Defenders of the Rim: Beginnings: A Far Future SciFi Thriller

by Randal Sloan

  “Yes and no. They did it to keep me from losing my temper and doing something I shouldn’t have done. To them at the time, you mattered not at all, although the result was as I said.

  “Your training is not going to be easy, so you need to be sure you’re willing to do it. I can tell you now, Greg, there are going to be times you’re going to wish you had gone to prison instead. It’s going to be even harder on you, because you’re going to have to un-learn so many of the things you have learned before this.”

  Greg dropped to one knee. “I gladly accept, My Lady. From this day forward, I live to serve you. You have given me back my life I so foolishly wasted away. I know I should have lost everything for not doing my duty.”

  “I thank you for your service. Please rise.” Jarra shook her head. “I hope you feel the same way a year from now. For now, you are to report to Master Sergeant Gibbons who is waiting outside the door.”

  Greg gave her a final bow and rose, turning to leave quietly. He still couldn’t bring himself to look into the eyes of the team, so he hurried to the door.

  Jarra smiled as she heard the Master Sergeant say just before the door closed, “From this day on, recruit, your life will never be the same —“

  Jarra rose from her chair. “The rest of you, we’ll talk more about your training later. But right now, we have a dinner to attend. You all look amazing and you’re going to look even better wearing the new medals I get to pin on you.” That brought a spattering of groans from the group, but Jarra knew they would all be proud to receive them.”

  #

  Only a super-dreadnought could have held the number of personnel that attended that dinner. Besides Jarra and her team, a large number of Imperial Navy officers were in attendance. Each ship had at a minimum sent their Captain and executive officers to attend and any officer of Lieutenant Commander rank or higher was there. John had worked with many of them in his few years serving in the Imperial Navy, so he knew most of them, but for Jarra it was the first time she had seen the majority of them.

  Jarra had to admit she was impressed by seeing so many of their officers together. They collectively represented a good part of the future of the Empire. A number of the higher ranked officers came by to speak with her prior to the beginning of the dinner, most of them anxious to meet the Princess. However, Jarra was surprised when she was seated by one of the Lieutenant Commanders instead of someone of higher rank. There was something about him that caught her eye immediately.

  “Lieutenant Commander Jason Cauldwell,” he offered as he held her chair for her. “It is an honor to meet you. My father served with your uncle during his Imperial Navy service, so I have as much as possible followed your family’s activities. I was even able to keep up with your career until you disappeared into the Rim Patrol OCS.”

  Jarra offered him a gracious smile. “I do remember my uncle mentioning a fellow officer named Cauldwell. Although most of the time it was in reference to the trouble the two managed to get into together. The same Admiral Cauldwell who is second only to my Aunt Margarette, I believe.”

  “That rascal would indeed be my father. I will also shamelessly admit pulling all my strings related to him to get this seat next to you. I have always wanted to meet you and try to understand how a Princess who should have been taking it easy has instead accomplished so much, overcoming near impossible odds many of those times.”

  Jarra laughed. “Mostly because I’m too stubborn-headed to quit.”

  Jason couldn’t help but laugh with her. Jarra found she liked his laugh.

  Jason knew he should let it go but he couldn’t just yet. “I’m sorry if I’m out of line, but I know it’s a whole lot more than that. I’ve followed you way too long to think that’s all of it.

  Suddenly feeling vulnerable, she looked him in the eyes. “I’ve told very few of this, but somehow I think you’ll understand. When my mother was killed in service to the Empire, I vowed that day I would dedicate myself to serve the Empire to my fullest to honor her. I literally will not allow myself to quit.”

  Jason stared at her. Somehow he felt she had given him a glimpse of her soul. “Yes, that I do believe, so now I understand. After watching you from afar, I’ve always been amazed at all that you’ve been able to accomplish and I’ve tried to emulate the things I’ve seen in you. Now I see that my dedication is only a shadow of what you have done.”

  Jason himself was now feeling a little vulnerable. His voice rough with emotion, he told her, “If ever I can assist you, Princess, please let me know and I will do my utmost to do so.”

  Moved deeply by his statement, Jarra was spared making a response by the signal to start the dinner. As due her position, she was responsible for offering the opening remarks. Standing once more, Jarra addressed the group, her voice amplified by her implant connection to the ship’s systems. Even as she did so, a part of her remained thinking about their conversation.

  “Welcome everyone to our dinner honoring the ones who served with honor and distinction in our battle against the rebels. Without your dedication and bravery, we might well not have been successful. In a little while we will hand out medals to those deserving special recognition, but you all deserve one and will in fact receive a campaign medal with a V for valor representing your contributions in our battle against the rebels.

  “But first, let us enjoy the most excellent dinner prepared for us. We wouldn’t want our Corsica prime rib to get cold.” That brought a laugh and everyone dug into their meal. It was a good meal at that, even if it wasn’t Corsica prime rib.

  With the higher scrutiny on her, she didn’t try to resume the more personal conversation with Lieutenant Commander Cauldwell, only speaking of lighter topics. Still her thoughts remained on that earlier conversation. She had no idea why she had opened up to him like that, but a part of her was glad that she had. She felt a special connection with him somehow.

  The medal presentation afterwards was somewhat lengthy, but well organized. Although each man or woman receiving a medal was recognized, most of the physical medals would be handed out by their individual Captains and XO’s in a service on board their ships. Jarra did get to hand out her team’s medals and she couldn’t keep herself from beaming with pride.

  Sasha was completely flabbergasted when she not only received a medal from her new team, but also received one from her Crown Prince. Jarra couldn’t help but notice the look on her cousin’s face when he placed Sasha’s medal on her uniform. She resolved to look into that further because there was a lot more going on there than she knew about.

  At the end of the dinner, Jarra had one more chance to speak directly to the Lieutenant Commander who had so touched her in that short amount of time. “Jason, it has been a pleasure meeting you. I have a very strong feeling that we will meet again and I sincerely hope so. Thank you for your heart-felt discussion with me.”

  “I believe so too and I look forward to that. Until then, Your Highness.”

  #

  After the meal and medal presentation, Jarra and her team gathered together in a smaller briefing room. Since Jarra had spoiled the surprise about their medals, they had been mostly prepared when the medals were handed out, but Jarra suspected the real surprise was going to come in just a few moments. She still hadn’t received a final answer from her uncle about the plan she sent him.

  The first surprise to the team was when they discovered the briefing room had been set up with a pre-arranged real-time connection to the Emperor. All but Jarra fell to one knee as the Emperor appeared on the 3D Viewscreen.

  “Thank you for your service,” the Emperor said to the group. “Please rise.”

  He turned to face Jarra. “My dear Jarra, I have considered your proposal and I find it inadequate,” he said flatly.

  Jarra tried to speak, but he didn’t give her a chance.

  “Your little ship, while originally appearing appropriate for your job in the Rim Patrol, is not big enough or powerful enough for you to remain serv
ing aboard while the galaxy is in such turmoil.”

  He smiled at her. “Therefore, I am extending your detached service from the Rim Patrol and creating a special group that will answer only to me. You will be given a bigger, more powerful ship that is in some ways more experimental than your current ship, which was already cutting edge. Some of our research to improve greatly our current power and shield tech is being installed on your ship. I don’t know anyone who will be more qualified to work out the details of such a ship than your team and I want only the best to protect you. I came much too close to losing you, I think.

  “You will be expected to respond to problems across the galaxy, but most of the time you will be needed on the Rim, which remains our source of hot spots. I suspect you will be involved in our work to eliminate the remaining rebels, especially with our rogue admiral, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t get pulled into whatever happens with the new aliens with whom we are quite possibly at war.

  “Despite your tremendous ability to protect yourself, you will also have a team of Imperial Marines assigned to you. You’ll find it no surprise that Master Sergeant Gibbons and his squad have volunteered to serve with you.

  “Officially, your team will be commanded by you in your role as Lieutenant Carsean, although you’re expected to carry at all times your credentials as Crown Princess. I won’t have you and your team placed at risk by some idiot like Admiral Kosak, who should have just been shot.

  “All assignments to your team are permanent unless they specifically request release, so no one will have the right to poach them from you. Reporting to you as your second in command will be Sub-Lieutenant Alexandrai, who will be provided with as many data feeds as she desires. We’re all going to be depending on her to find trouble before it can become a near disaster like we faced these last few weeks. Specialists Sabatino, Rollins, and Colson will make up the remainder of your primary team. On your special request, Corporal Resault will be a probational member assigned to your Marine squad.”

  The Emperor of the Galactic Empire, but most particularly the uncle to Crown Princess Jarra, smiled at the group who pretty much looked like Corsica deer caught in an aircar’s lights. “The only thing I haven’t decided is what to call you.”

  “What about Defenders?” Jarra said. “That has always been my desire, to defend the Empire from any and all threats.”

  “That’s it,” Galen said. “Defenders of the Rim!”

  The Emperor smiled an even bigger smile. The unsuspecting Rim wouldn’t know what hit it.

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