Outside the air had been sweet with a slight San Fransisco summer evening's breeze, and the faint taste of salt from the famous bay that had long ago made the city what it was before ship ports were replaced with star ports. Inside the Advanced Tactical Training Center's Hanger 6 the air was stale with security and oil and coolant. Lorelei breathed in deep, savoring the smells of hard work for possibly the last time. Just days ago, the hangar floor had been dirtied with work, and littered with parts. It had gotten so frenzied that a detatchment from the Corps of Engineers from Utopia Planitia, Starfleet's Premiere Shipyard, had been dispatched to help finish a Cadet Cruise vessel on time.

Now it was clean, polished, with only enough chairs for each member of Black Squadron facing the USS Challenger.

Such a ramp up for a Cadet Cruise was unheard of. Cadet Cruise ships were, in the past, ships taken out of mothballs and had the dust blown off them. They were checked to ensure they still had functional propulsion systems and life support, and little else. The Dominion War, and the subsequent Rigellion Incident, had changed all of that. Now Cadet Cruises were considered the cutting edge, where the brightest young minds of Starfleet blew up boundaries and pushed limits in preperation for their Cadet Cruises--no longer were Cadet Cruises jaunts about some overly secure sector. They actively went poking around hot spots, in an attempt to truly prepare future front line officers for the real universe, not just the safety of Federation galaxies.

What was their hot spot? The afternoon before they left, they would find out, Master Chief had promised. It's why they had all filed into the Hangar now, only half the overhead lights on, alternating the cavernous hangar space in large circles of bright blue light, and dark shadow. The cadets had filed into their chairs arranged in two rows before the Master Chief, their ship towering behind him.

The man stood quiet, watchful, as Black Squadron passed the Starfleet Security checkpoint just inside the Hangar doors and filed into the chairs. It was all buisness, chatter dying quickly after everyone had seated, prompting the Master Chief.

"Congratulations, Jolly Rogers--you made it this far." His typical flat, sardonic delivery was unusually genuine. Lor almost thought she saw pride in his eyes. "Every one of you has worked twelve hour days, seven days a week, for the past six months without a break except for the occassional weekend pass. The effort, the attitude, has all been commendable. You've all played the part of professional Fleeter so far...but now we stop playing. Now you all become real Fleeters."



Master Chief stepped aside, allowing the brilliant light in hues of mostly blue and purple, twinkles of orange and starlight blue peppered in throughout the holographic starchart that came up to take center stage; zooming in to the border between the Federation and the Cardassian Union.

Oh, Lor thought, only the frontlines of the Dominion War...

That was one hell of a "hotspot."

"Between Starbase 318 and Deep Space 9 along the D.M.Z. between the borders of Cardassian Union and Federation will be our Area of Operations. Starfleet Intelligence has reported sightings of Dominion remnants in the area of the D.M.Z., hiding between borders and making small strikes against outposts in the area. The Challenger will officially be assigned to Mobile Wing 27, a division of 8th Fleet that's been tasked with stepping up patrols in the area based on Intel's reports. We're simply helping out. With all the work that's been put into your vessel, we should be able to more than handle anything that's come our way. You all know YOUR area's systems, but those systems outside your specialties have been kept confidental...the lid comes off now. I'll let your Cadet Captain cover that."

Master Chief motioned right at her as the holographic display extinguished, forcing her body out of her chair, and a quick stroll before her Squadron. "Where to start? The ship you see behind me is a prototype. Everything Starfleet has learned from the Borg, every painful lesson won from the Dominion War...it's all been stuffed into our baby. Nanite Adaptive Bio-Neural Computing. Torodial Trans-phasic Warp engines. Multiphasic Shields with Para-Adaptive capabilities. Ablative Armor Sheaths coupled with External Holographic 'Chameleon' systems. Tetryon Channeled Phasers with ACB Jacketing, 'Phalanx' Pulse Phaser arrays with Point Defense Systems, Mark V Quantum Torpedos, and 'maybe'," she said, with the ghost of a grin at the corners of her lips as her excitement grew with each listed technology, "a corbomite device."

After a pause, Master Chief, standing off to the side, chimed in: "It's a bad motherfucker, ladies and gentlemen."

Lor went a step further. "It's the most cutting edge ship in Starfleet right now. It's the culimation of everything I've learned in nearly two centuries of life spent learning about any and all tech I could get my hands on."

"I'd be court martialed if Starfleet Command knew just how much of a prototype this ship is." Master Chief snickered. And he wasn't even joking.

Lor's eyes snapped over to the Master Chief, but only long enough for a single blink, before turning back to her Squadmates. "They're not sending us out to get slaughtered by a bunch of pirates again. This version of the Challenger will ensure that WILL NOT happen again. I hope you've been studying. I hope you're ready to go come tomorrow. I am, and so is our ship."

"Tomorrow be here at Zero-Nine-Thirty, ladies and gentlemen. If you're not ready, get ready. Black Squadron dismissed. Enjoy your last night with civilization for the forseeable future."

"JOLLY ROGERS, ATTEN-CHUN." Lor got loud, snapping herself to a position of attention as Master Chief walked out, leaving only the squadron. Everyone relaxed when they heard the door seal shut behind him as he left the hangar. The two senior Starfleet Security officers at the checkpoint just inside the doors? Were wide eyed, and in a slight state of shock. One even wolf whistled at their ship.

Lor addressed everyone once more, as chatter fired up, and looks were exchanged.

"I'm told the party's already started back at the Pirate Ship, REMEMBER if you want to avoid the partying and want some peace and quiet, keep to the third floor. Starfleet Marines have volunteered their services as bouncers for the third floor dorms, so you'll be safe, but ONLY on the third floor. The second floor classrooms and lounges have been turned into a night club already, from what I'm being told, and the first floor is wall to wall Cadets and ATT students--we've been thrown one heck of a going away party. Advanced Engineering Systems has donated Field Holographic Emitters to us, so we've turned the outside lounge in the middle of the building into a pool party with a holographic pool. Don't get TOO fucked up you can't wake up tomorrow. EVERYONE here meets me on the roof at 2100, which is...three hours from now. Now go, leave, enjoy your last night of freedom."

She waited, just in case someone wanted to ask her about one of the "reveals."

A drawn out sigh released from Arthur's mouth as Lor finished her speech about the party. "With 2100 being our next hit time that gives us...just enough time to be fairly blitzed." Muttering to himself while staring at his fake watch. Before he turned around he shot a smile at Lor. Locklin always enjoyed time when he could unwind with Adam and Lor. Which brought up a good thought. Where the fuck was Kerrick in all of this...

"Avast that, you're all getting fucked, sleeping is cheating." Adam shouted above the noise of the dispersing crowd.

...mess. There was the outspoken bastard. "Belay his last ya Jolly Rogers," he grinned and looked about, "None of y'all will be able to sleep because Kerrick isn't going to shut the fuck up." A few laughs were heard but most were more concerned with finding their own "crews" of sorts.

As he made his way through the crowd the Phalanx pulse phaser array caught his mind. 'If fleets in the hot spots we encounter come at us with scattered tactics and attempting to attack us with a barrage of mosquito sized fighters, they will be in for a rude awakening. However, on the flip side, we will have to get within decent range to get the full effect of the Array.' Back and forth his mind would go. In the world of strategy it would always be advantageous to sharp shoot your own plans. No worse enemy then yourself at times.

'Chill out Locklin,' thinking to himself, 'it is time to decompress, win a few bucks off of Kerrick which would put him at owing me...well if I count the credits I owe him from pool...carry the two...hmmm...I may owe him fifty-ish credits now? Best not mention it to him.' His grin returned as he shook his head. "That kid is going to be the death of my financial readiness, I tell you what." Better not be mentioning that to Diana next time he got on a teleconference with her. She was already brimming with pride about her baby boy heading off on his first "mission" of sorts, wouldn't want to damper her spirits.

So many years Diana had waited for this moment. A Locklin on the brink of true Federation service. Arthur was not in the job of disappointing anyone, especially his mother. Touching his heart briefly and then shaking it off, 'Stop, we can reminisce later you dumby. Step 1, find Kerrick, Step 2, get Lor, Step 3, tear it up and make sure everyone else in the crew has the capability of enjoying themselves too. Thinking of which..' his eyes scanned the crowd for Slaz. Arthur could empathize with a person who would get lost in their studies, it showed a true sign of not only a great being but a capable team player. However, "All work and no play makes Slaz a dull boy". Maybe Kerrick and him could try and convince the Gorn to partake in tonight's festivities.

Making Muhammad Ali proud with his bobbing and weaving through the crowd, Locklin had finally made it to Kerrick. He threw his arm over his shoulder and said, "Now I know there will be quite a few Marine bouncers present. This means we can finally figure out the age old math problem on both of our minds. How many Fleeter Marines does it take to remove two stout, young, Cadet studs from a party?"

Reva had almost missed getting to the assembly on time because she’d been helping Flight Instructor Randolph weed out the chaff from the wheat among those who said they wanted to be helmsmen by subjecting those poor souls to maneuvers so radical they lost track of up, down, forward or reverse and the equilibrium they’d so clung to scrambled beyond recovery. It was called by those subjected to it “The Vomit Comet” which was and old designation among those explorers of space in the prehistory of earth and served the same purpose. Reva had been singled out in her very first flight because her Instructor knew her to be Tylyr Rigelian and raised in a 3 dimensional world and she’d come to love making at least one victim each trip hurl the contents of their last meal because of her dizzying maneuvers; this flight she’d gotten a chain reaction puke from the other cadets after the first one blew.

She had been one of the last to rush in the hanger and find a seat where she took in every detail of her new home and wondered how long it would be before she got to test her limits as a space craft. Sure she could go and sim the controls or request the controls be released for her to practice on but judging by the enthusiasm for a Blast she’d have to chat with the Counselor about people coming before machines so she just dropped by Cadet Captain Lor who was as her rank required waiting for such as herself.

Excuse me Captain but might I request the Impulse Drive specs, Yard appraisals and As Builts…..Oh and the Structural Integrity Field Specs and performance reports along with the Gravimetric sheer profiles? asked the young Helm officer cadet as she pulled her PADD from her belt.

Reva had decided that she would have a talk with the Counselor if she had too and point out to her that she was really trying to socialize but she was in a new environment and needed to understand it and what was expected of her then she could work on social needs in a week or two. She was sure that the Counselor would counter with the argument of emotional overload and how even Tylyr needed to expend that emotional energy or be more susceptible to a grief frenzy.

It was her last thought that caused the young Rigelian Cadet to grin as she considered some of the more pleasant methods of expelling her excess emotions as she waited her Captain’s answer

@Ruby@Americore

Slazkith took a quick look at the Challenger, the ship that he had been assigned to before turning around and leaving the hanger. He couldn't help but smile, showing a set of very sharp teeth. The Challenger was well armed and could most likely take anything that was thrown at them but that didn't concern him, No..what he was interested in was the Nanite Adaptive Bio-Neural Computing systems. He couldn't wait to take a much closer look at it.

The Gorn sighed heavily for a brief moment, It had been a number of months since he had seen his foster family back on Pheben III and truth be told, he missed his family, he missed hunting for his food and he missed the harvest season. But he had chosen this path and he would see it through to the end no matter the cost. The other cadets here at the academy had at first been apprehensive towards him and he couldn't blame them. He was taller, somewhat stronger and he had been told his eating habits...well, were not the best. He was well aware of the Gorn race's reputation but he had done his best to try and show them they had nothing to fear from him.


I have three hours to do what I wish. He thought as he pulled a PADD from his belt and took a quick look to make sure the PADD would continue his reading from where he had left off from his latest read: Probabilities and Reflections: A Study of the Alternate Quantum Reality theory.

Slazkith headed for the third floor dorms. Although the idea of a holographic swimming pool was very tempting he figured it would be best to continue his reading for the next three hours.

Earlier

Adam gazed back at his own reflection, the low light of the bathroom providing a fairly obscured view of his own features as he prepared himself for the day, mentally running over the tasks he had to perform, places he had to be. Everything he would need to achieve in the next twenty four hours of activity, archived away, before he had even left his quarters. He pulled back from the mirror, his whole form coming into view, before a brief shooting pain caused him to grit his teeth, letting out a hiss of air.

His fingers traced over the grim line running from his shoulder, down across his chest, finishing in a jagged line across the left side of his abdominals. As it always did, a direct inspection of the scar brought with it a host of memories. Alarm sirens, smoke, fire and blood. Adam scrambling to push an ensign out of the way of a falling sheet of metal, and not quite making it back out the other side himself. Undocumented in the tragedy of death and despair, the lingering wound could still flair up, seemingly without cause. Nothing but pain, he could work through, always could. With a grunt he turned to get changed. Today was a big day, he had to make sure it was also a good one."

Present

"Avast that, you're all getting fucked, sleeping is cheating."

He had a particular way of shouting that was usually only reserved for those 'in command' of things, it carried above the noise, and was only met in turn by Locklin's retort. Adam chuckled, pausing in his movement to allow the man to find him among the crowd. With the serious business of the day aside, Kerrick was more than slightly looking forwards to absolutely devastating their own barracks before shipping out.

Does he still remember I own him from that horse bet? I'm sure if I round down it only comes to about two drinks...best not mention it Adam frowned as he thought to himself, trying to catch a sight of Locklin through the crowd, before the man eventually 'apparated' from the press of bodies. He clasped his hand to the reverse of his buddy's 'not' thrown over his shoulder, before walking with him, laughing slightly at the comment, before responding with his own.

"I'll tell you this, you bring the whiskey, I'll bring the crayons, we can distract them with the latter, drink the former, and run rings around em all night."