Pearl of the Stars | Far From Home

“Get me the Rising Sun and the Nexus.” Grace barked the order.

“Aye Ma’am,” Mr Holden replied, realising a fraction of a second later that his Captain was actually addressing him, rather than one of the numerous Lieutenants how were otherwise engaged, running system checks and various other duties that unless they were carried out and completed with the utmost efficiency and diligence then it would not matter if the Pearl of the Stars took another hit, because she would not survive to take it. “The Rising Sun and the Nexus.”

“Frank, Senna...” Captain Ifhans said as soon as the video feeds from the requested vessels appeared on screen, however upon seeing a young redhead where she had expected to see Captain Holding, she altered her tack completely. “Where is Captain Holding?”

“Dead, Ma’am,” Fiona replied. “We had Others on board the Nexus and they attempted a coup. Captain Holding died whilst attempting to wrest control from their grasp.”

“And you are?”

“Lieutenant Fiona Jones, Ma’am.” The promotion had never been official. She had assumed command of the Nexus following Captain Frank Holding’s death. “It was my efforts that located you and the Pearl to this star system, although I am more than a little unsure as to how we arrived so quickly.”

“Senna?”

“I know nothing of a coup, Grace, nor of Frank’s death however I can attest to the fact that were it not for Lieutenant Jones then we would not have found you. Frank spoke highly of Jones in private and during moments I have personally spent with the Lieutenant she has proven herself to be honourable.”

“Your word is testament enough for me, Captain Karavel, however we must continue this at a later time for as you can see, we are in a bit of a fickling pickle.”

“Judging by the state of the Pearl I’d say that’s a motherfickler of an understatement, Grace,” Senna replied with a chuckle.

“The Pearl is not the most important vessel in this star system, Senna. The MRV, the Nuuk, has to be the priority.”

“Aye Ma’am.”

“Incoming message, Ma’am,” said Mr Holden with no small amount of volume. “It’s from one of those vessels that accompanied the Nexus and the Rising Sun into Quintus.”

“On screen if you please, Mr Holden,” Grace replied.

“Aye Ma’am, on screen.”

“And you are?” Grace asked as a third image appeared to the right of Captain Karavel and Lieutenant Jones’ faces.

“Captain Rena Williams of the Snowblind, Ma’am.”

“It’s a long fickling story, Grace, but apart from a minor blip during which Captain Williams and her people attempted to kill us all, I can vouch for her, too.”

“It’s thanks to Captain Williams, her vessel and those accompanying her that we’re here at all, Ma’am,” said Fiona, speaking up in defence of the woman who a few days prior had tried to hold her captive.

“It seems a lot of explanation will be in order when we get out of this fickling mess, however that can wait.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Captain Williams replied. “If you will permit it, the Snowblind, the Echo and the Hell’s Angel are plenty capable of aiding in the protection of your Mobile Repair Vehicle.”

“Thank you, Captain Williams. Lead your unit and offer support where necessary.”

“Aye Ma’am.”

The transmission from the Snowblind terminated, Captain Ifhans returned her attention to Senna and Fiona.

“I do not know quite what has happened, however your timing really is impeccable, ladies. We must protect the planet below, however the Pearl’s weapons have been hit rather badly, so much so that only her Nets are available.”

“Aye, and that fleet does not appear to like that one bit!”

“Indeed,” Grace replied, pausing momentarily as the Pearl lurched violently to port than to starboard as at the helm, Emily Johnson fought to keep the vessel afloat and the crew alive. “The Razor will be with us in short order, however the additional fire power of the Rising Sun and the Nexus would most definitely be appreciated.”

“Aye Ma’am,” replied Lieutenant Jones.

“Aye,” Senna agreed. “And you can fill us in on how the Razor came to be here, too.”

“When I know, Senna, you’ll know,” Grace replied, cracking a smile despite the sheer magnitude of the situation. “And Lieutenant Jones?”

“Ma’am?”

“Consider yourself promoted, officially,” she replied. “Congratulations, Captain.”

“Aye Ma’am, thank you Ma’am,” Fiona replied, beaming with pride as she tried in vain not to do so. “That is a decision you will not regret.”

“I’m sure of that, Captain Jones.”

“We’re gaining on the Council vessels, Ma’am, but the enemy appear to have quite the advantage where velocity is concerned.”

Captain Williams remained stoic as she studied the radar display of the entire Quintus Star System. It was like nothing she had ever seen; to have five stars operating in such close proximity to each other and yet to be completely separate, independent entities should not have been possible and yet according to the details she could glean from the Snowblind’s computer systems, it was an incredibly stable system. She had, in fact, encountered binary systems that displayed less stability than Quintus.

“We’re still a little under one light-hour from contact.”

“Open a channel to the Nook, Lieutenant.”

“Aye Ma’am, opening channel.”

“Commander, this is the battleship Snowblind. We are a Council vessel currently approaching your position, however we are not going to reach you before those vessels wishing you harm. Come about seven point zero five degrees and accelerate to a velocity of point-six light. Hold that course and speed until you hear from me again.”

Captain Williams glanced at the Lieutenant, indicating that there was nothing else to add and with the flick of a switch the message was sent in the form of a data burst. It would still take half an hour to reach its destination but for what Captain Williams had in mind, that would leave plenty of time.

“That’s a dangerous game, Ma’am,” said the Lieutenant once the message was sent.

“Aye, it may well be, however if we’re constantly trying to play catch-up then the only result will be that the Nuuk gets shot out of the sky,” she replied with a shrug. “At least this way we’re giving the vessel and her crew a chance. Besides, those two vessels will not risk a high speed collision like that.”

“Aye Ma’am, if they current velocity is maintained then a closing speed of one-four light will be too much for them to instigate anything short of evasive manoeuvres.”

“At which point five vessels will close at a rate of point-three light. All we’ll need to do is launch rocks at them and they’ll be done for!”

“Bring us about, pilot. Hold station beside the Pearl of the Stars,” said Captain Erstwhile. Her command was immediately carried out as her pilot swung the Razor around in a wide arc whilst the Nexus and the Rising Sun took up relative positions to essentially surround the Pearl within a tight triangle.

“There’s activity down on the planet, Ma’am,” said Mr Temut. “Planes, and a fickling lot of the buggers!”

“Get me the Pearl of the Stars, Mr Temut.”

“Aye Ma’am, the Pearl of the Stars.”

“Jane, I do not know how you are here, but I’m just glad that you are.” Captain Ifhans’ voice came over the comm. “Danielle is running things planet-side. We have her to thank for the planes that just launched.”

“Well that answers my question, Grace,” she replied. “I shall have my gunners direct all of their attentions upon the attacking fleet.”

“Your unit did, and still is, doing quite a number on the Alliance, Jane. My only regret is that the Pearl is unable to join the fray, except to mount a kamikaze run and I am unwilling to see my crew go out like that.”

“Understandable, yet you know they would follow you anywhere, each and every one.”

“Which is why such a thing will not happen, Jane. We are too few in number now, and cannot risk such a thing unless there is no other choice, something that I was beginning to believe was the case.”

“The Razor, the Rising Sun and the Nexus will protect the Pearl for as long as possible, Grace, you do not need to worry about that.” Captain Erstwhile paused for a moment as she checked the Razor’s radar display. “I shall task half of my unit to aid those protecting the Nuuk. With those planes up in the air, we should be able to deal with the rest of this fleet with little trouble.”

“Do so, Captain Erstwhile,” said Grace, as she cut the transmission.

“This really has been a very odd day, thus far,” said Mr Foster from his station. “Ma’am, look.”

Captain Ifhans did just that, looking at the radar as it depicted events that had occurred several moments prior.

The Nuuk, the enormous Mobile Repair Vehicle, turned sharply on a trajectory bringing her heading directly into the path of the incoming Alliance battleships. Her velocity increased drastically, so much so that there was no way that she was ever going to be able to slow.

However, Grace realised as she studied the display more carefully, that was not the intention. The Nuuk was not supposed to slow. She was supposed to plough straight through the Alliance vessels who, as she watched, played their part and veered sharply to port and starboard respectively, slowing their own velocities by enormous amounts at which time the Snowblind, the Hell’s Angel, the Echo, the Firestorm and the Jinx slowed to point-two light, the optimum speed for an engagement.

The Nuuk’s trajectory took her directly beneath, relative to the plane of the nearest star, the five Council vessels and as she gradually reduced her speed, the two Alliance vessels were shredded as led by the Snowblind, the five battlecruisers laid waste with minimum fuss.

“Secondary weapons are back on line, Ma’am,” a Lieutenant yelled with glee. “Shielding is at forty-one percent.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Grace replied with a grin. “I don’t know about you, Ms Johnson, but it sounds to me like we are able to jump into the fray, after all.”

“Aye Ma’am.”

“Mr Foster, broadcast to all Council vessels,” she began, pausing as she contemplated how best to word the message. “The Pearl is back in business.”

Despite their superior numbers, the Alliance fleet were completely outmatched. Against so many battleships and battlecruisers, not to mention the sole heavy cruiser that was part of the Razor’s unit, they did not stand a chance.

The Quintus Star System might have been at war for centuries, but even that had not prepared them for the might of several battle-hardened Council vessels and with the aid of eighty fighter planes courtesy of the Diamantra and Danielle Casper, the Alliance soon had little choice but to surrender.

The large conference room on board the Pearl of the Stars was full, it really was standing room only. Many people wanted to be a part of the meeting, something that Captain Ifhans would not normally have permitted however, things had changed.

It was clear to her, having spoken at great length to Captain Fiona Jones, that the Universe was not as humanity had thought it was. For so long, for countless generations, mankind had assumed itself to be an intelligent species however the Universe had proven, once again, that although the human race did indeed have smarts, they were in truth nought more than toddlers playing with building blocks.

“The Alliance leaders have been imprisoned, charged with war crimes against the citizens of the Quintus Star System,” said Danielle Casper. The seat she occupied was at Grace’s right hand. “We have you to thank for that, Grace, and it is a debt we will never be able to repay.”

“It is a debt you will never have to repay, Danielle,” Captain Ifhans replied. “And I do not think I am wrong in saying that every single Captain sat around this table – and some that are no longer with us, as well as every crewman and woman aboard each and every vessel, is responsible.”

“Well thank you all,” Danielle replied, the slightest hint of a tear in her eye. “It is a war I have been part of for a decade, yet for the majority of people in the Quintus System, it has been that way for ever.”

“Sounds familiar,” said Captain Karavel with a smile. “Just glad you made it out of Ryban alive, Danielle.”

“The same goes to you, Senna, and everyone else.”

“It wasn’t quite as simple as that for some of us,” said Captain Rena Williams from her seat directly opposite Grace. “It was my ancestors who made it out of Ryban alive, so the way I see I have them to thank.”

“What will you do now, Captain Williams?” Grace asked, earnestly. “You and your fellow Captains have proved invaluable this last day. Will you now return to your home star system?”

“Our Jump Drives are all burnt out, Ma’am,” Rena replied. “I spoke to a few of the techs on board the Nuuk. They reckon that the jump straight from our home system to here completely fried the system to the point that we’ll be lucky to make it to the next star system without a little patching up. It’s a twelve jump journey home across more than a couple dangerous systems so if you want us, Ma’am, the Snowblind, the Echo and the Hell’s Angel are yours.”

“Thank you, Captain Williams. We could certainly use the additional fire power and once your Jump Drives are fully repaired, which I have no doubt will happen, then you are of course free to return home.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“What about you, Danielle? Will you come with us?”

“Too tired and too old, Grace,” she replied, smiling kindly. “Besides, Quintus is my home now and it needs me; the people need me. I do believe that the head of Diamantra is going to run for government.”

“This system could not ask for a better candidate, in my opinion,” said Grace, returning her friend’s smile before addressing the entire room. “Anyone wishing to stay here may do so, I will not prevent such a thing. All vessels will accompany me, however. It is my intention to return to Victoria. Someone is responsible for the attempted mutiny aboard the Nexus and that someone is currently sitting in a comfortable chair, no doubt gloating as they believe they have won.

“They have not won, nor will they ever. I will not rest until those responsible for oh-so many things are brought to justice. I shall not rest, until those responsible for the death of Captain Frank Holding are held accountable.”

Grace paused, glancing around the table and beyond, around the large conference room. It was not difficult for her to tell that each and every face she stared into was completely behind her.

“Are you with me?” she yelled, slamming her fists upon the table as she did so.

“We’re with you Ma’am!” The shout was unanimous and incredibly loud, and Captain Grace Ifhans smiled. “Oorah!”