pictured her in her EEF flight suit working on systems before their voyage began, and he smiled. He had spent nearly twenty-five years comparing other women to her, but none had come close to the bar she had set in his mind.
Hood pursed his lips, closed the file and pulled over the second data storage card. This one was titled “Engagement Assessments.” He removed the first data card from his terminal and replaced it with this one.
The files on the card contained various memos, notes and diagrams of every Cilik’ti engagement that Hood had ever been a part of. Slowly, he began to sort the files into distinct groups on his terminal screen and pulled his data pad over to reference a different set of data.
Hood paused and pictured the images of his uncle and Jillian in his mind. The EEF sent them out into the black without knowing what lay out there. Hood knew what could await his ship when they arrived, and like all good tacticians, he would be properly armed for whatever they faced. He tapped his fingers on the table then turned back to his terminal. Sanchez wasn’t the only one with a long night ahead of him.
Chapter Six
EDF Armstrong
Friday , January 17
Earth Year 2155
Hood and Sanchez exited the elevator lift and entered the port fighter docking bay corridor. Both men had just left the officers’ mess and were still carrying covered ceramic cups that slowly leaked steam from the hot coffee inside.
Breakfast on board EDF military vessels consisted of the usual: reconstituted eggs, potatoes and protein enriched foods like oatmeal. The new Dreadnaughts, however, offered enhanced storage units that provided the capability for longer term storage of perishables, particularly fruits and vegetables.
Commander Sanchez’s mind continued to fade back to the helping of fresh cantaloupe he’d consumed only twenty minutes earlier. The fresh sweet taste of the fruit was something he had missed over the last two years, and he hoped welcome surprises like that would continue.
He looked at Captain Hood as they walked together, and he could see that his new CO seemed tense this morning. Almost as if something other than their upcoming meeting was on his mind, but his gaze never wavered from the individual that was waiting for them down the corridor.
Leaning against the wall was a short, stocky and slightly overweight red-haired man in a pilot’s jumpsuit. The man was slowly flipping through an open container stacked on the side of the corridor. Once he noticed the two officers, he immediately stopped and moved to meet them.
“Captain Hood, good to see you, sir,” the man said, standing in a slightly irregular form of attention.
“At ease,” Hood replied and turned to Sanchez. “Raf, this is Lieutenant Commander Hugh Walsh, our new air boss.”
Sanchez put out his hand, and Walsh took it in a firm handshake. Sanchez noticed a tattoo on the man’s hand in the shape of Texas with a large five pointed star in the panhandle. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Lieutenant Commander.” Sanchez pointed to the tattoo. “I still have friends living in Amarillo, did you grow up there?”
“Close, sir,” Walsh replied as his accent seemed to become more noticeable. “Lubbock. Born and raised.”
“I had heard a lot about you and your work with pilots on the Vincennes. Your record there was very impressive.”
“Thank you, sir. Somebody has to keep those college punks in line.”
“Excuse me?” Sanchez sounded slightly intrigued.
“You know, sir, all these academy brats we have flying our high priced hardware,” Walsh said frankly.
Sanchez had to hold back a chuckle. “Sounds like you have a slight grudge against them, Mr. Walsh.”
“Hell no, sir. I’m merely looking after their safety and my spacecraft. Most pilots I get don’t have an ounce of respect for the responsibility they’ve been given. Only once they crash or nearly crash, do they get a clue.” Walsh began walking back toward the door
Hood pursed his lips, closed the file and pulled over the second data storage card. This one was titled “Engagement Assessments.” He removed the first data card from his terminal and replaced it with this one.
The files on the card contained various memos, notes and diagrams of every Cilik’ti engagement that Hood had ever been a part of. Slowly, he began to sort the files into distinct groups on his terminal screen and pulled his data pad over to reference a different set of data.
Hood paused and pictured the images of his uncle and Jillian in his mind. The EEF sent them out into the black without knowing what lay out there. Hood knew what could await his ship when they arrived, and like all good tacticians, he would be properly armed for whatever they faced. He tapped his fingers on the table then turned back to his terminal. Sanchez wasn’t the only one with a long night ahead of him.
Chapter Six
EDF Armstrong
Friday , January 17
Earth Year 2155
Hood and Sanchez exited the elevator lift and entered the port fighter docking bay corridor. Both men had just left the officers’ mess and were still carrying covered ceramic cups that slowly leaked steam from the hot coffee inside.
Breakfast on board EDF military vessels consisted of the usual: reconstituted eggs, potatoes and protein enriched foods like oatmeal. The new Dreadnaughts, however, offered enhanced storage units that provided the capability for longer term storage of perishables, particularly fruits and vegetables.
Commander Sanchez’s mind continued to fade back to the helping of fresh cantaloupe he’d consumed only twenty minutes earlier. The fresh sweet taste of the fruit was something he had missed over the last two years, and he hoped welcome surprises like that would continue.
He looked at Captain Hood as they walked together, and he could see that his new CO seemed tense this morning. Almost as if something other than their upcoming meeting was on his mind, but his gaze never wavered from the individual that was waiting for them down the corridor.
Leaning against the wall was a short, stocky and slightly overweight red-haired man in a pilot’s jumpsuit. The man was slowly flipping through an open container stacked on the side of the corridor. Once he noticed the two officers, he immediately stopped and moved to meet them.
“Captain Hood, good to see you, sir,” the man said, standing in a slightly irregular form of attention.
“At ease,” Hood replied and turned to Sanchez. “Raf, this is Lieutenant Commander Hugh Walsh, our new air boss.”
Sanchez put out his hand, and Walsh took it in a firm handshake. Sanchez noticed a tattoo on the man’s hand in the shape of Texas with a large five pointed star in the panhandle. “Nice to finally meet you in person, Lieutenant Commander.” Sanchez pointed to the tattoo. “I still have friends living in Amarillo, did you grow up there?”
“Close, sir,” Walsh replied as his accent seemed to become more noticeable. “Lubbock. Born and raised.”
“I had heard a lot about you and your work with pilots on the Vincennes. Your record there was very impressive.”
“Thank you, sir. Somebody has to keep those college punks in line.”
“Excuse me?” Sanchez sounded slightly intrigued.
“You know, sir, all these academy brats we have flying our high priced hardware,” Walsh said frankly.
Sanchez had to hold back a chuckle. “Sounds like you have a slight grudge against them, Mr. Walsh.”
“Hell no, sir. I’m merely looking after their safety and my spacecraft. Most pilots I get don’t have an ounce of respect for the responsibility they’ve been given. Only once they crash or nearly crash, do they get a clue.” Walsh began walking back toward the door
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