Unholy Star, Beyond Faith

On the bridge of the Ascent

Sam walked out of the rectory securing Eiko's holster straps under her arms. The old-fashioned, leather harness fastened three notches smaller than the imprint left on the belts by the Dean's broad shoulders.

Honi walked up to her, "What was that all about?" he asked anxiously, "Are you two fucking again?"

"It's nothing like that." She looked her lover in the face and whispered so that no one could hear, "He's taking himself out."

Honi ran his hand over his crew crop and shook his head. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it. Do you think he'd offload these if it wasn't going to happen?" She indicated to the guns.

"Desperate times." reflected Honi, turning to watch Eiko storm out of his cabin wielding a heavy trident.

The Dean stopped before the bridge's view screen. Currently, the display provided a wall-wide view of the scene outside of the ship, but it could be made to show other scenes or anything that the Captain decided to present. He placed the safe end of the three-pronged spear on the ground and held it out, standing proud and defiant as the New Freedom Operahouse came into view. He had been working on his young body after his recent gefresh and now presented a perfect specimen of fit, masculine physique. Sam watched him standing before the cloudy nebula on display, He looks like a god, she thought to herself. No, he is a god -- if only the God I've dedicated my life to was like Eiko, I'd be the most devout Churchman alive. The thought was a revelation to her: there was more.

"Let's see the opera house please Harris". Requested Eiko.

The viewscreen faded out and back into a zoomed in panorama of the opera house so that the platform filled the screen end to end. Instead of the standard flat structure, the antique performing arts platform was formed from a gentle, sine-like wave with the surface structures modelled on a series of massive white domes that looked like sails.

"Show me the entry points as they relate to the main theatre."

After a moment green highlights appeared over the screen; they marked the entries and mapped the corridors that lead to the theatre, the area of which was also highlighted.

"And, show me the seat allocated for the target, and for the Cardinal."

Two red marks appeared in the theatre. They were on the same box level, but not side by side.

"Rotate around and zoom, so we get a better view of the direct entry points."

The auger complied, and the scene rotated slowly. On the second pass, Eiko pointed. "Ok, here. Sam and Honi, this is where you enter. You will apprehend the target quietly while I provide a distraction. Bring him to the ship for questioning; this is a catch and release." He emphasised the words catch and release. "There will be local security who will not pose resistance;  but the target's bodyguards might -- if required, take them out without weapon fire; and the Cardinal's guard, well, they're on our side, right?

"Let's find a berth. Show me the harbour."

The screen zoomed out from the opera house to show a group of hundreds of vessels lined up in structured arrays that formed an oblong rectangle. The ships in the virtual harbour represented just about every size and make of pleasure vessel that existed in the galaxy.

"There doesn't seem like any space for us to dock near the facility. All berths have been allocated," reported Harris.

"When has that ever been a problem for us in the past?" observed Eiko, and instructed, "Locate Pongo Pygmeaus' vessel and take us to its location. I dare say his crew have already alerted him of our arrival, so there will be no need for caution. We just need to ensure, in the slim case that he makes it out, he can't make a getaway."

"Yes, Captain." replied Harris.

The black, crystalline death squad cruiser moved down into harbour of luxury yachts. The target's vessel was not the biggest or most expensive ship in the yard, but it was impressive by normal measures. But not when sitting next to the Cardinal's ship, the Ptolemy which completely overwhelmed the ships that had berthed around it.

While the Ascent was a floating dark crystal designed to evoke fear and dread at its presence. The Ptolemy, on the other hand, was a shining white crystaline beacon of light. As the Church's highest ranking officials reporting only to the Pope Admiralty, the personal ships of the Cardinals were designed to evoke awe. A sister class of the death squad cruiser, the Cardinals' cruisers packed the same firepower but were slightly faster than their sister vessels.

"Park us close to the Ptolemy." ordered Eiko.

He lifted the trident and looked to Sam and Honi. "Ready?"

His teammates nodded.

As they were leaving the bridge, Sam noticed an acolyte by the hatch. They held a spear, and, even though all of the acolytes dressed in the same thick, light grey robe, Sam could tell by her stance that this was their acolyte. Sam stopped as she was about to leave the deck, "What are you doing here?" Sam asked the trainee, "You were not summoned."

"I thought I might be of assistance."

"You thought wrong. Not this time. Believe me; this is not the assignment you want to kick off your career."

"But--"

"That will be all acolyte."

Sam left the bridge and was hit by an usual wave of dread. The feeling, she reasoned, was a portent for the mess to come.