Captain Shuang suited up in her PRE standard-issue survival suit. A crew member helped her seal the gloves and helmet before the large crew crane lifted her and her heavy space suit into the snub-nosed fighter. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she felt the familiar snugness of the fighter's cockpit surround her. She mentally went through the familiar checklist starting each system one by one. The crew member who had helped her seal her suit climbed up to the cockpit and smiled at her as he gave her helmet a couple of gentle taps to get her attention before he sealed the canopy.

The canopy was sealed with a loud noise as the air pumped out leaving a vacuum in the cockpit. Captain Shuang then keyed up her com channel and said, "Rescue One, Mantis, I am a go for launch all systems showing green."

"Mantis, Rescue One copies, starting the countdown for launch bay doors."

The launch bay's red strobe light started to shine causing the last crew members in the launch bay to head for the airlock door. Once they were safely out of the bay the all-clear light turned green and then a voice gave a ten-second countdown. Once the countdown reached one, the air in the launch bay was sucked out with a loud sound. A few seconds later the massive space side door gently opened.

"Mantis, Rescue One, you are clear to launch. Over."

"Rescue One, Mantis copies, launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!" Captain Shuang gently gave her thrusters a shot causing the fighter to slide forward slowly until it cleared the launch bay, once she was out in space, she gave the thrusters another slight shot until she saw that she was clear of Rescue One. After that, she keyed up her main propulsion. "Nemo, Mantis, I am showing an ETE of 12:24."

"Mantis, Nemo copies. ETE of 12:24. You are cleared to dock on arrival."

To Captain Shuang, it looked as if the entire squadron and Rescue One were sitting stationary while she was the one moving between the massive destroyers and the even larger battle cruiser she took off from. It didn't take her long to find the destroyer she had called home after being picked up here by them. Landing her fighter on the massive bomber was the most stressful part of this mission for her because although the landing bay was large enough for her fighter, it wasn't truly designed to be a match. If she was even a little too heavy-handed it might cause the Federation AI trouble.

Nemo's voice came over her com channel, "Mantis, this is Nemo, I'll be taking control from this point. Sit back and enjoy the ride."

Captain Shuang was always impressed by how lifelike the Federation AI sounded. The PRE AI on Rescue One was nothing like it. Rescue One's AI sounded like a computer when it talked. Very stoic and mechanical. Everything went so smoothly that she didn't even notice the docking clamps until she was safely onboard Nemo. Once the light turned green, the Federation crew entered the landing bay followed by a woman in a pink skin-tight who was carrying a small helmet.

Captain Shuang stared at the woman with her mouth open. She blinked her eyes several times thinking she was seeing things until the canopy was opened and one of the Federation crew gave her helmet a couple of taps to get her attention while pointing to his ear. Captain Shuang clicked her com channel button and set it to listen over the suit's external microphone. Once he saw her do that he said, "Welcome back, Captain Shuang, sit tight we'll have Second Lieutenant de Santos buttoned up in here in a jiffy."

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Because her suit was different from a PRE space suit she was able to climb up and get into the back seat herself. Once Treecy was in the cockpit she spoke over the internal com channel, "Good afternoon, Captain Shuang. I'm Second Lieutenant Treecy de Santos. I appreciate the ride."

Captain Shuang swallowed and then asked, "Are you a VIP, a celebrity, or something?"

"Oh? Why do you ask?" Treecy adjusted a few things in her seat before giving a thumbs-up to the crew member helping her belt into the fighter. The crew member gave a couple of taps to Captain Shuang getting her attention before giving her a thumbs-up and closing the canopy.

Captain Shuang already had her systems online so she only had to make sure everything was still green once that was done she spoke over the com channel, "Nemo, Mantis, I am all green ready for launch." Then she switched over to the internal com channel and said, "Well, you have a strange space suit, you are terrifyingly beautiful, and uh, I don't know really know how to say it, but the crew treats you differently."

Treecy chuckled and said, "Celebrity? No nothing like that, although I suppose I am different."

The launch bay on Nemo went dark signifying that the space door was opening. Once the door was fully open Nemo came over the com channel and said in his deep voice, "Mantis, you are a go for launch."

"Nemo, Mantis copies, launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!" Captain Shuang gave the thrusters a shot and gently pulled away from Nemo's launch bay. Once out in space Captain Shuang noticed that the Nemo had moved its position much closer to the Van Halen. She let her onboard AI come up with bearing and distance before keying up the com channel, "Van Halen, Mantis, I show an ETE of 13:45."

Captain Johnson's voice came over the com channel, "Mantis, Van Halen copies. Once in position standby for AI control."

Treecy frowned in the back seat before saying over the internal com channel, "That's not right, he isn't following procedures."

Captain Shuang answered, "Mantis copies, I will standby for AI control." After she keyed the channel over to internal she asked, "What do you mean?"

"He should have cleared you to dock, AI control isn't something unusual. If you aren't cleared to dock straight away he is supposed to have you stage. He didn't give you a staging position or clear you to dock. Which is wrong. At least by the Federation docking procedure handbook."

Mantis pulled her fighter up under Van Halen's landing bay waiting for the door to open and the AI to take control.

Treecy was watching the destroyer and noticed one of the railgun turrets turn in their direction. She suddenly called out, "Break right!"

Mantis was a trained fighter pilot and instinctually cranked the control stick and foot pedals so that her fighter spun off to the right without questioning why. Half a second later the massive gun fired off a round that passed harmlessly through the area which had moments before been occupied by her fighter. Mantis keyed up her com channel so that every destroyer and Rescue One could hear, "Van Halen cease fire! You are firing on friendlies, over!"

Colonel John's angry voice came over the channel, "Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead to Van Halen, cease fire immediately! Squadron Six Seventy-Three all units target Van Halen."

Van Halen's AI came over the channel, "Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead, Van Halen, my systems are still compromised. The shot did not come from a manned turret. A subroutine classified Mantis as hostile and automatically fired. Over."

Treecy looked at the destroyer and then asked, "Captain Shuang, can we open and close the canopy?"

"You plan to spacewalk over? That's crazy!"

"It's not that far, I see an airlock right over there. It's better than us getting shot trying to land. Trust me, I took a class on spacewalking when I was in high school, it's super easy." Treecy smiled and then asked, "Do I need to close the canopy from outside?"

Captain Shuang said, "Yes, I can open it from inside here, but you will need to help close it once you get outside. De Santos, once you are outside, I won't be able to help you at all."

"Don't worry Captain, I've got this." She gave a thumbs-up and then said, "Pop the canopy, I'm going out for a walk."

On the Nemo, Colonel John and the others watched on their displays as the canopy opened and Treecy climbed out. She closed the canopy and then drifted off the fighter gently floating over to the Van Halen. She seemed to be as skilled as any of them probably more skilled as they self-assessed themselves. She slipped in the airlock a moment later. Someone whistled and then Hicks asked, "Why is she so good at that?"

Colonel John keyed up the com channel, "Van Halen, Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead confirming that Second Lieutenant Treecy de Santos is safely aboard?"

Captain Johnson's voice came back, "Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead, Van Halen, affirmative. She is safely on board."

"Mantis, Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead, Thank you for the assistance, I owe you one. Squadron Six Seventy-Three lead out."