"Engineering is securing main engines from modified flight mode," Davis recited off her display. "Commander Singh wants permission to deploy the warp nacelles."

"Deploy," Jackson confirmed. "Do not apply power until I give the word."

He watched the status on the main display change as Ares was reconfigured for warp flight. Unlike on the Blue Jacket, where the forward warp emitters were visible, the small warp nacelles used on the Ares deployed from both flanks and couldn't be seen from the bridge "view." Since the emitters weren't exposed in this new design, there also wasn't any visible light emitted, but Jackson wasn't taking the chance that the Phage might detect the minute gravimetric distortion they created while charging.

"Captain, all detectable Phage units are now heading back toward the inner system," Barrett said. "They seem to be crowding in around the three unclassified constructs between the orbits of the second and third planet."

"It's too bad we don't have any recon drones capable of warp flight," Jackson said absently. "OPS, tell Engineering I want the warp drive charged and online. Nav, when you get a green indicator on the drive you are clear to transition out of the Zulu System."

"Aye, sir." Accari kept his focus on his displays.

A few moments later, the ship shuddered slightly as the warp drive engaged, and they left the Phage fleet behind. A short twenty minutes later, the ship shook and bucked again as she emerged back into real-space.

"First warp transition complete," Lieutenant Davis reported. There were some hushed celebrations on the bridge that Jackson allowed as his crew was elated they'd survived the "warp hop." Though he would never show it, he was as relieved as they were.

"Okay, everybody." Jackson stood and raised his hands to get them back on task. "That was the dangerous one. Now that we're clear of the Zulu System's boundary debris, we can more carefully plot our course back to Terran space. OPS, tell Engineering to bring all primary and redundant systems back online and fire the mains. Nav, begin calculating our exact position and start plotting me a course back to the Xi'an System from here. Commander Wright, you have the bridge."

Chapter 7.

"Position confirmed," the chief sitting at the nav station reported. "We're now in the Xi'an System."

"Tactical, start full active scans of the system," Celesta said.

"Ma'am, we have three CENTCOM transponders squawking in-system," Lieutenant Keller reported from the com station. "Generic codes, no ship registry or unit designation."

"Can you determine ship type?" Celesta asked.

"No, ma'am."

"Activate our transponder, standard hail," Celesta ordered. "Tactical, try to get me at least a class type on those ships, and continue scanning the system. OPS, have the Ares configured for normal flight."

"Ma'am, we're getting a request to stop active scans," Keller said after they'd been in the system for a little over an hour. "The message came in on standard encryption with the correct time increment."

"Tell them we will comply when they provide command authority," Celesta said. "Until then, keep scanning."

"I'm getting the initial returns on two of the ships, ma'am," Barrett said. "Eighty percent certainty that they're CIS Prowlers. The third seems to have disappeared."

"Which means it has active stealth capability," Celesta said. "Cease active scans-low-power anti-collision radar only. Coms, let me know if they bother replying. I'd still like to know exactly who we have in this system with us."

"Ma'am, incoming message coded for you," Keller said.

"Is it addressed generically to the CO? Or did they ask for Captain Wolfe by name?"

"No, ma'am... it's an encrypted message specifically to Commander Wright," Keller said. "Forwarding it now."

Her interest piqued, Celesta entered her credentials and pressed her thumb to the display so that the computer could get a biometric reading. As she read, she could feel her expression morph from one of mild surprise a blushing red anger, her fists clenching tightly at her sides.

"Helm, stabilize our flight." She worked to unclench her jaw. "Attitude thrusters only. Maintain zero thrust, and heave to... We will have a ship coming alongside to dock shortly. OPS, please inform Commander Juarez to expect a CIS Broadhead at our starboard airlock, and send a runner to wake Captain Wolfe and inform him he will have a visitor."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Davis said.

"Do you wake up every morning and think of new and interesting ways to fuck up my world, Wolfe?" Agent Pike stomped across the flexible gangway from his small Broadhead and onto the Ares.

"Nice to see you too, Pike." Jackson crossed his arms. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We should probably speak in your office... alone." Pike's face showed none of the sardonic wit Jackson had come to associate with the man when he was in his real persona, or at least what he assumed to be his real persona.

"Follow me." Jackson nodded his head toward the hatch.

He led the CIS spook through the ship, until coming to a lift that would take them straight up to Officer Country and the command deck. The Starwolf-class ship was mercifully shorter in both length and height than the Raptor-class had been, so they were stepping into the well-appointed office mere minutes after leaving the starboard airlock.

"Just so you know, I've got two more Prowlers in the X-ray System trying to figure out what to do with your dead Alpha." Pike closed and locked the hatch. "Hell of a shot."

"Lucky shot," Jackson corrected, indicating to one of the chairs, but Pike had already flounced into one. "Somehow I doubt you've brought four CIS Prowlers out to the Frontier just to collect a carcass that isn't going anywhere."

"No," Pike said, "I came to find out where the hell one of the Fleet's brand new destroyers had flown off to by itself. Nice job sending the rest of the squadron back in complete disarray. Three of the four COs were relieved of duty."

"Who survived?" Jackson wasn't necessarily surprised. Maybe Pike was here to relieve and take him into custody.

"Forrest."

"Good."

"Really? I thought you two hated each other," Pike said.

"We still do on a personal level, I'm sure," Jackson smiled. "But she showed real courage and skill when that Alpha charged. So... aren't you going to ask me what I found out past X-ray?"

"Don't. Just... don't." Pike removed a flask from his jacket. "I'm not listening to this story sober. Knowing you, there's probably a whole new species out there you managed to declare war on." He took a long pull off the flask and offered it to Jackson, who shook his head. "Really?"

"Haven't touched the stuff since that one last drink in Marcum's office." Jackson tried not to let his discomfort at the subject show. "I had to go through a pretty intense detox program when they weaned me off all the pain killers during the physical rehab. I figured as long as I was already sober, might as well try and stay that way."

Pike seemed to consider that as he took another long drink. "So if you weren't drunk when you went chasing the Phage out beyond the Frontier by yourself, what were you doing?"

"I was just trying to gather information while the trail was hot," Jackson said. "I had no intention of engaging the enemy without support. We even managed to pull it off, and trust me, when you see what we found, you'll be thanking me."

"Don't hold your breath," Pike said. "Show me what you've got."

Without any preamble, Jackson played him some of the sensor logs he'd stitched together into a single file that he'd intended to put as the header to his report. Pike watched the whole thing silently, his eyes narrowing as he took it all in. As soon as it ended, he played it again in its entirety before leaning back in his chair and pawing at his jacket for his flask again.

"We are so fucked."

"Their most logical point of ingress will be the Xi'an System again," Jackson said. "Every one of their incursions has come through here. If we can get the Ninth back along with both Black Fleet battlegroups, we might be able to hold long enough Pike assumed a pained expression at the mention of all the Fleet assets he was listing. "What?"

"Black Fleet has been recalled to Haven," Pike said. "They won't be coming to this system for some time."

"What are you talking about?" Jackson asked. He wasn't completely sure the squirrely CIS Agent wasn't just screwing with him for fun. "Haven?"

"There've been some... developments... since you departed and came back out to the Frontier," Pike said. "Since there hasn't been any real action along this front until recently, the sense of urgency has been all but lost. In fact, some of the enclaves don't feel the threat is worth the risk and are withdrawing their support for the campaign." Jackson stared at the spy as if he'd grown a second head.

"All of that aside, why has the Seventh been recalled?"

"CENTCOM feels there is a genuine threat to the Confederacy as New America and Britannia have both made declarations that they would refuse any demands they participate in a war they're now accusing you of starting," Pike said. "Not their exact words, of course, but you get the point. They've even insinuated that their respective numbered fleets would be used to enforce their policy decisions."

"New America and Britannia have threatened to attack Haven?" Jackson leaned back, reconsidering the offer of Pike's flask. "This is insane. We've only been gone for three months! How the hell does this happen?"

"It's been simmering for a couple of years," Pike assured him. "This is all posturing and empty threats... I think. The real reason for the lack of cooperation is that the two enclaves aren't willing to let the First and Fourth Fleets make way for the Frontier and leave them open. In the minds of a lot of people, this is a problem for the AU and the Alliance."

"They're really blaming me for starting the war?" Jackson asked, for some reason finding that important.

"You know how news media is." Pike shrugged. "They don't know about the AU's illicit colony building, and they have to have someone to pin it on. The politicians recognize an easy out when they see one, so they've elected not to correct them."

"It's not as if you were universally loved anyway," Pike offered. "Pinning the pending war on an Earther is almost comforting for a lot of the population on Haven."

"Careful," Jackson warned.

"I don't care where you're from." Pike waved him off. "The point is that I think we have to face the reality that we're going to surrender the Xi'an System to the Phage. We don't have sufficient forces available to hold here, especially with what you've just shown me."

"I haven't even shown you the best part," Jackson said with a grim smile.

He reached over and played the queued up footage of the high-resolution optical and radar scans of the three enormous constructs the Jacobson drone had transmitted before self-destructing. Pike just stared at the screen once the video had played.

"I'll need to send all this to CIS," he said hoarsely.

"Lieutenant Davis is already packaging everything into a com drone," Jackson said. "I stopped her from launching when I heard you were in the system, in case you wanted to add anything to it before it hits CENTCOM and CIS."

"I think I will," Pike said. "May I use your terminal?"

"There is no way in hell I'm giving you unfettered access-"

"Captain Wolfe to the bridge!"

Jackson locked out his terminal before rushing out through the hatch, not bothering to see if the CIS operative was behind him.

"Report!"

"Two Prowlers just transitioned into the system and ordered a full withdrawal," Celesta said. "They're reporting that three Alphas and an indeterminate number of Bravos are likely inbound. They left the system just as the Phage arrived in the X-ray System and began cannibalizing their dead comrade."

"They're already coming back in to establish a beachhead in this system," Pike said from behind Jackson. "Our ships are designed for quiet interdictions, we can't stand and fight a Phage force this big."

"We're not staying," Jackson said. "Lieutenant Davis, allow Agent Pike to append a message onto the com drone package, and then launch it. We'll be following shortly behind it."

"Commander Wright, would you be so kind as to order the Prowlers out of the system," Pike said with a wide smile. "They know I'm over here, so just use my name as the authorization. Tell one of them to drop the usual drone package before hitting their jump point."

Celesta said nothing to the CIS agent but walked around behind the command dais and gave the com officer her instructions.

"Captain, we need to get to Haven as quickly as possible," Pike continued. "It pains me to say this, but your ship is significantly faster than mine. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to hitch a ride with you."

"You're going to leave that Broadhead here for the Phage?" Jackson asked.

"And lose my baby? Not on your life." Pike snorted. "It can fly itself back home and even be docked and fueled by the time I get around to retrieving it. I'll just grab some things and send it on its way back to Haven."

"Commander, how long until those Alphas reach Xi'an?" Jackson asked as Pike jogged off the bridge.

"The Prowler captain we spoke to wasn't sure," she said. "She did say that they made their way across to that dead Alpha at a fairly leisurely pace and didn't look to be in any hurry. They got away clean, no pursuit, so it could be hours, or it could be weeks."

"This could all just be according to their own internal schedule and has nothing to do with us, sir," Davis said.

"Or they could have gotten word somehow that an Alpha died in the X-ray System and were just now getting around to retrieving it," Jackson said. "Either way, we're operating under the assumption that their ultimate goal is Xi'an... again. Let's get everything buttoned up and get out of here. Let engineering know we'll be starting main engines as soon as that Broadhead is detached."

"Captain, Flight OPS is reporting that our starboard airlock is secure and the Broadhead is ready for departure." Lieutenant Keller relieved an ensign at the com station.

"OPS, disengage the mooring clamps," Jackson said.

"Clamps disengaged and supports retracting," Davis said. "Broadhead is thrusting away to starboard."

"Start main engines," Jackson said. "Prepare for departure. Nav, plot a course for the Haven jump point, best possible performance. We need to transition out of this system before the Phage make it here. Otherwise, it's the long way around."

"Main engines are up."

"Course is plotted and locked."

"Helm, engage on new course," Jackson said. "Ahead full."

"Ahead full, aye."

Nothing they'd observed so far led CENTOM to believe that the Phage had any way to track a ship once it transitioned to warp, other than extrapolating a destination based on the last known trajectory. Jackson felt reasonably justified in taking a direct line to Haven, rather than bouncing around the Frontier when an entire armada of CIS ships had just cleared the system. Still, there was a nagging doubt at the back of his head that made him wish he'd at least bounced through Neatlantia before heading for home. Singh had theorized that they might be able to detect the warp lanes by the expanding interstellar particles the passing of each ship continued to push out and away, but if that were the case, there was little he could do to keep the Phage ignorant of the core worlds.

He'd set Pike up with a terminal in his quarters and, against his better judgment, allowed him access to the Ares's servers so the spy could go over all the raw intel they'd gathered in the Zulu System and he could do his own analysis on the flight back. In return, Pike had provided him with information on the current political discord so that he could be prepared when they got back to Haven.

From what he could tell, it seemed to be an acute case of war-fatigue that had set in before the war had even actually started. The citizenry had been getting hit over the head for over three years about the pending threat with nothing really happening. As the media was wont to do, their reports became more and more hysterical and fantastical, in an attempt to keep their audience interested, until people were no longer paying any attention. In fact, many believed it was just a ploy by the Confederacy to tighten its grip on the enclaves.

Now that the threat was presenting itself again, people were no longer willing to be frightened into action. Jackson's name did appear in many reports, but more as a bumbling rube than the hothead captain who kicked off an interstellar war. He wasn't actually sure which he preferred.

He eventually became disgusted at all the political wrangling over an issue that shouldn't be political at all and closed all the files. He tried to delve into the CENTCOM after-action report on the three demoted captains from Ninth Squadron and, if anything, became even more disgusted, finally switching off his terminal to take a walk and clear his mind.

"Is this seat taken?"