CAPTAIN’S PERSONAL LOG
Cpt. William Joseph (W. J.) – Commanding Officer, Vessel QUANT
Date: Spiral Day 0T0L0X1.24
Location: Deep Void Transit – 1.3 Light Hours from K-BRAE-12
CONFIDENTIAL – TO BE ENTERED IN PRIMARY ARCHIVE UPON RETURN
MISSION BRIEF (VERBAL REPHRASAL FOR LOG):
Following directive from CENTRAL COMMAND, we’ve been tasked with direct observation and assessment of Star Unit K-BRAE-12, colloquially: Red Lantern, now recorded as having shifted spectrum - from red to a blue class pulse within three rotations.
My ship, the QUANT, a 16-mile body of iron, carbon-bonded armor, and too many bloody decks to count, departed orbital station Orias under full supply. Crew at full complement > 912 souls strong. Chief Tech Varda has secured all deep-scan arrays. We are prepped to read any cosmic radiation, subharmonic pattern, or spectral anomaly this cursed anomaly might leak.
The crew have heard the rumors. You can feel it.
They know what this means.
Lyrax.
The old bastard walks again.
I’ll be straight, as I always am in these things. I don’t trust stars that change their color without permission. Especially not ones tied to that thing’s name. Stars are supposed to die, not change their mind. The last time I saw a star blink like that, I lost a brother and half a fleet.
I’ll do as ordered.
We’ll scan the shift vector and the outer fields.
We’ll triangulate any transmission echoes.
If there's a whisper of Amatrix out here, we’ll hear it.
If there’s a mark left by Lyrax, we’ll record it.
And if we catch the scent of either, I swear on every barrel of Stings whisky I’ve ever poured down my throat
I’ll chase it until one of us burns out.
My crew’s ready. The ship’s hungry for course correction.
We’ll be in sensor range by the next log cycle.
I hope this goes easy.
But I know better.
FINAL STATEMENT – ENCODE FOR COMMAND REVIEW ONLY:
If I find Lyrax
I will end him.
Not capture. Not contain.
End.
For Kurin. For the children. For the stars he made scream.
End of log.
W.J.