By the time I realized the klaxon was going off, I was halfway to the hangars. I also realized I was naked.

"Shit! Not again!" I yelped, tearing at top speed to the locker room, where I knew there were a couple of extra uniforms. I had left them there on purpose, just in case I got caught short. I've done it before.

I flung the door open and flung myself in, the racket of the alarm speeding me on as much as the desire to get some damn clothes on and get to my ship. The Captain didn't give a damn whether I was dressed or not, he just wanted me to kill things, but dammit, those seats chafe when you're naked. Hopefully, I'd be able to get dressed and get on board before anyone figured out -

"Well, well, well," drawled an infuriatingly calm behind me as I reached for my locker door. Oh, great, I thought. Of all the people...

"We have a dance date, Bean," said the voice, taunting me. "But this isn't the dancing I would have expected from you." I refused to turn around. All he wanted was a reaction, and I was getting too pissed off to give it to him. "I must say I approve."

"Look, Dandy. I'd like nothing more than to hang around here and introduce my boots to your ass," I hesitated for a moment, realizing how silly that sounded and not wanting to lose my bad mood quite yet. "But we've got a mission, in case you hadn't noticed." I flung the door open with a crash and grabbed the jumpsuit hanging inside. If I could ignore the idiot until I got it on, I'd be fine. So I concentrated on that.

"Oh, Reggie, darling. The universe could fall for the price of one night with you. All the alarms that have ever been made could distract me from your beauty." This was getting too much for me, so I whirled on the man.

"Dandy" Rodriguez was every bit the fop his name implied, and he flaunted his good looks at every opportunity. Especially when it could get a rise out of someone, like now. He smiled as I faced him, his impeccable features obscured by wisps of long, raven hair. If I liked that sort of thing, I would have called him handsome. As it was, I called him annoying.

"Would you leave me the hell alone? I'm running late, and if we lose any time because you're in here trying Ravel knows what with me..." Dandy cut me off with a raised hand.

"There's nothing to worry about, my love." He smiled, knowing he had me. He always did this, and it was as annoying now as it always was. "We're right beside the bays, remember? And I know for certain that Bridges won't make it to the ship before us. Shall we go?" He held out an arm in a gallant gesture. I slapped it away.

"You're lucky I don't blast your ass up there instead of the Jumpers, you keep pulling crap like this," I said, smiling.

"It would be an honour. Shall we go?"

We took off running.

The first Jumper attacks were the worst, of course. Everyone knows the names. New New York, Avalon, Hope. Worlds in their prime, built through the sweat of terraformers and colonists alike, rich with new resources. Every one brutally destroyed, every man, woman and child killed in minutes, followed by the stripping away of everything they had worked for. The Jumpers left nothing of value, no resource, no life.

Something had to be done.

But conventional firepower meant nothing to the invaders. The human colonies needed a greater force, one which could stand before the might of the Jumper empire.

I made it to the hangar bay right behind Dandy, his long legs giving him the clear advantage in any race. I didn't particularly care, I just wanted to get into my cockpit where I'd be able to block out the klaxons which had been ringing throughout. If I was expected to kill, I'd better not have a headache when I was trying to do it.

The thrusters had already been started, of course, the startup sequence initiated remotely from Puncher 3. The Captain was already there. He was always first, a trick I had never quite figured out. Maybe he slept in there.

But I was too busy to care about trivia like that. Puncher 4 needed attention, and I gave it to her, getting the displays online and making sure the engine and weapons systems were ready to go. I hit the test sequence on my forward and aft sensors. All checked out. Good thing I thought. At least Virus hasn't been fiddling with my ship again. The last time he had been into my ship I had picked up comm signals from three systems over, but nothing from our own ships. Flying deaf isn't my idea of fun, not when you've got a hundred or so ships trying to make sure you don't make it home.

My display lit up to reveal the stern face of Captain White. The Captain didn't look happy, but that wasn't unusual. The day that man cracks a smile is the day I know we're all dead.

"Nice to have you join us, Bean," he said. "And dressed appropriately, I see."

"How did you know!?" I stopped myself. Somehow, I really didn't want to know.

The Captain didn't seem to hear me. "Get on with your prep, Bean. We lift in one minute." He cut the circuit and I got busy.

A few moments later, the screen buzzed again. But the voice and image were a lot easier to take this time.

"Morning, lover," the woman on the screen said. "I hope you're feeling up to a little action. A little more, anyway." She giggled.

"I'm always up for action, love," I answered, a little annoyed. Here I was, barely dressed and looking like something an unmade bed would be ashamed of, and she had the nerve to look absolutely perfect, when I knew for certain she was dead asleep not more than ten minutes ago.

Sarah giggled again. "Don't I know it. We're just about ready to take off. Are you ready to go."

"Just about, but what's this "we" business? Where the hell are you?"

Sarah looked surprised at the question. "Why on Puncher 3, silly. You don't think I'd miss the hottest thin in the universe, do you? And I hear there's a battle, as well." She leered at me, and I forgave her for annoying me. A couple of looks like that and I'd be willing to whip the whole Jumper fleet single-handed.

It always bothered me when Sarah joined us on a mission, but it wasn't my decision. If the Captain wanted a civilian along for the ride, and a reporter at that, then you could be sure he was confident doing it. There was never any arguing with the Captain.

I was about to reply when a second channel opened. Dandy peered out from the little comm window. "Sorry to interrupt, loves, but it looks like school's in. We're ready to go." Both channels winked out, to be replaced by piloting displays and a new channel, this time with the Captain's stern features.

"Ready for departure! Sound off! Virus!"

"Puncher One is prepared!"

"Sensor!"

"Puncher Two ready."

"Bridges!"

"Puncher Three is ready, Captain."

"Bean!"

My turn. "Puncher Four, ready to kick ass!"

"Dandy!"

"Puncher Five, ready as always, my Captain!"

"Star Punchers, we have liftoff. Immediate warp, Olgan system."

With that, we rode a pillar of flame into the warp that appeared before us, and we vanished into the night.