Dark Deeds and Black Flights - Part V
22 Sep 2017Jellicoe
Asterope System, Deep SpaceThe Resolution was a mess, her hull rent in several places, her plating torn, her paintwork seared by laser blasts and scored by kinetic and missile impacts. It was more than three hours since her desperate jump into this system and it seemed that the immediate pursuit had been evaded.
I cannae do anything 'bout the hull breaches but the emergency bulkheads adr doing their job." Jock Dalziel the ships chief engineer told the senior personnel as they studied the holo-feed from various camera drones around the stricken vessel. "Both starboard multi-cannons are U/S and the fighter launch gear's jammed."
"And the good news?" Stannis Jellicoe asked with a sardonic smile.
"Apart from us still being here at all after that pounding?" The burly mechanic replied gruffly. "The field maintenance unit has fixed up the jump drive and the power plant's still functional, that's as good as it gets."
Jellicoe nodded resting his chin on his knuckles. "So we can run, Claude have we got anywhere to run to?"
"Possible." Claude Marsaud replied thoughtfully. "There's an asteroid base owned by some religious cult just over a hundred light years from here, they're a reclusive bunch and aren't at all keen on outsiders but they will let us dock and they have full repair facilities."
"A hundred light years." Jellicoe said half to himself before looking to Jock. "Will we have any problem making that distance?"
"Should be okay, wouldnae fancy going much further though."
"Thoughts on the pursuit, will they be looking for us?" The commander asked his tactical officer.
"Depends on how important they think we are and what kind of resources they have, they could have every system from here to the bubble staked out or it might just be one ship hoping to bump in to us, I've just no way of knowing."
"Alright." Jellicoe said decisively. "We'll sit tight here for a couple of days then make our move. Claude can you and Vik stay for a minute, everyone else go and get some sleep."
"Did we get anything from those data-points? " Jellicoe asked his first officer after the room had emptied.
"Yes." Claude said gravely. "A couple of transmissions, one is about a ship called Victoria's Song, they're ordered to apprehend if possible but destroy if necessary. I've looked into it and the Victoria's song is a survey ship, a big one with over a hundred and fifty crew and there is no trace of them whatsoever since the date of this transmission." Vik gasped audibly and brought one of his huge fists down on the table while Jellicoe fought to retain his calm exterior against a rising wave of nausea.
"And the other?" He asked.
"I'll read it to you." Claude answered. "I warn you though it's a lot to take in -
'Sir, we’ve lost contact with one of our recon ships. Last known location HIP 17746.
Final transmission indicated an encounter of some kind. Recon 6 bugged out to rally point echo, but it looks like they didn’t make it.
There’s something else. We detected a signal that exceeds our language parameters; It was embedded in 6’s last transmission. It’s the same signal that we detected in Pleiades Sector AB-W B2-4
Awaiting your orders.'"
Jellicoe nodded slowly. "Anything else?" he asked while tugging his clothes into place, a nervous habit he couldn't seem to break.
"One more thing that might be significant, if they did 'apprehend' the Victoria's Song then any prisoners were to be taken to somewhere called 'Overlook' for questioning, there was another mention of it at the coms hub."
"And?"
"No idea." Claude replied. "I've drawn a complete blank everywhere I've looked."
They took a circuitous route to HIP 16813, travelling via dark systems wherever possible and giving settled space a wide berth, after each jump scanners were checked and rechecked for any ghost of a trace that might be searchers or pursuers, scoop, jump, scoop with as little delay as possible. They encountered only one other ship, an Asp scooping fuel in an uncharted system, her commanders friendly greeting triggering a rapid series of tense jumps until it became clear the Asp had indeed been nothing more than a lone explorer filling his tanks. On arrival in HIP 16813 the journey from the jump in point to the station was even more nerve jangling, the Resolution took a wide arc, well away from the shipping lane and any prying eyes before dropping out of super-cruise on the far side of the planet the asteroid base orbited and spending the next day and a half making her final approach in normal space through the ring system until finally the crippled ship touched down on its allotted pad.
Having arranged for repairs to be carried out Jellicoe headed off for something a little more appetising than ship rations and the disgusting zero g tea sachets for the first time in over a week, relief at survival and anticipation of a decent meal turning to irritation as his path out of the hangar was blocked by a tall man clad in dark robes, his head shaven with a simple design impressed into his forehead.
"Welcome to Sisters' Refuge Commander Jellicoe. I am Elder Thorp, do any of your crew require medical attention?" He asked casting an eye over the Resolution's tortured hull.
"No thank you Elder, mercifully we suffered no casualties."
"I rejoice." The elder said, his deep voice and tone not quite at one with his words. "Here at Sisters' Refuge, while we offer our hospitality to all we seek sanctuary from the strife of other men, I trust you bring non in your wake?" The elders keen eyes appraising the pilot.
"We were jumped by what we think we pirates while looking into a signal source" Jellicoe replied, not entirely truthfully.
"Very powerful pirates to do such damage to a ship such as your commander." The elder remarked shrewdly. "You are welcome here Commander Jellicoe, but if you have brought trouble to the fortress of the pure you will be asked to leave, whatever state your ship is in."
Sisters' Refuge was a strange place, home to a religious order who sought seclusion yet opened their doors to passing travellers. The accommodation was clean and well maintained but very Spartan, the food available was the same, adequate in both quantity and nutrition but extremely plain, alcohol was tolerated but discouraged, narcotics were absolutely prohibited. The Order of the Seven Bells, unlike many of the galaxy's other religious cults made no apparent effort to proselytise their faith to their visitors being helpful, courteous but clearly wishing to keep themselves to themselves and while the austere surroundings made Sisters' Refuge far from the most enjoyable place in the galaxy there was something deeply peaceful about its tranquil, ordered seclusion.
"Repairs'll be finished tomorrow." Claude said as the Resolution's crew sat in the sterile white mess hall they had been assigned. "You want to arrange a meeting with Craddock?"
"Not yet." Jellicoe replied. "There's a couple of things I want to look into first."
"Such as?" Vik asked, a ripple of surprise passing around the table.
"I want to look into the Victoria's Song, see if we can find out what happened to her, then I want to go back the their base and finish the job."
"We barely made it out alive lase time." Mira said. "Next time we might not be so lucky."
"I know." Jellicoe replied. "Which is why were taking help."
"Craddock isn't going to like that." Claude said frowning.
"Just for once." Jellicoe answered with a cold eyed smile. "Craddock is just going to have to trust me."