In the Black Spaces

010: Into the Black Spaces

 "Lieutenant Commander," Gueller said, fighting to keep his voice level. "While I applaud your initiative in stopping the fighting, I cannot sanction this."

Wraia had expected as much from Gueller, but that didn't make it any less irritating. She breathed in deep through her nose to keep calm. With the Merlin now out of danger the other shipmaster had been quick to try and reassert his authority over the situation. It didn't matter that his vessel was crippled and would be lucky to drag itself back to human space.

Doing her best to remain civil, she looked at his image on the vid-screen in her cabin. "And what would you suggest instead?"

"We have both sustained damage. The object we have been pursuing has clearly left this system, but not gone further into Narvorian space. The immediate threat has passed. Therefore our primary course of action is now to return to Sol-Fleet space where we can make a full report of our findings. And we can inform our superiors that the Narvorians have engaged in illegal settlement of neutral space."

Wraia's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You cannot seriously be suggesting that a treaty violation is more important than tracking down this thing that has destroyed two entire colonies?"

"That is not what I meant," Gueller said quickly. "But if we wish to combat this unknown threat effectively we will require a full task force, and we will need to ensure that we are able to pass through this region without being challenged by Narvorian vessels who have staked an illegal claim."

"Sir-!"

"Ms. Clay, whatever it is, it is gone now. We go back."

Rage boiled in her chest as she stared at his hollow-cheeked face over the viewscreen. She almost ripped the screen out of its housing there and then, her normally professional demeanour just inches from going up in smoke.

"Let me be candid," she snapped. "Only one of us needs to give a full report to Sol-Fleet. You can have them mobilise defence fleets to the outer colonies, while I continue onward with Navigator Fifthhorn. I will not go scurrying back to dry-dock with my tail between my legs."

"Clay, Myrr Idol is destroyed along with the Manticore. There is nothing more we can do out here. Even if you were to track this vessel down, what would you even do? It is clearly too powerful for a single ship to combat."

"We don't know that for certain – we've never even seen the thing." Her expression darkened accusingly. "And what about the people of Myrr Idol? The crew of the Manticore?"

"What?"

"We didn't find any bodies, Commander. Not one. If they weren't killed, then logic dictates they were taken. If they were taken, they are onboard that ship."

"A wild assumption, Ms. Clay. They are most likely dead."

"Most likely? Those people are Sol-Fleet crew, and human colonists! I'm not about to give up on them."

"I am the senior office-"

"Commander Gueller!" Wraia erupted, slamming a hand down flat against the table in front of her. "With all due respect, this is not a request. I have made my decision as the commanding officer of the Cobra. You are not an admiral, a commodore, or even a captain. You have seniority over me by one year of service, during which time your most remarkable action was the arrest of a half dozen pirates.

"You are no more qualified than I am to be in command of this expedition. I graduated top of my class from the Sol-Fleet Naval Academy, Deimos Campus, with a twin-excellence commendation in tactical discipline and ship-to-ship combat. I am not going to crawl back to Sol-Fleet and sit twiddling my thumbs while that thing disappears into the void. If we let it get away from us now, we may never find it. And then who knows when it might strike again? Or where? This time it was a fringe colony, but Myrr Idol is just one hop away from millions – billions – of colonists."