“Yes,” the First Space Lord said.  “We recovered little useful data from Vera Cruz, but both the Chinese mining colony orbiting IAS-73782 and the independent settlement on Maxwell’s World had small starships that managed to escape the attackers.  The starships that attacked the planets were completely unknown.  This is the dawn of an interstellar war.”

Ted swallowed.  In three hundred years of expansion, ever since the Puller Drive had been invented, humanity hadn't encountered another intelligent race.  The highest form of life outside Earth had been a whale-like creature on an oceanic world.  Humanity, once convinced that aliens were everywhere, had slowly come to believe that they were alone in the universe.

“We do not know why the aliens attacked the colonies,” the First Space Lord said.  “So far, all attempts to communicate have simply been ignored.  We do know that humanity is at war.  The Vulcan Protocols have been activated.”

“... Shit,” Ted said.

The Vulcan Protocols had been a theoretical study, nothing more.  They harked back to a time when alien contact and interstellar war was seen as a very real possibility.  In theory, the human race – or at least the major spacefaring powers – was obliged to unite in defence of humanity, putting all grudges aside.  Ted rather suspected that it wouldn't be that easy to actually make it happen in practice.

“We will, of course, hope for a diplomatic solution,” the First Space Lord said.  “However, we are currently preparing for the worst.  How long will it take before Ark Royal is ready for deployment, assuming an unlimited budget and workforce?”

That was something Ted had worked on ever since he’d been promoted into the command chair, no matter how meaningless it had seemed.  “Two weeks if we cut corners, four if we take it slowly,” he said.  “But the crew would have to be experienced.”

Captain Fitzwilliam gaped at him.  “Four weeks?”

Ted laughed.  “Do you think that I spend my days engaging in rum, sodomy and the lash?”

The First Space Lord nodded.  “I am pleased to hear that your time on the vessel has not been wasted,” he said.  “However, it is felt that someone new should take command of Ark Royal.”

Ted felt cold ice trickling down his spine as he realised where this was leading.  “Captain Fitzwilliam will assume command of Ark Royal,” the First Space Lord informed him.  “You will supervise the refitting and then ...”