Captain Navis was in his quarters dining with his Lieutenant and ships mates he took a bite of the steak the ships cook served for dinner and read the orders from the Lord Grand Admiral and scoffed make it through the ice passage in 12 days ridiculous they were seven days into their trip and had made it a little over halfway but the crew was exhausted and were beginning to grow mutinous even though the captain said there was nothing he could do his orders were clear make it through the passage in 12 days no anchoring and above all else don't get stuck that was absolutely ridiculous he had to work his men day and night in freezing weather they had to regulate and adjust time tables the men could only sleep in short spurts but it was necessary for the war effort they were told every day what war effort he thought to himself nobody wants this war except for the higher ups hoping to gain more power and battle crazed maniacs hoping to gain glory in battle he looked at his crew and said "we are making good time but it seems they expect us to further pick up the pace they want us to clear the passage in 5 days at the rate we are going i can guess we will make it in about 7 days the 2nd officer spoke up "but how are we supposed to do that its generally accepted that even a fast ship able to go at full canvas all the time will take about 15 days we are an small slow ship and we're hauling those smaller transport vessels and we can still clear it in 7 days you say while our men are working round the clock on the oars and we're at full canvas and they want us to go faster we have already worked the men practically half to death if we push them any harder it may be a death sentence for all of us whats the imperial navy to do once we get there we'll be trapped" there came a knock on the door quite suddenly and the captain glanced out the window and saw a ship almost 50 feet longer than his own parked outside he had not noticed do to ships passing them and being passed by them frequently the captain opened the door and was greeted by his commodore his direct superior that must be his flagship outside he thought to himself as the commodore said "greetings i hope i am not interrupting your meal gentlemen" "no no of course not sir what is it you need?" "nothing much i just have orders from the Lord Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy he said all ships are to release their cargo and return to port at Ilarus and other major port cities at once but first make sure your cargo has everything they will need for the next 5 days at least"