[ IP ] Red

Into the endless void. That's how people would try and describe it. When hammer-drives tore open a gap into slip-stream space for ships to fall into nothingness and travel impossible distances in implausibly short times. Niles thought it was like jumping into water at night, going from a dim world to a black world. There would be no stretching of stars and no sudden rush of acceleration. The view from the bridge of *The Forge* was bleak over the endless, charred landscape. The *Ferine* wandered ahead of the pack, trailing a scarlet ribbon of light behind her as her hammer-drive fractured space before her. A vortex of visible light sucked into the freshly carved maw of space, a shimmering and rippling egde with an impossibly dark center. Within the bridge of *The Forge*, Niles finally sat back in his commanders chair, the crew solemnly keying away at commands while the ship shuttered and the familiar rattle of hammer-drive churned from deep inside. He wondered if the red glow following after the *Ferine* was behind the *Forge* as well, he wondered if it was some side effect of all the burning exhaust fumes from the surface below. 
 
 Screens displayed the plotted coordinates for the next world, the next pithy place that had risen up. The planet below still smoldered and hiss with fires of a million megatons of plasma bombardment. Whatever had once been a proud and fairly advanced world was reduced to barren charcoal. It mattered little to Niles, simply another location to be checked off an ever expanding list of worlds that were stepping out of line. The Armada had more systems to get through and a near endless supply of ships to dispatch each problem. His navigation officer turned and gave a simple nod and thumbs up to the captain. Niles leaned to his small command console and depressed a single button, opening up his communication line to the flagship, *Janus*. 
 
 `` This is *Forge*, on path to the next system. Cleared to pass.'' 
 
 There was no pause in the reply from *Janus's* captain, the commodore of the fleet. `` Cleared for slip-stream entry. See you on the other side, Captain.'' 
 
 `` Aye, Commodore.'' Niles released the button and nodded to his helmsman who carefully nudged the ship forward. 
 
 There would be no feeling of acceleration, not sudden jolt of speed. The hammer-drive gashed open a wound in the physics of reality and simply moved through it, the black pit seemingly endless and complete. Bored expressions turned up toward the targeting and navigation computer, a small blip slowly growing larger. A lone indicator showed above it, green letters spelling out the locations known galactic name and then its indigenous title. 
 
 **TERRA** [ *Earth* ] 
 ESTIMATED TIME TO PLOTTED DESTINATION: 96 HOURS 
 
 Niles shifted out from his chair and casually strode out of the command bridge. 
 
 Just another lonely rebel hold out awaiting the fires of justice and order.
