"The usual to go, Commander?" The attendant stood over bowls of food that, despite their mushy-grey appearance, smelt amazing.

"I'll eat in today." Garrick held out his tray. He hated the mess hall; it was loud, he didn't have any space to breathe, and yet every once in a while it was worth eating with his squad to improve performance levels.

"Here you are."

Garrick took the plate and nodded a wordless thanks before turning to find his squad. He couldn't see them anywhere so began wandering along the outside of the banks of tables and chairs that made up the room. Garrick made it to the huge viewport that gave them all a view of the Kipyat system, when he heard Okoro's voice through the hubbub.

"I don't know what to think. The gravity bomb just seems such a crude instrument to me."

"You and me both," Ramsey Shaw said.

Garrick stopped. He wasn't sure whether to keep listening in or to find where they were sitting nearby before they said anything else. He decided it wouldn't hurt to stay where he was for a little longer--it wasn't often he heard his squad's honest views.

"Why even build it?" Shaw continued. "It's barbaric, they would kill billions if they fired it."

"They need some way to keep the Alliance in check," Fabian said. "Why shouldn't that be a bomb?"

"What does it say about the Alliance that we need a bomb to stop another Caxis?" Shaw said.

"Keep your voice down, Ramsey," Okoro hissed.

Garrick resisted the urge to rush over and reprimand Shaw. That wouldn't help anything.

"I don't care who knows." There was the sound of a fork dropping onto a tray.

"Ramsey, don't worry, it's not like they will ever need to use the gravity bomb. The threat alone will stop any more secessions," Fabian said.

"Forget it," Shaw said. "There's no use, besides, isn't the Commander due?"

"He is," Okoro said. "I can't see him though. Pass the salt, Fab."

Not wanting to appear suspicious, Garrick did another lap through the bustling mess hall before finding the space saved for him. "Sorry it's taken so long." He sat down. "Long queue."

"No bother at all, sir," Okoro said.

The difference in the way they spoke to one another and how they greeted him was stark. He needed a way of trying to build rapport, but he always struggled with people. He was just about to attempt small talk when Fabian saved him.

"Commander, what did you make of the Admiral giving us that assignment?"

"I'm honoured the Admiral considered us." Garrick picked up a spoonful of sauce. "There are a lot of squads like ours that could have been chosen, and we were the ones he chose."

Ramsey looked like he wanted to say something but he stayed silent.

"Is something on your mind?" Garrick said.

"Permission to speak, sir?"

"Of course."

"Does your history with the Admiral not help?" Shaw said.

"Shaw, you do not understand what you're talking about." Garrick wasn't about to discuss that, with Shaw. Silence followed his outburst, and he kicked himself for making things worse, especially as he had told Shaw he was free to say what he wanted. He cleared his throat, but just as he was about to say something to Shaw, the others at the table all shot to their feet at attention. Garrick turned to see Captain Chi-Young standing behind him.

In a flash he was also on his feet.

"At ease." Chi-Young smiled. "Commander Karn, may I have a word in private?"

"Yes sir."

Chi-Young led Garrick out of the mess hall. The two of them walked in silence, shoulder to shoulder through the ringing metallic corridors, the wall mounted operations screens displayed information as they walked that the ship deemed to be helpful for them. In Garrick's case, it gave him readouts from his squad's latest training scores; Shaw's score yet again held up the rear.

They came to an empty conference room where Chi-Young sat down before he motioned for Garrick to join him. "Sorry to intrude on you Commander. I know how important it is to have time with your squad, I don't get enough of it with my bridge crew off duty. The Admiral asked me to pass on feedback for your mission proposal--he was very impressed. He's given the go ahead for the operation; you're to report directly to him on this one."

"Thank you sir. I won't let you down." Garrick tried to contain his excitement and act professional. "What happens now?"

The Captain shifted in his seat. "The Admiral has sent a message for the Phoenix Rises to come and assist. We are to rendezvous with them at the local gate tomorrow at 2100 hours. Admiral Jansen has requested that you brief her and her senior staff once they arrive."

"Sir, I'll be ready." His chest swelled with pride--the Phoenix Rises itself!

"Good." Chi-Young rose and offered his hand out. "Good luck Mr Karn." Garrick took it.

He headed back to the squad's ops centre and turned over the news in his head that it would be the Phoenix Rises that joined them on this mission. Everyone in the Alliance knew that ship. Caxis wasn't the first planet to try to leave the Alliance--it was just the first one to succeed. The handful of other attempts had been resolved thanks to the diplomatic skills of Admiral Keiko Jansen.

Garrick could remember hearing the news in his cell about how Jansen had persuaded the Gil system to disarm. They had rigged a jump gate up in a neighbouring system with explosives that, if they had detonated, would have cut the system off from the Alliance, killing billions in the process with the radiation fallout. Jansen had flown through the gate and negotiated with the leaders of Gil. She had even got the leader of Gil to surrender to her custody.

This all changed with Caxis. The story was different depending on who you asked; some said Caxis gambled that the Alliance wouldn't dare threaten the only known supply of caxeal. Others said Jansen gave up too easily. One thing was certain, it was Jansen that Admiral Allison wanted to monitor.

#

"Admirals, this plan would allow us to trap the Whisper on the Vale side of the jump gate. Using both ships we can then track down and bring him to justice." Garrick took a deep breath. It was over.

Garrick stood in his best dress uniform in front of a panel made up of Jansen and Allison, alongside Chi-Young and Captain Peterborough of the Phoenix Rises.

Jansen wasn't as imposing as he had expected, only a few flecks of black remained in her hair, now overtaken by grey. Garrick thought he had given a good account of his plan, but it was difficult to read the room--Admiral Jansen had a great poker face.

"If I may, Admiral?" Captain Peterborough said.

"By all means." Admiral Jansen waved him on.

"Thank you for your presentation, Commander. I had a question though--space is vast. What's stopping the Whisper fleeing away from the gate and taking up refuge in the Vale?"

Garrick nodded. "The Whisper could retreat, but then the mission would still be a success--we would trap the Whisper on the Vale side of the gate, with no route to escape and him being unable to go after Alliance convoys."

Jansen turned to face Allison. "I can see why you gave him the assignment. For what it's worth Commander, your operation is sound."

"I agree, but I have one change--this needs to be a quiet operation, not a word outside of this room," Allison said with a look to Chi-Young. Garrick tried not to frown, but he didn't understand why Allison hadn't raised this when he had submitted the plan for approval.

"If you insist." Jansen nodded, but she didn't look pleased about it.

"When do we begin?" Captain Peterborough said.

"The freighter is already on its way to the Vale." Garrick tapped his tablet and the freighter's location appeared on the briefing room screen. "We had to make it look like a genuine transport ship so it's had a bit of a circuitous route. It will cross into the Vale in three days, give or take."

"And the Mandrake will already be in the Vale, docked with the Den," Chi-Young said. "Which suggests, Admiral, that we should be on our way to ensure we don't hold things up."

"Correct as usual." Admiral Allison stood and readjusted his jacket. "If you'll wait here, Admiral, I will have one of my officers escort you out."

"I'm sure Commander Karn will be more than capable," Jansen said.

"Of course." Allison tilted his head theatrically. "If you will allow me to speak to him for a minute, I will release him."

Strange.

Allison and Chi-Young left the briefing room so Garrick followed. They motioned for him to join them down a side corridor.

"Commander, give me your reading of the situation," Allison said.

"Admiral Jansen seems capable and will no doubt help the mission towards its success..."

"But?"

"But it appeared that I wasn't aware of the whole situation."

"Spot on, Mr Karn." Allison looked over his shoulder before continuing. "I can't tell you everything, but know that Alliance command now thinks there's a mole in the Admiralty, and they're worried."

Garrick sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say something like that, sir."

"We're not sure who, and knowledge of the mole is top secret. Commander, this information is being given in the strictest confidence."

"Of--of course."

"On the upcoming mission, your role remains to help catch Whisper, and if we're lucky, flush out the leak. I want you on the Phoenix Rises itself so you can keep a close eye on Jansen for me."

"Yes, sir." This was the chance he had been waiting for, and what's more, Allison was trusting him with this.

"Excellent. Best not to keep Jansen waiting. Remember, the important thing now is capturing the Whisper." Allison and Chi-Young left Garrick behind with his thoughts.

This was too much to take in. How could an Admiral betray the Alliance? It was alien to him, repulsive even, after the second chance at life the Alliance--and Allison--had given him.

He shook his head to focus himself and took a deep breath before he re-entered the briefing room. "Apologies for the delay, Admiral--I was being given new orders. Admiral Allison has requested I accompany you to help better facilitate the operation between our ships," he lied.

"He didn't mention it to us." Peterborough frowned.

"No matter," Jansen took it in her stride. "You'd be more than welcome, Commander. Please, lead on to the hanger so we can head back to the Phoenix Rises. I'm sure you will be impressed with the ship."