"Put your weapon on the table" said Silenus. Errol shifted awkwardly in his seat then reached for his holster. He placed the weighty pistol on the tabletop. Silenus' eyes didn't shift for a second. "Well then" Silenus folded away the booklet rested on his crossed legs and tucked it somewhere beside his chair. "What have they told you?"
The incandescent lights of The Green Man pub were powered by a new generation of zero emission micro generators. Consequently the bulbs illuminated the interior with the slightest tint of green resulting in a strange immersion for it's clientele. Tendrils of synthetic material spread out from a hole in the ceiling above the ring-shaped bar. Weaving and overlapping each other they spread outward covering the ceiling, walls and partly the floors of the establishment giving the effect of a root system of a tree. Despite it being a popular social spot on Torshavn for Gaian personnel, it rarely attracted much interest from passing business. Errol had gotten used to the minimalist orders issued from the Matriarch, often with little more than a location and a time. What bothered him this time though was an annotation to his traditionally simple instructions. Calling it up in his memory it read:
Life is balance
He wondered what relevance it could have.
"Nothing, as i assumed" Silenus said. "Tell me your name then"
"It's Errol"
"Nice to meet you Errol"
Silenus jumped to a stand and flipped the table between them. Errol dove down to catch the gun now falling with his side of the table. As the table tumbled over him he gripped the pistol, crouched and aimed up at Silenus. They froze there for a few seconds as the table clattered and eventually settled somewhere behind Errol.
"Good. There is a Claymore gunship moored in Bay 6. Be there with any necessities to your person within the hour. An initiate will be there to give you access."
Silenus began walking toward the entrance but paused.
Errol emerged from the sweeping pedestrian traffic that crowded the main docking shaft and proceeded down the link corridor to Bay 6. He appeared younger than his age would suggest being naturally gifted with a shallow but defined jawline. His golden blonde hair was only just growing in after the customary buzz cut many initiates underwent. He carried his uniform well, adorning a slightly relaxed dressage typical of more experienced pilots of the green front. Over his shoulder a lightly laden knapsack carried all he needed, for what, he wasn't sure.
Windows opened up a view to the spaceport's mooring quay as he traversed the walkway. To his left, engineers restocked the weapons mounts on the underbelly of a Claymore gunship. The green stripes of the Emerald Order were blazoned down it's flanks and a stenciled name Druid. Machines were routinely working on a scorch mark that charred a ridge on the bow. Errol took it in and pressed on toward the airlock. A man was waiting for him there.
"Brother"
Errol nodded "Is this the right place?"
The man nodded and a gestured for them to go aboard. They entered the main thoroughfare which stretched down the center of the ship. To the right it ran several hundred yards into darkness. To the left about twenty yards to an upward ladder. All along it's length green and amber service lights illuminated bulkheads of titanium alloy laced with tangled cables.
"The matriarch has assigned you to the Druid, I suggest you get settled in"
The man gestured Errol to follow and they made their way some distance aft before making a turn into a niche. There were three doors on each of the three walls of the niche labelled A, B and C.
"All three cabins are presently available. You're welcome to go with your preference"
"I'll... take B"
"Very well"
His guide whipped out a key card and jabbed it into the recepticle next to the door marked 'B'. It slid open to reveal a small cabin completed with a bed, wardrobe, en suite bathroom and neural net hub. Errol slung his bag onto the bed and slumped onto it letting out a sigh.
"You don't know anything about Martin Silenus do you?"
The man remained standing in the doorway, one hand pocketed, the other twiddling the door key card. Errol looked up and shook his head with a look of bewilderment.
"Never heard of the Druid? They say it downed the Marseille."
"It did?.."
The man tossed him the key card.
"Well you'll find out soon enough"
He flicked his wrist and looked at his watch
"Best get yourself geared up, the Druid is set for departure in 15 minutes"
Errol slightly jolted and the man turned to leave. For a moment Errol thought he saw the man smirk before he disappeared around the corner. The door slid shut a few moments later. Errol took a moment to survey his cabin. It was cosy, if not a bit cramped. The oddly placed toilet at the end of his bed somewhat broke the illusion of what seemed to be a fairly reasonable bedroom. It would do. He reached across the bed and into his knapsack, pulled out a pistol and tucked it under the mattress.
Sitting on the side of the bed he looked at his interlocked fingers, let out a breath and sniffed.
Errol was making his way down the thoroughfare when the floor suddenly lurched. Metallic clunks echoed through the bulkheads as docking clamps released the ship from the spaceport. Errol steadied himself on a nearby support beam and gripped it as the gravity shifted with the ship's departure manouevres. After a few minutes the ship steadied and Errol cautiously found his footing. He proceeded to the base of the ladder and peered upward. It didn't extend very far, ten feet at the most, but what struck him was that he was peering up into open space. He ascended the ladder and immediately found himself inside what appeared to be a grand and sophisticated cockpit. The room itself was a dipped cone shape, with enough space for a pilot's seat down at the front. Behind it a second seat with a vast array of control panels arranged 180 degrees around it. Errol appeared to be standing at the top step of a narrow stair that descended around both sides of the cockpit.
"Enjoying the view?"
Errol swung around to see a man sat on a swivel chair. Behind him was a console host to an array of screens with targeting reticules and weapons schematics. Various sticks, levers and buttons were built into the desk below them.
"Hello sir"
"Hello again'"
The man before him was of an average build, relaxed in his composure and commanded a remarkable aura of quiet confidence. His strong nose and brow were framed by waved locks of hair and a ragged beard, giving his visage the likeness of an ornate frescoe or classical bust. Incidentally his stone gaze locked onto Errol like a statue, fixated.
"I have been told.."
"Tell me Errol, what is it that makes you a Gaian?"
Errol hesitated at the interruption.
"I've.. fended off attempts to exploit Gaia for four years. Three of them under the Watchers in Tendril squadron. Until yesterday I was stationed at Glendale"
"Glendale.."
The man made a wincing look.
"Interesting"
The man crossed his legs and hung his arms over his lap.
"I am Martin Silenus, an Acolyte to Gaia. You, Errol are going to be my co-pilot"
Errol stood firm, awaiting his orders. Martin stood and jogged down to the pilot seat where he dropped in and began tapping commands into a console.
"Well? Take your seat"
Errol coyly approached the second seat behind him and and gently lowered himself in. The flight-seat dipped down at the back, acting as a cradle for the the spine. Errol wriggled, finding it awakward to position himself with his thighs propped upward. For the first time he took in the forward view of the cockpit. The ice clouds were giving way to the vastness of space as they emerged from the nebula. The panorama was spectacular through the great curved windows. Planet Cambridge lay ahead, a sphere of blues and greens on a cosmic backdrop of red and grey. All the while distant stations glowed in the Cambridge sunlight.
"Set a course for Edinburgh"
Errol's eyes darted from panel to panel looking some sort of navigation console. He found it and opened up the nav map. For a moment he hesitated when he saw the map was populated with data from systems far beyond the Bretonia; Omicron space, parts of Gallia and some Tau systems he didn't recognise. He selected Edinburgh and the computer plotted a course.
"Now let's get moving" Martin adjusted the throttle and the ship hummed, resonating with the cruise engines. Then the burners kicked in and Errol's head hit the headrest.
Silenus was pointing at a pair of engine trails in the distance, almost blotted out by the glare of the Edinburgh sun. On the contacts console to his right Errol could see the screen populating with data on both ships; the Mandrake and the Spearhead, both transmitting gaian IFFs.
"We##..##ats a..##oo##..##igh#.."
Silenus tapped some commands into his left console. "It's the comms array. Run a calibration on it"
It took a moment for Errol to realise that he was talking to him. Jolting once he realised he brought up the maintenance interface and ran a calibration. The contacts console blinked and a voice crackled through the cockpit speakers.
"Now there's a sight for sore eyes!"
"Gentlemen"
"Martin"
Silenus set the Druid to an intercept trajectory and the ship slotted into formation with the others. The Spearhead was a brute of a ship. A stolen Hellfire Inquisitor armed with all the rugged gunnery you'd expect from the Legion. The engines blazed a golden orange above and to port, giving them an up close view of the aramaments on the ship's underbelly. The Mandrake glided below to starboard. An elegant Claymore gunship decorated with the elaborate theme and insignia of the Watchers.
"Allow me to introduce you to Errol, my new co-pilot"
"Pleased to meet you" "A hundred says he pops it within a week" "Give it three days" "l'll take that bet"
"Errol, meet Sentry Richard Chapman and Major Justin Blake of the cohort"
"I'd wager a year"
"Ohhhhohoh I like this one" "This guy gets it"
Silenus interjected "Gentlemen, are we all briefed?"
"That's an affirmative" "Put on a show and look pretty? Sure. When's the go order?"
"We are to hold at the edge of the Islay cloud until we get the order. We've got hostile territory coming up. Keep to radio silence until we're in the nebula"
"Roger that" "Roger"
Both comms channels cracked as the transponders for each ship disconnected. Silenus pushed away his console and stood, climbing the stair past Errol to the desk at the back. He tapped a small panel above the rear desk and it popped open to reveal a form of smoking pipe. It was hooked into an elaborate mount with various wires and tubes wound around it and despite it's jumbled appearance, it had a certain elegance about it. Silenus picked up the pipe itself, a bamboo tube with a thin mouthpiece at one end and an elaborate glass bulb fused onto the other. Reaching into his inside pocket he pulled out a small case and popped it open where it revealed several brown disks tucked into grooves on their ends and arranged into two rows. Picking one out, he slotted it into a recepticle on the side of the tube and the bulb flooded with smoke. Giving the pipe a few procedural taps, he assessed all was in order and took in a breath through the mouthpiece.
"Now then, let's bring you up to speed"
"That would be great"
Martin chuckled and cleared his throat, giving his pipe another tap.
"We've been tasked to cause some form of distraction for the La Riche attack group; and we've been given free reign to do whatever we deem most effective"
"They want us to attack La Riche?" Errol said with a dreaded expression. Silenus nodded, toking on his pipe, smoke obscuring his gaze.
"What do you think?"
Errol was taken aback, running scenarios through his head, milling over tactics.
"La Riche can muster a strong response in minutes. Whatever we do we need to ensure we can escape.."
"Good, go on"
"The flagship's ordnance could be devastating. Moving within range to bombard it would be risky.. unless.."
Martin gestured him to speak his mind.
"The harbour, Issoudun"
Errol turned to his nav console and zoomed in on La Riche. Pointing at it he explained "Issoudun Drydock is 5k out from the battleship. If we make a move for the station we'll be within earshot but out of range of their long guns. That would probably unnerve them enough to draw some attention"
Silenus nodded, letting out a breath of smoke. It had a herbal aroma to it with hints of anise and, was that cinnamon?
"Interesting. I like the style, but unfortunately we're under orders not to approach the harbour"
Errol took the compliment but was deflated nonetheless.
"So what we're going to do is badger the flagship until they send a squadron or two our way. Draw them out of range of the cruiser fire and then thin the herd a bit"
"I get the feeling you've done this before.."
Martin smiled
"I suggest you get acquainted with the armaments"
Martin gestured to the stern facing gunnery station at the back of the cockpit. He stood taking a few more tokes on his pipe and the speakers cracked on. An altered voice boomed through the cockpit.
"Major, Sentry, Acolyte. The operation has commenced ahead of schedule. Redirect to La Riche immediately. May Gaia watch over us all"
Silenus let out one last puff of his pipe and then returned it to it's mount in the cabinet.
Errol was uneasy, shifting on the uncomfortable stool perched in front of the weapons console. Already his neck was starting to ache from snatching regular glimpses of the approaching Battleship behind him.
"Let's see what we're dealing with"
A 3D wireframe of the space around the Druid popped onto Errol's main screen. An arrow pinpointed their location in the center of the sphere. The Spearhead and Mandrake close by were shown as green miniature wireframes of the ships themselves captioned with their insignia. Slowly approaching was a murmuration of polygons hilighten in red. It morphed slowly in various shapes as data compiled from the ship's scanner. The insignia of the royal navy appeared over it, then the wires began to assemble and settle into a shape resembling the Battleship La Riche. Around it several smaller murmurations appeared and began to form.
"I'm picking up a gunboat... two bombers and two... no.. three heavy fighters"
"Copy that"
"Alright then gents, shal we test their mettle?"
They said together
"A Taurus?" "A Taurus?"
Martin cracked a grin
"A Taurus it is. Locking our course"
Errol swiveled around somewhat clueless.
"A Taurus?..."
"Oh don't worry, just a bit of a statement to draw some attention. We'll be making a narrow miss of the Battleship's command bridge. Hands off the ordnance unless I say so"
"10k out"
Errol swiveled around fixated on the Battleship ahead increasing in size exponentially. Lights blinked around it indicating the first salvos to be fired from the Battleship's batteries. A moment later the first pulse shot blared past, between the Druid and the Mandrake, missing it's mark by far. The second nearly scathed the bow of the Spearhead and then various projectiles began to rain down around them. Silenus gently strafed, swaying the ship to and fro, dancing in between the cannonfire. Then the shield rattled from hits coming from the fighter squadron bearing down on them to starboard. The Druid's defence system shrugged them off and they plowed onward. The gunboat expecting a fight was caught unawares as the three vessels beelined straight past it. A pulse fired by it landed to port and the Druid's shields shrank to 60%.
"5k out.. wait, what?"
A hazard symbol popped into view on Errol's console and a sizable red murmuration morphed into shape beside the Battleship. Spinning and almost falling of his chair he turned to see out the front window. An enourmous cloaked ship was materialising ahead. Something in French boomed over the comms system and plasma fire ploughed into them from portside.
"Battlecruiser!"
"It's the Gournay, Break formation"
The Spearhead and the Mandrake veered away taking a share of the incoming fire with several salvos hitting home. With the shields overloaded and rebooting the Druid's hull rang like a bell from the array of ordnance laying into the bow. Silenus pulled the ship up and over the cruiser, taking several nasty hits to the underside in the process. Errol steadied himself as the ship shook violently from the impact.
"Errol! When we come about, you bring the heavy pulse cannons to bear on that Battlecruiser. Put as many shots as we can muster right on the bow"
Errol turned to the console and readied the pulse batteries.
"Chapman!..."
"Chapman!!"
"I'm a bit f#*@!ing busy!"
The Mandrake tore a path across the wireframe, dragging a swarm of navy fighters and bombers in it's wake. Through the window it looped in and out of view followed by a trail of green gunfire.
"Just.. gimme a.. c'mere you.."
One of the navy fighters winked out of the wireframe and a trail of debris floated upward into view.
"What?!"
"You and me, let's draw away the Gournay, see if we can shark tank it"
"There's something wrong with you, do you know that?"
"Is that a yes?"
"Not until those bombers get off my arse.."
Three more ships winked off of the wireframe in a crossfire of orange plasma.
"You were saying?"
The Mandrake manouevred itself below the Gournay and aligned to an attack trajectory.
"Fine, but for the record, this is a dumb idea"
Errol held the targeting stick in a firm grip and hovered the reticule over the Battlecruiser. Heavy ordnance continued to wail past as Martin swerved the Druid through the incoming fire. A rattle of fighter fire dusted the Druids starboard as a navy fighter flanked their approach. Errol punched in some commands on the defence console to his right and the Druid returned some automated suppressing fire. Turning his attention to the main console again he steadied his aim.
"Fire!"
The recoil from the pulse shots was enough to slow the Druid, straining it's engines with every salvo. Together they managed to get four salvos off before the Silenus expertly twisted the Druid away, narrowly missing the Battlecruiser. The Gournay's engines blazed and it began to move out of position with the Battleship.
"You lead it away, i'll take care of what's here and keep it isolated"
Silenus made a pass of the Battlecruiser along it's starboard and signalled Errol to fire at will. The Mandrake mirrored this flawlessly on the portside and together they pressed the vessel into open space. The Gournay's shields were dwindling.
"Errol. The Mandrake and us are going to circle it, divide it's fire and evade whatever it throws at us. As my gunner i want you to unload whatever we've got and deal the damage. Got it?"
"A shark tank..."
Martin smiled
"A shark tank"
Errol organised the weapons controls and brought the heavy turrets to bear on the Gournay, programming the light turrets to auto-target the ships' ordnance mounts. The Mandrake and Druid tore swaths across the Gournay's hull, almost flawlessly evading the Battlecruisers turret fire.
"I've got a problem..."
The wireframe showed the gallic gunboat had slipped away from La Riche and was now badgering the Mandrake's assault.
"I've gotta deal with this Martin, I can't handle them both"
The Mandrake veered away from the Gournay. The wireframe showed an impressive show of piloting as Chapman looped around the gunboat, peppering it with fire. It would have made for a good show if the Battlecruiser hadn't refocused it's entire repertoire of ordnance on the Druid. The shields were overloaded in seconds and the Druid took several critical hits to it's stern. The Druid was losing hull integrity fast despite Martin's expert efforts to pull it out of range. Then a heavy pulse struck home on the portside engine and the propulsion systems shut down. Slamming the thruster controls Martin willed the limping ship onward, swinging it clumsily from left to right in a futile attempt to evade. Another pulse hit the underside, draining the remaining power from the core systems and jolting the ship forward from the impact. The cockpit went black, with only the pockmarked canvas of stars ahead visible. Slowly the helpless ship rotated to reveal the dazzling Edinburgh sun, flooding the cockpit with light. Plasma fire from the Gournay was fizzling out in the space before them; too out of range. In the distance the looming warship glared at them, spewing fire toward them in frustration.
Some ways behind it something glowed blue. A rippling sphere growing in size with electrical arcs spitting out from it. And in a split second it engulfed the structure before it, enveloping it in a devastating lightning storm.
"The drydock..."
Silenus sprung out of his flight seat roaring at the sight of it.
"Haaaaaaaah!"
He turned to Errol pointing at the dessimated station in the distance.
Chapman was waiting at the foot of the stairs that had been wheeled up to the Druid's airlock. As Errol descended he looked back at the charred underbelly of the ship which was missing most of it's hull panels. Cables shorted and sparked underneath, illuminating the exposed skeletal chassis. Chapman stood legs apart, arms folded and with a look of mild disgruntlement.
"Oh.. oh you think that's bad?" he asked pointing underhanded at the Druid
"Thanks to you i've got to beg the Warden for a new cloak"
Silenus reached the bottom stair ahead of Errol and stepped onto the tarmac.
"Don't say i don't take you places"
Chapman lightly jabbed Martin's shoulder.
"Dick"
"There y'are ye jumped up baw bag!"
The booming voice came from across the hangar. A brutish man easily over 6 foot tall was approaching with a wide grin and arms outstretched . His eyes were a bit mad, unblinking at the three of them for the awkwardly silent 20 seconds it took for him to make his way over to them.
"Jocky.."
Jock was a beast of of a man, his broad and hairy physique giving the impression of a well dressed cave man. A moment passed as he looked at all three men in turn. Errol was unsure in that moment whether the giant would simply talk or smash his face in.
"Hah!" Jock clapped Chapman over the shoulder.
"A wee but batterd arn't we?!" he pointed at Martin
"Errol, this is Jock MacKenzie, Sentry and freight captain in the watchers' logistics corps"
Jock grabbed Errol's hand and shook it vigorously. Gripping it firmly for a second he paused and sniffed deeply. After exhaling he nodded to Chapman.
"A month i recon. Hahah!"
Jock chuckled and Chapman smirked.
"Now tell me, what in gods name wer you two doon floatn oot to'ord Ayr?"
Errol looked at Chapman who just shrugged and looked at Martin.
"I'll be sure to share the details with you at some point Jocky but do tell, did it work?"
Jock's grin turned to a frown.
"...Jock..?"
The man grumbled, discontent.
"No"
"OH! GAIAS TITS!
Chapman stormed off spewing profanities into the hangar.
"Crap! Buggery! Balls! Bastard!"
"That's.."
"Arse! Nonse! Bastard! Piss!"
Errol watched them wait for Chapman to storm a bit further away.
"Wretched! Pompous! FROGS!"
"That's disappointing.."
"Arse! My bloody arse!"
"Aye, bu'am no here te cha'er. Ahv a message fer ye"
"Balls and... and BALLS!"
Jock placed a hand on Silenus' shoulder and leant in to whisper something very brief. Silenus nodded and Jock patted his shoulder. Jock sighed and nodded to Errol before taking off after Chapman across the hangar.
"Well that didn't take them long.."
Silenus turned to face Errol.
"I shal be leaving soon. I'll be away for a while. In my absence i expect you'll help manage the ship's repair. So please be kind as to limit your curiosity to the shared areas and of course your own quarters. With any luck i shal return shortly before he is once again operational"
![[Image: B305-A724-C3-D9-4-D19-83-EF-92-B478-B8-F595.png]](https://i.ibb.co/gjNT9fz/B305-A724-C3-D9-4-D19-83-EF-92-B478-B8-F595.png)