The speech given by Captain Mitchell was both stirring and informative, not that Cate needed any further motivation.  She was seated in her chair at the helm nearly immediately after the ceremony had been dismissed,  Her fair slender hands glided over the controls, memorizing with touch what her mind had already made permanent.  Sleek and beautiful, but functional, every toggle and switch and button was a tactile sensation for the young ensign, who's nerves were already quite lively from the excitement of it all.  The comfortable seat cradled her posterior, silently telling her she was home, precisely where she was meant to be, and her muscles began to relax as she nestled into it.<br/><br/>When the captain gave the order to leave the docking station and head towards Pluto she began, guiding the unique ship like a small child learning to walk, just until everything was perfectly familiar.  Of course, Pluto was mostly an automatic flight, not much for her to do that was very fulfilling, other than getting acquainted with<em>McNair</em>.  She sighed deeply, peacefully as the ship accelerated, some savage and untamed part of her being assuaged by the speed, subtle though inertial dampeners made it felt.  Cate knew and could feel every move the ship made and she loved it beyond all logical reason.<br/><br/>Far faster than she would have liked they arrived at Pluto and all she could do was wait for what came next, their first true mission.<em>That </em>would be the true challenge, the real rush.  It would be sink or swim out there in the wilds of space, and Cate couldn't wait to show the<em>McNair</em>her chops.