Gateway 3 - Becoming an Officer

It took her twenty-five minutes, as she'd changed her shirt and underwear, too. Quick work with knife and scissors removed the stripes from a clean uniform top, and the lieutenant's bars were quickly pinned to her collar. She stared at them for a moment. Dad would be proud; Mom, too.

When she reached the officer's mess she took a deep breath and pushed the door open. It was quiet inside and she looked around, spotting Peter Mackay chatting to Captain Janizi. It was Janizi who spotted her, and she touched Mackay's arm, pointing. He turned, a broad smile appearing on his face and he signaled her to come across.

"You're late," he said with a grin.

Larsen shrugged. "Five minutes, that's all."

"Congratulations, Karen," said Janizi. "Both on your promotion, and on a superb piece of flying."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"In here, off-duty, it's Nicola, or Nikki, to you."

Larsen nodded, acknowledging with a smile. "Nikki."

"What would you like to drink, Karen?" said Mackay.

"Just a fruit juice, for now, if we're eating later."

"Fine. Captain?"

"You were calling me Nicola a moment ago, Peter. Nothing for me, thanks. I have some paper work to catch up on, so I'll leave the two of you in peace. You might like to know, Karen, that Sally Ewen is making a very good squad corporal."

"I thought she would."

"Not as good as you were, but better than a couple of the more experienced corporals. Okay, the paperwork beckons, so bye for now."

"Bye, Nikki. Tell Sally well done from me, would you?"

"Consider it done." And with a wave, Janizi was gone.

"Your fruit juice, Karen. Shall we sit? There's a table over there. In the corner, nice and quiet."

They were making their way to the table, when two officers came in behind them. A familiar, and unwelcome, voice disturbed them.

"What the hell are you doing here, Larsen? This place is for officers!"

She turned. "Lieutenant Kelly. What a pleasant surprise."

"I asked you a question, Larsen."

"You answered yourself, Kelly. Officers, you said."

"You're a non-com, so I'll ask you again. What are you doing here?"

"She's my guest," said Mackay.

"And who are you?" said Kelly, chin thrust out aggressively. "Why bring a non-com where she isn't wanted?"

"Who said anything about a non-com?" said Mackay. "Are you talking about Lieutenant Larsen? Because, if you are, I suggest you apologize. Now."

Kelly looked taken aback for a moment. "Officer? Larsen? Which fucking idiot made you an officer, Larsen?"

"I did," said a new voice. Sadler's tone was so cold that the room seemed suddenly chilled. "You will apologize to me, you will apologize to Lieutenant Larsen, and you will remove yourself from this mess. Now."

Kelly looked stricken. "Sir! I didn't see you."

"That was patently obvious, Kelly. Well? We're waiting."

"I apologize, sir. Larsen, I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I'm not offended, Kelly. I got over that a long time ago."

Kelly, looking as if he wanted to be angry but didn't quite dare, turned to go.

"Coming?" he said to his companion, who had a been silent spectator.

The other, a junior lieutenant Larsen only knew as Anderson, shook his head. "I don't think so. I've been consorting with idiots too long." Kelly threw him a malicious look and turned to go.

"Kelly?" said Sadler.

"Sir?"

"I want your application for transfer off the

Andromeda

on my desk by oh-nine-thirty tomorrow morning. If it isn't, you will face an investigation into some missing stores. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," said Kelly, his whole attitude reflecting shock, anger, and frustration, with not a little fear.

"Your application will be granted, Kelly. You can expect your orders by noon tomorrow. Be packed, ready. You are excused further duties on this ship."

"Sir," said Kelly, and he was gone.

"Lieutenant Larsen?" said Anderson. "My congratulations on your promotion."

"Thank you." Larsen turned to the colonel, frowning. "Sir? Kelly..."

"Is a fool, Larsen. That he is not under arrest is only because the provost-marshal's investigation isn't finished at the moment. The

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will be better off without him. Anderson?"

"Sir?"

"Watch your step."

"Sir!" Anderson smiled, wry. "I was thinking that that particular friendship wasn't what I was looking for, sir."

"Wise," said Sadler. He turned back to Larsen and Mackay. "I do apologize for perhaps spoiling your celebrations."

"Apologies not necessary, sir," said Larsen, and Mackay nodded.

"Absolutely not, sir."

"Larsen, a message pod is due for launch about now, back to Earth-prime. I have asked that your parents be informed, both of your qualification as a flitter pilot, and also of your promotion, and of course your Sirius Star. This way, they'll find out before any message you might send can reach home."

"Thank you, sir! That was generous."

"A few extra words in an official message, that's all. I remember your father. He kept me alive when I was a lieutenant as new as you are, Larsen. It was a pleasure. I was sorry when his time was up, but at least he left the service alive, and intact. Now, if you'll excuse me?" And he was gone.

"You know something, Karen?" said Mackay.

"What?"

"I like Sadler."

"Form an orderly queue behind me! Now, that table?"

They sat for a while, just chatting. Likes, dislikes, books, music, Navy likes, Navy dislikes, and as the evening wore on they were getting increasingly comfortable with each other. At about eight-thirty, Mackay stood.

"Time we ate! You said you were hungry earlier, and I haven't fed you, yet."

"I was, I am, and lead the way!"

The 'D' deck commissary was only half-full when they went in, and they found a table in a quiet corner. Mackay sat back in his seat and smiled.

"What I like about this place, is that after twenty-hundred, they run it like a restaurant, with table service and waiters, and a decent menu. All profits to the injured grunts charities, and they make a fair bit. And, unless I'm mistaken, we are about to be attended to."

To Larsen's surprise, the waitress, in off-duty civilian clothing, was one of her old squad.

"Anne! I didn't know you did this."

Anne Jenner shrugged. "I enjoy it. We, my family, that is, have a restaurant on Terra Secundus, so I guess it's in my blood. Congratulations, by the way. We were all behind you. No offense, sir, but we were all rooting for Lieutenant Larsen," she said to Mackay.

He laughed. "Only right and proper. She beat me, fair and square."

"Here's your menus," said Jenner. "Whatever Lieutenant Larsen wants tonight is on the staff here, sir, with our compliments. I'll be back in a moment for your order."

Mackay looked across at Larsen, his eyebrows raised. She shrugged, flushing. "I guess they like me."

"I'll tell you something I've noticed, Karen. Everyone I've come across, who knows you, has nothing but respect and affection for you. I hope it lasts, now that you're an officer."

She was embarrassed. "Can we drop it, Peter. Tonight is for us."

He nodded, smiling. "Of course. Now, what are you going to have. Anything you like, especially since I'm not paying for it."

She laughed, and returned her attention to the menu. There was something about lieutenant Peter Mackay that she liked. A lot. She glanced across at him while his attention was directed elsewhere for a moment. I wonder what he's like in bed?

The meal was good, as was the bottle of wine which, Jenner informed them, was on Larsen's old squad.

"Anne, when you see them, tell everyone thanks from me, would you?" said Larsen.

"Of course. I'll leave you to enjoy your meal in peace."

"You have loyal friends, Karen," said Mackay, watching the retreating Jenner.

"In a combat team, you have to trust your fellow grunts. It tends to develop friendships and loyalties. I don't know what the long term effect of me now being an officer will be." She shrugged. "I'll find out."

"Maybe some of them will be in the strike teams."

"Very likely." Larsen grinned. "I was hard on them as a squad corporal. I don't think they'll expect me to mellow as an officer."

Mackay grinned back at her. "You could always do a reverse landing like you did for that pickup and dump them in a heap."

"Peter Mackay! As if I would do a thing like that!" she said, spoiling the protest with a grin.

"Of course not, but remember, I watched you take André Ducalse apart."

Larsen sniffed. "He deserved it."

"True. Now shut up and eat!"

"Yes, sir."

It was only ten-fifteen when they left the commissary. "What now?" said Mackay. "Another drink in the mess?"

"Not after the wine. I want a clear head tomorrow if I'm supposed to be teaching you my manoeuvres."

"Okay, I'll walk you home, wherever home is."

"At the moment, I still have a sergeant's billet. I suppose that will change soon. What about you?"

"Sharing with Ducalse and another lieutenant. Okay, Ducalse won't be there, but Miller might."

"I'm by myself. Want a coffee?"

"Yes!"

"Not the world's best, but I like it."

Mackay laughed. "Karen, I've drunk Navy coffee everywhere I've been since I enlisted, and I don't think I have ever tasted two cups the same, not even on the same ship!"

Larsen laughed too. "I know what you mean." She gestured. "I'm home."

It took only a moment to key the door, and she ushered him in, remembering too late the clean underwear she'd left strewn on the bed. Civilian issue, too, some of it, and she flushed at the briefness of some of her garments. Mackay seemed to take no notice as she grabbed them up and stuffed them in a drawer, but she knew he'd seen them.

"I've only the one comfortable chair," she said, opening her locker and taking out the coffee and two mugs. "You take it, and I'll just sit on the bed."

"Not a lot of room, is there?" he said as she opened her tiny bathroom to fill her coffee machine.

"Just enough for one, I think, so you stay where you are and I'll work around you," she said, filling the machine with measured amounts of coffee.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and grinned amiably at her as she glanced at him.

"Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like on a cruiser? I've only ever been on carriers, because they're the ones that carry the ground troops. Never been on anything else, other than a transport ferry, or a flitter."

He said nothing for a moment, and she glanced at him, worried that she might have said the wrong thing, but there was nothing to read on his face except content and she wondered briefly if it was because they were alone, off-duty, in her quarters.

"On a cruiser?" Mackay laughed. Short, wry. "Cramped, for one. They're mostly mobile weapons systems, and the crew come a poor third to the weapons and the ordnance. Noisy, too, no frivolities like sound-proofing. He flashed her a grin. "I make it sound awful, don't I? It's not, it's alive, it's vital, there's a buzz to it that is exciting. But do you know what? I don't miss it at all. In the flitter, I'm the only one. No captain or crew to worry about, just me and the flitter, and occasionally some passengers to carry. I suspect I'll be changing my mind when I come under enemy fire for the first time, but for now, here on the

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as a flitter pilot, that's where I want to be."

"Me, too," she said. "Coffee's ready."

She sat cross-legged on her bunk as Mackay sprawled loosely in her chair, and they chatted, easy with each other, discussing background - hers was Navy, his engineering - families, parents, likes, dislikes, continuing the easy association that had begun when he asked her to dinner. She glanced at her watch at a natural break, startled to see it was well after midnight. Her look must have registered with Mackay, for he glanced at his own watch, then stood.

"Time I wasn't here, Karen."

She nodded, feeling a pang of regret that he couldn't stay. Feeling, too, a sudden heat in her, a wish that he'd stay, take her to bed, but it was too soon. He shrugged into his uniform jacket, and fastened it.

"Thanks for the coffee, Karen, and I'll see you in the morning."

"I have to go to stores first, and get myself some officer clothing, so I'll see you on the hangar deck as soon as I'm clear."

"And we can go and practice your crazy reversed landing?"

"If that's what you want, sure. We'll be out on some kind of flight, for sure, because Colonel Sadler wants us to keep sharp."

Mackay laughed. "I'll need to be sharp to do what you did!"

Larsen grinned. "Naah, just focused."

"Yeah, right. I've heard that before." He sobered. "True, of course. Okay, Karen, see you on the hangar deck in the morning. For now, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Peter." She moved to open the door for him, just as he reached for the key himself, and they collided. He grabbed her as she stumbled, and suddenly she was in his arms, their faces were inches apart, and then he was kissing her, gently at first, but with a growing heat that built in her, too, so that she felt herself getting wet, wanting, feeling his hand come up to cup her breast, feeling her own hand cover his to press it against her, but with an effort of will that nearly drained her, she lifted his hand from her and pushed him away, gasping for breath.

She took a deep breath, and then dared to look at him. He looked a little embarrassed, but she could see the hunger in him, a hunger matched by her own. She shook her head, and took another deep breath. "Not now," she said. "Not here, not yet."

"I can hope?"

She managed a faint smile. "Yes, Peter, you can hope." She looked away from him for a moment, then back. "I need to get used to this officer thing first, work out who I am, where I am. Do you understand?"

His answering smile was equally faint. "No, but I'm patient." He managed another smile, broader this time. "I'll see you in the morning, and lots of other mornings, too. The time will come, I hope."

She smiled back at him, then let the smile fade, and her face was solemn as she spoke. "Count on it," she said, knowing even as she said it that it wouldn't be long, the time would come soon, but as she'd said, she needed to know how to be an officer first.

* * * * *

And that's part 3 done. There will be more, some are already written, some aren't, and my muse is absent more than she's present, these days, so don't hold your breath. Constructive criticism welcomed, and a vote would be nice.