Chapter two- New Orders
SSV Derby, Elysium, Skyllian Verge, 27th May 2190f
"Captain, there's a transmission for you, Admiral Shepard wants a word."
"Roger that patch him through."
"Captain Wells, I know you and your crew are due some shore-leave but I have new orders for you." A collective groan went up around the CIC. Wells however, remained professional:
"What's so urgent sir, my crew has been waiting a long time."
"An Alliance frigate, the SSV Tewkesbury has been listed MIA, and it's possible that the wreckage is out in the Drake system. You're the only vessel equipped with a Crush Depth Atmospheric Reconnaissance Vehicle that is available for deployment. I promise you won't be assigned long term, just to this one search and rescue, once that's done you get shore-leave and a half. I'm assigning the frigates SSV Jutland and the SSV Thermopylae as an escort. Let me know what you find. Shepard out."
Captain Wells let the professional facade collapse and sighed bitterly to himself. Time to tell the wife to take the kids on holiday without me he thought. He barked orders to the helmsman and retired to his quarters. As the helmsman disengaged the docking clamps and the ship slid away from the space dock, Wells fired up his personal terminal and began a transmission.
"Harry! I'm so glad you could get leave for this, when are you going to be down here? The kids are all packed and we're just waiting for you..." His wife's excited rambling trailed off as she saw the look on his face.
"You're not going to make it this time are you?" She sighed dejectedly, "Why is it always you who gets the next assignment?"
"Fuck knows, I'll make it up to you all soon. We all get extra leave on our return so we'll be able to do something then."
"Yeah I bet we will," his wife suddenly had a hard edge in her voice, "like all those other times."
"None of that's my fault!" Wells protested, his anger flaring up as usual.
"That doesn't make it any better though does it?" his wife was being belligerent again, not that he blamed her, he would be too he supposed.
"Look, just go and enjoy yourself, and tell the kids daddy loves them."
"Tell them yourself if you can be bothered, if you come back." She wasn't going to let him off easy.
"I'll see you soon dear, just a week or two, when you're back you'll have me to yourselves."
"Perhaps," a tear formed in her eye "come back safe, for the kids." She disconnected. Wells dropped his head on to the desk, his crown engulfed in the haptic interface. His marriage was falling apart because of his job and his duty. Bloody hell he was a cliché, and fuck knows he hated clichés.
