Part One Chapter One Jacob Hull smiled with relief as he stepped out of the hatch of the shuttle

that had brought him to the station. He moved out of the way of the other passengers and drew a couple of deep, refreshing breaths, relishing the crispness that tinted the recycled air. Although many preferred the fuller, less artificial atmosphere of a planet, the sharp feel of the air on a space station always helped him feel at home. The fact the interior of the shuttle had smelled liked an ill-used restroom doubled his enjoyment of the well-filtered atmosphere. He paused to check his ensigns uniform, making sure the dark blue coat was in order, as well as his lighter shirt and pants, before he proceeded to the security station ahead. His stomach fluttered with anxiety, but he had expected a bit of nervousness today. After all, his assignment here was the start of the path he had planned for his entire life. Like his father had done before him, Jacob was about to start his first deployment as an officer of the Celostian Navy, and he hoped wherever his parents were watching from, he would be able to make them proud. Its been too long since Ive been in space. He handed over his identification card to the guard, pausing for a moment as the man checked it with a reader. Jacob bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, and examined the shuttle bay around him. Even the gravity feels better up here! Ensign Jacob Hull, assigned to the CNS Wolfhound? Jacob nodded absently, continuing to study the welcome center just beyond the security checkpoint. It was an open plaza with generous, bright lighting, something he wouldnt have expected from a military base. Maybe they want to keep the planet-side folks from feeling claustrophobic? There are families here after all. News screens were located on the walls alongside smaller screens that displayed shuttle information and advertisements for shopping centers, gardens and other stores. Benches and chairs were clustered sporadically to provide a moments respite from the bustle of the crowds, and here and there were entrances to corridors that led deeper into the station. He waited for the security team to clear him, but after a few more moments he started to feel impatient. He turned his gaze back to the security guard, who was now tapping at buttons on the screen of his reader. Is there a problem? No, sir. Im just processing the identification card. You should be fine. Jacob frowned as he watched one of the families that had arrived at the station after him walk past, already apparently cleared by the guard that had inspected them. He turned back to the guard, ready to ask him if he was sure, when the news screens distracted him. He ignored the recording of a debate between someone from the Federalist party and his Independent party rival, glanced only briefly at the soccer match on another screen, until one report in particular caught his eye. The newscasters were

discussing the recent terrorist bombing of Trenton Station two days ago. Though the voices were lost amid the babble of the welcome center, Jacob could make out the outline of the discussion, which seemed to be a debate as to who was responsible. The Oduran League was an obvious possibility due to its constant aggression toward the Union and the many Oduran raids into Celostian territory. Jacob agreed, however, with the man who pointed out that such bombings were unusual considering the Leagues typical, blunt force tactics. It was much more likely an attack by the Rigannin separatists or worse, the Telosian pirates. Jacob felt a twitch of hatred run through him as he thought of the Telosian scum, but the guards next question brought his attention back to the present. Sir? Your identification states that you were born off-planet. The suspicion in the officials question was the last thing he wanted to hear. He felt his throat constrict with a combination of resentment and frustration. Thats correct. I was born on the frontier. He knew the challenge in his tone was a mistake, but his father had never raised him to be anything but proud of his heritage, and some checkpoint lackey was not going to take that from him. Not today. The guard looked up, and Jacob saw his lip curl into a sneer. Then he stopped when Jacob simply met his eyes and folded his arms. The uncertainty grew in the other mans face, and Jacob decided to press before he could recover. Is there a problem? Obviously unsettled, the man shook his head. No, sir. Are you sure? Yes, sir. Just a few more moments. The reader the guard held suddenly gave off a few audible clicks followed by a trio of beeps. The guard glanced down at the device, then back up at Jacob. Then he gave the identification card back. Thank you very much sir. Im sorry for the delay. With a nod, Jacob retrieved the small card and placed it back in his coat pocket. He shook his head and approached the nearest directory to find a map of the station. After a moments search he found the room where the briefing would take place. He traced the branching corridors from the docking bay to the room. He took only another look around to find the correct doorway leading to the military section of the station. Jacob walked quickly, watching for the branch off tunnel that would lead to the meeting room where the rest of his new crewmates would be. As he walked, Jacob pondered the painted landscapes that lined the corridor, wondering if they had been put there to comfort people from the surface who were used to seeing more than stars and vacuum outside their windows. Hed never really fit in with planet-dwellers; from the time hed been born until the age of twelve, hed lived in space stations or on his fathers ship, the Sprite. Home for him had always meant artificial gravity and worn deckplates, the hum of the Sprites equipment and the vast openness of space. No sunset or thunderstorm could compare to those close quarters and constant travels of his childhood.

He was still reliving memories of his fathers ship when a shout caught his attention. He turned to find another young man in an ensigns uniform waving at him. Red-haired and tall to the point of being lanky, he had a sly confidence about himself. The other ensigns hair was a bit less carefully cut, and his uniform was a bit less crisp, but his face seemed friendly enough. Do I know him from somewhere? Jacob smiled even as he frantically tried to remember if he knew him, and waved back. The other ensigns face broke out into a sloppy grin. You might want to know you missed the turn off. Youre not going to get to a briefing room going that way. Oh! Thanks. Jacob gave the other ensign an abashed grin as he walked up and stuck out a hand. My name is Jacob Hull. Whats yours? The ensign eyed him speculatively before nodding and grabbing the outstretched hand to shake. Isaac Bellworth. You one of the new ensigns? Jacob nodded, feeling a flicker of pride well up in him. Yeah. I just got here. Ill be on the Wolfhound. Excited, are you? Isaacs tone was odd, and Jacob looked at him sharply. You bet. I havent been in space for too long. Are you on the same crew? Isaacs nod was a little slow, but he gestured for Jacob to follow him. They both turned to walk down the hallway together, but it was another few moments before Isaac spoke again. You havent heard yet, have you? Jacob frowned. The cautious tone in Isaacs voice didnt sound like he was uncertain of how Jacob would react. It sounds more like he knows how Ill react and is trying to cushion the blow. He tried to keep his eyes from narrowing. Heard what? Isaac let out a small sigh. Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the Wolfhound is a hard luck ship. Theyve scooped up all the malcontents, rejects, and discipline problems and dumped them all on one ship. Its not exactly an honor to be on the crew. In fact, a lot of people are saying that they just rebuilt her to have a place to dump us all. The only response Jacob could manage was a short, agonized grunt. His mind flashed back to the enraged faces of his instructors at the Academy, to their threats of consequences in the future. I thought if I was good enough, theyd have to ignore my faults. Guess I was wrong. He shook his head, and Isaacs half-pained expression gave way to one of sincere regret. Sorry to bring ya bad news. Ive just never been one to soften things. Thats okay. I had to find out somehow. Jacob sighed. So how did you end up on the crew, then? Isaac paused for a moment, then chuckled. I seem to have a curse, you could say. Whenever I have a fellow crew member with a bad attitude, or an annoying commander, something bad happens to them.

Jacob gave him a sidelong look. Is that so? What kind of something? The other ensign laughed loudly. You ever heard of the captain who got ejected into space near Trendon? He had. The officer had apparently been recovered after the escape pod he was in had led the rescue ship on a wild chase. When he had finally been taken back onboard, he had claimed that he had no control over the craft, and had been asleep inside when it was ejected. No one had been able to figure out what had happened or who had put him there, and the wild flurry of accusations the officer had made only served to make it clear how many people hated being under his command. You dont mean That was you? Isaac shook his head. I will neither confirm, nor deny that. He tapped his chin with one finger. Though I do remember the poor captain threatening to kick me out of the Navy just before his little trip. Im sure its unrelated. Of course. Jacob shook his head. Im not sure I even want to know about what else youve been up to. What a shame! There are so many stories waiting to be told! Isaac gestured grandly with his hands, then pointed at a nearby doorway. Here we are. The show must be about to start. Two Marines standing outside the door checked their identification before allowing them inside. As they stepped inside the door, both Isaac and Jacob stopped, surprised at the size of the briefing room they had entered. Milling around inside was a large group of people, well over a hundred at least, all of whom were wearing Navy and Marine uniforms. One of them waved to him from across the room, and a smile spread across Jacobs face as he waved back. He turned to Isaac. Isaac, I would like to introduce you to Ensign Laurie Simms. Jacob gestured to the ensign as she walked over. Laurie, this is Ensign Isaac Bellworth. He kept me from wandering the halls like a lost sheep. You always have managed to get lost no matter where you were walking, Hull. The brown-haired ensign gave Isaac a bright smile as she shook his hand. Nice to meet you. Are you the Isaac I keep hearing stories about? Isaac raised an eyebrow. I guess that depends on what kind of stories youve been hearing. Laurie laughed and turned back to Jacob. So what trouble have you been getting into now? Any more poor professors that have needed lecturing? A puzzled look appeared on Isaacs face, and he frowned. Lecturing? Jacob broke in, hoping to head the conversation off before it got away from him. Come on, Laurie, nobody wants to hear about that now. Oh, so you havent told him yet, huh? She gave Isaac a sly smile, her brown eyes flashing with amusement. Our dear Ensign Hull was the gentleman scholar of our graduating class. Hes incredibly smart; near the top of every class he bothered to take

seriously. Naval Regulations, Combat Maneuvers, even Command training. Youd think he was getting ready to captain a ship already. Is that so? Isaacs speculative look was back, and he eyed Jacob carefully. And here I was telling him about all of my pranks. Jacob shook his head. He opened his mouth to reassure Isaac, but Laurie beat him to it. Oh, I wouldnt say that he was a model student. Her smile turned wicked. You see, Hull is so educated that he could tell when the teachers were wrong. And he told them when they were. There was a pause, and then Isaac chuckled. Oh really. How did that go? Did they enjoy the lesson, Jacob? A glance at Lauries face told Jacob there was no way he was going to get out of telling the story himself. Alright, fine, Ill tell. He directed a sharp glare at his erstwhile Academy ally before continuing. But youre going to pay me back for making me relive the whole thing again. Laurie stifled another round of laughter, and Jacob sighed. Look, I wouldnt have even said anything if he hadnt been so pompous about it. I figured that if he was going to give a lecture on frontier habits, he might as well have the correct information. She leaned towards Isaac, whispering confidentially, though still loudly enough that Jacob could hear her. The lesson was on the habits and political problems caused by spacers living on the frontier of Celostian territory. The professor was detailed in the conflicts their lack of consideration caused, as well as clarifying their less than laudable habits in engineering and settlement. So what did you say then, oh wise one? Isaacs smile was quickly widening. Jacob shrugged uncomfortably. I just told him about my own experiences on the frontier. A feeling of embarrassment stole over him as he remembered the shocked look on the professors face, and the surprised amusement of his fellow students. He didnt seem to appreciate the input. Thats putting it a little mildly, dont you think? Laurie looped an arm around Jacobs shoulders and swept an arm out, gesturing as if painting an image in the air. Picture this, if you will: a young, bold ensign in training, valiantly defending the habits of his fellow spacers to his peers! Describing, for an hour, their courage and fortitude in settling in the wilder systems of the frontier! Detailing, for the benefit of all, the greater efficiency of their systems and the effectiveness of their unorthodox maneuvers! Isaac was shaking his head at her tone, and Jacob felt his embarrassment grow. He tried to shrug himself free of her arm. I was just saying what I knew. Its not like I meant to embarrass him. And youre exaggerating anyway! I only talked for about five minutes or so. I dont see what the big problem was.

Laurie snorted, rolling her eyes. Yeah, because after the head of the Academy got lectured for an hour by an ensign who did his best to point out how wrong he was, the guy was just supposed to let it slide. Youre lucky he could never find a way to kick you out without making himself look bad. Before Jacob could find a response to that, a sudden silence spread over the people closer to the front. He looked in that direction to find a slender, balding man motioning for quiet. The insignia for a lieutenant commander, an eagle with two gold bars under it, was on the right breast of his uniform jacket. Jacob, Laurie and Isaac all wasted no time finding a seat, as did everyone else in the room. Jacob took a moment to examine the officer at the front. His face had a blank expression on it, and he almost seemed bored. Patience was stamped on that face, however, and Jacob thought the disinterested look had more to do with the process of everyone finding their seats than it did his attitude towards life in general. When everyone was finally seated, the lieutenant commander nodded and stepped to the side. Another man, this one marked with the eagle and triple bars suggesting a commander, stepped up in his place. The difference between the two men was stark. Where one had been bored, almost vacant of enthusiasm, this officer projected a calm energy that made Jacob want to come to attention. Dark hair streaked through with gray showed the commanders age, and his face was a combination of hard angles softened only by lines caused by strain. It was the kind of face a warrior who had seen too many battles would wear. The commander spoke, his voice carrying over the crowd with the help of a microphone fastened to one side of his collar. My name is Commander Rodgers. On behalf of myself and the rest of the command crew, I would like to welcome you to the crew of the CNS Wolfhound. A stir of murmurs passed through the crowd, but Rodgers did not seem to notice. He continued. Some of you might be wondering why a completely new crew is being introduced to the ship. The reason is simple: the Wolfhound is a completely new ship, one that has spent the better part of two years in refits. I am one of the only officers here who served aboard the original Wolfhound and as such, I will be in command of the vessel on her maiden voyage. Commander Rodgers nodded to the other officer, and the lieutenant commander touched a control on the pad-style reader he held in one hand. A wireframe hologram of the warship sprang to life in midair at the front of the room. Jacobs eyes were instantly locked on it, running over every contour and surface as the image rotated. The Wolfhound wasnt a large ship, only about two hundred meters long, but it didnt need to be gigantic to be impressive. Navy vessels tended to look like clumps of boxes welded together, but the Wolfhound was somehow endearing in its own unique ugliness. The central hull was thinner than it was tall, and rectangular, with four arms branching off from the bow like the points on a compass star. The southern arm extended much further than the other three, and all four bristled with railguns.

The bridge was located in the rear portion, a smooth bump on the top of the ship ahead of the signal drone launchers. The sail spars meant to provide the ships propulsion splayed out at the aft of the ship, each of the four dark energy sail rigs at a forty five degree angle from the forward arms. Brake sails formed a quartet of bulges about halfway back from the bow, each angled to be directly forward of a sail rig. Several radiation masts, meant to cool the ship in the times between combat, extended from the main hull as well. It was a destroyer, meant to fly fast and bring its large number of guns to bear on lighter enemy vessels, and from the way the guns were placed, it was always meant to be on the attack. Jacob could easily imagine the vessel doing exactly that, striking with the grace and efficiency of a swooping hawk. This ship was no cargo hauler, no station tug. There was little in the way of wasted space and less in terms of comforting lines. The Wolfhound was a predator, pure and simple. Something about it appealed to Jacob, and he smiled as the commander continued. The Wolfhound is one of the first in a new class of ships in the Celostian Navy. She is based on the Defender model, which was designed to serve as both a fleet support vessel and an independent patrol craft along the frontier. In an extension of that role, the Navy has put considerable effort into the redesign of the old destroyers, expanding her armaments and developing the ship into a more heavily armed warship. Unlike the earlier models, the Wolfhound is armed with twelve railguns, three of which are long range weapons. The commander stopped for a moment as a burst of startled murmurs swept through the crew. Jacob glanced at the other two ensigns sitting next to him and saw Lauries jaw hanging open a little. Isaac, on the other hand, leaned forward eagerly, his eyes bright. Commander Rodgers continued, a smile lightening the hard edges of his face. I can tell that the heavier armament has already made an impression on you. The Navy hopes it makes an equal impression on our foes. In addition to the superior firepower, upgrades have been made to the number and placement of the point defense turrets, sensor posts, communications arrays and missile interdictors, all of which will bring the Wolfhound into a class of its own in terms of combat effectiveness. They even managed to stuff in an electronic warfare suite capable of deploying both decoys and sailjammers, as well. Commander Rodgers face grew serious. Only six of these refitted destroyers have been created. Of those six, two have been assigned to experienced destroyer crews, two to midlevel crews, and two to fresh crews. Between the six ships, we hope that we can demonstrate the effectiveness of this new design and provide sufficient data for the Navy. That is our primary purpose throughout our shakedown cruise. Before we reach that stage, however, I am going to subject you to a slight change in protocol. He smiled a bit grimly, and Jacob felt his eyebrows go up. Uh oh. Since there are a lot of fairly new officers and enlisted personnel, we will be doing a few simulator tests in order to determine what sections each of you will serve in. Depending on the results of those tests, I and Lieutenant Commander Piebald will make

the assignments. He motioned to the balding man, who had his head down and was tapping away at the reader he held. Piebald glanced up, frowned studiously at the group, then nodded and went back to his work. That testing will keep you more than occupied over the next week before the Wolfhound departs. You will find the schedule for those tests sent to your personal readers for your information. I trust those of you fresh from the Academy will enjoy the experience of taking tests; those whove been away for a while will just have to remember the wonderful blessing they were as you go through it. Jacob chuckled along with several others in the crowd, and the commander smiled faintly. Then Commander Rodgers face grew hard, losing any hint of the mirth it had shown moments before. Before I dismiss you, I want to clear up one final issue. I am no stranger to the rumor mill, and I know many of you may have heard that this assignment is a hard-luck tour, or that we are a crew of leftovers and scrubs. He paused. Silence settled over the crew like a thick blanket. A few people shifted uncomfortably, while others muttered a bit. Jacob risked a glance at Isaac, only to find the ensign looking down at his shoes, his face pale. I want to assure you that no matter what you may have heard, we will all take this mission, and our performance during it, very, very seriously. I expect proper naval discipline to be observed, and that each and every member of the crew will perform the drills and duties he or she is assigned to the best of their ability. The Navy expects nothing less. At the end of the shakedown cruise, I will be making recommendations as to who should remain with the Wolfhound and who should find new assignments. My hope is to find no such changes are necessary. The absolute silence that followed those words told Jacob everyone in the room knew what the commander meant. Everyone shapes up, or we end up flying junk patrol on some garbage scow. He suppressed a shiver and kept his focus on Rodgers. Dismissed.

After the briefing, the room dissolved into something very much like the familiar chaos of an emptying classroom. Jacob stayed with Isaac and Laurie as the three of them made their way through the crowd toward an exit. There, just outside the door, he paused to take out his personal reader, a palm sized computer that carried virtually everything he needed, and tapped a few buttons glowing on the screen to bring up his mailbox. The first new message contained his berth assignment while he was on the station, as well as the training schedule over the next few days. He ran his eyes over the simulator sessions, mentally assigning them to the different sections of the crew. Support. Nope thats not going to work. Gunnery; might be interesting. Engineering, no problem, but boring. Countermeasures, a bit too passive for me. Bridge! If I could make pilotHis smile grew as he pictured himself at the destroyers helm. What would Dad have thought of that?

Jacob turned to ask Laurie what she had on her schedule. Isaac suddenly swore to himself and tried to duck behind her, unsuccessfully trying to use her smaller frame as cover. Isaac? Quiet, man! Hell hear you! The worry in Isaacs voice contrasted sharply with his previous tone. He looked around, feeling the muscles along his back tense slightly. Who? Whats going on? Schroder. Groph Schroder. The quiet whisper contained shame Jacob hadnt expected. Before Isaac could explain, Laurie lashed out with an elbow, and Isaac broke off wheezing for air. Stop dancing around me and just tell us whats wrong, will ya? Hes an ensign from my last post. The captain and I had somedisagreements and I posted a few of his more embarrassing personal emails around the ship. Schroder caught me, and hes been holding it over me ever since. Jacob looked around at the crowd of milling crewmen. Point him out to me. Isaac pointed, and Jacobs eyes locked onto Schroder. The ensign was as tall as Jacob was, though still shorter than Isaac. He had a wolfish appearance, predatory eyes and a confident stride. Dark hair hung almost to his eyes, and he had a scar along the left side of his face. Dangerous. Jacob nodded. Got him. He turned back to Isaac. What kind of stuff has he made you do? He forced me to pull a few pranks on people he didnt like. Mostly, he just pushes me around. Why the hell is he here anyway? Hes some rich bastards son from Rigannin. Really connected with the Federalist party back home. I never thought hed show up on a last chance crew. Maybe someone else realized what kind of a person he was. Jacob shrugged. Dont worry about it. Lets get to our quarters. His eyes strayed back to where Schroder stood talking to a petty officer. We have a lot to take care of without worrying about some stupid ensign.

Chapter Two Jacob sighed as his turn for the Gunnery simulator came. The simulator was nothing special. Set into an alcove in the side of the training room, it was composed of a holographic projector embedded in the center of a small, gray desk. The side of the desk facing him had a single pair of controls, both of which looked like gun handles. Buttons along the side helped select targets and issue commands. Both handles had a large trigger. Jacob strapped himself into the chair in front of the simulator and the projector came to life in front of him. A hologram of the Wolfhound in a field of stars and ships blossomed in midair. Here goes nothing. The hologram in front of him glowed data of available targets. Under each dot, he could see data about their course, relative speed, distance from the ship, and size. Of the three, he picked one of the corvette-sized targets that approached from the front. Head to head engagements were the most dangerous. He selected it with the press of a button and the target ship grew to fill the hologram. It was a solidly built craft with a fat central hull and a single wing stretching across its back. DE sail rigs glowed along the side of the target, with the energy field sails that actually provided the propulsion hanging down from the wing on either side. All right, lets hit you hard. A glowing dot appeared to show the aim of the railgun he was controlling and he moved the dot over the surface of the target ship by moving the gun handles. As the dot moved, a percentage calculated by the targeting computer came up to show how likely a hit would be considering the angle, strength of enemy point defense, and the relative speeds involved. For a moment, Jacob wavered between firing a burst directly at the bow of the craft and attempting to do more damage, or choosing a less critical section to fire at to avoid the point defense fire. Finally, he settled on firing directly at the bow, hoping his shells would be fast enough to pierce the screen of defensive fire and inflict heavy damage as a result. He pulled one of the triggers on the handles, locked his choice in. Then he pulled the other to send shell after shell on its way. The simulator shuddered slightly as he squeezed the firing trigger, and the targeting computer zoomed out a little to show the approach of the railgun salvo. It sped toward the target with incredible speed. As the shell drew close, turrets on the hull of the enemy ship moved to track it. Brilliant gouts of plasma fire lanced out and reduced his shots to clouds of easily deflected chaff. The simulation continued for the better part of an hour and a half, and shot after shot seemed to go astray. By the end, Jacob was glad to leave it behind since it was clear to anyone who cared to watch he wasnt cut out for Gunnery. As he walked away from it, he saw Schroder waving at him mockingly, and he could barely suppress a grimace. The ensign from Rigannin had wasted little time in becoming Jacobs personal annoyance. It seemed like every time Jacob faltered, Schroder was there to mock him. It was infuriating, especially since the other ensign had so far avoided a direct conflict. Outside of an upfront confrontation, there was little Jacob could do without risking his own career.

Deliberately ignoring Schroders gestures, he headed for the nearby cafeteria, hoping Isaac or Laurie would be waiting, and found them getting ready to eat. Hey Hull! Hows it going? Lauries chipper mood did little to improve Jacobs own, and he half sat, half collapsed into an empty chair across from her. Pretty much the same as before. I barely managed to scratch anything in the Gunnery sims, and four of my patients died in the Medical tests. Im getting the feeling that neither Support nor Gunnerys going to want me anywhere near them. How about you guys? Isaac smiled before shoving a fork full of scrambled eggs in his mouth. I hit everything I aimed at today in that Gunnery sim. Are you sure youre doing it right? Shut up, Isaac. Not everybodys meant to pull a trigger all day. Jacob softened the comment with a wry half smile, and Isaac chuckled as he chewed, shoving his fork in for another bite. Laurie sighed and rolled her eyes. Oh, I know what it is, all right. Our little genius here is just looking for brighter targets to hit. She glanced at him knowingly. How did your turn at flying the skiff go the other day? Jacobs smile grew big before he realized it. It was incredible. That simulator actually makes you feel like youre really in a ship, you know? I only got to fly three missions before they kicked me out, but I think I did pretty well in all of them. She nodded. So youre going for Skiff ensign? You may have some competition there. I heard that Iriel, that blonde over there with the ponytail Laurie pointed over to a small woman with active, cheery features just about broke the sim with how well she did. She can have the Skiff. Its the Helm Im after. Isaac grunted sourly from where he was still chewing his way through a doublemouthful of eggs, and Jacob looked over with one eyebrow raised. What, you dont think I can do it? There was a slight pause as Isaac took the opportunity to swallow and thump his chest, making sure it all got down. I think you could, Jacob, but why would you want to? Bridge positions are for people who want to be captain or something. Just go for the Skiff position and avoid all the stuffed shirts. Laurie gave him a sharp look. As much as it pains me Jacob, I have to agree with him on this one. The competition for a bridge position is going to make it hard. A lot of people are going to have connections you just dont have. Before Jacob could respond, Isaac broke in. And thats supposed to mean he wont get it? Just because some other guy has a guy who knows a guy?

Laura shrugged. Hey, I didnt make the rules. Its not like I like it either; I just know that's how things work in the real world. You can either accept it, or get disappointed. Jacob snorted. Thanks for that little ray of sunshine, Laurie. Now wait just one damn minute. Isaac set his food aside and leaned in. Youre saying some rich, connected bastard like Schroders going to wind up in charge of the gun crews no matter how well I do. Right? Laurie nodded reluctantly. It is what it is. Well to hell with that. Isaac leaned back and stabbed another egg with his fork. Go for it, Jacob. Show those bastards how its done. Jacob smiled and turned back to Laurie. She shook her head and picked at the salad on her tray a little grumpily. Both of you are insane. Then she sighed and sat back in her chair. So what else do you have for the day? Just another run on the Countermeasures sims, and then a chance to act as the Communications ensign for a bit. Tomorrow I do the simulator run for the Helm after a little time in the Engineering section. Jacob could hardly suppress the eagerness in his voice. Laurie nodded encouragingly and sipped some of her juice. Jacob gave her a curious look. How about you? Laurie set the juice down carefully. I think I did pretty well on the Detection simulators. Only a couple of shots got by me, which is better than Bellworth here did. She gave Isaac a playful nudge, and he grimaced at her. Ive got Point Defense next, which should be fun. I wouldnt mind being that ensign at least. Its not like we can trust either of you two to keep the shells away from our hull, in any case. Jacob nodded thoughtfully, remembering the simulation hed done of the point defense position. The post was all about positioning point defense turrets to intercept incoming fire, trying to anticipate where the shells had been targeted before they could hit the armored hull of the destroyer. Laurie always had a talent for second guessing people; he wouldnt be surprised if she ended up there after all. His stomach suddenly growled, and he looked over at the lunch line. Ill be right back, guys. Just have to pick up some fuel. Isaac nodded, his mouth empty for once. Well save you the seat. Jacob stood up and walked over to the buffet-style serving table, sliding into line behind a surly-faced lieutenant. As he waited, he went over the colossal failure at the Gunnery simulator again, picking out details he should have noticed before, berating himself inwardly for every missed shot and every blocked shell. When he reached the line, he filled up his tray with a plate of pizza and a salad. He turned back to where he had been sitting, and he grunted in surprise. Well that didnt take long. Schroder was sitting at a table across from Isaac, casually flipping bits of bread

at the lanky ensign. Isaac was obviously trying to ignore it, and flinched with each impact. Laurie looked like she was ready to turn and start chucking bits of food from her own plate in retaliation. Jacob, however, had been waiting for an opportunity just like this one. Time for the show to start, I guess. As Jacob approached, Schroder didnt seem to be aware of him. The ensign was so obsessed by his prey that when Jacob cut in front of him he looked stunned. Jacob smiled. Hello. Schroder blinked and drew back slightly. Hey. For a moment, he simply watched Jacob. Though he seemed uncertain at first, Schroders face hardened. You going to move? No. Im good for now. After a few moments, Schroder got frustrated and leaned to the side, trying to get to an angle where he could throw something again, but Jacob simply moved to keep himself in the line of fire. The other ensign growled and leaned another way, even going as far as moving to the next seat, but Jacob simply shifted until he was in the way again and waited. Finally, Schroder jumped up out of his seat. Do you have a problem with me, Ensign? Yes. Jacob watched surprise and rage flash across Schroders face and suppressed his own smile. He simply held Schroders gaze without flinching. What did you say? Schroders hands were clenching and unclenching, as if he was barely restraining himself from taking a swing at Jacob. Jacob wasn't intimidated. Yes. Schroder started to coil for an attack, and Jacob glanced around. Several crewmen and officers were watching, including a lieutenant. Schroder caught himself on the edge of attacking and looked around, suddenly aware of the eyes watching him. With a wordless snarl, the ensign stalked off, his back still bristling with frustrated rage. Jacob watched him go before sitting down. Isaac was watching him as he shoved a piece of pizza in his mouth and chewed. Then, in a low voice, he spoke. Thanks Jacob. I owe ya one. No problem, Isaac. Jacob shrugged and bit off another mouthful of pizza. He had encountered plenty of people like Schroder before, and he always felt a certain satisfaction in dealing with them. You do realize hell be gunning for you now. Lauries voice was faintly resigned, but Jacob simply shrugged again and nodded. Let him. Once Im on Bridge duty, there wont be much he can do to me anyway. Isaac shook his head and chuckled until he half-choked on a bit of bread. Laurie took a moment to pound on his back until he could breathe again, and Jacob shook his head in amusement. Now, if only tomorrow can go as well.

The next day, Jacob stood waiting for his turn at the Helm simulator. Unlike the other sims, this one was fully enclosed. Shaped like a large, dull gray egg, it was capable of generating a limited gravity field to simulate the motion a helm officer would experience. Depending on what maneuvers or impacts that occurred in the simulation, the simulator could rattle around the person inside quite a bit. So far, it had shaken every once in a while, but nothing too serious. Jacob had been keeping an eye on the faces of the ensigns who left the sim, trying to figure out which of them had done well, and which were nothing to worry about. So far, most of them seemed to be more sheepish than victorious, and his hope of gaining the post continued to grow. Schroder had been the last ensign to enter, and Jacobs distraction over the Helm simulator had resulted in his absolute failure in the Detection scenario he was supposed to be watching. The simulator posted his dismal performance at detecting enemy shells just moments before the egg shaped sim unsealed itself. He watched as Schroder left the Helm simulator triumphant, his lupine face glowing with a terrible glee. As Schroder looked around the training room, he caught sight of Jacob watching him, and his eyes narrowed briefly. His smile became a blank expression, and Jacob blinked in surprise at the ferocity of the hatred he saw in those eyes. A chuckle from nearby drew Jacobs attention away from the helm simulator at last. He found Isaac leaning casually against the wall nearby, a mischievous smile lighting his features. Catching Jacobs eye, he nodded over to where Schroder was now stalking away, his back stiff with attempted dignity. You hear any news? Uncertain, Jacob shook his head. Isaacs smile broadened a little before he continued. Turns out our friend over there had a bit of a hard time opening the door to his quarters this morning. Somebody had managed to jam it shut with some adhesive and a few other things. Jacob felt his jaw drop open. You cant be serious. Isaac shrugged, a slow, contemptuous movement. Oh, I am. Poor guy had to yell for a half hour before somebody realized he was stuck. Then it took them another half hour to get in without breaking the door entirely. Must have been pretty embarrassing. Looking around, Jacob lowered his voice. I thought you were intimidated by the guy. Another deliberate shrug. I was, but then you took him on the other day. If youre going to take the chance for my sake, I should probably do a little bit on my own as well. Jacob nodded and then smiled. Half an hour, huh?

Yep. Good luck in the sim today. Youll need it. Isaac paused. By the way, you and Laurie? Any history there? Jacob raised his eyebrows. No. Just old friends. Why do you ask? No reason at all. Isaac gave Jacob another nod and a mischievous grin before striding off casually towards the Gunnery simulators. He whistled a curious little tune as he went. Jacob watched him go, then shook his head and turned back toward the Helm simulator. His mind buzzed with anxiety, but he tried to ignore it and focus on the task ahead. He held his breath for a long moment and tried to ignore the pounding of his heart. Then he started to walk toward the shell of the simulator, letting the air trickle out of his mouth with each step. By the time he arrived at the simulator, he felt calmer. His heart still beat a bit quicker than he would have liked, but Jacob felt only a spike of excitement as he addressed the technician on one side of the entry hatch. Ensign Jacob Hull, reporting for the sim test. The technician nodded and gestured for Jacob to enter and strap himself in. Stepping inside the doorway, he found himself in a small room. Most of it was filled with a large hologram projector that conveyed the data a helmsman would need. Near the center of the room was a control console with the familiar set of knobs, dials and flight wheel that was the same on nearly every spacecraft. A single chair was set up just behind the console. Jacob walked over to it and sat down. He fastened the restraints that were meant to hold him in place against the jerking motions the ships maneuvers could produce. The flexible bands of specialized plastic crisscrossed his chest and locked together in the middle. Reaching out from where he sat, he found all of the controls in easy reach. It was hard to keep a smile from his face as the technician closed the hatch, and the interior lights came on. This is it. I cant screw up. The console and projector thrummed to life in front of him. The Wolfhound swirled into existence above the center of the projector. Around it, a flurry of bright blue specks swirled, snowflakes in a harsh storm, dancing across and through the image as though driven by an insane wind. The flakes represented the currents of dark energy every modern spacecraft depended on for movement. The harnessing of that unseen power had helped humans conquer space and venture into the universe. Jacobs father had taught him to learn those energy currents by feel, to anticipate and use them to maneuver as the Sprite flitted back and forth between destinations. Jacob read the direction of those unseen currents, his smile fading as he concentrated. As he reached for the controls, he could almost hear his father murmuring instructions to him. The energy currents are coming from directly behind you. That means youll accelerate pretty quickly and could move side to side even quicker, but coming back will be hard. The Wolfhound shrunk as the projection zoomed out. The simulation placed the ship in a nearly empty star system, with only a single planet and a few wandering

asteroids for company. For a moment, Jacob wondered what the goal of the test would be. Before long, a glowing message wormed its way across the screen. Proceed to orbit the planet, then maneuver your ship to position Q3-alpha on the system grid and come to a complete stop. The mission will be timed. The mission will start in five, four, three Jacob nodded. Time trial. He grasped the flight wheel and pulled it back several degrees. The Wolfhound responded. Maneuvering thrusters fired, bringing the nose of the ship up. Jacob turned the wheel, more thrusters activated, and the pointed its nose towards the planet, perpendicular to the unseen energy current. His fathers voice murmured again. Good, thatll give you the acceleration, but you wont get swept up by every eddy and flow. It wont be as bad coming back either. Both movements had brought with them a subtle pull of inertia, pushing him against his restraints in the opposite direction. Eagerness shot through Jacob. Lets get going then! Jacob twisted a dial on the right, angling the sail rigs just so where they would best catch the current. A second dial set the ship's maximum speed. Jacob reached out deftly with his left hand and flipped the activation switch for the main dark energy sail rigs. The projection hesitated, and then the Wolfhound flared with light as the four DE sail rigs activated. Between the large quartet of sail rigs, four flickering blue sails flared to life, and the ship started to move. The acceleration pushed Jacob back in his seat, and he smiled as the simulator started to hum with the motion of the rigs pushing him forward. After a few minutes of acceleration, a second flare of light burst across the screen, and a new thrumming sound added its voice to the hum of the DE sails. The brake sails, having detected the ship reaching the speed Jacob had set, flickered to life and started to turn. In contrast to the sails driving the ship forward, these sails were on the interior of the craft, and spun like windmills to drive the power behind the thrusters. The thrusters equaled the force of the sails, bleeding off the acceleration to maintain a constant speed. Dont ignore the brake sails. They can give you the extra push to turn or keep you from running into an asteroid. Jacob smiled at his fathers advice. Jacob kept the planet squarely in his sights, relishing the feel of the balance between the DE sails behind and the brake sails ahead. As he approached the planet, he laid out a course in his mind. I should be able to loop around the planet, and then shoot straight back toward the target coordinates. No problem at all. The planet grew, the projection zooming in to give him a better view as the Wolfhound closed in on it. As his ship reached the maximum orbit distance for the parameters of the simulation, Jacob changed course. He took a hand off the wheel, twisted a dial on the right. The brake sails increased their thrust as the DE sail rigs twisted to a new angle. He brought his hand back onto the wheel when it started to fight him a little, grunting as the ships inertia fought him. Come on, we dont want to run into the planet. The image of the Wolfhound started a curving dive that would take it beneath the planet instead of ramming the ship straight into the red-brown mass, and Jacob smiled as he felt the pull of

the maneuver press him against the restraints, along with a subtle feeling of weightlessness. In moments, the destroyer had slipped into a quick orbit path. That same feeling of weightlessness continued as Jacob adjusted the sails and the thrusters to keep that course, curving around the planet smoothly. The area of the projection that was now blocked by the shadow of the planet grayed out slightly, while the area that had previously been hidden came into sharper focus as the Wolfhounds sensors probed it. Partway through that orbit, alarms rang and two bright images appeared in the simulated space. Surprise filled Jacob as the two images resolved themselves into spacecraft, a corvette and a cruiser, both of which had been hiding behind the planet. A heartbeat later, both ships glowed red, and identity tags flashed to life. Oduran warships. What the hell? Jacob hit a control to his right, bringing smaller projections up to show him what he was dealing with. The corvette was a blunt little craft about a quarter the size of the Wolfhound, around fifty five meters long and shaped like a cylinder with a point at one end and a single pair of large sail rigs at the other. The ship also had a central radiation mast sticking out between the sail rigs like a short, stiff tail. Railguns and point defense turrets marked the ship along its length, though it was uglier than anything Jacob could have convinced himself to fly. The cruiser, by contrast, was at least four hundred meters long, dwarfing the destroyer. It had rail-thin central hull that broadened out near the front and four squat, cylindrical sections clustered around the aft end of the ship, along with short, stubby radiation masts sprouting from them like cylindrical warts. Sail rigs were located, oddly, near the bow, while weapons sprouted all along the length of the hull. To cap off the design, a fan-shaped wing that grew out of the ventral surface near the bow, like an upside down crest. Both ships were in his path, and even if he wasnt convinced they would try to shoot him down, he was faced with an imminent collision. Jacob reached for the controls to turn the ship around, but then he paused for the space of a heartbeat. Slowing down meant giving the Odurans a better target, one already tempting enough since the relative speed of his incoming destroyer would make any hits on his bow devastating. Changing course would be better, but the inertia of the destroyer would make it hard to pull off, and it would still leave him with the vulnerable DE sail rigs exposed to the enemys guns. A flash of inspiration struck. Jacob cranked the dial for the maximum acceleration up, feeling the sail rigs thrum with increased energy. In the same motion, he stabbed a thumb and index finger down on the activation switches for the brake sails, which cut off with a rumble of protest. The next moment, he felt the acceleration press him back in his seat. The weight on his chest increased until he almost found it hard to breathe, but he ignored it and tried to focus on pushing the flight wheel down. Maneuvering thrusters were firing all across

the topside of the destroyer, trying to keep it on the same curving course, but in spite of the effort, the loop around the planet widened rapidly. Ahead, sail rigs flared as both Oduran warships realized the danger they were in. The corvette dove towards the planet, using gravity to speed itself along, while the slower cruiser sought to run parallel to the curving surface in a different direction. Both ships, along with the image of the Wolfhound, began to retract their vulnerable rad masts to protect them from enemy fire. Collision alerts joined the battle alarms, forming a disjointed chorus of sirens in the background. Struggling, Jacob hit another button on the left, and a third alarm that signified upcoming severe maneuvers joined the song. The next moment, the Wolfhound was shooting past the Oduran ships, easily clearing the still-scrambling corvette and scraping by the larger cruiser, which was still struggling against its own inertia. Jacob nearly felt like laughing out loud, but before he could, railguns on both sides unleashed a torrent of shells. The exchange of fire was over too quickly for Jacob to track. The blasts came from all directions, and for a heartbeat it seemed that there could be no escape. Explosions burst out all around the Wolfhound, some of which were dense enough that they managed to obscure the sensor readings of the space around the ship. Plamsa fire danced across the intervening space, whipping back and forth to catch incoming projectiles. A couple of shells made it through the defensive fire to explode on the armor, and Jacob felt the simulator shudder around him as the ship took damage. Without sparing thought for the blasts now lighting up the nearby area, Jacob slapped at the activation switches for the starboard DE sail rigs and brought the starboard brake sails back online in the same heartbeat. The background thrum disappeared from the starboard side, replaced by the familiar roar of the brakes ahead. The force of acceleration that had pressed back into Jacob's became a sharp shove and crushed him against his side restraints as the Wolfhound came around. His head whirled as the destroyers image swapped end for end, now facing the enemy ships while still flying backward away from them. Partway through the maneuver, Jacob had switched the active brakes and sail rigs, slowing the turn until he cut all of them out. He watched in momentary silence as the ships receded a ways, his finger poised over the DE sail rig activation switch. This is gonna hurt. He stabbed the finger down, activating the DE sails again. The change in inertia flung him back in his seat, and his head bounced off the back of the chair. Ignoring the pain that blossomed there, he focused on keeping the ship on its new course, using the flight wheel give the Wolfhound a jackknifing course that wove through the dark energy current and toward the fleeing enemy corvette. As the destroyer slowed and started to reverse its momentum, the corvette seemed to sense the sudden danger it was in. With its sail rigs in plain view and its maneuverability limited by the planets gravity, the Oduran vessel was now a very tempting target. Jacob watched with a satisfied smile as the sails of his new target flared, trying to increase the force of its acceleration. Ambush me, will you? Keeping a wary eye

on the cruiser, which was trying to make its own course corrections, he started the destroyer on a swooping intercept course of the enemy corvette. The Wolfhound closed in and the enemy ships fired again. Small flickers of light showed the momentary traces the sensors had picked up from the enemy shells, and Jacob bit off a curse as the point defense turrets suddenly lit up space around his ship again. Explosions filled the projection, but none of the shots hit home; the awkward angles the Odurans had been left with meant that they hadnt had the chance to fire all of their weaponry, and those guns that did fire were ineffective. In response, the Wolfhounds own guns opened up on the corvette orbiting below. Bright specks showing the course of the shells sped toward the blunt craft, and explosions swept through the nearby space again. Unfortunately for the Oduran craft, a pair of shells hit home, announced by the ships computer. The damaged portion of corvette appeared on a screen on the left, explosions tearing across the ships aft. For a moment, it seemed the barrage had accomplished little, but then pieces of the main sail rig for the craft fell away. The blue light of the corvettes sails dimmed, flickered, and went out. Jacob cheered as the corvettes acceleration slowed, then reversed as gravity started to take effect. Escape pods started to burst away from the enemy ship as Oduran personnel abandoned their vessel to the inevitable crash on the planets surface below. Another alarm cut through the celebration of his victory, however. He glanced down to find more flickers of light leaving the Oduran cruiser. He watched the contacts shoot up and away from the enemy ship, wondering why they werent coming towards him. Then realization hit, and he felt a sudden chill. Missiles. Unlike railgun shells, missiles would be able to hunt him down, and even one warhead could easily break the Wolfhounds back if it got close enough. Jacob settled into the seat, trying to keep track of how many projectiles were now headed his way. Even as he tracked the course of the warheads, his mind raced with ideas to try to counteract them. Outrunning them wont work. I have to get them to fly into something, or maybe run out of energy. For a moment, he considered trying to direct them back towards the cruiser, but it didnt seem likely an Oduran warship would allow a trick like that to work. Theyd just detonate them before they got too close. Jacob shook his head in frustration, and then an idea bloomed. Shifting the angle of the sails, he steered the Wolfhound on a new course, coming around to close with the cruiser. Coming at it from the side, he realized the ship would have the better firing position, but he was more than willing to sacrifice that for a chance at forcing them to detonate their missiles early. The missiles, having shot out from the cruiser on a weaving course before turning towards him, now required a much sharper dive in order to hit him. Jacobs smile grew as the missiles continually had to adjust their course, the angle growing steeper and steeper as he shot back toward the cruiser once more.

To its credit, the Oduran ship recognized the danger fairly quickly. Still struggling to accelerate, the craft turned to present its aft to the Wolfhound and tried to open up the distance. Jacob simply poured on more energy to the sail rigs and closed the distance even more. The missiles shot past the destroyer, having failed to turn at a sharp enough angle to catch his ship. They started to loop around, but Jacob shook his head. Theres no way they can catch me before I catch up to their ship. Theyll have to break off. There was another exchange of railgun fire, with the Wolfhound suffering another pair of hits and the cruiser taking a couple of blows of its own. With surprise, Jacob realized that, not counting the missile launchers, his destroyer actually outgunned the enemy ship. Perfect. As the range between the two ships closed, Jacob watched the missiles streak in as well. They actually got close enough to make him wonder if the Odurans were going to be willing to take the damage if he was destroyed, but his question answered itself a short moment later when all six projectiles exploded far short of both him and the cruiser. What followed was a mostly dull chase. He kept the Wolfhound stationed off the enemy ships aft, using the structure of the cruiser to shield him from their guns. Meanwhile, the destroyers railguns pounded away at the Oduran vessel, blasting chunks of it out into space and ripping through decks. With the missiles no longer a threat at such close range, Jacob could continue the fight with impunity, and both he and his adversary knew it. Finally, after a few more volleys, a signal told him the cruiser was surrendering. He watched as the DE sail rigs powered down and the firing stopped, feeling a sense of pride wash over him. I did it! I wonder how well the others came through that? Jacob basked in that sense of satisfaction, passing the Oduran craft and continuing at a leisurely pace. Puzzlement soon intruded on his sense of well-being, however. Both enemy craft were down, but the simulation had not ended. Jacob waited a little longer before understanding dawned. I still have to return to the checkpoint. Sighing at his own mistake, Jacob turned the destroyer back towards the checkpoint and accelerated. Within a short while, the Wolfhound had reached the station, and he slowed the ship to a stop. The moment he did so, the projector snapped off. A number came up to replace it and Jacob raised his eyebrows in surprise. Ive been in there for nearly an hour and a half? The others came out with far less time. Shrugging, Jacob tried to shake off a feeling of unease. While they might have finished faster, Jacob was sure none of them had been able to beat the Oduran opponents as well, not like he had. That had to count for something. He undid the restraints still holding him to his chair as the access hatch slid open. The light outside the simulator seemed overly bright and annoying to him, and he squinted. Jacob managed a friendly nod to the technician, who was eyeing him uncertainly. Isaac was watching him as well, and Jacob saw that Laurie had joined him. She had a look of concern on her face, but Jacob simply gave her a bright smile and

waved at her. Still uneasy, she waved back. No need to worry guys, I beat them. That post is mine. The smile continued as they wandered over. Laurie spoke first, concern still betraying itself in her voice. So, how did it go? Great! I think I have a pretty good shot at making it. Jacob blinked as confusion reigned on their faces. You were in there for a while, Jacob. Isaacs voice carried a question in it, but Jacob waved it off. I did well, though. Probably better than most at least. Dont worry guys, youll see. He glanced down at his reader, and he was suddenly filled with alarm. Oh crap. Im about to miss my next sim session. Ive got to go. See you at dinner! He tried to ignore the worried looks that Laurie and Isaac exchanged and jogged off across the training room. His success made the journey seem lighter, and he smiled as he went. It had been an excellent day.

Two days later, the assignments were handed out to each ensign via their reader. Each of them received a message from Commander Rodgers including their berth assignment aboard the ship, their assigned section and duty station, a short description of their responsibilities and a schedule that led up to their departure the next day. Jacob had come to Isaacs quarters to open his message. Laurie had come as well, wanting to share the moment with her friends, and as they started, he felt suddenly and inexplicably nervous. Theres no way anyone else could have done better. Still, what if they did? He waited, his finger hovering over the button, as Isaac let out a victorious whoop. Gunnery! I cant believe it! The ensign jumped to his feet and pumped his fist in the air, his face alive with excitement. Laurie gave him a wry smile. What did you expect after hitting so many targets? You earned it. She glanced down at her own reader, hesitation plain on her face. I cant open it. What if I got stuck in Support? I hate working on power lines and coolant tubes. Oh stop it, Laurie. Youll like what you get. Jacob tried to filter his own uncertainty from his voice, but he wasnt sure how well he succeeded. Isaac, still flush from his own victory, slapped her on the shoulder roughly. Yeah, its obvious that Rodgers has an eye for talent. Gunnery! And I think its the long range battery! The joy in Isaacs crowing brought a smile to Lauries face, but the grin vanished as she glanced down again. Suddenly, she held the reader out to Jacob. Damn it, I cant. Here, Jacob, you open it and tell me. Jacob sighed dramatically, then accepted the reader. Laurie turned away, her hands clenching and

unclenching, as he tapped through the messages until he found Rodgers. He hit the button to bring it up and started to read. Ensign Laurie Simms, Countermeasures section, Point Defense. Laurie let out a squeak of joy and grabbed the reader from him. She read over it again and burst out laughing. Point Defense! I got into Point Defense! Hugging the reader to her chest, she twirled in a circle and nearly clocked Isaac with an elbow. Then she stood, reading through the rest of the message with an awed expression. Jacob turned his attention back to his own reader, his finger once again hovering over the button. Come on, what could be so bad? Bracing himself, he hit the button, and the message appeared on his screen. Ensign Jacob Hull. He stopped, his eyes not believing what they were seeing. Disappointment crashed in on him, hollowing him out inside. When he looked up at his friends and found their excitement dimming. I tried so hard. Jacob looked down again, his voice starting to tremble a bit with anger. Engineering section, Power Regulation.

Chapter Three As Jacob waited outside the commanders door, he went over what he would say again in his mind. It was hard to focus on words; after the initial disappointment, he had been angrier than he had ever been since he had joined the Academy. It hadnt gotten better when he heard Schroder, of all people, had been assigned to the bridge crew as the Helm ensign. Back held stiff, he fought to keep the rage from his face. It was a struggle to keep his expression neutral, to hide the snarling bitterness welling up inside him. The only sign he let show was his hands clenched into fists hard enough whiten his knuckles, his fingertips digging into the palms of his hands. As the minutes stretched on, he felt his anger and frustration begin to cool, tempered by the need to wait before releasing it. Finally, when the door slid open, Jacob shot to his feet, legs quivering with the desire to kick something or chase someone down, to do something. Then he stopped, surprised by the appearance of someone he didnt know in the doorway. The man leaving Commander Rodgers office wore a Marine officers uniform. It was primarily red, with black sharpening the lines of the jacket sleeves and pants. The crossed guns of the Marines had an eagle in front of them, marking the man as a lieutenant. The man didnt fit the profile of a typical Marine. In spite of a few scars that marked his face, he seemed oily somehow, as if his entire frame had been dipped in fresh grease. His blond hair slicked back didnt help the impression. His black eyes raked over Jacob, measuring him as if he was wondering how hard the ensign would be to dispose of. When they came to Jacobs face, their eyes met, and Jacob shivered at the cold in those dark eyes. Then the Marine lieutenant gave him a half grin, stepped out of the entryway, and looked back inside. Sorry to have bothered you commander. I hope we work well together once the Wolfhound is underway. As do I, Lieutenant Morris. Commander Rodgers was seated at his desk, his expression mild. As Morris turned to go, the commanders face sharpened into something hostile and suspicious, boring into the Marines back. When the commander noticed Jacob watching, however, the commander relaxed and smiled. Ensign Hull, please come in. The office was smaller than Jacob had expected; it was barely bigger than the temporary bunk hed been assigned during his stay on the station. Only a single picture hung on the wall to the left of people who were most likely the commanders family. They were at a restaurant, a locally owned one based on the customized murals and nonstandard wooden furnishings. Jacob could see the commander with his arm around a woman about the same age as him, probably his wife. Both were smiling, at ease with the familiar chaos around them. At least six young men and women were gathered around them, laughing and roughhousing. Another pair, a young man and a woman both about

Jacobs age, sat slightly apart watching the chaos, a new baby cradled in the young womans arms. The other furnishings of the office were spartan, with the dull green walls empty. A couple of functional chairs were set up in front of the desk, and a hologram projection unit was wedged into the back right hand corner where it could be accessed from the commander's chair. A short, squat cabinet with a complicated looking lock occupied the left hand corner, with a small lamp ready to provide extra light in addition to the fluorescent unit on the ceiling. The anger and frustration that had carried Jacob here fled, the heat stolen by the chill he had felt at Morris glance. He came in and slid the door closed, trying to recover his sense of indignation. When he turned back to Commander Rodgers, he stiffened his back again and brought his chin up. Sir, I respectfully request my assignment be changed. Oh? Rodgers eyebrows went up, his expression otherwise carefully blank. Jacob ignored the uncertainty that appeared at the edge of his indignation and plowed onward. Theres no way that Ensign Schroder completed the simulator run in better form than I did. He was only in for about half an hour. The engagement should have lasted far longer Jacob trailed off as amusement broke across Rodgers face, and the commander held up a hand. I see. Please, take a seat Ensign. The commander waved to a nearby chair, and Jacob considered refusing for a minute. The small smile on Rodgers face showed he wasnt paying Jacob much attention, or at the very least that he was not taking the matter seriously enough. It didnt seem likely refusing to sit would help his case at all, though, so Jacob stalked over and fell into the chair. Thank you. Commander Rodgers leaned back slightly. You were saying? I did better than anyone else could have in that simulation. I took out both enemy ships, avoided severe damage to my own, and completed the objectives. The only reason I can see that you would assign another ensign to the post instead of me is because Im a frontier spacer. You let your prejudice blind you to what I can do, and went with a wellconnected jackass instead. Jacob paused, breathing a bit heavily with the effort of bringing the tirade to a halt. He noticed Commander Rodgers eyes had gone cold, but he forced his way onward anyway. If you made that mistake, Im here to ask you to reverse it. I can do the job. I can help us succeed in our missions. I know Im better, I know the Navy needs good officers. I know it, and you know it. Rodgers broke in, his voice low. So for that reason I should change your assignment? Take Ensign Schroder and stick him in Engineering instead?

The hardness in Rodgers voice didnt really surprise Jacob. Hed heard it in the voices of many of his instructors at the Academy, in confrontation after confrontation. Yes, sir. Otherwise I am willing to leave the Navy and continue my efforts elsewhere. Rodgers leaned forward, his gaze intent. And if your reasons are inaccurate, Ensign? Jacob stopped, his mouth half open. For a moment he felt like the ground had disappeared beneath his feet, and his mind raced to catch up to the commanders question. Then I suppose I would accept my assignment. But Commander Rodgers held up one hand, and Jacob fell silent, fuming. Its time to listen now, Ensign. He lowered the hand and studied Jacobs face for a moment before continuing. The reason I chose Ensign Schroder for the post of Helmsman was due to his time score for the simulation. But sir Ensign Hull. The calm, quiet words cut off Jacob as harshly as if they had been shouted. I welcome open conversations with my junior officers, but I do ask for proper respect. If you interrupt me again, you will not need to leave the Navy; I will throw you out. Jacob swallowed his protests and sat back, his anger collapsing in on itself. Commander Rodgers continued, his tone still calm. The reason I agreed to use the completion time as a measure was simple. A helmsmans duty is to follow orders, even in extenuating circumstances. The ambush was included in the scenario in order to test the reactions of the candidate ensigns, to see whether they would panic or break down under unexpected pressure. Some ensigns did. Others tried unsuccessfully to fight back and were defeated. Still others were caught as they were pursued, also resulting in their defeat. Rodgers smiled. Your reaction to the situation was indeed impressive. It took a lot of quick thinking and courage to make the maneuvers you did. However, there was one thing your actions lacked. Obedience. The commander paused, as if letting the word sink in for a moment. Jacob met his eyes for as long as he could before letting them drop and study the floor. Rodgers continued. While you did, in fact, succeed, you ignored the primary orders you had been given. You were to orbit the planet, then arrive at the specific point. You were told it was a timed mission, and the implication should have been clear that your performance would be judged on it. When the time came for those orders to be tested, though, you abandoned them. You did win the battle, and against impressive odds, but in comparison to Ensign Schroder you allowed yourself to be distracted. The post of Helmsman is not meant to be the same as command of the ship. If youre going to ignore orders in the heat of battle, you arent going to be allowed to pilot the ship. Rodgers gave a small smile to soften the words. Ironically enough, your actions would have been excellent for a commander, but as an ensign and a junior officer, you were lacking. Do you understand, Ensign Hull?

Jacob nodded slowly, remorse roiling in the pit of his stomach. Yes sir. I apologize sir. Commander Rodgers continued to study Jacob for a long moment, then shook his head and gave a weary sigh. Apology accepted, ensign. He leaned forward and picked up a hand-held reader. Are there any other questions, ensign? No sir. Youre dismissed, then. Jacob levered himself out of his seat, trying to ignore the fact his legs felt like they were filled with lead. He moved towards the door, but as he reached for the handle, the commander spoke up again. Ensign Hull. Jacob turned to find Rodgers looking at him from the desk. Youre a good pilot, and youll be a fine officer someday. The commanders eyes hardened again. Dont let your temper ruin it for you. With another nod, Jacob opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Still feeling crushed, he made his way back to the bunk he had been assigned. He had a lot to get ready before the Wolfhound left the station in the morning.

The moment Jacob set foot on the deck of the Wolfhound, he felt like he was coming home. The deck plates beneath his boots, the subtle change in artificial gravity, all of it felt so incredibly familiar that it stunned him. He almost expected to smell his mothers cooking in the air, or hear his father humming to himself as he worked on some basic maintenance job. The memories triggered an ache in his heart he had not felt in a long, long time. Jacob shook off the memories and grabbed the rung of the ladder in front of him to pull himself up. At the top of the ladder, he found himself in a long corridor. It extended in both directions and was marked by handholds and blast doors meant to help the crew brace during harsh maneuvers or seal off areas depressurized in battle. Jacob ran through what he remembered of the ship's layout Marines' barracks to the right. Officers' quarters are supposed to be past those further down. After a moment of hesitation, Jacob set off down the dull gray corridor toward the aft, passing one of the entrances to the Marine barracks. A dozen meters down the corridor he found what he was looking for, an access door set into the left side of the corridor beside the elevators. It slid open and up to reveal a ladder that led to the other decks of the ship. Jacob pulled himself into the access shaft and closed the door. Then he climbed to the deck just above the main one. He knocked on the access door to make sure nobody would be taken by surprise by his appearance, and then slid the door open and stepped out into the new corridor. Jacob slid the door shut behind him, took stock of his new surroundings for a moment and then realized hed overshot his destination. He walked back toward the bow of the Wolfhound, and soon he reached the section that would become his own personal sanctuary onboard the Wolfhound.

The Ensigns Quarters were a bit different than the other berths on the ship. While the Marines had been set up near the hatchways and had barracks-style rooms with arms lockers, the Ensigns Quarters were much closer to the bridge. They looked like a series of missile bays lined up along the plain gray metal of the hallway, each square hatch isolated in its own alcove. Apparently, each ensign had been assigned to his or her own cabin. Jacob found his own cabin. He entered his personal code and stepped back as the door lifted up. He climbed down another ladder and found himself in a small cabin, with just enough space for a bunk, a small locker, and a cramped study desk he could only sit at if the locker was shut and the bunk was folded up into the wall. As he had guessed, dull gray was still the dominant color. He tried for a little optimism. Its still much better than the Academy bunks. At least theres some privacy here. He set his pack down on the bed and took out a photograph of his family. It had been taken when they gathered on the bridge of the family ship for the annually-enforced family picture. His parents smiled up at him, his father with that hint of annoyance he always had on picture days and his mother beaming at having the family together again. His sister was frowning as she always had once she had started going to the university in Corleigh, and his younger self waved excitedly as if to make up for her foul mood. Behind them was a view from the bridge of the Sprite, a field of stars in a system that Jacob didnt even remember. A half smile twisted Jacob face for a moment, and he set the picture on the small desk. He arranged it in the corner, though it still managed to take up a good portion of the small space. With a sigh, Jacob let annoyance at the limits of the small cabin interrupt his nostalgic mood. Spacers just have to make do, right dad? A knocking sound caught his attention, and he took a couple of steps to look up the hatch. Isaac stared down at him, his face amused. Permission to visit? Sure, come on in. Jacob backed away from the ladder as the other ensign slid down. In the cramped space, he settled on leaning back against the locker to allow his guest to sit on the bunk. So how are you holding up in your coffin? Mine barely has room for me to sneeze and keep from hitting my head on the wall. Isaac plopped down on the cot and glanced at the picture on Jacobs desk before quirking an eyebrow at his friend. I just got here, but it seems like Ill fit in well enough. Did Laurie arrive yet? Isaac started chuckling. Yep, she got here an hour or so after I did. She left a little while ago grumbling about how half her stuff is going to go into storage while were onboard. Guess she never had to live much in space before now. One good thing about being a frontier spacer; you have plenty of practice living in cramped conditions. Jacobs stomach growled and he blinked in surprise at how loud it was. I guess I need to find the cafeteria next. You remember where it was?

And I thought you were getting to know me! Of course I know where it is. Isaac pretended to look offended before he pushed off of the bed and scrambled up the ladder. Jacob followed, taking a moment to grab his personal reader from his bag. When he reached the corridor and shut the hatch behind him, Isaac was waiting impatiently for him a little further toward the bow. Sighing at the Gunnery ensigns insatiable appetite, Jacob jogged a little to catch up as Isaac started walking. So how early did you get here, anyway? Early enough to wander around and get to know things. Havent been on a Defender before, so this new Hunter class is as new to me as it is to everyone else. You heard about the officers briefing? Jacob nodded as they turned right, entering a short corridor that connected the two main corridors on the deck. Yeah. We should finally find out what were going to be doing for the next month. Isaac chuckled again. Im surprised you want to face Rodgers again with a full stomach. Have you recovered already from being chewed out? Managing to restrain a bitter retort, Jacob shrugged. Im fine. Little angry still, but fine. Isaac nodded. I would think so. My grandpa always used to say, you never get angrier than when its your own damn fault. He winked at Jacob slyly and nudged him as they reached the corridors end and turned left, back toward the bow. It wasnt my fault! I didnt know the whole situation. Jacobs protests sounded hollow to his own ears, and Isaacs knowing smile widened as a result. Yeah, yeah, keep talking. Maybe next time youll listen to Laurie when she tries to talk you out of being stupid. Or failing that, youll listen to me when I say charging in aint the best idea. The remark hit home, and it silenced Jacob's complaints more effectively than anything Rodgers had said. For a moment, he let that bitter medicine settle in. Then he spoke up again. Youre right, Isaac. He let a smile of his own fight through his disappointment and frustration. I still dont think pranking him would have worked out better, though. Maybe not, but it would have been so much more fun. Isaac motioned to a doorway on the right side, gesturing with all the grandeur of a performing actor. My fellow ensign, may I present to you, the officers' mess! The mess was a small room with four booths set up alongside the left wall. The food was set up on a counter to the right, with a buffet of choices. Jacob felt his mouth water as he took in the collection of burritos, sandwiches, rolls and other foodstuffs waiting to be consumed. Behind the counter he could see a few members of the Support crew going about their own duties, preparing food and dishes for their fellow crewmen.

Eager to eat, Jacob grabbed one of the nearby plates and scooped a couple of fresh, warm rolls onto his plate. Next he served himself a large pile of potatoes, slathering gravy over them. Finally, he snagged a large slice of ham. For once I might out-eat Isaac! Turning partway to look back at his friend, he found the other ensign with one plate full and a second quickly growing cluttered. Shaking his head, he slid into one of the booths and waited for Isaac to join him. Before Isaac finished gathering his feast, Jacob heard the door to the mess slide open. He turned to see Laurie walk in. She shook her head in dismay as Isaac somehow balanced a third plate on one arm and reached for a fourth. Jacob waved to get her attention and smiled when she walked over to him. I thought I would find the two of you here. She sat down across from Jacob and snagged one of the rolls from his plate. Dont mind sharing, do you? His mouth half full of potato, Jacob struggled to swallow and protest, but by the time he could shed already taken a bite. Damn. No, go right ahead. Im sure Isaac might have left us a few. Laurie chuckled, and Jacob scooped up another fork full of gravy and potatoes. How are you holding up? Well enough. Ive got drills already scheduled for right after the briefing today. I think Lieutenant Obermann is going to run us all ragged. She shook her head ruefully. Isaac had managed to bring his wavering pile of plates over, and Jacob scooted further into the booth to give him room. How about you, Isaac? Do you have drills already set up? Isaac nodded as he distributed his food out across half of the table. Yeah, Lieutenant Tuam wants to get started right away. We wont be shooting anything, but he wants to go over the controls a few times as soon as we get out into space. What about you? The question popped out, and then Isaac instantly looked as if he wanted to take it back. Jacob shook his head, trying to keep the leaden weight of disappointment from his voice as he answered. No drills. My lieutenant wants all of us to report to our stations, though. I guess they want everything checked out before the riftjump so nothing goes bad. Laurie snagged another roll from a small stack on one of Isaacs plates and chomped down on it, totally oblivious to the look of horror and indignation he gave her. So what will you do after that? Jacob shrugged. Check it all out again, I guess. Theres not much exciting in Engineering. Not if we do everything right, anyway. Isaac, still giving Laurie a baleful look, nodded. True. Just hold on, Jacob. Schroder is bound to screw something up and get kicked off the bridge. Bide your time, and youll be in like flint.

Pausing to swallow another mouthful, Jacob gave Isaac a short glare. Easy for you to say. Its not like youre going to be waiting on much. The ensign chuckled to himself before answering. Well, what did you expect? Im a Gunnery officer. I aimed at something I could hit. Laurie rolled her eyes. Dont listen to him, Hull. Youll do fine in Engineering. I bet youll even come to like it. Jacob grunted. Yeah, I bet. Checking power connections and replacing wiring is always so interesting that I can hardly stand it. He paused as Laurie looked down for a moment, then looked down at his half-eaten meal and sighed. Im sorry guys, I just cant seem to get over this. You dont have to put up with my whining any more if you dont want to. Isaac paused in his rampage of feasting to throw an arm around him, jerking him into an impromptu hug. Aw, dont worry about it. Well stick with ya, and youll get to where you need to be. Still half crushed by the Gunnery ensigns grasp, Jacob grimaced and looked over at Laurie. Have you noticed he seems much happier and less destructive when he has food in front of him? Laurie nodded and began to respond but a chirping sound cut her off. Jacob looked down to find his reader blinking with what seemed to be a new message alert. Glancing up at his friends, he found them both watching him expectantly, so he hit the button to open the message. Running his eyes over the words, he sighed and pushed the plate of food away from him. Well, it looks like the commander is going to keep us busy during this trip. The briefings been pushed up. It starts in two minutes.

A short while later, the three ensigns entered the briefing room. It was a cramped area with four rows of chairs facing a blank wall and a podium, with each row of chairs set slightly above the one in front of it. Behind and to the side of the podium was a trio of chairs. The other seventeen ensigns had already taken up seats, mostly near the front of the room. Five officers wearing naval lieutenants eagles and bars were seated on the back row, facing the front. Lieutenant Commander Piebald was seated in the middle of the three chairs at the front. A reader was in his hands with. The lieutenant commander was busily clicking through what looked to be a report of some kind on the screen as he waited. Lieutenant Morris occupied the chair farther from the door, his eyes still dark and calculating as he swept his gaze across the room. Jacob suppressed a shiver, forcing himself to continue walking to the seats in front of the lieutenants. Unfortunately there were only a few seats left. Laurie and Isaac both made their way over to the only two empty seats next to each other, leaving Jacob to choose between the remainder. His options werent that appealing. In one spot he would be wedged between thepungent Ensign Caddamar and the distant Ensign Mensah, while another would land him between

Ensign Al-shira, the Communications officer who had never given him the time of day, and Ensign Taylor, who barely seemed to know anyone outside his gun crew existed. He decided being ignored was better than dealing with the smell and sat next to Taylor. There was a subtle murmur of conversation throughout the room as the other ensigns chatted with each other. The lieutenant commander ran his eyes over the group, checking to make sure that they were all present before going back to reading the report. Morris seemed to have dismissed them after an initial study and was now staring off into space, his expression hard. A couple moments later, Commander Rodgers walked in. The murmur of conversation died off instantly, and the whole room rose to stand at attention. He paused long enough to give them a nod. At ease. The group took sat again, and he stepped up to the podium. For a moment he looked quickly around the room, as if reminding himself of everyones names. When the commander looked in Jacobs direction, Jacob could have sworn he saw a flash of amusement in those eyes, but it vanished in the stern expression the commander wore. The quick surge of shame it left with Jacob took a while longer to fade. The commander cleared his throat and spoke, his voice filling the room. Youve all been called here to receive the necessary information on our current mission so you will be prepared to lead the rest of the crew in their duties. I wont waste time proclaiming how grand a responsibility the Navy has given us; do your job and do it well. Thats all you need to be concerned about. The mission is to last a total of three weeks. We will launch from Graveston Station in an hour, then proceed to a designated riftjump area. Transit will last about a day. We will have about that long to run through an initial inspection on our equipment. As Rodgers described the route, a projection unit in the ceiling overhead burst to life, showing wireform images of Graveston Station, the planet Grannon where the Academy was located, and other landmarks. Graveston Station, Grannon, and the other stations in system glowed green, designating them as Celostian posts, while the other four planets in the system remained a dull gray. A glowing yellow line highlighted the course the Wolfhound was to follow, stretching from the station to a point beyond the orbit of Grannon and clear of any space debris. Jacob nodded in approval. It was important to avoid those kind of things when a ship riftjumped for the first time. Too much debris around and things could get ugly really quickly. The images shifted suddenly to a new system, one with five inner planets, one of which glowed green, and four outer ones, all gray. A set of orbital facilities around the planet also glowed green. The next leg of our mission will be in the Harel system Commander Rodgers continued to speak about the gunnery and maneuvering drills the crew would undertake, but his voice faded to the background as Ensign Taylor suddenly leaned in close to Jacob.

Ensign Hull, right? Are you the one who beat the Odurans in the Helm simulator? At the very least Taylor had the sense to keep his voice low, but Jacob was surprised he was talking during the briefing at all. Unlike Isaac, Taylor did not have a reputation for anything short of iron discipline. Uncertain about how far his voice would carry, Jacob nodded in response. My name is Ensign Leon Taylor. Theyve assigned me to the Gunnery section in Battery One. Taylor continued to keep his voice low, but his eyes were fixed on Jacob. That was an impressive series of maneuvers. May I ask who your personal instructor was at the Academy? Jacob blinked in surprise. He darted a glance up at the front, where the commander was still gesturing to a projection of the Harel system. Instructor? I never had a personal instructor at the Academy. Just took the basic courses like everybody else. Taylor sat back. His expression had gone blank, except for one quizzically raised eyebrow. Youre telling me you learned those combat maneuvers on your own? Without any instruction at all? Ensign Al-shira snorted. He looked back to find her shaking her head. Nobodys that good. Especially nobody who winds up in the Engineering section. You probably cheated and got caught. Jacob clenched his jaw as an icicle of rage stabbed through him. I dont cheat. And just because you couldnt do something doesnt mean I couldnt either. The Communications Ensign glared at him before turning sharply away. He heard a chuckle from behind him, and turned to see Ensign Carver, from Engineering, giving him a thumbs up. Ensign Gi, who was at his side, elbowed him and motioned for Carver to pay attention to the briefing. Jacob turned his attention back to Taylor, who was still watching him with a doubtful expression. I learned some of those maneuvers from my dad. He was a Naval officer until he retired and bought his own trade ship with the compensation. Ensign Taylor shrugged. I suppose that is possible. But it is hard to believe you could have learned that much without specific instruction, and from what Ensign Schroder was saying, you might have alternative means of achieving high scores. Your friend Isaac has some skill in computer hacking, does he not? Taylors eyes had gone cold, and Jacob felt a mixture of horror and outrage rush through him. Schroder? Jacob twisted in his seat and found the Helm ensign across the room. He felt his fists clench in frustration. That mangy little Ensign Hull. Do you have a question? Rodgers question brought Jacobs train of thought to a crashing halt. He looked back to where the commander stood and found the entire command staff staring directly at him. His face went hot, and he had to fight to meet Rodgers eyes.

No sir. Good. Rodgers touched a control, and, the projection of the Harel system suddenly flickered and was replaced by another one. Two large gas planets in gray outlines orbited the small star, with a few large asteroids spread out closer in system. Our second riftjump will take us to system GRC 11597. There we will engage in more serious target practice drills against dummy ships with live ammunition, as well as additional navigational hazards near the solar zone. Rodgers put both hands on the podium and leaned forward. We will also be doing communications testing, blackout drills and emergency situation tests. Due to these drills, the communications of our ship will be irregular, and Naval Command will anticipate us being out of contact for most of that time. The entire duration of our time in GRC 11597 should come to about two weeks. From GRC 11597, we will riftjump to where the fleet is gathered at New Cob Station where I will present my evaluations of the crew, and any necessary transfers or repairs will be made. Any questions? The room was silent, and nobody raised a hand. Commander Rodgers nodded and smiled. Then lets get to it. Lieutenants, youve already been given time to come up with duty schedules for the ensigns and petty officers under your command. I expect you to make those schedules available to them by the time we launch. Ensigns, each of you will be working in conjunction with your lieutenant and the petty officers to develop your skills and increase your capabilities as officers. Do not take the advice of the petty officers lightly; they may not hold your level of rank, but they are more than capable of doing your job. Listen and learn before you start throwing your weight around. The commander stepped back and nodded. Officers, to your stations. We launch in one hour. Dismissed.

An hour later, Jacob stood on the Engineering deck with the rest of the sections crew. The Wolfhound had launched out from Graveston station, and Commander Rodgers had called on the entire crew to watch the launch via projected holograms after they had secured themselves against the acceleration that was to come. The Wolfhound drifted away from the space station where it had been berthed for so long. Its maneuvering jets propelled it gently away from the station before carefully changing how it was oriented. The ship spun slightly on its axis, flipping end over end gracefully until its bow faced away from Graveston station and toward the wide expanse of stars in the other direction. Jacobs heart ached as he watched the Wolfhound set itself on an outbound course. He could almost feel the controls in his hands, feel the subtle pressure as the jets fired again to stop the flip and again to correct the course. There was a hum in the machinery around him as the DE sail spars shifted, adjusting themselves to the pilot's commands.

Then, faintly at first, a shimmer of light stretched out between those spars. A screen of projected matter began to form, becoming more and more solid as the spars came online. As the DE sails caught the invisible tug of the dark energy flows around them, the ship began to accelerate, gliding away from Graveston Station at ever increasing speed. As the ship accelerated, Jacob could feel the pull of inertia in spite of the adjustments the computer was making to the artificial gravity to compensate for it, and smiled. This ship is fast. As he watched, the ship continued to accelerate, and Graveston Station quickly became a small dot of light among the field of stars. Very fast. Lieutenant Commander Piebald may look boring, but he is a great helmsman. The realization he would never have the chance to learn from him crashed in on Jacob, and he bowed his head as the Wolfhound flew free for the first time.