An Adventurous Journey

[Toaster]

"Attention!" One of the junior officers on the bridge shouted as Capitaine Pierre Laurent strode out of the elevator and onto the deck. From the entrance balcony he looked down upon his bridge-crew, which was looking back at him with straight backs and their right hands lifted up to their brows in a salute. Laurent allowed a faint smile to flicker across his usually hard, stern face.
"À l'aise," he said and the fifteen men below him resumed their work at the consoles that filled the medium-sized room.
A young man, also wearing a Capitaine's uniform briskly climbed the short flight of stairs to the balcony and stood beside Laurent.
"What do you think?" The man asked in a warm, playful manner.
Laurent crossed his hands behind the small of his back and glanced at the other. "I think we got the best we could wish for, Monsieur. A good ship, a good crew, a good mission."
The other man nodded slowly, smiling. "Oui, c'est vrai. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way."
At this, Laurent winced. He kept on forgetting that he was now of the same rank as the man beside him and had yet to get used to not needing the formalities anymore. "Merci, Tristan."
Tristan turned to fully face him with a great grin and patted him on the back. "You're welcome, old friend. I'll go check on the hangar." And with that, he left the bridge.
"Lieutenant Marbonne!" Laurent called out at one of the officers below. "What is the status of the engines?"
The lieutenant quickly consulted with the console of another crewman and then replied, "Monsieur, pre-flight tests are almost complete. We'll be ready to leave the docks in about five minutes."
"Bon, merci."
Laurent turned around and started for the elevators when a sous-lieutenant walked up to him, saying, "Capitaine. Dijon Control has relayed new orders. You can read them on your datatab."
Laurent nodded, accepted the tab the sous-lieutenant offered him and entered the lift.

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Olivia Sable