Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition

by Thomas J. MacDonald

  "Now, that I have you all a little tipsy with all these toasts, I'd like to turn the floor over to the new Deputy Fleet Commander. Admiral Stevens will say a few words." A broad smile crossed his face as he made the statement waving his glass toward the newly arrived Stevens. He'd come over from the Grenada, after opening their party. During the second shift, the procedure would be reversed. They would both concentrate on the Grenada and come over to Columbia for a brief visit.

  "Even though I am in foreign territory, I'd like to welcome you all here.' Tom announced, referring to his move to Grenada. 'And, I'd like to make an observation, and maybe fill you in on a few things you may not know, but wish you did.

  Admiral Bryant is the authentic enlisted man's officer. When he made the last toast, it was not just to make you like him. I can tell you that he actually believes in the context of that statement. I worked with him a few years ago when he was actually my subordinate. Each and every person under his command was as important as each and every other. So, on behalf of the more than twenty-seven thousand individuals in the Fleet, I would like to welcome him to Boots and thank him for the toast. And, I would like to raise a glass myself to Vice Admiral George T. Bryant the best Commander in the OESA.' There was a minute's pause while all raised glasses with the traditional cheer and drank to the Admiral. Then, Stevens continued on a lighter note. 'You noticed I said the best Commander. I didn't say the best Fleet Commander. I said the best Commander. There isn't another that can come...." He feigned being cut off as Tonaka dragged him from the dais mumbling words about drunken sailors all the way back to her chair. Then, she moved to the podium.

  "Sorry about that folks.' She said with a smile to a response of raucous laughter. "Poor Admiral Stevens can't hold his liquor. He was out of it when Admiral Bryant made his second toast.' She paused to wait for the laughter to die down, then continued. 'Of course, that was the one to him, and he took an extra big gulp, for that one.' She said with a smile as she looked over to Tom. It was just then that, he was laughing so hard, he almost fell out of his chair. 'See what I mean?" She said to the audience as she nodded sidelong towards Admiral Stevens. ' But on a more serious note, I would like to say that he may be a little under the weather, but Admiral Stevens is right. We're lucky to have Admiral Bryant as our Commander. So, I would like to raise a glass and ask you to toast him, again. To Vice Admiral George T. Bryant, the best Fleet Commander in the OESA.' She raised her glass and then took a sip for the toast. Then she paused in absolute silence for a good minute. ' You notice I said the best Fleet Commander. I did not get into overkill with the best Commander thing because we all know who the best overall Commander is.' She was beaming and polishing the nails of her right hand on the right breast pocket of her jacket. ' Even if you’re not sure, I certainly know who the best is..." Her sentence was cut short as Bryant hauled her off the dais with the hook of what appeared to be a shepherd's staff as the crowd roared in laughter.

  "Okay folks, the foods getting cold so I'll get this moving along. We just have one other item on the schedule, before we serve. Some of you have deeply held beliefs, and others don't, and the Empire does not condone group participation in religion. But, I will ask you all to take a moment of silence in respect of those who wish to give thanks." Bryant said as he gave up the podium.

  After the silence, all lined up along the various food venues, picking and choosing the delectable dishes and delicacies they liked or wanted to try. There were some unusual and quite exotic foods along the way. You could find marinated Kalamata Olives, escargot aux-vin, and even spiced calamari vinaigrette for those who like a good chew. There were ethnic Chinese, Thai, Italian, French, and Mexican offerings, from Earth, and many more glamorous entrees from member planets - including a few live food dishes. There were salads of all types including a Salad Chef to prepare your Caesar fresh if that's what you wanted. Steaks, chops, and fillets were cooked to order on the grill. The dessert tables included an assortment of cheesecakes, finger pastries, pies and even crepes made to your personal request. Each item sported a name tag that included the originating Carrier. You could vote for your favorites in the back of the hangar. The Chief had organized a competition that included some pretty fantastic prizes for the winning kitchen in every category. It was a smart way to motivate the Carriers’ galleys to come up with their best offerings in such a short period.

  All the guests of honor and their escorts or dates were seated at the head table. Bryant and Marie sat in the center. On either side of them were the two Group Commanders and their partners and at opposite ends of the table, the Chief and the Brigadier had settled with their dance partners.

  As dinner was winding down, the band began to raise their volume a little every few minutes as they selected music with more upbeat tempos, taking the whole room from a quiet dinner ambiance to a more festive mood. Couples began to trickle onto the small dance floor. Olivia Hurst came by the head table, paid respects to everyone and invited Captain Nichols to the dancefloor. This seemed to signal Marie, who had arrived at the dinner party with George. Taking his upper arm, she directed him to the hardwood square where they danced to a slow piece.

  After a few turns, George relaxed with her, pulling her in tighter against his body, which she did not resist, and in fact, seemed to welcome. They remained there for the next number, slow dancing, cheek to cheek - bodies in tight proximity. At the end of the piece, he leaned his head back to capture her eyes.

  "I have duties I must look after. I have to shuttle over to the Grenada and spend some time glad-handing. I need to show all the troops, I really care, not just the ones from my Flag Group. Would you like to accompany me?" He asked.

  "I'm your date aren't I?" She responded with that impish twinkle in her eye.

  "I think you're becoming more than that, but, we'll drop it there for now. Let me beg leave from here, with those that might notice, then, we'll go." Bryant said.

  He made his way along the dance floor, over to the head table, and into a small group that had formed in front of it. At each point, he made contact with those who'd been with him throughout the evening, explaining that he and Marie were heading to the Grenada to check out the festivities there.

  The two vessels were parked about five kilometers apart in space. That's too close to launch his relatively large personal craft, so they made their way to the Shuttle Bay, asking the bay's Duty Officer to grab a pilot to take them to the Gemini. The young Ensign started flitting about nervously, evidently never having dealt with a Senior Flag Officer before.

  "Ensign, take it easy. Take a moment to take a breath and think. I am just another person like you, and I'm off duty. Whenever you meet someone of higher rank, you respect their level, but the person behind the stars is just like you. Always remember that. Are you going to attend the party when the shift is over? George asked, changing the subject.

  "Yes sir, I'm planning to go as soon as I can shower and clean up." The young lady answered.

  "That's good because it's quite a do, and the plan is to repeat the entire meal an hour after the shift change. The whole party resets and starts over for all who were working before. Do we have shuttles going between the Columbia and the Grenada, tonight, because the party is in both places? Some people may want to make the rounds."

  "Yes Sir, the orders from your office said to keep two shuttles from each ship running back and forth through the entire celebration." The diminutive young Alphan woman from the 61 Virgo system responded. She seemed much more relaxed now.

  "How long until the next regular shuttle?" The Admiral inquired.

  "Sir, we have one leaving in less than five minutes." The young Officer was actually calm and smiling, as she responded.

  "Then, don't make any special arrangements for us. We'll hop on that one." He responded.

  "Did you want to wait with the others who are taking it to the Grenada sir?" She asked pointing through the glass wall to a group of about ten people in a waiting room.

  "I
don't think so. You know how you reacted when I came into your command area. I don't want to ruffle too many people, this evening. They're supposed to be having fun. We will just stand around here until boarding time if that's okay with you? We wouldn't want to be in the way." George sort of chuckled through the statement.

  "No sir, it's no problem, but I think you're making a mistake, if I may be so bold. " The young Ensign obviously wasn't really shy, after all. She had just been intimidated by the rank.

  "Absolutely, feel free. I'm all ears." George responded with a smile.

  "Well sir, you were a Junior Officer, once. You know what it's like to have your Fleet or Group Commander, suddenly show up. But in this past few minutes, I've come to realize that you're the boss, but you're basically an average, all right person. If you get what I mean?" She sort-of stumbled through the last part of the explanation a little nervously.

  "Yes, yes, I get what you mean. Please go on." Bryant invited.

  "Well sir, it might be better if you disturbed them a little now. They're going to get to know you a little. Besides, you're going to disrupt their night when you first get on the shuttle, sir."

  There was wisdom in this young greenhorn's observation.

  "Yes Ensign, you have a point. We will wait with the others." George responded as they moved to the hatchway.

  Aboard the Grenada, they began their journey through the corridors, electing to take the keyed elevator and follow a different route than the others.

  "Wow, I can't believe it. It's just like being aboard the Columbia. Are all the Carriers so similar?" Marie asked with amazed wonder displayed in her very expressive blue eyes.

  "They are all identical, except for the little possessive things people do to personalize a workspace or the trial of the occasional new idea or concept. Every ship in each class is identical to the next unless there has been a design change that is working its way through the Fleets." George responded to her, as they stopped in the empty hallway while he explained.

  As she looked up into his eyes, George felt himself drowning in her gaze. When she leaned into him, it was only natural to put an arm around her, pull her in tight, and kiss her firmly and warmly on the lips. She responded without hesitation.

  "You know, Marie it is probably way too soon for this, but I think I've fallen in love with you. You can push me away, and I will stay clear of personal encounters after this, but I had to tell you." He said as he stared down into the two liquid pools.

  "Ditto." She stated in a low, hoarse, whisper as she placed her lips against his again.

  He responded warmly, and the embrace and kiss became all the more passionate.

  "Unfortunately, we have obligations. I would like to explore this much further." A very raspy whisper he almost didn't recognize as his own voice came from his lips.

  "Later.' she responded. 'The feeling will still be there later. We'd better get going before, we're missed." She whispered.

  Each straightened already pristine uniforms out of a false sense of propriety and modesty. Then, they broke into raucous laughter over the reaction, when they glanced at each other.

  The Grenada hangar staff stopped and came to attention when they stepped inside.

  "Not tonight people. This is a party." Bryant yelled in an attempt to be heard in the vast space.

  The party continued until just after midnight when the change of shift became evident. There was a change-over of about a third of the guests. During the time before midnight, George and Marie enjoyed several more trips to the dance floor, before heading to the head table. By that time, the head table guest from the two ships had exchanged places, so most of those from the Columbia were now at the Grenada shindig.

  When the party resumed with the second round of food, George went through the same toasts and greetings, as in the previous setting, but paid particular attention to Grace Tonaka and Moahu, both of whom had been promoted or moved to senior positions within the Fleet. It was especially important for Bryant to honor Grace. This had been her Flag Ship, and she'd received little attention to this point. This time it was Tonaka and Moahu who did a similar comedy routine to the one on the Columbia. And once again, the dinner was exquisite, if not a replica of the first. Despite the fact it was the second stint, the entire menu was as fresh and hot, as the first had been.

  Again, Marie and George enjoyed several dances but returned a little more often to the head table to become better acquainted with their new friends and co-workers. George told humorous stories about things that he had witnessed over his career until he finally got to the one about Marie he wanted to recount.

  He described the event aboard his personal craft with the cadets, comparing Marie to a drill Sergeant Major on several occasions, but adding embellishments like her cracking her swagger stick across a table and expressing his own fears of her. All the while his face held alarmed expressions as he rolled his eyes in apparent disbelief at what he was recounting. All roared in laughter. He ended the story by turning to Marie and making a toast.

  "When I first met you, at headquarters, I learned very quickly just how smart and humorous you were. But, I made the mistake of thinking you might be meek. Your constant little barbs, while on the base, convinced me this was not the case. But when I saw you in action, I knew that this Lieutenant would make a great Commanding Officer in any assignment. She has grace, elegance, bearing, and compassion, but can be the toughest Officer in the pack, when it's required. Marie Ste. Laurent, may the wind be always at your back, and may you have the best career that anyone could ever want. We all wish you boundless success." He finished with a warm smile as he raised his glass to her.

  The other members of the group elevated their flutes as they called out a "Rah" in unison. Bryant noticed how Marie leaned towards Grace and whispered into her ear. Grace responded in kind. On the dance floor a short while later, George asked Marie about it. She answered that she had never heard the expression: "May the wind be always at your back." and had asked Tonaka what it meant. She had explained it was a salutation for sailors of times past. If the wind was at their backs, the sails were full, and they were moving and not becalmed. She told George, she thought the expression was a beautiful one for those in the service.

  At two hundred thirty hours, George and Marie made their excuses and left, heading for the shuttle bay but stopping from time to time in little naturally occurring alcoves in the corridors for brief intimate moments. The same was true aboard the Columbia, as they made their way to his quarters. Up on the Flag level, she stopped.

  "What's the matter, Marie?" He asked.

  "Nothing.' She responded and paused,; then, continued. 'I've never been up here, and I can tell by the doors that the quarters are a heck of a lot bigger than even the Captain's quarters must be."

  She looked along the corridor at the six doors that graced each side of the shortened corridor. The Flag quarters were in a hallway that sprang directly from the Flag Bridge. That level was situated on the lowest deck of the Island, which holds flight control on level three, the Navigation Bridge on level two, the Flag Bridge, on level one with the communications antennae control beside the Flag Bridge. The entire Island sits atop the top main deck. It is forty-five meters across and nearly one hundred meters long. Offices, bridges, or control room take up considerable space at the front of each level, but each deck's living quarters corridors are about fifty meters long with the living quarters residing on both sides of the full length of the hallway. On the Navigation Deck, the passageway contains relatively sumptuous quarters for sixty-six, which represents all the shifts for all the Departmental Commands on the Bridge. The same length of corridor holds just twelve homes for Flag personnel. On some Carriers, only two suites are used. On others, as many as six may be occupied by the Fleet, Group, and Marine Commanders and their Chiefs of Staff. The rest are maintained, but vacant. They are held empty for use by visiting dignitaries and Theatre or Headquarters Flag personnel.

  George and Marie clawed the
clothing from each other less than a minute after entering - leaving bits of their wardrobes strewn throughout his suite - spending the entire night making love - first in desperation, then softly - over and over again in every corner of his living quarters including twice in the shower. By the time he finally fell asleep, George knew every inch of Marie's gorgeous frame, intimately.

  He awoke at eight-thirty hours, after only a couple of hours’ snooze. Marie was fast asleep and completely uncovered. Propped on an elbow facing her, he spent the next fifteen minutes admiring the view until she finally opened her eyes.

  "What time is it?" She asked.

  "Eight forty-five." He responded as she jerked herself out of bed and jumped to her feet.

  "My God, I've got a meeting at nine hundred hours, thirty minutes. I've got to move my ass." She yelped.

  "And what a lovely ass.' He said, then went on. 'Use my shower while I order breakfast. Have a quick bite, then head to your quarters for a quick change. That way, you'll be fresh and awake, when you get to the meeting."

  "Great idea!" She responded over her bare shoulder with a smile, as she headed into the bathroom.

  She dressed after a quick breakfast.

  "I wish we had more time," George said as he watched her.

  "See you later, George. I've got to run!" She said as she pecked him on the lips, turned and bolted out the door.

  George went back to sleep for another three hours. By that time, they were in the vortex on the way to 44 Bootis. It was nice to be the boss sometimes.

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