On the bridge, Veronica sat in the captain’s chair, her arms on the armrests, looking straight ahead, at the main viewscreen.
The view wasn’t particularly spectacular. The Fordham was stopped in empty space, far from any stars or planets. As such, the viewscreen was merely showing a starfield of countless twinkling lights, any one of which were days or more away at maximum speed, unless the fermion drive was activated.
Every few minutes, however, a Sparrow starfighter came into view. The Sparrow fighters had been tapped to provide sentry duty this time around, as opposed to Sabre Squadron, and there was a contingent of fifteen of the small spacecraft buzzing around the Fordham .
As ordinary as the view was, Veronica nonetheless relished it. She felt as if the entire Andromeda Galaxy was her domain now.
And why shouldn’t she?
Any one of those stars on the screen was hers for the taking. All she had to do was specify a particular point of light in the distance, order the helm to set a course for it, and then have Engineering give her everything the engines had to bring her there.
After all, she was in command of the mightiest starship the Unitary had ever built. And the fastest!
She smirked.
Yeah…right!
Command was a bit of an overstatement. She was authorized to do exactly three things, and three things only: raise shields, order yellow or red alerts, and contact the captain, telling her to immediately return to the bridge.
She was certainly not authorized to move the Fordham several kilometers, let alone several lightyears; and she was positive that if she so much as said the word weapons, she would be court-martialed.
In fact, she very well knew that the only reason she had been allowed to sit in this chair was because the Fordham was in the middle of nowhere, with anything interesting unlikely to develop, and that this was the start of a new phase of her BOTC training, now that she was a lieutenant junior grade.
Apparently, her mentor, Commander Voss, had spoken to the captain, who had then decided to give her a bit of a thrill today by leaving her in command on the bridge while the higher-ups attended a meeting in the main conference room.
All of the senior officers were absent from the bridge, in fact—a situation which occurred very, very rarely, and only if there was a circumstance which warranted it. Veronica had no idea what that circumstance was today, but once again she supposed it had something to do with Lieutenant Belivet’s first contact.
She needed to pee, but she had no intention of giving up this seat anytime soon. She had no idea when she’d be left in command like this again, and she wanted to savor it.
Even if it was more of a symbolic command than anything else…
The captain and her senior officers weren’t stupid, leaving the starship entirely in Veronica’s hands.
Lieutenant Gehrig was nearby, manning the Tactical station, and she was bridge command qualified. In the unlikely event that something did happen, Veronica knew she would be expected to relinquish her command to Gehrig.
No…she knew that by placing her in this seat, the captain and Commander Voss were letting her experience how differently being in this chair felt.
It was as if they were sending her a message…
This could be what you have if you work hard enough.
And even more so now, Veronica wanted it.
This captain’s chair felt like home to her.
Suddenly, one of the three doors which led to the bridge hissed open, and Captain Yarrum and Commander Voss entered.
“Report,” the captain ordered, taking a glance at the viewscreen.
“No contacts, Captain,” Veronica answered. “Everything is just as it was, ma’am.”
She stepped away from the captain’s chair, standing beside it at attention.
The captain looked at her sternly.
“I haven’t relieved you, Lieutenant,” she said.
Blast!
That silky voice of the captain’s could sound downright deadly when she wanted it to.
“Um…no, ma’am, you haven’t,” Veronica replied.
She quickly sat back down.
“Never get up from that chair unless you’ve been properly relieved, Lieutenant,” the captain added.
Veronica wanted to kick herself.
She knew that!
“Apologies, Captain,” she said, feeling herself blush.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Yarrum said. “Set a course for the patrol position Lieutenant Belivet had while we were studying that gas planet the other day. Proceed there at sixty percent photon thrust.”
Fuck!
She hadn’t expected to have to actually do anything! She thought she was just supposed to sit here and work hard at not fucking anything up!
“Yes, Captain,” she replied crisply while her mind quickly tried to figure out all the steps needed to fulfill those orders—all while feeling the eyes of Captain Yarrum and Commander Voss boring into her.
She took a deep breath.
“Tactical!” she called out. “Pull up the information from Sabre Squadron’s last patrol. Send the coordinates of Lieutenant Belivet’s picket position to the helm.”
“Aye, Lieutenant,” Gehrig answered.
“Traffic control,” Veronica said next, addressing Raya. “Recall the starfighters. Have their squadron leader report when the hangar bay is secured.”
“Aye, Lieutenant,” Raya said.
“Coordinates received and course plotted, ma’am,” Ensign Stauer, at the helm, said.
“Very well,” Veronica said. “Await my mark.”
She tried to consider if there was anything she was missing. On paper, this was a simple maneuver…a starship going from Point A to Point B, in a non-combat situation.
But it was the simple things which often made someone careless, and forget a few steps.
“Ma’am, the Sparrows are all back aboard,” Raya announced a couple of minutes later. “The hangar is secure.”
Veronica couldn’t think of anything she had missed—and that frightened her.
Oh well…
If she had forgotten something, she would just have to accept the dress-down the captain was sure to give her.
“Helm,” she said, almost wincing in anticipation of Captain Yarrum jumping in and telling her what she was doing wrong, “sixty percent photon thrust.” She waited for a beat. “Execute.”
Still nothing from the captain.
“Aye, ma’am,” Ensign Stauer replied. “Executing.”
The image on the viewscreen started changing as the Fordham came about to starboard and then burst forward at plus-C speeds, the stars ahead of them turning into streaks of light.
Veronica braved a look at the captain.
Captain Yarrum stared at her for a few moments, and then turned and headed towards her ready room, without saying a word. Commander Voss followed her.
Veronica shut her eyes and let out a breath.
Lieutenant Gehrig stepped over from the Tactical station and leaned down, bringing her mouth closer to Veronica’s ear.
“Well done,” she whispered, and then gave her shoulder a squeeze.
As un-officer-like as it was, Veronica turned her head to give her a smile as thanks.
***
When her shift ended, Veronica returned to her quarters, feeling ridiculously happy.
She had not only gotten to sit in the captain’s chair, but she had gotten to issue commands which set the Fordham on her new course!
And people had obeyed her!
She was positively giddy, she realized. So much so that when she entered her quarters, she was grateful that her cabinmates hadn’t yet returned, which meant that she could fall backwards onto her bunk and let out a primal yell of delight.
After getting that out of her system, she reflected on her triumph today.
Granted…she had gotten her head bitten off by Captain Yarrum because she had stood up from The Chair, presuming that the captain or Commander Voss would be taking over. Technically, having done that without being properly relieved meant she had abandoned her post—a court martial offense.
It had been stupid, stupid, stupid! Made even more so by the fact that she had known better.
If the captain had ordered her off the bridge just to teach her a lesson, she would have deserved it.
However, the captain must have been in a forgiving mood today, with the result that now…
Veronica looked out the tiny viewport the cabin had. Through the transparent titanium glass, she could see occasional streaks of starlight whizzing past, visible evidence of how quickly the Fordham was racing through space. Because of the captain’s zigzag pattern immediately following word of Lieutenant Belivet’s first contact, it was going to take more than twenty-four shiphours to reach their destination.
She smiled, and looked heavenward. However, she wasn’t about to commune with any gods. Instead, in her mind, she was gazing up at the soul of the mighty starship.
“I made you do that,” she whispered, pointing at the viewport.
A couple of minutes later, Findara and Raya entered the cabin.
They stopped just inside the doorway and stared at her, both of them crossing their arms.
“Raya,” Findara began, “what do you suppose a captain is doing in our quarters?”
Raya shook her head.
“No idea,” she said. “Must be an inspection!”
“Oh no!” Findara replied. “I think I have a dirty sock under my bunk!”
Raya groaned.
“You fool!” she chided. “Now we’ll both be written up!”
Veronica rolled her eyes.
“Very funny!” she said.
She stood up.
Findara and Raya gasped.
“How dare you leave that bed without being properly relieved!” Findara exclaimed.
Next to her, Raya practically doubled over with laughter.
Veronica blushed, but even she had to admit it was a funny remark, and she started laughing also.
“Goodness!” she exclaimed. “The way she looked at me! I thought she was going to shoot me out an airlock!”
The three of them then sat on each of their bunks, excitedly talking about the events of the day on the bridge, with Veronica trying to explain to her friends what it had been like just to sit in The Chair, let alone to then give commands.
She knew that both of her cabinmates also wanted to become starship captains. That wasn’t true of everyone in the BOTC class. Some ensigns wanted to become tactical or security officers. Others wanted to pursue navigation. Others had professed the desire to become first officers, and then to stop there.
Which was why Veronica had been glad to be assigned quarters with Findara and Raya. They were all after the same thing, career-wise, and could help one another in these early days.
Eventually, the conversation ended. Findara picked up her all-in-one tablet and started reading something on it. Meanwhile, Raya got in the shower.
Veronica considered doing some studying. She was still working on her mastery of the Propulsion Engineering conduits. But she determined that she was too restless from the excitement of the day to sit still. She wanted movement…activity. A walk would be nice…
But a run would be better.
In fact…
A thought popped into her head. She knew it was a longshot, but she didn’t care. Besides, the run would be the primary goal, not…the other thing.
“I’m going to go for a run around The Ring,” Veronica told Findara, already stripping off her uniform.
Findara looked up at her.
“But you never go for a run around The Ring,” she stated. “You only run on the treadmill in the gym.”
“I know,” Veronica said. She pulled off her duty bra and panties. The bra she determined she could wear again, so she put that atop her small night table. The panties she shoved into her laundry sack. She then put on a sports bra and briefs.
“Rosie,” she said, addressing her AI, “adjust my bra for running, please.”
The smart material of the bra reconfigured itself, binding her breasts a little more tightly. She had fairly large boobs—like all of her sisters—and she preferred them to stay as immobile as possible while she ran.
“I decided to do something different today, that’s all,” she continued, pulling on Unitary-issued running shorts.
Findara shrugged.
“What’s that expression you humans have?” she asked. “About teeth and skin?”
Veronica smiled.
“No skin off my teeth,” she replied. “What do your people say that’s similar?”
Findara considered the question.
“ Focsib jeh z’cho e booso ,” she said.
“And what does that mean?” Veronica asked.
“My backside will not feel any slaps,” Findara answered.
***
She might not even be there! Which is fine! I’m going there to run, and to do something different than going to the gym. I have a lot of energy to burn, and The Ring is perfect for that!
These were the thoughts running through Veronica’s head as she approached the entrance to The Ring, on Deck 15.
The Ring was a track and field sports arena on the Fordham . Its main feature was a two-kilometer-length circular track which many beings used for casual running as exercise. However, periodically, organized races were held on it—most notably the inaugural Fordham 10K a few shipmonths ago, and the first Inter-Branch Military Marathon, which had been won by a member of the Marines.
The track encircled an actual sod field which was used for various other sporting events by the many species who inhabited the starship, and Veronica had heard talk among some humans of organizing a mini-Olympics on it soon.
Entering The Ring’s enclosure on Deck 15, Veronica’s eyes adjusted to the artificial daylight from the half-dome ceiling well above the track.
The spectator stands in the arena were scattered with beings who were just sitting and watching the athletes on the track and field, or small groups of individuals who didn’t seem to have any interest at all in what was happening down below, and looked to just be hanging out, enjoying one of the many spaces on the Fordham that could make someone feel like they are outside.
She had only been here once before…Findara had competed in the Fordham 10K. For her own physical fitness, she typically stuck to the gym which all the ensigns and JGs typically used, near her quarters.
Many beings were on the track, Veronica noted—all moving in the same direction—but not so many that it felt crowded.
She also noted that there were zones designated on the track, for walkers, joggers, and sprinters.
Before stepping onto it, she spent a few minutes stretching. As she did so, she looked at those who ran or walked past her.
Well…she looked at the humans who ran or walked past her.
More specifically, she looked at the human women who ran or walked past her.
And even more specifically, she looked at the tall human women who ran or walked past her.
But…
So far, she hadn’t seen anyone she…knew.
Oh well…
Done with her stretching, she placed herself in the jogging zone of the track and started at her normal treadmill clip.
Normally, she put in 6 kilometers of running on the machine, then she would downshift the device to a walking speed for a kilometer as a cool-down exercise. She figured she would do the same here…which meant three times around the track at speed, and then half a lap at a leisurely pace.
As she ran, she observed all of the runners that were ahead of her on the track, particularly those with curly auburn hair.
She had to admit that she felt a little silly…
Even if the one she was looking for was here…so what? Chances were that Lieutenant Belivet had already forgotten what she looked like, let alone would even want to talk to her.
And what exactly was she hoping would happen if she did encounter the lieutenant on the track today?
She rolled her eyes as she ran, feeling even sillier because she knew what she would like to happen. She had always had an active imagination—especially in that regard, and especially since she had reached puberty. She had shocked a few of her early girlfriends in Coventry, in fact, with the things she had wanted to try. They had all been like her—baby gays just venturing into the world of sapphic sex. But whereas they had been content with the basics of fingering and going down on one another, she had wanted to start off with face-sitting and sixty-nining.
But she told herself now to stop being ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen between herself and Lieutenant Belivet.
Like… ever!
But since her mind seemed set on making her think of certain scenarios involving the starfighter pilot—whom she had spent a grand total of about sixty minutes with—Veronica decided that meant she ought to consider tending to her social life.
Dating would be tricky. She was far too busy with her studies and duties to be a proper girlfriend…
Except for Lieutenant Belivet’s proper girlfriend…
“Ugh!” she grunted while running, angry with her mind for even conjuring up that thought.
Back to reality Vale!
She might not be in a position to be someone’s girlfriend, but…
There were plenty of lowlies like her on the Fordham who—recognizing the demands of their nascent careers—had no qualms about making arrangements with each other for casual sex. After all, their training and duties were stressful enough. The distractions wrought from constantly being horny didn’t help. And there was only so much which masturbation could accomplish.
Sometimes, another person was essential.
She could reach out to Logan again…
Logan was another recently promoted JG, but in Propulsion Engineering. They had gotten together twice before for stress-relieving sex. Quickies, really, and the tricky part had always been determining where to have sex, because they both had cabinmates.
One day, Logan would make a good girlfriend for someone.
One day, she would make a good girlfriend for someone.
In the meantime…
She decided that after her run, she’d have Rosie send Logan a message, to find out if she was still game for a hook-up. Maybe they could get together tomor—
“Why so serious, Vale?”
The voice startled Veronica out of her ruminations, so much so that she gasped and quickly turned her head.
Too quickly, as it turned out.
Immediately, she felt her equilibrium abandon her, and her feet start to get tangled up, causing her to begin stumbling.
She tried to compensate but ended up over-turning her torso, which only made matters worse because her center of gravity suddenly shifted to her boobs—where it did not belong.
This shift caused her to begin drifting to her left, towards the infield, crossing through the sprinting zone of the track.
“Hey!”
“Watch it!”
“ Zilgub! ”
Those were the annoyed exclamations of runners she barely avoided colliding into.
When her feet suddenly felt the less firm sod surface of the infield beneath them, it was as if her body decided it had enough, and needed to stop and think about things for a bit. So, she ended up stumbling to the ground, letting out an audible Ooof!
“Blast! Are you okay, Vale?”
Veronica, who had come down to a relatively soft landing on her side, looked up at Lieutenant Belivet, blushing.
“Hey!” A male voice shouted at her. It belonged to an average-sized man in running gear who was now standing over her, besides Lieutenant Belivet. “If you’re too clumsy to stay on your own two feet, don’t fuck up everyone else! You interrupted my run!”
Before Veronica knew what was happening, Lieutenant Belivet turned on the bloke.
“Hey!” the pilot shouted right back at him. She was taller than he was, and was towering over him, sneering down into his face. “Have you ever gotten your ass kicked by a girl? If you don’t want to find out what that’s like I suggest you get back on the track and run away! Fast!”
Apparently, the guy knew he was no match for the lieutenant, who really did look as though she could pound him into the turf. He scampered away without looking back.
Lieutenant Belivet returned her attention to Veronica.
“So…are you okay?” she asked again.
Veronica hurriedly got back to her feet.
“Yes, I’m fine, ma’am,” she stated. “I just…” She shook her head, feeling foolish. “I just got startled is all.”
“I’m sorry,” Lieutenant Belivet said with a slight smirk on her lips, “that was my fault.”
Veronica waved it off.
“No, not all…” she said.
“I had been running right beside you for about a minute,” the pilot went on, “waiting for you to notice me, but you seemed so lost in thought.”
Could this get any worse?
Veronica rolled her eyes in embarrassment.
How in the stars did she not notice Lieutenant Belivet next to her? The woman was an Amazon!
Not only that, but the lieutenant was looking very athletically appealing right now, in a sports bra and running shorts.
“I was!” she answered. “Lost in thought, I mean! Just…thinking about some things.”
Lieutenant Belivet shifted her weight to one hip, crossed her arms, and looked at her with a full-on smirk this time.
“Situational awareness, Vale,” she said. “I would think a bridge officer would have that hammered into her on the first day of training.”
Veronica wanted to die.
It was more like on the hundredth day of training, but Lieutenant Belivet had a point. If she had any hope of rising through the ranks on the bridge, she needed good situational awareness—even when she was off-duty.
“Here, let me…” Lieutenant Belivet said, reaching forward.
At first, Veronica had no idea what was about to happen, but she tracked the pilot’s hand with her eyes until she saw it pluck a couple of blades of grass off of the shoulder of her running shirt.
“Thank you, ma’am,” she said softly.
“Listen, I really am sorry for disrupting your run,” Lieutenant Belivet said.
“It’s okay, ma’am,” Veronica said. “I managed to make it…”
She turned her head, getting her bearings, and then sighed.
“… most of one lap around,” she continued.
“Are you going to continue your run?” Lieutenant Belivet asked.
Veronica let out a breath.
“No, ma’am,” she said. “I think I’ll just head back to my quarters. Maybe take a nap.”
And die of embarrassment…
Lieutenant Belivet bit her bottom lip.
“Let me make it up to you,” she said. “I’ll buy you a drink at the juice bar just outside the Entrance Five.”
Veronica felt that propriety ought to convince her to politely refuse the offer. She certainly didn’t want an officer so senior to herself to feel under any obligation to buy her a drink.
Lieutenant Belivet’s eyebrow quirked.
“I can make it an order, if you’d like,” she said teasingly.
Even though that wasn’t true, Veronica’s nipples hardened. That was when she truly knew…
I would let this gorgeous specimen of womanhood order me to do anything…
She started wondering what it would take to convince Lieutenant Belivet to have a Logan-type arrangement with her.
“Um…no need!” she responded. “A juice drink would be great! Thank you!”