Alpha One - Chris Burton [36]
Hoskins took the opportunity to catch up on some messages before he was interrupted by his Comm officer. Admiral Martin called on a priority-one secure comm link. Hoskins took the call, and Admiral Martin’s aging features appeared on the screen in front of him.
“What’s your state of readiness Jonathan?”
“We are about ninety five percent ready, Admiral. I would think a further three to four days and we will be ready for active service.“
“I need you to be ready. We located the Sentinel Southern fleet. It is larger than we anticipated, so we are therefore looking at a two pronged offensive. Our main fleet will approach the enemy head on, while a smaller battle group will head through Partacian space and attack from the rear. I need you to depart A.S.A.P. and head for the Partacian star cluster, where you will report to Rear Admiral Shenke.”
“I will ensure we are ready to depart in less than twelve hours, Admiral. We should be with Admiral Shenke within five days.”
“Excellent, Jonathan. Keep me informed.”
With that, the waiting was over and the Halo 7 was about to go into operational status. It was only two weeks since launch, but he knew that his ship and crew were ready.
Hoskins opened a comm link to his First Officer and asked him to join him in his ‘ready room’.
Commander Jacques appeared momentarily.
“Bring the ship into Operational Status and make ready to depart for the Partacian system. We are about to find out what this ship can really do.”
Chapter Seventeen
Carla
Carla Stevenson sat at her desk in her apartment. She decided to stay in again, despite Steve’s remonstrations. So far this month, she had only been out with Steve twice, and both times they accompanied Jake and Maria. Was this a deliberate act?
She had spent plenty of time thinking about this. Her feelings for Steve had been on the wane for some time and she could not put her finger on why this was. Not until now.
Jake called earlier this evening to ask whether they could put off their tennis match this weekend. Jake wanted to take Maria away for the weekend. This annoyed Carla. She accepted and made the usual reference to him being a ‘dirty stop out’. She was annoyed. When was the last time Steve took her away for the weekend? Steve Costella was far to obsessed with his jump ship and the bloody ‘Top Gun’ tournament. She was more annoyed for another reason. She finally realized she was jealous of Maria because she wanted Jake. There was no disputing it. She wanted Jake and could not have him. Jake’s and Maria’s relationship flourished, and she had encouraged Jake to pursue it. Carla reasoned that she was happy enough to go out as a foursome because it meant this was the only real chance she could spend time with Jake, apart from the tennis—and even that was in jeopardy.
Carla turned her attention back to her dissertation. She tried to complete an assignment on the political changes between Alpha and ECG for the last week, and while she completed the detail, she found the conclusion difficult to finish.
This is ridiculous, she told herself. This was a simple-enough exercise and she just needed to knuckle down and complete it.
“Admiral Koenig,” she wrote, “made it clear that he wishes to continue to widen the divide between Alpha Fleet and Earth, and, conversely, he wants to nurture the relationship Alpha has with the AFP and commercial organizations. It is almost as if Koenig and his fellow senior Admirals wish to…”
She was interrupted by a comm link. It was Joely. She and her sister had not spoken for some weeks following their reintroduction to each other’s lives, nearly eight weeks ago. Carla had begun to get a little concerned.
“Hi Carla how are you?” Her sister’s accent had lost none of its Australian drawl.
“I am good, how are you. I have been hoping you would call, it’s been too long.”
“I’ve been away. You remember, Professor Winterburn told you when we met on Titan. The Collective has been away and we are back.”
“On Titan?”
“No we are in London.”
“You’re kidding, you’re in