Eric pulled the cup out of Mila's hand.

"All right, you've had enough. I want you to be able to fly straight."

He put it on the bar and folded his arms.

"Besides, it's time to go. We'll get the Venture ready to go, and take these trials they've got for us."

"Psst, that stuff is so watered down it'll take six jsut to get me buzz. Anyhow, should we get to the Venture and have a briefing about the trials there or shold the leaders just talk here."

"We should get aboard the Venture before Lucy gets impatient."

Eric made sure his pad was securely on his belt.

"Alright, move out!"

He pointed at the door, before standing up and walking towards it.

With a partial look of insubstantiality, Klau turned from the table and began to follow Captain Eric at about the same pace as Mila and the rest of the newly informally created Squadron Flight.
"That's it? 'Looks like I arrived a bit late to the party." said Klau half to himself and the other half to everyone else. He pulled out a communicator to have Calliope Flight redirected to the Errant Venture's docking partitions, still an ear piqued to the new group.

Although constructed and controlled by the alliance military as the hub of Earth's Defense Network, Luna Station York was still open to Alliance Citizens and those of allied nations, merchants, businessmen and off-duty soldiers still crowded the corridors, reassured by the heavy Naval presence in the Home system.

Once they had stepped clear of the bar's threshold, they were into the crowds, weaving between Alliance Security teams and Republic travelers, but everyone stepped aside to let a trio of Sisters from the Covenant to pass unhindered.

The Two knights walking proud in the gleaming silver amour that turned them into walking tanks, the heavy multi-barreled cannon one held resting on her shoulder like a cane further reinforcing the image, her sister carried a large caliber assualt rifle. A lesser armored Cleric walked between them in her golden robes of office, a simple pistol on her hip. All three women were nearly eight feet in height and their grayish skin and red eyes reminding all that looked upon them that they were so very different from humanity. For a start most of them were older than it.

The cleric smiled and nodded at the Errant Venture's crew as the two parties arrived at the lift down to the shipyards simultaneously. The Knights simply watched them with neutral expressions.

"The Star-Mother bless you, Faithless." the cleric said warmly, "and may her light guide to to your journey's end."

Devon looked curiously at the cleric that had just spoken to them. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Faithless? What do you mean?" He had never spoken with a Sister before, so he was naturally confused.

Mila had heard of the Faith, but had never spoken with a sister. She belonged to the more traditional religions of Earth before the expansion into the stars. As a result she held respect towarss the clerics, but nothing more than that.

Eric nodded at the cleric, offering a smile in return. Best to be polite, and not get brutally killed for accidental heresies.

The cleric suddenly looked shocked at Devon's question, horrified realization that she had used the word creeping across her almost unnaturally beautiful features, then came back and camped there.

"My apologies human, I did not mean to address you so crudely or imply your race is anything less than a treasured ally of my people. I was simply referring to the fact you do not-"

"Perhaps it is best if you keep your mouth closed, Sister-Cleric." said the Knight with the rifle and more ornate Armour, her face was impassive but the voice sounded amused," I understand you are excited to be chosen to represent our people in the Alliance Council, but you should try to avoid offending our hosts further?"

It was spoken lightly, almost causally, but carried an undertone of authority that changed it into an order. the Cleric bowed.

"Of course Paladin Jenifer."

Tom wondered if it was the Covenant they'd be fighting for. He had mixed feelings about them, on the one hand he admired their unity and their devotion but he was aware that there was such a thing as too far and the rigid heirachy of the order seemed almost claustrophobic to him. He made a note to ask Eric precisely who'd hired them when they got to the Venture.

Mila was examininmg the ornate armour the clerics and knights wore. She was impressed tht the armour could look so astetically pleasing and still serve its battlefield function. She was wondering what the Clerics and knight were up too, but payed her thought little heed.

[Oh paddlepoots. Skip this.]

While in the elevator, Mila pondered what they might be doing for this shakedown run and what it might intail.

"So, what are we going to be doing on this shakedown run exactly, just calibrating the systems or are we doing somthing ore serious also?" she asked

"the Glatactic Transit Board's combat vessel trails consists of ensuring all ship systems are functioning within legal limits, Combat trails, and finally a short FTL Jump." Lucy announced, her voice surprisingly loud in the confined space, "I'll admit I was worried about the port side engine, but Engineering managed to bring it up to speed by the time the Inspection team arrived. About 4.25 seconds before to be exact."

The Elevator came to a halt with a soft chime that sounded horribly out of place, obviously Lucy's doing, "Deck 23, Errant Venture, Frustrated AI's and Men's fashion. Thank you for riding with us, now get your asses in gear."

"Gotcha Lucy" Mila said as she steped towards the ship, she was eager to see if her ships her hangered properly and her men had gotten their quarters squared away.

"Gotta make sure no one is fighting over who gets top bunk she said as she raced towards the ship while everyone else behind her was walking.

Eric smiled at the Sisters.

"Well, this is our stop. Bye."

He followed Mila, waving for the others to do the same.

Mila ran onto the ship and looked around for where the crew quarters were, it took her a few minutes to find where the quarters were and even longer to figure out where her crew in partucular was staying.

Once she reached the crew block, she opened the presurized door to find her men, just as she thought arguing over who got top bunk.

"Okay break it up, break it" she said, puting her self in between the two large men arguing

"You know the rules guys, we settle it one of four ways, Words, Cards, Guess or ThunderDome, which way do you want it?"

Both men looked at each other, they were steaming, but not mad enough to to settle for Thunderdome. Knowing their only choice they both said "Guess" at the same time

"Okay guys I'm thinking of a number between one and twenty, colsest number without going over wins"

Lucy:
I hope Harrab doesn't mind if I improvise a couple lines within my perception of Lucy's character.

Just beyond the gleaming bulk of the Venture was a large glowing blue translucent wall signaling the edge of air and the void of space in the hangar bay, the Calliope, Fayden and P Eugen just arriving through the large ray field. Klau opened his communicator again.
"First impressions, boys. Get docked with the Venture or we'll be late."
"Gotcha Boss." returned a voice.
"Stop being nervous, we've met new employers hundreds of times before, Wyle."
"What gave you tha-"'You forget to call me Captain when you're nervous.
Meet me in our quarters, then we'll head to the breifing. I know as much as you about this one right now."
"Right."
Klau watched the vessels come to a crawl forward, hovering a good 30 meters above, before beginning to strafe left into the open carrier bay of the Venture. Klau began his usual brisk pace to the loading ramp of the Carrier, wherein the rest of the group had already embarked. Just inside the ramp was the average look of being just inside the bowels of a non-luxurious vessel. Minimal paneling, mesh for a ceiling, the only paint being wall guide lines.
"Lucy, which way to my quarters?"
"Follow the green line to your left." she said flatly. A line on the wall lit up leading down to the left, heading around a corner some distance down the corridor.
"Thanks, Lucy."
"You're welcome, meatbag."

Mila and the rest of her men were walking to the hanger, after Mike got the top bunk for guessing fifteen, she figured they should check the systems on the ships. While she was walking she passed by Klau and said hi.

At the hanger, she found Mercury, Redstone and Hyperion parked in their spots. Technically they were not military grade corvettes, they were modified Orion class bulk freighters, but she and her men made lots of modifications to make them combat worthy. However this made it so each ship required a certain degree of special maintence.

She boarded her ship The Mercury and began a diognostic while her crew did similar tasks on the other two ships. She was coordinating with Lucy to ensure the ships were up to her specs.

Here is what the ships look like.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/space%20corvette/Wingscifi/1181354873149.jpg?o=1

Tom followed one of his weapons officers down to the Venture's hangers where the bombers were being eased into their docks. From and observation platform he and a gunner overlooked the operation.

"What do you think of the situation so far?" the gunner asked.
"We can work with the captain. Not sure about the others, yet to see much of them. How are the men?"
"Settled in the quarters with no problem."
"The ships?"
"All in decent condition but we'll need repairs soon." There was a tone of rebuke in the gunner's voice.
"That's why we took this job," Tom said. "That's why we joined this company, you know I'd rather go direct to whatever army we've chosen. Take what credit we have left, fix them up. We need them in peak condition, we have to dazzle soon enough." Tom turned away. He had to rejoin Captain Davidson in the bridge for a briefing about the trials.

Klau looked at the empty quarters. He'd seen worse, but it wasn't any 2nd class tour shuttle he was aboard either. Enough furniture, appliances and space for personal decoration that they could cover up surfaces that were unpaintable. Klau had seen what irresponsible interior decoration could do to a man aboard a space ship, and it wasn't pretty. People have gone insane serving aboard ships with no windows living entirely inside a gun-metal gray labyrinth of pipes and computers with nothing as much as a painting or vase of flowers. He sat down on the bed, testing its amount of cushion and support, deeming in his mind that it would do.
"^{and so I said to him,, 'that's} gotta be the loudest wop I've ever heard!" followed by hearty chuckles resonated the arrival of Klau's crew to their quarterroom for eight. The six men entered the room, vaguely inspecting it before catching eye of Klau, giving a nod or small fling of the fingers towards the head as a casual salute.
"Afternoon, Cap'n. We brought your stuff, anything special happening?" He tossed a duffel bag containing Klau's personal effects and clothing, Klau catching it with his arms and placing it on the bed.
"Nothing special. Pick your bunks but don't get comfortable yet. We're leaving for brief in one minute. 'Quarree."
"Yessir."
"Try to keep quiet on this briefing, okay?"
"I'll do my best, sir."

Eric had chosen to head straight to the bridge while the pilots got themselves settled, trying to hide his rising sense of excitement as he waited for the heavy airlock to cycle him through to the heart of his domain.

"Officer on Deck!" Lucy announced to the tiny bridge crew as the door slid open, her avatar currently standing on a pedestal beside his command chair, in the place that was normally held for the Executive officer. then again, that was kind of her role.

She didn't salute though, while the five men standing before the main screen did, all ex-service men, so he could rest-assured that they knew what to do without him bothering them.

Unlike the rest of the ship, no expense had been spared here, everything was top-quality Militarily hardware, after all he would have to run his business from here.

"the Inspection team has just departed and Alliance tower was authorized our launch and follow up tests." the AI continued, as he dismissed his bridge crew with a wave and sat gingerly into his seat. "We can launch on your order."

Tom doubled back to the hanger his bombers were stationed in having received notice from Lucy that launch was imminent. He called his men together.

"Right, things are about to get going, I want the bombers fully stocked with ammo, who knows what they'll want us to do. All men are to be five minutes from launch at all times. When we launch we launch in point formation, everyone forming up on the centre bomber, I think that's A-3. Get moving lads!"

Tom brought up comms with Lucy. "We'll be ready to launch by the time we've taken off Lucy, could you please pass that on to the captain?" Ordinarily Tom wasn't so polite with the AI but this one was a curveball and no mistake.

The AI's reply came instantly, "Khorosho, good. Remain on standby for now, Bridge out."

Eric nodded at the bridge crew.

"Thank you, at ease."

He walked to the command chair-HIS chair-and eased into it.

"Lucy, please tell me when the ship is ready for takeoff."

Klau's crew moved quickly to simply dump their bags or boxes of personal things on their bunks to claim them, from there taking off their flight harnesses and boots and putting on more respectable and useful shoes for walking around aboard a ship. Klau opened his mouth to speak, before being interrupted by Lucy.
"There is no briefing, Captain Clohmur. You simply need to fly a standard combat and aeropropriety test and report back that everything's functioning. It's not like you're going to blow anyone interesting up yet."
Klau raised his eyebrows as if to say to himself 'Well, you could've told me that sooner. Oh well." The Calliope's gunner Quarree rolled his eyes in irritation that he had just removed his flight gear just to have to put it on again.
______________________________________________________________________________________
"So a standard flight test kinda trial thing?"
"Guess so."
"By the book, guys. Control, Spot check."
"Region is free of conflicting craft trajectories. You are clear for launch at your leisure, Calliope Squadron." reported the feminine Air Traffic Controller computer in a clear voice. Regardless if Lucy was an oddball, Government regulation ensured ATC would have no variation in the voice and always speak clearly and to the point, ignoring such fancy features like rhetorics and sarcasm.
"Thank You, Control. Flight disagnostics and checklists?"
"Already doing them, Captain." reported Wyle.
"Freddie, how're you?" asked Klau, looking out to the right. A figure inside the ship marked 'FAYDEN' looked back at Klau, giving a thumbs up and nod. "Benz, how about you?", looking to his left the sister ship of the Calliope and Fayden, the pilot of the 'P-EUGEN also gave a thumbs up.
"Wyle, how's are safety check?"
"Life support good, power good, engines good, hydraulics good, weapons locked in standby, emergency systems locked in 'Ready', (as if we could change that), inertial compensation good, tensor fields on standing structure mode, all breakers in position, everything's all green. Waiting on your go ahead, Cap'n."
"Let's get rolling then. Control, this is Diego-Golf-Foxtrot Zero-Niner Five Seven and Eight and Niner. Calliope, departing Errant Venture docking bay for cruise path to trial grounds, Come back."
"Come back, DGF 0957, 0958, 0959, You are all green for departure. Have a safe flight, Calliope Squadon.
"Roger that, Control, all green. Departing. Engines to 30%, take us out and away vector Vessel Errant Venture relative Nil,Nil,Ninety. 15 meters per second."
The docking clamps released and the three corvettes bobbed to the right, turning to face the main hangar bay and flew off into the dark openness of space, flying in a rather comfortably slow velocity towards the Space trials area beyond the station.

"Well that was a singularly boring departure." said Quarree flatly from behind the bridge in the Gunners station.

"All systems nominal, launch is a go"

"Copy that, systems check out clear across the board"

"Go to hear guys, bringing primary engines online, Bloodstone, you will be the first one out, followed by you Hyperion and lastly by me"

"Rodger that"

Slowly, the three boxy corvettes weaved their way out of the hanger and out into space, they folowed a series of navigational way points untill they were flying formation with the Venture.

MasterSqueak:

OOC

Anarchemitis:

MasterSqueak:

OOC

OOC