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April, 818 A.S.

Battleship HMS-Grimsby - Primary Fighter Bay

[color=#FF0000]"All hands on deck! Stand on guard!"

The sound of some 700 pairs of boots clicking to the floor in near perfect symphony rang through the sterile and vast expanse of the fighter bay. The voice of Commodore Winston Doyle, commanding officer of the 1st Battle Fleet - BAF 11th Fleet was authoritative and difficult to ignore. The various crew members of the Grimsby stood still, split in two linear formations around a trio of men, in their sharpest drill uniform. Today was a special day.

To the right was Winston Doyle. To the left was Commander-Major Patrick Wesley, the senior-most NCO of the vessel. They flanked a tall, stern-looking but young man. His uniform insignia testified of his important role in the BAF, the 11th Fleet and the Grimsby.

"You may proceed with the inspection. They're all yours, Admiral." The Commodore spoke in a discrete voice.

"Thank you." The flag officer replied in a brief, almost disinterested tone. He proceeded with his inspection. The two subordinates followed.

The center of attention was the Admiral. His name is Wilhelm Deneth Aleski, but he preferred to go by "Deneth" Aleski. It felt more "Bretonian".

Admiral Aleski is the latest addition to the Bretonian Armed Forces' Admiralty Board. Not even three years ago, he was just a simple frontline pilot. A grunt, grinding it out with Kusari and Corsair raiders in the Leeds and Cambridge sectors. He wasn't even a Bretonian citizen, having initially requested political asylum after deserting the Rheinland Military and having a brief stint with the Red Hessian Army. After sustaining a major head trauma months after his enrollment, he was transferred to an administrative position, serving directly under the Fleet Admiral of the time, Sir Martin Bridge.

While many considered him a security threat and a dangerous upstart, many others (notably in the High Command) saw tremendous leadership skills in him. His climb up the ranks was quick. After news of Bentley Ashers re-deployment to Leeds broke out, the search to fill the ensuing vacancy began. Aleski seemed to have been a logical choice. So obvious, in fact, that the Board decided to appoint Aleski (who had the rank of Captain, at the time) to the positions of acting leader of the BAF 11th Fleet and acting Military Governor of Newcastle. He was formally promoted two full days after the appointment, something unprecedented in BAF history.

The Admiral finished his inspection. He, along with his subordinates, made their way to a podium at the extremity of the bay.

"Men and women of the 11th Great Fleet of the Bretonian Armed Forces, my name is Wilhelm Deneth Aleski. Effective immediately, I will be the new Force Commander of the HMS-Grimsby and her Battle Fleet, as well as the Military Governor of the Newcastle sector. My job will not only consist of supervising military operations in our corner of space... it will also be to oversee the Sunderland Research Station's activities, to defend it with all our shared might and finally, to administer special projects as directed by Admiralty Headquarters. We may not be on the front line of the war, but let no one question the usefulness of your assignment. In the midst of a long, drawn out stalemate in Leeds space, a full on "War on Piracy" in Dublin and the possibility of a new looming enemy, we, men and women of the 11th Fleet must preserve the Armed Forces' capability to conduct military research and projects that will give us the advanced tools necessary to defeat all of our enemies. These projects... the scientists commit to them, I see to it that progress is made and you all are here to make sure nobody impedes on their work. Your wartime contribution is without price. Be proud of what you have achieved so far. May the flame of patriotism and service to community, country and Queen burn brighter and hotter in your hearts than ever before. The work you do is important, and the work you will be doing in the coming days, months and years will be of paramount importance.

Men and women of the 11th Great Fleet, crew members of the HMS-Grimsby, pilots of the 1st Battle Fleet, scientists of the Sunderland and soldiers. I am pleased to assume my new duties as CO of the Fleet and Administrator of this system. Just as I am confident you will all give everything you have in your daily toil, I assure you that I will devote myself - mind, body and soul - to making sure we carry out our mission, under any circumstances, no matter the cost. Soldiers of the 11th Great Fleet, salute!

The crew members saluted sharply.

"Dismissed."

The deckhands began de-populating the fighter bay and business slowly resumed its normal pace. This was the beginning of a new era for this fleet.

Commodore Evyn Hunter watched as the Craven's Nest's shuttle began to enter the HMS Grimsby's hanger bay. The outside of every Bretonian battleship looked the same. The fish shape, ribbed spine, and bullhead nose. The state of its interior however, varied from ship to ship. A spotless hanger could mean the ship's captain has an unhealthy standard of cleanliness, and a filthy one could mean that crew discipline is lax. A healthy medium was to be desired.

The shuttle landed and she descended the boarding ramp. Admiral Deneth Aleski and Commodore Winston Doyle were already waiting, flanked by a legion of lower officers. She stepped up to the Admiral and saluted him, an act she truly hated doing, regardless who she was saluting to. "Congratulations on your promotion Admiral. Admiral Aleski returned the salute, "Thank you Commodore, and congratulations to you as well on your new knighthood My Lady." Evyn saw he hated using honorifics as much as she hated saluting. She smiled cynically, "It's yet to be seen if it'll a blessing or a curse." Evyn then introduced the Admiral to the officer she had brought with her, Commander Adrian Shaw. The Admiral then introduced her to his own staff, starting with Commodore Doyle, whom she had already met. It was a ritual they were both well versed in.

"So, what is you wanted to speak to me about? The message you sent was pretty vague." Evyn's eyes glanced over Aleski's staff who were paying close attention, no doubt wondering themselves why a Fleet Commander from Leeds would leave the front lines to visit the Grimsby in the far corner of Newcastle. She looked back at Aleski. "It'd be better if we discussed it in private Admiral." She could see this had piqued his interest. "Of course My Lady, please follow me." She caught the eye of Commander Shaw and gestured for him to follow them, then took off after the Admiral.

Admiral Aleski led them to a small conference room near the ship's bridge. After all three had entered and the door shut securely behind them, she began. "Given your new station here at the Grimsby, and thus over the protection of Sunderland, you obviously have a higher clearance level with intelligence than before. The Grimsby's network should contain most of Intelligence's information concerning Sunderland and the ruins its researching. Most. As you may know, my ship, the Craven's Nest, was built when Director Norrington took over the Intelligence Service. Since the Director wanted to reorganize the entire service, I was transferred from ferreting out treason among the military's personnel, to lead a new type of Intelligence Strike Squadron." This was a little-known part of her military history, and she could see a glimmer of interest on his face from being told about it. Aleski had a reputation of being suspicious of government organizations. It wasn't a secret after her transfer that she had been, and to a degree, still is, an MI5 agent, but her exact role in the military prior to that transfer was still classified.

"The Craven's Nest was commissioned as a mobile secondary headquarters for the Intelligence Service, as well as a launching platform for my squadron and others. As such, its computer network has a full back up of all information known by the BIS up until Director Norrington's retirement and my transfer back to standard military. Being the paranoid and over-protective man that all Directors are, he had some of the BIS' data from that time removed from the main headquarters' database, so the new administration wouldn't be able to access his secrets. This data was left inside the Craven's Nest's network, since the ship is crewed by men and women who were a part of the Service during his term. I guess he considered it safer to leave it with me and my crew than with the new Director. I'm starting to think he had the right idea, given the new administration's actions and protocol in the recent months."

"A substantial part of this data concerns the Nomads, the ruins, and Sunderland's research, as well as many development projects the station was involved with under his command. Since you are now in command of the military aspect of this operation, it's for the best if you know all parts of the situation. I would be willing to provide you with access to this information, given two conditions.." Aleski raised his eyebrow.

Evyn gave him a stern look, to make it obvious that she was completely serious. "Number One, you will, under no circumstances, tell the Director of Intelligence or any others, including the rest of the Admiralty Board, of the existence of this remote database. Any highly sensitive information you learn through it should not be released without either my permission or in extreme circumstances."

She watched his face as she listed her terms. The second condition she would give to him would be more difficult for him to accept. "The second condition is that you allow Commander Shaw," she glanced towards the tall and thin man who had stood silently by, "unrestricted access to use the Battleship Grimsby.. And to access its data network and that of Sunderland's." A look of incredulity sprang to Admiral Aleski's face. A subordinate making this kind of demand from an Admiral didn't happen. Before he could respond though, she continued, "Commander Shaw is going to be on special assignment for me, official labelled an Intelligence operative, my old contacts in the Service will handle setting that up. He will be investigating Nomad activities in Bretonia, and sometimes elsewhere, as well as doing a quiet investigation into the current Intelligence agency as well as keeping an eye on our primary fleet officers. In return, I will make all of his findings available to you as well."

She watched him with interest as she awaited his reply.

Aleski simply sat there for a second, motionless. His face conveyed a quizzical and mildly amused expression, something the man quickly suppressed in order to restore his characteristically stern and disinterested look. He paused slightly, in order to process the novel information and formulate a response.

"That is quite a storied background you have there, Commodore... Strangely, I keep attracting people like you around me in my life. Usually at the expense of my otherwise quiet and comfortable life. Evidently, the trend seems to have carried over in Bretonia as well." Aleski smirked slightly. "Hopefully you haven't unearthed too many shady elements of my past. There's probably enough to write an entire book with... Fortunately, in this case, we're on the same side and our interests are convergent." His tone was serious but deceptively sarcastic.

He sighed lightly and continued. At any rate, you do make a good point. I will probably need all the intelligence I can have in order to carry on my mandate effectively. I've been briefed on the intelligence we already have at hand, as far as the Grimsby and Sunderland's current major research initiatives. It seemed complete and thorough, but I can't say that I'm well-acquainted with Bretonia's intelligence community either. If there is more to it than the eye can see, the least I could do is strive to have the full picture." She listened intently, silent.

"Naturally, the first condition you set out is a given. Intelligence of this magnitude is to be handled with discretion. I will see to it personally that all data remains uncompromisable, secure and within the confines of you and I. You needn't worry about it."

The Admiral paused and began pacing around the conference room slowly. He continued. "My point of contention, however, lies in your second condition." His tone became markedly heavier and sober. "Allow me to be frank for a moment, Commodore Hunter. Perhaps it is the wary, distrustful and cautious side of me speaking... but consider your request from my perspective."

He turned to face Commander Shaw, who has insofar remained silent. "You have presented me this person, Commander Adrian Shaw. I am not acquainted with his profile or anything about him. Moreso, I'm not even sure if I ascertain the actual implications of the assignment he's currently tasked with."

"I have no reason to doubt his competence. If I did, he wouldn't be standing here overhearing our conversation. But you see, trust does not come easily for me. You will have to appease my concerns before I can carry on with this." Aleski turned to face Commodore Hunter, this time.

"I have good reason to believe you understand where I'm coming from, My Lady."

Evyn considered her words carefully. Her future required this man help her.

She took a deep breath. "I understand your concerns Admiral, and if I were in your shoes I'd be just as wary about a condition like this. Believe me that, if it weren't vital, I wouldn't be troubling you with this. Admiral, there-" She breathed deeply again, letting her anger and frustration show. She looked Aleski directly in the eye. "Admiral, our Intelligence Service has been involved in.. experiments to guarantee the obedience of people. That they are slaves could be no truer if they were shackled and leashed."

"My purpose in these actions, and my reason behind this request, is to end this practice and to free those being controlled." She was telling him more than she had wanted to. And she was getting concerned that he may guess more. "I cannot tell you any more than that Admiral. The more people who know what I'm doing, the more likely that succeeding will become impossible... Not to mention the repercussions to myself personally. Commander Shaw here is the agent who will be collecting the information I need, as well as taking care of more 'hands-on matters'."

"I have good reason to suspect that the Grimsby and Sunderland databases contain more of the information I need. You are the only one who can get me access to that information, and that is why I ask for your help... Admiral. Will you help me?

The young flag officer absorbed the surprisingly intense plea of his subordinate. His eyes were locked on Hunter's, his face showing an expression along the lines of "you cannot be serious about this". Commander Shaw still stood there, observant of the situation but otherwise idle.

Aleski located a chair in close proximity to where he was standing. Sitting, the man seemed somewhat deflated. He was taken aback by the speed at which such a routine meeting turned into a surreal event. He briefly massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers, sighed heavily and answered.

"Ahhh... naive was I to even think things would be any different here..." His voice was uncharacteristically low, almost speaking under his breath.

"Commodore Hunter, please say no more about your situation. I have a feeling my head will burst if another word of it enters my ear canals..." Slight irritation was perceptible in his speech. He paused, then continued. "If access to the data networks of Grimsby and Sunderland is what you need, then so be it. Somehow I have a faint feeling I already know too much, and I'm plenty aware of what happens when one knows just too much."

"But I will say this." Admiral Aleski's eyes locked on the Commodore once more, although somewhat more intensely this time. "Whatever it is you will be doing, whatever end you seek to achieve and whatever means you intend to use to achieve that aforementioned end... I will have nothing to do with it. I will let you and the Commander access the information and that is it. My involvement with you ends there. Under the radar. Nobody sees, nobody knows. And if - for whatever reason - something goes wrong, if ANYTHING goes wrong, I will not go out of my way to protect anyone. I will deny everything. So make sure to keep your business to yourself. Do that and I will gladly assist you in your endeavour."

Aleski stood up again, vaguely looking around the conference room, as if he was thinking deeply. He then turned to face the duo.

"Have I made myself perfectly clear, Commodore Evyn Hunter?"

"Perfectly clear. Thank you Admiral" she said as she bowed her head. This pose hid her face. It also hid her victorious and contemptuous smile. Deny all you want Aleski, when this is over, no one's dirty laundry will go unchecked. And I'll be the one who controls that information. She hid her smile and looked up. "This will be a tremendous help Admiral. As with the information I give you, what you give me will be kept at an equally confidential level, I assure you. I shall take my leave now Admiral. I apologize for troubling you with this."

She about-faced smartly and left the room, followed closely by Commander Shaw. As they walked back to the hanger that their shuttle was stored in, she gave her orders to him;

"I want you to begin going through their data as soon as the Admiral clears you for access. Do not transfer any of it directly to the Nest, always use a storage disc to physically transfer it. No matter what happens, it is imperative that their computer systems never lead back to us. Get anything current and anything that we don't already have in our own network, but focus on getting any information about the Supplicium Project."

Shaw said the first and only word he would utter in the entire trip; "Understood." She nodded, pleased. He was trained to speak only when he needed to, and he stuck to that training well. His goal was to leave as little to show of his existence as possible. Leaving him, she took the shuttle back to the Craven's Nest, where she began to organize the transfer of all Nomad, Newcastle, and Sunderland-related information she had to the Grimsby's data network. Also through physical means in a way not to leave a trace or trail.

Adrian Shaw nursed his martini at the bar, making smalltalk with the bartender, who happened to be one of the men on Hunter's payroll. Bartenders and waitresses in high-class bars heard a lot that they weren't supposed to from the habitual drinkers. It was a favorite spot for many of New London's minor nobility. The kind of place where one went to have fun without being recognized, or took their fancy mistresses to get prepared for the night ahead. In other words, it was warm, dark, and people didn't pay attention to other people's business. He had positioned himself so that he could watch the entrance, so he noticed when a young woman, hair artfully arranged to obscure most of her face, entered and swept the room with her eyes before heading towards the bar near him.

He had been shown a photo of his contact, but the way she had arranged her hair and makeup, not even he could be sure it was her. She took the stool next to him and looked over before addressing the bartender, "What he has looks good, I'll take one." The bartender nodded and procured a glass. Before she could reach into her purse, Shaw paid the bartender for it. She smiled graciously at him, then leaned over to whisper in his ear as the bartender served another customer. "Shaw?" She leaned back and gave him an inviting smile - An act for the other patrons in the room. He smiled back and she moved to one of the booths against the wall, closing a privacy curtain after he sat across from her.

Once there they dropped their fake expressions, but kept their voices low. She pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to Shaw. "Here is your paperwork and identification. Agent Adrian Shaw, recruited 816 A.S., assigned to the Special Investigations unit, 817 A.S. That's the unit the higher-ups put their pawns in when they don't want anyone else in the agency knowing what they are doing. Ask the Commodore, she's got plenty experience with it." Shaw ruffled through the documents. "And the network access?" She shook her head slightly. "I got you basic access, but there was no way to get you into the upper-level data banks without raising some flags. I can access that data through my own account and cover up the trail, but I can't create a new account and get it access to that data. Tell the Commodore she'll have to go through me to get that data."

Shaw gave her a sharp look. "Then give me your account details and I can access it myself through it." She looked at him as if he were retarded. "Out of the question. I'm willing to help the Commodore and keep it quiet for what she's paying me, but I'm not going to risk getting executed for treason just so you can get information easier." Shaw thought there was a second reason; money. She probably wanted to charge them for each piece of information they had her get for them. He stared at her until she began to feel uncomfortable and started fidgeting with her drink, then stood and left, leaving her in the booth, where she'd wait before leaving separately, to minimize the amount of people who saw them together.

He took a taxi to a tall apartment building near the government quarter. He entered a room on the forty-second floor, the entrance code given to him by Commodore Hunter. Once there he began to rummage through the apartment's contents. The apartment was rented by the Bretonian Intelligence Agency, one of many in this building, for its personnel. This one in particular was occupied by an upper-level analyst, who was obviously not home at the moment. Finally he located their computer, though he didn't touch it yet. First he'd need the login information for the computer, then their access rights into the Intelligence Agency's database.

When he heard someone accessing the security pad next to the door, he quickly moved into the bedroom, pressing himself against the wall and pulling out a knife. He heard the door swish open and the main room's lights flick on. The he heard two voices talking to each other, followed by a girlish laugh. Damnit. He hadn't anticipated the analyst returning with company that night. He slipped the knife back into his belt and drew his gun, a projectile gun instead of the standard laser pistol. Used since it could be fired without making any light or noise, due to the large and sophisticated silencer on the end of its barrel.

He thought fast. He had planned to kill the analyst, after extracting the information he needed, but with both people there it complicated the situation. The death of an Intel Service analyst would be kept quiet by the agency while they launched their own silent investigation. He had counted on that. But a double murder with a civilian casualty would be much harder to keep out of the papers.

He waited, silent, for the two to enter the bedroom. The woman entered first, turning to her left to switch on the room's light. As she turned forward again, she caught sight of him out of the side of her eye. But before she could scream, the man had entered as well. Shaw grabbed one arm and pinned it behind the man's back, then pressed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger. The bullet blasted out the other side of his head, spraying blood over the wall. He let go as the man crumbled, then aimed the gun back at the woman, who had scrambled towards the desk the computer lay on. She opened a drawer and began pulling a laser pistol out when his first shot hit her in the shoulder, followed by a second in her leg. The gun fell from her hand and she collapsed to the floor.

Shaw flipped the light off quickly, plunging the room into a darkness illuminated only by the faint glow of the lights outside. This would prevent anyone outside from being able to see what was going on inside the apartment. He knelt before the woman, who was gasping as she leaned against the desk's side where she had fell. He pressed the gun to her forehead. Her hair, once pretty and artfully arranged, was now a sweaty mess, and her makeup ruined by her tears. She took two quick gasps, "Shaw... Wh... Why..." He ignored his former contact's question. "Your Intel Network login details. If you want to live, you'll give them to me."

She took another quick breath. "If you... K- Kill me... They'll..." He narrowed his eyes and pressed the gun's barrel harder against her head. "Login details. Now." He could see her fear. Her eyes were wide, her breath short and quick, gaze locked on the gun pressed to her head. "The.. The name is... Seris Williams... Password is... SW... 0087... 24." Shaw gave her his most threatening glare. "Username is Seris Williams, password is SW008724, correct?" Seris nodded her head.

Shaw stood up and took a step back. A look of pained hope sprang to her face. "I... I told you... So you'll... Let me live... Right?" Shaw kept his face emotionless. "I cannot leave anyone alive who knows of me." Her eyes went wide and her face full of fear as she made a sudden lunge for the gun again. His three shots caught her in the chest, throwing her onto her back. Her body began to bleed onto the floor, staining the carpet red, her eyes staring upward.

Shaw stepped over her body, careful not to step into the blood and leave a footprint, and accessed the computer, transfering its entire hard drive to a portable copy so he could decrypt it later and not have the computer listed missing by the investigators. Then he cleaned the gun of all prints and put it into the dead man's hands, leaving the scene looking like a murder-suicide as he left the apartment.

Conference room, HMS-Grimsby

"Gentlemen, I have summoned you all here to discuss the strategic and logistical orientation of the 11th Fleet."

The usually empty conference room, located on the Grimsby's 11th level, was full today. Twenty individuals were at the elongated table. Deneth Aleski sat at the leftward extremity, with Commodore Winston Doyle standing next to him. The rest of the table was populated by senior crewmembers of the Grimsby, civilian scientists working on the Sunderland Research Station and finally, senior officials from the Bretonian Ministry of National Defense.

The motive for this meeting were hazy. Within Aleski's inner circle of officers, there was talk of "re-organization", but the credibility and extent of such an endeavor was questionable at best. Nobody, except perhaps Winston Doyle, had an idea of the issue at hand.

"As you are all well-aware, I have been appointed to the Admiralty Board recently, due to the departure of several members over the past month. What you are probably not aware of is why I've been appointed to the head of this fleet specifically. In all actuality, the true extent of my mandate here has been a relative secret until now."

"Simply put, I've been appointed here to administer the Armed Forces Special Research Projects, or SRP's. The last person to occupy that position, Bentley Ashers, was competent, but nevertheless failed to deliver justifiable results. Current research assignments are almost at a standstill. Support from the government for Sunderland's research has diminished due primarily to the lack of result it has produced lately. I was put here to change that, and I am here today to tell you how I will proceed to effect such change."

The government officials present nodded lightly in satisfaction, as with the senior crewmembers. The civilian scientists, however, seemed far less pleased. They were growing tense.

"To begin, the entire fleet will be re-organized according to its new mission statement. Strategically, Newcastle is and will remain a relatively safe portion of Bretonian space. Along with the presence of the Ark Royal, the 11th Fleet does not need to assume the responsibilities of a fully capable combat fleet. We will transfer approximately 50% of our combat assets to the Ark Royal, the Derby in Leeds and Stirling, in Dundee. The forces we will field here will be used primarily to enforce a no-fly zone in and in proximity to the Sunderland. I will expand on this as I continue."

"This brings me to my second point. Effective immediately, the research currently underway in Sunderland will now be supervised more attentively by the Armed Forces. In order to generate efficiencies, the Sunderland's research orientation will have to be shifted, from one that is essentially civilian and academic to one that can produce tangible new technologies useable by the Armed Forces. To that end, the Sunderland Research Station will be fully integrated into the BAF and assigned to the 11th Fleet. I will become the new Commissioner of the station, for the time until I feel I can appoint one myself later on."

The faces of the handful of civilian scientists filled with incredulousness and anger. One of them shot up and talked back.

"Admiral, that is preposterous! Are you saying we will have to design technologies meant to promote and perpetuate the endless genocide of my people?! Do we not already have the superior technology required to vanquish our enemies? The secrets of the Nomad civilization need to be deciphered; the discoveries that'll emanate from such a finding will generate hundreds, even thousands of new technologies! But you have to give us the autonomy to conduct our research! You can't simply bully us into silence!" Aleski sat patiently, listening to the man's grievances. His face remained emotionless throughout.

"That's where you're mistaken, Mr. Scientist. Yes, I can bully you into silence. That is why I'm here. Secondly, you must realize that this isn't the Cambridge Research Institute. Your interests lies in scholarly research, a noble calling. But see, mine lies in the defense of this House. In order to have an upper hand on our enemies, we need new technology, and that technology is supposed to come from Sunderland. My aim is to make sure these new technologies are created and used by our men and women to better defend this House. Your scholarly research will have to take the back burner. And don't even think of quitting your position. You know things the rest of the House cannot be made aware of. As such, if I were you, I'd stop talking right this second. Have I made myself perfectly clear, civilian? The look on the scientist's face was that of sheer frustration and resignation. He slowly sat down and simmered down slowly. Aleski continued.

"The end state of this re-organization will be a more tightly run and administered organization tasked with advancing military research of all usage. We will be able to operate with acute levels of discretion, something that is currently impossible. Additionally, the combat assets that will remain under our control could be free to operate under a new set of operational environments, from standard interception missions all the way to covert intelligence-gathering sorties. Our forces will be freed from the obligations of defending the Leeds front." The Admiral looked towards the government officials. "Also, with your blessing, I request that all new scientist or engineer brought to the Sunderland come from a military background. While I have no reason to question the capability of our current team, I need to sleep at night knowing that the people tinkering with state secrets are people who cannot have interests other than those of Bretonia. Can you work this out?"

The senior most member of the small delegation answers. His name is Sir Robert Huberdeau, Deputy Minister of Defense.

"Most certainly Admiral. We will make the necessary policy changes promptly."

"Thank you, Sir Huberdeau.

Gentlemen, there needs to be a paradigm shift. The Grimsby, Sunderland and the Ruins need to be administered by one cohesive unit, the Armed Forces. With each member drawn internally, or as close to it as possible. The more these assets can be consolidated, the more efficient we will be. As such, it is my firm belief that assuming total control over the Sunderland's research activities will bring us much closer to that end state. I expect the Bretonian government to help me in this endeavor. Have I placed my hope in the wrong hands?"

The civilian scientists were fuming at this point. However, their dissatisfaction was not shared by the rest of the conference members who seemed fairly enthused by what just happened. That was especially the case for the government officials who saw in Aleski the drive to shift influence away from the civilian scientific community and to bring it firmly within the Armed Forces' hands. It was a sure value.

"Rest assured, Admiral. Her Majesty's government shares your views entirely. We will report to the Ministry and give you all the resources you need. We will be expecting results from this new effort. However, we're sure of your ability to make things happen."

" I thank you for your continued support, Sir Huberdeau. If that is all, this meeting is adjourned. Crew members, dismissed."

Evyn Hunter smiled as she read the report on her desk. Not only was her plan to increase Bretonia's control over the Omega-3 system progressing as predicted, but she had just been handed a perfect tool for her to ensure, ironically, her freedom.

An overzealous, and somewhat foolish, lawyer was trying to sue her for her actions in the Omega-3 conflict, and she was expected in court, pending her own personal approval, given the Armed Forces personnel's' exception to being charged in any non-criminal case. Not only would it be highly amusing to rip this man's case apart, for she had a very clear knowledge of the laws and her authority, and knew herself to be free and clear in this case, but it also gave perfect cover for Shaw's actions. Well, it gave her perfect cover. You can't have a more iron-clad alibi than being physically present in a courtroom during an illegal event.

She accessed her private secure line, the ship commander's line put in every Dunkirk class battleship. These lines bypassed the Armed Force's usual communication censors, who read the mail of servicemen and women in order to find anyone leaking confidential information. Her ship's lines were even more secure than standard, the Craven's Nest originally being commissioned for the Intelligence Service.

Commander Shaw's face appeared on the video screen attached to her comm. "Yes Commodore?" "We're moving ahead of schedule. You'll do the first step tonight, follow the plan I gave you before. Do not act until after nine P.M., standard time." "Yes Commodore."

She closed the transmission and toggled her intercom to the captain's station on the bridge. "Captain, set course for Planet Cambridge." "Setting course now Commodore."

Evyn began to prepare for her court defense.