Notes: June 1st 2022 Update:
Retcon: Warspite is a heavy cruiser, not a destroyer. It just came to me that a full Captain would be entitled to at least a CA. Oops.
A few days later, another letter arrives from home for Shannon
Dear Shannon,
It's me, your little cousin, Eimear. Thanks for the recommendation on who to have as my mentor, and congrats on the promotions. Also, know that the Republic knows your name, and, just an FYI, you're famous, big cousin! Your face and Admiral Tourville's face are being used for a campaign to have schoolkids write to captured service members, to teach the kids better handwriting skills, letter writing skills, and to give you and your colleagues a morale boost. The letters should start showing up within two weeks, max, assuming it takes ~3 weeks for my letters to reach you. Her math works out. I'm doing well. Stay strong. Happy Easter! Cousin Orla says to tell you that she just made Captain in our SDF, and just got her first heavy cruiser command to go with it, the CA Warspite!
I was selected to lead the POW/MIA ceremony at my CO's staff dinner the other night (I can't say where, obviously, but will tell you when you come home.), and barely managed to do it without breaking down. Luckly, my CO was very understanding. She actually mentioned you in her speech at the dinner. You're not forgotten. Are you getting enough to eat? I'll try to suggest to the Queen that the kids of our homeworld write to you and the other Republic Navy officers who got captured from back home, and send you guys goodies. I'm proud of your sacrifice, though it still hurts.
Love,
Your Cousin, Eimear Foraker
Shannon quickly types back a reply to Eimear.
Dear Eimear,
When did I start becoming famous? Forward my congrats to Orla on her promotion and new command. I'm getting plenty to eat, though I do miss the great food you guys always sent me for holidays. How is everyone else doing? How do you like your staff job? I'm glad people haven't forgotten about us. Can you ask in your letters home to Auntie Kay how Cousin Hope and her husband are doing?
Love,
Shannon
She, for the first time includes some code words that translate to "Some personnel are not necessarily being treated as well as we are, but don't have any more details." After all, I don't have a Cousin Hope, and Eimear knows enough to forward my messages in our code to Admirals Theisman and Trenis, as well as the translation to my family, Shannon thinks.
Haven, President Prichart's office in Péricard Tower
"...Have the Manties offered any prisoner exchanges, Linda? I mean, we sent their Countess Gold Peak home before… everything, and in good shape." CNO Thomas Theisman asks, hoping the answer is yes.
The woman who leads ONI shakes her head, "No." Then Eloise's com beeps with the 'Urgent Message' tone that she'd selected. Eloise answers. It's her chief bodyguard, Sheila Thiessen.
"What is it, Sheila?" she asks, trying to hide her impatience from Sheila, as her chief bodyguard hadn't done anything wrong.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry." Shelia says, perfectly composed, like always. Those words, while they helped, didn't give the normally perfectly composed former Aprilist enough time to compose herself before, half a breath later, her chief bodyguard continues, "8th Fleet, with Fleet Admiral Alexander-Harrington just translated over the alpha wall–" Eloise only keeps herself from collapsing by the fact that she was sitting down. It's all over. I mean, we have more of a chance than Tourville and Chin did, but it's not enough, even with Moriarty (which the Manties have developed a counter against, though Shannon's last report out of Bolthole said that the SD shelled version we're deploying now should work better against the Manties) and Dragonfly. At best, we might not get nuked back to the Stone Age. But that's if we're even luckier than Shannon, and if we put all our platforms on strict emission control and pray the Manties don't get too much data… she thinks.
Several seconds later, Eloise says, "I kinda spaced out after you saying 8th Fleet and the Salamander is here. What did you say, Shelia?"
"Fleet Admiral Alexander-Harrington is here on her private yacht, the GS Paul Tankersley." Sheila explains.
"You've definitely gotten my attention. Has 8th Fleet sent any transmissions?" If it's 8th Fleet, even Dragonfly would only last an hour at best. And that's if the version that Admiral Chin saw was operating at maximum range, and Harrington made a mistake. Which she never does, at least not more than once, Eloise thinks.
"Yes. The yacht's captain requests to transport Fleet Admiral Alexander-Harrington to meet with you, preferably as soon as reasonably possible. He says she bears a personal message from her Queen."
"Tell him that now would work fine, and assign them the main bay at Péricard Tower. I'll meet with her, with my Cabinet, and CNO Theisman, though for the government's safety, Admirals Trenis and Lewis and their staff will hitch a ride off world quietly. Don't tell her the last part." Eloise says, confidently. Whatever you're here for, Fleet Admiral Alexander-Harrington, you've sure gotten my attention, she thinks.
Shannon sits outside, between Berjouhi Lafontaine, who was once her assistant tracking officer, before becoming promoted and made Admiral Tourville's flag lieutenant, and Lieutenant Commander Anita Eisenberg, who'd been Admiral Tourville's com officer, holding her datapad. Let's see if this helps brighten up the two of them, Shannon thinks.
"Here's how to play the new mod I just made for Hyperspace. Just remember, I edited the capacity to make our latest hardware 10-25% weaker than it actually is, so you need to just remember that." Shannon demos how to set up the Ops Force, then starts the level and, her fingers flying, manages to beat it.
"Do you want to give it a try?" Berjouhi nods, not saying anything, and Shannon hands her the datapad. She manages to beat the level, and her face looks more hopeful, before she hands the datapad back to Shannon.
Anita shakes her head before whispering, "Ma'am, I became a com officer because I did so poorly at tactics."
"Do you want some help with it, Anita?" Shannon asks, trying to cheer her up.
"Yes, ma'am." she whispers. Shannon helps Anita through the level, and she does okay, if not as good as Berjouhi or Shannon scored.