"Smoke 'em if you got 'em, boys," the Chief said, his expression somewhat tempered by the fact that despite the fact the mission should have been routine, one fickling fool of a pilot had managed to get too close to the surface of the moon's ocean and had to ditch his plane when it got caught in a particularly nasty updraft.

"Carter, with me. Cap'n wants to see you."

"Aye, Chief." Carter snapped off a smart salute before tossing her mask and breathing apparatus to one of the Chief's many subordinates. As she followed her Commanding Officer she pulled the zipper of her flight suit to a point slightly above her midriff, exposing the fact that she wore nought but underwear beneath it to anyone who cared to look.

Carter didn't care though, not in the slightest. She would rather let the entire crew of three hundred ogle her rather than continue sweating as profusely as the suit encouraged.

"What happened down there, Carter?" the Chief asked as the two strode along the centre of the corridor. "Ulsan reported an updraft but there wasn't anything like that showing on the scans."

"Couldn't tell you, Chief," she replied, lighting a cigarette with a match struck upon a bulkhead. "First I knew about it was his request to ditch. Ulsan's a handy pilot and I know damn well he wouldn't have requested such a thing if he had any other choice."

"Hmph."

"We all know the situation here, Chief. We're at the arse end of fick knows where without so much as a map or a fickling compass." She paused to draw upon the cigarette before continuing. "Look, I'll have a chat with Ulsan later and if it turns out he's been a stupid motherfickler then I'll beat the piss out of him. How's that?"

"It's good enough for me, Carter," the Chief replied, chuckling lightly. "Just means me an' my boys gotta' work 'round the clock to get one of the salvaged planes repaired before the next time you take 'em out."

"Ain't like you to bitch, Chief." They both chuckled at that comment but such frivolity quickly ceased due to their arrival upon the bridge.

"Officer on deck!" a watch-stander called out, and those on the bridge who weren't of officer rank themselves stood to immediate attention.

"At ease," the Captain, a woman in her mid-forties with thick black greasy hair pulled back into a tight, high pony-tail, ordered. "Thank you, Chief. That will be all."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, flicking a lazy salute before he turned and left the bridge.

"Captain Carter."

"Ma'am," she replied with a nod. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," the Captain replied. "I need you to have a look at something. Normally I would discuss this via conference with the Fleet's other Captains but, as you are well aware, there is no Fleet; at least, if there is a Fleet, they are not here. The Kronos is, for the time being, alone."

"Once we make it back to the Ryban System, Ma'am, we'll know how much, if any, of the Fleet survived."

"Aye, indeed," the Captain replied with a half-smile. "The issue with that is that everyone who knows even a little about interstellar navigation claims we are at the very least three hundred and seven light years from the Ryban Star System."

She glanced at Captain Carter, instantly recognising the knowing look upon her face.

"You know far more than you let on, Captain," the Kronos' Captain said, quietly. "Without question, you know more than your rank would suggest."

Fleet regulations split a crew into three distinct sections and disciplines; the Officers, the pilots and the marines. An officer with the rank of Captain was of higher rank than a pilot Captain, who in turn held seniority over a marine Captain. It was a system that had been in place for centuries and was not likely to change any time soon, despite the confusion it might, and quite often did, cause.

"I studied the officer path at the Academy on Victoria III, Ma'am."

"Then why become a pilot?" the Captain asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I like to fly, Captain Tifosi," she replied with a wry smile. "I like to fly and with all due respect, I like to blow shit up."

"Well, how can I argue with that?" Captain Tifosi chuckled.

"Indeed, Ma'am," Carter replied, inclining her head toward the large screen beside Captain Tifosi. "What was it you wanted to show me, Ma'am?"

"Pull up the display, Lieutenant."

"Aye Ma'am," the addressed Lieutenant responded both quickly and diligently. "Pulling up the display."

As the man spoke the relatively tiny console in the bridge's centre began to spin, slowly at first although with an even acceleration. When it reached its peak it stopped with a smooth suddenness and cast from it a three-dimensional image of the star system the Kronos was currently in the process of traversing.

"Tell me what you see, Captain Carter."

"Aye Ma'am," Carter replied, taking a few seconds for her eyes to familiarise themselves with the image.

"The Star System designated Yaris, Ma'am," she said, approaching the image until she was actually within it. "This is the highly unstable Blue Giant that currently lies eight-point-one-one degrees starboard, an inclination of three sixteenths to our current position, here."

Captain Carter gestured toward the Kronos, shown on the display as nothing more than a tiny, seemingly insignificant dot travelling incredibly slowly.

In truth, the Kronos was traversing the Yaris Star System at a velocity of point-two light. She could easily have gone more quickly but fuel cells, especially without an MRV or Mobile Repair Vehicle on hand to produce more, were at a premium.

"The three worlds orbiting the far side of the star are useless to us as all are doing so inhospitably closely. The single world on this side, currently eight-point-seven degrees starboard and at this moment on a level plane is equally as inhospitable; only the fact that it is tidally locked, as is its single satellite, permits the formation of liquid upon the dark side of that moon."

"Very good, Captain," Tifosi replied with a nod. "Now, further out."

"A few long period comets, one or two of which I'm told might house materials we require, but that is a big might, Ma'am, and it's definitely not worth our fuel cells to find out whether that might is actually fact."

Carter paused, lighting a cigarette as she considered the remainder of the star system, ensuring that she had not missed anything. Once satisfied, she continued.

"And then just the two jump points, Ma'am," she said, shrugging. "The one we came in on and the one we're using to get out of here."

"Which brings me to..." the Captain paused, nodding to the same Lieutenant who dipped his head to what was obviously some prearranged task."...this."

As Captain Tifosi spoke the three-dimensional image altered, covering a larger area of space. The Yaris Star System was still there, although it was no longer alone; it had eight companion systems.

"As soon as we arrived in this system I ordered a probe be sent through our exit jump point, Captain," Tifosi explained. "I needed to know exactly what is waiting for us on the other side."

"Well, it's definitely an inhabited system with what looks like three separate defence squadrons... Are they Seek and Destroys?"

"That's our best guess, Captain Carter, yes."

Carter let out a low whistle as she delved into the display. The seven accompanying star systems did not have anything like the detail that the only option for their next destination had as for that, probes would have had to have been sent to each and every one. From the nature of the jump points the probe had been able to determine the type of star each system possessed but there was no way to tell if any of those star systems housed any kind of population or even a planet capable of supporting life.

The closest jump point to the Kronos' point of entry was a little over seventeen degrees to port. That in itself was far from ideal because taking that exit would shoot them off in the wrong direction. It was, however, wholly preferable to meandering through what would undoubtedly turn out to be the motherfickler of all shit-storms whilst attempting to reach or more suitably directed point.

"What do you think, Captain Carter?"

"I think if we go in there without any kinda' plan then we're ficked, Ma'am," she replied, bluntly.

"Can you see a way?"

"How long do I have?"

"A little over eight hours before we jump."

"Leave it with me, Ma'am. I'll see what I can do."

***

Technically, Captain Carter had far more time than the eight hours that Captain Tifosi claimed, however those eight were the only hours that would be traversed in normal space. When that counter ran down, the one hundred and thirty-seven that followed would be spent in Jump Space as the Kronos travelled a ridiculously large distance at several times the speed of light.

That was not an issue in itself other than the fact that whilst in Jump Space, navigation was one of the many systems that automatically went into shutdown. It was not impossible to override that function however only a fool would do so, for cancelling the system's shutdown whilst traversing Jump Space had a high probability of causing the vessel to drop out of Jump Space early which would leave the Kronos stranded not only between star systems but in all likelihood, given the distance to the jump exit, between galaxies.

"It's time, Captain Carter."

Carter looked up. She had been on the bridge for hours and although she had not been alone, in fact she had remained at her station during a shift change and had hardly noticed, it is most definitely fair to say that she had spent the entirety of that time in a personal, though metaphorical, bubble, as she sought a solution.

She had run countless simulations, the majority of which had seen the Kronos, unless she headed for the nearest jump point, destroyed.

There was, in point of fact, only one simulation during which the Kronos headed for an alternate jump point, two-thirds of the way around the starboard edge of the star system, and survived with only moderate damage, if you can count a thirty percent loss of life and a hole in the hull the size of a small moon as 'moderate damage.'

"Aye Ma'am," she said, smiling wearily at the equally as weary Captain Tifosi.

"Automatic shutdown in five. Please tell me you have something."

"I do, Ma'am," she replied, her face scrunched in a rather helpless manner. "I do, but it ain't pretty."

"I'm not after pretty, Carter," Tifosi replied. "I'm after making it across this star system and carrying along our route without having to divert so far that our fuel cells run dry before we manage to find an alternative source of power. I'm after getting my damn people home. That, Captain Carter, is what I'm after."

"Thirty percent loss of life, moderate damage to the hull and life support systems," Carter replied with a shrug.

"Thirty percent?" Captain Tifosi sucked air between her teeth as she shook her head. "You can't get the prediction any lower?"

"No Ma'am," Carter said, smiling that same weak, helpless smile.

"Then thirty percent it is." Tifosi shook her head. "Thank you for your hard work, Captain."

"Pleasure, Ma'am."

***

Captain Carter awoke with a start. She raised her head from the desk in her quarters to find that a piece of paper was stuck to it, thanks to what she sincerely hoped was saliva.

She removed it then rubbed and slapped her face with vigour, and stared down at the pencil scrawls that covered every inch of every piece of paper that was strewn across her desk.

Her eyes were drawn to what to the casual observer would have looked like nothing more than a series of random letters, numbers and squiggles, and...

Moments later she was sprinting along the corridor as she headed for the Deck and it was not until she arrived, somewhat short of breath, that Carter realised she was not even close to being properly attired. Still, she would deal with whatever reprimand came her way at some other juncture.

"Chief!" she yelled. "Chief, where the fick are you?"

"Right here, for fick's sake," the Chief replied as his head poked out from beneath the hood of the plane he was working on. "What's your damn problem, Carter?"

"I need your help," she replied, and proceeded to tell him her plan to ensure a zero percent loss of life whilst crossing the star system.

"You want me to do what?" he asked, a pained look upon his face, though that look faded quickly to one of submission. "Fine, look. Get the Cap'n to sign off on that fickling crazy idea of yours an' I'll have no choice. Thing is, it's so fickling crazy that it might just about work."

***

By the time Captain Carter arrived on the bridge, properly attired in her uniform, the countdown clock insinuated that in less than fifteen minutes time the Kronos would drop back into normal space.

"I do hope this plan of yours works, Captain Carter," said Captain Tifosi from the bridge's central station. "We're all at risk, here."

"It will, Ma'am," she replied, "with one slight alteration."

"Go ahead, Captain Carter. Whatever you need."

"I need you to disable the autopilot function and allow me to take the helm."

"Like fick!" Tifosi replied, more than a little shock evident in her voice. "Captain, you might be a good fighter pilot, in fact if I'm to believe what the Chief tells me then you're the best we have by far, but it will be a cold day in fickling Hell before I let you take the helm of my damn ship."

When Captain Carter replied, she did so calmly.

"I can guarantee a zero percent loss of life if I take the helm, Captain. Not only that, but any damage to the Kronos and her systems will be merely superficial."

Captain Tifosi considered Captain Carter for a moment, looking for some hitherto undiscovered sign of a weakness, a fault of some kind that would give her reason to deny the request.

It was not unheard of for Heavy Cruisers to be piloted manually, though such a thing generally only occurred when repairs to the autopilot were being carried out, and almost never in the heat of battle. The vessels were, as the name suggests, incredibly heavy, ungainly and difficult to manoeuvre, unlike the Battlecruisers that made up the majority of the Fleet which were rarely piloted automatically.

"I like you, Captain Carter," Tifosi said after a few long, drawn out moments.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"I wager you have a bigger pair on you than any damn man on this ship which is why, against my better judgement, I am going to grant your request."

"Yes Ma'am."

"You have, however, made a series of guarantees, and you will be held accountable should those guarantees prove to have been premature."

"Yes Ma'am," she replied with a nod, having expected nothing less. "Understood."

"In which case the helm is yours. Look after my ship, Janine."

***

Captain Carter's hands rested easily upon the controls fixed to the console at the fore, a smile upon her face.

The Kronos was several thousand times bigger and heavier than anything she was used to piloting but the principles were essentially the same, however depth perception was most definitely something that would come into play, at some point.

"Fifteen seconds until the Kronos enters normal space," a watch-stander cried out. "Ten seconds until the Kronos enters normal space."

Fifteen seconds later, everything went to absolute bloody Hell.

The Kronos dropped out of Jump Space and into normal space, exactly as it should have done. The ship's systems automatically started scanning the star system, as was standard practise. It could take anything from a few minutes to a few hours for such a scan to complete, entirely dependent upon the size of the star system in question.

Proximity alarms sounded immediately and seconds later the reason why was clear; the minefield twelve light seconds dead ahead.

"The damn probe didn't show that!" Captain Tifosi yelled in an effort to get her voice heard over the shrill alarm. "Captain Carter, evasive manoeuvres if you please."

"No disrespect intended, Ma'am," Carter began, gripping the controls tightly as she attempted to wrestle the Kronos to a trajectory that would take her beneath the minefield, "but unless you're gonna' tell me something I don't already know then please, shut the fick up!"

"Captain Carter!" Tifosi yelled in shock, although she said nothing further.

"System report thirty-two percent complete, Ma'am," the same watch-stander shouted out. "Three defence flotillas registered. One - repeat, one unit of Seek and Destroys."

As more and more reports came in it was clear to all that the probe had, somehow, been tampered with. In all likelihood it had been hacked the second it entered normal space and therefore the report it sent back through Jump Space to the Kronos had been falsified in its entirety.

Five inhabited worlds with a total population approaching the upper echelons of eight hundred million, all within stable orbits of the host star, a Class Nine which was essentially a Brown Dwarf with one subtle difference; its size. The thing was enormous and its habitable zone, though relatively close, was big enough to house those five planets and their multiple moons, as well as what appeared to be a defensive wall of gas giants on the periphery.

"Make that seven defence flotillas, Ma'am. One - repeat, one single unit of Seek and Destroys, but..."

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Tifosi snapped, gripping the arm of her chair so tightly that her fingers turned white as Captain Carter managed to find the trajectory the Kronos required.

"There is a fleet hanging back behind the host star, almost hidden within the radiation field."

"Almost?"

"Aye Ma'am," he replied with diligence. "Almost. The only reason the systems noticed it was because it is too big a fleet to hide and a small proportion of its vessels are actually having to wait outside the star's radiation field."

Tifosi sucked her teeth. If the report was correct, and there was no feasible reason for her to doubt that it was - then that fleet was enormous.

"What do they have?"

"The systems are running that check now, Ma'am," the Lieutenant replied with a quiver in his voice. "It's taking longer than it usually would due to the fact it is having to use radio signals to detect both the relative position and size of each individual ship."

"Make me aware the second you have more information."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Captain Carter, how're we doing up there?"

"Could be better, Ma'am," she replied. "Our route through this star system depended upon us being able to slingshot around the star but if they have a fleet waiting in the wings..."

"Aye," Tifosi said, quietly, as she lit a cigarette. "The closest flotilla is three light hours away from our current position and the unit of Seek and Destroys is double that. Hold your station, Captain. We'll have the full schematics of this star system soon enough."

"Aye, Ma'am."

"Lieutenant, have the inhabitants of this star system made any attempts to make contact?"

"No Ma'am, and our attempts to push a message through have failed."

"They're operating a closed system," Tifosi mused. "Either they were expecting someone else or they really, really don't like visitors. Have the Chief put his planes on standby; I want his pilots ready but relaxed. Tense pilots make too many mistakes.

"System report complete, Ma'am," the watch-stander said. "Feeding the report to Lieutenant Farak."

"Lieutenant?"

"It's not looking good, Ma'am," Farak replied. "Eighteen units in total, and each individual unit is made up of twenty Battlecruisers, eight Heavy Cruisers and four S and D class Cruisers."

"It's going to be a tall enough order coming out of an engagement with one of the defence flotillas with our lives," said Tifosi, flatly. "If we go up against that fleet, the Kronos doesn't stand a chance."

Captain Carter remained silent for a moment. There was a way to get the Kronos out of her current predicament and she knew exactly how to go about doing just that. The issue was that she was not entirely sure she was capable of piloting any vessel, let alone one as huge as the Heavy Cruiser, at a velocity so close to the speed of light.

"You're keeping very quiet, Captain Carter," said Captain Tifosi. "Is there something on your mind?"

"I'm just... running things through in my head, Ma'am," Carter replied. "I want to make sure the mathematics check out before I make a fool of myself, blurting something out."

"If it helps at all in your calculations, feel free to disregard anything and everything I said about your guarantees," Tifosi said. "Get the majority of us out of this shit-storm alive, do what the autopilot would not be able to do, and you'll be a fickling hero, Captain."

Although Carter had no inclination whatsoever to be labelled as a hero, she was indeed grateful for the Captain's willingness to drop the threat of charges should loss of life or damage to the Kronos occur.

"Give me a direct open comm link to the deck, the engine room and the battery."

"Do it," Tifosi ordered after several seconds of her Lieutenants awaiting confirmation.

"Aye, Ma'am. Direct comm link to the deck, engine room and battery live in five."

"Chief," Carter said once that connection was live. "I need half of your planes ready to go on autopilot on my mark."

"Understood, Carter. I'm not gonna' like what you're gonna' do with my planes, am I?"

"Depends on whether you like the idea of making it out of this system in one piece, Chief. Which engineer do I have on line?"

"Sinta, Ma'am."

"I'm going to need you to push those engines, Sinta. Give me point-nine-five light on my mark."

"That will burn through our fuel cells very quickly, Ma'am."

"Aye, but we'll still have twelve percent remaining come the jump point and let's hope that running on emergency power thereafter gives us enough to hook up with an MRV."

Carter knew full well it was unlikely the Kronos would meet up with a Mobile Repair Vehicle, certainly in the near-future. Regardless, there was little option.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good."

"Collins in the battery, Ma'am," said a Lieutenant, saving Carter having to ask that question.

"Collins, how does our stock of mines look?"

"Three dozen units, Ma'am," the man replied.

"And nukes?"

"Nine units."

"Thank you, Collins. Stand by."

"Aye Ma'am, standing by."

"You've had chance to look over the proposed route, Lieutenant?" Carter asked, swivelling in her seat.

"Yes Ma'am," the Lieutenant replied. "It's going to be tight; that jump point is two-thirds of the way around the star system."

"Is it manageable?" she demanded. "Can we make it?"

"We can." The Lieutenant nodded. "Whether we will or not is another matter entirely."

"You let me worry about that, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Captain Carter took several slow, deep breaths. According to her calculations, verified by the Lieutenant, the Kronos needed to be at point-nine-five light within the next ten minutes.

"Captain Tifosi. You might want to go ship-wide and remind everyone that at speeds above point-eight light, there will be no artificial gravity."

"Indeed, Captain."

"Sinta, are you still online?"

"Aye Ma'am," the engineer replied as over the ship-wide comm, Captain Tifosi reminded all crew not to panic when they started floating around.

"Good. Take us to point-five light, and we'll go from there."

"Aye Ma'am, point-five light."

***

The route through the star system was an incredibly tricky one, taking as it did the Kronos around the back of the gas giants which stood guard and between two of the more heavily populated worlds, using their electromagnetic fields to shield the fact that the large vessel was heading directly for the jump point, rather than to slingshot around the system's host star in line with normal guidelines.

By the time the Kronos reached point-five light it would be too late for any of the defence flotillas or the unit of Seek and Destroys to do anything about it. Only the partially hidden fleet would be able to offer the Heavy Cruiser anything by way of resistance as she sought exit from the system.

"It's about to get very bumpy," said Carter. She was about to bring the Kronos in a wide, sweeping arc that would take her around the back of the gas giants and up to a speed of point-five light, and was expecting the atmospherics to play merry hell with the Kronos' on board systems.

"Ma'am!" a Lieutenant cried out, her eyes wide as she stared straight at the console in front of her. "The gas giants! They're not planets!"

"Holy fickling..." Tifosi muttered. "Carter, you're seeing this, right?"

"Aye Ma'am, I'm seeing it," she replied. "Looks like we've got ourselves a detail of BFS's, though how the Hell they managed to disguise themselves as fickling gas giants..."

"We can marvel at the technological prowess of this system's residents later, Janine. For now, get is the blue fick out of here!"

"Collins!" Carter yelled into the comm. "Drop a dozen mines on our starboard side, point-two-five of a second between each."

"Aye, Ma'am!" Collins reply came back quickly. Even before the call was terminated on his end, he was already barking orders at his subordinates.

"The fleet is moving, Ma'am!" a watch-stander cried out. "They look to be coming onto an intercept course."

Being several light minutes away, there was little that Carter could do about the fleet. All the watch-stander's shout had done was to inform all within earshot of the fleet's movements, six minutes prior. As the Kronos reduced the distance to the fleet, that lag would of course lessen but by that point, if Carter kept the vessel on her current course, it would already be too late.

"We're out of options, Ma'am," said Carter, gripping the controls for dear life with her head inclined slightly in Captain Tifosi's direction. "You have to make the call."

"We're not done yet, Captain Carter. We still have the planes!"

"With all due respect, Ma'am, involving the planes in this went straight out of the proverbial as soon as we arrived in this system and discovered our signal had been hacked," Carter snapped. "If we send the planes out we'll have none left."

"Using the Jump Drive in system like we were forced to do at Ryban will not work out well for anyone," said Tifosi. "I will not allow my fickling ship to be the cause of yet another Supernova!"

"It's that, Ma'am, or we all die bloody right here," Carter replied with a shrug. "I gave you a guarantee that I'd get everyone out of here alive. The only way I can do that is if you give the order for the Kronos' Jump Drive to be engaged."

"There are too many innocent people in this star system, Captain. The Kronos will not be the cause of their extinction."

"And yet you'll allow your entire crew to perish?"

"If that's what it takes, Captain Carter," Tifosi replied, her voice quavering. "If that's what it takes."

Carter shook her head in disgust and when she did reply, the words were biting.

"It was not that long ago, Captain Tifosi, that you were ready to accept a thirty-percent loss of life aboard the Kronos as acceptable. Now you're tell me you're willing to let your entire crew die because you're worried about destroying an apparently hostile star system?"

Carter turned to one of the Lieutenants. She knew what needed to be done, just as she knew there was only one way to do it. That did not mean, however, that she wanted events on board the Kronos to play out in the manner she suspected they would.

With that in mind, there was the slightest hint of regret evident in her voice when she spoke.

"Lieutenant."

"Ma'am," he replied, snapping smartly to attention as he did so.

"Do you want to get out of this system alive?"

"Aye Ma'am."

"Do you think that everyone else aboard this ship wants to get out of this system alive?"

"Aye Ma'am."

"Even if the cost of that is the death and destruction of all life in this star system?"

"Aye Ma'am." The Lieutenant did not even hesitate however he did add, "I just want to go home, Ma'am."

"Aye, Lieutenant," Carter replied quietly, her eyes closed. "We all do and I promise you this. I will get you home, Lieutenant."

"Captain Carter!"

Carter ignored Captain Tifosi's call; instead she shook her head, slowly.

"Order a squadron of marines to the bridge, Lieutenant. Captain Tifosi's judgement is clouded by the potential - not guaranteed, mind - loss of hundreds of millions of lives."

She turned to face Tifosi directly before continuing.

"I am truly sorry things have come to this, Captain Tifosi, but my judgement is not impaired in such a way. My allegiance is to those on this ship and I will see them back to Victoria."

Silence fell upon the bridge as the requested squadron of marines arrived and proceeded to escort Captain Tifosi to her quarters. It was not until they had left the bridge, in fact, that anyone spoke a word.

"One light minute until the fleet is upon us, Ma'am, with a relative velocity of one-three light."

"The chances of the Kronos suffering a direct hit at such speeds are unlikely, Ma'am," said the Lieutenant.

"Unlikely, perhaps, but it is still too high a risk."

"Aye Ma'am."

"Sinta, are you still online."

"Aye, Captain Carter."

"Good," she replied. "Wind up the Jump Drive, Sinta. We're getting the fick out of here."