Enterprise
By: James Austin Valiant

Sister Kate groaned and rubbed the back of her neck. She'd left Tres in command on the bridge of the Iron Maiden, opting to a grab a quick break in her ready room. The android priest was one of the few AX members she trusted to run her ship. Even though she knew her crew was more than capable of operating without someone in charge, Kate felt better knowing Tres was there.

Kate opened a file on her screen and begin to transcribe the day's event in her captain's log. Caterina made sure the entire AX had been deployed, searching for their lost comrade, and required consistent updates on what was going on. The entire department was racked by the Professor's kidnapping, and Sister Kate was no exception. She had known William since she was in her sophomore year at university, and she missed being able to talk to him or help him work on one of his inventions.

She stopped midway through her entry; Kate's mind had gone blank. How many of these similar sounding entries have I written? At first, they had started out with so many different leads and ideas, they were sure the Professor would be found by Christmas. December passed, then January and February, and while the intensity of the search never diminished, Kate knew that she wasn't the only one getting uneasy about ever finding the Professor.

"Oh, William," She found herself saying aloud, "if you only knew how high in demand you are."

A two-toned beep sounded.

"Enter." Kate beckoned, thankful for the interruption.

"Are you busy, Sister Kate?" Esther asked, coming into the captain's ready room.

"Not at all, Esther, please come in." Kate rose from her chair and walked over to her small cafe set-up. "Can I fix you a tea?"

"Yes, that sounds lovely, thank you." Esther sat as Kate retrieved two canisters from the shelf and flipped the switch on her electric kettle.

"How did things go in Belfast? I haven't read Father Nightroad's report yet." Kate questioned, measuring out the chamomile and licorice herbs.

"Well enough, I suppose," Esther stretched and yawned. She wasn't used to being up this late. "It went better than Prague and Venice, and definitely was more worthwhile than Caledonia."

"Hmm, well, you managed to give Scotland Yard an invaluable tip, which can only help strengthen the ties between the Vatican and Albion." Kate raised the herb mix to her nose, giving it a quick sniff.

"I suppose. Albion has certainly become a more central world power in the past few months." Esther commented.

"Well, Esther," Kate started, pouring the hot water over the herbal tea, "the entire world was turned on its side when Brigitte died. I remember that the Vatican was getting ready for a possible civil war. Thank God Mary Spencer was able to prove her claim to the throne, or the country might still be in turmoil. She has really restored a sense of purpose to the people of Albion."

Esther nodded. "I certainly hope that she helps to ease the tension between the Vatican and Albion. Kerry mentioned Prussia and Nemmersdorf as a center of unusual activity. After we let him go, he shot me."

"He did what?" Kate spun around.

"I'm fine, don't worry, the bullet only grazed my leg. Father helped me wrap it, and I went to sick bay as soon as you picked us up. I feel fine, really." She smiled reassuringly.

"I'm glad to hear that, Esther," Kate strained the tea and set a steaming cup in front of the red-head. "To be honest, I'm not surprised that scumbag's tip is leading us to Prussia. The region has always been an issue, even for Ludwig."

"What do you mean?" Esther sipped the soothing concoction.

"Germanicus isn't as stable as the King makes it appear. The countryside and cities we usually see on broadcasts stick to the pro-Ludwig sections of Bavaria and the Sudetenland. Prussia has disagreed with his reign since the coronation, and you'll notice the absence of Prussian representation at his state functions." Kate explained, taking her seat.

"I didn't know that. Is there anything special about Nemmersdorf?" The young nun continued to nurse her drink.

"Not really," Kate answered too quickly, and immediately Esther knew she was hiding something.

"Are you sure?" Esther pushed further, rising out of her seat. "If you can't tell me, I can find out on my own."

"Esther, please. There's just some questionable history behind Nemmersdorf, but it's nothing that's relevant to the Professor or whatever is going on here. Our main goal is William's safety, not dredging up things from the past."

"Oh so you can sit there and praise Queen Mary of Albion and slam King Ludwig, but when it comes to actual information, you don't want to tell me? Come on, Sister Kate, I'm not some preteen novice. I'm an AX agent and you and Father Nightroad and all of you, can't keep treating me like I'm inferior." Esther's trademark temper was flaring up.

"I never said you were inferior, Sister Esther," Kate rose to meet Esther's fiery gaze, "I've always been supportive of you. You want the truth? More than nine hundred years ago, the whole of Prussia was leveled by Contra Mundi. They rounded up more than a million humans and marched them to from Memel to Nemmersdorf.

"It was a death march...many collapsed from exhaustion and hunger, and they shot anyone who tried to get away. By the time they reached Nemmersdorf, half of their prisoners had died, and the rest were brutally slaughtered. It was considered the most atrocious act ever perpetrated by the Contra Mundi."

"Why exactly was that so hard to tell me?" Esther put her hands on her hips.

"I don't know. How is Father Nightroad?" Kate bit her lip, wondering if the mention of Nemmersdorf had trigged anything in the priest.

"He's fine," Esther sank back into her chair, "I just wish he didn't feel so distant. He's my closest friend here and sometimes, he just acts like he's a million miles away."

"Abel's under a lot of pressure, Sister," Kate poured herself a cup of the relaxing brew, "The Professor's disappearance is different for him than the rest of us."

"How so?" Esther recalled that, even as the rest of them had tired, Father Nightroad's motivation never seemed to fade.

"Abel knows we can handle ourselves, but he likes to think of himself as our protector. I can see how this is eating at him, don't you?" Sister Kate turned back to her computer screen and typed a few words into the entry.

Immediately Esther felt guilty. She had noticed Father Nightroad's uneasiness increasingly over the last three months, and even his eating habits had begun to change. Instead of his usual scarfing down food, he'd pick at his plate and actually leave some of it behind. Here I am, trying to draw his feelings for me out into the open, when deep down inside, this is tearing him apart. How could I be so inconsiderate? What kind of friend am I, that I didn't even notice these things until now?

"Don't beat yourself up, Esther," Kate seemed to be reading her thoughts. "We've all been worn down by this search, both physically and mentally. Just try not to worry too much, okay? Abel cares for you."

"I know he does, Sister." Esther replied, getting down to the bottom of her cup, and noticed Sister Kate was staring straight at her.

"Give him time, Esther," Kate spoke softly, "I don't know everything there is to know about his life, but I do know it wasn't easy for him. Just...don't try to push him. Abel will come around on his own time, and even though he doesn't always act like it, he's still a bit shy at heart."

Esther's met Sister Kate's advice with a wordless, blank stare and rose-tinted blush to her cheeks.

The young nun found her voice, "I think I should probably be getting to bed. When do you expect the Iron Maiden to arrive in Prussia?"

"Eleven hundred."

"Excellent, that sounds great." Esther's words tumbled out.

Kate smiled. "It's no problem, Esther. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." The door to the ready room slid open. "Sister Kate?"

The blonde nun looked up. "Yes?

"Thank you." Esther returned Kate' smile, and started off to her quarters.