The general returned the salute per protocol and shook the offered hand. "At ease. And off duty it's Catherine or Kat if you want. I figure since we're going to be alone on this ship for quite some time, it'd do us all good to relax the protocol a little bit." she greeted and turned her eyes back to the recon fighter.

"No wonder, to my knowledge we'll be performing both non- and combat evaluation of the five-four-seven. Although just like the Nyx, the design was conceived by our very own Dr. Lawson. We had the experimental R-302s on the Langford, but it was too damn small to accommodate all the necessary systems. This beauty has it all though - cloak, sprint hyperdrive, target painter missiles. It's a bit bigger target, but if you get shot at in one of these, you did something wrong." the general fangirled, "Still waiting to be added to my have-flown list, hopefully soon." she added.

She would have liked to keep talking and continue her inspection, but her communicator coughed to life. "Ma'am, system checks are complete. We are ready to head out." Kat sighed. So much for the sight seeing. "Well, it would seem we'll be on our way momentarily." she excused herself, tapping the comms: "I'm on my way, prepare the jump."

When she got to the bridge, the new faces stopped working to give her a salute. Approaching her place at the tactical station, she cleared her throat with an amused smirk behind the Doctor who seemed to be still doing something even though the necessary tests were reported finished. "Just give me shipwide."

"Attention, this is Black. We are about to leave Earth space. First let me tell you that it is a privilege to be serving on the best of Earth's ships, with the finest crew. You have all been pulled from your previous assignments because you are the best at what you do, and at what we will need on our mission. However, make no mistake - no amount of individuals will ever trump a team that works like a well oiled machine. To that end, I ask the crew that has been under my previous command to show the rookies how we do things around here."

"Our long term mission is the exploration of the Ida galaxy. However before that, we will test our metal right here. We have lost contact with one of the planets under our protected planets treaty. Our objective is to investigate and protect and assist the planet in any way we can. We will drop out on the borders of the system and investigate, but be ready for anything. Stand by for jump."

Dropping off of the intercom, she started barking orders: "Have Recon 1 prepared for launch. I want alpha wing in cockpits. Stand by to cloak the ship on exit. Get us into hyperspace." After a brief 'aye-aye', the buzz of the hyperdrive filled the ship as the ship disappeared in the hyperspace window.