Post by @rdm@aus.social

2026-08-29 15:33 UTC

Mother of All. On approach to Divesen Station, two hours out. "Captain to the bridge" Engel opened his eyes, confused for a couple of seconds. Even after nine days, he was not used to being called 'Captain'. After a few moments, he got up and went forward. They were still at least two hours out, what was going on? Opening the bridge door, the rest of the skeleton crew were clustered around the sensor station. "Captain, over here!" called Alaine. He came over and looked at the radar display. There, in orbit above Mother of All, was a massive ship, easily over a hundred times the size of their tradeship. And the profile the radar returned said 'warship'. Not a piddly little raider, not even one that could overpower Athena twice. This was huge and deadly. "Do we have a beacon ping from it?" he asked. "Yessir" Alaine replied "She's a Scout Service cruiser. The Maui. We'd fit inside her main gun like a pea in a straw." "Any word from the station?" "Yes, we have an approach, but they are directing us to the low port. And there is a Notice to Spacers with a traffic exclusion between the cruiser and the planetary surface." Engel turned "Seeker? What do you make of this?" She frowned "I don't know. They must be here at the Council's request, unless they had some sort of catastrophic failure." He shook his head. This was like finding a friendly 400kg ridgehorn in your garden. "OK, follow the approach they've given us. They know about Bright Sky?" "Yes, we've flagged it as a prize vessel captured from raiders" Dyani supplied. "Good. Give me a call when we are fifteen out from the atmosphere." "Yessir." Back in his cabin, he called the engine room. "Sparks. Go" was the prompt reply. "Sparks? Just a heads up, there's a scout cruiser in orbit." "Which one?" "The Maui. Does it matter?" "Just asking. Did Seeker offer anything up?" "No, she's as clueless as the rest of us." Sparks hummed. "I guess we find out when we make planetfall." "I guess so. Out." Engel lay back down, and failed to get back to sleep. He lay there wondering what was going on for the next hour and a half. "Captain, Bridge. We are fifteen minutes out." "Thank-you." He scrubbed his face, and went forward again. Maybe they would have answers soon. #SF #SFF #SciFi #SpaceOpera #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #ShamanSpace #IAmWriting

Replies (1)

@rdm@aus.social 2026-09-04 03:29

3 Months ago, Council Offices, Divesen Station. Joy looked across her desk at the Scout. They were not human, but one of the many species that had been derived from Earth-species stock in the distant, distant past. Probably by the same unknown race that delivered Joy's ancestors to Mother of All. "Well Scout Instructor you certainly are an unexpected reply to my request." The vocoder on the Scout's chest translated the burst of colours that surged across their skin. "Arriving with the answer seemed an efficient solution to the restrictions limitations of travel times." "You did cause something of a stir when you emerged. The biggest thing we've seen here before was a depot ship, and that was back in Lorn's day." "Are apologies compensations regrets required?" Joy smiled, and made a complex sign with her fingers, indicating a matter of little import "No, just a surprise." "We sign now?" "Yes, I have been authorised by the Council of Elders to sign this modification of the treaty." The Scout Instructor picked up the papers with one tentacle and looked through them. "All is in order correct." And it took a small box out of a harness, pressed the tip of a free tentacle into it, and then at the bottom of each page. Joy took them back, and pressed her inked thumb against each page, and then signed her name. A sign indicating an important query, "Are the lands territories properties clear for us to land arrive?" "Yes, and airspace restrictions have been agreed to." "Good pleasing efficient." "It is for our benefit that we asked you to establish a Scout school here. Will the Maui be here long?" "Apologies error, we understood thought you had knowledge. The Maui is permanently assigned to this station. In case of dramatic major intervention." Joy sat back in surprise. "They've assigned us a Frontier Class cruiser? In case we need to do a full interdiction?" "Correct." "I see. Well, thank-you instructor, I'll let you return to your ship and your duties." "Very good yes Scout Commander." "What?" A burst of bright colours washed across the sophonts skin and it handed an envelope to Joy "Your orders Scout Commander. You have been reactivated." Before she could answer, it flowed out of her office. After a few minutes, Joy opened the envelope. Inside was a new Scout ID card, and her orders to establish a new Scout Base on Mother of All. Starting with a locally-based school. So much for retiring. #ShamanSpace #SF #SFF #SciFi #SpaceOpera #Microfiction #Microfic #tootfic #IAmWriting

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