by Lance Berry
Later that evening, Travis was exhausted. The funeral had emotionally drained him more than he expected, and so he chose to resume directing ship wide repairs, hoping to lose himself in work. This turned out to be a mistake, as his duty shift seemed to drag out endlessly. Finally he made his way back to his quarters, where he collapsed on his bed without even taking his clothes off, too tired to even order the computer to shut down the lights.
He was just about to drift off to sleep when the door chime sounded. He silently swore and sat up, ordering the door to open. Mara and Ben stepped in, now wearing civilian clothes, as opposed to the full dress they had all worn earlier. “You don’t mind if we drop in for a moment, do you? I promise we won’t be long,” she said.
Travis waved them in and gestured to the only chair in the room, which Ben ungallantly claimed. Mara sat on the bed instead, only a foot away from Travis. Both of them looked to each other, then to him for a moment, which made Travis uneasy. “What?” he said expectantly.
“A few days ago–“ Ben started, but Mara waved him off. “It’s okay, Ben…I’ll do it.” The doctor gave her a concerned look, but she nodded in certainty and turned to face Travis fully. “When David and I first came aboard this ship, I knew that I would be content to be his first officer forever, because I thought that was the way things would always be. Well, obviously they aren’t. As you know, Ben joined me down on Earth a few days ago for further debriefing on what happened during the Jupiter Skirmish. A lot of the conversation had to do with you and your actions.”
“Okay…” Travis said warily. The President himself had given him a medal–what could he have possibly done wrong?
“I have no desire whatsoever to be captain of the Horizon, because I know that I can never be as good at the job as David was. No one can,” she said, and placed a gentle hand on his leg. “But obviously, someone’s going to try at some point. I don’t want a stranger sitting in that center seat. If anything, I want to keep our command line ‘in the family’, so to speak, as long as I have any say about it. Ben and I had a long discussion, and he helped me see some-thing that I hadn’t seen before, and so I went to the Joint Chiefs and President Ralston with a request. So as of now, I want you to know that Earth Force Command has given me the authority to grant you a promotion to captain of this ship, if you want it.”
Travis’ eyes widened to the size of saucer plates. He cocked his head forward, uncertain he had heard correctly. “I’m sorry, but…what did you just say?”
Ben smiled lightly. “Remind me to check your ears on your next visit to sickbay, my boy.”
Mara gently squeezed Travis’ knee, bringing his attention back to her. “For someone only in their early thirties, your service record’s very impressive. The single-handed capture of a Calvorian on Argones Four. The saving of your squad on Titan, the rescue of hostages on Acrea Three– both of which subsequently resulted in the capture of more enemy forces. And now the Starfall Maneuver.”
Travis had barely heard Mara’s recitation of his accomplishments. He sat back deliberately to keep from falling off the bed in shock. Captain–!
“Wait a second,” he said in an attempt to retain a grip on reality, “How can this be done? I haven’t even legitimately made commander yet! People will say–“
Mara’s eyes narrowed and her voice took on a darker, brook-no-arguments tone. “Unless you are in a combat situation where you need support info from your subordinates or are taking orders from UEF Command, a captain does not worry about what other people are saying around or about him. A captain commands!”
Travis nodded silently, not wishing to rouse her ire. Ben leaned forward in his chair a bit. “This is as legitimate a promotion as if you had worked your way up through the command ranks, Travis–which for the most part, you have. The Joint Chiefs have the power to make extraordinary decisions regarding the command structure of any ship within the fleet when necessary. This just happens to be one of those times. Besides, you were David’s protégé–he’d wanted you to take command if Mara didn’t seek it out. That’s the story we told the J.C., and we’re sticking to it.” He said this last with a knowing wink, which gave Travis the impression that there was more to this promotion than he should tactfully ask about. He looked to Mara once more. “Is this official-official, or do I have time to think it over?”
Mara looked at him, and barely fought back a frown. “It’s approved by President Ralston and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but is contingent upon your acceptance. You can turn it down if you don’t feel you’d be up to the job, but I can guarantee that almost immediately they’d send in someone else to take over. We’re docked at Hephaestus for another five weeks. If you can’t decide in two, then someone else gets transfer orders to come in. And there are many Cruiser captains who would like to find themselves in your position right now. So be judicious and be swift.” She nodded to Ben and the two stood and left the room, the door gliding shut behind them.
Travis sat on the edge of the bed for a long while, lost in thought as he stared at the door. It was inconceivable to him that he was nominated for captaincy–and of the fleet flagship! It was like some kind of dream, and it brought back to him memories of the first time he opened a copy of Captain Kane of Earth Command. There on the first page was a splash shot of the mighty Heavy Cruiser Galileo, with an inset of Captain Kane on its bridge. “From the time he was a young boy, Nathaniel Kane dreamed of only one thing–being captain of a Heavy Cruiser! And now, as Captain of Earth’s flagship…” Every school kid Travis’ age knew the character was based on the actual Kane and his ship, with certain storytelling incidents changed to reflect more victories than losses in the real-life hero’s career…but how many who read that book actually got to live the dream?
Travis got to his feet and paced around his quarters, from the far wall to the head and back, trying to imagine how it would be to work with Mara Christenson as his first officer instead of his superior. She was only four years older than he, but it would still be an odd period of adjustment for them both. Actually, it would be an adjustment for the entire crew. It made him chuckle, and brought him no small amount of relief that he wouldn’t be able to sleep with Lisbet again, since it would be improper and unseemly for a captain to have sexual relations with an officer two ranks below him.
Then the thought of Marion came to him. She was a lieutenantcommander as well now, serving aboard the Gibraltar, one of the Cruisers which served during the Jupiter Skirmish. She had always said she was a better soldier than him, and he secretly knew that to some degree she was right. How would she feel about his sudden promotion?
He put those thoughts out of his head. This wasn’t a promotion, not yet. There were other things which had to be considered, and he knew where he could turn for help in divining the answers…
Lisa Pfeiffer raised her head from her pillow, checking the clock on her bed as her vid-com in the living room briiip-briiip-briiiped incessantly. It was one in the morning, and she had no idea who could possibly be calling her at this hour. She slid out of bed and arched her back as she stood, then winced at the needlelike pain in the small of her back… possibly the approach of arthritis. On the plus side, she thought cynically, the pain snapped her more fully awake so that she could deal with whatever was about to come up.
She strode to her living room and activated the machine fully, pleasantly surprised at the face that greeted her. “Travis!” she said joyfully. It had been many months since she had heard from her favorite nephew. “Oh, sweetheart, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Lisa,” he said as he smiled happily. He loved her so much, it always warmed his heart to see her. Her hair had light touches of grey in it now, and there were some wrinkles around her eyes, but in his eyes she was still as beautiful as she had always been. “I’m sorry to call so late…I didn’t realize until after the signal went through what time it is on Earth.”
“It’s absolutely all right, sweetheart,” she said lovingly. “I saw you on the n
ews! They keep replaying the footage of the fleet doing that maneuver you invented. I was so impressed! Did you get my e-mail?”
“Yes, I did. It made me feel really good. Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to reply to it yet.”
“Don’t worry about it. Jack said you were probably being debriefed like crazy. I understand.”
“When did you talk to Jack?”
“A few days ago.” Her voice dropped in tone slightly and she leaned forward on the vid-screen. “He probably won’t tell you this personally, so let me blow the whistle: he’s very proud of you. More than he’ll ever let on, trust me. He honestly couldn’t stop gushing about what you’d done.”
Travis shook his head skeptically. “I doubt that. I can’t picture Jack Richards ever ‘gushing’.”
“Take my word for it, he gushed,” she said with a knowing smile…the smile Travis loved so very much. “So, what’s up, dear?”
Travis told her everything that Mara and Ben had told him. She nodded a few times as she listened carefully to everything he had to say. Finally she asked, “And how do you feel about all this?”
“It’s a great honor,” Travis said after a moment. “I just hope that if I decide to take it, that I am up to it.”
Lisa smiled warmly. “Of course you’re up to it. When you first showed me that letter from your teacher recommending you for the Sanderson School all those years ago and you told me what you wanted to do with your life, I knew then that you were up to it. In the end, Travis, I think there’s only one person you really have to convince.”
The next morning, before first duty shift for repairs began, Mara had just finished getting dressed when her door chime sounded. “Come in,” she said as she snapped the collar of her uniform jacket closed. Travis entered the room as the door moved aside, a determined spring in his stride. He waited until the door closed fully before speaking. “One thing, and one thing alone is going to help me decide. If I take this, will you support me? I know you and Ben recommended me for this, but I need to know that no matter what, you will recognize that I am your captain–this ship’s captain. Because if you don’t, then it all falls apart.”
Mara looked him over a moment, then nodded firmly. “I think that just this moment, you truly became the captain. I don’t expect you to have the same command style as my husband, nor do I expect you to lead in the same manner. You are your own man. But as long as you seriously consider any advice I or the other officers have to give you, I will never let you down.”
She offered her hand. He accepted. They shook, and the pact between them was forged.
A few days later, a meeting was called in war room A. Travis met Ben in the corridor as they headed to the room from opposite directions. Travis tapped him on the arm as they approached the double doors, bidding the doctor to hold back just a moment. “How do I look?” Travis asked as he finished affixing captain’s bars to his duty jacket’s shoulders.
“Nervous as hell,” the doctor said gravely.
Travis shook his head. “You’re not supposed to say that,” he said, somewhat irked. “You should be supportive at a time like this! You should say I look good, or professional, or very captain-like, at least–“ He stopped as a sly smile crossed the doctor’s face. Travis shook his head again and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re just never going to stop needling me, are you?”
“Not even if you’re elected President.”
Travis smiled. “Yeah, well I hear the Prez gets to have at least two secret assassinations carried out, so you’d better watch it. Come on, let’s do this.”
The doors parted and the two men entered. Seated at the head of the conference table was Mara, looking stunning as always. To her left sat Jamie Hughes and Tanner Matthews, who was now able to make it around with the help of a cane. Jamie raised an appraising eyebrow, and Matthews shook his head just slightly as Travis and Ben walked around the table together. Ben sat opposite Jamie, while Mara rose and moved aside to allow Travis to take her place. “Your chair, Captain,” she said and then took an empty seat beside the doctor.
Travis nodded gratefully and sat, taking a moment to glance out the window at the Hephaestus Shipyards’ docking struts which were attached to the ship. He then looked down the length of the long conference table, and suddenly realized the weight which David Christenson must have carried with him every time he took this seat. He finally addressed his senior officers, speaking more to Jamie and Matthews:
“As I’m sure Commander Christenson has told you, Earth Force Command has granted me special dispensation to take over as permanent captain of this vessel. There will be no changes to the command structure, as I feel that everyone here is the best at their assigned duties. I’m also aware that I have pretty big shoes to fill. Therefore, I won’t try to fill them…I’ll simply have to start making my own impressions in the sand. If anyone has anything to say, any questions to ask or any concerns to raise, now is the time to do so.”
“Yeah, well I have a couple of concerns,” Matthews piped in immediately. “I like you, Travis, you’re a good helmsman and a damn nice guy…but I don’t think you should have gotten this. Not because you don’t deserve it to some degree, but you haven’t paid your dues yet, far as I’m concerned. Maybe they could have made you a captain, sure, but it shouldn’t be on this ship. You’ll probably find that’s a popular sentiment across the fleet.”
Travis locked him in a sturdy gaze. “I understand your concerns, but don’t take it personally when I say that I can’t and don’t give a damn about something like that, no matter who says it. A good friend told me recently that unless receiving info from a subordinate or orders from Command itself, a captain can’t be concerned with what others think about him. A captain commands. So since you’re stuck with me, Tanner, I guess you’d better learn to live with it. Right?”
Matthews blinked in surprise; this wasn’t quite the same Travis Rand he had come to know in the past year, quick with an apology and still somewhat uncertain of himself. The man who sat before him now had a bearing of full self-confidence and an iron will. Matthews nodded slowly in understanding, a newfound respect emerging within him. “Yes…sir,” he said at last.
“What about you, Jamie?” Travis asked as he focused on her. “Any problems which need addressing?”
“None that I can think of, Captain,” she said without hesitation. “If anything does come to mind, I’ll be sure to let you know.” She smiled broadly, earnestly, and Travis knew that he had somehow won her over without really having to try, which he didn’t expect. That done, they got down to business, reading the duty log for the day and choosing what needed to be done first in order to further expedite repairs.
Once the meeting was done, the senior staff divided, each heading to their work stations with the exception of Matthews, who accompanied Ben to sickbay for his usual round of physical therapy. Eventually over the next couple of weeks, the security chief would regain full use of his leg. He would also learn to fully trust his new captain once the Horizon finally set sail and headed back into battle again. As Travis and Mara headed to the bridge, she observed him as he held his silence. “Come on, you may as well ask,” she said finally.
“Ask what?”
“How you did back in the war room. I may not know you as well as I did David, but I still have a knack for reading body language.”
“Well, then…?”
Mara smiled, and for the first time since her husband’s death, the smile touched her eyes. It was beautiful, and he could see why David Christenson had to ask her to marry him. “You did just fine…Captain Rand.”
Travis returned the smile as the lift came to a halt. He gestured for her to step out, which she did, calling out “Captain on the bridge!” as her boot hit the command deck’s plates. All the bridge officers turned and looked on in surprise as Captain Travis Rand followed her out of the lift and proceeded without hesitation to the center seat as Mara took her place at ops. The crew had not been told th
ey were getting a new captain so soon, and so of course they didn’t know who it would be. To say the bridge crew was in shock would be an understatement of the highest order.
“Speaker,” the captain said, and a startled Buttlefield accidentally struck the wrong control for the first time since Travis met her. A piercing squeal filled the bridge, but she quickly cut it off and mouthed a “sorry” as she opened the right channel.
Travis couldn’t help but smile. If only his friends from the cadre at Sanderson could see him now.
He got to his feet, noticed Arroyo at navigation observing him salaciously, and deliberately ignored her as his voice rang out, echoing through the Horizon’s thirty-four decks. “Attention, all crew. This is Captain Travis Rand. As of this date, June 14th, 2190, United Earth Force Command has granted me an official promotion to commanding officer of the Horizon. Commander Christenson and all other senior officers will be remaining at their posts in their official capacities. With the exception of additions to certain departments that lost crewmembers during the Jupiter Skirmish, there will be no further personnel changes.”
He paused a moment to let the first part of his statement sink in, then continued, “I know this posting comes as a surprise to some of you. It did to me as well. But I intend to do my best for each and every one of you. Not because it’s the way to prove myself, not because it’s the right thing to do…but because David Christenson wasn’t just a captain to me, he was my friend. And I know he would have wanted it that way. On my life, I swear to you now that I will always treat this posting with dignity and respect, and together we will drive back the enemy until they finally realize they made a mistake when they chose to start a fight with the human race.” He quietly cleared his throat and added, “For now however, we still have a July 10th launch date to meet. I for one intend to launch by the fourth, if at all possible. I believe that will hold greater meaning for our brothers and sisters out on the battlefield. Let’s get to those repairs. Captain Rand out.”
