To Do List
© 2022 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  rabbi-tom


Six heavy cruisers outphased just outside Lalande’s system perimeter, moving quickly and precisely to take their assigned positions in the patrol formation. Aboard Bōank, Varan noted the arrangement and glanced at Communications. “Send to all ships: Begin patrol, pattern 1-Sh.”

“Yes, Captain.” He relayed the message and as the images of the ships shifted in the tactical display he said, “All ships acknowledging.”

“Thank you.” The five cruisers were roughly the same age as her own ship, give or take a tenth-year or two, and like Bōank they were named for various weapons or warlike qualities such as Valor and Merit. Of course, the Imperial Fleet had thousands of cruisers, so names tended to attract numbers to tell them apart.

With the ships fanned out, sensors conducted a series of sweeps to ensure that normal space, at least, was clear before the formation inphased and began the patrol pattern.

Several cycles later, nothing had been found, and Varan opened a list of tasks forwarded to her by Admiral k’Daridh. Most of the items on the list were a series of maneuvers to test the junior captains’ responses to various scenarios, while others required her to assess the performance of each of her subordinates.

The final item on the list gave Varan pause: Assess your own effectiveness as a leader.

Varan had always tried to be truthful to herself about how she did in training, to the point of being her own worst critic. Aka, she would do her best, of course.

Over the next few days, she implemented several of the tasks on the list, and noted that the other captains were performing well. Being just out of training within Imperial space, she wouldn’t expect them to do otherwise, and they were also doing well in combat simulations.

She was off duty, composing a letter to Meredith, when her cabin intercom chimed for attention. “Captain g’Raf, report to Command.”

Varan brushed her tail against the intercom. “G’Raf. Situation?”

“Ma’am,” the shift’s Duty Officer said, “Mevikjir is reporting a sensor contact.”

“Aka?”

“Hyperspace wake, inbound our position. From Terran space.”

She was already pulling on her uniform. “Announce Step One Alert, I’m headed to Command.” Alarms began to shrill as she pulled on her boots and went to get into her armor.

“All ships report Step One, Ma’am,” the Duty Officer said as Varan entered the command center. Like her, the crew were in armor; the tactical display showed that the other five ships were also on a battle footing. The Weaponeer stood at the center of the holographic position, ready to take control from the Pilot.

“Good,” Varan said. “Analysis?”

“Power readings indicate Terran ships,” Sensors reported. “At least two battleships, with escorts.”

Varan took a breath, and let it out slowly. “Communications?”

“Contact report sent to Lalande, response received. They’re relaying to Wangguan, and their defenses – “ She paused. “Communications are being jammed.”

“Understood. Can we still communicate with the patrol?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Instruct them to fall back to here,” and she traced her gloved finger on her repeater screen, “and voice comms on me, please.”

“Ready, Gartabin.”

“All ships,” Varan said as confidently as she could, “this is Gartabin g’Raf aboard Bōank. Fall back to the designated position and prepare for maneuvers as required. It is our responsibility to defend Lalande, and I know that we shall.” She gestured and the channel closed as she noted that the other five cruisers were obeying her instructions – not running, but withdrawing in good order to assist the system and planetary defense stations.

However . . .

“All ships,” Varan said, “will sow gravitic mines as they withdraw. Proximity fused.” She sat back then, her tail twitching in its armored sheath as the patrol group withdrew to cover the Lalande System.

They were outnumbered, but the Terrans would fear the Empire’s claws before the last cruiser was destroyed.