KS Desiccator; Vell Ricaud’s Private Quarters
Docked with Jupiter-1 Confederate HQ Starbase, Jupiter orbit
The Milky Way Galaxy
The Sol System, Terra Quadrant, Sol Sector
MAR 23 2795/2795.082; 0730 Hours (CST)

Vell Ricaud and Melissa Banks lay entwined with each other under the satin sheets of his grandiose Dolosian bed. They had made their cameo appearance for the victory celebrations the previous day, primarily consisting of a social gathering on Jupiter-1 Starbase (still the ConFleet HQ) of all representatives of the major governments of the galaxy and accompanied by a lavish display of fireworks in the surrounding space by the famous "Blue Angels" Squadron. Mysteriously, Chris Blair was nowhere to be seen at either the ceremony or its proceedings.

If Vell were to look out the viewports in his cabin he could see, in the distance, the shattered remnants of Earth, but he’d opted not to look. Earth had meant nothing to him until it was gone... it had been just another planet to him, not the crux of humanity it had been in reality. But, like most things, he didn’t realize the value or significance of it to himself and others until it was gone. He’d seen the somber faces, soldiers weeping, and children crying... he’d seen enough to know Earth was more than just a planet... for humanity, it was their home, born there or not.

"Vell...?" Melissa moaned in his ear. "You’re still up?"

"I’m just... thinking, sweetie. It’s okay."

Two years ago Blair had saved the day right in front of him. Now Vell would go down in history as the man who, on 2795.078, had saved the human race. All of the shortcomings in his life suddenly meant nothing in light of this... finally, he had been given the chance to become his own Blair, his own mark in history. He had never set out to do that, of course, but fate had somehow rewarded him in this way. He imagined his father would be smiling down on him now...

And now, of all things, he was going to be a father himself...

TCS Victory; Flight Wing Rec Room
In orbit over planet Saturn
0819 Hours (CST)

Getting yet another drink from Hackney, the bartender, Commodore (Ret.) Christopher Blair went back to his usual table facing the viewports, immersing himself in old memories of his familiar surroundings.

He wasn’t entirely sure himself why he had come back here, to the Ranger-class TCS Victory. Or maybe he was. Over a century ago he had been the light carrier’s wing commander, WC of the 36th Fighter Wing, on the run that had terminated Kilrah on 2669.267. It had been Eisen’s ship—"Tin Can Sally," as he had called it for some reason or other, and had been an ancient vessel even in 2669. It was exactly the way he and Maniac had seen it just prior to the Black Lance fiasco in 2673, as a public orbital museum. It wasn’t the same Victory, of course, but it was a relic of the Kilrathi Wars nonetheless. It was essentially a replica of the CV-40, refitted from the hollowed out carcass of a hull leftover after ConFleet recommissioned the Victory to deal with the then-new Ninth Kilrathi Empire’s "Operation: Crusade" in 2674 and the Victory was rammed into the Caxki-class dreadnaught Tithrak.

Ever since he had bore witness to the depths Confed had sunk to try and end the conflict with the Steltek, he couldn’t help but think back to the Kilrathi. They destroyed the Kilrathi homeworld to end the First Kilrathi War; they wiped all life off of two entire Steltek worlds to try and end the Steltek conflict. It could be considered moot, as the Ceti Imperium seemed hell bent enough to wipe out the entire Steltek race after the fact, but Blair had once believed Confed was better than that. He thought it stood for something greater. Something he thought he could dedicate his life to with no hesitation or regret. Perhaps it was a vain hope.

Polishing off his glass, he washed his hands of the memories, the morality, and the burden of it all.

He’d already spoken at great length with Fleet Admiral Tierson and the rest of the surviving Naval brass. There were precious few of them left. He had even spoken to Vell, who he had felt it necessary to thank on behalf of the entire galaxy but who had nonchalantly shrugged it off with only, "Nothing to it, pal."

The Ceti had disappeared, presumably leaving to track down the rest of the Steltek’s fleets. It remained to be seen what the Ceti’s ultimate intent was for the Steltek, though Blair guessed that since they already (apparently) let the Steltek off with exile once, the Steltek could now be facing genocide themselves.

The Ceti themselves remained a mystery. Not a single communication had been received by any Terran-allied craft from the enigmatic alien race from the Galactic Core.

But it didn’t concern Blair. They owed the Ceti their very existence—if they wanted to preserve their mystery, they could fade into the shadows from whence they came for all he cared. Besides, there were things of far greater importance to be concerned about now.

Earth was gone. The known galaxy had been brought to its knees. There were billions upon billions of casualties. Only a day after what would be historically remembered as the Battle of Gamma Onisis, what remained of the Terran, Kilrathi, Firekkan, and Andorran governments had talked over their differences. The Terran Confederation, the Eleventh Kilrathi Empire, the New Republic of Andorra, the Firekkan Commonwealth, the Free Republic of Landreich, the Varni/Mantu Combine, and every spacefaring government outside of Neutral Space would all be absolved into a new, single tangent government. The word on the grapevine suggested a United Galactic Federation would be declared in the days ahead.

The time for battles, war, and bloodshed was over. A great rebuilding was ahead of all the inhabitants of the Milky Way, one they would do together as a single people, one that had been united by the very thing that had nearly destroyed them all entirely.

In short, it was time for a different kind of hero.

"Vell said I’d find you here." Blair stirred in his seat as Julianna Kincaid came up behind him and slung her arms over his waist. "Are you all right, Chris?" she whispered in his ear.

After letting himself get reeled in for a brief kiss, Blair smiled. It surprised him how natural it came, and how he was able to with everything he had been through. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I am."

F I N I S