The Constellation's War Pilot Episode (Rifts Story)

Prologue

You walk on to the Bridge of the TSS Constellation CX-17 to meet her Captain, Vice Admiral Anthousa. You are a member of the New Confederacy News Network here to get the scoop on one of the NCSCs  "Up and Coming Commander in the age of peace" since Field Mashal Carol Millennia back in the V-Commonwealth War and the Vam-New Confederacy War.  The bridge is bigger than you imagined. A woman holding a cup of Coffee stops and looks at you. "Can I help you, Ma'am?" You show her your Press Pass and ask who she is. She replies with a smile. "I am MCOP Retired Cal-141 Ma'am. and you must be the guest we have been waiting for. Welcome Aboard!" You ask her if she is retired why is she on the Bridge?  She look at you and smiles "I am an Advisor on active duty but you're not here to talk to me come." You follow her to the front center of the bridge where you see a woman in a US Air force Dress Uniform sitting in the ships command chair she has 3 stars on her collar, you say Hello to her and show her your press credentials. She turns and looks at you her Hazel eyes feel like she is looking into your soul itself, "Hello Ms. Smith Welcome aboard the TSS Constellation." She turns forward. "Helm drop all Moorings and thrusters at station keeping." The woman sitting in the front of the bridge speaks. "Yes, Admiral all Thrusters at station keeping and moorings Cleared!" 

She smiles and looks at you, you see her vampire fangs "Looks like we are ready to go then don't you think Ms. Smith?"  You are unnerved slightly but smile and say yes. "Helm ahead  1/4 speed!" Again the women speak. "Yes, Ma'am 1/4 speed all ahead!" You feel The Constellation come alive as you see the Bridge Doors shut and the crew, man their stations. you look as the Admiral make one last order to her helmsman "HELM SET COURSES FOR AVELLEALE IV" the woman answers. "Course Set for Avelleale IV Slipspace in two, one!" The Constellation is drawn into the Slipspace portal. As the Admiral Sits back and takes a drink of a warm red liquid. "Good job everyone A+. Now Ms. Smith how can I be of service to you?" You tell her that you are here with permission from NCSC NAVCOM to interview her because the New  Confederacy people want to know about her and her Crew and their mission in this up and coming age of peace.  

She sits back and smiles again showing her vampire fangs. "The people want to know about me and my ship's mission? Well, I am flattered but I would think that a war dog like me would be the last thing the New Confederacy people would want to know about. After 41 years of war and death, Ms. Smith" You assure her that is not the case that the people are unsure that this peace could last for a decade or longer and see heroes like her and her crew the guardians of the hope for peace after the 41 years of war and death. She look at you and smiles. "Ok, Ms. Smith if that is what the people want but my story is not a good one but I will let your audience decide for themselves. So where would you like me to start Ms. Smith?" Look at her and say the being of her career as an Officer in the United States Space Force. "Ah, not so long ago but First I will tell you the basics of my life. I was born on Freedom station in orbit around Earth on 11/8/2396 to a Miss Skye Fraser my father was a Spacer. Yes, one of my mother's many clients" Anthousa looks at her drink and takes a sip and continues "So my grandmother named and raised me from the age of a year to her death when I was 15. I learned a lot about my greek heritage at that time but when she died of a heart attack I when back to my mother. I continued going to school but life with my mother was hard." She stops as she looks like she whats to cry.

 Anthousa look at you and Smiles. "Because my mother was a Dock rat, Lady of the night and her men thought I was too. till the day my mother throws me out for braking a client's arm. so I Join the USSF Acadamy at 17.  four years later I graduated as a Lieutenant in the US Space Force as a Weapons Officer at 20 years old I had reached my goal of being an Officer in the USSF. My first Vessel was the USSF Midway a light Cruiser and I Exceled as a weapons officer and moved up to the rank of Major or Lieutenant Commander for your audience. We had just lost our Executive Officer in a skirmish with a Laika Station Black Sun Battlecruiser and the Colonel was so impressed with my command performance he asked me to be his Executive Officer I jumped at it and ask if my girlfriend could be the new Chief Weapons Officer.  He said yes but my tail by fire was yet to come. I had just turned 22 the day before when a distress signal came in it was a freighter that had lost power and needed help so we went to help. That's where we went wrong, for the Freighter's Cargo holds were not full of Cargo but Secondary and wild  Vampires and so was the crew. We docked with the Freighter and they flooded in like a pack of wolves into our ship and quickly overran us. A group had made it to our Engineering Section and Slaughtered anyone in their path. Ones there they shutdown our Life Support. The last thing I remember was going for two emergency oxygen masks."