Voyage of the Wolf Scene 2

     The Wolf slid away from the skeletal dockyard, pushed by small thrusters fed by the engines. A small white pilot-ship pulled along side of the large black raider and a comm laser whisked out to caress the Wolf's receiver. Within a few moments the Wolf was mimicking every move that the pilot ship made.The two ships glided silently through the large orbital dockyard. They passed numerous ships including the almost finished Enterprise. The ship was a large tube with numerous docking points along its sides and the dorsal part of its spine. Eventually it would carry forty-eight fighters, four full squadrons. It was to be the flagship of the Homefleet in a few months. It was surrounded by landing ships, a mobile dock and more than a few armed freighters used as Q-ships to protect our own convoys. The Q-ships were quick modifications of old freighters and didn't have the extensive re-design or upgraded armament that the Wolf had.
     Alfonso Yeager watched them all pass silently through the small view-port on the bridge. His thoughts were on the mission ahead. They needed to capture more ships and they needed to lock down the Synod trade through the sector. They also needed to reach out and find more allies if they were to survive as a species. No one at FleetCom knew what was coming their way so more than anything they needed intel on Synod intentions and capabilities which would be vitally important to the successful outcome of the mission.
     All of this was theoretical as no human had ever conducted a mission like this before in history. They needed training, practice and time. Time, unfortunately, was not in abundance. The Wolf cleared the area of the dockyard and the pilot-ship pulled away.
     "Move us away from Terra at full sub-light, Mr. Taban." Captain Yeager said.
     "Yes, sir, full sub-light," Taban repeated and tapped into the console in front of him. A few moments later he turned and said, "Engineering reports sub-light engines at full thrust Captain."
     "Navigation, plot a jump to Mars orbit when we are clear of Terra's gravity well." Jeager ordered.
     "Aye, sir. Mars jump in thirty minutes," said a young female ensign with blond hair and delicate features.
     The time flew by as Alfonso checked the ship's core systems from his command station at the back of the bridge. All systems were operating within normal parameters, though the power from engine three was fluctuating a hair it was well within safety guidelines for this vessel according to the information they had received.
     "One minute to jump sir," reported the ensign at navigation. Emily Rogers was top of her class at the US Air Force Academy with degrees in astrophysics and aeronautical engineering and advanced degrees from MIT in both. She was brilliant, young and her first deployment was an alien spaceship on a unprecedented mission. Lucky girl.
     Alfonso keyed the com and spoke into his headphone mic," Secure for jump. All hands man your jump stations."