was still logged in to Jonathan’s helmet camera, of course, and connected to his audio channel; he would remotely observe the mission from the Callaway’s bridge for as long as he could. Even so, it felt like Jonathan’s first officer was already gone.
Jonathan watched the Callaway shrink to nothingness beyond the portal, and when it vanished to the naked eye his sadness was complete. The fleet would make it back of course, of that he was certain, yet he believed in his heart he would never see them again.
This is our final farewell, then.
“Is everything all right, sir?” Helium said. The MOTH LPO sat across from him.
Jonathan hadn’t realized he was crying. He forced a smile. “Everything’s fine. I just get a little emotional when I leave my ship, that’s all.”
He leaned slightly to the left so that the folded form of one of the Centurions blocked him from the LPO’s view.
thirteen
T he instant the craft entered the Talon’s hangar bay, Jonathan felt the artificial gravity from the alien vessel glue him to the seat. The aReal in his helmet reported it at one point one Gs.
Jonathan felt the vibrations as the craft touched down.
Gazing through the portal across from him, he watched two human telemetry drones land in the hangar shortly thereafter. The spherical craft would boost the signal from the captured comm node Barrick utilized aboard the Talon ; without those drones, the communications range of the node was limited, and the alien vessel risked a long range missile attack from United Systems patrol ships when it reached human space.
When the two drones had landed, Chief Galaal addressed the robots. “Prepare to assume defensive formation Cigar!”
The Centurions unfolded and unmounted from the deck, then moved to the shuttle’s armory. Like clockwork, they retrieved laser rifles in turn from the rack, sliding the straps over their shoulders. There were only two kinds of weapons: the M114s and the heavier M1170s, and the robots took them seemingly without preference, though Jonathan suspected the Praetors had determined the weapon assignments before the mission had even started.
Both types of rifles had been modified to penetrate the Raakarr darkness shields, though it was likely the aliens had already updated their shielding to obsolete the rifle changes. That was another reason Jonathan had brought Connie along—so she could hopefully keep their defenses up to date. It might involve the surreptitious “borrowing” of one of the on-board darkness generators, of course.
Chief Galaal turned to Jonathan. “Captain, stay aboard with the science officers and captains until I give the all clear.”
“Understood,” Jonathan said. He glanced at Sil Chopra, but her gaze was lowered to the deck. She gave no indication she was concerned for her father, though she was probably worried to death.
“The bay doors have closed,” the AI announced. “Detecting external atmosphere repopulation...”
“Commander, are you still reading us?” Jonathan said over the comm.
He glanced at the the guest connection area of his helmet aReal. The commander was still listed as his sole remote viewer. The wireless signal passed from Jonathan’s aReal to the communication node of the shuttle before heading toward the telemetry drone placed between the Talon and the Callaway . At the current range signal reception should have been quite good, unless the Raakarr had done something to degrade it. He glanced at the upper right of his faceplate: three of the the four stacked half-circles that represented signal quality were lit.
Some moments later Robert’s reply came. “Loud and clear.”
“The atmosphere of the external compartment has stabilized,” the Dragonfly’s AI announced. “Movement has been detected near the far bulkhead.”
Jonathan glanced at Chief Galaal. “Pilot,” he told the AI. “Open the external ramp.”
The aft ramp lowered.
“Deploy deploy deploy!” the chief yelled over
Jonathan watched the Callaway shrink to nothingness beyond the portal, and when it vanished to the naked eye his sadness was complete. The fleet would make it back of course, of that he was certain, yet he believed in his heart he would never see them again.
This is our final farewell, then.
“Is everything all right, sir?” Helium said. The MOTH LPO sat across from him.
Jonathan hadn’t realized he was crying. He forced a smile. “Everything’s fine. I just get a little emotional when I leave my ship, that’s all.”
He leaned slightly to the left so that the folded form of one of the Centurions blocked him from the LPO’s view.
thirteen
T he instant the craft entered the Talon’s hangar bay, Jonathan felt the artificial gravity from the alien vessel glue him to the seat. The aReal in his helmet reported it at one point one Gs.
Jonathan felt the vibrations as the craft touched down.
Gazing through the portal across from him, he watched two human telemetry drones land in the hangar shortly thereafter. The spherical craft would boost the signal from the captured comm node Barrick utilized aboard the Talon ; without those drones, the communications range of the node was limited, and the alien vessel risked a long range missile attack from United Systems patrol ships when it reached human space.
When the two drones had landed, Chief Galaal addressed the robots. “Prepare to assume defensive formation Cigar!”
The Centurions unfolded and unmounted from the deck, then moved to the shuttle’s armory. Like clockwork, they retrieved laser rifles in turn from the rack, sliding the straps over their shoulders. There were only two kinds of weapons: the M114s and the heavier M1170s, and the robots took them seemingly without preference, though Jonathan suspected the Praetors had determined the weapon assignments before the mission had even started.
Both types of rifles had been modified to penetrate the Raakarr darkness shields, though it was likely the aliens had already updated their shielding to obsolete the rifle changes. That was another reason Jonathan had brought Connie along—so she could hopefully keep their defenses up to date. It might involve the surreptitious “borrowing” of one of the on-board darkness generators, of course.
Chief Galaal turned to Jonathan. “Captain, stay aboard with the science officers and captains until I give the all clear.”
“Understood,” Jonathan said. He glanced at Sil Chopra, but her gaze was lowered to the deck. She gave no indication she was concerned for her father, though she was probably worried to death.
“The bay doors have closed,” the AI announced. “Detecting external atmosphere repopulation...”
“Commander, are you still reading us?” Jonathan said over the comm.
He glanced at the the guest connection area of his helmet aReal. The commander was still listed as his sole remote viewer. The wireless signal passed from Jonathan’s aReal to the communication node of the shuttle before heading toward the telemetry drone placed between the Talon and the Callaway . At the current range signal reception should have been quite good, unless the Raakarr had done something to degrade it. He glanced at the upper right of his faceplate: three of the the four stacked half-circles that represented signal quality were lit.
Some moments later Robert’s reply came. “Loud and clear.”
“The atmosphere of the external compartment has stabilized,” the Dragonfly’s AI announced. “Movement has been detected near the far bulkhead.”
Jonathan glanced at Chief Galaal. “Pilot,” he told the AI. “Open the external ramp.”
The aft ramp lowered.
“Deploy deploy deploy!” the chief yelled over
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