either of us, but it’s a fact we need to accept.”
He sighed. “It seems like we could manage to forget that for the time being.” He closed his eyes and sighed even deeper. “Fine. Our father.”
She explained her late night discussion with the Emperor. “Then he woke me early the next morning and hustled me onto a shuttle. I didn’t know where I was going or why until Carlo explained it to me.”
Against his will, he found himself nodding. “You do know how to take the fun out of a good mad, don’t you?”
“I’m sure I’ll do something to legitimately piss you off soon enough.”
He chuckled. “I am sorry that our circumstances have put us at odds. I’ve often considered what my life would be like if I hadn’t joined Fleet. If I’d stayed at home and done anything else, everyone’s lives would be so much simpler.” He gave her a serious look. “I truly regret what this has done to your family.”
She sighed. “Me, too. Yet there isn’t one thing we can do to change the past. All we can do is make a better tomorrow.”
“That sounds like a slogan. Here we are. Stay beside me and don’t touch anything without asking.”
He touched his thumb to the pad beside the double doors and stepped inside when they slid open. The area just inside engineering opened up quite a bit. The ceiling was three stories tall and the room spread the full width of the ship. Massive machines with attached consoles filled most of it and a subtle humming seemed to make his teeth vibrate a little. There was also a subtle hint of electricity in the air.
“Dennis.”
Lieutenant Commander Dennis Baxter turned and gave him a high sign. He said something to the people clustered around him and strode over. “Captain. What can I do for you?”
“This is Deputy Ambassador Kelsey Bandar. Kelsey, this is Athena’s Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Dennis Baxter. Dennis, I’d appreciate it if you gave her the grand tour.
Baxter’s eyes widened. “I’d heard you were aboard, Princess. Welcome.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Thank you. Please, call me Kelsey. Or Ambassador. I’m not acting in an Imperial capacity and we’re all going to be together for some time. Treat me just like you would anyone else.”
“As you wish. Call me Dennis. Come on over and I’ll give you the highlights.”
He led the two of them to the center of the huge compartment. “Toward the aft are the ship’s grav and flip drives. The fusion power plants are under our feet. These consoles here, here, and here monitor everything to be sure we’re in good shape. Andrew, give the lady your seat.”
One of the men rose and stepped to the side of his console. Baxter gestured for Kelsey to sit.
She sat gingerly, making a show of keeping her hands as far away from the console as she could while looking at the bewildering layout of graphic displays. A large screen directly in front of the seat showed some kind of complex flowchart.
Jared only had a general idea of what he was looking at. Fleet kept its officers focused on their primary fields of study. He’d come up the tactical track, so weapons systems were more his speed. He’d heard of some officers that jumped tracks, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Besides, engineering officers didn’t have the combat skills the command track required.
Baxter leaned over Kelsey’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at the inside of the port fusion plant. Press that big green button right there.” He pointed to one right in front of her.
She pressed it and every light on the console flashed red just as Baxter said, “Not that one!”
Kelsey threw herself out of the chair, terror etched across her face. Until Baxter’s chuckles gave him away. Her eyes narrowed and she hit the Chief Engineer in the arm as hard as she could. “How could you! That’s mean!”
Then she whirled on Jared. “Did you know what he was doing?” she demanded.
He held up his hands in a gesture of
He sighed. “It seems like we could manage to forget that for the time being.” He closed his eyes and sighed even deeper. “Fine. Our father.”
She explained her late night discussion with the Emperor. “Then he woke me early the next morning and hustled me onto a shuttle. I didn’t know where I was going or why until Carlo explained it to me.”
Against his will, he found himself nodding. “You do know how to take the fun out of a good mad, don’t you?”
“I’m sure I’ll do something to legitimately piss you off soon enough.”
He chuckled. “I am sorry that our circumstances have put us at odds. I’ve often considered what my life would be like if I hadn’t joined Fleet. If I’d stayed at home and done anything else, everyone’s lives would be so much simpler.” He gave her a serious look. “I truly regret what this has done to your family.”
She sighed. “Me, too. Yet there isn’t one thing we can do to change the past. All we can do is make a better tomorrow.”
“That sounds like a slogan. Here we are. Stay beside me and don’t touch anything without asking.”
He touched his thumb to the pad beside the double doors and stepped inside when they slid open. The area just inside engineering opened up quite a bit. The ceiling was three stories tall and the room spread the full width of the ship. Massive machines with attached consoles filled most of it and a subtle humming seemed to make his teeth vibrate a little. There was also a subtle hint of electricity in the air.
“Dennis.”
Lieutenant Commander Dennis Baxter turned and gave him a high sign. He said something to the people clustered around him and strode over. “Captain. What can I do for you?”
“This is Deputy Ambassador Kelsey Bandar. Kelsey, this is Athena’s Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Dennis Baxter. Dennis, I’d appreciate it if you gave her the grand tour.
Baxter’s eyes widened. “I’d heard you were aboard, Princess. Welcome.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Thank you. Please, call me Kelsey. Or Ambassador. I’m not acting in an Imperial capacity and we’re all going to be together for some time. Treat me just like you would anyone else.”
“As you wish. Call me Dennis. Come on over and I’ll give you the highlights.”
He led the two of them to the center of the huge compartment. “Toward the aft are the ship’s grav and flip drives. The fusion power plants are under our feet. These consoles here, here, and here monitor everything to be sure we’re in good shape. Andrew, give the lady your seat.”
One of the men rose and stepped to the side of his console. Baxter gestured for Kelsey to sit.
She sat gingerly, making a show of keeping her hands as far away from the console as she could while looking at the bewildering layout of graphic displays. A large screen directly in front of the seat showed some kind of complex flowchart.
Jared only had a general idea of what he was looking at. Fleet kept its officers focused on their primary fields of study. He’d come up the tactical track, so weapons systems were more his speed. He’d heard of some officers that jumped tracks, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Besides, engineering officers didn’t have the combat skills the command track required.
Baxter leaned over Kelsey’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at the inside of the port fusion plant. Press that big green button right there.” He pointed to one right in front of her.
She pressed it and every light on the console flashed red just as Baxter said, “Not that one!”
Kelsey threw herself out of the chair, terror etched across her face. Until Baxter’s chuckles gave him away. Her eyes narrowed and she hit the Chief Engineer in the arm as hard as she could. “How could you! That’s mean!”
Then she whirled on Jared. “Did you know what he was doing?” she demanded.
He held up his hands in a gesture of
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