NationStates Jolt Archive


A well-needed leave (Story, OOC Coments greatly appreciated)

Klonor
10-03-2006, 05:53
ASJ Constantine, Deep Space Exploration, Milky Way Galaxy

Mission Time: Day 92
Location: 40,000 light-years coreward (Approximately)
Subject: Binary Star System (Designation: PLJ-343)
Operations Status: Ergometric Scan Completed
Results: Negative (FTL Technology Not Present)
Return to Association Territory: 73 Minutes

Rear Admiral Lillith Miller sat aboard the bridge of the Constantine and quickly skimmed the mission summary displayed on the small Padd she held before her eyes. The following pages were, of course, much more in depth than the six lines of the summary, with specific details and unnecessarily long lists of pointless statistics, but at the moment she and her command staff were preparing for the Nexus Flight back to Klonor space and she didn't have the time to read the entire report. Anyway, the small summary gave her all the information she needed at the moment, and she mentally added another tally to the 'uninhabited' column of stellar systems explored by the Constantine. After more than three months in this relatively unexplored section of the galaxy, contacting newly encountered alien civilizations and renewing ties with distant friends that had previously made the journey to the Association, the list of systems that were of no particular interest stretched depressingly long. Regardless, the massive Juggernaught had finally completed its scheduled contacts and examinations and was prepared for the journey back to its distant home.

"Captain?"

"Yes, Admiral?"

Captain Roger Lin, the man who would have been master of the Constantine had Admiral Miller not been assigned to the mission, stepped forward and snapped to a painfully erect attention.

"The status of the Nexus Engines?"

"The Engineering commanders report that it's operating at 98% efficiency, they've examined it twice and it's in tip-top shape."

The Nexus Engines, a massive and powerful technology that only existed on a bare few of the larger Klonor Space Corps vessels, were what made it possible for the Constantine to make the leap from one end of the Galaxy to the other. Without Nexus Flight, relying on standard Sub-Space travel, the journey home would take almost another month; even longer if they had to rely on their G/TD drives for any extended period of time. Thankfully, they could make such a journey in mere seconds and be amongst their friends and family again in a matter of seconds.

"Excellent news, Captain. Have we any more objectives in this portion of the Galaxy?"

"No, ma'am. The Jintaro vessel departed a little over an hour ago and this was the last of our exploratory assignments. We're in the clear."

"Very well. Notify the crew to stand down from standard operations and prepare for Nexus Flight, we'll be Jumping in a little over one hour."

"Yes, ma'am."

Good cheer obvious even in the disciplined voice of the Captain, any Klonor citizen filled with happiness at rejoining proper civilization after so long in this cold and distant space, he turned from the Admiral and began issuing orders to his various subordinates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a slightly distorted flash of blue and fluctuating ripple of space the Constantine dropped out of Nexus Flight right at the outer edge of the Gamma Draconis Military Installation. The staging point for the bulk of the Klonor Fleet, and constantly patrolled by countless security vessels, the massive Juggernaught was almost instantly barraged by hundreds of hails from the Corvettes, Cruisers, and Destroyers within the system. Quickly identified as a friendly vessel, and a high-priority vessel at that, all but one the hails quickly clicked off as the Station Commander initiated communication and authorised the Constantine to dock at the interior repair and resupply installation designed to service the larger vessels of the Corps. Moving with a grace that seemed out of character with its size, the Constantine swam through space and nestled next to the massive structure that would repair it after its lengthy excursion into distant space.

"Ma'am, we are docked and locked. Engines have been deactivated and feeding tubes are attached.....now."

"Great work, Lieutenant. Signal the crew to debark and report for debriefing, transfer control to the auxilary staff, and report to your own officer."

"Yes, ma'am."

Admiral Miller knew that they were far from finished with their exploration mission, there would be days of interviews and explanations and reports and examinations before they were finally released for their much-needed leave of duty, but just being back in Klonor was enough to make it feel like they were already off-duty. Then again, actually being off-duty would be even closer.

"Captain, you have the bridge until Commander Rossil reports for his duties. I'll be on the station giving my report."

"Yes, ma'am."

Grinning, the Admiral walked to the exit at the rear of the bridge, activated a sequence of buttons inlaid into the doors frame, and walked through the door into one of the many debriefing rooms aboard the primary station of the Gamma Draconis Installation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four days. Not one or two or three, but four. How can they possibly rationalize four days? The entire crew has been released except me, this is preposturous. All they keep asking for is the same information given in a seperate format. Ridiculous.

Four days after the Constantine returned from its mission and Admiral Miller was still being called in for additional meetings and report expansions, still being asked to go into more detail and reveal what her precise thoughts were at the time. It was getting to be a tad wearisome. Finally, however, she'd received the information that Supreme General Richard Ihm was statisfied with her mission report, the doctors had certified her free from any alien disease, and her duties had been assigned to another one of the Corps seemingly endless supply of Generals and Admirals. It seemed that, with the last Foreign Analysis officials even now scurrying out of her quarters, she was finally free. With a heavy sigh of relief, activating her official connecting the Installations central processing core, she officially logged herself off-duty and began to prepare herself for several weeks of complete lack of responsibility. This was a long overdue vacation that she was truly going to relish.

Attention Admiral Miller, you have a visitor waiting for you. General West reqeusts admittance to your quarters. Repeat, General West requests admittance to your quarters.

"Bloody hell."

General West, Commanding Officer of the 4'th Fleet, was a man who Admiral Miller both respected and admired; both a competent military commander and a decent human being. However, he never appeared in Lillith's life except during his official duties and, whenever he visited her personally, it always meant that there was an official reason behind his actions. Right now, with rest and relaxation looming on the horizon, that was one of the many things she simply did not want to deal with right now.

Attention Admiral Miller, you have a visitor waiting for you. General West reqeusts admittance to your quarters. Repeat, General West requests admittance to your quarters.

Unfortunately, the man was a rather determined person and refused to simply walk away when a door wasn't answered. Grumbling, Lillith reached out and activated the doors servos, swigning it into the ceiling and allowing the visitor access. Hoping that perhaps, for once, this was a purely personal call, Lillith approached the General with a smile and a happy expression.

"General, so good of you to see me off. I was about to leave for my transport to Deneb, I wasn't expecting an official delegation to accompany me. Care to walk with me to the ship?"

"Admiral Miller, I'm sorry to say that a situation has arisen in Epsilon Pegasi that requires your particular...expertise."

"I'm on leave, it's officially started."

"I have an assignment for you."

"General, you have no authority to issue me assignments. What you mean to say is that you have an assignment you'd like me to consider and volunteer for."

"I have an assignment you're going to volunteer for."

"Try again."

"It's come to our attention that there's been a recent surge in the Elvish Seperatist movement, it's small now but it looks like it might actually become a credible threat if left alone. Ever since Consul Keane had her run in with that Mentalic emotions have been running pretty hot and people are beginning to look for a place to vent."

"So send in one of the Internal Operations units and have them diffuse the situation."

"We already have."

"Then what the hell do you need me for?"

"Well...ever since you trumped Gramh the people have seen you as a symbol of the honesty of the Corps. At a time like this we need our best face being presented to the crowds."

"General, you want me to go on a publicity tour?"

"We wouldn't call it as such, but yes."

Without another word Admiral Miller picked up her bag and made to walk right past General West.

"Admiral, consider this for a moment."

"I already have. I've just spent more than three months in some Jove-forsaken part of the galaxy doing nothing but sensor sweeps and diplomatic dinners. There's no way in hell I'm going to spend another month touring Epsilon Pegasi assuring everybody the Duke is on 'their side'. The Corps has actual publicity experts for that. My leave has started, I'm off."

"Admiral, you are coming dangerously close to insubordination."

"No, General, I'm not your subordinate. What I'm dangerously close to is violence. My leave has started, you have no authority over me, and unless you show up with an order signed by the Supreme General himself I'm going to go home."

With that she did walk right past General West and made her way to the stations docking port and her Elysium transport.

OOC: Thus begins Admiral Millers long string of wild and wacky adventures as she tries to come to terms with life, love, and the eternal mystery of the Universe.....okay, no mysteries of the Universe here, but hopefully she'll return to duty a little less stressed.

This is a story, not an RP, so no IC posts here, please, but I'd love any OOC comments you might have (Both good and bad). Feedback is something that I crave and I'd love to hear what you all think.

Oh, and a cookie for whoever knows what book that last section was blatantly copied from.