23:00 JANUARY 23, 2298 (military calendar)

SIGMA OCTANA IV, UNITED SOVERN UNION, DUAL BINARY SYSTEM

UEC HEAVY BATTLE CARRIER -798 "SPIRIT OF ENDURANCE"

Barnes walked into his quarters and grabbed the computer monitor and spun it around. They just received word that there was a massive fleet on the way, it was the Expanse Soverign Union, meaning they were out to hunt them. During his last communication with Admiral Forest, they discovered that the crews of the 3rd fleet were killed, and their ships were added into the fleet, he had friends within that fleet, and knew that they never would've surrendered, not after Drekicon, or Haven. Both planets were peaceful and productive colonies. Haven was nuked during the early wars killed millions, and many more were affected, leaving the colony uninhabitable due to the radioactive fallout.

"Admiral. What is it?"

"From what we can tell our recon probe picked up that weapon again. They're headed towards your location. I don't think they will use it again. But, your ship needs to leave. Sigma Octana is a peaceful planet, and they don't want trouble, so we need to respect that."

"Aye Sir."

"There's a old poem my father used to tell me. Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age shall burn and rage the close of days, rage, rage, against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end, knew dark was right, as their words had forked no lightning they did not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

"I understand sir. We won't go gentle." The Admiral nodded on the screen as soon as the lights dimmed and the red alert lights started flashing.

"Action stations, action stations, set condition one throughout the ship. Action stations, action stations, set condition one throughout the ship. Commander Barnes report to the CIC." Barnes jumped at the sound of the alarm, and threw on the rest of his uniform, and began to head up to the CIC. At the same time, he could hear rumbling throughout the ship as an attack began. When he arrived, he saw several crewmen running to their stations.

"What the hell happened."

"There's a armada out there, but its insurrectionists, from what I can tell – sir they have captured the Say My Name and The Glorious. Sir, we're outgunned, and outmanned, we need to jump away."

"And leave Sigma Octana to fend for its self?"

"Sir..." Barnes looked up at the DRADIS and saw the entire armada, twenty-three ships, armed to the teeth."

"Prepare to jump the ship. Hail Sigma Octana."

"Sir!" Barnes grabbed the handset and immediately was put on the line with Admiral Geskobn.

"Admiral. We must jump out of here. The – "Barnes felt a large jolt as another enemy shell stuck the hull. The handset had a systematic beeping, the communication array was out again

"Hull breach, f-deck." Barnes was shaken, the ship was discovered, they managed to find them again, there was no chance of them escaping. "The gap is widening, if we don't jump now the FTL will shut down. We need an order sir."

"Jump..."

3:00 JANUARY 31, 2298 (military calendar)

EXPANSE GRID 937, LOCATION, UNINHABITED SECTOR

UEC HEAVY BATTLE CARRIER -798 "SPIRIT OF ENDURANCE"

Barnes walked throughout the ship. He was examining the damage done throughout, during their escape, they suffered a entire deck decompression, 250 crewmen were immediately ejected into space, they died presumably instantly. It was a result of a cascade failure in the emergency bulkheads, they could have contained the breach, but there was nothing to be done. When the deck began to collapse their entire communication, array was destroyed, and the chief engineer called it a lost call, there was nothing to be done, the array was built using old sub wave technology, they only thing they have is the short-wave radio. At the same time, the crew accepted the fact that they are alone, in enemy territory. He walked down to E-deck, the one deck that managed to have little damage from the F-deck decompression.

"Commander on deck."

"As you were crewmen." He walked down into the hangar bay and saw the crew who survived the F-deck disaster doing what they could, they had temporary quarters set up, and were being treated for injuries. They all looked up at him, they all would rather be dead. He too did, as well.

"Commander." It was Junior Lieutenant Vosh, straight out the academy. His brother served on the Say My Name. "Are we holding serviced for the dead?"

"Yes. Would you have the honor to prepare them Lieutenant? You knew them the best."

"Yes, sir I would." He could see the pain Vosh was in, he probably lost his brother, they all might as well have died at Drekicon, they all felt it.

"Then get to it. Also, Lieutenant – "

"Its junior lieutenant Sir."

"Actually, you've been promoted. There are no rookies on this ship. In a way, we're all veterans." Lieutenant Vosh nodded, it was true, when a ship is on its own, and they've lost a eighth of the crew, not one man is a rookie. Barnes may have been a hardened veteran, but he started out as a rookie himself, he lost friends before, they all have, but not like this. Those who serve on a ship are like brothers.

2273

"May God, take Major WilliamFischer Barnes, into the waiting hands of family, and friends." The Minister finished his little speech. Barnes walked up to his father's casket and placed his gold battle star on the top. He stepped back. It had been nearly a decade since he went missing, and his mother was killed. He served on the UEC Eisenhower, they knew it went missing, just not the fate. Barnes was told that his father was killed instantly amongst most of the crew, there was a large nuclear explosion within the ship, and it destroyed the entire power grid, and backup systems. They discovered his body along size 47 crewmen, they all suffocated to death, or killed by the force of the explosion, his fathers was never released to them. In his last minutes, he left a message on the black box.

"Present Arms." He looked up and saw the honor guard. "Ready..." Another sound of parts moving. "Fire." There were four bangs, as they paid him his last honor. Commander Forest, who served with his father on his second to last tour approached him with the flag of the UEC, and his father's Colonial Merit Award, the highest award in the fleet, only a handful of people had received it. "It was an honor to serve with your father Sergeant Barnes." He took the flag and his medal and nodded. His father was a great man, but his life was cut to short. A waste in his opinion. Hopefully the insurrection will fall, and The Expanse would be united again, because together they rise. Barnes stood up while his grandmother paid his final respects, she nodded and allowed the casket to be put in his father's final resting place. Barnes was somewhat happy, and somewhat sad, but he had closure, and knows now that the Insurrectionists were responsible.