Star Wolves - The Tribes of Yggdrasil: Book 1

Chapter 20

Four small corvettes and two slightly larger destroyers, towed six of the SID's unfinished battleships toward the Hrymar flotilla. The Unity, North Bay, Xiamen and the Perth, were half of the active system defense force for the SID. Three of their sister ships had been destroyed in the first contact with the enemy, where they had bravely placed themselves in the path of the Hrymar flotilla, knowing escape was unlikely, but making the sacrifice anyway; for their friends, their family ... for Earth.

Molly Coogan, Perth's Captain, knew the coming battle would be Humanity's most pivotal trial. Coogan was reminded of something a Yank from the twentieth-century had said:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Earth had been at peace for a long time, her people had not been recently tested in war; how would humanity perform, she wondered. How would she perform?

"Comms, open a channel to the Syracuse."

"Aye, m'am," replied her comms officer, "channel open."

"Syracuse here," Captain Lawrence Hendrick said, "what's up, Molly?"

"Just checking in, sir, we have five minutes to contact. In three minutes we'll be commencing separation," Coogan said.

"We're good to go. I hope you're around next time I run out of gas, Molly," Hendrick said with a wink.

"Yes, sir, glad to help."

Hendrick leaned forward in his seat, as if to emphasize his next words. "And, Captain..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Good hunting out there."

Coogan nodded. "And to you, sir."

The Syracuse had no propulsion at all; once they separated, she couldn't evade or retreat. Molly didn't like leaving her like this, but her corvette couldn't stand up to some of the larger ships in the Hrymar flotilla. Once she disengaged with the Syracuse, the Perth was ordered to fall back to Earth orbit and protect the cities.

She knew Hendrick must be an incredible man, and she wished she had gotten to know him better. He was a man who smiled and stood tall in the face of challenge and controversy. God be with you Captain Hendricks, she thought.

Hendrick had seen some action fighting pirates on Earth, but this was Molly's first battle. She had struggled to prove herself throughout her career, always defending her competence and insisting her significant beauty was not the reason for her rapid promotion, and in fact it hadn't been; she was brilliant and beautiful-a curse.

By virtue of birthplace, she had grown up loving the outdoors and spent countless weekends surfing Australia's golden coast, where she was right at home with her flaxen hair and sea-blue eyes. She hoped she would get to see the ocean again.

"Two minutes to separation, sir," said Skofnung's comms officer.

"Thank you, O-1," said Captain Antonio Cadena, "let's hope this works," he muttered.

"Open a channel to the Ottawa," Cadena ordered.

"Open a channel, aye, sir ... channel open."

"Leaving us so soon, Antonio?" Ottawa's Captain, Victoria Strickland, asked.

"Yes, m'am, my comms officer has initiated the two minute countdown."