by Saxon Andrew
Maranda nodded and turned to Captain Masud, “Status of ordinance delivery?”
“The process is moving on schedule, Admiral. It was scheduled to be completed at eleven-hundred hours and they are slightly ahead of schedule.” Masud paused and glanced at his console, “The blaster and missile crews arrived at seven-hundred hours and went to their quarters. They are currently running a diagnostic on their weapons and eighty-percent have reported in ready, Sir.”
Maranda nodded, “Carry on, Captain. Let me know when all of them have reported in.” Maranda saw the bridge crew were busy checking their own systems and she said to Andrew, “Captain Connor, a word with you in my ready room.” Maranda stood up and walked across the bridge toward a room next to the entry portal. Andrew stood up from his console and followed her into the small room. The ready room was where private communications could be taken and private conversations could be had. Maranda walked around the desk and sat down in a high back cushioned chair. She waved her hand at a chair in front of the desk and said, “Sit down, Andrew.” Andrew’s head jerked back slightly, and his eyes widened as he sat down. Maranda saw his reaction and her eyes narrowed. Andrew raised a shoulder, “That’s the first time you’ve ever addressed me by my first name.”
Maranda smiled slightly and sat back, “This is the first time we’ve been in private. Proper protocol must be observed on the bridge at all times.”
Andrew tilted his head, “That’s something I need to remember in the future. I’ve been lax about that with the crew.”
Maranda leaned forward and said in an even tone, “Andrew, I’ve learned from a very reliable source that you are going to be promoted to command one of the two carriers coming on line in four months, congratulations, you deserve it.” Maranda was surprised when Andrew’s smile evaporated, and his brow furrowed. He stared at her in silence and Maranda quickly added, “You should be excited about this! This is what you’ve wanted.”
Andrew took a breath and replied, “I know.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
Andrew was silent for a moment and then responded, “This means I’m going to leave the crew…and you. How good is this source, Sir?”
“Very good, Andrew! It’s not official yet so you need to keep this to yourself until it’s announced.”
“When do you think it will be announced, Sir?”
Maranda stared at Andrew not understanding his expression as she answered, “Probably after the America mission is complete.”
Andrew nodded and said, “Is that all, Sir.” Maranda nodded. “May I be dismissed?”
“Yes.” Andrew stood up and left the ready room. Maranda watched him leave and saw that he felt the same way she did about this promotion. She didn’t want to lose him, but she kept her emotions under check and didn’t allow him to see them. What was going on with him? He should have been howling at the moon with joy. She shook her head, gathered herself, and went back to the bridge. Andrew was focused on his console and didn’t look up as she walked past him. He almost looked angry. She took her chair and started checking on the carrier’s ready status with her department officers.
• • •
By thirteen-hundred hours the next day, the giant fuel freighters pulled away from the carrier and Maranda pressed the intercom frequency for the rear of the ship, “Commander Kuhn, status of engineering.”
“All reactors have been thoroughly checked out and all are operating at peak efficiency. The gravity drives, rear thrusters and stardrive systems have all passed inspection, Admiral. I’ve activated the controls to the bridge and you now have control of the ship, Sir.” Maranda began checking out her console and two hours later, Richard announced the Rabbit wings were on board.
Ashley looked up from her console and said, “Admiral, I have a call coming in from Fleet Operations.”
“Put it on the monitor, Lieutenant.”
A fleet captain appeared on the monitor and he smiled, “Admiral Meadows, your ship has been placed on active status on the ship’s registry. I need a name to put it in the system.”
Maranda hesitated and asked, “How soon do you need it?”
The captain smiled, “I can delay for an hour, but you will not be allowed to move the ship until I have it.”
Maranda hadn’t even thought about a name and then she smiled, “Her name will be the Songbird, Captain.”
“Songbird it is, Admiral. The ship in now active and under your command.”
The bridge crew were all staring at Maranda and she said, “This bird also has a war cry. I pity any enemy of Melbourne that hears it.”
Syl said absently, “I like it.”
The crew burst out laughing and Syl looked up, “WHAT?”
Maranda smiled, “Lt. Tyers, if it meets your approval, I’m sure all of us will agree with you.”
Syl stared at Maranda and then said, “WHAT?”
Maranda tried not to laugh but didn’t pull it off. She finally managed to say, “You’ve never been wrong in the past and I don’t think you are now. Thank you for your approval.” Syl looked around the bridge and saw the crew nodding; Songbird it was. Maranda felt her heart beating slightly faster. The place she loved most on Melbourne would come to mind every time she heard the ship’s name. It was perfect. Maranda turned to Syl, “Take the ship out, Lt. Tyers. Let’s see the wings this bird has.”
Syl pushed the thruster handles slightly forward and turned the bow away from Melbourne. She pushed the thrusters and the giant carrier disappeared in an instant from above the planet. Maranda felt her heart singing and her smile was the largest the crew had seen.
Chapter Thirteen
At the end of the meeting with the Prime Minister and senior officers, Grady had walked up to Desmond with Taffy when they arrived at their quarters and asked Louisa, “Are you certain you want to go on this mission with Kendal?”
“Yes!”
“I will agree for you to go but Kendal will have to remain on Melbourne,” Grady announced.
Kendal’s face showed her feelings about that and Taffy quickly interjected, “Louisa, Kendal needs to go to school.” Louisa and Kendal were struck silent by her comment. “If she is going to fit into modern society, she needs to be taught to read and write properly. I’ve talked with Abby’s mother and she was ecstatic at the thought of having another little girl in her home. She will be properly cared for and I know Abby’s mother will love the opportunity to get to know her.”
Louisa shook her head slightly and Grady quickly said, “She’s not going to be able to stay with you for the next six weeks.”
“WHY NOT?!” Kendal demanded.
Des turned to Grady, “She’s demonstrated that she won’t get in the way, Grady.”
“Do you want Louisa to be on your ship?” Grady asked in a firm tone.
“I do.”
“Well, there’s not enough room on the original rabbits for three and that’s what we’ll be flying on this mission. That means that Louisa is going to have to go to the training center and learn how to operate the weapon’s console on your ship. She has six weeks to learn how to operate it while the carriers are being coated and Kendal cannot be with her in class. She’s got to focus on the training and she won’t do that if she has to keep an eye on her.”
Louisa stared at Grady in silence and then responded, “Grady, I know nothing about technology and I can’t read very well.”
Taffy put a hand on Louisa’s shoulder, “When Grady took me on his ship, I didn’t know anything about advanced technology. However, I learned how to operate the weapon’s console quickly and I know you can do the same if you really put your heart into learning the systems. You’ll learn the terms used by the systems during your training and I know you’re smart enough to do it. If you can’t master the weapon console, then you can’t go with Desmond. You’ll have to go on one of the carriers and you’ll be separated.”
Kendal listened to Taffy and lowered her head. Louisa went to a knee and lifted
her head, “What’s wrong, my love.”
Tears were coming from Kendal’s eyes and she said in a shaky voice, “You have to go with Mr. Des, Mommy.”
“Why?”
“To keep him safe, Mommy. My best friend Maranda won’t be with him and he can’t do it by himself.”
Louisa pulled Kendal into her arms and remembered Maranda telling her to keep Desmond safe. She leaned back and released Kendal enough to look into her eyes, “You know I’ll be coming back to you!” Kendal nodded.
Taffy glanced at Grady and said, “I’m going to take you to meet Abby’s mother now. You can decide after you meet her.”
“I’m going with them!” Desmond interjected.
Taffy glanced at Grady and saw him nod. She turned to Louisa and smiled, “Then we need to get moving. Desmond needs to start working with the ships assigned to him and you need to start training immediately, Louisa.”
Taffy picked up Kendal and they left the conference room.
• • •
They arrived at a large home in Brisbane Park and Louisa and Desmond were surprised at just how large it was. They exited the transport and a woman with silver hair came running out of the front entrance. She rushed up to them and scooped Kendal up in her arms. “Is this the little girl that might come to stay with me?!” Kendal’s brow was furrowed and her eyes narrow as she nodded. The woman spun her around and squealed, “I’m so excited. She turned to Louisa and extended her hand, “My name is Clarissa. You’ve probably met my daughter, Abby.”
Louisa nodded, “I have. She’s quite remarkable.”
Taffy said softly, “Clarissa, the decision hasn’t been finalized, yet.”
Clarissa’s smile grew smaller and Louisa asked, “Are you prepared to have a young girl in your home?”
Clarissa’s smile returned, “Am I ever! Please let me show you!” She turned and headed toward the front entrance with Kendal still in her arms. She led them up a large circular staircase and stopped outside a door at the top. She opened the door and led them into a huge room filled with dolls, toys, and games. Kendal looked around with wide eyes and looked up at the tall ceiling, where she saw starts painted on it. Clarissa smiled, “This was Abby’s room and I’ve left it as it was.” She looked at Kendal and said softly, “Abby always loved looking at stars and those stars glow in the dark.”
Kendal jerked her head to Clarissa as she said, “REALLY?”
Clarissa nodded, “Really.” She walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back. They looked out the window and saw a huge playground in the back yard.
Kendal asked, “What are those things?”
Clarissa smiled, “They’re things for you to play on. I’ll teach you how to use them.”
Clarissa put Kendal down and she went to Louisa and hugged her legs. Louisa was troubled, and Clarissa said, “She needs to be educated. I’ll have tutors brought in to teach her initially until she’s at the level of other children her age. Then she’ll attend the best primary school on Melbourne.” Clarissa smiled at Kendal, “You’re going to be so smart!”
Louisa went to a knee and said, “Kendal…”
Kendal looked at Clarissa and Desmond and turned to her mother, “You will be coming back, right, Mommy?”
“I will.”
Louisa made her decision when Clarissa said, “You will come every available opportunity to see her while you’re in training! A daughter needs to see her mother!”
Louisa stood up and hugged Clarissa, “Thank you. Kendal will stay with you until our mission is completed.”
“You must think beyond that,” Clarissa commented.
“What do you mean?” Louisa asked.
“She needs to go to school and not for just a few weeks. When your mission is over, this will be your home and Kendal will continue her education here. I’m really looking forward to having both of you share my home. My life has been so boring since Abby left and you will add so much to it.”
Taffy interrupted them and said, “So the answer is yes?” Louisa glanced at Desmond and he nodded slightly. She turned to Taffy and smiled, “Yes.”
“Then kiss Kendal! You were due in training two hours ago.”
Louisa kissed Kendal and Clarissa picked her up and said, “Let’s go see the playground!” Louisa watched them leave and felt her tears begin. She saw Kendal’s sadness but when she went to the back door, she saw Kendal laughing as she slid down a huge slide into Clarissa’s arms.
“Time to go!” Taffy took Louisa by the arm and led her out of the mansion.
They boarded the Transport and Taffy lifted it and flew at high speed back toward the city. Louisa asked softly, “Taffy, could you do this?”
“Do what?”
“Leave your only child with a stranger?”
Taffy hesitated and replied, “It would depend on the stranger. I think Clarissa is the perfect choice and you’ve seen how Abby turned out. I might leave one of my children, if Grady and I ever have children, with Clarissa because I believe she would make them better people.” Taffy paused and added, “It would also depend on just how much I wanted to be with Grady. I would do this because I wouldn’t want him going out into danger without me being there with him; I love him too much to live with that if I didn’t.”
Louisa looked at Desmond staring at her and she snuggled in next to him. “Thank you, Taffy. I agree with you.” Desmond put an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.
• • •
Six weeks passed, and Desmond was sitting on the tiny bridge on the Roo Rabbit. He was amazed at how…small…tiny…miniscule it was compared to the Super Rabbit he flew to the Sagittarius Spiral Arm. It had been updated and the blasters were just as powerful as the larger ship, but it didn’t have any missiles; there was no room for them. “Permission to come aboard, Sir.”
Desmond turned and saw Louisa standing just inside the bridge wearing a Lieutenant’s uniform. Des was out of his chair in an instant and he wrapped her up in his arms, “I’VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”
“I had a lot to learn and I spent any spare time with Kendal.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Marvelously! I don’t think I could convince her to leave to go with us. Clarissa is wonderful.”
Des kissed her and then stepped back, “I’m glad you’re here. We have a conference with Grady in thirty minutes along with all the other old rabbits going on this mission.”
“When are we leaving?”
“In about four hours. The fifty ships assigned to me are forming up and Grady’s command is already formed up around the Rex Rabbit.”
Louisa looked around and shook her head, “It’s smaller than I anticipated.”
“We’ll manage. How did training go?”
Louisa smiled, “I was at the top of the class. And I spent the evenings going through an education tutorial to learn how to read and write. I’ve made a lot of progress.”
Des smiled, “I know you have what it takes to be successful in anything you choose to do.”
“That’s your love talking.”
“Maybe, but you were at the top of your class.”
Louisa smiled and went to the weapons console. She started activating the controls and put on her combat helmet. She linked the helmet to her console and began going through a simulation. Desmond smiled and went to his command chair; she was ready.
• • •
Grady appeared on the monitor thirty minutes later, “I’m going over our mission profile again before we launch. We are not going in to America with the rest of the fleet. The three freighters assigned to me along with all of you will remain outside America’s star system. Ten Super Rabbits will escort our formations into the Sagittarius-Carina Arm making sure there are no Fagan ships to detect us. Keep in mind that our ships are not stealth coated, and we will be seen if any Fagan ship gets near us. Our initial responsibility is to make sure that doesn’t happen. We will take the time while the population on America is being moved to
practice our mission profile. Once the populations on America are lifted, we will move in above the planet and wait for the Fagan freighter to be destroyed. When that happens, we will wait for the Fagan response and flee away from America toward the core of the galaxy. Captain Frye, when that happens, you will keep your ships separate from my command and remain out of the Fagan scanner range. Any questions?" No one offered a question; they had been over the plan numerous times. “Launch is in three hours. Run a diagnostic on your ships and contact your commander if any trouble is detected.”
Desmond turned to Louisa and she smiled, “This console is quicker than the one I used in training. Everything checks out OK.” Des nodded and Louisa asked, “Are we going out ahead of the fleet?”
“No, we’ll be attached to Maranda’s carrier taskforce on the trip out. She will provide the Super Rabbits assigned to keep the coast clear around us.” Louisa smiled that she knew what keeping the coast clear meant, her language skills were vastly improved.
• • •
Three hours later, Grady ordered, “All ships launch and go to full speed. Maintain your formation and we will hold position far out from the carriers and freighters. The two squadrons moved away from Melbourne at high-speed.
• • •
Maranda looked at Andrew and saw his perpetual scowl. She shook her head and had enough. “Captain Conner, report to my ready room!”
Andrew turned and looked at Maranda with a frown and walked off the bridge. Syl looked up and asked, “What’s in his underwear?!”
The crew laughed, and Maranda had to stifle a smile. She walked off the bridge toward the ready room and Syl said, “He’s in big trouble!”
Maranda entered the ready room and went around to her chair. She sat down, leaned forward, and said sternly, “You are disrupting the crew, Captain Connor!”
“I thought we could be informal in here.”
Maranda’s expression turned angry, “Your constant scowl and frowns has everyone on edge. You have ceased being an asset, Captain Connor! What’s going on?”