service it.”
The Samson was just breaking atmosphere and Captain Valance was trying to plot a course into hyperspace and determine how close the enemy ships were at the same time. “This can't be right. Someone check this on the tactical screen.”
Finn stepped over to the tactical station. “What am I looking for?”
“I'm seeing a group of thirty ships divided into five wedge formations, should be marked grey.”
“I see them.”
“Range?”
“There are two numbers, one says three point seventeen, the other says fifty nine thousand and counting down.” Finn said as he moved back to the engineering station. “Why do the guns not have power?”
“The guns have no power!” Stephanie yelled from the ladder just around the corner.
“I know! I'm looking into it!” Answered Finn.
“So we have just over three minutes before the second battle group you're seeing catches us from the other direction?” Ashley asked.
“Just under,” answered Captain Valance as he continued to plot their hyperspace course.
“Sir, there's an incoming communication from Regent Galactic,” Cynthia reported.
“Give me a summary.”
“They promise to go lightly if we power down and allow ourselves to be taken into custody.”
“Well, the computer's checking my navigation figures right now so hopefully we'll be gone before they're within range to do anything about us leaving.”
“We just took damage! Some kind of fragmentation missile, aft, lower quarter,” Finn reported.
“Finn, hit the shields, big red square on the main tactical panel. Then hit the three green buttons above it. The control board will give you warning messages on each of them, just ignore it.”
“Got it, um.” Finn said nervously as he looked closer at the tactical display. “Incoming!” He called out as he dropped himself into the chair.
The whole ship shook hard, knocking everyone around.
“What was it?” Jake asked.
Finn pulled himself out of the tactical chair and returned to his station. “I don't know, but we're venting in five sections. One emitter is down. I'm sealing it off.”
“How are our hyperspace systems?”
“Still good, we can compensate with other emitters, but we can't lose another.”
“Good.”
Captain Valance didn't give any warning, he just started the emitters. Once the hull's surface was covered with exotic particles Ashley brought the engine thrust to maximum and the Samson began accelerating into hyperspace.
Everyone sighed and fell back into their chairs except for Finn, who always monitored his station on his feet.
Stephanie came down the ladder just outside the bridge and walked in, sitting at the tactical station. “It didn't take them long to find us.”
“Frost and Burke had better hope I never see them again,” Captain Valance said quietly. Some of the characteristics they had come to know so well over the years had crept back.
“Do you think they'd really turn so fast?” Cynthia asked.
“Burke would,” Ashley answered quietly.
“I know Frost would do it for the payday,” Captain Valance answered. “Frost and people like him follow the gravy train and I'll bet he's browsing the Stellarnet looking to buy a ship of his own. He's been talking about starting his own operation.”
“I'd love to see you two competing for the same bounty,” Stephanie commented.
“He doesn't have the stones or the brains to run a ship for long. Burke will be running the show after a month and that's if they don't drink or gamble everything away,” Ashley added. “Or disappear into some brothel for a week.”
“Well, they're dust. Hopefully we can make good distance in the next few days.”
“Where are we headed Captain?” Asked Stephanie, she was paying close attention to his mood, which seemed dark and pensive.
“Our first stop is the Enreega system. We need repairs and an ally.”
Terry Ozark McPatrick
The bridge of the Roi De Ciel was an oval with two crew per station. Navigation, Tactical, Communications, Engineering, and Field Control all worked around the central Command station. Captain Terry Ozark McPatrick and his first Officer, Commander Mary Inez sat reviewing gravitational and thermal data from the surrounding area.
The lights were dimmed, all a shade of red to indicate the ship was cloaked. They ran their regular patrol along the main supply lane coming out of the Skyros system. With few ships still covering the area, there couldn't be enough eyes on the passive scanner readouts, watching for enemy ships near the numerous troop and spatial force withdrawal operations taking place since the Vindyne surrendered.
“We've arrived at the safe point Captain,” reported navigation.
“Thank you, drop the cloaking field, raise shields. We're communications free, collect new data from Fleet.”
The Roi De Ciel appeared behind a rocky grey rogue planet. It's one hundred ninety meter long silvered hull's surface was interrupted only by the finned energy collectors along its sides and the twenty four turrets that ran along the top and bottom. As with all new Freeground fleet designs, the bridge was in the central interior and the observation deck was where you'd normally find a command center with huge transparesteel windows across the upper front. To look at the area the ship inhabited, you wouldn't notice it. The surface of the ship was treated with many layers of material that caused light to curve around it without using power. The cloaking field was an added piece of technology that collected and all the ship's emissions, reduced its gravity profile to as near nothing as possible and disguised any energy, making it perfectly invisible to any scan outside of a fifty meter range.
“Time to check in with Fleet Command. You have the bridge Commander,” Captain McPatrick said as he walked out into the hallway.
His office and quarters were right above the bridge, a quick ladder climb away. They weren't conserving energy so he was able to take the gravity lift instead. He stepped onto the pad and it shifted the gravity so he was gently moved to the next deck. The hatchway opened and in three steps he was walking through his office door.
Pictures of his three sisters, his four nephews, three nieces and his parents were carefully arranged on one wall. On the other was his other family. A large portrait of the command crew of the First Light hung there. Laura and Jason, who were the field technician and communications officers aboard. Minh-Chu's portrait was next, he was the Flight Commander. Followed by himself in the First Officer's position, and last was Doctor Anderson, the Chief Medical Officer. In front of the group was Commander Ayan Rice, the Engineering Chief, and Captain Jonas Valent. Underneath the image of the First Light was laser painted.
The First Light was an antique refitted destroyer and during their mission together they had managed to add and refine so much technology aboard that she was worth more than twice her tonnage in combat power. It was the first ship in the Freeground fleet with economically sound energy shielding, a particle accelerator with a high yield and systems widely enhanced by antimatter. Many of the designs that went into improving that ship were used in the construction of the Roi De Ceil. There were times when he would be standing on a deck and notice a corner, or a feature that looked like it was taken straight from the First Light. Most importantly, the First Light represented a time of great adventure, progress and camaraderie for Captain McPatrick.
The short time he served on that ship changed his life. He made friendships that would last forever and lost friends he would miss for the rest of his days. He looked at Minh-Chu Buu, grinning at him from the group portrait and sighed. “You would be in your glory out here. Your sister, Hein just had her third girl, she was hoping for a boy
