In the distant solar system within the milky-white Barrier nebula the battlegroup Stirling's command ship, the "Stirling" itself, has been destroyed. Bretonia lost this battle. Of course, the Coalition fleet had casualties: several ships were lost and those that had survived lost some of their crew. But the enemy lost more - they had lost a symbol of their "supremacy" over the People's Republic and its allies. Not to mention the fact that their allies had participated in this battle and contributed in the victory of the united fleet over the royalists.
A middle-aged man, with dark hair and bushy beard, suited in a fleet uniform sat upon the bridge of a ship. He sat, tired. The battle has had drained them a lot and the entire crew was looking bad after it. Many of those people had bruises under their eyes like the man. Some of them even had already slept at the work station but those people were alive. Not all crew and ships were so lucky as the "Varyag": many of their brothers and sisters won't ever return back home. Everyone in the crew was understood the cost of their victory and were mourning the lost: for all of them, regardless of side: coalitioner or royalist. Those people have become stardust or burnt corpses together with their ships, annihilated in the splashes of antimatter shots, burnt by torpedo explosions or any other deadly weapon which were used during the massacre, already named "their finest hour" some of the marines.
"We did it... We won." - thinks Fomin and cannot believe it, even as he sat down at the bridge of his ship, the "Varyag", which was leaving the graveyard left by the battle. He was glad: in the combat, his ship dealt some damage to the Armed Forces. Of course, she suffered damage in return from their fleet, but they had no casualties within the crew and this was making Captain more happy for their safety now.
"Attention, crew." - Anton turned on ship's loudspeaker. They entered New Moskow a few minutes ago and now are heading to Mykolaiv for an engineering inspection of the ship after the battle and designation for a new mission. - "Every one of us has made a contribution in today's victory. The ones who died will be never forgotten... and who have survived will be praised for the feat we made."
Fomin didn't know how to proceed with his speech and cheer up his crew. He wasn't even sure if it was really needed, taking into account what they've been through.
"We did it - we won the battle, but our enemy is not defeated yet and the war has just begun.
Both sides already suffered heavy losses and there is nothing shameful to feel the sadness of it. I know, that many of you understand what I mean. But now it's our time to rest and restore forces for the following tasks, that the command centre will give to us.
Everyone, who is not operating vital stations can take a rest. We will arrive at Mykolaiv in four hours. Not much time but it is enough time to take a shower and for a short sleep. Captain Fomin, over."
Anton turned off the speaker and covered his eyes. After the speech, he realized how much he tired of this day and just wanted to sleep. He thought a bit while watching people leaving the deck and then looked at the necessary shift. Their shift has just has begun and he can use this to get some sleep.
"Duty shift, Captain is leaving the bridge. Shift's leader is Karl Dubnov." - Fomin quickly stood up and went to the lift. A single press on the archaic but reliable button and the lift has had been called to the deck. - "You are the head. Call me if something important will crop up during the flight."
The lift has come and so Anton entered it alone. Before the door closed he saw the almost empty bridge and a few people on-duty shift.
While the lift is slowly going down, Fomin was thinking about the battle. The man felt fear for his crew. What if he could lose someone of them and what would he tell the parents of the lost? All these questions were left without answers.
Here, on the "Varyag" he allowed some freedom to the crew. His people were not blind fanatics who obey every word in the military charter but men and women who act by it when necessary and act as their morals {say them to do at the rest of it.} Anton's family contained young cadets right from the academy and experienced officers who had some battles. All of them had their own quirks but those people were loyal to him and Fomin was loyal to them in return.
The man has entered his living quarters and headed towards the shower while taking off his outfit. Was the trust only one thing required for survival? His hand turned on the shower and warm water ran across his body, washing off sweat, stress and anxiety. Such days usually don't go affecting sanity. Fomin buried his fingers in his hair. Probably if every one of his crew members was immortal, then probably the weight of responsibility was not so heavy.
After finishing with the shower, Anton headed back to his bed without giving much control thought to his own actions. He was so tired, that he even didn't want to think about everything going on in his life. As soon as his head bumped into a pillow, the captain immediately passed out.