Chapter Sixty-Five: Triumphant Return
Unknown location, May 5th, 3014
"So this is where you parked it?" Natasha asked me as we took the Messenger over to the hidden repair and supply depot.
"This is where the Manassas and the Age of Discovery are located, yes." I answered. "The Snowden I had Rook bring over here has been feeding resources to the repair part of the facility in order to get the Age of Discoveryrepaired again."
"It'll take us about a day or so to get to the facility proper." I told Natasha.
"Meet you on the mat?" Natasha asked me.
"Yeah, I'll bring David in his chair so he can watch." I replied and grabbed our son. "He might as well get used to watching us spar early."
"They really did automate a lot of this ship." Natasha observed the internals of the Manassas. "I would say it seems like an SDS drone, but I have not seen one of them before."
"Well, I've seen a disassembled drone, there's actually one in one of the cargo bays on this station." I told her. "I think they took some inspiration from the Caspars, but didn't want it to be left to the AI on its own. I mean, it still takes at the very least a bridge crew to make this thing run properly."
"And yet you did it on your own?" She questioned. "That seems like an unlikely tale."
"I actually forced a lot of systems to reroute their programs to the navigation console." I told her. "After I got here, I did end up putting everything back where it is supposed to be."
"I take it you took careful notes?" Natasha asked while the bridge crew we had gotten together began to familiarize themselves with the Manassas' controls.
"Yes, I did." I said in response. "I didn't want to screw up something and get myself killed."
"Sir, we're ready to take her out." Commodore Frye told me. "Awaiting your command."
"Open the bay doors Commodore." I told her. "We're taking this old girl home."
May 15th, 3014
"Looking over the reports Bruce handed you?" Natasha asked me as she walked into my office, little David babbling at us.
"Yeah, looks like the Age of Discovery will need another five months before she's completely fixed." I responded. "Jewel and Bruce think that they might be able to accelerate it up to three if they assist the automated repairs with some of their own, but they caution against it because while they're good with Jumpship and Dropship repair, they only know how to monitor the Warships for now."
"And the bridge crew for the Manassas?" Nat asked me. "No one knows how to pilot a Warship currently."
"I know that, but we were able to program some simulators and get it set up so that they could at least get close to the experience." I replied. "It's not perfect, but Frye picked some good trustworthy people to train up, and I know that they'll do just fine."
Kentares IV, Federated Suns May 14th, 3014
"So, you're stepping down when Hull gets back?" Packer asked Sheppard.
"Yeah, I got authorization from Hull, and First Prince Davion to start our own military academy." Sheppard replied. "And with Peterson taking over for the Mercenary side of things."
"There needs to be someone taking over the Kentares Guard." Packer finished. "I'll accept the position, but I just have one question…"
"What?" Sheppard replied.
"Why training?" Packer asked. "I mean, most of us don't like that part of the job."
"I actually really enjoy the teaching aspect." Sheppard said with a small smile. "It makes me happy to see visible improvement over both the short term and the long."
"Alright then, I take it you'll be starting to get me used to the Kentares Guard paperwork and such for the transition?" Packer asked.
"Yep, starting next week we'll be working on beginning the transition process and making things fluid in the transfer of command." Sheppard said. "They're going to be breaking ground on the new facility in the next month and the rough estimate is a year to get everything set up for the academy."
"What're we going to call it?" Packer asked, curious to see what Sheppard and Hull had come up with.
"Marksman School of Hard Knocks." Sheppard said with a serious look on his face.
"You're kidding right?" Packer asked.
"Nope." Sheppard grinned. "It's so ridiculous that no one will take us seriously. Until we stomp them flat into the ground that is."
"I've played poker with you too many times for that to work on me Sheppard." Packer replied with a similar grin. "Something simpler, I take it."
"We're sticking with Marksman Military Academy," Sheppard shrugged. "It's simple, and not something that sounds pretentious. We're keeping the "School of Hard Knocks" bit as our catchphrase though."
"That I can roll with." Parker grinned. "On another note, any news from Peterson?"
"Menke was taken by the Concordat last month." Sheppard replied. "We're sending some Sharpshooter people over to help get the industries at Menke and Victoria up and running at peak efficiency again."
"Calderon still chomping at the bit to take more Capellan worlds?" Packer asked.
"Not as far as we can tell." Sheppard said in response. "Seems like they're doing what we and the Fedsuns are doing. Consolidating and rebuilding for one final push. I have heard that the Anduriens are carving out a few chunks of the Capcon themselves though."
"I'm less worried about the Capellans and more focused on the Combine currently." Packer said. "I'm worried that by assisting in taking out the 2nd SOL that there will be some sort of reprisal aimed at us."
"Nothing has shown up lately via our intel people." Sheppard shrugged. "But we're keeping watch anyway. We have a lot of Aerospace assets and Sting's as our first line of defense. And then what Hull is bringing will be there in case of an emergency."
"Point." Packer said. "Very good point."
The Triad, Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth June 30th, 3014
"So, I take it Loki has a final report on the shopping list Hull sent us three years ago?" Katrina asked Simon Johnson.
"Yes ma'am, our techs and engineers have estimated another year or so until the Dry dock is relocated to a favorable system." He glanced down at his sheet of paper. "And we managed to find a decent amount of Lostech data in the facility, along with an HPG facility and a Battalion of 'mechs. The dropship repair facility is already in the process of being relocated."
"And the rest of the list?" Katrina raised her eyebrow.
"The underwater factory complex was located and while in need of some repairs, some of the Defiance people who we brought with us estimate that within two years it will be back up to full production."
"And the investigation into the Odessa system?" She asked.
"We managed to embed a few very good agents in with the local Comstar facility." Simon responded with a slight grin. "I believe that we will be able to locate and begin to bring them into the Commonwealth given time."
"And the last two items?" Katrina asked.
"We managed to point Sharpshooter Industries in the right direction insofar as buying out the Henderson Jumpship facility, they rehired all of the old crew back, and started making repairs as soon as they got the people in. And we still have not located the Colossus mentioned, but we're confident in finding it soon."
"Thanks for the briefing Simon." Katrina dismissed him as Melissa ran in to give her a hug.
"Mel!" She picked up her daughter. "How was Uncle Mark and Aunt Natasha's wedding?"
"It was SO much fun!" Melissa squealed. "Little David is very cute." Melissa and Katrina talked about the wedding and some of the fun things that happened for a bit. "Mom." Melissa asked after a minute of being silent. "When am I getting another little brother or sister?"
"You want more of them?" Katrina asked, faking sarcasm. "I thought Elena was enough siblings for you."
"No!" Melissa squirmed as Katrina began to tickle her. "I want more of them, I need a little brother!" She kept giggling as she said that.
"Well," Katrina looked up at her husband and gave him the look. "I'll just have to see about talking your father into it now won't I?"
Taurian Concordat, July 4th, 3014
"Are you sure about retiring mom?" Thomas asked his mother.
"I'm sure." Zarantha replied. "I'm taking a vacation to Canopus for a little bit and then I'm going exploring, with your father having passed away and most of my grandchildren grown, I want to go see what the rest of the galaxy is like."
"Okay mom." Thomas hugged his mother. "I'll make sure we stick to the plan you and I worked out."
"You do that son." She replied. "I'll make the announcement tonight, and leave sometime next week."
Thomas and Zarantha just held on to the hug for a little bit longer. And when Edward and the rest of Thomas' family showed up they joined in.
Authors note: Katrina rolled a 15 on the "shinies" left on the Columbus. And a 10 on the Kwanjong plant. I wasn't removing the Dropship repair yard or the dry dock. So those were staying. This was the roll for what was in the R&D facility.