*
I floated around the bridge. I saw Alzira scratching his eyes as if he had just woken up.
“The Captain has the bridge.”
I sat on my chair.
“What’s going on, Mr Ojoe.”
“More signals, sir.”
I raised my eyebrow. More signals? Maybe we had miscalculated the time we had.
“Put them on the MID, please, Mr Dalto.”
He did.
“That’s not from the Libra.”
“No, sir. That’s Level 6 probes.”
That meant it was close. But it wasn’t just one. We could see three or four. Close to us.
“What’s this, Mr Ojoe? Why aren’t they showing up on the Libra? There are several of them. Aren’t they communicating?”
“There’s another possible explanation, sir.”
I knew there was. But I wasn’t ready to embrace hope yet.
“More contacts, sir. Multiple. Level six.” Said Dalto.
“It’s a fleet…” I whispered.
“I think it’s the Second, sir.” Said Ojoe.
The 2nd Fleet? Webbur’s 2nd Fleet? Could it be??
“Where are they coming from?”
“From the right direction, sir.”
I looked at Ojoe and smiled. He smiled back.
“Can you hail them, Mr Dalto?”
“No antennas, sir.”
“You’re right. Mr Alzira?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Ask the marines to prepare a shuttle, if you don’t mind.”
Alzira smiled.
“Yes, sir.”
I looked at Ojoe again.
“Would you mind going for a ride, Ned?”
He was all smiles.
“Certainly not, sir.”
“Just pay our respects and ask for assistance.”
“Of course, sir.”
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, relieved.
“And would someone please call Mr Erbay and ask him to come to the bridge?”
“Yes, sir.”
“We may just get away with it after all, hein, gentlemen?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Lollipops, Captain?” Asked Alzira.
And I just laughed and laughed.
*
Yes. The 2nd Fleet had come into the Dark Sea, finally. Officially, that was in response to the 2nd Vüurkorps advance, and of course, that was true.
What most don’t know is that the Fleet would have avoided the fight and delayed its move if it wasn’t for a single simple fact: the orphan probe with information about the destruction of the Mother and the capture of the Libra had been recovered a few days before, allowing the Navy to change from a defensive to an offensive posture. Finally, Webbur had an edge over the Silent Boats. And finally, it was ready to fight with all its might.
*
An hour after my laughing outburst on the bridge, the evacuation was already on its way. Shuttles from several ships, as well as Syrius, the courier-corvette, were coming back and forth carrying everything of value. It took us several hours to get everyone to safety, but, to the Navy’s credit, it was a swift and efficient operation.
The last time I was on the bridge of the Arrabat, I could look all around me and see the massive green, red and grey ships of the Inner Fleet. I said goodbye to that bridge with a knot in my throat. That little sloop had served us well indeed. She had been the true hero. A hero that would remain unsung for many years. When I look back, nowadays, I still find hard to believe what that ship was able to do on that extraordinary mission. The hardship she suffered, the odds she faced. And the way she rose to the challenge.
It had been decided that the Arrabat, brave as she was, was too degraded to be of any use. I decided, after consultation with Erbay and Admiral Monnier from the Magnar, that the sloop-of-war would be abandoned and destroyed. That was the best for all and the best way to honour her in the end.
I, of course, was the last man off the ship. And Mira, true to her word, was the last woman off the ship. We left the little sloop behind in the dark, as we climbed into a shuttle. Sad, wounded, scared but proud, there she remained in the void as if smiling and saluting us one last time. A salvo from the Magnar’s HCHE missile batteries put her down. With my fingers intertwined with Mirany’s, I saw her explode in a ball of fire. Another friend falling in battle. Farewell, W.S. Arrabat.
INTERLUDE f - DOUBLE
Korroner Dreivus looked up. There was a thin tall man looking at him from outside the cell. They looked at each other. Dreivus didn’t know the Webburian officer. Never seen him before. As the officer kept looking at him, Dreivus got up and approached.
“Korroner Dreivus?”
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”
“I need your help.”
“How do you know my name?”
The tall man waved his head.
“We don’t have time. I’m going to release you. I’m going to release 15 of you.”
Dreivus frowned.
“Who are you?”
The tall man sniffed.
“I’m a friend.” He lowered his voice even more. “There’s going to be a battle. In a few moments. The 2nd Vüurkorps is here. I need your help.”
Dreivus was getting more and more interested. Was this a trap? It couldn’t be. What would they have to gain? The tall man looked over his shoulder and continued. He was doing something to the door at the same time.
“I’ve been stationed here for a long time. I have a plan to kill everyone on the bridge. Gas. But they have the Libra up there. You need to get up there and destroy it.”
The door finally opened. Dreivus opened it back.
“We’ll need weapons.” He said, buying into the plan.
“I know.” Said the other. “Come with me.”
EPISODE 11 – EQUINOX
There’s a reason we call Torrance the Original Planet. That’s because it’s the planet where human life began, before spreading to the rest of the Solar System in the 14th century. And in Torrance, near Offio, a few miles from Elmira, there’s a place, very well preserved, very beautiful in front of a quiet little lake, surrounded by carefully planted green grass and old trees within the architecture of the old-stone 12th century buildings of the University of Corth. That is the place we know as the Zero-Point, where Mohaidino Facundo himself wrote most of the laws that enabled space flight in the first place, and from where Juareghi imposed his genial time-keeping methods on the whole planet. That’s why we tell time according to the Zero- Point, and the Universal Calendar itself is set by the time in Corth. And that’s why the 20th day of the fourth month of the year is called the Spring Equinox. The first day of Spring at the Zero-Point.
That’s also the reason why the battle that occurred on that day of the fourth month, on the third year of the War, is now known as the Battle of the Equinox. The last and most impressive battle of the old ways. The last of the great line battles. The battle that made Justo H. Monnier a household name.
*
I met him the day before the battle. We talked for the first time through the radio between our two ships. When I finally met him aboard the Magnar a few hours later, I was no longer a Captain. The Arrabat had just been destroyed.
“It’s an honour to meet you, Commander Iddo.” He said.
I smiled timidly.
“Not at all, sir. The honour is all mine.”
He waved his head.
“I had a couple of words with your man Ojoe, and Mr.Kary Erbay as well, and heard what you did. I must insist. The honour is mine.”
I shook his hand, not knowing how to reply. He was a very tall man, in his fifties, thin and stern, with a thin long nose and very serious brown eyes. He was loose and somewhat informal in his manner, but solid and strict in attitude.
“I believe you know Captain Orrey, Mr Iddo.”
“Yes, sir. How do you do, Captain.”
Orrey offered me his hand and smiled honestly, pleased to see me.
> “So good to have you aboard, Commander. Welcome home.”
I shook his hand feeling warm and welcoming, but very tired all of a sudden.
“It’s a wonderful feeling, sir.”
He kept my hand in his for a moment more.
“Relieved?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You should be.”
He smiled and let me go. I looked at the Admiral and turned to Mira.
“Admiral, this is Captain Mirany Cavo, she’s the reason we were able to complete our mission.”
“You’re Vincenz’s daughter?”
Mira shook his hand.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m glad to meet you.”
“Me too, sir.”
«She’s so lovely», I thought, as I witnessed their handshake.
“By the way, sir,” I said, reminded of it. “I would very much appreciate if we could report to Admiral Cavo as soon as possible, not only the success of our mission but also that his daughter is alive.”
Monnier and Orrey looked at each other. Monnier sighed. Orrey looked at us.
“I’m sorry to tell you both.” Said the Captain. “But Admiral Cavo passed away three weeks ago.”
An immense sadness immediately weighted down on me. I looked at Mirany. Most people wouldn’t be able to interpret her posture. But I could. I could see the shadow in the back of her eyes, joining other shadows that now inhabited them.
“I think he was ill for a long time…” Added Monnier.
There was an uncomfortable silence. It was so unfair, no-one would ever really know what he had done to win this war. It was so unfair that he would never know we’d made it. Never know she was alive. So unfair, it weighed a tone. A heavy stone in our hearts. Finally, the Admiral said:
“Why don’t you go freshen up yourselves and rest for a bit? I would love to have you both for dinner tonight at my table, along with Mr Erbay and Mr Ojoe.”
I hesitated.
“Of course, sir, but… The enemy fleet. You’ve been informed she’s coming this way?”
He smiled.
“Yes, 20 hours away. I know. But we’ll have to dine anyway, won’t we?”
*
We had been given quarters in Magnar’s H1. As we were leaving the hangar for the cabins, we saw the prisoners from the Arrabat sitting on the floor, waiting, guarded by Bobs. Suddenly, I felt Mirany stop.
“Mira?”
She was staring at one of the prisoners. One I knew. The korroner of the XX, I had seen in Fumu and loathed immediately. She stared at him. And he looked at her. I could swear he smiled. He probably smiled. Mirany resumed walking.
“You know that guy?” I asked, beside her.
“He bought me.”
“He bought you?” I realised what she was saying. I stopped in my tracks. I turned around. He bought her? He owned her? He… what? He raped her? Tortured her? I was going to kill him. With one blow. I was going to kill him. But then someone grabbed my arm. Mirany grabbed my arm.
“Byl, no. Leave him be.”
I looked at her, rage pouring from my eyes.
“What do you mean, leave him be?”
She was calm and composed, now.
“It’s not worth it. Just let him be. Maybe it’s not him, anyway. He’s just a prisoner.”
“So were you.”
She sighed.
“Just let him be.”
She pulled my arm, gently, and I let go of my rage. For now…
*
Walking on that ship was really a lot like coming home. I had served on the Magnar for almost two years. It had been almost three years since the last time I was aboard, but it was like nothing had changed. Familiar places, familiar faces. Many were gone, of course. Some of my colleagues had been reassigned to the convoys and others, like Zell, had been promoted and sent to other ships.
As we walked into Hull 1, a surprise was waiting for us.
“Bylard Iddo, you ugly bastard!”
There he was. My good friend Ploom. Wearing a Hull-Captain’s uniform.
“Ploom, you mad bastard! What are you doing here? They threw you out of the Tower?”
He smiled as he hugged me.
“Gave me a hull. Can’t complain.”
I was so glad to see him. I felt warmer, calmer. I was home, it seemed. I introduced him to Mirany, and he showed us our quarters, a cabin next to one another.
“VIP quarters, my friend.” Said Ploom. “Captain’s orders.”
I left Mirany in her cabin and walked into mine, exhausted.
“Got you something.” Said Ploom, pointing to a bottle of rhan.
“Oh, thank the stars.” I said. “Have a drink with me.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Exhausted. But have a drink with me and then let me sleep for a few hours.”
He sat at the table and served us a couple of drinks. We made small talk for a couple of minutes and then he asked:
“You had it tough out there?”
I nodded.
“A bit. And you?”
“No. Nothing. We haven’t seen any action since the Orink incident.”
I could see he was a little worried about the battle coming our way.
“That’s okay, Ploom. You’ll be okay.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Byl.”
“I’m glad to be here.”
“So…” He smiled. “A full Captain, hein?”
“No, not really.”
“You’re what? 25? They say you’re one of the youngest Captains in the Navy’s history.”
“Do they? Well, I’m not a Captain yet. I had a couple of commands, both of which I ‘sank’, by the way, but my rank is still Commander. They haven’t raised me yet.”
“Well…” He joked. “That’s wise of them.”
I let slip a little laugh.
“Yeah…”
And I poured the liquor into my mouth.
*
Ploom left me after a few minutes, and I slept like a log for a few hours. It felt so good not to feel responsible for anything, all of a sudden. I still had time to take a shower in my private bathroom before dinner, and they got me a proper uniform to wear at the table that night. Good old Ploom. I went to get Mira, who was also fresh and tidy, but still with the red in her eyes and the sad smile on her face.
Sandars, the old master-of-the-tower, led us up the Tower to the Admiral’s dining room, with a panoramic view of the stars.
“How are you, Mr.Sandars?”
“Oh, I’m alright, sir. The Navy wants us strong.”
“That she does. How’s the old ship?”
“Tight and ready, sir. I’m glad to see you aboard, Mr Iddo.”
I could sense he was troubled by the scars on my face.
“Anything you need, sir, anything at all, feel free to call us up here in the Tower, will you?”
I smiled.
“Of course, Mr.Sandars. That’s very kind of you.”
“You’re one of ours, Mr Iddo. Whatever you do, wherever you go, you’ll always be one of ours.”
That moved me. I had never heard Sandars say something of the sort to anyone.
“Thank you, Mr.Sandars. I appreciate that.”
The elevator doors opened, and Mirany and I entered the dining room where we were expected. Erbay and Ojoe were already there, as were Orrey and Monnier and the senior officers of the C-Team.
*
That night, as we dined at the Admiral’s table with nothing but the glass around us separating us from the vacuum, we learnt about what had been going on in Webbur and the war.
The Battle of Haitzia was still going on, and it had turned nasty. The Royal Fleet of Torrance had faced the 1st Vüurkorps at the edge of the Mirox asteroid belt, on the other side of the sun. The Battle of the Rocks, as it has been called because several ships were brought down by asteroids and asteroid based defences, was a virtual tie between the two fleets, both coming out of it fatally depleted. However, Axx w
as the one who needed its fleet the most, both to carry on the support for the invasion of Haitzia, and also to take over the operation of invading Torrance itself at a later date. Now, all that was in jeopardy.
The fierce forces of Haitzia were taking advantage of this weakness. The Axxian Stürmtroopers had secured a portion of the planet and were boldly defending it, but they were surrounded, and the Haitzians were determined to make them pay for their audacity. As the Axxians were getting little support or supply from the fleet, they would have a hard time surviving.
On the home front, Admiral Hedde was now the First Admiral, leading the whole Navy. A great honour to all of us who’d served under him.
There was now a state of war between the Red Empire and the Cold Empire, in the outer regions of the solar system. The Cold Empire had invaded several moons, including several independent ones. Webbur wasn’t allied with the Red Empire, and the Cold Empire had gone to great lengths to avoid moons controlled by Webbur or any of its allies. Still, the Third Fleet was bound to stay there protecting our outer frontier, meaning she couldn’t be brought in to help in the Axxian war.
“How did the Second Fleet end up here?” I asked, eventually. “As far as I know, you were waiting on the other side of the Mirox. You could have fought the 2nd Vüurkorps together with the Home Fleet.”
Monnier and Orrey looked at each other, and then the Admiral answered:
“We were waiting for an opportunity. We got word that the 2nd Vüurkorps was leaving the orbit of Axx and coming into the Dark Sea. And then, just three days ago, a patrolling frigate picked up your orphan probe just outside the asteroid belt. They were quick to relay the info. We knew right away we had to get the Libra you were carrying. So we crossed the Mirox two days ago. We were afraid we wouldn’t be able to find you before the enemy, but thankfully our Signals team detected the z-ray radiation coming from your faulty engine. We were lucky. Well… You were lucky as well, I guess. We all were.”
Orrey raised his glass.
“To luck.” He said.
“To luck.” We all replied.
Monnier took a sip and continued:
“If we remained on the other side of the Mirox, the Silent would’ve ended up destroying our merchant ships one by one. We couldn’t stay safe. We had to come and take possession of the Dark Sea. We are ready for the 2nd Vüurkorps. We have been for some time. And now we are ready for the Silent as well. Good. Now let them come. It’s time we finally show them who they picked on.”
Shark-Killer (The Dark Sea War Chronicles Book 3) Page 10