As Kelly walked out of the Briefing Room, Valentine got up to follow her, "Captain?" She didn't seem to hear him, not even slowing down, so he tried again, "Um, Captain?"

Still ignoring him, she walked onto the Bridge, her jacket slung over her shoulder, walking casually toward the center chair, "Report…"

The woman seated there stood to greet the Captain. She was almost as tall as the Captain, but had short blond hair, human that Valentine placed somewhere in her late 30s or early 40s and looked like she was a rather tough customer. Her outfit didn't exactly look any more regulation that the rugged outfit the Captain was wearing. In fact, she looked more like a pirate, but her boots certainly showed off her long legs. Boldly putting hands on hips Langston said, "I thought you would never finish that damned meeting. You know how I hate this cursed chair. In a cockpit, I can rule the galaxy, but in this chair I feel like a babysitter for this insane asylum."

Kelly nodded, "So…no report then?"

The cocky blond gave a sigh and rolled her eyes, "Sorry…we're locked in and at warp four, cloak is active and as far as we can tell, our departure went without notice. The shuttle was destroyed as planned, which was picked up by the Vulcans as they tried several times to contact it before it went up. Our warp trail was masked by an exit route close to one of the other solar flares, using the magnetic field as cover. Other than that, all systems are green. She's all yours."

Kelly held up a finger, "Not so fast." The blond made a face, but waited to hear what it was. Kelly poked a thumb over her shoulder and said, "This eager young man is Valentine Winters. According to his record, he knows how to fly a ship, has a tendency to play with knives and is convinced he is a gift to women." She turned to Valentine and grinned, "This is Lieutenant Lauren Langston. She likes busting balls and was the only pilot brave enough to test fly this ship while it was still being designed." The Captain patted the blond on the shoulder and added, "He's all yours. I'll call in next shift."

The blond walked up to Valentine and without a second of hesitation, reached down, grabbed his crotch and said over her shoulder, "I don't know about a gift, but he's over the size limit, so I won't have a to throw him back."

Valentine's eyes went wide when she grabbed him, letting out a small cough of surprise and a faint blush. Langston gave a wink and a playful squeeze before letting go, then turned and started walking out the door, "You hungry? I'm starving. They call me 'Legs', but so long as you keep it respectful, I'm flexible."

Valentine followed her as she led them to the mess hall. Typical of everything else on the ship, it was small and Spartan. Langston had conjured up some kind of strange sandwich with grains and cranberries in the bread. Valentine walked over to the replicator and thought for a moment before he decided on some sushi rolls and some noodles. The replicated stuff was never as good as the real deal, but it kept you going. It occurred to Valentine he would never have the authentic thing again, given the state of Earth, then quickly pushed the thought away. He sat down and waited for her to do the same. When she did, he took a bite of one of the rolls and said: "So the Captain said you test piloted the Spectre. How does she handle?" He was curious to get the professional opinion of the Woman who test piloted the ship, and seemed to be the one at the helm currently. She was definitely a different kind of woman than he was accustomed to.

In between bites, Langston replied, "Well, for a ship this size, she can handle almost like a fighter." She wrinkled her nose and tried again, "Maybe we'll go with very big fighter. You can operate helm and weapons from different consoles, giving someone else the job of gunner while you fly the ship, or you can do it solo. It's also possible to initiate a dogfight feature, should you need to. It is at the helm and from under the console will extend controls. You then fly her just like a fighter, having weapons control buttons on your flight controls. It is really hard to do though, with only using the Main View Screen. If it comes to that, pull out the helmet from under your seat. It gives a simulated view, using ship sensors. I suggest practicing with it a few times on the holodeck first. With it on, you see nothing of the ship, not even yourself. There are two small circles though, to orient you in the sphere of vision. The one on the upper left is a rear view from the ship and the one on the upper right is forward. Targets are color coded for range and will also indicate current weapons locks, both yours and theirs. She won't let you break her though. If you try to exceed her allowable stress, she will not let you pull more g-forces than she can handle."

She took a drink of water to wash down another bite of her meal and then shifted a bit, "The thing to be mindful of, is if we make a short jump. A jump is what they call it when we break warp 10. It still makes my heart skip when we make a jump, but the system has never failed yet. The thing is, when we make a jump, you really tax the shields. To do it, we obviously have to give the ship a huge boost of acceleration. It turns out that the danger isn't in crossing the barrier, it is the barrier itself. When you hang out in the turbulence of that barrier is when you risk temporal continuity as it starts threatening to impact matter on the quantum level. The Captain can describe it better, but all you need to know is that you never hang out at warp 10. This ship is actually incapable of it, but get past warp 10, they create a controlled detonation between the two layers of shields around the ship. The outer shields fail in a very specific pattern that causes us to shoot forward like we were shot out of a gun. It also damages the inner shields though, bringing them down to about 50%. They need about six hours to both recover. That means you really don't want to drop into instant combat. The up side is that sensors don't pick you up the same if you're over warp 10, so if you drop in from high warp, you can get the drop on them. Typically, you drop out of warp at a dead stop and cloaked, so you make almost no spatial disruption in your arrival."

Valentine nodded as he ate, finding the conversation rather interesting, "That is good to know. I doubt we will often warp into combat situation, but knowing we can get in undetected and select our targets is a good thing. Perhaps I can speak with our new Engineering Officer about a way to either boost the shields or perhaps create a secondary system specifically for jumping. I don't know about you but taking 6 hours to return to full is rather lengthy. The paranoid side of me wonders what were to happen if we jump and had a failure with the cloak? She's armed to the teeth and with our combined skills would make us a hard target to kill, but it isn't beyond the realm of impossibility. I like to make sure we have every advantage going into situations, it's part of how I managed to stay alive as long as I have while maintaining most of my original parts."

Langston seemed unbothered by the ideas he posed, "Well, most of the time we jump, we're at warp that long or longer, so there is no worry. Although this ship can do some serious damage, the idea is not to fight unless forced to do so, or to silence those who might give us away. You drop out of warp in a place that might give a tactical advantage, or at least help maintain stealth. As for the design, the secondary shield is intended as part of the propulsion system, but CAN be used as additional defense, not the other way around." She looked at his eye for a moment and grinned, but said nothing about it.

Valentine chuckled and as he mentioned original parts his cybernetic eye whirred, as if to accentuate the joke. He finished his rolls and began to work on his noodles. After a few mouthfuls he swallowed and asked: "What's your take on the Captain? She seems rather chilly, but I have a feeling she knows her stuff. I know she designed this beast but she has more of a seasoned feel about her than just a researcher."

She chuckled in reply, "Well, I know that she started out as you might imagine most Starfleet Officers do. She was on a destroyer, if memory serves correctly. Her Captain was some Klingon, but the name escapes me. She became his First Officer and then took over the ship herself when he moved on to bigger things. I'm told that even back then, she started getting her feet wet in covert missions and stacking up secrets. She was given a Heavy Cruiser at some point, but the whole time had her scientific ideas. Her Trill friend was even the Captain of a ship at one time, but people started sending them on missions they weren't supposed to return from. After a while, they started taking it personally. Someone had listened to her crazy ideas and thought it had possibilities. Most thought she would simply blow herself up and either way viewed it as a win-win. I was recruited to test the ship and never left. As for Kelly being a researcher, she's smart. Don't make any mistake in underestimating her. I will tell you that her very first FO turned out to be a traitor and she stabbed him through the heart herself. I could tell you stories all night, but I can save time by summing it up like this…if I'm in trouble, I feel much safer if she's coming for me. I've seen her clean out a room full of men. Trust me, right or wrong, I'll pick standing next to her every time…and you should too."

Valentine nodded and smirked. "I have a feeling we are going to get along well then. My trust doesn't come easy." He said as he pointed to his eye. "I learned that lesson the hard way, but there is something about her and this crew. It's hard to explain but it's almost like...being home if that makes any sense."

With a smile, she replied, "Well, this ship has been my home for the past several years, so yes, it makes a great deal of sense to me."

Valentine finished his food and leaned back with a satisfied look on his face. He cocked his head to the side and looked her over before asking, "So have you always had a thing for flying?"

"I've been flying almost my entire life. As a child, I learned to move in zero-g before I learned to walk. I've always preferred high-g though. I've been flying with powered flight since I was four, but I didn't try it with a vehicle until I was learning atmospheric flight at about seven. I have to say that atmospheric flight is much easier with a vehicle. My first time behind the stick of a non-atmospheric ship was at age 10. My father designed and built experimental craft, so I was around them in one form or another my entire life."

Valentine asked, "Wait, how did you fly if you weren't using a craft?"

She chuckled, "Maybe I'll show you sometime, but not many people can handle that. Let's take it one step at a time."

"Hey, wait a minute. You said you could do it as a kid, so how hard can it be?"

She became a little more serious and replied, "Because I grew up in such varied environments, especially high gravity areas of stations during developmental stages of my life, my body developed interesting coping mechanisms. I can take more g-forces than normal before I'm disoriented or pass out. I find the conditions most people find painful or stressful to be my comfort zone and they even excite me a little."

He chuckled, "So…you get turned on by intense flying?"

She gave him a flirtatious grin, "I suppose you could say that."

"Perhaps we should find a flying program to share some time."

She gave a brief laugh, "Aw, you're trying to hit on me while making small talk. That's kind of cute. I just hope you're not one of those candy and flowers kind of guys. I would only end up using you for sex, breaking your heart and ruining you for other women."

His grin widened, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

She pointed at his eye, "I would hope that eye is the only mechanical part of you or that would take the fun out of life. I'm afraid to ask where they stick your batteries."

He chuckled and nodded in an acknowledgement that she had gotten in a good jab at his expense. He supposed he might have deserved it a little as well, but came back with, "No batteries, but I would be happy to let you try and make good on ruining me for other women."

She stood and disposed of her tray in the replicator, "So, you think you're ready to learn from the master, huh?"

Valentine disposed of his things as well and gave a nod, "Your place or mine?"

She gave him a seductive look and slid up next to him and whispered, "The holodeck…"

"Nice choice. What did you have in mind?"

She cozied up even closer, pressing up against him a little, "I was thinking the tutorial program I designed for piloting this ship and understanding her weapons systems. I'm thinking that maybe you should know how to handle this ship before we worry if you can handle me or not."

Valentine rolled his eyes at letting himself be suckered in so easy. She smiled playfully though and walked away, showing him the way to the holodeck, "Come on, I don't bite…hard…"

Valentine chuckled as he followed after her. He had to admit she was rather attractive, but what he liked the most about her was her bold personality. It was almost like she was one of the guys, and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, much like him. He had known many male fighter pilots, and they tended to be pretty bold, so it did fit the mold, in a manner of speaking. The playful banter was definitely a welcomed change. The only female he had a chance to talk to over the past few months was Kat and she made it quite clear she wasn't vulnerable to his charms. Over that time, she became like a kid sister to him, but Legs here, she definitely didn't give him a sisterly vibe.

He thought to himself as they arrived on the holodeck, Careful Valentine, she might be right about falling in love. Langston entered in the command for the program and the door opened, smiling at Valentine and beckoning him with a come here gesture with her finger. He walked in and saw the bridge of the Spectre and grinned.

She spread her arms as she walked toward the critical station at the front. She waited for him to take his seat, hands on hips and a sly grin.

He took a seat at the helm and asked, "So what shall we do first?"

She teased, "You should treat the ship like any lady and warm up to her first. Try a little foreplay. Like doing your standard preflight checks. We're simulated docked at an unmanned fuel storage facility. They are stashed in remote areas for ships like ourselves, allowing us to sometimes avoid docking and giving away where we are in the galaxy."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he expertly went through his checks and when all indications were green, he glanced at her and she gave a nod of approval. He had the ship disconnect and began the simple maneuvering thrusters to nudge them away from the simulated facility. He then gently moved forward, clear of the area and into open space.

She moved to the side and watched him as she said, "Simple enough, right? Now go ahead and get a feel for her. You're in open space now and have all the room you could want, so get a feel for what she'll let you do. Take some tight turns and see how she does."

He began playing with the controls and was impressed with how responsive the ship was, "Wow! This thing turns tight. I've flown shuttles that weren't this maneuverable. It's almost like flying a fighter."

She smiled, "I know. Pretty sexy, right?"

He chuckled, "This girl has some moves in her."

There was a small alarm showing some fast moving incoming hostile targets. He glanced at Legs and her smile got bigger. He tilted his head and began to try to avoid them, "Testing me with combat already?"

She continued to watch the screen, "Nope, not yet. For now, you don't get weapons. At this point, you can only take evasive maneuvers and try to stay alive. You don't have warp power and no weapons. When you're in that seat, the Captain often gets to pick fight or flight and little else. The rest is often in your hands. Right now, it is flight."

The enemy opened fire and the ship took some hits on the shields, "Oh, we're not going to live long at that rate, you better get a little more serious about keeping us alive. Nothing kills the mood more than being dead. If you want me to be able to make good on ruining you for other women, you'll have to keep me alive first."

He mumbled a curse under his breath and focused on the task at hand. It took him a little bit, but he finally got the hang of it and got back into the groove. He had been a little rusty, but it came back fast. He stopped thinking of the size of the ship and started thinking like he was in a fighter.

"That's better! I'm in a much better mood when my tits aren't getting shot off."

He chuckled, "That would be criminal. We can't have that."

She walked over to the Tactical Station and locked onto the targets. She quickly took them out and then said, "There, catch your breath for a second."

He shook the blood back into his fingers and stretched his neck, "This ship is amazing!"

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Pull the helmet out from under your seat."

As he did, she reached forward and pointed to the arming button, "This turns it into a fighter. Try it."

He pressed it and the controls extended from under the console. Two small pedals also slid under his feet. They were fighter controls. The left hand was throttle, with target and weapons selections. The right was the flight control with weapons triggers.

The alarm was beeping again, signaling more contacts as he slipped the helmet on. Suddenly the ship disappeared and he was floating in space seeing the target indicators and his heart began to race. Now he felt like he WAS the ship. When he took hits, he could tell where they were hitting, indicating the direction he was being attacked from. It was like a dream come true.

In seconds, he was consumed in the simulation. He had forgotten all about the ship and was reacting like he was in combat on a battlefield, able to spin, turn, shut down thrusters and float through space backwards and then rotate and engage thrusters once more. It was like being a deadly dancer in space. He took out ten simulated fighters in almost not time at all, then there was quiet once more.

He pulled off the helmet. His heart was pounding and his breathing was rapid. He looked at her with wide eyes, "Holy crap! That was amazing!"

She leaned on the console and said in a sassy tone, "See, I told you. A person could get a little excited from doing that for a living. It might not be as good as sex, but it does make for a great turn-on."

He chuckled and replied, "Once again…you say that like it's a bad thing. The question is, now that you've got me all excited, what are you going to do with me?"

She moved around the console and bent over as if to kiss him on the mouth, but then at the last second turned it into a kiss on the cheek and said, "I'm going to go get naked and take a much needed shower, which means I'm going to abandon you here to practice while I go get some rest. Tomorrow you're going to be flying the real thing, so try not to look bad in front of the Captain."

The reality of what she said struck him, "What? You're going to drop me onto the Bridge just like that?"

She gave a mocking pouty face as she began to back away, "These are the big leagues, tiger. Welcome to the rough and tumble. I figure a big bad boy like you would be happy to jump right in."

He shook his head with a smile, "You're a crazy bitch, you know that, right?"

She gave a big smile that showed deep dimples and blew him a kiss, "Now you're catching on! G'night my Valentine."

He laughed to himself, shaking his head, but the alarms began to go off again and this time showed a couple of bigger ships warping in on his position. He cursed and quickly put the helmet back on as the door to the Bridge slid shut behind Legs.