Sensurround's Storytime

 Pax'Del hummed the dancing tune from the speakeasy, a happy, jolly tune as he walked home.   "Help for a veteran?" a voice called out from a dirty streetcorner.  Pax turned around and waved. "I'm still in the service, friend.  Veteran of what campaign?" he asked the homeless fellow. "D'dendrx five.  I lost my right arm during the Vol offensive." He vaguely waved a stump. Pax, remembering the meal he had at the illegal speakeasy, palmed a ration coupon.  "Here, friend.  This one's on me.  Eat well tonight.  If you need anything, knock on my door.  I live just down the street.  I was in the Mobile Fleet on D'dendrx five.  I saw a lot of the aftermath of the Marine offensive." "Thanks, sir!" The veteran gleamed, grinning.   Pax was in a rare, good mood.  He had a good time.  He pushed on the control to open his front door, but it was already open.  His ears raised straight up in alarm.  "Zinn?!"...

 Pax'Del stepped off his ship at the old dockyards.  The Emperor's handmaiden was waiting for him. "How's The Emperor today?  Is he remotely lucid at all?" Sher'Dei stifled a laugh.  "Sort of.  He thinks it's 20 cycles ago during the conquest of the Deri.  He asked about the plans to take their Homeworld. Pax sighed.  "The backwoods system that the civil star patrol had cut around has been settled by an unknown intelligence.  They have weapons I've never seen before, but my importantly, they have more food growing on that planet than the homeworld of the Empire has seen in elevens of years.  Not to mention worlds like this one.  I was only able to do some basic research before they discovered me, but from what little I found, they grow a crop not unlike Keln." Sher'Dei gasped in amazement.  "I have not had fresh Keln in many years.  I do not even think the Emperor remembers what it tastes like.  I certainly don't, and I am...

 Pax'Del woke suddenly from a nightmare.  He was remembering his mate, and her painful death from an infection that used to be easily curable before the Hard Times.  Food was scarce, medicine was scarce, and economic ruin was slowly wrecking its havoc through The Empire.  His mate had succumbed to an infection while pregnant with his daughter, which caused her disability, and his secret shame. Pax remembered his mates cries of pain through her final days, and a tear came to his eyes. He missed his daughter terribly. He checked the timepiece on the wall, and saw it was late in the night.  Nightwatch was still on duty on the ship.  He dressed himself quickly, and headed to the small chapel in the rear of the ship. Del lit a small candle, and began the ritual. "Ancestors, I prostrate myself before you, begging for insight" he began the prayer to himself. "I have sworn myself to the service of the Empire, and yet, the Empire is allowing itself to fall into ruin...

Pax'Del's patrol group fell out of jumpspace near the twin star.  The prevoius patrol group had skipped past this system for the past 20 or so cycles, because it was far out of the way.  The laziness of the civil space patrol never ceased to amaze Pax. "Captain, we're getting scan results from the Duotex IV system, and it's as the Emperor had feared.  We have invaders.  Three of the moons have unidentified life on them.  We see evidence of advanced power systems, industry, and... wow.  They figured out how to farm on the abandoned, re-engineered moon. Del's ears flattened in shock.  Back when he was a 2nd LT, he was part of the failed attempt to start farming there. "Are the crops bioavailable to us?" Del asked. Science officer Gekto'zzl answered, "Hard to tell, sir.  We'd have to directly sample the crops and assay the chemical makeup.  From what I can tell, at least one crop is very similar to Keln.  But we'd have to sample it....