The bridge was a frightening place the last time she scaled its steps.
Like all alien technology,the ship was composed organically, muscle, blood and nerves were all vital components. But this ship was special.
It was built by The Rajava, a species with a superiority complex so large they transformed themselves from giant brain's into galaxy travelling spaceships.
It didn't stop them from becoming monsters, though.
Atop the aptly named ‘Stairway to Heaven', Jasmine was opposed by the Admirals guard, vicious-looking insectoid Arvas, draped in stained dark red capes, tattered hems and an assortment of glittering trinkets.
Six pairs of eyes stared the human down, Jasmine did not avert her gaze.
“I want an audience with the bridge,” she stated, mostly out of politeness. Jasmine could have easily ignored them and pushed through unannounced but she didn't want to step on anymore toes than she needed to. Willing others not ‘loyal’ to her by Freq could lead to unintended consequences, it had gotten her in trouble before.
The guards clicked between each other before standing aside, allowing her passage beyond.
The bridge of the ship was truly an astonishing feat of technology, the entire surface was a holograms projection, an illusion that you were standing out in space itself.
Jasmine shuddered and held a guiding rail down invisible steps, the last time she was on this stage, she fought for everyone's lives metaphorically and literally.
The memory of pain and fear still lingered, tracing down her spine.
The other terrifying thing about the bridge was the Admiral herself.
A powerful Freq user, Aralukia’s presence was one of a natural leader, a glorious star to follow in the nights sky, to gaze upon her with awe and admiration. She could wield this power like a sword and have you swearing fealty with a pulse, groveling about unworthiness with a mere command. Jasmine had been on the receiving end of her wrath more than once and had not come out unscathed.
The practice speech Jasmine had been preparing for their confrontation fell to the wayside as the Admiral was currently in an argument with Sargent Beau ‘Masterchef’ Mathews.
The glorious star met cold stone granite.
“... It's been over 72 hours, I’m slowing the ship down!” Beau's deep southern voice snapped, clearly frustrated. “But I did not order you to do so,” Aralukia replied, as confused as he was upset.
“I know that, but I’m pushing the human body past its limits, the last thing we want to me to start hallucinating whilst in jump,-” Beau turned his head to see Jasmine descending the stairs, “Oh hallelujah, a voice of reason!” The soldier stood tall for a human, a mountain of a man he was but even he only came to Aralukia’s waist. he stormed over to greet Jasmine happily, the familiar and invisible comfort of late summer hospitality wrapped around her shoulders.
“I wouldn't count on that,” Jasmine tempered his enthusiasm. Beau's shoulders were weary, he man had the same suffocating helmet she had, so while Jasmine couldn't see his face, she knew exactly the expression it held underneath.
“You gotta get through her head that I can't be awake this long, that none of us(humans)can be awake this long,”
Jasmine stopped dead in her tracks.
“What?! You've been awake the entire time? Since we captured the ship?!”
“And then some,” Beau looked her over,hands on her shoulders, relieved, “The Doc fixed you up good then? Had us all worried for a stretch-”
“If you will not fly the ship then she will replace you while you rest,” Aralukia interrupted, the order peppered with a mild inconvenience. A towering creature, she held the broad shoulders and spikes of a beetle and long, elegant limbs of a grasshopper; the draped red cloth and scattered jewels hid her body, weapons and wings. Five eyes looked down on the humans, expectantly.
“Actually,” Jasmine gently sidestepped her friend and turned to face Aralukia as an equal, “That’s not the reason I came to the bridge.”
“Why you came to the bridge is of no concern, we must keep jumping.” The Admiral dismissed, but Jasmine did not let her order influence her mission.
“Your Grace,” Jasmine invoked the title, head bowed politley “Our people are low on supplies and morale, we have no destination or bearing. Could you please tell us your plan so I might quell tensions amongst the crew?”
Aralukia faltered; there were very few in this galaxy who could address her in such a manner. An Arvas Princess was genetically modified as such, they needed to be a commander of millions.
“Very well voidsinger,” she replied, cautiously. “We are to jump as far as we can toward the unclaimed voids, then navigate to the planet Lukia,”
“That's it?” Beau blurted out, “What about supplies? repairs? The ships got a massive hole in its side! And how are we supposed to navigate to Lukia anyway?-”
Aralukia stomped a foot firmly.
“You ask too many questions above your station-”
“Nu-huh, you need a human to fly this ship, and we aint going anywhere until you answer them!”
Jasmine could feel the thick stone wall Beau’s freq presented as form behind her, while Aralukia’s gravitational pull demanded her to heel.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“Beau, calm down…” Jasmine reasoned, a hand on his chest. He instinctively went on the defensive, but caught himself just in time.
“Your Grace,” Jasmine appealed to the admiral again, “Humans, voidsingers are unstable without sleep; we need rest and supplies. We do not ask these things because we doubt your judgment, but because we know our limits in these trying times.”
Aralukia shuddered her shoulders with frustration.
“If your people cannot withstand even this long without sleep then we cannot continue further without supplies,” She swept past the humans to ascend the stairs. “Finish the jump, alert the other ships in the fleet of our respite. I will consult with my navigator.” enormous wings spread out from under her capes, blasting the pair with air as she glided up the stairs at great speed.
Alone on the bridges Beau collapsed onto the base step, head on his brow.
“Just in the nick of time sunshine,” He sighed, jasmine pursed her lips.
“That could have gone better,”
“You got me leave, id say its a win,”
Jasmine frowned again,
“Why didn't Itsuki come relieve you?”
Beau sighed again.
“Kids’ been looking after the exploration crew, he's been stuck cleaning up the mess and reading everything for the aliens, on account that we were the only ones with translators… and you were resting up after the fight so,”
A twang of guilt hit Jasmine in the stomach. Everyone had been pushed to their limits.
Beau ordered the ship to slow and exit the wormhole, streaking ribbons became specks of light in the dark.
A stillness swept over them both.
Jasmine turned her back on the unnerving scenery, lifting the helmet from her shoulders and freeing her head. She touched her face and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come on,” She helped the old soldier to his feet, “let's get you to a bed and then we can tell everyone what's going on,”