party?"
"Yes."
"Will you be traveling with us, sir?"
"I will."
Turning to the officer of the deck, she said, "Lieutenant, seal the airlock so the ship can get underway, then contact Lieutenant Shelton and have her arrange quarters for our passengers. You will personally take charge of the prisoner, with suitable Marine guard, and see that he is secured in the brig. High security while he's aboard."
"Aye, Commander."
The Lieutenant moved to a control console and initiated the process that would seal the enormous outer and inner doors of the bay's airlock. Jenetta remained until both hatches had been closed, locked, and certified as being sealed by the computer. She then turned to Kanes.
"This way to the bridge, Commander. Your people are in good hands."
"As am I. Thank you, Commander." As they walked, Kanes said, "You seem to be getting on quite well."
"Yes sir. I've been very happy. This is where I want to be, where I've dreamed of being for as long as I can remember. There was a time when I believed that I'd never make it."
"When you were adrift in the escape pod after the Hokyuu exploded?"
"Long before that, sir. I was designated as a science officer because they felt I didn't have the aptitude for command. I was sure that I'd never have a chance for a posting like this."
Commander Kane, intimately familiar with Jenetta's file, looked at her appraisingly. In his twenty-two years as an Intelligence officer in Space Command, he'd never met anyone quite so enigmatic as this young woman next to him, and she intrigued him. "It's funny how situations change."
Captain Gavin was sitting in his command chair, facing the full wall monitor at the front of the bridge, when the two officers entered from the corridor behind him. It was his watch and he had relieved the officer Jenetta left in charge of the bridge when she went to resolve the issue of last minute arrivals. As Jenetta reached his side, he glanced over in her direction and asked, "Is everything secured, Commander?"
"Aye, Captain, the airlock is sealed and all is ready for departure."
"Excellent. Take us out, Commander."
"Aye, sir," Jenetta said, as she climbed into the first officer's bridge chair. "Astrogation, have we received clearance for maneuvering and departure?"
"We've received clearance and the space is open, ma'am."
"Helm, has the airlock ramp been vacated and the station airlock door secured?"
"Aye, Commander. The ramp is empty, and the station airlock control indicates red. The station dock master has approved our request to undock."
"Tactical, is the ship sealed?"
"Aye, ma'am. The computer reports that all access hatches are closed, locked, and sealed."
"Helm, depressurize the starboard airlock ramp at the forward cargo bay."
The faint sounds of rushing air could be heard by the ratings and noncoms standing by to handle any problem in the forward cargo hold as pumps were engaged and the atmosphere evacuated into onboard storage bottles. After about thirty seconds the helmsman said, "The starboard airlock ramp at the forward cargo bay is fully depressurized, ma'am."
"Release all docking clamps."
"Docking clamps released— airlock ramp is retracting— airlock ramp is retracted. The ship is floating free, and clear of all obstructions."
"Reverse thrusters, twenty ticks."
"All reverse thrusters operating, twenty ticks."
The display screen at the front of the bridge that had shown the space station appearing to move away, shifted to show the view from the stern. A small inset image near the top right of the screen now showed the view in front of the ship as the ship backed slowly away from the dock.
As the nearly two-kilometer long ship came clear of the docking pier and other docked ships, Jenetta said, "Starboard bow thrusters, ten ticks."
"Starboard bow thrusters operating, ten ticks," the helmsman repeated.
The ship began to revolve slowly in a counter-clockwise motion. As it achieved rotational apogee, Jenetta said, "Larboard
"Yes."
"Will you be traveling with us, sir?"
"I will."
Turning to the officer of the deck, she said, "Lieutenant, seal the airlock so the ship can get underway, then contact Lieutenant Shelton and have her arrange quarters for our passengers. You will personally take charge of the prisoner, with suitable Marine guard, and see that he is secured in the brig. High security while he's aboard."
"Aye, Commander."
The Lieutenant moved to a control console and initiated the process that would seal the enormous outer and inner doors of the bay's airlock. Jenetta remained until both hatches had been closed, locked, and certified as being sealed by the computer. She then turned to Kanes.
"This way to the bridge, Commander. Your people are in good hands."
"As am I. Thank you, Commander." As they walked, Kanes said, "You seem to be getting on quite well."
"Yes sir. I've been very happy. This is where I want to be, where I've dreamed of being for as long as I can remember. There was a time when I believed that I'd never make it."
"When you were adrift in the escape pod after the Hokyuu exploded?"
"Long before that, sir. I was designated as a science officer because they felt I didn't have the aptitude for command. I was sure that I'd never have a chance for a posting like this."
Commander Kane, intimately familiar with Jenetta's file, looked at her appraisingly. In his twenty-two years as an Intelligence officer in Space Command, he'd never met anyone quite so enigmatic as this young woman next to him, and she intrigued him. "It's funny how situations change."
Captain Gavin was sitting in his command chair, facing the full wall monitor at the front of the bridge, when the two officers entered from the corridor behind him. It was his watch and he had relieved the officer Jenetta left in charge of the bridge when she went to resolve the issue of last minute arrivals. As Jenetta reached his side, he glanced over in her direction and asked, "Is everything secured, Commander?"
"Aye, Captain, the airlock is sealed and all is ready for departure."
"Excellent. Take us out, Commander."
"Aye, sir," Jenetta said, as she climbed into the first officer's bridge chair. "Astrogation, have we received clearance for maneuvering and departure?"
"We've received clearance and the space is open, ma'am."
"Helm, has the airlock ramp been vacated and the station airlock door secured?"
"Aye, Commander. The ramp is empty, and the station airlock control indicates red. The station dock master has approved our request to undock."
"Tactical, is the ship sealed?"
"Aye, ma'am. The computer reports that all access hatches are closed, locked, and sealed."
"Helm, depressurize the starboard airlock ramp at the forward cargo bay."
The faint sounds of rushing air could be heard by the ratings and noncoms standing by to handle any problem in the forward cargo hold as pumps were engaged and the atmosphere evacuated into onboard storage bottles. After about thirty seconds the helmsman said, "The starboard airlock ramp at the forward cargo bay is fully depressurized, ma'am."
"Release all docking clamps."
"Docking clamps released— airlock ramp is retracting— airlock ramp is retracted. The ship is floating free, and clear of all obstructions."
"Reverse thrusters, twenty ticks."
"All reverse thrusters operating, twenty ticks."
The display screen at the front of the bridge that had shown the space station appearing to move away, shifted to show the view from the stern. A small inset image near the top right of the screen now showed the view in front of the ship as the ship backed slowly away from the dock.
As the nearly two-kilometer long ship came clear of the docking pier and other docked ships, Jenetta said, "Starboard bow thrusters, ten ticks."
"Starboard bow thrusters operating, ten ticks," the helmsman repeated.
The ship began to revolve slowly in a counter-clockwise motion. As it achieved rotational apogee, Jenetta said, "Larboard
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