Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  Thirty minutes rolled by and the captain emerged from his office. “Contact the entire senior staff and have them report to the conference room in three. We don’t have time to waste.” He looked at the beta shift duty officer. “Don’t leave one area overlooked for those ships. The rest of our fleet should be here by tomorrow. A supply ship is meeting us here in two days with engineering supplies and other absolute needs. See to it you monitor and remain in contact.” Once his beta shift acknowledged his orders, he walked off the bridge, across the hall and into a large conference room.

  The far wall was a large window open to the space about them. It had four emitters on either side and when needed, the window became a projection screen. Yatrell walked to the wall on the far right, and negotiated the required commands with the control panel. A few minutes later his team came in, and took their seats. He turned, and looked at his five senior staff members, and knew this was the most trusted team he could have asked for. What he was about to tell them, he knew would serve to anger them significantly. It would also show the confidence he has in each one of them.

  Set Tau inquired first, breaking the silence of the obviously heavy moment. “Captain, what is it?”

  “All of you are being reassigned.” Protest erupted among the select team. He raised his hands to deflect questions. “Hear me out first.” When they quieted he continued. “Anara you will become captain of the Thox. Canith the Sumbient is also in need of a Captain, that is now yours. Both of you will begin duties at zero six hundred tomorrow morning. Set, there are two ships coming in that need oversight, one of which has some technology that you’ll appreciate. The Tumbler is yours to command, sir. That makes Clax my second and Turiel you’re going to command the Faultness.”

  “How can you make that level choice?” Anara’s voice conveyed clear annoyance.

  “Because the senate is recalling the captains of the Taxlor and Sumbient, and the Fleet Commander is gone. That leaves me next in the C.O.C. As of an hour ago, the senate recognized me as the new Fleet Commander for this sector and fleet.

  “We have two objectives. One, protect the border with and against the Ven. Hold them off as much as we possibly can. Two, apprehend the Xenonian Fleet Commander responsible for the death of our own. To do this, I need to know my most trusted people are in command of the ships out there. Each of you are getting your own ship because I know you can handle it. I know that you’re going to be effective in the mission and are able to work together.

  “The task at hand will be challenging. Evidently, according to the last report received on this Fleet Commander, she is patrolling the area between Ven and Xenonian and Dentonian space. She’s got the fleet, technology, and quite a bit of space to cover. She came in contact with our Fleet Commander Dexel and selected to cut his bridge in half, instead of reach a peaceful solution. Our current reports indicate that she has successfully been able to hold off a significant Ven attack without noticeable damage to her own fleet. We have no name and we have no idea why she’s so unwilling to discuss mutual objectives. We will address this, if we have to, once we are ready to face her directly.”

  “Captain, do we have a timetable before we go in search of this woman?” Canith spoke as if there was more on his mind than just this discussion.

  Yatrell resisted the urge to focus on the minds of his team. They had become comfortable with the fact their minds were open to him, but as background noise. They knew he respected their privacy and rarely entered their minds for anything. He refused to change that now.

  “We need all sixty of our ships before we can remotely attempt to approach this woman. It will be no less than two weeks until we have all of them here. Until then, I’d like all of you to prepare your knowledge of your new crews and anticipated battle plans.” The weight of the moment impacted everyone. “I don’t say what I need to often enough, but all of you are the reason we’re here. I know we have watched each other’s backs in battle after battle. I know that there is no finer team in this universe, and I look forward to serving with you all as captains instead of just my crew. We will be the finest fleet in Dentonian history.”

  Set couldn’t help but to laugh. “We’ll make the most interesting for sure. What info do you have on her?”

  Yatrell smirked, and activated the projection. “This is her fleet’s last known whereabouts. She was roughly three light years from the tri-corners sector, moving in that direction.” The projection screen came alive with various ship, and planetary representations.

  Canith whistled. “Her fleet is large. We’ll look like a rag tag band of mercenaries next to her fleet.”

  “Only if you can’t follow orders, and make the crew below you do the same.” Anara chided. “Can’t have an incapable captain on the bridge.”

  Canith rolled his eyes. “Right. Well then, maybe you should speak to the fleet commander about preventing your promotion.”

  Set chuckled. “This, Yatrell, will never change between those two. Even from opposite bridges.”

  Yatrell smiled for the first time in a while. “I’m counting on it. Keeps them both on their toes.” Turiel and Clax remained quiet as usual. They had yet to become comfortable with the familiarity of the captain, and his handpicked senior staff. “I’ll provide all of you copies of the information. If there are no further questions, you are dismissed to prepare for your new assignments.”

  The room emptied quickly, but Turiel lingered. When just the two of them remained, she stood from her chair, and spoke timidly. “Why do you put two women on the bridge? There are few of our crews that will follow us.”

  Fleet Commander Jae shut down the projection screen, and laughed. “Anara will have no problem getting her team in line. You can lead yours Turiel, but you’re going to have to speak much louder than you just did. I know you can handle it. If you’re questioning yourself, speak to Clax, I’m sure he’d prefer to have his own command.”

  Turiel nodded, her head and lowered it fidgeting with her uniform. For the first time since coming onto the Rexion, almost a year prior, she projected. ~One more thing, sir. I’ve been avoiding telling people about this because of the problems. This is why I requested to serve on your team. I just think I still have much to learn.~

  Yatrell whirled on his heels, with a looked of surprise. ~Well, that explains a lot.~ His projection was soft and genuine. For just a moment, he felt like he was once again talking to Kala as she was when he first met her.

  Turiel nodded. “Yes sir.”

  “I once knew a woman who started her journey as timid about her abilities as you are about yours right now. In truth, she was stronger than most imagined, stronger than I had imagined of her when I first met her. She didn’t let her abilities hold her back. Instead, she pushed forward, and became so much more than just another solider. You’ve worked hard to get here, Turiel. You’re among the senior staff for that reason. Your transfer came with incredible support from your previous captain and chain of command. The way I see things, the only one holding you back, is you.”

  As Fleet Commander, Yatrell wanted people he could trust commanding important ships in the fleet. What he didn’t want was for one of them to doubt themselves into trouble.

  ~Sir, I need more practice with this. I know what I can do already is helpful, but if you want me to command a ship this quickly, I need to know I’m ready. To me, sir, part of being ready is knowing how to use this well.~ Turiel didn’t take her eyes from the ground while she projected to him. She was nervous discussing what she needed to learn, even though he was also a telepath.

  ~ I have an idea. There is another telepath on this ship that could use some company training and developing his skills. Let’s spend two weeks with you learning the captain’s position and better training your mind with him. If at that point, you’re not ready to take command, you’ll be my second here. If you are, you have your own ship.~ Yatrell projected in the same gentle manner, but watching Turiel in this state only made him ache more for Kala.

&n
bsp; Confused, Turiel tilted her head slightly as she brought her eyes up to look at him. “Another telepathic male? I thought you were the only one with any skill in the fleet.”

  Yatrell shrugged. ~Maybe, but the person I’m thinking of isn’t in the Dentonian fleet. He is however, my brother. He spends most of his day working on our shuttle in the bay. You can go down to greet him now. I’ll let him know to expect you.~

  Her eyes widened, and she started to speak, but held back and projected, ~The Xentue is a telepath? They are not remotely telepathic people!~

  “Now you understand why he’s among our people, and why he tends to stay on his own.” Yatrell placed his hands in his pockets. “He’s in the primary shuttle bay, deck twenty.”

  She nodded and left, still processing the new information. Briefly, Yatrell alerted Brax of her visit.

  When he was alone again, he slumped down into a chair and leaned forward on the table. Memories of times lost ran through his mind. If someone had told him three and a half years before that the woman in the field on Xenonia was his Sonteria, he’d have laughed at them. Now he knew, she had been his Sontair, and his last words to her were anything but comforting. There would be no resolution for him, either.

  She had infected every part of his mind and hearts, and then she was gone. He ran his hand through his hair, and leaned back. How long had he truly loved her before she died? Days? Weeks? He knew it was much longer than that, but he refused to let himself believe it while he had the chance. Every day since, he walked around as if there were a hole in his chest and nothing he did would have ever filled it. Part of who he was died with Kala. He’d been living without that piece for more than a year now.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Anara. “Yatrell, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” He looked up at the woman who tried hard to fill that hole, and he desperately tried not to cry again over the loss of another woman.

  “Look, you’ve always been a rather private man. I know that about you. You’ve turned almost self destructive in the last year or so… I guess just over a year.” As she talked she walked over to him and stood behind his chair, laying her hands on his shoulders. “With what’s happened with us, I can’t help my feelings for you. I’m sorry that they have hurt you.” Standing behind him, she hoped to hide the pain she was feeling, in that moment. “I’m also sorry I’ve not been able to help you through whatever it is that ails you.”

  Yatrell had only cried twice as an adult. Once after his captain’s death and once since Kala’s, but now he had hurt someone else, too. He placed his hand over hers. “Anara, no one can help me when part of me is gone. I thought I could just lose that fact in… us. I thought I could forget how much it hurts to be without it. To be without her.”

  “Yatrell, it will always hurt. That doesn’t mean moving on has to be so hard. You’re not open to moving on yet, I know. It hurts me to see you hurt like this all the time.” She leaned over and kissed the top of his head, and slid her arms around his chest. “I want you to find yourself again. I desperately want to help you with that, but if you don’t want me to, I’ll stay on my ship when I go.”

  Yatrell took a deep breath, and pulled Anara around to sit on his lap. “I need you to understand something. I care about you, deeply. She… She wasn’t just a friend, she wasn’t ever my bed mate, but she was the keeper of all things good in me. When she died, those things died with her. I wish I could have understood that while she was alive. I wish I could have told her. I wish a lot of things, but in this moment I wish I never hurt you because of that loss.” He held her closer to him, not sure if it was for his comfort or hers.

  “I can’t be her Yatrell. I don’t want to be. I just want to be there for you. This Kala sounds amazing and wonderful. The one time I spoke with her, her goal was your safety, and saving Dentonia seemed like a perk. What you feel for her, she obviously felt, too. The fact you let her get that close to you, says more than I will ever reach is possible. I know you won’t let me in the way you let her in. I know you won’t allow yourself to love me like you did her. That doesn’t change the fact that I do love you.” Anara nuzzled her head next to his neck and jaw. “Yatrell, you are a brilliant leader, kind hearts, and a good man. This is rare to find among the hardened hearts at war with themselves, each other, and the universe. I want you in my life, as more than just my commanding officer.”

  “The only reason I’m not more hardened, is because of her. She kept that part of me alive, and she often helped keep me from making rash choices. She was amazing in every sense.” He paused and looked up, into her eyes. “Anara, you’ve always been more than just a team member. You’ve been my closest friend for almost a decade now. The only person who ever got closer to me was Kala.” He looked down at the table and whispered, “Kala was Sontair.”

  Anara let the tears drop for the first time in front of him. “I know. You cannot be Konair to two women.” She felt like someone had punched her gut. She took a breath as deep as possible, and let it out very slowly. She stood from the warmth of him.

  “Anara, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this. I just …just wanted to forget.”

  “I know. I’ve tried to forget the same way too. It doesn’t work.” She turned his head so he was looking in her eyes. “You can never forget the mate you were meant to bond with. Many bond with people for no emotional reason. Many endure the ceremony for protection, stature, and the like, but when your hearts find their home, none of that matters.” As the tears fell she continued. “I know because mine found their home here. With you. You just found your home long before anyone else knew it.”

  She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. Her tears wet their faces before standing, and leaving the room quickly, trying not to break down completely.

  He watched her go, wishing he could return what she felt for him. Angry at himself for not trying to love her like she loved him, he slammed his fist down hard on the table. There would be no second chances anywhere for him.

  The communications channel in the room came alive with the voice of his beta shift leader. “Captain, the Sumbient’s Captain is requesting audience with you. Face to face. He said he’s got some information about the mission.”

  The new Fleet Commander answered, “Send him into my office.”

  The officer acknowledged him, and closed the communication channel. Yatrell walked into his office, and sat behind his desk. He looked around briefly wondering if Rex somehow found a way to help him into this chair as well.

  Several minutes passed, and an older man walked into the office. His uniform was highly decorated, and he looked at Yatrell for a long moment before speaking. “Where is the Fleet Commander?”

  Smugly, Yatrell stood to address him. “You are talking to him.”

  “You’re far too young to hold this position and rank. Where is your commander?” The older gentleman adamantly refused to believe such a young face could have reached fleet commander status before he did.

  “Captain, the Senate will be recalling you shortly, so I suggest you tell me what you came here to say or prepare for your departure.” Yatrell sat down, and leaned back in his chair.

  Gruffly, and clearly annoyed, the older captain finally addressed the issue he came about. “Fine. I was with the previous Fleet Commander on that Xenonian vessel.”

  “So you have firsthand knowledge not in the standard reports?” Yatrell sat forward, suddenly very interested in what was to come.

  “Yes, I do. I can tell you that this woman can be deceptively sweet. You need to be prepared for her. When you speak with her, don’t give her the slightest edge.” He moved closer to the desk, and took a seat opposite of the new Fleet Commander. Remaining on the edge of the chair as he spoke, he continued. “The one thing I will tell you that confuses me, she did not take out all three ships. The only thing she did do is offer a single warning.

  “Our Fleet Commander fired first, and she finished the job quickly. She could have elim
inated all of the ships completely, but didn’t. I will also tell you that you need to keep your approach to her as business. Don’t try to friend, bully, or anything that could be misunderstood by her. She is fierce, and she is ready to do what it takes to secure her mission. That much I could see in her eyes. “

  “Okay, so she’s a Fleet Commander in a war that’s dragged on for centuries.” Yatrell shrugged. “What can you tell me that will help us in this mission?”

  “I can tell you she is calculating and very cold, so you have to be as well. Her fleet numbers over a hundred ships. That’s not a surprise, and should be in the report. In this fleet there is a single unique design among them. Avoid that ship at all cost. We obtained some very unusual readings from it, and I’m confident we don’t have the resources to take on that ship at this time.” Captain Elza finally leaned back in the chair. “Since you are young in years, I should also warn you against the trusting notions of youth. Use every resource available to you.”

  Yatrell rolled his eyes. “Do you have a house name for this one?”

  “No. She provided none.”

  “So there is no way to address her?” Yatrell found this bit of information annoying.

  “Her rank and title will have to suit your needs, Fleet Commander.” The older captain moved to stand. “Keep in mind while speaking to her, she is a Xenonian woman, accustomed to being in control. I promise, if you don’t, you’ll experience the same fate as your predecessor. I have to meet with my replacement within the hour. If you have questions between now and the time I leave with the supply ship, don’t hesitate to call me.” With that, the captain left Yatrell to his thoughts again.

  He muttered, “Tangl’s got herself in a position with more power than before. She’s dealing with it like a child with candy. I won’t let that last long.”

  Chapter 19

  A week passed from that hectic night. Yatrell hosted all of the fleet captains for dinner in the conference room on the Rexion. The evening was a lot about meet and greet, as well as seeing who he was dealing with. One of the captain changes he hadn’t expected, but felt he should have, was Cal Rusik. He attempted to keep things cordial with him. That ended when Cal became drunk and started to spout telepathic intrusion nonsense. Two of the other captains ushered him out before it came to blows, but the experience set the tone for the training exercises that came the next day.