Scarlet sits at the long table, black, casting her eyes around the half-lit room. Several Chairs are set out around the table, with hers at the head. She rubs her gloves hands together for a moment, before nodding to herself, and tapping a button in front of her, a thin cover sliding back to reveal a pristine console. On the screen, a message remains, with a box below it, flashing "Sent".
Quote:>>Message Begins<<
Regarding all Battlegroup Command personel,
You are summoned to Plannet Manhattan regarding Corona afairs, attendance comulsory, there will be an escort from the planets main landing pad. The meeting shall begin when all arrive.
Orias Out,
>>Message Ends<<<
Scarlet leans back in the tall leather chair, templing her fingers and closing her eyes, waiting for the first to arrive.
Bennet walks through the long corridors of the fleet administration building. Two black clothed bodyguards are escorting him. One in front of him, one behind Bennet. It was a long journey...at least longer than he expected, with all the jump gates and trade lanes. And he really doesn't like Manhattan. Too many people, and more important, too many he doesn't know. The corridors don't seem to have an end, but finally Bennet and his little escort reached their target. In front of them lies a door. Simple, not very interesting, but behind it is the conference room where maybe already the whole high command was waiting just for him. He is always the last who comes to such meetings.
So he was just more surprised when there was just one person waiting for the others. With a short salute, followed by a "Greetings, Madam" he entered the room. Bennet walked down the table. In front of every chair was a card with a name on it. when he finally found his place, Marco sit down and looked a Scarlet.
"As I can see, the others aren't here yet...or are they just invisible? But if we had invented a cloaking device I would need to know everything about it, hehe A little joke should break the ice, Bennet thought...
Luckily, Cpt Jacob Gordon was in the New York system when he recieved the meeting summons from Cpt. Orias. He quickly scanned the message, before turning to his newsecond in command, Lt. Cdr Julie Davids. "Looks like you are going to get more practice commanding in my absence, I gotta go to Planet Manhattan for a meeting," Cpt. Gordon told her, "Not like anything exciting is going to happen stationed this close to Norfolk."
"Damn, when I am going to get some actual experience commanding the Asgard... tired of babysitting it in New York everytime you go to a meeting."
"Be patient, you were just assigned to the Asgard a few weeks ago... you will see some action soon enough, especially once my scout Gunboat, the LNS-Midgard is finished contruction in a few days since I will be commanding it from time to time. Now I gotta go," he told her before turning to the rest of the Bridge and telling them, "I gotta go for a few hours, Lt. Cdr. Davids has command."
He quickly made his way down to the small docking bay that held his personal Upholder bomber he used to travel solo. He got into his flight suit and made his way into the bomber's cockpit before taking off for Manhattan. Once he arived he landed on Corona Battlegroup's landing pad and greeted the armed escort he had been expecting as he climbed out of his flight suit, "Thanks but I can take care of myself soldier."
"Sorry but Cpt. Orias's exact orders were "ingnore everything that idiot says and escort him directly here"... No offense," the escort replied sternly.
"Of course she did, very well... Lead the way," He laughed as he brushed off his formal uniform he had been wearing underneath the flight suit.
It wasn't long before he made it to the CB High Command conference roon and as soon as he entered he quickly scanned the room noting the presence of only two of the High Command, Cpt. Orias and the Research and Development Division Head, Cdr. Bennet Marco. Quickly he made his way to his seat next to Cpt. Orias and sat down before saying, "Guess we are waiting on the others then?"
Capt. Orias opened her eyes as the first member walked in, waiting untill he sat to greet him, and then pausing at his joke before she does to treat him to a half-exasperated stare.
Spinning her chair, she stands and walks to the wall, more precicely to a data-pad inbuilt to its structure. After several moments of gentle tapping, each puncuated with a mechanic bleep, a soldier scurries in, dropping a pile of paperwork in the centre of the table, and after several, uninteligable mumbles of pleasentries, hurries back out.
Scarlet turns back to the door when Jacob enters, nodding in greeting and thumbling a second switch, the other half of the previously deactivated lighting flickering into life, and so she sits back down in her highbacked leather chair, and remains watching the two. Having still not said a word.
Mike O'Neal was late... as always...
And it wasn't his fault... as always...
What could he do? The recruits needed training, the flight plans needed arranging and the reports needed shredding. Or sometimes even reading.
The spaceport was crowdy - usual thing on Manhattan. Mike landed his Avenger between two gunboats. The one on the right was a bit too close. Well... they will hammer out that panel somehow...
While approaching the shiny spaceport wall, he glanced briefly at his reflection. Unshaved, tired, wearing his old blue pilot uniform and worn leather jacket. He was looking like some last war veteran junkie.
The guard at administration building's door didn't want to let him in. Mike had to show him the card.
Escorted by two privates, he finally made his way up to the conference room.
- 'sup, kiddos? - he asked while walking in. Then he realised that the commander is already here.
- Commander... - he nodded.
He sat on his chair and asked:
- So, what's the reason for all those voyages?
Scarlet rises, patting down her pristine uniform, and guesturing to the reports, nodding aquirisence to each member.
"The Meeting is to discuss progress and activity so far. I've had an Aid file small reports on everything I would like to ask about, and I'll ask the relevent division head about the details to those reports."
She pulls a cream folder from the neatly arranged pile and lays it over the Console screen, before seating herself once more.
"Are there any questions so far?"
- Yeah, i have one question, commander. - Mike replied
- What is the reason for meeting here? We could do the paperwork remotely - as usual...
He looked at the papers briefly.
- Is there anything... unusual going on?
Scarlet pauses thoughtfully for several moments.
"There is something I would discuss here... But other than that, it's a normal meeting. However it is generaly better for trust and relationships between staff to meet face to face once in a while."
Gordon look around nervously before turning to Orias and asking the question that had been on his mind since coming into the meeting room, "Well before I speak, I would like if it is ok to speak freely on certain delicate matters or are we being listened to by anyone who we wouldn't want to hear about such matters?"
Suddenly, Mike's communicator rings.
He picks it out of jacket's pocket, reads the message. Then he reads the message again.
- Jade Wing is in trouble. I sent them for a training patrol from Battleship Yukon to Willard and back. It seems they ran across some Lane Hackers...
Mike stands up.
- I have to go help them. Get that kids out of there...
He walks towards the door.
- Commander, I will get back as soon as possible.
He runs out.