I Icatus

Part Four - On the Move

With the word, “Commander on deck”, the entire flotilla came into attention like one, with their boots hitting together, echoing in the huge interior of flight deck 1.

Nesh ceremonially walked over to the middle in front of the troops, slowly overlooking the first row with well-deserved pride.
“Good morning 1005th Flotilla”, he yelled and with a roof-lifting roar as one they returned:
“Good Morning Commander”.
Nesh tried to hold back a smile and restrained himself. “I’m glad to see you all again.”
“At ease”.
“Men”, he started. “I know pretty much all of you, having had the pleasure to fight along side you since the beginning of the Nommo campaign. Just a couple of cycles ago we were all under the impression that we could look forward to a long and well deserved shore leave after the seize fire. Well, as we all know, that will not happen. Yet.” He added and heard a small murmur of laughter.
“You all might wonder where we are or what we are up to…but there’s very little I can tell you about that, even if I knew. But we have been issued the new complement of fighters and fighter bomber crafts, our ranks are once more filled and we are onboard a new kind of fleet, which is faster, stronger and ready to counter any threat we might have to face.”
“Lets not speculate on where we are going or whom we are going to face, instead, spend this time we have at our disposal to get familiar with our new equipment. I know that the new ships are enhanced but they are also a little sluggish compared with our previous ones, so the last thing I want is any of you getting your ass shot off, “ and with that he heard some more laughter, “because you didn’t learn all there is to learn about these new toys.”
He paused and noted that the carrier just started moving, due to a noticeable vibration through the hull.

“Men – we are now moving towards whatever final destination there might be. Ten whole armadas. Four of the newest Long range, three missiles and three carriers. An awesome total force of 320 main ships. Never before seen in any of our fleets. And whoever we might be going up against, will for sure be awed by this massive fleet.”
He nodded and his second in command shouted:
“As you were…”

Later on in his small quarters his second in command knocked on his door and entered when he told him so.
“At ease, please sit”, he pointed at a chair next to the small desk. His second in command, Lat’k, immediately sat down. “So?”
Nesh looked at him over the information on his communicator screen. “I honestly don’t know.”
Lat’k raised his eyebrow. “You’re kidding me?” and with that the commander shook his head. “No, not even once.”
How about captain Egad?”
“He’s not joining us, he went back to the Nommo Theater this morning with light speed.”
“Wow, they are sending that carrier back?”
“Yep.”
After a couple of minutes of silence. “Raas?”
“Don’t know, but I don’t think so because there’s already third task force working on that front, beside, the Raas is fleeing away from our ships as fast as they can.”
“Ithkul?”
“That could be it, but they haven’t been doing much towards our north western block lately.”
“So…”
“Yeah, only one place left as far as I know.”

…..

In the central mess hall, about five hundred seats large High Admiral Varn stood stiff and proud, overlooking every captain of the 320 ship large fleet.
“The moment is here, soon we will strike against the Orions, as our gods have commanded us” and the roar from the captains destroyed the silence.