Glances were shot around the deck, and Gracen could hear an amused snort from somewhere to her left. She ignored the casual tone in the pilot’s voice, however, as he was doing his job and both his rank and his previous status went far to explain his flippant tone. Yet she did make a note to talk with him about it in private if he took it any further.

The Odysseus pivoted in space, turning her bow away from the slip, and then began to warp space again as she headed toward the outer perimeter of the planet’s shield line. Behind them, the Achilles slid out of her berth, turning smoothly and following even as the Bellerophon’s deck lights gleamed in the relative darkness of the construction slip.

“Shield control contacting us, Admiral.”

“Main display,” Gracen ordered simply.

“Aye ma’am.”

Part of the exterior view was superseded by the image of a stern-looking woman stepping out of thin air.

“Odysseus, you have been cleared with your group for transfer through the shield line. Please assemble your ships before passage.”

“Acknowledged, Shield Control,” Gracen said, gesturing to Steph. “Odysseus holding position here.”

The woman nodded once, then vanished as she had come.

“Just for the record,” Stephen Michaels spoke up, “the combination of the three-sixty view and the holographic communications is . . . creepy.”

“Uh huh,” several people agreed.

Gracen rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment. There was something a little unsettling about someone walking onto the bridge, apparently out of deep space. Or not so deep space, in this case. “ETA to the squadron?”

Susan swept her hand over her panel, then looked over. “Heroics will be on station in fifteen, ma’am. Boudicca is exiting the slip now.”

“Alright, we sit tight then.”

Minutes passed quickly as the squadron formed up. The Achilles, Bellerophon, Boudicca, Hippolyta, and Heracles joined the Odysseus at the first checkpoint. Gracen reopened communications to the Priminae as the Hippolyta came to rest in formation.

“Shield Control, this is Admiral Gracen of the Heroics, requesting leave for shield passage.”

“Confirmed, Admiral Gracen.” The stern-faced woman appeared again. “Leave has been granted. Follow your assigned lanes, do not stray from the path. Your shields will not survive long if you lose your way within the star.”

“Roger that,” Gracen said shortly. “Michaels, you heard the lady. Take us ahead, one-quarter acceleration. Do not cavitate. Susan, issue the order to the squadron.”

“Aye ma’am. Ahead one-quarter acceleration, no cavitation,” Steph repeated as he goosed the throttle just slightly.

“Aye aye, ma’am. Orders issued.”

The new star drive employed by the Heroic Class was, in actuality, older than the human race by all records. It was basically a variation on the Alcubierre equations, proposed in the later twentieth century on Earth but not realized until deployed by the Chinese over a century later.