Xeno Core

Once the Tserri make enough repairs that I regain maneuverability, I head to the dead hulk to salvage it for replacement parts. The trip is a slow one, but still eventful. The mercenaries are busy learning and working. Between sessions in front of screens learning wiring patterns and the functions of various pieces of equipment, they still take shifts hauling debris from collapsed corridors and expanding the areas they have access to.

I trust Vren to assign the Tserri appropriate tasks. He knows their capabilities better than I do, no sense muddying the job just to be in charge.

We arrive after what seems like seasons. Vren works his crew hard but treats them fairly. Between making extensive repairs and modifications to the Selberclaw and salvaging the Stalker they somehow find time to personalize their vaccuum armor. Each one bears a distinctive color and pattern.

"The primary engine's completely useless. Totally burnt out, Mos Denn," reports the tawny-furred Teah. "Without new parts, the Learned Stalker cannot be made mobile again." The dark green of her armor makes the golden undercoat of her face stand out in bright contrast.

"But there are still certainly components we could use to make this new vessel more powerful," adds her assistant, a striped male named Uhgun. He paces before the workstation while rubbing his gauntlets together absently. Like his fur, the suit he bears has a striped pattern. "Power relays and converters, primarily."

The remains of their former ship float below us, cut open like a game animal being butchered. Many of the massive structural beams and thick sheets of heavy plating will replace my own. When the repairs are complete the Selberclaw will be nearly thirty percent larger. We'll need to upgrade the engines if we want to push around all that extra mass.

"The secondary engine is still intact, but it's in need of major repairs," Teah comments happily. She pauses before continuing in a slightly subdued tone. "I'm still not sure if we'll be able to run all the necessary systems with only the current core."

The ship doesn't generate very much energy, in fact. Several light sensitive panels harvest a small amount of electricity, to keep mundane systems running, but the majority comes in through the core. I can hear the dust eaters repeating their tired refrain about higher dimensional shunts and collapsing probabilities into desired energy states.

Teah is easier to work with than any Somner. She shows eagerness at each step in the repair process. She may not yet understand all the needlessly complicated higher dimensional equations but they aren't really necessary for her work. She learns faster than anyone I've ever worked with, but can only absorb the knowledge available to her.

For some reason, the files I have access to don't contain any runic transformations, or even mention of them. Decidedly odd, as the drive clearly functions by altering standard physical space to allow speeds well beyond the causal limit. Rather, there are numerous text documents full of odd mathmatical constructs well beyond anything I can understand.

Still, the repairs progress nicely. Entire sections of outer hull are being peeled off both ships. Various sensors are in storage and ready to be reinstalled on stronger outer plates. Even the structural girders are being rearranged to accomodate more rooms.

Rather than a scout, the result will be a light cruiser. Heavily armed and armored while also boasting impressive speed for its mass. Still too small to go head to head with true heavy battleships, but powerful enough to dominate similarly sized vessels.

"Excellent work, Teah, Uhgun. Continue your work mapping the new power conduits, please," I ask before turning my attention elsewhere.

Two of the new recruits report uncovering a functional microfactory in what was the missile bay. We'll want to have that reprogrammed and installed in our own ordinance room.

Nearly every function of the ship sees either upgrades or modifications before there are no more spare parts we can make use of. Computer storage and processing have both been upgraded, the hangar will be nearly twice as large, and additional armaments dot the scar pocked outer hull.

There is a notable lacking in provisions aboard the wreck. Water we find in plenty, as it can be cleaned and repurposed with dedicated equipment. Hopefully the Ship-Father will be able to supply us from the world below.

The Stalker contributes its scanning equipment as well, further augmenting the data I can collect. There are even enough surplus parts to install personel operated turrets along the underside and top.

I'm sure the Ship-Father will be most pleased when he sees the officers' lounge the Tserri installed. I know how important alcohol is to the crew. To make sure they don't over indulge, I have my repair team give me autonomous control over the distillary.

---

After several frantic days, enough work is at least partially complete that the Selberclaw is back in fighting shape, though much remains yet to do. Corridors without proper walls, bare wires and circuitry exposed to all who pass by. Many lights have yet to be installed and several viewscreens display only static.

Newly repaired communication arrays detect an incoming transmission almost as soon as they're activated.

"-peat. I.S. Selberclaw, you are ordered to rendezvous with friendly shuttles at included coordinates above Honus. We're tired and ready to come home, Mos. This message will now repeat. I.S. Selber-" The message is playing Marta's calm but tired voice on a continuous loop.

I locate the source of the signal easily and set course. At the specified coordinates are three small vessels. Our standard shuttle and two fighter craft. They are the two that had escorted Ship-Father Tollek down to the planet. The Darts are significantly less shiny now, with blast damage and large black scorches decorating them. Approaching from the planet below is an unidentified craft.

The open hangar bay is soon filled by the three ships, though there is room yet for another two fighters.

From the interior of the shuttle stumble Jim Tollek, Kali Povrel, and a very tired Tonn Rojer.

Out of the first battered fighter come Bella Tropp and Mar Lummer. The second Dart disgorges Terla Parc and a large stack of electronic equipment she pushes with a small cart.

Bella switches out the shuttle's energy cell for a fresh one as the pilot cycles the air supply. The fighters receive similar treatment. The shuttle then launches back towards the planet, its Dart escorts on either side.

The hangar doesn't stay empty for long as the unfamiliar vessel lands, filling almost half of the available space. My files identify it as a armored transport, this particular one is named Jumper. It's side lifts up and four crewmembers march out, carrying with them wooden crates. Tollek starts to wave them towards the cargo bay but stops and looks around.

"What has happened to my ship," he asks in a voice strained nearly to breaking. "And why are are there armed Tserri loading fuel into the Matron's fighters?"

"We do need the crew," points out Kali to her exasperated commanding officer.

"Think of them as a unit of irregulars, Ship-Father," I say calmly. "The cargo bay is in the same place, relatively speaking, by the way."

"I like the suits they're wearing," says an excited Bella as she walks up to get a closer look at Uhgun while he refuels the armored transport. She runs a long gray finger along one of the orange and yellow stripes. "Can we get some made to fit us?"

Tollek shakes his head but says nothing more as he walks slowly around the hangar, looking at the various changes. His earlier anger seems to be dissipating somewhat as he looks over the floorplan on a dedicated display screen.

Three wounded crewmembers emerge limping from the transport craft and Tonn takes them to the medics office. Marta Spere leads two new recruits walk out behind them carrying more supplies. Gelly Drop climbs out of Jumper's pilot hatch and drops down to the deckplate with a grunt.

"Too bad about Joa," laments Kali to the Ship-Father when she spots Gel. "She had a good career ahead of her."

Jim nods seriously before responding, "Yes, but when the Grand Matron decides you're a good match for her granbaby, it's hard to tell her no." He looks up from the display he's studying before continuing. "Who was their third, again?"

Kali makes gestures of negation before answering. "One of the local officers, I think? Can't remember his name."

"The engagement party's tonight," Gel comments when he reaches them. "Hestrun's gonna have his hands full with those two. Bah. I think I'm liken' the new look, Jim. Did ye see the extry missile bays?"

Tulson Rah climbs down from the copilot seat, covered in grease. I wait to see if anymore of the crew made it home, but it isn't to be.

Tollek glares at Gel before he heads to the command deck. His surviving officers follow him wearily. Together we discuss the many alterations made during the repair session, most of which he reluctantly approves. His one sticking point is rather strange.

"I don't care," he bellows. "Find room! You found space to fit that ridiculous officers' lounge, you can fit in an herb garden!" The lounge had to have its own radiation shields, as well as double thick armored walls. To protect the climate controlled private bar, of course.

We all need a hobby, I suppose. Frankly, gardening is not the oddest pursuit a commanding officer could engage in.

We decide to convert one of the unoccupied officer's cabins into a small hydroponics lab. The final design comes with a small herb garden. The waste water recycling systems can be routed through hydroponics trays easily enough.

He also approves the vaccuum armor, realizing the potential of extravehicular activities. Bella is put in charge of designing the new suits while Terla will be handling the actual manufacturing process.

In a small act of revenge, Tollek assigns me the tedious task of filling out the new registration forms. He says to register us under the name Resurgent.

It looks like the Tserri will need to be registered as new recruits as well. The crew manifest may be the most involved aspect, as the shuttle has returned packed with more fresh recruits and seasoned crewmen. While filling out the manifest I notice that all of the surviving crewmembers have received promotions, commendations, or both.