Captains
Rat-atap-tap
Rat-atap-tap
Her fingers steadily rapped the arm of her command chair. She stared intensely at the contents displayed on the view screen.
An alien ship sat there facing her's. Waiting. Just waiting.
She hated first contact. Every time it got fucked up. Every time.
She shifted in the chair and started rapping with the other hand. If her subordinates were annoyed by this behavior they didn't show it. She was military, a woman of action, not some bureaucratic bullshitter.
How they managed to run into a new alien species out here on patrol was beyond her. This wasn't an exploration vessel or an exploratory mission.
In the two hundred years that humans were able to move beyond their solar system, they had only encountered alien species five times. Two wars, one agreement to avoid each other, and two non-space fairing species that attacked on sight.
For all their policies, procedures, talks, and general pandering, aliens were... well alien. Communication was difficult if not impossible, and no one wanted to be friendly.
Now she found herself facing off with a new species who's ship looked just as capable.
"Report. Scanners?" she asked.
"Nothing new Captain," Colbin replied as he pulled his face from the sensor readouts. "No power ups, no signals, no movement. I would say they were dead in the water, but there is still plenty of activity amongst the crew and the ship does not show any signs of damage or malfunction. In fact..."
She cut him off, "That will be enough Colbin, thanks. Communication?"
"Broadcasting on all frequencies Captain. If they can hear us, they are ignoring us," said Five. The android seemed out of place on her bridge, it's fake pale skin a stark contract to the rest of the crew. But regulations demanded an advanced communications device in case of situations, well, much like this one. She was thankful for once.
"Aye Five. Tactical?"
"Weapons and defensive measures are ready. That ship seems to be outfitted with a couple of advanced cannons and shielding," said Mav. For all his helplessness in hand to hand combat, Mav was one of the best at ship to ship. The guy didn't even need the targeting computer to make precision strikes.
"Thanks Mav. Do you think we can take them?"
"I haven't seen enough to be able to make a solid guess, but I think it would be close."
"I see."
This was not going to end well.
What was that captain thinking? What was going on over there?
She wondered what the human was up to.
She leaned over the command console and motioned for the tactical servant to display the scans of the Earth vessel.
Weapons and defenses were primed and ready. It was a formidable vessel. Definitely military.
She had not anticipated encountering a military vessel inside this territory. She had already been forced to destroy one human cargo vessel.
Her dictate was simple. Get into Human territory and scout out the species, their capabilities, their attitudes, and access the threat level.
These Humans were pesky creatures. Their intel indicated they were extremely war like and aggressive.
Yet this ship was sitting there. Not attacking, but analyzing. Whatever else they may be, they were curious.
"Supreme, the Earth vessel is still attempted to communicate."
Most interesting.
She had meant to stay in the shadows, but life always found ways of changing your plans. It was time to find out who these Humans really were.
She motioned to the servant to open communications.