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in the void, they dwell
chapter one

Written by Ted Spector

Cassian had entered the office expecting a lecture. It had been a week since his unauthorized shuttlecraft joyride with his girlfriend and to his surprise, he’d gotten off scot-free -- thanks to her. He found his thoughts drifting back to Adair, unable to keep focus as he recalled the way she’d scowled at him while insistently shouldering the blame. Cassian didn’t understand why she did it considering how much less severe his own punishment was sure to have been considering his status, considering his father was–

“Cassian,” the voice was firm, almost a growl as it snapped him out of his woeful daydream.

“I’m listening, I’m listening.” Cassian sighed, rubbing his hands over his face and then peering up over them to meet the irritated gaze of his father, Richard Ekkehard, a high-level officer at Dyson Enterprises, the space-faring megacorp that ruled most of colonized space. Even as his father turned away from him with a huff and continued his explanation of the next mission, Cassian was finding it had to focus. The way ships whizzed past the window wall of the office, the way the lights of the planet-wide city outside slowly dimmed, indicating people were turning in for the night.

“We lost contact with Entropy IV,” Richard told him. "Two weeks ago."

“I heard that part,” Cassian murmured, eyes still looking past his father rather than at him.

“And-” he started.

“And you want me to go investigate the station,” Cassian interrupted once again, earning a sharp look from over his father’s shoulder that had him sinking into the uncomfortable leather seat once again. “Alone?” he asked, voice softer this time, more polite.

“No, not alone. I’ve taken it upon myself to put together a team which you will lead,” he said. Cassian nodded his head with a tired sigh. “Alongside Adair.”

Cassian perked up at that, sitting upright again with a renewed spark of interest in his eyes.

“Adair?” Cassian asked.

“I’ve reassigned her to active duty. We figured out that your little joyride last week was a joint effort and so instead of discharging her,” his father turned, gaze sharp. “I figured the two of you could make up for your disobedience by taking on this very important task.”

Cassian was a lot more attentive now, nodding his head. “What do I do? When do we leave?”

“It may be wise to smooth things over with her. She’s at the hangar bay, preparing the ship. You’ll be briefed at mission control,” Richard told him, his arm raising to his eyeline to inspect the time on his watch. “In half an hour.”

Cassian’s eyes widened. Half an hour? He didn’t expect things to move so quickly. As he was shooed out of the office upon his father receiving a call, the door closed right in his face, his mind reeled.

Half an hour. Was that enough time to do anything substantial? Maybe he should head right to mission control. Or maybe he should go and talk to Adair

Art by M4gney