Archangel – Chapter One

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The Rim – 2503

The Alliance Naval Cruiser Heracles approached the derelict ship warily. The distress beacon was still active, but all attempts to establish contact with the ship had failed.

“This is great,” one soldier muttered, watching the derelict grow larger on the circuit screen. “Just great.”

“Stop muttering, T.J.,” Corporal Dave Neggins growled. “Ain’t nobody else happy ‘bout it either.”

“Damn it, Dave,” PFC T.J. Dell hissed. “You know as well as I do what happened to that ship. Ain’t a soul left alive on ‘er by now. Least. . .not no human.”

“Talk like that’ll get you court martialed,” Neggins warned, looking to see who might have overheard.

“Least of our worries right now,” Dell muttered, but fell silent at the warning glance from Dell.

“What worries?”

Both men jumped at the voice. It was the voice of the most feared, and most loved, person on the ship. They spun to face their Battalion Sergeant Major.

“What are you two gossipin’ about,” the Sergeant Major growled, cigar rolling from one side of her mouth to the other.

“Nothing, Sar’major,” Neggins replied for both of them. “Just looking over the drifter is all.”

“Looks rough,” Sergeant Major Janine Cobb nodded. “Reckon we’ll go on over and take a look see.”

“Why not just blast it, and move on?” Dell asked, earning him another withering glare from Neggins, which he ignored.

“T.J., you know damn well we ain’t gonna just blast a civilian ship ‘thout seeing if anyone’s aboard her,” Cobb shook her head in exasperation. “I tell you, the material they give me to work with these days. . .”

“Officer’s call, Sar’major,” a buck sergeant wearing the shoulder braids of an orderly called. “Colonel Hill wants you there, as well.”

“On the way,” Cobb nodded. “You two, settle down,” she turned for a final look at Neggins and Dell. “Get it together. Ain’t nothing to be spooked over.”

“What if they’re still there?” Dell as