by CJ Williams
Luke looked at the ceiling. “George?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“New rule. No more light sabers. Ever.”
“A wise decision, Commander.”
Day 691—J64 (Jigu)
Patrolling warships flew to and from the capital every day. A permanent landing field was established near the city for the expanding Jiguan fleet.
The new chancellor ordered that all ministers in her government experience firsthand the spectacle of looking down upon their planet from space. Accordingly, a special landing area near the pavilion was designated to allow the VIPs to embark comfortably on the orientation flights.
Tyler faithfully passed along frequent requests for the warlord’s presence on such flights. Those requests were invariably declined due to his involvement in maintaining security for the solar system. In truth, Luke just felt awkward being around the officials.
But today was different. The chancellor herself, after sorting through a multitude of minor crises arising from the installation of her new government, was going to make the trip. She asked Tyler if the warlord could be present.
“This is a big deal for her.” Tyler told Luke. “And for the population as well. Because she’s so young, I’ve already heard questions about the legitimacy of her administration. You have to do this one, my friend.”
“I understand,” Luke replied without hesitation. “I owe her that much and a lot more. Of course I will escort the chancellor into space. When do you want me there?”
# # #
Luke stood in the warship’s hangar door as George touched down on the VIP pad. The weather was gray and rainy. Not that it made any difference to the view from space. The planet, much like Earth, had plenty of ocean and several continents. From orbit, it was always beautiful; swirling clouds over seas and land masses. On the night side, population centers glistened like bright yellow diamonds. Any storm clouds obscuring the capital city would go unnoticed in the sweeping grandeur from above.
The chancellor approached the warship from an adjacent administration building. A retinue surrounded her, making last-minute demands before she could climb aboard the fearsome spacecraft. She paused several times to explain one detail or another to a burdened subordinate. An assistant tried unsuccessfully to shield her from the rain with an umbrella, but she turned this way and that to deal with questions. She looked like a child trying to stop a tempest that had nothing to do with the weather.
She placed her hands against her forehead and tried to sweep away the strands of hair that kept blowing and sticking to her face.
The gesture reminded him of Annie in their backyard in Baggs. She had been trying to rescue their barbequed dinner off the grill before a windstorm hit. The gusty air had whipped her hair around her face in the same manner. She’d become frustrated and let Luke know about it. He had laughed at the futility of her complaints while picking her up to rush inside, out of the weather. Dinner, to his delight, was put on hold.
Luke wondered how frustrated Annie must have been to flee on the colony ship. She had given up the man she loved and embraced an uncertain fate. The young chancellor must feel the same way. Circumstances beyond her control had propelled her into a future she had not wished for. The unexpected comparison brought a rush of emotion and Luke was embarrassed by the sudden moisture that gathered in the corners of his eyes.
He stepped out into the weather to await the chancellor letting the rain blow into his face. The cold jolted him out of his maudlin mood and hid his momentary lapse of sentimentality.
The chancellor arrived and turned back to her attendants, gesturing angrily to shoo them away. She faced Luke with a clouded expression and he moved aside for her to step into the hangar ahead of him.
Inside the empty hangar bay, she ruffled her long dress, shaking droplets off the material. She looked up at Luke suddenly, her expression still dark, and he stepped back involuntarily. She seemed surprised when he flinched away.
“I’m not going to bite you, Commander.”
“Sorry,” he replied. “I’m just a bit nervous around you. Our history…”
“I know,” she said. “It’s no better for me.” She held out her arms to examine the sodden sleeves. “I’m afraid I picked the wrong day for this. And I wore the wrong thing too.”
Luke nodded toward the interior of the warship. “We have several staterooms if you’d like to change. George can provide you with a set of dry clothes.”
The chancellor gave him a look of relief; the first time he had seen that expression directed his way. “That would be very kind of you, Commander.”
“George, take us into orbit, please. This way, Chancellor.”
Luke described the warship as he escorted her through the corridors. She asked several routine questions, focusing on weapons and the gravity drive.
At the stateroom, he pointed out the facilities and then gestured down the corridor. “Just follow this. It leads to the bridge and I’ll wait for you there. If you get lost or have a question, just speak out loud and George will assist you.”
“Thank you, Commander. I shall join you shortly.”
Luke took the opportunity to jump into a dry uniform of his own and then waited next to the window on the bridge. He smiled when she arrived. She was wearing a ship’s jumpsuit identical to his own. George had provided her with standard attire and even added her name, Bo’erm, to the nametag.
She nodded a greeting to Luke but any comments were forestalled when she saw out the window. The scene totally captivated her attention. She held the grab rail that spanned the glass and leaned her forehead against the transparent barrier. “Oh my,” she whispered.
It was a normal reaction. Visiting politicians would stand in awe for several minutes and then try to point out various continents. Even the towering landmarks they were familiar with were difficult to recognize from the vantage point of high orbit.
Luke was not surprised to discover the chancellor did not fit the normal mold. After staring at the planet below for ten minutes, she directed her attention to the stars. For another thirty minutes she examined the constellations and was able to identify several planets in her own solar system. When the moon came into view, she spoke.
“May I see the base you’ve built there?”
“Of course. George, take us to Moonbase Two, please.”
“Course set, Commander.”
The chancellor remained glued to the window until the moon’s surface rushed up at incredible speed. She gasped and put her hands to her face. At the last moment, she spotted the entrance into the Moonbase hangar and giggled with embarrassment.
“I thought we were going to crash into the mountain,” she said in a high voice, before seeing Luke’s amusement. She hastily regained her decorum.
George was apologetic. “It was my fault for startling you, Chancellor,” he admitted. “I should have explained our approach in more detail.”
“Don’t mind George,” Luke advised. “He apologizes for everything.”
The chancellor smiled and replied, “I certainly see nothing wrong with that. Do you, George?”
“Not at all, Chancellor,” he agreed. “Thank you for understanding.
The warship set down inside the hangar. “Arriving at destination, Commander.”
A young, blue-skinned woman in a Moonbase uniform was waiting. She was astonished to see the chancellor step out of the warship’s hangar bay.
“Chancellor! I wasn’t aware you were coming! I am Ensign So’wie. How may I serve you?”
“Please don’t fuss, Ensign. I am here only for a visit, as a favor from the warlord.”
Luke spoke up. “Ensign So’wie, the chancellor was caught in the rain on the surface before boarding. Perhaps you could have someone freshen her attire prior to departure. Stateroom three on the command deck.”
“At once, Commander,” the ensign rushed into the ship.
The chancellor shook her head at the bother but put it out of her mind. She
looked up at the warship in admiration. “It’s such an impressive machine,” she said. “May I look a little more?”
“Of course,” Luke replied.
The chancellor walked around the spacecraft’s exterior, asking insightful questions about its capability and specifications. She was particularly interested in the gravity drives mounted to the back end. “So these flat plates are what drive the ship through space?”
“These are mostly for in-system travel,” Luke explained. “There are much larger drives under the craft for interstellar travel.” He shrugged. “It gets fairly complicated, Chancellor, and I am a history major, not a scientist.”
She didn’t understand. “A history major?”
“I was a student of history, Chancellor. My education as a young adult was primarily a study of the past. After three years I received a formal document to that effect; we call it a baccalaureate degree. It normally takes four years but that was the easiest degree I could find.” Luke had no idea why he added the last few words.
“Of course,” she replied. “We have similar certifications. Mine was in agricultural engineering for nutrient absorption in old-growth forests.” She stopped her walk-around of the spacecraft with a look of mild surprise. “I never thought of selecting a field of study based on how much I could avoid learning. How clever of you.” Her voice reeked with sarcasm. “Could I see the rest of the facility?”
While admiring the base she managed to throw several other barbs in his direction. Luke bit his tongue more than once as he escorted the young chancellor through the outpost. The food court was particularly embarrassing. She made a point of staring at the new roof support for some time before commenting. “So this is where the ‘Jedi knights’ dine? How interesting.”
Luke wasn’t sure who to strangle. Had it been Tyler who’d spread the word of his misadventure, or one of the young recruits?
“May I ask one more favor, Warlord?” she inquired on the way back to the hangar.
“Only if you promise to stop calling me Warlord. I have enough trouble with Commander.”
An involuntary smile briefly appeared on the chancellor’s face. It was a pleasant change. She stopped in the corridor and put her hand on his arm in a gesture of truce. “I do apologize, Commander. I am being deliberately rude to you and I should not. I sincerely regret my behavior.” She smiled again in a friendly way.
The sudden change startled Luke but he responded gratefully. “Of course, Chancellor. I appreciate your consideration.”
She sighed deeply and continued down the corridor. “You may recall that I told you I would not forgive you, nor forget what you had done to my father.”
“I do recall. But you have been true to your word. Ambassador Robertson reports that your people have accepted him with warmth, if not affection. Thank you for that.”
“Yes. Tyler is a good man indeed. The people do feel affection toward him. I feel it myself. I am afraid, however, the legend around his defense of my father grows in the telling. Not that I mind. I have embellished the tale myself on more than one occasion.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“As the events of those horrible days become part of our history, I see more clearly. I fear that I blamed you unfairly for my father’s suffering. As I have said, he was a good man, but he was idealistic. Too much so for his own good. You, on the other hand, are practical in the extreme. ‘Whatever it takes.’ I am told that is your core philosophy.”
“I am guilty of that,” Luke admitted. “But I don’t apologize for it.”
“And you should not. Both you and my father are dedicated men, and for the same reason. You both do what you must for the good of civilization. Have you seen our version of ‘the tank’?”
“No. But I heard that you built one in the pavilion.”
“You should see it,” the chancellor encouraged him. “I added an enhancement. At least, I call it that. Others would disagree.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Yes. It is larger and more interactive. The projection comes from both the floor and the ceiling. Visitors can walk into the center and adjust the view however they wish. The enhancement is that when they touch any of the planetary holograms, the adjoining viewscreen displays the actual video from the probe that visited that star system. It includes the record of every single red star.”
Luke was shocked. He could think of nothing more devastating to an innocent mind than to see so much death and destruction. He said as much.
“That was my intent,” she admitted. “My people have been naive for too long. Tyler told me of a bird on your planet called an ostrick? It buries its head in the ground?”
“That’s correct. An ostrich.”
“Ostrich.” The chancellor repeated the word, trying to make it familiar on her tongue. “He said that my people’s attitude reminded him of the ostrich. If my planet is to survive, our vision must include this harsh reality. You are forcing us to see the universe at great cost to yourself. For that, I am in your debt.”
“There is no debt, Chancellor. We’re all in this together.”
She nodded seriously. “Indeed. And because of that, I still do not forgive you, because I realize now there is nothing to forgive. You were doing what you had to, just as my father did. And I will not forget, because I must not. Every day I remind myself that my father’s last command was for me to watch the video of that destroyed planet so we would change and survive.”
Luke stopped in the corridor and faced the remarkable young woman. “I promise you once again, we will do everything we can to save your planet, and all of the planets in this part of the galaxy.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
“What was that favor you wanted?” Luke asked.
“Could you show me one of the ‘gas giant’ planets? My father and I were always fascinated by them, even when I was a child.”
“Of course, Chancellor. George, let the crew know we are heading out.”
“No, stop. Please, Commander. I understand you don’t really need the crew for such a brief trip. Please let them enjoy a little break. I simply want to look at the planet up close and see the rings. My father would have loved that opportunity. I would do so for him, and then return.”
Luke took a deep breath. He didn’t like it, but agreed. “Of course, Chancellor. Whatever you wish.”
When they reached the Moonbase hangar George welcomed her aboard. “Chancellor,” he said. “I hope you enjoyed your tour.”
“I did. Thank you, George.”
“Your ministerial robes are in your stateroom if you wish to change.”
“I’ll be on the bridge,” Luke said, and headed toward the ship’s interior. As he walked away, the Chancellor was relating to George how interesting she found everything inside the moon base. Luke thought George was almost purring from her attention.
On the bridge, Luke told George to head toward the inner giant.
“Course set, Commander.”
As the moon fell out of view, the chancellor appeared, once again in her fashionable clothes.
“We’re on the way,” Luke told her. “You’ll be able to see it in just a moment. What do your people call this planet?”
“We call it Toseong. It’s the name of one of our butterflies. Their wings are the same color as its rings.”
“Coming into view, Commander,” George informed them.
The chancellor gasped and leaned against the grab rail. Her face reflected the excitement of a child.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. Then she gasped in terror and flinched away from the window as a rock the size of a bus smashed a glancing blow off the warship’s forward force field. She stood pale and trembling from the surprising impact although nothing of the shock had transferred to the ship.
Commander, the chancellor’s heart rate is twice normal.
Luke guided her to the first officer’s chair. It took her a minute to calm down.
“I’m so sorry,” she apo
logized when she was able to breath normally again. “My people have a fear of meteorites, as you know. I never imagined meeting one on such a personal level.”
“Take your time,” Luke said calmly. “It’s all the asteroids around here; there’s a lot of ice in them and they make a spectacular splash against our shields.”
“Where do they come from?” she asked.
Luke shrugged. “We don’t know. They could be fragments of ancient collisions or unformed planetary rings. Whatever caused them, there’s an abundance of debris throughout your system. Glad we didn’t hit a moon,” he added off-handedly.
The chancellor looked shocked anew. “Is that possible?” she whispered.
Luke wished he hadn’t been so casual. “George?”
“Please do not worry, Chancellor Bo’erm. I assure you we will not hit any of Toseong’s primary satellites. But this planet has tens of thousands of small objects in its orbit. Those present no more of a problem than the one that just glanced off.”
It did not appear that George’s words were all that reassuring.
“I had no idea this would be so dangerous,” she said. “Do our pilots go through this type of incident very often?”
“Several times a day,” George replied. “You did not see the others, but that was our third impact on this trip.”
“They get used to it,” Luke added. “Please don’t upset yourself. George, let’s stop here.”
“All stop, Commander.”
Tentatively, the Chancellor rose and approached the bridge window. The gas giant was a magnificent sight, its ring system immeasurably complex. Dozens of distinct ring layers glistened around the planet. The light from the local sun reflected brightly from the outermost bands.
“Look,” the chancellor cried, pointing above the rings at a distant light. “That’s one of Toseong’s moons, isn’t it?”
“Indeed it is, Chancellor,” George confirmed. “Here is another.”
The ship rotated slowly to the left until another moon, closer and much larger, came into view. Its surface was pockmarked with craters. Luke could see a plume of steam rising from a volcanic cone.