08-14-2016, 07:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-14-2016, 07:06 PM by Sylviekat.
Edit Reason: minor spelling fix
)
Chapter 2 continues. Cynthia has a guest and more discussion on the workings of a star ship and the fleet in general. This is the calm before the storm. Or in other words the shit is about to hit the fan.
An Illustrious rendezvous: We linked up with the Illustrious and the Licorice which was the Tyche escorting her. The rest of the group was not on station. I found that being a watch officette on the VNB can be quite dull during routine operations. I spent most of my time off duty acquainting myself with the ship, including looking around the small hanger bay, the Golgotha is supposed to have a full complement of Amazon fighters but her group was badly mauled in the last action, so she only has four fighters operational, we use them to scout before and after jump transits, as anything else would put the crew at high risk for little gain.
Of course with the link up we have incorporated our flight with the aerogroup from the Illustrious. We picked up the Famous, a Saturn class light cruiser and she has been temporarily attached to our group, since those ships are very fast we have her on point, with the Tyche taking the trail and us and the big Illy in the center. According to a communication from the Octopus, one of the two frigates, she and her sister Orangutan will be on station in two days. We expect the Butterfly will there the next day, and then Zamboni, the Tender and Radiant and Rooster, the two corvettes will be sometime after that. The Eros was redirected to another area, but will be replaced by an Oracle class corvette Salsa and Vulcan class Frigate, Bride the trade of an antique destroyer for two smaller but much newer ships is well worth it.
The day of the linkup with the two Aphrodite frigates (O class) I was on watch in the VNB. Miss Francis, first name Tamara, although we were not intimate she still insisted on using first names when no other senior officette was present; was called away to consult with her counterpart on the BDC, and several of the enlisted were doing training or otherwise engaged, the deck was nearly deserted.
Troopie Ichrone and one Senior Commo Mate, Sarjenette Lower Class Yolanda Marquez were the only other two souls. One bad thing about being in maneuver control was that that station had to be manned at all times, in case the BDC doesn’t see a visual hazard and we have to get out of the way in a hurry. Anyway SCM Marquez and HG Ichrone were busy playing a game of “battleship” on their respective terminals and I was reading the log entry from the previous watch. Needless to say it was rather dull, like this one was quickly heading to become. I think I was dozing when a loud beep screeched throughout the compartment.
“Huh, what, Marquez report!” I said a bit too harshly.
“Er Ma’am proximity alarm; we have a high speed object approaching port side 200 degree bearing.” SCM Marquez said
“Right, signal BDC advise them of the situation.”
“Aye Ma’am, course is on an intercept if we don’t bear away soon.”
“Roger, VNB to BDC”
BDC HERE GO AHEAD VNB
“We have a high speed intercept that will collide if its aspect does not change.”
AH ROGER DO YOU HAVE VISUAL
“Negative just what the sensors have.”
WE HAVE IT, MAINTAINING CONTROL IN BDC, GOOD WORK UP THERE, BDC OUT
“Well you heard her, they have the situation well in hand, continue with your duties girls.” I said while getting back to looking at the ship’s log.
The next couple hours were back to the routine, but then a minor change happened, the daily shuttle from Illustrious arrived.
MISS PARKER REPORT TO BDC,
“Aye Ma’am…SM Marquez you have the watch.”
“Aye Ma’am I have the watch.” The junior non com said taking over the compartment.
With that I took the lift all the way down to E deck, and then took the aft amidships lift down to I deck.
The lift opened to a small compartment with two hatches, one had two armed guards from the NAIL (Naval Assault Infantry Legion), and this was the one for the BDC.
“Halt, ID card and state your purpose Ma’am.”
“er I was summoned down here by the BDCO.”
“Right, wait one…ok Ma’am you are cleared.”
I walked into the BDC for the first time since my arrival on the Golgotha.
“Ah Miss Parker.” stated the executive Ms. Greer. Who now was wearing the insignia of a Kommandette, although her promotion is only a brevet until it is cleared by AIDOF command. “Welcome to the BDC, since you are the only watch qualified Officette not really doing anything important at the moment, and who is on duty; we have a special assignment for you.” She said with a wink.
“Yes Ma’am.” I said, knowing that almost anything would be more interesting than babysitting a nearly deserted compartment.
“Good, very good, the weekly mail run just departed Illustrious, I want you to go to the hanger deck and receive the mail courier and escort her back to the BDC if any priority dispatches are carried.”
“Yes Ma’am, is there anything else?”
“Oh just be at the courier’s disposal until we have the outgoing mail ready.”
“Aye Ma’am” I said and then about turned and existed the august company of the BDC. I then went to the other hatch and took a ladder down to J deck, and found my way to the hanger area. Since I did not know which bay the shuttle was going to land at, I asked the deck Officette. She told me with a grin, that shuttles land at the shuttle pad. I said I knew that but this was the mail courier from Illustrious.
She then stated “Oh”, and looked at the flight control log and said that the courier just landed port tube. I thanked her then started walking towards the airlock that led to the port landing area. I stood there and waited for the courier to cycle through and take off her bulky helmet and flight support gear. She was holding a sealed attaché and heavy laser pistol strapped in a shoulder holster. I was still looking at the rather serious fire power and not noticing anything else, or what she was saying.
“er what?”
“I asked Permission to come aboard Ma’am, you lunk, or has it been that long silly you forgot how to speak?” I then shook my head to clear the cobwebs, and noticed that the courier was also a Kaydette, but more importantly it was Barbara.
“Oh yes permission granted Miss Foster.” I said with a grin,
“What are you doing playing shuttle pilot?” I asked
“Bite your tongue, heathen, I am not a trash hauler, geeze give someone the light blue and they think they know everything.”
“By the way you SAN gals certainly know how to dress.”
“Well it’s sexy and practical, since the ship is at a constant 75 degrees, no need to wear heavy clothing unless duty specific. How have you been?”
“Oh fine, just fine Cyn, now let’s get the official part done, which by the way the dispatches are delivered by fighter, well two seat fighters with the WSO staying home to make up the room for the dispatches, my squadron has this cycle and well it finally got to my turn. So what have you been up too?”
“Well nothing much mostly babysitting the VNB, you?”
“Ah flying routine patrols, mostly CAP shit, oh Combat Aerospace Patrol, playing guard dog for the big Illy. What is the VNB?”
“Oh the Visual Navigation Bridge, what we use for fine maneuvering like docking, out here in deep space mostly a redundant back up to the BDC or Battle Direction Center, the main bridge, where we are going, you have your ID with you right?”
“Of course, shall we?”
“OK.” We walked down and retraced my steps back to the BDC, the guards asked to see both of our ID’s and demanded that Barbara check her side arm prior to entry. She complied, and then cycled through the hatch. Ms. Greer took the dispatch case, and inputted the code, opened it up, quickly perused through the data pads, noticing several required a reply prior to Miss Foster’s return, put them back in the case and said “Ok Miss Parker, I need to sign and endorse several of these, a few even need her Ladyship’s, so go and show Miss Foster around the ship, but we will call you on ISC when the dispatches are ready.”
“Aye Ma’am ok, Miss Foster, if you will follow me.”
After we got out of the BDC and existed to the main deck (E), Barbara turned abruptly and stated, “Miss Foster? Oh so that’s how it is going to be?”
“Er no Barb, but since we are not formally partnered, yet (I added), I can’t use any other name when on duty and in front of superiors, you know how it is right?”
“Well not really as my squadron is very informal, even the old Cow uses our first names.”
“Oh ok, well we aren’t so informal here in SAN, it’s Miss, this or Ms that, even in the same pay grade. Any way I am sure you have seen much the same on the Illustrious, but we call this level broad way, it has lifts to all decks, including the lifts that lead to restricted ones in engineering. My quarters are on D deck, right next to the lavatory and a DC locker. However we are going up to AA deck or the VNB, the highest enclosed part of the ship.”
When we boarded the lift to the VNB, Barbara leaned over and embraced me, and we started kissing, in fact we both forgot ourselves and were fully into the kiss that we did not realize the door to the lift was opened.
“Umm excuse me ladies?” startled, I quickly pulled away and looked into the VNB, Miss Francis was there along the usual suspects.
“Err, I stammered…”
“Oh never mind, I know you were escorting the courier, but I don’t think Ms. Greer had that quite in mind.”
“Oh um Tamara, I mean Miss Francis, this is Miss Foster, er Barbara…”
“Right so you are the girl of Cynthia’s dreams, I can see why, so Sheen-Cats if I am not mistaken, how do you like them Miss Foster, or may I call you Barbara?”
“Um Ma’am…” Barbara started to reply back but was cut off
“Tamara will do, we are all equals well close enough at least, well come on get out of the lift, so someone else can use dang thing.” We spent the next few minutes talking to Tamara and Barbara was looking around, although she did not have the awe struck look like many visitors.
“You know Cyn one of these days I have to get you in the back seat of Wyld Thang, my fighter. The view away from all of the big ships is totally radical. Of course Smartypants would object to being left behind again.”
“Who is Smarty pants?” I asked confused by the Aerobabe lingo.
“Oh she’s my Wizzo, oh you know Kaydette Bernard?”
“Oh right, by the way I think Wendy likes her.”
“Duh you think, I saw last week’s mail, speaking of which you lunk, why haven’t you written?”
“Been busy, Well, why haven’t you?”
“Touché, how’s this we write every week, or maybe get some air time on the public comms.”
“I don’t know tying..”
“Miss Parker consider that an order, you will continue to correspond with your better half, not sure if she is lovelier, but definitely has more common sense it seems even if she is an aerobabe.” interjected Tamera,
“Er ok, can’t disobey an order.” I feebly tried to sound like it was a burden.
“And one more order, reacquaint yourself right, spend the rest of the time before Miss Foster must return in your quarters, or better yet mine.”
“Yes Ma’am we both said with a grin.”
After rushing down the lift to Miss Francis’s quarters, which was empty since her roommate was on duty as well, we stripped and made hot steamy passionate love. About thirty minutes later the ICS rang. . “Ello?”
“Ah good Miss Parker, Miss Francis said you would be there, tell your uh friend that the courier package is almost ready to go?”
“Almost Ma’am?” I asked confused at why we were not told when they were done.
“Yes, almost I am lacking two signatures, but they will be ready as soon as both of you can make it, shall we say in eighteen minutes?”
“Yes Ma’am, Miss Parker out.” We took a quick shower (separately as the stalls were not big enough for two, and still wash, then got dressed, me in my ship board uniform and Barbara back in her flight suit, and headed to the BDC.
Ms Greer was standing by with the courier attaché but had one data pad out. “Right ok this item is lacking two signatures, namely you two, so go ahead and sign it, and then Miss Foster you need your Squadron CO to sign it and get it approved, so it can be forwarded to Her Grace for her endorsement.”
Wondering what this document was, I quickly glanced through, and noticed that is was a request for intimate partnership, not quite a permanent partnership but best thing two young Kaydettes could ask for. All approval blocks on my side were filled out, from Miss Francis, to Ms. Greer, and a Kapatin Walker, who is the senior BDCO, and department head for command. I signed my block, and handed the pad over to Barbara, well I can call her Barbie from now on.
She grinned and filled out her part and then placed it on the top of the data pads. Quickly closed the attaché, and went out back to the hanger area, she picked up her pistol form the BDC guards. We were walking hand in hand, until we remembered that the partnership was not official yet, so I settled for a long kiss, and she boarded her fighter, I rushed up to the VNB to see her launch and fly back to the Illustrious.
Later that watch a message slip made it to my station and said action approved waiting final disposition from TGR (Task Group Regent). Halfway through 2nd Watch I was still awake, and so picked up the ISC, the BDCO said simply, “action approved, congratulations Miss Parker”, and hung up.
Reservations for 4: Well having everything official meant no sneaking off and finding dark rooms. However being on two different ships was a big drag. Of course whenever she could Barbara would take the courier run, or find any excuse to go to Golgotha, I had yet to find any legitimate reason to take the shuttle over to Illustrious. Her freedom of movement made me slightly envious.
However on one errand she took Terry and it was during the 3rd watch so everyone was off duty. Wendy and Terry spent the time together and we had a feeling that an intimate partnership request was soon in the making. However we did spend some time showing the ship to the two aerobabes, this tour included K Battery.
K Battery consisted of three single Naval Pulse Laser Cannons aligned in an oblique pattern on the ventral port side on a giant blister that ran three quarters the length of the ship. The long navigation sail bisected the blister. Its sister batteries, I, J, and L were on the dorsal port and starboard and ventral starboard sides respectively. Each battery had a primary crew of ten; the Battery Mistress and three gun crews of three each. K battery protected the bottom of the ship as well as the port side after section. Besides its sister L battery, and the small point defense guns the only other defenses for the ventral stern was the small M battery of two NPLC also in single mounts. (Later versions of the Neptune have twin HNPXC turrets in the M and N positions, sometimes referred to the X and Z turrets). This meant that Wendy’s K battery covered a very important and highly vulnerable part of the ship.
Barbara made the comment that an attack by a flight of Sheenas armed with torpedoes could make life very exciting for the crew in this area. The fact that Wendy did not contradict her did not rest well with the others or me. Not counting the small crawl spaces in the navigation sail, or the twin domes of the primary sensor; Wendy and I worked on the lowest and highest compartments of the ship.
Her duty station, inside the ventral blister was on P deck. Other compartments on P deck included environmental control, ventral shields and a DC station. O deck had the nearest lifeboat station. The other interesting thing about the gunnery station was it had very little gravity. The gunners were in gyroscopic chairs that rotated freely along all axes but had fire stops wherever the turret would be pointing at the hull of the ship. Besides the gunner, the other crew was the Gun Mother and the power regulator. The Gun Mother, for most of the mounts a Senior Gunnery Mate directed the operation of the mount. The Battery Mistress coordinated with the Gun Mothers and the sensor operators. The power regulators ensured that the guns would maintain optimum firing levels, and could reroute power from one station to the other.
In addition to the primary crew, 3rd watch consisted of six additional personnel who provided local DC control as well as replacements for any casualties. Both the GM and PR were outside the mount proper, with only the Gunner strapped into her special chair was in the turret. The PR was typically a Gun Tech or Senior Gun tech, while the Gunner was a Gunnery Mate. 1st Mount had a Chief Gunnery Mate as its Gun Mother, and she was the 2nd in command of the Battery, after the Battery Mistress. Foxy Girl was the PR for mount 2. I also recognized two of Wendy’s old charges as another PR and Gunner both were in mount 3. We left P deck and returned to the rest of the ship, and ended their time having a foursome in our quarters. Everyone needed a cool shower after that.
An Illustrious rendezvous: We linked up with the Illustrious and the Licorice which was the Tyche escorting her. The rest of the group was not on station. I found that being a watch officette on the VNB can be quite dull during routine operations. I spent most of my time off duty acquainting myself with the ship, including looking around the small hanger bay, the Golgotha is supposed to have a full complement of Amazon fighters but her group was badly mauled in the last action, so she only has four fighters operational, we use them to scout before and after jump transits, as anything else would put the crew at high risk for little gain.
Of course with the link up we have incorporated our flight with the aerogroup from the Illustrious. We picked up the Famous, a Saturn class light cruiser and she has been temporarily attached to our group, since those ships are very fast we have her on point, with the Tyche taking the trail and us and the big Illy in the center. According to a communication from the Octopus, one of the two frigates, she and her sister Orangutan will be on station in two days. We expect the Butterfly will there the next day, and then Zamboni, the Tender and Radiant and Rooster, the two corvettes will be sometime after that. The Eros was redirected to another area, but will be replaced by an Oracle class corvette Salsa and Vulcan class Frigate, Bride the trade of an antique destroyer for two smaller but much newer ships is well worth it.
The day of the linkup with the two Aphrodite frigates (O class) I was on watch in the VNB. Miss Francis, first name Tamara, although we were not intimate she still insisted on using first names when no other senior officette was present; was called away to consult with her counterpart on the BDC, and several of the enlisted were doing training or otherwise engaged, the deck was nearly deserted.
Troopie Ichrone and one Senior Commo Mate, Sarjenette Lower Class Yolanda Marquez were the only other two souls. One bad thing about being in maneuver control was that that station had to be manned at all times, in case the BDC doesn’t see a visual hazard and we have to get out of the way in a hurry. Anyway SCM Marquez and HG Ichrone were busy playing a game of “battleship” on their respective terminals and I was reading the log entry from the previous watch. Needless to say it was rather dull, like this one was quickly heading to become. I think I was dozing when a loud beep screeched throughout the compartment.
“Huh, what, Marquez report!” I said a bit too harshly.
“Er Ma’am proximity alarm; we have a high speed object approaching port side 200 degree bearing.” SCM Marquez said
“Right, signal BDC advise them of the situation.”
“Aye Ma’am, course is on an intercept if we don’t bear away soon.”
“Roger, VNB to BDC”
BDC HERE GO AHEAD VNB
“We have a high speed intercept that will collide if its aspect does not change.”
AH ROGER DO YOU HAVE VISUAL
“Negative just what the sensors have.”
WE HAVE IT, MAINTAINING CONTROL IN BDC, GOOD WORK UP THERE, BDC OUT
“Well you heard her, they have the situation well in hand, continue with your duties girls.” I said while getting back to looking at the ship’s log.
The next couple hours were back to the routine, but then a minor change happened, the daily shuttle from Illustrious arrived.
MISS PARKER REPORT TO BDC,
“Aye Ma’am…SM Marquez you have the watch.”
“Aye Ma’am I have the watch.” The junior non com said taking over the compartment.
With that I took the lift all the way down to E deck, and then took the aft amidships lift down to I deck.
The lift opened to a small compartment with two hatches, one had two armed guards from the NAIL (Naval Assault Infantry Legion), and this was the one for the BDC.
“Halt, ID card and state your purpose Ma’am.”
“er I was summoned down here by the BDCO.”
“Right, wait one…ok Ma’am you are cleared.”
I walked into the BDC for the first time since my arrival on the Golgotha.
“Ah Miss Parker.” stated the executive Ms. Greer. Who now was wearing the insignia of a Kommandette, although her promotion is only a brevet until it is cleared by AIDOF command. “Welcome to the BDC, since you are the only watch qualified Officette not really doing anything important at the moment, and who is on duty; we have a special assignment for you.” She said with a wink.
“Yes Ma’am.” I said, knowing that almost anything would be more interesting than babysitting a nearly deserted compartment.
“Good, very good, the weekly mail run just departed Illustrious, I want you to go to the hanger deck and receive the mail courier and escort her back to the BDC if any priority dispatches are carried.”
“Yes Ma’am, is there anything else?”
“Oh just be at the courier’s disposal until we have the outgoing mail ready.”
“Aye Ma’am” I said and then about turned and existed the august company of the BDC. I then went to the other hatch and took a ladder down to J deck, and found my way to the hanger area. Since I did not know which bay the shuttle was going to land at, I asked the deck Officette. She told me with a grin, that shuttles land at the shuttle pad. I said I knew that but this was the mail courier from Illustrious.
She then stated “Oh”, and looked at the flight control log and said that the courier just landed port tube. I thanked her then started walking towards the airlock that led to the port landing area. I stood there and waited for the courier to cycle through and take off her bulky helmet and flight support gear. She was holding a sealed attaché and heavy laser pistol strapped in a shoulder holster. I was still looking at the rather serious fire power and not noticing anything else, or what she was saying.
“er what?”
“I asked Permission to come aboard Ma’am, you lunk, or has it been that long silly you forgot how to speak?” I then shook my head to clear the cobwebs, and noticed that the courier was also a Kaydette, but more importantly it was Barbara.
“Oh yes permission granted Miss Foster.” I said with a grin,
“What are you doing playing shuttle pilot?” I asked
“Bite your tongue, heathen, I am not a trash hauler, geeze give someone the light blue and they think they know everything.”
“By the way you SAN gals certainly know how to dress.”
“Well it’s sexy and practical, since the ship is at a constant 75 degrees, no need to wear heavy clothing unless duty specific. How have you been?”
“Oh fine, just fine Cyn, now let’s get the official part done, which by the way the dispatches are delivered by fighter, well two seat fighters with the WSO staying home to make up the room for the dispatches, my squadron has this cycle and well it finally got to my turn. So what have you been up too?”
“Well nothing much mostly babysitting the VNB, you?”
“Ah flying routine patrols, mostly CAP shit, oh Combat Aerospace Patrol, playing guard dog for the big Illy. What is the VNB?”
“Oh the Visual Navigation Bridge, what we use for fine maneuvering like docking, out here in deep space mostly a redundant back up to the BDC or Battle Direction Center, the main bridge, where we are going, you have your ID with you right?”
“Of course, shall we?”
“OK.” We walked down and retraced my steps back to the BDC, the guards asked to see both of our ID’s and demanded that Barbara check her side arm prior to entry. She complied, and then cycled through the hatch. Ms. Greer took the dispatch case, and inputted the code, opened it up, quickly perused through the data pads, noticing several required a reply prior to Miss Foster’s return, put them back in the case and said “Ok Miss Parker, I need to sign and endorse several of these, a few even need her Ladyship’s, so go and show Miss Foster around the ship, but we will call you on ISC when the dispatches are ready.”
“Aye Ma’am ok, Miss Foster, if you will follow me.”
After we got out of the BDC and existed to the main deck (E), Barbara turned abruptly and stated, “Miss Foster? Oh so that’s how it is going to be?”
“Er no Barb, but since we are not formally partnered, yet (I added), I can’t use any other name when on duty and in front of superiors, you know how it is right?”
“Well not really as my squadron is very informal, even the old Cow uses our first names.”
“Oh ok, well we aren’t so informal here in SAN, it’s Miss, this or Ms that, even in the same pay grade. Any way I am sure you have seen much the same on the Illustrious, but we call this level broad way, it has lifts to all decks, including the lifts that lead to restricted ones in engineering. My quarters are on D deck, right next to the lavatory and a DC locker. However we are going up to AA deck or the VNB, the highest enclosed part of the ship.”
When we boarded the lift to the VNB, Barbara leaned over and embraced me, and we started kissing, in fact we both forgot ourselves and were fully into the kiss that we did not realize the door to the lift was opened.
“Umm excuse me ladies?” startled, I quickly pulled away and looked into the VNB, Miss Francis was there along the usual suspects.
“Err, I stammered…”
“Oh never mind, I know you were escorting the courier, but I don’t think Ms. Greer had that quite in mind.”
“Oh um Tamara, I mean Miss Francis, this is Miss Foster, er Barbara…”
“Right so you are the girl of Cynthia’s dreams, I can see why, so Sheen-Cats if I am not mistaken, how do you like them Miss Foster, or may I call you Barbara?”
“Um Ma’am…” Barbara started to reply back but was cut off
“Tamara will do, we are all equals well close enough at least, well come on get out of the lift, so someone else can use dang thing.” We spent the next few minutes talking to Tamara and Barbara was looking around, although she did not have the awe struck look like many visitors.
“You know Cyn one of these days I have to get you in the back seat of Wyld Thang, my fighter. The view away from all of the big ships is totally radical. Of course Smartypants would object to being left behind again.”
“Who is Smarty pants?” I asked confused by the Aerobabe lingo.
“Oh she’s my Wizzo, oh you know Kaydette Bernard?”
“Oh right, by the way I think Wendy likes her.”
“Duh you think, I saw last week’s mail, speaking of which you lunk, why haven’t you written?”
“Been busy, Well, why haven’t you?”
“Touché, how’s this we write every week, or maybe get some air time on the public comms.”
“I don’t know tying..”
“Miss Parker consider that an order, you will continue to correspond with your better half, not sure if she is lovelier, but definitely has more common sense it seems even if she is an aerobabe.” interjected Tamera,
“Er ok, can’t disobey an order.” I feebly tried to sound like it was a burden.
“And one more order, reacquaint yourself right, spend the rest of the time before Miss Foster must return in your quarters, or better yet mine.”
“Yes Ma’am we both said with a grin.”
After rushing down the lift to Miss Francis’s quarters, which was empty since her roommate was on duty as well, we stripped and made hot steamy passionate love. About thirty minutes later the ICS rang. . “Ello?”
“Ah good Miss Parker, Miss Francis said you would be there, tell your uh friend that the courier package is almost ready to go?”
“Almost Ma’am?” I asked confused at why we were not told when they were done.
“Yes, almost I am lacking two signatures, but they will be ready as soon as both of you can make it, shall we say in eighteen minutes?”
“Yes Ma’am, Miss Parker out.” We took a quick shower (separately as the stalls were not big enough for two, and still wash, then got dressed, me in my ship board uniform and Barbara back in her flight suit, and headed to the BDC.
Ms Greer was standing by with the courier attaché but had one data pad out. “Right ok this item is lacking two signatures, namely you two, so go ahead and sign it, and then Miss Foster you need your Squadron CO to sign it and get it approved, so it can be forwarded to Her Grace for her endorsement.”
Wondering what this document was, I quickly glanced through, and noticed that is was a request for intimate partnership, not quite a permanent partnership but best thing two young Kaydettes could ask for. All approval blocks on my side were filled out, from Miss Francis, to Ms. Greer, and a Kapatin Walker, who is the senior BDCO, and department head for command. I signed my block, and handed the pad over to Barbara, well I can call her Barbie from now on.
She grinned and filled out her part and then placed it on the top of the data pads. Quickly closed the attaché, and went out back to the hanger area, she picked up her pistol form the BDC guards. We were walking hand in hand, until we remembered that the partnership was not official yet, so I settled for a long kiss, and she boarded her fighter, I rushed up to the VNB to see her launch and fly back to the Illustrious.
Later that watch a message slip made it to my station and said action approved waiting final disposition from TGR (Task Group Regent). Halfway through 2nd Watch I was still awake, and so picked up the ISC, the BDCO said simply, “action approved, congratulations Miss Parker”, and hung up.
Reservations for 4: Well having everything official meant no sneaking off and finding dark rooms. However being on two different ships was a big drag. Of course whenever she could Barbara would take the courier run, or find any excuse to go to Golgotha, I had yet to find any legitimate reason to take the shuttle over to Illustrious. Her freedom of movement made me slightly envious.
However on one errand she took Terry and it was during the 3rd watch so everyone was off duty. Wendy and Terry spent the time together and we had a feeling that an intimate partnership request was soon in the making. However we did spend some time showing the ship to the two aerobabes, this tour included K Battery.
K Battery consisted of three single Naval Pulse Laser Cannons aligned in an oblique pattern on the ventral port side on a giant blister that ran three quarters the length of the ship. The long navigation sail bisected the blister. Its sister batteries, I, J, and L were on the dorsal port and starboard and ventral starboard sides respectively. Each battery had a primary crew of ten; the Battery Mistress and three gun crews of three each. K battery protected the bottom of the ship as well as the port side after section. Besides its sister L battery, and the small point defense guns the only other defenses for the ventral stern was the small M battery of two NPLC also in single mounts. (Later versions of the Neptune have twin HNPXC turrets in the M and N positions, sometimes referred to the X and Z turrets). This meant that Wendy’s K battery covered a very important and highly vulnerable part of the ship.
Barbara made the comment that an attack by a flight of Sheenas armed with torpedoes could make life very exciting for the crew in this area. The fact that Wendy did not contradict her did not rest well with the others or me. Not counting the small crawl spaces in the navigation sail, or the twin domes of the primary sensor; Wendy and I worked on the lowest and highest compartments of the ship.
Her duty station, inside the ventral blister was on P deck. Other compartments on P deck included environmental control, ventral shields and a DC station. O deck had the nearest lifeboat station. The other interesting thing about the gunnery station was it had very little gravity. The gunners were in gyroscopic chairs that rotated freely along all axes but had fire stops wherever the turret would be pointing at the hull of the ship. Besides the gunner, the other crew was the Gun Mother and the power regulator. The Gun Mother, for most of the mounts a Senior Gunnery Mate directed the operation of the mount. The Battery Mistress coordinated with the Gun Mothers and the sensor operators. The power regulators ensured that the guns would maintain optimum firing levels, and could reroute power from one station to the other.
In addition to the primary crew, 3rd watch consisted of six additional personnel who provided local DC control as well as replacements for any casualties. Both the GM and PR were outside the mount proper, with only the Gunner strapped into her special chair was in the turret. The PR was typically a Gun Tech or Senior Gun tech, while the Gunner was a Gunnery Mate. 1st Mount had a Chief Gunnery Mate as its Gun Mother, and she was the 2nd in command of the Battery, after the Battery Mistress. Foxy Girl was the PR for mount 2. I also recognized two of Wendy’s old charges as another PR and Gunner both were in mount 3. We left P deck and returned to the rest of the ship, and ended their time having a foursome in our quarters. Everyone needed a cool shower after that.