The Morning Star

The Home of The Sin Eaters

Gibraltar unfurled itself from Invicta's lap. She admired the tendrils as they danced, their crystalline structures like fractals. Some growing and others shrinking into the black mass. She stitched up the holes in her suit, routinely hooking it up to a machine to test the seal.
"Are you sure about this?" She asked out loud.
To say Gibraltar replied would be inaccurate, rather Invicta always seemed to know what it wished to say when it needed to be heard. Yes.
She tested the seal once more and it sealed perfectly. She slipped the suit on, and watched as Gibraltar climbed up her leg and onto her shoulder.
Gibraltar was a creature unlike any other, something even she couldn't quite understand. While it currently appeared no bigger than a housecat, she knew the truth.
Sometimes she couldn't tell if she was the owner of a pet, a pawn in its schemes, or maybe she had been the pet all along. It all came down to this. Their plans could finally be set in motion, and it all began with a phrase.
The words were spoken from the bridge to a speaker in Invictus quarters, "Captain, The Morning Star is within range."
Her heart raced as she jumped up, grabbed her helmet, and left her quarters in a full sprint.
She entered the hanger of The Sea of Names. A group of ten men and women were there to great her. Some were members of the security team, others were medics and engineers. Each stood outside of what appeared to be a large steel box with rockets attached to the backside.
Victoria nodded adjusting the seal as Invicta walked by. "The visors have been updated with the data from the chip. I hope it works."
Invicta smiled. "Oh, it'll work. I won't tolerate anything less."
They hadn't shared a laugh in a long time. The group entered the shuttle, a boarding pod. Invicta sent out a message to the bridge, "Kira, you're in charge. Keep clear of the expansion zone just like we practiced."
"Understood," came her reply. "Boarding party ready."
When all were fastened in and secure, Invicta gave the order. "Do it. Summer?"
Summer's youthful voice chimed in over the radio, "Captain?"
"Don't miss, okay?"
"That's adorable. You're nervous?" She let out a giggle. "Captain, you know me. I never miss."

The Fermi Paradox… have you heard of it? Even leading up to its fall, Earth had no official communication with a species from the void. We did the math, and did it right. As rare as life is, existence should be filled to bursting with it. The impossible size of our galaxy demands it.
Still, we received no call, not a single sign of life in that black abyss. Eventually we started to doubt the math. If life is so plentiful, why haven't we made contact? Where are The Others?
The Morning Star offers an explanation, and one we shouldn't ignore. When such things exist, perhaps it is wise to be cautious. Then again, perhaps it was our ego. What led us to believe we were worth contacting in the first place? The truth is a little more complicated. Isn't it always?

The Dreadnought

With Deirdre's assault, we've finally learned the truth behind its purpose. The Sin eaters have been with us for a long time. They date back to earth, but their arrival was without ceremony. No one knew they were there. Their arrival and presence in the galactic community puts their first expeditions into the void at around the same time we lost our home. The events are not related, however.
They studied us, learned how we worked, and began construction on The Morning Star, the colorful name for their black fortress. The Dreadnought is a processing facility for biomass. The drones collect it, and it is used to usher humans into the nurturing embrace of an endless undeath. Their minds are warped, mutilated much like the bodies they leave behind. The process is irreversible.
The Dreadnought is the only one of its kind, a stunning display of terror and technology built specifically to harvest human minds, and bio matter, but why humans?

Sin Eater Castes

The cult has several tiers in its hierarchy, but once placed, that is where you will be for life, and for them life is quite a long while. Those deemed useful are not converted, merely changed. This allows them to guide those below them and infiltrate other cultures.
These bishops, as the exiles call them, maintain their individuality. They can think and feel. Below the bishops are the cardinals, a caste clad in red carapace to signify their work as engineers. While able to think, they have little in the way of free will. At the bottom lie the drones, ghosts. They serve as the main force and the most populated caste.
Then you have the cherubs, the most disturbing form the sin eaters can take. Human children are given special treatment, altered in such a way that their faces remain locked in an expression of peace. The cherubs seem to lie outside the caste system, playfully roaming about the Dreadnought unaware that whatever they see, the entity sees.

The shuttle flew from the hanger in a rapid burst of force. Invicta held her rifle, staring at the front wall and waiting for the gate to drop. The shaking began as soon as the shuttle hit the nebula cloud. Invicta turned her head, locking eyes with each member of the team. All was quiet, and not a single wide eye met her gaze. They were stoic in disposition. It was as if they hadn't considered failure. Not a single doubt of their success crossed their minds.
Invicta listened to the chatter as Kira coordinated with Summer.
"Summer, activate Yaw booster, 2 second pulse."
"Understood. Firing. Alignment corrected."
"They're mobile. Engines active, adjust pitch by 3 degrees."
"Pitch adjusted. Adjusting roll by 5 degrees for better approach."
"They just went full burn."
"Z booster active, course corrected. Priming vapor missiles, ready to fire."
"Do it."
Invicta smiled. It was hard with all the shaking, plus the sound of the boosters firing, but with all the gas in the nebula, she heard the missiles make contact.
It took several seconds before she heard Kira speak again, they were getting further and further away. "Positive hits across the board. Captain, be ready for contact."
The shuttle shook in a final, violent crash as the shuttle collided with the hull of The Morning Star. Invicta heard the sounds of saws and torches. Every moment felt like eons. Gibraltar was restless, twitching in her lap. She activated her HUD, and adjusted the settings, so she could see the drones. She felt unsure. She was anxious. She hid it well enough, but she couldn't deny it.
Summer spoke over the radio, "Positive contact, breach imminent. Good luck, captain."
"Great work, you two," Invicta replied, "We'll keep you posted."
The breach was almost complete, and there wasn't much time. The boarders gathered large barrels of chlorine vapor, ripping them open and filling the shuttle with greenish gas. Invicta stared at the gate, her rifle raised and eager to take her first shot. Gibraltar sat on her shoulder, preparing itself for what was to come.
Vengeance was close at hand. Invicta focused on a single though that grew in her mind. It drowned out every moment of doubt and fear. By the time the gate dropped, only one thought remained: For Amberlie.