Re: [FT] Babylon 5

*blush*

PS. continued from last note...

*TWANG* The captain swung around just in time to see the
sensor/ordinance
rating drop back into his accel couch. Having obviously bounced his head
off an inopportune strut, his low mumble equally obviously included
inappropriate, if unintelligible, language.

‘Mister Motawbe, now you know why regs require that you keep your
protective gear on…’

‘M’lady, if you were in a ship of a size befitting your rank, I’d
have a
lot fewer bumps on this noggin of mine.’

The response that, no matter where the captain commanded, the rating
would
be serving in this ship was left unsaid.

 Captain, Dame Megan Evans, commanding the lancer, NAC Shoshone, glanced
around her cramped bridge, and allowed herself a small smile. Having
climbed up the ranks carrying a burden of commoner’s blood, and worse,
American birth, she could be proud of her position.

Her simple, no-nonsense integrity required acceptance that the NAC
navy’s
egalitarian promotion policies were more show than real, as she knew her
original homeland accepted amalgamation over self-destruction.

Several small displays came to life, indicating fleet deployment for TK
insertion, and vectors for Shoshone to take position. Several short
orders
given, repeated, then executed, though already entered and ready, and
the
small packet of death moved. The crew knew there would be no trick
variance
from fleet command instructions to catch them off guard today, but they
still hung on her every word.