moved to join the captain at the door.
“He’s not just a professor anymore.” Rebeccah stood. “He’s now the UESF’s most important diplomat, and I think it behooves us to treat him as such.” She crossed her arms, daring them to object.
Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Forbes seemed to consider the matter. “All right, Santiago, you can come too.”
She forced her voice to remain neutral while her inner child did somersaults up and down her spine. “Thank you, sir.”
“Since you’re so keen,” Cheng snickered before continuing, “you can carry his luggage and escort him to his quarters once the tunnel clears the exterior.” He winked as he disappeared into the corridor.
She didn’t care in the slightest that Cheng mocked her enthusiasm. If the VIP didn’t have the gold bars of a fleet officer, he didn’t get excited.
“Lt. Cmdr. Targersson,” Captain Forbes called as Rebeccah approached his side.
“Sir?”
“You have command of the bridge.”
“Aye, sir.”
Targersson took his seat in the captain’s chair and nodded to Forbes.
“Okay, Lieutenant,” said Forbes, “let’s get this meet and greet over with, shall we?” He gestured for her to precede him into the corridor.
“Yes, sir.” She smiled, letting her enthusiasm show now that Cheng was nowhere to be seen.
She made her excuses at the nearest junction and rushed to her quarters. The meeting called for a fresh uniform and some extra polish on her boots.
* * * *
Rebeccah alternated between tugging on her ponytail and fussing with the creases on her sleeves. She stood on tiptoe and peered through the thick window into the airlock beyond, hoping to catch a glimpse of the transport approaching the ship.
“Relax, Lieutenant,” said Forbes. “The transport’s on schedule and will be here momentarily.”
She whirled around and blushed. “I just...”
Forbes laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not mocking you.”
He came over and stood beside her, placing a hand against the bulkhead as he leaned in close to her ear. “Aside from the excitement of entering avian territory, I don’t get why you’re all worked up about him, but if you think he’s worth fussing over, then that’s what we’ll do.”
She leaned back against the bulkhead and smiled in relief. In another situation, in another place, she’d consider reciprocating his advances. Regardless of her intentions, she would never use his feelings to manipulate him, and was relieved he seemed to respect her mind as much as he admired her body.
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about him--and this mission--that’s captured my attention,” she replied.
“What’s captured your attention?” asked Cheng as he swaggered into view. “Are you two talking about me again?”
“Aw, stuff it, Max,” joked Forbes. “You and your big ego are going to get stuck in an airlock one of these days.”
“As long as I’m trapped with a pretty officer, I’m okay with that.”
Rebeccah walked over to stand beside the airlock and shook her head. Cheng could be such a pig sometimes. His comments annoyed her because they didn’t land far from the truth. Handsome, a talented officer and a charismatic leader, his career was on a definite upswing. She figured he had a year more, maximum, as the Firestorm’s XO before he would be offered a ship of his own. Cheng was one of the UESF’s golden boys.
“Earth to Santiago. Come in, Santiago.” Cheng mimicked an old fashioned radio, complete with the sounds of static. “The transport is within tunnel range, over.”
Rebeccah brushed past Cheng, who shook his head as he wiped tears of laughter from his cheeks, and peered through the window again. The transport rose like a leviathan from the deep as it cleared the moonbase and soared toward the Firestorm . Tiny figures moved past the windows and Rebeccah wondered if any of them was John Thompson.
Unconsciously tugging on her ponytail, she watched as the
“He’s not just a professor anymore.” Rebeccah stood. “He’s now the UESF’s most important diplomat, and I think it behooves us to treat him as such.” She crossed her arms, daring them to object.
Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Forbes seemed to consider the matter. “All right, Santiago, you can come too.”
She forced her voice to remain neutral while her inner child did somersaults up and down her spine. “Thank you, sir.”
“Since you’re so keen,” Cheng snickered before continuing, “you can carry his luggage and escort him to his quarters once the tunnel clears the exterior.” He winked as he disappeared into the corridor.
She didn’t care in the slightest that Cheng mocked her enthusiasm. If the VIP didn’t have the gold bars of a fleet officer, he didn’t get excited.
“Lt. Cmdr. Targersson,” Captain Forbes called as Rebeccah approached his side.
“Sir?”
“You have command of the bridge.”
“Aye, sir.”
Targersson took his seat in the captain’s chair and nodded to Forbes.
“Okay, Lieutenant,” said Forbes, “let’s get this meet and greet over with, shall we?” He gestured for her to precede him into the corridor.
“Yes, sir.” She smiled, letting her enthusiasm show now that Cheng was nowhere to be seen.
She made her excuses at the nearest junction and rushed to her quarters. The meeting called for a fresh uniform and some extra polish on her boots.
* * * *
Rebeccah alternated between tugging on her ponytail and fussing with the creases on her sleeves. She stood on tiptoe and peered through the thick window into the airlock beyond, hoping to catch a glimpse of the transport approaching the ship.
“Relax, Lieutenant,” said Forbes. “The transport’s on schedule and will be here momentarily.”
She whirled around and blushed. “I just...”
Forbes laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not mocking you.”
He came over and stood beside her, placing a hand against the bulkhead as he leaned in close to her ear. “Aside from the excitement of entering avian territory, I don’t get why you’re all worked up about him, but if you think he’s worth fussing over, then that’s what we’ll do.”
She leaned back against the bulkhead and smiled in relief. In another situation, in another place, she’d consider reciprocating his advances. Regardless of her intentions, she would never use his feelings to manipulate him, and was relieved he seemed to respect her mind as much as he admired her body.
“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about him--and this mission--that’s captured my attention,” she replied.
“What’s captured your attention?” asked Cheng as he swaggered into view. “Are you two talking about me again?”
“Aw, stuff it, Max,” joked Forbes. “You and your big ego are going to get stuck in an airlock one of these days.”
“As long as I’m trapped with a pretty officer, I’m okay with that.”
Rebeccah walked over to stand beside the airlock and shook her head. Cheng could be such a pig sometimes. His comments annoyed her because they didn’t land far from the truth. Handsome, a talented officer and a charismatic leader, his career was on a definite upswing. She figured he had a year more, maximum, as the Firestorm’s XO before he would be offered a ship of his own. Cheng was one of the UESF’s golden boys.
“Earth to Santiago. Come in, Santiago.” Cheng mimicked an old fashioned radio, complete with the sounds of static. “The transport is within tunnel range, over.”
Rebeccah brushed past Cheng, who shook his head as he wiped tears of laughter from his cheeks, and peered through the window again. The transport rose like a leviathan from the deep as it cleared the moonbase and soared toward the Firestorm . Tiny figures moved past the windows and Rebeccah wondered if any of them was John Thompson.
Unconsciously tugging on her ponytail, she watched as the
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