Chi-Young

#

It had been over a week since Allison's message had been broadcast to the Arm. Long enough that it would be most of the way to Icheon. Long enough that the waiting Alliance military would have received it and moved towards the ISC forces mobilised in the Caspian system. Allison had spent much of the time since recording messages for the leaders of the twelve worlds that made up the founding members of the ISC, and as a result Chi-Young had spent most of his time on the bridge.

The strangeness of their new uniform worn still hadn't worn off. He adjusted his red and grey jacket and glanced around at the bridge crew, all decked out in grey with colours befitting their rank. At least he knew he could trust each and everyone on the bridge--they wouldn't have another scenario like when Karn had fought his way off the ship. Chi-Young was still smarting after that incident. He was still bitter about the fact that if Allison had listened to him about Karn, they wouldn't be in this mess. Still, there was no point in dwelling on that.

Chi-Young looked at the clock displayed on the viewport. If all had gone to plan, the Vengeance would make its move on the Edinburgh tomorrow. It was a day's travel from here, and they had allowed enough time for that mission to succeed, and for the Vengeance to bring its haul of a gravity bomb back to the Caspian system to drop in while 'discussions' were ongoing with the Alliance delegation. They had spotted the Alliance ships heading towards them, and projections suggested they should arrive today. He just hoped Allison could keep whichever mediator the Alliance would send talking long enough.

"Do you have a minute, Captain?" Allison stuck his head out of his office. He had been speaking with one of the members of the Ruling Council the ISC--he forgot their name--for over an hour on a topic Chi-Young knew was well above his pay grade.

"Sir." Chi-Young got up and stepped inside Allison's office.

Allison let the hatch shut behind him. "We've decided," he said simply. It was enough.

Chi-Young sighed. "The rest of the Ruling Council won't like this."

"It's necessary." The council member--a tall, extravagantly dressed woman with coppery skin--turned to glare at him.

"I think that destroying the jump gates to the Twelve at the cost of millions, if not billions, of lives needs to be more justifiable than 'necessary'." Chi-Young felt himself go red. "If you damage one of those gates and the wormhole destabilises in a system, it will be more destructive than the gravity bomb itself!"

"Chi." Allison sat down. "If Hamasa's operation goes wrong, we won't have a choice if we want to survive."

"Not all members of the Council agree. The Alliance would never detonate a gravity bomb, even in one of the Twelve."

"We both know that's not true," Allison hissed. "I didn't ask you here to debate the decision--I need you to follow my orders. I want you to prepare a warhead ro fire at the gate to Partheus if we're forced to retreat. Once we've fired one, the Alliance will think twice."

Chi-Young wanted to tell Allison that they were no better than the Alliance, that independence wasn't worth the cost he was proposing. But he didn't. "Yes sir... I'll prepare the weapons."

"Thank you." Allison visibly relaxed. He shared a glance with the council member.

Chi-Young thought he looked so much older than when they had started this all by ordering the attacks on Silas and on Sorrel Bank. That felt like an eternity ago.

"Has there been any word from the scout ships?" Allison said.

"Scout ships?" The council member frowned.

"I sent out several scout ships out to fly dark without power until an Alliance vessel went past. When one approaches, they'll powering on and travel here as fast as they can. Depending on which ships returned, given the average speed of the ships we will have a good sense of what the Alliance is up to."

"And none have returned?" She looked alarmed.

"None." It made Chi-Young nervous.

"Very well. That will be all Captain," Allison said.

Chi-Young nodded and left for the relative comfort of his chair on the bridge. He should have said something, but they were committed now.

A mug of coffee sat steaming on the corner of his chair a well intentioned ensign had brought him. He didn't know their name--she was one replacement that came in after they had dumped the crew still loyal to the Alliance in hoppers. Chi-Young still felt remorseful about that, though he understood it wasn't a feeling shared across the crew.

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"Sir," Ensign Kassem spoke up. "There's a ship coming through the gate."

Chi-Young spat out his mouthful of coffee. "Is it one of ours?"

"Confirmed, sir. It's the Montagna."

He stood up and looked at Kassem. "You're certain?"

"Is there a problem, Captain?" Allison walked onto the bridge.

"Yes sir. A big one--the Montagna has just come through the gate."

Allison frowned. "They were only to come here if the Alliance... But that can't be?"

"Yes sir. The Alliance must be moving away from the Mandrake." Chi-Young tried to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Sorry sir," Kassem said. "They have requested a connection."

"Put them on screen." Chi-Young stood.

An ageing man with thin wisps of white hair appeared before them wearing the same grey and red uniform as Chi-Young. He didn't know the man. Any other time and Chi-Young would have taken pleasure in the fact the ISC was now so wide there were captains he couldn't name.

"Admiral--I have urgent news." The man was red in the face, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Is it the Alliance fleet? They're moving away?" Allison said.

"The entire fleet--almost fifty ships--is headed away from Caspian."

"Thank you, Captain. Please head back through the gate and wait for us on the other side."

"Understood. Patterson out."

"Shit." Allison rubbed his face. "They know about the Edinburgh. Hamasa will have the entire Alliance fleet trying to stop her."

"What do we do?" Chi-Young said.

#

Marcus

#

"Bring us alongside the Edinburgh," Hamasa said. "Prepare the harpoon."

"Harpoon?" Marcus couldn't believe his ears. "Why the hell do you have a harpoon?"

"Think about who designed our ships," Jenkins said. "Alliance engineers."

"And?"

"And those same engineers have details of the weaknesses of Alliance ships."

"So a harpoon?"

"A harpoon." Hamasa grinned. "The way Alliance ships are wired means we can immobilise them by shunting a high current through certain junctions. Let's see if it works--fire the harpoon." The viewport showed the weapon impact the Edinburgh. "Very impressive," Hamasa said as the Vengeance held its position above the Edinburgh and pumped voltage though the harpoons. "All boarding teams get ready to go. Beta squad to let's get to the hoppers ships. Get a move on!" The bridge crew moved quickly out of the room. Hamasa turned to face him. "That's me too--leaders heave to lead from the front. Napia will stay in command."

"What?" Marcus didn't understand where she was going, but Hamasa left without another word. The bridge was much quieter and emptier now, but he figured they probably didn't need the bridge fully staffed--the Edinburgh was disabled and ripe for the picking. So far, despite the unexpected flight to Caxis, things seemed to be going well.

"Sir, I've got something on my scopes. I--I think you should see this, sir." Jenkins looked concerned--all the colour had drained from his face

"Put it on the viewport."

Around the curve of Caxis, the biggest fleet he had ever seen was coming towards them.

Shit.

Bronikowski looked like someone had slapped her. "Where the hell did they come from?"

No one responded.

"Marcus, get over to that empty station." Bronikowski jabbed her finger towards a console on her left. "I need to know how long we have."

It took Marcus a minute to comprehend what was on the screens in front of him. "They're about half an hour away."

"That's no where near long enough. I--" Bronikowski's chair interrupted her by chiming with an incoming message. "What is it?"

"Hoppers are ready, Napia," Hamasa's voice rang through the bridge. "Just give us the word."

"Do it. And hurry the hell up. We've got an Alliance fleet incoming."

The viewport showed a small fleet of hoppers converging on the Edinburgh. He knew Hamasa must be on one of the small vessels now trying to force their way onto the Alliance vessel.

"Will they be enough to take the ship?" Marcus said, fearing the answer.

"I hope so, but they may not need to Bronikowski didn't look at him.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't respond and instead continued to stare at the scene unfolding before them. "We're going to run out of time."

Marcus didn't know what to say in response. He couldn't just sit there and wait for the helplessness to take him again, so he took to staring at the console Bronikowski had ordered him to. The Alliance warships were making their way around the system towards the planet. There must have been almost fifty ships--a fleet like that hadn't been seen since the Exodus. But confusingly there were other signals now appearing on the readout that to Marcus looked like other ships. Could they have missed yet more ships coming into the system? "I've got something here. I'm not sure what to make of it."

Bronikowski came to stand behind Marcus. "What is it?"

"These look like ships, but I'm not sure who's ships. The Vengeance can't pick them out."

Bronikowski stared at the display. Just as Marcus was about to prompt her, she spun around. "Send a connection request to one of those other ships. I don't care which one."

"Link established Jenkins said, and a face appeared on the viewport.

A man with a black beard appeared on the screen. Marcus thought he had a kind smile. "Hello captain. I am Omar Kuthrapar, Caxis Defence Fleet. It looks like you could use a hand." his smile widened, showing the teeth beneath.

"Kuthrapar, get back down to the planet! The Alliance will interpret this as an act of war. Do you hear me? War. Stay out of this or we can't protect you."

"With respect Captain, we have been waiting for our independence for a long time and we're not about to let it slip through our fingers now. We've been following the events going on in orbit Good job on disabling that ship. That Alliance fleet is an issue, though."

"You're not equipped to hold out against an entire fleet!"

"Don't worry, Captain. We've got it under control. Kuthrapar out." The face disappeared from the screen.

"Those idiots." Bronikowski shook her head. "The Alliance will invade. They won't let Damsen get away with this."

Marcus tried to put the fear out of his mind, but it was impossible. If they didn't succeed, the Alliance would invade the planet. Where Sophia and Jasper were. Somehow, the operation he was a part of was about to cause the invasion of Caxis.

He could cause their deaths.

It would be his fault.