Welcome to the third of my Jane Porter/Amelia stories! You will recognise Jane Porter (and her father Archimedes Q Porter) from Disney's Tarzan, along with Amelia and Arrow from Disney's Treasure Planet.
Jane Porter was standing by the helmsman on the bridge of the RLS Resolute, looking down at the main deck. The Megapteran Star Cluster was already a distant glow in the distance behind them as, battered but victorious, they sailed deeper into the Lagoon Nebula. The ship-of-the-line nudged aside a few errant wisps of gas and crossed into a pocket of open space. The distant walls of the nebula parted like a great window, allowing starlight to shine through clearly, picking out the sky with ten thousand diamonds. Despite the cosmic splendour laid out around her, however, Jane was paying close attention to a single figure working high up on the mizzenmast. Amelia was standing on the mizzentop, supervising a team of spacers as they rigged an elaborate network of ropes between the mizzen and mainmast, with two blocks and tackles at the centre. She looked small and frail from this distance, even though the mizzenmast was not the tallest, but the ease and grace with which she was moving left Jane in no doubt of her safety.
"Impressive, is it not?" said Mr Arrow, standing behind her.
"It most certainly is." Jane smiled fondly before turning her head to realise that the big Cragorian had been gazing into space with a telescope to his eye.
"It is rare to see a binary star system so evenly poised," Arrow went on. "All too often, one star is much larger and heavier than the other, and its gravitational pull eventually destroys its partner. But this one is perfectly balanced. An ideal combination."
Jane looked up at him suspiciously. "I'm...afraid I can't see what you're talking about, Mr Arrow."
Arrow folded the telescope and smiled. "That's all right, ma'am. The closer you get to these things, the harder they are to see."
Jane smiled. "I yield to your judgement."
Arrow touched his hat and moved over to the bridge console, where a cluster of the ship's officers were standing in conference with Captain Forsythe and the ship's engineer. Jane considered joining them, but the snatches of conversation drifting over to her barely made sense and she contented herself with looking back up at the mizzentop. The distant figure that was the focus of her attention seemed to sense her looking, turned, and waved down to her.
"Port side ready, ma'am!"
Amelia looked up at the shout from the spacer leading the team rigging the block and nodded.
"Very good, Mr Jackson! Starboard side, what's your status?"
Midshipman Dunn looked up at smiled. "Almost there, ma'am. A bit of a snarl in the line. We'll have it out in a jiffy."
"Very good, Ms Dunn! I'll be on deck." Amelia touched her hat and swung herself down the futtock shrouds, descending to the deck in a series of easy movements that saw her landing gracefully just beside the mast, where another group of spacers was working. A great spar was laid out across the deck between the mizzen and main shrouds, so long that the ends protruded over the rails on either side. Spacers were working to nail steel brackets around it. Amelia ran her eye over it approvingly.
"Well done, Mr Bryce! Are we ready to hoist?"
"Last band is in place, ma'am." The Petty Officer saluted. "We'll get the ropes secure."
"Hands aloft, prepare to send down lines!" Amelia shouted up to the crew above, before turning at the sound of footsteps. "Ms Porter! What can I do for you?"
"Just seeing how things are going down here." Jane smiled. "Is everything all right? Do you need a hand?"
"How are your rolling hitches?" asked Bryce.
"Isn't that a rather personal question?" Jane looked taken aback.
Amelia laughed. "I think we'll be all right, Ms Porter. But thank you all the same."
"Starboard side ready, ma'am!" Dunn called down from above. "Line coming down now!"
"All clear on the deck!" Amelia shouted. "Line coming down!"
The spacers scattered, Amelia leading Jane to a safe distance before she looked up and waved her hat.
Dunn heaved a coiled rope from the upper mizzen yard. Jane watched it fall, uncurling all the way, until it landed on the deck with a heavy thump. The port side team did the same. It fell close to Jane, the impact making her jump back. Amelia was already calling her spacers forward before the dust settled.
"Make the lines secure and run out halyards! Smartly, now!"
"What are all the metal straps for?" Jane peered at the spar.
"Strengthening it," said Amelia, shrugging off her blue coat. "That shell that blew it off the mast cracked it, and the wood has to be able to take the weight and strain of the sail."
"What if it doesn't?" asked Jane.
"Then we have ourselves a problem, ma'am." Arrow joined them. "We carry many spare components, but not one of this size. If this does not work, we will be unable to rig full sails on the mizzenmast."
"We'll lose speed," Amelia explained. "And we can't afford that."
Jane looked closer at the spar. There were cracks in it she could fit her finger in. "Are you sure it's safe?"
"No," said Amelia. "But we have to try. Make those knots fast, there! This isn't a birthday present!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Perhaps you should continue to observe from more of a distance, Ms Porter," said Arrow.
Jane nodded. "Yes, perhaps I should...good luck."
"Thank you, Ms Porter." Amelia waved up at the mast again. "Brace up, there! Prepare to take the weight!"
Dunn waved back and began directing her spacers into position. Amelia turned to the bridge and touched her hat.
"Ready to lift the yard, sir!"
"Very good, acting lieutenant!" Captain Forsythe nodded. "You may proceed."
Amelia touched her hat in acknowledgement. "Aye, sir! All hands, take up the halyards! Run forward parallel with the sides! Mr Arrow, take port! We'll take starboard!"
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" Arrow raised his hands to his mouth. "Marines, forward! Take up the port halyard!"
The spacers took the starboard rope and began laying it out towards the bows. Amelia checked the knots around the spar one last time and went to join them. Arrow's marines were falling in line to take up the other rope and a few good-natured jibes were already flying across the deck.
"Belay that, there!" Amelia called, well aware of the traditional rivalry between spacers and soldiers. "This isn't a race this time! That yard has to go up horizontal and intact! Mr Bryce, you will observe the ascent and ensure that the starboard end rises smoothly! Sergeant Ko, likewise for the port side! Do we understand each other?"
She picked up the rope, feeling it in her hands and taking a firm grip on it. Looking across the deck she saw Arrow taking up a position at the head of his marines. He nodded to her and she raised her head.
"Ms Dunn! Are you ready?"
"Ready, ma'am!" Dunn waved.
"On my mark, then!" Amelia shouted. "Raise on threes! One! Two! Three!"
Jane watched the assembled crew strain on the ropes, pulling them taut. She followed the line of the ropes up to the mizzenmast where they looped through the blocks before descending to the great spar. There was a creaking of wood as it took its own weight and Jane heard the metal bracers groan under the pressure. The complex web of ropes strung between the masts bore the burden, small sounds of strain seeming to come from every part of the Resolute's rigging as the load was distributed. The repaired yard lifted off the deck, only a few inches at first, before the crew raised it clear into the air.
"That's it!" Amelia called encouragingly. "Two, three!"
The spar was already higher than Jane's head. She watched with a small smile of admiration as it rose still further. Dunn's crew were preparing to receive it, swinging down on temporary rope ladders to the great steel bracket where it would be fixed to the mast.
"Reminds me of that barn-raising we had back home that summer before we left, eh, Janey?" said Archimedes, who was watching from the bridge. "Do you remember? We had all the neighbours around and you made everyone lemonade."
"Yes, daddy, I remember." Jane smiled. "It seems like so long ago, but I remember that new barn."
"I'm sure we'll see it again once this is all over." Archimedes patted her elbow. "We'll be home for next summer, anyway. Perhaps we could even put up another one, eh?"
Jane smiled. "Yes...perhaps we might. For next summer..."
"Watch your lift there!" shouted Ko, down on the deck. "Hold! Hold!"
"Avast lifting!" Amelia glared up at the spar, which was hanging lopsided, the port side noticeably higher than the starboard one. "Ms Dunn! Report!"
"The rope's jammed around the block!" Dunn swung up through the topshrouds and out into the cradle between the masts to where a spacer was struggling with the offending article. "Hold her steady for a moment!"
"Hold fast there!" Amelia redoubled her grip on the rope and tried to look up to where Dunn was working frantically. Jane gripped the rail of the bridge as she watched, her knuckles turning white.
"Ms Dunn!" Captain Forsythe stepped forward.
"Almost free, sir!" Dunn was hammering a spike into the block.
"Deck crew, stand ready to take the weight!" Forsythe joined Jane at the rail, the old human's face as serious as she had ever seen it.
Dunn gave a shout of victory as the rope finally came loose inside the block. Amelia felt the jolt as the yard's weight was suddenly released, gritted her teeth and heard grunts as the spacers and marines braced themselves, feet shifting on the deck. The port side of the yard fell a clear two feet before Arrow's team arrested the fall. She heard him calling to his men but didn't dare take her eyes off the spar.
"Mr Arrow! Report!"
"All here, ma'am! Standing by!"
"Then let's get this thing up! On threes!"
Jane watched the ascent begin again, her heart still in her mouth. Dunn dropped down from the cradle to the steel bracket again. Spacers climbed the ratlines alongside the yard, nudging it free from any threatened entanglement with long poles.
"That was...a nervous moment, captain," said Jane, trying to sound casual.
Forsythe grunted. "It's not over yet, Miss Porter."
"Avast lifting!" Amelia called. "Avast and make secure!"
The spar swung in the air, now level with the bracket on the mast. The ropes that had lifted it there were tied off on deck to keep it level and Amelia's crew took up the ropes that would draw it astern to its final resting place. Forsythe nodded approvingly.
"Still, it's going as smoothly as one can hope. Mr Chad? Have the maker and his mate prepare to hoist the replacement sail as soon as that yard is ready."
"Aye, sir." Commander Chad touched his hat and left the bridge.
"It's all tremendously impressive, captain," said Archimedes. "I was just reminding Jane of a barn-raising we held at the farm not so long ago. One of the roof beams went up rather like that, and we found that it just wouldn't fit! Do you remember, Janey? The wood had dried out and rattled around in its bracket like a bug in a mug!"
Forsythe gave a polite grimace that might have passed for a smile in some lights. Jane swallowed hard and looked up again as Amelia's voice rang out.
"Stand by on aft halyards! Hauling on three! One! Two! Three!"
The yard began sliding back towards the bracket, a few inches at a time. Dunn and three spacers were waiting for it with hooked poles and they reached out to take hold of it when it was close enough, guiding it into place.
"Slow hauling!" Amelia shifted her grip on the rope. "Slow, I say!"
"Aye, ma'am! Slow it is!" Arrow echoed the order.
"Three feet!" Dunn called down. "Two and a half! Two! One and a half...and that's got it! Avast there!"
"Avast all hauling! Hold fast!" Amelia allowed herself a grin of triumph at the completion of the hard part of the job, at least as far as she was concerned. Dunn and her crew dropped onto the bracket and began sliding home the long steel pins that would lock the yard into place.
"By Jove, they've done it!" Archimedes clapped his hands. "Oh, jolly good! I wish we'd had a few of these fellows around when we were raising that barn!"
"Yard secure, captain!" Dunn shouted. "Yard secure!"
"Very good, Ms Dunn! Proceed to dress!" Forsythe shouted back. "Ms Amelia! Stand your division down. Captain Arrow! You may dismiss your marines!"
Jane sighed with relief and left the bridge to rejoin Amelia, who was wiping her hands with statisfaction.
"Well done, everyone! Mr Bryce, Jackson, Dorran, loose the lifting halyards, if you please. Let's clear this deck."
"Aye, ma'am!"
"And thank you, Mr Arrow! Another fine performance from the lobsters, eh?" Amelia grinned. Arrow grinned back and touched his hat.
"Proud of be of service, ma'am. Dismiss the men, Sergeant."
"That looked awfully tricky," said Jane, as the wiry grey feline walked away shouting orders.
Amelia shrugged. "Well, it's something you practice. But it was a job done well, if I do say so myself."
Jane laughed. "I think you're the best person to, yes. So what happens now?"
"Now? Well, the yard still has to be dressed. That means putting all the rigging and ropework on it to hang the new sail from." Amelia looked up. "But fortunately, that's not our job. The riggers can handle that."
"Indeed they can, ma'am." Arrow joined them.
"In which case," said Amelia, "Would you care to join me for a late lunch, Miss Porter?"
"Very much so," Jane smiled. "And you, captain?"
Arrow shook his head. "Alas, no. I'll be supervising drill on the forecastle this afternoon."
"Ah, well." Amelia pulled her blue coat back on. "We'll be sure to save you something. Coming, Jane?"
The wardroom of the Resolute had seen better days. The splendid stern view from the gallery windows was partly obscured by makeshift planks that had been nailed over a shell hole that had been torn in the hull. The same shell explained the pockmarks and burns on the walls. The picture of the Queen that hung above the door had not survived, and most of the soft furnishings had been stripped out and abandoned. Even so, the trestle tables and bench seats that had been brought in were sufficient, and there was a spare one along the port side of the room. Amelia picked up a pair of plates from the galley window and nodded to the other occupant of the room. Midshipman Buckley, his head still bandaged, was sitting at a table with a bowl of soup in front of him. He grinned cheerfully in greeting.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. And ma'am. Everything all right up top?"
"The ship is not imperilled by your temporary absence," Amelia grinned back. "But it's good to see you out of the sick bay. How are you?"
Buckley shrugged. "Well on the mend. Still the odd headache, but the surgeon-commander says that'll pass."
"It clearly hasn't affected your appetite," Jane observed.
"Perhaps I need the extra nutrition," Buckley grinned. "And the atmosphere is better in here, anyway. I was getting tired of sick bay or my cabin walls. Mr Chad made it clear that he expects me to keep up with my studies and those textbooks aren't much company."
Amelia sat next to Jane and passed her plate over. "It'll look better in here once we finish repairing it. Although there's obviously been some work here."
"Well, Captain Forsythe donated a new royal portrait from his day cabin," said Buckley, pointing to a gold-framed picture of the Queen that hung above the door.
"That was generous of him," said Jane.
"I offered to draw a replacement myself, but for some reason that idea wasn't taken up," Buckley winked conspiratorially. "The Captain sent that portrait down here immediately afterwards. Quite a coincidence, eh?"
"Quite." Jane laughed. Amelia smiled and shook her head.
"Perhaps we should have commissioned you, Miss Porter," she said.
Jane blushed. "Well...I'm just an amateur, really, certainly not up to the standard of a ship like this."
"I beg to differ," Amelia noted. "I've seen your sketchbook, remember?"
"What? When? I mean, how much?" Jane looked momentarily alarmed.
"Just the other day when you were sketching the figurehead," Amelia looked at her curiously. "You had a page open."
"Oh! Oh, yes, of course. Right. Fine." Jane looked back to her lunch.
"What did you think I'd seen?" Amelia cocked her head.
"Oh, just some...pictures that aren't very good." Jane blushed. "Not very good at all, really. Certainly not up to the job of portraying the subject, anyway..."
Amelia tried to understand and gave up when the door opened. Lieutenant Costell, the ship's Katydian navigator, entered with a bunch of rolled-up maps under his arm.
"Hello, Miss Porter. Miss Amelia. Mr Buckley. Shouldn't you still be in bed?"
"The surgeon says I should spend at least six hours a day up and about, sir," said Buckley.
"Is that so? Then we won't be deprived of your company much longer." Costell pulled a spare table over and began unrolling charts on it. "I apologise for the intrusion. I'd be doing this in my office, except that the sailmaker has had to borrow my table."
"It's not a problem," Jane smiled. "What needs doing?"
"Oh, nothing crucial. But it's good practice for a navigator to know where the ship will be before it gets there. These are charts of the space ahead of us." Costell drew a polished compass from his pocket and began stepping out measurements on one of the maps. "One thing I could do with, though, is a weather forecast."
"There's never an astrophysicist when you need one, is there?" Amelia grinned.
"A weather forecast?" asked Jane. "What makes that so important now?"
"It's the window in the nebula." Costell frowned in concentration. "The nebula shields us from the interstellar winds...that's part of why nebulae last so long. But with the window opened up, the winds are blowing in and interacting with the nebula's own weather patterns."
"So we could be in for a storm, sir?" Buckley peered over at the papers.
"Possibly. Or not. Who knows." Costell sighed. "That's another reason I need these. I have a synoptic chart of the entire nebula but it's useless on a small scale."
Jane stood up to look at the chart, trying to make sense of the waves and bars marked on it. "I'm afraid I'll have to take your word on that."
"At least we don't have to go far to find refuge," Costell tapped a planet marked on the map. The name ''NEW GENSWICK' was written in spidery, fading text near it.
"If that's an Imperial planet, sir, why aren't we going there anyway?" asked Amelia. "It's not far off our patrol route."
"There's no need for us to go there," said Costell. "New Genswick never reported any problems with the nebula pirates."
"None at all?" Buckley looked surprised.
Costell shook his head. Amelia frowned.
"Why not, sir?"
The navigator shrugged. "Who knows? Just lucky, maybe. Or perhaps there were rich enough pickings elsewhere in the nebula to keep the pirates busy. Either way, the vanguard elements didn't linger there themselves. They dropped off a garrison force and moved on. New Genswick has managed to almost avoid the war so far."
"Lucky for them indeed," said Jane.
Costell nodded. "But visiting there ourselves...it's still something I'd rather avoid."
"That's pulsar space, isn't it, sir?" Amelia looked at the symbols near the planet.
Costell nodded. "Sadly. The Tartaros Pulsar Field. We'll be giving that a wide berth as well."
The spacers all nodded sagely. Jane, none the wiser, looked inquiringly at Amelia.
"Pulsar light is...not good for solar sails," Amelia explained, seeing the look on Jane's face. "Among other things."
"So it's not exactly what we want with a damaged mizzen topsail," added Buckley.
"Indeed not," Costell affirmed. "We'll be staying away from that, with any luck!"
"Can't remember the last time we had much of that, though, sir," Amelia joked and winked at Jane. "We can always give you the wardroom if you need the space to work?"
Costell waved a hand. "No, no. Stay and finish."
"Thank you." Jane smiled. "We won't be a distraction to you."
"I'd best be off, though," said Buckley. "I have a trigonometry book calling my name. Good afternoon, all! See you at dinner."
"I have no doubt," Amelia grinned. Buckley grinned back, tipped his hat, and vanished.
"In fact, we can probably take lunch to our cabin," said Jane. "Er...if it's allowed."
"So long as we bring the dishes back," said Amelia. "The steward counts them every night, I hear. With your permission, sir?"
Costell waved a hand. "Of course, Ms Amelia. Good afternoon, Miss Porter."
Amelia nodded her thanks and held the door open for Jane to exit. Looking around before she closed it, she saw a few drops of astral rain appear on the wardroom's remaining windows.
Jane woke up in darkness, wrapped in the warmth of their shared blanket. Amelia was sleeping on her side next to her, facing away. Rain was drumming on the window and Jane took a moment to lie and enjoy the comforting sound. She had always enjoyed it as a child and its magic still lingered. She propped herself up on her elbow to see over Amelia's shoulder to check if she had woken as well and smiled at the look on the sleeping feline's face. She was always so bright, so alert when she was awake. But in sleep, she relaxed and Jane was struck by the changes it brought. Those brilliant green eyes were closed, her red lips slightly open with sighs of breath passing between them. Auburn hair that normally fell in straight, regimented locks was askew, strands falling past her nose. Jane's heart went out at the sight of the being who normally protected her looking so vulnerable herself, and she moved slightly closer. Amelia shifted and mumbled indistinctly. Jane stroked her fur softly.
"Shh. I'm sorry, Amelia. It's only me."
"You're...awake?" Amelia blinked once or twice.
Jane nodded. "Yes, I think the rain woke me up. It's all right."
"Rain?" Amelia's eyes opened fully as her ears perked up. The insistent sound of the rain on the window and wood of the hull suddenly seemed to fill the room, and she sat up quickly, taking Jane by surprise.
"Amelia!"
"How long as it been raining like this?"
Jane stared. "I...I don't know! I only just woke up."
Amelia was already reaching for her shirt. "I'm sorry about this, Jane. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Where are you going?"
"Up on deck. If that new yard hasn't been secured yet..."
Jane watched her spring out of bed, already buttoning up her white canvas waistcoat. That gentle kitten of a few moments ago was gone. The crack professional was back in control and pulling on a long oilskin cloak. Amelia hastened to the door, paused, and looked back at Jane.
"I'm..sorry for the rush," she said. "I just-"
"I know. Go." Jane gave her a small smile. "I wouldn't expect anything else."
Amelia smiled back and left. She hurried through the dark corridors of the ship and darted up the main stairway onto the deck, her heart racing in anticipation. The sails billowed wetly above her as a gust caught them. The timber underfoot was shiny with rain and she splashed through a couple of shallow puddles on her way to the bridge. Acting Lieutenant Whiting was on duty at the wheel, Commander Chad behind him, both draped in their cloaks. Amelia touched her hat to them as she came up the stairs.
"Ah, Ms Amelia!" Chad smiled. "What brings you here? Not looking to start your forenoon watch early, I trust?"
Amelia shook her head. "No, sir! Just coming to check on the mizzen yard."
"So far, so good." Whiting pointed up at it. "We're not running the full load of sail on it yet."
Amelia shielded her eyes from the rain as another squall blew across the deck. It was coming in almost horizontally as the powerful deep space jet streams poured through the great gap in the buffering haze of the nebula. The sail on the repaired yard was still half-furled, but even so it bulged as it caught the ethereal wind. Amelia flinched as she heard a crack of wood. Chad looked up sharply.
"Well, it hasn't done that before," he muttered.
"I recommend we furl that sail completely, sir!" said Amelia. "Permission to go aloft?"
"Wait until we have some additional hands to assist, Ms Amelia," said Chad.
There was another crack from above. Something metal fell through the darkness, shattered a glass dial on the console and bounced onto the deck. The stunned helmsman picked it up.
"Looks like a bolt, sir!" he said.
"From the bracing straps on the yard!" said Amelia. "Sir, please! Let me go aloft and send the hands after me!"
"Permission is now granted!" Chad nodded to Whiting. "Summon three hands aft here! Mr Whiting, go and inform the captain! Helm, turn to starboard, forty degrees!"
"Forty degrees, aye, sir!" The helmsman span the wheel.
Amelia dropped back onto the quarterdeck and headed for the mizzen shrouds. Looking up the lattice of ropes, she unbuckled her rain cloak and cast it aside. She swung herself up into the ropes and began climbing, feeling the water soaking through her waistcoat and shirt almost instantly. The rigging creaked as the big ship answered her helm, turning into the storm to allow the mizzenmast into the lee of the sails on the two forward masts. Amelia scrambled up to the sail platform, wiped water from her eyes and took stock of the situation. One of the metal straps on the starboard side of the yard had already come loose and was flapping uselessly under its own weight. The cracks in the wood were opening up again, little splintering sounds accompanying every new breath of wind. A final gust blew her sideways into the mast and she grabbed at it for support.
"Damn it all!" Amelia gripped the heavy timber, waiting impatiently for the Resolute to complete the turn and bring the mizzentop into the shelter of the mainmast. Shaking droplets of water from her hair, Amelia reached for the lines that controlled the spread of the sail through a complex network of pulleys and counterweights and began hauling on them, trying to bring the wet canvas under control.
"Come on, blast you!" Her breath hissed between her teeth.
"Ma'am!" Arrow was climbing the ratlines towards her, Jackson and another spacer close behind. Amelia looked down and saw Jane emerge onto the deck, trying to hide behind her small yellow parasol. She gripped the halyards again and heaved, bringing the starboard part of the sail almost closed.
"Here, ma'am!" Arrow reached her. Amelia nodded to him and waved to the others.
"You two men! Take the starboard side lines and haul her in!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Mr Arrow, with me! Let's close up this port side!" She handed part of the line to him. "Ready? Heave!"
The sail slammed closed with a creak of wet wood and a splash of wet canvas under their combined efforts. Amelia made it fast around a tie point on the mast and nodded with satisfaction. "Starboard side! What's the problem?"
The two spacers were pulling hard on the line, but the sail was refusing to budge. Arrow joined in, but even his strength was to no avail. Amelia narrowed her eyes and stared out along the yard. The lower spar of the frame which held the fan-shaped sail was caught in the twisted metal of the broken bracer, which was resisting their efforts like a spring.
"Avast hauling, there!" she shouted, unwrapping one of the port side halyard and tying it around herself as a lifeline. Glancing down, she saw that Jane was still looking up at her, an expression of horror on her face. The ship's sails, now face-on into the wind in a way they were not designed for, buffeted and slapped against their masts and rigging, sending sprays of water onto the deck. Amelia tried to ignore it as she began inching her way out along the broken yard.
"Careful, ma'am!" Jackson set off after her, but Amelia waved him back.
"No! It's in bad enough shape as it is! We can't put the weight of two on it! Back! Back and wait for my order to furl the sail!"
"You heard her, men!" Arrow roared. "Take these lines and hold them fast!"
She gritted her teeth and took another step. Deciding it was too dangerous, she sank down into a crouch and began moving on all fours out to the broken strap. She grabbed it and tried to flex it back out of the way of the sail frame.
"Now!" she shouted.
The spacers grabbed up the ropes and hauled on them, dragging the sail a short distance before it snagged on the strap again. Cursing, Amelia put all her strength into trying to bend the steel through sheer force of will.
"Come on..." she hissed. "Come on..."
Another bolt gave way and the metal moved freely in her hands like a snake of metal. Suddenly released, the sail jerked up and Amelia felt a heavy blow across the side of her head as the frame struck her a glancing blow. She fell sideways as stars exploded behind her eyes, frantically gripping the yard, which yielded with a cracking of wood as the bracing strap came away completely. The yardarm sagged under its own weight and Amelia scrambled for the relative safety of the platform as it broke away. It hit the deck far below with a crash of timbers, tearing through the rail and falling over the side into the storm. Arrow's hand clamped onto her shoulder, drawing her back to the mast. Amelia nodded her thanks to him and took a deep breath to recover her composure.
"Well done, gentlemen," she said. "Secure the sail, then get back on the deck and batten down with the rest of them."
"Aye, ma'am." Arrow touched his forehead. "And may I enquire after your status?"
Amelia untied her lifeline and flicked a lock of wet hair back from her forehead. "I'm quite all right, thank you, Mr Arrow."
She caught a glimpse of her fingertips, which were wet with blood as well as rain. Arrow saw the look on her face but he knew better than to question an officer in front of ratings, and he merely nodded.
"I will alert the sickbay just in case, ma'am."
Amelia nodded and made her way slowly back down via the Jacob's ladder, trying to ignore the throbbing pain that was beginning to make its presence felt in her head. She made her way carefully down the ratlines, concentrating on every step and checking her grip on the wet rope before she put her weight on it. Jane watched her every inch of the way until she put her foot back on the main deck. Breathing a sigh of relief, she ran over to greet her.
"Amelia! Are you all right? I saw what happened up there..."
Amelia smiled and nodded, hiding her own relief by stooping to collect her oilskin. "I'm fine, thank you."
"Ms Amelia!" Captain Forsythe was on the bridge. "Report aft!"
Amelia took advantage of the bulk of the oilskin to pat Jane on the hand out of sight behind it and hastened up the stairs. Arrow was already there, standing impassively behind the captain and watching her carefully. Amelia saluted crisply.
"Reporting as ordered, sir. I'm afraid the mizzen yard is out of service."
Forsythe nodded grimly. "Well. No greater harm was done, at least. I commend you, Acting Lieutenant. Mr Chad? Resume original heading."
"Aye, sir. Helm, forty degrees to port!" Chad stepped forward.
"Engine power reduced by 20%, sir," said Whiting, who was checking the console displays. "And we can't open that sail again."
"Understood." Forsythe glanced at the glowing screens. "Rig a staysail in place, Mr Whiting. That should get us at least five percent back. And all officers will convene in my cabin at 0830 hours to decide the next move. In the meantime, maintain best speed and take her steady. As for you, Ms Amelia, you should report to the surgeon."
"I'm sure he doesn't need to be woken for a minor case like this, sir," said Amelia.
Arrow smiled. Forsythe nodded and beckoned to Jane, down on the main deck. "So be it. Miss Porter? I believe you have been assisting the surgeon in the ship's dispensary."
"Yes, captain!" Jane nodded.
"Good. In that case, take the acting lieutenant below for examination." Forsythe looked back up at the damaged yard before he could see the blush rise to Jane's cheeks. "We have been fortunate tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Let us not rely on that in future. The bridge is yours once more, Mr Chad. Carry on."
He turned and stalked off into the night. Amelia turned to Jane and smiled.
"Well, then, Miss Porter. I believe the captain's order was very specific."
Jane smiled back. "It was, wasn't it? Well, come this way, lieutenant. We'll see what we can do with you."
The ship's dispensary was barely larger than a cupboard. A short plank attached to one wall hinged down to provide a narrow working bench. Shelves of bottles, jars and vials lined the sides of the room. Jane lit the lamp that hung from the ceiling and ushered Amelia inside.
"Just take a seat there," she said, gesturing to the small four-legged stool. "I'll be with you in a moment."
Amelia smiled. "Thank you. Is there anything I should do in the meantime?"
"Well, you could get out of those wet clothes." Jane stopped and blushed suddenly. "I mean...if they're a problem for you...wouldn't want you to catch cold, after all..."
"I'm sure you'd have something in here for that if it happens," Amelia grinned. "Take your time."
Jane smiled shyly and left to collect a small pack of equipment from the main surgery. She returned to find Amelia perched primly on the stool, reading the labels off the nearby vials.
"I don't know how you even remember what half of these do," she said.
Jane chuckled. "Well, I can barely tell one end of this ship from the other, so let's call it even. Now, how's that head of yours?"
She took Amelia's face in her hands and began stroking around the side of her head. Amelia shivered and closed her eyes.
"We have to stop meeting like this," she remarked.
"Hmm?" Jane frowned in concentration.
"Well, I seem to recall that this is not the first time I've ended up in your care," Amelia said. "There was that night after the battle near the Megapterans...and that time after the Procyon bombardment..."
Jane smiled. "I couldn't forget either of them. But I agree that you should stop getting stabbed and blown up as often as you seem to."
"I'll do my best," Amelia grinned.
"Be sure that you do." Jane's fingers began running through her hair. Amelia breathed deeply.
"Is this really necessary?"
"I'm checking to see whether you've done any damage to that hard skull of yours," Jane smiled. "Hold still, would you? You wouldn't want to disobey the captain."
"Indeed not." Amelia smiled and relaxed. "Thank you."
Jane moved her fingers further up Amelia's head. "Just following orders. It's not my fault that I enjoy it."
She felt blood under her touch and combed back the strands of hair to locate the source. "Well...no fracture, as far as I can tell. But a nasty cut."
Amelia bit back a hiss of pain. "I was wondering..."
"Head wounds always bleed a lot and look worse than they are. This is probably not a stitches case," Jane peered at it. "But I'd like you to hold still all the same. This won't take a moment."
She tipped some liquid onto a cloth and moved to clean the edges of the wound. She felt Amelia tense up at the pain despite her careful touch and resolved to work as quickly as possible. Finishing cleaning, she reached for another glass-topped bottle and a clean cloth to begin removing the blood from around the roots of the feline's hair.
"What do you think the captain will decide to do?" Jane asked conversationally, to take Amelia's mind off it.
Amelia winced and retracted her claws as they threatened to come out instinctively.
"I'm...honestly not sure. There's that planet close by. But then there's the pulsar field."
"Yes, that did sound like bad news." Jane put the cloth aside and began looking for an antiseptic patch.
"On the other hand, even with emergency sails rigged, we've lost a lot of speed." Amelia winced again. "I wouldn't be surprised if we make for New Genswick. The mission has to come first."
Jane finished working and combed Amelia's hair back. "There. All done."
Amelia sat up and touched her head gingerly. "Much obliged, Jane."
"It's not a problem. Quite straightforward." Jane shrugged and smiled. "But don't do anything to aggravate it for a few days. Or preferably ever."
"What kind of thing would aggravate it?"
"Oh, you know. Getting hit in the head by a piece of mast again." Jane grinned.
Amelia chuckled. "I'll do my very best, Dr Porter. Very sound advice."
Jane smiled and looked at her. "That really was awfully brave of you up on deck...I don't think you even hesitated before climbing up there."
"I knew I'd have help," Amelia said. "Besides, it had to be done. Well...tried, anyway. Not that it worked."
"That's hardly your fault, though." Jane took her hand.
"I know. But still...after all the work of fixing it in place..." Amelia sighed. "Ah, well. That which does not kill us, and so on."
"It certainly could have done," said Jane.
"Oh, it wasn't so bad." Amelia patted her hand. "Perhaps I should take you aloft one day to show you the ropes. Literally."
"Oh, goodness, I don't think that would be appropriate!" Jane laughed nervously. "I'm...not at my best with heights."
"You'd be amazed at how quickly you can pick it up," Amelia said, standing. "Now, then...will there be anything further, doctor?"
Jane smiled again. "No, no. You're free to go, lieutenant."
"Thank you. I mean, for it all." Amelia smiled. "It feels better already."
"Glad to hear it. And you know where I'll be if you have any problems." Jane smiled.
"As close as possible, I hope." Amelia kissed her forehead. "Thank you again."
"Are you going back on deck?" Jane looked up at her.
Amelia shook her head. "No, no...I'm off duty. I wouldn't have gone up at all if it wasn't for the emergency. I'll be taking the forenoon watch as usual."
"Good." Jane pushed open the dispensary door. "In that case, I suggest you get as much bed rest as possible before then."
Amelia grinned. "Thank you. And after all...as you so wisely recommended before, I need to get out of this wet uniform anyway..."