5028

Sol System: Titan

Galactic Date 00:08:405 5028

Seven days the journey took us. I would hesitate to call it a pleasant ride. The Sparrow was never meant to be operated with only three people, at least that's my assumption. Sterling would step in to help us occasionally, but usually just left us to take care of the duties around the ship. To say it was a relief when we heard the approach alarms would be an understatement.

I was lying in bed, off my watch, when I heard them. A low groan that rang over the length of the ship. My head tilted upward, and I felt my whole body perk up. As quick as I was to lie down the hour before, I was on my feet, running out the door toward the helm. Sterling was already standing by the captain's chair. She looked at me with a knowing smile as I rushed in.

"Someone's excited." She said.

"Are we here?" I asked. Sterling checked her watch before looking back at me.

"Would seem that we just about are, Mr. Ortell. Hope you had a good rest. Get on engines. Ms. Verikov, is everything ready at the helm?" I looked down at Tara. She pushed aside a hologram, nervously fiddling with the controls.

"Just about. Switching the ship over to manual control... now." The ship lurched briefly. She corrected, bringing the Sparrow back on track. I looked to Tara nervously, but she seemed unfazed, her gaze as steely as ever. With a nod to herself, Sterling looked to me.

"Alright, Mr. Ortell. Bring primary engines online." I instinctively turned back to my console, tweaking the settings. The warp core's hum quieted as our engines began to draw power. She looked back at Tara once more. "Alright now, Ms. Verikov, easy with the steering. She can be a bit touchy when she drops out of warp." I watched as Tara furrowed her brow. We could see the lights of the stars slow around us, a light appearing at the end of our tunnel. "Brace yourselves." Sterling ordered. I was thankful she did. I grabbed onto the rail just in time as the ship slammed to a stop.

Tara lost hold of the controls, the Sparrow spiraling as she struggled to regain a hold on the ship. Calmly, Sterling walked down the stairs to her, ignoring the disorienting display in front of us. Stars seemed to spin wildly, the planet moving in and out of view. Sterling reached out a hand to the controls, slowing the ship, stabilizing it. I felt like someone had twisted my stomach in knots, and it took all my effort to just hold down my breakfast. Tara sat back up, her palms shaking.

"I'm sorry, Captain." Sterling patted her shoulder.

"Told you, she's touchy." She gestured for Tara to move. She stood up and aside, folding her arms as Sterling sat down. "I'll bring her in."

"What should I do?" Tara asked.

"Just watch for today. We'll figure out something you're better suited to later." Tara looked down, stepping aside. I narrowed my eyes. Tara seemed perfectly capable on navigation, and while she was an excellent driver, piloting was an entirely different ballgame. She looked shaken up over the ordeal, too. Honestly, had that been me, I couldn't say I'd have fared any better. I watched Sterling's hands as she piloted us toward the moon. Even in her hands, the ship didn't look fully in control. Her movements were minute, but the Sparrow felt like she had a mind of her own. We'd need a very skilled pilot to handle her.