(Main Bridge, BSN Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi,
Cadra Primaris)
“What is the status of the fleet?”
Slave-Captain Virstina looked up as the Master announced his
presence by speaking the moment the doors opened to allow him onto the Main
Bridge. She forced down a chuckle at the memory of what he had brought back
with him after his ‘shopping trip’ when he decided to play civilian for a while
on the station. There was a story there, but it was for another time. Snapping
herself back to the present, she nodded to the Master, and said, “Master, the
last gunships have returned, and the few who had been damaged have been
repaired. We are ready to deploy on your command.”
The Master smiled at her, and said, “Good, good. Any news
from the Consortium yet?”
“Sector Administrator Woldmane just sent word. She wishes to
speak with you as soon as possible regarding the fleet movements.”
“Very well, open communications.”
Moments later, Woldmane’s face appeared on the main screen.
She looked haggard, but that wasn’t unusual, given the confirmed threat that
the sector was facing. Everyone already knew that the Coldana system was essentially
a write-off. If the X’thari couldn’t be stopped, and soon, then things would
get very hairy, very fast, and everyone knew it. The Master nodded grimly as he
greeted her. “Sector Administrator. I trust you are reading the reports from
Coldana?”
“Yes, it is worse than
I feared. A Harvester hasn’t been seen since the last war. The attacks it has
already taken would have destroyed a decent sized planet, and yet it remains
relatively intact! Even with Tenth Fleet arriving to reinforce Fifteenth Fleet,
I do not think it will be enough.”
“It won’t be. However, I have confirmed that there are
multiple nomads in system now, all with some of the best sensor suites money
can buy. Their six ships should be able to escape the Swarm. Five are Black
Star ships, fitted with X’thari drives. They are currently leading the X’thari
escort ships on a chase about the system, leaving the heavier ships open. The
sixth is a free trader of Imperial make, and equipped with a Transition drive.
They are already poised to escape, but have committed to staying until the last
Consortium warship is destroyed. I am told that they carry with them messages
from every soul on Cordana that wished to send word.”
Woldmane gulped. “That
is a heavy burden for a free trader. Where will they fall back to?”
“Last I heard, they would make their way here, to the Cadra
System. The Black Star ships will use their anchor drives to escape and evade.
We do not know whether the X’thari are able to track and follow ships using anchor
drives to their destination, but it would be foolish to believe that they cannot.
So, the Black Star ships will be going somewhere isolated, before making their
way to a place where there will be plenty of guns to ensure any followers are
greeted as they deserve.”
“That is well.”
Woldmane sighed. “I wish that the problem
could simply be solved with the ships in Coldana, but we must assume that the
Harvester and the Swarm will survive, despite the Navy’s best efforts.”
“Indeed, Administrator. Is there any word on reinforcements?
The Black Star Navy can aid an evacuation of a single system, and protect
refugee craft en route, but we are no match for the X’thari Swarm itself. Not grouped
together as they are. There’s simply too many of them.”
“On that note, I have
some good news. Thanks to your Nomad networks, the word has gone out quickly
that the Swarm has moved once again, and a Harvester has returned to Known Space.
This has allowed us to put the Treaty of Helbizore into effect. All major
powers will unite to end the X’thari threat to this sector. The Consortium Navy
is sending Fifth and Seventh Fleets. The Confederate Navy is sending their Sixth
and Twelfth Fleets. The Ihm Navy is sending the Second Great Armada. The Free
Worlds Alliance has mobilized the Kul’tiran First Fleet. The only trouble is
the Empire. Their navy was ravaged by the Civil War, and they have yet to repair
the damage. But they have committed to sparing the Ninth Fleet. The Terran
Empress herself asked if the Black Star Navy would be joining the fray.”
“The Black Star Navy will stand with the major powers. Our
First Group is already here, and here we will remain. I have given the command
for our Fourth Group to join us, as well. They are already on the move towards
the nearest Gateway. Once we have confirmed that the Black Star ships currently
in Coldana have not been followed, the Fifth Group shall make for the Grathdan
Sector, as well.” The Master smiled with grim determination at the look the
Administrator gave him, as the entire bridge crew nodded approvingly. “The X’thari
are a threat to all life in the galaxy. The sooner we end this threat, the
better. Where will the fleet gather?”
“Ah, eh-hem. Sorry, I
had expected that to take slightly more negotiation. But since you convinced
even the pirates to not make trouble during this time, I guess it was to be
expected. At any rate, the fleets will be gathering at Grimshield’s Bane, the
closest system to Coldana. Either they will gather, and then plan the attack, or
they will be the first line of defense if the Harvester finishes Coldana too soon.”
The Master was about to say something, when alarms sounded.
From the sensor station, Lieutenant Barclay called out, “Transition warning! One
ship transitioning in. Senor network makes it as an Imperial civilian freighter,
Zvezdnoye Nebo-class!”
(Mollen POV)
With an icy calmness that was merely skin deep, I looked to
the Administrator, and said, “Administrator, please stay on the line. If this
is who I believe it to be, then you will need to hear this, as well.” She
nodded in understanding. We both knew who this was, and what their news would
be. Turning to the communications station, I called out, “Comms, hail the freighter,
and ask them to identify.”
“It is the Fucking
Bitch, Admiral. Says she is outbound from the Coldana System, last ship to
make it out.”
“Very well, request a copy of the tactical data to be sent
to the fleet, while the rest is to be sent to Cadra Primaris. And if her Captain
will speak to us, patch her into our conversation.”
The screen split into two parts, with Woldmane on the right
and a human woman on the left. I could only see her head and shoulders, but she
gave off a feel of being ‘solid’ and ‘well-built’. She looked like someone who
had seen too much, but was holding it together because there was a job that
needed doing. I nodded to her, and said, “Captain Chernikova, I presume? I am
Admiral Mollen, of the Black Star Navy. Sector Administrator Woldmane is on the
line with us.”
Chernikova just nodded. She took a second, and then steeled
herself. Her voice had a very distinct Russian accent to it, made thicker by
the emotions she was clearly trying to hold back. “Admiral, Administrator. I’ll just come out and say it. Coldana has
fallen. The Harvester is damaged, but still intact.”
I nodded stiffly. I had expected it to be that way. “I
understand. You stayed until the Consortium ships were gone, yes? Can you give
us the tactical data? We need to see what went right and what went wrong, if we’re
going to have a prayer of destroying that monster.”
Steely eyes locked on to mine. “We have all the sensor readings you could ask for, Admiral. When they
knew that it was going to be the X’thari, the guys at the Navy yards offloaded
all our cargo and filled us to the brim with sensors and computer databanks. We’re
transmitting the sensor data starting from when the X’thari first showed up. Admiral
Fullstout sent a personal note after Firebringer failed. The Harvester has
multiple shield layers, and the damage caused by Firebringer’s second hit on
the Harvester itself clearly did some damage. However, they did not have the
time to remove more of the hardware safety locks on any of the hyper-capable
ships.”
Raven brought up the note on my HUD, and I quickly reviewed
it and the notes she’d made on it. “Hmm. Raven’s preliminary analysis agrees
with Fullstout. She says that, if we were able to hit it with more firepower,
we could defeat the shields and take down the Harvester. However, the X’thari
clearly learned from that attack quickly. We won’t easily get a second shot at
ramming multiple shuttles into the thing.”
Chernikova growled. “You
can’t mean to say it is hopeless! You, of all people—”
I raised a hand to cut her off. “Indeed. Black Star has
overcome long odds before. And we have already committed to helping the Allied Fleet
end this threat. But we will not do that by disregarding the tactical
realities. This is the data we needed you to bring us, Captain Chernikova. We
know that it can be hurt. We know that it can bleed. If it bleeds, then we can
kill it. We just have to figure out how.”
I paused, and then said, “There is still time before the Allied
Fleet can assemble. For now, why don’t you dock with Thadmere Station? The
technicians there will handle downloading the personal messages and other data
that Coldana sent with you. Word has already spread that a ship stayed behind
to bear witness to the last defiance of the Consortium Navy, and by the time
you dock, they’ll learn you left your cargo behind to bring the dying messages
of Coldana to the rest of the Consortium. That should earn you some good will
with the locals. And I have just transferred ten thousand credits to your ship
account, to split between your crew. I think that will buy more than a few
drinks, or time with paid companionship, if you desire, to keep your mind off things
for a while.”
Chernikova flushed, and was about to say something, when
Woldmane cut in, “As Sector
Administrator, I am issuing funds from the sector budget. For twenty-four hours
after docking, the crew of the Filthy Bitch do not have to pay for any food, lodging,
consumables, or services on Thadmere Station. Your docking fees in the Grathdan
Sector have been waived in perpetuity, so long as you own your ship. The people
of Coldana and the Consortium owe you a great debt for bringing their final
words to their people.”
The Russian captain took a breath, and nodded. “Thank you, Admiral, Administrator. I am
sure my crew and I will be more than happy to take you up on those generous
offers. At the moment, however, it feels like we ran from a fight, and none of
us much care for that, not when so many other people fought and died, knowing
they couldn’t win.”
“Captain, I am telling you this, and I want you to tell it
to your crew. Those men and women you watched lay down their lives were dead
the moment the X’thari raised their ugly heads and decided to move on Coldana.
There was no power in the known galaxy that could have saved them. One
lightly-armed freighter would make absolutely no difference in that. What that
freighter did do, however, was bring out the will of the people of Coldana and
the Consortium Navy, along with the sensor data that will ensure that those
deaths were not in vain. They fought with everything they had, knowing that,
through you, their valor would be remembered, and that their deaths would be
avenged by the intel they fought and died to give you to bring to us. Do you
understand, Captain?”
Chernikova straightened up slightly as I slipped into a
command voice at the end, there, but she simply took a deep breath, and nodded
once, not saying anything. There was a fire in her eyes, and I didn’t doubt
that the station’s bars were going to get very, very short of alcohol in the
near future, but with any luck, she wouldn’t slip into the far more destructive
cycle of guilt. This game was real enough that ideas of survivor’s guilt were
actually applicable here, especially if you truly lived the game.
“Very well, then. Proceed to Thadmere station, Captain, and
good job.” I offered a salute to her, before closing the channel. Turning my
attention to the Sector Administrator, I said, “My people will analyze the
sensor data in depth. May I impose upon you to use the FTL comms to transmit
the data to the other allied fleets, so that they have time to begin their
analysis while we are forming up?”
“Of course. I may not
be a military leader, but I will not allow the Grathdan Sector to fall without
doing anything I can to stop it.”
I nodded with grim appreciation. “That is all any of us can
do, Administrator. Do our utmost, exhaust all possibilities, and hope and pray
that it is enough. Admiral Mollen, out.”
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