**Aboard the Bridge of the *Zmajcica-h***
Spotty stepped through the portal with her usual confident grace, her crystalline blue eyes gleaming as they took in the bridge of her flagship. It was a scene of perfect precision and sleek efficiency, a mix of cutting-edge technology and disciplined Imperial personnel. The subtle hum of power running through the ship seemed to echo her own presence, as if the Zmajcica-h itself recognized its Empress.
Ila followed close behind, her fiery red hair glowing faintly in the artificial light. She scanned the bridge with a smirk, always a mix of casual amusement and admiration. “Home sweet home,” she muttered softly to Spotty, just loud enough for her to hear. Spotty gave her a quick side glance and a faint grin in response.
Elizabeth and Fred were next, stepping through with differing reactions. Elizabeth moved with familiarity, her gaze sweeping the bridge as though she were checking to ensure everything was as it should be. Her thoughts lingered on Spotty’s earlier comments about “slight changes of plans”—what are they up to this time?—but she knew better than to push for answers just yet.
Fred, on the other hand, was wide-eyed and nearly breathless. She stumbled forward a step, her boots clicking on the pristine floor, and had to steady herself. “This... is incredible,” she whispered, staring in awe at the vast room before her. The bridge was enormous, with gleaming panels, holographic displays, and officers moving with clockwork precision at their stations. It was as if she’d walked into the future, and her scientist's heart soared at the possibilities.
Grand Admiral Marcus Corvin stood near the central command console, hands clasped behind his back, his posture as rigid as ever. His sharp eyes took in the party as they arrived, his expression unreadable but clearly attentive. He inclined his head respectfully toward Spotty. “Madam Empress.”
Spotty wasted no time. “Slight change of plans, Admiral,” she said smoothly, her tone that perfect mix of command and informality that made her so effortlessly commanding. “Assemble everyone necessary in the briefing room. We meet in one hour.”
Corvin raised an eyebrow slightly, the only outward sign of curiosity he allowed himself. One hour? He thought. It was an unusually long wait given the circumstances, especially when most officers would attend via holographic transmission. But Corvin was experienced enough not to question the Empress openly. Whatever she had in mind, it would reveal itself in due time.
“Yes, madam Empress,” he said, his tone calm and authoritative.
Meanwhile, a few members of the bridge crew exchanged discreet glances. They were accustomed to surprises from their Empress, but the sudden change in plans—and the presence of civilians, especially someone like Fred—piqued their curiosity. One officer, stationed near the communications array, couldn’t help but glance at Fred again. Who is she? Why is she here?
Fred was still struggling to process everything. Her eyes darted from one piece of technology to another, her mind racing. She wanted to ask a thousand questions, but she also didn’t want to seem unprofessional. She could barely tear her gaze away from the massive central display showing the fleet in orbit around the planet. “You really weren’t kidding about the fleet size,” she murmured to herself.
Ila, catching the remark, nudged Spotty playfully. “You’re already showing off,” she teased, though her grin showed she approved.
Spotty smirked but said nothing. Her eyes flicked to Kismet, who lounged lazily on a console nearby, his sleek fur glowing faintly as he purred. Kismet opened one eye lazily and stretched, his enhanced mind reaching out to Spotty. This one seems fun, Kismet projected, clearly referring to Fred. Should we keep her?
Spotty glanced at the feline with a small chuckle. We’ll see, she thought back to Kismet.
Grand Admiral Corvin cleared his throat gently, drawing her attention back to him. “As you command, madam Empress,” he said, nodding firmly before turning to relay her orders.
Spotty turned to Fred and Elizabeth with a gleam in her eye. “Well, now that’s sorted. Let’s get moving. Fred, I think you’ll like what comes next.”
**Fred’s Impression of the *Zmajcica-h***
Fred had always thought she had a pretty good grasp on technology. She’d spent years buried in scientific journals, engineering schematics, and theories about the limits of physics. But standing here, on the bridge of the Zmajcica-h, she felt like a cavewoman who had just stumbled into a spaceship.
Her brain was struggling to keep up.
The sheer scale of the bridge alone was overwhelming—high ceilings, expansive command consoles, seamless integration of holographic displays, and walls pulsing faintly with energy, as though the ship itself was alive. The way the officers moved, precise and methodical, completely in sync with the technology at their disposal, was mesmerizing.
Fred barely registered that her mouth had dropped open until she caught Ila smirking at her.
"You good there, genius?" Ila teased, clearly enjoying Fred’s stunned expression.
Fred snapped her mouth shut, blushing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just... holy hell, this place is something else," she whispered.
She had expected something impressive, of course. Spotty had been talking about this flagship as though it were the crown jewel of the Empire. But she hadn’t been prepared for this. Every piece of technology she had ever seen paled in comparison.
Fred turned slightly, her eyes catching on something that made her pause: the marines standing guard.
They weren’t standing there like she expected them to—stiff and motionless, the way security guards might stand in front of an important building. These were Imperial marines, and they exuded discipline and lethality in a way that made the air around them feel heavier.
Their armor was sleek, advanced, and undeniably intimidating. Not bulky like old-fashioned power armor, but clearly far beyond anything conventional military forces could dream of. It clung to their forms like a second skin, reinforced plating strategically placed in a way that maximized both mobility and protection. Their helmets had a faint glow to the visors, and for a brief moment, Fred wondered if she was looking at actual soldiers or some kind of cybernetic constructs.
Then she noticed the weapons.
The rifles they held looked deadly beyond comprehension—sleek, futuristic designs humming with energy, power sources built directly into the frames. Some had additional modules attached—Fred had no idea what those were, but she had a sinking suspicion that one of them might be some kind of miniaturized railgun.
She swallowed hard.
"That’s just the guard detail?" Fred whispered to Elizabeth, who was watching her with amusement.
Elizabeth chuckled softly. "That’s just for routine guard duty," she said, emphasizing the last words. "These guys are stationed all across the ship in case of emergencies, but they're not even close to the heaviest hitters we have."
Fred didn’t even want to ask what counted as "heaviest hitters."
Her gaze drifted back to the marines. They weren’t posturing. They weren’t trying to look intimidating. They simply were. Their stance was relaxed yet hyper-aware, their hands casually resting near their weapons but never tightening around them unless necessary. These were warriors who had been trained for perfection.
She took a breath.
"And people actually fight you guys?" she muttered in disbelief.
Ila snorted. "Yeah. They lose."
Fred exhaled and shook her head. "If I didn't see it myself, I wouldn’t believe it."
Then, almost to herself, she whispered, "I need to get a look at that armor..."
Ila and Elizabeth both burst out laughing.
Spotty, who had been watching the exchange with an amused smirk, finally spoke up. "Oh, you’ll definitely get a closer look at the tech soon enough."
Fred swallowed again, barely able to contain her excitement. This was going to be the best day of her life.