The Dragon's New Claws

[Omicron]

Aboard OCV Fedayeen’s primary bridge.
17th August, 829 AS

“Cruise engines offline.”
“2 klicks.”
“All crew, secure stations.”
“Sensors clear. Alpha flight reports all clear.”
“Alpha, See you on the other side.”
“1 klicks.”
“Jump initiated.”
“Jump complete. Reading Blood Dragon ships in vicinity, as well as weapon platforms.”
“Junshi Daimyojin, Kagutsuchi-class on approach.”

Foreign accent in most likelihood did not report name of the warship correctly. Nonetheless chatter continued as a group of officers observed everything silently. There was no need for their intervention. The Captain, pleased to complete full and uneventful transit from Epsilon to Chugoku without attracting attention of the Navy, found no need to issue any instructions. Previously established plan was carried out to perfection and each of the bridge crew knew what to do next so far. Behind them, a tall man with pins denoting Admiralty also remained voiceless. It may have been his vessel, but he directed full responsibility for the mission to its designated commanding officer. Besides, he would be busy and needed someone coldblooded on the bridge to take care of things if the situation would not go smoothly in the void.

“Do as the situation demands, Captain. I am heading to the recovery deck.”

Comms officers calmly spoke commands to fighters that were now emerging behind the Fedayeen. Eventually noises subsided to the motors of the elevator, bringing an Admiral and one more person below to what would be the busiest and most constricted section of the entire ship.

Externally, the battlecruiser bore a lot of resemblance to the Osiris, all thought it would be dwarfed by the original if put one next to another. Its bow was the most unrecognisable section of the ship, sporting a mess of sensors, tubes, guns, armor and flight decks each big enough to fit a single fighter though. The actual landing zone was located above, between dual circular bridges typical to Order’s design philosophy. It was a tight fit, but with enough practice the more agile and smaller craft of the Blood Dragons would have no issue recovering fighters from the sorties. The internals were cramped in not too dissimilar fashion to Togo, renowned as the smallest battleship in Sirius.

Inbound Blood Dragons would bear witness to elevator stowing away a Bastet fighter, last of the escort squad that guided Fedayeen’s entry into Chugoku. As it disappeared under deck, it revealed what appears to be two Order officers waiting unceremoniously for the visitors. From both outside and inside, the ship wasn’t pretty and to the trained eye it looked like it was optimised to do its job with absolutely minimal space to spare.

“Admiral Golanski, The Order Overwatch.” Said the Admiral, skipping on the usual ‘Grand’ suffix that accompanied his rank. Blood Dragons and The Order present all knew the score as this officer was the face of The Order for more than a decade.

“Inquisitor Valkyrie, The Order Intelligence.” The quiet woman besides the Admiral. She for once had no rank insignias anywhere on her uniform, much like how commanding officers in the warzones took off identifying marks to avoid being reconnoitred and singled out by the enemy on the frontline. Although in her case it was because she worked outside the normal rank structure of The Order.

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