| Reunion |
| UNSF Headquarters 10:55 SET 2193 As the shuttle that eventually ended up at the main entrance of the United Nations Security Force slowed to a stop, the tenants reverently moved aside so that one man could push his way through the crowd. He had been quiet the entire trip, but if one looked into his eyes, they could tell the eagerness and anxiousness that quivered behind the serious façade. As always, the central nervous system for the UNSF was at its usual state of hustle and bustle, just like any other day. For some reason today though, traffic seemed to be just a tad bit slower as the officer strolled through the building at something a little more than a causal stroll, but not quite a power walk. His presence made heads turn and hushed whispers exchanged between people. Some that knew him stopped to shake his hand and congratulate him; others stared in awe at as he passed them, having time for nothing more than a friendly smile. There were some who said that heroes and legends didn’t exist. There were some who thought that in their time of need, there would come a group of people to step up to the challenge of ending the Imperial war that had been going on for the last 19 years. Those people would be hailed as the leaders of the new generation, the ones that would lead the war-ravaged military to a state of prosperity. Those, they said, would be the heroes and the legends. Some thought this man a great officer, others a bastard, and more still one of the leading forces in the space battle that was waged daily. Though the opinions of this man differed, one thing was certain. Captain Darryl Mansel was back in action. And so was the crew of the newly commissioned USS Explorer-B. The new Sovereign-class ship had already been through its shakedown run and tested to its limits. This new ship, while not the first of its kind, was already being praised as one of the best and fastest heavy destroyers in the fleet. When the Imperial Armada unleashed its Long Sword VI serires Heavy, Long Range, Stand Off Cruisers, the UNSF met the new menacing Imperial Cruiser with its own cruiser...The Sovereign. The Sovereign-class ships were absolutely unrivaled in Long Range Firepower capabilities with their huge, ultra-fast, ultra accurate, and ultra-bang for buck anti-ship missles, known as the Black Eye. The Sovereign class earned a nickname among the Imperial Armada for its deadly long range attacks, calling it “the Angry God.” Mansel was on his way to boarding his new ship for only the third time. Ever since the news had dropped that he was to be the commander of the new ship, he had been busy in meetings and retraining verifications…just to make sure he still had the Mansel Touch. Although he was still a good starship commander, no one had forgotten what had happened to his last ship, the Explorer. Sure enough, though, even after various amounts of written and performance tests, Mansel proved yet and again that he still had what it took to get the job done. Apparently, three years of working as 4th Fleet’s Task Force commander hadn’t made him stale a bit. Not that there’d been any doubt, of course. Apparently, the crew of the Explorer-B (mostly being the same crew from the original Explorer) picked up right where they left off when they transferred over to the new ship. Old positions were refilled with ease, everywhere from the Bride to Engineering to the O-Lounge. This was most clearly seen as none other than Commander Terry B. Vaughn himself was waiting for Mansel at the top of the escalator. As the captain hopped off the lift, the commander gave him a warm handshake and a friendly smile as they walked in unison, Mansel on the left and Vaughn on the right. To an untrained or unknowing eye, it would seem as if they had never been separated for three years. The captain and the commander were a team once again. “Is everyone ready yet, TJ?” Mansel asked as they headed down the hallway to where the new ship was waiting. “We leave in about 2 hours.” “Two hours?” echoed Mansel’s Executive Officer. “Two hours should be plenty of time to get the last few things done. There are still things down here you need to do?” Even though Vaughn worded his sentence correctly, Mansel knew it to be a statement and not a question. Mansel nodded. “One more briefing with Admiral Little and I’ll be up there. Make sure it’s all in order when I get there.” He started to turn off to go to Admiral Little’s office when Vaughn grabbed him. “Remember, the transporters aren’t quite right yet,” he reminded his captain. “You’re gonna have to go by shuttle.” “Why aren’t the transporters ready yet?” Mansel demanded. “Fleury’s had weeks to get them ready.” “They just some parts they needed in last week,” Vaughn responded, not bothered at all by Mansel’s harsh questioning. “If things run smoothly, they should be done hopefully by Thursday.” Mansel looked at his chrono; it was Monday, which meant Fleury and his team (which included his wife) should have plenty of time to get the transporters ready and on line. “Make sure they’re done by Thursday, Vaughn,” Mansel said, giving the Commander a stern look. “Who knows what kind of situations we’ll run into out there…we’re going to need everything at one hundred percent.” He looked at his chrono again; he was late for his meeting with the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. He decided it was best to get moving, quick. “I’ll be up there as soon as I can, TJ,” he said, starting to walk off again. “Make sure they’re ready.” “Will do,” Vaughn replied as Mansel walked off. He shook his head and smiled. Things were getting back to the old days again. *** Admiral Monica Little's office 11:10 SET 2193 "You're late," Admiral Little stated as Mansel walked through the door. "You're starting to make this a habitual thing. She guestured to the chairs behind her desk. "Sit." Mansel, knewing the ass-chewing was coming beforehand, chalked it up to Vaughn interrupting him. "Sorry ma'am," he stated as he sat down in the uncomfortable chair and straightened out his uniform. "I was interrupted on my way up here." The Deputy Commander-in-Cheif gave Mansel a look that made him think twice about being late to an appointment with her again. "Be sure that you don't get interrupted next time," she warned as she reached into her desk and tossed Mansel an infopad. "Your ship is operational for the most part correct?" |
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