Chapter 2 - X Off The Lists; Executive Officer On Board.

Aboard the Thraxi-Class Gunship Dragon Slayer
Seven Days after the 'Tendril Tension' Event.

"I'm surprised someone else hadn't taken the name." Nolan set the crate containing her armor into a slot inside the gunship. Clamps attached from below and began to unlock the sealed container. She, the other Valkyries, and Captain Sable were loading the Valkyries' armor into the embarked module. The magnetically sealed crates were placed in front of 'girding closets' that would quickly apply the armor, provided the Valkyrie using it was already wearing her smartskin underlayer. 


"Apparently there's one in the ECC," Sable said from a console near the front of the room. but it's a Battleship," Sable input his Captain's codes, ensuring the process wouldn't be halted. "I'm not worried about any 'awkwardness'." The other armor crates continued their unsealing process and it wasn't long before six relatively new sets of armor hung waiting for battle. 'Relatively' in the sense that some of the outer plating from the armor they'd acquired on the abandoned station had been incorporated into the new armor. 

"So, are you flying this beast all by your lonesome?" Felicity 'Dread Hoss' Roan asked from where her new kit, looking decidedly 'standard' and generically 'multipurpose'.  "I mean the Egg was one thing-"

"I suppose my new crew is going to be made up of those coming in from Sword group." He'd explained the briefing with the top officers and the revelation that, after the work up cruise they'd be out looking for the lost battleship and any sign of the crew had gotten their blood pumping. But they were still on duty, so no time for any 'sparring' just yet.

"We've got room for plenty in here, kind of plush actually." Doc looked at a monitor that showed an interior map of the ship. "I'd say the bunks are on par with what we have on Meri."

"If the Commander said we're going into regions requiring a 'lighter touch'," Corporal Moria 'Darling' Angela locked a nostalgic looking assault rifle into the gun rack beside her armor, along with a heavy caliber machine gun and her energy blade battle ax. "So he might end up sending gunships out on independent ops into the Expanse."

The Expanse was a spread of worlds that most of the known species all had some level of 'territorial' contact on, some more than others. It was a stretch of space RICH with habitable worlds and an irrational number of G and K type stars that had formed habitable planets and moons in improbable density. The 'planet rush' to colonize these worlds had led to various oversights; the ability to control these colonies being the chief among them, and most worlds preferred to coexist with their neighbors, with varying degrees of interaction and isolation. This flew in the face of the aggressive initiatives put forth by the governments that had funded them in the first place.

Both the ECC and the FC had 'lost' colonies to the Expanse, but the Earth Congressional Conglomerate had planned on it, and selected the various 'undesirable' factions to seed the seemingly viable system claimed by the ECC. Once problem began to arise, the ECC subtly reduced funding to develop the colony while continuing to add to its population, while at the same time aid ships were 'forced' to turn back due to 'unsafe' travel conditions.

Turning to Commerce raiding was the only way the people of Echo-Ceti were able to survive. Now their world was the capital to a powerful network of professional hijackers, smugglers, and other 'trades' who operated in the otherwise lawless expanse. While the worlds often had squabbles and skirmishes between each other; internal bickering had always been second to protecting the independence of the Expanse.

In that way, they were a lot like the Frontier Confederation, but will less paperwork and even more racial diversity. It was one of the reasons the FC's Fleet was the only one permitted to move, and rarely operate, within the Expanse; excluding any Rhokum involvement. Everyone was invited to that shit show.

"Oh, I hope we get to go to Horatius!" Beverly 'Verily' Denver perks up. "I've got a cousin there, does... stuff." She paused and coughed, Sable cocked his head, genuinely curious what she'd be hesitate with sharing. "Anyway, he's well connected and probably could help out."

"I'll pass that along to the Commander," after a thought, "Anyone else have contacts in the Expanse? Good and bad; someone who doesn't like one of you catches sight of you; might be trouble." Sable didn't come out and say it, but the chance of a Rogue-Valkyrie with a grudge or a Nephilim looking to 'prove something' was possible in the Expanse. 

All part of the job. 

To his surprise, almost all the Valkyries knew at least somebody in the Expanse, with the exception of Doc, who claimed to have never been there. Even Alexandra knew of a Baronetess (in exile) who she advised they steer clear of. He compiled a list and logged it with a brief he cooked up while the Valkyries got a better tour of what would be their home for the foreseeable future. 

The bridge, because it was too big to just be called a cockpit, had a tandem style seating structure for the Captain and Co-pilot, who sat in front to control the forward weapons when not assisting flight. Behind the pilot, with seats that could rotate with their backs toward the centerline of the ship, two more seats providing for Navigation/Communications on one console, and Operations/Engineering from the other. Essentially, four people took on combined versions of the roles a whole Command team would operate on a large vessel. 

It was asking a lot, but it was why Gunship crews tended to rise into Command rank faster than fighter pilots, and sometimes shipboard officers.

Beyond the bridge, the living module was a double deck, with living quarters being stacked underneath a nicely sized stateroom with a kitchen. The table doubled as a holographic planning table and the kitchen could be locked down during combat. Past that was the middle of the ship, where the bulk of the mission specific kit was stored, and the ammo to the weapons was held until it was cycled though armored 'chain reaction' resistant gates. 

Right now most of the 'mission hold' was kitted out for light ground operations with a small team, a small team that happened to be in powered armor suits. The big difference was the two towering machines that dominated the rear of the hold. Each of the two story tall mechanized combat artifice frames, or as most just called them 'mechs' or 'frames', stood in scaffolding resembling the Valkyries' girding closets. 

It wasn't a coincidence; much of the technology that went into these frames was micromanufactured for Valkyrie armor. Sable checked off more and more of the inventory, on a pad connected to the ship's internal wireless network. Much more would have to be done, but that would require his flight and engineering crew to arrive.

"How's it feel, Captain?" The Commander's smooth voice tickled Sable's ear. He turned, the man had gotten this close without Sable noticing; he filed it away on things not to let Nolan hear about. 
"It's a weight, sir." Sable smiled, "But I'm ready to carry it. I am going to need to find out who I'm flying with, and whose keeping the fire going, though." He indicated the sealed hatch on the other end of the hold, which lead into the engineering spaces.

"Fortune smiles on you then," Commander Feoras joked, and Sable saw his usual smile was stunted. He held up a small data chit and handed it to Sable. The Captain slotted it into his command pad and loaded the files. "Usually we try and hold off the politics until officers get to field grade, but circumstances aren't so kind." 

"That why Low Drag got cycled off?" Sable almost balked when he saw the level of encryption on the data. The pad, through Dragon Slayer, handshaked with the electronic security of Merdian and the data began to unpack.

"Lieutenant Griftwood voiced similar complaints. But given that whomever attacked Resolute could very well be from the Expanse, using it as their base of operations, or at best, followed the Resolute there."

"If that's where the Resolute went at all. If they blind jumped, they'd have a hell of a bigger circle than an Eel." Sable used the official handle for the escape launches, rather than the derogatory one.

"We had several science ships scan the battle site after the response fleets arrived." This was new, and Sable's full attention became undivided as he took in the Commander's words. "The enemy jumped in all directions, and their jumps messed with the analysis of what we know was Resolute's jump wake. The power of the puts the Expanse right at the edge of probable exit points."

Sable closed an eye and did the math. "That also puts the Novalen Republic and the Melek Communion in range." The commander nodded. 

"The Republic's government is still in lockdown after the assassination of Chancellor, but we've informed their military of our situation and their Admirality assures us they won't take the appearance of a lost Confederation Capital ship as an act of War. The Meleks were stubbornly silent, but apparently an Operations Leader put in a good word for us and they released all data on the regions in question, during that time frame."

"Nothing?"

"Well they're making another 'solar ring' facility. But we suspected as much, nothing aggressive and nothing on the Resolute."

"That leaves the Expanse, more undiscovered country, and even more void." Sable sighed as he started seeing the profiles load onto his pad. "Oh. Fucking Politics."

"I'm going to be honest. If it weren't for the upcoming mission you would have still been fast tracked to Flight Captain." He shrugs. "It would have just been after a few months of working with your new crew and feeling things out."

"So I'm a figurehead?"

"Your the face, and the helm, of this team." Command Feoras put his hand on Max's shoulder. "You've got damn good instincts and the skill to put them to use; the common sense to keep your team alive and the wit to jump through the fire, not into it." Sable cocked his head at that last one. "But with recent 'changes', the Admiralty just wants another level head on board. Just in case."

"She should be a Captain, herself." Max tapped the face on the screen. The Commander nodded.

"She will be, once this is over. But as you said, 'politics' and unfortunately your ship is playing house to more than just that." He reached around to swipe down and Max saw more of the names and faces on the list.

Sable paled as he looked at the names. "I should have named the ship Full House." He groused.

----
Four Days after 'Tendril Tension'

The fabric of the sandbag wasn't a typical synthetic weave, it was something acquired during trade deals with the Melek, as a sign of good faith, and a demonstration of their capacity. It was as soft on the skin as any leather, but could bear the fists of a Valkyrie squad for weeks of regular use.

Max's punches and kicks caused ripples and shakes in the chains that held the reinforced back in place. He lost himself in a kata of strikes and jabs, punches and gouging thrusts. The sheen of sweat on his body gave him a glossy look and his scent would clung to the air if the wind wasn't blowing so gently. 

Behind his home, his Ma kept a small 'temple' of training equipment, arranged and reinforced for regular use. Regular use for a Level Ten Valkyrie. As a kid he'd gotten his own corner for his own personal training. After a while it had grown, not into his Ma's space, but beside it and dominated another portion of the yard. The rest of it was Mother's territory and the gardens, cooking pit, and 'entertainment' spaces were all her territory, and by some degree, Nora's.

The thudding got louder as each punch and kick landed faster, harder, and left the bag more off balance and still the hits kept landing sure. Max roared as he brought his leg across and there was a heavy snapping. He flinched and back pedaled. He dropped to one leg and held onto his other where he'd injured it before.

There was a heavy thud as the sand bag landed, but kept rolling. The chains had snapped off just above where they looped into the material and it rolled until it hit some gym equipment. Diana paused her reps, and Moira looked up from where she was spotting the Sarge to stare at what they'd just seen.

Sable fell back on his ass and looked at his leg. It was unmarred and other than a darkening of his skin from his heart rate, he felt great.

"The fuck?" He heard Felicity swear from the hot tub.

--

"Everything feels normal." Hona ran her hands down Max's legs, pressing into his muscles and testing the resistance. Max noticed her run her tongue under the inside of her lips and her eyes dart over his muscles. She'd advised he work some of his extra energy through exercise, and to his surprise he'd enjoyed it far more than normal. He'd started shortly before noon and the sun had been setting before he kicked the sand bag right off the chains. 

He'd seen Ma do that a few times, but he'd never managed it.

"Normal for a Thilidin-Human?" Gian asked from her plush seat in the living room. She luxuriated as Nora played hostess and kept everyone's drinks full and plates refreshed. "Or a Thilidin-Valkyrie Nephilim?" She asked pointedly. 

Hona didn't flinch, but turned her head. "Weren't your son's Valkyrie genes blocked?"

"They were." She narrowed her gaze. "Though we had plenty of requests to unblock them once Amanda broke ten." She sipped at her drink and met Hona eye-to-eye. There was an exchange, and Gian said nothing.

"Maybe this is just some kind of second puberty?" Beverly asked from the couch. "I mean," she held up a pad, "None of the other Level tens ever had any kids, least not any on record."

"Might be classified," Diana said from beside Sable, "Still, let's try and take it easy till we get back on Meri where we're the taxpayers are covering the repair bills, okay?" She ruffled Max's hair and with a light shove he pushed her off. Still there was more power in him, already. The nights, and mornings, they'd spent together since she recovered from her injuries had hinted that he was getting more and more accustomed to satisfying not just one but multiple Valkyries on a regular basis. 

Moira had made a similar observation, during a tryst shortly after the incident.

----
1 Day after Tendril Tension, Merdian Diviner, Nest Section, Valkyrie Barracks, Recreation Hall.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Moira whispered, her voice husky and breath short. Max chuckled as he kissed his lips around a stiffening nipple. His tongues lapped and dragged at the hardening flesh. The prominent nipples growing longer, the more blood swelled them. They weren't the only part of the Valkyrie swelling tight.

 She gasped, less from the hand jerking her cock, and more from the fingers probing the folds of her narrow slit.

"You're so tight." He purred. "Used to being on top?" Moira bit her lip and curled her toes. He smiled and crawled up the cot to kiss her. "Don't worry." She smiled as he slid back down her body, kissing the head of her swollen cock, licking down her shaft and sucking on her balls before he positioned himself between Moira's legs.

Moira's breasts were slick with sweat and spit, heaving with her breath as her cock throbbed from teasing and anticipation. Max pressed the head of his manhood to the lips of her tight sex. Her legs jerked up, but Max rested his hands on her knees and locked his silver on black eyes were her bright ruby gaze.

He held there, waiting until her breathing slowed and one of her hands rested over his, before he trust sure and strong into the slick silk slit of her sex. She arced her back and Max had to go onto his toes as her body bridged and took him with it. He brought the hand not holding her knee up to keep him from slamming his head on the roof of the bunk.

"Ride 'er, Cowboy!" came a catcall from one of the Valkyries watching.

Sable rocked his hips forward and fucked deep into the pleasurable pressure of Moira's pussy. With a strained growl, Max pulled back until only the head of his cock was inside her, held in place but an almost willful suction of Moira's moist muff. He slammed back in, and Moira bucked again, her foot slipping off the sheets and off the bunk. 

The sudden change in angle sent the shorter man to the side and he nearly slipped out. His own leg snapped out and caught himself. Moira was now on her side, her cock in the air, giving a clear view of the action to those watching.

"Fucking LOVE the Corp!" came the sound of an enthused onlooker.

Max growl became a roar as he gripped Moira's far leg, by the knee and spung her onto her belly as he shifted off the bed. Moira knelt on the pile of sheets beside the bunk as she rested her breasts on the cot. All while inside her, Sable started a heavily fucking into Moira.

"Harder!" The Valkyrie cried through gritted teeth, her braid flopping around as she rocked back onto the Pilot's cock in time to his thrusts. Through sweat and strain he saw the whipping train of locks, and his hand snapped out to grab it.  Moira turned her head, and Sable was surprised to see the look on her face.

Anticipation, Desire, they didn't do the sheer look of Want on her face. Max pulled, experimentally, on her braid as he thrust into her, and felt the pressure on his cock redouble. 

Their eyes met again, and Sable redoubled his efforts, pulling on Moira's braid in time to his thrusts, while she gripped into the cot and growled like a beast, pushing her ass back onto his cock in response. Max's hand, not holding her braid, gripped into the powerful ass and thighs of Moira and luxuriated in the feel as it flexed and gripped his hand right back.

"FUCK!" He roared, as Moira came, hard, from her cunt and cock and a thick spray of jism splattered at their feet while a river of slick juice gushed around Max's cock, even as he came into her and it mixed thick with his seed. They'd taken contraceptives, but given Valkyrie Augs, those had a decidedly short window to work.

Even as they came down from the orgasm, Max rocked, gently, in and out of Moira's lush lust-soaked sex. Moria reached back and pulled Max out of her, and up along side her of her. She gently brought lips against his and sweetly kissed him. Max returned the gentle affection, but his eye flashed open when he felt her cock press against his asshole.

"Oh, I'm not done with you just yet, Raven." She cooed into his ear. "After that, I've really got my motor running."
-----

Seven Days after Tendril Tension Event
Meridian Diviner, Nest Section, Flight Officer Bar: 'Eyes Front, Bottoms Up'

The woman at the bar had Senior Flight Lieutenant bars on her shoulders. They weighed on her, not as much as the memories of the previous month, but it was there. She was a tall slip of a woman, 'willowy' would be the polite term 'lean' might be more accurate. She was drinking more of her meals, recently. Ration drinks were easier on a stressed stomach than the rich mess fare served on Confederation Vessels.

Her short blonde hair contrasted her cool green eyes. She had an athletic amount of muscle, but no more than someone trained to handle extended exhaustive operations would be. 

She hated politics, but she'd been born into them. She'd been raised into a family that always seemed to want more, more than what they had, more than what other 'older' families had.

She threw back a shot and rested the glass down on the bar. Being posted on Resolute Sword was supposed to be her chance to gather intel and build a case on the nepotism of the Wolfwood line. It was supposed to be a posting where she would see how much of a gilded upstart the Admiral Baroness was.

All she'd seen of the Admiral was a leader who gave no less of herself than she expected of her crew, and led rather than commanded. A leader who looked after her own and wasn't about the glory. The ambush had caught everyone with their pants down, and rather than stubbornly hold out, she ordered her forces to fall back to a secure point; but not without taking their rightful kilo in hulls on their way out.

Her Captain's Thraxi Embers Rising had taken too much damage on their way off the enemy Interdictor and its back had bent during the emergency FTL. With all the shuffling of crews and reassigning for the search, she had been surprised to learn who her knew Captain would be, almost as angry as she was  that she wasn't being promoted herself.

She hadn't even been aware the Colonel, no the Brigadier, had a son. Now she was assigned as his XO and Copilot. The Legendary Valkyrie had been a friend to everyone; enlisted to officer: throughout the tour she'd gotten to know everyone, in a professional sense, and been a part of the crew, not some weapon or figurehead. 

When General Sable had ordered the boarding teams to fall back, the Senior Lieutenant and her Captain had expected to see the enemy ship light up like a fireball. As it was, their Thraxi had taken the last shot of the Interdictor colliding with the enemy Super Captial, the Cold War Era Dreadnought.

She was due to meet that legend's son in, how man hours? She looked at the clock and her eyes widened. 

"Shit!" She set down the glass and turned to get off the stool when a slender, yet oddly strong, hand stopped her.

She blinked when she met his eyes. The silver rings on black reminded her of the rings around her home planet. When approached at the right angle, all you could see of the world was the thick, silver rings; hence it's name 'Halo'. The man's face though was a younger, slightly sharper, version of Valkyrie she'd just been contemplating.  

"Senior Flight Liutenant, Lady Rosaline 'Waltz' Azura." The noblewoman blinked at her name. The hand on her shoulder was offered in front of her. "Flight Captain, Maximilian 'Raven Star' Sable. Well met, Ex." Her Captain greeted her with a smile.

-- 
Dragon Slayer, Captain's Office (adjacent to Quarters)

"This isn't how I expected our first meeting to go." Rosaline looked at the man sitting in the chair across the table. He smiled and shrugged as her file sat in front of him. 

"Expecting to have a ship of your own?" Captain Sable cut straight to the point, there wasn't a smile on his face.

"Aye, sir." She started and he held up again.

"Max." He said his name,  and she smirked.

"Aye, Max. I wasn't expecting to spend another tour as second stick." The slightly older officer admitted.

"That's fair, I expected I'd be spending at least a few more as one." Max agreed.

"Well, you killed a Dragon. they are worth a bit of exp." Rosaline joked.

"Exp?" Sable blinked. "Ha. Yeah, I guess I jumped a level with that one, even after dividing it up. But on that matter, I want to be clear. We'll play Ranks and Regulations, as much as we have to, when we're around the Big Brass. Commadner Feroas is much more practical than protocol in that regard."  Rosaline nodded, that was the read she got from her new Commander. "But on this ship, Experience has has the most weight." He tapped the gold captain devices on his uniform collar. "If you have an idea: I want to hear it. If you feel something is going wrong: sound off. If you think a plan I draft is crap: tell me."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Max." Rosaline smiled. 

"Be sure you do, Rosali-" He paused as she held up a hand.

"Rose, or Waltz, please."

"Rose." Max began again, "Before we get to the matter of the flight and engineering crews, there is a matter of the Marines I need to discuss with you." This was interesting, Rose cocked her head.

"Is there something wrong? I heard the crew you sailed with during the 'tendril' incident was going to make up the bulk of the embarked team, with maybe one or two additions." Max shook his head.

"The engineering team is going to be covering the work on our mission hardware. No, I'm talking about the Valkyrie Officer assigned to our Ship." 'Our' ship already, she smiled. Then she saw the face on the screen he lit up. 

"Oh. Fuck. Me."

"Careful who you say that to," Max smirked, "They might take it as an order." 

"I might need it." Rose blinked. "Is this a joke?" 

"I hope you don't think of it as one. She was on her Cruicible Tour and was assigned to Staff Sergeant Nolan's chalk when 'Tendril' kicked off."

"I hadn't heard of that."

"It's being downplayed because of other reasons. I'll brief you in. Keep in mind this is intel that may only be shared with this ship's crew." He pointed at his desk as if to signify the gunship, rather than Meridian Diviner. After he explained, she understood why, and wished she had grabbed the bottle from the bar.

"Fuck me, sir." Rose sighed. Max frowned as he crossed his arms.

"I thought I said-,"

"Yeah, you did, but damnit. This sounds like some bullshit some up-and-coming vassal would pull to try and stoke the war fires."

"Coming after me, or Alex? Her chalk was assigned to that Launch so we're both possible targets."

"Wolfwo- Alex. If they heard about what happened on Resolute, going after her would be another blow to the Wolfwood line that jeopardize their hold on the throne."

"And risk a civil war."

"And the people who pull this shit are the same people who think: 'we would win, because we're better, because reasons', Max." She leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through her short hair. "Damnit, I might need a stiff dick before this day is over."


"Hm. You ever sleep with a Valkyrie before, Rose." The woman blushed, "That's a yes. Who?" The silence was long before Rose answered.

"Your Mom." She smirked, before bursting into laughter.