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to charge the hull with so much damage.
    Her ship was dying.
    A light flashed on her internal thermal readout. The hangar bay doors were opening; Jiang had managed, somehow, to clear the hangar bay. The ship launched one of their Broadswords. Liao watched it go, unable to shake the feeling of guilt that settled into her stomach for the first time. That ship was going to tell James what had happened to Earth, happened to all of them, and relay the most dire information any Human being had ever been told.
    And it was her fault.
    "You okay?" asked Iraj, his voice low so only she could hear.
    She couldn't tell the truth, so a gentle lie would suffice for now. "I don't know yet." She straightened her back. "Get me a headcount of the survivors, and then let's start shuttling these people down to the surface."
    "I was thinking about that," said Iraj. "Did you want to land the Beijing on the surface?"
    Land the entire ship again? They'd done that on Earth, but with the amount of damage he'd received, Liao was reluctant. "Seems risky, twice in one day. What if we can't take off again?"
    "That's a problem for the future," said Iraj. "We need to get these people some fresh air, some space, or we're going to start losing them. It's a risk, yes, but if the Toralii Alliance comes around, our chances of hiding are much better on the surface than in space."
    That was a point. A planet was a big place, even one mostly covered in water like Velsharn.
    "Also," Iraj continued, "it would also allow us to set up a base of operations and have shelter and a rallying point for all these civilians. The ship has energy, supplies, environmental controls; it's a much better solution than just dumping them out in the open with a handful of tents and good wishes."
    She nodded along as he spoke. "I think I like this plan."

    Isle 301, southern Velsharn

    The Beijing touched down on one of the southern islands, the 301st surveyed by the Madrid , nestled in a valley between two sets of mountain ranges. It was a wooded area, with tall yellowish trees too bushy and distinctly alien to her, but it was safe and secure. On the other side of the mountains, the land became more tropical and then it gave way to a beach.
    The civilians spilled out like a broken can of beans. Liao, watching them through the ship's external cameras, couldn't believe the crew had crammed in as many as they had. The civilians stumbled, covered in sweat, into the cool salty air, their relief palpable. Their stay aboard her ship had not been pleasant.  
    A work detail was organised, comprised of marines and civilian volunteers, to clear landing areas for the Broadswords. Cheung broke the group up into task groups and set them to work. Jiang and Dao coordinated with the vessels in orbit, and soon Broadswords from the other Pillars started falling through the atmosphere, a dozen shooting stars that flamed out and turned into ships, dropping more people off into the area near the Beijing .
    Liao left Iraj in charge of the ship and went to survey their new home, two marines falling into step with her. She left through the hangar, which Rowe had opened to permit exit to all the civilians, and walked down the metal deck. The place was just as she had left it.
    The woods were full of birds, the sound a chorus despite the confusion of the ship landing in the area. The sky above was a strange blue-purple colour, and overhead one of Velsharn's moons drifted between patches of cloud. It was evening, and the air was cool and sweet.
    It almost could have been Earth, almost. Yet she felt no joy at seeing it.
    As she stood there, taking in the view of the sky and the second wave of Broadswords streaking across it, a man approached her. One of the civilians. He was middle aged, heavyset, with huge hands and stringy brown hair. Her marines stopped him, but she gestured for them to move away.
    "You're Commander Liao, right? I recognise you from the news."
    "Yes. That's me."
    He extended his hand. "I'm