Writing Gemini Plus One

[Justin]

Ice blue eyes. Eyes that never wavered. That's what Lidia remembered about her twin brother. He was a Captain in his father's army. The Devil with Blue Eyes is what the Fukau Lan called him. He'd never lost a battle in a war that had started before he was born. He was a genius.

Then he was gone. Just like that. Sethia, Dad and Mom, too.

It was called an 'assassination' by Fukow political saboteurs; but Lidia knew far better. The Families had always feared the Finch family. The General's(Father's) Red Marines were fiercely loyal to their beloved patriarch; perhaps even moreso to his bright son.

The economy on Bismin had certainly seen better years. The Families weren't loved by anyone, wherever you went. Bismin's decaying brand of socialism was finally beginning to wither to the crumbling point. The people who went hungry in the streets outside of Bisminarch were crying now for change.

And they saw hope in one man. Not Maxime Finch; no, not the aging General. But young and promising Captain Alexander Finch. They saw in him a messiah.

For the love of the people, Lidia's brother is gone.

But not yet.


[B]One Year Earlier:[/B]

[I]1600, 15MARCH. ABOARD THE RNS LIBERTANIAN; FLAGSHIP, 7TH FLEET.[/I]

"Captain, respectfully."

"Go ahead, Lt. Palmer." Finch responded without taking his eyes away from the forward viewport.

"Space is empty, sir. There's nothing here. We've been sweeping the area for a week." Palmer spoke to his former bunkmate now as a superior, not a shipmate.

"No. I know what it seems like, Palmer. Trust me. They're here. No other explaination for the sudden disapearance of the [I]Denizen.[/I]"

"Sir, respectfully." Finch motioned for him to continue. "The [I]Denizen[/I] could have been ambushed by pirates. It happens in Wild Space all the time."

"Are you serious?" At that Finch looked at his former bunkmate with one eyebrow raised. "The [I]Denizen[/I] is armed with nuclear warheads. I doubt any pirates would be able to stand toe to toe with a nuclear cruiser." Finch turned back to the viewport. "Fooks are all over this. And their still nearby."

A few more moments passed by as the [I]Libertanian[/I] scanned nearby space. Just as Finch gave the order for darken ship, however, a scanner hit appeared. Then, the incoming projectile alarm sounded, and all hell consumed the ship.

-Justin