The NRS Vanguard slid silently out of the dry dock where she was being refitted, on the bridge Captain Gina Niciae, a tall GEM with black hair who was wearing a white naval uniform with a scout service badge on the hat sat in the command chair and inspected the readouts, The newly installed jump drive was working and the two rear turrets had sensors in them instead of the usual triple x-ray laser batteries. Everything appeared to be running normally.
"Signal the Commodore and let him know we have completed our pre jump checks" She said
"Vanguard to Harbormaster, we have completed all pre jump checks, request permission to proceed to 100 diameters to the jump point." the communications officer said
A few moments later a reply came back "Rodger that, Vanguard this is Harbormaster you are cleared to proceed to the jump point"
"Helm, proceed at best speed to the jump point." Gina ordered
"Aye, mam, proceeding to jump point, ETA 20 minutes" the helmsman replied and typed a few commands into the control panel.
The massive ship turned gracefully and a yellow glow shone on the thruster plates as the ship began to move.
"Astrogation, How is the plot for the course to Agater coming along?" Gina asked the navigator
"The course is ready to go as soon as we hit the jump point" Tina Niciae, the navigator replied.
Gina gulped slightly as she realized that she and her ship would be the first Nicians to leave their home system, a few unmanned probes had been sent on ahead to map the Agater system and they knew there was an inhabitable planet there that did not have sentient life and they were being sent to establish a forward colony in the system. but the historic nature of this voyage was not lost on her and she felt very nervous.
"Mam, we are 1 minute away from the jump point" the helmsman stated.
"Very Good, prepare to engage the jump drive on my mark." Gina ordered and pulled up a timer onto her display screen to countdown the distance to the jump point.
"Engage Jump Drive in 3... 2... 1... Now" She ordered as she watched the final seconds of the timer countdown.
The Lanthanum grid of the jump drive on the ship's armor glowed blue for a moment then the glow slowly spread till there was a blue glowing bubble where the ship used to be then the glow shrunk down to nothing and the ship was gone.
Inside the Vanguard the outer display screens turned gray and there was silence.
After a moment Gina spoke, "All departments report in" she ordered.
"Engineering reporting in, no damage"
"Medical reporting in, life support systems nominal, no casualties"
"Gunnery reporting in, No targets sighted"
"Helm reporting in, Sublight drives non operational but undamaged"
"Astrogation reporting in, Jump insertion successful, jump field holding, ETA to jump egress one week, we did it"
"Science reporting in, Jump space being analyzed, getting some very interesting readings here"
She heaved a sigh of relief, they had made it this far. now all they had to do was wait.
"Tina take the bridge, I am going to my quarters" Gina said and unsocketed from the command chair and left.
"Aye Mam" Tina said and left the astrogation station and sat in the command chair and pulled her astrogation charts up onto its displays and socketed herself into the computer.
One week later, 100 diameters from Agater III, a garden world a pinprick of blue light suddenly appeared and grew to the size of a ship then faded slowly until a ship with a glowing blue grid across its armor appeared, about 30 seconds later the grid stopped glowing and was no longer visible.
"Mam we have emerged from jump space" Tina said
"Sensors, I want a scan of the area and the planet, lets see what's out there" Gina ordered.
OOC: Invites have been sent by PM.
