“I am sorry, everyone. The meeting with Petrov and Winters lasted longer than expected. I don’t have much time,” she said.
David stood up and gave her a big hug and she returned the embrace. “No worries, sis. I’m just glad to get to see you at all. Especially after the last twenty-four hours.”
They let each other go and Jessica turned to Haley and the other two individuals at the table. “I see you have picked up some new friends.”
“Oh, yeah of course,” he started and he turned to introduce the two people. “This,” pointing to the large man who now was standing and towering over them, “is Warrant Officer Mike Stratford. He also goes by Mouse.”
“Mouse, Really?” she replied and extended a hand to shake.
His large hand enveloped hers and gave it a brief shake as he replied, “Yes, ma’am. It’s my call sign given to me in school.”
“I see. I have seen some strange ones over the years. Mouse isn’t that bad,” she replied.
“And this,” David motioned to the woman, “is my boss, 2nd Lieutenant Jasmine Patel.”
Jessica smiled. “So, you are the one that drug my little brother here out of the fire.”
“Yes, ma’am, and I have you to thank for saving all of us.” Jasmine returned the smile and then turned to Mouse. “Let’s give the siblings here a moment.” Mouse nodded and the two of them walked from the table, leaving them alone for a moment.
They all sat together, “What now, Jessica?” David asked. “I mean Haley here is going to be leaving to a new unit.”
Shocked, she turned to Haley, “Really? So soon?”
Haley shifted in her seat before answering, “Yeah, the remaining members of my unit are being reassigned to the planet of Skye. I’ll be staying on the Hornet for the next day or two until a transport can pick us up.”
“I was hoping you could stay aboard the Little Rock a bit longer, but I understand.”
“What about the Little Rock?” David interjected. “How long is it going to be in dock for repairs?”
“It’s not,” Jessica replied stoically. “She is to be towed to the Bone Yard and decommissioned.”
“What? That is crazy. What are you going to do? Are they going to give you another ship?” Haley asked.
Jessica’s watch beeped. She looked down then stood back up. “I don’t know yet. Hopefully soon, but I have to go. I have to take care of things back on the ship, and an impatient shuttle pilot that might leave without me.”
They all stood up and gave each other parting hugs. “Haley, check in with me when you get to Skye, I haven’t been there yet, and I want to hear all about it,” Jessica said.
“Will do,” Haley replied and gave her one more hug.
Jessica turned and walked towards the door. She brought up her communicator to let the pilot know she was one her way. Just as she had crossed the threshold of the door and turned down the hall, she about ran into someone coming the other way.
“Oops, sorry.” She paused to look up at the person. “Mom?”
“Yes. It’s me,” she said opening her arms.
Jessica gave her a quick hug. “What are you doing here?”
“Jackson asked me to come out as a ‘specialist,'” she replied.
“But you have been retired for years. Why now?”
“I wish I could tell you dear, but unfortunately I can’t.”
“I guess, maybe one day I will have clearance high enough for you to tell me.”
“Maybe once you reach admiral,” Elaine said with a smile.
Another beep. “Sorry, mom, I have to go.”
“Yes, yes, duty calls,” she began. “One thing before you go.” She reached into her pants pocket and produced in the palm of her hand a small black rectangular device. In the middle of it a dim red light would strobe.
“A memory stick? What for?” Jessica asked.
Elaine handed it to her, “That is for later when you get your new ship. Just press and hold the red flashing light for five seconds and it will download to your tablet.”
“That’s if I get a new ship. I could be regulated back to an XO for all I know.”
Elaine smiled again, “I have it on good authority that won’t happen.”
Jessica strolled back onto the bridge of the Little Rock. Sinclair, now with his left arm in a sling, was taking watch at the command station. He turned and said, “Captain on the bridge.” As per her standard operating procedure no one moved, except for Sinclair; he retreated to his XO position.
“Thanks, XO. How’s everything going?” she asked as she keyed in her password at the terminal.
“As good as it can be. All leaks are sealed, and crews are on a standard rotation, finally getting some rest.”
“Good. When is the tug going to be here?”
He glanced at his terminal. “Any minute now.”
“Displacement Signature,” Adkins called out, “dead ahead.”
“On screen,” Jessica ordered.
The main view screen shifted to a live shot. In front of them, space seemed to simmer for a moment, then a ship blinked into existence. It was an odd-shaped ship with a circular core body. It had two engine pods attached to the rear of the fuselage and a Displacement drive pod attached to the top. Two arms on each side of the stretched out like wings.
“Well it looks like our ride is here,” Jessica said. “Get a hold of the tug and let’s prepare for them to latch on.”
“Captain,” Adkins interrupted, “we have another jump signature.”
“Get me an I.D.,” Jessica responded.
On the screen a second ship appeared. She could tell that the ship could belong to the EDF but it was of a class she had never seen. It was a little smaller than a Shenyang class destroyer but larger than the Little Rock. It had an angular body with four squashed engines attached to the aft end of the fuselage. There were no visible weapon turrets. It just hanging there in space.
“Chief, do we have an I.D. yet?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am, it’s the…” He paused turning back to face her.
Irritated, she responded, “Yes, Chief?”
“It’s squawking as the XDS Roosevelt,”
“Wait, what?”
Thanks for reading Stollar’s Gambit book one in the Defense Force Chronicles
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