Ancient Hunter

We halted outside a door I wasn’t certain but thought I’d knew where I was.

“In here,” the Valkyrie said and stood aside to let me past. I opened the door and stepped through into the bridge. Yes, I was glad my guess was correct. In front of me were two chairs and beyond that were a number of consoles all occupied. Windows showing space were above the consoles. I knew the basics of which console did what I had brief training when I was last on this particular ship. The thought sent a chill down my back as I remembered the time. A Valkyrie stood beside the chairs overlooking the rest of the bridge. I recognised her immediately as someone I could trust.

“Captain?” I said politely. I was secretly pleased she had got the promotion she deserved.

The captain turned a broad grim splitting her face. “Gwen!” she said with genuine delight.

“Captain Wulfgara.” I snapped a salute. I wasn’t sure if it was the right protocol aboard a Valkyrie ship.

“You’ve grown Gwen,” Wulfgara replied as if I were her daughter. The former XO was the one that had insisted I’d learn the ropes after I exposed a plot to entangle me in Commander Runa Hrutdottir’s attempted murder. Except it all went wrong Runa didn’t die but she got close. The other Silver Guards with her quickly proved that it wasn’t me. Wulfgara’s captain was shown to be a fool in believing the lies she had to be replaced.

I held up my arm with my bracelet.

“That’s a definite then,” Wulfgara said her smile never wavering.

“Is Commander Runa here?” I asked.

“Not this time,”

“Kara, Leadra?” I had to ask. Those two knew too much about my attachment to the Keepers but I could trust them.

Wulfgara flashed a smile. “Worried about them looking over you shoulder all the time?” She laughed. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do and you have a lot of training to do.”

“Sort of,” I might as well get my worries off my chest. “I guess we’re set for Alfheimir?”

Wulfgara laughed again louder. “Whatever gave you that impression?”

“Every time I board a Valkyrie ship I end up on Alfheimir.”

She gave me an eye her face shrewd. “If I said the destination was up to you?”

Adding. “There are places I can’t go. The Core, The Orsini Commonwealth or the Terran Empire.”

The Core was a no go for any ship. The Ancients after their war with the Rhosani had withdrawn with the Core. Ships went in none ever returned. The Orsini killed anyone not Orsini. Currently the Empire was at war with the Orsini taking back planets the Orsini attacked. All down to the previous Emperor Augustus who was under Rhosani control.

I considered what Wulfgara was saying. “If I said Saros you’d take me there?” hope bloomed in my heart after so many setbacks.

“Of course. Did I not just say that? I’m assuming this isn’t a rhetorical question?”

“I want to go to Saros.”

“Saros it is,” Wulfgara said.

“You aren’t even going to ask me why I want to go to Saros?”

“Why should I Gwen. Do you want to go to Saros?”

“Yes.” I couldn’t believe that things were going my way for a chance. But deep back in mind I had my doubts that things would be so easy.

“Helm lay in a course for Saros.” Wulfgara addressed the Fandaran at the helm. “Comms inform Davenport Control we’re leaving for Alfheimir.”

My heart almost stopped for a moment. “Alfheimir?”

“Do you want them to know where you are going after all the trouble you’ve had?” Wulfgara folded her arms and gave me a look.

“Sorry.” She was right why tell everyone where I was heading I still had to deal with Admiral Komana’s threat to send me back to the Empire.

“Don’t apologise it makes you weak.” She turned to her Comms Operator. “We have confirmation yet?”

“Negative, the mato are stalling,” her Comms Operator replied sarcastically.

“Helm take us out,” Wulfgara ordered.

The ship began to move the perspective view from the widows changed. It began to pick up speed there was a definite red shift in the stars.

“Rig for hyperspace,” Wulfgara ordered.

Shutters slid down the windows and were replaced with holo screens.

“ETA to jump point?” Wulfgara said to the helm.

“Sixty minutes,” came the reply.

“Take a seat Gwen make sure you observe all the stations. I’ll be asking you questions later.”

“Questions?” I was worried about that as I sat in the seat next to the captain’s chair.

“You are here to learn and learn you shall.”

I watched the crew at work dreading the things Wulfgara would be asking.

“Ma’am!” A slimmer than most Valkyrie said for the sensor console.”

“What is it?” Wulfgara asked her.

“Got movement on the edge of sensor range.”

“Direction?”

“Deep space on a vector to Davenport.”

“Monitor and report.”

“Ma’am picking up ship signatures.” The Sensor Operator paused. “I’m getting a lot of ship signatures, forty no eighty ships.”

“On full alert!” Wulfgara snapped. “I want an ID on those ships?”

“Confederacy Navy,” the sensor operator replied.

“On screen!” Wulfgara ordered.

I just sat back and observed I couldn’t do much else she was the professional here. The screen showed only blips each one was a ship I assumed but I didn’t say anything just sat there watching. Knowing that Wulfgara would be asking me questions later.

“Any of those ships heading in our direction.” Wulfgara asked her Sensor Operator.

“To early to tell,” the Sensor Operator replied her eyes never leaving the screen she was hunched over.

“Ma’am,” the Comms Operator said. “Message from Davenport ordering our return to orbit.”

“Tell them that’s a negative,” Wulfgara said. “They failed to answer when we put the comms in.”

The Comms Operator relayed Wulfgara’s words. “Ma’am they are ordering our return or they’ll activate the planetary defences.”

My blood ran cold at those words. The Black Stripes tried twice before to use the defence systems in their plans. Called Black Stripes because of the three black lines on their uniforms or skin. Lately they’d tried variants in the form of an eye and then Roman numerals on Paranova but it all amounted to the same. The first time they had the codes for the defence system and were going to target a number of cities on Alfheimir. The ones on the planet had been prepared to die in the Hall of Elders and failed. Only my quick thinking and luck had stopped them. They had tried again on Saros. This time it was to target the Alliance ship in orbit and the capital city. The plan was to blame the attack on the city on the Alliance ship. Only a chance word with Ljufu Weredale the head of Security foiled that plan. I was surprised by the calm state of the bridge crew. If it was me I’d be worried about this turn of events

“Who’s demanding our return?” Wulfgara said to Comms Operator.

“Some male too big for his seat,” she replied.

“Let him know we don’t take orders from any male no matter his race. No male orders us around if they know what is good for them.”

I was sure the comms operator was smiling at that.

“Nearly at the jump point,” the helm called out.

“Prepare to go to hyperspace!” Wulfgara ordered.

I’d been through hyperspace but usually I was in the bowls of the ship when we jumped. This was a first for me.

“Any of those ships vectoring towards us,” Wulfgara addressed the Sensor Operator.

“Negative all on a vector towards Davenport.”

“Too late now,” Wulfgara commented.

There was a suddenly flurry amongst the bridge crew.

“Hyperspace in three, two, one,” The Fandaran at the helm announced.

Lights flickered as power was transferred to the hyperspace engines. On the holo screen in front of me a patch of greyness appeared the ship slid into it. We were in hyperspace there could be no stopping us now.

“Essential crew only,” Wulfgara ordered.

Most of the crew left. I glanced across to Wulfgara.

“That was fun,” I said meaning it to be sarcastic.

“You think so?” It was obvious that Wulfgara didn’t do sarcasm. “Good then you’ll be eager to start your lessons. Well that’s enough for today we’ll continue this on my next watch shift.”

“Why, I’m never going to get to command a starship?” not if the Elders could help it they seemed to want to keep me close and from what I’d learned about the bracelet I’d been given was just the start of it.

“Which is why you need to learn. Every one of the Silver Guards knows how. Why would you be any different. You may look Human but your heart is Valkyrie.”

That was probably the only part when the Elders awakened my Valkyrie blood. I’m not sure how they hid it in the first place. Ever since I was old enough to think I’ve always considered myself Human. Now I wasn’t sure what I was. The Elders in awakening my blood awakened my Keeper DNA. The Keepers an ancient, thought to be extinct race had rebuilt themselves by harvesting my ovaries. Hence every Keeper created this way was a variant of me. In an odd way I considered them my children which made my search for them all the more important. I was determined to find out what had happened to them.

“Head to your quarters,” Wulfgara said to me. “You look exhausted get some rest.”

“Thank you captain.” She was right there was just too many thoughts whirling around in my mind. I needed to sleep on it and work my way through it.

“Call me Wulfgara. But when we are on duty refer to me as Captain Wulfgara.”

She shoved me out of the bridge and I headed back to my quarters there was much I need to process and only rest would help that.