Golden's Quest: The Two Moons of Rehnor, #6

Chapter 1

Steven

WELCOME ABOARD, GOLDEN, the Commander said.  I stood with my back ramrod straight and my chin high and proud as I gave him my best salute. 

Thank you, sir.

I don't need to tell you that your Academy grades were fair to middling.  If you want to succeed on this ship, if you want to be a starship captain as you professed in your profile, you're going to have to work hard.

Yes, sir, I snapped while still in salute.

You strike me as one of those playboy types who probably charmed your way through school.  I'm surprised you even made it into the Academy with your grades as low as they were.  I'll give you a fair shot at it, Golden, but I can tell your right off the bat, you're on probation.  You screw up, you get bounced.  You'll find your size 11's back on the ground quicker than you can ring home to your mama.  The Queen of Rozari is the finest ship in this fleet.  We may not be the official flag ship but we are the newest and that makes us the best.

Yes, sir, we're the best.

At ease, son.  Go over to the lieutenant and pick up your new uniform and your bunk assignment.  Your squad leader will take over from there.

Thank you, sir.

Oh, one more thing, Ensign, I don't know which part of the Empire you're from but I'd drop that pampered prep school accent if I were you.  Start speaking Mishnese like the rest of us. 

Of course, sir.  I felt my face heat up.  Fortunately, he had already turned away and was barking at the next guy in line.  I headed across the vast shuttle bay, the size of two football fields, where the newest and latest SpaceNavy spaceplanes all sat parked waiting for pilots and missions to take them on.  At a desk right next to a door that read, Muster Hall, a bunch of other guys were already queued to get their new uniforms. 

I fell in line behind a short Talasian with light green skin and a spikey red crew cut the stood up as if it was charged with electricity.  I ran my hand across my own crew cut which thankfully lay flat and for a moment missed my mop of light brown and gold curls.  My mom had practically cried when she had seen my hair shorn off. 

I don't know why everyone has to wear a crew cut, she complained.  We never made the guys do that in the Allied Spaceforce.

And see how well the Allied Spaceforce is doing now, my dad had remarked, what is left of it.

Sure.  The decimation of the Alliance and Spaceforce had everything to do with their regulation hair length, my mom replied, and absolutely nothing to do with you.

Hair length was a symptom of a systemic disease.  My dad finished the egg salad sandwiches my mom had made him and leaned back in his chair to light up a cig.  I may have hastened their demise but I certainly didn't cause it.

Yes, you did, my mother said.

Actually, you did, Dad, I agreed.

My dad shrugged and blew a cloud of smoke into the air.  There is no arguing with either of you, is there?

There's no arguing with you, my mother snapped and got up to clear the lunch dishes.

Are we going to argue about who we can't argue with again? I asked.

I shall now go back downstairs to my office, where contrary to this apartment, my every utterance is still regarded as brilliance.  My dad finished his smoke and tossed it in the air where it disappeared.  Then he rose to his feet and summoned his cane.  It flew across the room into his outstretched hand as he limped across the room to the door which led downstairs to his private office.  I went with him so I could say goodbye.  I was due at the orbiting Imperial SpaceNavy base in less than an hour.

He'll be fine, right? my mother yelled from the kitchen where she was already sniffling again.

He will, my dad sighed and then leaned in to me.  She had no problem going off to space by herself.

It's different when it's your baby going!  Mom obviously heard that.  Furthermore, I was half crazy then.

Are you implying that you are entirely crazy now?  My dad grinned and waited briefly for an answer.  The refrigerator door slammed shut and everything inside rattled around. 

No, Mom snapped.  All kids are half crazy.  They think they are immortal and whatever they do is right.  They just can't see the dangers out there no matter how many warnings you give them.

Shika is very cautious now, my father replied.  Did I not just tell you he will be fine?

Your definition of fine is different than mine.  Your definition of fine is not getting eaten by dinosaurs even though they are circling over our heads and eating everybody else.

My dad turned his face to the ceiling for a moment.  I think he would have rolled his eyes if he could.  You will be careful, Shika, he said sternly and then more quietly, otherwise I shall never hear the end of it.

Of course, Dad, I will.  We've got the best ships in the galaxy, right?

There are strange things out there that don’t care how great your ship is!  Mom yelled and tossed the dishes into the dishwasher.  We heard a tinkling sound that probably came from some broken glasses.  Didn't they teach you that at the Academy?

Yes, Mom.  They did.  Maybe you should be more careful loading the dishwasher?

She ignored that.  If they didn't, she continued instead, I have a mind to go and teach a class there myself.  The dishwasher door banged shut.  All the dishes inside rattled and a few more glasses broke.

My dad shook his head slightly.  Fortunately, you are already graduated, he whispered.  Can you imagine your mother teaching?

A scary thought, I agreed.

Be good, Shika-ala.  My dad touched his thumb to my forehead.  A strange warm sensation coursed through my body.  I'm going to flee now lest she start blaming me for everything else that is happening in the Universe and start throwing dishes at my head.  Is everything always my fault?

Yes, Dad.  Usually it is.

He kissed the spot where his thumb had been.  Ring her occasionally, please.

I will.  You be good too, Dad.  Watch out for flying dishes and don't kill or...

Ach, I know, I know, he interrupted and headed slowly down the staircase, clutching the rail.  Don't worry.  The only one I am tempted to kill these days is your mother.

Hey dude, the Talasian turned around and offered me his hand.  I am Sam.

Steven Golden, I replied and shook it firmly.  I glanced quickly through the enormous shuttle bay windows as the orbiting base and the Capital Planet began to pull away from us.  We glided gracefully out into the infinite landscape of stars.  Wow, I sighed as shiver of excitement raced down my spine.  Thus began my first cruise as a commissioned officer in the Imperial SpaceNavy.  Are you only Sam or do you have a last name?  I turned back to the Talasian who stood watching the windows for a moment too.  We smiled at each other.  This was so cool.

You'll never pronounce it.  Just go with Sam.  He stepped forward in line.  Did you just get commissioned too?  You look a little familiar.

Sort of, I replied.  I graduated last quarter but took a few months off to visit with my parents and grandparents, see some old friends, chill for a while.  You don't look familiar to me. Did you go to the Academy on the Capital Planet?

He nodded and then shrugged.  Maybe you just look like that guy on the vid.  What's his name?  The guy who hosts that show where everybody gets dumped on an island and has to fight their way off.

Oh yeah, that guy.  Yeah, everybody is always mistaking me for him.

Sam! the lieutenant at the desk interrupted. Sam Psfa-a-a-

Just Sam, sir, Sam saluted and accepted his new duds and a ticket with his bunk and squad assignment.  He moved out of the way so I could step up.

Steven Golden, I saluted and got myself a new blue uniform with the Queen of Rozari logo on the shoulder.  I had a single gold bar on my epaulets denoting me as an ensign and a name tag that read, 'Golden'.

Of all the fricking luck, Sam spat as I joined him a moment later.  I got Lieutenant Commander Korelesk as my squad leader.

Who?  I read the same name on my own ticket.

Korelesk.  That dude is supposed to be the nastiest bastard here.  He's like a viscount or something and his nose is so high in the air you could hang a flag from it.  His dad is Lord Korelesk.  You know, the Emperor's cousin.

Berk... I started to say but caught myself just in time.  Oh yeah.  I've heard of him. 

Fricking, double fricking.  Sam continued to swear as we walked through the shuttle bay doors to the muster hall where all new crew were to meet with their squad leaders.  LCDR Korelesk stood in the far corner of the room beneath a blue and gold flag with Squad 9A printed on it.  His bright orange hair was only a thin layer of fuzz on his pale round head but he was lean and muscled and stood at full attention.  Two other new officers faced him, also at full attention, their uniforms and tickets folded crisply in their arms.  Fricking, fricking.

If you're going to swear, Sam.  Let me teach you some Karuptani.  'Kari-fa' sounds so much more effective than fricking.

I like that, Sam replied and tried it out.  Kari-fa, kari-fa.  Hey, how do you know Karuptani?

I took a class in high school, I said quickly as we approached our squad and LCDR Korelesk lit his light grey eyes on me.

Well, if it isn't Ensign Gold-en, he sneered and pronounced my last name slowly and as if there was a pause between syllables.  He had definitely inherited his grandfather Loman's genes because he towered well over my own six foot height. 

Yes, sir, thank you, sir! I shouted and fell into line behind the two other guys.

What are you thanking me for, Ensign Gold-en? he spat and knocked the uniform and ticket right out of my hands.  Are you thanking me for letting you refold your duds?

Yes, sir, thank you.  I knelt down to pick up my stuff but his hand grabbed the back of my collar and lifted me upright.

Did I tell you to pick up your stuff, Ensign Gold-en?

No, sir?  I tried to look in his eyes but they were as hard and colorless as they had ever been.  Poor Sam had turned a pale shade of yellow and was trembling as he stood beside me, trying to maintain attention.

Look at me when I speak to you, Gold-en, Korelesk spat so I quickly looked from Sam back to him.  I've heard about you.  I know all about you.  I've known you from the moment of your birth.  In fact, I knew about you even before you were born.  I am your worst nightmare, Gold-en, so you had just better stay on your toes.

Yes, sir, I mumbled still suspended in the air.  Whatever you say, sir.

You screw up in any way, Gold-en, you are bounced off of this ship and back onto ground duty.  You miss an order, you are late to duty, you leave the fucking toilet seat up, you are out of here at the next spacebase.  Got that, Ensign Gold-en?

Yes, sir, of course, sir, I practically cried. 

He let me back down and with a last narrow glance, moved on to size up poor little Sam.  I knelt down and picked up my duds and folded them as neatly and tightly as I possibly could.  I got back in line, glancing quickly at the two other guys who stared at me fearfully.  Sam was still trembling and could barely manage to mutter 'yes sir' but fortunately, Korelesk cut him some slack and left him all in one piece.

Now gentlemen, Korelesk announced as we stood with arched backs barely breathing.  I will give you a brief tour of this luxury liner that is going to be your home and prison for the next six months of your first duty cruise.  That is unless, I scare you away earlier.  His mouth smiled at me but his eyes were hard.  Then I will escort you to your cabin where the four of you will share four bunks and a closet.  Periodically, he continued, as he turned sharply and led us out of the hall.  I will drop by just to visit.  If I cannot bounce this coin off your sheets or if I find a speck of dust upon your floor or a drawer not sealed or a uniform not hung, all of you will suffer extra duty time and demerits.  If one of you is especially bad, he glanced back at me again and glared, I will dock pay.  One of you looks like a spoiled rich kid whose pay packet means absolutely nothing, so I will dock pay to all, not just him.

Sam let out a groan but quickly stifled it.

Did you say something, Ensign Sam? Korelesk asked pulling up short.  The guy in front of me plowed into the guy before him who chose to trip on the floor rather than bump into Korelesk.  We waited while the guy stood up and refolded his duds, Korelesk flipping between his fingers the coin he intended to bounce off our sheets.  It was a gold coin worth $100 and had my dad's profile on the front and an eagle on the back.  Korelesk noticed Sam watching it and stopped flipping to hold it up into the light as if he wanted to see it better.  He looked at it and then looked at me, tipping his head from side to side.  I almost rolled my eyes when I saw a tiny glint of a smile in the Korelesk's eyes.  He spun around again and off we marched.

I had never been on this ship, the Queen of Rozari, but I had spent a fair bit of time training on the Queen of Andorus.  I'd also taken a ride on the Queen of Altaris when I was sixteen.  Once I had flown on the SpaceNavy's flagship, the Katelina de Kudisha, with my mom and her friend, Admiral Mattson.  This ship was trimmed out pretty much the same as the others with glistening brass, polished wood and even some crystal.  My mom always said that our ships looked more like luxury cruise liners than battleships.  There were special air control and gravitational systems that prevented space sickness in nearly everybody.  We also were powered by combusted fermium through a special oxygen deprived incineration chamber that caused a thermonuclear reaction but emitted no gas.  Our first generation ships could travel light plus ten in a matter of seconds.  This, the first tail in our second generation, could do almost light plus twelve. 

LCDR Korelesk was repeating these same things as we marched down the corridor and into the central atrium of the ship.  Here, as in all the ships, was a giant two story portrait of the Queen of Rozari, who also happened to be the Queen of Altaris and the Queen of Talas and all those other planets.  In fact, every ship in the fleet except