No Turning Back [REWRITTEN]

Prologue

"It's not every day you're given the chance to explore the universe. Even as someone whose job is to go out into space and explore, I still don't do it much. That's because we've mapped at least ninety-nine percent of the Chronic system, the system the beautiful planet of Xero rests in, the twenty-second planet from Nova.

Longer-form expeditions cost money that we really don't have much of. Most government money goes towards the war. Which is entirely fair, I'll be real. But the war, from what I know, is completely pointless. A struggle for power, sprung from seeds of jealousy planted by the power-hungry dictator that took over demon lands fifteen years ago. He wasn't even around anymore - Vizor Xanar died on a mission to find more land to conquer outside of the bounds of the Chronic system. Sucked into a black hole, I've heard. Others say it was an asteroid. Some say suicide, or maybe he was killed by his own two sons, who had accompanied him on board from a young age. No matter what happened, he's long gone. And yet the war still rages on in his shadow, led by his wife, who longs to win the war in his memory.

It was sort of an act of preservation that the company chose me to leave Xero and find more life outside of our system. I am what is called a nephalem. My father was a demon, my mother an angel. Considering the demons and angels are at war right now, I'm not really looked upon lightly by some. Don't get me wrong, that's not the only reason they chose me - I'm one of their best, after all. But I feel like it's also the war that forced them to choose me. I'm not complaining much - I'll miss my friends back down on Xero, but I'll see them again eventually. And it at least spares the pain to see the whole planet in such turmoil. Everyone had to pick a side, demon, angel, or otherwise. And there's not much assurance in the whole "switching sides" department - the demons are quite brutal when it comes to people abandoning them, I should know, and they're not too trusting of anyone outside, either."

I chuckled to myself. "Hah. That's a... bit of a haul for a captain's log. I don't know who I think is gonna find this or listen to it or whatever, but I guess it is my log, and I can do whatever I want with it."

I ran my fingers through my chaotic, fluffy hair, staring into the abyss laid out in front of me. "I'm not the only one on the ship of course. There's four others - Kerstyl, Gregory, Drykell, and Eliste. I don't know them well, but I know them enough to be able to be their captain. Hopefully they'll approve of how I'm doing. I've never really been appointed as captain before, nor have I been on a mission as big as this one. I mean, what if something goes wrong?"

I sighed. "It'll be fine. I'm sure it will. This is a good ship, just barely out of manufacturing when we took off. Maybe a week or two old, if even that. Test run was fully successful a few weeks ago, and for the past thirty days since leaving the Xeronian atmosphere, everything's running sound. As long as no true catastrophes happen... we're in good shape."

"That's it, I think. Log end."

I set the recording device atop an empty space on the dash in front of me, running my fingers through my hair again. My eyes drifted to the empty expanse in front of me. The deepest, pitch blackness you could find anywhere stretched billions of miles in all directions, an endless sea of glittering, distant stars. Colorful formations drifted about through the airless vacuum, oranges and pinks and purples swirling in free form, abstract shapes that added splashes of color to the dark canvas of space.

It was beautiful. But I still longed to find the ground back home.

"Captain Alazar?"

A voice broke me from my thoughts, my eyes drifting from the front window to the door behind me. Vibrant purple eyes that made me think of a friend at home made me double take, but I just shook my head to myself and responded.