CHAPTER TWO
Raynor brushed aside the tent flap as he entered, adjusting to the interior lights, the glow of the mapping table, where he knew Horner would be updating the latest vectors and schematics they needed from Nova's intel. Say what you like, the girl did good work.
Field base. Forward operation. Easier just to bring everyone down than stuff them together in one of the heavier battlecruisers. Had to do a little jostling, and everyone on the ships were busying themselves for the assault. So it was a Hyperion away from Hyperion – with a command centre hastily thrown together out of various hangars and equipment bays with plenty of secondary equipment on their hands.
They couldn't plan this operation from the Hyperion, because he had lost the Hyperion – and this was the operation to get it back. Lost it to a bunch of pirates, no less.
Hyperion had been leaking fuel for parsecs, broadcasting his position to every pirate militia and backwards rig of scum in the sector. Even the Dominion still had its hard-heads that weren't too pleased with the new lease on life Valerian had give him, over his father's previous tyrannical and relentless hounding.
He got jumped before he made it to somewhere he could get it judiciously repaired. Not any station, maybe some mineral rich rock. But it didn't matter. The Hyperion was in no shape to fight, so they abandoned it – got the fleet clear – because the pirate militias out here, while not necessarily disciplined or orderly, were big. A lot of damage could be sustained while trying to crack their heads, with Raynor's main capital ship on the fritz.
So he locked it down, and they all got out of there – planning to come back and rescue it later on their terms.
And Nova had just called in. She had found it. Tracked its signal and the pirate fleet with it.
Horner tossed him a can, aluminium, flashing in the lights of the consoles for a moment. Didn't take much co-ordination from Jim to snatch it out of the air. He eyed it dubiously, and cocked a smart grin at Horner. "Soda, Matt?"
"Figured you might want one," the commander replied sublimely. "Helps with the hyperspace shakes."
He shrugged. "Sure, why not? Perks of being ground-side, right?"
"You got it, sir." Matt replied.