What the hell?

06:30 Ship and high port time.  Slightly after dusk down station time.

"This is not a drill Emergency all hands on deck, this is not a drill."

Stations start reporting in, not it's like we have a lot of stations to report.

Mr. Urdar reports "Flight Ready".  Well, duh, we are all three on the bridge when Skip Pushed The Button, but still at least Mr. Urdar had punched up the flight computer and had the manual system on standby.  I had the scanners up and running, seeing a lot of planet and a lot of navy, who's IFF was showing "systems down", other than the 2 ready destroyers  which showed "about to launch", with  target points Beta or Zulu depending on which tin can.  That with us going to Alpha that's pretty much a full system scanning deployment.

I assume that the howls in the back ground from guns was  two of the gunners deciding on who got what turret, probably Ghaekelig'd brothers Elevg and Avlig.  Pack Leader Ghaekelig barked and reported "All ready all guns Superior Pack Leader".  Superior Pack Leader being what they call the skip.  L'Sgt Leigh is "Combat Pack Leader".  Skip and the L'Sgt seem amused by this.  I've heard at least one Marine call her "Pack Leader" and I don't think he was being ironic.  Hard to tell with Marines, they always sound either dead serious or drunk.  He wasn't drunk.  Skip has made if very clear he is either "Sr. Scout or Skip",  the IISS don't have ranks.

"Med Bay ready".  Given that she sleeps in the "private" part of the med bay that shouldn't be too hard.  I did notice that the intercom light for that one came from the bay half of the stateroom, not her personal half.  She was at least in the right spot.  You can't reach that button unless you are behind the treatment table.  Good design that, give the IISS credit there.  In the original Navy type 'T' design they were about 30cm apart.

This was quickly followed by the Marines reporting, "A team ready for boarding action, B team ready for anti boarding and all ready for under way". As per naval, but not scout tradition, the Engineering crew did not give a verbal report, but all the tell-tells, lit up green other than the jump, given that we were with in 100 diamaters of a large object.  This the planet we're orbiting.  "Need to speak to them about that" mutters the skip Udar just grunts, I turn my head and tell him to save his breath "Eng's never say squat unless their shit has gone to shit.  Trust them lights, Skip"

"Mr.  Urdar, set course for point Alpha, launch when cleared."  The skip must be taking voice lessons from the Vargr, that almost sounded like a bark.

Something must be up, because Scout Flight Control came back with in 30 seconds "Meriwether Lewis, you a cleared for launch.  Get some"  Naval command followed in about 15 seconds, "Decatur and Henderson, clear to launch. find and report"

"Get some?  Find and report?  Ah, those are a combat comments.  What the bloody hell is going on? Is this really not a drill?

"Once clear station, Full thrust Mr. Urdar"

And the shake down cruise, if that is what this is, starts.