Chapter 3. Valkyrie


    Lucian sat with Galba in his private quarters considering


    the schematics of a ship laid out in front of him.


    "It doesn''t look like any of our fleet vessels."


    "It''s not." Galba poured himself a drink. "She''s the Valkyrie, and


    her home port was Hades."


    "Then she burned like all the other ships did in the first wave of


    our attack."


    "The Valkyrie wasn''t at Hades." Galba said


    "I thought the entire fleet was accounted for."


    "So did I."


    Lucian swirled the ice cubes in his glass. "Is this conversation


    going somewhere?"


    "Perhaps...maybe all the way to a populate of Senators putting me


    forward as Caesar."


    "Caesar? Your ambition as usual knows no bounds dear brother.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Whatever you have in mind, I hope it doesn''t involve me spending


    any more time on Mars - what a shit hole."


    "No, not this time." Galba said. "Helena."


    The ship answered. "Yes Senator Galba."


    "Can you ask Ithaniel to join us?"


    "Ithaniel?" Lucian said. "Legate August''s son, I haven''t seen


    him since was boy."


    Galba nodded. "Try not to say how much he looks like August."


    "Why''s that?"


    "He didn''t find out he was a clone, until his Father died."


    *


    Lucian couldn''t help smiling when Ithaniel entered.


    "Your Father and I served in the Praetorian guard, we did our


    basic training and campaigned together.... and I have to say...."


    Ithaniel stifled to groan.


    "He was one of the hardest bastard''s that I ever met."


    Ithaniel smiled . "He used to say that about you, Tribune Lucian."


    "No need for formalities, we''re all friends here."


    Galba patted him on the shoulder. "Ithaniel is somewhat of a


    telemetry specialist. He uncovered the signals coming from Hades."


    "It was only by accident." Ithaniel said.


    "Don''t be so modest."


    "I was confirming some distance measurements between Hades


    and Mars, when I came across them. The signals were weak, and at


    first they appeared to be coming from Hades. Eventually I worked out


    they weren''t being sent from Hades at all - they were being sent to Hades,


    and were bouncing dead and unreceived back into space."


    "Where were they coming from then?" Lucian asked.


    "That''s the interesting part." Galba said.


    "The signals were being broadcast at regular intervals. So I started


    looking for a ship orbiting Hades on auto pilot. I went back through


    the data until I found some clues to plot a possible course, and that''s


    how I found her."


    "The Valkyrie." Galba said.


    "Why wasn''t she sighted or detected before now?"


    "Because no-one was looking for her, but more importantly, because


    she was cloaked."


    "I though we were the only ones with that technology."


    "Apparently not." Galba said.


    "Why do you think the ship is on auto pilot." Lucian asked.


    "The data showed the Valkyrie has been in the same undisturbed orbit


    around Hades for the past five years. The crew is either dead, or there


    was no crew to begin with."


    "Five years?" Lucian said, "Where was she before that."


    Galba smiled. "That''s what you are going to help me find out."


    *