He looked back at the starchart.  Assuming that humanity’s sphere of expansion had brushed against alien territory – and assuming that the aliens had similar requirements to humanity – there were several dozen G2 stars that might possess alien-settled worlds.  The scouts would still take months to sort through them, hunting for potential targets.  And some of them might not come back.

If they don’t, he told himself, we would know where to look.

“We’ll do a full power-up tomorrow,” he said, as he rose to his feet.  “And then we will know where we stand.”

***

The sound of the intercom woke him from a fitful sleep.

“Captain,” Midshipwoman Lopez said, “we have picked up an emergency signal from the Admiralty.  You and Commander Fitzwilliam are to report to Nelson Base at once.”

Ted groaned, then reached for his chronometer.  It was 0423 and he’d slept for less than five hours, after watching the final preparations for power-up in engineering.  Even if he wasn't drinking, he wasn't sleeping very well.  No doubt he was having too many fears about taking his ship into combat for the first time.

“Inform the Commander that I’ll meet him in the shuttlebay,” he ordered, as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.  “Did they give any explanation?”

“No, sir,” Midshipwoman Lopez said.  “Just an emergency call.”

Ted groaned, then fumbled through his desk drawers for a stimulant, which he swallowed before getting dressed.  An emergency call was never good news, even though the last time he’d visited Nelson Base he’d managed to keep command of his ship.  He eyed the bottles of rotgut with interest, then picked up the bottle of water and took a long swig.  Once he was refreshed, he made his way to the shuttlebay.  Commander Fitzwilliam was already there, looking disgustingly well-presented.  Ted nodded to him, then led the way into the shuttlecraft.  The pilot was already powering up the drive.

He said nothing to Fitzwilliam as the shuttle headed out of the shuttlebay and directly towards Nelson Base.  Orbital activity didn't seem to have reached any higher a tempo than it had once the first warnings had reached Earth, but he couldn't help noticing that Ark Royal wasn't the only starship sending shuttles to the naval base.  In fact, almost every ship was sending shuttles to its respective headquarters.  Something had clearly gone very wrong, he decided, feeling a chill settling around his spine.  Had the aliens attacked again?

They were greeted by a party of Royal Marines, who checked their ID implants and then pointed the two newcomers into a large briefing chamber.  Dozens of other commanding officers – and a handful of subordinates – were filling into the chamber, all looking equally bemused.  Ted nodded to a couple of commanders he knew, then found a seat near the stand and sat down.  Fitzwilliam sat down next to him.