My boots clicked against the deck as I neared the bridge. The sound echoing throughout the deck as I held up my PDP in one hand and held my squeeze bottle of coffee, in the other. A space born infantry guard in a suit of power armor stood guard beside hatch leading to the CIC M-66 rifle held close to his chest. "Colonel."

Nodding to the man as he spun opened the hatch for me I stepped over the threshold and into the CIC. "Colonel on deck!" Someone shouted as they saw me.

"As you were," I stated before anyone could stand up. Taking a quick glance to the side as I heard a new sound I saw a small crowd of about eight children and their parents standing by the handrails on the perimeter of the CIC. 'Must have forgotten that was today.' I thought to myself.

"Status report," I asked my exec as he handed me a fresh PDP.

"We are six minutes from Alcubierre transition colonel. Starting final checks now."

Nodding I took another sip from the bulb and before taking my seat in the big chair. "Excellent work lieutenant, I have the watch. Miss Kr'nel give me a running count, mister Gibson status of civilians?"

Speaking into his link the man took several seconds to respond. "Being secured as we speak colonel."

"Running count aye, count zero five minutes, until alcubierre transition." My Sumerian helmsman said without taking her eyes off of the screens.

"Computer bring up the system on the display," I commanded swiveling my chair around to face the holo tank. Instantly a hologram of the planetary system appeared in the middle of the room, getting several excited gasps from the children.

Taking a light pen I circled several energy sources in the vicinity. "Mister Barnett, what are these?"

"Civilian haulers sir. They appear to be in a queue to access the node." The man answers blowing up a larger image of the line of ships. They were indeed UEC ships, but they lacked the size and obvious weapons ports of their larger military counterparts.

"Defiant, zoom in and identify?" I asked pointing to a ship in the line that stood out from the rest of the crowd. The ship's computer zoomed in on the oddly angular ship before rotating the image, placing it center stage on the screen.

[Vessel Identified. Mayhu class freighter. Designation Ringing Bell, manufacturer Zehal heavy industries. Point of origin, Luna orbital shipyard Maller, system Sol. Serial code 3612.752.83-9] The heavy synthesized baritone of the ship's AI boomed out over the speakers.

"One of our civilian ships? What the hell are they doing out this far? Options?"

"They could be scouting for the fleet, sir." My exec offered.

"Explain."

"Well, sir, if you will remember, about a year ago the house opened the edge to private exploration and trade. The fleet saw this as an opportunity and hired several private ship captains to go out into UEC space and conduct reconnaissance because we don't have the ships to spare do the war."

"Beginning the final approach." Tyre my Sensor operator reported from his station.

"Mister Dru'hur put it on the main monitor. Let's give these kids a show." I said with a smile, happy to finally be putting this system behind me, and finally, have a destination.

The large acrylic screen shimmers to life displaying a visual of the ancient wormhole we call an alcubierre node. The giant swirling blue sphere glistened and shimmered like water as the light was bent around its event horizon in a shimmering bubble. Swirling around ita set of four rings spun like a giant old fashioned gyroscope. 'Of course, it's on its maintenance cycle.'

"Begin final check," I said leaning forward. Even as a kid this part of space travel always excited me. The mystery of the nodes and their seemingly random placement in the galaxy.

"Nav Coordinates locked."

"Alcubierre drive is green. L-drive offline."

"Stealth is engaged and running at one hundred over one hundred."

"Turrets locked, tubes sealed."

"Hangers closed."

"Begin countdown…" I began before keeping into the one. "All hands this is the colonel brace for acceleration and stand by for alcubierre transition." My voice called out throughout the entire ship.

Turning to my helmsman I nodded. "Miss Kr'nel. Take us in nice and slow."

"Aye Colonel." The ship bucked from her ballistic heading and we were all slammed into our crash couches as the ship began to accelerate once again.

On the screen, the node seemed to sense our approach. Its rings began spinning faster as if in anticipation of us. Suddenly when we're almost eighty thousand kilometers from the node the first ring stopped dead, hanging vertically.

"Transitioning in ten…"

"Nine." We blazed past the nearest civilian vessels skipping ahead in the line as we drew nearer to our target.

"Eight."

"Seven." At sixty thousand kilometers the second ring suddenly and violently locked into place, stopping dead in line with the first leaving the remaining two to spin increase their pace.

"six."

"Five." Passing the final ship in line I couldn't help but smile as a myrialos child let out a whoop of excitement.

"Four."

"Three." The third ring locked into place as we continued to build up to a sustained four G's of acceleration.

"Two."

"One." The final ring locked into place as we reached the two thousand mile mark. This close the colossal event horizon of the alcubierre node dwarfed the Defiant, taking up our entire screen with the swirling blue event horizon.

"Transition." The sensation was strange. We were moving so fast that we couldn't perceive our passive through the node. Just one moment we were in normal space and the next the view was taken up by the swirling blue, black, and red streams and tunnels of hyperspace. Inwardly I smiled as I heard the children cheer at what, to them who have been trapped on that station for most of their lives seem to be an impossible task.

Gathered in an improvised classroom I sat beside Charlotte and several of my fellow squad members at stacked crates that we had turned into desks. And at the head of the "classroom" stood Avery who was still acclimating to his bionic leg, X, Wraith, and Big Dog who walked almost unhindered despite his previous injuries.

On the screen in front of the room, several two-dimensional images appeared depicting a diagram of what could be mistakenly called a city. "And that is what little we know about the layout of the penal colony." Big dog said.

"This will be a water insertion so be prepared for that. If you haven't already, report to the respawn chamber for a backup. Please, read your PDPs the ships SF A.I Yuna should have uploaded the proper files for Aquatic operational procedure." Fallon said, never in my time knowing him had I seen my mate seem so bored.

"Now for fireteam postings, and assignments." He continued earning a groan from the others in the room. "I know, but once we're done we have the day off." The mood in the room changed at that.

Trombley leaned over to whisper in my auditory membrane conspiratorially. "Finally. The sarge has been running us ragged for weeks."

"Oui. I can't wait." Charlotte's wingman Doll said.

"Must be the leg. I hear it's not syncing properly." Watkins says as X steps up and begins listing off team assignments.

"Team one. Camouflage, Gutsy, Levoy, X."

"Team two. Habu, Iceman, Wraith, Bra'tac."

"And finally, Team three. Big Dog, Watkins, and Durge."

"Shiraui, will be on the planet on stand by. Should we need support. Along with Lucky-13 and Captain Dunois, and lieutenant Terne.

"Alright that's…" he began before being cut off as the light from the holo table turned from the usual red color to a calming blue.

"X we're picking up a distress signal. Sending the data to you now." Colonel Tiegh said over the speaker.

Instantly the calming blue table was filled with what Avery had once described as telemetry data. Stellar coordinates, ship classification, crew rosters scrolled in the display while an ominous cooing filled the room.

With an exasperated sigh X turned to the table. "We've got it."

"Colonel, what do you think?" The veteran Helldiver asked.

Yuna's voice came over the overhead in response. "Protocol says we send aid. Colonel"

"How long until the fleet's supplies are in the red?" Avery asked quietly.

Levoys voice cuts through the silence. The cool emotionless tombra of his voice caught me off guard. "Five weeks. Given estimated consumption of consumable resources and current fuel usage."

Stepping forward Big Dog rests his hands on the holo table. "How long would it take to get there?"

"It's in system, so… Two days of hard burn." Colonel Tiegh responds. This response got a grunt of anger from Avery.

"She wonders Why not jump?" I offered only to get an angry look from Big dog.

"Because Habu…" My suiter begins before adjusting the hologram, blowing it out and displaying the system as a whole. Lifting his bionic be points to the sixth planet in the system. "... There is a UEC scout group at the edge of the system. If we jump they might detect the pulse."

"No." Bra'tac calls outstanding with a grunt of effort. "If I may?" He offered gesturing to the hologram.

"Go ahead." My suiter said stepping back opening the table to my brother.

Bra'tac clears his throat before gesturing to the red icons marking the UEC ships. "The Masters' ships have a unique drive signature. Normally you would be able to slip them with this ship's stealth capabilities. But if you look here, and here you can see that they belong to Raritys seventh fleet. And before I defected Mistress Rarity was in the process of installing new sensors in her ships, so if they are as far as you say then if we "go for the burn" then they will likely detect your ship."

A bang could be heard from the other end of the speaker before Colonel Tiegh spoke again. "And they'll run us down before we get halfway. Damn it. Options?"

"I say we jump if whoever sent that distress signal might need help." Trombley says from his seat beside me.

Turning to Bra'tac Avery let out a tired sigh. "How long will it take the UEC to get there once they get the signal?"

"Fifteen hours? A day at most." My brother said.

"Then it's settled. Whatever's there we need to beat them there. X, Iceman. Put together a team and report to airlock nineteen." Tiegh ordered before disconnecting the line.

"Habu, Levoy, Camouflage, Gutsy. Let's get backed up and let's go. Everyone else get geared up, you're on standby."

Several minutes passed as I followed my suiter to the armory to retrieve our equipment. Taking an M66 from the rack I slapped in a fresh magazine, placed two more in my armor pouches and prepared to move. But something made me stop a cold feeling of dread washed over me. Turning I listened to the voice in the back of my mind and took an M99 from the wall as well before filling up the rest of my pouches with ammunition for the ALHO weapon.

"A bold choice babe. Try not to hit the hull." Avery teased.

With an annoyed hiss, I turned to see him twirling his hand cannon with a mechanical whir from the charge cylindrical pack before sliding it into the holster on his hip. "Hey, is something wrong?" He asked a look of concern plane on his face.

"...No…" I began only to be cut off as he crossed the room quickly shepherding me to a secluded corner.

"Miiora you know if something is bothering you you can tell me. It's my job to take care of you, not only as your fiance but as your squad leader." he said quietly.

"I don't know love. It is just that I'm…" She sighed dejectedly. Her heart was fluttering at the rare display, and she couldn't articulate her thoughts. Didn't her love know that he did this to her?

I took in a lung full of Avery's scent. "I don't know what it is love. But something is telling me that there will be a danger on the ship. Something that we haven't seen before."

Leaning back and crossing his arms he gained a quizzical look. "Hmmm. You could be wrong. But we're a long way from home so anything could happen. Tell me, do you need to stay here? I can pick someone else."

"No. I am can still fight love. Just please, let's be careful."

"That a girl." He said with a heart-melting smile before leaning forward into give me a kiss making me give my species equivalent of a blush as I leaned into him.

'All hands begin jump prep. Three, two, one, jump.'

A flash washed over my vision as we came together. A low throb pulsing through my body as a result of the FTL jump, making me moan as he wrapped his hands around me and pulled me close before breaking off the kiss. I felt the longing for him and tried my best to suppress my mating urge as I saw him retreat slightly.

"Come on babe…" he began before slipping on his bucket. Hiding his face behind a shell of glossy black impervasteel and transparisteel. "Let's go break some shit."

'Extending the docking tube.'

"Alright, we're on the clock so let's make this quick. We go in, sweep for survivors, frag the data core and get out. Stay frosty we have no idea what caused this, so let's not take any chances." Avery said over the squad channel using his best sergeants' voice.

"Alright people. The clock starts now. Were in and out. They would have seen our signature. Habu, Iceman you're in front." Caption Rodriguez spoke up.

"Well, you heard him, people! Were not paid by the hour let's move!" Avery yelled. yelling my alternative I slid on my helmet and followed him out. He was hiding the gentleness I knew was there. That, I felt was saved for me.

Author's Notes:

I'm really sorry for the short length of this chapter. I've just been stuck for so long and have been dealing with a lot of stuff IRL.

I've also been kind of burned out, to be honest, and even thought about canceling the story or deleting it. So to combat this I will probably go back to how I did it in the first story and use shorter chapters. Instead of posting these six or ten thousand word tomes.

Also, I'm probably going to need either an Idea-guy/prereader or a co-author situation to help me out in case I get stuck for this long. So if anyone is interested please send me a PM.