"You know me, Mom. I'm always famished. That's especially true when I smell your home cooking. Is that lasagna I smell?"
"Yes. Marisa and I spent the afternoon preparing it. I know it's your favorite."
"Then what are we doing here in the entrance hall?" To Lt. Commander Ashraf, she said, "Lori, you're in for a treat. My mom makes the best lasagna in the world."
"It sure smells great, Admiral."
"Mom, just give us ten minutes to put our bags upstairs and wash up."
"Alright, dear. Lori can stay in Billy's old room."
"We'll be down as soon as possible," Jenetta said as she picked up her suitcase and led the way upstairs.
As Jenetta and Lt. Commander Ashraf entered the dining room some fifteen minutes later, Jenetta paused to look at the family photos on the wall there. Many of the images had been replaced since her last visit. Billy was now a Captain, Richie was a Commander, and Andy, Jimmy, Christa, and Eliza were all Lt. Commanders. There was a recent photo of her father on the bridge of his new command and a copy of the official picture of four-star Admiral Jenetta Carver that hung alongside that of Admiral Moore in every captain's briefing room of every ship in the Second Fleet and in every administrative office in Regions Two and Three. Pictures of Richie with Marisa and Billy with Regina on their respective wedding days had been added to the family photos since Jenetta's last visit home. She wished she had been able to attend at least one of their weddings, but she had been far away in Region Two on both occasions.
"Come on, girls," Annette Carver said as she entered the dining area carrying a large baking dish of steaming lasagna and added it to a table already overflowing with food items, "take your seats. Everything is ready."
As they settled into their chairs, Marisa entered carrying a carafe of chilled wine and an insulated pot of coffee. After placing them on the table, she joined the others. A brief prayer of thanks for the food was spoken by Jenetta's mom before the food plates were passed around the table so everyone could take what they pleased.
It was amazing that anyone found time to chew their food because the conversations never stopped throughout the entire meal, but even Jenetta got her fill of the delicious home-cooked cuisine. Over coffee, the conversations turned to ship deployments.
"Jen," Marisa asked, "is Richie's ship going to be coming home soon?"
"The San Francisco is part of the First Fleet, so I'm not included in discussions regarding its deployment. I can say that the GA has expanded so much that we need many more ships in the new territory. But— with the situation worsening on the Clidepp border, it seems likely that some ships will be recalled from patrol in what we used to call the Frontier Zone to assist with interdiction efforts in the Clidepp border sectors. Perhaps the San Francisco will be one of them. Of course, that doesn't mean that he'll be able to come home anytime soon. The San Francisco is pre-Dakinium, so travel time to the Clidepp border from Earth is well over a year. Fortunately, the new DS ship transports cut that to just a couple of months, and they can carry up to four destroyers at one time, so they can zip around GA space, pick up the older ships, and deliver them to where they're needed.
"I understand what you're going through, Marisa. I haven't seen Hugh in years. He's deployed here in Region One aboard the Bonn, while I'm posted thousands of light-years away in Region Two. He can't get any time off right now so I don't even expect to see him while I'm here. We have to content ourselves with frequent vidMails. Say, how would you like a vacation from this cold weather?"
"Vacation?"
"Well, sort of. I've been trying to talk mom into visiting our estate on Obotymot for some time. I suspect she doesn't want to go because she'd be alone among a race of giants."
"Giants? You mean the Nordakians?"
"Yes. At her height of about a hundred fifty-five centimeters, mom would definitely be unique. As you probably know, Nordakian females are typically over a hundred eighty-three centimeters, and males range from two hundred fourteen to two hundred forty-four."
"I think I'd feel just as much out of place. I'm only a hundred sixty-eight centimeters."
"It's not that I'm afraid or anything, dear," Annette said. "I just don't think I'd feel comfortable among people who are all more than thirty centimeters taller."
"At least you wouldn't have to worry about hitting your head on doorways," Jenetta said with a chuckle. "I told you of our experiences dealing with the Arrosians and the Selaxians. Momma, as part of the family Carver, and the Azula-Mum at that, I can promise you that no one on our estate, or anywhere else on Obotymot or Nordakia, would denigrate you in any way for your size or coloration. In fact, I'm sure that once you arrive they'll alter their coloration to match yours so as to make you feel more comfortable and welcome. That's the kind of people they are."
"It would be nice to get away from this cold weather for a while," Marisa said. "What's the weather like on Obotymot?"
"It's pretty much like Earth in that it depends where on the planet you're situated. At any time of the year, you can find blistering heat waves and formidable snowstorms, but our estate has about the best year-round climate you're likely to find on the planet. We own most of an entire peninsula in a wonderfully temperate area, which is why it was selected as the place for the royal family to stay when visiting Obotymot. Of course, the king and queen have never actually traveled there, so the palace has been empty since its construction, with just a staff of servants to maintain it. Their job has been to keep it so pristine that it would be ready for royal occupancy with just one day's notice. In summer, the estate enjoys mild-to-warm breezes throughout the entire day. In winter, they have slightly cooler weather at night, with daytime highs around twenty-six Celsius. I've been told that some of the most magnificent vistas on the planet can be found on our estate."
"And the staff still keeps it ready for immediate occupancy now that you own it?" Annette asked.
"Yes. It's their home also, although the only one occupying quarters outside of the servant wing is my chamberlain. The palace is the focus for all the business functions of the estate. From the reports I've received, agriculture on our lands, and indeed the entire planet, has been steadily improving each year. My chamberlain believes the estate should turn a tidy profit this year for the first time since the meteor strike that devastated life on the planet so long ago. I'd love for you to visit the estate and stay there as long as you wish. My magnificent quarters on Quesann was fashioned after the palace on Obotymot, so it must be beautiful."
"I just don't think I'd be comfortable living somewhere where they speak a different language," Annette said.
"Mom, that's part of the fun. You get to learn a new language. And because our family originates on Earth, my chamberlain has had the staff studying Amer for years. According to him, they've become bilingual and quite proficient because two days each week they are limited to speaking only in Amer. For years, the royal family has been working to convince the citizens that knowing Amer will help their people tremendously as their involvement in galactic commerce increases. Every school on Nordakia now requires that students speak Amer proficiently by their fifth year and most speak well enough to carry on a basic conversation by the time they enroll for their first year. Language is not the barrier it once was when the priesthood actively worked to isolate the planet. Besides, you can always carry a small translation device if you wish."
"Well, that relieves a little of my apprehension."
"If you're unhappy there, you can come back on the next passenger ship. There are weekly departures for Earth and other planets. You're a bit isolated here on the base, but if you were to visit the commerce centers and space stations on the planet, you'd be amazed at the number of Nordakian citizens you'd see, as well as numerous other species."
"I see them on the news all the time, dear. We're not that isolated here."
Jenetta chuckled. "Okay, I never have time to watch the news, and I don’t trust the accuracy of ninety-nine percent of the repo
rting anyway, so I was forgetting that it does offer a lot of exposure to other cultures."
"If we went," Marisa asked, "how long would we really have to stay?"
"Only as long as you wished. There's no minimum or maximum. Perhaps you'd decide you like it so much that you'd want to sell the home here and move to Obotymot permanently. The Nordakian people are amazing. I know you'll come to love their culture as much as I do."
"I don't think I'd ever want to sell our home here and move there permanently," Annette said.
"You don't have to. It's entirely up to you and Dad. But if you wished to do that, there's always a place there for you. And you could have your friends visit whenever you wanted, for as long as you wanted. The palace is enormous and can house hundreds of people without being crowded."
"I have to think on this for a while," Annette said. "Packing up and leaving home for an extended stay on another planet is not something I feel comfortable with."
"I understand. Packing up and moving is something I've become quite used to since joining Space Command, but you've spent every night in this same house for fifty years. Perhaps it's time for a temporary change of address."
"After listening to you talk about the planet and the people," Marisa said," I'm beginning to warm to the idea. I'm certainly not ready to commit to a permanent move, but it might be nice to visit Obotymot."
"There's no pressure, Marisa," Jenetta said. "The palace is there and available for the use of any member of the Family Carver if and when they want to go. If you decide to visit it before I leave, I can offer you passage on the Ares. It will cut as much as a month off your travel time. And it will give me an excuse to visit the estate. I'm sure you know I've never been there. It would be nice to look over the estate and make sure everyone is being treated well by the chamberlain and other people charged with administration and security."
"How long will you be here?"
"I've scheduled three weeks' leave. Tomorrow I have to meet with the Admiralty Board, but then I should be free until it's time to return to Region Two. If you decide you want to go to Obotymot, we can leave before the end of my stay here and spend the time there instead."
"I'm thinking I'd like to go since Richie isn't expected home anytime soon, but let me sleep on it."
Early the following morning, Jenetta and Lt. Commander Ashraf climbed aboard the Ares shuttle for Jenetta's appointment with the Admiralty Board. The trip was uneventful and quiet. Lori was thinking about her trip later that day to her ancestral home on Symi Island in the Aegean Sea where she would spend a week, while Jenetta was planning how she should present certain requests to the Board. She expected to meet some resistance with at least one request—nay demand— she felt was imperative to her remaining in command in Region Two. She didn't like to make peremptory demands, but she was prepared to stand firm on this occasion.
* * *
Chapter Three
~ February 26th, 2286 ~
Newsies tried to crowd around Jenetta and Lt. Commander Ashraf as they walked from the oh-gee vehicle to the steps of the building where the Admiralty Board conducted its sessions. She chastised herself for not having foreseen their possible presence and had the driver take them to the underground entrance. There were no newsies on Quesann, so the memories of how annoying they could be had dimmed. Fortunately, the newsies backed off as soon as Cayla and Tayna bared their fangs and growled menacingly. Jenetta usually calmed them, but she allowed them to express their uneasiness on this occasion and would only intercede if her girls actually moved to attack someone. The newsies were rightly fearful and backed off ten paces, then shouted out their questions from there. Jenetta had other things on her mind and ignored them.
Rather than remaining in the waiting area outside the meeting hall until told she might go in, Jenetta simply walked past the surprised clerk and led her entourage inside. Lori took a seat behind the chair where visiting admirals always sat at the large table while Jenetta went directly to the office hallway door from which the admirals would emerge prior to the meeting. She had told her girls to stay with Lori, so they were peacefully sitting next to the chair she would occupy. She didn't have long to wait and she greeted each admiral as he or she entered the hall. She knew them all on a personal level, including Admiral Yuthkotl, whom she had met years ago when she was inducted into the Nordakian Space Force and again when she received the Nordakian Tawroole Medal of Valor.
Admiral Moore was the last to enter, and he and Jenetta chatted for a few minutes before it was time to start the meeting. The gallery was empty today, but the chairs behind the admirals were filled with their clerks and aides.
After a few of the formalities, such as the reading of the minutes, were completed, Admiral Moore said," We're delighted today to welcome Admiral Jenetta Carver as a visiting guest to this session. Welcome, Jenetta."
"Thank you, Richard. I'm happy to be here with all of you today."
"You mentioned that you had two issues to discuss. You have the floor."
"Thank you. First, I must mention that while on my way to Earth from Dakistee, I received a message from Admiral Poole in which he informed me that the scout-destroyer Yenisei was overdue and not responding to communication. Admiral Poole dispatched the only two ships within two hundred light-years of the Yenisei's last reported position with orders to begin a search as soon as they arrived. Since the Yenisei is Dakinium-sheathed, the loss of all radio contact without warning is most distressing. The last message we received was that the Yenisei had DeTected three ships and was preparing to investigate."
"Do you suspect the loss of radio contact might be owed to an attack on the ship?" Admiral Moore asked.
"I fear that might be the case. I know you've been giving us every ship you possibly could, and I'm grateful. I'm not being critical of your efforts when I say that even with the Region Two Territorial Guard we formed from the former Milori Empire forces, we can't begin to provide adequate coverage in an area of space that is four times the size of Region One. The Yenisei was out on standard patrol near the Hudeerac and Ruwalchu borders. That there were only two other Space Command vessels within two hundred light-years of the Yenisei's last reported position might give you some idea of what we're up against out there. If the loss of communications is the result of an attack, I can't begin to guess who might be responsible."
"We do understand your situation and will continue to give you every ship and resource we can," Admiral Platt said. "We hope the Yenisei and his crew are safe."
"Thank you. I'll keep you informed with whatever new information becomes available as soon as I learn it. My second issue today is one that I've been thinking about for some time. I'm sure you understand how overwhelmed I am with the job of governing both Regions Two and Three. The people I do have are doing an incredible job, but I need someone with special skills. I want to bring Admiral Brian Holt to Quesann to work with me."
"Brian?" Admiral Moore said with surprise. "He's near retirement age. We've been discussing bringing him here to finish out his career."
"I think everyone at this table knows that Brian doesn't exactly covet a post here at Supreme Headquarters."
Admiral Moore chuckled. "Yes, we’re aware of his position on that."
"However, I think he might like to join me at Quesann, and I know I could use his talents there."
"You haven't addressed this possibility with him?"
"No. I felt I should discuss it with the Board first. Further, if you agree and he wishes to join me in trying to tame Regions Two and Three, I'd like to see him advanced in rank to Vice-Admiral."
"We've offered him advancement to Vice-Admiral if he'd join this Board."
"Quesann is a long way from Earth, politicians, and newsies."
"Uh, not so far as you might think," Admiral Moore said.
"What do you mean?"
"Just that for some time the GA Senate has been discussing the possibility of moving the government to Quesann. Naturally, we'd have to provid
e a press pool with local accommodations. And if the Senate goes to Quesann, Supreme Headquarters will have to go as well."
Jenetta remained quiet for a full minute as she looked at the admirals around the table. "I've wondered how long it would be before the Senate decided it should be more centrally located in GA space. Quesann has been center stage in Galactic Alliance space since we added Regions Two and Three. However, as evidenced by the issue of a missing warship, they have to understand that they would be giving up the margin of safety they enjoy here. I had that problem when merchants flooded into Stewart before the sectors were tamed."
"They understand, but they know that their lives couldn't possibly be in better hands with you protecting the planet and the Regions. None of this will happen immediately, of course. It will take time to construct the buildings and complexes for government, Supreme Headquarters, and residences for thousands of people."
"If Brian learns of this, he may refuse to come to Quesann."
"He already knows. He manages to keep pretty good tabs on what's going on here despite being ninety light-years away."
"Which is exactly why I need him on Quesann, and need him now. I'm hoping he'll agree to finish out his remaining years in Space Command while filling a position at Quesann."
"There may be more years available than you currently believe," Admiral Platt said.
"What do you mean?"
"Thanks mainly to your successes in battle against invading nations, our territory has grown far faster than our officer corps. Sometime this month the Senate will vote on a measure to increase the mandatory retirement age for Space Command officers to one hundred twenty-five. Ship posts will be increased to one hundred ten."
Jenetta chuckled. "I know a few officers who will be ecstatic over that change, including my father."
"Yes," Admiral Moore said. "With age spans now averaging one hundred forty and extending as long as one hundred eighty for some individuals, it was time for a change."
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