Chapter 12: Accolade

It had been a couple of days since the Skirmish in the Picaro Asteroid Belt. Rumors had spread around the planet of Aphadus and all of the UWA worlds. While the attack was primarily mute due to the influx of on and off attacks from the Aksren and Shal’rein clans, there was something vastly different with this skirmish. Not only did a military transport survive the battle, but it was commanded by a prior defector of the Shal’rein clan. The media had been broadcasting this story over and over again the day prior. At first, people questioned the authenticity of such a claim, but the UHN did have veritable proof. It was shocking and something that almost brought the full attention of the population. Like anything, only time would start to devalue the story as new ones would come to replace it.

The Jian Seng had to be abandoned and towed to a base. The damage it had suffered was significant. Javier could only remember the rescuing personnel in spacesuits that had to transgress through most of the interior to get to each set of closed-off personnel. There was just enough power to slow the ship to a complete stop as the UHN Protectora would mount a rescue. Two-thirds of the vessel was vented into the vacuum of space, but it could have easily been far worse. In the end, of the 40 crew members of the Jian Seng, only 25 survived. Most died from the ensuing battle at first, but a few others would die from their wounds later on. The remaining UHN personnel was brought back to Aphadus for further treatment.

Javier had a quiet walk with Shira down the passageway to the Fleet Admiral’s stateroom. Unlike the last several days, she was not in any trouble. The request from Anaya only seemed to have a glint of good news, but regardless, many things were on Javier’s mind. He was not shaken up by the events of the last couple of days, but his thoughts did go out to the crew. What would happen to them was something that he did his best to not think about. He had only seen a couple of the crew but had little luck otherwise. Debriefings had become the highlight of arrival. Some he remembered gave a surprising look at Shira upon learning of her actions, which she, in turn, seemed unimpressed.

Regardless, Javier was genuinely curious as to what Anaya wanted. Shira’s jumpsuit uniform was neatly pressed with her fin-like tail that delicately twitched and cut the air where she moved. The shark-like woman walked with her hands neatly clasped to her back. By the time they reached the sliding doors of Anaya’s stateroom, he had to ask Shira the few questions that perforated his mind before speaking with the Fleet Admiral.

“That was close, wasn’t it?” he asked her.

“In what way do you mean that? A victory is a victory,” she calmly told him.

“I really wonder why the Fleet Admiral wants to see us. We already went through all of this. Now here we are again.”

“I am quite sure as to what it is that she wants to discuss.”

“And that would be?” he asked.

“She will tell us. It would become redundant information if I told you now.”

“Hmmm...” he wondered as he had a smirk on his face. “I can tell that you are anticipating this.”

“I do my best to never show my emotions. What makes you say that?”

“Your tail tends to wag a little bit, but I only see it a couple of times. I don’t know. I might be wrong.”

“It is good that you are trying to read me. Observation is a key to survival that few humans and Itreans tend to have. However, I would tell you that you need to observe my inflections further to properly read me. I could also just have a twitch in my tail as you claim with it having no conjunction whatsoever with how I am feeling.”

It was not a quantifiable answer for Javier. She neither confirmed nor denied that claim. He waited by the door before he tapped the panel to gather the Fleet Admiral’s attention. He could see enough of Anaya already from outside the door. A little beep sound erupted. It didn’t take long for the door to slide open. Javier felt his hand briefly touch his officer’s attire before they both stepped in together.

The interior of the Fleet Admiral’s stateroom was the same as it was several days ago. The Fleet Admiral herself was still appropriately dressed as before. There was a sense of happiness on her face which made Javier immediately relax upon seeing. Regardless, the military profession still had to rule out.

“Lieutenant Javier, reporting as ordered,” he addressed her with a salute. Shira did the same thing. For both, it was almost called to a halt as Anaya did a quick half salute.

“At ease, at ease,” Anaya said as she gestured for both of them to come and have a seat closest to her desk. “I wanted to have a talk with the both of you since it is very important.”

Javier could feel nothing but curiosity about what was going to happen. The thought of the unknown was the only thing putting his mind at unease, but he still wanted to know what was going to happen. Both Shira and Javier went and had a seat in their respected seats. Unlike last time, this felt like a calm and quiet gathering. Military protocol had little meaning, just as it was the last several days with these personal meetings. Javier knew how much Shira represented to the Fleet Admiral now. In fact, after the last several days, he was reminded of it constantly.

“I wanted to have a talk with the both of you in regards to the incident that occurred on the Jian Seng,” Anaya addressed them as she rested her elbows on her desk. She clasped her hands together. “You may speak freely, of course.”

“We had already given our debrief two days ago,” Javier told her. “But ... I don’t mind providing more detail of it.”

Shira remained quiet but was ready to provide her input as usual.

“I have almost everything I need, and both of you have been more than cooperative when it comes to the Jian Seng. The tragic loss of Lifen and the other crew members won’t be forgotten as we press forward.”

“It was Ma’am,” he replied. “We are going to the memorial service today.”

“As will I ... as will I.” The Fleet Admiral paused a little bit before she resumed her topic. “Javier, your actions in taking command of the ship and getting it out of the first period of the battle, and helping out with the evacuation are to be commended. This, of course, brings in the next thing that needs to be discussed, and that is you, Shira.”

Javier’s head turned to Shira as the Fleet Admiral was looking at her.

“What is it that has your desire to have me here?” she calmly asked her. She folded up her arms.

“It’s obvious that looking at the news, you’ve made a name for yourself,” Anaya explained. “In less than a couple days, the Jian Seng is attacked, and by careful political maneuvering, you’ve taken command and saved the ship and crew from destruction. I have to admit that despite the tragedy, you did a good job.”

“You mentioned this last time when the debrief occurred. I am well aware of your praise towards me. The ship and crew were in danger, and I was tasked to eliminate the threat to the best of my abilities. As a prior Lesser Adjunct, I would have done nothing else differently than before if pressed with the same crew, resources, and equipment.”

“Said as a true advisor,” Anaya said as she leaned back and looked at the both of them. “I still wonder at times on what these other admirals claims on your hearing months ago that you were a traitor that was going to bring death and destruction onto all of us. Now I see this.”

“I don’t recall that any of the admirals saying that,” Shira countered. “There was animosity towards me, however.”

“That’s what I mean. But, I called you for something other than just past actions. As a Greater Adjunct of the Shal’rein clan, what do they do exactly?”

“Their goal is to oversee the operational tasks of the fleets in general in an assault. As the highest rank that they are, they typically take command of a siege dreadnought and have fleets of warships that provide escort to it when they charge into battle.”

“And when compared to a UHN Fleet Admiral?”

“The Greater Adjuncts have a plethora of responsibilities. While it is naturally shared with the other Adjuncts, for the Shal’rein, the strongest are usually the leaders. This includes both physical and mental aspects.”

“Yeah, but what about you?” Javier asked, jumping in. “You are not exactly the strongest of the bunch ... ehmm, no offense.”

“None taken,” Shira continued. “Physical aspects does not always refer to just physical strength. For example, the Shal’rein place a high role in the aspect of the gun. The top sharpshooters are often the most likely to be put in a lead role. This even includes why there was a Lesser Adjunct in the role of the scout battleship we fought just recently. She was very likely operating the railgun turret and a professional marksman if pressed into ground combat. Strength would just be a part of those preferences. Intelligence is also a leading factor just as much as everything else.”

“I see,” Anaya said.

“To answer the main question that you had, the Shal’rein Greater Adjuncts can be placed in a defensive role or offensive role depending on the theater, location, and environment. Most usually request to have command of a fleet to avoid being placed in a defensive ground or underwater base. It appears ... as you would say... ‘less glorious’ than being placed in an area that has more action. Politics does exist just as much as everywhere else. Greater Adjuncts have the ability to gain proper political support as anyone else. With enough motivated backers, these few members can actually challenge members of the monarchy in the grand tournament to try to become the next overlord of the entire Shal’rein clan.”

“You were part of a fleet, though?” Javier asked her. “Even as Lesser Adjunct, you were able to command fleets of ships rather than just one.”

“You remembered incorrectly. I had an Adjunct commanding the entire fleet that I was in. She was listening to my advice and plan until I deemed her insufficient of all future tasks.”

“Ah ... yeah, that’s right.”

“Here among you humans, the Fleet Admirals take much comfort at having luxury. They become complacent and avoid putting themselves on a ship. While I am sure that not all would do this, my observations have led me to see otherwise. At home, they do the same tasks repeatedly and avoid mundane tasks. There is little gained and little lost as most Fleet Admirals avoid running for chairman or chairwoman. Their rather large retirement packages are often reflected of this.”

“See?” Anaya told Javier. “This is why I have her as an advisor. She doesn’t hesitate to say what needs to be said. Even I admit that if she weren’t around, I would be doing the same things as Fleet Admiral Gray did. Right now, my paychecks are so high I can buy a yacht or go vacationing on every golf course on Aphadus and Mars. Now I’m donating it to help make a battleship or cruiser, something that most of the higher leadership needs to consider as well.”

“It would help the UHN in repelling future attacks,” Shira added.

“As a Fleet Admiral, I have to be aware of the things that are around me. I won’t lie to admit that I have been doing my best to keep you operating in a concealed status on Aphadus. I was doing that to protect you until recent circumstances proved otherwise. When I put both of you on a ship, I wouldn’t anticipate that Shira would take command of that ship and play a crucial role in saving it. I don’t think anyone could anticipate that, honestly. Nonetheless, here you are now,” Anaya said, gesturing to Shira. “Now everyone knows who you are in a much brighter fashion than ever before. I’m sure that some view you as an unknown hero or a mysterious savior.”

Javier shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that others will probably think the media is pulling some gag or hoax just for the ratings.”

“No doubt. What matters is what the UHN thinks, and their opinions are what affect every military personnel out there. They took great notice of what Shira did a couple of days ago. Anybody that doesn’t know her does now. Thankfully...” she paused as she pulled out a tablet and slapped it on the desk. “I might have a new solution to that.”

“What is it, Ma’am?” Javier asked her.

“Call it a modification of the original plan. Knowing Shira, she would probably consider it an act of wisdom or something. I will be assigning the both of you to a new ship ... a brand new one. There will be some significant differences, however.”

“Really? Like what?”

“The biggest differences are that the ship is so brand new that it still needs two months until its completion. There is no crew assigned to it yet. I was thinking of the perfect person who will oversee its construction. You, Javier, will oversee that.”

“What?” Javier replied as his eyes went wide. “I don’t know if I have much experience in that.”

“Not if you are going to help command it.”

His eyes expressed some surprise upon hearing that. He had nothing to say at first.

“I would agree with that idea,” Shira added. “Most Itrean commanders best operate with their assigned ships and crew under this fashion. Many of the crew often consider their ships as homes and an extension of themselves more than UHN personnel do. It allows them to more easily sacrifice themselves in battle rather than abandon their ships in the heat of battle.”

“So...” Javier almost seemed to feel a hint of excitement. “You are essentially giving me command of a ship?”

“Hmmm, not exactly,” Anaya said. “Let’s be honest and say that while you did a good job, you were having to catch up when it comes to your rank. I can’t just promote you to a higher rank again right now and be done with that. I can still see you as an XO, though. That is, of course, depends on the Captain of that ship.”

Javier watched as Anaya turned her gaze towards Shira. The face and eyes said it all as Shira’s brow lifted a little bit in response. It caused Javier’s eyes to go wide in surprise.

“Wait ... you are giving both of us the command of a ship,” Javier reacted.

“It wasn’t fair for Shira to have her rank removed from her when she defected,” Anaya explained. “Sure, she was a different rank in equivalence with the Shal’rein clan and the UHN, but the idea is still the same. Lesser Adjunct might as well been the Commanders and Captains of the UHN for what it sounds like.”

“True,” Javier said. “But ... how would you ... are you telling me that you are going to make Shira an officer?”

“I ... sort of have that ability. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to self-promote someone to become an officer by my abilities alone. I still have to adhere to UHN rules and laws after all.”

“Of course ... two months,” Javier realized. “That would be the time needed for someone to go through the Officer’s Training Program of the UHN.”

“Exactly,” Anaya replied with a nod. She gave a big smile the moment that the news fully sank in. Shira, on the other hand, only gave a very brief smile before it quickly faded away.

“So that means that Shira will be trained to become a UHN officer ... it means that she will be sent to Mars for a couple of months. How was that possible? I gave a letter of recommendation to have her made a part of it. I know that you offered your support as well, Fleet Admiral. She still needed another officer to have a part of it. Did the news travel quickly enough to have someone try to endorse her?”

“I didn’t have to reach out to someone else,” Shira answered. “No effort was made on my part in the last couple of days since we returned to Aphadus.”

“Nor was I,” Anaya continued. “But she already had the final letter of recommendation. It was completed by Officer Lifen to be sent to us. The letter was found in the computer banks before the Jian Seng was towed back to base. It was among the last actions that she made before the incident at the asteroid belt.”

Javier’s jaw was agape upon hearing the news. He didn’t even realize that Shira had reached over and manually closed his mouth without as much as offering a glance at him. He couldn’t believe it before her touch snapped him out of it.

“Lifen offered a Letter of Recommendation for her...” he said. He looked over to Shira. “You have been busy.”

“I commend her actions greatly,” Shira remarked. “Her support will not be forgotten.”

“Wow...” Javier said as he shook his head for a moment. He turned his head to look at Shira. “So with you becoming an officer, I am curious as to what you think on such an offer as this?”

“It is a maneuver to put me in the role that I was removed from,” Shira said to both of them. “The idea of going through the Officer’s Training Program does seem a bit redundant, however. I am quite sure that much of it will tell me things that I already know.”

“For my arguments sake, I do believe that you still need to go to Officer’s Training, no matter what,” Anaya said, looking at Shira. “Even if you have enormous amounts of command experience in commanding fleets of warships in battle, it would be wise to gather whatever information that you can. I am quite sure that there are enough differences between the Shal’rein clan and the UHN in how they operate in command structures and apply in ship’s operations.”

“I can help her a little bit in that department,” Javier said. “I don’t believe she will have any difficulty in adapting and adjusting to the environment that she is going to encounter. It does bring into question about her as an alien, no offense. Will she be the first Shal’rein that is going to go through this?”

“I don’t know enough, unfortunately,” Anaya replied. “I heard that the UHN is experimenting and expanding with the UHN programs since the alliance with the T’rintar clan. I think there is a Yutilian that has expressed interest in going through and becoming an officer in the UHN, but it is just a wild rumor. Maybe Shira will encounter her ... I don’t know.”

“Thanks to the efforts of Ambassador Ifra and Ambassador Kane, new alien training programs are being made for the UWA and the UHN,” Shira answered. “The T’rintar clan have also been constructing assistance programs and additional facilities to help house and train humans to work and operate on their ships. No doubt it is to encourage more ... cohabitation between the races and possibly more.”

Javier noticed that Shira was gently implying something else in her last sentence. With a generally higher proportion of humans being male, the T’rintar clan was certainly trying to encourage mateship to a race that consisted of only females by whatever means necessary. It only made sense that war and the military would further help in that field as well.

“I am well prepared for whatever trials are ahead,” Shira replied.

“No doubt, especially after what had happened,” Anaya continued. “Shira is going to be made into the rank of Captain, where she will be made into the CO of the ship that Javier is overseeing in construction. Technically, for Lieutenant Javier, I am not assigning him to that ship once it’s completed, but as the future Captain and CO of that ship, Shira has the ability to select the personnel that she wants to have as a part of her crew.”

So much was sinking into Javier’s mind of what was going on. To oversee a ship being built and possibly be made into the second in command of that ship, later on, was mind-blowing. The responsibilities were enormous, but at the same time, much of this was for the benefit of Shira. It was a very beneficial compromise for her. Anaya was looking out for her in the best possible way while at the same time, she also considered Javier’s feelings of being pressed into a ship that he might not enjoy being on. He couldn’t ignore this opportunity. As much as he wished living on Aphadus, Shira was a mighty comet that dragged everything with her in her wake. She filled in the blanks with his life and felt most at ease around her. He lifted up his hands, shrugged, and gave a smile.

“I can’t ignore this offer,” Javier said. “I accept the assignment. Knowing Shira, I will serve as the XO under her command once the ship is built.”

Shira gave a faint smile before it quickly dissipated.

“May I see the specifications of the ship that I will be assigned on?” Shira asked as she extended her arm to the desk.

“Sure,” the Fleet Admiral said.

She tapped a few buttons on the tablet as a new holographic display projected. It showed the technical specifications of a vessel that Javier had never seen before. Unlike the Fu Yi class Military Transports or the Phalanx Class Assault Carriers, this one was more of an enlarged armored box transport with wings. It was a military transport first and foremost and didn’t have the ability to carry planetary aircraft, at least from what he could see. It had twice as much internal space than the Jian Seng, more crew, better equipment, and far better firepower to defend itself. Appearance-wise, it wasn’t as pretty to look at but transports never always shared the winner of the beauty pageants category either. Like the other classes, this came with a centripetal ring and engine module as well, being a composite ship in all.

“The Qing Class Military Transport ... interesting,” Javier noted. “Ugly as hell.”

“I disagree,” Shira said as she pointed at the specifications. “Space does not care about looks. This is a far better improvement in design than the Jian Seng. The front section is not perfectly designed for planetary flight, but in space, it will prove adequate.”

“Hmmm ... I guess we will find out.”

“In that case,” Anaya said. “Javier, you will be shipped to the Deimos Shipyards in three days, where you will be assigned to dock facility 12. Shira, you will be sent to the Martian Officer’s Academy in two days. Do you have any questions before I dismiss the both of you?”

“Yes,” Shira asked. “Do you happen to know where my ship, crew, and I will be tasked?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know enough yet to give a good answer. I did get a message from Admiral Thiago that has expressed interest in you, especially after the stunt you performed at Picaro.”

“Admiral Thiago...” Javier noted. “He is in charge of Palora’s Defense Fleet. I’m not surprised either.”

“It is still a little too early, however, as I still needed to get the final approval from Shira if she wanted to be made an officer or not. Since I obviously see no objections from her, I can go ahead and contact him and let him know. Of course, I do know another new Admiral on Mars that is currently climbing the ranks pretty fast. He sent a message to me this morning in regards to learning more about Shira. It’s up to her and who wants who.”

Shira seemed momentarily curious as to what this other individual on Mars was that apparently expressed interest in her. Javier knew that this couldn’t have been Admiral Simmons that hated her or pretty much anybody. Her eye looked away as she put her fingers to her chin before she rested and came up with her decision.

“Being assigned to the Paloran Fleet is the more preferred choice for now,” she said

“Ugh...” Javier grunted as he kept his complaint to himself. Shira’s fin-like ear was tuned to him.

“Then I will contact Admiral Thiago and let him know the news,” Anaya replied. “What other questions do you have?”

“I was wondering if I am permitted to carry a firearm on my ship?” Shira asked.

Javier felt it was an odd question but one that still made sense to ask, especially for the fact that her guns were confiscated from her. Even Anaya didn’t even seem bothered.

“It’s your ship,” Anaya answered. “Your command. Your rules. As long as it obviously doesn’t purposely endanger the lives of others.”

Shira briefly smiled at her. “In that case, I would like to have both of my guns returned to me.”

“I had a feeling you would want them back. It’s only fair, right? Done.”

Javier nodded. “Then that leaves to another question that I have,” he asked. “What is the name of this ship?”

“There is no name for the ship as of yet,” Anaya explained. “This is the first of its class that is under construction since the war started. However, sometimes the Captain of the ship can have the choice of naming a vessel as long as it confides with military regulations.”

“If that is the case, then I have a name that would be suitable for my new ship,” Shira said.

“And what is that?”

“The Lifen.”

“The UHN Lifen...” Anaya nodded. Even Javier felt like that was a proper name and one that should bear the memory of Captain Lifen. It was an honorable title. He turned his head and looked at Shira with nodding approval.

“Fitting choice,” Javier said.

“The Lifen it is then. I will pass that along to Fleet Admiral Annika.”

There was a brief pause in the room as the Fleet Admiral thought of something. Her head turned down a little bit, looking away from the two as she tapped her two thumbs together. Javier was wondering what was going on in her mind, but it would be quickly answered.

“You know...” Anaya continued as she looked down. “I never had a chance to meet Gabatrix. It was one of the tragic events for me that he existed during my lifetime, but I was just a nobody. Finally, I would get a chance to personally talk to him, but it would be too late. He passed away a few days later before I would ever meet him.” She bit her lip. “I would imagine that to him, to finally encounter an alien that would later serve in the United Human Navy would be incredible. He would be happy to see you a part of the system, Shira.” She looked at her and smiled.

“It was a shame for me as well,” Javier said. “He died not long after I was born. Gabatrix did leave a number of recommendations in case we ever discovered an alien race.”

“Sadly, few seemed to think that there were aliens out there at the time, including even him.” The Fleet Admiral looked at Shira and gave the nod to her before extending her hand to her. “I wanted to congratulate you on your achievement.”

“I accept your solicitations and orders with honor,” Shira replied as she looked at her hand and shook it. Javier could feel that this was a new beginning for her. Even Shira had an extended, but composed smile as her hand engulfed Anaya’s.

It had been later that day when Javier and Shira walked into their temporary quarters on Aphadus. It was very much like the previous apartment dome housing set up before they left. For Javier, it just felt like returning back from an odd dream or nightmare, depending on how one would view it.

The doors closed behind them as they both reached the bedroom. Shira had one hand behind her back while she was neatly smoking a cigarette. Javier was carefully reading the tablet that she gave to him.

“I’m reviewing the list of personnel and modifications that you wanted to have for the UHN Lifen,” Javier told her as they came to a stop. Shira stood and turned to look down at him. Her shark-like eye was attuned to him.

“You have questions, yes?” Shira calmly asked him.

“I will be your XO. There is no doubt about it,” Javier happily told her. “I did go ahead and ask some of these personnel in advance before you proposed this to me. You would be surprised that some of the crew of the Jian Seng had already asked to come with you.”

Shira’s brow lifted only slightly upon hearing it. She neatly took a drag from her cigarette, seemingly enjoying the flavor it gave to her, before blowing it out of her nostrils.

“Yeah...,” he continued. “I went and checked up with Marcelle. When I spoke with her, she was recovering after being shaken up by the whole fight and battle. She seems to be doing much better, though. She even expressed interest in wanting to serve as a pilot and navigator under your command. Although, I think she had a complaint about your smoking after the Jian Seng was disabled.”

“Her lungs will recover,” Shira told him. “Human medical technology can easily repair the damage inflicted to them from secondhand smoke or most forms of smoke inhalation. She will learn about the fourth rule of the universe.”

“Of course she will...,” he replied, almost rolling his eyes. “She said something else too. She was mentioning about the fact that you promised to train her in properly cooking cevan.”

“That is a promise I intend to keep,” she said as she took a drag from her cigarette. “However, she needs to attend further flight training.”

“I see that on the report. She didn’t do a bad job at all in that escape through the asteroids.”

“True, but there is always room for improvement. During the next two months, she will have that opportunity to become acquainted with the new ship’s control systems.”

“That is going to be the same with a lot of the crew that you requested. I noticed that you offered everyone from the Jian Seng a chance to be a part of your crew. I also see that you requested a couple individuals from the Garja, including Folar’sha. I wouldn’t mind trying to contact her to see if she would come to the Lifen.”

“Folar’sha is currently stationed on Mars as a medical examiner,” Shira stated. “I am quite sure that she would be interested in coming. However, I have not had a chance to inquire about her personal life. I want her back since she is a viable doctor. Assuming that she is mated with another, offer her mate a chance to serve on our ship as well.”