by Linn Schwab
Commander Jeffries glanced down at her mug. “Warm milk?” she asked with an understanding smile.
Robin nodded. “My stomach hurts.”
“Well, that sounds like just the remedy. Mind if I join you?” The commander retrieved a mug and carried it to the milk dispenser.
Robin stood by patiently and watched as she warmed her milk in the oven. “Who was that girl?” she asked, gesturing toward the lounge. “The one who was just leaving when you walked in.”
“That was Delia Pomeroy. She’s the captain of one of the destroyers that patrols the outer edge of our sector. She stops in occasionally to check up on us. I’m sure you’ll see her around now and then.”
Robin swallowed and worked up the courage to ask another question. “Are those academic stars she wears on her hat?”
“They sure are,” the commander said. She pulled her mug from the oven and took a seat at the nearest table.
Robin followed along and sat down directly across from her. “Is it regulation for her to wear them there?” she asked.
Commander Jeffries waited for her to sit down. “Well, Robin, since you have two of them yourself, I’m sure you can appreciate the significance of earning four academic stars. Delia is a very extraordinary girl. You and I can both sleep well at night knowing she’s out there patrolling our sector. That reassurance is worth a great deal to me. So, as far as I’m concerned, she can wear her stars wherever she wants to.” She smiled and reached across the table, gently clasping Robin’s hands between her own. “Besides, I don’t think four stars would fit on her collar anyway.”
Robin was instantly enthralled by her touch. The commander’s hands were melty warm and immediately dispelled the chill from her body. The sense of warmth she was radiating seemed to be more than just physical. There was a strong sense of compassion being projected as well, and an air of confidence that made Robin feel completely at ease. She felt as though she could ask the commander anything, no matter how trivial it might seem to be.
“Umm. Was that the standard destroyer uniform Delia was wearing?” she asked.
The commander nodded. “Mm–hmm. Everything except for the stars, of course.” She grinned and found herself cherishing the look of delight on Robin’s face. “Very pretty, isn’t it?” A silent laugh rippled through her body. Funny, she thought, how such things seem to captivate us, even when we’re confronted with the specter of war. As she admired the look on Robin’s face, it occurred to her that she and Mindy had missed the morning lecture. “I, uh … heard you had a little trouble today. I’m glad to hear that Mindy’s alright.”
Robin looked down at the tabletop. “I’m sorry I missed your lecture,” she said. “I promised Mindy I wouldn’t leave her.”
“There’s no need to apologize for that, Robin. Something tells me you wouldn’t have been able to concentrate anyway. If staying with Mindy helped ease your worries, then it may have been better just to forgo the lecture.”
“It’s my fault, though,” Robin lamented. “I should have seen it.”
“That’s exactly how I’d expect any exceptional officer to react, Robin. But the truth is, this kind of thing happens more often than you may realize. Major Richards and I should have warned you of that. So, as it turns out, both of us bear some responsibility as well.” She frowned and looked into Robin’s eyes. “You see? Even commanders make mistakes. Now,” she said in a lighter tone, “I suggest you finish your milk, go back to bed, and get some sleep. I don’t think you should miss two of my lectures in a row.”
“I won’t,” Robin promised, sensing that nothing could keep her away. She gasped and suddenly looked off to her side. Her ears had detected another creaking noise, just like the one she’d heard a little earlier. “What was that?” she asked peering into the shadows.
The commander looked at her with compassion. It was obvious to her that Robin was frightened. “It’s just metal fatigue,” she explained. “There are a lot of different forces putting stress on this station. It makes noises like that all the time. Normally you just don’t hear them because of all of the activity going on around you.” She watched Robin with interest for a moment. There was still some uncertainty in the younger girl’s eyes. “This place can seem a little spooky sometimes,” she said, attempting to settle Robin’s unease. “Would you like me to walk you back to your quarters?”
Robin looked down and smiled in embarrassment. “Yes, please,” she reluctantly admitted.
The commander watched quietly as Robin finished drinking her milk. You’re still just a little girl, Robin, she thought. Hiding behind the responsibilities you feel for your squad. It’s their needs that give you your strength, little girl. Are you even aware of that yet?
Robin set her empty mug down on the table.
“Ready?” Commander Jeffries asked her. Robin nodded and got to her feet, and the two of them walked toward the lounge together.
“The stars look so much prettier at night,” Robin said, gazing out through the bay windows again. “I mean, with the lights turned off inside.”
“They certainly do,” the commander agreed. Glancing briefly out through the windows, her experienced eyes caught sight of a battle. “Look there, Robin,” she said, pointing toward a distant cluster of stars. “Do you see those tiny flashes of light? That looks like a fairly intense battle. There must be a lot of battleships there if we can see it from this far away.”
“Wow!” Robin exclaimed in wonder. “Do you think we’re winning?”
“Let’s hope so,” the commander said. She flashed a smile of confidence at Robin. “That’s still pretty far away from Valhalla. I don’t think we need to be worried just yet.” She noticed a ship pulling away from the station. “There goes Delia,” she said.
Robin watched in fascination as Delia’s ship began to accelerate. “Are they going back on patrol?” she asked, following the commander out of the lounge.
“Yes, they are. We can’t afford to let our guard down.”
“Aren’t we safe here?” Robin asked. “I didn’t realize we needed patrols.”
“Well, large fleets aren’t much of a threat to us here. They’re pretty easy to detect, and our fleets can intercept them long before they reach us. But there’s always a risk that a few ships could sneak through, and that could be very dangerous for us. Space stations make pretty easy targets, unfortunately. That’s why patrols are so important to us. Remember, Volaris is only one of several stations in this sector. Even just one enemy destroyer could cause a lot of destruction here.”
Robin looked up at her in concern.
“Don’t worry,” the commander reassured her. “We’re not completely defenseless.” She pointed a finger up toward the ceiling. “We have several artillery batteries upstairs. Not to mention our visiting fighter squadrons. We can put up a pretty good fight if we have to.”
The two of them stopped just outside Robin’s quarters.
“How’s your stomach feeling? Better?”
Robin nodded and yawned. A question suddenly emerged in her thoughts. The same question she had posed to Jenny. “Commander,” she asked, “can you tell me why my squad was chosen for fighter pilot training?”
That question again? the commander thought. Why do these girls feel the need to know this? “No, Robin,” she said with reluctance. “I don’t know why you were chosen. But whatever the reason, I’m sure you’re going to be one of the best.”
Robin smiled and walked into her room. “Thank you, Commander,” she softly whispered.
“Sleep well, Robin,” the commander replied, then turned and quietly walked away. As she stepped into one of the shadows, she felt a sudden chill pass over her body. She shivered and placed her hands on her shoulders, and quickly glanced behind herself. There must be a draft in here, she thought. Maybe this station’s in worse condition than I thought.
SECRETS 017
Mindy awoke feeling weary–eyed, to a still darkened room that seemed painfully quiet. She sat up
in her bed and looked around. All of the other girls were still sleeping. She sensed that her thoughts were clearer now, but that her fears were still lurking in distant corners of her mind. Will they stay there? she wondered. Will I ever be strong enough to face up to them? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. I have to know for sure, she decided.
Being careful not to disturb the others, she climbed out of bed and headed for the doorway. She stopped just outside her room and peered in apprehension at the corridor walls. Holding her breath for a few tense seconds, she scanned the walls for any reaction to her presence. Was I just imagining it before? she wondered, uncertain of her previous perceptions. Or are they content just to watch me for now? She swallowed and took another step forward. Nothing happened. The walls remained completely impassive toward her. She took a deep breath and let out a quiet sigh, then forced herself to step into the shadows.
“Be strong, Mindy,” she whispered to herself, determined not to give in to her fears. The darkness and silence weighed heavily on her, conspiring to make her feel insecure. Surprisingly, though, she seemed to find some comfort from an unlikely source. The very same walls that had once demonized her now served to lend her a little reassurance. They were a familiar — if not openly supportive — companion, and for the moment it didn’t matter how they felt about her. At least she was somewhat accustomed to their presence. Which was more than she could say for the shadows all around her.
Following a course that was still somewhat fresh in her mind, she made her way down to the hangar level. Rather than using the noisy elevators, she decided to climb quietly down along rung ladders, hoping her presence would go unnoticed. As she emerged in a corridor adjacent to the hangar, a sudden noise in the distance startled her. In a panic, she ducked into a nearby shadow and cautiously peered out from behind a support column.
Further along the same corridor, a pair of pilots stepped into view and proceeded to walk side by side toward Mindy. Recognizing both of their faces, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. They weren’t phantoms, or some figment of her imagination. Just members of one of the station’s fighter squadrons.
Allowing herself to relax a little, she continued to watch from her hiding place as the two pilots walked and conversed with each other. Both of them had apparently just returned from a patrol.
“My next shift comes up in twelve hours,” one of them said.
“Sixteen for me,” the other replied.
“Are you gonna turn in our flight log?”
“Yeah, I’ll take care of it. Go get some sleep.”
“Thanks.”
The two of them paused at a corridor intersection. There, they leaned in close to each other, briefly pressed their lips together, then parted and headed off in opposite directions. The kiss took Mindy completely by surprise. It was something she’d never witnessed before, outside of materials in the archives on Valhalla. The event repeated itself in her mind as the pilots’ footsteps trailed off in the distance. A kiss! she thought in fascination, wondering what it must feel like to kiss someone. She raised her hand up to her face and gently ran a finger back and forth across her lips, trying to imagine what the experience would feel like. Does everyone do that? she began to wonder. Maybe they do, and I’ve just never noticed before.
With intentions of sitting in a fighter now purged from her thoughts, she began to meander through the passageways again, gravitating back to her sleeping quarters. Do my squad mates secretly share kisses? she wondered. What about the rest of the girls in my battalion? Have all of them already kissed someone? Am I the only one who hasn’t?
The shadows were no longer a distraction to Mindy, and the walls had momentarily lost their influence over her. There was a deeper sense of anguish threatening to coalesce inside her — something that pained her more than even the thought of death itself.
As Mindy quietly reentered her quarters, she studied the faces of her slumbering companions. She weighed her feelings of friendship for them against the hurtful possibility that they were excluding her from something; that she was somehow being left behind by the others. But as distressing as the thought of that might have been, it just couldn’t seem to take root inside her.
They wouldn’t do that to me, she reassured herself as she wearily climbed back into her bed. Not on purpose, anyway. If I’m being left out of something, it couldn’t possibly be intentional. She yawned and allowed her eyes to drift shut, convinced that her friends would never treat her like that. But still, she couldn’t quite seem to shake the feeling that she might be missing out on something. And she definitely did not want to go to her death without having shared the same experiences as her friends. Anything that served to differentiate her from the others strengthened her fears of being separated from them, and heightened her concerns of ending up forever all alone.
CAPTAINS 018
Before Robin opened her eyes, she already sensed it was time to get up. A quick glance in the direction of Mindy’s bunk confirmed that she was still resting peacefully. Robin felt the tension in her mind start to fade. An entire night had passed, and Mindy was still with her. Perhaps Major Richards had been right about her. All she really needed was a healthy dose of sleep.
Entering the cafeteria with the rest of her squad, Robin spotted Jenny sitting by herself. She snatched up a tray of food from the counter and made her way over to Jenny’s table. “Captain McNeil,” she asked, trying her best to sound formal and polite, “do you mind if I sit with you?”
Jenny laughed, then grinned at Robin. “Don’t ever call me that again,” she insisted. “It sounds ridiculous coming from you. From now on, you can just call me Jenny. And by all means, please have a seat.”
Robin smiled and sat down at the table.
“So,” Jenny inquired, “how are things going with Mindy? Did she sleep at all last night?”
“I think so. She seems a little distant this morning, but…”
“Nothing like what happened yesterday?”
“No. I think she’s gonna be okay.”
Robin took a deep breath and looked around the room, recalling her encounter with Commander Jeffries. “Isn’t Commander Jeffries great?” she said, gazing dreamily down at the tabletop.
“She’s wonderful,” Jenny answered, seeing no reason to disagree with her.
“I love the way she runs everything. The way she speaks, so calmly and confidently. The way she gives orders without giving orders. It just makes you want to do your best, you know? Like you never want to let her down. I hope I can be like her someday.”
“You’re quite a bit like her already,” Jenny said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ll never be a Hornet. I’m afraid that just isn’t in the cards for you.”
Robin looked up at her in concern.
“Nope,” Jenny continued, “I can see the commander in you already. I think you’re going to go straight to the top. Hornet would just be a waste of your potential.”
Robin smiled and sighed in relief. It seemed obvious that Jenny was just teasing her.
Commander Jeffries suddenly stepped into view and stopped just inside the cafeteria’s entrance. A hush quickly fell over the room as everyone became aware of her presence. “Attention, Sentinels!” she finally called out. “Second Battalion Captains, I have something for you! Present yourselves front and center!”
Robin glanced apprehensively at Jenny, then stood up and walked over to Commander Jeffries, joining Christy, Judy, and Trina.
The commander raised her right hand in the air, displaying a small number of white plastic cards. “Ladies, these are your keys to the Sentinel Fleet,” she said, then handed a card to each of them. Robin carefully examined her card. Her name was printed along one of its edges. “Use them with great care,” the commander cautioned. “You’ll be expected to keep them with you at all times. If you’ve been wondering what those pockets on your dresses are for, well, now you know.”
Robin eyed the small pocket on the left breast of h
er dress. It was perfectly sized to hold her card key.
The commander continued, “A great responsibility has just been placed upon each of you. Our very lives depend upon the ships in our fleet. And all of the lives on the planet below us. But the importance of our mission runs even deeper than that. We are guarding the legacy of the founders of Valhalla. We’re fighting to ensure that their vision will endure. That all of their work won’t be lost forever, and that the sacrifices of our predecessors will not have been in vain. Lost or damaged ships can be very costly for us. And I mean ‘costly’ in terms of lost Sentinel lives. So please remember to exercise good judgement. An awful lot is going to be riding on your shoulders.”
She paused now to let her words sink in. It was apparent from the expressions on the young captains’ faces that they understood what she was trying to impress upon them. “I’ll see you ladies in class,” she said, then turned and walked away from them, leaving them to reflect upon the importance of their duties.
After a moment, Jenny walked up behind Robin and affectionately wrapped both arms around her neck. “Wow,” she said, “that was quite a speech. She really knows how to ratchet up the pressure, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Robin softly responded, “I guess she does.”
“Let me give you some advice,” Jenny said, “…if you want to keep Commander Jeffries happy.”
“What’s that?” Robin asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Never,” Jenny cautioned, “under any circumstances … run your key through the laundry machines.”
Robin smiled and started to giggle. It seemed clear that Jenny was speaking from personal experience. In an instant, both of them were laughing together, sharing in a feeling of open comradery.
The commander began her lecture in the usual manner, by greeting the girls formally as they entered the room. “Today,” she announced, “we’re going to be focusing on navigation problems.” The classroom echoed with groans of despair, but the commander pretended not to notice. She stepped in front of a large display screen and began to draw up some intricate formulas.