Book 4: Chapter 207: Quarter

Book 4: Chapter 207: Quarter

USD: Several days after the 92 Pegasi jump-point battle.

Location: 92 Pegasi, SNS Ferun, Solarian Battlecruiser

The brisk click of boots on the metal deck marked Lieutenant Lavignes approach toward Captain Larrets office. The XO had arrived and hastily released him for the sudden summons, escorting him toward the bridge and command center of the ship in awkward silence.

Lavigne recognized several crew members and even Morrison was standing nonchalantly along the way, nodding at him covertly. Apparently, the crew werent being kept busy enough to not gawk at the LT that had been stuck in the brig for months.

At least it was a polite stay in the brig; access to the ShipNet, fresh uniforms, and a trip to the officers mess and wash to clean up were included. Under careful watch, of course. Good behavior came with bonuses, especially when extenuating circumstances were involved.

Unfortunately, he had an idea on why she was calling him to talk.

Everyone on the ship had seen the footage by nowof A3123Ys surgical excision of an entire Corporate Systems battle-fleet. Not a battle-fleet, either. The battle-fleet.

The number of warships had marked it as the Corporate Systems 1st Fleet. It had no business being on the frontier, or being used in the limited war scenario that both sides, all sides really, had agreed to by limiting Inner System warships to the central systems.

It would have likely enough force to punch straight through 13 Centauris naval base and run all the way through Solarian Space until the Home Guard Fleet found itself in position to stop them. He tried to do the math in his head, but he suspected Alpha Velorum would have been lost before the fast pickets could transmit the incoming incursion to Solaria.

There were grim looks on most of the crews faces. For good reason. The Corpos had changed the game from one of polite war to something else.

And then Starlight Revolution had smashed the gesture like it was a childs toy. Not without damage, but having met the little blue girl that ran the battlestation himselfhe was sure it would be repaired soon. Far sooner than anyone could imagine, because the idea of a new NAI faction sprouting up on the frontier wasnt something that would come to anyone.

Except he had thought about it. A lot. From what hed seen, even if they tried to exterminate them now, by the time a joint response fleet was assembledif it could be assembled considering that the Corpos had attempted to backstab them allhe doubted theyd succeed.

Because even if they pushed young Abbey back out of 92 Pegasi, he doubted Heeler was idle. Nothing would stand a chance to harm Hades if it became operationalexcept maybe a PSIs battlemoonand no one even knew if they could leave their systems. They never had before.

The door to the captains office slid open with a pneumatic hiss. A framed holo of the Solarian flag glowed on the wall behind her desk. She stood waiting, and her sharp gaze flicked to him immediately.

Lieutenant Lavigne as requested, maam.

Thank you, Commander. That will be all.

The man looked unhappy, like he wanted to stay and hear what was said, but he nodded and left as directed.

Lieutenant, I need you to tell me everything you know about them.

He had. Multiple times.

He would do so again. Yes maam.

He didnt think shed learn anything new that might get the squadron out from behind Starlight Revolutions blockadethat would be impossible from what he had seen and knew.

The fear that she might try something anyway, and get them all killed, lingered.

***

Aureas face fell, and Amy could see the pain in her eyes. There are still so many missing.

I know, Amy said, her voice soft. Were doing everything we can to find any that might still be holding out.

Aurea nodded, and then her eyes flickered to the side. The Bellerophon is ready to receive the supplies. The crews morale is low, but there have not been any attempts to escape or sabotage.

Amy nodded. Well be in range to offload in less than an hour. There are twenty-seven crewmen waiting to be transferred as well, but no officers.

Aurea nodded. Ill be waiting for you.

The screen flickered and then went dark as Amy finished the transmission with a thought. That was still strange. All of her NAI abilities had started to come as a second nature, and the more complex tasks had become easier to... delegate to her MainComputer. It had seemed to adjust itself to her more quickly than ever before.

[Query: Continue?]

Amy nodded. Proceed with a rendezvous with the Bellerophon. Send a note to the cargo crew and survivors to let them know well be there soon.

[Affirmative: Sending message. Rendezvous intercept confirmed. No hostile action or danger detected.]

Amy leaned back in her command chair and let out a long breath.

Now they just had to figure out what to do with a hundred thousand prisoners added on top of the ones they already didnt know what to do with.

Portmaster Whitelys strategy of allowing them free rein on the station in exchange for labor and services had worked for the smaller numbers that had been held on Ackman Station, but the population of the Corporate crew now housed on the Bellerophon was larger than the entire population of the station!

Supplies were not going to be an issue, thanks to the industrialization and overproduction of food that Abbey had built up in the belt. But that didnt mean that the Corporate crew would remain cooperative if it didnt appear that they were working towards returning them.

And that was a problem. They had no idea how the Corporate Systems would react to having their fleet annihilated by another PSI NAI.

Amys eyes flickered to a second monitor showing the strategic locations of all the orbitals and Starlight Revolution ships going about their business in the belt and orbit of Ackman. There were hundreds of little transports and other ships all moving about, automated by Abbeys GAIs or even crewed by the independent miners and frontiersmen doing contract work.

There was already a new cluster of drones forming in the belt in an orbit almost 45 degrees off from Ackman Station that resembled the fleetworks that Heeler had built in Nu Crateris.

That was prudent... somehow, she didnt think things would end peacefully. Not unless they fortified the system further and made it clear that it would be impossible to take it by force.

No matter how many Inner-System type battleships they sent.

A ping erupted from her console, a comm link message coming in from Ackman Station. Portmaster Whitelys face appeared on the screen; his eyes tired. Ms. Tanis, you asked me to inform you when the shipment for the Theta Corvi relief was ready. Its prepared and ready for transport to the jump point.

She immediately sat up and began to chart a transport course for one of their freights in her mind. Theyd have to wait for one of the scouts that Abbey had fired through the jump point to return and report on the situation on the other side, but the two-week wait-time was almost up.

If things were signaled as clear... Starlight Revolution would be taking another system.

No. Not just another system. Theyd fortify the 90 Pegasi jump point, and then theyd have effectively taken the entire sector.

Amy swallowed and began to record a response, but her mind wasnt focused on it.

Was this the right thing to do?