Pearl of the Stars
Good Hunting

The Fleet arrived in the Callovan System, and the Pearl’s computer rapidly updated. Within seconds the radar display was full of red blips, intermingled with a few green ones, much less in number.

“Several contacts Ma’am, it’s the Others,” a Lieutenant cried out.

“What the fick are the Others doing this far inside Council space?” Another Lieutenant demanded.

“We’ll worry about that later, right now we have...” Grace paused as she quickly counted the green blips shown on the radar. “...eleven of our own in dire need of assistance. Get me the Guardian of Asgaard, now!”

“Aye Ma’am, right away.”

“Captain Ifhans,” Captain Hubbard said as soon as the connection was made. “It appears we arrived here just in time.”

“Indeed Captain,” Grace replied. “It looks to me as though Callovan’s security forces are defending a military installation based on the moon in orbit around the third planet.”

“I agree,” Michael replied after a quick glance at his own display.

“Take your unit and punch a hole through, aid our brethren as best you can.”

“Aye Ma’am,” he replied. Whether he respected Grace’s command or not, there was no questioning that order. All personal differences were put aside when it came to defending one’s own.

“Good hunting Captain,” she said, terminating the transmission as she did so. She spoke to the Lieutenant once again. “Get me all remaining unit commanders.” The Lieutenant did as he was asked and within seconds Grace’s screen was split three ways.

“There is no time for niceties, so I apologise for that. Captain Casper, Captain Frost. Take your units in a wide arc and penetrate the Others forces from port and starboard respectively. I want them in complete and total disarray. The Pearl will come in head on, and mop up.” It pained Captain Grace Ifhans greatly that the Pearl would not be first into the fray but she wanted the job done properly. She was a much quicker vessel than either the Rose of Sharyn or the Acquiesce, and as such the chances of her catching any Others vessel that decided to run were much greater. “Captain Erstwhile. Your unit, along with the MRV’s, is to stay put. Should anything go awry make a run for the Yolanda System, and await our arrival. Is everyone clear?”

“Aye Ma’am,” the replied came back, and Grace terminated the transmission.

The Guardian of Asgaard was already well on her way. Granted it would be a couple of hours at the very least before she reached the closest Others vessel but to Grace as she watched on screen, those hours felt more like minutes.

Her timing had been near-perfect. The Acquiesce and the Rose of Sharyn had completed their wide arcs and were coming about, ready to cut a swathe through the Others fleet, just as the Guardian of Asgaard began her attack run.

“Take us in Johnson,” said Grace, directing the order at her pilot. “Point-Three Light. Slow to attack velocity as and when.” She rightly had the utmost faith in her Emily Johnson. In fact, Grace had never known such capability at the helm of a battleship.

“Yes Ma’am,” Johnson replied with a smile.

***

The Pearl of the Stars made her approach rapidly and soon she was slowing to attack speed.

The Guardian of Asgaard had done most damage at the outer limits of the Others fleet, and Johnson guided the Pearl through the wreckage of Others vessels with ease.

“Hostiles approaching off the starboard bow Ma’am.”

“Projectiles ought to do it, they’re travelling too quickly for any kind of evasive manoeuvres.”

“Aye Ma’am,” the Lieutenant replied, and then busied himself issuing his captain’s orders to the gun crews.

“Enemy fighters on our six!”

“Get me the Deck Chief.” Grace watched with satisfaction as the Pearl’s projectile missiles left their housing and ate up the space between the Pearl and their targets. “Chief, send out our fighters. Intercept those enemy planes before they reach our unit.”

“Aye Ma’am,” the Chief’s reply came back. As the projectile missiles hit their targets and fighters left the sanctity of the Pearl’s deck, the Acquiesce and the Rose of Sharyn fell into formation with the Pearl, having completed their respective courses through the enemy fleet.

“Anything to report?” Grace asked, having put a call through to the captains of the two vessels.

“Negative on losses Ma’am,” Captain Danielle Casper replied. “Minimal damage.”

“Thank you Captain, and you Frost?”

“One cruiser down Ma’am, the Asus,” he replied, the tone of his voice giving away his emotions, if only a little. “Minimal damage other than that.”

“Thank you captains. Take your units and join the Guardian of Asgaard,” she lit a cigarette as she spoke and as she did so, Grace realised it was her first for quite some time. “We’ll stay out here and take out any Others that remain. If we’re lucky we’ll find a surviving officer to question as to why the fick the Others have penetrated Council space so deeply!”

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