[i]Breathe.[/i]
The background hubbub of the ship’s gym dropped away, and Stardust’s perception seemed to become hyper-aware of his surroundings:
The steady [i]whoosh[/I] of a group of the battlecruiser’s Nahydran fighter pilots, practicing flying in a full G, holding on to supports to keep from slamming into the overhead.
The steady cadence of a handful of human runners on treadmills.
The occasional grunt of someone straining to lift weights.
Taking a deep breath, Stardust launched himself at the sparring dummy with a flurry of jabs and kicks, sending it skidding across the non-slip mats laid down to prevent such from happening. Leaping into the air, he finished with a solid roundhouse kick to the side of the training dummy’s head, actually knocking it over onto its side.
[They are not supposed to be easily knocked over,] a Nahydran voice cawed, and Stardust blinked to see Sovv standing a few feet away. He glanced down at the dummy and then back at her, and shrugged.
“Just working off some energy,” he said simply. “What’s up?”
[CENTCOM has retasked us.]
That caught Stardust’s attention. “We’re not linking up with a Xargon Peacekeeper detachment for exercises?”
[Negative. We are to proceed at once to the trade hub of Central and eliminate it from pirate scum that have seized control of the system. I have already directed the helm to do so; I wished to inform you of the change.]
Stardust shrugged again. “Sure. What’s our ETA?”
Sovv looked him up and down, her wings indicating amusement. [You have time to bathe. Sir.]
Stardust ignored the implied comment that he stank – he had been exercising rather vigorously for over an hour. Taking a deep breath, he shifted his feet and stretched, feeling the burn in his muscles.
“Okay then,” he said. “I’ll hit the shower and get refreshed; can you make an announcement and arrange a stealthy insertion into the outer system?”
Sovv nodded. [Central has extensive deep-space and hyperspace tracking; permission to take us off the grid on our approach?]
“Granted. I’ll be in the CIC in half an hour.”