After the storm

March 29 14,998 ATS

Three large rectangular hospital ships, with red crosses, accelerate through the void. Escorted by five small frigates and the genghis khan.

The three hospital ships are full of people mourning the loss of their loved ones and leaving their home. The wards so full of wounded, others laid on the floor, tables in the mess hall, the kitchen and the hallways. Their blood dripping and staining everything. Medical teams, nurses, and doctors treated their injuries the best they could.

Everything is in chaos. There were too many people and too understaffed to handle.

In one of the wards, Jenna, her uniform stained with blood, sits beside one of the beds watching over a wounded girl.

It was Emily. Her head and torso wrapped in bandages, her broken right leg covered in a cast.

The Jenna yawns, tired from a task she finished earlier. She reaches for her breast pocket in her jacket making sure the object she held was still there, then she heard a groan.

Emily's eyes slowly open, waking up from her long sleep. Feeling light headed, nauseus, her vision a bit blurry. The Jenna stande up and takes a closer look. Her eyes cant believe it.

"Emily?" Jenna asks.

Turning her head, she stares at the Jenna's cobalt blue eyes. Her vision getting clearer, she looks around and sees the refugees and wounded people.

She doesnt recognize Jenna at first. Looking back to the Jenna, she notices her earth pearl necklace.

"Jenna?" Emily asks with a weak, but very alive voice.

"Emily you're awake! Abby! Get Dr. Brein right now!" Jenna orders a nurse nearby. The nurse rushing towards a doctor just as told. Joy present in her voice with a wide smile.

"Its so good to see you're alright Emily!"

Emily tries to sit up right but feels her abdomen hurt. Her blanket falls down revealing more bandages wrapped around her.

"Emily dont try sitting up yet." Jenna reminds her, worried that she might her herself by accident. "You just got out of surgery yesterday. I'll adjust your bed, is it alright?"

Emily merely nods, clutching her abdomen.

Standing up her seat, Jenna quickly find the remote to adjust her bed. The bed raising her up into a sitting position. Now having a clearer view at her body and arms, she can see the bandages wrapped around her stained with blood. She feels the pain in her wounds, thankfully something nullifies it.

Hearing a commotion at the entrance of the ward. The nurse named Abby followed by a Doctor wearing a white suit and lab coat enters the ward. Jenna waves her hand to make it easier for them to know where they are going. As both people Jenna called for earlier comes to them, Emily starts breathing rapidly. The heart monitor beating louder, her heart rate slowly rising. Turning her head, Jenna see's Emily hyperventilating, nervousness and fear all over her face.

"Emily, its okay. they're not gonna hurt you." Jenna assures her. Trying to stop Emily from panicking and hurting herself. "They're just going to make sure you're alright. You're wounds havent healed yet."

"Are you sure?" Emily asks with her voice trembling. Still afraid of what will happen.

"Yes, they'll make sure you're okay."

Looking around the room again. Emily glance back and forth from one part of the ward to the other.

"Where's Paxy?"

Jenna's chest tighten at the sudden question. Her smile dissapearing quickly. Staying silent for a second she composes herself, taking a large breath and gaining the courage to talk again.

"Is it alright if I say it after they check you? Trust me. Its better if I tell you later."

Emily's wants to speak again where Paxy she is but. It seems it'll have to wait. The pain of her wounds keeping away her focus.

"...Okay." Emily replies.

The doctor and nurse arrive and immediately starts checking every part of her. Her legs, her arms, her head, eyes and mouth. Grabbing a medical scanner from his bag, Dr. Breiner examined her while Jenna watched the doctor from the foot of Emily's bed.

Checking again the object in her pocket.

•••

Admiral Ren sat quietly in his seat. Having just transferred wounded refugees that docked yesterday with the Genghis Khan to the hospital ships and having a crisis of understaffed medical personell. Now another problem has risen.

His eyes locked in the transmission sent a few hours ago. A fleet managed to evacuate from the Gremo mining colonies, requesting to rendezvous with the fleet consisting of a single transport ship, two frigates, a scout ship, tanker and cruiser.

The Gremo fleet troubles him. The situation is probably worse than he had initially assumed. Only them and a few Gremo ships have managed to escape the carnage. He asked the Gremo fleet if there were other survivors. Like him however, they have no idea.

The transport ship carried five hundred people. All unharmed and healthy, troubling him even more. If they were the only ones that successfully escaped, then the confederates goal was to massacre the entire system. And conquer the only habitable planet. Calhoun Alpha.

"Admiral, I have received a report from the observation deck." Elizabeth appeares in the holo table in front of him.

"Is it the confederates?".

"Yes sir, and they are pursuing us at full speed." Elizabeth materializes a live feed of the confederate ships. "The pursuing confederate fleet consists of three laser gunships and five missile cruisers. They'll be tough to handle with our outdated torpedoes."

"How long will they reach effective firing range?"

"About three days. We'll be long gone before they get into range." Elizabeth shows and zooms the fleet's current heading and path, passing beside the star. "There's a possibility that we will be under fire as we initiate the slingshot maneuver. Hopefully, the star's heat and brightness will mask our heat signatures."

The plan was for the fleet to slowdown in order to change course straight to the inner colonies. But because they are changing velocity, it'll make them vulnerable to enemy fire. But there was another problem.

"And the fleet that will rendezvous with us?"

Elizabeth went silent for a moment, her confident expression shifting to a frown. Already knowing what she will say.

"Im afraid they wont make it in time admiral."

Admiral Ren sighs in disbelief, pinching his nose bridge as he did. He and the crew wished there will be more people to evacuate the system with the fleet. It seems his wishes wont be granted.

"But we can still make calculations to meet them before we make the jump. Assuming they will survive."

"Admiral! Were receiving a laser transmission from the Gremo fleet." A communications officer notifies the admiral."It's urgent sir."

The communications officer walks to the admiral and gives him a tablet. The message being typed in. Locking his eyes on the message, the bridge crew wait for the Admiral to finish. Halfway through the message, he squints his eyes if he's reading it right. His eyes did not deceive him. Giving the tablet back he faces the rest of the crew.

"Everyone, I know you all want the Gremo fleet to rendezvous with us safely. But worry not, they will continue to head for our designated rendezvous point." Admiral Ren announces. The crew cheering and thanking the Gods that they wont be only ones fleeing.

"Unfortnately, only the transport and one of their frigates will meet us." The cheers died down as he spoke. The crew dumbfounded with what he said. "The remaining ships will stay behind and cover our rear. Whatever fuel is left of the tanker has replenished the transport and those not neccessary in the fight boarded the transport as well. The transport now carries eight hundred souls."

Elizabeth can see the warships of the Gremo fleet separating from the transport and escort frigate from the ship's radar and camera's. The cruiser, scout ship and frigate changing course to intercept the pursuing confederate fleet. She looks back at Admiral Ren hoping he may have a plan himself, but considering the situation, there is no plan to help.

"I know some of you wish to help them, but im afraid there is nothing else we can do. Our fleet is low on ammunition and damaged, We cannot risk leaving the hospital ships vulnerable."

The crew stood silent. All they can do now is move forward with the plan and make sure the hospital ships were safe.

"I know this is hard, but we must focus on our fleet first for now." Admiral Ren reminds them. His eyes scanning every crew member. "I Know the feeling of leaving behind our fellows, this isnt new. I understand it very much. Lets just hope and pray they make a good mess out of the suckers."

The crew nods at his last statement. Their faces now determiined to push on. It's the only choice to do now.

"Lets get to work people. We have two ships to meet up." Admiral Ren calmy orders the crew. Saluting, the crew goes back to continue their duties.

Looking at the holo table as the crew make preparations for defending the ship during their slingshot maneuver. The ships that separated from Gremo fleet estimated to intercept the confederate fleet in exactly three days.

•••

Emily stayed quiet in her bed. The nurse and doctors have just finished checking her a few minutes ago and proceeded to check on the other patients on board. Jenna meanwhile talks to the doctor. Emily cant hear them clearly from all the noice in the ward.

Jenna finishes talking with the doctor, shakes hands and walk away from each other. Sighing as Jenna slowly grabs her seat.

"What did he say?" Emily asks.

"He said that your leg is going be fine. With the nano healers doing their work. Youll be able to walk again within a week." Jenna answers.

"There's nothing wrong with me?"

"Nope. He said that you're going to be fine right?" Jenna replies. Stuttering as she did. "Yeah. Nothing wrong with you hehe. Why dya ask?"

Jenna smiles as she answered. Her voice sounding like she's pretending to be happy.

Emily looks down at her body with a frown. Jenna scratces her head and glance around the ward thinking what she should say next, considering what her friend's been through.

"I-is there something wrong?"Jenna see's her hand on her stomach. Smiling, she thinks she found Emily's problem.

"Are you hungry?" Emily said nothing. Her expression not changing. "Yup. Your definitely hungry. I'll go grab food in the mess hall and....."

"Where's Paxy?"

Jenna stiffens at Emily's question before she could even stand up. Her grip on the arm rest of the chair she sat tightening, and her smile disappearing again. Waiting for one of them to speak. Jenna glancing back and forth across the ward again as she waits.

"I was with her at the square. Where is Paxy?"

Jenna still doesnt answer and scratches her head and rubs her neck. Facing Emily for a moment, her face clearly pleading for her to talk before looking away from her again. She sighs, reaches for her jacket's breast pocket to retrieve an object she checked minutes ago.

Extending her arm and opening her hand. Emily's eyes widen. It was a green crystal with a black cord connected to it. It was a necklace. Paxy's necklace.

Emily feels dumbstruck. Slowly taking the necklace from Jenna's hand, she examines it closely with her fingers. Rubbing the crystal slowly with her thumb.

"When me, some soldiers and other survivors arrived just outside the village square we saw the confederate jets bomb it." Jenna laments. Her voice slightly quavering. "There were so, many bodies, I thought you all died. Until I saw you being tended to by a medic. With Paxy's corpse beside you."

Gasping at what Jenna said to her, her chest and throat began tightening.

"Im sorry. Her necklace is all that I could bring with me. There was nothing else I could do."

Jenna lowers her head after disclosing what she witnessed on that day. The horror she saw. Her friend's dead body. Emily's body goes numb and feels nauseous, her arms drooping.

The confederate's attack. The bombs dropping on top of the village square. Her leg broken by shrapnel. The death of her friends and parents.

Tears drop on her hand and Paxy's necklace as she began to pule. Her face becoming red and blotchy. Her weak cries made Jenna look at her. Standing up from her chair she embraces Emily. Her friend embracing her back as tears continue to drop.

•••

Three days has passed and the fleet has begun the slingshot maneuver with the help of the Calhoun system's star. All ships synced to each other. Altering their course directly for the Rhombus colony cluster. The three day voyage was uneventful, but it was tense.

Elizabeth and observation crews constantly monitored both the Gremo fleet and confederate fleet growing closer to each other. Both fleets fired torpedoes yesterday and are hours away from effective railgun range. The battle has began before they even made contact with each other.

"That asshole better come back alive." A crewman exclaims. "That guy owes me a tab!"

"Anyone you know in the Gremo fleet, Lieutenant Racker?" Elizabeth asks.

"Yes maam. Gunner Maldiv. Best gunner i've ever seen. Shot an asteroid and pirate skiff without even using calculations and targeting computer."

"If he is a good gunner as you say he is then he better win and make it out the battle alive."

Admiral Ren observes their course change. The curving arcs being their course bending as the engines continue to burn.

"All ships, on my mark, cease acceleration." The Admiral orders. The fleet almost reaching the desired course.

Three. Two. One. Mark!" At his command, all ships of the fleet shut their thrusters down. The crew and civillians now became weightless. Activating their mag boots, the crew attach themselves to the floor.

"Elizabeth is the transport and frigate nearby?"

"Yes Admiral. They are two thousand kilometers and closing. Showing their location now." Elizabeth zooms in on the transport in the holotable. The IFF on both ships displaying how close to the fleet the ships are.

"Comms. Can you establish a radio connection with the transport and frigate?" Admiral Ren asks hoping to talk with the incoming ships.

"Already did sir. Patching them through to the holotable." The comms officer types on his console before giving a thumbs up to the admiral. Admiral Ren nodding back at the officer.

"This is Admirak Ren of the FSS Genghis Khan. Are you receiving this transmission?" The radio stayed silent for a few seconds before a voice is heard

"This is the captain of the FSS Harley currently escorting transport ship Valentine. We read you loud and clear admiral." Admiral Ren exhales, slightly slouching from his seat. Relieved they are alright.

"Thank the Gods. Are your quantum drives operational? We are making the jump to Rhombus once you're synced with the fleet."

"Yes sir our drives are A-okay. Synchronizing now."

The captain, after conversing with Admiral Ren, immediately sends the sync codes to the ship. Elizabeth types in the codes to confirm if the codes are valid before synchronization. Elizabeth nodds at Admiral Ren. Nodding back, Admiral Ren looks back at the Gremo fleet. Both fleets have begun engaging at railgun range and launching mid range missiles.

"Those bastards better win." Admiral Ren said to himself. Seeing the battle unfold, and too close for comfort, Its time for them to make a move or risk getting hit by a stray missile or railgun slug.

"All ships prepare for jump in my mark. Set jump coordinates to Rhombus colony cluster."

With the order given, the fleet and their new ships orient and allign themselves together, facing their intended destination. All the ships and their crew strapping any loose objects they could find before red warning lights shine and alarms wail, echoing through the ships. The top of the ships open and extend antennas with pinkish glows at the edges. The antennas crackle and spark pink electric bolts, causing a slight tear in the fabric of space.

"Three. Two. One. Mark!"

The antennas retract and springs itself into the tear. The tear growing large enough to fit the ships. Space time and light bending to a messy cone shape at the center of each ship. Like a pen through paper. After fully entering the tear, the tear and fleet dissappears.