The Alpha's concubine (Girl x Werewolf)

Chapter 73/The bit on the control deck before the insanity sets in

After regaining control of the ship we looked at a tactical display of Jupiter and it's moons. We had already passed the mid point and were decelerating towards Jupiter or rather it's moon Callisto.

"I sent a message to my brother." Queenie began "I told him to expect the Empress. I mentioned the landing on Callisto to save your parents. He's still a few light hours away but I hope to get a message back in an hour or two."

I nodded "I expect to be gone by then."

Victoria looked at the floating three-dimensional map.

"We can't see his fleet but the Alpha is probably in orbit of the Moon Europa. Deep in Jupiter's radiation belt." Victoria said fiddling with the controls, then she gave up and pointed with her finger. She wave at the large mass of Jupiter which was drawn complete with red spot. Around the mother hen of mighty planets, four white label dots circled. Each one represented one of the major moons from the outside satm Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, and finally Io.

"Why is he hiding on Europa?" James asked.

Victoria took a deep breath. "Standard tactic. He's deep within the gravity well. Radiation is super high and interference is massive. You go in there without enough shielding you're dead. Unshielded missiles and drones will just get fried or be easy to spot. The electronics are going to be playing up. It gives him a defense from attackers. They come for him he can use the gravity for a slingshot to get out and Jupiter acts as a huge shield. The outer moons can hide sentry posts. He can hide, regroup, but he's in a fixed location which tactically isn't good. He's hoping some of the other houses will come to his aide. While Sabrina was interrupting the wedding her agents were blowing up a lot of his big cruisers."

James nodded "Good. To the point." He said I saw James looking over so proudly looking at Victoria. It made me think he was humming the national anthem in his head.

"OK," I Said "that's the home team. And the visitors?"

Bex took over "According to Reddit and maybe the long rage telescopes, they are moving in two groups one slow and one super slow."

She altered the view so we could see a map of the solar system.

Victoria butted in "These" she said waving her hand trough the dots and names "like the Crusher and the Victor are Sabina's lead ships. This is her pack and her followers, Like the Long Fangs. This ship 'the devils revenge' belongs to the Sharp Claws. They've switched loyalty to Sabrina. This second group is likely to be undecideds. They are going to follow slowly see who wins and arrive just in time to join the winners. Technically Sabrina has about seven big battleships many more smaller ones and so has the edge. By edge, I mean it's like an M1Tank vs a small toddler armed with a wet sock puppet level of edge. Not to sound defeatist but Sabrina being the one with the caterpillar treads. "

"We've had worse odds and won," Queenie added.

"But Five big ships." Victoria said "but in the lethal radiation zone - they properly are carrying a huge amount of Ice-Armour. They will be slow but this is the Alpha's ground. Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths, so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men..."

" This is hemmed in ground" James added "Sun Tzu's art of war. Oh, daughter."

I looked over to Queenie, "Bonding over slaughter is the best family bonding."

Queenie looked back to me with a slight tear in her eye, "Yes dear. Back home our mother used to do this all the time."

"How long?" I asked Bex.

Bex shurgged slightly "Nearly two days."

I smiled "Enough to get some idea of what we are facing and if my parents are down there or are in some weird reverse sushi experience. " I Said."So the plan is Bob, Victoria, Vee's Dad and I get dropped off in the Sea Urchin of Vengeance. Queenie and Bex hang on here in orbit running the ship. We try to find my parents and get back with them. OK, that's the plan let's GO!"

We began walking down to the pod bay. The Empress had a more heavily armored sub-ship. This was an independent ship that nestled in the bosom of the main ship. During normal operations it's engines were tied to the main ship. It acted as a kind of external booster. This ship was capable of detaching and landing on the moon. It was normally called engine three, I was calling it the Sea Urchin of Vengeance as did look like a Sea Urchin with the spines pointing in one direction.

Bex and Queenie came down with us as we went down the decks.

"Not to rain on your parade, but you have about a day or two. Before Sabrina's ships enter orbit. " Bex began making sure the spacesuit harness was OK "see you later."

I came up and hugged Queenie "IF we are not back in time take the ship to the Alpha. We will be safe down there. Stay Safe. "

"Why are you taking Victoria with you?" Queenie said quietly so Victoria couldn't hear..

I looked over to Victoria and her dad. Victoria seemed so exceptionally happy. "Well, she's my best friend and all but I don't trust her to run the most powerful ship in the solar system. OK, I wouldn't trust her to run the hot tap. But you know Vee is Vee so there you go. I mean I trust Vee with my life just not my pin code."

Victoria floated by "what was that?"

"I was just saying I trust you with my life just not my pin code," I said honestly while I looked into the shoulder bag I was carrying.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, that's about right. I wouldn't trust me with my pin code either."

As we passed into the pod bay I noticed something. Bob was moving slowly so I broke a way to track the silver blur I just noticed. Turning a corner around the back of the chest that Victoria's dad had been frozen in I caught up with the sight of the silver rabbit. Hovered at the edge of the corner more comfortable it had an easy escape route.

"Hi there you!" I said softly.

The rabbit timidly sat there watching me.

"You OK?" I said getting down. The rabbit rolled forward took one large step towards me then stopped and lean back sitting down. "If I knew what you eat I could get something for you? What do you want some kind of silver lettuce? Silver carrot? What do statues eat these days?"

The rabbit did and said nothing. It looked duller than it had done in the treasure chamber. It was still mirror-like enough to read my own face in it but it was more burnished. I held my hand out. I stepped another pace forward.

"Emma" Victoria cried shouting back.

"Be with you in a minute Vee," I shouted back.

The rabbit's jeweled eye rolled over me and then stopped at the bag. Noticing the gaze I opened the bag.
"You want something in here?" I said holding the bag open.

"Emm!" Victoria shouted.

With that rabbit rushed up to the bag. He paused for a minute as if it was thinking about something and then an instant it jumped in the bag.

"you can come with me if you want," I said getting up. The silver rabbit thrashed around for a second and then settled nestled the other junk I was carrying. I turned back to Victoria and the others "Coming." I shouted. 

Time I felt, to make first contact with an alien species - again.