by R. J. Batla
He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. “This has to be some kind of PR stunt. It’s a stupid mission and you know it! Have you even heard of Newark?”
“That’s not the point! Plus, if this was a PR stunt, then it would have been done in a very public manner, not at the barracks with only one witness. You heard the admiral – I’m a captain! The first ever straight out of the Bastion.”
“Exactly!” he said, moving closer and putting his hand on her shoulder. “It’s never been done before. There has to be a reason behind it, something must be wrong, or –”
She swatted his hand off her shoulder, picked up her bag, and backed up a step out of his reach. “Are you saying I don’t deserve this? That I’m not good enough? Or are you saying I should disobey a direct order?”
“Yes, er, no, but Celeste –”
“What’s wrong with you, Boga?” She slammed her bag back down. “You should be happy for me! This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me! It’s what I’ve been dreaming about since I was twelve years old.” A lone tear threatened at the corner of her eye. All this from her best friend…
“That’s not it at all!” Bogata said, clearly frustrated. He turned away and then turned back to her. “I…I just don’t want you to get hurt. You’ve always been there for me every time someone put me down or I got in a fight. You’ve been one of the few people who hasn’t ever looked down on me because of my size and weakness. You’re my best friend, Celeste.”
Though his comment softened her tone a little, she was still mad. “Oh, well, OK. So now I can’t protect myself?”
“I did kinda save you from the squid.”
“Oh, thank you, my hero,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Celeste, you know I want what’s best for you. I’m just, you know, worried. Being captain is a big deal, with a lot of risks and a lot of responsibility.”
“Well you don’t have to worry about this little girl – she can protect herself just fine, thank you.” She zipped up the duffle with the loudest noise she could muster. She huffed a little more, but he’d calmed her down with his concern.
“Boga, are you jealous? I can ask the admiral if he’d assign you to my ship, and –”
“Celeste, that’s not it. I don’t want you to get in over your head. Who knows what can happen out there. And when you’re in charge, with responsibility, it’s even worse.”
“Well, Boga, I don’t know what you want me to do here. This is my dream. I’ve wanted this my whole life, wanted to be on the ocean, to be in command of my own ship. I’ve earned this. And if you can’t be happy for me…” She made her way to move past her friend.
“Celeste,” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her close as she tried to bump by him. She looked into his face and stared daggers at him. “That’s not it at all.”
With her brow furrowed, she said, “Then what is it?”
He kissed her full on the lips.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach momentarily as she was caught off guard. The initial shock wore off quickly and she eased him back with her hand while still remaining in his arms. “Boga, I…”
Shock and hurt flittered across his face as he tried to hold her close. “Celeste…I mean…you, um, I, uh, well, I thought…”
She put a hand on his face. “Boga, you’re like a brother to me. You’re my best friend, but –”
Bogata dropped his hands and turned away. “You’re one of the only people that have ever been nice to me, Celeste. I’ve loved you for so long. I’ve been trying to tell you, but…I thought you felt the same. I was wrong.”
“Boga,” she said, putting her hand on his back. “I’m sorry, but that’s just not how I feel.”
“It’s fine.”
“Boga, I know you better than that. You’re clearly not fine. But this doesn’t have to change anything. We can be like we always have been.”
“Yeah, OK.”
“Boga, come on –” she said, grabbing his arm.
He jerked it away and took a couple of steps without looking at her. “Congratulations on becoming a captain, Celeste. I’m proud of you and it couldn’t have happened to a better girl. Stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll see you when you get back.” With that, he strode right out the door.
Celeste called after him but he didn’t answer. She ran to the door, but he had already disappeared. Damnit. I wasn’t expecting that. I didn’t want to hurt him, but…
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Being a captain required a level head. Her love life would have to wait for her return – no matter how much it suddenly occupied her thoughts. She had to go captain her ship. Her ship. Damn it felt good to say that. But she knew that something had changed between her and her friend, and it would linger in the back of her mind the entire trip.
Making her way down the endless rows of docked ships, admiring the amount of resources it took to get this much wood, metal, rope, and canvas – the main components of each of the mighty ships surrounding her – first built and then maintained, she expertly navigated to the right spot. In no time, she was at Dock Seven. And there, sitting in slot A, she got the first look at her ship. The Ajax.
A wide grin split her face. Magnificent!
She was a fine vessel – three masts with a multitude of sails, even more than a normal clipper, and ropes shooting off in a hundred directions. Sharp lines accentuated her sleek look, blue and white paint covering the wood and metal hull. She would be fast. Below the main deck were two rows of gun portals, where they could fire their cannons and the Tempus could use their water powers to launch devastating attacks. Her grin widened.
There was a lot of noise coming from the main deck, so Celeste eased up the gangplank unnoticed. As she crested the deck and stepped on board, dropping her bag, she found the entire blue-skinned crew, half wearing blue shirts and the other red, fully engaged in a rowdy game of deck hockey. Using the traditional frozen disk of water for a puck, the teams were battling for possession, knocking each other down, passing the puck, and attempting to make their way toward the opposing goalkeeper. All fourteen players really gave it their all, going at each other, playing hard and using questionable tactics to try to score a goal.
She liked them already.
The members of the crew who weren’t playing were cheering for both teams, ale and wine flowing as they watched their fellow crewmates battle it out. Three goals were scored in five minutes, then a stalemate continued for the next five, as she stood right next to the gangplank, just on the rail, taking the opportunity to observe her crew before they knew she was there. There was one muscular sailor who seemed to revel in knocking his opponents down as hard as he could. She eyed each individually, but as a whole, they looked experienced, strong, and smart. It seemed she couldn’t have been assigned a better ship.
After another goal, the man next to her finally took notice of the new person standing there. Wearing short pants, a white loose-fitting long sleeve shirt, and a bandana on his head, he let out a laugh as someone was knocked to the deck. He also had a decent beard and long hair tied down his back, both greyish white.
“Oh ho, come to watch the match, have you? I’m the first mate on this ship, and I know all me crew – which means you’re not one of them. Care to place a wager? Blue is ahead now, but the smart money is on red, if you’re in a betting –”
He froze, midway through bringing his beer to his lips, his eyes widening as he saw the Captain’s Anchor pinned to her chest. The man snapped to attention, beer sloshing everywhere as he hollered, “All hands, Captain aboard the ship! Atteeeeeeeeen hut!”
As his voice carried over the noise of the game, everyone dropped what they were doing and scrambled to form into lines.
The first mate saluted her and the rest of the crew followed. “Begging your pardon, Captain. Name’s Mate, and like I said, I’m the first mate on this ship. I didn’t know you would be joining us today, otherwise we’d have laid out a bigger welcome.”
“That’s no problem, Mate,” she said with a wave of her hand. “At ease, sailors.”
As one, they moved to parade rest as she walked up and down the front lines, looking at them in detail for the first time as a single unit. At least they were well disciplined.
Her hands were sweaty, clasped behind her back, but Celeste kept her spine straight and her chin high as she addressed her crew. She couldn’t let them see her nerves, not the first time she spoke to them. “Mate, crew statistics, if you please.”
In the Tempus Navy, first mates were required to know every detail of the ship down to the inch and the number of nails holding it together. Captains were too, but being new, she was excused not knowing yet, so she listened intently as Mate spoke. “One hundred fifty able-bodied sailors – half men, half women – with experience ranging from five to twenty years. One cook, one medic, one engineer, and one navigation and communications officer. All Tempus. Most are level five to seven water Senturians, with two level eights, and me at level nine, ma’am.”
As she walked, she eyed each sailor, attempting to measure them just as they were measuring her.
Experienced. All far more than her. But with that experience came knowledge, and she could use all the help she could get. Celeste strode back to the middle of the crew, stopped, and turned to face them. It was a tradition for a newly assigned captain to give a short speech before officially taking over.
Celeste took a deep breath. “Thank you, Mate. My name is Captain Celeste Dumas. I have just graduated top of my class at the Bastion, receiving the highest marks of any student prior.”
A few of the crew glanced between each other but said nothing.
“Let’s get this cat out of the bag right now, shall we? It’s not traditional for someone my age to be assigned their own ship, especially a clipper of the Ajax’s stature, but that’s what happened. Admiral DeKalb assigned me to the Ajax, with our first mission to investigate a distress signal from a ship called the Spirit off the coast of Newark. He left me orders that the Ajax is to leave within the hour. I apologize in advance for everyone missing the celebration, but those are the orders I was given. Does anyone have any objections?” No one said a word. “Does anyone need to return to shore for any reason?”
She received no answer, so she nodded, pointing to a female sailor wearing a blue uniform, bull ring in her nose and her hair different shades of blue, pink, and orange. “Blue team, what’s the score?”
“We’re ahead seven to six, ma’am,” she said.
“Time left?”
“Three minutes, Captain.”
“Mate?” Celeste yelled, looking slightly over her shoulder.
“Ma’am?”
“I’ll put three silver on blue. Finish the game, then get the ship ready.” Celeste checked her watch. “We leave in twenty minutes. Game on!”
With a chorus of yells, the teams reformed and the game started again. Celeste grabbed a male crewmember’s arm. “Let me know the outcome. I want to know if my bet paid off.”
“Yes, ma’am!” he said, saluting and returning his attention fully to the game.
Celeste walked toward the stern of the ship, and was instantly joined by Mate, her bag slung over one shoulder. It was a little too easy that the first mate was actually named “Mate,” and that brought a smile to her face. Mate strolled beside her, one hand on a falchion and the other on her bag to keep it from swinging. “Would you like a tour of the ship, Captain? Or should I show you to your room?”
“To my room, Mate, if you please. I’ll get my stuff situated and be out to help oversee the supply loading.”
Mate nodded, then stepped in front of her to lead her around the now-in-progress game to the back of the ship, through the lone door on the main deck below the elevated wheel deck.
Mate opened the door for her – whether out of respect for her rank or for her being a woman, Celeste didn’t know, but she liked it either way. The first room she entered was the navigations and communications room, with several bookcases, maps, and different pieces of equipment surrounding two tables. There were a couple of pictures of a girl with a nose ring, not unlike the sailor she’d just talked to. A loud noise came from the deck, with something that sounded like a chant for blue. Celeste smiled. Seems like she might have made the right bet.
She continued walking as Mate opened a second door, this one to her actual cabin. Celeste inhaled sharply. Her cabin. On her ship. A moment to remember. The sea air mixed with a hint of wood oil, tobacco, and something she couldn’t place, creating an interesting aroma.
A queen bed lay to the right, complete with a dresser nailed to the wall, and a table and chairs to the left. A cabinet was on the right wall, stocked with dishes, wine, and a few comforts captains were allowed to have on board – namely a few bottles of whiskey. She was glad to see she had her own bathroom. Straight ahead was the back wall, which was the stern of the ship, with storm proof windows, giving her a clear view outside, several standing open letting in the cool air. Walking over to the windows, she looked out over all the ships docked at Watuaga, and saw the open ocean. Celeste grinned – this would do just fine.
“Here’s your bag, ma’am. I’ll give you the proper tour once you’re unpacked. I would assume you want to know all the ins and outs of your ship,” he said, placing her bag on the floor gently while holding the door. Then he stood at attention.
“Thank you, Mate, and you’re quite right.” He remained standing there at attention, clearly waiting for something. “You have questions?”
“Of course, ma’am. What kind of first mate would I be if I didn’t know more than the crew? What’s the length of our voyage? What issues are you expecting to encounter? If I know in advance, I’ll make sure the correct supplies are loaded.” He was still stiff as a board, looking directly ahead and unmoving.
“Mate, relax,” Celeste said, walking up to him. “We’re in a private setting. I hope to have a good relationship with you. I’ll need your advice and counsel, particularly with regards to the crew. Feel free to share anything with me and to be yourself. Unless I ask, assume our relationship to be casual. Agreed?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, visibly relaxing, yet keeping the same stance. He looked her in the eyes and nodded.
“Good. I expect to be gone for one month. But, just in case, let’s be prepared for two. Yeah, I know, that’s a huge difference, but I was given such little information, I want to err on the side of caution – it may take a while to locate the Spirit. We should be able to resupply if needed, but I don’t want to risk it. I’d rather be able to stay at sea for as long as possible.”
“What about armament?”
“Relatively heavy. We don’t know what we’ll find out there – there aren’t enough details known at this point, and anything could cause a lot of trouble. We need to be prepared. Plus I don’t want my first mission to fail simply because we weren’t well supplied.” She looked out the windows, then turned back again. “Will we be ready? You know what the Ajax and her crew are capable of.”
“Yes, ma’am, she’ll be ready.”
“And what do you think of me being so young?”
He looked her directly in the eyes. “Don’t really see any issue there, ma’am. We’ll make it work no matter what’s thrown at us.”
Celeste put her hands behind her back and looked back out the window. “Very good. I’ll be out in five minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take my leave,” he said, as a buzzer sounded from the deck. He grinned. “And I’ll see who owes who money.” He shut the door and she laughed, turning back to unpack.
“About time,” a deep voice said from the shadows beside the cabinet.
She spun toward the voice, cutlass in her hand, enveloping the blade in blue energy and pulling water into her left hand from an open window. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” she said, as a shadow detached from the wall and stood in front of her. Humanoid in shape and male by the voice, his appearanc
e was obscured by an odd darkness that surrounded him, blurring his edges. She could only see his outline, including a wide brimmed hat, but that was all.
“Captain Dumas,” he said, moving closer to the windows. And closer to her, his voice clearly disguised. “You must not take this assignment. Turn back. Leave it alone. There are things you don’t understand at work here.”
“I’m sorry, trespasser; I have my orders. I’ve been given this assignment,” she said, readying herself for an attack. “And, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn what you think. You’ll be lucky to get off this ship alive.”
“So be it,” he said, flicking his wrist. Light shone on steel and suddenly a knife was airborne. Celeste flung the water in her left hand, deflecting the knife away from her head. With a thud, it embedded itself in the door frame instead of her head.
She’d only looked away for half a second, but when she turned back, the stranger had gone, a previously closed window now open. She shivered, but it had little to do with the cool breeze now wafting about her cabin.
Chapter 5
Heart racing, Celeste looked everywhere for any sign of another threat, on alert and keeping her power primed and ready for immediate use as she searched. Finally clearing the room, she let her power drop, sheathed her sword, and went to examine the knife still stuck in the doorjamb. Odd – something looked familiar, but she couldn’t place what. Pulling hard to free the blade, she thought about what to do with it. Deciding to keep it, she rummaged around in the cabinets until she found an old sheath that looked like a belt, perfect for concealing such a blade, and strapped it on. The knife fit perfectly, and its cold presence and the notch on the door would be a reminder for her to stay sharp. There seemed to be more to this mission than met the eye already.
Finally calm again, she quickly unpacked her bag and was back out on deck within the five minutes she’d originally promised, finding Mate directing sailors to various tasks needed to get the ship ready to sail. Food, weapons, spare materials, and medical supplies were carted to their proper places. Too many souls scrambled around the Ajax, much more than the hundred and fifty of the crew, meaning there were a lot of dock hands scrambling around like ants at a picnic – no doubt compliments of the admiral, eager to get Celeste on her way.
