"I need to know what's going on, Admiral."

"We don't know. Nothing on record, nothing but a burst from radio to gamma."

"But surely," the voice hesitated. "you must have felt..." And there it was, an apology if any.

Of course she had felt. One moment asleep, the next living a dream and then awake, yanked out of a childhood more wonderful than any she had lived into a harsh, frigid night of here and now. "Yes, yes we did," Vivian agreed.

"Admiral, I request all the information you have!"

"One, we don't have any more information. Two, you don't request anything, Major! Is that clear?"

"Clear. My apologies, Admiral."

Vivian sighed. Should she dress him down? No, he was just as scared as she was. "Apologies accepted, Major. It's been a long night."

"What can you do, if I may ask?"

"You may. I'm sending down all remaining shuttles. I have three hundred civilians up here. They should be safer planet side."

A moments silence. "Yes, I understand. We'll make ready for launch to get as many off Orbit One as possible."

Vivian silenced the outburst on the bridge with a glare. She knew what she was doing. "We have the Nobunaga inbound."

"And she should be able to replace your shuttles, yes I see. That leaves a window of, eh..."

"A week, at the most. I'm aware of the risk. We're paid for it, the civilians are not. Besides Valhall is inbound as well. They're known to do magic as well."

A hard laugh came through her speakers. "Yes, they do, don't they. Regen therapy should be able to handle anything still alive, or so I've heard."

She smiled before recalling that it wouldn't carry over the voice only connection they had set up. No recordings of what really had happened, but residues of what they could record still played merry hell with their holo casters. "I wonder," she voiced her thoughts.

"Not that it's of much help, but I have a Major Goldberger here. TADAT."

She had heard that name. A quick search gave her the answer. Major, Terran Armed Drop Assault Troops. The blackest nightmare any pirate could ever hope to avoid. The Federation had abolished capital punishment centuries ago, but TADAT carried it out whenever they caught pirates in the act. There were very few complaints filed, not even from known havens. "Heinrich? They shuttle dropped quite some time ago. I'd have thought their walkers would have given up on them by now."

"Should have. Didn't," came the laconic answer. "He claims the event has something to do with a deity." Silence. "Gone native, that's what I think."

Gone native. You don't have the slightest idea how old that expression is. She smiled sheepishly at her crew on the bridge. Looking up Goldberger really did deserve the looks they shot her. One of the first eight to land here. Not one she was supposed to forget, but there had been so many over the years. "I still want his report. Might be something useful in it. I heard he vanished." I heard he went renegade and started a private war. She didn't say that. A later problem.

"There is, but not on topic. Next couple of launches will have sleeper tubes. He found Ulfsdotir and her killers, the surviving ones at least."

Vivian grinned. If he'd brought that pack of criminals back Space Command was sure to lay in a good word for him. He might even get out of it without any black marks on his record. "He did, you say. I'll make room for them." This time she was certain her smile carried over audio.