08-14-2016, 12:29 PM
Ok next part, Welcome to the Imperial Navy, Miss Parker, fun and games of training are over.
The place of the Skull: Two days later the Illustrious docked and Barbara and company reported for duty. Since I was off duty I accompanied her in civilian attire. I did not feel like being confused for one of the ship’s company, although the big carrier was impressive, a huge ungainly box with wing-like appendages that were at present empty but each could hold a corvette. I watched Barbara board and then saw the ship depart, for the assembly area.
Scuttlebutt said that the Illustrious group was heading immediately out to Goddard. The newly appointed Lady Baroness Catherine Volkberg (it pays to be a royal) is the task force regent. So she traded pink for gray for the next offensive, well liberation of the systems beyond Goddard. Her sister seems to be recovering but she is still completely out of commission, but she got a 2nd heart.
The next day the Golgotha arrived, she had some minor battle damage and the first things off loaded were the eighteen flag draped coffins. I guess that is why the whole division is assigned to the Golgotha, as we are the replacements. The marquee stated that new personnel were to report at 1300, which gave us a few hours to kill.
Wendy and I were finishing up packing our personal baggage when two ladies wearing dark green suits and small arms knocked on our door. “Yes?” Wendy said getting to the door first
“Er Miss Parker, Miss Travis?”
“Yes, Sarjenette (the one talking had three consecutive hearts on her sleeve) that is us can we help you?” I chimed in from behind Wendy
“Yes Ma’am you are ordered to report to the Golgotha ASAP, the departure has been accelerated, and bring one bag only, your other baggage will be shipped to the forward support base.”
“Uh ok can you tell me what happened?”
“Not at this time, but it is a full fleet scramble and Golgotha is the goalkeeper for the Illustrious.”
“Right, hey Wendy grab your kit and let’s move!” We hustled from the barracks to the dock, unlike the departure of the Illustrious nobody out of uniform without AIDOF ID got anywhere near the ships.
The two guards at the boarding tube ran our ID through her scanner and saluted. “Ok Ma’am you are clear to board.”
We went through the boarding tube where on the far end the OOD (Officette of the Deck) met us she was a Lewtenette. “Kaydette Cynthia Parker and Kaydette Wendy Travis request permission to board”, we both said in unison.
“Right, knock that schoolgirl shit out, Parker report to the VNB, Travis take her bag as well as your own and report to O country it is on Deck E. Luckily for us the enlisted replacements were all billeted together now move it we are closing the hatch.” The LT paused and then connected the bridge “Ma’am this is Ellis we have our two wayward Kaydettes, Parker is on her way to the VNB.. Roger that, ok seal this hatch and retract the boarding tube. Signal Avonia Dock that we are preparing to slip our moorings.”
Shocked the abruptness of the welcome I headed as fast as I could (in shore dress, which did not have the high friction soles on my boots) to the VNB. When the lift door opened to the deck, I noticed the bridge was fully manned.
“Ah Miss Parker, sorry for the rush but we have to clear the port area, I am Ms. Greer, the Executive, please take the Helm control station, you are replacing Lewtenette Sanchez, as Watch One, Helm Control Officette.”
“Aye Ma’am!” I walked over to the helm station and this was my first time noticing that others were in shore dress and even one person in civilian clothing. Ms. Greer was even in Formal dress.
Helmsgal Ichrone was sitting in the second helm station; a Helm’s Mate (Junior Sarjentte) had the primary station. The departure was similar to the departure of the Montessori on that first day of fleet training, but except there was no delay and the navigation team on the VNB only confirmed with the BDC rather than wait for them to send the data. Also as soon as we cleared the outer marker of the port area, we were ordered to accelerate from 3 MMH to 18 MMH.
“Ma’am we are in the lane to the jump coordinates.” I announced once we reached the lane beacon.
“Ah roger Miss Parker, set course and bearing and increase speed to 30 MMH, the Illustrious just jumped and only has a light destroyer for escort, we will catch up with her at Finch.”
“Aye, Ichrone you heard her, set speed to 30 MMH, sensors anything out there?”
“Ah no Miss Parker, your lane is clear to the jump point.” Replied the Sensors Officette
“Roger that, Navigation ETA to Jump point?”
“30 minutes present speed and bearing, Ma’am”
I noticed that there was no officette at the navigation terminal. This is the also the first time that I noticed the Ms. Greer was wearing the 3 pointed emblem of a Kaptain rather than four points of a Kommandette. Looking around I also saw the starboard bulkhead looked rough and had a slightly different color to it. Ms Greer caught my eye and gave me a pained look, and nod saying I will know more in the future.
“Very good Miss. Parker, I see Ms. Burton was not mistaken about you. Ok Miss Francis you have the con, of course we will be turning over control to the BDC shortly.”
With that Kaptain Greer left the bridge leaving me and a Lewtenette Francis (she was supervising the sensors) and the enlisted on the VNB.
“Miss Parker?” Miss Francis queried.
“Yes Ma’am…”
“ I can handle things once we transfer control, why don’t you and the others who are out of uniform go and change but hurry back, as our watch is still on for six hours.”
“Yes Ma’am thank you Ma’am.” I then waited for the announcement that said the BDC had control of the ship.
BDC TO VNB REQUEST TRANSFER OF CON TO BDC
“Roger that BDC, VNB will transfer control of the con,… controls transferred BDC you have control of the ship.” Miss Francis told the main bridge.
ROGER VNB, BDC HAS CONTROL OF THE SHIP, BDC OUT. I then waited for Lewtenette Francis’s nod and with the four others not in Ship board dress, hurried down to our respective quarters. I found Wendy still unpacking when I got down.
“So they give you the tour or what?”
“Actually I am on duty but got permission to change to ship board duty, you know how hard it is to move in the low g areas in these boots?”
“I can imagine, so what do they have you doing?”
“I am VNB helm control, 1st Watch, you?”
“Gun Mistress K battery. So technically 2nd Watch, as you know 1st Watch runs the ship, 2nd Watch fights the ship, and 3rd Watch supports the ship.”
“Right well see you when I get off, or during 3rd Watch.” I said after hastily donning my shipboard uniform. I also brought up my emergency Vacuum suit, in its pouch.
“Do you think you need that?” Wendy asked looking at the sealed bundle
“Hopefully not, but it looks like something tore a huge chunk out of the VNB during the last cruise, I have a feeling that is why I am on 1st Watch.”
“Right, uh how fast are we moving?”
“Close to 30, we will be jumping in about 10 minutes.”
“Oh goodie, well you best hurry up if you are still on watch.”
I went back to the VNB which was now a very calm place since the ship was being controlled by the much more massive BDC down in the center of the ship. I took this time to look out the expansive view screens and surveyed the parts of the ship I could see from the heights of the VNB. The Golgotha is a Neptune class escort cruiser, meaning that it does not pack any really massive weapons but is bristling with guns and missiles of medium and small size. These ships are not offensive weapons but defensive, the main mission is to protect high value assets such as the Illustrious. Neptunes have heavy shields and armor plate, in fact the shield generators are the same ones carried by the huge Dianna class battle cruisers. They may not be able to dish out a crippling blow, but they can take a huge amount of punishment, and although not the fastest ships, they can hoof it when needed. Traveling at 30 MMH we were nearly red lining the reactors.
About eight minutes into my day dream the ISC chimed and then stated JUMP TRANSIT IN FIVE MINUTES, SET SHIP TO CONDITON ZULU FOR JUMP TRANSIT.
Condition Zulu was the highest level of readiness, all bulk heads sealed, this was normal for combat and for jumping. Since I was standing up I went and sealed the hatch and then went to my seat and buckled in. Miss Francis was sitting in the Command chair and keyed in the command to close the shutters.
ALL SECTIONS REPORT STATUS TO BDC WHEN CONDITION ZULU IS ACHIEVED.
“BDC this is VNB we are secured at condition Zulu.”
A few minutes passed, as the BDC watch officette got the status from all of sections. CONDITION ZULU SET, JUMP TRANSIT IN 5, 4, 3, FTL DRIVE ON LINE, 2, 1, JUMP.
After the transit the rest of the watch was routine. 2nd Watch was led by a Majourette and another Kaydette, but she went to the Sensors area, a Chief Helm’s Mate was the senior for Helm Control. “Ma’am I am here to relieve you, you are relieved.”
“I stand relieved, we are on steady course, BDC has control.”
“Aye, I confirm, Ma’am (this was directed to the Majourette) 2nd Watch has relieved 1st Watch.”
I followed Miss Francis down to the ward room where she motioned me to take a seat and have a cup of tea.
“As you can see Miss Parker, we are short handed, during the last cruise we took a Quazar Torpedo in the VNB, damn thing did not go off, but it shredded the bulkhead and killed or maimed half of the Watch. Kaptain Greer was our OPS officette when the Executive bought it along with Lewtenettes Sanchez and Perkins; she was Navigation. Kaydette Miller, our Commo, was seriously injured, and I was badly injured but treated on the voyage home. So unless the Executive or another of the senior staff are taking over, such as during docking or port ops, you and I are it as Officettes go for 1st watch. Your friend the gunnery officette is taking over for a battery that was hammered, the same goes for the enlisted replacements. I would not be surprised if that young Helmsgal Ichrone makes Junior Mate before the end of this cruise. Of course if we take any more casualties then she may get OJT to Mate and avoid going back to Fleet until much later. That has happened in the past, especially after Frankreich and Orion.”
“Where did Golgotha get hit?”
“Oh we were on the tertiary sector of the Zeta campaign, the Dianna we were escorting did not get seriously mauled but taking five quasars did a number on the old Skull, even if three of them were duds. By the way welcome to the sacrifices of the fleet, we take a licking so the big gals can still be a ticking.”
“Do you know anything of the rest of the group?”
“Yeah well the Illustrious and old Skull form the center, we have two destroyers, one of those fast Tyche’s and an old Poseidon, wish it was one of those new Venus class instead, they are our little sister, the Tyche is with the Illustrious now, also we have three frigates and two corvettes and fleet tender, the tender and corvettes though are slow and might not hook up until we are almost to Goddard, Damn Corp bastards won’t give us a break. So are you and Miss Travis close?” She asked not quite sugestively
“Well not really, I still have a thing for my other half from the Salon.”
“Ah yes, one of those, and where is she?”
“Well last I saw her was boarding the Illustrious…”
“Oh what division is she?”
“I am not sure they are called that, she’s an Aerobabe, pilot of a Sheena-Cat.”
“Well, not to sound morbid or anything but you do know why so many Salon grads get to wear purple, right?”
“I know, but it is the branch of her choice, like I got the branch, and division of my choice.”
“I agree, Engineering might be where all the brains go, and Weapons gets the glory of the kill, but Command gets the braid, and stars. Well nice meeting you Miss Parker, we will be seeing a lot of each other, since I am the section head for 1st Watch, go and get your kit stowed and I will see you at 0800.”
I stood up and saluted and walked back to my quarters, where Wendy’s stuff as well as mine was all stowed, she was on duty probably seeing how badly understaffed her battery is. I headed to the lavatory, took a quick shower and then went to bed, my eyes were shut as soon as they touched the pillow.
The place of the Skull: Two days later the Illustrious docked and Barbara and company reported for duty. Since I was off duty I accompanied her in civilian attire. I did not feel like being confused for one of the ship’s company, although the big carrier was impressive, a huge ungainly box with wing-like appendages that were at present empty but each could hold a corvette. I watched Barbara board and then saw the ship depart, for the assembly area.
Scuttlebutt said that the Illustrious group was heading immediately out to Goddard. The newly appointed Lady Baroness Catherine Volkberg (it pays to be a royal) is the task force regent. So she traded pink for gray for the next offensive, well liberation of the systems beyond Goddard. Her sister seems to be recovering but she is still completely out of commission, but she got a 2nd heart.
The next day the Golgotha arrived, she had some minor battle damage and the first things off loaded were the eighteen flag draped coffins. I guess that is why the whole division is assigned to the Golgotha, as we are the replacements. The marquee stated that new personnel were to report at 1300, which gave us a few hours to kill.
Wendy and I were finishing up packing our personal baggage when two ladies wearing dark green suits and small arms knocked on our door. “Yes?” Wendy said getting to the door first
“Er Miss Parker, Miss Travis?”
“Yes, Sarjenette (the one talking had three consecutive hearts on her sleeve) that is us can we help you?” I chimed in from behind Wendy
“Yes Ma’am you are ordered to report to the Golgotha ASAP, the departure has been accelerated, and bring one bag only, your other baggage will be shipped to the forward support base.”
“Uh ok can you tell me what happened?”
“Not at this time, but it is a full fleet scramble and Golgotha is the goalkeeper for the Illustrious.”
“Right, hey Wendy grab your kit and let’s move!” We hustled from the barracks to the dock, unlike the departure of the Illustrious nobody out of uniform without AIDOF ID got anywhere near the ships.
The two guards at the boarding tube ran our ID through her scanner and saluted. “Ok Ma’am you are clear to board.”
We went through the boarding tube where on the far end the OOD (Officette of the Deck) met us she was a Lewtenette. “Kaydette Cynthia Parker and Kaydette Wendy Travis request permission to board”, we both said in unison.
“Right, knock that schoolgirl shit out, Parker report to the VNB, Travis take her bag as well as your own and report to O country it is on Deck E. Luckily for us the enlisted replacements were all billeted together now move it we are closing the hatch.” The LT paused and then connected the bridge “Ma’am this is Ellis we have our two wayward Kaydettes, Parker is on her way to the VNB.. Roger that, ok seal this hatch and retract the boarding tube. Signal Avonia Dock that we are preparing to slip our moorings.”
Shocked the abruptness of the welcome I headed as fast as I could (in shore dress, which did not have the high friction soles on my boots) to the VNB. When the lift door opened to the deck, I noticed the bridge was fully manned.
“Ah Miss Parker, sorry for the rush but we have to clear the port area, I am Ms. Greer, the Executive, please take the Helm control station, you are replacing Lewtenette Sanchez, as Watch One, Helm Control Officette.”
“Aye Ma’am!” I walked over to the helm station and this was my first time noticing that others were in shore dress and even one person in civilian clothing. Ms. Greer was even in Formal dress.
Helmsgal Ichrone was sitting in the second helm station; a Helm’s Mate (Junior Sarjentte) had the primary station. The departure was similar to the departure of the Montessori on that first day of fleet training, but except there was no delay and the navigation team on the VNB only confirmed with the BDC rather than wait for them to send the data. Also as soon as we cleared the outer marker of the port area, we were ordered to accelerate from 3 MMH to 18 MMH.
“Ma’am we are in the lane to the jump coordinates.” I announced once we reached the lane beacon.
“Ah roger Miss Parker, set course and bearing and increase speed to 30 MMH, the Illustrious just jumped and only has a light destroyer for escort, we will catch up with her at Finch.”
“Aye, Ichrone you heard her, set speed to 30 MMH, sensors anything out there?”
“Ah no Miss Parker, your lane is clear to the jump point.” Replied the Sensors Officette
“Roger that, Navigation ETA to Jump point?”
“30 minutes present speed and bearing, Ma’am”
I noticed that there was no officette at the navigation terminal. This is the also the first time that I noticed the Ms. Greer was wearing the 3 pointed emblem of a Kaptain rather than four points of a Kommandette. Looking around I also saw the starboard bulkhead looked rough and had a slightly different color to it. Ms Greer caught my eye and gave me a pained look, and nod saying I will know more in the future.
“Very good Miss. Parker, I see Ms. Burton was not mistaken about you. Ok Miss Francis you have the con, of course we will be turning over control to the BDC shortly.”
With that Kaptain Greer left the bridge leaving me and a Lewtenette Francis (she was supervising the sensors) and the enlisted on the VNB.
“Miss Parker?” Miss Francis queried.
“Yes Ma’am…”
“ I can handle things once we transfer control, why don’t you and the others who are out of uniform go and change but hurry back, as our watch is still on for six hours.”
“Yes Ma’am thank you Ma’am.” I then waited for the announcement that said the BDC had control of the ship.
BDC TO VNB REQUEST TRANSFER OF CON TO BDC
“Roger that BDC, VNB will transfer control of the con,… controls transferred BDC you have control of the ship.” Miss Francis told the main bridge.
ROGER VNB, BDC HAS CONTROL OF THE SHIP, BDC OUT. I then waited for Lewtenette Francis’s nod and with the four others not in Ship board dress, hurried down to our respective quarters. I found Wendy still unpacking when I got down.
“So they give you the tour or what?”
“Actually I am on duty but got permission to change to ship board duty, you know how hard it is to move in the low g areas in these boots?”
“I can imagine, so what do they have you doing?”
“I am VNB helm control, 1st Watch, you?”
“Gun Mistress K battery. So technically 2nd Watch, as you know 1st Watch runs the ship, 2nd Watch fights the ship, and 3rd Watch supports the ship.”
“Right well see you when I get off, or during 3rd Watch.” I said after hastily donning my shipboard uniform. I also brought up my emergency Vacuum suit, in its pouch.
“Do you think you need that?” Wendy asked looking at the sealed bundle
“Hopefully not, but it looks like something tore a huge chunk out of the VNB during the last cruise, I have a feeling that is why I am on 1st Watch.”
“Right, uh how fast are we moving?”
“Close to 30, we will be jumping in about 10 minutes.”
“Oh goodie, well you best hurry up if you are still on watch.”
I went back to the VNB which was now a very calm place since the ship was being controlled by the much more massive BDC down in the center of the ship. I took this time to look out the expansive view screens and surveyed the parts of the ship I could see from the heights of the VNB. The Golgotha is a Neptune class escort cruiser, meaning that it does not pack any really massive weapons but is bristling with guns and missiles of medium and small size. These ships are not offensive weapons but defensive, the main mission is to protect high value assets such as the Illustrious. Neptunes have heavy shields and armor plate, in fact the shield generators are the same ones carried by the huge Dianna class battle cruisers. They may not be able to dish out a crippling blow, but they can take a huge amount of punishment, and although not the fastest ships, they can hoof it when needed. Traveling at 30 MMH we were nearly red lining the reactors.
About eight minutes into my day dream the ISC chimed and then stated JUMP TRANSIT IN FIVE MINUTES, SET SHIP TO CONDITON ZULU FOR JUMP TRANSIT.
Condition Zulu was the highest level of readiness, all bulk heads sealed, this was normal for combat and for jumping. Since I was standing up I went and sealed the hatch and then went to my seat and buckled in. Miss Francis was sitting in the Command chair and keyed in the command to close the shutters.
ALL SECTIONS REPORT STATUS TO BDC WHEN CONDITION ZULU IS ACHIEVED.
“BDC this is VNB we are secured at condition Zulu.”
A few minutes passed, as the BDC watch officette got the status from all of sections. CONDITION ZULU SET, JUMP TRANSIT IN 5, 4, 3, FTL DRIVE ON LINE, 2, 1, JUMP.
After the transit the rest of the watch was routine. 2nd Watch was led by a Majourette and another Kaydette, but she went to the Sensors area, a Chief Helm’s Mate was the senior for Helm Control. “Ma’am I am here to relieve you, you are relieved.”
“I stand relieved, we are on steady course, BDC has control.”
“Aye, I confirm, Ma’am (this was directed to the Majourette) 2nd Watch has relieved 1st Watch.”
I followed Miss Francis down to the ward room where she motioned me to take a seat and have a cup of tea.
“As you can see Miss Parker, we are short handed, during the last cruise we took a Quazar Torpedo in the VNB, damn thing did not go off, but it shredded the bulkhead and killed or maimed half of the Watch. Kaptain Greer was our OPS officette when the Executive bought it along with Lewtenettes Sanchez and Perkins; she was Navigation. Kaydette Miller, our Commo, was seriously injured, and I was badly injured but treated on the voyage home. So unless the Executive or another of the senior staff are taking over, such as during docking or port ops, you and I are it as Officettes go for 1st watch. Your friend the gunnery officette is taking over for a battery that was hammered, the same goes for the enlisted replacements. I would not be surprised if that young Helmsgal Ichrone makes Junior Mate before the end of this cruise. Of course if we take any more casualties then she may get OJT to Mate and avoid going back to Fleet until much later. That has happened in the past, especially after Frankreich and Orion.”
“Where did Golgotha get hit?”
“Oh we were on the tertiary sector of the Zeta campaign, the Dianna we were escorting did not get seriously mauled but taking five quasars did a number on the old Skull, even if three of them were duds. By the way welcome to the sacrifices of the fleet, we take a licking so the big gals can still be a ticking.”
“Do you know anything of the rest of the group?”
“Yeah well the Illustrious and old Skull form the center, we have two destroyers, one of those fast Tyche’s and an old Poseidon, wish it was one of those new Venus class instead, they are our little sister, the Tyche is with the Illustrious now, also we have three frigates and two corvettes and fleet tender, the tender and corvettes though are slow and might not hook up until we are almost to Goddard, Damn Corp bastards won’t give us a break. So are you and Miss Travis close?” She asked not quite sugestively
“Well not really, I still have a thing for my other half from the Salon.”
“Ah yes, one of those, and where is she?”
“Well last I saw her was boarding the Illustrious…”
“Oh what division is she?”
“I am not sure they are called that, she’s an Aerobabe, pilot of a Sheena-Cat.”
“Well, not to sound morbid or anything but you do know why so many Salon grads get to wear purple, right?”
“I know, but it is the branch of her choice, like I got the branch, and division of my choice.”
“I agree, Engineering might be where all the brains go, and Weapons gets the glory of the kill, but Command gets the braid, and stars. Well nice meeting you Miss Parker, we will be seeing a lot of each other, since I am the section head for 1st Watch, go and get your kit stowed and I will see you at 0800.”
I stood up and saluted and walked back to my quarters, where Wendy’s stuff as well as mine was all stowed, she was on duty probably seeing how badly understaffed her battery is. I headed to the lavatory, took a quick shower and then went to bed, my eyes were shut as soon as they touched the pillow.