"A most unpleasant business," said Forsythe, looking out of the windows of his cabin, "But satisfactorily resolved."

"Indeed, sir," said Amelia, standing with her hat under her arm in front of his desk. "And if I may speak freely, I would like to thank Captain Arrow for the timeliness of his intervention."

Arrow smiled. "The credit should go to Captain Forsythe for the most successful plan, ma'am."

Forsythe grunted. "The effort was a collaborative one. Well, lieutenant, is there anything more to report?"

"No, sir," said Amelia. "All personnel safely returned. Including Miss Porter, sir," she nodded to Archimedes, who was in an armchair against the wall and beaming happily.

"All hands well?" said Forsythe.

"Sergeant Ko and Private Jelil are with the surgeon now, sir," said Arrow. "The Sergeant will be returning to duty within the hour. I regret to report also three wounds to my assault party. No fatalities."

"And yourself, Mr Arrow?"

Arrow chuckled. "I have sustained worse, sir. I will present myself to the surgeon on the morrow if necessary."

"Understood," the captain turned back from the window. "And overall most acceptable, most acceptable under the circumstances. We can count ourselves lucky that those scavengers weren't expecting us."

"That'll teach 'em to tangle with the Navy, eh, what?" said Archimedes cheerily, now almost bouncing up and down with excitement. "I bet they won't try that again in a hurry! You knocked them for six, no question!"

"Did it sound like we could expect to encounter more of them as we get closer to the Megapterans?" asked Chad.

Amelia shrugged. "They seemed a pretty desperate lot, sir. I'd be surprised if anyone else dared enter a declared warzone."

"Perhaps we'll learn more when we locate the Chancer," said Arrow.

"No clues about her either, sir," said Amelia. "She must have been ahead of the whalers."

Forsythe nodded. "Far ahead of them, if she wasn't waylaid by something. Very well. Return to your duties, all of you. Mr Chad, pass my compliments to First Lieutenant Harburn. I will be attending the bridge shortly."

Chad touched his hat. "As you wish, sir."

"And Mr Arrow," Forsythe fixed him with a look as Chad left the room. "I take it that I have restored your trust in my determination?"

Arrow smiled and bowed his head. "Indeed, sir. I offer my apologies for my conduct."

"And I accept them," said Forsythe. "As I said, my good Captain of Marines, I am aware of your arrangement with the Acting Lieutenant's family and I know the honour you have pledged to it. It is to your credit that you take it seriously. But this is my ship and my command. And I will not have anything put before that or before our greater duties to the Navy or the Empire."

"Understood, sir." Arrow straightened. "It will not occur again."

"I know." Forsythe said meaningfully. "You are dismissed, captain. You, too, Ms Amelia."

Amelia put her hat back on and saluted. "Thank you, sir."

She followed Arrow from the room but called him over to her as they stepped onto the deck.

"Mr Arrow? Attend me, please."

He paused for a moment and joined her, looking curious. "Ma'am?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me what all that was about?"

Arrow shrugged. "It seemed like a debriefing to me, ma'am."

Amelia laughed. "Ignorance does not become you, my friend. The captain's last words to you. Your 'arrangement'. Is there something I should know about?"

"It is not of immediate importance," Arrow coughed. "I assure you, Ms Amelia."

"So you may say," Amelia stepped closer to him. "Yet the captain clearly thought it fit to mention in my presence, and if it concerns me, Mr Arrow, I would rather be aware of it."

Arrow hesitated, searched her face and then smiled. "There is no concealing from you, ma'am, I can see that."

"Indeed not," Amelia raised her eyebrow further.

"That is something else that you share in common with your family," said Arrow. "You are aware of the history between your predecessors and myself?"

"I remember being told stories about you by my grandfather," said Amelia fondly. "While you and my father were on deployment. And I remember that my grandfather would sometimes tell me a story with you that he'd been told by his grandfather."

"The first Admiral in your line," said Arrow. "He was a good man. I was a mere second lieutenant in those days."

"You mean it's true?" Amelia smiled. "I sometimes thought that my dear grandfather's memory was playing tricks on him."

"His memory was as sharp as his wit ever was." Arrow chuckled. "When your great-great-grandfather and I were serving together, I had cause upon one occasion to save his life. And when his son enlisted in the Navy and he learned that he would be posted to the same ship as I was with at the time, he remarked that he hoped that I would provide the same service if the need arose."

"I see," Amelia's smile softened.

Arrow chuckled. "And I suppose it's become a habit," he went on. "For I made the same promise to that son, when his daughter enlisted. And to her son. And, in time...to your father."

"To look out for me?" said Amelia.

Arrow nodded. "Precisely, ma'am. And when we received word that you were taken captive by the whalers, I may have been...forceful, in putting to the captain my case for going after you."

"Insubordination, Mr Arrow? That's not like you." Amelia grinned.

"Well, not quite," said Arrow, modestly. "But I confess to coming perhaps closer to it than I have for some time."

"A measure of your dedication, it seems," Amelia patted his red sleeve. "My family seems to have chosen well."

Arrow smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."

They exchanged salutes and Arrow stepped away. Amelia watched him make his way across the deck and down a hatchway, casting a last glance back over his shoulder at her as he went. Still smiling to herself, she ascended the stairs to the bridge. Forsythe was there, conferring with Harburn. She touched her hat to the first lieutenant as the officer of the watch and made her way to the aft railing, looking astern of the ship.

"We still seem to have company," remarked Midshipman Whiting, leaving the console momentarily.

Amelia nodded and smiled at him. "It's good to see you back on deck, Mr Whiting."

Whiting grinned and waved his empty sleeve. "Although you couldn't lend me a hand, could you, ma'am?"

Amelia chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry."

"That's okay. It won't stop me using the joke." Whiting followed her gaze astern. "Impressive, isn't it?"

The young whale rescued from the Skull of Ahab was a short way behind them, swimming the ethereal tides contentedly. One of the ship's longboats was alongside it, coasting smoothly. Amelia saw the bright yellow-clad figure in it, standing in the bows and tending to the whale, and settled down to watch.

"Yes, Mr Whiting," she said. "It certainly is."

It was dark by the time Jane returned to her cabin, pushing the door open as quietly as possible and stepping inside. She could hear Amelia's steady, relaxed breathing in the room and she paused for a moment to listen for any change in the sound that would suggest she had woken her. When there was nothing, Jane congratulated herself on a job well done and quietly took off her shoes. She shrugged off her dress and hung it on the wall next to Amelia's uniform, pausing a moment to smooth it down. It had been a long day and the garment was much the worse for wear for it, but she hadn't had the time to change into anything more practical. She resolved to visit the captain's steward in the morning to borrow his flat-iron and board.

"I was wondering when you'd be back," said a languid voice.

Jane smiled and turned around. A pair of green eyes was shining up at her from the floor. Amelia, propping up her head on one arm, was watching her curiously.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," Jane said. "That all took a lot longer than I thought it would."

"It's quite all right," Amelia smiled. "I mean, so long as it is all right. The whale, I mean."

"Oh, yes. Sunny's doing just fine. He'll be as good as new in just a few days. They have remarkable powers of recuperation, you know, although I'm afraid he'll have a few scars. Not that whales set the same kind of store by physical beauty as we do, of course, but even so...what's so funny?" Jane smiled back quizzically at the look on Amelia's face. The feline chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Jane, I was just wondering...Sunny?"

Jane blushed. "Yes, I...I named him. It helps to name your patients, I find. And he has these remarkable bright yellow dorsal antennae, so I thought that 'Sunny' was...fitting somehow."

"It's as good a name as any other," said Amelia. "Ah, my dear...you really are a friend to all creatures great and small."

"I suppose it goes with the training," said Jane modestly. "I just hope I did the right thing by him."

"I'm sure you did," Amelia lay back. "He wouldn't have stuck around like that if he wasn't taking a liking to you."

"Yes, that's true." Jane brightened up. "I did feel a sort of connection, actually. He was watching me as I worked and you could tell by looking into his eyes that he somehow understood that I was trying to help him. Even when I had to give him a few stitches, which must have hurt the poor soul, he didn't mind at all."

"I imagine you couldn't use a sewing needle for that job," said Amelia.

"I had to borrow a few things from your ship's sailmaker," Jane admitted. "And it was rather difficult, but it all seemed to work out."

Amelia smiled. "Do you know, Jane, you might just be the most incredible person I've ever met."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"There aren't many souls brave enough, even in the Navy," said Amelia, "to sail alongside a void whale in a tiny longboat while sticking a sailmaker's needle into it. Even for the best of reasons. Yet there you were."

"Well, I'm a veterinarian," Jane looked down. "I suppose...I wasn't thinking about the danger. It didn't even occur to me that he could hurt me. When I first saw him, stuck in the hold of that awful ship...I spoke to him then and he seemed to understand. And then when we freed him and I was allowed to take that longboat out to help him...he seemed to remember me. I'm sure that's why he let me do it."

"Better you than me, that's for sure." Amelia shifted aside and drew the blanket back. Jane blushed again and moved alongside her.

"It's just a calling, I suppose," she murmured.

Amelia sighed as Jane's hands found her shoulders. Their lips found each other softly in the dark.

"Oh, Jane..." Amelia shivered as Jane's fingers began drawing small circles in her fur, massaging the muscles beneath.

"It's been that sort of day," Jane whispered. "What happened on the whaling ship...the way you looked out for everyone...including me..."

Amelia looked up into her eyes and smiled. "It goes with being in charge, I'm afraid. Duty and whatnot."

"You say that so casually," said Jane. "But it could have cost you...and the way you saved me...and Mr Arrow...that was more than duty."

"Well...I've known Mr Arrow my whole life," said Amelia. "My family would have missed him greatly. As for you, my dear Jane..."

It was Jane's turn to shiver when Amelia's slender fingers stroked her cheek as the young feline continued speaking softly.

"As for you...I hope I don't have to tell you why I'd do anything to protect you."

Jane closed her eyes. "Oh, Amelia...truly..."

"Just making sure that you know." Amelia's fingers hooked a strand of Jane's hair behind her ear and traced its edge gently.

"Know...what?"

Amelia hesitated, but only for a moment. Jane's blue eyes were shining down at her. She swallowed to wet a throat that was suddenly dry.

"That I...that I...love you, Jane."

Jane seemed frozen for a second and Amelia felt her own heart flutter with fear before she saw the smile that spread across Jane's face.

"You have no idea...no idea how much it means to hear that..." she whispered. "No idea..."

"I just have to know that you believe me," Amelia's gaze flickered across Jane's face.

Jane's smile broadened. "I do, Amelia...I swear I do. Because I...I love you, too."

Amelia's breath caught silently and she closed her eyes. "Oh, Jane..."

Jane leaned down and kissed her. Amelia's eyes stayed closed but her hand clasped the back of Jane's head, deepening and drawing out the kiss. Jane finally drew back and lay down against her, arms wrapped around each other.

"I really do mean it," she murmured. "I've never met anyone like you...felt like this for anyone..." She paused for a moment and smiled again. "Are you...purring, Amelia?"

Amelia laughed softly and held Jane close. "Maybe I am. What of it?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Jane kissed her lightly. "I'm just glad I can make you feel that way."

"You make me feel so many ways," Amelia touched her lips with a fingertip.

"I count myself very fortunate," Jane whispered. "Every day. And...every night..."

Dawn came bright the next day. The Megapteran cluster ahead of the ship made that entire quarter of the sky glow. Amelia was standing next to the aft starboard carronade, supervising the big gun's crew as they cleaned the breech with scouring oil and enjoying the sunrise.

"Careful with the sump bucket," she warned. "It's change of watch soon and it's too close to the shrouds. I don't want one of my division coming down from the masts and getting a foot stuck in it."

"Aye, ma'am." The gun captain, a stocky Tuskrus who bore more than a passing resemblance to the weapon in his charge. He waved at the youngest member of his crew. "Get that, boy. You heard her."

Amelia nodded her approval. "Thank you, gun captain. Carry on. Master gunner's inspection is in thirty minutes."

"We'll be ready, ma'am," he grinned.

Amelia returned to the bridge and took up her usual stance, hands folded neatly behind her back. "All quiet, Mr Bryce?"

The Petty Officer touched his hat respectfully. "Yes, ma'am. No contacts. Well...aside from the usual one."

"Usual one?"

Bryce pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "That one, ma'am. Still."

Amelia looked astern and was faintly surprised to see Jane's whale still patiently following the ship along. "I thought he would have left some time in the night."

"So did I, ma'am," Bryce shrugged. "I've never known a void whale to do this. Mantabirds, yes. Never a whale. He must really like us."

Amelia chuckled and shook her head. "We have friends in high places, Mr Bryce."

Bryce turned around and watched the young whale. "Perhaps he wants to be our new mascot, ma'am."

"I didn't know we had an old one," said Amelia. "In any case, I'm sure a ship's mascot should be smaller than the ship itself."

"A good point, ma'am," Bryce scratched his head. "And I suppose the quartermaster wouldn't be pleased at having the extra mouth to feed."

"Indeed not." Amelia smiled. "Still...it's nice to know it's there."

"Oh, I say! I'm awfully sorry, do excuse me."

There was only one person on the ship who would be so painfully polite and correct and she could have identified her even without recognising the sound of her voice. Amelia didn't even turn around.

"Good morning, Miss Porter,"

Jane flicked a lock of hair back from her face and smiled as she stepped around the toiling gun crew and up on to the bridge. "And good morning to you, too, Amelia. Hello, Mr Bryce."

"Ma'am." Bryce touched his hat again.

"What are you looking at?" asked Jane, moving over to them and peering past Amelia's shoulder. Amelia grinned and pointed.

"An old friend of yours," she said.

Jane followed her gesture and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, Sunny's still there! I'm so glad to see that...I knew he was still there..."

"Just as you said last night," said Amelia. She smiled sideways at Jane. "I don't suppose you can hazard a prediction as to how long he'll be there?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm actually a little surprised he's still there now," Jane said. "But he's looking well, don't you think?"

"Not bad for an escaped orphan," said Amelia. "He must have taken quite the shine to you, Miss Porter."

Jane smiled shyly. "Do you think so? I mean, they are intelligent, like I said, and I thought he understood what I was doing for him..."

"It seems you were right," Amelia watched him perform a slow barrel roll. Jane laughed.

"I've never seen one do that! How marvellous."

"Perhaps you should get that sketchbook out," Amelia said. "The one your father told me about?"

"Perhaps I should, yes." Jane smiled happily. "I'm sure a moment like this is very rare. I don't think I'll ever get so close to him again."

"You could take a longboat out again," said Bryce.

Jane shook her head. "No...thank you, but no. He's still a wild animal. I mean, he should be...wild and free. He's probably just following us because we're going towards the Megapterans."

"We're only a couple of days away now," said Amelia.

"It's so good to see him, though," Jane went on. "I think I might get my book out after breakfast. Would you like to join me, Amelia?"

Amelia gave her a small formal bow. "My pleasure, Miss Porter. Once I'm relieved of the watch, that is."

"Of course, of course." Jane smiled. "Well, then. I suppose I'll see you soon."

She turned and left the bridge, but couldn't resist the temptation to glance over her shoulder at the whale that was following them. She fought down a strange urge to wave to it, laughed softly at herself, and went below.

It was three days later. The Megapterans were so close at noon that they seemed to fill half the sky. The young stars were burning a bright yellow, their radiance only fractionally diffused by the clouds of gas that still clung around them. The Resolute was approaching at a shallow angle that caused sharply-defined shadows to be cast across the deck even from the thinnest of ropes in the rigging. Archimedes stood on the forecastle and shaded his eyes as he looked at the stars.

"Amazing sight, eh, Janey?" he said.

"Yes, father. It certainly is." Jane leaned on the railing and enjoyed the warmth on her face.

"I'm sure your friend is enjoying it, too," Archimedes went on. "Is he still there?"

"My friend?" Jane looked around. "Oh, I see...oh, wait...no, I don't...I don't think he is..."

Archimedes stared as she darted aft, dodging around clusters of working crew members and leaping up the bridge stairs. Lieutenant Harburn was bent over the ship's console with Costell, Dunn and Amelia and looked up in surprise as Jane flew past them.

"Miss Porter?" Harburn called out. Jane ignored him and ran to the stern rail, looking around. Amelia broke off from the small group of officers and went to her.

"Are you all right, Jane?" she asked quietly.

"I can't see him," Jane squinted into the haze. "Do you have a telescope?"

Costell passed one over. Jane fumbled with it for a moment, extended it and put it to her eye. The big, graceful shape which had become part of the ship's nights and days was gone, as if it had never been there.

"He's gone," said Jane. "Sunny's gone. Did you see when he left?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Porter," Amelia touched her hand out of sight. "I didn't. He was still there when I came off watch. Perhaps Lieutenant Forrest saw something?"

"I know I didn't," said Dunn. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Perhaps we could ask the lookout?"

"The lookouts will have other things on their mind, I'm afraid," said Harburn. "Look at this."

Jane looked at the console's main screen, which was showing the view from the ship's telescopes. A cloud of objects was visible, black and shadowy where they faced away from the suns, bright and reflective where they didn't.

"Asteroids," said Amelia. "Probably a newly-formed planet that got too close to the stars and was pulled apart."

"It's not on the charts," Costell sighed. "So it happened recently, whatever it was."

"'Recently' meaning any time in the last century or so," said Harburn. "This isn't the best-known part of the universe."

"Whenever it happened, we'll need to find a course through them," Amelia explained. "All eyes and instruments are on them for now."

Jane nodded. "I...I understand. I'm sorry."

"No apologies needed, ma'am," said Harburn stiffly. "Frankly, that whale's a lot more at home out here than we are. How long until we reach them, Mr Costell?"

"Three hours, sir," Costell replied.

"Very good. My respects to the captain, Ms Amelia. Inform him of the situation."

Amelia saluted. "Aye, sir."

She turned to Jane as she followed her off the bridge. "The First Lieutenant is right, Jane. This is Sunny's environment here. Wherever he's gone, I'm sure he's safe."

"Yes...I'm sure, too." Jane looked down. Amelia stopped under the break of the bridge and took her hand comfortingly.

"He'll have learned a valuable lesson not to go near strange ships," she said. "He'll be taking care of himself now. You saw to that."

"Thank you." Jane squeezed her hand. "I do hope so."

"It looks like there are a few rocks in our path, acting lieutenant!" Archimedes bustled up to join them cheerfully. "Rather big ones, some of them. I hope you're going to steer around them?"

"We'll do our best, sir," Amelia touched her hat. "Forgive me, please, I have a message for the captain."

"Oh! Go on, then, go on! It wouldn't do to keep him waiting." Archimedes waved her off and looked up at his daughter fondly. "Are you all right, Janey?"

Jane smiled bravely. "I'm fine, father. Now, would you like me to get you a cup of tea?"

"That would be rather nice," Archimedes said. "And you'd better have one, too," he added, seeing the look on his daughter's face.

"Thank you, father," Jane sighed and looked out at the stars again. "But I think I'll stay on deck for a little longer."

A door was opened behind them. Amelia emerged from the captain's cabin, following Forsythe onto the deck. He nodded economically to Archimedes and made his way up to the bridge. Jane joined Amelia as she shadowed him.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Perfectly," Amelia smiled. "You may be interested, actually. I think that the captain has something in mind."

Forsythe was watching the asteroids ahead with a practised eye.

"They seem relatively stable," he muttered.

"We'll see better when we're closer, sir," said Costell, "but there don't seem to be any major rogues."

"Excellent." Forsythe adjusted his hat. "In that case, Ms Dunn, take my compliments to Commander Chad. We will engage in a spot of gunnery practice once we get closer. Mr Costell? Mr Harburn? Stay close with the telescope and identify some targets for us."

"Aye, sir!" Dunn hurried off.

"Gunnery practice?" Jane looked at Amelia.

"It's mandatory," said Amelia. "But there aren't always opportunities."

"Quite so," said Forsythe. "There's little profit in firing into open space. But if we can find some suitable asteroids in that field to mark as targets, we'll be able to get some much-needed practice."

"And it's not...dangerous at all?" asked Jane.

"Not at all," Amelia assured her. "In fact, it might be something you'd like to observe."

"I mean...it's not dangerous for...well, anyone else?" Jane looked up.

Amelia hesitated and then realised. "Oh, you mean in case the wha...Sunny is still around? Oh, no, we'll certainly be able to see him if he's in range of our guns. Isn't that right, sir?"

Harburn nodded. "Quite right. After all, the whole point of the exercise is to see where the shots go so we'll be keeping a sharp lookout. And we're still looking for the Chancer, and she's sure to have investigated the asteroids when she passed this way."

"I trust you are satisfied, Miss Porter?" Forsythe said. "Yes? Good. Bring us along the edge of the asteroid field when we approach, lieutenant, and inform me when we are in range."

"Very good, sir."

Amelia gave Jane a small smile. "I hope it will at least take your mind off anything worrying you, Miss Porter."

"I'm sure it will," Jane nodded her thanks. "I always enjoy a chance to see you in action. The ship, I mean. All of you. Ahem."

Amelia grinned as Jane coughed to hide her embarrassment. "We aim to please, Miss Porter."

"Watch your head, ma'am," said Midshipman Buckley.

Jane ducked hastily under an overhead beam. The Resolute's upper gun deck was low-roofed except for a line running down the central catwalk where a person could stand upright. This space was at a premium, however, as crew hastened back and forth. The ceiling on either side was crowded with equipment- conduits and cables leading to the guns and the crew's belongings all bundled up in hammocks.

"This deck is usually the main mess," said Amelia, following Buckley and Jane. "The crew sleep and eat between the guns. When we clear for action it all has to go somewhere so it gets tied to the ceiling."

"I see," Jane ducked again. "Well...I suppose it all has to go somewhere."

"Exactly." Amelia stepped around a coil of rope and took her place with her back to the trunk of the mainmast where it came through the roof and disappeared into the floor. "Man your post, Mr Buckley."

"Aye, ma'am!" Buckley grinned and took up a similar position against the foremast further down the crowded deck. Jane squeezed beside Amelia and gazed along the ship. The guns, squat, dull grey beasts, sat dormant but expectant with their attendant crews waiting alongside.

"Now what happens?" she whispered.

"Now we wait for the word," Amelia whispered back.

"What word?"

Amelia held up a hand to signal for quiet. The deck fell silent aside from the occasional creak of wood or rope, and the humming of the energised machinery. A sense of anticipation filled the air. Jane realised that Amelia was watching a row of lights set into a brass plate on the wall. A green globe glowed into life and she nodded in satisfaction.

"Ports open! Run out your guns!"

"Ports open! Run out your guns!" Buckley echoed the order. The poised crew leapt into action, one crewmember per gun levering open the heavy hatches, the rest straining on the ropes that hauled the guns into the firing positions. Amelia crouched down to watch the view. An asteroid, roughly the size of the ship itself, was drifting alongside about half a mile away.

"Load!"

Behind each gun, the loaders grabbed the brass-cased shell charges, swung them around and rammed them into the waiting breeches. Jane watched the nearest crew slam them closed, spinning a round handle to seal it firmly.

"Three degrees elevation!" Amelia called.

"Three degrees, aye!"

"Charge your guns!"

"Charging guns, aye!"

Amelia turned to Jane and grinned. "I'd brace yourself, Miss Porter. And you may want to block your ears."

She fished in her pocket and produced a pair of earplugs. Jane took them gratefully and wedged them in, standing back against the mast. Even with them, Jane heard the hum of power increase. The hair on the back of her neck began to stand on end as the static field increased. Amelia frowned in concentration, counting off the seconds until all the lights on the brass plate suddenly flashed in unison.

"Fire!"

Presumably Buckley repeated the order to his guns, but Jane never heard it. The battery in front of them went off together and despite her protective earplugs she instinctively clapped her hands over her head and cried out. Her voice was lost in the thunder of the volley. Amelia, unflinchingly crouched behind the guns, watched the shells flash across the void and slam into the asteroid. A series of flashes lit up across its surface, throwing clouds of dust and shattered rock into space. There were cheers from the gun crews, rapidly silenced as Amelia raised her voice.

"What did you make that, Mr Buckley?"

"Three over, ma'am!" Buckley replied.

Amelia shook her head. "We can do better than that! Adjust down one point five! Reload all guns!"

"Reload! Reload your guns!" Buckley called.

The crews jumped into action, ejecting spent cartridges from the smoking breeches of the guns and swiftly replacing them with fresh ordnance.

"Guns ready, ma'am!" shouted the gun captain.

Amelia glanced down to Buckley, who nodded. "Run them out!"

The ropes creaked again as they took the strain. The gun carriages creaked forward on their oiled rails and Amelia watched them thud into position and saw the light board flash again.

"Fire!"

Jane felt the air convulse again as the guns fired simultaneously. She gasped for breath and shook her head to clear it. Amelia, unfazed, took a stopwatch from her pocked, clicked it and looked at the numbers on it's face.

"Forty-eight seconds, Mr Buckley?"

Buckley shook his head. "Not bad," he said.

"But not good enough?" Amelia raised an eyebrow.

"No, ma'am!"

Amelia nodded to him. "Reload!"

"You heard her, boys!" the gun captain roared. "Reload! Reload!"

"Wasn't that right?" Jane asked.

Amelia shook her head. "A good crew should be able to do that in forty seconds flat! Come on, move yourselves! Your lives will depend on this one day, I promise you!"

Jane shook her head as the crews redoubled their efforts. Breeches were slammed shut and Amelia nodded with satisfaction.

"Run out!"

"Run out!" Buckley shouted.

"Fire!"

Jane shuddered again at the thunder. Amelia clicked her stopwatch and clapped her hands.

"Forty two seconds! Much better! Keep it up, now! Reload!"

"Um, Amelia?" Jane touched her sleeve. Amelia turned and her grin faded at the sight of Jane's pale face.

"Are you all right, Miss Porter?"

Jane nodded bravely. "Yes, yes...I mean, I'll be fine...I just think I may need some air."

Amelia patted her arm. "Of course, Miss Porter. I'm sorry. Go and watch from the deck."

Jane smiled with relief. "I will. Thank you."

"Mind your head on the way out," Amelia squeezed her hand briefly, behind the backs of the labouring gunners. Jane smiled gratefully and hurried up on deck just as the next salvo boomed out. The vibrations could be felt even up top as she went to join her father, who was standing with Arrow at the side of the bridge and watching the practice through a telescope.

"It's rather impressive, Mr Arrow," he said. "You must do this an awful lot."

Arrow nodded with satisfaction. "As often as possible, sir."

"I daresay," Archimedes folded up his telescope. "You certainly seem to be doing well."

"The captain sets high standards," said Arrow. "Ah, Miss Porter. I thought you were observing from the upper gun deck?"

Jane fixed her hair and smiled shyly. "Yes, I was...but it was a rather...um, overwhelming."

"That it can be, ma'am," said Arrow sagely.

The guns fired again. Jane watched the shells streak out. A brace of them scored a series of direct hits on the target asteroid and she felt a strange twinge of pride in the fact that she knew that Amelia's battery had fired them.

"Very satisfactory," said Forsythe, behind them. "What do you make the time, Commander?"

Chad looked at his stopwatch. "Forty seconds on that last salvo, captain."

Jane smiled to herself.

"They're doing well," said Arrow. "Forty seconds is the mark of a good crew."

"And a good officer?" asked Jane.

Arrow smiled at her. "Quite right, ma'am."

The deck shook beneath them as the broadside discharged. Jane followed the brilliant shells to their arrival at the target. The asteroid finally yielded to the pounding, splitting in half in a cloud of dust and shattered rock.

"Target destroyed, sir," grinned Chad.

"Very good," Forsythe gave a grunt of approval. "Change crews, Commander. Mr Costell, find us another suitable target."

"Aye, sir." Chad stepped forward. "Port gun crews stand relieved! Starboard gun crews to take their stations!"

Forrest and Whiting left the bridge, and disappeared down below deck. Buckley came up, followed by Amelia. She had her blue coat draped over her shoulder and her white shirt and waistcoat were marked with gunsmoke. While her pose and movements seemed relaxed, the alert poise of her ears said otherwise to those who knew her moods. Jane, feeling rather daring seeing her on deck without her coat, tried not to stare as she waved to her.

"Excellent shooting, ma'am, if I may say so," said Arrow politely.

"You may, Mr Arrow, you may." Amelia grinned happily. "It's been too long since I last got to do that."

"It hardly showed," said Jane.

"Ma'am," Buckley joined them and touched his hat. He seemed to be equally energised himself and was carrying his hat in one hand. "Requesting permission to go below to scrub up?"

Amelia looked at the smoke stains on the young human's face and white collar tabs and nodded. "Permission granted. And try not to get so close to an opening breech next time."

Buckley grinned. "I don't know, ma'am. I am getting rather tired of my eyebrows."

Amelia laughed. "I'm sure we could find some other way to accommodate that wish. Good shooting today, Mr Buckley. You're dismissed."

"Thank you ma'am." Buckley saluted, nodded to Jane and Arrow and disappeared. Amelia pulled her coat on and adjusted her hat. They could hear shouts from the gun deck as Forrest and Whiting ordered their gun crews into position.

"Do we have a target, Mr Costell?" asked Forsythe, resuming his habitual pacing.

The navigator looked up from the console and shook his head. "Not yet, sir. There are a couple of possibles but their mass suggests light rock. I wouldn't recommend hitting them."

"Indeed not," said Forsythe. "We wouldn't want to fire off a practice round and get a facefull of rocks in return. Keep watching the field and notify when you have something."

"Yes, sir." Costell touched the controls. "Permission to station some extra eyes aloft?"

"Granted," Forsythe looked up into the masts. "But keep the lookouts alert. Let's not get too distracted by our drill and forget why we're here."

Amelia looked over to Jane and raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to go somewhere with a better view, Miss Porter?"

Jane blinked. "Where did you have in mind?"

"Well, I'd suggest the fighting tops," said Amelia. "But I fancy you'd rather stick closer to the deck?"

Jane laughed. "If you don't mind."

"The forecastle, then?" Amelia grinned.

"May I accompany you?" Arrow said.

"Of course, captain," Amelia smiled. "Especially if you bring your glass."

They made their way across the deck and up into the ship's raised bows. Taking up places along the side, they began scanning as the asteroid field. Amelia looked back at the pulverised asteroid and tried not to look too happy with the results. Jane settled down at the railing and gazed forward. The asteroid field disappeared into the distance, a long cloud of slowly-shifting rocks the ran as far as the eye could see in each direction on the ship's port side.

"Can you see anything, ma'am?" Arrow stood behind her.

Jane shook her head. "No...well, nothing except the rocks and the stars."

Arrow smiled. "I hope you are not too worried about the whale you rescued, ma'am," he said. "You did a good thing by helping him. I very much enjoyed his company while we had it."

"As did I," Jane sighed. "I do hope he's all right."

"Void whales generally avoid asteroid fields," said Arrow. "It is too easy for them to get lost or to collide with something. His parents would have taught him that. That may be why he left us."

"I'm sure you're right," said Jane.

Arrow patted her shoulder lightly. "Of course I am, ma'am. And maybe we'll see other whales as we enter the Megapterans."

"Of course," Jane agreed. "He'll probably join up with one of the other pods around the cluster."

"And they'll take care of him as well, ma'am," said Arrow.

Amelia looked around and laughed. "Look at the two of you. Nattering away like a couple of old ornithologists on a field trip."

"Just trying to share some of the wonder of the universe," said Arrow, grinning. "Your great-grandfather would have understood. He once had a pet juvenile mantabird which he kept until it got too big. I believe he released it to join the flocks during a port call at Jacob's Planet."

"He sounds like an interesting character," said Jane.

"He would have got on famously with your father, ma'am," said Arrow.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "I'm not totally unpoetic, you know. I'm enjoying the view as much as anyone else."

Arrow gave a deep chuckle. "I apologise, ma'am."

"So you had better," said Amelia, but the shine in her eyes said that there had been no offence. "May I make use of that glass, Mr Arrow?"

He passed the telescope over. Amelia nodded her thanks and put it to her eye.

"Is it really so hard to find another rock to shoot?" asked Jane.

Amelia shrugged. "A ship like this isn't a precision weapon, so we can't choose a small asteroid or we'd just be wasting ammunition. And if it's a light rock it'll explode as soon as we hit it and we'll have a cloud of flying fragments on our hands."

"No risk to the hull of the ship," added Arrow. "But more than capable of damaging our solar sails."

"Ah." Jane nodded. "Well. That all makes sense."

"Hmm." Amelia was suddenly thoughtful.

"Ma'am?" Arrow looked at her, aware of her sudden change of demeanour.

Amelia focused the telescope more closely on something deeper into the field. "There's something out there..."

Arrow followed the line of the telescope's gaze and frowned/

"May I see, ma'am?"

Amelia passed the telescope over. "Bearing two-eight-five, Mr Arrow. Range about four miles. What do you see?"

Arrow held up the telescope to his eye. A call rang out from overhead.

"Contact, sir! Contact in the field!"

Back on the bridge, Forsythe craned his head. One of the lookouts was waving and pointing.

"Where away!" he shouted.

"Bearing two-eight-five degrees, sir!"

Chad and Harburn raised their telescopes. Buckley, returning to the bridge, hurried over to them.

"I do believe," said Arrow slowly, "that we've found our missing frigate."

He passed the telescope back to Amelia, who gave it to Jane and pointed her in the right direction. She peered through it and squinted as the telescope adjusted the lens for her eye. There was a large, craggy asteroid deep in the field, rotating slowly. A few objects could be seen sticking up from behind it- long and thin, it took Jane a moment to realise that they were masts. A bowsprit, snapped like a used toothpick, protruded over the edge.

"It's a ship, sir!" Dunn called from the crow's nest. "One of ours!"

"Can you identify her, Ms Dunn?" Forsythe called.

"It's a frigate, sir!" Dunn shouted back. "I think it's the Chancer!"

"What's she doing in there?" muttered Arrow.

"How awful..." Jane kept watching as the asteroid turned. The bright hull of the Imperial frigate was in pieces, most of the starboard bow intact but the port side in ruins. Wreckage was strewn over the rocky surface. A tattered battle ensign still flew from the mainmast.

"All stop! Furl the sails! Prepare to drop space anchor!" Forsythe bellowed. "All hands, stand down from gunnery drill! Ms Amelia, Mr Arrow, lay aft here!"

Jane took a last look at the broken ship and hurried after them, her mind alive with possibilities.