“Ladies and Gentlemen, We’re going home!” Vitor addressed his remaining crew.
The people broke out in relieved cheers and shouts of joy. Vitor was glad to see this as he had heard grumbling from some people about never being allowed to leave this place.
Even Chief Engineer Parson was out of his medically induced coma, almost completely healed, and joining in on the celebration.
Despite the joy of their imminent departure, Vitor couldn’t help but wince at just how few of his people had survived. That brought about some ugly feelings that had spilled over toward Kane, and more recently, Dr. Nova Lund. That anger was misdirected and he knew it, but he hadn’t realized that until his encounter with Dr. Lund where he had stepped over the line. And he wasn’t the only one. Friction had been building up within his crew and the locals recently. Nothing had spilled over into violence, but it had been on edge for weeks.
Kane just made an easy scapegoat as his anger grew with each passing week that the STO failed to rescue them or even look into their disappearance.
Part of that, he knew, was due to the nature of their clandestine work. That didn’t make a lack of a rescue attempt any more palatable for him. When he returned, he was going to demand an answer. Considering his position within the STO was likely over with when he returned, he had nothing to lose.
Vitor waited a few minutes for the celebrations to settle down before clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. “I expect everyone to be on their best behavior on whatever ship our hosts have managed to line up for us. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Captain!” came the drilled chorus of replies.
“Pack up anything you want to take with you, we leave in the morning.”
***
Alexander hurried to get Yulia off to class while trying not to appear to be hurrying. That task was made more difficult as Yulia dragged her feet, literally in some cases. He didn’t chastise the girl though, he knew she was upset and angry and he didn’t want to add more fuel to that fire.
Before leaving the classroom, he motioned for Nancy.
“What can I do for you, Alex?”
“Can you make sure to keep Yulia occupied? She’s still mad that I have to leave. I’m worried she’ll get worse the longer I’m gone.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Most kids tend to overreact when presented with situations they have no control over. My youngest, Miguel, had a full-blown meltdown when he was told we were moving away from our old home. He adjusted quickly to his new environment and now he’s married with his own child and doing quite well the last time I spoke with him.”
“He’s not here?”
She shook her head. “No, he moved back to the STO when he came of age. While he adjusted to the change, he never much liked it. I tried to talk him into coming here for more opportunities after you arrived, but he's adamant that he is happy in his role.” She shrugged. “Sometimes all you can do is your best.”
Alexander smiled at the woman, although, her words really weren’t as comforting as she thought they might be. If Alexander’s best amounted to a child who hated their situation so much that they took the first opportunity to leave and live as some entry-level grunt, he would have felt like a complete failure of a parent. He didn’t mention that to Nancy though.
Leaving the classroom behind, Alexander hurried down the hall as he radioed Branston. “Are the flight checks complete?”
“They are, but you really should be doing these yourself, Alex,” the man responded rather tersely over the radio.
Alexander sighed internally. He liked Branston, the man was an amazing pilot and an all-around likable person. When it came to anything flight-related, he tended to be a real stickler for all the rules, which was not necessarily a bad thing in his line of work. It was just that he could come off as a bit testy if things weren’t done exactly by the STO book.
“I would if I had time, you know that. I’ll be out there in half an hour with our guests. Thanks again for doing this for me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the man replied before the radio cut out.
Alexander’s next stop was the area where Krieger and his people were staying. When he arrived, he found them all lined up in two rows behind the Captain. As soon as Alexander entered, Krieger saluted, followed by the rest. Although he saw a few who seemed reluctant to do so.
“My crew and I wish to express our thanks for saving our lives and caring for our wounded.” His salute dropped, followed by the rest of his crew. “We are ready to depart.”
Not sure what to think of the spectacle, Alexander simply nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He didn’t miss Damien or the guards that the man had situated along their route. He doubted anyone would have overlooked them, Damien wasn’t exactly subtle with their placement.
The Head of Security was waiting for them at the exit. “We need to check their luggage.”
Alexander was annoyed by the man’s blatant disrespect for the STO survivors, but he didn’t step in and stop the search. He had given Damien overall control of the facility security and while petty, the Head of Security was not overstepping any laws that they had agreed upon. He also didn’t want to undermine the man’s authority because that could cause issues down the line.
That being said, Alexander was going to hold the man to the same standards for everyone, whether he liked them or not. If he started seeing favoritism being shown to certain people, Damien was going to be out of a job very quickly. With that in mind, Alexander motioned for the man to join him off to the side where he could have a private word with him.
“What?” the man asked in annoyance, probably thinking Alexander was going to berate him for his actions here.
“If you’re going to go to this length for visitors, I expect it to be applied to all visitors…”
The man narrowed his eyes. “I assume you are referring to Captain Shall?”
Alexander didn’t answer the question, instead, he turned back to the gathered STO people and waited. If Damien wanted to be an ass, so could he. While the STO had been nosy, they hadn’t done anything that broke the rules or tried to go where they didn’t belong. At least he had a reason to suspect Shall of being up to no good. The man had been spotted three times outside his storage room. If there was any time to make a move it would be while he was away.
Honestly, Alexander didn’t know if the man hadn’t realized he was under surveillance or if he thought he was being circumspect about what he was up to. Either way, it didn’t matter. Alexander hadn’t bothered upgrading the security on the storage room because if the man was just going to break in, the less he damaged the better.
It wasn’t like there was anything worth stealing in there anyway. All of the expensive components like his computer chips were in use and the medical supplies and equipment had been moved to the new medical area. That left raw materials, foodstuffs, and the other odds and ends that Alexander had purchased before coming out here. So if the man did break into there and somehow managed to take everything, Alexander would probably be out a few million credits at most.
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The search was completed with only a few annoyed glares and grumbles, but nothing was found. It was as Alexander had expected. The STO people had been annoying, but they hadn’t done anything wrong. Getting this result was a huge win for Alexander. It humbled Damien, while also clearing the STO survivors, a win-win in his book.
The group exited the facility with the air masks Alexander had provided for them. They had a serious but cautiously optimistic mood as they made their way across the tarmac.
The wind was blowing today, so visibility was about half of what it normally was as the sand blew through the air, causing the survivors to squint or cover their eyes as they hurried to the shuttle.
“That’s our ride to orbit?” Krieger asked in concern. “Is that thing even flight-worthy?”
“I know it doesn’t look like much, Captain, but it was completely rebuilt a few months ago. It is perfectly safe.”
The man said something under his breath that Alexander didn’t catch, but he motioned for his people to pick up the pace.
Soon Alexander was inside the cargo hold of the shuttle. Additional chairs had been attached where the cargo racks lined the floor so everyone could strap in for the flight.
“Do you mind if I join the pilot in the cockpit?” Krieger asked.
“I don’t mind if you join me, Captain. It’ll be a bit of a tight fit though.”
“You’re going to fly us?”
“Yup.” Alexander moved through the bulkhead and airlock that separated the cargo area from the cockpit, ignoring the Captain’s flabbergasted look. Considering his size, they had been forced to modify the cockpit to accommodate him. It wasn’t so bad, the chair had simply been removed and Alexander was forced to sit on the floor.
The controls weren’t exactly at an ideal placement at that height, but his arms were more than long enough to make up for it.
The Captain paused in the doorway and shook his head before sliding into the co-pilot’s seat.
While the ship was in takeoff mode, Alexander still went through the pre-flight checks, quickly moving through the screens as Krieger watched in surprise.
“I’ll let you check on the passengers,” Alexander said as he finished his flight check.
The man nodded and pressed the intercom button. “Is everyone secure?”
“Everyone’s secure, Captain,” came the reply over the intercom.
Alexander nodded and pressed the button that would close the rear ramp. He also turned on the purge system to ensure there was no dust or sand in the seals.
Once the light turned green and the pressure inside the cargo area normalized, he got them off the ground.
The takeoff was a bit bumpy due to the wind, but the ship quickly leveled out as it streaked toward orbit.
Thanks to his omnidirectional vision, Alexander got to see Krieger’s white-knuckled grip on the arms of his chair. He didn’t think he was flying that badly, but the man’s next comment made him reevaluate his skills as a pilot.
“This your first time flying?”
“Yes, why?” he asked, genuinely curious as to what gave it away.
The man forced a smile on his face. “Normally with passengers, it’s common to take a less aggressive ascent and descent.”
“Ah. Sorry about that.” Alexander slowed the ship down and the Captain relaxed a little. “Thanks for the tip.”
“Don’t mention it,” he muttered as he rubbed his cheeks and worked his jaw. “I don’t think I’ve experienced g forces like that since basic.”
“You don’t experience g forces on the Dawn?”
Krieger chuckled. “If I pushed the dawn past half a g acceleration, it meant things had gotten out of my control. And even then, one point five g’s was more than enough."
While he had done a thorough inspection of the vessel himself, it was always good to get a second confirmation. It appeared he was right, STO ships did not have inertial dampening. If they hadn’t put that sort of technology on an experimental ship like Dawn, it didn't exist. That didn’t mean it wasn’t possible though, and Alexander let a part of his mind wonder at the problem while he piloted the shuttle.
It wasn’t long until they approached the station and Krieger got his first look at how badly damaged Epsilon’s Dawn really was. The view was only possible thanks to the floodlights bathing the light-absorbing hull. Even then it looked like a black hole in space except for where missing chunks of armor exposed the interior spaces of the ship.
The man shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I forgot just how disconcerting it is looking at the ship from the outside. I’m surprised anyone survived given the state of the ship. It’ll be interesting to hear what the STO wants to do about towing it back to Varlen.”
“Oh, they won’t have to do anything, Captain. I plan on towing it back.”
“You? Wait, does that mean the ship we’re returning on is yours?”
Instead of answering the man’s question, Alexander pointed to a ship docked to the far side of the station as it came into view. “You’ll be aboard Eden’s Fury, our new frigate.”
The ship used as the base for the Fury was an ugly ship. Then again, it was never designed to be pretty, it was designed for war. He wasn’t sure exactly how old the original hull of the Fury was, but he did find a date stamp of 2205 on one of the structural rails.
If that date was correct, it was kind of fitting considering Eden’s End was built in 2201. He seemed to have a knack for finding the oldest things humanity still had kicking around around the galaxy and restoring them.
“I recognize that ship! That was the one you had defending the shipyard. It was just a hunk of scrap, how did you repair it in five months?”
“A lot of hard work and dedicated people,” Alexander responded, not giving away the fact that he hadn’t simply fixed the ship, but that he had rebuilt it from the ground up and with automation, not a massive number of workers.
Unlike the ugly, worn, pitted, and rusted exterior that the ship had before, it now sported a blue and white color scheme with B.S.E. EDEN’S FURY in bold lettering down each side. The transponder was on as well, coming through the shuttle's computer.
“A rather bold statement,” Captain Krieger said as he sat back in his seat.
Alexander simply grinned at that as he maneuvered the shuttle into the frigate's hangar. The landing was a bit rougher than he would have liked but nothing was damaged. “Welcome to your new home for the next few weeks, Captain. I probably don’t have to tell you this, but I will anyway. If you try to steal my ship or assault the crew, it won’t end well.”
“I’m not a fool, Mr. Kane. Nor am I so boorish that I would spit in the eye of my savior. We may have had our disagreements on the ground, but you have my word that my people will be on their best behavior.”
He would have to accept that. Not that Alexander hadn’t already taken precautions to slow or stop any mutiny. Krieger didn’t need to know that though.
It didn’t take long to get the STO people settled. Once they were, Alexander went to speak to Captain Na. He found the man on the bridge, going through some quick simulations to ensure they understood the ship's controls fully before leaving.
The man turned to him. “It’s not too late to call this off.”
“We’ve been over this,” Alexander sighed. “While I agree this isn’t the best choice, it's better than keeping the STO people here and waiting for the powder-keg to erupt.”
“Very well, I understand your reasoning for doing this, even if I don’t quite agree. As we’ve already spoken on this issue, so I will not bring it up again.”
Alexander thanked the man. While Mingyu had been the most vocal detractor of bringing the STO people and their ship back to Varlen, he hadn’t been the only one to tell Alexander that he was being stupid.
Dr. Lund said he should just let the STO clean up their own mess. And while Damien wanted the STO survivors gone, he didn’t believe it was their responsibility to carry that burden.
Alexander agreed with all of them. The problem was, that he needed to bring them back along with the ship to make an impression on the STO.
If his goal had been to get the STO survivors off of Eden’s End as fast as possible, he would have contacted the second stealth ship when it had flown through the system. He hadn’t because the tactical significance of being able to detect their ships was worth far more than a bit of friction.
The reason he was bringing them back now was twofold. He didn’t want the STO poking around Eden’s End. If he could prevent that, all the better, and he was hoping to make connections. Bringing back a very expensive stealth ship and the surviving crew would certainly buy him some goodwill or so he hoped.
With his check-in done, he took the shuttle over to the Dawn and docked it to the airlock. He powered the shuttle down and got to work running the power cable from the Dawn to the shuttle’s reactor.
It was a multi-hour-long process for Alexander to connect the power to the Epsilon’s Dawn’s flight control systems, main computer, and jump drive. All of which would be needed to make a successful jump. The rest of the systems had already been disconnected to prevent another possible incident like when he took the jump computer’s code. Speaking of, he had to restore the code and put in place a block that prevented the code from activating its defensive systems.
They weren’t going to use the jump mitigation during the trip, but Alexander didn’t want the STO to know he knew about it or had taken it. The additional code that prevented the defensive code from activating would erase itself when Alexander removed the power from the ship after they arrived.
The whole process of running power would have been much easier if the Dawn had a shuttle hangar. Even though Dawn was larger than the Fury, the ship had no hangar and no shuttle. All of that space was dedicated to weapons and an impressive array of sensors for a ship its size.
He powered up the system and checked to ensure the dual supercomputers didn’t launch any defensive codes before he radioed Na.
Alexander read the confirmation response from Na on his tablet and watched through the attached cameras on the exterior of the ship as the Fury moved into position. Large robotic arms extended out from the towing attachment Alexander had designed for this mission.
The eight arms secured themselves around the Dawn and held it tightly. With that, Alexander released the docking clamp and the Epsilon’s Dawn slid free of the station as the Fury pulsed its outer thrusters.
It was time to take their uninvited guests home.