you expect us to take you seriously?”
“Besides, how could you get such a cushy job anyway. You’re a hermit!” Kim teased. She took another sip of her root beer and sneered at Sarah.
“I designed the ship,” Sarah said, matter of factly. She lifted her chin in a proudly defiant manner.
“SHYEAH!” all three of the girls said in perfect unison. They all looked at Sarah with complete disbelief, and Kim, the spokesman of the group, continued with a note of scorn in her voice. “Like that would ever happen.”
“I’m serious, guys!” Sarah pouted. She tossed a datapad on the table and slid it across to Kim. Kim picked it up and looked at it with a raised eyebrow. “You remember that ship I was designing last year? Well, they built it, and they want me on board as the Chief Engineer since I know the ship better than anyone else.”
Before any of the girls could respond, Mario made his way over to the girls table. He looked at the four girls with an appraising look and tossed off one of his famous winning smiles.
“Would one of you lovely ladies be a young woman by the name of Sarah Hodge?” he asked as he turned a chair around and straddled it.
“That would be me, sir,” Sarah smiled. She waved to the Colonel.
“There’s no need to sir me, Ensign,” Mario chuckled. He extended his hand in a friendly greeting. “I’m not an officer and I don’t much stand on formality anyway. Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure’s all mine, Colonel,” Sara grinned, taking his hand in a surprisingly firm handshake.
“I understand you’re our new Chief Engineer,” Mario said conversationally as he took his hand back. He tapped his finger against his glass thoughtfully.
“Aye, Colonel,” Sarah nodded. “I was just informed of that.”
“Well, it’ll be a pleasure to serve with you.” Mario took a sip of his drink. “Make sure you’re on the White Knight before she leaves in just under six hours. I’d hate to see such a pretty young thing as you left behind just because you weren’t on board on time.”
“I’ll be at my station in four hours, Colonel,” Sarah assured Mario. Her smile broadened until it filled her entire face.
“Lower Pylon Five, Ensign,” Mario said as he stood. He tossed back the rest of his drink. He gave the girls a wink and another one of his winning smiles before turning on his heel and leaving the bar.
The girls all watched Mario go with the general awe that he tended to generate in women. Sarah turned to the other three girls with a triumphant look on her face.
“So,” she grinned broadly at them. “Do you know who that was?”
“Wow!” was all they could say at first. They all looked at her with an open-mouthed expression of awe.
“I guess you weren’t pulling our legs after all, Sarah!” Kim said, shaking her head in complete disbelief. “Sorry we doubted you. Congratulations! Have fun!”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I will,” Sarah beamed as she finished her root beer. She stood and stretched. “I should go get ready to ship out.”
The three girls watched Sarah go, looks of shock registering on their faces.
1.30.2136
0921
SLS White Knight
Captain Thala Ker’sal’s office.
K’Alan Bryce stood quietly before Thala’s desk. He’d been standing there for a couple minutes, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Even though he was standing at attention, he was fidgeting nervously. The captain did make him that uncomfortable.
“You wanted to see me, Captain?” he said quietly.
The captain looked up and leaned back in her chair. She looked K’Alan over and motioned to the chair across the desk from where she was sitting.
“Have a seat, Commander,” she said, equally as softly as he’d spoken.
“Captain,” K’Alan started without moving. “If you have a problem with me...”
“If I had a problem with you, Commander,” Thala interrupted K’Alan. She placed the pen
“Besides, how could you get such a cushy job anyway. You’re a hermit!” Kim teased. She took another sip of her root beer and sneered at Sarah.
“I designed the ship,” Sarah said, matter of factly. She lifted her chin in a proudly defiant manner.
“SHYEAH!” all three of the girls said in perfect unison. They all looked at Sarah with complete disbelief, and Kim, the spokesman of the group, continued with a note of scorn in her voice. “Like that would ever happen.”
“I’m serious, guys!” Sarah pouted. She tossed a datapad on the table and slid it across to Kim. Kim picked it up and looked at it with a raised eyebrow. “You remember that ship I was designing last year? Well, they built it, and they want me on board as the Chief Engineer since I know the ship better than anyone else.”
Before any of the girls could respond, Mario made his way over to the girls table. He looked at the four girls with an appraising look and tossed off one of his famous winning smiles.
“Would one of you lovely ladies be a young woman by the name of Sarah Hodge?” he asked as he turned a chair around and straddled it.
“That would be me, sir,” Sarah smiled. She waved to the Colonel.
“There’s no need to sir me, Ensign,” Mario chuckled. He extended his hand in a friendly greeting. “I’m not an officer and I don’t much stand on formality anyway. Nice to meet you.”
“Pleasure’s all mine, Colonel,” Sara grinned, taking his hand in a surprisingly firm handshake.
“I understand you’re our new Chief Engineer,” Mario said conversationally as he took his hand back. He tapped his finger against his glass thoughtfully.
“Aye, Colonel,” Sarah nodded. “I was just informed of that.”
“Well, it’ll be a pleasure to serve with you.” Mario took a sip of his drink. “Make sure you’re on the White Knight before she leaves in just under six hours. I’d hate to see such a pretty young thing as you left behind just because you weren’t on board on time.”
“I’ll be at my station in four hours, Colonel,” Sarah assured Mario. Her smile broadened until it filled her entire face.
“Lower Pylon Five, Ensign,” Mario said as he stood. He tossed back the rest of his drink. He gave the girls a wink and another one of his winning smiles before turning on his heel and leaving the bar.
The girls all watched Mario go with the general awe that he tended to generate in women. Sarah turned to the other three girls with a triumphant look on her face.
“So,” she grinned broadly at them. “Do you know who that was?”
“Wow!” was all they could say at first. They all looked at her with an open-mouthed expression of awe.
“I guess you weren’t pulling our legs after all, Sarah!” Kim said, shaking her head in complete disbelief. “Sorry we doubted you. Congratulations! Have fun!”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I will,” Sarah beamed as she finished her root beer. She stood and stretched. “I should go get ready to ship out.”
The three girls watched Sarah go, looks of shock registering on their faces.
1.30.2136
0921
SLS White Knight
Captain Thala Ker’sal’s office.
K’Alan Bryce stood quietly before Thala’s desk. He’d been standing there for a couple minutes, waiting for her to acknowledge him. Even though he was standing at attention, he was fidgeting nervously. The captain did make him that uncomfortable.
“You wanted to see me, Captain?” he said quietly.
The captain looked up and leaned back in her chair. She looked K’Alan over and motioned to the chair across the desk from where she was sitting.
“Have a seat, Commander,” she said, equally as softly as he’d spoken.
“Captain,” K’Alan started without moving. “If you have a problem with me...”
“If I had a problem with you, Commander,” Thala interrupted K’Alan. She placed the pen
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