Pearl of the Stars
An Enemy Made

Four days passed by during which time Captain Grace Ifhans found that she was so busy, she hardly noticed. Documents were put in front of her at random times and although she knew for a fact she at least scanned them before she put her signature to the dotted line, if anyone asked her what she had just signed for she would not have been able to answer, for everything seemed to roll into one.

The Pearl of the Stars was docked in orbit around Victoria II, along with nine other of the Fleet vessels. Those ten ships were to act as the focal point of the Fleet. They would be first into the action, and last out. For that very reason they needed to be not only quick and agile, but hardy and durable too. The Pearl herself was a battleship, slightly smaller than the nine battlecruisers that made up her unit. That was not to say that she couldn’t pack a punch, for she most certainly could.

Also orbiting Victoria II, albeit at the docking station on the opposite side of the planet, was Razor and her own unit. She was a heavy cruiser, the slowest but most powerful of the warships. The unit constituted one other heavy cruiser, three mobile repair vessels, and three fuel tankers. The latter were the largest vessels in the fleet, each with a maximum capacity of twelve million gallons of fuel. For that reason they were incredibly heavily armoured but had little by way of weaponry. Razor’s unit was to stay as far away from battle as possible, for should even one of the MRV’s be destroyed, the Fleet’s mission could be severely compromised.

The remaining four units were scattered around the Council’s home system, their locations only known by a select few individuals. Each of those units was made up of battleships, battlecruisers, and heavy cruisers.

***

Grace trod lightly and quickly on her way to the allocated meeting room. She fully intended to get five minutes to herself before the other unit leaders arrived. With Fleet security in mind the meeting had been hastily arranged and all being well, it was the only occasion all unit leaders would be on the same vessel at the same time.

She pressed her thumb to the plate beside the door and it slid vertically open. Grace stepped inside and breathed a sigh of relief as she realised the room was not yet occupied. She headed to the other side of the table and took a seat, sliding an ash tray across the smooth, polished wood as she did so. She lit a cigarette and with her eyes closed, she savoured the peace and quiet as the thick, sickly smoke curled its way into her lungs.

Before she had even finished the cigarette she heard the door slide quietly open but she did not open her eyes to see whom it was. Instead she carried on smoking, her eyes closed. She was determined to have those five minutes to herself.

When she eventually opened her eyes and stubbed her cigarette in the ash tray, she saw that it was Councillor Hynes who had entered the room, and although she really did not feel like it, she smiled.

“Councillor,” she said, still smiling.

“Actually, it’s Major.”

“Excuse me?” Grace had definitely not been expecting that. “Major?”

“Well you know I was a marine?”

“Of course.”

“I requested reinstatement, and command of the marines on board the Pearl of the Stars.”

“Well I have to say, I feel infinitely better about this mission already, just knowing that you’re going to be on board,” said Grace, and it was the absolute truth. Something about Hynes’ presence calmed her, and she most certainly needed to be calm.

Over the next few moments the rest of the unit leaders filed into the meeting room and made themselves as comfortable as the facilities allowed. Within a minute the air in the room was filled with a thick fog of cigarette smoke, as every single one of its occupants lit up. The mood seemed reasonably light, a fact that Grace found pleasing as she stood to speak, and slowly but surely all those gathered turned to give their undivided attention.

“As you all know, our mission is to travel to the Others home system and offer them a chance to surrender.”Around the table she heard general murmurs of approval but no one really spoke up, not wanting to interrupt their new commander. “You have all been given the assignments for your own ships and for the ships of your unit, however our route is not set in stone.”

“So long as we get to kick some Other arse, I’m happy!” Captain Frank Holding of the Imperium spoke up, his face etched in a broad smile.

“I’m with Frank,” said Captain Danielle Casper of the Acquiesce. “I don’t much care which route we take, just make sure we get some fickling action!”

“Trust me,” replied Grace as she chuckled lightly. “We’re going to fight whether we want to or not. That said we must fight sensibly, and utilise new tactics.” Grace paused for a moment as once again mutters of approval ran around the table. “But I did not call you all here to talk tactics, we’re going to have to play that by ear.”

“Then with all due respect Ma’am,” Captain Michael Hubbard of the Guardian of Asgaard stood as he spoke. “What the fick are we doing here? We’re all busy as hell!”

“Captain Hubbard.” Grace Ifhans spoke clearly and concisely. “I arranged this meeting to establish a few things, one of which is the chain of command. Now I know that more than one of you consider yourselves to be more suitable to lead the Fleet than I, but the Council have put me in command for a reason. Were they right to do so? I don’t know, but I’m damn sure going to do the best fickling job I can and if you or anyone else feels the need to challenge my command, don’t think that I won’t have you up on mutiny charges.”

The meeting came to an end soon after that, and the unit leaders very quickly headed back to their own vessels, all except Captain Jane Erstwhile of the Razor.

“Jane?” Grace offered a cigarette as she lit one herself.

“Captain, I’m here to follow orders.” Captain Erstwhile chose her words carefully. “I will carry out those orders to the best of my ability and beyond, but I feel I should make you aware of something.”

“Go on,” said Captain Grace Ifhans with a smile.

“I am not one to shy away from a fight.”

“You’re not...” Grace paused as the reality of what Captain Jane Erstwhile was saying dawned on her. “Is that why you think I’ve given you protection detail? You think I consider you a lesser captain?”

“Is that not the case?”

“No, not even close!” Grace struggled not to laugh out loud. “Think for a moment about what would happen were the Fleet to lose an MRV, or one of the fuel tankers; our mission would be severely compromised. No Jane, I have put you and your ship in what I consider to be the most important position in the fleet. I’ve read your records, I know your combat history, and I know for a fact that there is no other captain I would rather have in that position.”

“I.. I don’t know what to say.” Captain Erstwhile was smiling widely, her eyes darting around in search of neutral ground.

“Say nothing,” replied Grace with a smile. “Return to your ship, you must have plenty to keep you busy.” Without saying another word Captain Jane Erstwhile stood and saluted enthusiastically, turned, and marched quickly from the room leaving Captain Grace Ifhans and Major Hynes alone once more.

“I don’t know about you, but I thought that went rather well,” said Hynes, lighting a cigarette as he spoke.

“Hubbard is going to be a problem, and I get the feeling that even though he was pretty fickling quiet throughout, Frost is going to be the same.”

“I’ll have my marine commanders keep an eye on them. I hand-picked them myself, so I know I can trust them.”

“Thank you Major,” Grace smiled. “I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”

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