SWNOVELS Chapter 5
“Ok,” I muttered to myself, “if I can’t remember then I didn’t do it.”
“Stop beating yourself up about it Sandra!”
I jerked to a stop. “Lottie what the hell are you on about?” I realised that she was talking to me directly again.
“You and Marsha.”
“You know what happened?”
“Of course I am in your head am I not and I heard every word you both said?”
“You can do that?” I was shocked.
“Otherwise I couldn’t hear you and respond when you talk to me.”
I digested that information feeling sick to the stomach. I hadn’t known she could do that. “You listen to everything?”
“Not everything that’s not in my programming.”
“So what did I do the truth now!”
“The truth is you both needed it.”
“That wasn’t me!” I protested, “I don’t do things like that.” I had been in drunken hazes before so I wasn’t certain I was right.
“The drink loosened the restraints you both put on yourselves. There was so much repressed sexual tension in the both of you that I was surprised it took so long to work it out.”
“I don’t do that sort of thing,” I repeated or at least I couldn’t remember doing anything like that when I was drinking. I think I didn’t but then I did do some dumb assed things when I was drunk.
“Not normally but these aren’t normal times.”
“Ok, Ok you’ve made your point my head’s pounding too much to argue with you.”
“Frankly I’m surprised the Enari was up for it and she wasn’t as drunk as you were.”
“Oh. So how much did I drink? I found two empty bottles.”
“I’m can’t be sure. I did hear you suggest opening another.”
“Ok so what happened to the other half? Both bottles were empty I tripped over them looking for my boots.”
“You were playing a game.”
“A game? What game?”
“It started innocently enough you unzipped your skinnies and showed her your scars while she showed hers. At Marsha’s suggestion you stripped naked and were using your navels as glasses and licking the drink out of them. I assume that’s what you were doing. It was your suggestion.”
“You are kidding right?”
“I’m not programmed for that.”
I groaned. “I doesn’t get any better does it?”
“I can’t really say what you did my programming never covered that. You were both novices but what you lacked in experience you made up in enthusiasm.”
“Please!” I groaned again, “I don’t want to hear the gory details.”
“You just want to be left alone to wallow in your imagined misery.”
“Shut up Lottie.”
“I must remind you I was the one that woke you in plenty of time to get yourself ready to meet your squad.”
“Yes I saw you reports you left on the terminal in my quarters but I haven’t read them all yet and I’m not going to ask how you achieved that.”
“Sandra I’m not your enemy.”
“I do wonder what you are.”
“I am only a program I can only work as I have been programmed.”
I wasn’t going to continue this conversation and she wasn’t going to budge. Did I just think of Lottie as a her? I rubbed my temples my head still throbbing.
“Ok I’ll call you again if I need you.”
“Till then Sandra.”
“And please don’t eavesdrop on my conversations unless I ask you to.”
“I will do that.”
I was alone, no that wasn’t correct Lottie was still there waiting and listening. With my head in a mess I walked to the briefing room and my first encounter with my squad.
I pressed button beside the door the briefing room it slid open to reveal six people in grey skinnies were already seated there. A mix of humans and T’Arni even an Ezaran. They stood abruptly as I entered.
“Officer on Deck!” someone shouted the sound bursting on my beleaguered brain.
I winced at the noise my eyes going watery. I blinked hard to clear my vision taking in the figures standing to attention. I saluted and they returned my salute.
“Zoran Squad ready for inspection,” a male human with lieutenant’s bars on his collar announced.
Even with my blurry vision I could tell he wasn’t a looker with his slab sided face, buzz cut hair and overly broad nose that seemed squashed against his coffee-coloured skin.
“I’m surprised to see a lieutenant in charge of a squad and I’d thought there would be more of you. In the GF a squad consists of eight led by a sergeant?” As usual I had spoken bluntly and put my foot in my mouth. Even through my pounding head I knew that a squad of eight was the basic unit size in both the Marines and GF.
“Lieutenant Steve Tutor. I’m in charge because I was Thomas Carlton’s 2iC. And as to the size of the squad we’re made up to two fire teams’ alpha and beta. We don’t need any more than that,”
I noted a hint of annoyance in his voice.
“Lieutenant Tutor I apologise,” I acknowledged him ignoring his rudeness. With my head still pounding and my mouth feeling like I was chewing a fur rug I couldn’t focus beyond his sound of voice. “At ease squad.”
“Yes ma’am at once ma’am!” he shouted I think he knew about my hangover. It wasn’t like I had hid the fact you’d just have to look at my bloodshot eyes. “Squad at ease!”
I winced again at that. “And Lieutenant let’s do this quietly I have a head.”
“Aye, aye ma’am,” he lowered the tone of his voice. Looking queryingly at me.
“Captain Yanik invited me to her quarters for a drink,” I told the squad directly I wasn’t going to lie about that. I wonder if they knew about their captain’s antics.
“That wasn’t the black stuff was it?” One of the two human women asked.
“Private First Class, Sarah Vanwasshova?” I remembered the hologram in her dossier. Her skin was pale and her blonde hair close-cropped. I noted the medical insignia on her collar.
“Yes ma’am. Sarah Vanwasshova.”
“So what can you tell be about the black stuff?”
“Well?” her eyes went to the Lieutenant her cheeks colouring, “I only had half a glass full and I was on my back. The LT had to carry me back to the barracks. I was out of it for the rest of my shore leave.”
“Perhaps what I had was weaker?”
“No ma’am. It was Captain Yanik’s clan brew that ain’t watered down I’ll tell ya.”
“If I may ask how much did you have?” Tutor asked.
“Well I must have had about three quarters of a bottle. After that I passed out and found myself on the floor of the captain’s quarters. Captain Yanik was kind enough to let me sleep it off.” Better that lie than the awful truth.
The squad looked impressed. I walked across the room and took up the seat with my back to the view screen. “Please be seated. This is what we in the GF call a meet and greet. I assume you do the same in the Marines?”
“Yes ma’am but we call it a pump and dump,” Tutor remarked
“Same thing,” I replied feeling more at ease since I woke, “for those that don’t know who I am let me introduce myself, I am Major Sandra Locke.”
“Lieutenant Steve Tutor,” Tutor repeated himself.
“Master Sergeant Shawna Harms,” A pretty looking tawny haired human female added with a smile.
“Corporal Bacare,” A serious looking black haired T’Arni male said.
“Private First Class Kriaeusus,” The other T’Arni male said. There was a scar on his narrow T’Arni chin and his hair a mess of dark fuzz.
“I’ve already ID’d you Vanwasshova.”
“Specialist Vorra,” The female Ezaran remarked looking at the table and not at me.
“Specialist Vorra. The same Specialist Vorra that pushed past me as I was getting off the shuttle?”
Vorra looked up gazing at my face a worried expression on hers. “I’m sorry Major Locke I was looking into the shuttle systems. There was an attempt to hack it. I couldn’t find an external source. Someone was trying to decrypt the security algorithms from the inside. Impossible I know you’d say, but someone had the skill to do it.”
“Even me, I was the only human on board?”
Vorra scrutinised my face. “That would be impossible. I not casting aspersions on your skills ma’am but an organic life form cannot access the system from within itself.”
“Ok we’ve exhausted that possibility,” I said turning back to Lieutenant Tutor. I’d have to speak to Lottie about that later. “What skills does your team have?”
“Specialist Vorra is our tech expert and is trained in demolitions. Everyone else has been trained in handling all types of weapons, standard training. In addition each of us got a first grade in target shooting.”
“And you are all trained as fighter and shuttle pilots,” I added. “Which we lack in the GF. Basic training for the Marines is twenty-four months to our twelve.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Speaking of weapons what are our armaments stocks Lieutenant Tutor?”
“In charge of the armoury is Master Sergeant Harms,” Tutor remarked.
“Master Sergeant Harms? Current status?”
“We have eighty AR 32’s and four thousand rounds of ammunition for each. A quantity of grenades at least five crates of ten each. Enough sidearms and ammunition to equip the whole crew.”
“That’s all small stuff. Do we have any heavy weapons like MARs?”
“MARs?”
Or as they were known as Mobile Anti-Tank Rockets which was a misnomer they weren’t that mobile. ‘Grumblers’ the GF called them for the crews that grumbled about lugging them around the battlefield. A crew of MAR’s consisted of two to carry the weapon and two carry the rockets.
“No ma’am too bulky. If we need that sort of support we call in the ship.”
“Ok.” I said, it made sense MARs were issued at battalion level in the GF.
“Didn’t you have any MARs on Anoxi?” Corporal Bacare asked.
“You were on Anoxi?” I asked him.
“Yes ma’am, 3rd Marines.”
“We would have had they survived the drop. Intel never told us about the AS batteries. We lost dozens of ships in the drop including all our heavy stuff. We might have been throwing snowballs at those MREVs. Once we destroyed the AS batteries we could call in airstrikes on the remaining MREVs.” I inwardly shuddered at the thought of Anoxi. I wasn’t going to show my fears in front of the squad.
“Sorry for the interruption ma’am we all heard what you did on Anoxi,” Bacare apologised.
“I don’t mind,” I replied making light of his comments. Anoxi haunted my dreams something I hadn’t been able to shake off. I turned my attention back to Shawna Harms. “Master Sergeant Harms what’s the status of our ancillaries? Combat armour and other stuff of that nature?” I was fishing hoping to get myself a set of armour otherwise I would be extremely exposed if it came to a firefight.
“That’s handled by general stores but I’m sure they don’t have any amour in store except stuff issued to us, I could bring up an inventory if you need to check it.”
“That’s ok Harms I’ll check through it later.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Have you been briefed on our mission lieutenant?”
“All we were told was you’d be coming aboard and taking charge of Zoran.”
“Ok,” I was surprised that they hadn’t been briefed properly, “the essentials are we are heading for Anwa Padak. Once there we are to acquire the services of a Miss Elspeth Broaden and return.”
“Why all this fuss for one human,” Bacare asked.
“She has information on the Rhosani that we need.”
I heard one of the two T’Arni gasp I was sure it was Bacare.
“Surely the Rhosani are long dead and what’s this to do with the war?” Sarah Vanwasshova interjected.
“A world in the Ocato system vanished without leaving a trace. The Comms Net in that system was destroyed. A survey team savaged the data from the remains of the relays and it showed the image of a Rhosani ship,” I clearly heard both T’Arni draw deep breaths this time.
“This bad real bad,” Kriaeusus remarked his eyes on his T’Arni squad mate.
“Com Ops wants this investigated. We need Miss Broaden. You know the sort of panic that will ensue if this gets out. That is why it is on a need to know basis.”
“Ma’am we understand that but why send you?” Shawna Harms enquired.
“Com Ops ran a simulation and my name came up as to the success of the mission.”
“Com Ops are running Morass’ simulation so they must have thought the old Fandaren’s ideas useful,” Vorra said with a smile.
“You know this Morass, Vorra?”
“Yes ma’am. He was my teacher,” the way she said ‘teacher’ had more intimate connotations for her.
“Ok Specialist Vorra I’ll leave that speculation to you and that’s the gist of our mission. Any questions?”
There was no response from the squad.
“There anything else you wish to ask the squad?” I was aware the examination Tutor was giving me there was an edge to his gaze.
“No that’s as much as I can do for now I need to read through our mission parameters and decide on a plan. Do you have a time you put aside for training?”
“0900 standard time we assemble in the shuttle bay,” Tutor told me reluctantly
“0900 I be there to join you. Dismissed,” then as the squad got up to leave, “one moment I need to speak to the female members of the squad. Please sit back down.”
The three women sat back down all looking at me curiously. I waited until the door closed before I spoke. “Ok ladies I need to ask you something personal.”
“Ma’am?” Shawna Harms asked looking slightly uncomfortable.
“Which of you can lend me some scanties.” Scanties was the term used to describe the regulation military issue undergarments that almost everyone ditched after getting their assignments once they had finished basic. I gave them my most wry smile. “I’ve only got the pair I’m wearing. I wasn’t given the chance grab any gear before I boarded the shuttle.”
Shawna glanced at her two companions. “I’ll see what we can do ma’am.”
“Thank you dismissed!”
Once they had gone I headed for the mess hall to get something to eat before I headed back to my quarters via a detour to the store planning to re-read the mission briefing and the dossiers on the squad in my quarters. Lieutenant Tutor’s attitude had me on edge.
Shawna Harms was waiting outside my quarters when I got there. She saluted smartly on seeing me. She had a pack in her hands. I would have saluted back but my arms were full of skinnies that I had sweet-talked the quartermaster into giving me.
“We went through our clothes and brought you these ma’am.”
“No need to be so formal.”
“What should I call you ma’am?”
“Major, or Major Locke will do for now.”
“Yes major.”
Juggling my load I opened my door and stepped through she followed me in.
“I see they gave you Thomas’ quarters.”
“Captain Yanik asked me to be her XO.”
Shawna whistled. “I’d never believed that. Valkyrie can be so stiff necked I’ve only ever seen her smile at Thomas, since his death she’s become even more withdrawn.”
“Will that be a problem for the mission?”
“No major, I’ve found her to be very professional in her conduct we’ll have no problems there.”
“Good to know.”
“Can I be frank major?”
“I don’t condemn a person for speaking their mind.”
“Why haven’t Spec Ops picked you before with your record and all?”
“Spec Ops?”
“Special Operations which we are.”
I had heard whispers of Special Operations while I served in the GF but they were only rumours. A unit that was supposed to be able to slip into enemy systems and conduct recon operations and perhaps demolitions and assassinations.
“Spec Ops? I’ve heard the scuttlebutt.”
“You’ve probably heard the worst then. We’re not like that Captain Yanik wouldn’t stand for it which is why she’s in charge.”
“Things like what?”
“You know if you heard the rumours we’re not sent in on kill missions. We’re pure recon.”
“Sorry if I implied that sergeant. To be honest I can’t say why they never.”
“If you need anything else just ask major, us girls have to stick together,” she said placing the pack on the bed, “just hand what doesn’t fit back. With your permission major I’m on bridge duty.”
“See you sergeant.”
Then she was gone.
I placed the skinnies on the bed next to Shawna’s pack and opened it dumping the contents on the bed. There were several sets other underwear all of it not strictly regulation scanties. I quickly sorted through it removing the thongs it might have been ok for some of the women but I’ve never felt comfortable wearing them. I held the remainder of the panties to my hips to judge the fit. I discarded nearly all the bras I doubted I was going to find a pair to fit my frame without alteration. I noted they had also included a few women’s essentials along with a vest, a pair of shorts and a pair of sneakers for exercising in. I was glad that they were so thoughtful.
0900 on the dot I walked into the shuttle bay dressed in my shorts and vest glad I wasn’t hung over Doc Nathan Brown had the remedy in his inventory. The rest of the squad had already assembled.
“Just pretend I’m just one of your squad LT. To tell you the truth I need to assess my fitness I’ve been stuck behind a desk too long.”
“Your funeral major,” Shawna said as she stood next to me and winked.
I smiled at that. Three quarters of an hour later I realised how unfit I really was feeling my muscles stiffen under the intensive work out.
“Ok halt!” Tutor shouted.
I was glad of the rest. Sweat trickled down my face and ran between my breasts. “You certainly work hard or is this to impress me,” I gasped to Shawna as she stood next to me seeing the sweat rimming her vest and shorts.
“Yeah he’s working us harder that normal.”
“I could do with a shower after this.”
“That’s our plan to major. We hit the showers then the mess hall and back here for weapons practice.”
“Weapons practice? I’d thought that impossible on board?”
“Vorra rigs a course using holograms she keeps it secret so every time it different.”
I was intrigued. “Mind if a tag along I do need the practice.”
“Sure major. Oh and one other thing Vorra rigged the holos to score points when hit. Corporal Bacare has the highest score three weeks running. I’d love to see him taken down a peg or two,” I saw her smile at that.
“I’m a little rusty so you’ll have to go easy on me.”
Shawna laughed. “We’ll see major. Practice is at 1100.”
She gathered Vorra and Sarah and together the three women walked off chatting.
“Major?”
I turned to see Tutor approach. “Yes LT?”
“I have to admit I pushed the squad hard today harder than normal I wanted to impress you.” But to my ears it didn’t sound that way.
I noticed he was looking at my sweat lines. “Already noted LT. Anything else?”
“No major.”
“One thing you should know LT?”
“Major?”
“My eyes are up here not down there,” suddenly glad of the sewing kit Shawna had provided I used it to repair my bra and alter a couple of bras near enough to my size to fit. One thing I was happy about was my sewing skill one of the few practical things the GF had taught me.
“I apologise ma’am. It won’t happen again.”
“See it doesn’t LT. I will be here for weapons practice and lets make this a normal session without the over work.”
“Yes ma’am.”
I opened the door to quarters looking forward to a shower and halted. Marsha was seated on my bed a tightness behind her eyes. “Marsha?” I said crossing the room to my locker.
“You’ve been avoiding me?” she said the tone of her voice accusing without looking directly at me her cheeks flushed.
I turned to regard her. “I haven’t, I wanted to assess my squad. I did mention that I think? But I might be wrong that night was a blur I still can’t remember any details I suppose it’s better that way.”
“It just seems like you have remembered,” she paused as if to empathise her point, “we had sex.”
“So?”
“So nothing, I’m sorry to keep pushing the point but what I did to you wasn’t me I am Valkyrie,” She stated with a worried frown.
“I’m not worried about it and you should not be either it was the drink. You do still want me as your XO?”
“After what I did to you how can you trust me?”
“Marsha, I do trust you,” I opened the locker and pulled out my towel and a set of skinnies, “I hope you do the same. If you have even the slightest doubt please tell me?”
“I regret what we did, I do not want to admit I actually enjoyed it. I am Valkyrie we have no code for my behaviour.”
I shrugged. “Leave it in the past. With your permission Marsha I’m going to have a shower.” I gathered my stuff and headed for the showers.
Marsha followed me in she seemed to be wanting to say more but something was holding her back. I pulled off my sweaty vest and shorts dropping them to the floor and adding my underwear to the pile. Marsha blushed on seeing my naked body. I ignored her as I stepped in to the shower and turned in on. The gush of water washed the stench of sweat from my body all too soon it was time to get out. Marsha had gone so had my pile of dirties.
“Lottie Do you know what Marsha’s playing at? And what’s she done with my clothes?”
“I’m as much in the dark as you are Sandra. I did hear her say she was going to get them washed.”
“Oh great I really don’t need this,” I muttered, “ok Lottie I hope this won’t effect the mission.”
“I’ll keep you informed.”
I dried myself off and dressed.
There was a queue in the mess hall as I got there. Picking up a tray I joined the end of the queue receiving curious looks from the crewmembers standing in line.
“Joining us plebes major?” a familiar voice asked.
I glanced around seeing Shawna, Sarah and Vorra standing behind me. “I wasn’t aware there’s a separate line for patricians?” I replied with an innocent smile.
“Ouch I asked for that,” Shawna laughed.
I was getting to like Shawna. “In the GF we make no distinction. It may surprise you that I’ve spent time loading the dishwasher and serving behind the counter.”
“Not cooking?” Sarah asked with a look to Shawna, seeming to take a cue from her. I saw Shawna nod her confirmation.
“I did once,” I admitted, “but it was universally decided by my company not to have me cook again and to never mention the incident ever,” I finished the statement with a grin.
The three women burst out laughing eliciting odd looks from the other diners. The line moved and we moved with it. By the time we reached the serving hatch we were chatting like we had been friends for life having learning much about their lives and loves while I regaled them with the antics of some of the students at the academy.
I regarded the meal the server had slapped on my tray. It didn’t look appetising. “I see nothings changed. Same old freeze dried slop,” I picked up a cup of coffee.
“Do you want to join us major?” Shawna said nudging Vorra, “I see an empty spot over there.”
I glanced around seeing Marsha sitting on her own. “I best go and sit with Captain Yanik.”
“Ok major the offer still stands for the next time.”
“I’ll remember that sergeant.”
Taking my tray I nonchalantly walked over to Marsha’s table. She was too busy staring at the untouched food in front of her to notice me. A datapad lay on the table beside her tray.
“Is this seat taken captain?”
She suddenly stared up our eyes met and she looked away.
“Do you mind if I sat with you it looks like you could do with the company?” Without waiting for a reply I slid into the seat opposite.
She shook herself. “Of course Major Locke. I was just reading through the day’s assignments. Normally I’d have my XO do this.”
“Here. Want me to take a look?’ I said reaching for the datapad.
“No I’ll do it for now. You’ll need to learn the ropes first,” her hand grabbed at the datapad accidentally touching mine. She withdrew her hand quickly her breathing harsh.
“We’ll can start as soon as you want to. I will have to slide it in with my squad training sessions,” I told her as if nothing had happened.
“Do you need training?” Marsha asked, for the first time looking directly at me her composure firm with no hint of breathlessness.
“Unfortunately after this morning’s performance that’s a definite. I’ve got weapons training at 1100 after that I’ve got nothing scheduled in so how about a tour of the ship and start me on my XO training I want to know it all.”
Marsha relaxed picking up her utensils she began to eat. “Meet me on the bridge when you’ve finished.”
I dug into my food realising it didn’t taste as bad as it looked.
I arrived back in the shuttle bay to find the squad was waiting for me. The shuttle bay was spacious enough for the shuttle with enough space for another. I noted a number of small boxes scattered about the floor.
“Major Locke,” Tutor nodded in my direction without saluting.
“LT I’m intrigued as to how you are going to do this?” I overlooked his lack of etiquette, if he wanted to treat me as an ordinary soldier I wouldn’t pull rank on him.
He smiled and picked up a rifle from a low table against one wall and tossed it to me. I caught it and examined it. It had the weight of an AR 32 and vaguely the same shape but that was where the resemblance ended. The grip and trigger mechanism felt the same but where the barrel should have ended were two laser lenses.
“As you can see there are two sensors, a laser beam and a reflector. The holos reflect light when hit. The sensor picks up the feed back and scores a hit. There is a delay since light is faster than the speed of a coil gun round, the internal computer compensates for this,” he explained.
I pulled the stock of the laser to my shoulder and looked down the sights. “So who’s first up?” I asked.
“We where going to ask you major.”
I lowered the rifle. “I’d like to see how it’s done before I commit myself,” I said handing the rifle back to Tutor I had heard the challenge in his voice but I chose to ignore it.
He took a deep breath. “Kriaeusus you’re up first,” he threw the weapon to him.
The T’Arni caught it easily and took up a stance. “When you are ready Vorra.”
Vorra pressed a button on the black box in her hand. A hologram of a figure in armour appeared over one of the small boxes on the floor of the shuttle bay. I saw the flash of the laser and moments later the holo flickered and faded almost immediately another replaced it in a totally different part of the bay. I watched my curiosity satisfied the whole concept was ingenious.
“Why hasn’t this been rolled out to the rest of the CSN?” I asked Shawna who with Sarah had come to stand next to me. Vorra was busy with the box in her hands.
“It’s Vorra’s baby and like most of her babies she’s reluctant to let this one go.”
“I’ll put in a word with Com Ops this would increase combat readiness of the Marine’s and GF with the war on we need any edge we can get.”
“Please let us speak to Vorra before you contact Com Ops.”
“Until the comms blackout has been lifted I‘ll not be able to do that.”
“Right major! You’ve seen how it’s done it’s your turn!” Tutor called out taking the laser from Kriaeusus and tossing it to me.
I caught it without blink and took up my stance combat mode taking over. “Now Vorra!”
A hologram of a Commonwealth death trooper flicked up almost in my face. I briefly wondered why Vorra has chosen them as my enemy. I aimed and fired working on automatic as target after target presented itself. Suddenly a holo appeared behind me almost on top of me, I saw it in my peripheral vision. I stuck out with my elbow, as I would have if it had been a real opponent.
“That’s enough!” Tutor barked, “well done major but I’m afraid the last one doesn’t count.”
“Come on Lieutenant?” Shawna pleaded, “if it had been real I reckon the major would have smashed its face in.”
“The Orsini have a habit of appearing where you least expect them to be especially when fighting building by building,” I said looking at Tutor. He coloured slightly under my intense gaze.
“They certainly do at that,” Kriaeusus remarked fingering the scar on his face.
“You were on Anoxi?” I asked him.
“No Praxi.”
“I kind of missed that I was still on a hospital ship being patched up.”
Kriaeusus nodded to the other Marines. “We heard what you did on Anoxi. It takes guts to carry on going with the wounds you received you deserved that medal ma’am.”
“Thank you Kriaeusus,” I nodded in his direction.
“Vorra it’s your baby so how are you going to play this?” Shawna enquired.
Vorra looked thoughtful. “I have to admit I hadn’t thought of that. There may be a way to add it into the holos. If we put a reflective patch on the limbs there is a way I could use it to improve the program,” She looked up and smiled, “I’ll get straight on it,” she began to pick up the boxes scattered across the floor of the shuttle bay.
“Sorry major looks like the training session’s over. Vorra won’t be satisfied until she fixed the issue,” Shawna consoled me.
“LT?”
Tutor was frowning. “Even with the interruption you scored higher than Bacare’s best.”
“I’m not insulted by that,” Bacare answered, “it’s good to see a pro in action.” He gave the women in his squad a glare. “The best thirty credits I’ve lost.”
Shawna and Sarah highfived each other broad grins on their faces.
“You do realise half of that is mine,” I responded. Seeing the shocked looks on their faces I laughed. “I think a donation to the war wounded fund be appropriate say about ten percent and spend the rest on your next shore leave.”
“Thanks major,” Shawna replied, “would you be joining us later for our next training session later?”
“When?”
“1500 hrs.”
“A sorry no Captain Yanik is expecting me.”
“With your permission LT.”
“Ok major.”
I walked out of the shuttle bay feeling better about myself I hadn’t lost my combat edge. I headed for the bridge. Marsha was waiting for me. She actually looked relieved on seeing me. I had briefly seen the bridge on the Sovran but the bridge the Havok was larger, larger than I expected seeming to have more stations. Through the view windows I could see the unrelenting greyness of hyperspace. It wasn’t busy most of the stations were shut down the power expenditure deemed unnecessary.
I saluted. “Major Locke reporting for duty.” I stood to attention.
“I didn’t think you’d be coming?” she told me her voice kept low.
“You asked me to be your XO I deem it to be an honour captain.”
“You’re calling me captain?” she asked sounding hurt.
“We are on duty I‘d expect you to do the same to me.”
“Yes of course.”
Marsha gave the duty officers a look. “Lieutenant Diseni you have the conn.”
A male T’Arni looked up from the engineering console. “Aye, aye captain.”
“This way please major,” Marsha said sounding more confident, “I’ll show you around the ship you should get to know all the stations. As my XO you’d be expected to know it all.”