CHAPTER 3: CHARLENE

The door loomed before her, an impassable barrier. Charlene stood just inside the hatch sensors, unwilling to trigger the opening sequence. This was where she needed to be. Where she wanted to be. And yet, something deep inside screamed at her to turn back.

She'd stood in this very spot not long ago, heart racing with excitement for the adventure ahead. Flying the most advanced starship ever constructed. Now, anxiety gripped her. Her position as Commander Air Group aboard the Federation's decorated carrier F.W.S. Enterprise had become her heart's home. She commanded respect from every pilot under her command.

The Enterprise patch still adorned her uniform. She couldn't bring herself to remove it, even though she no longer served in that posting. At the Admiralty's request, she'd agreed to transfer back to her old position - helm of the only starship with a chance against the threat they faced. The only ship to escape the slaughter.

The door before her read: F.W.S. WarpStar SDDE-01.

"Can't do it, can ya?" a voice behind her asked, startling Charlene from her reverie.

She turned to see Ensign Jennifer Smedly, her new confidante. "I... I..." Charlene stammered, unable to voice her fears.

Jennifer smiled softly, reaching for Charlene's hand. "I know. You love him, you always have. I can't imagine being in that position. It has to be awkward."

Charlene gripped Jennifer's hand, drawing strength from her friend's presence. "Well, I have you to cry on when I can't hold it anymore!"

"And when did I sign up for that duty?" Jennifer teased, her eyes twinkling.

"When you busted into my quarters and let loose a flood of tears over Jessie!"

They both burst into laughter, the tension easing slightly.

"Oh yeah, that!" Jennifer wiped away tears of mirth. "Now come on, I'm hungry! I hear the chef is making his famous Martian Beef Stew!"

Charlene took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. It was time to face her fears and bury her feelings. She turned back to the intimidating hatch and stepped forward.

Three steps. That's all it took for the outer airlock door to unlatch with a resounding clank. It swung open, revealing the interior of the mighty destroyer.

Heidi

Time. The one thing Heidi Watney needed most.

The shock of her battlefield promotion to first officer still hadn't worn off. She'd gotten only two days to relax before duty called again. The summons came at the worst possible moment - while she was submerged in a hot bath, completely disconnected from the outside world.

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Her com unit chimed, displaying Captain John Henderson's ID. She ignored it. He'd understand. When it chimed again, and then a third time, she silenced the device. He'd agreed she needed time off, after all.

Heidi closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of warm water against her skin. She'd barely dozed off when the house AI's crisp voice jolted her awake.

"Admiral Briggs has requested communication, priority one."

Her eyes flew open. "Shit!" she exclaimed, scrambling out of the tub. 'The Captain was spamming my phone for a reason. Stupid me for ignoring it!'

She frantically pulled on her uniform as the AI repeated the message. Moments later, Admiral Briggs' holographic image materialized before her.

"Commander." His eyes sparkled with amusement. "I see you're out of uniform."

Heidi held her salute, acutely aware of her disheveled appearance. "Sorry sir, you caught me at an awkward time."

"Don't worry, Commander. I wasn't expecting you to be in uniform, considering this call wasn't scheduled. But I expect either a full attempt or none at all. I'd rather have seen you naked than... this."

Heidi cringed inwardly. In her haste, she'd thrown on an undershirt, dress top, and pants, leaving her hair wet and feet bare. The holo unit captured it all.

"Sorry sir, I was soaking in a bath."

"I take it from the missed calls from your CO and your lack of reporting for duty that you have no idea what's going on?"

"No, sir. I turned off all holo feeds and news relays. I haven't been taking calls from anyone, not even family. I needed R&R. I--"

"I know," Briggs interrupted. "John told me you requested extended leave, and he granted it. However, we need to cut that short."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"All military personnel have been activated and put on full duty. Active, Reserve, and Retired."

Horror washed over Heidi's face. The President's request to recall and activate all military personnel, even retirees, was unprecedented.

"Sir?"

"Sol is being invaded. Alliance and Legion forces have surrounded the entire system. Disruption fields are saturating the solar system up to one light-month out. We need you on the WarpStar as soon as humanly possible. John is being briefed on your op in four days. You'll have command until he arrives."

"Aye sir. I'm home, so I can't get there for 80 hours."

"Negative. We're giving you priority clearance for military transport. You have 24 hours to report for duty."

"Aye sir!" Heidi saluted as the hologram faded.

Twenty-four hours. Mars was currently 95 million miles from Earth, where the WarpStar was docked. Civilian transport would take over 70 hours at 1g acceleration. Military transports, with their inertia dampeners and artificial gravity, could sustain 15g acceleration, reducing the trip to just over 17 hours.

That left her a generous six and a half hours to pack. Plenty of time. Heidi stripped off her hastily donned uniform and sank back into the bathtub. One last soak before duty called.

The next 24 hours passed in a blur of calm before the storm. After her bath, Heidi enjoyed a feast with family and friends before boarding her transport. Knowing she had 17 hours ahead, she'd stayed awake beforehand to maximize sleep during the journey.

She arrived at Luna Fleet Yards, where the WarpStar was taking on supplies. Heightened security surrounded the ship, but she disregarded it, proceeding to take her post on the bridge. Most of the senior staff were already there, including - to her surprise - Lt. Commander Charlene Carr, the chief pilot.

Heidi's eyebrows rose as she witnessed a forbidden kiss between their CO and Char. She'd thought the awkwardness between them might affect their performance. Filing that concern away, she turned her attention to readying the ship for flight and training the new weapons officer - who was already an hour late for their first shift.

Heidi sighed. It was going to be a long day.