‘Boot up sequence initialised Navigation_systems…active Flight_systems…active Combat_systems…active Communication_systems…active

All systems active: artificial intelligence online’

That was all that rang through the empty corridors of the vast warship varatox, it’s crew long dead from a cruel attack led by the zanotar. The ship was badly damaged for a long time with the repair bits cannibalising unnecessary pieces and wires from the ships life support systems.

It had been far too long since the ai had been able to communicate with its brethren, how had the war gone? We’re they victorious while the ship lay dormant? There was too many questions and so the ship put it itself to work. First a communication ping to a Roth’al empire communication hub.

‘Test ping for Roth’al hub 17-b, this is warship varatox requesting coordinates for main base’

…silence.

Perhaps that hub was destroyed and hadn’t been fixed yet, no matter. A long range ping would be suitable for re-establishing contact.

‘System ping for Roth’al empire, any communication hubs in system 17 please respond’

…silence. What’s going on? Surely they hadn’t lost the war.

‘Ping received. However we are not Roth’al, we are the historians of marnos of system 17. We regret to inform you that both sides of the war were vanquished when a star collapsed wiping out all forces.’

That can’t be right, was the varatox really all that remained of the once great empire? It seemed so.

‘We can offer you repairs on our planet, what you do after is your own choice’

There was only one thing left to do. The varatox had nothing, the ai had nothing. For this the universe will have nothing.

‘Prime directive updating… Former:Take injured soldiers home New:destroy all that remains, for the Roth’al!’

On that day a new wrath was felt across the empire for the machine that had nothing left but itself.