There was a loud CLANG as the bolt on the hatch was thrown back and the door to the Echo squadron berth was wrenched open with a squeal – letting the bright light from the corridor into the room.  The squad immediately started bitching and mumbling from their bunks.
“Argh!”
“Kill the light!”
“We’re on stand-down today dammit!”
“Catain Ives!” calls the Midshipman from the hatch, “The Admiral needs to see you.”
“We’re sleeping!” comes the call from one of the men.
“Not the squad, just you Captain.”
You groan, roll out of your bunk, pull your flightsuit up to your waist and tie off the arms, and push past the man, pulling the door closed behind you.  He rushes to keep up with your stride as you barrel down the hall and into the lift.
“What’s this about, Davis?” you ask as you’re waiting for the lift to deposit you on the senior officers’ deck.
“Not sure, Captain.”
“If this is about that flyby of the Alabama, I apologized to Captain Montoya personally.”
“I got nuttin, sir.”
You growl and tap your foot until the lift opens and head to the Admiral’s quarters, Davis half-jogging behind you.  The marine sees you coming, gives a knock on the door before you get there, and manages to have the hatch open so you can move in without losing stride.  You find Tokugawa behind his desk, flipping through a file.
“Don’t you sleep?”
“Not anymore.”
“You should sleep, people who don’t sleep get cranky.”
“You sound like Cottle.”
“Is that his problem?”
“Most likely, he only sleeps when I do.  I have an errand.”
“An errand?”
“An errand.  In thirty minutes we’ll be dropping anchor, we’ll be a few hours burn from a little ice ball of a planet.  I need you to take the Wild Card to a certain grid, then take an APC a hundred or so kliks to a small listening post.  Pick up a passenger, and bring him back here.”
“Sounds mysterious.”
“You have no idea.  Gunny Richardson has been prepping the ship, he’ll go with you and watch the ship while you make the pick-up.  Grab your kit and get moving.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Oooookay…” you give him a salute, but he’s already gone back to the file he was reading.  Just before you open the door, he speaks again.
“And Poppy?”
“Sir?”
“Take Bertha.”