by Tom Chattle
The Marine smiled. "It still sort of does, but it's a real problem we have to consider."
"It is." Chen closed her eyes. "Obviously, we have to go down and try to find them. We can't show back up and tell Admiral Wilde that we might have found his daughter but decided it was too risky."
The silence from the room led her to look up and find blank faces from Bauer and McCann. "Am I wrong about this?"
"Not wrong, no." McCann seemed to choose his words carefully. "We just don't want to put a lot more people at risk for the chance of finding a handful of people still alive after some time on a pretty hostile planet."
"But what if they have survived? We can't just leave them to their fates," Chen objected.
Playing with her utility cap, Bauer nodded. "I agree. I wouldn't feel right not even trying to find out if they're still alive."
"I just don't want us to rush into anything we're not prepared for." McCann shrugged. "If they're alive, they could have been stranded down there for almost two weeks now. Making sure we take our time figuring this out won't make much difference."
"Unless they're still alive but in a bad condition." Chen chewed on her lower lip, going over the options in her mind. "Don't worry, Wally. I agree. We need to plan this thing out properly." She turned to Bauer. "You're the ground expert; what do you suggest?"
Bauer mulled the question over for a few seconds, drumming her fingers on the desk. "With the few troops I have available, we can't afford to leave any onboard Valiant. I suggest I lead my entire detachment of three fireteams. That's only twelve Marines, plus Haynes, and we need all the firepower we have down on the surface given that we don't know what we might find." She stood and moved to the window. The turbulent clouds of the planet below swirled in chaotic slow motion. "Shuttle drop to just outside the sensor void, as close as possible to the debris field." Bauer frowned. "None of my team are sensor experts. They don't have the expertise to do any real scanning once we're down there."
An idea sparked in Chen's mind, an opportunity for some true exploration. "Well, we could send a few crew members with you. Moreau, for example."
"You really think that's a good idea?" McCann cautioned.
"Wally, anyone who goes down will be surrounded by Marines, who will be heavily armed and ready for anything." She glanced at Bauer for confirmation.
The Marine inclined her head in acknowledgment. "There'll be no Marines down there who aren't fully loaded and prepared for every scenario."
Chen stood. "It's decided, then. A combat team of Marines, Ensign Moreau, and myself will take a shuttle down to the surface and search for the crew of the Wilde Star."
"Wait, wait, wait." McCann waved his hands in front of him. "You can't go down. You're the commanding officer."
"Wally, I fully believe in your ability to command this ship while I'm gone," Chen responded, trying to keep the irritation out her voice. There was no way she was going to let Wally keep her from such a momentous mission.
"As much as I appreciate your vote of confidence," McCann said, "it would make far more sense for someone else to go down instead of you. Your First Officer, for example. Besides, we just trashed a satellite or two, if there are aliens down there, they'll probably be pretty pissed off."
"Nuh-uh." Chen shook her head, chin jutting out. "You're not taking this away from me, rules be damned."
McCann scowled. "You have that stubborn look on your face. Nothing I say is going to stop you, is it?" He turned to Bauer for help. "Where do you stand on this, Lieutenant?"
Bauer shifted on her feet, her eyes flicking between the two officers. "I don't think it's a particularly good idea for you to go." She stared at Chen. "Even with fully armed Marines, there's too much risk. However careful we are, we don't know what we're walking into down there."
Chen paused for a moment and glanced at McCann. "Wally, could you give us a minute?"
McCann narrowed his eyes and shot a curious glance at the pair before he left.
The door closed behind the departing McCann, and Bauer turned to face Chen, folding her arms. "Auri, no. As McCann implied, it's completely against regulations for the commanding officer of the ship to go on an extended surface mission. I think you're being reckless in wanting to go yourself. Just because you have the final word, doesn't mean you should use it just so you can have your adventure."
"Didn't want to say that in front of Wally?" Chen asked.
"Not particularly, no. I don't know where I stand around him." The Marine frowned. "For that matter, I don't know where I stand around you right now."
"Come on, Alex, this is exactly what I joined up for," Chen replied, standing and leaning on the edge of her glossy desk.
There was no way she was not going to the surface, but the support of Bauer, even if reluctant, would add a great deal of validity to her presence on the landing team. Besides, a part of her wanted Bauer to agree, to support her decision.
"We don't even know a single damn thing about this planet!" Bauer objected.
"Moreau didn't detect any hints of alien activity. The satellites we've scanned seem ancient and completely dormant."
Bauer frowned. "Yes, but she didn't detect any signs of Wilde's team, either, so we can't exactly speak to the accuracy of those scans."
Chen decided to try a different tactic and slid off the desk. She walked over to Bauer and slipped her arms around the woman's waist. Her eyes wide, they darted up to meet Bauer's. "Come on. I'll have you to protect me."
With a snort, Bauer pushed her back. "Don't even try that with me, Auri." She gathered her cap from the desk. "I can see that you've made your mind up. I have a landing team to organize."
She made no further comment as she marched to the door. Chen got the impression she would have slammed it shut if she could have.
Chen knew she should feel bad about overriding both of them like that, but the idea of exploring an alien civilization overwhelmed it. An excitable bounce in her step, she headed back to the bridge.
- 11 -
2208.02.19 // 17:18
UVS Valiant, Arcturus System
No sooner had Chen entered the bridge than McCann thrust a datapad into her hands. "Here, Chief Cartwright submitted a detailed damage report while you were in there with Bauer."
Chen took the pad warily and scanned it. The list was pretty extensive.
"I assume by the way Bauer left, you're still going down to the surface?" McCann grabbed Chen by the elbow and led her to the cartography alcove, away from prying ears. "And what is going on between you two?"
Chen shook her arm free of his grasp and pinned the datapad between her bicep and torso. "First off, yes, I am going down to the surface." She twisted her hands together, cracking the knuckles. "And nothing is going on."
McCann raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because the nervous knuckle-popping you do says differently."
Shaking her hands out angrily, Chen scowled. "Fine, we have a thing going. Strictly for relaxation."
"Uh-huh." McCann sighed, resting his shoulders back against the bulkhead. "I wish you'd told me, being friends and all." He shook his head. "Just don't do anything stupid like, you know, going on a dangerous mission you're not trained for to impress a certain attractive, blonde Marine lieutenant."
"Oh, please," Chen objected, "that's not what's going on. It's just something I need to do."
A grin tugged at McCann's mouth. "Got it. Just you being your usual, obstinate self, then."
"Har, har. Your support is as reassuring as ever." Chen waved the pad in front of his face. "Shall we get back to discovering just what's broken?"
McCann's smile dimmed. "Yep, but you're not going to like it."
Now concerned, Chen examined the long and detailed list. Cartwright had taken the port engine offline due to damage, meaning the starboard could be run at no more than thirty percent power. That would significantly reduce their ability to fight, or even run if they had to. Long-range communications were out as she'd expected. The prognosis
for the repair of that system was not good. The antenna was so fried that the chief thought it unlikely they could fix it outside of a fleet yard. Several weapons platforms were damaged...the list went on. "Damn it."
"I know, worse than I'd expected from the length of that battle." McCann ran his hand through his hair. "I guess whatever those weapons are, they were a lot more powerful than we realized."
Despite her reservations about the ship, it had certainly taken a beating and kept them safe when it mattered most. Indignation rolled through Chen. "That satellite chose the wrong geriatric ship to pick a fight with."
McCann threw his head back and laughed, attracting a few stares from the bridge crew.
"What's so funny?" Chen demanded.
"The look on your face." McCann chortled. "How upset you are over damage to a ship you proclaimed to loath a short while ago."
Chen shoved his shoulder, glaring. "Shut it. I appreciate that it didn't explode is all."
McCann's amused expression didn't change.
"Can you stop giggling long enough to actually take charge of the repairs and fix this rust pile?"
He took the pad from her hand and threw it up in mock salute. "Aye, aye, cap'n."
Rolling her eyes, Chen took a deep breath. "Okay then. I guess I've got a mission to prepare for." She paused, tendrils of guilt burrowing their way into her. "And a pissed-off Marine who is much bigger than me to placate."
McCann snorted. "Have fun with that lover's quarrel."
"You're impossible." Chen spun on her heels and headed to the turbolift. "Have Moreau meet me in the shuttle bay."
***
Chen had never really been one for exercise. While she could handily pass all fleet required physicals, she was not the kind of person to be found lifting weights every morning or running laps of the cargo bay. Even though it was her ship, the bowels of the Valiant were the realm of the Union Marines who were quartered there, and any time she passed through their space, Chen always second-guessed her lack of commitment to working out.
She stepped out of the turbolift onto the walkway that spanned high above the deck of the ventral shuttle bay. The bustle of activity below gave her pause. Although she had supreme authority on the ship, the easy, gung-ho camaraderie of the Marines could certainly be intimidating. Chen moved forward to the worn railing ahead and peered down at the voluminous space.
Banners depicting unit iconography hung on the stark metal truss walls, intermingled with raunchy pin-up posters showing men and women in various states of suggestive undress.
Her unease around the Marines wasn't limited to their physical prowess. While Chen didn't care where her crew came from, several of the Marines were clearly pro-Mars. One of the fireteam leaders—Kaufman, maybe? Chen had trouble with their names—had made several disparaging remarks the first time she'd inspected them. As most of the Valiant's crew was Earth-born, rivalries and tensions had never been far from igniting into fights. With their powerful weapons and armor, a rogue Marine could be a dangerous thing.
At the far side of the bay, Bauer stood directing proceedings. Already decked out in green-gray planetary-combat fatigues, her blond hair pulled back in a short ponytail, she yelled commands to her subordinates. She cut a striking figure—while not as tall or bulky as some of the Marines around her, there was no doubt in anyone's mind about who was in charge.
Bauer looked up and beckoned Chen over with a curt wave of the hand. Chen was still unsure just how annoyed Bauer was with her pulling rank to join the landing crew, but she straightened her shoulders and descended the metal staircase. Once on the hanger floor, she side-stepped past a groaning power-loader hefting equipment to one of the boxy, high-winged shuttles. Head held high and hands clasped behind her, she strode across the docking bay.
Chen stopped just short of the small group of Marines surrounding Bauer and cleared her throat. "Status, Lieutenant?"
Bauer finished talking to Haynes, her gunnery sergeant, before turning to face Chen. "We're almost done here, ma'am."
Although proper in the presence of lower ranks, the way she said it cut into something inside Chen she wasn't entirely familiar with. Chen bit the inside of her lip and watched Bauer step over to her combat gear. Chen followed. "Need some help?"
Bauer glanced at her, brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and motioned to the upper part of her exo-suit. "Sure." She slid her arms through the shoulder openings, hefted the bulky assembly onto her back, and pointed to the tightening handles on her sides. "Cinch me up."
While Bauer pulled on her suit gloves and fiddled with the padding around her neck, Chen moved in and activated the compression switches at Bauer's waist. The suit whined and hissed while powerful servos locked themselves to the lower half the Marine lieutenant was already wearing. The exo-suits were powered combat armor, giving the Union Marines greatly enhanced strength and durability in potentially hostile environments. They came in several flavors; the Marines on board the Valiant were equipped with a lighter, more agile version for simple, low-risk missions.
Chen checked no others were in earshot. "Look, I apologize for pulling rank like I did. I just feel I really need to go down there."
The power kicked in, and the suit emitted a high-pitched whine. Bauer flexed her shoulders and allowed the fiber-muscle bundles of the exo-suit to settle comfortably around her. "Auri, you had every right as ship commander." She turned and looked at Chen, gray eyes hard. "I just wish you had trusted my judgment."
Chen opened her mouth to respond, but Bauer coughed and nodded behind Chen. When Chen turned, she saw Moreau standing around, wringing her hands together, looking very lost.
"Uhh, reporting as ordered, ma'am," the young woman blurted out, shifting from one foot to the other.
Chen glanced back at Bauer, but she had already turned away, focused on directing the loading procedures. With Bauer apparently not ready to forgive her just yet, Chen sighed, motioning Moreau over to join her. "Glad you could make it, Ensign. It looks like we're almost ready."
Moreau grimaced and tugged on her sleeve. "Lieutenant, are you sure I'm the right person for this mission?"
Chen put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Ensign, I need your scientific expertise on this." She smiled at the young officer. "Besides, your scans detected no danger, and we have this bunch of surly Marines to protect us delicate space-farers."
"I know, but..." the anxious woman gazed around, "I don't think I'm cut out for this."
Chen had hoped that being picked for the mission would have instilled some confidence in Moreau, but apparently not. As much as Chen had reassured her, there was a real element of risk going down to the planet. Having her in this state could be problematic. "Moreau, I can't help but notice you've been a little...unsure of yourself ever since you came on board." Chen chose her words carefully; delicate conversation was not a strength she possessed. "Is there any reason you're uncomfortable? Has someone treated you improperly?"
The ensign's azure eyes shot wide, and she shook her head rapidly, hair bouncing back and forth. "Oh, no, Lieutenant. Everyone on the Valiant has been very good to me."
Chen scratched the back of her neck. "Then I don't understand why you are so shy on the bridge."
Moreau hesitated, her hands wringing back and forth. "It's just..."
After a moment of silence, Chen motioned for her to continue.
"I don't think I'm qualified for a bridge position," she blurted out, taking a deep breath after she was finished.
Genuinely confused, Chen's eyes narrowed. "Why on earth not? Your Academy records are outstanding."
"I know I'm smart, ma'am." Moreau sighed. "But all of my brothers had to work their way up to crewing bridge stations."
An understanding dawned upon Chen. "How many brothers do you have, Ensign?"
"Five, ma'am." Moreau counted them off on her slender fingers. "Three of them now captain vessels, one is the executive officer on a star-fort, and the other is next in line for a senior offi
cer position on a battlecruiser."
"And you don't feel you can live up to their example?" Chen nodded, the pieces clicking into place.
Moreau bit her lower lip, her eyes mixed with emotion. "I think? Maybe."
Chen ran a hand along the edge of the rack of exo-suits. "Ensign, what do you know about my father?" As much as she hated broaching the subject, maybe some empathy would do Moreau some good.
"Umm, I know he was a hero." She cast her eyes down, shuffling the toes of her boot around the deck. "And that he died."
Chen's laugh was devoid of humor. "That's what everyone tells me, anyway." She paused for a moment, pacing around before leaning back against a weapons crate. "He commanded the Hyperion at the battle of Proxima Centauri. The guy died before I was even old enough to remember him as anything more than a face." Chen balled up her hands. "And yet I was judged by his heroic actions growing up. When I decided to go into the Naval Academy, everyone's expectations there were outrageous, and I didn't always live up to them."
She gazed across the bustling shuttle bay toward Bauer, ordering her troops around. "For better or for worse, this is where I ended up." Turning her head back to Moreau, she saw her watching intently. "When it comes down to it, you're on my bridge because I think you have what it takes to be there right now. Not when you think you're ready, not after serving some pointless time elsewhere because you feel like you should have, but right now. Until you told me, I had no idea of your brothers. You earned this post on your own merit." Chen reached out and put a hand on Moreau's shoulder. "Will you trust me when I say that?"
Moreau bobbed her head fervently. "Of course, Lieutenant." A nervous smile blossomed across her face. "And, thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome, Ensign." Chen straightened. "You ready to go do some exploring for the history books?"
The pair headed to a large set of racks on the wall. Chen thought a standard insulated excursion jacket should be enough and threw it around her shoulders, a re-breather mask hung around her neck.