"You need to eat, sir," Barton said. "I promised Mrs. Wolfe I'd look after you. Since nobody has bothered trying to kill you yet on this cruise, I have some time to make sure you're getting enough rest and food." Jackson wanted to fire back a suitably sarcastic insult, but the gesture was genuine, and Barton, despite being a combat hardened Marine, seemed to be a little sensitive when it came to what the Admiral said to him.

"Thanks, Gunny," Jackson said. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled it. What'd they have today?"

"Open-faced roast beef with all the fixins," Barton said. "I grabbed you a brownie, but I ate it on the way back."

Jackson saved his report and slid the tray over, taking the lid off and enjoying the fragrant steam a moment before digging in. Starfleet may keep you deployed for more than eighteen months at a time on a tin can, but they damn sure tried to make up for it with the food they served. Even down in the enlisted messes, the crew enjoyed real food cooked by real people not reconstituted crap warmed up by a machine.

He ate his food quickly while it was still hot and finished prepping his report with one hand before sending it to his specialized Bluebird unit. Once he received a confirmation from Pike's side that it had successfully been transmitted, he logged out of everything and was just debating whether he had time to catch a quick nap when his intercom chimed.

"Admiral," Ellsworth's voice came over the speaker. "Captain Risher is preparing for his first warp hop."

"On my way," Jackson said.

"The party never stops around here, does it?" Barton asked as Jackson straightened and buttoned back up his utility top.

"Never," Jackson said. "Why don't you crash out for a bit, Gunny. I can make it to the bridge without you."

"While I have all the confidence in the world you can find your way to the bridge on a ship you helped design, you can't watch your own back and do your job while you're there," Barton said. "I'll be fine, sir."

"Suit yourself." Jackson shrugged. "You'll probably want to see this anyway. Once this starts, I have a feeling all hell is going to break loose in this system."

13

Captain Risher paced the bridge of the Broadsword, trying to exude calm even as his adrenaline spiked.

At first, he had been glad when Admiral Wolfe had decided to move over to the Saber and be Ellsworth's problem. Not because he had anything against the admiral or didn't admire the man's skill and ferocity in battle, but more because when you brought a flag officer aboard a ship, even if it was to command the entire taskforce, inevitably, the captain got pushed into the background. He respected Admiral Wright, but when she'd been aboard the Broadsword during the Battle of Odmena, he'd done little except relay her orders to his own people.