rocks he were sitting on, and when he glanced towards the airlock while taking care not to move he spotted something on the other side.

"Those are some mighty big and fascinatingly beautiful blue eyes looking at me with… curiosity? Or hostility, maybe I should have brought something more than just my handgun."

Looking at the creature behind the gla.s.s in the airlock for a minute Dax got up on his feet and bunny hopped over in front of the door, about 5 meters from it and sat down once more, prompting a response from the other side.

"Oh it's gone now, I must have spooked it.. Or not?"

The creature behind the airlock window had disappeared when Dax had started to move, but it was back at the window when he had sat down in front of the airlock, although slightly different.

"Is that a vacuum suit?"

As if answering his question the outer airlock door opened, revealing a figure in a bright white vacuum suit that stood attempting to hold some kind of improvised metal bat in it's glove covered hand.

"So would that be a 'welcome' or a 'get off ma' d.a.m.n lawn' kind of signal?"

As Dax was unknowingly making history while spewing really bad jokes to himself, he wondered if the alien would try to chase him away in that unruly and puffy looking vacuum suit with some kind of metal it had torn off the wall somewhere. In response to the alien appearing Dax turned off the suncover on his helmet, allowing the alien to see his face. It's response was to stare for a bit then go back inside, reappearing 10 minutes later.

"What are you doing?"

Getting tired of having a stare down with no apparent ending Dax stood up once more and walked backwards slowly about a meter, making the alien advance the same distance, metal pipe still in hand.

"So are you threatening me, or just copying what I did?"

Doing some tests Dax found out that the figure was mimicking what he did, even standing on one leg when he did so.

"Then how about a greeting?"

In his attempt to communicate Dax did a deep bow for about a minute, before he felt vibrations in the ground, making him look up

"Woah watch it!"

Dax expected the alien had went back into the airlock, but something else had happened. When he looked up he saw something entirely else, the alien (with improvised spear in hand) Charged at Dax and appeared to attempt and puncture his suit.

"Wouldn't you try and bash someone with a pipe like that instead of using it as a spear!?"

Baffled by the absolute martial inept.i.tude of his alien attacker Dax jumped over his the alien and landed to see it couldn't stop it's charge from gaining too much momentum in the low gravity.

"For f.u.c.k sake.."

Realizing the danger of the situation Dax jumped after the pathetic alien, grabbing it's vacuum suit from the back and stopping it's momentum.

"Are you okay?"

The alien responded by wildly swinging the metal pipe it somehow still held onto. As Dax still kept the alien from falling over onto sharp rocks so he decided to just take the hit.

"Are you happy now? My suit is punctured and I'm gonna die now, as if.."

Having his helmet visor cracked as he once more stopped the alien from falling over again, Dax reached for his emergency resealing kit. He never got to use the kit however as the alien graped his hand and tried to pull him towards the airlock.

"You just tried to kill me, and now you're gonna save me? Please make up your mind."

Failing to drag Dax off to the airlock as he resisted it the alien looked horrified at him as the air slowly leaked from his suit.

"Really?"

Breathing a sigh, Dax pried the alien's hand off his arm and sat down, making sure he didn't puncture his suit more and then reached for his emergency resealing kit. The kit was standard within galactic s.p.a.ce, and Dax couldn't even count the times his vacuum suit was punctured in war as he was a marine specialising in orbital warfare. Tearing open the kit Dax grabbed a small spray can form inside and attached it to a specialised mount on the arm of his vacuum suit, allowing him to aim it without having to handle the small can with gloves. With careful movements he aimed it at the crack in his helmet and fired the spray and at it and it quickly closed up and sealed the crack.

"See? I'm fine, absolutely no problem."

Tapping the visor to show he was fine the alien just starred dumbstruck at the visor for a while.

"Can this be called first contact I wonder..."

Tapping gently on his visor a few times, the alien seemingly forgot it's current situation as it tried to figure how the resealing kit had worked as Dax took the metal pipe away from it and tossed it away without it noticing.

"Seems like you really like unknown technology."

After handing over the small expended spray can over to her the alien it hurriedly left for the airlock, only stopping to look back at Dax as if waiting for him to also enter the airlock.

"Okay then.."

Grabbing a O2 canister Dax hopped after the alien inside the moonbase. Inside the alien didn't seem to mind Dax at all and started to examine the spend canister after she got out of her vacuum suit.

(She looks like a 'she' good I hope I'm correct, otherwise it'll be really awkward. Now what was it I was supposed to say for first contact?)

Having reached past the airlock Dax removed his helmet.

(The air in here seems breathable, or its a type of toxin I can't smell or taste)

Deciding to just accept the fact he might be poisoned Dax trought of words for first contact.

"Hallo. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

"****?"

"Of course there's no way"

"* wo**** w**t h* *aid?"

(What the f.u.c.k? Is that…. Traditional qiton?)

The traditional qiton language is what the qiton's used to speak before they were discovered and integrated into the galactic empire. The traditional language is a source of great confusion for linguistics as it has no logical base and seems more like a scrambled code than a actual language. For those reasons it is slowly dying out as it is extremely hard to learn and rarely used, the only reason Dax knew it was because of his mother's spartan like training. Hearing the language for the first time in over a hundred years Dax hardly understood it, but it quickly came back to him and he managed to put together a sentence

"Where you also created by them?"

"Huh?"

The Avoxaian Incident was the largest genocide in galactic history, but that was not all it was. The 2 Avoxaian survivors' language were remarkably similar to traditional qiton language and a link between the two races were quickly proved, they were both engineered races of the same creator. While the qiton's were believed to be a race of perfect soldiers, the Avoxaian's quickly proved themselves as dedicated researchers of the precursors. While that was tremendous news it was largely ignored at the time, as Dax secretly had the sisters transported and hidden on the qiton homeworld, more pressing issues had to be resolved first. After the successful boarding and capture of the s.h.i.+ps meant to be guarding the planet cla.s.s miner, an investigation quickly proved that the order to knowingly purge a inhabited world came from the top of Irongate industries and when the indictment from the galactic senate finally arrived Irongate industries refused to in any way pay for their crimes, instead separating themselves from the empire and declaring their independence along with other powerful mega companies and a few systems, creating the largest civil war in galactic history. Along the powers still allied with the empire a treaty was signed to make sure such genocide would never happen again, it was aptly named the Avoxaian treaty. The Avoxaian treaty would come to completely change first contact procedure with less unknown life, establis.h.i.+ng a number of criteria that had to be meet before any from of contact or cooperation could be made. At the core was servael criteria that should make sure that no world joining the empire would ever be capable of repeating the Avoxaian Incident, and if a discovered race showed a certain amount of cruelty, they would be isolated or in extreme cases exterminated. The Iron race, discovered and invited to join empire 600 years earlier were determined to not fulfill the newer criteria, and a order for their containment were issued as a examination showed them unable to sypatice with any other race than their own, this was of course wildly disputed but history will be written by only the victorious.