by John Walker
Olly and his crew received commendations for their work on the alien vessel. What they accomplished went well beyond anything anyone expected them to be capable of. They entered an unknown situation and wrangled it to their will through nothing short of genius work. All five of them became stars aboard the ship, at least for a little while.
Repairs to the Behemoth would not take long. Most of the work was to be done by Higgins own engineering crew. Most of the effort required environmental suits and time spent outside with pulse welding torches and new sheets of metal. Even so, they’d be combat operational inside three weeks, not a bad time frame considering all they’d been through.
Meagan Pointer received a commendation for her part in the conflict. Her wing, suffering the loss of one of their own, also received medals. The call went out for a new pilot to take Brian’s place and they received over a hundred applicants. Everyone wanted in the hero wing and they all stood prepared to take their place amongst them.
Clea remained out of the spotlight, enjoying the successes of the others from afar. She read the tech briefs, watched the media outlets discuss their victory and quietly congratulated them individually. Whatever happened next, the Behemoth proved itself ready to fight. Her people placed their faith in the correct species, a once primitive group now proving their honor and nobility.
As she stood on the bridge of the Behemoth waiting for their orders, Gray nudged her arm as he came to stand beside her. She smiled at him, shoving him with her elbow. They stood in silence for several minutes before the Captain finally spoke, leaning so he might keep his voice down.
“You look just as somber today as you did back when we won the fight.”
“Maybe that’s just my resting face.”
“Not when you beat me in chess,” Gray replied. “I seem to recall every time that happens, you glow like your lottery numbers were called.”
“Some victories are sweeter than others,” Clea turned to him, admiring his face for a long moment. “Do you think of those we lost in the battle? The men and women who sacrificed their lives for the cause?”
Gray nodded. “Of course, I’ve never forgotten a single person I lost under my command. There’s a weight to leadership not everyone’s cut out for. If you can’t live with what happens, you won’t be successful.”
“I wonder if I might have it in me to be the type of leader you are. To understand my responsibilities to such a profound degree and live with those decisions.”
“You might have the chance to find out someday,” Gray replied, “but you won’t know until you try. If I was you and an opportunity presented itself, I’d take it. I know I’d follow you into battle any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
Clea rolled her eyes. “You’re giving me a hard time.”
Gray shook his head. “Not for a second.”
“Everyone on this ship would follow you to the gates of hell themselves if they had to. What must that responsibility be like?”
“As long as you earn that trust, it’s not a burden. And note, I’d have to be heading to the gates of hell for them to follow me. That’s why they have my back. Because I won’t ask any of them to do something I’m unwilling to do myself.”
“Of course, like your Thermopylae example. King Leonidas leading his noble three hundred.”
“With less attitude, I hope.” Gray grinned. “Anyway, what’s going on with all your heavy thoughts? Are you okay?”
Clea nodded. “I’m simply…self reflective, I suppose. Analyzing my own performance in the engagement.”
“You helped Paul get Protocol Seven installed faster. If you’d done nothing else, I’d say you did your part.”
“I appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome then.” Gray motioned with his head. “Come on, I believe I have a chess match to win. It was my time, remember?”
Clea gave him a wide eyed, innocent look. “I was merely trying to spare your feelings.”
Gray laughed. “Oh, we’ll see about that.”
He turned and left, Clea following slowly behind. She nodded her head, finally finding a smile. “Yes, I suppose we will.”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Epilogue
