Starship Conquistador (Conquest of Stars Book 1) by Sid Kar Page B

departure,
Commodore,” senior flight officer Flyptar said.
        “Start the twin fusion engines,” Raptor
said.
        “Twin fusion engines started,” Flyptar
and his assistant punched a code and turned a key each.
        “Accelerate to light speed,” Raptor
said.
        “Accelerating to light speed,” Flyptar
said, “departing the gravity field of planet Bravo.” Flyptar made the adjustments
on the speed control and the velocity control officer monitored the readings.
        “Passed the gravity field of planet
Bravo,” Navigation officer Overyk said.
        “Accelerate at standard rate to 100
light speed,” Raptor said, “hold till the outer boundary of present star system
Halcyon. Thereafter, accelerate to and hold steady at starship cruise standard
of 2,500 light speed.”
        “Yes commodore,” Flyptar replied.
        “Nav. Officer, set our destination as
Planet Nestor, Capital of Nestorian Republic.” Raptor said.
        “Destination set as Planet Nestor,”
Overyk said after his assistant officer had punched in the coordinates into the
navigation computer.
        Raptor sat back down on his chair and
did a computer check of all the systems and equipment on board the Starship and
everything was performing at full capability and without any errors or issues.
There was not much for him to do further. Space travel including faster than
light travel had been mastered by Starfirians for thousands of years now and it
had become routine and standardized. The Starship could even take control of
itself and carry out all the regular steps but that was against the army
regulations in normal conditions and only to be used as a last option.
         Raptor stayed in the command room till
the hour of the lunch break. It had irked him to hear from Commander Carvyk
that he had been too lenient in the past and allowed lapses in the discipline
of his subordinates. He knew that was true to some extent but he was an
understanding person who believed in taking it easy and cutting some slack to
the people who worked to the tune of unquestioned obedience to each and every
order.
        But this time around he intended to set
the right example from the beginning. That was a peacetime fleet orbiting and
patrolling a secure region but this was a potential war mission alone out in
the hostile territory. He would be hard on everyone and hardest on himself.
        When the lunch hour came, he waited for
VC Barryett to leave for the cafeteria then looked for Tollvyk amongst the
crowd below and called out to him.
        “Col. Tollvyk, I was just checking our
weapons list and I do believe we have some rockets that are top secret?” Raptor
said.
        “I believe so too, Commodore,” Tollvyk
pretended to look through his rocket computer database. 
        “I am heading to lunch now,” Raptor
said, “Meet me in my personal quarters after half an hour to discuss the secret
rockets.”
        “Yes sir,” Tollvyk replied.
        Raptor got down from his section and
headed out for lunch. Outside of the command room was a rack of small
hovercrafts and he sat down in one of them and punched the option for one of
the restaurants onboard. He really wanted to talk to Tollvyk about Capitan
Alvina and had been sneaking a glance or two her way every now and then. But
some officers abroad knew of their friendship and he did not want to give an
impression of favoritism, that too on the first day. He hadn’t checked yet if
the Starship had any secret rockets, but that was not the type of information
anyone except Commodore, VC and rocket officers and technicians would be privy
to.
        When he reached the restaurant, he
picked up some premade food, heated it up and ate hurriedly, finishing in ten
minutes. Then he had the hovercraft take him to his personal quarters where he
eagerly awaited Tollvyk.
     
     

Chapter 11: Visitor
     
    Commodore Raptor was just taking off his
gloves in his personal room