The Adventures of Bloodstrype ch4) The Queen's Council
#4 of The Adventures of Bloodstrype
The Adventures of Bloodstrype ch4) The Queen's Council
Open log
"Captain Bloodstrype to the bridge, I say again Captain Bloodstrype to the bridge."
I wake up with a start and look at the antique timepiece on my cabin wall. Its morning but not yet time for my shift. Glancing down I see that SolarFlare is awake as well so I gently disengage from where I am curled around her and head for my comm. station. "Bloodstrype to Bridge, I'll be there in a few minutes, what is the problem?"
A voice that it takes a moment to identify as Silverstar replies, "Sir, Lieutenant Commander Daisha found us a route that took almost nineteen hours off our travel time. We have just completed real-space reversion and are fifteen minutes from Scorpio system outer defense border"
"She took us thru Charybdis didn't she?" I sigh and growl, "Girl, that system is off limits for a reason, dammit"
"Sir?"
Oh damn I forgot the channel was still open. "Thank-you, Silverstar. I'll be on the bridge in ten. Oh, yes, before I forget, you don't need to call anyone onboard 'sir' or by rank except three reasons; safety of the ship, someone is in trouble, or there's an admiral onboard. Any more that that, on a ship this small, we run into each other too often that it just gets in the way."
"Yes, sir. I'll try."
Cutting the connection I walk to my armor station and find Flare already using it to get her armor on. "I figured that you were going to ask me to join you on the bridge as we came in system and you were using the comm. so I transferred my armor here. I'll be done in a few seconds."
Shaking my head I wait until she steps off, don my own armor, and we make our way to the bridge together. We arrive on the bridge just as a cruiser from the outer system patrol makes its first security challenge. As SolarFlare takes her place at the weapons station and I take the captain's chair the second challenge is issued. Synchronizing, Flare and I transmit our clearance codes and security countersigns. We are cleared in-system and I have Silverstar transmit my situation report and the doctors report on the POW's. A few minutes later we are informed that we have priority vector to Naval Station 001 Orbital Dock around Scorpio.
I order Silverstar to push right to the system traffic hard-limit of 0.4c. She informs me that it will take four hours to reach station and complete docking. As I start to get up to leave, my communications officer Lt. Vipertongue tells me that I have a Priority Alpha signal from Fleet Admiral Bearclaw. "I'll take it in my ready-room. Silverstar you have the Conn. Flare?" I signal her to join me.
Taking her official place at my right hand we walk up to the wall screen and input our security codes. "Captain Bloodstrype standing by."
The screen comes to life revealing a scarred black wolf missing the top half of his left ear. Surprisingly the hardness of his demeanor never touched his eyes. "Captain Bloodstrype, Commander SolarFlare, I hear you are to be congratulated. We had all but given up hope on finding that base and those prisoners; their families will be pleased to see them again."
"Thank you, sir." We both say and I continue, "But I suspect that's not the reason for the priority call."
"You're too much like your father Bloodstrype." He shakes his head at me. "In fact that is part of it. I commed to inform you the Queen and the Pack Alphas want to congratulate you in person. Then the Admiralty wants to see you about a new, priority mission. So when you dock all of Seraphim is to report to the Queen's audience chamber in full dress, blades only."
"Full dress, blades only. Yes, sir" we put our right fist over our left shoulder in salute. "Bloodstrype, out," and I cut the connection.
Returning to the bridge I return to my chair deep in thought. The next few hours pass relatively uneventfully, save for shift turn-over. As we approach the space dock I inform the rest of Seraphim squad of our orders, turn the bridge over to Daisha, and head to my quarters to put on my ceremonial armor. My armor station strips off certain plates and replaces them with brighter more colorful ones displaying rank and ribbons. The only part I like about my dress armor is the 2 crimson stripes that follow the blood red fur stripes from the corners of my nose-pad between my ears and down my back ending at the base of my tail that earned me my name at my coming of age challenge.
Making my way to the shuttle bay I take note of the controlled chaos of getting the rescued POW's offloaded. When I arrive on the flight deck M'Raak already has our landing/assault shuttle warmed up. Taking my seat I input a command code into the computer system and the active camouflage goes from mimicking the deck plating to displaying the squad colors and the Queen's Crest on a clean white hull. Taking us out, M'Raak transmits our clearance codes and landing access codes and she takes the shuttle gently down to the Queen's Palace landing pad.
Making our way to the Queen's audience chamber we generate a large number of stares and whispers from people who have never seen us. As tradition dictates we stop and kneel before the hero's wall to honor our fallen soldiers. As per formality, the waiting room is empty and Queen DawnStar is waiting for us. Pausing briefly before the door we are signaled to enter.
Dropping to one knee before the Pack Alphas and the Queen's throne, I draw my blades and place them on the floor before my knee, blades crossed, I then remove my helmet, cross my wrists over my chest and lower my head in the traditional sign of submission and respect. Waiting the traditional two seconds, the rest of Seraphim does the same.
"Captain Bloodstrype, son of Redfeather and Silverfox, house of Redclaw, of the Lesser North Sea pack. I present to your graces approval, the Seraphim." I hear a gentle rustle as Queen DawnStar rises and walks down to stand before the squad.
"You have proven yourselves worthy of approval and respect, you may rise."
Standing, I notice that Queen DawnStar has called a full court session. Waiting until the Queen has taken her place, the Queen's aide begins, "Attention to orders:" We all come immediately to attention, "For heroic bravery, we the people of this nation present to the members of Seraphim squad, the Queen's Rose. On or about the date of......" She continues for a few minutes in a brief description of our rescuing the POWs. We are called forward one at a time to kneel before the Queen and have the ribbon placed on our armor.
As we file back into our places Queen DawnStar dismisses the rest of her court and activates a control on her chair. The courtroom floor opens up in several places as a table and several walls rise from below the building. As this is happening the admiralty files in and takes places at the table. We are instructed to sit down at one end of the table. Glancing around, the room has been transformed into a military briefing room complete with wall screens.
"Gentlemen, the time has come to escalate this war. As of oh-six-hundred this morning operation Final Dawn is active." Fleet admiral Bearclaw activates one of the screens and continues, "The target we have chosen is New Cairo. We have already begun staging the fleet here in Scorpio orbit and we will begin operations in two weeks. I would like Seraphim squad to be our beach-head unit."
"Yes, sir, I believe we can do that." I reply. The briefing then turns to the more technical maters of how to take the planet without killing the civilian population. An hour later we are relatively satisfied with our plans and Seraphim is dismissed with orders to report to the R&D section for upgrades and repair. This is gonna be fun
End of log.