As Yen mulled over the troubling thoughts in his mind, Captain Hodge entered the room and took her place at the head table. Across from Yen, Eminent Merric took a seat on the Captain’s right. The left side of his face was still slightly swollen and red from his assault in the Frozen Nebula. To Yen’s surprise, Merric had never made an official claim of assault against him. Though Yen kept awaiting the day security would come and place him in handcuffs while he worked, that day had yet to arrive. In a lot of ways, that made him even more nervous. Yen had certain expectations of people. When you stole, you were reprimanded. When you assaulted a senior officer, they filed a complaint and you were arrested. It was when people stopped being predictable that Yen began to worry. Though he would give anything to know what plots Merric was hatching, he didn’t dare try to scan him. Merric would expect Yen to use his powers, and that might be the trigger he was waiting for to have Yen arrested. For now, Yen would have to be content wondering.
“We’re already on our way to Earth,” Captain Hodge said, officially calling the meeting to order. “But before we get there, there are far too many things that need to be accomplished. When we departed the Farimas Space Station, you were all told my expectations for each of your sections. I’d like to take this chance to go around the room and get a status update. Just give everyone a brief synopsis of what you’ve managed to accomplish and what still needs to be completed.”
Yen’s task had been daunting compared to some of the others. He only found out about his reassignment to Squadron Commander the day before the Revolution departed the space station. Since that time, he had to familiarize himself not just with the rebuilt ships in the Squadron but with the pilots themselves. Yen had no doubt that most rumors about Keryn’s sudden departure as Commander had stemmed from his own Squadron, since they were most vocal about the surprising change.
As Captain Hodge went around the room, addressing different officers, many of the new faces were introduced, though many of their names were forgotten as quickly as they were told. On occasion, Yen would look up to see how far around the table they had come, if only to gauge the time he had left before his own brief. He began paying attention as they reached a Warrant seated on the far side of Iana. Knowing that Iana wouldn’t brief, that meant that Yen would be next.
“Warrant Scyant,” Captain Hodge said, gesturing toward a new Wyndgaart female. “Welcome aboard the Revolution.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Scyant replied confidently. Yen looked up from his own fidgeting to examine the new Warrant. The Wyndgaart had dark grey hair that shimmered with a metallic hue. The blue and green tattoos framed her handsome face, which shone brightly with her broad smile. “I’m glad to be here.”
“For those of you who have not yet met Warrant Scyant, she is taking over Weapons. She comes from the Cavalier, which was irreparably damaged during the latest Fleet battle. I understand that a number of other Officers transferred over from the Cavalier while we were at Farimas, is that correct?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Scyant replied. “A number of us did. I know we’re all proud to be serving on the Alliance flagship for the upcoming battle.”
“We’re glad to have you as well,” the Captain responded. “Tell us, what have you found during your inspections of the weapons bays?”
Scyant shrugged. Yen was very familiar with the motion. When used during meetings, it was a polite way of buying time as you figured out how to express your displeasure with the current system. “I think that my predecessor did an admirable job keeping the system functioning.”
“But?” Captain Hodge probed, knowing Scyant was withholding the rest of her sentence intentionally.
Scyant laughed. “But I think we could do more. I have a few ideas that I’m implementing that should streamline the reloading process. My men are working on it now and, if everything works out, it should trim a few seconds off the downtime between volleys.”
“Excellent work,” the Captain said appreciatively. Captain Hodge turned to Yen, who was next in line for briefing. “Squadron Commander Xiao. How goes the inspection of the new ships?”
Yen smiled. “The repair work was excellent. You’d hardly know most of the ships were damaged. In light of our new battle tactics and the fact that we’ll be using relatively untested technology, right now we’re doing a reassessment of our strategies. Flying in rigid formations will not be as effective when each ship is carrying its own warp generator.”
“And how are the pilots taking the changes you’re implementing?”
Yen shrugged. “It’s a different leader, with different ideas. I obviously have a much different style than did Commander Riddell, but I think the pilots are taking the changes in stride. There have been complaints, but nothing beyond what I would expect after a change in leadership.”
Merric interrupted the conversation. “Have you had a chance to fully examine the warp generators that were installed? Are you confident that you and your Squadron will even be able to use them appropriately?”
Yen refused to take Merric’s obvious bait. He remained calm as he continued. “As I stated, Eminent Merric, we are just getting used to a change in leadership. Over the next few days, we’ll be taking a little more time to examine all the subtle nuances of the warp generator and how its system feeds into the Cair and Duun engines. The last thing anyone wants is a pilot accidentally warping himself into a star because he hit the wrong button.”
His joked evoked a round of laughter from the Officers and Warrants. “Speaking of new ideas,” Yen continued, “I would like to introduce my new second in command, Warrant Morven. She is a Duun pilot who served on board the Vindicator. As a battle tested pilot, I’m glad to have her expertise.”
“I’m glad to have you here,” Captain Hodge said, “even if just to keep your Squadron Commander in check.” The Captain let the laughter die before continuing with her brief. “As much as I am interested in updates on the ship, I know that’s not the real reason you’re all eagerly sitting around this table today. We’ve received the full telemetry from the High Council, explaining our mission in greater detail.”
On cue, the lights dimmed around them and a trap door opened in the middle of the briefing table. A flicker of light erupted from within as the holographic projector created a blue and green world hovering a few feet above the table. Around the planet, spaced nearly an inch apart and encompassing the full expanse of the space above the planet, small triangles hovered menacingly. Yen knew as well as anyone at the table what those triangles represented.
“Our mission on Earth is truly three-fold, broken down into individual phases,” the Captain explained. “Phase one consists of disabling the satellite network around Earth. So long as that network is still operational, the Fleet does not stand a chance of gaining access to Earth. For that, we will lean on you, Commander, and your Squadron. The plan is that you and your Squadron will warp using the provided coordinates. That warp should place you between the planet’s atmosphere and the satellite grid.”