“Preparations are complete, I trust,” came Atosryua’s voice, reverberating through the bridge. “Soon we’ll be honored with a crest banner. If anybody here doesn’t take pride in their being here to bear witness, then keep it to yourself until after the ceremony’s over. I’m trembling with excitement, and if someone were to ruin the mood for me, I vow to make mincemeat of their tongue for the cats to snack on.”
Whenever a new squadron or sub-fleet was formed, the Empress herself bestowed the crest banner. Such was the Star Forces tradition... during peacetime. During a period of war, innumerable squadrons had to be formed, and not always at the capital. The Empress could hardly afford to fly around the galaxy personally granting a crest banner to each one. Usually, rüé tusaic (imperial envoy) would do it in her stead, even for sub-fleets, let alone for squadrons. That the crest bestowal ceremony was being conducted as though it were peacetime was a sign of the hopes they were placing in Trample-Blitz Squadron 1 as a pillar of the Empire. None could blame Atosryua, who’d been chosen as the first commandant of this momentous squadron, for feeling honored.
The Lymcaubh veered to face the Gaftnochec.
“All ships, with great respect ought you to entrust control to the Gaftnochec. First, the Lymcaubh must prepare for external control, and conduct an information link with the Empress’s Ship.”
“This is the Gaftnochec. Information link online.”
“This is the Lymcaubh. With reverence towards Her Majesty the Empress do we relinquish the right of control.”
“This is the Gaftnochec. The Lymcaubh is now under this ship’s control.”
It went without saying that giving up control functions (such as piloting and weapons control) to another meant waiving the ship’s independence. Doing so was, to the Abh, the deepest show of respect there was.
Following Atosryua’s commands, each of the ships took it in turn to entrust control to the Gaftnochec. Soon, it was the Flicaubh’s turn.
“Information link with the Gaftnochec complete,” reported the Communications Officer.
Sobash input the saigh sarérr (ship commander’s key-code), switching the ship to external control mode. An ominous warning sound notified them that important functions such as steering, weapons control, and communications were no longer accepting input from within the ship. Now the Flicaubh moved as the Empress’s Ship directed, irrespective of the will of the crew.
Deca-Commander Idlia jokingly raised up his hands in surrender, but it was out of place. Before long, all ships had shifted to the Empress’s Ship’s control. The single column then broke into cylindrical formation, after which the raid ships were made to fire up their reverse thrusters and kill their speed relative to the Gaftnochec, which also decelerated. Shortly before entering the cylinder of ships, it ejected a cargo pod from the back. When the patrol ship did enter the cylinder, the difference in relative speed between it and the ships making up the cylinder was near zero. Slowly, the twelve raid ships passed the imperial flagship by.
“Communication from the Gaftnochec flowing into the ship’s memory net!” shouted the Communications Officer, Rearguard Yatesh, excitedly.
No need to get so worked up, thought Sobash. Though he was probably just trying to liven the mood, seeing as there was nothing for them to do.
“It’s the processing system instructions. The crypto-mode is ‘saiceruc’ (Eurasian jay).”
“Saiceruc” was used throughout the Star Forces. It was the level of confidentiality only those of ship commander rank or above were allowed to decipher. Sobash inserted the password and decoded the message.
FROM: GLAHARÉRH BYRER CLAÏÏAR (TRAINING FLEET COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF)
FOR: SHIP COMMANDER OF THE RAID SHIP FLICAUBH
STARTING WITH RECEIPT OF THIS ORDER, YOUR SHIP OFFICIALLY BELONGS TO TRAMPLE-BLITZ SQUADRON 1.
THE PROCESSING SYSTEM YOU RECEIVED IN TANDEM WITH THIS DIRECTIVE IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND DECRYPTION OF THE CRYPTO-MODE MEANT FOR TRAMPLE-BLITZ SQUADRON 1, NAMED CAMRINIC (HAMAZERI PLANT).
ACT AS A MEMBER OF THE STAR FORCES IS EXPECTED TO.
The Communications Officer continued, “The processing system has been automatically planted into the compucrystal network.”
This ceremony had taken place quietly, through the compucrystal networks of all of the raid ships.
“A communication from the Gaftnochec for all crewmembers,” reported Rearguard Yatesh. “The video will be shown through the main screen and open screens, and the audio will be transmitted through the onboard speakers.”
Sobash got to his feet. “All bridge personnel, stand up. All other crewmembers should listen in awe to the extent their current duties allow them to.”
Empress Lamagh appeared on the main screen. She was seated on the Jade Throne, the counterpart of the one in the Audience Chamber. The Rüé Gahorh (Empress’s Bridge) was around the same level of importance as the Audience Chamber at the Imperial Palace: so the emperors of imperial history had come to think, through the ages.
Lamagh spoke: “The Training Fleet Commander-in-Chief tells Us they’ve received the automated replies from the compucrystal nets of all of the raid ships, informing Us that your orders have been received. With this, Trample-Blitz Squadron 1 now exists on paper. As to whether it exists in reality, that rests on the blood, sweat, and tears you shed into shaping it. We do not know whether creating this new type of ship, this ‘raid ship,’ was a wise idea. We simply hope you will prove to us that it was. If only We could...” She cast her eyes down, a listless finger touching the circlet that was molded in the likeness of the eight-headed gaftnochec. “If only We could, We would have liked to verify the true worth of the raid ships alongside you. Instead, We shall envy you, and wait for good tidings.”
They heard Atosryua speak on behalf of the squadron’s crews: “It is truly uplifting to
