Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Half Way to Black Jack

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Half Way to Black Jack

Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Half Way to Black Jack
Posted by… suppressed (25) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Helena spent a couple hours down in the launch bay going over both of the shuttle pods. Pre-flight checks and even managed to grab an engineer to help her and check a couple of issues that had shown up during her checks. They got everything ironed out and then she took the first pod out for a flight test. That included a lap and then taking the pod down through the atmosphere landing and back up. Then the same for the second pod.

Back in the launch bay, Helena opened the hatch and walked over to the comm unit and pressed the button. =O=Captain Renault to the launch bay.=O=

Lt Laursen, pilot

It took a moment, and then there was a reply =O=I’m on my way.=C= Marceau headed down to the launchbay, a data PaDD in hand, his expression asking why he was needed… And clearly worried something was wrong. “The shuttles are okay?” He asked, looking to Helena.

~ Captain Renault

Helena nodded, “Shuttle Pod 1 is fine. But Shuttle Pod 2 is…I don’t know. The engines and structure and systems all checked out, but when I took her out I keep hearing a squeaking or something. And you are, well quite frankly, the most observant passenger I’ve ever had. I can’t get up from the pilot seat to go look for it, so I was hoping you’d go with me and see if you can find where it’s coming from. She flew fine, but while we are still docked…” Helena really hoped she was pulling this off because Marceau always knew when she was bluffing. She really wanted to surprise him, but the way she didn’t quite meet his gaze straight on would give her away.

Lt Laursen

Marceau looked at the pod like it might eat him alive. “Squeaky? What if…” He looked up at her and took a breath. Her gaze flicked away from his, not meeting him straight on. It was the same thing she did when she had a hand of crap and was trying to bluff her way to the pot. Marceau grinned and shook his head, “Okay, what’s really going on here…? Is this some kind of ‘new captain’ prank?”

~ Marceau

Helena huffed, like she did every time he caught her out. “Just get in the shuttle, Marceau. It’s a new captain thing, but not a prank. I promise. Just…a surprise.” Helena moved behind him, set her hands to his shoulders and steered him over to the shuttle. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with either pod. I promise. No squeaks, nothing. Come on, get in.”

Helena

Marceau gently put the breaks on, using his feet to try and keep from moving forward. “Wait, non, Helena,” He protested, a note of anxiety in his voice, looking at the shuttle still like it might suddenly explode. “You said it’s squeaky! Remember the last time we crashed?”

~ Marceau

Helena sighed frustrated at herself. She handled this all wrong. She stopped and moved around him, holding his hand and squeezing. “Every night, Marceau. I can’t forget.” That had been worse than hell. “Look we’ll take the other pod.” She pointed at it. “You can’t say anything though. Don’t tell the captain I lied about a maintenance problem. I heard he’s a real slave driver.” Then she grinned and winked at him.

Helena

Marceau seemed to relax and smiled, squeezing her hand back. “Me, too. I was scared for you.” He nodded, a little nervously, to the other pod. “Okay.” Then he chuckled, “Is that what they say about me?” He winked back. “Don’t worry. You’re covered.”

~ Marceau

“I was scared for you too. But we survived.” That had been almost died number 1. It had been a close thing, by hours. Helena did a sort of skip twirl as she pulled him along. “I have no idea. We haven’t been on board long enough, but I will let you know, and stalwartly defend your honor.”

Marceau smiled, letting her pull him toward the other shuttle. He sat in the seat and buckled himself in. The crash had been a close call, and closer for Helena than Marceau. He was surprised she made it all.

She closed the hatch after they were both in. “I know how you feel about surprises, but I promise you’ll like this one.” She sat down at the controls and buckled in. =^=Shuttle Pod 1 to Sojourner. Ready to depart.=^=

=^=pod 1 stand by for release=^= the lights and warning bells flashed and sounded in the bay and then the doors opened beneath them. The mag lock arm extended lowering them out beneath the ship and then the pod floated and bobbed feely for a moment before the mag releases. Then the thrusters engaged and Helena moved the shuttle out in front of the Sojourner, giving Marceau a head on look as they banked around Beta station.

=^=Sojourner Pod 1 requesting permission to dock.=^=

A familiar voice came over the comm =^=Permission granted at port 21. You’re almost late.=^=

Helena laughed, =^=Yeah, well, I have a horrible poker face.=^= Guffaws of laughter came back before the channel was closed. Helena slid the pod into the docking port and powered down as the mag locks engaged and a docking rube attached and pressurized to the roof hatch. The sound of it opening caused a rush of air and then dive faces peered down at them with HUGE grins: Kenson, Gerard, Flenza, Billy and Akela. Kenson grinned, “You didn’t think you’d get a ship and we not find out did you Marceau?”

Helena

Marceau knew by the voices who it was, but he smiled excitedly all the same when he actually SAW them. He was clearly as nervous of a flier as ever as he fumbled to undo his buckles. “Of course I didn’t. I just didn’t expect to see you all in person,” he commented. “I thought Akela was on Jupiter station, and Gerard, the Luna colony.” He looked between the five of them, “Is everyone here?”

~ Marceau

Akela shook her head, “No just us. Everyone else is still out on assignment.” They all moved out of the way so Marceau and Helena could climb out. Flenza lead the way to a small conference room. The table was filled with food and drink and the chairs were actually comfortable. “A celebration feast in honor of the first Blackjack to make Captain!” Billy said making a flourish as he pressed the door control. Then Gerard, who had a voice that carried easily across a parade ground, “Captain On Deck!” All six of them snapped to perfect attention and saluted Marceau.

Helena

Marceau climbed out before Helena. He smiled bashfully and shook his head, “It’s too much, really.” He blushed a little as they all snapped to attention and grinned, “No need for such formality, at ease.” He was never going to be one of those overly formal Captains, especially not off duty with old friends. “Has Helena told you? She will be serving as my helmsman.”

~ Marceau

They all relaxed immediately and then swarmed Marceau in a dizzy swirl of hugs from them all before Akela took him by the arm and went into the conference room. Helena slipped through the door before Gerard could offer his arm. She felt bad that after all these years he still seemed to have a crush. It wasn’t that Gerard wasn’t a very nice guy and sweet, Helena just didn’t feel that way about him. Frenza laughed, “She didn’t have to. When I heard she was bringing you up, I checked the crew manifest. I knew there was no way you were going out and Helena would be left behind.” The knowing glances around the table were not lost on Helena. “Okay if you guys don’t tell him I might burst!” She turned her chair to look at Marceau, “I am very unhappy they didn’t tell us before.”

Billy shook his head and grabbed Akela’s hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Akela and I got married a month ago. And before you start Helena we had no time to tell anyone. We both happened to be in San Fran and decided…we’d waited long enough. We took a car to Vegas and got married. Akela had to go right back to Jupiter Station and I had a run to Vulcan. I just got back. We’re taking our honeymoon starting tomorrow.”

Helena

Marceau smiled at them both, “Félicitations!” He said excitedly, looking at Helena and then Akela and Billy. He had made sure he was sitting next to Helena. He smiled, “Have fun on your honeymoon. Answer your comms under no circumstances!” Then he turned to Helena with a shrug, “We were all busy. I am surprised you managed to bring this many of us to one place.”

~ Marceau

Helena shrugged but grinned widely. “I can’t take the credit. After you left Smugglers Cove, these guys showed up. So we made plans to meet tomorrow but then you came back with orders, so while I was getting the shuttle ready, I called them, and Flenza made the arrangements.”

Flenza grinned, “A chance to celebrate before your first mission as captain. We wouldn’t miss it.” Akela nudged Billy and he handed her a thin tall bag. She pulled a bottle of sparkling grape juice out. “Just to make sure tradition isn’t lost. Also we got a case for you over by the door to take on board.”

Marceau chuckled and smiled. “What would we do without our traditions?”

They all exchanged a look and then laughed. “No where, we would be no where without them,” Kenson proclaimed. He got up and grabbed a couple of glasses from the other end of the table and opened the bottle. Passing around glasses to all of them.

Kenson passed another wrapped box over. (A brind new set of cards and poker chips). Gerard also pushed over a package that was rather large. Inside was an antique French Navy Captain’s hat.

Immediately the hat sat upon Marceau’s head. It looked good on him, especially if he were to wear a similarly styled coat.

Helena grinned and laughed, “Oh…Akela…we have to get him the coat!” Akela nodded, “He will look absolutely more dashing than he already does.”

Marceau smiled again, face turning red, and shrugged. “If only one could be found before we leave.”

Flenza chuckled and passed over a PaDD, “Cheat book of engineering babble about the Lunar River class. And any other thing I could think of that you might need a quick reference of.”

“Oh! Merci. I uhm… I’m not very good with the engineering stuff.” They all already knew that, of course. Now that he was a Captain though, Marceau felt a little bad about it.

Flenza waved it away. “No worries. You aren’t supposed to be an expert in it all. You are supposed to be able to choose the right people or the job and listen to their advice and decide. You do that in spades. This is just to help you understand their advice and reports.”

He smiled again and thanked Flenza.

Lastly was from Helena, a small box filled with tissue paper. Inside was a snow globe mounted on a rich red cherry wood of the city of Marseille.

Helena

There was one last gift, from Helena. A little snow globe depicting his home city of Marseille. He looked at her and smiled. Though he did not often speak of his history, he had always been proud of where he was from, and Helena always found a nice way to remind him.

~ Marceau

Helena rested a hand on his arm and gave it a little squeeze meeting his gaze. Gerard let out a little sigh watching them then raised his glass. “To Marceau and the maiden voyage of the Sojourner.”

“To Marceau!”

Marceau’s face turned red again, but he looked happy. He put his hand briefly over Helena’s still smiling at her, glad she was going to be there for the ship’s maiden flight - and his first as Captain.

Billy set his glass down and checked the time. “I think we have time for ONE poker game before we have to have them back on board?” Flenza checked the time too and nodded, “Yep one game! Marceau, you deal.”

Helena and the Blackjacks

Marceau cracked open the new poker set, handing out chips for everyone to bet with, and then opened the deck and shuffled it. Then dealt the cards. “Since we are called the Blackjacks, we will play black jack.” He said as he dealt out cards to each person.

~ Marceau

They all chuckled and peeked at their face down card after Marceau dealt and they all tossed a chip in. They went around taking cards, holding, and making bets. In the end it was between Kenson and Marceau. That was always interesting to watch. Helena was close, but she didn’t think close enough to win the pool. That was okay, she and Marceau had a long night of their own tradition ahead of them.

Helena

Marceau was looking forward to their night of their tradition. But he couldn’t let it distract him now. He had a reputation to upkeep. His poker face was as good as always as he tossed another chip onto the pile and then looked up at Kenson, as if daring him to raise again.

~ Marceau

Kenson eyed him, with one brow raised, and a firm set to his mouth. He looked at the cards showing in Marceau’s hand and then his own. He was flipping a chip over and over in his fingers, but that didn’t mean much. Kenson fidgeted like that a lot, even when it wasn’t poker. He didn’t bother to look at his cards again. “You know after all these years…I still can’t tell if you are bluffing.” He pointed the chip at Marceau, “and as much as I want to make you work for it Captain my gut says don’t make a fool of myself.” Kenson grinned and folded. Billy laughed, “And you folded so now we’ll never know if he’s bluffing or not.”

Helena

Marceau grinned knowingly and returned the cards to the deck. In reality, he had something on the low end of decent. If Kenson hadn’t folded, there was a high chance he would have won. “I am glad the cards got used before I left.” Then he’d have a reason to pretend the chips went missing later, when he and Helena played.

~ Marceau

Helena laughed and shook her head. She had most definitely tried to peek at his cards after she had folded. Marceau was having none of it. “I am no help. I have less luck than the rest of you.” And she had more opportunities to figure it out than they had.

Akela nudged Billy with a wink, watching Marceau and Helena together. Those two really needed to decide enough time had passed. Flenza looked at the time. “Alright 20 minutes, Billy, Akela, Gerard before your shuttle leaves. Helena, Captain Renault,” He grinned, “15 before you have to leave the station. Kenson help me get this stuff loaded in their pod? The rest of you eat. Don’t waste it.”

Helena

Marceau wore the hat and carried the snow globe Helena had gotten him. He also carried the poker set and the PaDD Flenza had given him with the reference manuals. He asked Helena to carry the rest. Soon everything was loaded in the Pod and, coming back to the rest of the group, smiled sadly at them. “I wish everyone could come with us on the Sojourner.”

~ Marceau

Akela grinned, “Well if you need an extra medic.” Billy gave her a pout, “What about our honeymoon?” Akela laughed and kissed him. He gave her a squeeze, “Well, I guess someone has to stop Helena from being all territorial about the helm controls.”

“HEY! I share.” And they all laughed, “sometimes....” Akela and Billy pulled Helena a bit away and into a tight hug.

Kenson nudged Marceau and nodded at Helena. He whispered, “You got the most important one going with you. Right?”

Marceau’s face turned red, but he nodded. “I am glad I managed to snag her for this mission… For more than one reason.”

Kenson and Flenza shared a smirk. “You finally gonna tell her that?” Kenson asked. Flenza nodded, “You should.”

Marceau turned bright red and shrugged uncomfortably. “I… I don’t know what you mean.” He claimed, looking between them.

Kenson rolled his eyes and Flenza shrugged. Kenson put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Yes you do, and all the rest of us know it too, except Helena. Which is crazy, because she’s crazy about you. We all know it.”

Gerard pulled her in tight, a full warm hug that Helena only hesitantly returned. “Gonna miss you, Helena.” Then he perked up. “Hey, Marceau you need another linguist?”

Helena

Helena hedged, “I’m going to miss all of you.”

Marceau used his PaDD to check his crew roster. “We could use a second one. But I need to put in a request for you.” He smiled, “Three of the Blackjacks on one ship.”

~ Marceau

Gerard looked ecstatic and hugged Helena again. Helena looked less than thrilled. Billy coughed giving Akela a look who could only shrug at Flenza and Kenson’s looks of ‘Make it stop!’

Finally Kenson spoke up, “Gerard you can’t. You worked really hard to make that linguistic team. The Denobulans arrived this morning, you start tomorrow. You walk away from that right now, it will ruin the rest of your career. We all want to go with Marceau, but even if you could resign that position I doubt Command would be inclined to grant you a favor after that.”

Helena nodded, having semi-successfully stepped away from Gerard. “Kenson is right. This is a huge opportunity for you and you are a gifted linguist, Gerard. You can’t give that up. We’ll be back around eventually. All ships come home.” Gerard frowned, more a scowl than anything else, then sighed. “You’re right. It wouldn’t do much for the Blackjack reputation if I did back out.”

Helena moved down the table for food, Akela going with her. The two women in a serious, but quiet conversation.

Helena

“What position?” Marceau asked, looking at Gerard. “It sounds important.” He watched Helena step away with Akela and wondered what they were talking about, but then turned his attention back to the others. “We can always send each other letters.”

~ Marceau

Gerard finished the grape juice and set down the glass. “Unlike the Vulcans, Denobulans are very friendly. They have offered to teach us languages. Anything in their database. Teach us to read and speak it, and help us test out the universal translator software we’ve been trying to develop. It will be a huge step forward. Alvida was chosen to go to Denobula to study with them. A full immersion program.”

At the other side of the room, Akela was quietly asking Helena the same questions Kenson and Flenza had asked Marceau. Helena shrugged and shook her head. If Marceau was really interested in her, he had had more chances than Helena could keep track of, to tell her so. Akela hugged Helena tight and told Helena not to be so oblivious. Then they rejoined the rest of them.

Helena