At first Chico was devastated when he heard "Seeker" had been attacked but when he had heard that Kyle had not only survived but played a major part in retrieving "The seven moons of Septimus", he suggested to Admiral Ng that such resourceful people could have further use. Having got the Admiral to contemplate the rescue mission it was only one step further for Chico to pull more strings to get his nephew promoted to Lieutenant and in charge of the operation.
Kyle was pleased about the first news but was outraged about the field promotion, it just seemed to devalue what he had done but Chico assured his nephew that it wasn’t nepotism it was a decision based on watching him grow up, knowing that he was outstanding at solving problems, understood as much about space as many veterans and above all he always did the right thing.
“I am proud of you nephew and you must admit you did a good job, I can certainly look Admiral Ng in his one good eye,” chuckled Chico.
“OK, at least I don’t feel you left me in the lurch all those years ago and we have brought the prince, half the captives and the Chamtofi survivors back but I won’t get carried away as we did not find the women, did not rescue the Lady Khadisha, lost Pixie, ruined Bambi’s life and just about wiped out the Lillindian detachment.”
“Don’t beat yourself up nephew, the lessons we have learned will stand the United Worlds in great stead during the days ahead. Full galactic war is coming so our intelligence gathering will be vital.”
“Two last questions uncle, will you make sure that Bambi gets to mum and dad’s place and that she gets whatever care she needs?”
“Yes you can count on it.”
“The other thing is, what do this evil empire need human women for, is it food?”
“As an alleged Intelligence Officer, I am at a loss, there was discussion in the bars of Walendia but nobody seems to know. The captured women have to be a certain age and are not allowed to be molested, neither do I think they are bound for the lizard soldiers but for a higher power in the so called Infinite Empire. One last thing Kyle, when dealing with Admiral Ng, he is a devious and clever individual and you may not get the deal you think you are getting.
Kyle paid several trips to the Sick Bay, Bambi was still in a coma, her upper body looked as beautiful and serene as ever but from waist down she was encased in a metal casket. Kyle was able to spend some time with her though Bambi never knew, he whispered words of encouragement, words of love and pledged to always look after her no matter what.
Prince Morgan was already up and about though his newly growing arm was contained in a plasfibre sleeve strapped across his chest.
When the prince saw him enter his recuperation bay he beamed widely, “My friend and saviour Lt Getaway, it’s good to see you. I am sure you were born lucky getting us off Chamtofi, then defeating the alien hordes. I am glad you are on our side.”
“Thank you for the big build up Prince but I am not going to say it was nothing, we had to make sacrifices to get you out and I hope it was all worthwhile.”
“Yes, yes Getaway I don’t treat it lightly and anything in my power that I can do for the man that saved my life well……….just name it.”
“Thanks Prince, I do have an idea but I’ll tell you later. I hear you are back as the apple of your father’s eye?”
“Yes the story about me leading the heroic rear guard at the breakout is now a legend in the Berengian worlds and is being over dramatised throughout the United Worlds, hail Berengia leader of the free universe!”
Corporal Willox and his surviving Lillindians were visited by Kyle and he took a crate of their favourite beer to present to them. Out of the forty that joined the expedition there were not many left and this made Getaway very sad. Kyle said how sorry he was for their loss but his remorse was firmly knocked back by Willox, “It is us that should thank you Lieutenant Cassidy; you have enabled our families and our race to bask in the glory of the departed and the victories that they took part in.”
“I understand your people a lot better now Willox and I am proud to have served with you. What is your current strength?”
“There are eight of us fit for action and another five wounded from the various battles we have taken part in.”
Enjoy your beer all of you, nobody deserves it more,” Kyle saluted the Lillindians and left them to their drink and their story telling.
During their journey to the space station he also had chance to speak on the comms to Ivan Freeman, a man he admired and whose opinion he valued. “Ivan thanks for all you and the Pretender crew have done recently.”
“It’s our pleasure and duty and I have to say that your plan was fool proof. Do you have any idea what you will be doing next Getaway?”
“I have been invited to meet the Admiral tomorrow at 08.00 hours and I intend to ask him for permission to take Seeker of Moons back to the frontier and look for the women.”
“That does not surprise me, but be warned the United Worlds is in need of all the warships it can get its hands on and you may not find it easy to get your ship released for another adventure. I am seeing the Admiral at 07.00 hours so it looks like it will be a long day.”
“Yes I understand that but somebody has to go after them and one ship may succeed, where a whole fleet may attract trouble. By the way I haven’t spoken to Esther for a while, how is she?”
“You don’t want to know, if being outranked by you wasn’t bad enough, she lost her first command when the rescue flotilla was jumped, then she brings the Spotted Canary back on three quarter power and a third of its hull plates buckled. She seems to have an obsessive desire to prove herself to authority which gets her and her crews in trouble but other than hating your guts she is fine.”
The fleet eventually came in sight of the space station ‘Lamodum’, which from a distance looked like a small shiny planet but as they got nearer thousands of twinkling lights could be seen illuminating the endless darkness. The station was a hive of activity as ships entered the numerous internal docking bays, most of the refugee fleet were being guided to towers above the surface to dock. Kyle’s, Freeman’s and Esther’s ships were allocated internal docking bays and Speedy deftly guided their ship through the substantial air lock doors and into a mighty hangar where a number of other warships already lay.
Kyle had met the Admiral just twice before and wanted to be respectful whilst pressing his demands for a pursuit of the missing women, so he made sure that he was as smart as possible and wore his best Berengian ‘greens’ with a dress cap rather than the more casual forage cap he favoured. He found the way to the Admiral’s ante room making sure he was there in good time. Kyle then started to get nervous, the Admiral might not listen or perhaps he would be downgraded or dismissed.
Eventually a door opened and Ivan Freeman strode out, he was also dressed in his best dress uniform. On his breast he wore a metal badge representing a silver crown on a purple ribbon and in his left hand he clutched an open insignia box, containing a pair of captain’s stars. “Should I salute a senior officer?” Kyle laughed before warmly shaking the hand of his friend.
“No Getaway, let’s leave that to the parade ground. As well as the promotion, I and the Pretender have been assigned to the 4th Frontier Fleet and I am to train them in tactics to combat the Infinite Empire. Let me know how you get on with the old man.”
Unknown to both of them Admiral Ng had come into the room to collect Kyle and said in his stern voice “The old man’s ready for you now Mr Cassidy!” The two junior officers saluted rapidly and Kyle thought that this was not an ideal start.
The Admiral invited Kyle to sit and his stern face softened. “I admit I had doubts about giving you the resources to go on the mission and Lt Kang was primed to take over if he had to, but I am happy to say that you exceeded all of my expectations young man. His Majesty is also delighted to get his son back and the fact that you let Morgan play the hero has also helped our standing with the crown. You seem to be everything that your uncle said you would be and bearing in
mind your achievements I propose to promote you to the rank of Captain in the Berengian military but I understand that as a civilian until recently you may prefer to be discharged.”
“Admiral, I needed to take on the mission to Chamtofi and I would dearly love to serve Berengia and the United Worlds further. Please allow me to take Seeker of Moons on a further mission to find our women and finish the job you allowed me to start.”
“I knew you would ask but unfortunately we need every ship we can get hold of to face the alien threat. We are building warships and drones as never before and converting our mercantile fleets to enlarge our navy’s but we still might not have enough resources.”
“Yes Admiral I do understand but I have brought you many ships you can convert, I am sure that the Chamtofi authorities will be happy to donate them in return for re-settlement and I also have the King’s warrant signed by his majesty himself to allow me to use Seeker of Moons on the venture.”
“I should be annoyed that you have gone above my head but I did expect you to make use of your new friend Prince Morgan and as you say, you have given us a gift of the Chamtofi fleet. This is what I will do, you may keep command of Seeker of Moons as Captain Cassidy but you are firmly under my orders is that understood?”
“Fully understood Admiral and thank you, I will do my level best to warrant your confidence.”
“I haven’t finished, your main objective is to find and bring home the Lady Khadisha, but you will not have Kang and his mandroids this time, we have other plans for them. You may recruit from the people you rescued to complete your crew also the Lillindians that are fit can go with you if they wish. Doctor Hussain will be needed on the station but you may take his nurses. You will need to re-arm, replenish your stores and be off this station within three days as it is my intention to relocate, oh and one other thing, Second Lieutenant Fuentes will be with you as your exec and you don’t get a choice in the matter.
The last piece of news wasn’t entirely welcome but Kyle thought it was a small price to pay to keep possession of Seeker of Moons. Like Freeman before him, Kyle too received the Extreme Service Medal and his Captain’s stars, he was dismissed by the Admiral with, “Good Luck Captain, I hope we meet again.”
Back on Seeker of Moons, the captured aliens had been removed, but their damaged patrol craft remained. The passengers had all been off loaded as had those Lillindians who needed further medical care. There was no sign of the mandroids but Buzz assured Kyle that Kang had left his best wishes and the Doctor was just in the process of disembarkation, supervising the transfer of his patients particularly Bambi the most seriously wounded.
Kyle went back to his quarters, changed into normal crew fatigues and donned his favourite cap, he thought he should swop the collar studs to show his new rank and called the crew to a meeting in the hangar.
All the crew were present as were the Lillindian marines and the two hu-mechy nurses.
Kyle did not know exactly how to begin but he started with, “Comrades and friends we have been through ordeals and have come through by the skin of our teeth but now I need you individually to make a decision. The women we were searching for are still missing as is the Lady Khadisha and I want to go back to find them. This time we would be on our own and I cannot guarantee that any of us will return, so it must be each person’s own decision as to whether to take up a berth, if you wish to volunteer please raise your hand now.” The first group to move were predictably the Lillindians who within seconds all had their hands in the air. Then Buzz, Shiner, Speedy, Patches, Boots, and lastly Trilby followed suit. The hu-mechy nurses raised their hands but Kyle wasn’t sure that their programming had understood the question anyway.
“That’s great, thank you all,” said a relieved Kyle, “ in three days we launch, we will find our missing women, I don't yet know exactly where but we will find them.”
The story continues in “Prisoners of the Empire the second book of “Cassidy’s Command”.
Seeker of Moons (Cassidy's Command Book 1) Page 27
