Readers may recognise Aurora Mayflower and Dr Gray from 'A New Adventure'. The former can also be found in the Battle at Procyon game, the final mission of which forms the basis for the story below.

Admiral Amelia regarded herself critically in the mirror and brushed an imaginary speck of dust from one of her golden epaulettes. An admiral's dress uniform featured rather more gold than she had grown accustomed to wearing on the personalised blue coat she had worn during her years as an independent for hire, and it definitely featured more gold than she thought was wise to wear if a fight broke out. The red silk sash she wore across her chest was a further irritation and the less said about the high starched collar the better.

"It looks fine, ma'am." Lieutenant Aurora Mayflower, a younger felinid with dark mustard and white fur, was standing behind her in her stateroom aboard the RLS Lyonesse, holding her sword.

"Hmm." Amelia frowned and adjusted her belt. "It's been a long time since I had to wear any get-up like this. I think I'm out of the habit."

"It doesn't show." Aurora handed over the sword, smiling. Amelia nodded her thanks and bucked the weapon around her waist.

"It's very kind of you to say so, lieutenant. When are we due to arrive?"

"Parliament should be in sight any time now, ma'am," said Aurora. "No more than half an hour at most."

"Very well." Amelia surveyed her reflection one last time and turned away from the mirror. "And your own preparations? You are coming with me, I assume?"

Aurora blinked in surprise. "Ma'am? I assumed that you'd be taking the flag-captain to meet Her Majesty."

"The captain should stay with the ship," said Amelia. "Besides, you might be the navigator but you're still my personal aide, are you not?"

"Of course, ma'am, but..." Aurora shifted nervously. "I didn't expect to be meeting the Queen today."

"There's nothing to it," Amelia patted her shoulder reassuringly. "A smile, a bow and a handshake and that'll be all."

"You've met her before, ma'am?"

"No, but I read the protocol notes you gave me," Amelia smiled. "Don't tell me you don't read things before you pass them on, lieutenant."

"Well, no, but...as you wish, ma'am." Aurora nodded. "I'll make sure my dress blues are ready."

"Thank you." Amelia sighed. "It'll be good to have a friendly face there. I don't mind telling you, lieutenant, I'm not looking forward to this."

"Why not, ma'am? The signing of a permanent peace treaty between the Empire and the Procyon Hierarchy, a guarantee of security on our borders. It's no wonder they wanted you to attend in person. It's a great honour."

"Nothing is guaranteed when the damned Procs are involved, and they wouldn't know honour if it was stuck up them sideways. They were the first enemy I ever faced, you know." Amelia folded her hands behind her back and looked out of the gallery windows across the stern of the flagship. Half a dozen other Imperial warships, four fighting frigates and a pair of lighter scouts, presented a fine sight with their ivory white hulls decorated with blue and gold that shone in the starlight and bright ceremonial flags flying. The rest of Battlefleet Crescentia was following at a more discreet distance, on Amelia's express instruction.

"I'm aware of the history, ma'am, but we didn't have a treaty then," said Aurora. "Surely things are different now?"

"Once a Proc, always a Proc," Amelia stated bluntly. "The first Proc I ever really crossed swords with is their ambassador. Talonas Boas. I didn't trust him then, and I don't trust him now. Being in the same room as him..." she shook her head. "You'd better keep a close eye on me, lieutenant, and heaven help me if he wants to shake hands..."

"I'll do my best, ma'am. I could always ask Surgeon-Captain Gray to lend me a dose of sedative I could stick you with." Aurora smiled and looked up at the portrait of the Queen that hung in a silver frame over the admiral's desk and tried to change the subject. "Do you think she actually looks like that?"

"It's an old portrait," said Amelia, turning to it. "But perhaps she does. We'll find out soon enough, and it'll save me having to pay too much attention to the Procs..."

There was a knock on the door. Amelia, grateful for the distraction, nodded towards it.

"Enter!"

An officer opened the door a crack and touched his forelock.

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but Parliament's in sight..."

"Thank you, Mr Pike. I'll be there directly." Amelia picked up her hat and saw that the young man was still hovering in the doorway. "Is there a problem?"

"Er...well, we're not sure, ma'am. The captain ordered a spectral analysis..."

Aurora raised her ears. "What's happening?"

"We're about to find out," said Amelia grimly. "Thank you, Mr Pike. You may go. As for you, Ms Mayflower, you'd better get those dress blues out...and make sure you bring your sword."

"Yes, ma'am." Aurora nodded and watched her stalk from the room.

"Admiral on deck!"

"As you were," Amelia waved her hand as she climbed onto the bridge. "Captain Rennier? Report."

The Benbonian officer was bent over the main console. He straightened up and touched his hat.

"Parliament is in visual range, ma'am," said Rennier. "But the sensors picked up a few stray energy traces. It may be nothing, or the remnants of a solar storm."

"Maybe," Amelia took a telescope offered to her by a midshipman and put it to her eye. The great Parliament, more a mobile space station than a true ship, was clearly visible as a large grey shape. She strained her eye to pick out anything unusual, and saw a series of small flashes break out across the Parliament's hull.

"There! Did you see it?" Lieutenant Commander Packham pointed at a display on the console. "Definite spike. An energy signature of some kind."

"Engine flare?" asked Amelia, knowing the answer.

Rennier shook his head. "No, ma'am. Still too far away to tell for sure."

Amelia folded up the telescope. "Then let's get ourselves closer. Rig full sail, captain. All ahead full. Signal the task force to keep pace."

"Yes, ma'am! Mr Pike? Make the signal." Rennier moved off, shouting orders. Amelia watched the flagship's sails unfurl fully, new canvas meeting the sun. She felt the thrum of the engines increase below decks and turned to look astern of them. She watched the brightly-coloured signal flags hoisted up the Lyonesse's message halyard and saw the acknowledgement flags soon blossom from those of the ships behind her. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned back to look along the sleek lines of her ship, eyes alert to any deviance on the deck.

"Multiple contacts ahoy!" shouted the lookout, from the mainmast. "Multiple ships spotted!"

Amelia raised her telescope again and saw the spots moving around the Parliament, which was already so close that the great central dome was distinguishable. There was another series of flashes, and Amelia gritted her teeth.

"Weapons fire, ma'am!" shouted Packham. "High energy weapons!"

"It's a battle, ma'am," said Rennier, stunned. "What the blazes is going on? Pirates?"

"If only that were so," Amelia folded up the telescope with a snarl. "There are no pirates in this area, captain, only Procyons."

"Should we wait for Commodore Clendinnen to bring up the reserve fleet, ma'am?" said Rennier.

"No time. The attack must have already begun." Amelia's eyes were narrow and dangerous.

"Ma'am?" Aurora, her mass of blond hair tied back and her hands doing up the belt buckle on her dress uniform, arrived on the bridge at a run. "What is it?"

"Black bloody treachery, Ms Mayflower." Amelia stepped forward and raised her voice. "Clear for action! Clear for action! All hands to battle stations!" Whirling, she nodded to Pike. "Signal the task force to assume combat formation on us, Mr Pike."

"Aye, ma'am!" Pike turned away. In truth, it wasn't needed. The klaxon that screamed out its warning through the decks of the flagship could be heard clear across the void in the ships following her. Amelia raised her telescope again as the crew ran for their position. Small enemy ships were pulling alongside the Parliament's bulk while the larger vessels hung back and bombarded the space station relentlessly.

"Who is it, ma'am?" Aurora strained to see.

Amelia passed her the telescope. "See for yourself."

Aurora took it and raised it. She saw another salvo streaking towards the Parliament and followed the path of the shots back to their origin. There was no mistaking the grey and purple sails, or the triple-hulls.

"Procyons..." she whispered.

Amelia nodded grimly. "Procyons indeed, Ms Mayflower. Get to your post."

Aurora swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "A...aye, ma'am. Right away."

She turned and headed for the helm controls. A platoon of Royal Marines scrambled up to the bridge and began taking up firing positions around the edge of the raised deck, laslocks at the ready.

"We're at action stations, ma'am," said Rennier. "All decks and stations report ready."

"Load all guns and run them out," Amelia said crisply. "No time for subtlety. Navigator? Take us in around the Parliament's bows. Mr Pike, signal the task force into echelons by squadron astern of us. Unmask our broadsides."

"Yes, ma'am." Aurora nodded and performed a quick mental calculation. "Helm, ten degrees to port! Negative two degrees on the bow!"

The flagship creaked as it turned under the pressure of its acceleration. Amelia put a hand out to steady herself on the bridge console and picked up the brass cup of a speaking tube. A chime echoed across the ship, quieting the crew before she spoke.

"Attention all hands! This is the admiral speaking. As you know, we were bound for the Parliament under a flag of truce. We were going there to secure peace for our people. Now we are bound there to save them. Our Parliament is under assault. The Procyons have rewarded our tolerance with betrayal. They are poised now at the throat of the Empire. Our brothers and sisters have already engaged them. We are moving in to support them. This is not a drill, ladies and gentlemen. The Empire expects every one of us to do our duties."

She hung up the tube and watched as the Parliament began slipping by to starboard. The spaceborne city was already on fire in a dozen places, columns of flame and smoke rising into the etherium. The Procyon troopships which had forced their way into dock were discharging columns of grey-clad assault troops while the bulk of their fleet closed in rapidly. Amelia strode to Aurora and nodded to her.

"Take us in, navigator," she said. "Cross the 'T'."

"Aye, ma'am." Aurora swallowed again. "Helm to starboard! New heading zero four seven!"

"Reduce to combat speed, captain," said Amelia. "Let the gunners find their marks."

"Hands aloft to reef sails!" Rennier shouted.

"Starboard guns, target those troopships!" Amelia shouted. "Port guns, range on the warships!

"Ma'am? I think they've spotted us!"

The call from the other side of the bridge caught her attention. The second wave of Procyon ships was already starting to turn aside from their direct courses to Parliament and were starting to head towards them. Ranging shots from their bowchasers streaked past the Lyonesse. Amelia grinned, showing her teeth, feeling the thrill of battle return to her.

"I would be disappointed if they had not!" she said. "Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Everyone pick a raccoon and start firing. There's plenty for everyone!"

The officers and spacers on the bridge chuckled. Amelia turned to the Katydian officer at the fire control station and nodded.

"Starboard guns to target the transports, Mr Constantine. Port guns to range on those warships," she said. "Open fire."

The calmness in her voice belied the cacophony the simple order unleashed. Aurora braced herself as the flagship's grand battery spoke, trying not to flinch at the concussion. The hail of shells from the port guns thundered towards the lead Procyon cruiser and she saw explosions against its hull and a hole torn through one of its sails. The starboard guns rained their fury onto an enemy transport that had docked at the Parliament, splitting its hull open and sending explosions through the assault troops mustering on the dock. The broken transport fell away in a cloud of shattered timbers.

"Power to the autoloaders!" shouted Amelia. "Reload, retarget! Narrow the firing solution!"
Aurora looked over her shoulder as the ships in line behind the Lyonesse began discharging their guns. The task force's sudden arrival had taken the Procyons by surprise. They were reacting quickly, but Amelia's ships were crossing their bows, maximising the amount of firepower that could be brought to bear against them while limiting the Procyons to their smaller bow guns in return. The cruiser the Lyonesse had hit spat back spitefully and Aurora felt the ship give a jolt as a shell slammed into her side.

"New contacts dead ahead!" A spacer called from the main mast.

"Friend or foe?" shouted Rennier.

"Both, sir!"

"Both?" Amelia raised her head and saw. Two groups of ships were approaching the battle from the other side. "Who the blazes is that?"

Aurora took the telescope and picked out the big ship leading the smaller group. "It's the RLS Victory, ma'am! Three other Imperial vessels alongside."

"The Victory? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure, ma'am, I know the cut of her topsails. Its the Victory all right!"

Amelia smiled to herself. "Acting Commander Hawkins...why does that not surprise me. But who are his friends?"

Aurora panned the telescope over to the second, larger group of ships. She could scarcely believe the evidence of her eyes, but the dark hulls and blood red sails could mean only one thing.

"Pirates, ma'am!"

"The Victory is signalling, admiral," said Pike. "Signal reads...they're on our side."

Amelia looked up. The pirate fleet, led by an enormous galleon, was turning towards the wave of Procyons bearing down on them. Taking her telescope back, she increased the magnification and scanned the bridge. She saw the big figure standing in the middle, gesturing with a metallic arm which glinted as it caught the light of a distant star.

"Silver..." she murmured.

"Ma'am?" Aurora frowned.

"Nothing, lieutenant, nothing. Signal Commander Hawkins to continue clearing the enemy from Parliament," said Amelia, shaking her head. "We'll take care of this lot."

"Are we changing course, ma'am?" asked Aurora.

"Steady as she goes, Ms Mayflower," Amelia shook her head again. "Mr Constantine?"

Constantine nodded. "Guns ready, ma'am."

"Very good! Fire!"

The flagship's second salvo was much tighter than the first. The cruiser visibly shuddered as the maelstrom hit it. A mast keeled over like a falling tree, smashing across the deck. The second wave of Procyons was turning to go broadside to broadside, but Amelia's ships still held the initiative. The space between the two forces was criss-crossed with fire as they traded blows. Almost lost amid the thunder of the cannons, the marines on the bridge began firing their laslocks as the range closed. Procyon warriors crowding the rails of their ships were already shooting. The pandemonium as the two fleets converged was almost overwhelming. Amelia felt her flagship take a hit, and then more, as the Procyon broadsides came to bear. For a moment, the full firepower of both sides was unleashed. Aurora flinched as a shot flashed past just above her head, trying not to cry out in shock. A shell struck the side of the bridge with a brilliant purple flash and a handful of marines fell back from the rail.

"Get that man to Dr Gray!" shouted Amelia, seeing that one of them was seriously wounded. "Get him below!"

She looked around at Aurora, a brief look of concern on her face. Aurora saw and and gave what she hoped was a confident smile. Amelia nodded and smiled back.

"Hard a port, navigator. Take us across them again."

"Yes, ma'am!" Aurora's smile strengthened as she understood Amelia's plan. "Helm! Thirty degrees to port! Hold five degrees negative on the bow!"

The Procyon second wave had turned to starboard to bring their broadsides to bear. Amelia's ships, moving fast, has outflanked them and now turned across their exposed sterns. Aurora saw the guns of the Lyonesse track the lead enemy cruiser again, and watched as its central hull split open, drives rupturing in a spectacular fireball. She saw at least three other Procyon ships blown apart by the task force's sustained fire.

"Target destroyed, ma'am!" she shouted.

"Very good!" Amelia grinned. "New target, Mr Rennier!"

"Aye, ma'am!" The flag-captain stepped forwards. "Gunners, retarget!"

The pirates were circling around the back of the Procyons, capturing them in a vice of ships. Amelia saw Silver's galleon lash a Procyon cruiser with gunfire at point blank range, reducing it to a burning wreck. Other pirate vessels, sensing easy kills and loot, dived into the confused mass of Procyons with a will. A cheer went up from the Imperial flagship as their unlikely allies tore into the foe. But Rennier was silent, raising a hand and pointing.

"My stars..." he murmured. "What the hells is that?"

Amelia turned in surprise and saw what he was staring at. In the rear of the Procyon formation was a single vessel, but it took her a moment to identify it as a ship at all. Twin hulls, clad in metal and topped with heavy turrets, an armoured castle between them, belching smokestacks in place of masts. Two pirate raiders tried to bar its way for a moment, but one was swiftly crippled with close-range gunfire and the other was smashed asunder by the ship's colossal bows, which shunted it aside as if it had been no more substantial than a leaf.

"Ironclad!"

The cry was taken up among the crew. The Ironclads had been the scourge of the Royal Navy's frontier patrols for over a year. Everyone who had heard of them knew of the reputation. Even the rumour of one had been enough to convince a whole patrol squadron to abort their mission. The name sent shivers down the spine of every spacer. Amelia narrowed her eyes as she heard the whispers and cries of dismay.

"Silence!"

Her voice even seemed to cut through the sound of the battle. Aurora found herself unconsciously standing to attention as Amelia turned and glared at her command crew.

"That is a ship like any other! What was made, can be unmade! What was built can be destroyed! We will not be disengating"

"But, ma'am, how do we fight it?" Pike's face was pale. "How?"

The ironclad's turrets turned to face them and fired. Aurora braced herself as the heavy shells ripped through the flagship's timbers and she turned her eyes to Amelia, hoping that she had an answer. Amelia watched the ironclad take a salvo from the ship behind them, saw the shells bursting against the metal hull and leaving only dents behind. The Procyon machine's turrets turned again to face the new target and fired. The Imperial ship buckled as they tore into its vitals and Aurora saw debris and bodies drift away as the ship span out of the formation.

"Target the turret rings!" shouted Amelia. "Raise the guns! Maximum elevation and load with high impact! Now! Ms Mayflower?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Helm, roll ten degrees starboard!"

The ironclad turned its attention back to them, lighter secondary guns in sponsons tracking the flagship. The main deck was raked with explosions, sending splinters and shrapnel flying past the bridge. Rennier gave a truncated shout and fell. Aurora bit back a cry as she felt something drive itself into her arm. She fell to her knees, lilac eyes wide with pain and clutching at her sleeve.

"Guns ready, ma'am!" she heard Constantine shout.

"Fire as you bear!" Amelia shouted. "Fire! Fire!"

Aurora took her hand away from her arm and saw her palm covered in blood. She hissed at the sight of a splinter nearly a foot long protruding from her and tore off her cravat to make a bandage. The Lyonesse's salvo struck the ironclad, most harmlessly bouncing off the armoured turrets or pockmarking the hull, but a handful found the vulnerable joints between them and punched through. The turrets were rotating to bear, but they juddered to a halt as the shells destroyed their mechanisms. Aurora saw the ironclad struggling to turn towards them and pushed herself to her feet.

"Port engines, full astern! Starboard engines, all ahead emergency full! Helm, hard to port!" she shouted.

Amelia looked at her in surprise, but grinned as she understood. The battered flagship shook as it began turning almost on the spot, timbers straining under the force of the sudden manoeuvre. It brought them around the ironclad's stern, where its engines were exposed, and Amelia raised her voice triumphantly.

"All guns! Fire!"

The ironclad bucked as the Lyonesse hit it. Flames billowed out from the engines as they were torn asunder and secondary explosions wracked the hull. There was a scream of metal as the hulls twisted, opening up breaches all along their flanks. Amelia's ships were not slow to take advantage and they poured their fire into the weak points. Wreathed in the smoke of its own demise, the Procyon machine died. Cheers erupted across the Lyonesse as the crew celebrated the success. Amelia grinned at Aurora.

"I commend you on your quick thinking, navigator."

"Thank you, ma'am." Aurora grinned back, forgetting the pain in her arm as she savoured the kill.

Amelia nodded and turned to survey her bridge. "All hands, report! Mr Rennier?"

Pike looked up from the fallen Benbonian and shook his head. "Dead, ma'am."

"Power system is fluctuating, ma'am," said Packham. "We've lost the autoloaders on the port batteries."

"Engines down to seventy percent capacity, admiral," Aurora surveyed the helm control. "Rudder jammed with four degrees elevation, but I can compensate. Thrusters operational."

"Very good." Amelia folded her arms behind her back. "Someone contact Dr Gray and get a casualty report."

There was a hesitation among the officers before one of them gave up and left the bridge to interrupt the ship's surgeon in her work. Amelia turned to survey her squadrons and saw to her satisfaction that the ship which the ironclad had destroyed was the only total loss, though every survivor bore the scars of battle and Amelia quickly realised that another close-range engagement would not go as successfully.

"Signal to the RLS Pegasus," she said. "Order them to lead the task force back to Parliament to support Mr Hawkins' ships. Have the Prince Regent and the Lightning withdraw to safe distance and stand by in reserve. And how are our...allies doing?"

Aurora looked at the pirate fleet. "There aren't as many as there used to be, ma'am. But they're there."

"Signal my thanks to the flagship." Amelia grinned. "Who knew that there was some good in the blackguard after all?"

Pike touched his hat and went to make the signals. Amelia looked down on the main deck as a hatchway opened and a team of white-coated medics emerged on deck. Surgeon-Captain Gray, leading them, looked up to the bridge and Amelia gave her a nod of acknowledgement. The Macropodian returned it and began directing her staff towards the wounded.

"You'd best get yourself seen to as well, Ms Mayflower," said Amelia. "That can't be comfortable."

"It's only a scratch." Aurora patted the bandage she had tied around her arm. "There's worse than me, anyway, and you know how the surgeon-captain is for proper triage."

Amelia grinned. "Indeed I do. Well, then, lieutenant...your first full-scale engagement, if I'm not mistaken?"

Aurora smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

"Then I'm glad it had a satisfactory..." Amelia looked up and her voice trailed away. "...conclusion..."

"Ma'am?" Aurora blinked in puzzlement. Amelia pointed.

"It's not over yet..."

Aurora felt her heart sink as she followed Amelia's finger. A third wave of Procyon ships was emerging from the ethereal haze, a whole flotilla of ironclads in the vanguard. Even combined, the Imperial and pirate fleets were outnumbered two to one. The centre of the Procyon line was occupied by a huge three-hulled battleship, with an escorting ironclad on each side.

"Signal from the pirate flagship, ma'am," said Pike. "Message reads...'from Silver: got any more bright ideas?'"

Amelia smiled sardonically. "I could say the same to that old sod..."

"Shall we reform the line, ma'am?" asked Packham.

Amelia shook her head. "No, commander...no...they'd roll right over the top of us. Tell the task force to disperse and reform on Parliament. Send a subspace message to Commodore Clendinnen to bring the Battlefleet up immediately. And tell Mr Silver that he'd better do likewise with his forces."

"Yes, ma'am...and us?"

Amelia leaned on the rail of the bridge and watched the Procyons bearing down on them. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. For a moment, everyone was watching her. Then she raised her head, looked out at the enemy again, and nodded.

"Get the crew into the longboats, Mr Packham," she said quietly. "Rig all ship's systems to central control, and then get the crew into the longboats."

"We're abandoning ship, ma'am?" said Constantine, looking surprised.

"No, Mr Constantine. You are." Amelia turned to face her surviving officers. "I will tolerate no disagreement, gentlemen. Get the crew off. Get the fleet back to Parliament. The Lyonesse will cover you."

"Ma'am?"

Amelia walked across the bridge, stripping off her gold-encrusted coat and draping it over Rennier's body as she calmly made her way to the wheel. She nodded to the spacer who held it, who touched his forelock and stepped aside, looking stunned. Amelia wrapped her hands around the spoke handles and tested their grip.

"That was an order, Mr Packham," she said.

Packham nodded dumbly and turned to the console. "Aye...aye, ma'am. All systems set to central control."

"Thank you, commander. Thank you all." Amelia nodded to them. "It's been an honour."

"The honour was ours, ma'am," Packham saluted. Amelia returned the gesture. Packham acknowledged it and turned, raising his voice.

"All hands to the longboats! Quickly, now!"

Amelia locked the wheel into position and stepped forward to watch the evacuation. Not at all to her surprise, even as the crew moved towards the longboats there was one figure moving the other way. Dr Gray climbed the bridge steps and held out a piece of paper, stained with blood from her gloved fingers.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?

"My duty, doctor," said Amelia. "Nothing more. And I expect you to do the same. Load your casualties onto the longboats."

Gray twitched a long ear. THERE WON'T BE MUCH ROOM LEFT FOR YOU.

"I know.' Amelia reached out a hand and briefly touched the Macropodian's shoulder. "Don't make me order you twice. Go. Now. You'll be needed."

Gray's eyes wavered for a moment behind her spectacles. They met Amelia's for a long moment before the doctor nodded.

YES, MA'AM.

"Thank you. Good luck." Amelia looked back up at the oncoming enemy fleet. "And you'd better make it quick..."

The longboats were launching one by one. Amelia watched them curve away and turn back towards Parliament, following the remaining ships of her fleet as they scattered. She tore off her red silk sash as she knelt to take a laslock rifle from a fallen marine and slung it around her shoulders before she returned to the helm and took the wheel again to hold it steady. Gray was in the last longboat to leave, having painstakingly supervised the loading of a dozen stretcher-bound patients. Amelia gave her a wave as she pushed off, and then took a deep breath. Alone on the bridge, she set her shoulders square and gripped the wheel anew.

"Ma'am?"

Aurora appeared at the top of the bridge stairs, breaking her concentration. Amelia blinked in surprise.

"Ms Mayflower? What are you still doing here?"

"There's one longboat left, ma'am...its a bit damaged, but still spaceworthy in a pinch..."

"That's not what I asked you!" Amelia glared.

Aurora met her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, ma'am."

"What?"

"I said that I'm not leaving you." Aurora stepped towards her. "I'm your navigator, your flag-lieutenant...and I...I'm more besides. You know that. Whatever it is you're planning, I'll wager you can't do it alone."

"You know what staying could mean, don't you?" Amelia nodded at the Procyons.

"That I guess I won't be meeting the Queen today after all," smiled Aurora.

"Aurora?"

Aurora met Amelia's eyes and saw the serious look in them. "I...I do, ma'am. I know." Aurora put her hand on the wheel, resting it on Amelia's softly. "Please."

Amelia looked into her lilac eyes for a moment and smiled. "Then take your position at fire control, lieutenant. We're going to make a diversion."

"Ma'am?"

Amelia pointed to the Procyon battleship. "That's the personal flagship of the Procyon Ambassador. You can see the flags its flying. Boas is on that thing...and I think I know how to get his attention. We won't have to buy much time for the reserve fleet to arrive."

"Boas is the Procyon you fought, ma'am?" Aurora moved over to the fire control console.

"Yes. The tally of our engagements is rather in my favour, if I do say so myself," Amelia allowed herself a small smirk. "But he's a persistent little bugger. And I don't think he'll be able to resist the bait."

"I understand, ma'am." Aurora nodded. "So we're a diversion, then?"

"Something like that." Amelia span the wheel, turning the Lyonesse towards the enemy. "Start plotting a firing solution on the flagship, lieutenant. Don't worry too much about precision...all we need to do is get his attention and singe his pride."

Aurora nodded and began calculating. With the gun crew evacuated, the cannon were locked into a fixed position pointing straight out and at zero elevation. They would have to use the ship itself to do any kind of aiming. She looked up and around at Amelia and saw a faraway look on her face. A few Procyon ships were already firing on them, even though they were still well out of effective range, but even that did not seem to be waking Amelia from her reverie.

"Ma'am?" Aurora cocked her head. "What is it?"

"Hmm?" Amelia shook herself. "Oh, nothing, nothing...I was just thinking..."

"Of what, ma'am?"

Amelia smiled. "Well...if you must know...I was thinking how much...how much I wish I'd said a proper goodbye to Delbert. And the children."

Aurora nodded sadly and looked down at the deck. "I understand, ma'am. I wish I'd had the chance as well."

Amelia looked up wistfully as a shell whistled overhead. The Lyonesse's bows were moving quickly as the flagship turned across the front of the Procyon fleet.

"Do you think they'll be all right?" she asked.

"I'm sure they would be, ma'am. If the children have inherited anything from you, they would be."

"And Delbert?" Amelia sighed. "You know, Aurora, sometimes I feel like I met him only yesterday."

Aurora smiled. "I do as well, ma'am...but then, you've known him for longer than I have. And you've made every moment of it count."

"I'd like to think so...but then there are always regrets...just little things, you know? Cups of tea offered and foregone...walks never taken...a knowing smile exchanged when I should have told him..." Amelia's eyes wavered for a moment. "Should have told him that I love him...and the children are so young that I know they wouldn't understand, but even so..."

"Delbert knows, ma'am," said Aurora. "I'm sure of it. And children are amazingly resilient. You can take it from me. I know how it was when your family took me in."

"Of course. You're right." Amelia nodded. "And I'm sure that Delbert knows what you feel for him, too...as do I. I am...very glad that you're here, Aurora. Very glad indeed,"she finished gently.

"So am I, ma'am," said Aurora softly. "And ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"There'll be time for as many walks and cups of tea as you want. It doesn't have to end today." Aurora raised her head and looked defiantly at the enemy. "Not today."

Amelia opened her mouth to speak again, but a second shell streaked overhead, severing the signalling halyard with a high-pitched snap. She shook herself and nodded decisively.

"Well, let's see that it doesn't. It's time we got to work, lieutenant."

Aurora touched her forelock. "Aye, admiral. Time indeed."