As soon as the light at the base of her console flashed red, she reached out a shaking hand and pressed the button to receive. “This is Captain Hodge of the Revolution.”
Another Avalon face appeared on the screen. Unlike Captain Hodge’s more approachable and welcoming personality, the woman that looked back at her exuded a dour and gloomy visage. Her pencil thin lips and narrow eyes were hooded by narrow, arching eyebrows that gave her a constantly angry appearance. Adding those characteristics to her naturally gaunt face and pale skin, and Captain Nitella looked every part the villainess of a long forgotten fairy tale.
“You look disappointed to see me, Hodge,” Captain Nitella said, her musical voice sounding harshly with sharp notes. Captain of the Defiant, Nitella and Hodge traced a professional, if not personal, competitive friendship back for years during their concurrent years of service in the Fleet.
“The disappointment is not because of you, Nitella,” Hodge replied, slumping back into her chair. “I just grow so bored of flying around the same planet. I want action. I want intrigue. I want… something different.”
“We could always do another practice exercise,” Nitella offered, arching one of her angry brows.
Hodge sighed heavily. “No, I think we all had enough fun with the last one.” The last training exercise had been a stalemate, ending with most of the smaller Duun and Cair ships destroyed in the space between the two Cruisers and little true damage done to either ship. The end of the battle had wound up as little more than two ships sitting miles apart launching mock rocket after mock rocket at one another, all of which were destroyed long before reaching their target.
Though no real answer had been decided and no winner declared, the training exercise had been a disaster to Hodge. Not only was she unable to destroy the rival ship, the exercise showed a great weakness both in her pilots and her weapons teams on board the Revolution. With war potentially days away, she feared that her crew was grossly inadequate for such a determined enemy as the Terran Empire.
“You look tired,” Nitella stated. Hodge winced at the words. Even the most harmless of gestures seemed condescending when coming from her fellow Avalon. “I hope the stresses of Captaining the Fleet are not getting to you, Hodge.”
Captain Hodge frowned, refusing to be pulled into an argument with her rival. “Unfortunately, Nitella, I can’t continue this conversation. I want to make sure the lines are clear in case a more important call comes through. I’ll talk to you later.”
Hodge ended the call before the other Avalon realized her backhanded insult. Rubbing the palm of her hand over her eyes, Captain Hodge realized that Nitella might have been right. She had been manning the helm on and off for days, anticipating a call that had yet to come. Yearning for a distraction, she turned to her Tactical Officer and second in command.
“Eminent Merric,” she said, “come and discuss the last training exercise with me.” She hoped that he had seen something she hadn’t; that maybe, somewhere in their failed venture, there had been salvageable piloting.
Merric walked quickly to her side. The tall Pilgrim had immaculately trimmed dark hair, offset by pale skin and a permanent frown. Always displeased, Merric was a stickler for regulations, often able to quote the most obscure Fleet rule when it suited him. Though Hodge found him abrasive, she also knew that the crew feared his almost weekly inspections, which allowed her to run the ship without fear of mechanical or technical failures.
“Yes, ma’am,” Merric said as he snapped to attention before her.
“Relax, Eminent Merric,” she said, though she saw only the slightest shift in his position. Shaking her head softly, she realized that he was relaxed. “I want to discuss the training exercise against the Defiant.”
If it were possible, Merric’s frown deepened. “It was a despicable display, ma’am.”
Captain Hodge tried not to shoot him a disapproving look that would have matched his expression. “I realize the failures of this ship and its crew. What I am looking for is anything positive that came from our exercise.”
Merric paused, searching for a proper response. “The ship defenses worked admirably, as did the Duun pilots as they repeatedly destroyed both the invading Cair ships and incoming missiles.”
“And our own Cair pilots? How did they do?” Captain Hodge already knew the answer, but strove to develop Merric as a leader. Though he was callous when dealing with subordinates, he was a brilliant Fleet officer and held a lot of potential for future advancement and, if fate was in his favor, command of his own Cruiser some day. Prior to then, however, he still required positive grooming.
“They struggled to find any opening in open space. One of our pilots even hesitated when ordered to advance. Only two of the Cair ships actually made it to the Defiant, and those were immediately destroyed by Captain Nitella’s quickly responding ship defense forces. None of our Infantry ever got close enough to place an explosive that would have caused any serious damage, nor were they able to locate any officers of significant rank to take as prisoners of war.”
Captain Hodge had already heard about Magistrate Riddell and her disobeying of a direct order by the Squadron Commander. Riddell was young, Hodge knew, and fresh from the Academy. She had taken a great risk recruiting Keryn as a replacement Cair pilot, succumbing against her better wishes only when nearly begged by Magistrate Xiao. Captain Hodge hoped that she found her confidence soon. It would be a great disappointment to lose so young a pilot in the heat of battle because she was unable to follow orders.
“Ma’am,” the Communications Officer interrupted. Merric shot him a disapproving stare, but Captain Hodge brushed aside his rebuttal.
“What is it, Magistrate Young?” she asked.
“You have another call, ma’am.”
Captain Hodge rolled her eyes. She was sure that Nitella had finally realized the double-edged sword of her departing words. It was just like her to call immediately back, eager to offer the last retaliating words of the conversation. “Please tell Captain Nitella that I’m indisposed, being right in the middle of a tactical briefing.”
Turning back to Merric, the Captain was surprised when Young cleared his throat loudly. It was an annoying habit of Young’s, one she would have to address later. “What is it, Magistrate Young?”
“It’s…” he paused, clearly nervous. “It’s not Captain Nitella, ma’am.”
“Then who is it?” Merric interceded. “Out with it, man!”
“It’s a message from the High Council,” Young replied meekly.
Both Captain Hodge and Eminent Merric paused, their terse replies forgotten. “You’ve confirmed the signature?” Hodge asked.
“The message is authentic, ma’am,” Young answered. “Would you like me to transfer the message to your console?”
“No!” Hodge replied quickly. “No, Magistrate Young. Please transfer it to the conference room. I’ll take it there shortly.” Captain Hodge met Merric’s stare of wonderment. Behind his eyes, though, she noticed disappointment that she did not invite him to listen. A message from the High Council, however, was not meant for prying eyes. “Eminent Merric, alert me at once of any changes while I’m away. Magistrate Vargus,” she said to the ship’s Navigator, “keep us on course.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the Wyndgaart Navigator replied.
“Give me two minutes, Magistrate Young, then transfer the message.”
Captain Hodge climbed quickly from her seat, tucking her wings in tightly to her body as she hurried to the lift. As the doors closed, she allowed her knees to shake slightly in the cooling darkness of the elevator. There could be no confusion as to why the High Council was contacting her. As commander of the Alliance Fleet assigned to eliminating the Terran threat, this would be their declaration of war. Captain Hodge smiled, knowing that they would soon be embroiled in the single greatest conflict of their generation.
As the lift doors opened, she offered only absently acknowledged greetings to the Crewmen she passed, int
ent, instead, on the door at the end of the hall. Captain Hodge entered her Captain’s code and heard the doors hiss open. The lights began to flicker to life, but the Captain was seated in her chair before they could fully illuminate the dark conference room. Activating her console, she noticed the already blinking red light at the base of the screen. Nervously, she reached out and pressed the button, receiving the message. Though she knew the call was previously recorded and she would not speak personally to the High Council, it was still a nerve-wracking experience as the dark screen was filled with the bright red Council symbol.
On the screen, the symbol melted away, revealing six shadowy figures sitting around a semi-circular table. Though the lighting in the room did little to reveal details of each of the six individuals, their identities were unmistakable as they spoke in turn.
“Captain Hodge,” a gravelly-voiced Councilmember began. “You have been tasked with the single greatest responsibility ever offered to a member of the Alliance Fleet in recent history. It has fallen on your shoulders to hunt down and eliminate a Terran threat.”
A massive and gruff Councilmember, clearly dwarfing the others in sheer size, spoke next. “As you already know, the Terran Destroyers invaded our space a few months ago and have since assaulted and destroyed five Alliance Cruisers. This atrocity, in itself, cannot go unpunished.”
The Avalon Councilmember spoke next, his musical voice wavering with age. “But this is not the only atrocity they have committed. The Terran Fleet has also attacked an Alliance outpost, eliminating one of the only communication nodes we had for that sector of space. Without it, it was difficult to identify their exact location. However, that situation has now been rectified as well.”
“We have a ship in pursuit of the Terran Fleet,” a new Councilmember added. The three remaining Councilmembers looked too similar in the gloomy darkness to discern one from another, though Captain Hodge placed the strange accent of the speaker as coming from a distant rural star system, one predominantly occupied by Pilgrims. “Our spy has been sending updates about the Terran activities, including their whereabouts, any new assaults on Alliance vessels, and projected course.”
One of the two remaining Councilmembers spoke up next. “It is this information that we are forwarding to you now. With it, we expect you to move your Fleet to engage the Terran threat. Updates from our spy will continue during your travels to ensure you are provided all information when planning your assault. We don’t need to remind you how much hinges on your actions in the next few weeks, Captain Hodge. Should you fail, the Alliance will be left in an awkward position, one easily exploitable by the Terran Empire.”
The last Councilmember finally spoke. “Captain Hodge, this is our declaration of war against the Terran Empire. They have committed an atrocity by invading our space, and yet another by attacking ships patrolling the Demilitarized Zone. You are to use all resources available to ensure that our response is swift and decisive. Much rests on your shoulders. Do not fail us.”
With those haunting last words, the screen once again flashed the brilliant red High Council symbol before leaving her staring at the black, silent console. Captain Hodge sat unmoving for quite a few minutes, her eyes not moving from the screen for fear there was more to the message. Though this was what she had been waiting for over the past few weeks, to suddenly be ordered to war was daunting and frightened Captain Hodge more than she wanted to admit. Repeatedly, her mind kept wandering back to the engagement with the Defiant. Neither ship had performed well. Even with superior numbers — her twelve ships to their reported six — the Terrans had the experience of multiple combat engagements on their side. Mirroring the Council’s last message, she was scared they would fail.
Finally, on legs that felt like lead, Captain Hodge climbed from her chair and walked back toward the hall. As she walked, the worries washed away, pulled free of her by the air that brushed past. She left the room, walking steadily toward the lift that would return her to the bridge. Behind her, the lights went dark in the room and the door slid shut. The nervousness of the Captain was left behind, there in the darkness. Presented to the Crewmen she passed was a determined and bold Captain, driven by a single purpose: the destruction of the invading Terran Fleet.
She was calling orders to her crew before she fully departed the lift, catching them all by surprise. “Magistrate Vargus, take us out of orbit. Put us on a course that I will send to you shortly. Magistrate Young, broadcast a message to all the Captains. Tell them to break orbit and follow our lead. Eminent Merric, please notify all Officers and Warrant on board the Revolution that we are having a mandatory formal dinner tomorrow night. I will make all necessary announcements about the High FCouncil’s message then. Before you ask, yes, we are going to war.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Yen entered the ballroom with Keryn on his arm. She looked stunning, with her tanned skin highlighted by a silver sequined dress. The plunging neckline accentuated the curves of her body and left nearly every man in the room staring as the pair was announced to the crowd. Yen understood their surprise. He had been equally amazed when he picked her up from her quarters and found her so stunningly dressed. She had flashed him a warm smile then, the same warm smile that she now gave him as they entered the ballroom. Yen’s heart melted at the sight of that smile. He couldn’t deny that there was a distinct spark of chemistry between the two. Since she arrived on board the Revolution, there had been coy smiles, affectionate touches exchanged between the two, and endearing glances. Yet neither openly admitted their feelings, nor had either of them been brazen enough to broach the subject. Still, it stroked his ego to have the most attractive woman on the ship on his arm tonight.
Standing at the doorway as their names were called, Yen scanned the crowd of gathered faces. To him, they all seemed so young and naive. Many wore expressions of deep-seated anticipation, mired in a burning desire to be heroes. Almost none of the hundreds of Warrants and Officers in the ballroom had ever experienced war, death, and loss. They had graduated from the Academy or Field Officer Training during a time of peace, never with an expectation of having to prove themselves during real combat. For too many, Yen noticed, that had translated into a yearning to make a name for themselves. Yen had seen that attitude too many times before as well. He had attended their memorial services after they died doing something foolish.
The other emotion that Yen noticed was that of surprise. Many were eager to begin the night’s festivities if only to answer their building litany of questions. Both Yen and Keryn had been surprised by the announcement of the formal dinner. For so many weeks, even before Keryn arrived, there had been a monotonous droning of repetitive days. Yen, Adam, and the rest of the insertion team trained repeatedly on breaching tactics on a Terran vessel, but it had amounted to little since they had no orders to attack the Terran Fleet. Now, though, the rumors circulated like wild fire. Gossipers spread stories of High Council orders and impending battle. Yen had to admit that at least some of the rumors were founded. The Alliance Fleet had broken orbit and were now speeding toward an unknown location. He had to assume it somehow coincided with the dinner they now were forced to attend.
Tugging on his stiff collar, Yen directed Keryn toward a designated table, around which Adam and some of the other Infantry Warrants and Officers were sitting. Adam’s date, a tall, dark haired Uligart Warrant that Yen didn’t immediately recognize, smiled invitingly as they took their seats. Yen conducted the formal introductions of everyone at the table, though most were familiar to Yen. As both a pilot and the leader of his Infantry insertion team, Yen had befriended most Officers and Warrants on both sides, Fleet and Infantry. As such, he became an important liaison and mediator during the many disagreements. Lately, that aspect of his job had taken most of his time; at least the time he wasn’t spending with Keryn.
“So,” Adam interjected, wasting no time with formalities before getting to the crux of the conversation. “What do you think this is all about? My money is
on deployment orders.”
“I don’t know, Adam,” Yen replied. “I’m as much in the dark as you are.”
“That’s a load of crap,” Adam quickly responded. “You’re never in the dark. You always know more than you let on. Read someone’s mind, for crying out loud.”
Yen frowned, but his sentiment wasn’t shared with the rest of the table. Many laughed. Keryn, however, raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You can do that?” she asked.
“Trust me, sister,” Adam’s date chimed in, “there are few things Yen Xiao can’t do with that crazy power of his.”
Keryn leaned in close. Yen could smell the intoxicating perfume she wore. It was very distracting in the midst of a conversation. “You ever read my mind, and you’ll never live to regret it.” She winked at him as she leaned away and rejoined the rest of the table’s conversation.
Aside from her beauty and intelligence, Yen admired her social relaxation. Keryn easily slipped into nearly any conversation, having a multitude of stories to share on nearly any topic. Though she had been on the ship less than a week, she added people daily to her growing circle of friends.
Their conversation was interrupted, however, by the chiming of silverware off a crystal glass. Keryn and Yen had to shift their chairs to see the rear doors to the ballroom, where Captain Hodge and her small entourage entered before taking their seats at the head table. Only Captain Hodge remained standing, obviously planning to speak before sitting with Eminent Merric and Squadron Commander Garrix.
“Good evening everyone,” she began with simple formalities. “I’m glad that you were all able to make time in your busy schedules in order to join us for this dinner, though I do realize I didn’t truly leave you much of an option in the matter.” She paused while flittered laughter rolled through the room. “There is much that we need to discuss tonight; many rumors that either need to be confirmed or stifled before they get out of hand. Right now, however, is not the time for long winded speeches. I find it’s upsetting to be the bearer of important news and then try to eat a heavy meal. Therefore, I will leave you with only this acknowledgement of your questions: we have broken orbit and are currently flying toward an undisclosed location. You can speculate amongst yourselves as we eat. Following dinner, I will tell you everything I know and give you as many answers to your questions as I can offer. For now, please enjoy both the food and one another’s company.”
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