The Complete First Season - Episodes 1-5

by J. L. Stowers

  Dani suddenly felt very plain with her unruly hair and pale complexion. She awkwardly jutted a hip out and placed a hand on it, subconsciously trying to match the voluptuousness of Zadria’s body. Dani extended a hand and hurried out her welcome, “Nice to meet you, Zadria.”

  “Uh...” Zadria pulled her hand out of Jag’s and extended it toward Dani. “You too. I’ve always been a big fan.”

  Dani couldn’t suppress her smile as she shook Zadria’s hand. She was thrilled to have at least one fan remaining in this galaxy.

  The rest of the crew took turns introducing themselves as Dani pulled Patrick into the hall.

  “Why didn’t you mention this before?” she whispered harshly.

  “Did you honestly think we wouldn’t have some kind of GC member on board?”

  “Still, you could have told me. I need you to be open and honest with me.”

  “Look, Dani, this isn’t going to be the same relationship you had with your last commander. We’re not buddies, we’re colleagues. I’m not going to give you the inside scoop on everything or let you do whatever the hell you want. You are under my jurisdiction. I am responsible for what you and your crew do out there, and I’ll be damned if you all screw something up again.”

  “Hey now—”

  Patrick held up his hand. “I’m not interested in discussing this any further.”

  Dani slapped his hand down. “First, I’m innocent. Second, stop doing that. Third, when do we start?”

  Patrick grinned. “There’s the Dani I wanted. Soon. You should all get settled into your quarters on the ship. Tomorrow Howard and the engineers will go over Osirion’s controls and how to man the cruiser mounted underneath.”

  Dani nodded. “I’ll tell the crew.”

  “After you do, head on over to the simulator to clock some more hours. You haven’t made it through the wormhole scenario yet. It’s important that you do before you take on your first mission.”

  “Look, Patrick, I know you mean well, but honestly, the simulation can only help me so much. I’ve got the controls down. I think we need to get out there with the whole crew and do some test flights. No matter how good the simulator is, it’s not going to compare to the real thing, and you know it.”

  Patrick paused and seemed to look past Dani, down the hall.

  “Very well, but you’ll be on a short leash.”

  “Understood.”

  Zadria hurried out of her room, past Dani and Patrick, and down the hall.

  Jag poked his head out of the room behind her. “I mean it, anything at all, I’m here for you.”

  Patrick sighed and followed Zadria, calling back over his shoulder, “Do something about that, please.”

  Dani palmed Jag’s face and shoved his head back into the room. “Easy, lover boy.”

  She turned Jag and steered him by the shoulders back to the group. “Get settled into your quarters tonight. Tomorrow we’re going over this place with a fine-tooth comb to ensure everything’s operational, then we’re heading out to do some tests. Familiarize yourself with your room and the rest of the ship. It’s our new home.”

  Dani’s excitement radiated through her crew, who quickly scattered out of Zadria’s quarters. Dani took the time to fix the wrinkled bedding and straighten the pillows before heading out. As she stepped out into the hall once more, she nearly bumped into Zadria.

  “Oh, excuse me, Captain Devereaux,” Zadria said quietly.

  “Please, call me Dani.” She smiled warmly. “And hey, I’m sorry about Jag. Once the newness wears off, he’ll mellow out. He’s just got to get it out of his system. He means well, honestly. If it ever gets to be too much, just let me know and I’ll set him straight.”

  Zadria blushed and nodded, looking down at the floor. “Yes, Cap—Dani, I will.”

  Dani stepped to the side and watched with a raised eyebrow as Zadria entered her room and closed the door. Strange girl.

  “Dani, there you are,” Howard came huffing and puffing down the hallway.

  “Is everything okay, Howard?” She wrinkled her forehead at his distressed state.

  “Oh, yes...” He paused to take a few deep breaths. “Nothing to worry about. I was just coming to see if you’d like to see the bridge.”

  Dani’s grin spread across her face. “Of course! I thought you’d never ask.”

  “Great. Your access codes should be in your room. If you want to peek at them quickly, then we can check it out.”

  Dani and Howard made their way to her room and stepped inside. “So, what do you make of Zadria?” she said softly as she rummaged through her desk.

  “Actually, until today I didn’t even realize she existed. I had just assumed the extra room was a spare.” Howard shrugged, unfazed.

  “Here we go.” Dani pulled a card out of a folder from inside her desk. She quickly memorized the random combination of numbers and stuffed the card into her pocket. “Ready?”

  Howard nodded and smiled, having returned to his normal shade. “I am. Lead the way, Captain.”

  Dani laughed at the wink Howard gave her as he addressed her as Captain and hurried out of her room and down the hall. She would have sprinted to the bridge, but she wanted to maintain some semblance of self-control.

  “It’s about bloody time!” Jag perked up from his spot on the floor in front of the bridge.

  “What are you guys doing here? You’re supposed to be getting situated in your quarters.” Dani shook her head at the entire crew—minus Zadria—loitering in the hall outside the bridge.

  “We don’t have much to unpack,” Cruz signed. “You wanted us to get acquainted with Osirion. Is there a better way?”

  “You make a good point. Alright, step aside. I’ll let us in.” Dani entered her code on the keypad, and the double doors leading to the bridge parted.

  Gasps, oohs, and ahs echoed behind Dani like a faint dream as she stepped into the room. She was instantly taken in by the sleek contours of the different stations. The space was much more open than the bridge on Alaska’s Vengeance. No walls isolated the crewmembers from one another.

  Dani approached the captain’s dais, which sat in the center of the room. Its radius was twice as large as the one she used on her previous ship, but incorporated into the elevated area was a three-dimensional holographic display podium.

  She eased into the captain’s chair and ran her hands over the smooth fabric on the arms before letting her fingers graze the control panels before her. The panels were lit according to zone and functionality, but Dani’s attention was pulled away as she realized the rest of the crew hadn’t entered the room. She spun her chair 180 degrees to see them grinning from the doorway.

  She returned their smile and stood, sweeping her arms in a grand gesture. “Welcome to Osirion.”

  They seemed to vibrate with enthusiasm as they hurried into the room. Dani spun back around and directed her attention once more to the control panel, tuning out the excited shouts from the rest of the crew as they discovered the perks of their own stations.

  “Do you want to see something funny?” Howard whispered to her from the other side of her control panel.

  “Always,” she said, leaning in close.

  “This prototype tests new technology that allows the captain to employ lifesaving techniques from the captain’s chair. That way, if something happens at an inopportune time, you don’t have to abandon your post to tend to your crewmember.”

  “Uh-huh.” Dani nodded, intrigued. She had heard of the development of the technology but hadn't seen it in use.

  Howard stepped to the side, gesturing to the green-lit control panel. “While I’m required to tell you that the defibrillation mechanism should only be used in dire circumstances, I recommend that you keep the voltage set to the absolute lowest setting.”

  Dani watched as Howard cranked the voltage control down. The twinkle in his eye led her to suspect he was up to something.

  “This way, should you accidently graze this button
here, you won’t inadvertently kill a crewmember—Jag, for example...” Howard selected the button displaying a large number two.

  Dani and Howard both looked toward Jag, who was happily clipped into his station, feet on the console and hands folded behind his head.

  “I mean, accidents do happen.” Howard winked as he hit the button with his elbow.

  “GAH!” Jag unfastened his harness and jumped from his seat, staring at it in bewilderment. “What the hell?”

  Dani and Howard laughed wildly.

  “Sorry, Jag, my mistake.” Howard struggled to control his laughter. “I was giving Dani a tutorial on the life intervention controls, and my elbow must have clipped the wrong button.”

  “I’m sure.” Jag narrowed his eyes at the pair. “Careful, Howard,” he said, unable to keep a straight face. “You don’t want to enter a war like this with me.”

  Howard turned back to Dani and smiled. “I made sure to put the guides for the new control panels in your desk. I’d suggest giving them a once-over before we leave the hangar. Lots of interesting features.”

  “Will do, Howard, thanks for the lesson.” Dani reached for Howard’s hand, but instead bumped the same button.

  Jag, who had just reharnessed, jerked and shouted. “Oy! You...” He laughed and pointed at Dani.

  Dani held up her hands, unable to say anything in return due to her unrelenting laughter.

  “Ahem.” The sound of Patrick clearing his throat cut through the laughter like a knife.

  Dani spun around in her chair, attempting to stifle her giggle.

  Patrick’s disapproving gaze swept over the crew before landing on Dani.

  “It’s good to have the crew back together.” She shrugged, trying to force the corners of her mouth into a neutral position.

  “I can see that. I’d like to borrow Cruz for a moment.” Patrick shifted his gaze to Cruz, who was spinning in circles on his chair.

  Cruz stopped, looking a bit alarmed.

  “Of course.” Dani peeked around her chair at Cruz. “You heard the man. Don’t be late for dinner.”

  Dani paused a moment before turning back to Patrick. “Our kitchen is fully stocked, right?”

  Patrick nodded. “Yes, and please, try to include Zadria. Make her feel like a part of the team.”

  “We’re on it.” Jag grinned.

  “Not you. You stay away from her.” Patrick pointed and glared at Jag.

  Jag slid down in his seat like a scolded puppy.

  Cruz patted Jag on the head as he passed him on his way out of the bridge with Patrick.

  “I wonder what that was about,” Cassia wondered aloud as she stared at the door after they were gone.

  “Just something I talked to Patrick about earlier, I’m guessing.” Dani pushed off her armrests and stood. “Let’s go check out the kitchen. I’m starving. Can someone swing by Zadria’s room and tell her to meet us there?”

  “I’ll go!” Jag sprung to his feet and sprinted out the door.

  Dani raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  “I’ll go with him.” Cassia smiled and took off after him.

  “Alright, Howard, let’s go see what we can whip up.”

  Dani led the way out of the bridge, down the hall, and into the kitchen.

  The room wasn’t much bigger than the one on Alaska’s Vengeance, but it appeared to be better equipped.

  “Have a seat, Howard. You’ve done a lot for us. The least I can do is make you a meal. Any requests?” Dani smiled as she started to rummage through the cupboards.

  Howard eased himself into a chair at the table. “I had them stock some hupnal steak for this momentous occasion.”

  “Hupnal, really? They sprung for that?” Dani opened the refrigeration unit and her eyes widened at the beautifully marbled stack of steaks.

  “I can’t remember the last time I had hupnal. We’re not even near PS240; how’d you manage to talk them into this?” She took the steaks out and laid them out on a tray, seasoning them.

  “Last time I had it was at our heroes’ welcome at GCHQ after we cleared the last of the Vaerian forces out of PS467.”

  Dani leaned on the counter and folded her arms over her chest. She remembered the ugly battle, the lives lost, the lives saved. “Feels like a lifetime ago.”

  Howard nodded. “A lot has changed since then.”

  Dani prepared the side dishes in silence, letting her mind wander. As she stood before the sink, she caught her warped reflection in the polished faucet. She was thankful for the ship and to have her crew back, but she still felt twisted inside, much like her reflection. The trial, the imprisonment, the money—none of it made sense to her. Her throat tightened, and she felt a twinge of pain in her chest just thinking about the whole ordeal again. It was still so recent, so raw.

  The distraction of her deformed inner self resulted in an ill-timed slip of the knife she was wielding. Rather than slicing through the delicate flesh of the fruit she was holding, the blade bit into her thumb.

  “Shit,” she said, dropping the knife into the sink and turning on the water to rinse the cut.

  Howard leaned over from the table. “Nasty cut. Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just wasn’t paying attention.”

  Howard nodded and returned to the book he was reading.

  Dani watched as the thin wisps of blood circled the drain. She bit her lip, trying to rein in her emotions once more.

  “Uh-oh, minor kitchen accident?” Jag reached for Dani’s hand, startling her in the process. “Easy there. Let me see.”

  Dani relaxed, letting Jag examine the cut. While she did, she opened her eyes wide in hopes the extra air would dry out the tears that had begun to accumulate, not from the pain of the cut, but from the memories of everything that had happened over the past few months.

  “Do you want me to grab the first-aid kit?” Cassia asked, already on the move to the small medical station mounted on the wall.

  “I’m fine. It’s fine.” Dani smiled unconvincingly and moved her eyes back to Jag’s face.

  His eyes met hers with concern and he lowered his voice, “Are you sure everything’s okay, Dani? Do you need a minute?”

  Dani retracted her hand and plastered a bigger smile on her face. “Guys, it’s just a little cut. Nothing to worry about.”

  Jag didn’t look entirely convinced, but he pulled out the chair next to Zadria, who had seated herself at the table. “Why don’t you come sit down? I’ll finish up.”

  Dani shared a surprised glance with Cassia. Jag wasn’t shy about jumping in when he was needed, but she’d never seen him give up a seat next to a pretty woman before.

  Cassia extended a hand and held Dani’s wound as Dani sat.

  Dani flashed a small, genuine smile at her. “Thank you. You guys are all so good to me.”

  “Yeah, well...” Jag smiled over his shoulder back at her. “It’s the least we can do.”

  Dani relaxed as Cassia tended to her cut. She made a mental note to stop worrying about what happened before and focus instead on being present with her crew, her family.

  “Would you look at that?” Howard’s chuckle rolled out of him.

  Cruz walked into the room with an extra bounce in his step and a big smile on his face. He did a lap around the table before doing a spin in the middle of the room, ending with a tap-dancer’s finish.

  “Cruz!” Cassia leapt up from her seat. “You got new prosthetics? They look great.”

  Cruz pulled Cassia in for a hug, then signed to Dani, “Thank you so much. These don’t bother me like the last pair. I feel like a new man.”

  Dani smiled and nodded as she finished bandaging her cut. “I’m glad Patrick pulled through on that one.”

  “Patrick hooked you up, eh?” Jag lifted his eyebrows as he checked out Cruz’s new legs, visibly impressed. “I guess we’ve got a few things to celebrate then.”

  Dani sat back and watched while her crew finished preparing dinner
and placed the feast on the table. “You guys are too much. Thank you.”

  Jag held up a cup of water. “I wish I had something a little stronger to do this with, but rules are rules. So here goes... To Dani, the finest captain I’ve ever had, despite the occasional lapse in judgement. Thank you for being you and for bringing us all back together. Now let’s stay that way.”

  Dani pursed her lips at Jag for the jabs in his speech. She thought his friendliness after sobering up meant he’d forgiven her, but maybe he hadn’t completely. She made a mental note to bring it up to him later. The last thing she wanted was to have him sneaking in verbal assaults randomly. Although she didn’t like to enforce the hierarchy unless she had to, she was still the captain and he was her subordinate. Even if they weren’t in the military branch of the GC any more, she still felt she deserved respect from all crew members. Still, she couldn’t help but loose a smile as the rest of the crew lifted their glasses.

  “And to Zadria,” Jag continued. “May you place your trust in our hands... our warm, strong, willing—”

  “Jag,” Dani warned.

  “Er, welcome.”

  The crew bumped their cups together again after a brief hesitation, and a few shared awkward glances.

  Dani took the opportunity to mouth an apology toward Zadria, who was flushed with embarrassment.

  “Let’s dig in,” Dani ordered, redirecting the attention off of the embarrassed girl.

  “This looks great! Thank you guys,” Cassia chirped as she dished up her plate with a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes before retreating to a cupboard to produce a second small container of food for her cat. “Reminds me of that time we had a big dinner after the PS467 mission.”

  “Isn’t that the one where Jag shot up the asteroid?” Cruz signed.

  Howard snorted as he took a drink, sending himself into a coughing fit.

  “I had forgotten about that!” Dani laughed.

  “It was on a collision course with that moon.” Jag looked less than amused.

  “If by collision course you mean ‘orbiting around,’ then yes, yes it was.” Dani winked at him.