Epilogue: Staggering Home

Blaine proved to be an excellent helmsman over the next four hours as he dodged and weaved his way past several flights of Sa’arm projectiles. He collapsed at the controls right after Corsica left the system.

I wanted to call for relief, but Terrence was stuck at the stern medical pod desperately trying to save William Rich’s life. Instead I looked over at Ensign Munfree. “Do we have anyone else who has trained on the helm?”

“No one on the weapons,” Kelsey said. “We could check engineering.”

“Get me Ensign Daniels,” I said.

“This is Daniels. Captain, my crew back here says the jump drive is operating well within tolerances,” Ensign Daniels said.

“You can probably have some of them stand down. I was just checking to see if any of them have taken any of the helm training? Sergeant Kelly up here is exhausted and Lance Corporal Ripa can’t leave the medical pod unattended,” I said.

“Didn’t we have a third helmsman?” Ensign Daniels said carefully.

“He was in the bow medical room when we took hits. The room was ripped apart,” I replied.

“Dear god. How many did we lose?” Ensign Daniels said quietly.

“Four. Brent Boswell in missile one, Casey Gibb and Chris Vito from the starboard railgun and Michael Morrison from the medical room,” I said. “Raccoon Roger Reynolds and William Rich are both alive, but wounded and we only have the one operational medical pod,” I said.

“Can we set an autopilot? And allow people to rest? My crew is all about to fall over,” Ensign Daniels. “And unfortunately, no one has experience.”

I sighed. “I can do it for a while I guess. Have as many of your crew as possible stand down. We do need to look into making repairs, but for now everyone needs a break. And once William and Raccoon are out of danger, everyone gets a few minutes in the medical pod for a checkup.”

“Can do,” Ensign Daniels said. “What do we do after that?”

I sighed. “We go to Crucible. We rest for a few days while I find replacements for our lost crew and the ship is repaired.”

“And then?” Ensign Daniels asked.

I looked out at the viewscreen in front of me. “We return to the fight. We have seen how ruthless the Sa’arm are. Either we draw a line in the sand and forbid them to cross or eventually, they will roll over us like a tsunami washing up on the shore.”

“Can we win?” Ensign Munfree asked quietly.

I closed my eyes and thought about what I had at home. My six loving ladies. Gentle Miki, who somehow always knew when a hand on the shoulder was needed. Mother Lenore, who somehow had the wisdom to calm the others when necessary. Smiling Tatyana, who was always working to cheer up the others. Aine and Constance, the two who I had not planned on, but who were fighting their internal demons. And the glue that held it all together, Ashley. I knew I had left Earth to protect them, and now that I had seen the danger, I could not turn away.

“We will win,” I said fiercely. “We must win. For ourselves. For our companions. For the future.”