From the voices she could hear, it was evident that the ranking individual in the room, Juliantta Dove, was beyond furious. Standish hadn’t met Dove before, but she was second in command of the entire Rescue Tech branch and only answered to the branch commander. She had complete authority to do just about anything that she wanted, and her raised voice worried Standish. Perhaps her little stunt had been one too many.
“New course record.” Was the first thing the Senior Instructor said when he greeted her once the test was completed. “And numerous safety violations.” That was the second thing.
While she was waiting outside the office, a procession of her fellow trainees walked by, all having completed their final assessments with a panel of the more senior instructors. One of them, Jo-Jo, who was also applying to D-O training, stopped and leaned towards Standish.
“Looks like you went too far this time.” He stepped back, and gently punched Standish in the shoulder, turned and continued walking.
Standish allowed herself a little smile but wiped it off her face when the door to the Senior Instructors office opened, and the senior stuck his head out.
“Inside.” He ordered before disappearing.
Standish quickly rolled her head around and took a deep breath, then puffed her chest out, and crossed the hallway and walked into the room.
The Senior Instructors office wasn’t huge, and it felt cramped with five individuals in it. Juliantta Dove, the senior ranking officer, was sitting at the senior instructor’s desk, with Marlon Genova standing behind her. Dat Roser from D-O was standing with his back against the wall near the door, and the Senior Instructor was standing just next to the door frame, which he closed once Standish had entered the room.
As she moved to a position in front of the desk, she tried to scan the faces in the room to guess their demeanours. She didn’t have much luck.
Remaining at the position of attention, Standish kept her head and eyes locked to the front and waited for the inevitable.
“Eyes on me.” It was the second in command of all Rescue Tech forces in the Empire. Her uniform looked smart, even as she lounged back in the chair that was usually occupied by the course instructor.
Standish did as she was told.
“Loss of several pieces of equipment worth a considerable sum and multiple safety violations.” She looked at the senior instructor, then back to Standish. “You’ve been given the formal list of charges already.” She pointed towards a device in the middle of the desk. “For the record, do you admit to these charges, or deny them?”
Standish blinked once. “I admit to them.”
Dove leaned forward in the chair. “Very well. Trainee Standish, you are hereby expelled from the Rescue Technician course under articles of training.”
Standish didn’t flinch at the news, but she felt like she had just been punched in the stomach. Her eyes went to the floor. Fuck! Had she blown it? Ruined everything? Her chest got tight. Her legs wanted to wobble.
“The sentence is suspended.” Dove continued. “You will forfeit one year’s pay to be spread over the first five years of your service to cover the loss of your armour, and you will assist in the recovery of the drop-pod from the waters off the training zone.” Dove rose to her feet. “I’ve been told there is very little chance of recovering the parts of your U5 armour, but you will assist in the recovery of the drop pod. Finally, you will not be allowed a choice of assignment upon graduation but will be given an assignment of my selection.” She walked around the desk. “You have some strong admirers in this office.” She stopped just inches away from Standish. She could feel her breath on her cheek as he leaned in. “Don’t make me regret this decision.” She leaned away for a moment, then stuck her face right up next to Standish. “I want you to understand something. You were kicked off this course. You were done. I wanted you gone. It was by the grace and reputation of the senior instructor, the course commander and Dat Roser that you’re still a part of my branch.” She stepped back and moved to the door, then looked at Dat Roser. “Seems like you’ll have an eager trainee if she survives her year in the fleet.”
“Thank you for your wisdom and the magnanimous decision today, ma’am.” Dat Roser said, coming to attention.
Dove nodded, then looked at Marlon Genova. “She can’t graduate until that drop-pod is recovered.” Dove paused. “Genova, I’ll send you the posting for this one before graduation.”
“Ma’am.” Marlon Genova replied sharply.
Dove took another look at Standish, then strode out of the room, followed by Marlon Genova. When the door finally shut, Dat Roser walked over to Standish and then over to the senior instructor, before walking to the door.
“Dynamic Operations loves its fools and gamblers.” He said, before waking out of the office.
When the hatch finally shut, the senior instructor walked around to the rear of his desk and sat down in his chair. He waited for a moment before leaning forward and turning off a recording device and then looking over to Standish.
“Instructor Mafu will be in the kit room in five to suit you up. You’re going down to recover that drop-pod now and be back here in time for graduation.”
“Sir.”
“Standish.” The senior instructor shook his head. “Let me tell you what your problem is.”
She took a deep breath.
“You’re aggressive, bordering on reckless because you think you’re good. You are good, but you aren’t good enough. Not yet. When you get to your unit, your commander isn’t going to let you get away with this shit.” He tapped his desk. “You need to rein in the wildness and improve your skillsets. I like your enthusiasm, but if you carry on like you’ve been doing, you’ll be dead within a year.”
Standish could hardly breathe.
“And let me assure you that Dove is going to fuck you on your assignment.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Now get out of here and get that damn drop pod.”
Standish wheeled about and exited the room. She was a bundle of emotions. She was still on the course. She was going to graduate. She was probably going to be accepted to D-O training, but something was weighing her down. Fear. The fear that maybe all this time she had gotten lucky with the manoeuvres she had pulled. Lucky that she was dead already.
Picking up the pace, Standish jogged back to her room to change.
Fucking drop pod. She just hoped the water wasn’t too deep off the coast. Nothing gave her the creeps like deepwater recovery operations.
23
The Present
Porth System
“Jump complete.” The AI reported.
Time to get to work. “Run a full scan on all ships in the system.” Standish arched her back, trying to loosen up. “Plot a slow course to the station.”
Over the years, Standish had learned a lot, and while she still had it in her to be the rebel with a risk-taking attitude, she knew that prudence was sometimes the best course of action. With her retirement imminent, she wasn’t about to take any excessive risks.
Standish knew that the odds of Nal Liboa being found easily were remote. It was just a question of how many pieces to the puzzle she’d have to put together until she found him and the ring. The way she figured it, he’d make a few jumps, maybe switch ships before feeling that he was safe. He was also probably operating under the impression that the Princess would be too embarrassed to send anyone after him. A fatal mistake.
24
The Past
Tekori
The graduation ceremony was a slightly muted affair. All the graduates were seated in the primary lecture hall by class ranking. The top student in the front row on the left, the lowest-scoring student on the last row on the right. There weren’t any surprises. Everyone had a very clear idea of how they performed on the final exercise. A few of those graduating had requested a slot at one of the advanced Rescue Tech courses and would remain on Tekori, but for most of those graduating, they were about to be sent to the fa
r reaches of the Empire and their first assignments.
Num Blaz was sat next to Standish, the class leader, as they both had expected, while they waited in anticipation of his duty assignment. She knew that he had requested Jarosis at the top of his list. Everyone always picked Jarosis. It was the capital of the Empire. Hardly anyone ever got Jarosis. Rumour was that only the more experienced RT’s got an assignment to Jarosis, never the rookies.
Then Zara Five had her assignment read. “Imperial Yacht, Jarosis.”
There was silence in the chamber. Standish felt like she had taken a punch to the stomach. She might have liked Zara Five, but Zara was in the middle of the class and got the most prestigious assignment imaginable, and Standish could tell from the pained look on the senior instructor’s face that he knew that it wasn’t awarded on merit. Everyone knew her family was connected. Now the truth about how well connected came to light.
Without missing a beat, the senior instructor continued with the rest of the assignments. Standish had to wait for longest, something she was used to. As the appointments got closer, it was more of the same. Another task to a freighter or a warship. Those were the most common. There had been assignments handed out for duty on mining stations, research vessels, and a few specialised Search and Rescue ships in the more populated systems, but almost two-thirds of the course was going to a freighter or a warship, so when Num’s name was finally called, he was not very positive about his prospects.
“Num Blaz.”
Everyone watched as his image was splashed on the rooms primary viewing monitor, showing the ship he was going to be assigned to, just like everyone’s before.
“Luxury Cruiser Hallsif in the Valtameri System.”
An image of the massive vessel came onto the screen and the entire room when silent. Standish looked at Num, whose mouth was open, his eyes locked on the screen. The Valtameri system was considered the most regal and old fashioned in all the Empire. The dress and conduct of its citizens were centuries behind the rest of the surrounding systems, but they were considered some of the most sophisticated and elegant in the Empire.
Standish smiled. Her friend had been awarded a generous prize for his result in the class. She doubted she would receive the same attention.
The senior instructor smiled and pointed at the screen. “This ship is the property of the Crown of Valtameri.” He looked at Standish for a moment, then back to Num. “You’ll be wearing your dress uniform more than you’d expect with such a prestigious assignment.” The Senior Instructor cracked one of his rare smiles. “You understand the value of this assignment?”
Num closed his mouth and nodded.
“Congratulations.” The instructor said, before moving to the final trainee, Standish. “Val Standish. Swift Boat Force, Etelainen Forces, Sandura 26G.”
There it was, the punishment that she had earned with her showboat stunt. There was no mistaking it. Sandura 26G was in the middle of nowhere. It was not the kind of assignment she was hoping for.
Standish was still trying to wrap her head around the entire structure of assignments when her’s was read out. Etelainen forces. Pohjois forces. Core forces. Imperial Fleet. Civilian stations and civilian ships. In a massive galaxy, it was often hard to keep track of all the different factions within the Empire.
The senior instructor wrapped up the graduation ceremony with a quick speech, and instructions to receive joining instructions from Instructor Mafu once the reception in the courses lounge concluded. No one was going to ship out today. Tomorrow at the earliest.
The ceremony adjourned, Standish looked at Num who was grinning from ear to ear. “I see you’re happy.” She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
He shrugged. “I am happy. You’re fucked.”
Standish shook her head. “I have no idea what Swift Boats are.”
“Relax, it could always be worse. Jo-Jo just got assigned to a waste haulier in the 242 System. I’m from the 242 system, you don’t want to go there. You should consider yourself lucky.” He started to rise from his seat.
Standish shook her head. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she wasn’t thrilled about her prospects over the next year either. Either way, it was time to get drunk with her fellow graduates. They were finally full-fledged members of the fleet.
When Zara Five bounded over, she had a big grin on her face.
“I see you’re happy.” Standish said dryly.
“To be expected.” Zara replied. “Now, who wants to have a drink?”
Standish and Num smiled as they followed their friend out of the room and down a series of halls until they reached the Rescue Tech lounge that had been off-limits until now. As members of the fleet, they were now part of a sacred organisation whose mission statement was written above the doors they walked through on the way to the closest bar. To serve, to save, to sacrifice.
25
The Present
Porth System
Standish powered down the ship’s engines but left the AI online before pulling herself out of the flight chair. She was docked. Phase one complete.
“Link all schematics of the station to my wrist unit.”
She didn’t expect to find Liboa on the station, but she hoped to pick up his trail. All she’d need, per her risk assessment, was stealth body armour and a laser pistol. Anything more would be overkill.
When the hatch of the ship opened, it gave off a loud hiss of compressed air, only to be replaced by the noisy commotion of a busy hangar deck.
Scanning the area, she could see a dozen other ships from a myriad of worlds. Porth station was huge. If Liboa or his vessel was still here, her first order of business was finding it. An individual could hide. A ship was a little more conspicuous.
26
The Past
Sandura 26G
She didn’t know why, but there was an odd sense of relief that came over Standish when she boarded the first transport towards Sandura 26G. It was probably because the system was much closer to home. Close in galactic terms only, however. Either way, she was finally out of a training environment and ready to join the fleet.
The reception after graduation had been a jovial one. The instructors finally loosened up and talked to the freshly minted Rescue Techs about their experiences on the various ships and stations they had once served upon. Standish had spent most of her time with Num and Zara Five when the Senior Instructor came over and informed them that she and Num had both been accepted to the Dynamic Operations training program in one year. The announcement was warmly received.
After more chatting and laughs, the pair retired to ready themselves for departure. Both had already packed before graduation, taking extra care with their new U7 armour which had been presented to all the graduates just before the graduation ceremony. The armour was the first kit she was receiving factory-new since she had joined up. She was in love with it.
Of the remaining graduates, most of them sat around the lounge with their kit waiting for ships to take them closer to their duty stations. When Standish’s finally arrived, she was nearly the last one in the room. With the assistance of two droids, Standish moved down the corridors and hallways that she had memorised over her year and a half at the school and finally reached the hangar bay. It was empty, not a droid, drone, robot or student or instructor in the entire space. It was eerie.
Making her way to the exit hatch, she waited until the light on her side was green, then unlocked and opened the hatch. The umbilical from the ship that had docked was already warming up, and Standish headed down the twenty-metre shaft, unsure of what to expect, but when she was almost to the far end, she could swear she heard the sound of children.
“Jump complete.” Standish blinked herself awake. “Welcome to the Sandura System.”
The PA system cut off. Looking around the compartment Standish was in, she noticed that she was alone. A single droid sat unpowered in the corner of the small flight cabin that she had been sitting in for the l
ast twelve hours. The room was damp and covered in grey panelling.
Not sure what to do, Standish remained in her seat for a few minutes, and eventually, the captain came into the passenger compartment. “Surprised you’re still on this bucket.” He said with a smile. “We’re here. Grab your belongings and follow me.”
Standish did as she was told and followed the old captain to the ship’s main hatch and looked down a long passageway that connected to a station.
“That’s it, kid.” The captain pointed down the filthy looking passageway towards a hatch at the end. “Sandura Station.”
Standish thanked the man and made her way down the passage with the large case containing her armour hovering behind her and pushed hard on the hatch at the far end. It opened onto a broad causeway that was circular and had a gently sloping ramp that wound its way down towards what looked like a processing point at the bottom. Looking to her right, Standish could see other arrivals from other ships walking down the ramp, and without giving it a second thought, she started moving down towards the bottom.
When she reached the lowest level, she could see that there were three processing lines to receive new arrivals to the station, all staffed by droids. After waiting three minutes in a queue of travellers, she reached a booth and submitted her documents for approval. The machine scanned her identification card and travel pass, and then returned them, and watched as the gate to her front opened revealing a large concourse that was filled with a myriad of species moving about between dozens of stalls and shops that were selling various wares.
Stepping through the gate, she was immediately met by a giant droid with the stamp of the Valalis Corporation on its chest.
“Rescue Technician Standish, please follow me.” The droid turned and walked to the nearest wall, opened a door and proceeded inside. “You will wait here until someone from your detachment can collect you.” The droid quickly disappeared out of the door, leaving Standish alone in what looked like a transport-hub waiting room, albeit one that hadn’t been serviced in a long time. Looking around, Standish left the hover case containing her armour by the door, picked the closest chair, sat down in it, and waited.
Standish Page 11