“Grandma, tell me the story of how the Great War ended,”

“Honey, I’ve told you that story a hundred times. Why would you want to hear it again?”

“Because it’s really good, Grandma. C’mon, please? Tell it again.”

“Child, that story is so long and it’s boring! I lived through it and I’ll tell you it wasn’t nearly as entertaining for us as it is for you now.”

“I know, but I really like it. Please, Grandma?”

“Oh, alright fine. I’ll tell it once more, but listen closely because I won’t be retelling it again any time soon.”

“Yay!”

“Okay, settle down, settle down. Let’s see… I suppose it all started on the far side of the galaxy, where both your…”

“Not there! The story can’t start there! That’s a terrible spot! You skipped some of the best parts starting there. What about the car crash? What about the traitor? You even skipped one of the best space battles! Start from the beginning.”

“You’re very demanding, aren’t you? Okay, the beginning… let’s see now. I suppose it all really started countless years ago since the earliest days of human civilization. Since those days, we've developed tools of death and destruction and from their use; blood has since been spilled in the name of everything from justice to religion.

“In the centuries since, mankind has waged a war of self-annihilation. We’ve fought over the pettiest of things, from land to pride. Other times, we did battle for more serious reasons, such as freedom and independence. Although some of these are noble and worthy goals, while others are simply stupid, all of them have caused conflict that has done nothing more than increase the boiling hate humans seem to harbor for one another.

“With these wars came new and advanced technologies. Weapons of war changed from rocks and spears, to missiles and bombs. Over time, the warlike nature of humanity has brought about the creation of weapons that could destroy our own world. And although we never actually reached the point of using those terrible weapons, we have come very close… because war never changes… and we never learn.

“As humanity reached for the stars and began to spread out across the galaxy, we brought that same desire for war with us. A bloody civil war raged across the stars that nearly brought the human race to its knees, a war that could have destroyed us completely… but then everything changed.

“In the year 3198, after millennia of armed conflict, our enemies at long last became something other than ourselves… because the Na’Vaxii arrived. The war that followed that first encounter raged for almost five hundred years. We’d been fighting for so long; no one could remember the reason why it had all started in the first place. For centuries billions perished in the endless, senseless conflict that it seemed neither side could ever hope to win… until the Na’Vaxii started gaining ground.

"Our defense perimeter shattered under relentless assault from the alien invaders. Their powerful warships could cross the galaxy in the blink of an eye. They could be anywhere, anytime… and our ships couldn’t hope to keep up with them. In desperation, the United Earth Federation began researching a new faster-than-light drive technology. Thus, the Arcturus Project was born. The hope was to create a hyperspace drive capable of matching those of the Na’Vaxii.

“Forty years later, in 3685, the UEF completed a prototype of the Arcturus Hyper-Accelerator. They installed it aboard a newly refit Intrepid-class carrier, UEF Endeavour, and planned the first test of the new interstellar drive. Personnel were handpicked from human colonies across the Federation. Flight crews, maintenance teams, Bridge officers and fighter pilots; Endeavour was manned by the best of the best. They were our only hope; our last chance for victory. They had to succeed…”

“I know the back story, Grandma. That part you can skip! Geez, you sound like an opening monologue every time you tell this story.”

“You wanted to hear it from the beginning, did you not? Well, this is the beginning. Now, where was I? Ah, yes…”

-.-

Under the Milky Way

SECTION ONE: REVEILLE

-.-

The car flashed through the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. It was nearly midnight and quite uncharacteristically for the typically dry desert city, it was pouring down rain. The bright red vehicle burst from the tight confines of the city’s streets and tore out onto the desert highway. The powerful engine roared as the car accelerated faster and faster until the vehicle was nothing more than a reddish blur.

Screaming across the sandy highway at over one hundred miles per hour, the powerful sports car was pushed to its limits. Its windshield wipers raced across the glass in a feeble effort to clear away the downpour that refused to let up.

The road was virtually abandoned except for the flashy sports car and the driver took advantage of owning the road and continued to accelerate. One ten, one twenty, one thirty, one forty. Faster and faster went the car across the wide open stretch of road.

It would perhaps never be known exactly what happened. Maybe the driver of the sports car never saw the SUV in the opposite lane or perhaps they merely lost control. Either way, the car skidded into the other lane at just the wrong moment and struck the sport utility vehicle.

The sports car was flipped onto its roof and skidded down the road before coming to stop just off of the curb. The SUV spun out and flipped end over end several times before landing on its side in the middle of the highway.

A young woman dragged herself out of the remains of the wrecked sports car. She stumbled as she tried to stand, blood streaming down her legs from a series of deep gashes she had received as she heaved herself from the ruined car. Blearily, she staggered toward the SUV, which was on fire. Before she could even begin to get close, the flames touched the power supply. The resulting blast tossed the remains of the SUV into the sand on the side of the road and blew the young girl off of her feet. Her head hit the concrete hard and the last thing she remembered was the sight of the gently twinkling field of stars above her.

~~Eight months later~~

UEF Fleet Command Headquarters sat dead center in what had once been downtown Sydney, Australia. The sprawling complex of buildings dominated the city's skyline, dwarfed only by the massive space elevator that rose into the sky on the northern side of the bay. Below the surface, underground facilities had been built, the deepest of them designed to withstand the detonation of a nuclear weapon. It was in one of these rooms where a group of very powerful people sat around a fine oak table in a darkened room. The smells of tobacco and cigar smoke filled the air as the group of seven men and women flipped through stacks of personnel files.

"What about this one?" said one man, holding up the file he had been perusing. "Michael Swanson, 46, Captain of the Meriwether. He has a distinguished service record and fine leadership skills."

"I've met the man," said a woman. "He's arrogant. He's good, but not as good as he thinks. For any other mission, sure... but not for this."

"Well, what about her?" said another man, brandishing a file. "Abigail Laine. She's young, only 29."

"I know Laine personally," said the first man. "Her record is far from clean. She's recently gotten into some pretty serious trouble. She's a fine officer, to be sure. Wise beyond her years, but she's had a rough life. My only real concerns would be her lack of experience and emotional instability."

"We need a seasoned officer,” said another woman. “Laine’s recent activities…”

“Are understandable, given the situation,” said the first woman. “But I think she’d be a good fit. She may not be experienced, but she connects with her crew in ways most officers don’t… treats them more like friends, equals rather than subordinates. We don’t need a stern hand with this crew, on this mission. These people know their jobs, after all. We handpicked all of them.”

“She has a point,” said the first man. “Abigail mothers her crew to a degree. She gets to know them, loves them, and listens to their opinions and concerns. That may not always be the best method of command, but in this case I think she’s exactly what we need."

At the head of the table, the eldest man in the group leaned forward and looked down at the Abigail’s file. He picked it up and flipped through it briefly and placed it carefully back on the table.

“We do not need a model, career officer,” he said, his gravelly voice echoing throughout the room. “We do not need someone who follows the rule book to the letter and can’t see beyond their own personal career goals and ambitions. Laine is a wildcard, but she’s a damn good one. She’s made mistakes, big ones… but that’s what I’m looking for. Some capable of understanding that they failed and find a way to overcome those obstacles.” He slid the file toward the others.

“She’s the one,” he said firmly. “Make the call."

-.-

1002 Hours (Federation Standard Time)/
January 26th, 3685 (Military Calendar)/
United Earth Federation Starbase, Space-Dock, Earth Orbit

The gigantic space station drifted lazily through the silent void, its silver hull gently reflecting the sun’s blazing light. A thousand starships, with their steel blue hulls and sparkling external lights were moored alongside the enormous construct, looking like little more than toys in comparison.

Abigail Laine stood alone leaning against the railing of a wide walkway that hung suspended above the station's main concourse, a bustling space that was filled to bursting with people twenty-four hours a day. Space-Dock served as the primary orbital dock for military and civilian ships entering Earth orbit, which meant it was packed with thousands of people hurrying toward their various gates, either to board a ship bound out-system or to a shuttle to take them to the blue-green world spinning beneath them. Abby, however, seemed oblivious to it all.

She glanced down at the small music player in the pocket of her jeans and pressed the button to begin playing a new song. She secured her ear buds more securely as the song began to play.

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb.

'Numb,' Abby thought dryly. 'Yep, that's me all right...' The truth was that Abby was in a lot of trouble; the kind of trouble that gets you a life sentence in a federal prison if you’re lucky. She should have been terrified, but she wasn’t. She didn’t feel anything at all. She hadn’t… not for a long time.

Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold.
Until you find it there and lead it back home.

Perhaps that was her problem. Had she lost her soul? Was that why she really didn't care? Why she wasn't worried what would happen to her? She couldn't honestly say she believed in souls, not really, but after everything... well, it was as good an answer as any other.

Wake me up (Wake me up inside)
 I can't wake up (Wake me up inside)
Save me (Call my name and save me from the dark)
 
Wake me up (Bid my blood to run)
I can't wake up (Before I come undone)
Save me (Save me from the nothing I've become)
 
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life…

Abby shook her head and ripped the ear buds out of her ears. No... she couldn't start thinking like that. Not now. She shoved the buds back into her pocket and glanced up and down the concourse. What she didn’t notice was that she was being watched by a tall, roguish-looking man with unruly raven hair and emerald eyes standing on the far side of the concourse.

Jake Hawkins was a Major in Star Force and second in command of the 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. He had been on his way to the Sun’s Wake sports bar down on the promenade when he had been forced to stop upon seeing Abby. He had literally been stunned by her beauty. Jake watched her, taking in the swell of her majestic breasts that stretched the fabric of her black silk blouse. He easily noticed the sloping curves of her shapely hips, and her bare, flawless legs which seemed to go on for days. Yes, Jake had a flair for dramatic and occasionally over-exaggerated descriptions.

Her thick mane of gently curly deenp brown hair fell to her waist, hanging around her like a cape, shielding much of her body from view as she unknowingly turned her back to him and slowly slipped her ear buds back in. He leaned against the railing, preparing his approach. Jake arched his back, putting on his most impressive soldier pose and marched across the concourse toward her fully prepared to be dazzle her out of her mind and into his bed.

He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Her eyes were closed and she swayed slightly to whatever music she was listening to. She turned toward him and opened her eyes. Jake audibly gasped. He found himself staring into the most beautiful pair of deep blue eyes he was sure he had ever seen. It flustered him for a moment and he just stood there, not speaking.

Now, here was Jake's problem. He liked to think himself as a ladies' man. He was certainly a well-built man. He had muscles toned from years in the service, bulging from the gray t-shirt he wore. He was tall, tanned, and most people would think he just had a way with women. They would be wrong. Jake was easily flustered when it came to the fairer sex and a girl like this knocked him completely off of his game.

"Hi," she said, her British accent gave her soft, melodic voice an almost ethereal quality. She tugged the buds out of her ears and stared at him, cocking her head to one side.

'Words!' Jake's brain shouted at him. 'Say some words, man! Any words will do, really. Just say some words! Uh... wait! Don't actually just say anything. She's a beautiful girl, but if you start this confab by talking about her boobs you'll blow it. Just say 'hi'.'

"Hey," Jake managed to say, positively willing his eyes not to drop from the girl's.

'Good job, man!' his brain said encouragingly. 'That's a good start. Now, keep going. Don't just keep standing there staring at her, dumbass, introduce yourself!'

"Hey, I'm Jake... Jake Hawkins. I couldn't help but notice you standing here all alone."

"I’m Abby and I'm meeting someone," said Abby.

"Oh, husband?" Jake asked. Abby grinned.

"If you knew the man I'm meeting, you wouldn't ask that question," said Abby. "No, not my husband. I'm not married.”

“So, just a friend then?” said Jake, sounding far more hopeful than he had intended. Abby nodded.

“I hope so,” she said weakly. Jake smiled. The signs were encouraging. This was going surprisingly well.

“Well, then I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you having a drink with me,” he said confidently. “Sun’s Wake? They make one hell of an Aldarian Blackhole.” Abby folded her arms and narrowed those blue eyes.

“And why would I go off to some bar with a man I’ve only just met?” Abby asked. “I don’t know the first thing about you. You could be a murderer or a rapist for all I know.”

"I'm not a murderer or a rapist," Jake insisted. Abby grinned.

"But that's exactly what a murderer or a rapist would say, wouldn't they?" she reasoned. "Tell me something about yourself. Some details about you." Jake smiled warmly.

“Well, baby, there’s a lot to tell,” He pointed to his chest with his thumb in a way that he would later realize made him look like quite the douchebag. “I’m a fighter pilot with Star Force. I fly off into dangerous alien territory on top secret assignments.” Abby’s eyes widened interestedly.

“Ooooh,” she said excitedly. “Really? That sounds so exhilarating!”

“It is, sweetheart,” said Jake smoothly. His confidence growing by the second. “I’m out there on the front lines, fighting the good fight and blasting evil aliens out of the sky. I keep the world safe so beautiful things can exist. It’s hard, knowing you could be killed in the blink of an eye, but it’s also the adventure of a lifetime. Still, having someone to come home to… having someone keeping your bed warm while you’re away helps with the pressure.”

“So, I’m guessing someone’s already warming your bed then?” Abby asked. Jake shook his head said the first thing that came to his mind. Of course, as always, that’s the absolute dumbest thing he could have done.

“It’s waiting on you, gorgeous,” Abby laughed.

“That was good,” she said airily. “Really, that was pretty smooth.” She considered him for a moment and Jake was sure he’d won. “Tell you what. You’re about to leave on a dangerous assignment, right?”

“I am,” he said proudly, puffing his chest, if possible, even further out. “A top secret mission. High priority.”

“Well then,” she dug a piece of paper out of her pocket and scribbled her contact ID code on it. “Assuming you survive and come home, contact me there and I’ll come warm your bed for you.” She pressed the paper into his hand and turned to walk away; leaving Jake standing quiet shocked on the concourse behind her.

2: Section Two: Debriefed

Abby continued down the concourse, hoping to put some distance between herself and the pilot. She hadn’t been serious in her proposition, of course. She knew what the life of a fighter pilot was like; usually very short and quite lonely. If nothing else she might well have given him a moment of hope because it was highly likely that he would never come back home again. 

But Abby had more important things on her mind that day than her fighter pilot. She was on the station to meet with Admiral Stanforth Graham. He just so happened to be one of Abby's closest friends, and as was usual with the Admiral, he was late.

It helped, at times, having a powerful admiral as a friend, particularly when you were in trouble... and Abby had most certainly landed herself in a very great deal of trouble. It was the type of trouble where one would typically find themselves locked away in jail for the rest of his or her life, but Admiral Graham's men had swooped in out of the blue and carted her here, to this floating orbital fortress. 

As Abby stood staring down at the busy concourse beneath her, lost in her thoughts, a tall man approached her along the walkway, moving with purpose through the crowd that passed behind her.  Appearing to be of extreme age, the man wore the insignia of a vice admiral. His hair was gray and thinning, and he walked with the distinguished grace of someone who had spent most of their life in the service. The man’s name was Stanforth Graham.

Abby snapped out of her deep reverie as the admiral came up beside her and placed his hands on the railing, resting himself against it. She hesitated before looking up into her long-time mentor's eyes. When she finally did, she knew she had never seen him look so disappointed.

"What were you thinking?" he asked her in a very quiet voice. Abby blinked and looked away. The disappointment in his voice cut her deeply. She wished he would have shouted.  

"I wasn't thinking," Abby replied, her gaze dropping to the cold steel deck plates. "I was grieving. That car accident..."

"Disappearing from a Federation naval base without a word is hardly grieving, Abigail." Graham snapped. He shook his head and sighed. When he continued, he did so in a far softer voice than Abby was used to. Hailing from southern Texas, his gravelly voice was usually gruff and rather harsh. "Abigail, I can scarcely imagine what it is you're feeling right now. What's happened is truly terrible and I am very, very sorry. But there are rules, little lady... regulations that must be followed. Going AWOL for six weeks?! There are people in power that want you brought up on charges of desertion!" Abby just shrugged.

"So?" she said dryly. "Go ahead, I won't even deny the charges." Admiral Graham fixed her with a very serious stare.

"You know that's not why I'm here,"

"Then why are you here?" she asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. "Federation admirals hardly need to show up in person on a station like this to talk to deserters."

"To deserters, no," Graham agreed. "But for you, yes. I need you back, Abigail. Command needs you back." Abby actually laughed aloud at that.

"Command needs me?" she repeated incredulously. "Command needs a washed up deserter with a drinking problem?" She smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "You've obviously gotten desperate since I've been gone."

"We need someone with your... unique style for a classified mission," said Graham, ignoring Abby's comment entirely. "It is, quite seriously, the most important mission in Federation history." That remark actually put a smile on Abby's face.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," she said lightly. Graham nodded.

"Well, fine," he said lamely. "The most important mission I'm allowed to know about. That you've been involved in more black operations than I've heard of is a fact we're going to ignore for now." Despite her attitude, Abby had to admit that her curiosity was piqued.

"Well... just what sort of mission are we talking about?" She asked, trying to keep the interest out of her voice as best she could. Graham reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small computer tablet, which he held out to Abby. She slowly reached out and took it and flicked the power switch. The device powered on and the mission details scrolled across the screen. Abby began to read, her expression growing darker the longer she read.

"This is crazy," She deadpanned. "This is crazy, sir. You're talking about a long-duration deep-space operation with... Endeavour..." She said very slowly. "Endeavour... Endeavour, not... No, you can't mean... The only Endeavour that I know of on the Fleet Registry is an old Class-III carrier and there's no possible way that Command would risk..." Abby then noticed that Graham was smiling slightly.

"You're joking," she said seriously. "I mean, you must be joking! A Class-III... We're not even building the bloody things anymore!"

"She's been completely refit," said Graham. "Well, more or less. She's not finished yet, but Command wants to go ahead with the project." Abby sighed for what she felt must have been the hundredth time that day. 

“I appreciate the situation, sir.” she said quietly. "And if this thing works... If it does what Command says it’s supposed to do, then I understand what it would mean for the Federation. But I’m still not sure I understand why you want me for this mission.”

“The highest ranking members of the Federation Central Command want you for this mission,” Graham replied. “They’ve gone over your record, and…”

”My record would be the main reason I wouldn’t think they’d want me,” said Abby softly. “After what I’ve done, I’d hardly think that I would end up anywhere but a penal colony. And now you're here offering me a new ship and...” she consulted the tablet. "A full pardon for my actions two months ago.”

"Abigail,” Graham said sharply. “If I may say so, you are perhaps the most gifted officer I have ever met. You enlisted at the age of nineteen. You graduated from OCS on Luna in two years, a goal which should have taken four.

“You proceeded to serve with distinction aboard the destroyer Normandy, was promoted to full Lieutenant a year later, and in another four years you were promoted to Lieutenant Commander and served as the executive officer aboard the cruiser Sojourn. Then, by the age of twenty-seven, you were given captaincy of the destroyer, Legacy. Apart from your recent... escapades... You have a spotless record."

“As much as I appreciate the detailed recounting of my life…” Abby snapped, her temper flaring like a supernova. “That incident, Admiral, was undoubtedly the lowest point in both my life and my career....” Graham cut her off before she could even begin.

“What happened was terrible, Abigail, but Command understands that… even officers have emotions. What you’ve been through… it would devastate stronger people that you and I. The fact that you’re here, now, is…”

“Is what?” Abby asked in a far more angry tone than she would normally have used with her superiors, and particularly one of her only friends. “The fact that I’m here is what? A sign of my strength? Fate? No, the reason I’m here now is because I got far luckier than I should have and you plucked me out of that cell and dragged me back to the Navy. That’s exactly why I’m here, Admiral. It’s nowhere close to where I ought to be.”

"Perhaps," admitted Graham. "But Command wants you, Abigail. The Admiralty is willing to... overlook what happened in exchange for your cooperation and commitment to this mission."

"So after everything that's happened... After what I did, what I caused... Command just, what? Sweeps it all under the rug?" Abby asked softly.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” said Graham honestly. "Assuming you come aboard for this mission, the Admiralty will see to it that your involvement in the incident will be erased."

"What I did was unforgivable," Abby said hotly. "You can't just erase what happened. It's wrong... and it's not justice."

"Maybe not, but neither is having you brought up on charges of manslaughter and sent to prison." said Graham. "It was an accident. Like you said, you were grieving. There's a war on and we need you. Sending you to prison, or executing you, would serve no good whatsoever."

"To the family of the victims, I'd say it would serve a little good." said Abby sternly.

“We’re losing this war, Abigail," said Graham. "We need our best officers.”

“That’s right,” Abby said firmly. “You need your best officers,” 

“And you aren’t one of them?” asked Admiral Graham conversationally.

“No, sir… I don’t believe I am.” Graham considered her for a long moment.

"Walk with me," he said. Together they made their way out of the central section of the station and into a wing devoted to the Federation Navy.

“You know, Abigail," said Graham once they were free of the noise of the station proper and found themselves walking alone in a deserted corridor. "When I was a lieutenant, my commanding officer once told me that if I ever started to doubt my capability as a senior officer I should look around myself. I should examine my fellow officers and if I found one more capable of controlling whatever situation we found ourselves in, I should immediately relinquish my duties to the person in question and do my very best to support him.

“However, he also told me that ninety-nine percent of the time, you won’t find a suitable replacement. So, what you must do in those situations is simply do the best you can. You were put in that position for a reason. Abigail, every officer in the Federation Navy was considered for this mission. Federation Command selected you. And to be completely honest, I can think of no one better to command the Endeavour on this mission. Command has been assured everything will go smoothly. We’ve been told countless times that nothing will go wrong.”

“So, you’re basically saying ‘What could possibly go wrong?’,”

“I’ll make a deal with you,” said Graham. “If everything doesn’t go exactly as planned, I’ll personally buy you a steak dinner when you get home, how’s that?”

“That would be wonderful, sir.” Abby replied, shaking her head. The admiral led her further down the corridor to a closed viewport.

“Ah, here we are, Commander.” he said. “I think you’re going to like this.”

With a smile, he pressed a button on the viewport’s control panel and the solar shield over the window slid up and into the ceiling with a soft hiss, revealing the black void of deep space.

Floating less than a kilometer from the station was a massive vessel. Over a mile and a half long and bristling with weapons, the carrier Endeavour was more than forty years old and had once been the pride of the UEF First Fleet.

The large, blocky ship was steel blue in color and the white lights from hundreds of windows shone out from along her hull. The center section of the ship contained the Bridge, crew quarters, briefing rooms, mess hall, med bay, armory, and engine room.

Underneath the large center section, extending out from the bow and stern of the ship were the flight decks. Each deck was longer than the center section by a third, but only a quarter of its thickness. These decks carried more than two hundred fighter squadrons, bomber wings, and transport shuttles.

Endeavour, only a Class-III carrier, had completed a two year refit a week earlier. Her previous armament of short ranged missiles and close-in rail guns had been upgraded to include the most advanced weapons in the Federation’s arsenal. Along with forty torpedo tubes, one hundred twenty missile pods, and six, triple-barreled, twenty-four hundred millimeter hypervelocity artillery turrets, the San Francisco Shipyards in Earth orbit had installed a pair of particle beam cannons. These weapons, which fired a bluish beam of deadly energy, had been known to split Na’Vaxii ships completely in half.

“Class-III or not, I thought you’d like her.” said Graham, noticing the satisfied smile on Abby’s face. “C’mon, I’ll give you the nickel tour." Abby turned to follow as the admiral led her away from the viewport, pausing briefly to glance back at the ship floating silently outside.

It was insane. No one should believe in her. No one should trust her, especially not for this. She had expected to be arrested, thrown in prison... other officers had been executed for lesser crimes. She had hoped, had prayed for her fate, and yet instead she was given a ship and a new mission.

Someone believed in her... and she hated it. She would do her part; play the role for this mission. It was important. After it was done... she couldn't say what would come then.

-.-

Jake strolled purposefully down the station’s bustling concourse. For a roguishly handsome man like him, a starbase like Space-Dock would normally have been Jake's playground. The station, while military, was also the gateway to the Sol System and beyond.

Refugees fleeing the Outer Colonies for the safety of Earth, families leaving for other star systems and what would have normally interested Jake the most; vacationers returning from the pleasure planet Astoria, a planet whose culture was remarkably... uninhibited. Today, however, Jake didn't have time to stop and chat up the pretty girls leaving the airlock to his left, a handful of them dressed in swimsuits they quite clearly purchased on Astoria.

Today, Jake was, as was unfortunately a common occurrence with him, late. His fighter squadron, the 42nd Tactical Squadron, nicknamed 'Noble' Flight, was scheduled to depart the station for a new base ship, the carrier Endeavour. Checking his watch, he hefted the duffel he had slung over his shoulder and broke into a run.

"Coming through, coming through!" he shouted, pushing his way through a crowd assembling outside of Airlock Seventeen and, running flat out, raced into an elevator that took him down to one of the station's hanger bays where dozens of small, Coaster-class transport shuttles were docked in berths, being loaded with equipment and supplies bound for Endeavour. Jake ran along the rows of berths, searching for his shuttle’s ID tag, which was printed on the sides of the shuttles’ white hulls in bold, black lettering.

“16B…” he muttered to himself, scanning each ship’s tag quickly and moving onto the next. “16B… 16B… Where in the…?! Aha!” He spotted his transport four more shuttles down and darted forward, running around the blocky aft section of the ship and collided with something solid. He staggered backward, his duffel slipped from his grasp and clattered to the deck plates. Reaching down to grab it, he looked up and found himself face-to-face with none other than his squadron leader, Colonel Alexis Anderson, a blonde woman with a very sharp nose and deep set, almost black eyes.

“You’re late,” said Alexis, glaring at him, hands firmly on her hips.

“You’re early,” Jake replied, collecting his bag and tossing it through the shuttle’s open cargo bay door. “Look, this place is crowded and it’s the size of a small country.” He added when he noticed her sharp glare. “Besides, the shuttles haven’t even started departing yet.”

“I’m well aware, but I wanted the whole squadron aboard by 1050 hours,” Alexis said irritably. “How can I expect my pilots to respect my schedule when my own second-in-command is late?”

“All right, all right, I’m sorry!” Jake lamented. “I’ll confess… I was… I was watching the Florida-Alabama game at the Sun’s Wake, all right? It’s our first time back on Earth in a month and I…”

“You had money on it, didn’t you?” Alexis demanded.

“Yes,” Jake said offhandedly, perhaps hoping it would go over better if she heard it in a casual tone.

“Well?” Alexis asked, shaking her head.

“Well… what?” Jake asked, looking confused.

“Did you win?”

“Oh!” Jake smirked and pulled a five hundred credit chip out of his pocket. “I did, indeed! Alabama over Florida by twenty-three points! And Colonel Haskell actually thought Florida stood a chance. I’ll give him they’ve got a fine quarterback, but their defensive line is far too weak to… hey!” he shouted as Alexis snatched the chip out of his hand and stuffed it into her back pocket.

“I think I’ll take a cut of the winnings,” Alexis said, smiling grimly. “After all, if General Winesfeld heard about this, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be very pleased.”

“You’d report me to the Commander of Star Force Operations?!” Jake asked, appalled.

“I won’t for thirty percent.” She shot back. Jake rolled his eyes.

“Fine, thirty percent,” he grumbled. He moved away from her toward the shuttle's cargo bay, intending to check that all the cargo was properly secured for transport when the sound of another shuttle's powerful engines roaring to life drew his attention. He watched as a shuttle on the far side of the bay lifted out of its berth and cycled through the airlock. With a flare of its engines, it shot off toward Endeavour.

“Hey, Lex,” he said, stepping down out of the cargo bay. “Did you see that?”

“See what?" Alexis asked, sticking her head inside the passenger compartment to see how many seats were left onboard.

“The shuttle that just took off. You didn’t notice the yellow stripes on the hull. That was an admiral’s personal craft.”

"And that matters... why exactly?" Alexis asked him. 

“Because, Lex,” said Jake. “If there’s an admiral here, that means something big is about to go down. That shuttle headed straight for Endeavour. Hey... maybe it was transporting our new CO out to the ship. What's her name? Something... O'Neill, right?

“The CO isn't an admiral. She's a commander and her name is Abigail Laine.” said Alexis distractedly, peering into the shuttle's cargo bay.

“Close enough,” Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. “How’d you know that, anyway?”

“It was in the briefing packet we received before we left Earth yesterday,” Alexis reminded him wearily.

“Oh, yeah!” said Jake loudly. He shrugged. “Yeah, I didn’t read that.”

“You didn’t read the mission briefing?” Alexis said sternly, rounding on him. Jake shrugged again.

“I skimmed it,” he said unconcernedly. “Besides, it’s not like it gave any details on the mission or on our commander, now did it?”

“The mission, no, not really,” said Alexis. “But it did include a file on Laine. She’s quite an officer.” She flitted through her pack and pulled out a brown folder. “Here, read it.” Jake took the folder and flipped through the pages until he reached the dossier on Abigail Laine.

"Huh..." He said, looking down at the small black and white photograph that accompanied the dossier and his heart dropped into his stomach.

"Oh, hell..." Jake groaned. He was screwed and he knew it. He'd just been hitting on a UEF Navy Commander, his commander. A woman that outranked him by a significant margin and would very likely have him brought up on charges... but he could hardly tell Alexis that. He shook his head when she looked at him suspiciously and held up the picture.

"She's pretty." He said.

"Is that all you think about?" Alexis asked darkly.

"No." Jake deadpanned. "I just mean she's... different from most female officers I've met. You know, I mean look at her! She's more... feminine. She looks like a real girl... a girl girl... not all soldiery like you."

"And what the hell does that mean?" Alexis demanded.

"Well, you've got this whole... tough thing going on," said Jake. "With the buzz cut... and you can bench press more weight than half the squadron. Meanwhile, she looks all... soft, and girly, and weak and you're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"No, but only because I don't have time to replace my XO before we ship out," said Alexis darkly. She turned and stepped into the shuttle's passenger compartment. Jake glanced down once again at the photo of Abigail Laine and shook his head wearily.

“Well,” he said, nodding absently. “I’m fucked…”

3: Section Three: Welcome to Endeavour

1223 Hours (Ship‘s Time)/
January 26th, 3685 (Military Calendar)/
Earth Orbit, UEF Endeavour

Admiral Graham’s shuttle settled down onto one of Endeavour’s numerous landing pads. The magnetic locks on the pad engaged, sealing the shuttle to the pad. The pad then lowered through the landing bay’s floor and dropped into the hangar bay. The hangar was filled with other shuttles, surrounded by crewmen who were hard at work unloading them. Half of the carrier’s fighter compliment of F/A-86-G4 Sabre IV interceptors and B-59H Talon bombers were also stored here in the forward hangar deck. The other half were housed in the aft hangar deck. Once the shuttle’s engines were safely powered down, the crew was allowed to disembark. Admiral Graham waited until Abby had joined him, and then set off across the hangar.

“We’re in the Upper Forward Hangar Deck.” The admiral explained as they stepped into an elevator. “There’s another one directly beneath us and a matching set at the stern of the ship.” Graham pressed the number one on the elevator’s control panel, and the doors slid closed.

“There are fifty-five decks.” Graham continued. “Deck One contains the Bridge and briefing room. Decks Two through Twenty-Six house the crew quarters, mess halls, and Medical. Keep heading down and you’ll get to the recreational areas, the armory, and of course the engine room.”

“She’s quite a ship, sir.” said Abby, sounding impressed. “I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting much from a ship this old.” The admiral smiled.

“Oh, she’ll surprise you, Commander.” He said. “The crews on the San Francisco Shipyard completely reworked the entire ship. They stripped out just about everything and rebuilt her. Unfortunately, most of her interior features aren’t completed yet. The corridors aren’t even paneled and you’ll have less than appropriate interior lighting, but it’ll get the job done.”

At that moment, the elevator doors slid open and both the admiral and the commander stepped onto Endeavour’s Bridge. The Bridge, unlike the command decks of more modern carriers, was quite small. With a command crew of more than forty individuals, there was very little maneuvering room. A large viewscreen dominated the far wall, giving a commander a wide, panoramic view of the starscape. When the Intrepid-class carriers were first introduced, the viewscreen was one of the complaints most captains had against the ships. While the window was a very impressive feature and quite useful in a battle, if the ship lost shields, such a large viewscreen was the perfect target for enemy bombers. One torpedo through the admittedly very thick glass and the entire command crew could be neutralized.

Just behind the viewscreen sat the tactical display, a real-time holographic image the size of a billiards table of every individual object within five hundred thousand kilometers. This display was an excellent tool to coordinate a fleet action. The ship did not have a seat designated for the commanding officer, there wasn’t room. Instead, the rest of the Bridge was filled with consoles and computer equipment. The entire room was bathed in a bluish light, making the entire command center very dark.

“Again, she’s not finished yet.” said Graham lightly. “The Bridge is going to be completely redesigned to modern specifications when you get back, but... what do you think?” Abby peered around the darkened Bridge with narrowed eyes before turning to smile at the Admiral.

“Sir, she’s incredible.”

-.-

Jake and Alexis climbed into the shuttle and looked around for seats. The shuttle, which was designed to carry close to thirty passengers, was almost completely full. The only empty seats were in the back of the ship. The two fighter pilots headed for them and sat down, only to be joined seconds later by a tall man with short black hair, wearing a Navy pilot’s uniform.

“Navy, eh?” asked Jake, smirking. “I suppose you’re a shuttle pilot.”

“Not exactly shuttles.” said the man as the tiny spacecraft lifted off of the pad and headed for Endeavour.

“Don’t tell me, let me guess.” said Jake with a grin. “Mammoth-class cargo carriers?”

“No, no. Bigger than those.” Jake stared, confused.

“The only ships bigger than Mammoths would be…”

“That.” Jake and Alexis looked out of the window at the ship the man was pointing at. Smiling, the man held out his hand.

“Lieutenant Malcolm Hurst, helmsman, UEF Endeavour.”

“Oh…” muttered Jake, exchanging an uncomfortable glance with Alexis. “I thought…”

“You figured the senior staff would already be onboard, so I couldn’t possibly be anyone important?” asked Malcolm. “And I’ll also assume that you thought since you’re Star Force and I’m Navy, you’d take the opportunity to taunt me?”

“No, just the typical branch banter, nothing… what?!” Jake turned to Alexis, who had just elbowed him in the side. Hard.

“Take a look at this.” said Alexis, leaning back so Jake could peer out of the window.

The shuttle had begun its landing approach, slowly gaining on the carrier from astern. Shielding his eyes against the blue-white glare from the ship’s sixteen antimatter engines, Jake caught sight of the ship’s registry insignia just as the shuttle passed the forward launch bay on the starboard side. In bold, white lettering on the side of the launch bay, illuminated by a dozen lights emitting from the hull, were the words U.E.F. ENDEAVOUR, CVA-815.

“She’s the fastest ship in her class.” said Lieutenant Hurst proudly. “Endeavour’s twice the size of the modern Olympia-class carriers and carries more than triple the fighter compliment. She might be old, but I’d rather have a ship like that put in my hands far more than these things they’re putting out now.”

“Any particular reason why?” Alexis asked as the shuttle entered the hangar and began to cycle through the airlock.

“They built ships with style back then!” Lieutenant Hurst replied. “These newer ships all look the same; giant blocks with guns covering every available space the construction crew can find to put one. No windows, no observation decks, just weaponry.”

“They’re warships, not sporting yachts,” Jake said as the shuttle at last touched down on in the hangar.

Jake and Alexis had no more time to speak with Lieutenant Hurst after landing due to the commotion caused by more than thirty people attempting to disembark the craft. Stepping out onto the deck, Jake realized just how large the ship must be. The ceiling hovered high above him and the hangar seemed to stretch on forever in any direction he looked. The lights overhead were extremely bright, which when combined with the strikingly white paint on the walls and floor, the entire hangar was blinding bright.

Jake and Alexis grabbed their luggage and set off across the bustling hangar deck, dodging people, shuttles, automatic cargo loaders, and six-wheeled trams loaded with crates and boxes that had been sent up from the planet beneath them. Jake had to duck to avoid a mobile crane that spun his direction loaded with a pallet of missiles.

“This mission is only supposed to take four days.” Jake said as they worked their way across the hangar. “Command’s lifted enough cargo to supply us for a ten month tour.”

“I suppose someone in the Admiralty wanted us prepared for anything.” said Alexis. “And if the other three hangars are as crowded as it is here, we will be.”

The pilots at last reached one of twelve different elevators that led up into the different levels of the ship. As they waited in the queue, Jake noticed a woman struggling with a large luggage crate she was attempting to load onto a cargo tram. Passing his own gear to Alexis, Jake went over to help. He grabbed the edge of the steel container and helped heft it onto the waiting tram.

“There you go,” Jake began, walking around the side of the towering crate. “Whose idea it was to make military-issue transport crates out of solid steel, I’ll never...” Jake stopped mid sentence when he came face to face with the crate's owner, his own eyes locking onto her icy blue ones that instantly took his breath away. He recognized those eyes and he dropped his gaze to the woman’s collar where he caught a glimpse of the commander's insignia. He immediately snapped to a crisp salute.

“Commander Laine, ma’am!” he said in a brisk voice. 

“Ah, so you really are a Star Force pilot, huh?” she said in amused tones. “That’s not just a story you use to pick up girls, then. That’s good.”

“No, ma’am,” he said crisply. He stared straight ahead, not daring to look her in the eye. She grinned as she watched him, still standing firmly at attention, salute in place.

“I guess the Bridge hasn’t circulated my memo yet,” she said, her eyes raking over him. She continued, still sounding highly amused, cocking her head to one side. “I only have one rule… Well, I actually have more but this one is the most important." She paused, gazing at him curiously. "Do you see what you’re doing right now?”

“I’m… I’m afraid I don’t, ma’am,” replied Jake, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

“You’re still saluting.”

“Commander, Article Sixteen, Section Eight of the Code of Military Conduct states that any crewman must remain at attention until told to do otherwise. You have yet to tell me to do otherwise, ma’am.” Abby rolled her eyes.

“At ease,” She said wearily. Jake dropped his hand and quickly straightened his rumpled uniform and did his very best to flatten his raven hair.

“You see, that’s my point.” Abby continued. "I've never seen the need for all of the 'at ease' or 'as you were'. It makes more sense, in my mind anyway, to simply forego all that foolishness and get on with the business at hand instead of having my crew waste their time making me feel important."

“Yes, ma’am,”

“Oh... and another thing," she said sternly. "No more 'ma'am'. Call me Abby."

"If you think that's appropriate, ma'am... uh... Abby," said Jake. He suddenly found that he was more uncomfortable than he had ever been in his life. Abby, however, grinned.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's not appropriate at all," she said airily. "But then... I hate being appropriate." She turned to walk away without another word. Jake stayed where he was, staring after her, not entirely sure what to think of her. She stopped abruptly however and turned around, long hair swinging behind her and returned to Jake. She held out her hand. Jake was surprised but took her hand and they shook.

“I forgot to say thanks for helping me with that crate,” She smiled. “Welcome to Endeavour.”

-.-

Abby made her way down one of the many long corridors on Endeavour. Unlike modern warships with their shiny, clean hallways, Endeavour’s passageways more easily resembled those of a twenty-first century aircraft carrier.

The fact that the hallway was illuminated solely by a single strip of incandescent light bulbs running the length of the corridor’s ceiling, made Endeavour’s passageways that much more dark and cramped. Luckily, nearly every room and corridor on the ship had at least one window and most of them had more than one, and while starlight was hardly a sufficient replacement for artificial lighting, it helped.

Abby located her quarters and entered the code into the panel by the door. The door slid open with the loud screeching sound of metal scraping against metal, and revealed Abby’s home during her time onboard.

Considering the unfinished state of much of the rest of the ship, the commander’s quarters were actually rather nice. A small sitting area was immediately to the left of the doorway. It was furnished with a couch, recliner, and a small table with a number of cigar burns on its polished surface. A wide window was set into the wall above the couch, giving the room a panoramic view of Earth slowly spinning beneath them.

A tiny kitchen sat in the far left corner, complete with all of the conveniences one would expect in a modern day home. Despite the luxuries, Abby knew she would almost never use the kitchen area; she loathed cooking.

In the right corner of the room lay the ‘bedroom’. Much like the rest of the commander’s quarters, it wasn’t necessarily a room unto itself. Raised two steps above the rest of the room and separated by a glass wall and sliding door that greatly resembled the glass doors of stand-up showers in that the glass was blurred just enough so that it was difficult to see through it clearly, the sleeping area was as far removed from the rest of the ship as possible. A floor-to-ceiling window was located to the left of the bed. A sliding metal cover could be moved into place when the occupant wanted to block out the stars. The bathroom was located through a door immediately to the right of the room’s entrance.

Abby deposited her belongings on the floor by the door and took a moment to relax on the sofa. She had only just sat down when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come!” she called, rolling her eyes. The door slid open and a tall man with green eyes and a thin beard entered.

“Lieutenant Commander Zachary Sheridan.” He said, stepping up to Abby and clasping his hands behind his back. He spoke with a deep, Texan drawl that Abby hadn’t expected from him. “I’ll be your Executive Officer. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Abby looked up at him, surprised.  

“You didn’t salute,” she said pointedly.

“I read your file before you came onboard, Commander.” Lieutenant Commander Sheridan said. “Your complete file. I like to get a feel of my new CO before they arrive.”

“Why?” asked Abby. “So you can request a transfer?”

“Maybe,” Sheridan replied shamelessly.

“Well, you’re still here.” Abby pointed out. “I guess I’ve passed your test?”

“Spectacularly, Commander,” he replied with a nod.

"If you've read my complete file, then you're aware of what happened eight months ago," Abby said delicately. "You know where I've been and what I've been doing." Sheridan gently nodded his head.

"I am," he replied. "And if you're wondering whether I'm concerned about your ability to command this ship, then let me allay your fears. I'm not worried in the least, Commander. No one could possibly blame you for falling apart; I could easily have done the same thing in your place... after what happened to your family. I'm behind you, Commander."

“Good.” said Abby gratefully, but then she frowned. "I'm curious... how, exactly, did you manage to access my complete file? The vast majority of it is so highly classified that most admirals can't access anything but basic information."

"Well, I read as much of your complete file that Admiral Graham could send me," Sheridan replied. "I can't say I've ever seen that much black ink on one page. I don't suppose you'd care to fill in a few blanks?" Abby looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"You do realize that I could technically have you shot just for asking that, right?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn't lying. She wouldn't actually do it, obviously, but she could have if she had wanted to. That was just how classified Abby's service record was. Just asking about it was punishable by death.

"Well, then I guess I'll have to use my imagination," said Sheridan wisely. Abby nodded.   

“That might be a good idea," she said lightly. "So, I don’t suppose you’ve come here solely to introduce yourself and poke into top secret files?"

“No, ma’am. If you would accompany me to the Bridge, Dr. Almodavar has requested your presence.”   

“The head of the Arcturus Project, right. He and his staff are already onboard?”

“Arrived just this morning, Commander,” Sheridan replied. “His team has pretty much taken over Engineering.”

“Alright, let’s go meet the good doctor.”

Lieutenant Commander Sheridan led the way to the Bridge and then up a flight of steps at the rear to the briefing room. The briefing room itself was less of a room and more of an expanded balcony that overlooked the Bridge. A brass railing ran the length of the room on the opposite side, providing an excellent view of the entire Bridge.

A long, oak table stood in the center of the room, surrounded by large, cushioned chairs for the commanding officer and members of the senior staff. At the far end of the table, pouring over charts and various computer monitors, was Dr. Almodavar. The doctor was short, thin, and balding with the beginnings of a goatee forming on his chin. He wore thick glasses that magnified his eyes to several times their normal size.

“Ah, Commander, so glad you could come. Eager to meet you, I’m Doctor Wallace Almodavar. Want to get started as quickly as possible.” The doctor said this very fast. 

“Abigail Laine,” Abby said, shaking the doctor’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” When the doctor went back to examining his charts without another word, Abby cleared her throat.

“Zach said you wanted to see me about something?”

“Oh, yes! I did, indeed! Wanted to inform you that the drive test will not be proceeding as scheduled. My team and I need an extra four hours to complete computer simulations before we are prepared to commence a field test.”

“Fine, fine.” said Abby. “The crew can use the extra time to ready the ship. The frame may be old, but most of our systems are brand new, state-of-the-art in certain cases. Run your simulations, Doctor. Let me know when you’re ready to begin the test.”

“I will, indeed, Commander.” Dr. Almodavar gathered his charts and left the briefing room.

“He’s… unique.” Abby said once Dr. Almodavar was out of earshot.

“He’s supposedly not all there.” Sheridan said. “He’s a genius when it comes to technology, though. He designed the Arcturus Accelerator himself.”

“As long as he knows what he’s doing, he’ll be fine.” Abby said, walking over to the brass railing and looking down on the Bridge below. "At least as long as he doesn't blow up the ship." She sighed as she watched the crew at work below.

“I know I’m supposed to read their files, Zach, but tell me about the senior staff. I understand they were handpicked by the Admiralty.”

“Well, we do have some of the best people in the fleet onboard.” said Sheridan, joining Abby at the railing. “That’s Lieutenant Malcolm Hurst manning navigation. He’s supposedly some kind of expert at capital ship navigation. His file indicates he’s one of the most successful helmsmen in the Federation fleet.”

“I think I’ve heard of him.” said Abby. “He used to be on Admiral Kahoku's flagship.”

“Right.” said Sheridan. “He was responsible for what is known as the Hurst Maneuver. He performed it during the battle at Omega Prime. He ordered Admiral Kahoku’s battleship to perform a precision jump right into the center of a Na’Vaxii battle group, deployed a payload of nuclear mines and jumped out again. He destroyed eight ships with a single move.”

“That’s impressive.” said Abby. “I imagine such a maneuver earned him just about any post in the fleet."

"It did," said Sheridan. "He was offered a position on the Sword of the Federation, one of the newest dreadnoughts. He turned it down." 

"Hmm..." said Abby thoughtfully. "So, who’s at Ops?” Sheridan pointed out a thin woman with dark, shoulder length hair sitting at one of the consoles on the deck beneath them.

“That’s Hope Halliwell.” said Sheridan. “She’s at Starship Operations.”

“Any thrilling tails of heroics in her file?” Abby asked.

“No,” Sheridan admitted. “She seems competent enough, although I haven’t seen her perform in a combat situation yet. She was pulled from the crew of the Yamato, and that carrier’s seen more action than just about any other ship in the fleet.”

Below them, the Bridge doors opened and a tall woman with short blonde hair entered the command center, hastily straightening her uniform.

“Ah, and here’s Ava Mosley, communications officer.” said Sheridan. “Late for her duty shift once again. I don’t think you’ll like her, Commander.”

“While tardiness is hardly acceptable on the part of my senior officers, I can’t say I’ll dislike her based on that fact alone.”

“Oh, no, Commander, it not just that, she’s… In truth, she’s an excellent communications officer. She’s been known to be able to dig a signal out of the toughest interference. She’s very good at her job. Unfortunately, she’s well aware of that and isn’t afraid to show it. She’s only been aboard the ship for two days and she had already attempted to show her abilities on more than one occasion and yesterday she even went as far as upstaging her fellow officers in an effort to impress.”

“She can be as egotistical as she wants to be when she’s not on duty.” said Abby. “A little friendly competition tends to help boost morale... but if she’s causing trouble on the Bridge, we’ll have to do something about it.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Commander. Now, let’s see who’ve I missed?” Sheridan’s eyes scanned the Bridge. “Ah, Lieutenant Ackerson. He’s the weapons officer, but he doesn’t appear to be on the Bridge. He’s likely down in Main Gunnery, inspecting the weapons. He just came aboard this morning and apparently he’s very particular when it comes to his armaments.”

Commander Sheridan took Abby down to Main Gunnery on Deck Thirty-two. The room itself didn’t actually look anything like what one might consider a warship’s weapons center to look like. Main Gunnery took up the entirety of Deck Thirty-two and was filled to bursting with computer consoles.

The actual weapons were nowhere near the gunnery section. The ship’s mass drivers were installed above and below the hangar decks, the torpedo and missile tubes were located in grids of ten-by-ten all across the sides of the central hull, and the ship’s PDS and P.R.O.T.E.C.T.O.R. anti-missile systems were strategically placed on all quadrants of the ship’s hull.

Abby and Sheridan crossed the deck, dodging personnel and equipment until they found Lieutenant Ackerson, a tall, pale man with short, jet black hair, near Primary Mass Driver Control. Even as they approached, it was obvious that he was having a very heated argument with a pair of crewmen.

“…you can’t just ‘eyeball it’, Ensign Maharaj!” Lieutenant Ackerson was shouting. “We’re dealing with weapons of mass destruction here!” Ackerson nudged a shell for the hypervelocity guns with his foot. The five thousand ton, twelve foot long projectile didn’t budge. “Do you know what that is, crewmen? That is the largest projectile weapon known to humankind. Every eight seconds the main battery of this ship fires eighteen of these things at point three percent of lightspeed. This thing hits a target with the force of a ninety-six kiloton bomb! That is double the yield of our nuclear-tipped torpedoes!

"You can’t just override primary fire control and open up. You’ve got to use computer controlled targeting! If you just start shooting, you’ve got NO idea what you’ll hit! I can only hope that you morons know that space is empty! Once you shoot a shell like this, it isn’t going to stop until it hits something else! Wait. For. A. Computer. Firing. Solution!” Lieutenant Ackerson at last stopped yelling and dismissed the two crewmen. It was only then that he noticed Abby and Sheridan. He quickly snapped to a crisp salute.

“Commander Laine, ma’am,” he said. “Commander Sheridan, sir. I apologize, I didn’t realize you’d come down.”

“I noticed,” said Abby. “You were pretty hard on the gunnery crew just then.”

“They were conducting a combat drill, Commander.” said Ackerson. “I’ve got all the weapons crews running them. If we get into trouble out here, I want my team working at peak efficiency. Unfortunately, these… people… I’ve been saddled with aren’t up to scratch. I’m going to be rough with them until they get it in gear and start working like a proper weapons control group.”

“I agree to a point,” said Abby. “But don’t hesitate to utilize your team’s specific talents. I understand the need to be cautious and follow procedure, but there are times when computers malfunction and you’ll want your crew to be trained and prepared to do things a little… unorthodox.” Lieutenant Ackerson nodded.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said slowly. “I understand.”

“That’s good,” Abby replied. “Now, if you’re through here, you can return to the Bridge.”

“Well, actually, Commander, I was planning on supervising a pulse diagnostic of the magnetic phase converters for the particle beam arrays. I need to be sure that it’s done properly and I…” He paused at the sharp look Abby gave him. “Ah, yes… perhaps the gunnery crew can handle it themselves. I’ll return to my post, Commander.” 

“Is there anyone else I should meet?” Abby asked as she and Sheridan returned to the elevator.

“Well, there’s the Chief Medical Officer, of course, but Doctor Bradford is busy setting up his new medical bay and requested that he not be disturbed. The only other member of the senior staff you haven’t met is Lieutenant Alexander Dimitrov, the Chief Engineer.”

“Well then, let’s head down to Engineering.” said Abby, pressing the button for Deck Forty-Five.

“Very well,” said Sheridan, “but I warn you… It’s not a pleasant place to visit.”

Engineering turned out to be worse than Abby had envisioned. As the elevator doors hissed open, a wave of intense heat washed over them. Before them sat the ship’s massive Translight drive, glowing so brightly with power that the entire Engineering section could have operated completely without overhead lights and the crew could have easily been able to see. The drive itself was five decks high, rising from Deck Forty-Five to Deck Forty, and Abby knew it was highly experimental technology. Endeavour was the only Federation vessel to be equipped with the new faster-than-light drive technology.

The ship’s main antimatter reactor, which powered all of the ship’s functions, was two decks below and less than a third the size of the Translight drive. The main reactor was connected to what amounted to a regulation football field’s length of spinning and whirling machinery and energy beams, all of which powered the massive warship.

Abby and Sheridan crossed the bustling engine room and found Lieutenant Dimitrov, a short, balding man in his late forties, at the base of the Translight reactor giving orders to his team.

“…and Lieutenant Clearwater, I’ll need you to investigate those fluctuations in the Translight field. I don’t want the bubble to collapse while we’re traveling at FTL.” The Engineering crew quickly went about their tasks as Abby and Sheridan approached Lieutenant Dimitrov. The Chief Engineer stiffened when he saw them.

“Commander!” He exclaimed. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I wasn’t prepared for an inspection! We’ll have the Translight drive operational for you within the hour. We need to check the…”

“This isn’t an inspection,” Abby interrupted, holding up her hands. “I’m just touring our new ship and meeting my senior staff.” She glanced up at the Translight reactor towering over them. “I understand this thing is experimental technology. What does it do?”

“Well, Commander, the Translight reactor is the premier faster-than-light drive in the galaxy!” Dimitrov said proudly, patting the railing around the base of the reactor. “We can outrun any other ship in the Federation fleet, and I’d be comfortable saying we could do the same to most Na’Vaxii vessels as well. Obviously, we can’t compete with their Hyper-Light capabilities. You know their ability to jump across the galaxy in the blink of an eye. But at traditional FTL speeds, I’d wager we’ve got them beat.

“The drive works by encasing the ship in a bubble of space-time,” Dimitrov continued, gesturing with his hands. He looked as though he were clutching an invisible watermelon in his outstretched hands. “Unlike normal FTL drives which tear a hole in subspace, we just coast along in a space-time field. It’s an extremely efficient method of FTL flight. The drive uses less than a quarter of the power standard drives require and we only need to refuel the reactor once every sixty years, the same as the antimatter reactor.

“There are downsides to the Translight drive, though," he added, looking suddenly disappointed. "Unlike standard drives, which force the ship into the subspace layer, literally making the ship invisible to sensors and visual until it slows to sublight speeds, the Translight drive accelerates us in real space and lights us up like a Christmas tree. Sensors can pick us up from light-years away and we’re visible to the naked eye as well.”

“I suppose I should also explain about the varying speeds. We can travel at different Translight-Variances. Translight-Variance Point One is the speed of light, or approximately one hundred and eighty-six thousand miles per second. Translight-Variance Point Two is nearly double that. The speed chart goes up to Translight-Variance One Point Zero, which is around four and a half billion miles per second. We’re currently working on increasing our speeds to One Point One and beyond, but we haven’t had much success as of yet..” Abby nodded slowly with a rather dazed expression on her face and glanced at Sheridan, whose eyes had a slightly glazed look to them.

“Did you understand any of that?” she asked him. Sheridan shook his head.

“Sure," he said very seriously. "This thing is new, shiny, and makes us go really fast." Abby did her very best not to laugh out loud. It proved to be really hard.

“Yeah, I’m sorry but that was a waste of a perfectly good explanation,” Abby told Dimitrov. “I know that all made sense to you, and seeing as you’re in charge of maintaining our ship’s engines, I’m glad it did. But in the future I’ll ask you to speak in terms that we can understand.”

“I’m sorry, Commander…” said Dimitrov somewhat nervously. “This is incredibly advanced technology. There’s just no way for me to… dumb this down enough for you to understand it… No offense.”

“Some taken,” said Abby, but she flashed him a quick smile. “We’ll let you get back to work. Let me know when you’ve got the hyperdrive back online.”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll get you a report as soon as I can.”

-.-

Jake sat in the mess hall with a group of his fellow pilots, listening to a story being told by a pilot from Endeavour’s ace squadron, the Buccaneers. Jake didn’t particularly like the few Buccaneers he had met so far. They were an expert outfit, but Jake found that their egos far outstripped their talent in cockpit. Jake soon began tuning out the pilot’s bragging and watched the other crew members in the mess hall.

As he watched he noticed Abby enter the mess hall and begin examining the trays of food the ship’s kitchen staff had put together. After several minutes she left the trays and settled herself down at an empty table. Jake nudged Alexis, who was sitting next to him and indicated that he was leaving. She nodded vaguely, too riveted by the Buccaneer pilots’ tale to do anything more.

Jake wandered over to Abby’s table, determined to make a better impression than he had the first time they had met. He doubted she’d even remember him, but she was eating alone and he thought she might like some company nonetheless. He reached her table and put his hand on the back of the chair opposite her.

“May I?” he asked.

“Please,” Abby replied, closing the folder she had been reading. “Personnel files,” she added, nodding toward the folder. “I’m supposed to read each of them, but it’s a task that I absolutely loathe, so I appreciate the interruption. You're a good reason to procrastinate.”

“I’m happy to help,” said Jake, slipping into the chair. "I, uh... I wanted to say... well, I wanted to apologize for what happened on Space-Dock, I... I was completely unprofessional and I shouldn't have..."

“It's okay,” said Abby with a smile, revealing a set of very white, even teeth that Jake hadn’t noticed before. “I was just the lonely girl on the space station, not your commanding officer. I was out of uniform, anyway. Technically, since the Federation doesn't have an anti-fraternization policy, you're allowed to hit on me whenever you please."

"I... well, that's very... Look, let's forget about that. I'd rather that not be our first meeting."

"So, you'd like our second meeting to be our first?" Abby asked with a grin. Jake shook his head.

"Not particularly," he said. "I don't know if you remember, but that wasn't exactly..."

"Oh, I remember," said Abby firmly. "You were the roguishly handsome pilot who rushed over to save the distressing damsel, only to realize she was the commander of the ship that you tried to seduce a few hours ago. Actually, I thought it was rather sweet. No one else offered to help.”

“And here I was thinking I looked like a complete fool.” Jake said rather quietly.

“Oh, you did,” Abby assured him, flashing him a smile. “But it was nice of you nonetheless.” Jake couldn’t think of anything close to an appropriate response to that, so he took the opportunity to ask about something that had been bugging him for quite some time.

“If, uh… if I’m speaking out of turn, please let me know,” he said, watching Abby sample a piece of Salisbury steak. She made a face and set her fork down. “I was… I was wondering if you might be able to tell me what we’re doing. Command’s assembled a massive crew, brought up tons of supplies and equipment… not the mention the refit of this ship.”

“There will be a shipwide briefing available in a few hours.” Abby said. “Directly after I brief the senior staff, we’ll be letting the rest of the crew in on our mission. Strictly speaking, I’m not allowed to discuss it until then.”

“Of course, I understand,” Jake replied. “Some of the pilots were talking earlier… We were curious why Command’s equipped us for a long-duration, deep space mission.” Abby smiled slightly.

“Has it occurred to you that we might be embarking on just such a quest?” she asked sardonically.

“Yes, ma’am, of course,” said Jake.

"I thought I told you to call me Abby," she said, her eyes narrowing. Jake immediately began to feel nervous again.

"Eh... right," he replied. “That will take some getting used to, ma... uh, Abby."

"Well, then you'd better start working on it, oughtn't you?" she asked him, smiling serenely and leaning back in her chair.

"I guess so," said Jake. "But getting back on what we were talking about; why send a carrier, particularly one this old, on a top secret deep space mission? We have long-range scout ships that are built for that sort of thing. Endeavour isn’t designed for long-duration missions.”

“True, she isn’t,” Abby agreed. Suddenly, her radio vibrated on the table. “Never let’s you have a minute…” she muttered grimly. She picked up the device and looped it around her ear and extended the tiny microphone to her mouth.

“This is Laine.”

“Commander, we’ve received departure clearance from Sector Control,” said Sheridan’s voice. “We’re cleared to jump whenever you’re ready.”

“I’d like to brief the senior staff on our mission before we depart, Commander,” said Abby.

“Understood, ma’am,” said Sheridan. “I’ll assemble the senior staff in the briefing room.”

“Thank you, Zach.”

“Yes, ma’am. Sheridan, out.” Abby folded her napkin and stood up from the table.

“I’ve got to run, it would seem,” she told Jake. “Thanks for the company. You saved me having to read those files.” Jake smiled and nodded.

“Any time, Abby.”

4: Section Four: Generation

1657 Hours (Ship‘s Time),
January 26th, 3685 (Military Calendar)/
Earth Orbit, UEF Endeavour

The senior staff had already assembled in the briefing room by the time Abby arrived. She took her seat at the far end of the table and nodded to Commander Sheridan on her left and Lieutenant Halliwell on her right.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware by now, Command has a very particular mission in mind for us,” Abby began, picking up the small remote in front of her and pressing a button which activated the large screen on the back wall. “Our mission is to test the most advanced FTL drive technology to ever be created by human hands. It’s called Project Arcturus. Lieutenant Dimitrov, I assume you’ve seen Doctor Almodavar’s work in Engineering?”

“I have, but I would never have guessed he was installing a new hyperdrive system,” said Dimitrov, sounding somewhat offended that someone had installed a new hyperdrive in his engine room without informing him.

“This new drive is the result of forty years of intense research and development,” Abby continued. “Its purpose is to give Federation vessels the ability to match Na’Vaxii Hyper-Light drives. We’re going to travel…” She pressed another button on the remote and brought up an image of the ship’s planned course. “Here,” she said, indicating a set of coordinates on the screen. “The Andura Sector. It’s relatively empty. There are no habitable planets within the sector and as far as we know, the Na’Vaxii have no interest in the area.

“We will be rendezvousing with two escort ships, the cruiser Achilles and the destroyer Michelangelo,” Abby paused and brought up another set of coordinates on the screen. “We will then test the Arcturus Device by using it to travel here,” she went on. “This location is approximately six months away at maximum FTL velocities. With Arcturus… it should only take seconds.”

“Commander,” Lieutenant Halliwell said slowly. “I mean no disrespect, but… if this Arcturus drive were to malfunction… we could end up stuck out there.”

"Ending up stuck out there is the least of our worries," said Abby dryly. "We could rematerialize in the middle of a star or simply vaporize the second we turn this thing on." She smiled slightly at the nervous looks on the faces of her senior staff. She shrugged. "It's... not likely..."

“Isn’t this something that should be tested in a lab before we start taking risks with our lives?” Lieutenant Mosley exclaimed.   

“Ava,” Abby said sharply. “I understand your concerns. To a point, I agree with you. Actually, I completely agree with you. Still, there’s only so much you can learn in a lab. Eventually you have to... take the next step.”

“The commander’s right,” Lieutenant Halliwell said. “I’m not exactly comfortable with this myself, but… if this works; think what this will mean to the Federation! If we could match the Na’Vaxii’s Hyper-Light capability… it could turn the tide of the whole war.” Lieutenant Mosley sighed and leaned back in her chair.

“Okay,” said Abby, glancing around the table. “Unless anyone else has any further questions?” No one spoke. “Alright, then. Lieutenant Dimitrov, I understand you’ve got our Translight drive operational again?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Dimitrov. “The Translight bubble was completely stable during all tests. We can depart whenever you're ready.”

“Very good,” said Abby, satisfied. "Alright, then. Man your posts, everyone. Malcolm, shake us loose from all Space-Dock tethers." The crew stood to their feet and returned to their stations on the Bridge. Abby accompanied them, lingering around the tactical display.

"Attention all hands, this is Lieutenant Mosley," the comms officer said, keying the ship-wide channel. "Prepare all sections for immediate departure." 

"Mooring's retracted, Commander," said Lieutenant Hurst. "Docking Control reports ready for departure. Firing thrusters and separating from Space-Dock." Slowly, Endeavour broke free of the station. Her antimatter engines flared as she moved away from the massive orbital structure and stabilized on her new course. "Adjusting planar alignment now. All standard drives set to auto shutdown in ten seconds."

"Set course for the Andura rendezvous point," Abby ordered. "No detours, Malcolm. We're in a hurry." 

"Yes ma'am," Lieutenant Hurst replied. "Course laid in. Translight bubble is within operational parameters and the drive is hot." 

"All sections report secure and locked down for FTL jump," Lieutenant Halliwell said. "Hangar bay doors are sealed and all utility craft have been stowed. Space-Dock traffic has been redirected away from our sector. Jump path is clear."

"Commander, we're ready for Translight," said Lieutenant Hurst. Abby grinned slightly and glanced at Sheridan.

"Forty-five seconds," she said in satisfied tones. "They're good."

"The best, Commander," he replied. Abby nodded her agreement.

"Take us out, Malcolm," she ordered. "Maximum Translight. Let's see what this drive can do."

-.-

02:32 p.m. (Ship's Time)/
January 26th, 3685 (Earth Standard Calendar)/
F.S.S. Freedom's Progress - Universal-class Generational Ship, Andura Sector

The Freedom's Progress sped through the void of space at ten times the speed of light. The Generational Ship was a massive circle-shaped starship over eighty kilometers in diameter. A dome covered one side of the ship, beneath which an entire city lay. Buildings, houses, parks, and public transportation, Generational Ships were literally cities in space.

The dome even simulated a day-and-night cycle on its inner surface by imitating the rising and setting of a sun. The artificial environment was so perfectly replicated to resemble life on a typical planet that unless you stood at the edge of the dome, you would never even realize you were on a space ship.

In her luxurious bedroom at the top of the tallest tower in the city, fourteen-year-old Scarlett Moreau stood in front of a full-body mirror, examining her reflection with narrowed, critical eyes. She brushed her long, wavy, almost ruby red hair away from her face and held up a flowing gown up to her slender frame.

Scarlett was the daughter of the captain of the Freedom's Progress, and as such she was expected to attend a formal party honoring the nomination of the newest member of the Ship's Council, the governing body of the Generational Ship. She was almost as excited about going to her last dentist appointment. She tossed the dress over the back of her desk chair with a roll of her eyes and walked out onto the wide, crescent-shaped balcony just off of her bedroom.

She breathed in the clean, fresh afternoon air as she leaned against the railing and looked out at the city that spread out in every direction around her. This city... this ship... had been her home for her entire life. In fact, she had never even left it. It was very rare for Generational Ships to dock with other ships and they were far too large to land on planets and since they had the ability to manufacture anything they needed onboard, they almost never even approached a planet.

As she stood there, a small shuttle with dark green stripes on its hull rose up above her, the wind from its thrusters ruffling her hair and she heard its landing struts settle down onto the landing pad one floor above. Scarlett recognized the markings on the shuttle. It belonged to the Ship's Council and shuttles like it made regular visits to her home at the top of the world. In moments it would be speeding her father away to the Council Forum for the bi-weekly meeting of the ship's government and command staff. True to form, barely five minutes later the same shuttle roared over Scarlett's head once again and disappeared into the blazing, artificial sun.

Returning to her room, Scarlett grabbed a music player off of her desk, threw herself onto her bed and inserted the ear buds into her ears. She scanned through the playlists on the bright display and selected a song she liked. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her, losing herself in it. She was so absorbed in it that she didn't even hear her mother step into the room until she rapped loudly on the doorframe.

"Hey, honey, I'm heading to the supermarket for an hour or so," her mother told her. "Your brother's still out with Michelle, but he should be home soon."

"I wouldn't count on it," said Scarlett, not taking the ear buds out. "You know he sneaks out to her house every night, right?"

"Now, don't you go trying to get your brother into trouble again," her mother chided.

'Well, that was practically textbook,' Scarlett thought sagely. That was the way things had always been. Her brother was the golden child who always managed to get out of trouble and she, Scarlett, was always overlooked until her mother wanted to parade her out to a Council party, showing her off like a prize-winning poodle.

"I'm not trying to get him in trouble, he ought to already be in trouble," said Scarlett quietly. "You're just too blind to see Ross for who he really is! He's out at all hours of the night doing God knows what or God knows who and yet no one seems to care!"  

"He's a good boy," Scarlett's mother said sharply. "You shouldn't be so hard on him. We need to support him right now. He needs his family." Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Whatever..." she groaned. 

"I'll be right back," her mother said. "I love you." Scarlett waved without looking up and a moment later her mother was gone. This was one of those moments people look back on later in their lives and deeply regret. It would have been simple for Scarlett to look up, to reply. If she had known... If she could have possibly known...

The redhead sank into a deep reverie, losing herself once again in the flow of the music until her communications console beeped loudly. Scarlett tugged the buds from her ears and slid off of the bed. Tapping the activation button, a holographic image of Scarlett's very best friend, Cassie Ryan, appeared in the center of the room.

"Hey, Lettie!" Cassie exclaimed, using the nickname she had created for Scarlett years before. "You'll never believe what happened! I... no, wait, I want to tell you in person! Can I come by?!"

"Sure, my family's out for the next couple of hours anyway," said Scarlett. "Come on over."

"Great!" Cassie exclaimed. "I'll be right there." Knowing that it would only take Cassie a couple of minutes to catch the tram that ran between their two buildings and make her way up, Scarlett didn't bother to turn her music back on and instead returned to her balcony. There was a slight shift in the gravity field that indicated the ship had just dropped to sublight. It was a barely noticeable change, a miniscule shift in the standard gravity level, less than a point one percent differential that almost no one aboard would ever notice, but Scarlett did.

Scarlett knew everything there was to know about her ship. She could detect the smallest change in course, in hull pressure, or even the gravity change from an FTL dropout. It was Scarlett's dream to become a navigator. She loved ships and the idea of controlling millions of tons of starship fascinated her. Not being the captain, not commanding the ship, but really controlling it. 

There was a difference between being in command of a ship and controlling a ship. Scarlett's father had allowed her to take the helm of their ship a few times before and to the young girl, there was nothing better in the universe. The weight of it, the sheer massive scale of the object she, in effect, held in her hands was incredible. Before Scarlett could further fantasize about her dreams of starship piloting, the door hissed open and Cassie burst in, panting heavily.

"Brad kissed me!" she exclaimed by way of greeting. Scarlett's eye widened in surprise as her best friend collapsed onto her bed. The redhead rushed over to her and sat down beside her.

"You're serious?!" Scarlett exclaimed excitedly. Brad was the cutest guy at their school and a Gravity-Ball superstar.     

"Totally!" said Cassie with a wide smile. "And that's not all! He touched my boob!"

"That part I didn't need to know," said Scarlett, wrinkling her nose. "Good for you, though."

"Absolutely brilliant for me!" Cassie exclaimed, leaping from the bed and bouncing energetically around the room. "I can't even..." BOOM! Freedom's Progress shook as though a giant had seized it and tossed it like a football.

"What was that?!" Cassie exclaimed, staggering to her feet from where she had fallen and looked over to where Scarlett had tumbled from her bed and was holding her wrist with a grimace on her face.

"I don't know," said Scarlett, walking toward the open doors to the balcony and looking up at the dome. "It felt like... wait... the reactor just went offline," she said quietly.

"How do you know that?" Cassie asked, looking perplexed.

"Because the floor isn't vibrating like it should. There's normally a tiny vibration in the floor that would only go away if the reactor was powered down."

"Doesn't the reactor go down pretty regularly?" asked Cassie. Scarlett nodded.

"Yeah, twice a week for maintenance... but it wouldn't cause that noise or all the shaking." Scarlett's eyes narrowed. "No, that could only have been caused by something hitting us... or someone shooting at us." The entire ship was suddenly plunged into complete and utter darkness. Cassie screamed and felt blindly for Scarlett, gluing herself to the other girl's side.

"Cass, relax, we've just used up all the power stored before the reactor went down," Scarlett explained. "Emergency power should be on in a couple of seconds." And indeed it was. A moment later the ship was filled with the dull red glow of the emergency lighting. Cassie drew away from Scarlett and over to the com terminal. She tapped on the buttons, but nothing happened. 

"Comms will still be down," said Scarlett. "We shouldn't worry. We probably just collided with some sort of debris, we'll be..." But her voice trailed off as she looked up at the dome. A brilliantly orange light was shining down upon it from outside, growing larger and larger by the second.

"Oh, my God..." Scarlett whispered. A second later the dome cracked, a massive section boiling away while pieces of debris, some multiple kilometers long, fell in an almost graceful descent to the ground, crushing homes, buildings... people.

A sudden updraft of air pulled at the girls and everything around them as all the air in the ship began to rush out of the hole. Emergency force fields popped into place over the hull breach, sealing the remaining air inside. Neither girl had to ask what had happened. It was only too easy to see the Na'Vaxii cruiser through the breach, its plasma cannons glowing dull orange as they recharged for another salvo.

"What do we do?!" Cassie exclaimed, looking around panicky with tears streaming down her face. "What do...?" A steady droning caused the girls to look up again in time to see what must have been hundreds of Na'Vaxii troop transports and gunships descending through the breach in the dome.

"The emergency shelters!" Scarlett shouted suddenly. "Down on the maintenance deck! We might be safe there... if we can get there! C'mon, let's..." But she froze in place as a Na'Vaxii gunship rose slowly just beyond the balcony. A brilliantly bright light shone out from its stubby nose causing both of the girls to freeze, staring wide-eyed at the gunship.

"Lettie...?" Cassie whispered uncertainly. "Lettie, what...?" The gunship's weapon, a powerful plasma beam cannon charged to a pulsing orange glow. Scarlett couldn't stare at the light any longer and closed her eyes. She felt the ship fire, rather than heard it. A blast of air and heat washed over her, but she felt no pain and a moment later she opened her eyes.

The ship turned slowly and drifted away. She looked behind her and found her bedroom had been all but destroyed by the blast. Fires burned all around and a cloud of dust and debris billowed up, choking her.

"Cassie...?" she said slowly, turning to her best friend. "Cass, we should go. Cass...?" But the blonde didn't reply. She stood firmly in place with her mouth slightly open. "Cass?" Scarlett repeated in a very scared voice. She took a step toward her and gasped. Cassie fell slowly, almost gracefully to the floor, her eyes rolling back into her head. A hole the size of a dinner plate had been blown through her abdomen. The gunship's beam had fired straight through her.

Scarlett staggered backward, collapsing to the ruined floor. She was so shocked and scared that she couldn't seem to remember how to move. It was the scream that brought her back to reality. A terrified shout that echoed up from the ground below. She only had to look up to realize why someone would have screamed. The cruiser must have fired again. Large sections of the dome were collapsing, crushing everything beneath them. 

She knew she had to get out of this building, to get to the emergency shelters. It was the only chance she had. She pulled herself to her feet and stumbled through the remains of her bedroom and descended through to the living space one floor below. It struck her how completely normal the pristine living room looked, as though it was in a complete different reality than the one upstairs.

Scarlett hurried to the door and ran out into the empty hallway and instantly felt as though she might faint. What had once been a hallway that ended with a bank of elevators now simply ended about ten yards further on, the rest of the building having been completely obliterated. Scarlett, now running purely on adrenaline, bolted to the right and threw open the door to a stairwell that she hoped would take her to the ground floor.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gaping maw of complete darkness beyond the doorway. Every instinct in her brain was telling her not to venture into the void but she knew she had no choice. If she stayed where she was, she would die. Either the Na'Vaxii would find her or they would simply destroy the building.

Taking a steadying breath, Scarlett took a few tentative steps forward. The stairwell seemed deserted. Surely the Na'Vaxii would have some form of flashlights if they were searching the building, Scarlett reasoned. She kept going. Floor after floor, staircase after staircase Scarlett forced herself to keep moving. At long, long last, she emerged into the shattered lobby at the base of the building.

It looked as though a bomb had gone off inside. There were bodies amongst the debris as well, Scarlett pointedly avoided looking at them and moved toward the wide glass doors that she had entered hundreds of times. The glass had shattered and the sliding doors had been blown off of their tracks. She slowly eased herself through the shattered remains of the entryway and found herself in the middle of a war zone.

Alien fighters zoomed overhead, dropping energy charges that vaporized everything in their path. Across the ruined street, a team from Security was firing their weapons at something Scarlett couldn’t see… and was happy she couldn’t. She stealthily hurried down the street, moving from shadow to shadow, trying to avoid detection from the enemy that moved all around her.

Lodged into the base of what had once been a pharmacy was the remains of a Na’Vaxii fighter. It had clearly been shot down by the ship’s limited defenses. Scarlett made her way cautiously closer. The ship itself was empty and damaged beyond repair. She glanced into the crushed cockpit and saw what could only be the grip of some alien weapon. She seized it, knowing that as long as she could figure out which end to hold, she would be better off having it than not.

Feeling slightly reassured by the fact that she at least had a weapon, she pressed on. The nearest access point to the maintenance level was over three blocks away and God only knew what horrors stood between her and that haven, but it was her only chance so she hurried forward.

She reached the hatch to the maintenance level without any encounters with another living soul. Only the occasional fighter buzzed overhead and these ships seemed to be ignoring her, assuming they saw her at all though Scarlett was sure they did. She placed her gun on the ground and gripped the handle on the hatch and heaved it open. The ladder led straight down fifteen feet into what should have been a brightly lit service tunnel that would take her to the emergency shelters.

Instead, what she faced was a descent into complete and utter darkness. The ship’s power was obviously failing. Scarlett had already noticed that she felt much lighter than normal, a sign that the ship’s gravity field was weakening. She picked up her gun and was debating the intelligence of once again descending into another black void of endless darkness when a beam of plasma cut through the air so close to her head that she could smell her own singed hair.

She didn’t turn to see what had fired at her, she didn’t have time. An instant later, the ship lost all power and the emergency field over the hull breach vanished. Scarlett turned and leapt into the shaft, gripping the edge of the hatch and closing it behind her. She began rapidly descending the ladder, perhaps too fast. Her foot slipped on one of the rungs and she fell nearly ten feet to the metal deck plates.

Her entire body felt as though she had been it by a bus. She was in so much pain the very last thing she wanted to do was move from that spot, but the sudden sounds of grunts and growls and scratching on the hatch fifteen feet above her forced her into action.

 The aliens must have environment suits, Scarlett reasoned. They would be able to breathe inside the ship, regardless of all of the air being sucked out into space. It wouldn’t take them long to break the seal on the hatch and follow her down here. She had to move, she had to reach the emergency shelters. Their heavy titanium doors and airlocks would be impenetrable by the alien’s hand weapons. She could survive in there… if she could get there.

Slowly, Scarlett heaved herself up off of the ground and checked herself for injuries. She seemed to be in one piece and no bones were broken. She set off slowly through the darkness, feeling her way along the cold steel walls. She was roughly fifty meters down the corridor when she heard a sound from behind her that sounded exactly like a very heavy hatch being ripped cleanly off of its hinges and tossed aside.

Scarlett froze, terrified as she heard the unmistakable sounds of something very large and heavy dropping into the tunnel. They were following her. She had to keep going. She pressed onward, trying to move as quickly as possible without making any noise. She knew the aliens would be moving much faster than she could, but judging by the growls coming from behind her, they weren't worried if the little human girl could hear them coming.

As she reached an intersection where the corridor branched off to her left and right, she felt it rather than saw it... and it made her blood run cold. A massive shape, a presence standing in the left hand passage seething with the passion of blood and battle. Scarlett had to bite her lip to keep herself from crying. The aliens were ahead of her as well as behind her.

She was going to die. She was going to be caught and ripped apart by these beasts. Well, that would be okay, wouldn't it? Her whole family was dead, suffocated in the now airless ship above her. Her world was in shambles, bombed and destroyed. A quick death down in the these tunnels wouldn't be so bad. She could even do it herself. She had the gun, after all. She could save herself the pain the Na'Vaxii would undoubtedly inflict upon her.

She hefted the weapon, raising it simply by feeling it and placed the barrel under her chin. She hesitated, her hand trembling on the grip. Her eyes flickered to the shape in the corridor and she nodded. No, she wasn't going to kill herself. She wasn't going to give up. She was going to fight.

She raised the weapon, pointing it at the hulking shape. She knew in that moment that she had never been more terrified in her life. Trembling from head to toe, she pulled the trigger. She had been expecting a bolt of energy to erupt from the gun. Instead, the weapon emitted a strange bluish light that seemed to scan the corridor fifteen meters ahead of her, outlining the alien, a trash can, and a pair of discarded work boots. The gun then fired a shotgun-like blast of plasma that instantly incinerated everything in its path.

The blast knocked Scarlett off of her feet and knocked the energy shotgun out of her hands. The sound of the weapon discharge seemed to have attracted the attention of the aliens behind her because they were now approaching with faster, more anxious footsteps. Scarlett reached out and seized the shotgun. She leapt to her feet and ran full out down the corridor, no longer caring if she could see or not.

After five minutes, she saw the glowing control panel of one of several dozen emergency shelters that lined both sides of the corridor. Selecting one at random, she entered her own personal access code and scrambled inside, sealing the door behind her. She dropped the gun and sank to the ground, leaning back against the cold steel of the back wall of the small room.

She was all alone and now she was trapped in here. Surely a rescue ship would come, but she couldn't know when it would arrive. She was scared beyond belief, locked in a room with aliens all around her and no way to escape. Well, she couldn't just sit there. She stood up and walked over to the supply cache and retrieved a computer tablet. She quickly plugged it into one of the room's data ports.

The screen began displaying information about the ship. Structural integrity, life support, crew compliment, food supplies... pretty much everything she might need to know about her vessel. She scanned quickly to the readout on communications and gasped. The Na'Vaxii had apparently destroyed the ship's com equipment almost immediately because no distress signal had been sent... which meant no rescue ship would be coming.

Scarlett hurriedly scrolled through the readouts, desperately trying to come up with a way to send a message. Main power was down, which meant everything from life support to sensors was offline. The only thing she could access (using a Gold Level Command Code that she had memorized from seeing her father's reports in the evenings. Her having the code was highly illegal, but being the Captain's daughter had it's privileges) was helm control, which was the only system that was still linked to the emergency power supply. Of course, the engines had been destroyed, so she couldn't move the ship if she'd wanted to. So, what could she do?

"The Nav dish..." Scarlett whispered to herself. "If I could use it to send a navigation signal that contained a distress signal..." she rolled her eyes. "Yes, because teenage pranks are funny when you're about to die. Any ship that picked it up would be dead in the water until they ripped our signal out of their navigation system and even then they might not come and help."

She stared down at the tablet, deep in thought. She'd practically shut down any ship that picked up her signal, but it was the only way she had to get out a message. She shook her head. If she didn't send it, she would die here... if she sent it she would probably still die here, but at least she tried... and maybe there were other survivors aboard. It was unlikely, she knew, but it was possible that others had made it into the shelters or were perhaps saved from the decompression by environment suits. She keyed the navigation system and readied the system to broadcast a signal.

"Mayday, mayday, this is Scarlett Moreau of the F.S.S. Freedom's Progress," she said into the tablet's tiny microphone. "We have fallen under attack by the Na'Vaxii. I can't be sure of their numbers, but they have a least one cruiser and dozens of gunships and troop transports. We've been boarded, the ship has been crippled and we require immediate assistance. Repeat; this is Scarlett Moreau of the F.S.S. Freedom's Progress. We've been attacked by the Na'Vaxii and require immediate assistance."

She transmitted the message. It was the best she could do. Someone out there would pick it up, but she had no idea how long it would take them to arrive. She leaned back against the wall to wait. She was just wondering what food supplies were stored in the cache, when the ship's emergency power cut out and the entire ship, including Scarlett's sanctuary, was plunged into complete darkness. It was only then that the full weight of the last hour hit her and she began to cry. 

5: Section Five: The Message

At speeds of over three billion miles a second, Endeavour could cross the four light-years between Sol and the edge of the Andura Sector in a little over two hours. Abby sat in the ship’s starboard observation deck, watching the swirling rainbow colors wafting off of the ship’s hull as it plowed through space. The menagerie of colors was created by the extreme heat produced by a ship at Translight. The Translight reactor’s emissions illuminated the ship like setting off a flare.

The observation deck itself was actually little more than a narrow room with three rows of seats set up stadium-style with a large, panoramic window on one side. Endeavour had five such decks. Two on the port side, on Decks Six and Twelve. A matching set were built into the starboard side on Decks Twenty-Four and Twenty-Eight.

The main observation deck at the very top of the ship actually had people standing on the hull of the ship, just above the Bridge. The deck was surrounded by railing on the bow, port, and starboard sides and a wall with a bank of elevators at the aft. It was fairly small, just large enough for a handful of circular tables to be spread around. The deck was covered by a transparent energy shield so that people could still visit the deck while the ship’s primary shields weren’t powered.

Abby was gazing out at the stars passing them by, turned into blurred streaks by Endeavour’s tremendous speed, lost in deep thought when the door opened and Lieutenant Halliwell wandered in.

“Oh,” she said abruptly. “I’m sorry, Commander. I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”

“Its fine, Hope,” said Abby. “Come on in and sit down.” She added, patting the seat beside her. Lieutenant Halliwell walked over and carefully sat down, looking quite stiff and apprehensive.

“Loosen up a little bit before you strain something,” said Abby, unable to hold back a smile. “We’re both off-duty, so you don’t have to act as though I’ll put you on report if you act like a normal person.”

“I’m sorry, Commander,” said Lieutenant Halliwell quietly. “I’m… just not used to social interaction with my commanding officers. Admiral Zhao on the Yamato was very strict about this sort of thing.”

“’This sort of thing’?” Abby repeated, her eyebrows arching. 

“Admiral Zhao didn’t typically hold frivolous conversations with the lower ranks,” Lieutenant Halliwell explained. “We were a frontline warship and the admiral believed we needed to remain focused solely on the job as hand.”

“I like a bit of frivolousness every now and again,” said Abby. "Besides, if I don't hold frivolous conversations with the lower ranks I'll get pretty bored. I wouldn't have anyone to talk to."

“I didn’t say I agreed with Admiral Zhao,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “I was only explaining why I’m having a difficult time adjusting to life aboard Endeavour. You’ve only been aboard for a few hours and I can already tell that you don’t run things like Admiral Zhao. In fact, you don’t even run things like a normal commander.”

“I’m glad you’ve noticed,” said Abby with a satisfied smile. “You’re right, I don’t command by the book. I don’t treat my crew by the book.” She ran her fingers through her long hair. “I don’t even maintain my appearance by the book. In fact, I usually tend to toss the book out of the nearest airlock as soon as I come aboard. But my methods get results. I may be unorthodox, a fact to which many at Central Command will attest, but I’m not here to play by the rules. I’m here to win a war… and if that means bending a protocol here or there...”

“Well, I’m not surprised that Command selected you to lead this mission,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “If we do end up stranded six months from home, you seem like the perfect person to get us back.”

“We’ll see if you still believe that if we actually do get stranded.” Both women sat in silence for several minutes, watching the stars streak by outside. Finally, Lieutenant Halliwell spoke again.

“Commander,” she said rather uncertainly. “This Arcturus Device… I know what it would mean if it works. I said so in the briefing, but…”

“You’re scared,” Abby said simply. Lieutenant Halliwell looked down nervously at the floor. “It’s okay,” Abby continued. “There’s nothing wrong with being afraid of something that’s new and potentially very dangerous. I’ll be honest, I’m scared too.”

“This technology just seems so far beyond us,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “I’m worried that we might be proceeding too quickly and it could end badly for us all. I don’t want to die out here because Command sees something powerful and wants to use it before its ready.”

“I know it may seem like Command’s risking our lives on this mission,” said Abby in a comforting voice. “But they’ve had the best scientists in the galaxy working on this project for years. I know its untested technology, but it is important to the survival of the Federation. You said it yourself. If this works, it could change this entire war.”

“If it works,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. Abby smiled and nodded.

“If it works,” she agreed. Lieutenant Halliwell had to return to her post on the Bridge soon thereafter, leaving Abby alone again with her thoughts. She hadn’t been lying when she had told Lieutenant Halliwell that she was scared as well. The idea of being hurled across the galaxy into unknown and dangerous space was terrifying, and the thought that something could malfunction when the device was activated that would cause them to be instantly vaporized was possibly even worse.

Command was asking a great deal from Abby as well as her crew. If it worked there would be tremendous benefit, this was true, but as Abby stood and left the observation deck, she couldn’t help but think that potential gains didn’t outweigh the potential loss of six thousand human lives.

Abby continued to dwell on these dark thoughts as she walked through the ship’s darkened corridors. She barely noticed crew members acknowledging her as she passed and she completely ignored a group of chattering fighter pilots as they rushed around a corner and passed her by… until she rounded the very same corner and crashed headlong into another pilot who had been jogging to catch up with the group. Abby fell backwards while the pilot reached out to catch her… but he failed… miserably.

"Abby, I’m so sorry!” The pilot said. Abby immediately recognized his voice.

“Jake!” Abby exclaimed as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Could we not barrel blindly through the corridors?”

“I’m sorry,” Jake said quietly. “I didn’t mean…” But he noticed Abby was smiling.

“It’s okay,” she said lightly. “I often enjoy being bowled over by stampeding Saber pilots.” She paused, straightening her rumpled uniform. “So, where were you heading in such a hurry?”

“Pilot’s poker game in the Mess Hall,” said Jake unabashedly.

“Well, I would’ve lied and said I was going somewhere important, but…”

“I am going somewhere important!” Jake insisted. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold, after all. You’re looking at the Federation Tactical Squadron Poker Champion for three years running.”   

“Well, you’d better get on then,” said Abby very seriously. “I’d hate to be the cause of you losing your prestigious title.”

“Thanks,” said Jake gratefully. “Again, I’m really sorry about running into you.”

“Forget it, Jake.” said Abby. “I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going either. Although, I might want to consider imposing certain restrictions on unnecessary running in the corridors.” They bade each other farewell and Abby set off once again, only to be called back by Jake.

“Actually, Abby," Jake said. “If you’d like to join us for the game, you’d be welcome.” Abby smiled graciously, but shook her head.

“Maybe next time,” she said. “We’ll be transitioning back to normal space shortly, and I’ll be needed on the Bridge.”

“Well, I just thought I’d ask,” said Jake. “You looked a little forlorn. I thought you might like a distraction and losing all your money to me might’ve done it.”

“I appreciate the thought, Jake,” said Abby. “But I’ve really got to get to the Bridge. Actually, I’m surprised Commander Sheridan hasn’t…” Overhead, the com system crackled to life and Commander Sheridan’s voice boomed through the speakers.

“Commander Laine, you are requested on the Bridge.” Abby rolled her eyes.

“Speak of the devil…” she muttered. “I’ll see you later, Jake. I’ve got to get to the Bridge before Sheridan sends out search teams.”

“Would he really do that?” Jake asked as Abby walked away.

“I think one day I’ll just wait and find out,” she called over her shoulder.

-.-

Endeavour flashed into existence in the Andura Sector. Waves of heat, radiation, and strings of color streamed off of the ship’s hull as the vessel slowed to sublight speeds. Her antimatter engines flared to life and the ship began to slowly move forward even as her hull cooled down from the tremendous heat applied to it during the journey at Translight.

“Report,” Abby ordered, watching the tactical display as it brought up the image of their current position.

“All departments report condition green, Commander,” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. “Checking systems… everything looks stable. Sensors report that… whoa, we’ve got absolutely no drift from our intended coordinates. We’re exactly on target.”

“It’s due to the new Translight drive,” said Lieutenant Hurst. “It’s far more accurate than the FTL drives the other ships carry. The older FTL drives use targeting scanners to pick a set of coordinates to exit from hyperspace, but due to interstellar drift and the slight time-dilation effect of FTL travel… ships usually emerge from FTL hundreds of kilometers off-target. Now, we can pinpoint our exit coordinates to within a few centimeters of our target. We could potentially jump into the atmosphere of a planet… although I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“This is all truly fascinating,” said Abby, who didn't find it fascinating in the least. “And I appreciate the explanation… even if I didn’t completely understand it. However, we’ve got a job to do. Hold our present course and slow to one-third sublight. Hope, have our escorts arrived yet?”

“They should be here within a few minutes, Commander,” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. “Yes, I’m picking up their FTL drive signatures. They’re two minutes out and closing at maximum FTL.” The Bridge was relatively quiet until two UEF warships dropped out of FTL. The two ships closed on Endeavour and took up escort positions.

“We’re being hailed, Commander,” reported Lieutenant Mosley. “Commander Hall of the Achilles is requesting to speak with you.”

“Put him on Screen One.” One of Endeavour’s two communications screens lowered slowly from the ceiling and flashed to life. The image of a middle-aged man appeared on the screen.

“Commander Hall, I’m glad you could make it,” Abby said slyly. “We were beginning to wonder if you were coming.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, but we haven’t got that fancy new FTL drive you’ve got in your engine room. You’re just faster than we are.” Abby smiled.

“Actually, we just got here ourselves,” She admitted. “Although, you did leave twelve hours before us.”

“Soon enough, we’ll all have Translight drives if yours works out well,” Hall replied. “I’ve already ordered my ships to take up escort positions. We’re ready when you are.”

“Doctor Almodavar requested a few extra hours to prepare the Arcturus Device,” said Abby. “I’m still awaiting his report so we can begin. I’ll alert you when he’s ready.”

“Understood, Commander. Achilles out.” Abby turned to Lieutenant Mosley as the communications screen rose back up into the ceiling.

“Ava, contact Doctor Almodavar and find out how much longer he needs to work.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Lieutenant Mosley. Suddenly, the ship shuddered and began to roll over and change course. Abby and Sheridan shared a brief glance.

"Um... Mr. Hurst?" she said lightly. "You haven't been drinking, have you?"

"No ma'am," said Hurst, studying his console with narrowed eyes. "The helm's just gone bonkers."

"'Bonkers,'" Abby repeated. "Is that a technical term, or...?"

"Hold on, Commander," said Mosley. We’re… we’re receiving a… communication, but it isn’t like any communication I’ve ever seen before.”

“Who’s it from?” Abby asked.

"I can't tell," said Mosley. "It's so badly degraded I can't tell. I'll have to work on it."

“It’s coming from a ship,” Lieutenant Halliwell said, examining the signal on her console. “Nearly a light-year away… but the signal isn’t being relayed through their com system.”

“How can you tell?” Abby wanted to know.

“Because UEF subspace communications wouldn’t degrade this badly over ten thousand light-years, much less over one light-year."

"They're sending it through the navigation dish," said Hurst. "There's a signal being beamed to our navigation system. It's usually used to link the nav systems of multiple ships together for tandem FTL jumps. Whoever's doing this has embedded a com signal in the transmission, which has mucked up our navigation."

"How long until you can get our systems straightened out?" Abby asked. Hurst shrugged.

"On any other ship, we'd have to completely shut down and reboot our entire helm control system before we could get everything working," he said thoughtfully. "But considering the enhancements to Endeavour... and a couple of tricks I know... I'll have us up and running in a few minutes."

"Good," said Abby. "Ava, any luck with that message?" Mosley nodded.

"Now that  I know what I'm dealing with, I've been able to dig most of the transmission out of the navigation system. It's a little degraded in places, but it should work."

"Alright, put it through the speakers." said Abby. Mosley tapped in a command and began the playback.

"Mayday, mayday, this is Scarlett Moreau of the F.S.S. Freedom's Progress. We have fallen under attack by the Na'Vaxii. I can't be sure of their numbers, but they have a least one cruiser and dozens of gunships and troop transports. We've been boarded, the ship has been crippled and we require immediate assistance. Repeat; this is Scarlett Moreau of the F.S.S. Freedom's Progress. We've been attacked by.. " Abby motioned for Ava to cut the transmission. Her heart was racing and she felt sick. No... not this... not that ship.

"Hope... can you... Can you tell where that signal originated?" Abby asked, failing to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied. "I've got the coordinates locked in."

“Very well,” said Abby quickly. "We’ll have to postpone the Arcturus test. Ava, send a message to Central Command letting them know what’s going on. Oh, and alert the other ships to our plans as well. Malcolm, plot a course to the Freedom's Progress. Translight 1.0. I want to burn sky until we see lines.”

“Commander, at that velocity we’ll be traveling in excess of four billion miles per second.” Lieutenant Hurst said. “It’ll take us less than thirty minutes to reach the target. The Achilles and Michelangelo won’t be able to keep up with us.”

“Then they’ll just have to fall behind.” said Abby impatiently. “We're going. There’s a ship out there that needs our help. If we’re attacked, we’re more than capable of defending ourselves. Besides, they won’t take too long to catch up with us.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Lieutenant Hurst. “Course is plotted and the Translight reactor is at one hundred percent. We’re ready for Translight transition.”

“Good,” said Abby. “Punch it.”

-.-

Endeavour burst from the confines of hyperspace in a shower of heat and color. Her sublight engines flashed to life and she began to move forward.

“We’re on target, Commander,” Lieutenant Halliwell reported. “I’m reading the Freedom's Progress one hundred thousand kilometers off our starboard bow.”

“Hail them,” Abby ordered.

“It won’t do any good, Commander,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “It looks like they’ve been through the wringer a few times. I’m detecting heat signatures from Na’Vaxii weapons fire on the Freedom’s hull. Their shields and weapons are offline, along with their long and short range communications systems. I’m reading multiple hull breaches and the main reactor is without power. The ship is dead in space.”

"Are you detecting any survivors?” she asked hastily.

“I’m reading a single lifesign onboard, Commander," said Lieutenant Halliwell. "It’s stable, but their life support system is offline. If we don’t get them out soon…”

“We’ll have to send over a rescue team,” said Abby. “Zach, assemble a team and get over there as quickly as you can.”

-.-

“Endeavour Control, Shuttle Three-One. The team is aboard and we’re go for launch.” Jake leaned back in the pilot’s seat and waited for the Bridge to okay his departure. Jake had immediately volunteered for the rescue mission the moment he learned Commander Sheridan would need a pilot to take the team over. He had heard of Generational Ships, of course, but he had never seen one and was delighted that he would finally get the chance… even if it was due to a terrible tragedy.

“Shuttle Three-One, Endeavour Control,” Lieutenant Halliwell’s voice came over Jake’s headset. “You’re cleared for launch. Good luck, Control out.”

“Thanks, Control,” said Jake. He kicked in the thrusters and looked over his shoulder into the passenger compartment. A marine team and a pair of medics were all strapping into their seats. Commander Sheridan stepped passed them and entered the cockpit.

“Control’s just cleared us, Commander,” Jake told him. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Go ahead and take us out, then, Major,” said Sheridan, taking a seat at the shuttle’s copilot station.

“Thrusters on standby, sir,” replied Jake. 

The tiny shuttle rose gently off the pad and eased out of the ship’s rear landing bay. Jake rotated the shuttle and headed for the Generational Ship. As the small craft emerged from Endeavour’s shadow, the crew was greeted by the amazing sight of the eighty kilometer wide ship drifting before them.

As the shuttle closed on the massive vessel, Jake began to realize how badly damaged the ship was. There were scars from what was obviously weapons fire all across the ship’s hull and floating debris drifted away from the ship in every direction. As they passed over the dome, they saw the worst of the damage. A massive hole, more than thirty kilometers in diameter had been blasted through the structure. A ring of debris rose up above the hole, which had obviously been the vessel’s killing blow.

“The ship’s docking ports aren’t functioning, sir,” Jake said, nodding toward the overhead monitor that was showing that the docking request Jake had sent to the Freedom’s Progress’ computer had been declined. “We’ll have to land through the blown out section of the dome.”

“Alright, Major, take us in,” said Sheridan. He stepped into the rear compartment. “We’ll be landing in five minutes. There won’t be any atmosphere down there, people. Suit up and prepare for landing.”

Jake rolled and twisted the shuttle around kilometer long pieces of the dome and other much smaller debris as he guided the vessel down into the ship. Without power, the interior of the ship was pitch black. Jake activated the shuttle’s external flood lights as they soared over a small neighborhood.

“I’ve locked onto the survivor’s lifesign, sir,” Jake reported. “It looks to be two decks below the surface. I think whoever’s down there might have taken refuge in some sort of shelter or maybe a panic room.”

“Good work,” said Sheridan. “Set us down as close to the signal as you can.”

“Aye, sir,” Jake lowered the shuttle toward the ground and finally settled it onto a grassy backyard.

“According to the shuttle’s sensors, there should be a maintenance hatch sixty yards in that direction.” said Jake pointing as he, Sheridan, and the marine team left the shuttle.

“Alright, Major,” said Sheridan, slapping a magazine into his MA7R assault rifle and turning on the flashlight mounted to the rifle’s integrated rail system. “Lead the way.”

Jake readied his own rifle and set off across the yard. He cautiously eased open the gate to the privacy fence that surrounded the yard. The street beyond was dark, but it appeared to be clear. That was the one thing you could count on when it came to the Na'Vaxii; if they were around, you definitely knew about it.

They found the maintenance hatch right where it was supposed to be. Commander Sheridan heaved it open and led the way down to the service deck below. Using a portable scanner, Jake kept an eyes on the survivor's lifesign and kept the team on track. Luckily, the maintenance hatch was fairly close to the shelter they were looking for so it only took them fifteen minutes to reach the sealed door. One of the marines attached a decryption device to the control panel and a moment later the door hissed open.

Jake went in first and what he found surprised him. The survivor was a girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen years old with long, dark red hair. She was sitting against the shelter's back wall and was quite clearly unconscious. Jake hurried over and knelt next to her.

"She's alive," said Jake, glancing back at Commander Sheridan, who was waiting by the door. "But she's really weak and she's very oxygen deprived." He tugged the auxiliary O2 tube out from his suit and secured the mask over her face, sharing his oxygen supply with the suffocating girl. "If we can get her back to Endeavour I think she'll be okay."

"Good," said Sheridan. "Let's get her up and back to the shuttle." Jake nodded and turned back to the girl. He reached down to pick her up and much to his surprise, she was looking blearily up at him with a pair of the purest, most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen... eyes so very similar to Abby's.

"Dad...?" she whispered as he lifted her up, her legs draped over his right arm and her head resting on his left shoulder.

"No, I'm sorry sweetheart," he told her. "But don't worry. You're safe now. We'll take care of you." The girl didn't reply and a moment later she was unconscious again.

6: Section Six: The Trap

Back on Endeavour, Abby was worried. The Na’Vaxii attack on an unimportant civilian target made no sense, and Abby was determined to learn why the aliens had destroyed a defenseless ship.

“There has to be something, Hope. Check again.”

“Commander, I’m still just reading the residual weapon energy signatures on the ship’s hull,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “They are consistent with Na’Vaxii plasma beam weapons, which we already knew.”

“Obviously, the Na’Vaxii attacked them,” said Abby. “The question is why the Na’Vaxii would relegate resources to destroy a single civilian ship. It’s not just their desire to kill us, which we know they love to do. Still, the Na’Vaxii aren’t stupid. They’ve never hunted down civilian ships like this before. There has to be a reason.”

“I’m more interested in why the aliens were even in the sector,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “We chose this area for the Arcturus test because there’s nothing important out here. We have no colonies or bases… there aren’t even any trade routes that use this area of space. There’s absolutely nothing out here that would interest the Na’Vaxii.”

“Try scanning the area for Na’Vaxii warp signatures,” Abby ordered. “I want to know exactly how long ago the ship that attacked the Freedom’s Progress left the area.”

“The warp signatures are still strong, ma’am,” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. “I would say the Na’Vaxii vessel left less than ten minutes before we arrived.”

“That’s no coincidence,” said Abby, her expression darkening. “But I still don’t understand why they would waste resources in an attack like this… unless… but no, they couldn’t have known. Not unless… oh, no…” She immediately activated her radio. “Lieutenant Dimitrov, come in please.”

“Dimitrov here, Commander.”

“Lieutenant, earlier you told me that our Translight drive was reverse-engineered from a captured Na’Vaxii warp drive, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Dimitrov. “We had to take…”

“And you also said that we’re highly visible on scanners while traveling at Translight?”

“Much more so than normal FTL anyway,” replied Dimitrov. “The heat emissions from our…”

“Thank you, Lieutenant, that’s all I needed to know,” said Abby, cutting the connection. “Hope, I want continuous scans of the surrounding area. I suspect the Na’Vaxii will be coming back.”

“I’m sorry, Commander,” said Lieutenant Halliwell, her brow wrinkled in confusion. “I’m not sure I understand what’s going on.”

“Hope, our Translight drive was created by reverse-engineering one of the Na’Vaxii’s warp drives,” Abby explained. “So far, the Na’Vaxii have always been faster in hyperspace than us. Imagine what they would do if they discovered we had a warp drive that rivaled their own onboard this ship?”

“Well… they would attack, of course,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “But they didn’t attack us, Commander.”

“No, they didn’t,” Abby agreed. “No, they attacked…” Her eyes were drawn to the slowly spinning Generational Ship that floated less than a kilometer away off Endeavour’s starboard bow. “It was a trap…” Abby whispered. “They lured us here.” She spun to face Lieutenant Mosley.

“Open a channel to the rescue team, now!” she shouted.

“Channel’s open, Commander,” replied Mosley.

“Zach, it's Abby, respond!”

“This is Sheridan, go ahead.” 

“Zach, we have reason to believe that the Na’Vaxii attack on the Freedom’s Progress was done in an effort to draw us here,” Abby told him. “I need you to extract your team immediately and return to the ship.”

“We’re nearly back to the shuttle,” said Sheridan. “We located the survivor and are preparing to head home. ETA to take-off is five minutes.”

“They may not have five minutes, Commander,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “I’m detecting a cascading overload in the Freedom’s main reactor. The entire ship is going to explode!”

“You said the reactor was offline,” Abby exclaimed.

“It was,” Lieutenant Halliwell retorted. “When we arrived that ship was dead. Maybe the Na’Vaxii put a timer or some sort of trigger device on the ship’s self-destruct sequence. That would explain the sudden reactor restart.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” said Abby. “How much time do they have?”

“Three minutes,” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. "But ma'am... when that ship goes up... the antimatter explosion from their reactor will be equal to around a twenty million nuclear bombs. We don't want to be here when it blows."

“Zach, we’re detecting a cascade overload in the ship’s reactor. You’ve got less than three minutes to return to Endeavour before than ship explodes. I don't want to rush you, but..."

-.-

Jake scrambled into the cockpit and powered up the shuttle. He didn’t wait until the crew in back had a chance to strap in. He fired the thrusters immediately and angled the ship toward the gap in the dome. The ship rocketed upward and burst free of the doomed Generational Ship. Jake then turned the shuttle and burned space toward Endeavour.

“Jake, you’ve got thirty seconds,” Abby said over his headset. “We’ve dropped our shields to receive you in the forward launch bay, but we have to raise them before that ship goes up. We won’t survive the blast without shields."

“We’re nearly there now,” Jake replied. “Touchdown in ten seconds.”

Jake eased the shuttle into the landing bay and set the ship down on one of the pads which would lower it into the hangar.

“We’re down,” Jake reported. “You’re clear to raise shields.”

“Understood,” said Abby, letting out the breath she had been holding as she turned to Lieutenant Hurst. “Get us out of here. Maximum Translight."

Endeavour turned away and leapt into FTL flight for less than a second. The ship rematerialized well outside the blast radius moments before the Freedom’s Progress’ reactor went critical and detonated in a ball of nuclear fire and radiation. Even at over a million kilometers away, the blast blinded the carrier’s sensors.

“Report,” Abby said as the blinding white light from the explosion faded from the viewscreens.

“We're well out of range of the blast, Commander," Lieutenant Halliwell said. “No damage. The blast blinded our sensors, but they'll clear up in a few moments.”

“That’s good news.” said Abby, allowing herself to properly breath again at last. “Alert Commander Hall to our situation. His ships should be here within a few minutes. I’m going to go check on our new passenger. Malcolm, plot a course out of here and…”

“Contact!” Lieutenant Halliwell exclaimed. “Commander, three Na’Vaxii vessels just appeared on sensors! They just popped up out of nowhere! They’re five hundred thousand kilometers away and closing fast! Two destroyers and… one cruiser!” Abby’s blood ran cold. Na’Vaxii cruisers had been known to take on UEF battleships… and win.

“Evasive maneuvers,” Abby shouted. “Ackerson, lock all facing weapons onto the nearest Na’Vaxii destroyer and open fire! Hope, divert emergency power to the shield emitters! Get Noble and Buccaneer squadrons in the launch tubes; bombers only and make sure they're loaded with torpedoes."

Endeavour rolled over and turned away from the approaching Na’Vaxii vessels. Her rear turrets unleashed a barrage of artillery shells at the leading destroyer. The first few shells bounced harmlessly off of the teardrop-shaped warship’s shield, but the kinetic energy of the impacts overwhelmed the shield’s regenerative ability and the protective bubble collapsed.

Endeavour’s shells punched through the ship’s bow, cracking the hull. The wounded destroyer tried to turn away, but in doing so she exposed her broadside to the enemy. Endeavour’s fire blasted through the ship from bow to stern, leaving gaping holes in her jet black hull. Burning, the Na’Vaxii destroyer rolled over and slowly drifted to port, dead in space.

With one threat eliminated but still being severely outgunned, Endeavour continued to flee from her attackers.

“Commander, we’ve just passed beyond weapons range,” Lieutenant Halliwell reported. “However, the Na’Vaxii vessels are in pursuit. They will overtake us in less than three minutes.”

“Lieutenant Ackerson, give me our statistical chance of destroying that cruiser,” Abby ordered.

“We’re packing more weapons than a UEF battleship.” Lieutenant Ackerson replied. “Given time, we could destroy them… however; I worry about our staying power. Their weapons can drop our shields quickly. We may not have sufficient time to overwhelm the cruiser’s defenses before they destroy us.”

“Leave it to Command to outfit us with battleship-class weaponry, but not even bother to upgrade the shields.” Abby muttered. “Continue to evade, Lieutenant Hurst. We won’t fight them until we have to. Hope, get those bombers in the air and tell them to target the cruiser's weapons and engines but don't attack them until we do.”      

“Commander, I’m detecting two hyperspace signatures approaching our position,” Lieutenant Halliwell said. “They’re coming straight at us from directly ahead. They’re showing UEF transponder signals. Ma’am, it’s the Achilles and Michelangelo!”

One thousand kilometers off Endeavour’s bow, the UEF cruiser and destroyer dropped out of hyperspace and rocketed toward the Na’Vaxii ships. The two new arrivals raced over Endeavour and opened fire on the Na’Vaxii fleet.

As Endeavour pulled away, the Achilles and Michelangelo positioned themselves between the carrier and the approaching Na’Vaxii fleet. Michelangelo drew a bead on the leading alien destroyer and opened fire. A stream of missiles and white-hot projectiles burst from the UEF warship and beat against the Na’Vaxii destroyer’s shield, causing the image of the ship’s black hull to distort. The destroyer returned the Michelangelo’s fire and quickly cracked their shield and punched a red-rimmed hole through the hull.

The Achilles accelerated between the wounded UEF destroyer and the Na’Vaxii fleet and unleashed a barrage of missiles and artillery rounds into the alien warships. The larger shells from the UEF cruiser’s guns battered through the destroyers shields and cracked the hull. On fire and venting atmosphere, the destroyer rolled over and her engines winked out.

Michelangelo turned and ran, her engines flaring brightly as her navigator desperately tried to keep his ship on course. Slowly, she put distance between herself and the Na’Vaxii cruiser then leapt forward as she engaged her FTL engines and disappeared. The undamaged Achilles turned toward the alien cruiser and readied her weapons… but it was a battle she couldn’t hope to win alone.

“Lieutenant Hurst, lay in an intercept course for that cruiser,” Abby ordered, studying the positions of all the active ships engaged in the battle on the holographic display. “Hope, divert auxiliary power to the shield emitters and close the outer hangar doors. Direct our bombers to begin their attack runs. Lieutenant Ackerson, ready all facing weapons and open fire as soon as we’re in range. Coordinate with the Achilles and target the same shield quadrants.”

The two human warships bore down on the Na’Vaxii cruiser. The alien vessel, which greatly resembled a giant wasp, flickered with energy from her numerous plasma beam projectors. Like most Na’Vaxii ships, the majority of the cruiser’s weaponry was mounted onto the bow. This meant that the alien vessels were practically defenseless when attacked from aft. This was common knowledge to the Federation and human battle groups often used this flaw in Na’Vaxii ship design to their advantage.

The Achilles reached the cruiser first and opened fire, her artillery shells and high explosive missiles exploding against the warship’s shield. The cruiser turned to track them, raking the human cruiser with reddish beams of deadly energy. The Achilles shields flickered, flared, and then died completely. The energy beams tore into the hull, gutting the mighty warship.

Endeavour reached the battle zone at last and swung around to the opposite side of the cruiser and began firing while her bomber squadrons darted across the alien ship, peppering it with high explosive torpedoes. White-hot artillery shells, swarms of missiles, and spreads of powerful, shield-bypassing torpedoes tore away from the carrier and hammered into the cruiser. The cruiser’s shield failed just as the ship punched a plasma beam through the Achilles main reactor. The human ship exploded in a ball of nuclear fire.

The blast of energy washed over Endeavour and the Na’Vaxii cruiser. Endeavour’s shields were completely drained, but the shieldless Na’Vaxii warship was hit with tremendous force. The shockwave from the Achilles’ reactor explosion ripped through the cruiser and washed across her decks.

Explosions chained across the cruiser’s hull and she began to vent atmosphere. Fires blazed across the hull and within seconds they reached the ship’s power core. The ship exploded with twice the force of the Achilles. Endeavour had only just begun to move out of range when the ship exploded. The blast struck the carrier’s starboard side, causing severe damage.

“Report,” Abby exclaimed as power conduits ruptured all around the Bridge.

“We’ve lost main power,” Lieutenant Halliwell shouted, ducking as showers of sparks burst from the console next to her own. “We’ve got hull breaches across decks three, four, seven, twelve, and fifteen through twenty-eight. Main life support is offline. Our shields are completely drained and we’ve lost weapons control!”

“Get teams working on those hull breaches immediately,” Abby ordered. “Get our bombers back onboard and spool up the Translight drive in the event more Na'Vaxii ships arrive. We're in no shape for another fight. Ava, open a channel to Central Command.”

“The long-range communications system is down as well, Commander,” Lieutenant Mosley reported. “I’ve already dispatched a damage control team to repair the system.”

“Apprise me as soon as we can contact Command,” Abby told Lieutenant Mosley. “Lieutenant Halliwell, inform the repair teams that main power, shields, and weapons are their priority. If the Na’Vaxii make another run at us, we’ll need those systems functioning or we won’t stand a chance.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. “I’ll get right on it.” Abby sighed and leaned against the tactical display, thoroughly exhausted. The battle had taken a toll on her, but the destruction of the Freedom's Progress had done much worse. There was one survivor, that she knew, but it couldn't possibly be her. It was too much to hope for... far too much. If she let herself hope for the best, it would all just be that much more devastating.

7: Section Seven: Fire

0314 Hours (Ship‘s Time)/
January 27th, 3685 (Military Calendar)/
Andura Sector, UEF Endeavour

Abby rotated the crew out at 0300 hours so her day staff could get some rest. They had been on duty for nearly twenty-four hours and needed to sleep… and truth be told, so did she. Repairs to the ship were proceeding rapidly, although they weren’t necessarily up to Federation specifications.

The shields and weapons systems had been patched back together, but they would need time in a dedicated shipyard before they could be completely repaired. Main power had been restored and Abby had ordered Endeavour to jump two light-years out from their position and had hidden the ship inside a nebula to hopefully evade any pursuing Na’Vaxii vessels. It was a stop-gap measure, to be sure. The Na’Vaxii would eventually find them, but Abby was confident reinforcements would arrive by that time.

Central Command had been alerted to their situation, as well as to the loss of the Achilles. Command reported that the Michelangelo had limped back to Earth, but lost nearly half of her crew. To add to the news of losing a good ship and hundreds of human lives, Command found the fact that the Na’Vaxii seemed to be tracking Endeavour’s Translight signature to be equally troubling and ordered that the ship settle for using standard FTL drives for the time being.

Once the shifts had been rotated, Abby briefly considered waiting for Commander Sheridan to arrive to relieve her. However, she had enough trust in her crew to feel safe leaving the Bridge without a commanding officer for a few minutes and left.

Abby entered the elevator at the rear of the Bridge and pressed the button for Deck Five. She leaned heavily against the elevator’s wall as the doors closed. This wasn’t the way she had expected their mission to begin. Being drawn into a trap by their alien nemesis wasn’t the best omen they could have received. Nevertheless, for the moment, her ship and crew were safe. She had no more time to dwell on their situation once the doors opened onto Deck Five. Commander Sheridan stood to the side, waiting to use the elevator himself.

“Commander,” he said upon seeing her. “Going to see our guest?”

“Actually, yes,” said Abby. She hesitated, wondering briefly if Sheridan noticed the look on her face. There were over a million people on the Progress. It was impossible...

“Well, it isn’t exactly what we were expecting, Commander,” said Sheridan. “It’s a girl… around fourteen, by the look of her. She was unconscious by the time we got to her; oxygen deprivation according to the doctor. I’ve been told that she’s stable now, but she’s still unconscious.”

“A fourteen-year old girl?" Abby repeated, thunderstruck. It couldn't be...

"That's right," Sheridan replied.

"I can’t believe a fourteen-year-old girl survived a Na’Vaxii attack,” said Abby, doing her best to keep herself from running the rest of the way to Medical. “Any ideas on how she managed it?” Sheridan shrugged.

“We found her in an emergency shelter two decks below the surface. I can’t imagine how she found her way there and no one else did. We did manage to recover some data from the ship’s computers. Hopefully, we’ll find some information there that can tell us what happened.”

“Good,” said Abby. “Have someone start looking through that data and let me know what they find.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Sheridan. “I’ll have Lieutenant Halliwell examine it.” Abby bade goodbye to Sheridan and continued down the corridor to the medical bay. The bay itself was quite expansive compared to the medical facilities in use aboard other Federation vessels. The ship’s refit had included an expanded medical bay due to the dangerous aspect of their mission.

A large waiting room welcomed Abby as she opened the sliding smoked glass door to the medical bay. On the far wall was another smoked glass door. Abby approached it and stepped through. On the other side lay the actual medical facility. Dozens of rolling beds were lined up in eight long, vertical rows in front of her. To her left were a set of five doors that led to Medical’s surgical bays. To the right lay the Chief Medical Officer’s personal office and to the rear of the room were doors that led to Endeavour’s private rooms.

Abby found Jake sitting next to a bed near the center of the row of beds on the far right and made her way over. She caught sight of the girl's small face and she knew, she knew without question. She had to work hard not to shout with joy.

"Jake,” Abby said as she approached. “We just keep running into each other, don’t we?” Jake arched his eyebrows.

"Oh, that's clever," he said with a smirk. Abby grinned and looked down at the girl.

 “How is she?” She asked, unable to keep the nervousness and concern out of her voice.

“Doc says she’ll be fine,” he said reassuringly, clearing picking up on her discomfort. “A few bumps and bruises, nothing serious.” Abby knelt beside the girl’s bed and gently brushed a strand of dark hair away from her face.

“She just lost her home,” Abby whispered. “Most likely her whole family as well. It may not be physical, but she suffering from something very serious.”

“She may have other relatives on a world somewhere that would take her in,” Jake said softly.

“Maybe..." Abby whispered, more to herself than to Jake. Suddenly, she shook her head. "No... no, most Generational Ship families have lived aboard their ship for, quite literally, generations. Most people born on those ships never leave. I would be surprised if she had other family members. I imagine this poor child has been left completely alone.”

“Maybe,” said Jake quietly. “But you can’t know that. We got there as fast as we could. It wasn’t your fault.”

“No, it was the Na’Vaxii,” Abby exclaimed, stepping away from the girl’s bed. “This is what they do, Jake. It’s what they’ve always done. They kill the innocent. They tear apart families and they destroy lives. They bomb entire worlds from orbit. They kill indiscriminately. They massacred over one million people on that ship!”

“I’m sorry, Abby, I… I didn’t mean to upset you. I hope that I…” Abby held up her hands, cutting him off.

“It… its fine, Jake, I… This situation just hit a little close to home. I’m sorry for going off on you…

“I’ve been through worse things than that,” Jake said lightly. “Please, feel free to yell at me again if you ever need to vent.”

“Thank you, Jake,” Abby said, managing a small smile. “Actually, there’s something else I need you for. I want you to stay here with her. I have to get back to the Bridge soon, but I know she’ll be scared and confused when she wakes up. I’d like to have someone friendly and with a comforting presence to be here when she wakes up, but I’ll settle for you.”

“This may have escaped your notice since we hardly know each other,” said Jake. “But I’m not very good with kids.”

“From what I’ve been able to tell, you aren’t very good with people,” said Abby, a smile crossing her lips. “Still, I don’t have anyone else standing around with nothing to do, so you’ll have to fill in.”  

“Abby, I still don’t think…”

“It’s not an order, Jake, it’s a request,” Abby cut him off. “I won’t make you do it, but I would be very grateful if you would.”

“Alright, fine,” Jake relented at last, throwing his hands into the air. "I'll do it, but I'm not happy about it."

“I'll see to it you are rewarded handsomely for your sacrifice,” said Abby playfully. “Thank you, Jake. I’ll make sure to…” Without warning the ship shook violently under what could only have been an impact on the shields. Abby stumbled and started to fall, but Jake lunged forward and caught her before she hit the floor. 

“Thanks,” Abby said quietly, looking up at him.

“You’re welcome,” Jake replied, gently lifting Abby back onto her feet.

“You, uh… you can let me go now,” Abby whispered. Jake suddenly seemed to realize he was still holding her very firmly and released her, looking quite awkward.  

“Sorry…” he mumbled. Abby simply smiled and quickly left Medical. She took the elevator and emerged onto the Bridge just as the ship trembled again.

“Report,” Abby exclaimed. Commander Sheridan had apparently summoned the senior staff to the Bridge once the attack began, because all of her day shift officers were back on duty.

“Shields down seventeen percent!” Lieutenant Halliwell exclaimed. “A Na’Vaxii vessel just dropped out of warp one hundred thousand kilometers off the port bow and opened fire! Ma'am... it's another cruiser.”

“Helm, back us off," Abby ordered. “Keep us well out of weapons range.”

“Reversing course, aye,” Lieutenant Hurst replied. “Coming about to heading one-one-zero mark two-eight-six.”

“Lieutenant Ackerson, lay down suppressing fire to cover our retreat,” said Abby. “If you can destroy them before we pass out of weapons range then by all means, feel free.”

“Most of our targeting scanners are still down, Commander,” Lieutenant Ackerson exclaimed. “There’s no way to acquire a computer lock.”

“Remember that conversation we had in Main Gunnery yesterday?” Abby asked. “Override fire control and use manual targeting.”

“I…” Ackerson started to voice a protest. “Aye, Commander, switching to manual targeting on all rear-facing artillery batteries." Endeavour’s turrets unleashed a barrage of fire into the path of the oncoming alien cruiser. Space was filled with white-hot projectiles streaking along on different vectors.

"We're never going to kill that cruiser like this," said Sheridan. "We can't outrun her and in a stand up fight..."

"They'll tear us apart, I know," said Abby, her eyes studying the holographic display. "Ackerson...," she said slowly, an idea forming in her mind. "How many nukes do we have onboard?"

"Um... ten Mark 48 tacticals," Ackerson replied. "A couple dozen Mark 82 nuclear tipped torpedoes and... well, we've got five Mark 99 Planet Killers, but they're not rigged for ship-to-ship combat." 

"Alright, I want you to load up two of the Mark 48s," said Abby thoughtfully. "Then I want ever single missile and torpedo tube we've got loaded and ready to fire."

"That'll be well over a thousand missiles firing at once, Commander," said Ackerson warily. "The IR signals from the missile's targeting systems linked to our control systems will play hell with our sensors."

"I'm well aware of that, Maxwell," Abby told him. "That's the point. Rotate launch arcs by forty-five degrees and let them fly." Outside, Endeavour's missile doors slowly swung open. Pods holding racks upon racks of Javelin anti-ship missiles rose up out of the carrier's hull and adjusted to match their launch angle. All at once, over a thousand missiles leapt free from the ship and rocketed through space. The massive spiral of high explosive warheads closed on the Na'Vaxii cruiser. The alien ship's point defense lasers lit up the night, cutting hundreds of the missiles out of the sky. Still, more than five hundred reached their target... including both of the tactical nuclear missiles hidden in the swarm. 

Twin pure white suns erupted in the black. Waves of heat, fire, and radiation rushed out through space, washing over Endeavour with a subsonic roar that seemed to go on forever. When it finally ended and the explosions had faded away, Hope lowered the blast shield over the Bridge windows. Outside, the Na'Vaxii cruiser was still intact but her hull was afire and her engines and weapons had been destroyed. She spun slowly on the spot, dead in space.

“Hostile threat has been eliminated, Commander.” Lieutenant Ackerson reported, turning to smile at Abby rather fondly. "Ma'am, that was a nice call hiding the nukes in among the Javelins so their anti-missile systems couldn't pinpoint them."

"A little trick I picked up at the Battle of Ondar," Abby replied with a shrug. "The radiation signature of our nukes makes them easy to shoot down, but with that many targets they can't pick them out. The IR signals plays just as much hell with their sensors too."

"I'm going to have to remember that," said Ackerson, still grinning. "Ma'am, I'm detecting over a hundred alien lifesigns still onboard the cruiser. Should we assemble a team and board them to take prisoners?”

“No,” Abby said sharply. “Command has strict orders on this matter. No Na’Vaxii is to set foot aboard this ship if it is at all preventable. Finish them off.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Ackerson. He entered a command into his console, ordering the carrier’s railgun emplacements to sweep the cruiser. 

“Ava, alert Command of our situation and tell them to light a fire under the captains of the ships coming to assist us,” Abby told her communications officer. “Then get back into your racks. That goes for all of you. I’ll need the senior staff back on the Bridge by the time our reinforcements arrive and I can’t have you all falling asleep at your stations.”

Abby turned to leave the Bridge, satisfied that her crew could manage without her. When she reached the door, she paused and glanced back at the rightmost viewscreen that was still lowered from the ceiling. Depicted upon it was the image of the Na’Vaxii cruiser. Its battered hull was cracked and broken and fires blazed across the entire ship.

“That’s right,” she whispered darkly, her eyes blazing with rage. "Burn…"

-.-

Abby finally arrived at her quarters and fell, fully clothed, onto her bed. Command had replied to her message and stated that Task Force Avenger, a group of sixteen UEF warships led by Captain Nigel Braxton aboard the Class-I carrier, Nightfall, would be arriving in three hours. Endeavour would simply have to hold her own until then. After less than five minutes, Commander Sheridan’s voice crackled through her headset, which she had placed on her bedside table. Cursing darkly under her breath, Abby slipped the device over her ear.

“Yes?” she said irritably.

“Sorry to disturb you, Commander,” said Sheridan, sounding genuinely apologetic. “But I thought you might want to know. I’ve just left Medical and… our guest is awake.” Abby leapt from her bed and practically ran to the elevator. Sheridan met her just outside the elevator doors and walked with her toward Medical.

“How is she?” Abby asked as they walked.

“Doctor Bradford says she’s fine… physically anyway,” Sheridan replied. "She's really woozy. She keeps slipping in and out of consciousness."

“Does… does she know?” Abby asked in a quiet voice. “A… about her family?” Sheridan shook his head.

“I honestly don’t know, ma’am,” He admitted.

“You didn’t ask her any questions, did you?” Abby wanted to know. “You didn’t ask her about the attack?”

“I only came down to see how she was,” said Sheridan. “I assumed you would want to handle this yourself… considering the… similarities between your situation and hers."

“Let me guess,” Abby said softly. “You got that out of my file too?” Sheridan nodded.

“Commander, I wanted to say… what happened… There’s nothing you could have done. It wasn’t your fault,” Abby shook her head and stepped through the door into Medical. She paused just before closing the door behind her. She looked up at him, doing her damnedest to hold back her tears.

“Yes, it was.”

Turning away from the door, Abby crossed the waiting room and entered Medical proper. Jake was still sitting beside the girl’s bed, only now the girl was sitting up against the pillows. The girl’s dark, almost ruby red hair fell past her shoulders, and her wide blue eyes were fluttering with the effort to stay open. Jake turned when he heard Abby approaching and intercepted her before she reached the girl’s bed.

"Abby,” he said quickly. “I’m glad you came down. She’s, uh… asking questions that I’m not sure how to answer.”

“I’m sure she is,” Abby said sadly. “What’s her name?” Jake shrugged.

“I didn’t ask,” he said. “We didn’t exactly speak much. I don’t think she likes me.” Abby looked Jake over, noticing his usual stiff, straight-backed stance and stern facial expression.

“A fourteen-year-old girl didn’t like you?” Abby said, smiling slightly. “I can’t possibly imagine why.” 

“Thanks,” Jake said gruffly. Abby stepped around Jake and approached the girl’s bed.

"Hey," Abby said gently, circling around to the far side of the girl's bed and brushing back her red hair. "How are you doing?" The girl's eyes fluttered open and as ocean blue met ocean blue, Abby felt a sudden stabbing pang through her heart. She had to blink to stop herself from crying.

"I'm okay..." the girl said weakly. She reached out and wrapped her hand around Abby's index and middle fingers of her left hand. This simple action caused Abby's eyes to cloud with moisture and she gave the girl's hand a gentle squeeze and slowly sank onto the side of her bed.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Abby asked quietly.

“Scarlett,” the girl said lightly. Oh, Scarlett... "What's yours?"

"Abby, and the delightful gentleman over there is Jake," Abby said, glancing over at Jake and flashing him an apologetic smile. Scarlett didn't reply. She peered up at the dark gray ceiling.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“You’re on a Federation Navy ship,” Abby explained. “She’s called Endeavour.”

“What happened?” Scarlett asked. “How did I get here?”

“You… were sick,” Abby said softly. “We brought you here and our doctors made you better.”

“But… but what about the aliens?” Scarlett asked, her brow furrowed. Abby immediately recognized the slurring of the girl's voice. It appeared the doctors had the girl on at least a small amount of medication. “There... they came aboard my ship. They attacked us... they... What about the Freedom's Progress? Is... is it okay? When can I go home?"

“They…” Abby looked up at Jake, her eyes almost begging him for help. How could she tell this child that everything she knew, everyone she knew was gone? Her home, her family, her way of life had been extinguished in the blink of an eye. What could she possibly hope to say that would bring the poor girl any comfort? Abby briefly considering lying, or at least concealing the terrible truth for a short while longer. In the end, Abby knew she had no choice. Lying would only make matters worse.

“You... you can’t go home, sweetie,” Abby said, her voice was barely above a whisper. She took a deep, steadying breath. “They destroyed the Freedom’s Progress.” Abby braced herself for the girl to burst into tears and break down completely, but she didn’t. Instead, she asked yet another question.

“Did anyone but me escape?”

“Well, we… we don’t know for sure,” Abby admitted. It was technically true. They didn’t know if anyone else had managed to escape the attack, but Abby felt certain no one had. The Na’Vaxii didn’t leave survivors. Scarlett, Abby assumed, had simply been a fluke. “But I… I don’t think so.”

“They came on the ship,” Scarlett said quietly. “My dad always said they wouldn’t be able to get on the ship, but they did. I saw them, they... they murdered by best friend right in front of me, she... she never... I ran, tried to get to the emergency shelters, but they followed me. I found one of their weapons. I killed one of them and made it to the shelter and sent out a distress signal... Did... did you get it?" Abby's eyes widened.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "You're the one in the message. Yeah, we got it. You managed to screw our navigation system up, but we heard it."

"Sorry about that," said Scarlett nervously. "I hope I didn't do too much damage. It was the only thing I could think of at the time..."

"Nothing was broken that couldn't be fixed," Abby reassured her. "Don't worry. You did good, sending that message... and escaping from the aliens,” Abby said, smiling gently. “But you don’t have to worry about them now. They’re gone.”

“But what if they come back?!” Scarlett asked, fear creeping into her soft voice.

“We have shields and powerful weapons to fight them with,” Abby said reassuringly.

“Our ship had shields and weapons too,” Scarlett exclaimed, seeming to become more frightened by the second.

“This is a military vessel,” said Jake firmly “This ship has weapons as powerful as the Na’Vaxii’s. Even if they come back, you’ll be safe here.”

“This… is this a warship?” Scarlett asked, her eyes suddenl alight with interest. “What kind is it?”

“It’s… a carrier,” Abby said slowly. “Intrepid-class. You… have an interest in ships?”

“Oh, yes,” Scarlett said brightly. “I used to work on my ship! My dad was the captain. He let me pilot the ship sometimes, actually. I've always wanted to be a starship navigator."

“Well, in that case,” said Abby thoughtfully. “Perhaps once the doctor says you can leave Medical, we could take you up to the Bridge. I might even be able to convince Lieutenant Hurst to let you change our course.”

“Really?” Scarlett asked excitedly.

“Sure, why not?” said Abby. “This is my ship, after all. It’s one of the perks to being in charge." She flashed Scarlett a mischievous smile. "You get to do whatever you want.”

“Do you get to tell other people what to do?” Scarlett asked. “Can you make them go and get you things like ice cream or something?” Abby arched her eyebrows.

“I’ve never actually tried that, come to think of it,” She stood and turned to Jake, a playful smile on her face. “Go get me some ice cream.”

“I don’t think the mess hall stocked any ice cream," Jake muttered. "We're not on a luxury cruise.

“Use one of those new fabricators we’ve got,” Abby said. “There’s one on just about every deck.”

The ship’s fabricator system worked essentially like the name suggested. They were capable of turning energy into matter and back again. The devices created everything from food and clothes to computer equipment. It could even create larger objects such as a new Translight reactor or even a Predator main battle tank; however such large objects had to be manufactured in pieces and assembled later. The system was very new technology and was only installed aboard three other UEF ships, all of them dreadnoughts.

“What flavor do you want?” Jake asked, sighing and shaking his head. Abby looked down at Scarlett.

“Strawberry,” she said. “With sprinkles.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes," Jake said grumpily.

“Don’t forget the sprinkles!” Abby called after him, barely able to keep herself from giggling. Jake waved over his head to show he had heard her, but he did not stop or turn around. It suddenly struck her how unprofessional she had been. She had actually enjoyed teasing Jake. It had given her a brief moment of what some might call ‘fun’. She hadn’t had anything remotely similar to fun in many years… so long she had nearly forgotten what it felt like. A piece of herself she believed had died long ago seemed to have been resurrected… if only for the briefest of moments. A gentle tug on her arm pulled Abby out of her deep reverie and she looked down at Scarlett.

“Are… are you sure the aliens can’t come on this ship?” she asked, her eyes filled with a fear Abby recognized only too well. It was the very same fear that she could see in her own eyes every time she looked into a mirror.

“Well, sweetie… anything is possible,” Abby said slowly. “But even if they did, we have soldiers on board who know how to fight them. They would keep you safe.” This didn’t appear to comfort Scarlett in the least, so Abby altered her strategy.

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. If you promise not to tell anyone else, I’ll tell you a secret about the Na’Vaxii. Then you won’t have to be afraid of them anymore.”

“I promise,” Scarlett said sincerely.

“Okay then, I’ll be back in just a minute, I’ve got to go and get something first.” Abby left the room and returned less than a minute later with a candle and a cigarette lighter. She placed the candle on a saucer on the table beside Scarlett’s bed.

“I’m going to tell you the one thing the aliens are afraid of,” Abby said quietly.

“The aliens are afraid?” Scarlett asked, sounding quite surprised.

“Everything,” Abby said very firmly. “is afraid of something.”

“So what are the aliens afraid of?” Scarlett asked. Abby flicked on the lighter and lit the candle. In her mind's eye, she saw Endeavour's massive main guns gutting an alien cruiser.

“Fire.” 

8: Section Eight: Planning to Fail

It took Jake nearly twenty minutes to return to Medical. He murmured a hurried apology to Abby for his tardiness as he passed her and handed Scarlett a foam bowl filled with ice cream, and yes, sprinkles.

“The battle blew out the power conduits across a dozen decks,” Jake said, turning back to Abby. “It took me forever to find a working fabricator. I ended up going all the way down to Deck Fifty and use the one in the vehicle bay. So if it ends up tasting like motor oil, it’s not my fault,” he added, glancing down at Scarlett.

“Once we get back to Earth, they’re going to put one in everyone’s personal quarters as well as places like the Bridge and Medical,” said Abby. “Why Command decided to launch this mission before the refit was complete, I’ll never know.” Jake shrugged and glanced over Abby’s shoulder at Scarlett, who was now thoroughly absorbed in the bowl of ice cream, and noticed the gently flickering candle.

“What’s the candle for?” he asked.

“That’s a secret,” Scarlett said quickly.

“I think we can trust Jake,” Abby replied. Scarlett looked as though she seriously doubted this, but shrugged and returned to her dessert. Abby took Jake’s arm and led him just out of earshot of Scarlett.

“She was still scared that the aliens might come aboard,” Abby explained in whisper so soft Jake had to lean very close to hear her. “I told her that the Na’Vaxii were afraid of fire, so if she keeps a candle near her…”

“So, you lied?” Jake said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Technically, yes,” Abby reluctantly admitted. “I also told her that her parents might have survived the attack and we both know they didn’t.”

“It didn’t even seem to affect her,” Jake said after a moment. “Discovering what happened to her family, I mean. She just seemed to brush it off… like it didn’t upset her.”

“Some people don’t like displaying their emotions so publicly,” Abby said quietly. “She… she’ll grieve, Jake, in her own time, in her own way. It’s possible that all of this isn’t even real to her yet. So much, so fast… she’s probably still in shock.” Abby once again found herself on the verge of tears and quickly looked away from him.

“Task Force Avenger will be here soon, so I need to get to the Bridge. Once the doctor releases her, I want you to keep her busy,” Abby said, keeping her back to him. “Do what you can to keep her from thinking about what’s just happened to her.”

“You can’t protect her from this forever, you know?” Jake said softly, reaching out and placing his hand on her arm. She half-turned toward him, her other hand coming to rest on his wrist. For a brief moment, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to pull his hand off of her or to hug him. Truth be told, she could have really used the hug. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"Maybe I can't," she admitted. "But I can try." She walked away from him, back over to Scarlett's bed.

“I’ve got to go for a while,” she said, giving Scarlett the warmest smile she could manage at the time. “But I’ll be back later. Jake’ll stay with you while I’m gone.”

“Does he have to?” Scarlett asked abruptly.

“He does,” Abby said firmly. Abby turned to walk away, but Scarlett stopped her with another question.

“What’s going to happen to me when we get to Earth?”

“The Navy has a department for… situations like yours,” said Abby. “They’ll take care of you while they look for any family members you might have on Earth or on one of the colonies…”

“My whole family lived on the Freedom for years,” Scarlett said, looking sadly down at the half-eaten bowl of ice cream in her hands. “I don’t have any family anywhere else.”

“Well, then they’ll find a nice family for you to go and live with,” said Abby, doing her very best to make it sound like an amazingly wonderful thing… although she knew she hadn’t done a very good job.

“Could…. could I come and live with you?” Scarlett asked, looking up at Abby hopefully. Blinking quickly to block the moisture that seemed to have an unending desire to cloud her vision that day, Abby gently shook her head.

“I… I don’t think so, sweetie,” she said softly. “Trust me, I wouldn't make a very good mother.” When she saw the sudden sadness fill Scarlett’s eyes, Abby felt her heart break and she added; “But.. we’ll see.” Noticing the bright smile these words brought to Scarlett’s face, it occurred to Abby that by saying ‘we’ll see’ she may as well have told Scarlett that she could move in tomorrow. Jake walked Abby to the door. She turned to face him as he reached for the control panel to close the door behind her.

“Thank you for doing this for me, Jake,” Abby told him, sounding genuinely grateful. “I know you have other things you’d rather be doing, but…”

“You don’t have to thank me,” said Jake with a smile. “Though I’ll admit babysitting a fourteen-year-old girl isn’t my idea of an enjoyable assignment.”

“Maybe I’ll see about getting you a commendation when we get home,” Abby said very seriously. “For… ‘Babysitting under Duress’… or maybe ‘Making Snacks under Fire’,”

“Funny,” Jake called after her as she walked away. “You’re really funny, Abby.”

-.-

With less than thirty minutes to spare before Captain Braxton arrived with his task force, Abby didn’t bother returning to her quarters. Instead, she dropped by the mess hall to grab a cup of coffee. Sleep didn’t usually come easy for Abby, and when she did manage to drift off, she was plagued with dreams of burning planets, exploding starships and space stations. So, coffee had become a very important lifeline during her career.

For the most part, the mess hall was empty this early in the morning. The night shift wouldn’t be off-duty until 0730 and most of the day shift were still showering and dressing in their quarters. Abby spotted Lieutenants Halliwell and Hurst sitting at a table staring intently at a laptop screen.

“What are you working on?” Abby asked, falling into a seat across the table from them.

“Oh! ‘Morning, Commander,” said Lieutenant Halliwell, surprised by her commanding officer’s sudden appearance. “Commander Sheridan’s got me going over the logs we recovered on the Freedom’s Progress.”

“Some of the files were encrypted with the captain’s personal command code,” said Lieutenant Hurst. “I know a thing or two about encrypting and decrypting files and transmissions, so I thought I’d help.”

“Any progress?” Abby asked, leaning back in her chair and sipping her coffee.

“We’ve analyzed the ship’s sensor logs,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “It seems the Freedom never had a chance. A Na’Vaxii cruiser dropped out of warp right on top of them. The generational ship’s shields were down and the cruiser blew the hole through the central dome with their first shot.”

“That would’ve vented nearly the entire ship into open space,” Abby said quietly.

“Actually, those generational ships have many safety features in place in case of a hull breach,” said Lieutenant Hurst. “They have emergency shield emitters that encase most of the larger buildings so that no air escapes from inside them,” He brought up the schematic of the Freedom’s Progress and turned the laptop toward Abby. “See that ring of divided chambers running around the circumference of the ship? Those are emergency shelters. They’re located below the planet-simulation deck on one of seven maintenance decks. They’re equipped with their own life-support system that’s separate from the primary system. Our guest was found inside one of them.”

“There are dozens of these shelters," Abby said, examining the image. “Why would Scarlett be the only person who used them?”

“According to the scans we performed of the ship before it exploded, she wasn’t,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. She tapped in several commands on the laptop. The screen changed to show a list containing each of the shelters and a status report for every one.

“Our scans show that well over twenty of the shelters were opened and then magnetically sealed; indicating someone went inside.”

“And yet all of them died,” Abby pointed out.

“When the ship lost all power the individual life-support systems also lost power. Anyone in those shelters would’ve suffocated fairly quickly. The space inside each shelter in quite small.”

“But Scarlett survived,” Abby said. “She claims to have hidden in one of those shelters as well. So, unless she’s overcome the need to breathe…”

“She was alone in the shelter,” Lieutenant Hurst reasoned. “The other shelters probably had multiple occupants, further depleting the air reserves.”

The overhead com system crackled to life, interrupting their conversation.

“All senior staff, report to the Bridge immediately,” Commander Sheridan’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Our reinforcements have arrived.”

-.-

“Commander, Captain Braxton is on Screen One,” Sheridan said as Abby entered the Bridge. Lieutenants Hurst and Halliwell both took their stations as Abby stepped over to Screen One, which was in the process of lowering itself from the ceiling. Once down, the screen flashed to life and the image of a man with black hair and dark eyes appeared. He had a rugged face and a thin beard and somehow he looked... cold.

“Captain Braxton, it’s good to see you,” said Abby, feeling relief flow through her as she looked out of the large viewscreen at over a dozen UEF warships assembled around Endeavour. “I was…”

“We don’t have time for pleasantries at the moment,” Braxton said briskly. “We detected a large Na’Vaxii battle fleet during our approach. They’ve altered course and are coming right at us.”

“Captain, we’ve taken significant damage during our previous engagements with the Na’Vaxii," Abby explained. “We aren’t in any shape for a heavyweight fight. Our…”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Laine,” said Braxton, waving away her comment. “I’ve got a plan that’ll even the odds. I’ll relay our battle strategy to you in the next few minutes. I need to finalize a few things with my staff.”

“Yes, sir,” said Abby quickly “Still, I think…”

“You won’t have too much work to do, Laine,” Braxton interrupted. “You’ll just be able to sit behind the lines and let the rest of us deal with the Na’Vaxii. Don’t worry, I’ll show you how the big boys do battle. Braxton, out.” The captain cut the connection.

“He’s… nice,” muttered Lieutenant Halliwell.

“Nice isn’t the word I was thinking of,” said Lieutenant Ackerson. “I was going to call him an arrogant, condescending, pretentious little…”

“That’s quite enoug,” Abby said sharply, although she was smiling.

“Hope, how many ships do we have out there?” Abby asked, guiding her crew back to the task at hand.

“I’m reading sixteen ships, Commander.” Lieutenant Halliwell replied. “There’s the Nightfall, an Olympia-class Class-I carrier. We have two battleships, the Invincible and the Triumphant. There are six cruisers, Sarajevo, Avalanche, Retribution, Sentinel, Agincourt, and Zeus. We’ve also got twelve destroyers, Gulfstream, Iwo Jima, Montana, Los Angeles, Ajira, Raven, Defiant, Midsummer Dawn, Progressive, Daedalus, and Liberty. Lastly, we’ve got six frigates, Normandy, Isabella, Gallant, Oceanic, Camelot, and San Francisco.”

“It’s a sizable force, Commander,” Sheridan admitted. “But if our sensor scans are correct, the approaching alien fleet will seriously outgun us. We’re reading a battleship, four carriers, eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and sixteen frigates.”

“What plan could Braxton have that could even the odds against that?” Lieutenant Ackerson exclaimed.

“He’s right, Commander,” said Lieutenant Mosley. “This is a suicide mission! The cruisers alone are enough to wipe us out, not the mention the battleship.”

“What do you propose I do, Ava?” Abby asked her communications officer. “Captain Braxton is my superior officer. He’s given his orders.”

“Break them,” Mosley exclaimed, standing up from her station. “If we stay and fight that fleet then we’ll all be dead and orders won’t matter!”    

“So you suggest we turn and run?” Abby asked. “Braxton would alert Central Command the moment we jumped out. The Fifth Fleet would intercept us before we even got close to Earth. There are over three thousand ships orbiting Earth at all times. We’d be boarded and charged with treason.”

“Well, we’re either going to jail or we’re going to die,” Mosley shouted. “You can choose!”

“Enough,” Sheridan said in a deathly serious tone. “Lieutenant, the Commander has made her decision. Sit down. Now.”

“Sir, with respect, we’re going to die,” said Lieutenant Mosley, an almost pleading look in her eyes. “We can’t win, Commander. I don’t care what Captain Braxton thinks he’s got planned… our ships can’t go up against that kind of firepower.”

“Lieutenant, you can either be silent and man your post or you can leave the bridge,” Sheridan said sharply. “Decide.” Slowly, Mosley fell back into her chair. She shook her head in disbelief and looked across the room at Lieutenant Halliwell.

“You’re third-in-command, Hope,” she said in a whisper. “You have to see that this is a mistake! Please, you could…”

“If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, then don’t,” said Lieutenant Halliwell in an equally quiet voice. “Now, you heard the commander. Man your post.” Mosley at last fell silent, but it was clear she wasn’t remotely happy. Abby and Sheridan exchanged dark looks. However, Mosley could be dealt with later. For the moment, they had more pressing matters at hand.

“Commander, we’re receiving a data packet,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “It’s from Captain Braxton.”

“That’ll be the battle plan,” said Abby. “Transfer it to the briefing room. Zach, join me please.”

Abby and Sheridan went up into the briefing room and settled into seats around the table. Abby brought up the files Captain Braxton had sent on one of the room‘s half-dozen laptops while Sheridan gazed down onto the Bridge below.

“We’re going to have to do something about Mosley, Commander,” he said seriously.

“She’s scared, Zach,” Abby said, her eyes studying the information on the screen. “I’ll be honest, so am I. I don’t blame her for what she did, although she shouldn’t have voiced her opinions on the Bridge. Still, if I weren’t in command I’d probably be supporting her.”

“Even so, Commander, we can’t have an officer on the Bridge that openly questions your decisions,” Sheridan replied. “She verged on attempting mutiny.”

“I fully intend to file a formal reprimand for her actions,” said Abby. “But for the moment, I’m more interested in Braxton’s battle plan. Look at this…” she turned the laptop toward him. “It’s simple, but ingenious.”

“He’s splitting the fleet into two groups,” Sheridan commented. “The main force will engage the Na’Vaxii while the second, smaller group uses a short-range FTL jump behind their fleet and attacks their rear.”

“It’s the ultimate usage of the Na’Vaxii’s weapon placement. They’ve got no rear-facing weapons. We’ll trap them, Zach. They'll have to divert some of their ships to attack the second group, dividing their firepower.”

“It’s risky,” said Sheridan. “But if it works… we could really win this.”

“We’ll take losses, though,” Abby said darkly. “They’ve got too much firepower.”

“Braxton’s got us, the Zeus, Iwo Jima, Montana, and the Isabella making the jump behind the fleet,” said Sheridan. “That leaves a large enough fleet to engage their main force. We should be able to deal with any ships that turn to face us. Still, you’re right… they’ve got enough cruisers to seriously outclass us.”

“This is all going to hinge on just how well prepared the Na’Vaxii are for our FTL jump maneuver,” said Abby. “It’s not a standard battle tactic because our FTL drives aren't reliable enough to land us exactly in the proper position, so I don’t think they’ll be expecting it. There’s really nothing else we can do but follow Braxton’s orders and hope for the best.” While she knew she was right in that there really was nothing else they could do, it didn't stop her from being completely terrified. They would be up against a vastly superior force and Endeavour was already damaged. This fight would be a long and bloody one, but if they won the day they might just see Earth again after all.

9: Section Nine: A Traitor in their Midst

The crew was making the most of what downtime they had before the Na’Vaxii battle group arrived. This was all the more apparent when Jake entered the mess hall, only to find it so packed that he had trouble winding his way across the room to find a seat. He finally located a table that was completely free, save for Lieutenant Hurst, who sat with his back to the rest of the room, reading from a small computer tablet.

Jake, being innately curious and possessing an insatiable desire to stick his nose where it didn’t belong, snuck over and peered at the screen over Hurst’s shoulder. He was only able to glimpse an official looking symbol in the right-hand corner consisting of the Roman numeral for the number one imposed over the image of the galaxy before Hurst deactivated the tablet and placed it on the table beside a rather battered book with pieces of paper sticking out from between the pages. Pretending he hadn’t been spying, Jake circled the table and sat down. Lieutenant Hurst glanced up at him and rolled his eyes.

“Oh… you,” he muttered irritably.

“Happy to see you too,” Jake replied, arching his eyebrows. “Look, if there were somewhere else to sit, I’d probably sit there, but it seems you’re the only one with an empty table… hmm, I wonder why that is?”

“If that’s a vague attempt at an insult, Lieutenant, I’m afraid to say it needs work.” Jake simply shrugged and reached for Hurst’s book, intending to read the cover. Hurst, however, seized the book and jerked it so quickly out of reach that the loose pieces of paper inside went flying. Hurst hurriedly tried to pick them up and proceeded to wave Jake away when he bent down to help.

“No, I’ve got it,” Hurst exclaimed as he gathered up the papers that had fluttered to the floor all around them. Checking to ensure he had collected them all, he roughly shoved the papers back into his book, bade Jake goodbye, and left the mess hall.

“Weird, that one,” Jake muttered. Once he was certain Hurst was gone, he bent down and picked up a piece of paper he had hidden under his boot. It was a torn section of what looked like some sort of official stationary. In the upper left-hand corner, Jake saw the same symbol he had seen on Hurst’s computer. Jake shrugged and rolled his eyes. He was certain it was just from a journal, or the symbol was just the emblem of Hurst’s Starship of the Month fan club. Nevertheless, Jake shoved the paper into his pocket and returned to his seat.

-.-

Abby left the bridge, hoping for a few moments of quiet in her quarters before the Na’Vaxii fleet arrived. She entered the elevator, but before she could press the button for Deck Two, Lieutenant Halliwell slipped through the doors.

“We need to talk,” she said briskly.

“Well, talk,” said Abby, pressing the button for Deck Two. “I’m standing right here.”

“Not here,” Lieutenant Halliwell exclaimed. “We need to go somewhere private.”

“Come to my quarters, then,” said Abby. “That’s about as private as you’ll get on this ship.”

The elevator doors slid open a moment later and Abby led the way down the corridor to her quarters. Once inside, she sealed the door. Lieutenant Halliwell wandered over to the sofa and sat down. Abby was about to offer her Operations officer a drink when she noticed the terrified expression on her face and sat down on the sofa beside her.

“You look like the world’s about to end,” Abby said quietly. “What’s wrong?”

“I was running a diagnostic on all operating systems to make sure we were combat-ready,” Lieutenant Halliwell said, looking at though she were on the verge of passing out. “I was checking the communications system when I noticed something strange. It appeared that several sections of the communications logs were gone. It looked like a random malfunction caused by battle damage and I considered ignoring it and moving on, but I decided to take a closer look… and I discovered that the com logs have been tampered with. Someone sent unauthorized transmissions from this ship and tried to hide the evidence.”

“I understand that it’s a breach of protocol,” said Abby, smiling slightly. “People know Federation FTL communications can get messages back to their families faster than the standard channels. It's against regulations, but it’s hardly a cause for a reaction like this.”

“That’s because I haven’t told you everything yet,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. “I did some digging through the communications logs and… the transmissions were sent to the Na’Vaxii.” Abby's mouth fell open.

“But… why would anyone want to contact the Na’Vaxii?”

“I don’t know, Commander, but whoever did it certainly didn’t want anyone knowing what they’d done. The primary communications logs were erased… but luckily I managed to partially reconstruct them. I’ve got a tracer program analyzing the files now. I’m hoping I’ll be able to isolate the console that the transmissions were sent from.”

“Is there any chance you can find out what the transmissions contained?” Abby asked.

“Maybe,” said Lieutenant Halliwell. She bit her lower lip nervously. “But not until I find out which console was used… there should be a record of the transmissions stored in the console’s temporary memory.”

“Alright, keep me informed of your progress,” said Abby. Lieutenant Halliwell nodded and got up to leave. “And Hope?” Abby called after her.

“Ma’am?”

“Mention this to no one.”

-.-

Hope hadn’t been gone for a half hour when she transmitted a message to Abby’s personal computer in her quarters. It had been text-only and had contained no more than four words; Mess Hall, ten minutes. When Abby arrived in the Mess Hall, Hope was already waiting for her in a secluded corner. Abby made her way over and slipped into a chair beside her.

“Well?” Abby whispered.

“I can’t find the identification code used to access the com system,” Hope said quickly, keeping her voice so low that Abby had to strain to hear her. “But I was able to trace the location the transmission was sent from… it was the Bridge, Commander. Someone on the Bridge sent that message.”

“There are dozens of consoles on the Bridge,” said Abby. “It could have been any one of thirty people.”

“I’m still working on tracking the actual console used, but whoever did this bounced the transmission off of half a dozen consoles on the Bridge,” Hope explained. “It’s taking time.”

“So… whoever did this would need an extensive understanding of the ship’s communications systems?” Abby asked.

“Oh, yeah,” said Hope, sounding highly impressed. “They’d need to be an expert on starship communications. They’d have to be… wait, you’re not saying…” Abby nodded.

“Lieutenant Mosley,” she said darkly. “Yeah, I’m saying.”

“But, Commander, she’s… she’s… my God, you could be right," said Hope nervously. "But a member of the senior staff? I... I guess... maybe."

“Hope, I want you to have Mosley detained and brought to my quarters.” said Abby. “We need to have a chat.”

“I’ll bring her, ma’am,” said Hope. She paused, chewing her lower lip nervously. “But I still think we should wait until I finish tracing the console. We don’t know she’s responsible. We don’t have any real proof.”

“I know, but I want to talk to her anyway,” said Abby. “It’s obviously possible that she’s innocent, but I want to get on top of this as quickly as possible and if she did do this, we need to stop her before the Na’Vaxii fleet arrives.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hope replied. “I’ll tell her you want to speak with her.”

“Actually,” Abby said suddenly, a promising idea forming in her mind. “Have a marine detail bring her in. Mosley will be on the Bridge by now… Tell the marines to inform her that she’s being taken to see the Commander because we have discovered evidence that she has been sending unauthorized transmissions.”

“I thought you wanted to keep this quiet,” Hope said, her brow furrowed.

“I do,” said Abby. “So there’s no need to mention that the messages were sent to the Na’Vaxii. Sending unauthorized transmissions, in and of itself, is against regulations and would warrant being brought before the commanding officer.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, but I’m afraid I don’t see where you’re going with this.”

“You said it yourself, Hope,” said Abby. “We don’t know Mosley is responsible… but we do know that someone on the Bridge is most definitely responsible. If we take Mosley in and it turns out she didn’t do it…”

“You want to make sure whoever sent the transmission, assuming it isn’t Lieutenant Mosley, thinks we believe Mosley is responsible,” Hope said, catching on.

“I’m hoping to put the true culprit at ease… let them lower their guard a bit,” said Abby. “If we’re wrong about Mosley, no one else needs to know and we’ll have a better chance at catching whoever did this.”

-.-

Hope went to the Bridge and retrieved Lieutenant Mosley, accompanied by a pair of marines. She then led them back to Abby’s quarters. Abby let Hope and Lieutenant Mosley inside and quickly dismissed the marine guards. Abby and Hope both sat down on the sofa, while Mosley remained standing, her hands clasped behind her back.

“I’m… afraid I don’t understand what’s going on,” Mosley said, looking highly confused.

“As Hope informed you when she took you into custody, she discovered, during her inspection of the ship’s systems, that several transmissions were beamed to the Na’Vaxii ships that attacked us,” Abby explained. “She has informed me that the records of the files are heavily encrypted, we can’t access what those transmissions contained. We know that it was someone on the Bridge who sent them, and…”

“And naturally you assumed it was me,” Mosley finished Abby’s sentence for her.

“I’m sure you can understand my suspicion,” said Abby. “Earlier today you were prepared to mutiny..."

"To get the hell away from the Na'Vaxii, not stick around and have a chat with them," Lieutenant Mosley snapped.

"But you have to see it from my point of view," said Abby. "I’ve been told that, given the complexity of the methods used to hide this illegal activity, someone with tremendous knowledge of communications technology would be required. As you’ve said yourself, Lieutenant, you’re the best communications officer we could possibly have.”

“Well, I… uh, yes, I mean…. I do know quite a lot about com systems…” Mosley stammered, looking suddenly very frightened. “But just because I have an advanced understanding of communications systems doesn’t mean I’ve started sending transmissions to the Na’Vaxii!”

“These transmissions were routed through a dozen different consoles on the Bridge,” said Hope, passing Mosley a computer tablet which showed information she had managed to retrieve concerning the transmissions. “You would easily be able to pull off something like that… and cover up the fact that you had done it.”

“I could have, yes,” Mosley admitted. “But look...” she turned the tablet around so that Hope and Abby could see the screen. “These files are encrypted… so heavily encrypted that I doubt the spooks at Naval Intelligence could crack them quickly. So, you’re right that I could’ve redirected the transmissions through Bridge consoles and covered my tracks afterward… in fact, if I had been sending illegal transmissions,” she paused and gave Hope a wiry smile. “You wouldn’t have found me out by performing a simple system diagnostic. You need to investigate people with computer skills, Commander… someone who knows a thing or two about encrypting files, I’d say.” A sudden thought occurred to Abby and she looked quickly at Hope, who was staring back at her with her mouth open slightly.

“’A thing or two about encryption,’” Abby said slowly. “You don’t think…”

“Maybe,” Hope admitted. “But what’s the motive? He’s been a model officer his entire career! Why do something this stupid now?”

“There’s one possibility…” Abby whispered, more to herself than to Hope or Mosley. “He’s exactly the kind of officer they’d look for…”

“Could you… explain what you’re talking about?” Hope asked, exchanging a confused glance with Mosley.

“No, Hope, I’m afraid I can’t,” Abby replied. “The information is so highly classified that if Command discovered I had told you, we’d all be court-martialed… or worse. I only know about it because of an incident five years ago. Still, I’ll need your help with this, so you’re just going to have to trust me. Lieutenant Mosley, I’m afraid I’m going to have to confine you to the brig for the time being…”

”But Commander, I didn’t do anything wro…”

“I know you didn’t,” Abby interrupted her. “Truthfully, I never really believed you were responsible in the first place. You were simply the most obvious culprit.”

“Then why…?”

“Because now I fully believe I know who is responsible,” said Abby. “And thanks to Hope’s performance on the Bridge when she brought you in, our newest suspect is now convinced that he is free and clear. I can’t allow you to return to the Bridge until we’ve gathered evidence to prove I’m right.”

“I understand, Commander, but if you want to collect evidence, I may be able to help,” said Mosley. “Look a bit more closely at these transmissions, Lieutenant. What’s missing?” Hope took the tablet and gazed at the screen. Her jaw dropped.

“They were broadcast on a narrow-band carrier wave… and there’s no indication they were received by the Na’Vaxii!”

“A narrow… what now?” Abby asked, looking back and forth between Hope and Mosley.

“A narrow-band carrier wave,” Mosley said in a very slow, clear voice. “It’s a nearly undetectable method of transmitting communications… typically used by our deep-space stealth ships that scout Na’Vaxii space. Unfortunately, unless you’re expecting to receive a transmission in this way, you’d have less than a one percent chance of actually detecting the signal.”

“So the Na’Vaxii never received the transmissions then?” Abby asked.

“No, ma’am, I don’t think so,” Mosley replied.

“That’s good,” said Abby. “Because that means our suspect will likely try again.”

“But, Commander… even if he does, we still don’t have any possible way of tracking the transmission’s origin,” Hope said with a heavy sigh. “I can actively scan for open com channels and scramble every single one of them, so we can prevent the Na’Vaxii from receiving the transmission, but we’ve got no way of tracing it.”

“Actually, I think I might be able to help with that too,” Mosley said quickly. Abby and Hope both looked at her. “I could write a program that would instantly, and silently, identify both the console used to originally send the transmission as well as the security code used to access the com system. Unfortunately, someone would have to monitor the program and ensure it catches the right com channel.” Mosley looked at Hope, who swallowed.

“Why are you looking at me?” Hope asked, looking rather nervous. “I wouldn’t have the slightest idea where to start with something like this, I…”

“You’re the only person who can do it,” said Mosley. “I’m not allowed on the Bridge and the program has to be running in the Bridge computer network, which means I can’t monitor it from here… You’ll have to do it.” Hope gulped, but nodded.

“How long will it take you to write this program?” Abby asked.

“Ideally… a week,” said Mosley. She shrugged and flashed her a smug grin. “But I’ll have it for you in an hour.”                                

“Good,” said Abby. “With luck, the Na’Vaxii fleet won’t have arrived by then and we’ll have time to transfer your program to the Bridge.”

“I’ll start working immediately,” said Mosley. “But I’ll need a couple of things…”

-.-

Abby made her way to the mess hall; feeling passed the point of exhausted. Lieutenant Mosley had been working at light-speed in Abby’s quarters in a desperate attempt to have her program ready by the time the Na’Vaxii fleet arrived. Sensors placed the fleet roughly forty minutes away, which would give Mosley less than twenty minutes to explain to Hope how to upload the program into Endeavour’s systems and how to operate it. Nevertheless, Abby was just glad they would soon know for certain who was responsible for the transmissions.

Abby discovered that she wasn’t really hungry; although she couldn’t even remember the last time she had eaten. She found a chair facing one of the hall’s panoramic windows and sat down. A lumbering Alexandria-class heavy cruiser drifted slowly passed the window, her image slightly distorted by the rippling energy shield that surrounded her. Abby was marveling at the tremendous firepower that the vessel carried when Jake slipped into the seat beside her.

“What’s going on with Lieutenant Mosley?” he said by way of greeting.

“Oh, you’ve heard, have you?” asked Abby as the massive cruiser passed out of view.

“It’s all over the ship,” Jake exclaimed. “Scuttlebutt is that she’s been sending unauthorized transmissions and that she’s been locked in the brig until we get back to Earth.”

“That’s about it,” said Abby. “The rumor mill seems to have gotten it right on this occasion.” As soon as the words had come out of her mouth, she regretted saying them. She felt a pang of regret for lying to Jake. She knew he couldn’t have had anything to do with what was going on, but… she had to keep the secret…. at least for now. 

“A bit harsh, though, isn’t it?” Jake asked. “Confining her to the brig for sending transmissions? I know it’s against regulations, but in the day or so that I’ve been onboard I’ve seen you break at least a half dozen regulations yourself…. some of which put the entire ship in danger.”

“You mean when I lowered the shields to allow your rescue team aboard when I knew the Generational Ship was about to explode?” Abby asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

“According to Federation protocols, the protection of the mothership has to come before that of an away team,” said Jake. “Technically, you should’ve gone to Translight long before we even started heading back.”

“I’m already prepared to get a lecture from the Admiralty during the debriefing when we get home,” Abby replied with a roll of her eyes. “They’ll say I should have sacrificed the few to ensure the safety of the many… blah, blah, blah… but I don’t agree. To me, every human life is precious and I will never abandon a member of my crew if there is the slimmest of chances that they could be saved.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that you would have rather died with us than leave us there,” said Jake, smiling.

“Now don’t you go feeling special,” Abby said quickly. “If I had thought that your team wouldn’t have returned to Endeavour in time, I would have raised the shields and saved the ship. Dying with you, while noble, would have been foolish… not to mention that this ship is expensive.”

“And I was just starting to feel loved,” Jake said, putting on the fakest expression of extreme disappointment Abby had ever seen. “What about Scarlett, though? She was on that shuttle too.”

“I hadn’t even met her at the time,” Abby retorted. “Nor was I even made aware that you had a teenage girl in your care.”

“And if you had known?” asked Jake, arching his eyebrows curiously.

“I…” she sighed deeply. “I wouldn’t sacrifice six thousand people in the vain hope that the ship wouldn’t explode for a few extra seconds… not even if I knew Scarlett was onboard. If you want to know whether or not I’d be able to live with myself afterwards…” she broke off and returned her gaze to the window, staring intently into space, unable to give an answer.

10: Section Ten: The Battle of Andura

Planet Calonia Sirtis, Twenty-three years earlier…

It was a warm summer night on the outer colony world of Calonia Sirtis. The small agricultural world, despite lying on the very edge of Federation Space, had been left untouched by the Na’Vaxii war machine. Most of the people who lived there never gave the alien invaders any thought. In fact, most of the children on the planet didn’t even know that the aliens existed. It was this very fact that brought about a conversation between two young children who happened to be lying in a field of tall grass, gazing up at the stars.

“Do you ever wonder what’s out there?” Six year old Johnny Paris asked as the breeze that ruffled their small clearing increased in intensity for a brief moment. When his companion didn’t respond, he glanced over at her. “Abby? Did you hear me?”

“Oh... sorry,” Abby replied quickly, tearing her gaze away from the mesmerizing field of stars twinkling above them. “What did you say?” Johnny shook his head at his best friend and repeated his question.

“I asked if you ever wondered what’s out there,” he said, pointing at the sky.

“Stars,” Abby said, looking back towards the night sky.

“I’m being serious,” said Johnny. “Do you think there’s anybody else out there? On some other planet, looking up at us?”

“There could be,” Abby said softly. She tilted her head toward Johnny. “Do you… do you think we’ll ever meet them?”

A terrible screeching sound shook Abby back to reality. A salvo of Na’Vaxii plasma torpedoes had impacted Endeavour’s port shields. The bubble collapsed and the energy weapons burned across the hull, causing the superstructure to screech in protest. Abby watched as the Na’Vaxii cruiser that had fired on them readied another salvo of torpedoes.

“Do you think we’ll ever meet them?”

She heard the words in her mind as though someone standing beside her had just spoken them… as though she had just spoken those words again herself. She remembered that night on her homeworld so clearly during times like this. She had been so… innocent back then… so stupid. 

“We’re in the thick of it now,” Abby said to Sheridan, who was standing next to her. “Both fleets are fully engaged.” She turned to Ensign Mendez, who was manning communications in Ava’s absence. “Alert the other ships. Tell them to commence their tactical FTL jumps immediately. Hope, as soon as we come out of FTL, launch all fighters. Lieutenant Hurst, do it.”

“Course plotted, Commander,” Lieutenant Hurst replied. “Initiating transition in three… two… one…”

Endeavour vanished and in the blink of an eye she reappeared fifty thousand kilometers away, directly on the opposite side of the Na’Vaxii fleet. The other five ships materialized around her and they began their assault. Endeavour’s launch tube doors opened and a full squadron of fighters was catapulted into space. The squadron took up escort positions around the carrier. A Na’Vaxii battleship, a carrier, and two cruisers broke off their battles with the main UEF force and turned to engage.

“We’ve got four ships turning toward us, Commander,” Hope reported. “The remaining vessels are holding their previous course.”

“Well, at least we’ve drawn some heat off of the rest of the fleet,” said Sheridan.

“I just hope its enough,” said Abby darkly. “Lieutenant Ackerson, concentrate fire on the battleship, but keep us behind the other vessels. Their shields can handle the hits, ours can’t. Hope, divert our fighters to intercept any antimatter missiles headed our way.” 

Endeavour held back, providing a barrage of fire over the other UEF ships, which charged toward the Na’Vaxii vessels, weapons blazing. The alien cruisers advanced ahead of the battleship, their bow-mounted plasma cannons alight with fire. Both cruisers targeted the Zeus and fired. Their energy beams cut through the mighty warship’s shields and burned across the hull. The wounded cruiser’s hull buckled as she turned away, her engines flaring as her pilot fought to control his vessel. The alien carrier hung back, releasing streams of strike craft that swarmed in and harassed the UEF capital ships.

"Ackerson, forget the battleship,” said Sheridan. “Focus your fire on those cruisers. Whittle them down.”

“Lieutenant Hurst, move us in closer,” Abby ordered. “Our shields will have to be recharged enough. Initiate suppression barrage and get P.R.O.T.E.C.T.O.R. online. I want those enemy strike craft eliminated... and tell our damn fighters to stay the hell out of our firing solution.”

The human warships blanketed one of the Na’Vaxii cruisers with a barrage of weapons fire. The ship’s shields flickered, flashed, and then failed completely. Endeavour unleashed her portside particle beam cannon. A beam of bluish energy cut through the cruiser’s hull, splitting the ship completely in half along her midline.

The remaining cruiser fired a spread of plasma torpedoes toward the Isabella. The weapons crashed through the frigate’s shield as though it weren’t there and set the hull ablaze with fire. Isabella rolled over as explosions chained along her hull. The fires quickly reached the main reactor. The frigate exploded in a ball of fire, causing the shields of the ships near her to flare brightly.

The remaining cruiser turned to pursue the fleeing Zeus, while the rest of the Federation fleet swarmed the battleship. The Montana and Iwo Jima didn’t have weapons powerful enough to wear down the shields of the battleship, however Endeavour most certainly did. The carrier turned broadside to the battleship and opened fire with her 2400mm artillery cannons. Eighteen five thousand ton metal slugs burst from the gun barrels and hurtled toward the battleship at nearly one third the speed of light. The rounds impacted the warship’s shield, which immediately collapsed under the tremendous stress put upon it by the impacts.

With her shields down, the Montana and Iwo Jima closed on the battleship and began their attacks. Streams of missiles and waves of torpedoes followed the white hot artillery shells fired by the human ship’s main guns. Endeavour joined in with a lance from her starboard particle beam. Lieutenant Ackerson’s gun crews burned a pattern along the battleship’s heavily armored hull, melting away the armor and exposing the decks beneath.

“Lieutenant Hurst, take us in close for a torpedo run,” Abby ordered as the battleship turned its attention to Endeavour. A barrage of plasma beams burned against the already weakened shields, collapsed the port side defensive bubble and blazed across the carrier’s hull.

“Hull breach on Decks Twenty through Thirty-One!” Hope exclaimed.

“Keep our damaged side away from their firing arcs!” Sheridan shouted.

“Lieutenant Ackerson, ready torpedoes. Full spread,” Abby ordered. “Conventional warheads and disable the proximity fuses. Fire as soon as we’re in range.”

Lieutenant Hurst maneuvered the carrier dangerously close to the battleship, so close that any electronic countermeasures the Na’Vaxii might employ wouldn’t have time to affect the guidance systems on the torpedoes. Ackerson launched the spread of torpedoes as Endeavour passed over the battleship’s port bow. The weapons, designed purposefully to kill capital ships, slammed into the battleship’s shieldless hull. Fires and explosions erupted all across the hull. The battleship’s hull buckled and the ship exploded. The human ships then turned their attention the enemy carrier. Alone and practically defenseless with her fighter squadrons neutralized by Endeavour's PDS weapons, the carrier was quickly put down by the UEF flotilla.

“Ensign Mendez, hail the Zeus,” said Abby, as the burning hulk of the Na'Vaxii carrier exploded.

“They’re hailing us, ma’am,” Mendez replied. “Audio only.”

“…deavour, this is… utenant Michaels of the… iser, Zeus. We’ve taken hea… damage.  …captain’s dead and we’ve… life support. Our shields are offline… weapons… down. Reque… assit…nce.”

“Lieutenant Michaels, this is Commander Laine. Is your FTL drive still functioning?”

“Barely,” came the garbled response.

“Then get out of here. You aren’t going to do anyone any good by staying. Fall back to Repulse, you’ll be safe there.”

“Aye.... We’r… ngaging FTL drive… Thank y… Commander.” 

“Zeus has jumped out,” Hope reported.

“Ma’am, the main fight has moved four hundred thousand kilometers away,” said Lieutenant Ackerson. “We’re well outside weapons range.”

“Tell the other ships to prepare to engage a short-range FTL jump into weapons range,” Sheridan ordered. “Recall the fighters, and…”

“Sir, the Iwo Jima took damage to her FTL drive during the battle,” said Hope. “If we jump, we’ll have to leave her behind.”

“Any ship out here alone would be easy pickings if the Na’Vaxii find them,” Abby said quietly. “No, the fleet will just have to wait for us. Order the other ships to proceed immediately to the rest of the fleet at sublight speeds.”

“Commander, our fighter squadrons are equipped with their own individual FTL drives,” Lieutenant Ackerson pointed out. “We could have them jump ahead and assist the fleet in our absence.” Abby nodded.

“That’s a good idea, Lieutenant,” she said. “Hope, have the Buccaneers jump to the fleet’s position. Deploy the 42nd’s bomber contingent to join them. Order the 42nd‘s tactical wing to stay behind and cover us.”

Endeavour and her two remaining escorts closed on the rear of the Na’Vaxii fleet. The ships took nearly twenty minutes to cover the distance and by the time they arrived, the battle was on the verge of being over. The broken hulls of UEF and Na’Vaxii warships littered the area, drifting slowly through the void.

The remaining six UEF ships had clustered together around the two battleships, which were still intact. The Nightfall seemed to have taken heavy damage and had fallen back nearly ten thousand kilometers behind the UEF line to protect itself and provide limited fighter support.

The Na’Vaxii, it seemed, hadn’t fared well either. They had eleven ships still intact, including a single carrier, three cruisers, a destroyer, and five frigates. Unlike the UEF ships, however, none of the Na’Vaxii ships had sustained damage. The two fleets were holding position sixty thousand kilometers apart, taking potshots at each other.

As Endeavour came within weapons range, Captain Braxton appeared on the communications screen.

“It’s about time you got here,” Braxton growled. “We’ve taken heavy losses and need immediate assistance! Get your ships into range and give us some cover.”

“We’ve just entered weapons range, Captain,” said Abby in a rather cool voice. She smirked. “We'll show you how the big boys do battle. Lieutenant Ackerson, fire at will.”

Endeavour and her escorts closed on the last Na’Vaxii carrier and opened fire. Large caliber artillery shells and high explosive missiles beat against the ship’s shields, which flickered and then quickly failed under the barrage. The carrier’s hull buckled as the human weapons fire hammered the alien ship. Venting atmosphere, the carrier rolled over and her engines flickered and died. She drifted slowly, dead in space. Trapped between two advancing fleets, the Na’Vaxii ships had been outmaneuvered. Their commander must have known this, because the remaining ships turned together and with a flare of their warp engines, they were gone.

“Stand down red alert,” Abby ordered. She was as surprised as everyone else at the Na’Vaxii’s sudden withdrawal. The aliens never ran. “I want a full casualty and damage report within the hour,” she added as the Bridge lights returned to their normal bluish hue. She turned to Sheridan with a rather worried expression on her face.

“You’re thinking the very same thing I am,” he said knowingly. “They’re coming back.”

“They’re doing something,” Abby said quietly. “I’ve never seen the Na’Vaxii give up before. They’d take on a fleet of dreadnoughts with a frigate before they would turn and run away.”

“What do you think they’re up to?” Sheridan asked. Abby shook her head.

“I don’t know, Zach… but I’m afraid we’re about to find out.”

-.-

After beating Abby’s deadline for a damage and casualty report by a full twenty minutes, Hope gathered the various papers for her report and climbed the stairs at the rear of the Bridge, crossed the briefing room, and knocked softly on the Commander’s office door.

“Yes?”

Hope opened the door, slipped inside, and locked the door behind her. Hope had never been in this room before. The office, like most everything else on the Bridge, was quite small. There was just enough space for a desk and two chairs to be squeezed inside.

“I have the reports you requested, ma’am,” Hope said, passing the small stack of paper she was carrying to Abby, who glanced at the first page and then placed the papers on her desk.

“And?” Abby asked, keeping her voice low. “Did it work?”

“Yes, ma’am…” Hope said quietly. “We were right, Commander. The person who has been sending the illegal transmissions is Lieutenant Malcolm Hurst.”

Abby and Hope descended the stairs and stepped onto the Bridge. Abby gave Hope a quick nod and motioned for her to return to her station. Hope sat down, turned her monitor toward her, and stared rather blankly at the screen. Abby left the command center and returned five minutes later with Ava Mosley and two marines.

Ava crossed the Bridge and sat down silently at her station while the marines surrounded Lieutenant Hurst’s console. Hurst turned slowly in his seat to face Abby.

“Commander…?” He said, his expression one of complete confusion.

“Lieutenant, evidence has come to light that you were responsible for transmitting a series of unauthorized transmissions to the Na’Vaxii, including additional attempts during our most recent encounter.”

“I don’t know what evidence you’ve got, but I didn’t…”

“Your personal identification code was used to access the communications system.” Abby cut him off. “We know you’re responsible, the only thing we don’t know is what you sent them.” Hurst stared at her for a long moment, his face impassive.

“Well,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Fine.”

“You’ll be accompanying these men to the brig,” said Abby. The marines moved forward and their leader gripped Hurst’s shoulder. Hurst shrugged out of his grasp.

“I know the way,” He said gruffly. He stood and the marines led him away from the Bridge.

“Commander…” Sheridan said slowly as the Bridge crew watched in stunned silence. “What is going on?”

”It’s… a really long story, Zach,” Abby replied, exchanging a quick glance with Hope. “Suffice to say that Mr. Hurst has effectively committed treason by transmitting messages to the Na’Vaxii and it to remain confined to the brig until we can turn him over to the proper authorities.”

“And Mosley…”

“Was initially a suspect in this case, but has since helped in apprehending the true culprit,” Abby gave Ava a slight smile when she noticed her communications officer was watching her closely.   

“Sorry to interrupt, Commander,” said Hope. “But I’ve finished checking the com logs for the transmissions Hurst sent.”

“Were you able to decipher anything?” Abby asked. Hope shook her head.

“His encryption algorithms are incredibly sophisticated,” she replied, her eyes narrowing darkly. “Someone could crack them… but not me.”

“Were you able to scramble the transmissions?” Abby asked.

“All to hell, Commander,” Hope replied. “But… I don’t know how much got through. Only Hurst could tell us that. He’s got the encryption codes.”

“Then we’ll need to get them from him,” said Sheridan. “Commander, would you like me to…”

“Interrogate him?” asked Abby. “No, not yet. We’ve got more important things to attend to. Zach, I want you to get our ship back into fighting condition. If the Na’Vaxii make another run at us, I want to be ready.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sheridan replied. “Hope, I’ll need that damage report along with…”

“Excuse me, Commander, but I’ve got something strange on the scanners,” Hope interrupted. “There’s some sort of energy signature on the outer hull… port side, near Deck Twelve.”

“We took a serious plasma bombardment to that section during the battle,” said Sheridan. “It’s likely just residual plasma particles burning on the hull.”

“I’ve already considered that, Commander,” said Hope. “The energy signature is too consistent… there’s no fluctuation whatsoever. Whatever it is, it’s stable.”

“Send a damage control team down to check it out,” Abby told Hope.

“Yes, ma’am,” Hope replied. “I’ll get someone to…”

“Commander, I’m getting reports of a firefight on Deck 6,” Ava said abruptly. “It’s Lieutenant Hurst’s marine escort. Hurst escaped, but the marines are in pursuit.”

“Tell them to stop him,” said Abby. “But I want him alive.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Abby turned to Hope.

“Come with me.”

Out in the corridor, Hope glanced sideways at Abby as they headed for a bank of elevators.

“If you don’t mind my asking, Commander…” she said slowly. “Where are we going?”

“Hurst’s quarters,” Abby said quickly. “He’s gone to a lot of trouble today and I have suspicions about him. I’m going to search his quarters. You’re going to collect any computer equipment he has and go over it with a fine toothed comb.”

“What am I looking for?”

“Anything suspicious,” said Abby as they reached the intersecting corridor where the elevators awaited them. “If I’m right, you’ll know it when you see it.” She pressed the button to call the elevator and just so happened to glance to her left. What she saw made her blood run cold.

“Yes, ma’am," Hope was saying. "But I…umpfh!” Much to Hope’s surprise, Abby clasped her hand over her mouth and dragged her away from the elevators and back the way they’d come. She pressed Hope against the corridor wall and, keeping her hand firmly placed over Hope’s mouth, leaned around the corner and peered down the corridor. Hope reached up and pulled Abby’s hand away from her mouth and stared at her commanding officer as though she had gone insane.

“Commander, what’s…?”

“Did you bring your radio?” Abby cut her off, checking her pockets for her own radio. Hope removed her radio from her ear and passed it to Abby without speaking. Abby slipped it on and keyed the microphone.

“Zach, it's Abby," she said in a hushed whisper.

“Go ahead.”

“Commander, seal off the Bridge and scramble marine strike teams to every deck,” Abby whispered, ignoring the confused expression on Hope’s face. “We’ve been boarded.”

11: Section Eleven: Home Invasion

“Red alert!” Sheridan ordered as the emergency blast doors slammed shut. “Commander, where are you?”

“We’re down the corridor from the Bridge,” Abby replied, desperately scanning their surroundings. All the while she could hear the deep growls and heavy footfalls of the aliens as they drew steadily nearer.

“I’m going to open the Bridge doors, Commander,” Sheridan replied. “Get back in here and we’ll…”

“Seal those doors immediately!” Abby hissed. “Our lives aren’t worth letting the Na’Vaxii breach the CIC. We’ll… wait one, Zach.” Abby nodded toward a maintenance hatch on the far wall. She motioned for Hope to open it, which she did, revealing a dark and narrow tunnel beyond. Hope heaved herself inside it and helped Abby in behind her. Abby had only just closed the door when the aliens rounded the corner and entered the corridor.

“Zach, we’ve hidden in a maintenance tunnel,” Abby said, resuming her conversation. “They won’t be able to follow us here. I want you to move us away from the other ships in the fleet. No ship is to approach or attempt to dock with Endeavour until the situation is rectified.”

“Understood,” said Sheridan.

“Commander, you may also want to send marines to Deck Twelve,” said Hope, leaning very close to Abby and speaking into the microphone. “It didn’t dawn on me at the time, but that energy signature on the hull bears a striking resemblance to what little Na’Vaxii cloaking technology I’ve been able to check out. I’d bet all our lives that there’s a cloaked transport ship latched onto the hull.”

“I’ll get a team there immediately,” Sheridan replied.

“And Zach…” Abby said slowly. “We both know why they’re onboard. If they get into Engineering or if they manage to tap into our computer system…” She took a deep breath. “I’m ordering you to initiate Directive Zero One.” A full ten seconds passed before Sheridan replied.

“Understood, Commander.” He cut the connection.

“What’s Directive Zero One?” Hope asked as she and Abby set off on their hands and knees down the tunnel.

“One of several top secret directives issued to myself and Commander Sheridan by Command,” Abby said darkly. “In the event of an incursion by alien fighters, this ship must self-destruct.”

“You’re not serious,” said Hope in a shocked voice.

“I most certainly am,” Abby replied. “We’ve got the most advanced technology in the Federation aboard this ship. If the Na’Vaxii got access to the Arcturus device or, God-forbid, the Translight drive…” 

"Right, you... you're right," Hope said, although her voice still shook. "But Commander, that transport ship could have carried dozens of aliens... they could be anywhere on the ship by now and without internal sensors, we can't track them."

"We'll have to shut them out deck-by-deck," said Abby. "We'll need the marines to form two teams. One will start on Deck One and the other Fifty-Five. We'll clear each deck and seal the blast doors behind us as both teams move toward the center decks." They at last reached the end of their tunnel. A ladder was mounted on the far wall, dropping down into the depths of the ship. Abby and Hope peered down into the dark abyss below and then glanced at each other.

"The main armory is on Deck Twenty-Five," said Abby. "Colonel Watson should be organizing our response from there. If we want to help, we'll have to get down there."

"And do we want to help?" Hope asked in a terrified voice. "I mean, the marines can handle an incursion, shouldn't we just stay out of the way?"

"We don't have a full marine compliment aboard," Abby said darkly. "Command didn't think we needed it... and clearly with the way things are going, Command didn't think about a lot of things. We've just got a security detail from Vega Force. They'll need everybody they can get to help."

"I.... well, okay...”

And so they started climbing, lowering themselves down deck after deck until at last, sweating and panting, their arms aching, they arrived at the hatch which had the number twenty-five emblazoned in its center. Abby popped the seal and slowly eased the hatch open just enough to see the corridor beyond. It was a war zone… or more accurately, had been a war zone. The corridor was dark, illuminated only by red emergency lights in the ceiling.

There were bullet holes and plasma burns on the walls and floor. The bodies of several marines lay scattered about the corridor, scorched by the alien’s handheld plasma weapons. The lack of alien bodies clearly indicated which force had won the engagement.

After making sure there were not any aliens lying in wait, Abby and Hope rushed down the corridor and at last arrived at the main armory. It appeared that the battle in the corridor had not reached the armory, because it looked to be completely undamaged. The armory itself was a large, brightly lit room with racks all along the walls holding rifles and handguns, while the high explosive ordinance was stored in a vault in the back. Marines hurried around the room, stowing gear and readying weapons.

Colonel Watson stood with his squad leaders, studying a diagram of Endeavour and talking quickly. Hope and Abby made their way over.

"Attention on deck," one of the marines shouted when he noticed Abby approaching.

"At ease, Sergeant," Abby said quickly as Colonel Watson turned to her. "Colonel?"

Colonel Watson was a tall, grizzled man with deep scars across his face as though he had once been mauled by a massive creature. He studied Abby and Hope with a grim expression on his face.

"Commander, shouldn't you be on the Bridge?" he asked, his deep commanding voice closely matching his appearance.

"We weren't on the Bridge when the aliens were detected," Abby replied. "I ordered the command deck sealed. Hope and I decided we would be better served by moving toward known friendly forces and see what we could do to help."

"Well, you can help by staying out of our way,” said Watson. “We’ve got this well in hand.” Abby glanced around at the marines, noticing there were less than three dozen soldiers present.

“She’s a big ship, Colonel,” said Abby diplomatically. “And you don’t have many men. You’ll need every pair of hands you can get, I would imagine, if you want to clear the ship.” Colonel Watson, irritated though he was, had little choice in the matter. Despite his position as commander of Endeavour's marine contingent, Abby was in command of Endeavour. Still, it was with a great deal of reluctance that he hefted an MA7R off of a rack and passed it to Abby, who accepted it with a nod. It wasn't until Hope glared furiously at Watson that he relinquished a handgun into her waiting grasp.

"I can handle a rifle!" Hope said furiously to Abby as Watson turned back toward his marines to continue the briefing.

"You don't need a rifle, because you're staying here," Abby said firmly. "You were right before, Hope. You're a naval officer and I shouldn't have expected you to handle this situation well. The armory will be safe, so you'll stay here until the ship is secure."

"If you're going..." Hope began.

"I'm going because I'm the commander," said Abby. "I should go with them. You're just the Operations officer. I can't ask you to..."

"You're not asking I'm volunteering." said Hope exasperatedly. "Look, I'll admit I'm scared senseless to do this, but... well, my dad was a marine, fought in dozens of planetary incursions. He was so disappointed when I told him I was joining the Navy instead of following his footsteps. He's never seemed proud of what I've done, not even being assigned to Endeavour. I... I need to do this, Commander. Just to prove to myself that I could have done what my father wanted. Please..." Abby stared deeply into the twenty-six year olds' hazel eyes. They stared determinedly back.

"You're sure about this?" she asked.

“I am,” Hope said firmly. Abby shrugged.

“Alright,” she said lightly. “It’s your call. If you’re that set on coming with us, then I’ll allow it.” Hope smiled nervously.

“Thanks, Commander,” she said, looking as though she sincerely wished that Abby had refused her request. "Besides, I've been in a fire fight before."

"Really?" Abby asked, surprised by this news. Hope shrugged, looking rather nervous.

"Well, I... I was in a fire," Hope admitted reluctantly. "Actually, I was fired from this waitressing job. I split pea soup all over a customer and that was..."

“If you’re coming with us, ladies,” Colonel Watson interrupted gruffly. “Then hurry up. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

-.-

Marine teams had secured Decks Twenty-Five through Fifty-Five and locked down access to the lower decks, meaning the aliens had to be confined on the remaining decks between Twenty-Four and One. In an effort to confine the remaining invaders to one location, Colonel Watson split his marines into two squads. One would secure Deck One and start heading down while his own team would move up from Deck Twenty-Four. They would work their way toward Deck Twelve, where the plan was to trap the aliens on a single deck and overwhelm them.

Abby and Hope had joined Colonel Watson’s team and they had moved quickly up through the decks, clearing and locking them down as they went. They encountered no resistance and in fact little evidence of an incursion until they reached Deck Twelve. The deck was a ruin. The bodies of the unsuspecting Endeavour crew members lay scattered over the deck plates and plasma burns had scorched the walls. The strong stench of burnt flesh and ozone filled the smoky corridors.

“Bravo Team, report,” Colonel Watson growled into his radio while motioning for his own team to hold position.

“This is Bravo One, Colonel. We’ve eliminated a group of eight ‘Vaxii that were trying to force their way through the Bridge security doors on Deck One. The command deck is secure, sir. We’ve proceeded to clear Decks Two through Ten and we’re moving through Eleven now. So far, no contact.”

“Understood,” Colonel Watson replied. “Continue to Deck Twelve. Report in when you’re in position and we’ll close in on them from both sides of the deck.”

“Copy that. Bravo Actual, out.” They only had to wait a few minutes before Bravo Team reported that they had reached Deck Twelve. Both teams then readied up and began their separate pushes into the deck. Deck Twelve was right smack in the center of the ship’s personnel block. Decks Five through Twenty Five housed the ship’s numerous crew quarters, twelve different mess halls and Medical which was situated on Deck Five.

Given that the crew quarters sections gave the aliens any number of places to hide or set up an ambush, the hunt for the creatures took significant time. Both teams searched quietly, room-to-room, but found nothing. Colonel Watson was on the verge of declaring that the only aliens onboard were the ones that had been killed outside of the Bridge when there was a shout of ‘Contact!’ over the radio and the staccato sound of automatic gunfire and the familiar whine of Na’Vaxii plasma beam rifles and energy repeaters.

In the thirty seconds it took Abby, Hope and Colonel Watson’s team reach the scene, Bravo Team was already dead. The aliens themselves were hunkered down behind pieces of debris strewn about due to battle damage the ship had suffered. It was very difficult to see through the smoke, but the marines opened fire nonetheless. Tracer rounds and plasma beams cut through the dark corridor, lighting up the blackness and faintly illuminating the night.

Abby and Hope, being officers not soldiers, stayed back as best they could. It was lucky, at least for them, because even though the marines succeeded in lobbing a handful of fragmentation grenades behind the alien's cover, the aliens themselves tossed what appeared to be a ball of glowing white light into the group of humans. The light expanded, pulsing out in a wave of fire that engulfed most of the marines. Colonel Watson and two others were knocked unconscious by the overpressure wave.  

The quadruple flash at the far end of the corridor announced the explosion of the marine's grenades. The blasts of heat and fire consumed the aliens. Abby leaned out of cover and peered down the dark corridor. Nothing moved. Relieved, she looked back at Hope. The young woman was sitting on the floor, staring straight ahead and looking as though she might be sick. Abby made to move toward her when a thud from behind her made her turn around.

One of the aliens had survived the blast and in the brief moments she turned away, it had moved closer. The beast towered over her, her head only coming to the monster's elbow. The alien was large, muscular and rather apelike in appearance. It had a thick, gray fur coat and piercing yellow eyes. It wore a bulky, jet black suit of powered armor that had the ability to stop standard 7.62x51mm rounds.

The monster’s muscled arms rippled as it lifted its arm and struck Abby across the chest. She flew backwards and collided with the deck plates fifteen feet away. The beast was upon her before she could even begin to scramble to her feet. Abby knew she was dead even before the creature retrieved its energy rifle from its back and raised the weapon. It wasn’t terrible, when she really thought about it. There were certainly worse deaths. She could have suffered, been taken away by the aliens and… well, she had heard stories about what sorts of things the Na’Vaxii did to their prisoners, what few they took, and the nicest of them were terrible beyond imagining.

This though, killed by a simple energy beam, would be much better. Quick and mostly painless was the way to go. She briefly wondered why she wasn’t afraid. She felt she most certainly should be. Fear in the face of certain and imminent death was the proper emotion to feel at the moment, after all. Perhaps she wanted it, though. It would free her, wouldn’t it? From the guilt, the sadness, the loss…

The slow pulsing of energy brought her attention back to the alien standing before her. The barrel of its weapon glowed brightly, indicating it was ready to fire. Abby closed her eyes, still wondering why she felt so completely at peace even though in her mind she knew there were so many things she could never reverse. So many sins she could never atone for… Just as the energy pulse grew steady and she knew it would only be another second, there was a loud, echoing bang that resonated through the corridor.

Abby opened her eyes and looked up at the alien just as its rifle slipped from its grasp and it clattered sideways into the bulkhead. It slumped onto the floor and remained still, the back of its skull missing. Hope stood in the corridor, her trembling hand gripping the pistol Colonel Watson had given her. Her eyes focused quite intently on the still-smoking barrel of the handgun as though she couldn’t quite understand what had happened.

Standing carefully to her feet, Abby walked slowly over to Hope and eased the weapon out of her hands. Hope seemed unable to speak and simply sank back down to the ground, her eyes as round as saucers. Abby collected her own gun that had been knocked from her hands when the alien had struck her and then retrieved her radio from her pocket.

“B… Bridge, this is Laine,” Abby choked out. The pain in her ribcage increased greatly when she spoke.

“Commander, it’s good to hear from you,” Sheridan’s voice crackled through her earpiece. “What’s your status?”

“All decks are clear, Zach,” she replied, leaning against the bulkhead and holding a hand to her chest. “You can cancel the security lockout and stand down to Combat Alert Beta. Also, we could use a medical team on Deck Twelve.”

“They’re already on their way, Commander.”

12: Section Twelve: One Galaxy

A medical team arrived quickly and brought everyone up to Medical. Colonel Watson and the marines not outright killed in the explosion would survive, but they would need a good deal of medical attention. Doctor Bradford gave Hope some medication to calm her down and Abby offered to have a replacement cover her duty shifts but she silently declined. Abby’s injuries, while painful, were not life threatening. She had six cracked ribs which were quickly and easily mended as well as some bruising which would have to heal over time.

After taking the prescribed medication to help with the pain Abby made to leave Medical, only to be stopped by Jake who walked up to her with a worried expression on his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked her, sounding genuinely concerned. “What happened?”

“Just helping repel the invasion,” Abby said lightly, doing her very best to hide the fact a throbbing, stabbing pain was coursing through her chest. “I’m fine,” She looked across Medical trying to spot Scarlett, who she found sitting on the edge of her bed, chatting with a nurse.

“She’s a brave kid,” Jake said when he noticed what she was looking at. “I would’ve kept it quiet, but Commander Sheridan decided to announce the incursion across the whole ship. But she just pulled that candle you gave her close to her and said that she wasn’t worried because they would be afraid to come near her.”

“I told you that candle would help her,” Abby told him, smiling victoriously. “Look, I’m sorry I haven’t done anything else with Scarlett yet. I’m sure you’re about to go crazy down here, but I wanted to say I appreciate you staying with her. I really…”

“Its fine,” said Jake, waving away her apology. “She’s actually not that bad… for a little girl.”

“So you’re getting along then?” Abby asked him.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure she hates my guts," said Jake grimly. "But on the whole…” Abby shook her head sadly.

"Oh, Jake..." she said quietly, gently patting his arm. "Oh, Jake, Jake, Jake..." She turned away from him, shaking her head once again and walked over to Scarlett, who smiled happily when she saw her approaching.

"Hi," Abby said warmly, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to the redhead. "How're you doing?"

"Fine," she said with a shrug. She glanced at the candle beside her bed. "Are... are the aliens gone?"

"They are," said Abby firmly. "I told you that you didn't need to worry about them."

"I wasn't worried," said Scarlett. "I had my candle." Abby smiled.

"Yeah, you did," she said quietly. “You’re going to be okay, Carly,” she added, her soft voice cracking slightly. “You’ll be okay, I promise.” Abby slid off the edge of the bed, despite wishing she could simply lie back upon it and fall asleep.

“I’ve got to go,” she told Scarlett.

“Can I come with you?” Scarlett asked, reaching out and catching Abby’s hand. “Please?”

“Not… right now, sweetie,” said Abby. “I’m sorry, honey, but I’ll come and visit you in a little while and maybe see about getting you out of here. I know hospitals aren’t fun.” She glanced across the room at Jake. “And maybe we’ll get you another caretaker too.”

“No, don’t,” said Scarlett, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face. “I actually kind of like him. He’s funny.”

“Jake’s funny?” Abby asked, genuinely surprised. “I never would have guessed that.”

“He’s actually kind of nice, too,” said Scarlett. “He pretends that he doesn’t like me, but I can tell he really does.” she grinned. “I think he likes you, too,” she added innocently. She pointed toward Jake. Abby looked back over her shoulder to find Jake staring at them.

'Staring at you, more like,' said a small voice in her head.

‘Okay, close the door on that right now,’ Abby thought quickly. ‘He’s your subordinate and you’re in the middle of a war zone. Cool your jets, Laine. Cool. Your. Jets.’

“He’s just…”

“Staring at you,” said Scarlett wisely. “And you like it. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” said Abby sternly. “I’ve got to run, sweetie. I’ll check up on you in a bit.” She slid off the edge of Scarlett’s bed, ignoring the thin smile on the redhead’s face, and made for the exit. Jake, however, called out to her before she could leave.

“So, did she tell you any horror stories about me?” Jake asked seriously. “Whatever she said, it’s a lie. Oh, and if she says something about me calling her a whiny little brat… well, I didn’t.” Abby arched her eyebrows.

“Actually, she said she thinks you’re funny,” said Abby in an amused tone. “And she suspects that you like her, too… despite what you say.” Jake smirked.

“Well, I am funny,” said Jake brightly. “Believe it or not, I’ve done a bit of stand-up before. Tell you what, when we get back to Earth what would you say to coming with me to a little bar outside of Oklahoma City? I’ve performed there before and it’s a nice little place. A bit seedy, I suppose, but the owner is an old friend. I really…” Abby held up a hand to stop him, not because she was still reeling from the fact that he had essentially just asked his commanding officer out on what amounted to a date, nor due to the fact that some part of her might actually want to go, but instead because her earpiece radio had buzzed in her ear.

“Go ahead, Commander,” she said, activating the small microphone.

“Ma’am, we’ve got Malcolm Hurst cornered in Cargo Bay Twenty-Three on Deck Sixteen,” said Commander Sheridan. “A marine team is attempting to subdue him.”

“Good,” said Abby. “Make sure they know to take him alive.”

“Take who alive?” Jake asked as Sheridan cut the connection.

“Lieutenant Hurst,” said Abby sternly. “I’ve got to get to Deck Sixteen.” She turned and walked away. Jake rushed after her.

“Wait, Commander!” he called, catching up with her as she waited for the elevator to arrive on their deck. Jake thrust his hand into his pocket and retrieved the torn piece of paper he had taken from Hurst’s book. “I don’t know if this is important… It’s probably just stupid, but I met Hurst in the Mess Hall earlier and he dropped a book and a bunch of papers flew everywhere. He tried to hide everything but I snuck this…” He handed her the paper. She took one look at the symbol and her eyes went wide.

“You got this out of his book?” she demanded of him. “You’re sure?” He nodded.

“Absolutely,” The elevator arrived at that moment and Abby boarded it without a word. Jake scrambled in after her.

“Ma’am, with respect, what’s going on?” He gestured at the paper fragment in her hand. “What is this?”

“Classified,” Abby said sharply. “That’s what this is. At the highest levels of the Federation. Only the highest ranking officers and members of Parliament are aware of this.” She held up the piece of paper. “This is the most dangerous secret hidden by the Federation. But as far as you’re concerned, Lieutenant Hurst is under arrest for illegal use of the com system. That’s all I can tell you.”

“But you know about it?” Jake asked, despite knowing he shouldn’t press any further. “I know your rank has its privileges but you’re hardly one of the highest ranked officers.”

“I only know about it because of an incident five years ago.” Abby replied. “An incident involving a ship called the Parallax.” Jake racked his brains for the name, but came up with nothing.

“I’ve never heard of it,” he said at last.

“You wouldn’t have,” said Abby swiftly. “The ship, its mission, and everything related to it have been classified and all knowledge of the incident erased or suppressed. Those of us involved were given… strong reasons never to mention what happened.” The elevator doors opened onto Deck Sixteen before Jake could asked any further questions, but even if it hadn’t he wouldn’t have done so anyway. It was obvious that he would be getting no clear answers.

Jake accompanied Abby down the corridor and into Cargo Bay Twenty-Three where a group of twelve marines barred the only entrance to the bay. Hurst hunkered down behind a few cargo containers, an M92 shotgun clutched in his hands. A marine sergeant approached Abby and Jake as they entered the bay.

“Commander Laine, Sergeant Byrne. We’ve cornered the lieutenant but he’s refusing to surrender. I’m assuming your orders to take him alive stand?”

“They do, Sergeant,” said Abby.

“I thought as much,” Sergeant Byrne replied. “I’m positioning snipers in the scaffolding. They’ll attempt to disarm him if we can’t talk him down.”

“I’ll be speaking with him myself,” Abby told him.

“Ma’am, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Byrne replied. “He’s cornered, desperate…”

“I might have the best chance at getting through to him, Sergeant.” said Abby. “Get your men into position, but I’m going to try talking to him first.” Abby stepped around Sergeant Byrne and through the line of marines to a point where Hurst could see her.

“Lieutenant,” she called out to him. Hurst stuck his head and his weapon over the crate. Abby simply clasped her hands behind her back. Jake had the sudden urge to leap forward and drag her back into cover. She seemed so vulnerable standing alone before an armed fugitive. “Lieutenant, you are, if I may say so, in a good deal of trouble. But I might be able to help you.”

“Nobody can help me!” Hurst shouted back, his hands shaking on the grip of his weapon.

“I’m sorry, but you’re wrong about that.” She held up the piece of paper Jake had given her, showing him the symbol drawn upon it. “I know who you are, Lieutenant. I know who you work for. If we are forced to subdue you and return you to Command, you will be charged with treason. But if you surrender yourself and agree to cooperate with the Federation, I can see to it that you receive a full pardon.”

“And why should I believe you?” Hurst demanded. Abby shrugged.

“Because I have no reason to lie,” Abby said sincerely. “You are the one with a great deal to lose in this situation, Lieutenant, not me. The Federation has little interest in making a spectacle out of a low-level operative. However, if you could provide Central Command with information regarding your superiors and if you agree to help us gain access to the transmissions you encrypted so we can know precisely what was transmitted before Hope scrambled your signal, I’m certain Parliament would be lenient.”

Jake truly thought she had done it and perhaps she really would have had it not been for a sudden clanking noise from high above. One of the marine snipers had bumped part of the scaffolding while setting up his M224 sniper rifle. The noise must have spooked him. His hand jerked as he dove for cover and his weapon discharged.

It all happened in a strange, blurry slow motion for Jake. The cone of buckshot from the shotgun spread out widely the moment he fired. She couldn't have taken more than half of the blast, but it was more than enough. The bulk of the projectiles hit Abby squarely in the stomach and punched their way out of her lower back. A couple caught her in the legs and another just below the shoulder. She fell almost gracefully to the deck.

Jake didn’t see the second sniper fire a round that took the gun out of Hurst’s hands. He didn’t even hear Sergeant Byrne calling out for a medical team. He knew nothing else as he rushed immediately to Abby and slid to his knees at her side.

Her eyes were glassy and her skin ghostly pale. Jake slowly lifted Abby into his arms, cradling her while trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood from her wound

"You're okay," he whispered to her as her lips tried but failed to form a single word. "You're okay, you're..." She looked up at him with a very confused expression on her face.

“What… what did…?” She managed choke out. Her eyes fluttered weakly as she reached her bloodstained hand up to cup his cheek. "I was wrong," She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I am afraid..."  

Commander Sheridan, Doctor Bradford and a medical team arrived moments later. The medical team lifted Abby onto a stretcher and left, rushing her to Medical. Sheridan turned to Jake, who was staring at the large circle of blood that had been left on the deck.

"Major, are you alright?" Sheridan asked. Jake looked up at him, lost.

"She... she just... She didn't... I couldn't..." He was rambling. He cleared his throat and looked straight into Sheridan’s eyes. "She said she was afraid, sir. She's dying. She knows it... and she's afraid."    

-.-

Scarlett was still in Medical when the medics arrived with Abby. Jake and Sheridan rushed in right behind them, Jake doing his best to keep his grasp on Abby's left hand. The little girl looked up as they barged in and her eyes widened in panic.

"Abby!" she shouted, leaping from her bed and running over to catch up with the speeding stretcher. Jake released Abby's hand and intercepted Scarlett before she discerned Abby's condition.

"What happened?" Scarlett asked, her eyes flickering from Abby as she disappeared into the surgical bay, to Jake's hands which were caked with Abby's blood.

"She's been..." Jake broke off, unsure of how he should handle the situation. The kid had been through so much... and yet she seemed to be the strongest person he had ever known. He decided to be honest. "Abby was shot. It's... bad."

"How bad?" Scarlett asked, her voice trembling slightly. Jake shook his head.

"Bad," said Jake quietly. Scarlett's eyes dropped again to Jake's hands.

"She's going to die, isn't she?" She asked in a voice devoid of emotion. Jake began to wonder what toll the day's events had taken on the girl's mental state.

"I don't know," said Jake. He really didn't and it wouldn't help to lie. Scarlett stared at the door which had just swung shut behind Abby and the medical team.

"But..." Scarlett whimpered. "But... but she..." She sank slowly into a chair, holding her face in her hands.

Medical was one of the quietest sections of the ship during normal times, but the silence in the waiting area was almost torture to Jake as he sat next to Scarlett... and waited. That's all there was for any of them to do. They all simply had to wait. Commander Sheridan had returned to the Bridge. Another Na'Vaxii squadron had appeared, forcing the already battered Federation battle group to engage in a run-and-gun battle with the six Na'Vaxii warships.

The Federation fleet was attempting to withdraw from the area, but the Na'Vaxii were relentless in their desire to destroy Endeavour. Luckily, Central Command ordered the dreadnought Cheyenne Mountain and her battle group to move in to cover Endeavour and Captain Braxton's task force as they fell back to Federation space.

Much like the battle going on outside, Jake could only imagine the battle going on inside Medical. The battle to save Abby's life was still raging as well, but again like the battle outside, Jake only knew one fact: It had not yet been lost. Abby had been in surgery for three hours when the double doors into Medical swung open and Doctor Bradford emerged, looking exhausted. Jake and Scarlett both stood as the doctor walked over to him.

"Well, she's alive," said Bradford, removing his rubber gloves. "But she's still critical. We removed all but a small fragment of the bullets. It's near a vital artery and it won't affect her recovery. We've patched her up, but she slipped into a coma. She's lost a lot of blood. She's O-Negative, which is pretty rare. I don't have any in the supply, so we're going over the crew manifest to find..."

"I'm O-Negative," said Scarlett abruptly. She looked nervous when Jake and Bradford both turned to stare at her. "I... We all had to donate twice a year on the Freedom's Progress. We had an emergency supply in case of, well... emergencies. I've known my blood type for years."

"Well, if you're willing to face a couple of needles, you could really help us out," said Bradford. Scarlett nodded empathically. Bradford summoned a nurse who took Scarlett into Medical.

"What else can you do for her?" Jake asked as the doors closed behind them. Bradford shook his head.

"It's really up to her now, Major. She'll either wake up or she won't. There's nothing else I can do for her medically. She’s a fighter, though, I’ll tell you that. She’d be dead already if she weren’t. She’s gonna fight this, Major. We’re going to keep a very close watch on her overnight. If she makes it through the night, I’ll be much more confident in her chances of pulling through.”

“Scarlett wants to see her,” said Jake, not really comforted by Bradford’s words. “When she's done, can we go in?"

“You may,” said Bradford. “She’s in Room 4. Make your way back. I have to update Commander Sheridan.” Bradford left Medical and Jake pushed through the doors and found Scarlett sitting on a bed with the nurse. It only took a few minutes for the nurse to finish up and together Jake and Scarlett entered Room 4.

Were it not for the fact that he had seen her get shot, Jake would never have known she was injured. She looked remarkably peaceful, lying there looking as though she were simply asleep. Scarlett sat down in a chair beside her bed and brushed a strand of Abby’s dark hair away from her face. Jake managed a thin smile as he sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the bed.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Jake asked the little redhead.

“She’s nice,” Scarlett said in a voice so sad he felt it should have been a federal offense for any child to be so upset. “She was really nice to me before. I… I hope she’ll be okay…”

“She’s getting the best medical care in two galaxies. She’ll be fine.” Jake couldn’t meet Scarlett’s blue eyes as he said this. It was a lie, clearly. Abby was in trouble, serious trouble and Jake had very deep doubts that she would be anything close to okay… but what else could he tell the girl? Scarlett fell silent after that and just sat in her chair, staring into space. Hours passed. The crew shifts changed and Commander Sheridan stopped by to check up on Abby’s condition. He couldn’t stay long; however, as the task force under Admiral Peterson’s command had arrived. The Cheyenne Mountain’s presence among the fleet was as big of a morale boost as anyone could have hoped for.

Night fell, or at least what counted as night aboard a spaceship. Three-fourths of the ship’s crew returned to their quarters to sleep. A skeleton crew came on duty for the night hours. Although Jake couldn’t know it, he felt sure that most of the day-shift crew had returned to duty several times during the night, as the ship went to full red alert six different times throughout the night. Scarlett, surprisingly, slept through the klaxons and warning alarms. She laid in the bed across from Abby’s, her chest rising and falling slowly and evenly.

Jake sat there, wide awake, dreading the combat alarms. He hated the uncertainty, not knowing when a plasma torpedo would gut the ship, vaporizing them all. He longed for his rack, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Scarlett there alone because even though he was loathe to admit it, he was actually starting to like her. It was odd, because Jake plus kids had never worked before.

Odder still, was the fact that he didn't want to leave Abby alone either. He had probably only spent half an hour speaking with her, and yet the idea of leaving her here in Medical, alone, clinging to life... it felt wrong. He could understand how Scarlett might have developed a bit of a bond with the commander. Abby had been very kind to the young girl when she had needed a great deal of kindness.

Jake, though, had not had that sort of relationship with her. So… why did he care so much? He doubted seriously it was his basic concern for other people’s pain. Anyone would feel some degree of sorrow for someone in Abby’s condition, yet his feelings were stronger than that. He knew that if Abby died he would be genuinely saddened.

Continuing the evening’s strange trends of oddities, Jake actually found himself gently squeezing her hand in a comforting sort of way, whispering reassuring words to her at around three in the morning and as much as he wished he could’ve passed it off as lack of sleep, he knew that wasn’t it.

 As it typically seems to happen when one is engaging in an activity that he or she would rather no one catch them engaging in, that is precisely the moment that another person or group of people just so happens to arrive, which is what happened to Jake.

The door opened suddenly and Hope stepped inside. Jake was a second too late releasing Abby's hand as he spun around to see who had entered.

"Oh, I...  Lieutenant, I was just..." He couldn't come up with an even halfway decent explanation.

"Holding our commander's hand and whispering sweet nothings in her ear?" Hope asked, smiling. "It's alright, Major, I won't say anything." She walked closer to the bed, her expression changing from one of amusement to one of sadness in an instant. "How is she?"

"Alive," Jake replied, the embarrassment of moments before forgotten. "Doc said if she made it through the night, he'd be more confident of her chances."

"You know, I... I really wish that I'd... She trusted me. I was with her when the aliens boarded and I asked her to let me help hunt them down. She brought me along and when I was needed, I… I froze. I let her down.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Jake said consolingly. “I heard you saved Abby’s life. You killed the alien that was about to kill her.”

“Honestly, I don't even remember doing anything," Hope said sadly. "I... I was sitting in that corridor, frozen with terror and then I was on my feet and the commander was pulling that gun out of my hand. I can't remember even deciding to shoot, much less actually shooting."

"It doesn't change the fact that you did it," Jake countered. He jerked his head toward Abby. "She'd be dead right now were it not for you. I'll admit I don't know her well... at all, actually, but I don't think she'd blame you for being scared. You know, every time I climb in that cockpit and get shot into space never knowing what's outside that launch tube... praying to whatever god that'll listen that one of those apes doesn't catch me on a bad day and just blow me away... Yeah, I get scared too." When Hope still looked upset, Jake decided to change the subject.

"So, how's the fight going outside?" he asked her, realizing a second too late that if his intent was to cheer her up, asking about the life and death battle being waged outside was hardly the proper topic.

"Well enough," Hope replied. "The Cheyenne Mountain's one incredible ship. Crew morale goes up every time someone looks out the window. We’ve made good progress back to Earth, but obviously it’s taking time. Command’s ordered us to take a very indirect course back and if we pick up Na’Vaxii ships we have to drop out of FTL and fight them so they can’t pinpoint Earth’s location.” She glanced down at her watch.

“I’d better get to my rack. I’ve got to be back on the Bridge in a few hours.” Jake and Hope bid each other goodbye and Jake sank back into his chair, the silence of Medical pressing in on him once more.

13: Section Thirteen: Interrogation

Most men wouldn’t mind being awoken after a nice long sleep by a pretty girl. In fact, some men would even enjoy such an event. Jake would’ve too, under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, it was roughly four in the morning, he was not coming out of a nice long sleep, and the girl just so happened to be fourteen. He looked up and discovered Scarlett was leaning over him, poking him in the chest with a slender finger, her blue eyes narrowed with the frustration of trying to wake him.

“God, girl, stop that,” he shouted, leaping backwards and nearly knocking over his chair.

“Sorry,” said Scarlett innocently. “You’re radio’s beeping. I thought you might need to answer it.” His radio headset, which he had deposited on the bedside cabinet, was indeed emitting a low beep indicating a high priority communication which meant it could only be from one person: Commander Sheridan. He seized the device and put it on.

“Major Hawkins here,” he said as professionally as he could manage after having been violently awoken from a sound sleep.

“Major, I need you to meet myself and Lieutenant Halliwell on Deck Fifty-Two immediately,” Sheridan told him briskly.

“Yes, sir,” Jake replied. He glanced at Scarlett, who was watching him with her eyes narrowed. “What about Scarlett, sir? I was ordered to stay with her.”

“Lieutenant Mosley is on her way down,” said Sheridan impatiently. “Commander Laine promised the girl a visit to the Bridge and since we have some downtime I thought I might let you take a break.”

“Yes sir, thank you sir,” Jake replied. Ava arrived a few minutes later and took Scarlett away. Jake went with them as far as the elevators where they split up, Ava and Scarlett taking a lift to Deck One while Jake took another to Deck Fifty-Five where Hope and Sheridan were waiting for him in the corridor.

“I’ve called you both here to interrogate Lieutenant Hurst,” Sheridan said by way of greeting. “Major Hawkins, Mr. Hurst has attempted on two occasions to transmit information possibly regarding this ship to the Na’Vaxii. I need to know what he tried to send and how much he managed to transmit before Lieutenant Halliwell scrambled his transmission.”

“With respect, sir, why me?” Jake asked curiously. “I’m just a fighter pilot.”

“You already have some knowledge of this situation,” said Sheridan. “It is imperative that as few people as possible know about Hurst’s actions.”

“I’m guessing this has something to do with the symbol I gave to Commander Laine?” asked Jake, once again hoping to get a bit more information. “The picture of the galaxy?”  

“I don’t know anything about a symbol, Major,” said Sheridan, perhaps even more impatiently than before. “I only know that Lieutenant Hurst has attempted to make contact with the Na’Vaxii to give them vital information. I want to know why and I want to know what he gave them.”

“Sir, I believe Commander Laine already knew why,” said Jake. “When I gave her the piece of paper I took from Hurst with the symbol on it, she instantly recognized it as something very secret. She couldn’t explain, but she said she knew exactly who Hurst was working for.”

“Well then she has more information about this situation than I do because all of this is news to me,” said Sheridan, shrugging. “Nevertheless, Commander Laine is currently out of action and I’m in command. So interrogate him. Find out everything he knows. I'm authorizing you to do whatever you need to do.”

Sheridan led Jake and Hope into the Brig, which took up nearly half of Deck Fifty-Two. The Brig consisted of rows upon rows of cells most of which were sealed with barred doors made out of solid Titanium-A, the same material used in capital ship armored hull plating, and covered with a ten terawatt energy barrier. Sheridan ordered a guard to unseal Hurst’s cell, which was close to the entrance and sealed with a solid door so that no one could see in or out and took Hope and Jake inside.

The cell itself was small, dark and illuminated by a single overhead light. There was no bed or chairs, only a mat on the floor in the far right hand corner. There was a camera mounted to the wall by the door so that the security team outside could keep an eye on the prisoner.

Hurst himself sat on the mat, blinking up at them as they entered and closed the door behind them. Jake walked over into the shadowy corner while Hope sat down on an upturned bucket she had brought in and took out a computer tablet. Sheridan stepped forward.

“I have a multitude of very serious problems,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “But then you would already know that. Chief among those problems is a Na’Vaxii battle fleet bearing down on us, a load of combat damage that’s going to take the shipyards over Earth months to repair, and then I’ve got a traitor onboard that apparently likes to shoot at girls when something spooks him.” He exchanged a glance with Hope. “Now, we’ve got to know exactly what it is that you sent to the Na’Vaxii. We need to know how much they know about this ship, military maneuvers, whatever it is you sent to them. So, I’ve given Major Hawkins and Lieutenant Halliwell the job of getting me that information.” Jake chose that moment to step forward out of the darkness.

“Since he wasn’t particularity clear on what methods we could use,” said Jake with a grin. “I’ve come up with a few clever ideas I tohught we could try.” He presented a long, serrated knife and polished the blade with his shirt.

"Get to work," Sheridan growled. He turned on his heel and left the cell. Hope stood up and walked closer to Hurst, her nimble fingers flicking over the surface of her tablet. Jake continued to lurk in the corner, idly twirling his blade.

"You've been a busy man," Hope said at last, her eyes running down the tablet's screen. "You managed to hack more than two dozen systems to hide your activities. The problem you've got is that you weren't good enough. We've got you, Mr. Hurst. We're also the only ones who can help you."

"Commander Laine was the only one who could help me," said Hurst tonelessly. "I doubt she's in the mood right now."

"No, I don't suspect she is," said Hope idly. "In fact, if she dies your problems with Central Command are going to get much worse."

"If she dies he'll never have to worry about Central Command," said Jake darkly. "Because I'll come back down here and kill him myself."

"You might as well get on with it, Major," Hurst muttered. "I'm not going to tell you anything and you're going to kill me anyway, so..."

"We're not going to kill you," Hope said calmly.

"Of course we're not," Jake interjected. "No, we're just going to cut off bits of you until you give up and let us have the information we need." He brandished the knife again. Hurst's eyes widened.

"I sent them everything!" He exclaimed, trying in vain to put as much distance between himself and Jake's knife as possible. "Everything about this ship, everything about the Translight drive, the Arcturus Device... everything!"

"And how much got through before I scrambled your transmission?" Hope demanded.

"All of it!" Hurst shouted. "They got everything!" Jake walked forward and knelt down at Hope's feet, staring into Hurst's eyes.

"This little...." He growled. "He's lying. They didn't get anything! You're the absolute worst liar I've ever met! Dear God, man! If you're going to be a turncoat at least be good at it! Now I don't even get to..." Jake shook his head and turned to Hope. "I was gonna get his penis for Commander Laine. Sort of a Get Well Soon present." Hope gave him a half irritated half disgusted look.

"I'm sure she'd have appreciated that," she said rolling her eyes. "You're sure he's lying?"

"Hell yes, he's lying," Jake roared. "His eyes give it away, the twitchy bastard. I mean, seriously Hurst... aren't you a naval officer? Don't they teach you guys to withstand interrogation? This is disappointing as hell."

“I’d still feel more comfortable if we could confirm it,” said Hope. She held up her tablet and held it out to Hurst. “This is the transmission records from the messages you transmitted to the Na’Vaxii. They’re heavily encrypted. Decrypt the files.”

“No,” He said firmly. Jake sighed heavily.

“I wonder if Commander Laine might want a couple of fingers instead,” he asked Hope in a very conversational voice. “Which fingers are you least attached to?” He added to Hurst.

“I’d rather we not start cutting off body parts just yet,” said Hope sternly. “Mr. Hurst, you do realize what charges you’ll be facing once we return to Earth, correct?”

“Of course,” he replied wearily.

“Illegal use of Federation property,” said Jake, listing off his offenses. “Tampering with Federation property… Fleeing from authorities… Assault on a superior officer… oh, and attempted murder of a superior officer.”

“And, depending on what happens down in Medical, that last one could easily be upgraded to actual murder of a superior officer.” Hope added in a very pleased voice. “My, my, my… those are very serious charges. Now, I said earlier we could help you and that’s true. But we can only do that if you cooperate. If you would tell us who it is you’re working for and help us decrypt these files, it would go a long way to helping your case.”

"I'm going up on charges of treason," said Hurst. "You really think helping you is going to make things better for me?"

"Look at it this way," said Hope serenely. "Could it possibly hurt?" Even an idiot could see the logic in that statement and Hurst, much to Jake's disappointment, agreed to help.  

-.-

Jake hit his rack after finishing up with Hope and Hurst. His nap in Medical, while welcome, wasn't what one could call a good night's rest. He returned to Medical after six full hours in his rack and arrived in the hospital just as Ava and Commander Sheridan exited Abby's room with Doctor Bradford.

"We can't do anything more until she stabilizes," Bradford was explaining to the commander.

"Will she?" Ava asked.

"I can’t say, Lieutenant," said Bradford. "She’s in bad shape, I…" He paused, a pained expression crossed his face. He looked as though he were fighting some intense internal battle. "Commander," he said at last. "We have a new medical technology aboard. My team back on Earth has been working on it for years and we brought it along to continue our trials. It's experimental and potentially extremely dangerous. I hesitate to bring it up, but under the circumstances, I feel I must. It's called a regeneration accelerator. I could go into the details, but none of you would understand it anyway. Simply put, it would temporarily speed up her natural healing process by... well, we're not sure exactly how much, but... a lot. It wouldn't be instantaneous, but she would heal much faster than normal. Maybe fast enough to save her life."

"And what makes it dangerous?" Ava asked, arching her eyebrows.

"The simple fact that it’s an untested technology," said Bradford. "Well, that and to get started we'd be pumping enough energy through her body to power a small city, so... there's that. Lab tests only go so far. Quite frankly, it could kill her... but I'm afraid that if we don't try it... she'll die anyway."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Sheridan firmly. "I'm authorizing you to use this device if you believe it could help. Keep me informed." Bradford nodded and returned to his office as Jake approached.

"Good work with Hurst, Lieutenant," Sheridan told him. "Lieutenant Halliwell has already decrypted the files and has confirmed that the Na'Vaxii did not receive any part of the transmission."

"That's good," Jake replied. "Happy to be of help, sir."

"Scarlett's back in the commander's room," Ava said as Sheridan bid them both goodbye and left for the Bridge. "She loved the Bridge. I think she'll actually be a pilot someday."

"Thanks for taking her," Jake said gratefully. "I'm glad she enjoyed it."

"She's such a sweet girl," Ava said, rather sadly. "It's a shame what's happened to her. No one should lose their whole family like that." She glanced at her watch. "I'm supposed to be on the Bridge." She walked away without another word. Jake watched her until she passed through the doors and disappeared from view. Then, with a deep sigh, he entered Abby's room.

14: Section Fourteen: Someone to Watch Over Me

In the two days since the invasion by the Na'Vaxii, Endeavour's crew had worked overtime to repair the immense amounts of damage done to the ship. Most of the hull damage was irreparable. Orbital shipyards would have to strip away the damaged armor and replace it with new plating.

The damage to the carrier's internal systems had therefore been the crew's primary concern and repairs were going well, as was Abby's recovery. Bradford's device had proven to be incredibly beneficial to her recovery and as of yet no side effects had revealed themselves. Even better, for the first time that she could remember in a very long time, Abby heard voices.

She'd been hearing them for the some time, but none of them had been clear. Although she hadn't been able to understand any of what the voices were saying, she certainly recognized the voices themselves. She had heard Doctor Bradford, Commander Sheridan, Hope, Ava, Scarlett... and Jake. It was his voice that had surprised her the most. Although his words had made no sense to her foggy brain, his tone was clear. He had been trying to comfort her.

Today, though, she could understand what the voices were saying. The first voice that registered to her was a soft, female one. That was Hope. How sweet of her to visit again. The second voice was male... Deeper, stronger. That was Jake. Aww... he was still there. She remembered hearing his voice far more often than anyone else's. She desperately wished she could see them, but she couldn’t… but wait. Why couldn’t she? She had eyes, did she not? Yes, she distinctly remembered having eyes and the ability to use them, so if she just opened her eyes which she had just confirmed she possessed, then she should be able to see anything she liked.

Of course, actually performing the task proved to be verging on impossible. Try as she might, she simply could not force her eyes to open. Hours passed as she struggled, but it was useless. She simply didn’t have the strength. What she did realize, however, was that during her struggle, someone must have noticed something because she was now being asked to squeeze people’s hands, which she discovered she could do with relative ease. She wasn’t sure why, but this must have been a good thing because the voices always seemed happy after she did it.

Silence came to her world not long after this and she knew nothing more than the utter blackness that had consumed her. After what seemed like days although it could only have been hours, a soft warmth engulfed her hand again and she heard Jake’s voice. She squeezed his hand to let him know she knew he was there and then he started talking. He told her about his day, Scarlett, the ship, the crew, their continuing hide-and-seek battle with Na’Vaxii fleets as they tried to slip back into the Alpha Sector and return to Earth.

As Jake sat there, speaking to her, Abby felt a sudden urge to attempt to open her eyes again. She resisted the urge at first. Her previous attempts had been so difficult and tiring that she didn’t want to try again, and yet the urge to try continued to grow. At last she relented and tried to open her eyes. She once again found that she couldn’t do it but she must have made some progress, perhaps her eyelids fluttered with her effort because Jake suddenly said her name in an inquisitive tone.

It was now Jake who was squeezing her hand while he spoke encouraging words to her. She heard him shouting for the doctor but it was all just noise to her. The only things she could focus on were the grip Jake had on her left hand and her ongoing battle to force open her seemingly welded shut eyelids. Finally, after a Herculean effort that caused her to expend more energy than she was positive she had ever expended in her life, her eyes fluttered open. Jake’s face instantly broke into a smile and Doctor Bradford shined a very bright flashlight into her eyes, causing her to blink furiously.

“There she is,” Bradford said softly. “That's our girl. C'mon now, stay with us." Abby felt a sudden wave of incredible exhaustion wash over her, threatening to pull her back into the darkness. Jake squeezed her hand very tightly as her eyes fluttered with the effort to stay open, but stay open they did.

"What... what happened?" she asked. Her voice was whisper-soft and her throat felt like sandpaper.

"We almost lost you, that's what happened," said Bradford. "Mr. Hurst shot you. Twelve gauge shotgun shell. You almost died. You've been in a coma for the past two days. I've been using an experimental medical device to help accelerate your healing progress and it appears to be working."

"Experimental....?" Abby asked still in that soft voice.

"Everything's fine, Abby, don't worry about it right now," said Jake reassuringly.

Over the next two days, Abby's condition improved greatly with the repeated use of Doctor Bradford's experimental device and he finally announced that she was 'out of the woods'. Jake, who was still spending a great deal of time in Medical, soon found out that Abby wasn't the most patient woman in the world. She quickly grew tired of the confines of the hospital and began pleading with Doctor Bradford to at least let her move to her quarters. Eventually, the doctor agreed on the condition that Jake go with her to monitor her condition. What with mounting injuries from the recent boarding action and the continuing battle with the Na'Vaxii fleet, he had no nurses to go with her.

Jake slowly wheeled Abby out of the elevator when the doors eased open onto Deck Two and, following her directions, he took her to her quarters. He entered the code she gave him into the keypad beside the door and the door hissed open, sliding back into the bulkhead.

“Rank really does have its perks,” said Jake as he wheeled Abby inside. “This is nice.”

“You come to appreciate the small things on a starship,” Abby agreed, slipping gingerly out of the wheelchair. “I can handle it,” she added when Jake leapt forward to help her. Abby moved away and sank slowly onto the edge of her bed, wincing as she did so.

“Aura, open the sunshade,” said Abby. Immediately, a sheet of titanium-A battle plating slid away from the floor-to-ceiling window on the left side of the bed, revealing a wide field of stars, dotted with dozens of Federation warships. Jake distinctly heard Abby inhale sharply at the sight.

"Impressive, isn't it?" asked Jake, moving over to the window and watching as the shadow of the Cheyenne Mountain passed over them. "Admiral Peterson's not pulling any punches, I'll tell you that. We've got over sixty ships out there now."

"It's quite a sight," Abby agreed as she laid back against the pillows. She gestured toward the Cheyenne Mountain. "You ever been aboard one of those?"

"An Everest-class?" Jake asked, looking up again at the massive dreadnought. "Nope, never have. Before today I've only ever seen one of them. What about you?"

"Two, actually. I took a tour of the Mount McKinley when she was first launched about three years ago," Abby replied. "I was stationed on the Mount Kosciuszko for her shakedown run. The Everests are impressive ships, I'll give them that. Not sure I'd trade Endeavour for one though. I've grown fond of the old girl." She paused as she watched the fleet flying in close formation, the system's sun illuminating their dark hulls. "There are thousands of ships in Earth orbit," she said after a moment. "But you never see the fleet so closely packed together like this. It's a view like that that makes you think we can win this war."

Jake walked away from the window as Abby pulled her legs under the blankets and drew the sheets up to her waist. He picked up a picture of two twin girls that looked a lot like Abby off of the nightstand and held it out to her.

"These your kids?" he asked her interestedly, sinking into a chair beside her bed.

"Yeah," she said rather stiffly. "Sarah and Jessica.... That was taken about two years ago."

"I'm sure you miss them, being out here fighting a war," said Jake idly, realizing that he was terrible at making people feel better.

"It doesn't have anything to do with fighting a war," said Abby bitterly. "I'd rather not talk about it, if it's all the same to you."

"Of course," said Jake, returning the picture to the nightstand and mentally cursing himself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried, I just..."

"Its fine, I'm just..." What Abby was, however, Jake didn't find out. She fell silent after that and stared blankly at the ceiling. She seemed to be blinking back tears.

"Aura," Abby said after ten minutes. "Open personal music files and play... Someone to Watch Over Me... Instrumental only, and loop it."

“What’s Aura?” Jake asked as the first few notes of the old, slow song filtered through the overhead speakers. "You keep saying that like it's a name."

“It’s just a passcode that gives access to my personal database,” Abby explained, settling more comfortably into the bed. “I just use it like a name… Makes using the voice commands a little more personal that way.” Silence fell between them against for a few moments as the music continued to play.

“You know this song?” Abby asked quite suddenly. 

“I’ve heard it,” Jake replied. “I don’t have much of a taste for twentieth century music, but it is a classic.”

“Why don’t you sing a bit for me?” Abby asked him. Jake smiled and shook his head.

“Yeah… I don’t know the song that well, and I… I don’t have that great of a singing voice.” Abby simply smiled and didn’t press the matter. Nearly an hour passed before either of them did anything other than listen in silence to the endlessly repeating song. Abby appeared to have fallen asleep at some point as Jake noticed her breathing had become slow and even.

He stared at her for a long time. She was beautiful, even wearing a hospital gown, with her face pale and her hair a mess. She was a small woman, hardly imposing. Jake knew that if he didn’t know who she was, he would never have guessed she was the commander of a warship. She just didn’t look the part. He wondered why she would have ever chosen this life... she deserved so much better.

Abby shifted in her sleep, rolling as much as possible onto her right side, unable to move much due to her injuries. She did move enough, however, for Jake to notice a thin silver chain fastened around her neck. He stood and leaned over her, trying to see what was attached to the end. He followed the necklace down her neck where a strange, blackened piece of what appeared to be glass was nestled between her breasts.

"Enjoying the view?" Abby asked him sleepily, peering up at him with a thin smile on her face. Jake's eyes narrowed then widened as it occurred to him just how peculiar this situation must appear to her.

"Oh, God, I... no, I wasn't looking at your... I would never... Not that they’re not worth looking at, I mean... Wait, no! Well, I mean you’re very.... but I shouldn't...  I was looking at your necklace," he finally managed to choke out. Abby was doing her very best not to laugh, it tended to hurt, but she was smiling widely.

She gently tugged on the thin string, pulling the piece of glass into view. She held it out to him as best she could; the chain was very short so the glass couldn't move very far from her. The glass was twisted, cracked and blackened as though it had been engulfed by tremendous heat. Jake looked up at Abby, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What is this?" he asked. She suddenly looked on the verge of tears again.

"You just keep asking me about things I'd rather not discuss," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," he said, releasing the necklace. "I guess I should stop asking you questions..."

"A... actually, Jake, I..." she sighed deeply. “Look, I've never talked about this." she held up the necklace. “No… no one else knows what this is. It never hit me until now, but I almost died and I… I’m all that’s left. If I die, there won’t be anyone left to remember them, and… and they shouldn’t be forgotten. I… I need to tell this story to someone… to carry the memories…”

“I’d be happy to listen,” Jake offered warmly. Abby let out a long breath she appeared to have been holding.

“Okay,” she said shakily. “One thing, Jake… This story… it doesn’t always show me in the best of lights. I… I don’t know what your opinion of me is, but please don’t let what I’m about to tell you tarnish that opinion. I… I’d hate to lose your respect…”

“I can’t imagine you’ve done something as terrible as that,” said Jake kindly. “If there’s anything I have for you, it’s respect.”

“Okay, well I… I guess it starts years and years ago, back on my homeworld. I grew up on Calonia Sirtis. It’s a… an outer colony world. It’s so far removed from the Federation that most people have never even heard of it. It was an agricultural world, so it was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, but spring... oh, spring was perfect.

"We'd get these massive windstorms coming off the mountains that would die down to a mild breeze just as they reached the valley where the planet's only city lay. I remember lying in the tall grass in the fields my family owned on those early spring nights, just gazing up at the stars with my best friend. His name was John... Johnny Paris. We grew up together, spent practically every waking moment together for a long time." Abby fell silent for a long time, seemingly lost in her own memories. Jake didn't say anything at all, he just sat there... waiting. At long last, she continued as though she had never stopped.

"I got married really young," she explained. "No, not to Johnny if that's what you're thinking. No, we were still friends, but I... I married the football star, Michael Laine. It wasn't that we weren't in love, it was just that... We were young, and I... I was the head cheerleader and the prom queen and we... things happened.

"The girls were born by the time I was nineteen and for the briefest of moments, my life was what I always thought it would be. A big family, friends... everything anyone needs on a simple world like Calonia Sirtis. But a year after the girls were born, it all fell apart." She stopped again, breathing deeply as though collecting what strength she had to complete some Herculean task that Jake could only guess at. Slowly, she continued her story.

"My family was always close," she said fondly, speaking as though this were exactly where she had left off moments before. "My dad and I particularly. I had him wrapped around my little finger and we both knew it. Whenever my mom would upset me or say no to something I wanted, I'd always run to Dad. The thing of it was, even though he'd comfort me and make me feel... better, he... he still stood firm with the answer my mother had already given to me. It just... felt better coming from him. He just had this... this way about him. He could make me feel like a princess even on my worst days." She stopped a third time and fixed Jake with the most serious of stares.

"Have you ever seen the Na'Vaxii destroy a world?" she asked him. Jake shook his head slowly.

"Not in person, no," he replied.

"They came in the night," she whispered, turning her gaze back to the ceiling. "I remember lying in bed with nothing but the sounds of a warm summer's night drifting through the window and then... then there was this terrifying droning sound, like the moaning of a wounded animal... and then we heard the screaming.

"We'd heard of the Na'Vaxii, of course, but they hadn't ever bothered us. Earth, the Federation and the war weren't things we worried about. When I was growing up, Earth was just this... big, shiny place far away that my dad paid taxes to and honestly, until I was almost twelve, like most kids, I didn’t even realize there were aliens, if you can believe that. The Federation wasn't worried about protecting us, either… but like us, they assumed we weren’t ‘strategically important’ enough to worry about. But then we started hearing strange things.

“Their ships were seen in neighboring systems, patrolling the area as though they were looking for something. They’d come nearby before, so we didn’t think anything of it… until one of our transport ships that carried our planet’s produce to the Inner Colonies just disappeared, as did the second transport that went in search of the first. Before we could even send a message to the Federation, the Na’Vaxii ship appeared in orbit.

“We ran outside as soon as we heard the screams and in the few moments it took to scramble out of the house, that single ship had obliterated our only city. I… I remember looking up at that massive, terrifying ship. It was as black as the night it hovered in, it’s midline lit by this strange purple light. It fired red beams at buildings, cars… people… weapons meant for capital ship combat being used on people…

“You know, I… I remember looking up, seeing that ship… and then I remember being on a transport, fleeing the system. How we got to the shuttle, what happened during our escape… I don’t remember any of it.”

“But you escaped,” said Jake. “You, and… and your daughters…”

“Yeah…” Abby replied slowly. “Yeah, we did… but that was all. Me, Michael, and our two girls escaped, but the rest of our family… all of them died. Ours was the only ship to make it off of the planet. There were six other people on our shuttle. Ten people, Jake. Ten people… out of one hundred and seventy-five thousand.

“The Na’Vaxii burned Calonia Sirtis,” She held up the necklace again, gazing transfixed at the glass as she spoke. “They move siege ships into orbit, that’s how they do it so quickly. Massive ships built on dreadnought hulls with one huge plasma cannon mounted to the front. They use them to turn an entire world to glass… and then they shatter it. They shatter it with some sort of hyper-accelerated mass driver.” She held out the necklace to Jake again, who accepted the glass and looked down at it. His eyes slipped from the glass and met her gaze as a terrible realization hit him. “You’re holding the last piece of my homeworld.”

"My God, Abby. That's terrible, I..." He didn't know what to say. What could he say? He didn't even know her and yet she was telling him something so personal, so painful, so deeply a part of her that she could never be apart from it. The words he wanted just wouldn't come to him. Abby, it seemed, didn't expect him to say anything at all.

"Yes," she whispered. "It is terrible... but that's not the end of the story. I haven't really even gotten to the terrible part yet. You see, the attack on Calonia Sirtis... I couldn't have done anything to stop that. But what happened later... yeah, no one can be blamed for that but me.

"We took the transport ship to Episky IV. It was another Outer Colony, but it was close to the border. There was a Federation space station less than an hour away and Federation battle groups occasionally entered orbit. It was a bigger world, a safer world... We settled there, figured it was best. We had no money to get off-world. Transports to Earth are incredibly expensive, but Episky had a booming jobs market so we thought it would be better to try and make a life there.

"The only problem was that I... I couldn't handle it. The loss... the deaths of everyone I ever knew... ever loved... I spent a year in therapy, but... it didn't help. I was just floating through life, stuck in a reverie so deep I couldn't escape it. I wasn't a wife... and I certainly wasn't a mother. So, I made a choice. I joined the Navy. I wanted revenge for my family, my home... I thought it might help.

"At first, things were better. Fighting the bastards that destroyed my world made me feel... good. Even though I wasn’t at Weapons, even doing my job at Ops… I knew I was helping kill them. The problem was whenever I wasn’t on-duty I slipped back into that same depression I couldn’t escape on Episky. I had a… problem… with certain liquids during that first year on Episky and it followed me into the Navy.

“Eventually, I stopped going home. It was just better… The girls were growing up without me and it just confused them when I’d show up after a year and a half and… Michael remarried after three years. He just… He needed someone, and I wasn’t there. He wasn’t angry with me, he... he understood. He forgave me… he just... It was for the best.

"Michael occasionally sent me pictures of the girls, but I never went back home. I just couldn't. Sarah and Jessica were happy and I didn't want to do that to them. Michael, though, he was persistent. A little over eight months ago, I... I had some leave-time coming and...  well, I accepted Michael's invitation. I was planning to go, I wanted to... but Admiral Ross asked me to delay the trip and take out a destroyer squadron on a six week patrol. It was a volunteer mission... and I took it.

"Once again I put the Navy before my family and accepted that mission. I was supposed to go home... I should have gone home, but I didn't... and three days later we got the call." She broke off and began to cry. Jake wasn't sure what to do. Crying girls weren't something he was used to dealing with. Nevertheless, he gripped her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

"I should have seen it coming," Abby whispered, more to herself it seemed than to Jake. "I should have known, but I... I never... We were the closest Federation fleet, so we went in first. We were an hour away from Episky when the call came in. By the time we arrived the Na'Vaxii had already started burning the planet. They had over three hundred ships... I had a dozen destroyers at my command.  

"I had a choice to make. Make a stand, try to fight... or turn and run. I knew if we fought it wouldn't make a difference. Episky was gone and we couldn't do anything for the people there. If we'd fought we'd all have died and Episky would still have been destroyed. I chose to run... and I left not only my family but millions of others to die at the hands of the Na'Vaxii."

“You’re blaming yourself for running away, but you were right,” said Jake firmly. “You couldn’t have held off thirty Na'Vaxii ships on your own, much less three hundred. They’d have swatted your ships aside and gone on destroying the planet and your own sacrifice would’ve just added more deaths to the list. You were right to leave… you couldn’t have helped them, Abby.”

“I should’ve been there,” she whispered. “I… I should’ve been there with my daughters when those ships showed up, but I… I put the job ahead of my family and…”

“And it saved your life,” said Jake pointedly. “You’d be dead too and if I may say so we’d all be the worse off for it. Maybe you’d have rather died with your kids, but…”

“I would have,” Abby told him. “I would have rather died than watch those bastards burn another world… my world! I went AWOL, actually, when I got back to Earth. Four weeks hiding from the Federation… and I don’t think I spent one second of it sober. But then Admiral Graham found me. He and I go way back. He was my instructor at OCS and we’ve stayed in touch… He offered me a choice. Come back to the Navy and he’d wipe the slate clean… if I refused, well… there was a price to pay.”

“You made the right decision,” said Jake sincerely. “Coming back, I mean. I don’t know how this mission would’ve gone if you hadn’t been here. I’d probably be dead and so would Scarlett… and who knows what else might’ve happened.” Abby didn’t respond to that. In fact, she tilted her head toward the window and didn’t say anything further. It appeared she had reached the end of her story, or at least all of it she was going to tell him.  

Jake could scarcely imagine how she must feel, the pain she had to live with every day. He wasn’t sure he could’ve been as strong in her place. Abby fell asleep not long later and Jake leaned back in his seat, listening to the endlessly looping song that he found he still enjoyed listening to even after hearing it over and over for so long.

He stood after a moment and walked over to the window, watching the vast Federation fleet that stood guard around them, watching over them. Smiling slightly, he listening for a moment, searching for the proper notes in the music and when he heard what he’d been listening for, he sang, perfectly on key;

“Won’t you tell her please, to put on some speed… follow my lead… oh, how I need… someone to watch over me.”

15: Section Fifteen: Dreams and Stories

Abby woke with a start hours later, causing Jake, who was changing the bandages over the wound on her thigh, to jump.

“Sorry,” he said concernedly. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, you… you’re fine,” she said, her chest heaving. “Bad dream…”

“Yeah, I have my fair share of those too,” said Jake, gently wrapping a fresh bandage around her leg. “A lot of the pilots say they have the same dream. I’m flying my Saber, endlessly fighting the Na’Vaxii and one of the big ape bastards blows by ship to pieces. I eject and float in my flight suit, watching a battle between two capital ships. The Na’Vaxii one turns to fire on the Federation ship and I’m caught in the beam. If you have any idea what that means…”

"So you... you think dreams mean something?" Abby asked curiously. Jake shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "I've never really thought about it that much, but... I guess they could."

"I hope they don't," Abby said honestly. "If my dreams mean what they seem to mean, I'm in trouble."

"What was your dream about?" Jake asked her, but before she could answer there was a tremendous BOOM! and the ship shuddered violently. Abby's wide eyes locked onto Jake.

"What was that?"

"That was... oh, I guess I forgot to mention... We're under attack." Abby's jaw dropped.

"We're under...! Aura, open the sunshade!" The armor plating slid back to reveal a very different sight than the one Abby remembered. Broken hulls of Federation and Na'Vaxii warships drifted past the viewport. A cruiser appeared from the left, firing its main artillery batteries at a Na'Vaxii ship beyond their view. Two Saber interceptors shot past the viewport within mere meters of the hull, in hot pursuit of a Na'Vaxii fighter. Judging by the scraping sound further down the hull, it appeared that the Sabers had forced the fighter into the carrier's armored hull.

"Any idea how we're doing?" Abby asked worriedly. Jake shrugged.

"Well, we're still here," he said quietly. "That's something..."

"I've got to get to the Bridge," said Abby, attempting to sit up. She winced in pain and slumped back against the pillows, panting.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere," said Jake, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Commander Sheridan can handle things on the Bridge, just..."

"The crew needs to know their commanding officer is still with them," Abby growled. "They've been fighting almost non-stop for days! We're light-years away from Earth and there's no sign the Na'Vaxii are going to back down. I need to be there for them."   

"I'm not going to..." Jake began, but Abby cut him off.

"I can make it an order," she said sternly. "Help me get to the Bridge,"

"Fine," Jake relented at last. "But if anything happens to you, you're taking the wrap from Bradford." Jake helped Abby ease out of bed and out into the corridor after she refused to sit in the wheelchair. Together, they entered an elevator and finally emerged on Deck One. Jake escorted Abby to the Bridge, making sure to keep a firm arm around her waist, supporting her.

As they entered the Bridge proper, there was a sudden outburst of applause as crew members spotted Abby, which caused Commander Sheridan to look up from the tactical display. He shook his head wearily as he noticed them approaching.

"Commander, you shouldn't be here now," said Sheridan firmly. "Lieutenant, I thought you were supposed to be..."

"I'm sorry, sir," said Jake apologetically. "She insisted."

"And I am the commander," said Abby sharply. She nodded toward the display. "How are we doing?"

"We've lost fifteen ships," said Sheridan, realizing he was fighting a losing battle. "Admiral Peterson has a plan to lose them and get Endeavour clear of their sensors, but it's taking time to implement."

"What sort of plan?" Abby asked. Sheridan turned back to the tactical display and starting entering commands. Abby slumped back into Jake's embrace while Sheridan wasn't looking.

"Don't let me go, Jake," She whispered. "If you do, I'll collapse,"   

"Don't worry," Jake replied warmly. "I've got you," Abby laced the fingers of her left hand through his and squeezed.

"Thank you,"

"Here are the tactical details," said Sheridan, drawing Abby's attention back to the display. "During the next FTL jump, Endeavour will jump out with the fleet and then alter our course slightly during the next jump while the fleet continues on its original vector. With luck, the Na'Vaxii won't notice Endeavour is gone until the rest of the fleet drops out of FTL."

"You're planning on changing course during an FTL jump?" Jake asked incredulously. Abby and Sheridan both looked at him. He swallowed nervously. "Oh... sorry..."

"It's a perfectly valid question, actually," said Abby. "What's that old rhyme from OCS? Faster-Than-Light, no left or right? FTL jumps are straight-line only. From my understanding, a course change while moving at that velocity could tear the ship in half."

"True," Sheridan admitted. "But Chief McDaniel believes that the Translight drive should be capable of it. Unfortunately, we can only alter our course by a few degrees at a time. So, we'll be traveling at FTL for several days before we put enough distance between ourselves and the fleet."

"Wait... Translight? I was under the impression that the Na'Vaxii could track our Translight signature," said Abby. "What changed?"

"Lieutenant McDaniel and Dr. Almoodavar collaborated on a little project. They've done pretty good work... well, at least they say they have. Hell, how am I supposed to know. A FTL drive is an FTL drive to my eyes. Anyway, according to them, the Translight drive signature should now be no more detectable than standard FTL drives. They shouldn't be able to track us. Just in case, we're going to switch to standard FTL once we're clear of the Na'Vaxii's sensors. That way if they are able to track the drive, we won't lead them back to Earth."

"Zach... we're taking some pretty big risks here," said Abby uncertainly.

"Yes, we are," said Sheridan unabashedly. "I know it’s a risk, Commander... but it's the only plan we've got." Abby nodded understandably.

"Thank Peterson for me, will you, Zach?" she said. "We owe him for coming to help us... he's lost good ships, good people..."

"I will, ma'am," Sheridan replied. It was clear to Jake that Abby was at the end of her endurance. She was leaning fully against him now, and it was only his support that was keeping her on her feet.

"You really should go back to your quarters," Jake whispered in her ear as the Bridge crew was momentarily distracted by the arrival of seven additional Na'Vaxii warships. It was obvious that she was fighting an internal battle with herself as she tried to rationalize leaving her crew to fight without her and knowing she couldn't realistically command her ship in a battle anyway. At last, reason won out and she allowed herself to be steered out into the corridor and into an elevator.

When they were safely hidden away in the elevator, Abby slumped against Jake, the last of her strength giving away. Jake wrapped his arm more securely around her waist. She looked up at him with pain filling her dark eyes and he gave her a warm smile.

"I've got to say, Abby, you're quite a lady,"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she inquired.

"What you just did for the crew... that was really something," Jake explained. "You're dead on your feet, but you put in an appearance on the Bridge. I know that took a lot out of you."

"A crew can fall apart after losing their commanding officer," said Abby. "With everything that's going on... what's being asked of them, I... I wanted to show them that I... that I'm still with them."

The elevator doors parted onto Deck Two and Jake helped Abby down the corridor and back into her quarters. Jake closed the door as Abby settled back into bed. She tilted her head toward the window as the battle outside continued to rage. Jake sat down at the foot of the bed as a Na'Vaxii cruiser appeared from the right edge of the window. From somewhere above them, Endeavour's artillery batteries opened fire.

The two ships exchanged fire for a few minutes, but soon Endeavour's main guns overpowered the alien cruiser and its guns fell silent. A sudden flash as bright as a sun blossomed in the night, causing the viewport to automatically dim to block the light of the cruiser's main reactor detonating. An explosion more powerful than a thousand nuclear bombs, utterly silent in the void.

"I don't notice it on the Bridge," said Abby after a few minutes. "The fear," she added when she noticed the questioning expression on Jake's face. "Maybe it's because I know what's happening... because I have some small measure of control, but... down here, like this..." she shrugged. "It's... different."

"Yeah, you get used to it," said Jake. "Strike craft aren't much use in a battle like this, and you know as well as I do that half of the time neither we nor the Na'Vaxii launch fighters in a heavyweight fight.”

“PDS lasers are too accurate,” said Abby, nodding slightly. “You get too many capital ships together and fighters become easy pickings for them. I remember my contact when I went to enlist suggested I might make a good fighter pilot.” Abby smiled slightly. “Suffice to say, I turned him down. Nobody’s getting me into one of those little things.” A playful smile had suddenly appeared on Jake’s face.

“So, you’re scared?” Abby smirked.

“Terrified, actually,” she admitted. Jake nodded.

“Honestly, I can’t blame you,” he said gently. “All it takes is for one of those apes to catch you on a bad day out there and just blow you away. It happens in every engagement… you just have to pray its not you.” 

“So, why did you do it?” Abby asked. “Become a pilot, I mean? There are a lot of safer military jobs out there. Why sign up for one of the most dangerous ones?”

"Because of my dad, I guess," Jake replied. "And his dad, and his mom, and her mom, and her dad... well, you get the picture. My family's all been pilots going back for generations."

"So you never thought about doing anything else?" Abby asked him. "Something outside of the military?"

"Not really," said Jake. He shrugged and sat back in his chair. "It was just always... expected of me to become a pilot. But what about you? Obviously you didn't want to be a starship commander. What did you want to do?" Abby shook her head.

"Life was... simple on Calonia Sirtis," she said. "It was an agricultural world before... well, the men all went and worked in the farms and the women took care of the house. It was an old way of life, but it worked. I never really had any other plans, you know? I figured I'd be a housewife... that's just what we did."

"That actually sounds kind of nice," said Jake casually. "It seems simple, peaceful."

"I miss it," Abby said in a terribly sad voice that managed to tear at Jake's heart. "Episky was... culture shock for me. A huge city with flying cars darting between buildings whose tops disappeared into the clouds. Spaceships the size of cities floating above us day and night... I know it doesn't mean anything to you, growing up on Earth, but... to me it was just too much, too fast."

"I... uh.... You know, I actually remember hearing about the attack on Episky," said Jake uncertainly. "I was... on the Sol Patrol, that's what the veteran pilots call it. It's the safest duty a pilot can pull, what with all of the Home Fleet within five minutes of you wherever you are in the system. I was on the Breckenridge, and we... we got the call. Command wanted the Breckenridge to evaluate the situation and assist if possible, but... well, she was only a cruiser and when Commander Duran got word of the alien fleet's composition he decided to abort the mission."

"Like you said, one ship couldn't have held off that fleet," said Abby lightly. "No one could've done anything... the Third Fleet was six hours out and I... They weren't sent in. Command held the fleet and let the planet fall because it wasn't 'strategically important' enough to warrant risking those ships. I've wondered if... well, maybe the Third Fleet could've... I mean I know it’s done and no amount of debate is gonna change it, but I..."

"You can't let yourself get caught up in that kind of thing," said Jake. "You'll end up driving yourself crazy. What's done is done and if you try and think of the million ways things could've been different..."

"I know," Abby said quietly, tilting her head toward the opened window where a Federation battleship drifted ominously, her main guns rotating to track a target Abby couldn't see. "Yeah... believe me, I know."

-.-

"What I am about to tell you is so highly classified that I cannot being to guess what Central Command would do to us if anyone discovered I had revealed this information." Abby said by way of greeting as Jake, Ava, and Hope settled themselves into the room around Abby's bed. "So, I'm giving all of you the opportunity to walk out of this room right now and forget you were ever asked to come here. No questions asked." No one moved.

"Alright, then. As far as anyone here is concerned, the following conversation never happened." Abby shifted uncomfortably. "Malcolm Hurst is a member of a highly dangerous organization known simply as One Galaxy. Their mission is to aid the Na'Vaxii in the war against the Federation."

"Why would any human want to help the Na'Vaxii?" Ava asked.

"Because they believe that the Federation is going to lose the war," said Abby plainly. "They think if they show the aliens that they can be useful, they could be spared when humanity is destroyed. One Galaxy smuggles information to the aliens, sabotages Federation equipment and has even been responsible for a small number of political assassinations.

"In this case, Hurst attempted to transmit information about Endeavour's Translight drive system and the Arcturus Device. While the aliens did not receive the transmissions, I'm worried that One Galaxy won't give up so easily."

"But we've arrested Hurst," said Jake. "He's not going to be sending any messages to anybody for a long time."

"One Galaxy is a widespread terrorist organization with operatives everywhere." said Abby. "No One Galaxy operative operates alone, we know this. So, it's pretty clear... there is another One Galaxy operative aboard this ship. And the worst part... it could be any one of us, even one of the four of us in this room... even me." Abby fell silent to allow the full weight of that reality to settle on the others.

"That... that's terrifying." said Hope nervously. "If there's another operative..."

"There is another operative," Abby said firmly. "I would stake my life on that fact. I've confided in the three of you for reasons that are entirely my own. Suffice to say that of the people on this ship, I trust you the most... enough to reveal this information to you. As I am incapable of helping you track down this other operative, I need you all to do this.

"Ava, I want you to constantly monitor every line of communication to this ship, coming and going. If you hear or read anything suspicious... even if you don't really think it's anything I want it brought to my attention. We need to follow every lead at this point.

"Hope, you'll be keeping an eye on the Bridge staff, the senior staff in particular. If One Galaxy was able to position one of their people on the Bridge of the most secret and secure starship in the fleet, then they could have easily placed another."

"Ma'am, if I may ask..." said Ava, looking highly uncomfortable. "Why wasn't Commander Sheridan brought into this?" Abby considered her for a very long moment before answering.

"As I said, I have reasons for trusting all three of you." said Abby delicately. "Hope brought the information about a leak directly to me. I would never have known about the leak if she had not done so, therefore Hurst could have operated with impunity. Hope being an operative makes no sense.

"Jake gave me the confirmation I needed to prove that Hurst was associated with One Galaxy," she continued. "He'd have no reason to do that if he were in league with them... and he's also not the type they look for."

"I feel as though I should be insulted," said Jake idly. Abby smirked.

"It was a compliment, actually," she said lightly. "Now, Ava, I have to admit you're the one I'm the most concerned about." Ava's eyes widened in shock.

"But... but I helped you capture Hurst!" she exclaimed. "I didn't...!"

"Relax, Ava," said Abby, holding up her hands. "Believe me, if I actually thought for a moment that you were the operative, I'd have you locked away in the deepest section of the brig where I assure you, you would never see the light of day again. I simply meant that your actions in aiding in Hurst's capture, after having learned that we suspected him, would make most people rule you out as a suspect. That's something any operative would want to do in that situation."

"Well... I didn't do it to rule me out as a suspect," said Ava. "I did it because I..."

"I know why you did it, Ava," said Abby. "You're not the operative, I know that. Now, I want you two to return to your duties and try to act as naturally as possible. I don't want either of you looking suspicious. It won't help if the rest of the crew notices you acting weird."

"Yes, ma'am," said Hope. "We'll report anything we find immediately."

"Thanks," said Abby. Hope and Ava stood to leave and Jake walked them out. Scarlett slipped into the room as they left.

"So, there's a rogue agent on the ship, huh?" said Scarlett brightly, sitting down on the side of Abby's bed. "What can I do to help?"

"How did you...? Were you eavesdropping?" Abby demanded. Scarlett shrugged innocently.

"I tried really hard not to hear from over there by the door where I was listening," she replied with a grin.

"Well, that's great," said Abby weakly. "Listen, you're not to breathe a word about what you overhead, okay? Not a single word. You're also no to go looking around and poking your nose into this."

"Alright, calm down!" Scarlett exclaimed. "I won't say anything."

"I'm serious, Scarlett," Abby insisted. "This ship... it isn't safe here. There's someone extremely dangerous aboard and I have no idea who they are... and what's worse... I don't know who they aren't."

-.-

Abby awoke later that evening to a stabbing pain coursing through her whole body. She whimpered in pain, surprised at the sudden, shocking agony she found herself in. A soft moan escaped her lips, barely audible, but loud enough to wake Jake, who was sleeping sprawled across the foot of her bed. He jerked awake and hurried to his feet.

"Here," he said, seizing the regenerator and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "We're late for your next treatment."

"Great," she said grimly. "I'm usually asleep when you do these. This thing feels like you're setting my skin on fire."

"But it helps," said Jake. "You're healing very quickly." He powered up the regenerator and reached for the hem of her bathrobe, only to glance up and notice her watching him.

"Right..." he said uncertainly. "You've always been asleep when I have to do these sessions. Do you mind...?" She smirked up at him.

"Well, you've already tried to peek down my shirt," she said with a grin. "At least this time you're doing something useful. Go ahead." Jake nodded and swallowed very visibly. He pulled her hospital gown up away from the wound on her inner thigh. He reached out and lifted her leg, bending it at the knee to give himself better access to the injury. He powered up the regenerator and, doing his very best to avoid dropping his gaze to her underwear, he began passing the device a few centimeters over the wound.

"And Bradford's sure this thing is safe?" Abby asked, wincing. "I can't help thinking I'm going to end up dying of radiation poisoning or something."

"Far be it from me to say, seeing as I haven't got the foggiest idea how this thing works, but I'm pretty sure there's no radiation involved." said Jake firmly, his eyes locked on the regenerator.

"I was joking," said Abby quietly. She let out a soft gasp of shock. "Okay, okay... keep talking to me... keep my mind off of it."

"Alright, uh..." he paused, his brain fought a very brief and very futile battle with another part of his body, he then glanced downward and said what might be the worst possible thing he could have possibly come up with. "I guess I was right. I didn't have you pegged as the pink panties kind of girl. Black and lacy, I figured... yeah..."

"And you've spent a lot of time thinking about my underwear, then, have you?" Abby asked him.

"No, no... I just noticed them this morning when I gave you your last regenerator treatment. Like I said, I usually do these when you're asleep, so..."

"So, you spent time ogling my panties while you were at it?"

"I didn't ogle, I noticed." said Jake defensively. "I thought it was classy... and admittedly sexy at the same time." Abby seemed to consider him for a long moment.

"You're lucky I like you," she said at last. "Most majors would be brought up on charges for saying things like that to their commanding officer." Jake grinned.

"True," he admitted. "But then, my commanding officer is unique. She doesn't like being appropriate, after all."

"I hate it, actually," she reminded him. "Besides, you're not the first person to see me in my underwear in the field... probably won't be the last, either. Have you ever experienced this before?

"What?" asked Jake. "Seeing far more of my commanding officer than I ever should have? No, not really." Abby giggled.

"No, I meant in a medical situation," Abby clarified. "There's not a lot of room for modesty in the field, after all."

"No, this is a first for me," said Jake nervously. "Being a pilot, the only way to get injured typically results in your ship exploding in a ball of fire."

"Right..." said Abby quietly.

"Well?" Jake asked interestedly. "What about you?" Abby looked up at him for a moment and sighed.

"Uh... yeah," she said softly. "It was six years ago. I was a Lieutenant aboard the Morgana Le Fay. She was a deep-space stealth recon ship, one of the Department of Naval Intelligence covert vessels. We only had a eight man crew aboard and I was the only woman on that ship, so if you thinking about my underwear is bad, imagine being stuck on a ship with about as much deck space as this room and being the only woman surrounded by seven men who haven't seen another woman in eight months.

"Did anyone every try anything... inappropriate?" Jake asked, wrapping a fresh bandage around Abby's leg and moving on to the wound on her stomach.

"The captain kept everyone in line," said Abby with a hint of a smile. "Of course the punishment for anything inappropriate is a court-martial and a five hundred year imprisonment term without parole. The Federation takes that sort of thing pretty seriously. Anyway, we were scouting beyond the border of Federation space. We were looking for the Na'Vaxii homeworld. I shouldn't be telling you any of this, but... the Federation has certain... plans... for dealing with the Na'Vaxii homeworld when we ever locate it.

"We wound up coming across a Na'Vaxii cruiser. Naturally, we tried to track it and with our stealth systems we managed to follow it for a while. Somehow they managed to detect us. We broke and ran, but the cruiser was naturally faster. It chased us all the way to the Oberden system. We planned on using the atmosphere of the system's fifth planet to hide our energy signature but the cruiser was on top of us immediately.

"The cruiser shot us down. They didn't even use their primary weapons. They hit us with one of their point defense beams, cut right through our port engine nacelle. It was lucky, if they'd fired with one of their plasma weapons, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. We ended up crashing on the planet, somewhere in a jungle. Surprisingly, the cruiser didn't follow us or deploy troops which was about the only lucky break we had.

"Five of the crew, including the captain, were killed in the crash and the Morgana was a total loss. I had a piece of shattered bulkhead about the size of an ink pen embedded right about here." She paused, tracing her finger over a nearly invisible scar about two inches long, just above her waistline on her left side.

"Ouch!" Jake exclaimed, grimacing. Abby grinned.

"'Ouch' doesn't even begin to cover it." she said seriously. "We were stuck there for weeks. I was in the best shape out of the survivors and I had to keep us alive. I only had basic medical training, but the three of us... we made it. It was hard... really hard... but we made it home. The Ardent Venture found us, thankfully, and carted us back home. We got lucky... we wouldn't have lasted much longer down there."

"Just when I think you can't get any more amazing," said Jake with a grin. "You've been through way too much, Abby." The commander didn't reply.

16: Section Sixteen: Home

Days passed. Endeavour continued her seemingly endless retreat back to Earth and as the days went by, it appeared that they had at last given the Na'Vaxii the slip. Endeavour was now alone, having left Admiral Peterson's task force behind to engage a few straggling Na'Vaxii warships. Unfortunately, the carrier was well over a week's journey from Earth, having been forced to alter her course so many times in order to escape

The week-long journey wasn't a problem for Jake and Abby, however. In fact, Abby found she was quite looking forward to it. She had, during the days she had spent being watched over by Jake, felt more at peace and relaxed than she had in a long time.

It was the first time in years that she had simply let go and she was surprised at how liberated she felt. It didn't hurt that Jake was very nice and pleasant to talk to. She had to admit, she liked him... and it had been a very long time since she had met anyone she had been willing to let down her guard for.

"...And so he held it up and waved it," Jake exclaimed to Abby, who was laughing hysterically despite the pain that stabbed through her abdomen from her rapidly healing wounds.

"He waved it?!" Abby asked incredulously, looking over at Jake who lay on his back atop the blankets beside her. "He wasn't embarrassed?" Jake shook his head vigorously.

"Oh, no, no, no! He was so proud of it," he replied, causing Abby to return to her fits of laughter.

"Okay, okay," said Abby when she had at last regained control of herself. "Let me tell you about my drill sergeant back in Basic. I swear, I've never met a man more in love with his beard than..."

"Don't tell me, you had Sergeant Monahan too?" asked Jake.

"You had him too?" Abby asked, surprised. "I thought he was planning to retire.”

“No, no, he’s still there,” said Jake. “He told us the same thing, that we were his last platoon and that he was retiring after that year. I think he tells everyone that same story. You're right about the old man's beard, though. I tell you, I will never love a woman the way that man loves his chin sweater."

"Does he still comb it while he's talking?" Abby asked. "When were you in Basic, anyway? I went through in '75." 

“I went in back in ’75 too,” Jake exclaimed. “Were you in the summer group or the winter group?”

“Summer,” Abby replied.

“Oh, that’s why I don’t remember you then,” he said. “I was in the winter group that year. I knew you couldn’t have been there. I would’ve recognized you. Pretty sad, though… we joined up in the same year and yet here you are, a full commander and I’m still a major.”

“It takes longer to earn promotions in Star Force,” said Abby with a shrug. “Besides, I graduated OCS a little early so that helped me. I spent almost five years as a Lieutenant at the Operations post on the Normandy. She was a good little ship, fast and a good bite to her too. Then I managed to get bumped up to Lieutenant Commander and got the XO position on the Sojourn.”

“My squadron was recently stationed on the Sojourn,” said Jake. “She was on the Sol Patrol too, the Jupiter-Pluto run actually. She was a good ship with a strong crew.”  

“Is Captain Daniels still in command?” Abby asked curiously.

“Yeah, he’s still there. Impressive man, I have to say. I liked him. He never let the crew slack off, Sol Patrol or not. He took it seriously.”

"People say the Sol Patrol is light duty, but in my opinion it's the most important post you can get," said Abby honestly. "It doesn't matter how many colonies we have if we lose Earth. They get Earth and the war's over."

"There's over two thousand ships protecting Earth," said Jake firmly. "And another two thousand less than ten hours out. Do you really think they'll attack Earth anytime soon? They destroy... what? One, maybe two planets a year and they've never hit an Inner Colony before. If anything they'll hit Repulse before they go to Earth and Repulse is the largest ship-building facility we have outside of the Hyperion Fleet Shipyards over Mars."

"I'd like to see them try to attack Repulse," said Abby, almost daringly. "Did you see the specs on the new planetary defense guns?"

"What defense guns?" Jake asked curiously.

"Oh, they're a prototype project," said Abby. "The biggest mass drivers ever built. It takes a city's worth of power just to fire one of the things, but one shell can take down a battleship. With those guns, the orbital stations, and the Eighth and Twelfth Fleets in orbit... well, they'd have to be bloody seriously determined to take that planet if they're going to try. Repulse is just as safe as Earth."

Jake tilted his head to his right to look at her as she fell silent. He had to admit, he couldn't keep himself from staring. She was very beautiful, despite having been cooped up in this room for days on end and hardly bothering to maintain her appearance. Without warning, Abby turned her head to look at him.

"What are you staring at?" she asked sleepily.

"You," said Jake unabashedly. Abby arched her eyebrows, surprised.

"Oh, yeah?" she asked interestedly.

"Yeah," said Jake. "You... well, you remind me of this girl I knew back on Earth."

"Girlfriend?"

"A long time ago," said Jake idly. "God, I probably haven't seen her in almost ten years. Her name was Megan, she... didn't support me joining the service."

"So, you picked the job over the girl, then?" Abby inquired delicately.

"She saw it that way," said Jake gruffly. "I almost backed out, but... she didn't want to be the cause of me not following my dreams... figured I'd resent her for it."

"Trust me, I know from experience that maintaining a relationship in these situations isn't easy," said Abby lightly. "Find yourself a military girl. She'll understand... you'll have a much easier time."

"Oh, so someone like you?" Jake asked neutrally. Abby smiled, but shook her head.

"No, no," she said quietly. "Definitely not someone like me. I'd think you'd want someone who's not a complete emotional wreck."

"You're not a complete emotional wreck," said Jake with a smile.

"Oh, thank you," said Abby sarcastically.

"I mean it, though," said Jake thoughtfully. "Look, I know you've been through hell and I'm not even going to try to imagine how you must feel. Regardless, I've seen people completely fall apart after going through things much less terrible than you've experienced. You, though... You pulled yourself together and got back up. You're here, commanding an incredibly advanced starship and tasked with keeping a crew of six thousand working together."

"That just means I'm good at throwing myself at my work to hide my pain," said Abby quietly.

"So I do need someone like you," said Jake. "I need to learn how to help people deal with their pain. You might not have noticed, but I'm not very good with feelings..."

"And people," Abby added. "You're not very good with people."

"Yeah, I've been told before," said Jake with a grimace. "But seriously, Abby. I understand that you might be... a little... you know, high maintenance and all, but who knows? You might find someone who likes... maintaining you."

"Maintaining me, huh?" Abby repeated with a small smile. "Well, I suppose I could use a good maintenance inspection every now and again."

"You might find someone who likes inspecting you, too," Jake said airily.

"Are you volunteering?" Abby asked him in a slightly more playful voice than she probably should have. He shrugged.

"Always happy to serve, Commander," he said just as playfully. "Anything you need... just ask."

"Well, you were doing a bit of inspecting a few days ago," Abby reminded him, tugging lightly on the chain of her necklace.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Jake asked wearily. Abby smirked.

"Well, considering that half of the time that we're talking you're not quite looking into my eyes... no, we won't be letting you off the hook for that anytime soon."

"I look into your eyes," Jake said defensively. "How could I not? They're very... pretty."

"You're going to get yourself in trouble pretty soon," said Abby, but she was smiling.

"I like trouble," said Jake, stretching his arms over his head. "Makes life interesting."

"Sometimes too interesting," said Abby wisely.  

"Depends on the trouble," Jake pointed out. "Some trouble can be fun." Before Abby could respond, the door hissed open and Scarlett entered the room and bounded over to them.

"Hi," she said as she approached.

"Hey, Carly," said Abby, smiling up at the girl.

"Hey, Little Red Thing," Jake called. Scarlett smiled and brushed her blazing red hair away from her face.

"How are you feeling?" Scarlett asked concernedly, kneeling beside Abby's bed.

"Better," Abby replied. "A lot better, actually. All thanks to Jake's tender loving care."

"Tender and loving? Him?" Scarlett asked in a voice of complete disbelief.

"He's actually quite sweet," said Abby fondly. Scarlett gave Jake a very furtive look.

"Well, I'm sure he is," she said idly.

"I'm going to go make a sandwich," said Jake quickly, sliding out of bed and heading for the kitchen.

"Don't be mad at her," said Abby neutrally. Jake looked back at her, confused.

"Who's mad? I'm hungry! You girls want anything?"

"If you want to go and get me some more ice cream..." Scarlett said, a mischievous smile appearing on her lips. "I'm kidding!" She added when Jake's eyes widened.

"Yeah... you'd better be," said Jake.

"So," said Scarlett, sitting down on the bed next to Abby. "He's cute, huh?"

"Scarlett!" Abby exclaimed, looking scandalized.

"What? I'm just saying..."

"Well, don't just say," said Abby. "He's one of my officers. He works for me, it... it's complicated."

"So you're not denying he's cute?" Scarlett asked playfully. Abby sighed, obviously recognizing defeat.

"No," she muttered. "I'm not denying that he's cute." Scarlett smiled victoriously, but decided she would probably be better off by changing the subject

"So what happens to me when we get to Earth?" She asked, slipping gently under the blankets and resting her head on Abby's shoulder.

"Someone from the Department of Human Services will come and get you," said Abby delicately. "You'll... go to a foster home, most likely... at least until someone adopts you."

"A foster home...?" Scarlett repeated in a rather scared voice. "Couldn't... couldn't I stay with you? Until someone adopts me, I mean?"

"Oh, honey... With my job, I'm not really able to... I mean, I'll likely be shipping back out again once we get to Earth, I..."

"Weren't you shot a week ago?" Scarlett asked. "Even starship commanders get time off for that. Can I stay with you while you're resting up?" She paused and adopted what might just go down in history as the saddest little girl voice ever, of all time, and finished with, "Please...?" Abby sighed, realizing that Scarlett just didn't take no for an answer and relented.

"Fine," she said at last. "If you're so set on staying with me, then I'll contact DHS and see if they'll allow it." Scarlett smiled happily.

"Great!" she said brightly. "Thanks, Abby!"

"It's not like I could say no what with you sounding all sad and heartbroken," said Abby dryly. Scarlett smirked.

"Yeah, I'm good at that," she said proudly.

"I'm pretty sure you could get President Hastings to hand over the keys to the Federation if you asked him in that voice."

-.-

It was nearly midnight and Abby was restless. Her injuries had healed enough for her to walk on her own, but Jake was a firm handler. He didn't think she should be wandering off on her own, but she so desperately needed to be alone. She settled on the only course of action she could. She would sneak out.

She had discovered in recent days that Jake was a notoriously heavy sleeper, especially when he slept on the bed with her. Therefore, she made certain that she kept him up talking late into the night so that he would fall asleep while lying next to her. It worked like a charm. Scarlett, meanwhile, had dozed off on the sofa and didn't stir as Abby pulled a bathrobe over her nightgown and padded across the room and out into the corridor.

She made her way to the Bridge where only a handful of officers were currently on duty. There hadn't been a Na'Vaxii ship on sensors for a while, so only the Navigation, Tactical, and Operations stations were manned by junior officers that evening. Abby politely dismissed them and took a seat at the helm.

She glanced down at the screens before her, the displays showing speed, power levels, course, FTL drive core temperatures and a hundred other things. The ship didn't need a hand on the controls while traveling at FTL speeds, but Abby knew what she so seriously needed to do. She released the autopilot and took the helm herself.

At FTL speeds, manual control took a steady hand to keep the ship from drifting too far off course. Even with the new Translight drive, if the ship altered course too much while traveling at FTL she would be torn in half. She suddenly found herself enraptured. She lost herself in the feeling, the sheer power she had. Controlling over a million tons of metal traveling at several billion miles per second was an incredible thing if you thought about it.

While Abby was losing herself at the helm, Jake had awoken and discovered that Abby had disappeared. He set out after her, checking the most likely places that she might go. He didn't find her in the mess or the observation deck. But as soon as he passed through the Bridge doors, he saw her sitting at the navigation station. He approached her, but didn't announce his presence.

He watched her for a few minutes as her hands drifted across the controls. He was surprised to realize just how beautiful he found her. She was gorgeous even in a bathrobe at 1am on the Bridge of a starship. Her hair, falling in loose curls all around her, was a mess and her robe was hardly flattering, but it didn't matter. She was, he thought, perfect.

As Jake stood by, watching her, Abby was acutely aware of his presence and was waiting to see how long he would stand there in silence. After ten minutes, she decided to speak up.

"If you're gonna spy on a girl, you could be a little less conspicuous," she said lightly, not turning to face him. "You're not very stealthy."

"I'm incredibly stealthy, sweetheart," Jake replied, walking over and leaning against the side of the Navigation console. Abby looked up at him and arched her eyebrows. Jake smirked.

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "You're the one who hates be appropriate, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," she said with a small smile. She leaned back in her seat, trying to ease the sudden stab of pain that shot through her abdomen. "I suppose I asked for it."

"Yes, you did," Jake pointed out. "Now, are you going to come back to your quarters or am I going to have to carry you?"

"Oh, you'd like to carry me, wouldn't you?" Abby asked with a smirk. "Well, unfortunately for you I sent the night crew away so I've got to stay. Otherwise, there'll be no one here to fly the ship."

"This ship can practically fly herself," said Jake pointedly. "Nearly all of our systems are automated. Navigation, weapons, shields... she can fly and fight with a human helper."

"But not nearly as well," said Abby. "Endeavour's artificial intelligence programming is designed to take over in the event that the command crew is dead or incapacitated. I'd hate to be here if the computer had to fight the Na'Vaxii by itself."

"Fair point," said Jake. "Well, you'd better radio those crewmen back, because..."

"If you let me stay, I'll let you fly the ship," said Abby quickly.

"Deal," Jake agreed.

-.-

Several days later, Abby was back on duty. Doctor Bradford's experimental healing device had sped up Abby's natural healing ability quite significantly. Although it would be weeks before she was completely recovered, she was once again able to move about without much pain and decided she was fit to return to duty.

She hadn't seen much of Jake over the previous couple of days. As the ship drew closer to Earth, they began receiving transmissions from Command. Buccaneer Squadron was being transferred to another carrier in a frontline sector, which meant Noble Squadron would become permanently based aboard Endeavour and Jake had the squadron training hard as a result.

 Abby was very pleased by this news. Jake had become the closest thing Abby had to a real friend and she knew she would have missed him when she shipped out again. It amazed her how easily she had been able to talk to him. She had opened up to him in a way that she never had with anyone else. She couldn't help but imagine that she would have had a certain sense of loss if he had left.

At long last, Endeavour dropped out of FTL in Earth orbit. On the Bridge, the crew watched the glistening blue planet drifting below them.

“Commander, we’re receiving a transmission on Gold Channel Two,” said Ava, lowering Screen Two into position. “Admiral Graham.”

“Welcome back, Commander,” the admiral said as his image flashed up on the screen.

“It’s good to be back,” Abby replied. “There were a few times we weren’t sure we’d make it back.”

“Well, it’s good to see you all back in one piece… well, except for your ship,” said Graham. “I received your reports this morning. Endeavour’s taken quite a beating.”

“She has at that,” Abby agreed. “You should have seen that report before I condensed it for transmission. It took me three hours to read Hope’s complete version. I’m glad I won’t have to foot the bill for the repairs.”

“Speaking of repairs,” said Graham. “I’m transmitting the coordinates to the Detroit Shipyard. They’re going to get Endeavour back in fighting shape. I’ve been told they’re expecting six months minimum to get her fully operational. She’ll be drydocked until then. For now, though, I have new orders for your crew.”

“Sir, with respect… we just got back…” Abby began, but Graham cut her off.

“Don’t worry, Abigail. You’re going to like this one. Your entire crew is receiving six months shore leave while we get Endeavour back into fighting shape.”

“The crew will be excited to hear it, sir,” Abby paused, smiling slightly. “I hope you’ll have some time off yourself soon, Admiral. I believe we have a dinner date.”

“Ah, yes…” said Graham with a grimace. “I suppose I was a bit premature with my prediction. Still, you performed admirably yourself. But, a deal’s a deal. I’ll… wait one, Commander.” He turned to someone off-screen. “You’re sure?” he asked. “Very well. Abigail, we’ll have to schedule that dinner later. We’ve got what looks like a Na’Vaxii scout fleet entering the Nomad system.”

“If you need us to head out there, sir…” said Abby, shrugging her shoulders.

“Negative, the Sarajevo reports that they’ve got a battleship with them,” said Graham. “Endeavour's in no shape for a heavyweight fight. I’m dispatching the Enterprise and her task force to reinforce the system. They’ll deal with the situation.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Abby. “Tell the Enterprise good luck from Endeavour.”

“Will do, Commander,” said the Admiral. He smiled. "Welcome back to Earth, Abigail. Welcome home."

17: Section Seventeen: Sydney Serenade

Endeavour had barely moored alongside the Detroit Shipyard before most of the crew was scrambling to disembark. The corridors to the various airlocks were jammed for several hours as the station’s crew worked to move people through to the shuttles that would take them down to starports on the planet’s surface.

Some crew members, however, were more anxious to get started on the refit. Hope spent two hours explaining to Abby about the new multi-phasic energy shields and ablative armor the ship was to receive. Lieutenant Ackerson would talk at length to anyone who would listen about a series of ‘Delilah’ anti-ship missiles that would soon be installed. Meanwhile, Lieutenant McDaniel had met the maintenance crew at the airlock and told them in no uncertain terms that if they so much as looked at his Translight drive without his permission, he’d personally space all of them.

Then there was the issue of the second One Galaxy operative. Despite their best efforts, no one had managed to find any evidence of suspicious activity aboard the ship. Abby assumed that, given their distance from Na'Vaxii ships, the operative had been unable to complete his or her task and had gone dark for the remainder of the journey. Unless this person made a move, they wouldn't be caught and Abby knew they were going to stay quiet and escape the ship as possible. For the time being, there was nothing she could do about the second operative.

Abby left Endeavour at the behest of Admiral Graham, taking a shuttle down to Federation Central Command in Sydney, Australia. As the shuttle touched down on a pad in the center of the sprawling complex, Abby found herself filled with a very familiar dread. She knew she had been summoned to Command to be debriefed about the Arcturus mission, and she was understandably nervous.

She was met by an MP the moment she disembarked the shuttle. He led her to a waiting truck which drove her to the largest building in the complex, Federation Fleet Command Headquarters. She entered the building and made her way down the many long corridors toward the Admiralty Wardroom with mounting worry the farther she walked.

She wasn't sure why she was so concerned. Her decisions had been logical, but they had not been choices that anyone on the Admiralty Board would have wanted her to make. Endeavour had been on a secret mission which could have changed the course of the war. She, Abby, had then decided to abandon that mission to rescue what turned out to be a fourteen-year-old girl. She had then allowed the Na'Vaxii to come aboard the ship and they very nearly gained access to the Arcturus Accelerator, an event which could have proven disastrous for the entire human race.

She had then had an encounter with what had to be the greatest threat inside the Federation, One Galaxy, a terrorist organization that was meant to be kept beyond top secret but she had ended up revealing the existence of it to three members of her crew. Command, however, was not to know about that. Branches of the government that she didn't even know existed would likely have her killed if they ever discovered what she had done and the same fate would likely await Jake, Hope, and Ava if anyone discovered the extent of what they knew.

Even if Command was not aware of what she had told her crew about One Galaxy, she still suspected she was likely in a good deal of trouble. She had risked far too much in the attempted rescue of the crew of the Freedom’s Progress and it had cost the lives of the crews of a dozen UEF warships. Thousands of people whose blood was essentially on her hands; or at least that’s what Command could say if they needed someone to blame.

Abby reached the highly polished oak double doors to the Admiralty Wardroom. A thin blonde woman who sat at a desk to the side of the corridor looked up at her as she approached.

“Commander Laine,” she said before Abby could speak. “The Board is waiting for you. Go ahead inside.” The receptionist’s voice was neutral and her face was impassive. Abby couldn’t begin to guess what awaited her inside, but she had little choice. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the brass handle and pulled open the door.

The wardroom was very dark indeed and smelled strongly of cigar smoke. In front of her sat a crescent-shaped desk behind which seven men and women wearing Admiral’s insignia sat in silence, their faces half in shadow. Abby knew only three of them by name.

Fleet Admiral Alexander Federov sat in the center seat, a man nearing the end of his life but no one who listened to him speak would guess that he was. Federov was the highest ranking military officer in the Federation and had a reputation for being particularly ruthless. Vice Admiral Miriam Dixon, commander of the Inner Colony Defense Fleets sat to Federov’s left and Vice Admiral Graham sat to the Fleet Admiral’s right. The other admirals, she did not recognize. Abby was quite glad to see Graham there. He might well be the only person in the room on her side.

“Commander Laine,” said Admiral Federov in his deep gravelly voice. “Take a seat.” He gestured toward a single, straight-backed chair sitting in a spotlight in front of the desk. Abby walked tentatively toward it and sank into it, noticing as she did so that by entering the spotlight, she could no longer make out the admirals at all, only seven shadowy figures sat before her now.

“We are here today, as I’m sure you are aware, to discuss the events of what was supposed to be the Arcturus Accelerator test.” said Federov. "A test which never took place."

"Before we begin," said Graham delicately. "I feel we must first state that the commander responded to the situation in which she found herself and her ship as well as anyone could possible have done."

"Her response to events is not in question," said Miriam Dixon, her high-pitched voice ringing through the room. "Her actions that led to said events, however..."

"Enough," said Federov. "Commander Laine, your orders were to test the Arcturus Accelerator and interact with no other ships or starbases during the operation. However, upon receiving the communication from the Generational Ship, Freedom's Progress, you chose to alter course to assist instead of diverting one of your escort vessels to investigate. I think we'd all like to hear your explanation." Abby swallowed thickly, surprised that she was as scared as she was. When she spoke, she found she had to work very hard to keep her voice from shaking.

"It was clearly an emergency situation," she explained, clasping her hands firmly together in her lap to keep them from trembling. "The ship was under attack and we were duty-bound to render aid. As for why I chose not to send one of the escort ships... It was purely because we were faster. Endeavour was capable of being on-scene within minutes while our escorts were over an hour away at best speed. Given the population of a generational ship, I chose to postpone the test and move to assist."

"And it did not occur to you to first contact Central Command?" Dixon asked. "You could have alerted your superiors to the situation and Command could have decided the best course of action."

"Time was of the essence," said Abby. "There were millions of lives at risk and we had the opportunity to save them. I had to make a call."

"That you did," said Federov. "It's just unfortunate that no lives were at risk except for the six thousand members of your crew that you put in harm's way!"

"That's unfair," Abby said, far more bravely that she felt. "I couldn't have known that the Na'Vaxii would kill everyone aboard... and we did rescue one person from the wreckage..."

"Yes," said Dixon, flipping through the mission reports. "Yes, one Scarlett Moreau... a fourteen-year-old girl. Hardly worth the potential loss of your entire ship and crew."

"With respect, saving that little girl was worth the risk to my crew," Abby said sharply. Despite sitting before the seven most powerful people in the galaxy, the remark about Scarlett had struck a nerve. "Saving any life is worth the risk. That's our job, ma'am. We're out here to protect human lives, and in my view no one life is any more important than another. Our duty is to preserve human lives, Admiral. That's what I was taught when I enlisted. If that mandate has changed, please tell me and you'll have my resignation on your desk by the end of the day."

"Your duty, Commander, is to follow orders," said Federov. "Your orders were clear and concise, yet you blatantly disobeyed those orders when there were other options open to you."

"And we haven't even touched upon the fact that Endeavour was boarded by the Na'Vaxii," said Dixon. "Command ordered that no Na'Vaxii was to set foot aboard that ship and if they did, you were to enact Directive Zero One. You did not. Why?"

"My orders stated that Directive Zero One be initiated if the Na'Vaxii gained access to our computer systems or Engineering." Abby said boldly. "They did not. I wasn't going to sacrifice my crew and forty years of work on Arcturus before I knew we had a security breach. Our marines were able to secure the ship and eliminate the Na'Vaxii before they were able to breach our computers."

"That's not..." Dixon began hotly, but Graham cut across her.

"Laine is correct," he said fiercely. "Directive Zero One was only to be put into action if the Na'Vaxii accessed the ship's computers. She was quite right to attempt to retake her ship and expel the aliens."

"What about Lieutenant Malcolm Hurst?" asked Dixon. "The One Galaxy agent we now have in custody. It is my understanding that you attempted to work out a deal with him so that he would give up his associates in exchange for amnesty. There's also the issue of the second operative that was no doubt present on your ship. This person was not apprehended."

"What do you want from me?" Abby demanded, realizing with a start that she was on her feet. "You all wanted me for this mission. You were willing to pardon my crimes in order to get me and to be honest with you, I didn't want to accept the mission. Regardless, I took it on and I'll tell you, it wasn't beneficial to my health! You gave me this mission because I command with a style that's unique in the Federation, but because I didn't make all the decisions you hoped I would, you've decided to crucify me for it.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit here and be raked over the coals for every decision I made on this mission. I command my ship my way, not yours. If you want to give the orders in the field, get out in the field. Get out of your cozy little offices on Earth, protected by a fleet of a thousand warships and get in the field. You might put together a well-crafted plan down here, but once you're in the field and the situation changes, you have to respond!

"I did what I felt was right, not strategically but morally. Saving the Freedom's Progress was the right call. Retaking Endeavour was the right call and so was tryiing to make a deal with Hurst to get him to reveal his accomplices. I don't give a damn if you agree with me or not. I know I did the right thing, and I won't apologize for it. Court martial me if you want to, but it won't do anything but prove that you'd all rather win your bloody war even if it costs the soul of humanity to do it." She broke off, her chest heaving with pure fury. However, when she spoke again it was in a far softer voice than even she had been expecting.

"That little girl we rescued has a bright future. She's brilliant, beautiful, and I don't think she's intimidated by anyone. She can go on to do anything, despite her loss. She's strong. The fact that if you could all have it your way, she would be dead right now is a truth that disgusts me and honestly it frightens me. That's not the kind of Federation I signed on to fight for... that's not a Federation that deserves to be protected. If this is who we've become... if this is really who we are then maybe we need to ask ourselves why the Na'Vaxii are trying to destroy us. Maybe we should ask ourselves why we deserve to win this war." Abby shrugged. "Maybe we don't."

Complete silence met Abby's speech and she suddenly got the distinct feeling that the admirals were trying to decide exactly how she was going to vanish from the face of the galaxy, never to be seen again, without it leading to any awkward questions. When Admiral Federov stood to his feet, Abby actually took an involuntary step backward, her legs colliding with the chair.

Federov walked down and stood directly in front of her, his dark eyes boring into hers. The man towered over her and Abby had never felt more like a tiny little mouse than she did right then. He considered her for what felt like hours before shrugging.

"You said, 'you did what you felt was right,'" he said sternly. "Not strategically, but morally."

"Yes," said Abby firmly, feeling no further need to defend herself. It wouldn't do any good anyway. "Yes, I did." Federov nodded.

"What are we going to do with her?" Dixon asked loudly. Federov smirked.

"The only thing we can do with an officer like her, Miriam," he said firmly. "Promote her."

-.-

Abby returned to Endeavour shortly after finishing up with the Admiralty Board. The vast majority of the crew had already disembarked by the time she got back. She had hoped to see Jake again before he left but she imagined that he was already gone. She was really going to miss the fighter pilot. She made her way up to the Bridge, which she found was completely abandoned except for Hope who was standing beside her station and staring out of the viewscreen. Abby walked up behind her and stood there a moment in silence. Hope sighed after a minute and turned to find Abby standing there.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Commander! How long have you been standing there?"

"Eh... about a hour," she replied with a shrug.

"What? Why didn't you say any... oh, right," said Hope, noticing the look on Abby's face. "You were joking, right..."

"Is something wrong?" Abby asked as Hope sank slowly into her station's seat. "You seemed like you were looking for something other than stars out of that window. Trust me, Hope, I've looked for enlightenment, answers... everything you could imagine out there in the black. It's not there, I promise."

"I know, I..." Hope shook her head. "I just got this." She held out an official letter detailing new fleet orders. Abby took it and glanced at the first page.

"A promotion to Lieutenant Commander and a posting as Executive Officer aboard the U.E.F. Endeavour." Abby's eyes narrowed. "Well, Zach could have told me he was leaving. I'll have to have words with him. Still, congratulations Hope! This is a great achievement. Give it a few more years and you'll have your own ship."

"Yeah... it... it's great, but..."

"There's a 'but'?" Abby asked, surprised.

"I never wanted a command," said Hope quietly. "I never wanted this kind of responsibility, Commander, I..." It was only then that her eyes took in the silver eagle insignia and the four golden stripes on her collar.

"I guess I'm not the only one who's been recognized, Captain Laine," she said, beaming at Abby.

"Yes, well... apparently commanders aren't allowed to command carriers on a permanent basis," said Abby with a shrug. "It's actually a regulation, believe it or not. And since CENTCOM wanted to transfer my command to Endeavour for the foreseeable future... well, I suppose the promotion was necessary. That, and I kind of shouted at them. I thought they were going to shoot me, actually, but I think Federov had it planned from the beginning. I'd almost say he likes me, but then I'm not sure he actually likes anyone."

"Well, congratulations," said Hope. "You really deserve it, especially after this tour. I just... I'm still not sure if you want me as your XO..." Abby picked up a small black box lying on Hope's console. She opened it and tugged the lieutenant commander insignia off of its cushion. She then carefully positioned it on Hope's collar, brushing the other woman's hair out of the way. She stood back to admire the effect.

"It looks good on you," she said with a grin. "You deserve it, Hope." She paused and shrugged. "Honestly, I put your name up for promotion the second we got back."

"You put my name up?" Hope asked, sounding quite surprised. "I figured... I mean, after I choked when the Na'Vaxii boarded, I..."

"You saved my life when the Na'Vaxii boarded," said Abby, still smiling. "And even if you did choke for a minute, you're not trained for that. You're an Operations officer, Hope, and a damn good one from what I've seen. You'll be an even better XO once you get into it."

"It's just... there's so much responsibility, I..."

"It's not easy holding a command," said Abby firmly. "If you've never held a command, you can't understand the stress, the pressure that puts you under. For me, when we're out there on patrol... I don't have anyone to turn to. I've got to make the calls, give the orders. I don't get to second-guess myself or worry that I've made the wrong decision. It took time to learn to work that way." Abby shrugged. "I learned it during my time as an XO, while I still had someone else above me who had the final say on everything."

"So, if I screw up I can lay the blame on you?" Hope asked with a small smile. Abby grinned.

"Oh, hell no," said Abby sharply. "I just meant you'll need to learn all that while we're out on patrol. If you screw up, I'm making sure Command knows that I didn't have anything to do with it. You're on your own." Smiling, Abby patted Hope on the shoulder. "You'll do great," she added. "I'm gonna get out of here. I'll see you in six months."

18: Section Eighteen: More Cows Than People

Abby stood by the primary airlock later that day, seeing off the last of her crew. She nodded to most of them, and paused to speak briefly to crewmembers she knew personally. She was just about ready to return to her quarters, when she noticed a large group of Endeavour’s fighter pilots, one of which was Jake, heading her way.

“You’re feeling better, then,” said Jake when he reached her.

“Yes, much,” Abby replied, stepping to the side to allow Jake’s companions to pass. “I wanted to say thank you, again, for everything you did for me on this tour… it’s more than I’ve ever asked from a member of my crew, and the fact that you did most of it out of the goodness of your own heart is…”

“I told you I was happy to help,” Jake said with a shrug. “I would’ve continued, but Alexis had the whole squadron in the simulator for the last couple of days. Since we're now Endeavour's lead squadron, she wants to make a good impression."

"Well, I'm glad Alexis is so dedicated," said Abby with a smile. "I honestly figured your squadron would be transferred to another ship what with the Big E going into drydock for months."

"Personally, I'm glad we're staying," said Jake, grinning. "If we were reassigned, I’d miss you… I mean, I’d miss being under, eh… serving under you.”   

“So, what’re you doing with your leave, anyway?” Abby asked, rolling her eyes.

“Hitting the dunes of the Sahara for some off-roading,” said Jake, clearly thankful for the brisk change of subject. “Spending the time with some of the other pilots riding fast motorcycles and rickety buggies over giant hills of sand.”

“It sounds positively delightful,” said Abby, although her voice clearly indicated she would not enjoy this activity in the least.

“Well, it’s not for everyone,” Jake admitted. “Still, it’s fun. But what about you? Got any plans?”

“Not really,” said Abby offhandedly.

“Just going to spend the time at home relaxing?”

“Actually, I’ll be staying aboard Endeavour,” said Abby. “I… I never...  after Episky IV was destroyed I never settled down again. Shore leave isn’t mandatory and my quarters aboard ship have always suited my needs well. I’ve just never had any reason to do anything else.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Jake suggested. “I know it might not be your thing, but…”

“Well, actually, Scarlett asked me to check with DHS and see if she could stay with me while her case was being handled, and… well, they said yes. I don’t think they’d approve of me dragging her off to the desert.”

“Well, I’ll just bail on the trip then,” said Jake, suddenly sounding relieved. “To be honest, I don’t really want to go. It’s cool, I’ll admit, but the last time I went it took me the better part of a month to get all of the sand out of my boxer shorts.”

“That’s a mental image I really didn’t need,” Abby muttered, shaking her head.

“We can go to my family’s ranch,” said Jake, ignoring Abby’s comment and continuing to pressure her.

“I’m not just dropping in on your family out of the sky, Jake,” Abby exclaimed.

“No, no, we just call it the family ranch. I’m the only one who lives there,” Jake replied. “My sister drops by from time to time while I’m away to feed the animals, but otherwise… It’ll be fine, trust me.” Abby nodded slowly, thinking it over. It struck her as very odd that she found herself wanting to go with him. They had forged an interesting relationship, perhaps even a friendship, over the last couple of weeks. Abby had not allowed anyone in as far as she had Jake since the attack on Calonia Sirtis and he was the only person she had ever told about the loss of her family.

It scared her. Her defenses had been so strong and she had kept them up at times when she would have given almost anything to have a friend; someone to care for and who cared for her in return. Jake, and Scarlett as well, had managed to weaken those defenses that she had worked so hard to maintain… but maybe, just maybe, it was time to let a few of those defenses fall. It was dangerous, very dangerous, to lower her walls. She was fragile, vulnerable, and if she suffered another loss... she would never recover.

“Okay,” she said at last. “I'll come with you. I’ll have to check with Scarlett, so I hope you won’t be bothered by another guest.”

"Of course. I don't mind," said Jake happily. "By all means, bring her along. I think she'll like the ranch."

"Good," said Abby. "I'll go and ask her then."

Abby found Scarlett on the otherwise empty Bridge, standing beside the tactical display, watching the tiny icons of thousands of ships moving around them.

"You should go up to the Observation Deck if you want a real show," Abby said, walking up beside her. "You can see the entire Orbital Defense Network from up there; hundreds of stations and thousands of ships. It's quite a sight."

"Ooooh!" Scarlett exclaimed excitedly. "Can we go up there?"

"Sure," said Abby. "C'mon, I'll show you." She led Scarlett off of the Bridge and into the lift that took them up to the Observation Deck. The redhead let out a small gasp as the lift doors slid open. It looked as though the girls had just stepped out into the vacuum of space. They stood on the hull of the ship, looking out at the vastness of space before them. Abby led Scarlett over to the waist-high, crescent-shaped railing that ran along the bow section of the deck.

"How... how are we out here?" Scarlett asked in a fully awed voice. Abby grinned and stretched her arm out over the railing and tapped the air with a slender finger. An invisible energy field rippled as her finger touched it, looking very much like the surface of a pond after a stone has been dropped in it.

“It’s an energy barrier,” Abby explained. “It’s like our shields, but designed to keep the air inside so that people can come out here.”

“This is awesome,” Scarlett breathed, looking out over the vast starscape that spread out before them. Endeavour’s position, having docked with a space elevator, had them angled so that the entire African continent sprawled beneath them, the curvature of the planet arcing down on both sides.

“It almost looks flat from up here,” said Scarlett, leaning over the railing to look directly down on the world below her.

“People used to think it was flat,” said Abby conversationally. “Back when Earth was the only planet we lived on. More than two thousand years ago, people didn’t know that Earth was a globe. They even believed that if you walked far enough, you’d fall over the edge.”

“That’s silly,” said Scarlett, her attention now drawn up into orbit where hundreds of ships glided in every direction around them. “Is that a dreadnought?!” She asked excitedly, pointing toward a massive ship that was so large it cast all the other ships nearby into shadow as it passed. It drifted in the midst of a hundred other ships, dwarfing even a quartet of Ravager-class battleships.

“It is,” Abby replied, nodding. “It's a Retribution-class super dreadnought. She's six miles long and built around one massive railgun. One shot from that gun will kill a Na'Vaxii dreadnought... and pretty much anything behind it since the shot will punch right through and keep on going. That one there is the Sword of the Federation.  She and her sister ship, the Shield of Sol, are permanently stationed here.”

“To protect Earth from the Na’Vaxii?” Scarlett asked. Abby nodded.

“Uh huh,” she said. “There are over two thousand ships out there all the time, keeping Earth safe.”

“We don’t send that many ships to protect all of the planets, though, do we?” Scarlett wanted to know. Abby sighed sadly.

“No,” she said. “We don’t. The Federation has too many colonies to have so many ships protecting them. That’s why we have fleets that patrol different areas so they can respond if a planet is attacked.”

“Is that why you came to help my ship? You were on patrol?” Abby swallowed the lump that had been building in her throat. It hadn’t been her fault, but somehow she couldn’t help but foolishly feel partly to blame.

“No, we… we weren’t on a patrol,” said Abby. “We were testing an experimental piece of technology when we detected your ship’s emergency signal. We were the closest ship, so we came to help, but we… I guess I should tell you why your ship was attacked. We…”

“That’s just what they do, isn’t it?” Scarlett asked. “The Na’Vaxii, I mean. They just like killing us, right?”

“Sometimes it seems like they do,” Abby said softly. “But no… no, listen, this is hard to explain. There’s a lot of technical terms that I don’t even understand, but simply put our new hyperdrive was built based on technology we stole from the Na’Vaxii and it tosses out a lot of radiation when we use it. We think the Na’Vaxii detected the radiation flash and attacked the Freedom’s Progress to lure our ship into a trap. Your home was destroyed because of us, Carly.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Scarlett said gently. “It was destroyed because the Na’Vaxii are mean, awful people. They didn’t have to attack us. We weren’t hurting them, but they decided to attack anyway. They could have left us alone and just attacked you.” Abby watched Scarlett for a long moment with a small smile on her face.

“You’re a pretty smart kid,” she said quietly.

“I know,” Scarlett said proudly. Abby laughed at that. It struck her just how much she had laughed since Scarlett and Jake had come into her life. She briefly wondered if she had made the right choice to wall off her heart, but she instantly closed that line of thought. No, she had made the right decision. She was safe this way, she forced herself to believe it… but it was a lie, and she knew it.

"I didn't come to find you just to show you spaceships," Abby said after letting Scarlett wander the observation deck in silence for a few minutes, watching the activity outside. "I was actually going to ask you something. Jake invited me... us, to come with him to his family's ranch while he and I are on leave. It’s… I mean, it’s entirely up to you. If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I just thought… well, Endeavour isn’t the most exciting place to be when she’s in drydock. So, when Jake offered, I figured…”

“Okay, you don’t have to try so hard to convince me,” said Scarlett, grinning slyly. “It’s pretty obvious you really want to go, and it could be fun. I’d like to see what Jake’s like out in the real would and something tells me you’d like any excuse to see more of Jake anywhere.”

“Scarlett…” Abby groaned, causing the redhead’s smile to grow wider.

“We should get going,” said Scarlett, turning and heading for the elevator. “I’m sure Jake’s waiting for us.” Abby made to follow her, but her gaze was momentarily drawn back up to the gigantic Sword of the Federation drifting above her. She was a weapon capable of dealing untold levels of destruction to anything that opposed her.

Unbidden though the thought was, she wished, just for a moment, that she could command a fleet of those ships as they orbited the Na’Naxii homeworld. She would watch, with joy in her heart, those ships to the very same thing to their world as the aliens had done to hers, to Scarlett’s.

But no, she wouldn’t think about that. She was going to try, hard though it was sure to be, she would try to put the war, her hatred, everything aside for a moment. Not long, not forever, but for a moment. She knew she could never escape from her own hell, but she had to try just for a little while. She wanted, so badly, to be normal if only for a short while.

Maybe, just maybe, she could do it. But what scared her the most was how vulnerable it would make her. She would have let them both in far too deeply. She would have let them into her heart and if she did that, if she let herself start to love again... She couldn't open herself up to that. She couldn't lose anyone else she loved. She wouldn't survive it. Not again.

-.-

Less than an hour after her conversation with Jake in the corridor, Abby and Scarlett were disembarking the shuttle that had taken them from the orbiting Endeavour and set down at the Miami Starport and Space Elevator Center.

Jake had gone ahead of them to procure transportation that would take them to the Star Force Base in Oklahoma City, where Jake claimed to have a car and would drive them the rest of the way to… where ever it was that they were going. Jake had neglected to mention precisely where this ranch of his was and Abby hadn’t thought to ask.

Jake was waiting for them just inside the terminal and waved them over as soon as he spotted them moving through the crowd. He was smiling brightly as the girls approached, only to have the smile slip off of his face when he noticed Abby was still wearing her uniform, minus the jacket.

“Didn’t have time to change?” Jake asked her, raising his eyebrows.

“What?” Abby asked, glancing down at her clothing. “I didn't really bring a wide assortment of clothing with me on the ship."

"Well, there’s a few shops down at the far end of this place,” Jake said, pointing down the wide, sprawling promenade to his left. “Actually, it might be a full mall by now… I haven’t been to Miami in nearly six months and work was being done down there then. So, why don’t you take yourself down there and buy something a little less… well, just get something nice and comfortable.”

“And what will you be doing?” Abby asked.

“I’ll take Scarlett here to the ice cream parlor she’s been staring at the entire time we’ve been talking.” Abby looked down and sure enough, Scarlett was gazing at a small, brightly decorated shop in the food court across the way with an expression of utmost longing on her face.

“Well…” Abby said sounding rather nervous. It had been many years since she had engaged in the activity known as ‘shopping’. Nevertheless, she had learned by now that arguing with Jake was a pointless endeavor, and so relented. “Well… okay, then.”

“Great,” said Jake enthusiastically. “Go buy something pretty. We’ll just have our ice cream and then I’ll pull the car around front and wait for you there.” Abby nodded and walked away.

Jake watched her go with a rather vacant, perhaps even dreamy expression on his face. It was only a gentle tug on his sleeve that caused him to pull his gaze away from the chink of golden light that he could see reflecting in Abby’s long hair from the skylights overhead.

“Oh… right…” said Jake distractedly. He took once last look in the direction Abby had gone, but she had passed well out of sight by now and reluctantly allowed himself to be steered into the food court.

Once Scarlett had finished her ice cream, she and Jake went outside to wait by the car. Jake had first been pleased at the thought that Abby would spend a little time enjoying herself. However, after an hour and a half of sitting in the car, anxiously watching the mall entrance, he was beginning to regret his decision.

Sitting idly on the hood of the sleek car, Jake was on the verge of going to look for Abby and see what was keeping her when the terminal doors opened and Abby emerged, accompanied by several large bags. Jake stood up and motioned to Scarlett, who was still inside the car rapidly texting with a group of girls she had met at the ice cream parlor.

Scarlett put her small computer tablet aside and climbed out of the car, smiling widely when she spotted Abby. Jake turned away from Scarlett and back to the approaching Abby… and felt his jaw drop. Abby was much closer now and it had only just registered in Jake’s mind that she was wearing a stunningly white sundress, the lacy hem of which ruffled gently around her thighs.

Scarlett jabbed Jake sharply in the side and cleared her throat loudly.

“Jake, you’re staring,” She hissed.

“What’s that?” Jake asked absentmindedly.

“Oh, Jake, just… you’re unbelievable,” Scarlett muttered, rolling her eyes. Jake ignored her.

“Oh, I knew I looked ridiculous,” Abby exclaimed when she noticed Jake was staring at her, open-mouthed. She smiled sheepishly as she moved toward the trunk.

“Oh, no…” said Jake quickly. “No, you… you’re… you look really…”

“Smooth,” Scarlett whispered as Abby busied herself behind the car. “You know, Jake, perhaps if you stopped staring at her, mouth agape, it might occur to you to compliment her… tell her she looks pretty. Don’t just stare and drool.”

“I did not drool,” Jake hissed back.

“Ooooh, well, one out of two isn’t bad then, is it?” Scarlett sighed. “You need help… Jakey.”

“I think I’ll get on just fine without the help of a teenager," Jake shot back. "And don't ever call me 'Jakey'."

“Good luck,” Scarlett replied in a mockingly sing-song voice and slipped into the car’s back seat.

“So, where are we going exactly?” Abby asked as Jake settled himself into the driver’s seat.

“Oklahoma City,” Jake replied. “I told you before; this car’s just a rental. We’ll pick up mine at the Star Force Base there.”

“I meant after that,” Abby explained, rolling her eyes. “Where’s this ranch we’ve heard so much about?”

“Northern Montana,” Jake replied, firing up the car’s engine and pulling out onto the road that led to the Orbital Highway.

“M… Montana?” Abby stammered. “But I thought…. Jake, its cold up there this time of year!”

“Yeah, it is,” Jake admitted, shrugging. “There’s also more cows around than people. But it’s nice and secluded. A great place to relax.”

“Fine,” Abby muttered, exchanging a grim glance with Scarlett. “Montana…”

 

19: Section Nineteen: The Lies That Bind

Jake guided the car into the space elevator tower, a massive steel structure with a half-kilometer wide base that rose all the way up into low Earth orbit. The titanic megalith also served as the entrance to the Orbital Highway.

The Highway itself was misnamed. It wasn’t anywhere close to being in orbit; however it was the highest elevated roadway in existence, a fact which earned the planet-wide network of highways its name. Built half a mile in the sky, the Highway linked every country together, as well as every city large enough to have a space elevator.

The massive elevator lifted their car up onto the Highway’s entryway. Jake eased the car out of the lift and onto the roadway. The Orbital Highway was quite unlike any other road in existence. Instead of driving on it yourself, the Highway’s artificial intelligence linked in with the car’s onboard computer and drove it where it needed to go. This allowed vehicles to travel much faster than was allowed on surface streets. In fact, most vehicles were accelerated to several thousand miles per hour. Cars were equipped with powerful inertial dampeners like the larger ones aboard starships so the occupants weren’t squashed in their seats by the extreme acceleration.

As their car joined the hundreds of other vehicles screaming along at blistering speeds, Abby settled back in her seat and watched the stripes on the road turn into blurred lines. Growing slightly dizzy at the sight, she focused her eyes onto the floor of the car instead. As she sat there, listening to the soft beeping sounds of Scarlett’s computer tablet, she became distinctly aware of Jake and of the fact that he was sneaking less than discreet glances at her. Judging by the way he kept opening and closing his mouth, he also seemed to be trying to come up with something to say that might spark a conversation.

Abby determinedly stared at the radio touchscreen, an amused smile on her face. She felt a certain pride that Jake thought her worthy of these sneaky glances, and as soon at she thought this, another, terribly frightening, thought occurred to her. Perhaps Jake was looking at her because she looked positively ridiculous in this dress.

Horrified by this thought, the next time she noticed him looking, she purposefully looked out of the driver side window and in the briefest of seconds when they looked straight at each other, when emerald green met ocean blue, Abby knew Jake didn’t think she looked even remotely ridiculous.

She briefly considered him, wondering, if she was honest with herself, what she thought of him. He was a handsome enough, in a roguish, unruly way.  He was strong, kind, funny, and fiercely protective. It was the strangest thing to her. It had been years since she had felt anything for anyone but the bond of brotherhood that was shared between fellow soldiers. And yet, within a matter of days, she had developed two close relationships. One with Scarlett, a girl very much like herself, having lost everything in the blink of an eye, and another with Jake, a man who obviously felt something more than friendship for her.

It was a terrifying possibility that frightened her more than an armada of Na'Vaxii battle cruisers. The idea that Jake could be falling in love with her, that he could have any romantic feelings for her at all, was simply something she couldn't understand. She knew almost nothing about the social intricacies of a romantic courting. She had gotten married straight out of high school, so she didn't have much experience with such things. It was at this moment that she realized just how shallow a person she had become. War and killing was all she knew. She knew nothing about the world outside the military... and it truly broke her heart. What had she done to herself? If Jake had even the smallest romantic interest in her, it would undoubtedly vanish the moment he got to know her better.

Had she really let her hatred and rage do this to her? It had never occurred to her before how much she had changed. She knew everything that had happened had affected her deeply… but had she truly allowed these events to destroy the young girl that had grown up in a farming town, wondering what lay beyond those star filled skies?

She wanted to deny it, to hide it away, and on Endeavour she had done that. On every ship she had ever served on she had done that. She hadn’t wanted to feel… anything, and she had taught herself to feel very little. She cared about very little. But down here, she wasn’t in control. She couldn’t give orders or issue commands. Down here, she realized with a sudden jolt of terrifying realization, she had begun to feel emotions that she thought were long dead stir inside her heart again.

But just as she started to think how horrible a person she had become, it occurred to her that she wasn’t sure if she wanted anything to change. She was happy, wasn’t she? Wasn't she content with her life? Who did she think she was kidding? She hadn’t been happy since before the burning of Calonia Sirtis. She didn’t even remember what true happiness felt like. And the innocent girl in the backseat wanted her as a mother? The insanity of it simply amazed her.

Traveling at three thousand miles per hour it would take less than thirty minutes to cross the fourteen hundred miles between Miami and Oklahoma City, a fact which pleased Abby to no end. She left the car as soon as Jake parked the vehicle in the Oklahoma City Space Elevator parking lot, claiming she needed to use the bathroom. She burst into the empty bathroom, locked herself into the nearest stall and leaned against the door, breathing deeply.

Jake was interested in her, she knew it, and at least some part of her was interested in him. And the fact that there was really no part of her left that anyone would want… well, Jake simply didn’t know that yet.

Abby tried to cheer up as she left the bathroom, if only for Scarlett’s sake, and met up with Jake and Scarlett, who had just finished turning in the rental car at the spaceport terminal.  

“There you are!” Jake said brightly as she reached them. “C’mon, we’ve got to get moving. My car can’t take the Highway, so we’re in for an old-fashioned road trip!”

“Road trip?” Scarlett asked, sounding utterly repulsed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, Miss Smarty-Pants, I’m not kidding,” Jake replied. “It’ll be fun, I promise!” he insisted. “Just wait here you two, I’ll go and get the car.” And he left them standing on the corner with the bags.

“You’re a powerful Federation commander, right?” Scarlett asked grumpily. “Couldn’t you call us a transport shuttle or something?”

“I tried even before we left Miami,” Abby admitted somewhat reluctantly. “There wasn’t one available. But Jake’s right, it might be fun.”

“I checked,” said Scarlett. “Montana’s over a thousand miles from here. It’ll take at least a day to get there without the Highway.”

“You know, we didn’t have a Highway on my homeworld,” said Abby. “Admittedly, we didn't really have that many places to go, but it took at least a day to drive between the city and the outlying towns."

“You sound like my dad,” said Scarlett. “’I had to walk ten miles to school in the snow with no coat when I was a kid…’. He always loved to tell me stories like that. I knew they weren’t true, of course. My dad grew up on the Freedom’s Progress. The one thing we didn’t have onboard was snow.”

“It almost never snowed on Calonia Sirtis either,” said Abby. “I guess I haven’t seen snow since…” But her sentence was cut off by the roar of an engine as Jake pulled up next to them in a vehicle that Abby knew must be hundreds of years old.

“What do you think?!” Jake asked excitedly as he leapt from the driver’s seat and gesturing toward the vehicle. “It’s a 1968 Ford Mustang... well, technically it's a replica of a 1968 Ford Mustang, but whatever."

“It looks like a deathtrap,” Scarlett muttered.

“Jake, are… are you sure it’s safe?” Abby asked, echoing Scarlett’s concerns. “I mean... didn’t these things run on… what was it called? Gas-o-lean? It’s a rolling bomb!”

“Gasoline,” Jake corrected her. “And yes, they did. But it runs with a modern power supply. After all, where would I find gasoline? Cars haven’t used gas in a thousand years. So, trust me, it’s safe. I love classic cars. This thing was a project of mine. I built it myself.”

“You’re not making me feel any better,” said Scarlett weakly.

“Just get in, huh?” said Jake irritably. “We’ll be fine, trust me.” Scarlett looked as though she seriously doubted this, but climbed into the backseat nonetheless. Jake hoisted their bags into the trunk while Abby slipped into the passenger seat and fumbled with the antiquated seatbelt.

“You couldn’t have added inertial dampeners with that power supply?” She asked when Jake had taken his seat.

“Read the seatbelt reminder on the visor,” said Jake brightly “These seatbelts are like a warm, cozy hug.”

“I’ve been hugged,” said Scarlett, fiddling with the bulky strap over her right shoulder. “This feels nothing like a hug.” Jake shook his head and rolled his eyes at Abby, who smiled.

“She’s got spunk, you’ve got to give her that,”

“She’s got something all right,” Jake said, firing up the engine and pulling out onto the road.

The trip went rather smoothly after that. Jake, now focused on driving the vehicle, had less time to glance at Abby which in turn caused her to relax a bit more. Much to Scarlett’s further displeasure, the car was not equipped with a modern radio, but instead an ancient AM/FM system that only picked up the worldwide signal that played popular songs from the time when such systems were in use.

“People back then were weird,” Scarlett announced as a loud, raucous song finally came to a close.  

“That’s called metal, darlin',” said Jake. "It's a classic."

"I couldn't understand a word of it," said Scarlett. "They were just... screaming."

"They certainly sounded unhappy," Abby added, shrugging apologetically.

"They're not... It was a different time, a different world," Jake countered.

"It was a stupid world," Scarlett retorted. Jake simply sighed. Hours later as darkness began to fall, Jake turned off of the road and into a small roadside motel's parking lot.

"This place looks nice," said Jake, hoping to portray the moderately rundown structure in a slightly better light for the sake of his two companions.

"Yeah..." said Abby, glancing out of the window at the dark and frankly frightening office. "It... It’s nice. And look, there's a vacancy." She tried but failed to sound happy about that last part for Scarlett, who looked to be on the verge of tears. 

“I’ll go book us a room. You girls wait here,” said Jake, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Lock the doors.” He added to Abby in a hushed whisper as he climbed out of the car.

“Why did we come with him again?” Scarlett asked.

“Because you said you wanted to,” Abby reminded her.

Jake returned a few minutes later, waving the room key in the air. Together, they collected their bags and made their way to Room 23. Jake unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. The room, quite surprisingly, wasn’t horrible. Apart from a few stains of unknown origin on the carpets and the mild musty smell of the sheets, the room was basically acceptable.

As it was already quite late and they still had a long drive in the morning, Jake convinced Abby and Scarlett to eat the evening meal of cold burritos that he had purchased at the diner downstairs in the office and insisted they turn in early.

Jake decided to take the bed closest to the door, while Abby and Scarlett would share the second one. As he lay on his bed, flipping through the small television’s five channels of which only a local news channel actually came in, Abby emerged from the bathroom. If he had liked the sundress she had worn that day, it was nothing compared to the nightgown she had slipped into for the night. He let out a low whistle, which stopped her in her tracks. 

“You weren’t lying when you said you didn’t sleep in uniform,” he said, grinning broadly. Abby simply smiled and slipped into bed.

“Anything on TV?” she asked, rolling onto her left side so she could more easily see him.

“Not much,” Jake replied, determinedly keeping his eyes firmly locked onto the screen. “Looks like a pretty big storm brewing out west. Ought to bring us some snow in a few weeks.”

“Scarlett should like that,” said Abby. “She was saying back in Oklahoma City that she never had snow on the Freedom’s Progress. She’s probably never even seen snow in person before.”

“As long as it’s not like that blizzard that hit back in ’79,” said Jake. “We’d be snowed in for weeks.”

Scarlett emerged from the bathroom before Abby could reply and bounded into the bed, pressing her small form against Abby, burying her face into the older girl's chest. 'I hope she doesn't suffocate.' said the voice in Jake's head before he could stop it.

He lay awake for some time after that, his thoughts on the young woman lying mere feet from him. God, she was beautiful. Every inch of her was just... perfect. He had noticed, of course, back on Endeavour, but on the ship their relationship had been different. There, they had a strict set of rules to follow and it kept Jake from considering anything more than a friendship with Abby.

Sure they had spent a lot of time together, become friends, and even flirted a little, but regardless on the ship there had been rules. Out here in the real world, free of the restrictions of life aboard a starship, Jake was beginning to think about what else could happen. Abby wasn't what you might call a.... normal woman. She had baggage, that was certain. A lot of baggage, in fact. The emotional toll of her experiences weighed so heavily on her that it threatened to consume her completely.

She had lost so much in her short life that he wasn't sure she would be able to survive another loss. She had closed her heart to others, it was clear. She would let people in only so far, and then block them out with every defense she could muster. She protected herself from more pain by refusing to allow herself to grow close to anyone. She forced herself to keep a professional distance from everyone she met.

It seemed, however much Jake believed she wished she could, that she could not extend that same distance to Scarlett. The little girl appeared to have found a crack in the armor and unleashed a barrage of firepower at that single weak point and blown her way in. Although Jake had only seen Abby and Scarlett together a few times, it was clear from looking into Abby's eyes that she had fallen in love with the young redhead despite desperately trying not to.

This concerned Jake even further. She loved the girl, this was obvious. Unfortunately, their time together was extremely limited and Jake was worried what would happen to Abby when Scarlett was taken to a foster family. It was unlikely that Abby would ever see Scarlett again after that and he was afraid that it would crush her. 

At the very least, Jake himself would still be with her. He doubted that he meant as much to her as Scarlett did, but she had confided in him her story of the destruction of her homeworld and the subsequent deaths of her husband and children. If nothing else, she trusted him… and Jake suspected she truly trusted very few people.

-.-

They were back on the road again by ten o’clock the following morning. Much to Jake’s surprise, Abby seemed in a much better mood than she had the day before. She was smiling rather brightly as they pulled out onto the pavement and continued on their way north.

The weather outside grew colder and colder the further they drove. They stopped at a small roadside diner in the early afternoon, where they ate ham and cheese sandwiches at an umbrella-covered table. As night began to fall, Jake announced that they would soon be arriving. Abby woke Scarlett, who had been sleeping for the past couple of hours in the back seat. At long last the car crested the top of a tall hill and revealed a sprawling, grassy valley. In the center of the valley sat what could only be the ranch. A vast complex of fences, barns, and other structures illuminated by the blazing sun that was close to disappearing behind a mountain on the other side of the valley.

As they drew closer, they at last caught sight of the house itself. Abby felt her jaw drop. The two story ranch house was very modern structure with many large windows. A series of solar panels were visible on the house’s flat roof. The house was surrounded by a wooden fence, the gate of which swung open as they approached and then automatically closed behind them.

“Welcome to my humble abode!” said Jake as he parked the car near the front door.

“Humble abode?” Scarlett repeated breathlessly. “This is humble?"

"You're family must be very well off," Abby agreed, peering up at the house.

"No better than what you've undoubtedly got stored away, what with you living off the Federation," Jake said lightly. "I know what an officer of your rank pulls in."

"Yes, well..." Abby said uncomfortably. "Still, this... this is amazing, Jake."

"All this excitement and you haven't even seen the inside yet," said Jake. "C'mon, let's get inside before the sun goes down. There's a bit of a coyote problem after dark."

"You... you're joking, right?" Scarlett asked, sounding frightened. Jake simply flashed Abby a playful grin and didn't reply.

After collecting their belongings, they made their way through the front door and into dark interior. Fumbling in the darkness, Jake flipped the light switch and illuminated the house with blazing light. The kitchen with a full bar attached lay straight ahead of them, its marble countertops glistening with a fresh coat of polish. Down a set of three steps to the right was a large den was a massive television in one corner and a sectional in the other.  Through a door to the left was the downstairs bedroom and a staircase to the upper floor.

"Make yourselves at home," said Jake warmly, dropping his bags by the door. Scarlett immediately wandered into the den and began investigating the television. Jake led Abby to the kitchen where she slipped onto a barstool.

"Want a drink?" Jake asked her, reaching for a pair of glasses and a bottle of some amber liquid. Abby eyed the bottle for a moment and then shook her head.

"No, thanks. I... uh... used to have a problem with certain liquids." Jake nodded and made to put the bottle away. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a drink, if you want," she added uncertainly. "I wouldn't want you to..."

"I don't want to tempt you," Jake said sincerely. "I've seen how easy it can be to fall off the wagon."

"Really, Jake, don't worry about me," Abby insisted. "I'll be fine. Besides, it's your home. Do what you normally would, okay? Don't change your ways because of us." Jake shrugged and poured himself a glass.

"Alright," he said lightly. "But Tuesday is Naked Yoga Night in the living room, so I'll be..."

"Okay, that you can change," said Abby, holding a hand over her eyes.

"And here I was hoping you'd join me," said Jake innocently.

"Well thanks, but I'll pass," said Abby, shaking her head.

"You're no fun," said Jake grumpily.

"You're no fun," Scarlett admonished, returning to the kitchen. "Hey, is it okay if I take a shower? I want to wash the gross motel off of me."

"That's... not a bad idea, actually," said Jake, glancing at Abby. "The bathroom's upstairs, second door on the right."

"Thanks," said Scarlett. She walked away, leaving Jake and Abby alone again. Abby wandered into the den and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs and sighing contentedly.

"Gosh, I forgot how uncomfortable Navy issue furniture is," she told Jake, who followed her and leaned casually against the doorframe. "This is really nice. The first thing I'm doing when we get back to Endeavour is fabricating myself one of these."

"I'd recommend it," said Jake, joining her on the couch. "My back is still killing me from sleeping on that thing."

"You didn't sleep there all that much," Abby reminded him with a grin. "You spent a lot more time snuggling with me."

"We didn't snuggle," said Jake defiantly. His eyes narrowed suddenly. "Did we? No, I'd remember that."

"You would," said Abby proudly. "I'm very cuddly." Jake stared at her for a long moment before he spoke again.

"Prove it," he said daringly. Abby knew what he wanted, what he was doing, but she was still so scared.

Stop being so silly, Abby thought angrily. You can't live the rest of your life in your little bubble. You're not living, you're just existing and what's the point in that? You know you're afraid to die, so do something with your life. Live it.

"Okay," Abby said at last. She shifted closer to him, leaning against him. She could feel the smoothness of his leather jacket through the thin fabric of her silky sundress. She felt Jake stiffen at her closeness and a grin appeared on her lips. Abby snuggled closer still, nuzzling her head under his chin.

"Uh... okay, you... you win," said Jake shakily. "We... I only just realized that you're not exactly wearing a bra with that dress, which... it makes perfect sense... That way there's no straps to see our anything... perfectly logical..."

"And that makes you uncomfortable?" Abby asked, drawing away from him. She was smirking slightly, peering at him with playfulness in her eyes. "Because it didn't make you uncomfortable when you were peeking down my shirt like a pervert."

"Hey, I am not a pervert," Jake defended himself. "And you know I was looking at your necklace, that's all."

"Uh huh, sure," said Abby airily. "I believe you."

"You should," said Jake. "I didn't..."

"I love your shower," Scarlett said happily, returning to the den while toweling her hair dry and interrupting Jake before he could further embarrass himself. "You should try it out," she added to Abby. "It's got a massaging shower head too. My shoulder has been killing me since the Progress and after standing under that for a few minutes, the pain's gone."

"I'm not sure it'll work on gunshot wounds, but a shower does sound nice," Abby admitted.

"Go for it," Scarlett advised, pulling her towel from her hair and draping it over her arm. Her long hair fell around her and Jake gasped softly. Scarlett's red hair was gone. Instead, her curls were a deep brown just like Abby's. He had noticed the similarity between them before, but without her stunningly red hair in place, Scarlett and Abby could have easily been sisters.

Abby, meanwhile, was staring curiously at Jake, frightened by his reaction. She had known that Scarlett's vibrantly red hair had not been natural, but she hadn't expected her to wash the dye out. It was all so obvious now and from Jake's reaction, she knew he had noticed. Jake, however, she could handle. If Scarlett noticed... if she saw the resemblance... She knew she would be unable to lie. If she couldn't lie, if she had to tell her everything... no, she couldn't do that either.

Abby managed to catch Jake's eye and she gave him a fleeting, desperate look that went unnoticed by Scarlett. Jake seemed to understand what she wanted, because he said; "For it to have felt so good, you weren't up there long."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said lightly. "Did I interrupt your make out session?"

"Scarlett," Abby groaned, drawing a smile from the girl.

"Abby," she said with a smirk. She shook her head. "I'll leave you both to it then." The moment Scarlett left and began to head upstairs, Jake rounded on Abby.

"Abby," he said quickly. "Who is she? You two look exactly alike. You're so obviously related I'm surprised Scarlett hasn't noticed."

"Me too," Abby breathed, doing her very best to blink back tears. "Okay, you have to swear that you won't breathe a word of this to Scarlett. She can't know, Jake. Never."

"Of course, you know me. I can keep a secret," Jake promised. Abby wasn't filled with confidence by Jake's affirmation, but she knew she would have to tell her story regardless.

"Okay," Abby began slowly. "Scarlett... is my... niece. My older sister, she... Okay, on my homeworld getting pregnant without being married... you were practically a social outcast. It just wasn't done. My sister... she was fifteen when she got pregnant and when my parents found out, they... They came up with a way to protect her. Hannah, my sister, she wanted to have the baby so my parents came up with a plan. My mother contacted some friends she had on a ship that occasionally took on supplies from Calonia Sirtis."

"The Freedom's Progress," Jake nodded, understanding.

"Right in one," said Abby. "Hannah went to stay aboard the Progress up until the baby was born. My parents told everyone that Hannah was visiting a friend on the ship. It was the perfect cover and it worked flawlessly. After Scarlett was born, she... She was adopted by the captain of the Freedom's Progress. They promised she would have a happy home and a very good life. I really hope she did."

"Wow..." Jake breathed. "That's one hell of a coincidence that the ship Scarlett was on just so happened to be the ship the Na'Vaxii attacked to lure Endeavour into a trap. What are the chances?"

"Less than zero, I'd say," said Abby dryly. "And yet here we are. But she can't find out the truth, Jake. If she does... she's already all but asked me to adopt her, and... God, if she found out I'm her... aunt, she'd never accept anything less than living with me. I was okay when she was on the Progress, but with her in my care, so close to the only family I have left... I'm responsible for her, and I... I'm a really terrible parent and if anything happened to her, if I lost her like I lost Sarah and Jessica..."

"You're scared, I get it," said Jake gently. "But Abby, you're family. You need each other. I know how scary it must be, but..."

"You don't," Abby said sharply. "You have no idea what I'm dealing with. I don't even... Just... please, let this go. I love Scarlett, but I can't be her mother. I've keep myself separated from her all this time and I never planned on any of this happening. I never thought I'd see her again, but now... Now, she's right there and it's all so real. I can't do it, Jake."

"Fine," Jake relented. "Like I said, I can keep a secret. But I still think you're making a mistake." Abby shrugged wearily, wishing she could crawl into bed and sleep for the rest of her leave.

"It wouldn't be the first time."

 

 

20: Section Twenty: The Beginning of the End

Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty
Sound of their breath fades with the light
I think about the loveless fascination
Under the Milky Way tonight

Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find
And it's something quite peculiar
Something shimmering and white
Leads you here, despite your destination

Under the Milky Way tonight...

Jake appeared in the doorway to the den and waved, drawing Abby's attention. Abby pulled her earbuds out of her ears, suddenly and violently cutting off the song she'd been listening to and shoving her back into the stark reality of the real world.

"Hey, I was just gonna see if you were hungry," said Jake. "I thought you might want something to eat. Scarlett's starving so I've made some homemade pizza, if you're interested."

"I'm fine, Jake," Abby replied quietly. "Thanks."

"I don't think you're fine at all," said Jake, going over and sitting down on the couch next to her. "She doesn't have to find out, Abby. She... she never needs to know. It'll all be..."

"What? Okay? It'll all be okay?" Abby asked him hotly. "Nothing in my life has ever been okay, Jake. Nothing. Why should I believe this will be?" Jack stared at her for a long moment before seizing a blanket from the back of the couch and holding out his hand for hers. She eyed him curiously, not at all sure what he was up to.

"C'mon," he insisted. "I want to show you something." With a certain degree of reluctance, Abby took Jake's hand and allowed herself to be led outside and into a field of thick grass a few dozen yards from the house. Jake spread out the blanket and lay back across it, staring up at the sky. He smiled at her and patted the ground beside him.

"Well?" He asked, arching his eyebrows. "Are you going to join me?" Abby too lay back across the blanket and looked up at the sky. She let out an audible gasp. The stars above them shone brighter than she had ever seen while on a planet. There must have been billions of them, shining and twinkling above.

"I love this," Jake said quietly. "I come out here all the time and just look up at the stars. I can forget about the war, about... everything."

"It is pretty beautiful," Abby admitted.

"Do you ever wonder what they thought?" Jake asked her. Abby turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed.

"Who?" She asked, quite confused as to who Jake could possibly mean.

"People," he replied. "People here on Earth. You know, a thousand years ago when all we had was a space station and a couple of shuttles to explore space. They couldn't have had any idea what was out there."

"When I was a kid that's what I wanted to do," said Abby, surprising even herself with that revelation. She hadn't thought about her childhood dream in years. "I wanted to explore space, to go out into the unknown and... I mean, just think what must be out there. I remember when I was just a little girl my dad showed me a picture of the Sloan Great Wall."

"The... what now?" Jake asked, arching his eyebrows curiously.

"It's a literal wall of galaxies a billion light-years from the Milky Way. It's one of the largest objects ever observed in the universe. It contains billions of galaxies... there were so many in the picture that they looked like stars. They weren't though, they were galaxies; galaxies just as big as ours and they looked like the field of stars we're looking at right now. Space... it will always amaze me. It's just so big, and we're... we're so small. Oh, and then there's the Canes Venatici Supervoid; an area of space a billion light-years across and there's nothing there. Not a galaxy or... or anything. It's incredible. People used to look at the ocean and think about how vast and powerful it was. That's nothing compared to space. I wish I could go out there and see it for myself. Not just here in Federation space, but out to the other side of the galaxy. Somewhere no one else has ever been before. A quintillion light-years from the Milky Way... somewhere outside the observable universe and..." She broke off, tearing her gaze from the stars and turning to Jake, who stared at her with what she thought was a glazed look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I don't mean to bore you, I just... get really excited about this stuff."

"It's okay," Jake said kindly. "Actually, it's really nice seeing you like this. That big smile on your face, you look... really happy. I've never seen you happy before."

"I haven't had a lot to be happy about recently," Abby admitted, turning back toward the stars. "In a long time, actually. But see, I met these two really great people that made me see that life isn't all bad. I guess I've got something to be happy about."

"I can't imagine who those people were," said Jake with a smirk. Abby grinned.

"Oh, I was talking about Sheridan and Hope," she told him very seriously, but she neglected to look at him.

"Right..."

"What?" Abby asked. "They're great."

"Oh, I'm sure they are, but they're no Jake Hawkins."

"No," Abby agreed, sighing contentedly. "No, they are not."

They lay out in the grass for over an hour, just watching the stars. Before long the sky began to cloud over and a light snow began to fall. They hurried back toward the house and stood on the porch watching the stars that were still visible twinkling above them for a few more moments. It was a beautiful sight and neither of them wanted to look away. They were brought brutally back to reality by a sudden sniffling coming from the open door. Glancing through the window, they saw Scarlett sitting on the sofa in the living room, sobbing softly.

Jake glanced down at Abby, who was holding a hand to her chest, her eyes shining with tears. He knew that he had never seen her look so lost. He cleared his throat quietly.

"If you want, I can talk to her..." he offered, but Abby shook her head.

"No..." she said in a soft voice. "No... it... it should be me, I'll talk to her." She turned and walked toward the door. If dread could be made visual, buckets of it would have been pouring off of her. "Can you give us a minute?" She asked Jake.

"Sure," he said quietly, sinking slowing onto the wooden bench on the porch. Abby pulled open the door and slipped inside. She had known all along that this day would come. That the pain and heartbreak Scarlett had been carrying would eventually spill over and the girl would completely break down. She had also realized that it would likely be she, Abby, who would have to help her through it and she didn't have the slightest idea where to even start.

She was working up something comforting to say as she reached the sofa. Scarlett was lying on it, staring blankly at the black television screen. Without speaking, Abby crawled up behind her and laid down, wrapping her left arm around the redhead. Scarlett's fingers reached up and gripped Abby's hand and tucked their joined hands under her chin.

The girls just lay there in silence for what felt like hours to Abby as she tried and tried to come up with something comforting to say, but Scarlett seemed soothed just by her presence. She had cried until she couldn't any longer and as her tears turned to dry sobs, Abby began to speak. She didn't really know what she was saying, but somehow it felt right... the words just came to her.

"You won't believe me, but I know exactly how you're feeling." Scarlett made a noise in her throat that quite clearly said that she didn't believe her at all. It brought a small smile to the brunette's lips. "Like I said, you won't believe me, but it's true. I lost my whole family too. I was a little older than you, so I guess that's different, but it's a pain I understand."

"You mean you're all alone too?" Scarlett asked. Abby was now blinking back tears and she was very glad that Scarlett couldn't see her face.

"I guess I am," Abby replied. "My family was killed by the Na'Vaxii too. It was years ago, but sometimes it feels like it happened yesterday. I see their faces... every time I close my eyes, I see them. I see them because I left them behind. When the aliens came, my husband and I... we took our twin girls and ran, leaving everyone we loved behind. All of them died and I'm haunted by it."

"You're married?" Scarlett asked.

"I used to be." said Abby delicately. "I didn't handle losing my family very well. I was really depressed... started drinking... it got pretty bad. After I joined the Navy and some of the pain went away, I stopped going home... going back just made everything worse. The girls barely remembered me and Michael, my husband, got remarried so they had a good mother. I just decided it was best to stay away. But then their planet was attacked by the Na'Vaxii too."

"Oh, no..." Scarlett whispered, sounding, if possible, even sadder.

"The planet was destroyed. The Na'Vaxii burned it from orbit. No one survived. I was there, on my ship. I wanted to attack the aliens, to try to defend the planet but it wouldn't have helped. We had too few ships... so I left the only people in the galaxy I loved behind to die. I did it again and I can never forgive myself for that."

"But it wasn't your fault," Scarlett said sincerely. "If you had fought..."

"My point," Abby interrupted. "Is that despite all that... or maybe in spite of it, I'm still alive. I'm still... well, I'm hardly whole. I guess I'm trying to say that even though you're hurting so badly right now, and baby I know you're hurting, it will get better. It'll feel like you're dying, Carly. God... there were days after my homeworld was destroyed that I didn't think I'd survive the sadness. But sweetheart, I promise. It will get better."

"I miss them so much," Scarlett whispered. "My... my mom left home... just before the attack. We argued when she came to say goodbye. It was stupid, but... but when she said goodbye, she... she said she loved me and I... I didn't even respond. I never even looked at her! I can't make up for that... I can never tell her... tell her..." Scarlett dissolved into silent tears again. She rolled over and buried her face in Abby's chest, clinging to the only source of comfort she had.

Abby didn't know what else to say, so she didn't say anything. She just held the girl and let her cry herself out and eventually the redhead fell asleep. She would have given anything to tell Scarlett the truth right then and there. To tell her that she wasn't alone, that she had someone left that had loved her more than anything else since the day she had been born. Yet still she hesitated. She wondered if letting Scarlett know the truth would help her or just make things worse. Would she be angry that Abby had allowed her to be raised by strangers when a member of her own family had known where she was? She didn't know, she couldn't know, and so she couldn't take the risk.

Abby gently slipped off of the couch and draped a blanket over Scarlett. She turned and found Jake standing by the doorway, watching in silence. She slowly padded over to him, her hand reaching out to the wall to dim the lights as she passed the control.

"That was... good," said Jake. "I mean, you know... it was awful, but... you handled it well."

"I didn't really know what to say, I just... forced myself to say something." Abby shook her head. "Heaven only knows. For all I know I've made it worse." Jake grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her into the kitchen.

"You didn't make it worse, I guarantee that," he said firmly. "She responded to you. She needs you right now."

"She needs a role model," said Abby, allowing herself to be steered into a bar stool. She sank onto it and folded her hands in her lap. "Someone she can learn from. Someone who can teach her how to handle this… It may have passed you by, but I'm not exactly the poster girl for dealing with loss."

"Maybe not," Jake admitted, circling to the far side of the bar and reaching for a glass. "But you're someone who knows exactly what she's feeling and she needs that. You can explain to her what you did so she doesn't follow in your footsteps."

"Jake, I did things... after my family died," said Abby, accepting the glass of ginger ale Jake passed her. "I did things that are unforgivable. I..."

"Nothing you did could be that bad," said Jake firmly.

"Oh, no?" said Abby lightly. "Okay... eight months before I was reassigned to Endeavour, just after the Na'Vaxii had destroyed Episky, I went AWOL on Earth."

"So?" Jake asked with a shrug. "That's not so bad."

"I'm not done," said Abby sharply. "I told you I don't drink... I had a lot of problems after Calonia Sirtis and so I drank... a lot. If I hadn't joined the Navy, I'd probably be... Well, they forced me into sobriety. I held on for a while... didn't touch the stuff again... until Episky was destroyed. I went AWOL... ended up in Las Vegas. I... I got really drunk, stupidly drunk... so drunk that I could barely stand. I was so miserable, so lost, so... so... I wanted to die. I really did want to. I planned to. I had rented a car. I don't remember what kind, just some sports model and, well, I left the bar I'd been at and drove out into the desert. I didn't... I wanted... Jake, I hit an SUV going a hundred and fifty miles per hour. If it weren't for the inertial dampeners, I wouldn't have survived."

"And... the other car?" Jake asked, but the expression on his face told Abby he already knew what had happened.

"It caught fire," Abby whispered, as though hearing it softly might somehow dampen the blow. "The fire suppression system must have been broken in the crash because it didn't activate and the fire got to the power supply, and... The car exploded. You know what the worst part is? The people in that car were a father and his twin daughters. I hate the Na'Vaxii for taking my husband and my children away from me, but I did the very same thing to some poor woman out there. I'm just as bad as they are. I'm probably worse... at least my family was a casualty of war. Those people... they died because of my stupidity."

Abby half expected to dissolve into tears, but somehow she managed not to. She held it in. She was good at that. She had to be. She looked up at Jake, who was watching her closely. She had lost him, she knew it. He wouldn't be able to forgive her for this. She had never even forgiven herself. It was her worst secret, her greatest sin. She wasn't sure why she had told him so quickly, so easily. Maybe she just wanted someone else to know. Everyone else who did...

"The Navy covered it up," Abby continued in a monotone. "It's what they do, they... they needed me. They need good officers I was told. They swooped in and took me to a Navy hospital and paid off the family to keep them quiet. I don't know all the details, but it's happened before. We're short on trained officers, and the Navy wasn't willing to lose one over this, so they covered it up. I think an old friend of mine, Admiral Graham, was responsible. By the time I knew what had happened it had already been done. I spent eight months recovering and then I was shipped to Space-Dock to meet with Graham for the Arcturus mission. Graham acted like I had a choice, but it had all already been done. My crime was already covered up. I murdered three people and I received a promotion to commander and the most advanced ship in the Federal fleet... and you ask why I don't drink?"

"Abby..." Jake said slowly. "You... It's not... You didn't mean to hurt anyone, you... you were grieving. It's not your fault, it's..."

"If not mine then who's?" Abby wondered. "I got into that car, Jake. No one else but me. It is my fault... and I have to live with it." She nodded toward the still sleeping Scarlett. "I'm all she's got, but I'm the worst thing for her. She'd be better off with someone else, with anyone else. So yeah, maybe I did make it worse."

Abby got up from the table and walked outside into the snow. It was still falling very lightly, but a thin layer had begun to accumulate on the grass. She didn't stop walking until she was well away from the house. She leaned against a low fence and wrapped her arms securely around herself. She couldn't sit there and listen to Jake try to excuse her actions. He wasn't supposed to forgive what she'd done. No one could do that. He was supposed to be disgusted by it all, not hold her hand and try to make her feel better. She didn't want that. She didn't want to feel better, not about this. She couldn't.

-.-

Almost fifty light-years from Earth, the F.N.S. Far Horizons, a Federal Navy heavy cruiser, led a border patrol of a half-dozen UEF vessels near the edge of the Eranin system. The system lay at the border separating the Federation's high tech and well developed Inner Colonies from the virtual wild west of the Outer Colonies. Over the course of the war, the Outer Colonies had been all but abandoned by the Federal Navy. Pre-war, the many factions of Earth had spread out so far and so fast that by the time the Na'Vaxii had begun to invade, it was nigh impossible for the then-fledging Federation to attempt to protect them all.

As such the Federal Parliament had elected to establish the Inner and Outer Colonies, choosing which star systems were close enough to Earth and strategically important enough to protect. Those systems became the Inner Colonies; a bubble of space around Earth roughly a hundred light-years across contains well over four hundred inhabited star systems. The Outer Colonies, easily three times the size of the Inner Colonies, spread out in every direction outside the bubble, were mostly farming outposts and trade stations and not worth protection. And although their ships were often encountered inside the border, the Na'Vaxii had never directly attacked an Inner Colony.

All that was about to change. At 1532 hours, ship's time, roughly the same time Abby had rushed from Jake's kitchen trillions of miles away, Far Horizons detected an anomalous warp signature on her long range sensors. The ship's captain ordered his detachment of ships including two destroyer and a trio of heavy frigates to withdraw from Harris Orbital, the only in-system space station that orbited Eranin VIII, a planet with a population of twenty-two million.

The six Federal warships pulled away from the station and moved to investigate the warp signature. What they found nearly five hundred thousand kilometers out-system was a single Na'Vaxii corvette, which was dispatched with no damage sustained to the human warships. The corvette was noted to have sent out a signal toward the human ships, but the Federal vessel's communication suites could not decrypt it. As the fleet moved to head back to Eranin VIII, alarms began to blare as each ship's sensors detected a massive warp signature.

Suddenly, Na'Vaxii ships appeared on all vectors. Far Horizons' sensors detected nearly three dozen alien capital ships in-system with a dozen more inbound. The human ships opened fire with every weapon they had. Streams of missiles, white hot projectiles, and the bluish glow of particle beam lasers lit up the night. It made little difference. The battle was over before it could even begin in earnest. The Na'Vaxii plasma weapons cut the human ships apart within minutes and moved away toward Harris Orbital. Within half an hour, debris from the station was raining down on Eranin VIII's major city. By morning on Earth, Eranin VIII no longer existed. The Na'Vaxii burned it to a cider and twenty-two million lives had been extinguished along with it. The Na'Vaxii ships then vanished into the ether, moving off toward their next target. Over the coming months, the aliens would drive straight through Federation Space, cutting deep to her beating heart; the Federal ship-building and fleet yards above the planet Repulse.