by Francis, Ron
When all the Jarlevian ships were in place, they immediately took out the one laser turret they thought Earth's moon contained and began to attack Earth’s fleet. Jesse activated the mines, and almost half of the Jarlevian fleet instantly went up in atoms. The three plasma cannons started pumping out death, and in the confusion, he brought his fleet in and struck. By the time the battle was over, Earth had lost sixteen of its twenty-four ships, the Jarlevian had lost one hundred and forty-three ships, and Jesse had lost only one ship.
After the battle, he immediately turned over forty of his forty-three ships to Admiral Bliney, who came up with the strategies that won the war in under a year. He loaned Earth his ships and even supplied them with the new ones that were built during that year. Jesse was hailed as the man that saved Earth. Bliney was hailed as the man that won the war, and Natora was outraged at having been left out of the loop. Natora was incredibly jealous of their success, and that bitterness and jealousy soon turned into an intense hatred of Jesse Marcos.
Admiral Natora spared no expense at trying to take him down. He tried to paint him as a would-be tyrant, with secret plans to conquer Earth. He tried to confiscate the plans to the SSE ships and tried to have him arrested for treason, none of which worked. Admiral Bliney deflected all criticism with proof that he was aware of Jesse’s actions every step of the way. The fact that he let Naval Command use his ships, worth hundreds of billions of Earth standard dollars, didn’t hurt. It also increased his popularity among the military and the politicians.
In the end, Sea Side Enterprises received a military contract to continue producing the vessels for Earth. Jesse negotiated the right to retain twelve ships for defense of the production facilities, two Leviathan and ten War Hawks which form Vee Fleet and the Olympians. Jesse put Vee Fleet under the command of his cousin Ariel after the war and he put one of his former Special Forces soldiers Manny Hernandez in charge of the Olympians. He also received an updated commission in Earth's Space Marines as a Colonel, conscripted to Admiral Bliney for the remainder of the war.
The war ended a year ago, and all he had been able to think about since then was getting Endeavor out into the Kalephi galaxy. He was itching to see if Dr. Hightower's account of the Kalephi galaxy was accurate. The Coalition gave the mission a go, and moved Admiral Bliney to the outskirts of known space as a first line of defense against future alien threats. In his absence; the bitter and jealous Natora became the highest ranking Fleet Admiral. Technically, Natora and Bliney have equal rank, but in peace time, the Admiral stationed in the core makes the decisions. Natora hadn’t been able to stop Endeavor’s mission, but he was doing everything in his power to obstruct their search for an answer as to whether or not Endeavor made it through the matter conduit.
______
Present day…..
“We have all the data we are going to collect, Nina,” Serge commented, frustration in his voice. “The military wants us out now, sweetheart,” he continued.
“Natora is a moron,” she yelled, not caring who heard. “We’ll go when we’re ready, not before.” She was resolute. The military would have to fire on them to get her to leave before she was ready to go.
“Nina, we are ready,” he replied, trying to muster his patience. “You only wish to stay to cause more friction between you and the Admiral, and that is not helpful.”
She knew he was right, and they did have what they needed, so she consented. “Okay, back to Polisia to analyze the data, then.”
As they were heading back to Polisia, Ensign Parson called out, “Receiving a hail from the Vanguard for Nina Romanov.”
“On screen, Ensign, thank you,” she responded.
“Ariel, have you been able to pick up anything?” she asked with a warm smile.
“Yes, Nina, we have, and hello to you as well,” Ariel smirked. “I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, Cousin. Apparently, Admiral Natora called the EDF to try and get Vee Fleet temporarily assigned to him so he could keep me from thoroughly scanning the debris. We were wrapped up in nonsense for the last few hours before I took my leave.”
She laughed and continued. “I think he was planning on having me leave immediately for Earth and barring me from communicating with you but I told him that it had already been cleared with the EDF. He ordered me to hold off until he spoke to them and went on to threaten repercussions, but I just yelled right into his face on the screen, ‘I DON’T WORK FOR YOU,’ and ended the transmission.”
Nina was fuming in spite of her cousin’s good natured laughter. “He was trying to keep us from speaking,” she yelled. “I am going to have a conversation with that man, and then he will have real cause to hate our family.”
Ariel looked concerned and replied, “Don’t go off and do something stupid, Nina. Jesse and I have that department covered. We need you to be the rational one."
She knew her cousin was right. Ariel and Jesse had always gotten along so well. He thought of her as the little sister he never had, and she must have had a crush on every single one of his Special Forces buddies at one time or another. She was just a kid then, but Nina very much doubted any of them would turn her down now. At five foot eight with long, flowing, light-brown hair and stunning features, Ariel could have been an entertainment star. She handled the attention well and didn’t flaunt her looks, but then again she didn’t need to.
She looked off screen and took a message from someone Nina couldn’t see. “Good news,” she beamed.
Nina’s heart jumped, “No debris from Endeavor?"
“No debris from Endeavor, Cousin,” Ariel replied cheerfully. “They at least made it into the matter conduit in one piece, now we only have to pass time for the next fourteen months until Jesse returns.”
“Oh, thank you so much,” Nina replied, truly thankful for such a diligent cousin. "Can you send the info to my office?"
“Already done, Cousin, and now I have about three days' work to catch up on. Let me know as soon as you find anything. Call if you need me.” With that, she waved goodbye, flashed one of her famous smiles and then the transmission ended.
Nina now had all the possible data, she would go over it again of course, but she was satisfied that her brother had made it alive into the matter conduit. She turned to Serge and Frost, gave them a big smile and said, “We got it, now let’s go home.”
______
It was getting late, and Jesse was beginning to get tired. He had been through a lot the past few days, but he could not find an easy way to excuse himself. Mayor Valinor’s press conference had given way to an impromptu celebration, and the celebration had given way to the party of the year. Suzy seemed to be having the time of her life. Camaraderie with medical doctors from another galaxy and the exchange of medical information was probably far beyond her wildest dreams, and he didn’t want to take her away from it. She rarely had the opportunity to cut loose, and even though talking broken bones and alien infections didn’t seem like his idea of a good time, he knew it to be hers.
Reece also looked like he was enjoying himself. He was planted right in the middle of a cluster of beautiful young women. They were hanging on his every word as he recounted his experience at Outpost Twenty-Three. He looked over to Jesse and shot him a grin that suggested he may not be back to the ship tonight.
As tired as Jesse was, he was happy; he only wished the others could be here enjoying themselves as well. Kimi had commed him a little bit earlier to let him know that the clothes Seeja had sent over for Kiah had arrived. She also told him that Kiah was entertaining them with a silent fashion show. He spoke to Kiah briefly, and he could practically hear her smile as they spoke. Since then, he had spent time with some of the military men gathering information in the flow of the conversation. He particularly liked Admiral Togglasem.
He was given the opportunity to meet the Chairman. As they spoke, he noticed that the man, although in his early seventies, seemed to be an energetic and capable leader. The Chairman’s wife was strikingly beaut
iful. She looked to be about thirty, and seemed to be more interested in spending time alone with him than with her own husband. Seeja had come over to rescue him, for which he was grateful, only to bring him over to a group of presumably single young ladies. He spent the next couple hours in a nice round of conversations with the very lovely and interested young ladies.
He later found some time to talk with Mayor Valinor and the Chairman and when they asked him where he was from, he hesitated before he told them he was from another galaxy.
"We came here by way of a phenomenon our scientist call a matter conduit. It occurs only once every one hundred and thirty six years. If our information is correct, another one will be opening up in this galaxy sometime next year, then we can return home."
"Come now, if you wish to keep your home world a secret you could have just said so, there is no need for elaborate stories." Mayor Valinor laughed.
But the Chairman just looked at Jesse in awe. "So the stories are true," He gasped barely above a whisper. "You are from the other side of the celestial portal; you are the descendants of the humans of old. You are star jumpers."
"Wait, you mean to tell me he is being truthful." The mayor added in awe. "How is this possible?"
"I wish I knew, our scientists can't even explain it. We call it a matter conduit as opposed to a celestial portal, but I do like the term star jumpers. We are from the Milky Way galaxy." As they continued their conversation for a while longer, the Chairman decided it would be better if Jesse didn't tell anyone else how they arrived here. He agreed and as the conversation ended, he went to find Suzy.
Before he could leave, the mayor began to ask him questions about his plans for Kiah. He wasn't really sure what to say, he hadn't really thought about it. As the conversation wore on, he got the idea that the Mayor and his wife might be interested in raising Kiah as their daughter. He couldn't believe it, especially given Kaldor's culture. Although, if anyone was in a position to make a change, it was the Mayor. He asked the Mayor to come by the ship in the morning so they could discuss it further and then took his leave.
He always seemed to be bored when his sister Nina made him go to these types of events for Sea Side Enterprises, but he wasn’t bored this time. Maybe it was being in a different galaxy, or maybe it was just watching Suzy have so much fun. He only wished he were less tired so he could enjoy himself more. He began looking through the crowd for Suzy to let her know he was ready to leave. He had probably had a little too much to drink, although that was not his intention. The first drink or two had merely been a polite gesture. All of the beverages were delicious, and he couldn’t keep track of which ones had alcohol. When he noticed he was feeling a little warmer than he should, he started drinking only water. Being a warrior he needed to be fully in control at all times, and as a result he rarely drank too much.
As he was searching for Suzy, he began to notice that women’s fashion in Kaldor City seemed to have two distinct styles. For the older women, extravagant gowns with beautiful images embroidered on them seemed to be the norm. For the younger women, flashy form-fitting jumpsuits were en vogue. Most of the men were wearing black trousers and a black shirt, usually with a brightly colored jacket and a matching hat and shoes. Some of the men went for a colored shirt and no jacket. As he continued searching for Suzy, he saw a beautiful woman heading straight towards him with a look of purpose on her face.
As she approached, he couldn’t help but notice how truly lovely this woman was, with long blonde hair and blue eyes that you could swim in. She had perfect cheek bones and a smile that could light up a city. Wearing a deep purple form-fitting jump suit adorned with white trim, white boots and white gloves, she might be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.
Every head turned as she sauntered right up to him and threw her arms around him. He was taken a bit by surprise as she leaned in close kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear. “I’ve been waiting to get you to myself all night. Can we go somewhere a little bit quieter to talk?”
He was even more surprised when he heard himself saying the words, “Sure, lead the way.” As they reached a quiet corner and sat down on a small couch, he looked at the woman, smiled and said, "What can I do for you?” He immediately noticed that she had him off his game, he couldn't even concentrate around her.
She turned to face him and replied, “Hello, Colonel Marcos, my name is Captain Cassyanna Reed, and I need your help.”
As Captain Reed spoke, he realized that her intentions were not what he originally thought, and he was amazed to realize he was disappointed. This was the first time since Rebecca that he felt an immediate attraction to a woman he didn’t know.
Fortunately for his dignity, she seemed to have a problem she thought he could help with, so he didn’t have to worry about anything else. Unfortunately, he realized, he might have enjoyed that something else.
______
As Kimiko watched the party from the comfort of Endeavor’s bridge, she realized she would have hated it. Her training would have allowed for her to fit in flawlessly, but inside she would be miserable. She much preferred the company of a few good friends to a gathering of strangers with motives and agendas. Suzy, it seemed, was having an in-depth conversation with a rather dashing doctor. She was happy to see Suzy enjoying herself. She spent so much of her life helping others that she rarely had the time to go out and have fun.
Reece was clearly intent on making this a night to remember. He currently had his arms around two beautiful young ladies: one human and the other Qualoosh. There was at least another four or five just waiting for a chance to speak to him. She smiled to herself as she wondered what his criteria for choosing a woman might be, besides breathing, of course. He had only been part of the crew, for a couple days, if he even was part of the crew, but he was a capable warrior and a genuinely friendly man. He hadn’t stopped flirting with Suzy since he came on board. Kimiko didn’t think he was interested in her; it just seemed to be his way. She always shut him down, but she usually did it with a friendly smile. Kimiko noticed Jesse sitting on a couch talking to a stunningly beautiful woman as she looked to another camera feed. She felt a twinge in her gut, and she didn’t like it.
“Wow, she’s very beautiful.” Josiah called out from behind, smiling as he joined her at the view screen.
“I hadn’t noticed,” she lied.
He looked at her, his wise eyes seeing through her charade. “Kimi,” he began. “Jesse is never going to know how you feel unless you tell him. Trust me; I’ve known him since secondary school. He sees you as a friend, as close as Suzy and I are to him even; it’s doubtful he’ll ever make a move unless you’ve given him reason to.”
She had never spoken about this with anyone, although she was fairly certain that at least Josiah and Suzy had figured out how she truly felt. She looked at him and replied, “But what if he doesn’t feel the same way?” She asked, pleading with him to have an answer. “What if I tell him and it ruins everything? For the first twenty-three years of my life the only people I knew for sure loved me was my mother and my sister. I never had any friends…"
“Until you met Jesse,” he finished.
“But now I have you and Suzy, Collin and Manny, Jason and Ariel, and even Nina and Serge have forgiven me for what I did. Josiah, I finally have people that care about me, and I love it. I would do anything, for any of you…"
“And you don’t want to chance losing that,” he again finished her thought. “Listen, Kimi, none of us would change the way we feel about you if Jesse was stupid enough to turn you down. It might be awkward with him for a little while, but he would get over it. As you can see, when he makes a friend, it’s a lifetime commitment.” He laughed a little, hoping it would lighten her mood, but was surprised when her mood grew a little bit darker.
She was staring intently at the screen, and he recognized the look in her eye. “What’s wrong, Kimi?” he asked.
“I’m not.... sure,” her reply came slowly.
“Jesse seems a bit off.”
He looked at the screen and noticed Jesse smiling a little too much. “He looks drunk.” Josiah observed.
“Not drunk,” she replied, “drugged.”
“SAMMI, status report on Colonel Marcos,” Josiah queried as he kept his eyes on the screen. Tech built into the Crew's battle suits and uniforms allowed SAMMI to monitor their vital signs when they were within twelve kilometers of the ship.
“Colonel Marcos is experiencing abnormally high levels of hormones,” SAMMI informed in the soothing voice they were all so used to.
“Figures,” Kimi said with disappointment in her voice.
“You misunderstand, Officer Tamanorra,” SAMMI corrected. “These hormone levels are far too high to be achieved by the normal human pre-mating rituals. They are artificially high.”
“So he is drugged,” Josiah softly replied as he commed Suzy.
“There is a high probability that your assessment is correct, Lieutenant Jackson.” SAMMI added.
“Suzy, come in please,” he called into the comm, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Suzy politely excused herself from her conversation to see what the problem was. “I’m here, Josiah, is everything alright?” She asked, wondering what the call was all about.
“I don’t think so, Suzy, it appears as though Jesse may have been drugged by the woman he is talking to. They are in the corner of the next room approximately forty-seven meters north of your current position. We need you to get him back to the ship. Get Reece to help if you have to,” he instructed.
Jesse was completely enthralled by this woman, Cassyanna, he was ready to do whatever she asked of him, but he couldn’t understand why. She was incredibly beautiful, but beautiful women had never caused him to lose his faculties this badly before, except when he met Rebecca during his first year of secondary school. Here was this beautiful woman that needed his help and he was ready to offer her whatever she wanted. He wasn’t even aware that she was still speaking until she said sharply, “Colonel, I need you to focus. Have you even been listening to me?” She asked, frustration evident in her voice.