Sanctuary II

15 months ago, aboard the IDS Valkyrie, as it hovered close to Farenai. The crew were going about their business and running checks. In main engineering, Varla and the chief engineer were working on the anti-matter containment chamber.

"When are we gonna see some action?" Varla groaned, as she handed the chief engineer a spanner.

"We will soon enough" The chief smiled.

"I joined the Imperial Fleet to fight, not to fix engines" Varla shrugged.

"If I didn't know you better, Varla, I'd say you were bloodthirsty" The chief joked.

"Maybe I am" Varla shrugged.

"Yeah will, save your murderous hunger for another time, and hold onto my legs, I gotta fix the anti-matter coolant cells" The chief smiled, as he crawled into a small tunnel, and opened a hatch to the large cylindrical anti-matter containment chamber. Varla knelt down and held onto the chief's legs as he leant into the chamber.

"Now keep a tight grip, I don't feel like becoming soup today" The chief chuckled, as he leant further in to the chamber, Varla felt that feeling bubbling inside, it had been weeks since they'd been in battle, since then, the empty longing feeling came back.

"Chief" Varla called through the tunnel. The chief lifted his head to look at Varla.

"What is it?" The chief asked, slightly terrified by Varla's large grin staring back.

"Goodbye" She snarled as she let go of his legs. The chief slid backward, but managed to grab onto a handle on the inside of the chamber, Varla crawled towards his as fast as she could as the chief reached for a higher handle.

"Get away from me!" The chief shouted, the wrench from his pocket fell into the rapidly spinning chamber below, in an instant it broke into a billion pieces. An alarm sounded across the ship.

"Alert: Matter detected in the anti-matter chamber, flushing of the chamber will commence in fifteen seconds" The automated voice echoed. The chief looked at Varla and grabbed her by the neck of her uniform.

"If this door is still open when the chamber flushes, we will all be disintegrated" He grunted.

"Then you should probably let go, Chief" Varla smiled as she threw a punch, it connected with his face, and he recoiled, but managed to keep hold of the grip inside the chamber.

"Just die" Varla grunted as she punched him again, as she did, the Chief's hand slipped, and he tumbled into the chamber below. Varla quickly pulled the door shut. As she did, she saw that young sad looking boy's face reflected in the glass, behind her. She punched the thick window and yelled.

"Alert: Flushing of the anti-matter chamber will now commence" The automated voice echoed as the alarm blared in the background. Varla took a deep breath and grinned to herself.

Minutes later, Varla was being escorted, via an elevator, to the bridge for questioning, she was flanked by two guards and her hands were handcuffed together.

"Don't suppose you'll let me go?" Varla asked. The two guards looked at her momentarily before looking away. "Okay then" She shrugged, within seconds she had the chain of the cuffs around one of the guard's necks, she kicked the other guard over with both her feet, and fell to the floor with the first guard, breaking his neck.

The other guard went to grab his gun, but Varla rolled behind the body of the first guard, and grabbed his gun. After a few shots were exchanged, Varla shot the second guard in the head.

"Guess it's time for someone new to take control" She chuckled to herself, as she unlocked the handcuffs, and picked up both guns. The elevator binged as the doors slide open. The bridge crew barely had time to react before Varla opened fire, within seconds half of the bridge crew had been hit.

"Stand down crew member!" The Captain shouted.

"I'm no crew member" Varla cheered as she dove between cover, and fired at the pilot, killing him.

"Who the hells are you then?" The Captain asked as Varla shot the Commander. Varla stood up, and pointed the gun at the Captain's head.

"I'm the Emperor" She winked, as she shot the Captain in the head. The Captain fell to the floor and Varla danced around the blood covered bridge, before making her way to the comms console.

She opened a channel to the rest of the ship.

"This ship is now property of the Imperial Varlan Empire, and dissedants will be shot on sight. Our mission is to push back the darkness that has taken our city, and establish a new home. The Captain has been... disposed of, and I am now in control of this vessel. This has been your Empress, Varla Gray" Varla spoke theatrically, as she made her speech, before making her way toward the pilot's console.

She tossed the guns to the floor, and plotted a course to the Eastern Continent.