1 - Approval from upon High

Commodore Vi Alexandra Edevane, female omega, she is one rank above Captain, Commodores are the senior captains in the Fleet, and generally command squadrons. She is sleeping-in because she failed to set her wake-up alarm.

The communication system alerts her to an incoming call. Groggily she crawls out of bed and feels her way to the table where her computer terminal is lit up in a dazzling array of flashing lights, colors, and sounds; she chose it specifically to annoy her. It only uses this pattern for anyone in the command structure above her. A different pattern is used for people under her command.

As she taps the control panel the screen changes and shows the image of the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Space Navy.

The rank of Grand Admiral is the most senior commissioned officer rank in the Imperial Space Navy. The next most senior rank is Emperor. The Grand Admiral is the professional head of the Imperial Navy and sits on the Admiralty Board, chairing it in the Emperor's absence. There is only one Grand Admiral in the Navy.

"Am I interrupting something?" asks the Grand Admiral.

"Just getting a little extra sleep Admiral." Replies Vi as she straightens up and salutes. This has the unfortunate result of exposing Vi's nude top half; her nude lower half is hidden by the table. Vi rapidly awakens to her state of undress and rapidly blushes. Her embarrassing moment is made worse because she must hold the salute until the senior officer returns the salute.

The Grand Admiral returns the salute before it can be construed as sexual harassment. Vi unobtrusively grabs her bath robe from the adjoining chair and dons it as the Admiral talks.

"This is an informal notice that your requested time travel mission has been approved and funded. Please begin selecting your crew and requisitioning equipment. I will say that your mission plan is an unusual one as I can see it is designed to minimize or eliminate any interference in historical events. However, it does call into existence the observer effect that will not allow observed events to be changed by any future time travelers. Was this intentional or accidental?" says the Admiral.

Vi liked the Admiral for her polite bluntness. She was Grand Admiral Scarlett Dragonos, a beautiful woman with a shade of red hair that was the envy of many and green eyes for contrast. A female beta that earned every rank on her way up the chain of command to the second highest ranking member of the Navy. But what was more impressive was her earning of five Imperial Starbursts, like the congressional medal of honor of ancient history, it was earned by putting your life on the line. Most people rarely survive earning their first or second, maybe a third. Vi also noted in her research that Admiral Scarlett also had eight Conspicuous Gallantry medals and four Heroic Conduct Under Fire medals. All of them were for heroism in one form, degree, or another.

"It was intentional Admiral. The use of the recording robots will allow for the observation without exposure of future personnel to anyone in the historic era being visited. As you know, alternation of past events is extremely dangerous and can have drastic effects on history."

"You remember your temporal cause & effect class well. It must be your sigma gene that endows you with such an above average memory. Regardless, your temporal mission is approved. Have a good journey and don't mess up history." says Admiral Scarlett before signing off.

It was just after noon when the twins boarded the 100-ton Renown-Class Navy Scout/Courier starship 'Midnight Angel' in bay 51 on the Highport Space Station in orbit around Mars. With their orders in hand, they performed the preflight check, powering up the ship's power plant and bringing the main computer up to flight ready.

Flipping on her link to the communication system, Commodore Vi A. Edevane, the mission commander, is sitting in the pilots' chair on the left of the bridge. Her twin sister, Commodore Viv Victoria Edevane, is sitting in the co-pilot seat to her right, she is the second in command.

"Midnight Angel to Mars outbound traffic control." says Vi.

"Mars outbound to Midnight Angel, we read you five by five."

"Mars outbound, requesting clearance and vector for the nearest jump point from bay 51."

"Midnight Angel, proceed on vector 237-mark-60 for 33 minutes then 45-mark-326, jump point in 63 minutes."

"Mars outbound, Midnight Angel engaged to jump point."

The hum of the power plant changes as the maneuver drive converts the fusion energy into vertical motion lifting the starship up off the deck as the three legs of the landing gear retract into the triangle shaped hull of the ship. The main doors to bay 51 began to retract as the ship lifted and once the ship is done rotating 180 degrees, the doors are completely open. The ship glides out of the bay into open space.

Dawn, for most planet dwelling citizens, comes once per day; but those who live in space can see Dawn several times a day. The light of the sun breaks over the curve of the planet below and illuminates the bridge and its four occupants.

Behind the pilot and co-pilot are two male omegas facing the sides of the ship. They are Lieutenants Kaito Darrol Edevane and Elijah Dax Bartley, not twins, although they could be, but just third cousins twice removed. Kaito, sitting on the left behind Vi, is the navigation officer and Elijah is the communications officer.

In the rear of the ship is the engineering section where the faster-than-light (FTL) jump drive, the maneuver drive, and the fusion power plant are at. Running the various engines is Dr. Lionel Asher Bartley-Hendrix, with more PhDs in various fields that have to do with space travel than most people will meet at a university fundraiser.

Sitting in the gunner's seat of the pulse laser turret on the top rear of the ship is Marine Sergeant Karl Cian Edevane, this man has more combat experience and medals for bravery than really anyone wants to know about. One look at the various healed scars and burn marks across his well muscled body is enough that no one in their right mind asks, because he will tell you exactly how said scar was formed in combat. And then will show you the photos of it, from first inflicted, to mostly healed.

The Medical Bay is between the common room and engineering. On a normal ship it would be about half of the cargo bay. Here is the domain of Dr. Vivian Alexandra Victoria Jun-Hendrix-Bartley-Edevane, MD, DMD, DVM, DXM, Surgeon and a bunch of other alphabet letters that involve the human body. Assisting her is Nurse Evelina Sylvianna Edevane, RN, LPN, etc... Together they, along with their array of advanced medical technology, are in support of the mission. The other half of the cargo bay is wall to wall data banks for storage of all the data that will be collected.

Lastly, in the middle of the ship is the common area and the crew's bedrooms. The common area is the combination of kitchen, cafeteria, break room, meeting room, off duty room, etc. Here is where the youngest member of the crew is assigned to cooking and cleaning, Ensign Deirdre Evelina Padraig-Bartley, ship's steward.

33 minutes later the ship changed course and then things became very busy. This was not going to be a normal FTL jump from one solar system to another, they were going into the past.

At 62 minutes Commodore Vi flips on her link to the communication system. "Midnight Angel to Mars outbound, requesting clearance for jump."

"Midnight Angel, this is Mars outbound; you are clear to jump at your convenience. Safe journey and may the stars favor you."

"Thank you Mars outbound; we are commencing jump."

With that, Vi flips off the comm link and flips on the intercom of the ship.

"Attention crew, prepare for time-jump. UV goggles on. All stations report when ready."

"Medical ready."

"Steward ready."

"Weapons ready."

"Comm's ready."

"Navigation ready."

"Co-pilot ready."

"Pilot ready."

"Engineering is ready, awaiting go."

"3... 2...1... Engage jump sequence." says Vi.