“Sir” said Pious “I believe Lt Chalker is not currently on the crew roster of the Hermes and that technically it should be possible for LCmd Simons to see her. Also she was not on the Hermes prior to the decision to launch the rescue attempt.”
“Alright you may see Lt Chalker commander.”
“Thank you Sir” said Art.
By this time Dave had regained his composure “Understood Sir.”
They saluted the Admiral and walked out of the office. Liz had a pained expression on her face. “I’m sorry Sir” she said to Dave as he closed the door behind him. “I’m to escort you back to the Hermes while you collect your gear.”
“Fine” said Dave.
Aubrey was a little surprised when Dave told her the news but she knew there would have had to be some reckoning for his decision. “So who’s going to be the new captain?” she asked.
“Until otherwise advised, you’re in charge.”
“Me?”
“Yes you Aubrey. You’ll be fine. Look after her and the crew.”
“Of course Sir.”
The other officers all expressed their support for Dave and ensured him that it would be cleared up soon. He thanked them and left with Art and Liz carrying an overnight pack. Val undertook to have the rest of their gear moved to the officers’ mess on the base.
When they entered the new mess building Pious was waiting. “I’ll look after them from here Liz.” Turning to Dave and Art “Lunch gentlemen?”
“Sure Sir” said Dave and they followed Pious to the dining room. He led them to a table in the far corner. A steward was waiting and they quickly ordered the day’s special.
“You cocked this up this time Dave” Pious chastised. “If the truth be known I half expected you to do this. You probably would have been forgiven and got away with a reprimand were it not for the loss of LCmd Apell.”
Dave and Art both looked perplexed.
“Didn’t you read her file?”
“Yes” replied Dave.
“Did you note the name of her mother?”
“No.”
“Amelia Ryan. Does that mean anything to you?”
Dave was shaking his head.
Art piped in “related to Vince Ryan I suppose?”
“What, the vice chairman of the Alliance Council?” asked Dave.
“One and the same” said Pious.
“Blast” said Dave.
“When he read the report he was said to go livid - something about wanting your head.”
Dave slumped back in his chair a defeated man. Art was looking very concerned, more for his friend than himself. “Is there nothing we can do to resolve this?” Art asked.
“Well I advise that you both seek a plea bargain, take whatever medicine they demand and stay out of trouble for as long as it takes for this to blow over.”
“Fine” said Dave “but will we get an opportunity to plea bargain?”
“I have already discussed this option with Admiral McDermott. He might have come across as being severe on this but he’s just doing as he is ordered from on high. He was actually delighted with the outcome of your mission except for the loss of life. He’s prepared to put in a recommendation for leniency. That should carry a lot of weight. But the final decision will rest with the court martial board back on Polaris.”
“Art” continued Pious “I have taken the liberty of authorising recuperation leave for Sue. By all accounts she needs it after the ordeal she has been through. She will accompany you both back to Polaris tomorrow.”
“Why thank you Sir. That’s very kind.”
Chapter 43. Shuttle over Klaster 0840, 16 July
Dave looked back through the window from his seat aboard the shuttle. He took what he knew could be his last look at Klaster. It had been ‘home’ these last three months and what events it had seen and he had experienced during that time.
He had experienced so much joy and yet so much loss, pain and destruction. It was with these mixed emotions that he bid a silent farewell.
His thoughts turned to his current predicament. He wondered what would happen. What did the future hold for him? Much now was out of his control. He acknowledged that it was his karma borne from his decisions. In that moment he accepted it. He realised that he would make the same decisions again given the same circumstances. ‘So this was meant to be’ he thought to himself.
He thought of Rihan and hoped she was well and that she didn’t stress about his court martial. He felt a pang of guilt over this. He would do whatever he could to make it right for both of them. ‘Yes I am committed to ‘us’.’ But then he also thought ‘I must remain detached. I must be the witness.’
A few hours later over a cup of coffee Art said to Dave “I’m really sorry Dave.” He put up his open hand to stop Dave interrupting and then he continued. “I’m not that proud of what I did. I put my selfish interests above everyone else’s including yours. I won’t ever forget what you have done for me and Sue. I owe you big time.”
For the first time that Dave could recall he saw a tear streak Art’s rugged face. He knew it had taken a lot for Art to say this. He appreciated it but knew better than to make a deal of it, least of all here in the passenger section of the shuttle. He put his open hand on top of Arts hand which was on the arm rest between them and nodded his appreciation. A moment later he smiled briefly to Art, retrieved his hand and sank back into the chair. “Must be time for a movie hey?”
Art smiled. “Sure.”
Chapter 44. Nova Vista 0700, 24 July
Through his window on the shuttle Dave took in the dawn over Nova Vista. And what a dawn it was. He never tired of seeing this sight. Nova Vista had been home to him for many years. It was a huge metropolis of over ten million souls, home to the Federation Fleet HQ on Polaris and a thriving manufacturing and trading centre. It also was R&D central on Polaris, boasting many of the major defence companies.
The new day’s light was glancing off the water in the harbour. The shuttle was decelerating rapidly but smoothly. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and only a little turbulence. The co-pilot’s advice was that they would be landing in three minutes. Everyone was buckled up.
Dave could see Art and Sue across the aisle. Art looked quite happy despite the uncertainty he faced. With Art’s hand resting on Sue’s Dave realised that Art was feeling certain about one thing in his life. Dave was pleased about that.
The Fleet space port was coming up fast even though the shuttle was decelerating. Warner couldn’t see it but the familiar landmarks along their approach heralded its proximity. The vertical retroes began firing and the big transport craft hovered down. They spent another five minutes taxiing to their allotted bay. The load master’s voice advised them that it was now safe to disembark and to make sure they took all their hand luggage.
They made their way into terminal 13 where they were met by a Fleet officer. “Captain Warner, Commander Simons I’m Commander Jimmy Lauder, your appointed Defence Counsel. Welcome back to Polaris.”
Dave returned his salute. “Commander.”
“And good morning to you too Lt Chalker. I’ve arranged for my assistant to collect your luggage. He’ll bring it here and then take you to your quarters. I realise you’ll be in need of a rest but I have taken the liberty of scheduling our first meeting for tomorrow morning at 0900. A car will collect you both at 0830. My office is in the Delta complex. Here’s my card.” Jimmy double tapped his communicator and Dave noted that his communicator flashed confirming the receipt. “I’ll leave you in peace now. Until tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you commander” said Dave “but can you tell me where my fiancé, Commander Kabel is?”
“I think you will find her at your quarters Sir. I took the liberty of arranging for you to share the same accommodation.”
“Thank you Commander. Can I call you Jimmy?”
“Please do so Sir. My pleasure. Good day.”
Chapter 45. Nova Vista 0820, 24 July
&nb
sp; The officers’ quarters were in the Nelson tower complex. This was like a major hotel with over 400 suites and another 500 single rooms. It was known to everyone simply as ‘the Nelson’.
Jimmy’s assistant dropped them off at the front door while he went and unloaded the luggage. As Dave entered he could see Rihan coming towards him. She was beaming. She was just the tonic he needed. He dropped his day pack and cupped her face in his hands and they kissed.
He inhaled strongly taking in her lovely scent. She was in civvies and her hair was down. Her loose curls fell across his face. He felt her tongue lightly tap on his lips. He opened and invited her in. It was a gentle warm introduction.
He pulled his head back gently so he could see her face. She smiled warmly but Dave could see sadness masked in her eyes. He smiled back at her. “Good morning” he said softly.
“Good morning” she said equally as soft. The corner of her eye caught sight of Art and Sue. “Hi guys” she said with more volume and she prised herself gently from Dave’s grip and gave them both a hug.
“Come on, I’ll show you your new digs” said Rihan in a playful mood.
They let Art and Sue out on floor 28 and then proceeded up. “How far up are we?” asked Dave as they passed the 30th floor in the elevator. He hadn’t paid attention to the destination until then. He looked up and saw they were heading for the 41st floor. Normally only senior officers were assigned above the 40th floor. Pointing to the lighted number he asked “How come?”
“Oh silly” said Rihan “you are a senior officer now…Captain.”
“Oh yeah. But I wonder for how long.”
“Don’t worry darling it will work out. Look here we are.”
“Not bad” said Dave as they entered their apartment. He dropped his pack near the door and walked to the windows in the open plan living area. He looked out over to the space port some 3km away. A shuttle was taking off into the morning sun. He looked down onto the arc of building complexes between them and the space port. Dots of people could be seen moving about and bigger dots of vehicles could be seen plying their way along the streets. “Nice view” he added.
“There’s an even nicer view in here.” The voice was emanating from the bedroom.
Dave turned with a smile. “I bet there is” and he closed the door behind him.
Chapter 46. Nova Vista 1010, 24 July
“Coffee’s ready.”
Dave wrestled his mind back into the land of the living. He propped himself up onto his elbow. He could still smell Rihan’s lovely scent, reminding him of their delightful coitus. The voice had originated back out in the living area, so he pulled on his boxers and donned his shirt but didn’t do the buttons up.
As he came through the doorway he could see Rihan in a gorgeous silk dressing gown that wasn’t his. It was a gorgeous oyster blue colour. From the amount of exposed breast that Dave could see he realised she had nothing on under it. “Nice. Where did you get that?”
“Believe it or not honey I was born with these” she said with her best saucy voice. Dave laughed. He came over, kissed her on the forehead and sat in the lounge chair opposite Rihan. The smell of the coffee beckoned. He took a short sip. It was quite hot. So he put it back down.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Much better” she said in the same saucy voice and gave him a seductive smile to boot.
He smiled. “Seriously, how are you?”
“I’m fine honey. Physically I’m recovered but I so missed you.” Her eyes started to moisten. Dave came over and knelt in front of her. He beckoned her to lean forward and they hugged. This time she let it out. Her tears flowed as Dave patted the back of her head gently.
She regained her composure a little and looked up into his eyes. “I’m so sorry Dave. I didn’t want to lose our baby.”
“I know” said Dave and once more he brought her sobbing head into his shoulder. “I know.” After a minute he added “I didn’t want to lose our baby either but I am so glad to have you.”
A while later they were in their lounge chairs dabbing away the moisture from their eyes. Rihan told Dave all about the nuke attack and her time in recovery. With Dave’s encouragement she went on to tell him about her return to Polaris and how she went about buying a new wardrobe and arranging the apartment. She got in touch with some old friends but spent most of her time trying to pry news from Fleet HQ about how things were going with Dave and the Hermes.
“I got a copy of your report and was overjoyed to see that you’d rescued Sue. But I really liked Ella. What a waste.”
“Yes it is a waste.”
“How did it happen?”
“No one knows for sure. The last we knew was she was heading off to support Dai and Jacinta who were having difficulty taking out the air defence system. Art found her and Jacinta together both dead in the forest from pulse fire. That’s all we know.”
Rihan went quite for a while. Dave remained silent too.
“So you are going to be punished for something you didn’t directly do” she said.
“I’m not being charged for getting Ella killed but for disobeying a direct lawful command. I’m guilty. It’s unfortunate but I’d do the same again. I just couldn’t abandon Sue like that not after all she had done for us and Art’s my best friend.”
It was Rihan’s turn to offer her shoulder and she held Dave in her arms as they rocked together as the emotions took their course.
Dave plied himself free and he looked Rihan in the eye. “What’s really got us in the shit is the fact that Ella’s related to the Alliance vice chairman.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He was her uncle. He’s pissed and wants my head. But look Pious and McDermott have both put in a good word for me. Pious told me to seek a plea bargain.”
“But you’ll have to admit you’re guilty.”
“I am guilty. I’ve admitted as much in my report. That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that I avoid getting cashiered.”
“If you do this what will happen to you?”
“Not sure but most likely I’ll be demoted and given some crap posting. But at least then I can work my way back up.”
“Terrific…but I suppose that’s better than a dishonourable discharge.”
“That’s right.”
“I was just getting used to all this” and she swept her hand around the room.
“It’s only things, honey. They don’t matter much. What matters most to me is that I have you and that I stay true to my principles.”
She shrugged her shoulders in acceptance “Oh well, easy come, easy go!” She leant forward and kissed him gently on the lips. Before he could respond she pulled back and asked “what happens if it comes down to me or your principles?”
Dave smiled wickedly “that will be tough.”
She lunged forward and punched him in the shoulder, not full blooded but hard enough to be felt. Dave took it without resistance because his attention was focussed solely on her voluptuous breasts which were now hanging free of her gown. His right hand grabbed her bottom and pulled her to him. She tried to resist but failed. Her breasts pressed against his face. He kissed them as she flung her head back and held the back of his head.
“You’re just a greedy boy. Aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged” came back the muffled reply.
Chapter 47. Nova Vista 0910, 25 July
Dave and Art were in the offices of Cmdr Jimmy Lauder. His office was modest in comparison with what a civilian lawyer would have but they sat around Jimmy’s desk with the morning sun reflecting off the angled shields outside of the window.
“So that’s the procedure” said Jimmy “if this proceeds to court. But look I have received an overture from the prosecution that they will entertain a plea bargain. Looks like your Admiral is rooting for you.”
“So how does that work?” asked Art.
“The prosecution makes us an offer of terms in exchange for a guilty plea.”
“W
hat are their terms?” asked Art.
“You both are demoted one level. You Sir” looking to Dave “retain command of the Hermes and Art you will be his political officer.”
Dave looked to Art and they both looked quite pleased.
“But here’s the stinker” said Jimmy “The Hermes has been assigned to escort duties in the Orion sector.”
Art rolled his eyes. Dave just gave a shrug. “It could be worse” he said.
“No it couldn’t be” said Art.
“Art’s right Sir. You’ve drawn the short straw but I have to advise you that this is the best offer you’ll get. It’s a take it or see you in court offer.”
“How much time do we have to think it over?” asked Art.
“You have until 1000 tomorrow.”
“What about Sue and Rihan?” asked Art.
“They are not being charged. I presume they will go back to their assigned duties once they both recover.”
“Oh terrific” said Art. “So we’re going to be a whole month’s warp away. How long will this assignment be for?”
“Two years it says here” said Jimmy as he consulted the correspondence on his console.
“We’d be better off in prison here.”
“No you wouldn’t.”
“Stop it Art” said Dave. “We just have to accept it. Do our time and claw our way back. What I feel is unjust here is that the crew of the Hermes are being punished for my decision.”
“Yes it is harsh on them” admitted Jimmy “but look this is the deal worked out by Fleet HQ and the Alliance. It’s the only offer on the table.”
“Don’t the crew of the Hermes have a say in this?”
“No.”
“They are going to hate us for this” said Art.
“We’ll see” said Dave. “Let’s go. Thanks Jimmy. I’ll let you have my response later today. I need to speak with my fiancé.”
“Yeah me too” said Art.
“Alright then. Just remember it could be a lot worse. It will be a lot worse if this goes to court.”
Redemption: Book 2 of Warner's World Page 14
