Unity

Chapter 20

Graduation had finally come, and we were all gathered in the amphitheater for the last time. I looked out over the sea of graduates, all wearing battlefleet uniforms in varying colors depending on rank and duty aboard the Unity. It had been proposed during a planning meeting for the ceremony that something more formal be worn for the first graduating class of the Academy, but Admiral Jones destroyed the idea as soon as it was voiced. He claimed it was a waste of resources and an unnecessary detail that only added to the confusion.

The central hub of the Academy had been cleared like it was during the first day we arrived. The stage had been extended, was filled with department heads, and other high ranking military officials. There were a few civilians mixed in with the plethora of military personnel. They were the official delegation sent to represent the Council in today's proceedings. I brought up the ceremony's itinerary on my tablet and read it again. There really was no need to look at it. I had been in every planning meeting creating the itinerary. The only reason I couldn't stop looking at it was one of the names that stood out, mine. Admiral Jones insisted that I address the cadets, as most would eventually be under my command. It was this unfortunate incident that brought me to my current predicament. I was sitting on the third row on the stage, surrounded by officers so high ranking, I would need an oxygen mask just to breathe at their level. My unadorned Battlefleet uniform made me stand out amongst the bountiful pins and medals on the uniforms around me. Even Admiral Jones and dressed in his blues with his awards weighing down the uniform. If I had the choice, I would gladly join the rest of the cadets off the stage and let somebody else have the honor of speaking. I tried to make out faces in the crowd, but it was hard to see anything past the glare of the spotlights, so I looked to the section where the bridge crews for the Unity were assigned to be seated. A small smile crept across my face as I recalled bringing them onto the bridge for the first time.

Due to logistical concerns, each shift was brought to tour the bridge individually. We docked near the front of the Unity, and thus they didn't get to experience the joy of the rapid transport tubes like I had. Now that I had used them multiple times, the edge was beginning to wear off. Admiral Jones had been working with the first bridge watch, so he took the liberty of being their guide while they assessed their new stations.

I was anxious to bring the second and third watches aboard. If I was being honest with myself, I was mostly excited for the second watch because I knew Jen was assigned that watch. Everyone was bubbling with excitement as we approached the bulkhead door leading to the bridge.

"You ready," I asked as we stopped in front of the door.

"Ready enough that if you make us wait any longer, you may get trampled when the door opens," Jen quipped. The others in the group looked at her in horror as she addressed the captain of the Unity so casually. She quickly realized her mistake and began to blush furiously. I pushed my palm against the scanner and decided to take the attention away from the very embarrassed Jen. The door slid up and revealed the bridge. The sea of personnel parted around me and flooded the bridge, each person immediately going to their assigned station. They had not been authorized on the Unity's systems yet, so they couldn't access anything of importance, but they took time to familiarize themselves and point out the differences between the actual ship and the simulator.

I made my way to each station and answered what questions I could and provided input and advice where needed. I approached the pilots and asked Jen, "What do you think?"

"This is incredible," she answered quietly.

"Better than the simulator?" I asked.

"This doesn't even compare."

Jen was sitting with her eyes closed and going through the motions of the flight controls. After a moment, she opened her eyes and asked, "When do I get to fly her?"