by Layla Stone
The admiral looked at Ansel dubiously. “I didn’t know Numans were such good fighters.”
Rannn didn’t hide his emotions. “Ansel was used to heal the females they raped, so they could do it again. The medical officer was tortured himself for refusing to heal the ones who begged for death. You won’t belittle what he went through.”
The female in the box next to the admiral looked shocked and then disappointed. “Remember, you’re a captain and will show respect to your superior officer.”
The admiral ignored the female and asked, “You’ve requested that Officer Yon stay with you and that he be promoted to commander. I’m not sure why you think he is qualified.”
Sci was interested in the strange Yunkin, as well. All he knew was that the male had been injured.
Rannn answered, “Yon proved himself in those cages on the Angny planet. I can recount a year’s worth of examples if you need them.” Sci was not ignorant of the captain’s tone. He didn’t like being questioned about his crew.
The admiral waved Rannn’s statement off and then asked, “I’m not going to lie, but you do know that you are one of the very few who have a Red Demon and a Numan on their crew. Explain to me why you wanted them before they proved themselves to you on the Angny planet.”
Rannn took in a slow breath and moved his feet apart. “I didn’t request Pax. He was a transfer that my communication’s officer allowed. When he arrived, I had every intention of transferring him out. But then he and I resolved our differences.”
“How?” The admiral leaned closer to the screen.
“I’d tell you, but you indicated you didn’t want to hear about any more of what happened on the Angny planet.”
There was a tense moment between the two. “Fine. Explain to me why you have put in a request for the Red Demon and the Numan.”
“Pax did not falter or lose his cool while in captivity. He kept me strong by staying strong himself. Him being a Red Demon gave me the advantage of knowing our captors’ weaknesses and deepest desires. We were able to use that against them a time or two. Pax is reliable and cares for everyone under his care. He knows every name that was on that ship and has since sent out personalized messages to the family members of the crew that we lost. His race makes him special, but his character makes him an asset.”
Sci could see the Red Demon swallowing back the emotions he felt.
“Very good. And the Numan?”
“He is the only Numan to be approved by the Federation. I personally requested him because I was unsure of the moral ambiguousness that most Numans have. I was right to request him, but wrong about his morals. He’s a straight arrow and can heal in ways that I can’t begin to explain. His knowledge is far superior to what our other medical officers have.”
The admiral steepled his fingers together. “Does he? And does he share that knowledge?”
“He does. It’s in the Federation archives per regulations.”
Tapping the desk, the admiral skimmed something Sci couldn’t see. Reading something off-screen. “Why have you requested that the Terran join your crew? She has been terminated from the Federation.”
“The previous admiral terminated her for being Terran instead of looking at her skillsets and how well she ranked on her entrance exam. I have seen Sasha’s skills personally, and I can attest to her flying ability.”
The admiral looked as if he were reading something on his side of the screen then said, “She’s part Kooyon. That’s rare. Where did you find her?”
The captain gave a knowing smirk. “She is one-of-a-kind, Admiral. You won’t find a brother or sister you can lure away.”
The admiral laughed. “It was worth asking.”
The captain shrugged. “Some of us have all the luck.”
“I grant you your crew, Captain, but I am denying you the battleship. We need a captain to take charge of Garna, the star carrier.”
Captain Rannn didn’t speak at first. “That’s a big lady with a big job.”
“Can you handle it?”
“Before I agree, I want to make sure you grant me permission for the Kooyon’s husband to accompany her on our missions—per the Federation’s spouse exemption protocol.”
The admiral frowned as he tapped the screen. His eyes scanned down the page then he stopped and slowly sat back. “Your Kooyon pilot married the Cerebral?”
All of a sudden, the other lawyers and even the jurors who had not left the virtual meeting started speaking at once. The judge silenced them all with the push of a button. “Now, since I’m still acting over Pegna, I’m going to need to fully understand this request.”
Rannn didn’t hold back on anything Sci had done from the moment he’d woken up in the electrified cage on the transporter. By the time he was done, the admiral was rubbing his mouth. “That’s quite a power punch of a crew, Captain. Say I do grant your request, what about his people? We haven’t been in contact with them. Did you consider the ramifications?”
“No, but Sci has already told me he chooses to stay with his wife above all else. Where she goes, he goes.”
The admiral smirked. “Isn’t that how we all are at the beginning?”
The captain smiled, but the expression was hollow.
“This Cerebral…Sci, has been skating between the grey areas of our laws.” But then the admiral said, “Or maybe he had help moving into those areas. Either way, I will grant you a five-year probationary period with the Cerebral remaining with his wife under the Federation’s spouse exemption. But that also means you will be taking charge of Garna, and you will be on your way within the hour. Your ship is much bigger than a crew of five. If you have any other crew requests, I suggest you put them through now.”
Looking too pleased with himself, the Yunkin bowed his head. “Thank you, Admiral.”
The admiral responded a heartbeat later. “You’ve earned my respect. I know you will do well. Garna is not an easy responsibility, and I already have your first mission set. Check your messages before you transport out.”
“Roger.”
The admiral’s screen winked out, along with everyone else’s.
“What’s Garna? And what’s going to happen with my mom?” Sasha was the first to ask even though she had been squeezing Sci’s hand from the moment Rannn asked for her to re-join the Federation.
Pax answered, “Garna is the front line.” He didn’t sound pleased with that. “Wherever there’s planetary trouble in the Federation, Garna is called in to solve it. The ship is a beast, but the crew has a high death rate, considering all the dangerous missions they take on. Also, Sci has an exception to stay with you, but not your mom.”
Interesting that Rannn and Sasha had just talked about that hours earlier.
“Your mother is in good health. At least now. I’ve seen and met her myself. It will be up to her where she wants to settle. Her skills are always in demand on the planet-side stations. You’ve got one hour to meet me at the transporter. Talk to her and have her put in the request.” The captain had a rueful smile on his face. “And someone grab Sands on the way. Thankfully, I didn’t get questioned about him.”
“A non-Federation cyborg…I can see why you’d be concerned about defending that request,” Yon said judgmentally.
“Yon, you’ve been up for less than twenty-four hours, why don’t you read up on my reports before saying something stupid about one of the males who saved your life.” Sci watched the male leave the room with a new bounce to his step. He wondered if all this had been pre-planned by Rannn. The captain was, after all, a master strategist.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Reassigned
A few minutes after Sci and Sasha had arrived on the galleon ship that they’d confiscated from Lotus Nexis, Sasha had already claimed her pilot seat and had begun departing procedures.
Sci stood behind her, unwilling to leave her side.
Rannn was already in the captain’s chair overlooking th
e navigation screen up front. On a separate part of the screen, he pulled up Admiral Orin’s message. “Garna is currently in the Telee System. That’s about two weeks from here.”
Sci watched as Sasha turned around. “And where is the Telee System?”
Rannn looked at her pointedly. “Federation pilots know every part of space, I suggest you acquaint yourself with navigation training before we arrive at Garna.”
Sasha returned the look. “Wasn’t allowed to do any training, remember? So stop acting like I’m falling short of my responsibilities.”
“You talkin’ back to me?”
Without missing a beat, Sasha smiled. “Yeah, I am. Now, where’s Telee?”
Rannn shook his head, but a rueful smile turned up his lips. On the navigation screen, he pulled up the search bar and typed in the guardiennes for the Telee System. “You’re right, you were blocked from training, but Pax and Ansel weren’t. Learn to use your resources; it can be the deciding factor between life and death.”
Soberly, Sasha responded, “Yes, sir.”
Sci watched the interaction, noting how Rannn was not truly chastising Sasha but teaching her like a mentor would. Rannn was not the easiest guy to like, but after everything they had been through, Sci couldn’t deny the trust he gave to the Yunkin. He’d earned it.
Rannn finished setting the course and addressed Sci. “I’ve read Pax’s reports from Lotus Nexis. Looks like my training sessions revealed a sliver of your abilities. I have tasked Ansel to discover all of them.”
Sci didn’t say it, but he looked forward to working with Ansel and learning the limits of his abilities. What he did on Nexis was a combination of what he’d learned in Rannn’s training session and a product of necessity. “I will be ready for whatever training Ansel has for me.”
“I am sure you are.” The captain sat down in his large and plush chair and said, “And while you’re here, I think it’s time we contact your people.”
His people? A sudden overwhelming emotion overtook Sci. Several. Finally, he could check in with his brother and make sure he was okay. So much time had passed, he hoped his brother had not done anything foolish or rash. But then again, Chollar wasn’t known for such emotion. However, foolish wasn’t exactly the right word. Chollar had a temper. Never had Sci met another who had a temper equal to Chollar’s. Chollar was impulsive and explosive at times, especially whenever he had to deal with the city Elders. “Cerebrals are not on the same frequency as the Federation.”
Rannn pushed a button on his chair. “Sands, remember what we talked about before? I’m going to need you to connect the bridge with Cerebral City.”
“You can’t be serious.” Sands’ voice was stern.
“Get up here and connect us.”
On the other line, Sands growled before saying, “Hold on, I can do it from here. I’d rather not have to be a part of the meet-and-greet.” Several moments of silence, then, “Quantum Connecting, change your view screen to input two.”
Sasha scanned the controls and pressed a button for the input change.
“They accepted, you should see them…now.”
Suddenly, a Cerebal appeared on the screen. He was an Elder. The male’s brown eyes stared at Sci with the same empty friendliness that all Cerebrals had for each other. Sci was grateful that the male on the other side wasn’t nearby to see inside Sci’s mind. He was sure that if they knew all the laws he had broken, he would be judged accordingly.
The male looked over Sci. “You are Sci, the archiver?”
“I am Sci, the archiver.” It was a customary greeting.
“I am Bens, the interstellar liaison.”
“Hello, Bens, the interstellar liaison.”
“We have been searching for you. Explain how you are in Federation space. It is against Federation and Cerebral laws.”
Sci relayed the story in bullet point sentences. “I woke up on a space pirate ship. I was attacked and lost consciousness. Later, I woke up on a Federation transporter after being sold to a gladiator and turned over to the Federation.”
Bens tilted his head. “How did you escape? I mean, how did you get off the planet?”
“I don’t know. I was unconscious.”
Bens was quiet for a time. “When will the Federation return you to us?”
Sci could see the concern in Sasha’s mind. But she had nothing to worry about. “I will not be returning. I will be with the Federation from now on.”
The Cerebral blinked. “Explain further.”
And Sci did explain. He told Bens that he had recently been married and was living with his wife on a Federation ship under the exempt status of spouse. Bens didn’t seem to understand and had Sci repeat again why he was not returning to Cerebral.
Then the Elder said, “This is hard to understand, Sci the archiver. There is no value to you staying in Federation space. And any tribal relationship is beneath you. We are above such animal needs. Or is this because you are merely a high-functioning Cerebral. Have you lost control of your thoughts being so far away from our civilized ways?”
The Elder was not being rude, even though Sci was not happy to hear that the Elder thought him inferior. “To be clear, Bens the interstellar liaison, your objection is personal and not a declaration of denial for my life term to be carried out in Federation space, correct?”
“Sci the archiver, I do not make the final say in your current department for your duties. Your life term has been dedicated as our archiver. You did not finish your duties and are instead asking for permission to stay in Federation space to engage in no useful occupation but for the status of spouse. It’s unfathomable that you would want this.”
It was unthinkable for his race, and there was no way he could explain it. Sci thought that was the true tragedy. “I can’t prove to you why it is important, other than to give you my word, Bens the interstellar liaison. And that should be enough.”
“Sci the archiver, you should reconsider.”
“I will not, Bens the interstellar liaison. Those are my final words.” He made sure his voice was hard, resolute.
“Your declaration has been noted, Sci the archiver. Elder Tanktum is reviewing the impact of losing your service.” The male didn’t make any emotional facial expressions. Then, a curious frown. “We will contact you when we have come to one answer.” And the screen went black.
Sci stared at the comms. He had not thought about the consequences of being allowed to stay in Federation space. It was ridiculous for them to try and dictate his responsibilities when he was so clearly outside of their mental jurisdiction. And Sci didn’t miss when Bens had eluded to the fact that Sci had escaped the planet, meaning he was not allowed to leave. Sci had ignorantly assumed that no one wanted to go, not that they couldn’t.
He urgently needed to talk to his brother.
“Is that normal? I mean, is that a conversation that would have usually been communicated telepathically?” Rannn said.
No. It wasn’t. “I am a high-functioning Cerebral. We still would have had that conversation verbally. I can’t communicate in words. However, decisions would usually be made instantly. Then again, I am a unique case,” Sci allowed.
“How long do you think it will take for them to come to a decision?” Sasha asked from the front of the bridge. “What will you do if they tell you to return?”
Shaking his head, Sci said, “No, they will contact us back shortly. Give it a few moments. And they can’t do anything to me while I’m in Federation space.”
Rannn nodded but didn’t show any other outward signs of emotion.
“I wonder if the delay has to do with my brother.” The words came out of Sci’s mouth suddenly.
Sasha turned. “The one who you think will come looking for you?”
“Yes.”
“I guess we will find out,” the captain said. “Will you need an occupation to pass the time? They seem to have trouble getting past that fact. We should
tell them what your occupation is with us. What exactly is an archiver?”
“As an archiver, I spent my days reading alien history books, manuals, and all things historical-related. So that we could keep an accurate account of everyone. It’s beneficial to know all the other races and their cultures.”
Again, Rannn looked deep in thought. “Sounds like a communication officer, but I will already have one of those when we arrive at Garna.”
The screen turned back on as the communication request popped up. Rannn accepted the ultraviolet connect prompt.
The same Elder as before addressed them. “Sci the archiver, according to your wishes, we have corrected your status to remain in Federation space for the rest of your life term.”
“Thank you, Bens the interstellar liaison.” Sci was pleased by their unanimous decision, but he didn’t want Chollar to only hear their side of the communication; he wanted to explain to his brother himself and check on him.
Before he could ask about that, the Elder said, “We will remove and terminate your possessions here on Cerebral and mark your term to have ended the last day you reported to work. Last remarks?”
“Relay this Federation ID to Chollar the examiner, I have many words I wish to convey.”
Bens’ eyes narrowed slightly before he returned to his unemotional guise. “Your brother is no longer among us. Last remarks?” The quickness and lack of consideration in the male’s words hit hard and deep. To be among was to be alive.
“No.” Sci wasn’t sure if he’d thought it or said it. Sci felt the blood in his body rush towards his feet, and he wanted to follow it.
“End of words, Sci the husband.” The screen went blank.
The captain touched Sci’s shoulder. “Grievances to you.”
The denial was quick. “Chollar is not dead. He can’t be.” Sasha had jumped out of her seat to wrap her arms around him, a Terran form of comfort, but it didn’t help. He would need time alone.
Gently pushing his wife back, he kissed the side of her forehead. “I will see you at the end of your shift.” She tried to talk to him, but he didn’t hear anything else she said. He needed to be alone. Very alone. And for the first time since he’d heard Sasha’s thoughts, he cut off his connection to her mind.