"Ensign, release the mooring struts and pull us out of port."
Virgil stared out of the view port on the bridge as the ship around him shifted as massive clamps let the ship loose out into the vase expanse of space.
"Operator, signal to the rest of the fleet to form on us once we are clear of the station."
He took a breath in, smelling the paint fresh from his shoulder and chest, his gauntlet running up the hilt of his new sword, feeling the ancient metal meet the metal that encased his hand. His head moving down in a uniform manner as he lost himself in a train of thought as his eyes fell upon the darkened steel that he wrapped his hand around.
"I will not fail you or the title you left in my hands." he whispered softly before staring up at the view port and walking forward to grasp the railing that separated him from a lower deck that serfs and naval officers moved about working in. He looked down and ran his hand over a worn plate with writing, telling of the earliest history of the ship. It was nice knowing the ship was older then him, it meant that she had gone through far more then he.
Virgil listened to the voice coming from his collar and looked down speaking.
"Sergeant Uriel, Tell your squad to meet me in the main flight deck in ceremonial armor, their weapons shined and polished. I wish to have the best of the company when in front of the others when we go to the Supreme Grand Master's ship in an hour."
He turned on his heel, and started marching towards the back of the bridge closest to the lift down, stopping when he reached it.
"Captain Fedor, the ship is your hands again until I return... and maybe you can tell me more of the ship's history, and her many strengths and weaknesses."
"Of course my lord," replied the man with a deep slavic accent.
He stood in the space of the roaring thunderbird, surrounded by the three remaining members of Verti squad. All four silent as he stared at the ramp, waiting for his embark upon the flagship of the chapter.
He closed his eyes for a moment, he had been given the title some day or two Terran days before, after what remained of the chapter returned from a quest that none of them were to speak of. There were barely twenty men left out of the fifty two who went, and most of those were wounded, even one of three behind him was only out of the medicae deck because he managed to talk the apothecary into early release. These four knew each other for a long time, and the three would see this out for their friend and try and propel him further as he would have done for any of them.
His eyes reopened to the light as the ramp slowly fell.