LAS Arluna, Tharkad System orbit, November 7, 3067...
"You're sure you want to do this-once the transfer is approved, It'll be hell getting it reversed, and impossible once you're inside the Quarantine." The LAAF re-enlistment officer asked.
Chief Warrant Officer (Engineering specialty Jump Drive) Giao Pham nodded, and reached for the stylus. "This is what I want." she said, applying her name to the paperwork, followed by a thumb-print for the electronic copy.
Captain (Rear Admiral) Michael Collins shook his head, and said what the LAAF's re-enlistment man was thinking, "You're making a huge mistake, Chief." he said, adding, "Not to mention screwing a department that needs you."
"Hefner's not bad, sir." Giao told him, "He's got a good grasp of KF physics and raw mechanicals, and he's been waiting for a promotion-and-transfer for five years."
"Yeah, and he doesn't have your hand with the crewmen." Collins shot back, "I really, really wish you were staying."
"Sir, everything is going to be fine." She told him, "at least, for the Arluna-O'ryan has a good team on the 'A' Shift and Hefner's not as bad with the crew as you seem to think, and even if he were, Barty's got Lomax and Trieler to cover him, not to mention Jinny-Jean and Needles-that department practically runs itself now."
"Your word, Chief, to god's ears." Collins told her, "now, how are you planning to get there?"
"Commercial to New Capetown, from there, catch one of the picket boats from Coast Guard." She told him, "Based on patrol and shipping schedules, I should make it just about the time that the LCGS Dinh Diep is delivering the replacement delegates from Winter and Arluna for their pre-transit screening."
"We're scheduled to patrol in that sector, Chief..."
Giao shook her head, "You know what would happen, sir-the ship can't afford to have confusion in that department, and I'm far too prone to meddling, it's better if the Crew ship with me gone-better for them, since it gives Hef a chance to get his boots wet, better for me, because I won't be stressing out over changes or getting P-mails from the crewmen over policy changes, better for you, because you won't be distracted dealing with the discipline problems that we both know would crop up with me on the boat."
Collins shook his head, "That sounds like you don't think Hef's ready to run the department..." he said.
"Hef's ready-except that he's gotten comfortable with having me in charge." Giao told him, "He needs to be, me on, even as a passenger, and he's going to be second-guessing even if i don't say a word, when he should be decisive. Me gone and out of reach, and he'll start to be like his background, history, and scores at Pandora said he should...besides, he's a real officer-I was always a warrant, you gave me the department because he was new, but if he never gets to be an officer, he'll end up retiring as an ensign-if he isn't 'uporouted' for failing to meet promotion deadlines. Me gone and he's got the chance to be the officer he trained to be, and frankly, I think he's finally seasoned up enough to be a decent engineering officer-just my opinion as a jumped up enlisted, sir."
"and a promotion offer won't change your mind." Collins asked her.
"Sir, you've tried three times." Giao told him, "Bailey over in Commo told me about it at her retirement party last week-LAN wants academy trained officers, and the slots for blue-to-gold are reserved for aviators, Dropship commanders, and Landing party commanders." she shrugged, "I can't fault that-I've run a department and had to learn on the fly things I would have gotten in the Frosh year at Coventry, Pandora, Nagelring...Hef's got the education, and he's got some experience, it's time for me to go home."
"home...to a place you can't even step off the ship." Collins argued, "where you're risking your very expensively trained neck just doing the job you're transferring to do."
"all part of the service, sir, you told me that." she countered, "Fact is, how many compact-core jockeys do you think they have? But they're building those little Sampan ships anyway, to patrol and enforce a quarantine that would otherwise require a couple of full battlegroups we don't have anymore since the civil war...if that virus gets out..."
he nodded sadly. "Your reasons are sound, I just hate this."
"I'm going voluntarily when you and I both know LAAF would have to end up sending draftees...this is the best possible outcome for the service. keeping Lyran Miitary values alive in there, maintaining a handle on their procedures...besides, when I enlisted nine years ago, I was only going to be staying for five anyway."
He walked with her to the NCO deck and stayed at the door to her three-man room as she gathered her spacebag and cleaned out the bunk-locker. "I remember-I swore you in at your first re-enlistment...we were over...where was it?" he prodded.
"Huntress." she said automatically, "On the LAS Ivanhoe, Star-Lord class transport, you pinned my warrant the same day and Prekovish sang that weird ass song in Russian. One of our docking rings was slagged by that Clanner ship, and we were taking on the wounded from that Drac unit for transshipment home."
She stood, and Collins nodded, "when I got the Arluna I asked Sigurdssen for you by name." He told her.
She sighed. "It's been a good run, sir."
"Let's get you to your shuttle...a civil transport though..?"
"it's cheaper than space-available when you factor in the possibility of something dropping in the pot." She noted.
"I'll expect you to write, Chief." He told her.
"I'll do that, sir." Giao said, as they crossed the centerline deck and headed for the docking lock.
Collins opened the lock himself, and finally said, "You're being stupid-brave going into the zone, Chief...Good luck." he told her, and rendered a hand-salute.
Giao returned it with near-academy precision, then the inner door closed and the outer door opened, and she left the LAS Arluna, and entered Fleet Base Tharkad's pressurized terminal.
It was time to go home to Kowloon.
