For safety reasons, Pickyrd had to jump quite a distance from the Prasinos system and then approach with great care. A fourteen-kilometre ship, cloaked, and in the busiest shipping lanes in the galaxy, was an accident just waiting to happen. He came in from behind and parked the huge vessel in as close an orbit to Prasinos the local star as he dared, knowing full well no other captain would risk his ship this close to an active solar star. It meant running the environmental system and shields at maximum for the duration, but at least this reduced the risk of having another ship fly through them.
Ed studied the highly magnified three-dimensional image of the massive space station hanging above Dasos.
‘My ship’s on dock 821h,’ he said, turning towards the duty array operator.
‘Not any more it’s not,’ said Pickyrd, studying the screen at the side of his captain’s chair. ‘Just after we left with you, the Gabriel blew its clamps and made an illegal jump when engaged by the station’s defence cannons. It was all over the media reports.’
‘Cleo,’ said Ed. ‘I had thought the pulse they used to fry the ship’s systems had taken her out as well.’
‘Are you sure there was no one left aboard after the attack?’ asked Pickyrd.
‘We were all sleeping in our cabins,’ he said. ‘I can’t imagine they missed any – oh shit,’ he added, stopping suddenly. ‘Pol.’
‘Who’s Pol?’
‘My personal assistant.’ Ed dropped his face into his hands. ‘Oh shit, poor Pol, how could I have forgotten?’
‘Why would they have missed him?’
‘It’s a her,’ he said. ‘She’d been killed down on Uskrre. She was in a sealed Theo birthing chamber; they probably won’t have found her.’
‘In a what?’
‘I’ll explain later,’ he said. ‘It means the Gabriel is away and hopefully safe. I just hope Pol is okay and not too frightened. If she’s got Cleo back online, she’ll be fine.’
Pickyrd sat in his big chair, rubbing his chin and staring at Ed ruefully.
‘I take it from all that, we’re good to move on to Uskrre?’
Ed smiled a half smile.
‘I hope so.’
Pickyrd had the pilot jump into the Uskrre system behind the largest of the three stars, then, still cloaked, the ship powered out of its shadow before scanning the distant planet of Uskrre closely.
‘Look out for a new Klatt warship,’ said Ed, examining the vast holomap floating over their heads on the 28’s bridge. ‘It was hiding within the rings of this planet here, we call it Proxima C.’
‘There’s nothing near that planet now,’ said one of the array operators. ‘Could it be this one here?’
A large unidentified ship amongst many hundreds of others began flashing in red and grew quickly as the 28’s optics panned in on the vessel.
‘That’s it,’ said Ed. ‘They’ve been busy too. How many ships are there in orbit now?’
‘Twelve hundred and forty-seven, sir,’ said the operator.
‘And how many left on the surface?’ asked Pickyrd.
‘Seventeen hundred and fifty-three, sir.’
Ed stared at the floor for a moment, deep in thought.
‘That’s around two hundred and fifty a day then,’ he said, looking up at Pickyrd. ‘Another week and they’ll be ready.’
‘I’d still like to see where that Tallin ship went all those times in the Exo system,’ said Pickyrd.
‘How long?’ Ed asked.
‘Eleven hours.’
Ed nodded.
‘So long as we’re back in a couple of days,’ he said. ‘Just in case they start to deploy early. I would like to make some preparations in the Sol system before they arrive.’
‘Hello,’ said a shy voice behind them.
The both turned to find the young girl they’d rescued unconscious from the hangar in the Jagnorite system. She was with a female member of the medical staff, who looked up at the captain through shy nervous eyes.
‘I am sorry to disturb you, Captain,’ she said. ‘But Scylla here wanted to thank you for saving her life.’
‘Thank you,’ she said in the same timid voice and bowing her head slightly. She was dressed in an ill-fitting ship suit and still had a cannula attached to the back of her hand. She had long brown hair and freckles on her cheeks and a pair of red slippers on her feet.
She reminded Ed of Alice in Wonderland, an old film he’d seen with his mother as a child.
‘You’re welcome, young lady,’ said Pickyrd, descending from his raised plinth and shaking her hand. ‘So, your name’s Scylla?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
Pickyrd glanced at Ed.
‘It was actually Ed who spotted you, so it should be him you thank really.’
She turned and smiled at Ed.
‘You’re Edward Virr,’ she said, beaming.
‘I’m impressed,’ said Ed. ‘How would you know that?’
She blushed slightly.
‘You’re famous. Everybody in the galaxy knows who you are.’
Ed looked over at Pickyrd.
‘Blimey,’ he said. ‘Am I really?’
Pickyrd rolled his eyes.
‘I have a picture of you and the Gabriel on my bedroom wall,’ she said.
‘Wow – I’m honoured,’ he said, not knowing what else to say.
‘Where are your family?’ Pickyrd asked.
‘I’m an orphan,’ she said, her head dropping. ‘My parents were killed in an accident when I was little.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Ed. ‘How old are you now?’
‘Sixteen,’ she said, standing straight again as if proud of the fact.
‘Did you work on the engineering platform?’ Pickyrd asked.
She nodded slowly and looked down again.
‘I was a trainee environmental technician, but all I ever seemed to do was clean filters while the others all sat around in the office playing computer games.’
‘She wants to know if she can have a tablet to connect up to the ship’s entertainment feeds?’ the doctor asked.
‘Hmm,’ grunted Pickyrd. ‘Well, for the time being, I’ll get the doctor here to find you a cabin and oversee your recovery. You’re lucky to be alive having a ship jump right next to you. To be honest I didn’t think that was survivable, but here you are.’
He went to turn away and seemed to remember something at the last minute.
‘Of course you can have a tablet, young lady,’ he said. ‘Entertainment feeds only though,’ he added, nodding at the doctor.
‘Thank you, Captain, and thank you, Ed,’ she said, as the doctor took her arm and led her away. ‘No one’s going to believe Edward Virr saved my life.’
‘Bloody hell,’ said Pickyrd, smirking, once she was out of earshot. ‘Should I bow in your presence? I had no idea you’re such a superstar.’
‘Ah, crap, you’re as bad as Andy,’ said Ed, puffing his cheeks. ‘And when we find them, don’t whatever you do tell him about this. I’ll never hear the last of it.’