A Starship Dauntless story.
Historian’s note: This story takes place five hundred years prior to the Dauntless novella The Pebbled Sea Part 1.
CHAPTER ONE
Scout vessel Exosia
New Ocampa
Former Ocampan Ascendancy territory
Earth date March 3rd 1879
The Ocampa homeworld lay in ruins.
An alien race known as the Narr had decimated it for the simple reason that it was a planet they had chosen to use. The Ocampa had fought back and the planet was now useful for no one. Thousands of Ocampa lay dead and decomposing and those few that remained were quickly loading everything they could into vessels of all shapes and sizes. This world was no longer their home, just a wasteland. Tannis took one last look around and closed the hatch on his ship. Lina was already herding their two year old daughter Linnis into her special chair for the take off. They both wore their military uniforms, the only clothes they had which weren’t destroyed when the Narr attacked, but Tannis knew the truth about the attack. The Narr had no use for this pathetic world, it did not suit their climate and they could not even grow crops, this world was beyond even their terraforming capability. So why had they attacked? They had been forced to by another race, and it was this race that Tannis was now going to look for. The other ships’ captains didn’t believe his ramblings and ignored his pleas for assistance. Lina knew her husband well enough that he would search for them alone.
‘Are we ready?’ Tannis asked, spying his wide-eyed daughter sitting in her chair looking through the forward window.
‘All strapped in. Our supplies are below and the device is secure in the cargo bay. Do you have any idea where to start looking?’
‘I do, the Badlands. They have been seen there by our spies.’
‘That is a long journey from here, on the very edge of our territory.’
‘Lina, my wife,’ Tannis put his hands on her shoulder. ‘We no longer have a territory. While the Narr attacked our planet, their puppet masters attacked our battle cruisers and destroyers. They’re all gone. These few vessels represent all that is left of the Ocampa.’
‘What about the rumours of our homeworld in the Distant Space?’
‘They are only that, rumours, but I know some of these people will head in that direction and try to find them. I would rather find out why the aliens attacked us.’
‘We are ready. Shields and weapons are at maximum,’ Lina replied as her eyes grew cold. ‘The aliens will learn not to cross the Ascendancy.’
Tannis shivered inwardly. His wife was one of the best marksman in the Ascendancy and she never missed her target. ‘Then let us be away,’ he said, taking the pilot’s chair. ‘Engaging antigrav thrusters.’
‘Atmospheric flight controls online and performing at maximum efficiency.’
‘Bringing pulse drive online, hyperspace engines warming up.’
‘We’re at minimum flight level.’
‘Pulse drive at one quarter, atmosphere boundary in three minutes.’
Behind them, Linnis sat in silence watching the clouds rush by. She knew her parents’ thoughts and was dimly aware that they were worried, but she was too young to understand why. All she knew was that her friends were dead and her home was gone.
‘Approaching atmosphere boundary, bringing pulse drive to one half, hyperspace engines at optimal readiness,’ Tannis said.
‘All systems ready for spaceflight,’ Lina replied. ‘I’m reading thirty-nine vessels leaving the atmosphere. Approximate total population three hundred.’
‘The last of our kind, heading for Distant Space and the great unknown,’ Tannis muttered in sympathy. ‘We have been dealt a great blow but we will recover and we will fight back until our dying breath.’
‘We have breached the atmosphere,’ Lina informed her husband. ‘Ready for spaceflight.’
‘Open a channel to Ressi.’
‘Ressi here, are you following your fool’s errand Tannis?’
‘I am, old friend, may Distant Space be kinder to you than our homelands.’
‘My the Warmlands welcome you with open arms,’ Ressi signed off.
‘We’re on our own,’ Tannis smiled grimly. ‘Set a course for the Badlands and engage hyperspace engines.’
The ship shuddered slightly as it made the transition to faster-than-light speeds but the Exosia was made well. Named for the homeworld of the Caretaker gods who revealed the truth to them almost two centuries ago, the Exosia was the last scout ship ever built and contained the most advanced weaponry, even better than Ressi’s small warship. ‘We’re at hyperspace velocity. Estimated arrival at the Badlands is one point six solar cycles.’
‘We’ll need to rest the engines every now and then,’ Tannis said. ‘Otherwise we’ll never reach it.’
‘Best to get some rest, I’ll take first watch, husband.’
Tannis reached out and touched his wife’s cheek. ‘Watches don’t matter. We’re on our own now. Let’s get Linnis something to eat, I’m sure she’s hungry.’
Historian’s note: This story takes place five hundred years prior to the Dauntless novella The Pebbled Sea Part 1.
CHAPTER ONE
Scout vessel Exosia
New Ocampa
Former Ocampan Ascendancy territory
Earth date March 3rd 1879
The Ocampa homeworld lay in ruins.
An alien race known as the Narr had decimated it for the simple reason that it was a planet they had chosen to use. The Ocampa had fought back and the planet was now useful for no one. Thousands of Ocampa lay dead and decomposing and those few that remained were quickly loading everything they could into vessels of all shapes and sizes. This world was no longer their home, just a wasteland. Tannis took one last look around and closed the hatch on his ship. Lina was already herding their two year old daughter Linnis into her special chair for the take off. They both wore their military uniforms, the only clothes they had which weren’t destroyed when the Narr attacked, but Tannis knew the truth about the attack. The Narr had no use for this pathetic world, it did not suit their climate and they could not even grow crops, this world was beyond even their terraforming capability. So why had they attacked? They had been forced to by another race, and it was this race that Tannis was now going to look for. The other ships’ captains didn’t believe his ramblings and ignored his pleas for assistance. Lina knew her husband well enough that he would search for them alone.
‘Are we ready?’ Tannis asked, spying his wide-eyed daughter sitting in her chair looking through the forward window.
‘All strapped in. Our supplies are below and the device is secure in the cargo bay. Do you have any idea where to start looking?’
‘I do, the Badlands. They have been seen there by our spies.’
‘That is a long journey from here, on the very edge of our territory.’
‘Lina, my wife,’ Tannis put his hands on her shoulder. ‘We no longer have a territory. While the Narr attacked our planet, their puppet masters attacked our battle cruisers and destroyers. They’re all gone. These few vessels represent all that is left of the Ocampa.’
‘What about the rumours of our homeworld in the Distant Space?’
‘They are only that, rumours, but I know some of these people will head in that direction and try to find them. I would rather find out why the aliens attacked us.’
‘We are ready. Shields and weapons are at maximum,’ Lina replied as her eyes grew cold. ‘The aliens will learn not to cross the Ascendancy.’
Tannis shivered inwardly. His wife was one of the best marksman in the Ascendancy and she never missed her target. ‘Then let us be away,’ he said, taking the pilot’s chair. ‘Engaging antigrav thrusters.’
‘Atmospheric flight controls online and performing at maximum efficiency.’
‘Bringing pulse drive online, hyperspace engines warming up.’
‘We’re at minimum flight level.’
‘Pulse drive at one quarter, atmosphere boundary in three minutes.’
Behind them, Linnis sat in silence watching the clouds rush by. She knew her parents’ thoughts and was dimly aware that they were worried, but she was too young to understand why. All she knew was that her friends were dead and her home was gone.
‘Approaching atmosphere boundary, bringing pulse drive to one half, hyperspace engines at optimal readiness,’ Tannis said.
‘All systems ready for spaceflight,’ Lina replied. ‘I’m reading thirty-nine vessels leaving the atmosphere. Approximate total population three hundred.’
‘The last of our kind, heading for Distant Space and the great unknown,’ Tannis muttered in sympathy. ‘We have been dealt a great blow but we will recover and we will fight back until our dying breath.’
‘We have breached the atmosphere,’ Lina informed her husband. ‘Ready for spaceflight.’
‘Open a channel to Ressi.’
‘Ressi here, are you following your fool’s errand Tannis?’
‘I am, old friend, may Distant Space be kinder to you than our homelands.’
‘My the Warmlands welcome you with open arms,’ Ressi signed off.
‘We’re on our own,’ Tannis smiled grimly. ‘Set a course for the Badlands and engage hyperspace engines.’
The ship shuddered slightly as it made the transition to faster-than-light speeds but the Exosia was made well. Named for the homeworld of the Caretaker gods who revealed the truth to them almost two centuries ago, the Exosia was the last scout ship ever built and contained the most advanced weaponry, even better than Ressi’s small warship. ‘We’re at hyperspace velocity. Estimated arrival at the Badlands is one point six solar cycles.’
‘We’ll need to rest the engines every now and then,’ Tannis said. ‘Otherwise we’ll never reach it.’
‘Best to get some rest, I’ll take first watch, husband.’
Tannis reached out and touched his wife’s cheek. ‘Watches don’t matter. We’re on our own now. Let’s get Linnis something to eat, I’m sure she’s hungry.’
Thanks for the clarification.
Seriously, I like this-and want to know how the little girl is still little after 500 years.
