Jessica let the warm hum of human energy surround her as she took her place at the great circular table commanding her flag bridge.
This was her home.
It was only partly a running joke between her and Arott Whughy that he had personally taken her chair from this table and put it into storage while he commanded the squadron at Petron. He actually had, but that had been a statement to her people that he wasn’t trying to usurp her place. And that had secured his with them during that long mission, guiding Petron a few more crucial steps into a more civilized place, reminding her team that they were more than just warriors.
She sat and nodded to her newest staff member. Enej used to sit directly across from her, but he had moved sixty degrees to her right, letting himself and Centurion zu Wiegand see each other as well as watch her. Denis was her right hand, commanding Auberon, even as Enej was her left, the chief of staff and Flag Centurion that could translate her words and thoughts into concrete-enough orders that her team knew where they needed to be next as the music played.
First Fleet Lord Loncar had always placed maximum emphasis on the exact placement of his task forces, even delaying an attack until every destroyer was in the proper plane and alignment.
Fool.
Jessica just had to dance, with the enemy, much as she would an unpredictable fighting robot. Robbie and Alber’ could seamlessly switch between sword and shield, saber and main-gauche, on the fly. Tamara as well. They all knew Enej and had worked with him for years.
Fingers in a glove.
The third point of the triangle would be more interesting, but Jessica had no doubts that Casey was up to the task. Her training did not include the sort of rigor that a four-year Academy training course would include, but then, she was never going to pilot a starship and need to calculate orbital paths and gravitational deflections.
Probably.
Instead, Jessica had created the role of Imperial Flag Centurion. Just as Enej handled squadron communications, Casey would talk to Imperial Captains, if any happened to be part of her task group once they arrived. And while they might complain about taking orders from an Aquitaine vessel or a woman, nobody was going to argue with Admiral of the Red Keller, especially not when the order came from the mouth of a woman who could legally introduce herself to them as Emperor Karl VIII.
Jessica looked around the rest of the room, spotting familiar faces and newcomers. Unlike the warriors, her flag staff tended to be more fluid, as Nils and Petia worked to seed other squadrons and fleets with veterans of First Expeditionary’s flag bridge, as a way of quietly transforming the entire Navy.
Jessica counted noses on the various displays projected around her like ghosts. Everyone was here, ready.
Primed.
Even Kigali had gotten into the act, swapping places with CS-404, the scout who normally rode in the van, instead of CA-264’s accustomed place at the rear, just so he could lead. As the Command Centurion with the longest time in grade, to go with perhaps the biggest legend other than her own, he could do that.
“Casey,” Jessica said all of a sudden. “You do it. That’s the most appropriate, I think.”
From three meters away, it was hard to tell if the young woman blushed, but she did smile carefully and nod, reaching down to press a virtual button on the console in front of her.
“First Expeditionary Fleet, this is Casey zu Wiegand, aboard Auberon. I have the Flag,” she said in a firm voice, no doubt aware that those words would be recorded for posterity. “CA-264, come to zero-three-zero, up ten, roll three-five-zero and accelerate to flank speed.”
Kigali’s ghost nodded at all of them and looked down.
“Zero-three-zero, up ten, roll left ten, roger,” he called back, far more formal than was normal with that man. He understood the new legends that would be born today.
“All vessels,” Casey continued. “Conform to CA-264 and prepare to transition to JumpSpace on my order.”
Jessica found it amusing that Casey’s first glance was to Enej, to make sure she had said it all correctly and in the right order, smiling at Jessica only after the Flag Centurion nodded.
Next stop, Fribourg and the Grand Admiral.