Commander Mercer sat back from his handwritten report as he began to look over the pile of crew reports. Since the attack on Drexicon IX, he has ordered all department heads to begin working on an internal investigation into the cause of both the fire on Deck 4, the hatch failure of the aft bunker room, and ultimately the loss of the 13th fleet. While he was sure the Navy had already appointed an independent commission on the loss of an entire fleet, there was no way to contact the Navy until they figured out where they were. As Mercer began to type his report into his personal terminal, he heard a whistle come over the intercom.

"Come in." Mercer said. Hearing the metallic squeak of his ready room's quarters, Specialist Kellen walked in with her hands full of old star charts that they had dug up from the ships archives.

"I think I might have figured out where we are." Kellen stated

"I thought you said it would take a few days 'Lizabeth?" Mercer questioned.

"I originally did. However, when going over these old star charts, and manually looking at where we are, I think we are here." She slapped down a old star chart and pointed to a empty area of space. "We are about five light-years from the Bellatrix Star System."

"You sure?"

"Positive. These old charts are about a hundred years out of date, but based on astrometric data, I think that we are around spacial coordinates 427-mark 338 mark 225." She spoke. "And I never thought taking astrometric at Demetrius would be useful. As Mercer looked at the deep field that they had imagined, and compared it to the old star charts, he could see that she was right.

"The Bellatrix Star System sounds familiar." Mercer said.

"Reading up on what we have in our historical archive, it once was subject to a scientific research mission around seventy years ago. They found nothing of value, except that the fifth planet..."

"Was a gas giant with a high EM field, it has immense storms in the upper atmosphere." Mercer stated. Heading over to his book collection, he pulled up an old title called The Early Expanse Wars Part One, flipping through the pages, he landed upon an old record and saw the name Bellatrix Ammunition Depot. "How fast can you hand plot a jump to that system."

"Hand plot?"

"The Navigation computer is still offline until we can get astrometric back up and running again we will have to hand plot any jump."

"Sir, I can plot it in a few hours. However, if I am even off by a little bit, instead of jumping into empty space, we can end up in the middle of the sun." She explained.

"I know. However, the system has an old Naval ammunition depot. It hasn't been used by the Navy since the mid 24th century. If we can get to that location, we can fully restore our ammunition supply, refuel, and hopefully – hopefully, it has an old MAC gun onsite. If it does, that will give us a tactical advantage."

"Understood." As Kellen began to walk back towards the hatch, he stopped for a moment. "I didn't know you were into collecting old books."

"They were my fathers. I used to read through them when I a teen. I thought maybe his old notes would give me some inspiration." Mercer explained.

Kellen looked at Mercer before reaching into her pant pocket, where she rummaged around for a moment. After a second, Mercer saw two gold pieces of metal in her hand.

"These were in Admiral Hoshino's personal effects. There was a note with them." She reached into her pocket and removed a crumpled-up note. "I wasn't sure when he was planning on giving them to you." She said. As she put the three items on the desk, Mercer looked at the old uniform emblems. They were gold plated commander insignia, from his father's time. "I'll leave you your thoughts and will start working on plotting the jump to Bellatrix." Kellen said.

As Mercer looked at the gold-plated insignia, he heard the hatch to the hallway close. After a moment, he uncrumpled the note and began to read it.

"I figured your old man would have wanted you to have these. Before he left, he ensured that if something happened to them, you would get them. I figured you would be ready for them. Regardless of if I would be there to give them to you or not."

Mercer swallowed deeply as he looked over the old insignia. They phased the old gold gilded ones out right before his father left on his last mission. As he looked at them, he turned them around and saw the initials: JFB. As he continued to look over the insignia, he saw the worn-down spot where his father once fiddled with it. He remembered him doing that action before he left. Putting them down on the desk, he gently removed the titanium insignia from his breast before removing the two from his lapels and the cufflinks. Putting them down, he took his father's ones and put them on. Standing up, he looked at the mirror and adjusted them.

As he stood there looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between himself and his father. He was nearly a carbon copy. He had barely aged since his first assignments. A few lines there, and the few streaks of grey in his hair.

"You look just like your father."

"We are all here to remember the lives that were affected by Commander James Fyfe Barnes. Those who knew him, knew what a remarkable person he was. He was a soldier devoted to his family. Devoted to the Alliance and what it stands for. In these days, we must remember the sacrifices that are made by good men who willing go to war. James was raised by his father Leeland Barnes, son of Philip. In his life, he married his wife, Casandra. He is survived by his father, Leeland, his mother Lewis, and by his son Johnathan Leeland Barnes." Said the Priest.

As Johnathan stood in the rain in the middle of the military cemetery, he remained stoic as he looked at the empty casket of his father which was covered with the flag of the United Earth Government. Slowly, the rain made the flag turn from a blue color to almost black.

"We must remember the life that was given for all of us, and we must honor that, and remember the gift of freedom that he so willingly sacrificed himself for. Now, we commit a empty casket to the ground, from which we were all made, Secured in the knowledge that we will one day be reunited."

As the priest completed his homily, he felt the hand of a person on his shoulder.

"Present arms!" Said an officer. As all the military service members saluted the empty casket, Mercer did the same. "Order arms! Ready. Aim. Fire" After a moment, four service members fired their arms in three quick successions. With each volley, Mercer flinched. As they completed, the six other officers folded the flag of the union and presented it to Mercer.

"With this flag, you can honor him." Accepting the flag, Mercer stood there with it, as various officers beat their insignia into the casket to honor their commitment to each other.

Standing there, various people talked as the rain began to lessen to a degree. Soon they were all standing around for a lunch reception in the ball room on base. Mercer sat in a chair, as various people talked about their time together on various assignments, where they were going, and about their family.

Mercer had no family left.

"You look just like your father." Said a voice. Looking up, he noticed it was a Major. Standing up.

"Sir."

"At ease." Said Forest. "I'm sorry if I startled you son. I thought I should introduce myself. I'm Major Forest. I will be one of your instructors at Demetrius next semester. I met your father. He was a brilliant young man, and he would have been proud to see where you are now. He will be even more proud to wear an officer uniform."

"I plan on it, sir. I promise."

_    _    _

"I plan on it, sir." Mercer looked at himself in his uniform.

"Don't make yourself a promise, if you know you can't keep it."

"I plan on keeping it." Mercer said to himself. Straightening out his tunic and pants, he checked the time on his watch, before heading towards the C.I.C.