Admiral Cerle Vante stared out at the Pacific Ocean from the edge of the Arc Royale a 30 000 ton air craft carrier. There were few things as beautiful as a sun set off the Pacific Ocean. The winds of the Pacific pushed the Arc Royale gently as it trudged forwards. Cerle stood immobile even through the strong winds. The winds only added to the joy of being there in that moment though. Who needed war when faced with such beauty. Cerle felt that his already rough skin was layered with salt. He could taste it when he breathed he could even taste it when he bite his lip. Salt got every where that was a fact of working on any ocean. It accumulated and built up until it was visible to everyone making everything look either old or dirty. Cerle checked his watch, it was an old styled pocket watch that Cerle love using. The cleaning crews would be there soon. Salt clogged everything and it was time for the last thorough cleaning before the ship reached the coast. New jets would replace most of the current ones Cerle had on board. They could have just flown them off but command had been specific on the Arc coming in. the whole task of replacing everything and doing maintenance would take a month. Cerle flipped his watch shut and put it back in his white Admirals uniform.
The ship rocked gently under a large wave. Celre didn’t move an inch as the ship moved instead Cerle held onto his walking stick. It was a thick hollow finished oak stick with a thick sword underneath. The oak shell was white matching his uniform. Cerle had many other colored shells that matched his uniforms and other suits but only one sword. He didn’t need more than one Soul was the only sword he needed and also he was sure his daughter would have like to own it some day.Even if not to use but to hang up and display as something to remember her father by. A grin etched it’s self on his face. She was 30 years old and he still couldn’t think of her than anything else than her baby. Thought she didn’t think much of him. Not much at all. Ten years and he still got no word from her but he never would stop trying to reach her. He had to tell her about his the illness he had. HE most likely wouldn’t survive it and he needed to give her soul.

The nuclear reactor on the ship wasn’t loud but one could still hear it if the ocean was still though that sound added with the sound of the wild and the sound of the ocean tended to make shouting and whispering sound like the same thing. It was particularly hard to hear foot steps but Cerle could somehow ‘sense’ when people stepped up from behind him. Instinctively cerle reached under his uniform jacket. Cerle had a lot of battle experience which surprisingly rare for most people in his rank. Cerle had started out as a marine and worked his way up to where he was. The fear of someone coming from behind never left him. The bottom of his suit flapped up to reveal a dessert eagle 5.0. It was a stainless steel custom make gun with a special engraving called Nirvana. The sense inside of Cerle grew and formed a shape of a human being which stopped behind Cerle. Cerle kept silent quiet waiting for the presence behind him to grow a voice. Anyone behind him would present themselves soon or end up with a giant hole in their backs. His men knew this.

“Sir Vante Sir!” Came the voice behind him. It was a female voice and one he heard more often then any other. Cerle let go of Nirvana and place both of his palms on soul again.

“What is it Ms Crow”

“Our thermal radar has spotted something. Something large.”

“Where?” Cerle asked. The lutentant stepped in front of Cerle. She was dressed in her her best uniform just like he was but unlike him her hair wasn’t dressed properly to Cerle’s dissapointment. There was no point in reprimanding her though she was a good soldier and an extremely hard worker and tended to aleays be in good spirits or depreesed. She was a little like a pendulum moving from one side to the other but she stayed within the law so no one could compain though whenever she smiled, Cerle noticed she always looked as if she had something to hide. Right now though the intent expression her face held wanted nothing more than express itself.

She was holding a colour print out. Cerle took it axamine it carefully. There was the usual thermal indicators of ocean life then there was a red to orange to light he formed a cicrle in center of the print out. The cirlce was at least twenty times the size of the Arc.

“What is it?” Cerle ventured to ask.

“We don’t know Sir” Tina said

“And the sonar?”

“Nothing Sir only the thermal radar is picking it up.” The look on Tina’s face told him that the thermal radar was in perfect working condition.

“Is it…” Cerle paused. The grip on he had on Soul tightened an d his knucles turned white under the pressure. He could sense it out there. It wasn’t right. “… it is moving?” Tina’s face confirmed it “How fast is it moving and can it as anything dangerous like a vessel or a weapon?”

“it’s cant be confirmed as anything other than a patch of warm water in the center of the pacific. That’s” Now it was Tina’s turn to hesitate. “moving faster than the ship. It movingat twenty twenty-five knots.”

“And it can’t be… Forget it quickly wake up everyone. Tell them it’s a final battle test for everyman. That includes the LOX crews, safety observers, GSE’s and all medical presonal. I’ll personally take care of anyone who slacks off because we’re so clase to home. I want all these Jets moving before I reach the platform. Why aren’t you running? Run!”

Cerle watched as Tina bound for the commond room. Cerle knew he had to be there too but Tina would deliver his orders and everyone would listen. She was one of Cerle’s fastest runners and swimmers not that it meant anything. She was out of sight within the space of a few second which was a feet considering the size of the Arc. Cerle turned to he cammand room not before rapping twice on the deck of the arc with his walking stick. Te rattle Soul made was a comfort to Cerle. Whatever was headed for them would hurt thetoday. Not when they were so close to home and if it came to fight they had four NATO sea sparrow launchers and 22mm four mounts and fifty top class jets they had on deck which would all be up in the air in just over half an hour. Cerle had trained hard for these situations. Cerle was half across the platform when the test alarm went on and dozens of the ships company ran across they were the ones already on duty Cerle noted. They split up running in to do their jobs as Aircraft handling officers, Catapult and Arresting Gear Officers, Plane directors and Ordanancemen. Cerle grin re-etched itself on his face again. There was enough fire power on the ship to blast a hole in a country. Tina was running back with what looked like new print outs. The blob was definitely moving in on them Cerle could see that. But the carrier wasn’t moving at it fastest speed. . Other print outs annoyingly showed nothing. Cerle took a deep breath annoyed at what he needed to do as the commander of his ship.

“Okay listen carefully Sergeant turn the hip. Away from the coast line and head south. Increase our speed to 35 knots.If it’s headed towards us I want to take it away from the coast line. If it’s headed towards the coast I want to be behind it with at least 10 jets in the air. Go Sergeant!” Once again Tina sprinted off to the command room. The first of the air crew arrived fully suited up.

“Took long enough!” Cerle yelled.

Cerle reached the stairway leading to the command centre. Cerle felt satisfied when he felt the ship turn. He could also hear it speeding up. The first Jet shot into the air and within the next minute the next one was shot into the air. Cerle stepped into the command room and saw the thermal screen for himself including the carrier moving away from the blobs path. The blob moved ahead without taking notice of the carriers’ movements. Cerle wasn’t about to take chances though. He wanted to see this thing for himself. Seven officers were working hard inside the command room with at least twenty others of the ships company. Cerle moved to the nearest private whose duty it was to talk to the jets. “Tell all jets to hover around the object until we can get behind it. Then tell who ever is manning the 22mm’s to get ready to fire. And tell who ever is by the sparrows to load them. No one I repeat no one is to fire until we can confirm what the hell that is.”

“Sir Yes Sir!” Was the shout that came from the officers inside the command room.

Cerle moved to one of his officers. “How long until its insight?”

“A few minutes Sir”

Cerle nodded “Give me you’re radio and binoculars I want to see this for myself.”

Cerle was handed two pairs one definitely larger than the others “Thermal binoculars” the officers said catching Cerle's confusion and pointing at the larger pair of binoculars. Tina followed Cerle out with Cerle’s word. Cerle didn’t complain he was too used to it. She had a tendency of following Cerle. They hadn’t joined together on the Arc. Tina had trained and fought in Special Forces sniper division under Cerle and Tina had followed Cerle to the Arc Royale by special request. It didn’t make sense to Cerle since there wasn’t too much excitement at all on the Arc Royale especially for the ships company.

Cerle climbed the observational tower and handed Tina the thermal binoculars he really wasn’t in the mood to stare at a moving red blob. He’d seen enough on the monitors. After looking in his binoculars he lifted the radio and spoke. “Lieutenant what is it doing?” There was a worrying silence before the officer voice came out the radio.