Part 3

The Golden Chance was an old lady of the fleet. Built over a 120 years ago she had long and graceful lines; bulked here are there with additions over the years but still fundamentally a lithe ship, even if showing the weight of old age. Fleet had designed her for many roles, and in her years she'd served them well. She'd ended up in Hajamke a relaxed colony founded by accident, built indepentantly and re-united with Fleet only two generations ago. On unification a serious of flexible ships had been assigned to defend the system, together with it's own built sentinals.

It had taken the Chance 5 years to get there. Bouncing high over lightspeed, then cruising near it. Most of it's original crew then trained the new eventually settling down, being on the land, breathing real air and taking on uncomplicated lives with actual dirt between their toes.

That was some time ago. Her new captain had stumbled on Hajamke with a handful of survivors from the Battle of Midtreanas and in doing so had a credit in finding the site for the Star Pool. The Star Pool project that the ex-admirals convoy was supplying; When the pool was ready Hajamke stood a chance of really joining the fold.

Which was a pity, for that brought risk. Not just from obvious attack, but of also being swallowed up in the homogenity of fleet. Still everyone rushed to built the pool.

At this time with Hajamke's sole star blazing brilliant orange behind; three long ripples issued along the Chance's hull. Hull plates moved exposing three trenchs from which three long low albedo gray towers rose, from the stem and hinged near the stern. Three slender towers that were the integral to the compression drive of the Golden Chance. Like sails they would move her, not by catching any wind but simply making waves in the nature of space and time itself.

The movement was smooth and calm. Lit only by high contrast star light.

Unlike the command centre, unlike the rest of the ship where everything was a bundle of busy.

Calmer also than the Captains mind

"Strangers moving in stranger ways
Flashing lights that persist and stay"