Quoted By:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now, you begin to feel her dreaded tyranny. After four months of shipboard time, over a year has passed at your destination. Space behind you is oppressively dark, but the sky in front of you glows with unnatural light: radio messages from the Theta Ophiuchii system, compressed into the visual spectrum by relativistic blueshift.
You hear contact requests first, none of which are answered. You hear the distress calls next – first in the familiar request-cadence of the triumvirate, next as a scattered, panicked wave of individual transmissions. They arrive in a surging wave and taper quickly.
The last few messages include recorded video.
You see destroyers and armed landers descending through an atmosphere choked with windborne sand. You see searchlights in the distance – followed by the flash of starship-grade weapons saturating surface targets with the same casual disregard you once exercised.
One week of shipboard time before arrival. You uncurl your firsts and realize that your nails have drawn blood. In a few days, your crew-clades would awaken from unfamiliar dreams and discover their fighters in the hangers below, tuned in accordance with their genetic memories.
But tonight, there is only you and the ship. You clench your fingers again, and review her systems:
>OFFENSIVE. The escort carrier is specialized for engaging capital and sub-capital ships. You will rely on your squadrons to attack fighters and maneuverable enemies.
>BALANCED. The escort carrier can engage both large ships and maneuverable fighters.
>DEFENSIVE. The escort carrier is specialized for destroying fighters. You will rely on your squadrons to engage heavier ships.
…followed by her transponder.
>CURRENT. The current transponder names the ship as the AUTUMNAL GLORY, a PERIHELION-CLASS escort carrier.
>YOURS. You remember your transponder code, for you have only carried one. This ship will be known as the SOLSTICE, a PERIHELION-CLASS escort carrier.
