“And why exactly would they retreat on their own, Admiral? In fact, why wouldn’t they attack the Transcendence space station before attacking Alpha? They could have easily crippled the academy’s fleet.” States the Xerox councilman. “They didn’t want to cripple our fleet.” I break my silence, hopefully I don’t regret this. “Destroying Alpha, the Academy. They wanted to hit the heart of Transcendence, and once they did their worst, they retreated. I know they’re planning another attack, and next time they’re not going to retreat. Which is why we need to be ready for them and Assemble a fleet.” I’m assertive with my statement, the council doesn’t speak right away so I know I got to them. “We’ll assemble a fleet.” The human council woman finally breaks her silence. “That is not your decision to make Senator.” The Xerox councilman says in a forbidding manner.
“We will prepare a fleet for when the time comes for battle. But in order to go on the offensive, we need to find the heart of the enemy.” The human council woman doesn’t back down. “Then send me.” Admiral Richards almost instantly responds. “I have a small crew, and The Endeavor has more than enough firepower to hold her own. All I need is for you to reinstate me as Captain, and recommission the Endeavor.” The Admiral continues.
“You’re going to need more than a small maintenance crew, Admiral. And seeing as though The Endeavor is no longer a Transcendence commissioned starship, it could be weeks before a crew is assembled.” Says the Nim Council woman. “I’ll take care of it. But I’m going to need some information first.” The Admiral tells the council. “And that is?” The Nim council woman asks.
“I’ll send you names once our meeting concludes.” The Admiral answers quickly. “Very well. I wish you luck Admiral. Or should I say captain.” The human council member says, she’s speaking to the Admiral as if there’s history there. “God I hate politicians.” Aura says as quietly as she can without being heard. “So I’m your first officer now?” I ask the Admiral as we approach the door. “We’ll talk about that once we’re out of here.”
Chapter 5
The crew quarters here on the Endeavor are massive. Unfortunately, the crew has to sleep on these bunk beds that align its perimeter. The quarters are separated into three areas, two for sleeping, and the other is for recreation. Each area’s floor is carpeted with the same blue colored carpet. In the center of each area’s floor is the Transcendence insignia. I’ve seen a lot of this symbol recently, and it seems like they enjoy shoving it down everybody’s throat. The walls are painted blue and silver, which is basically the color scheme of the Transcendence like it’s some kind of sports franchise that needs a set color combination.
I’m sitting with Aura on a large leather couch with a table situated directly in front of me. There is a VI on the table, at first glance the untrained eye could mistake it as a pen. Other than that, the room is virtually empty even though it doesn’t really feel like it. It’s probably due to it being kind of small. We were told by Admiral Richards to wait for him in here, it’s been about an hour. What could he really be doing? I mean he wouldn’t even tell me why he appointed me his first officer. He did mention wanting to get the Endeavor commissioned before taking off. Which could take borderline forever, so I’ll give some more time before concerning myself over nothing.
“Are you at least a little surprised by the admiral? I mean he appointed us such high ranks so soon, it doesn’t make sense.” I break my silence over this to Aura, she doesn’t seem too concerned. “Why, do you think we haven’t earned it?” Aura responds instantly. “It’s not that, I mean he didn’t even let me join a crew and now he’s appointing me first officer?” I tell her. “Hey, as little sense as this makes, I won’t question it. I’ll take whatever is given to me. If that sounds desperate, well I’m the lieutenant so I can tell anyone who doubts me to shove it.” Aura manages to finish what she’s saying before Admiral Richards enters through the door.
“Captain.” Aura and I say at the same time. The Admiral doesn’t seem fond of the word. “Please. Continue to refer to me as Admiral. I’m only the captain because our current situation requires it.” He tells us. “Got it. So what’s next?” I say. “Well the council recommissioned the Endeavor, so we’re officially ready to begin our mission. I was given three dossiers.
Duron, a thief who’s currently located on Nandina. Amelia, a former Transcendence pilot. And Tion, a former Transcendence engineer. Recruiting these three to our crew is first priority.” Admiral Richards explains. “So a criminal, and two Transcendence rejects? It sounds to me like we’re the patsies.” I respond negatively. I don’t like it; this isn’t the kind of crew I want watching my back when the going gets tough. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this Stella.” The Admiral says to me. I do owe Admiral Richards my trust considering he’s the reason I’m not on my way to The Purge right now. “Okay. You have my trust.”
The Admiral doesn’t show it much, but he appreciates having my trust. “Nandina is going to be our first stop.” Admiral Richard tells Aura and myself as we exit the elevator and make our way onto the bridge. “Why is a thief on the Nim home world anyways?” I ask. Considering Nandina has the lowest crime rate in the known galaxies, it comes as a shock to me. “In his file it says that he currently has a home there. And in case he plans to leave the planet by any chance before we arrive, the council contacted Nandina authorities and had his ship impounded.” The Admiral tells me this as if it’s not a breach in security protocol. “What a shocker, the council is allowed to ignore protocol whenever they please.” Aura says. “When the safety of the galaxy and its inhabitants are in danger, the council has a just cause to violate their own rules.”
The Admiral sits down in the pilot’s seat “You know, I’ve gotta ask. Were you serious when you appointed our positions to the council?” I ask with my complete attention directed toward Admiral Richards. “Yes. Considering you’re all I have right now besides a few miscellaneous crew, you’re the most qualified. Even though you’re far from ready.” I don’t know whether to be insulted, or happy right now. I debate my feelings as Admiral Richards begins to pilot the Endeavor into hyperspace.
The descent onto Nandina begins. I never really had a desire to come out here, it’s one of the most expensive planets to live on. Which is probably because the 12th galaxy is the richest system in the known galaxies. I’ve always wondered why the known galaxies are built on a class system, maybe it’s because I’ve lived in the poorest system my entire life, well besides the three years I spent at the Academy of course. Not that I minded living in the Helix galaxy, seeing as though Jarou wasn’t as unfortunate in terms of economy as the other planets, not by a long shot. Hell, Nebula 9 is a middle class galaxy and Alpha made Jarou look like shit, just goes to show how far money can get you in this universe.
“While I land the Endeavor, I want both of you go to the armory. Put on a uniform and equip yourselves, you’re probably going to need it.” The Admiral orders as we break Nandina’s atmosphere. I have a good view of the planet’s surface from here. It’s tropical, the sunshine reflects off of the lightly colored buildings. There is a huge ocean near the city, with white sand and teal colored water. The architecture is extravagant, almost unreal with many glassy, curved, and stacked buildings. To say the least, it’s obvious that this place is one of the richest and proper planets in the known galaxies.
The moment the elevator doors open; I think both of our jaws instantly drop. There are weapons hung around, covering each wall completely. There are shelves attached to the wall, wrapping all the way around the room. There are uniforms on these shelves, organized by size. I look around the room, processing this amazing display of basically everything you can think of when it comes to firearms. Rifles, pistols, shotguns, you name it. “Wow…that’s a lot of guns.” Aura says to me; she doesn’t seem to share my enthusiasm. “You don’t seem as thrilled as you should right now.” I tell her as I look through the array of weapons. “Well you know. Guns are like starships. F
un to look at, but once you have to use them, well, that’s where the fun ends.” Aura says to me while she grabs a uniform from the counter.
“Aura, what the hell are you talking about?” I say to her looking for a straight answer. “I just don’t want to wind up in battle okay? The thought of getting shot sends shivers down my spine.” This has got to be some kind of joke. “Are you fucking with me right now?” I ask her. “Oh thanks you’re a great friend.” Aura tells me with obvious sarcasm. “Oh come on Aura, you were trained for this.” My words are doing nothing for her. “Yeah, and I’m just as good as you. Until I’m being shot at.” Aura looks like she can go on and on about this all day. “So what are you going to do when the time comes for you to have to fight.” I ask.
“I’m a medical officer. I don’t have to fight.” She’s confident in her words. “Go tell Admiral Richards then.” I challenge her, and by that look she’s giving me she’s refusing it. “Are kidding me? I can’t tell him this, I barely wanted to tell you this. Look. If he hears I have a fear of fighting; then he’ll strip my rank. So keep this between us okay? This is where the bond between two best friends convinces you to keep this conversation in this room.” Aura pleads anxiously.
“Of course. Your secret is safe with me.” I ensure her, she smiles like she already knew I’d keep this conversation in this room. We begin to change into our uniforms. Black pants and combat boots, a white shirt, and silver jacket with a blue stripe that runs down both sides of it. I pin the Transcendence insignia badge on the left chest area of my jacket.
I grab a pistol from the wall after a long search around the room, I want to make sure my weapon of choice is the right one. I finally decide on a pistol, which is unique to say the least. With a black jagged, armored body that wraps all the way around to the handle. I hold it in my hand for a moment, making sure it feels just right. It’s perfect. I put on the belt and holster. The holster is situated a few inches down my leg. Not very subtle but that doesn’t matter to me.
“It took you long enough.” Aura tells me. She just picked the first weapon and holster she seen. Her jacket is zipped up, and her holster is wrapped perfectly around her waist. “I had to find the perfect weapon.” I respond as we enter the elevator. “Are you going to zip up your jacket? You’re out of dress code you know.” She asks me. “Nah.” I quickly respond as we reach the bridge. Admiral Richards was patiently awaiting our return.
“It took the two of you longer than expected.” He says as he looks us both over. “I just had to find the right weapon.” I respond truthfully. He looks at my unzipped jacket but doesn’t say a word. The minute he turns around I look over at Aura, she’s completely surprised the Admiral let me slide. “Aura stay on the ship, familiarize yourself with the med bay, you’re the chief medical officer so you’re going to have to know everything inside and out.” The Admiral tells her.
“What? You mean I can’t come with you guys? What if you need me to back you up in a fire fight?” Aura pretends to be upset, but is subtle about it. I can’t believe Admiral Richards is actually buying this shit. “Trust me there’s not going to be a fire fight. For right now, your presence in med bay is of utmost importance.” Admiral Richards clarifies his last statement. I can tell Aura is relieved. “Got it. Good luck out there.” Aura responds respectfully.
I walk beside Admiral Richards through Nandina, the buildings seem even larger than they did from up above. There’s sand over the concrete surface that makes it seem like the entire city is part of the beach. The sun beats down, the heat feels good on my face, relaxing me. No wonder this place is such a big tourist attraction. “So how are we going to find this guy?” I ask the Admiral while surveying the area. Mostly Nim walk the streets, there are other species around, but they’re largely outnumbered by the Nim.
“He hangs out at an old bar down in the black market.” Admiral Richards tells me. “And how exactly do you expect to find the black market?” I respond. “I don’t. Because I already know where it is.” He says to me. I’m caught off guard by a vehicle, it looks like a smaller personal starship. It came from above, which is where pretty much every vehicle drives nowadays. I kind of miss the old days when vehicles actually drove on the surface. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case since I was a child.
The Admiral and I enter an old pawn shop that sells relics and souvenirs from different planets. I’m looking around as we approach the counter, everything in here is so unique. The walls and shelves are full, but shockingly well organized. The counter is located near the back wall, in front of an opened walkway leading to the back room. “I hear you can take me to the promised land.” Says Admiral Richards to the Nim clerk behind the counter. What the hell is he talking about? “Follow me.” The Nim clerk says before he begins to walk toward the back room.
Boxes line the walls, there’s gotta be about fifty of them back here. The very end wall however, is wide open. The Nim clerk waves his hand across the wall in a pattern like motion. It takes a moment before the wall parts, opening up a secret doorway leading to a stair well into what I assume to be the black market. The thing that gets me is, why in the world is entrance to the black market behind some old pawn shop?
I follow Admiral Richards through a dimly lit, underground street that looks like it’s been abandoned for many years. The walkway is cracking and aging. There are kiosks just about everywhere you look, located on both sides of the road. Selling everything you can think of, from illegal ship parts, to food that has been outlawed across the known galaxies. Surprisingly not every kiosk sells illegal stuff, some sell vintage weapons that aren’t manufactured anymore. Admiral Richards is keen on getting out of here as soon as possible so I don’t get a chance to look around as much as I’d like to.
“There’s only one bar down here, and if Duron is anything like he used to be it’ll take some convincing to get him to join us.” The Admiral tells me, much to my surprise. “Wait, you know this guy?” I respond, looking for answers. “I don’t know him personally, I met him once. He used to race starships illegally before he became a petty criminal. He was finally captured by Transcendence authorities and spent a few years in prison.” The Admiral tells me this story like I should have known this information my whole life. “If this guy is so great, why did he get caught?” I ask. “He wasn’t my first choice… or my second. But with the recourses the council provided me, he’s the only viable option.”
We stop in front of an old, rundown building that looks like it could collapse at any moment. “This is the place.” The Admiral tells me; 100% confident Duron is in there. “Are you kidding me? Who would want to drink at this shithole?” I refuse to hide my disgust toward the bar as we enter through the old school saloon style shutter doors. I’m not surprised that the interior of this place is of the same quality as the exterior. It smells awful, a mix of booze and cigarettes. The bartender is a Nim, and she doesn’t look like she wants anything to do with us. There aren’t many humans in here, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find Duron among this crowd.
“We’re looking for the thief.” Admiral Richards tells the Bartender; he’s leaning on the bar, staring her down with an austere expression. “Of course. Humans looking for another human, your kind has always been predictable.” The Bartender says with an attitude that makes her disliking towards us quite obvious. She motions toward a young man, maybe 25 at most. He’s sitting at a round, wooden table. “That’s him.”
Admiral Richards takes a seat; I choose to stand because I really don’t want to sit on anything that’s in this place. Duron is an attractive guy, his facial hair is well groomed, and his hair is short. He’s caught off guard by our intrusion, but it doesn’t take him long to realize who we are. “I’m saving that for someone.” Duron quickly says to the Admiral. “I’ll only be a minute.” Admiral Richards responds just as quick. A robot bumps my arm, its double layered round body and four hanging legs float through the air without any intention of touching the ground. “Why are you talk
ing to me?” Duron scoffs with annoyance. “I need a pilot.” Admiral Richards gets right to the point.
The robot floats over to Duron’s side, and just like the medical robot, it speaks in beeps and sounds. I don’t know what it’s saying right now but it sounds frantic. “He’s here right now?” Duron says to the robot; he quickly becomes anxious. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m gonna have to pass. I don’t even have a ship right now.” Duron says as he gets out of his chair. “That won’t be a problem.” Admiral Richards says, grabbing Duron’s attention. “You want me to fly a transcendence starship?” It sounds like Duron’s interest is piqued. “Yes.” Admiral Richards responds instantly. I can’t help but notice a man quickly approaching the table, Duron’s robot takes notice and warns him. He sports a big burly beard, and buzz cut.
“I knew you’d be stupid enough to come here.” The Man says with anger in his voice as he draws his weapon. I return the favor. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I’m staring him down without fear. “Do you know who I am? I will kill this man if you don’t drop your fucking gun.” He tells me in a serious tone, this guy’s is not messing around. “Yeah? Go ahead. I don’t know the guy; why would I care? But you should, because if you pull the trigger you can say bye-bye to your own life. So you better ask yourself, is this really worth it?” I don’t mean what I’m saying. After what happened on Alpha, I don’t want to see anymore death. Everyone in the bar is watching. There’s no panic or unrest, it’s like they’re used to this.
Starfall Page 6