Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: Luna

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Memory: Luna
Orders came in mid March. Special assignment, 3 months. They were going to Luna. This year they didn’t have to figure out their gear, the list was given to them. They had 2 weeks to get their personal packs ready and get their shuttle ready. Blackjacks were the only squad getting to fly themselves because of Helena. The other squads were getting taken out by 3rd year students.

The shuttle had to be packed and balanced correctly and full maintenance done. Billy wasn’t cleared, but with permission, Helena and Billy did extra sessions and he was cleared to fly with Helena.

The mission: 4th years had been on Luna all year helping to build the biodomes for a new colony city - New Berlin. Now that it was done, the second year’s were going and building the infrastructure. They would be landing at Tranquility Base where Apollo 11 landed almost 200 years before. They would be gone 3 months. Their work evaluated and graded and determine their final scores for the year. Helena couldn’t wait to get there.

Helena

“Marcy! No way! Three months?” Lucy hadn’t been happy about the news. “Lucy… It’s our end of year mission. Just like last year. This one is even safer than last year’s. Just a little longer.” Marceau had argued. “Safer? You’re going to be in space! For three months! How is that safer!” Marceau considered that. “Well, there are no wild animals. No risk of exposure either.”

“No,” said Lucy dryly, “Only suffocating in the vacuum of freaking. Space!” The argument went on like that for a while until Marceau let out a long sigh. “Lucy… What do you think Starfleet is? I will be in space for years at a time. If you can’t deal with that, maybe you should date someone who isn’t in Starfleet.”

To that Lucy began to cry. She hugged him tightly and shook her head, “Marcy, no. Don’t go talking like that. Please. I don’t want to break up with you.” Marceau hugged her back. “Then no more fighting about this. Okay? We’ll celebrate when I get back.” Lucy was reluctant but nodded. “Okay.”

Today, the day they were leaving for the mission, Marceau was nervous. Earth flights were bad enough. He’d barely managed the orbital missions. All the way to the moon though? In a shuttle? He might faint. He was trying not to look too scared while they waited to board the shuttle.

~ Marceau

Helena, Billy, Kenson, and Flenza had been at the shuttle all morning completing the preflight checks and having the instructors going over their work. So when the squad arrived they were all ready to go. Packs were loaded and secured and everyone was boarded and strapped in.

Helena put a hand on Marceau’s shoulder, “This will be great. Smoother than a regular plane. I promise. I’m your pilot. Nothing will go wrong.”

Helena