Chapter 2: Newcomers

An officer came walking down the ringed passageway of the Lifen. By now, twelve hours had passed. The lightly bearded and somewhat pale complexion of an individual seemed rather preoccupied. He was dressed in the familiar red and blue jumpsuit that everyone wore, with only the rank insignia being different. His black boots would occasionally slap the side of the deck with a light thump. In his hand was a tablet that listed all the day’s events. His focus would sometimes look at the screen while he kept walking forward. The name Javier was on his uniform nametag.

“Sir,” a fellow crewmember addressed him as a sign of hello. Javier gave the nod to the passerby. He barely gave a glance at the female crewmember. His sights were set on his tablet.

“Ugh...,” Javier said to himself as he shut off his tablet and put it into his pocket. “Another day...,” the look of exhaustion seemed to persist. A part of him was looking forward to reaching his room. Even if he was tired, the feeling of being with ‘her’ again was important. It was the one thing that was keeping his morale in high spirits. If anything, his confidence was better than ever before.

As he continued his walk, he could see the familiar sight of another that was walking down the passageway from the other side. It was Stone. The master sergeant was walking in the same attire as before. The look of dominance and absolute authority was all over his face. It was like the man never smiled. Even his stride showed that of a moving statue. His fists balled as he walked. The intensity was enough to ensure that everyone would step aside or face the fact that he would careen through them. By now, he had to offer his respect to the enlisted man even if Javier was the XO of the ship.

“Master Sergeant,” Javier addressed him as he methodically stepped aside and walked past him. Stone said nothing as he kept walking forward. He didn’t even glance at Javier in the slightest. Stone was in his own little world where nothing else mattered.

Javier was already aware of the man’s personality. His head and peripheral could see him approaching the door. It was the same door that led to the room where the new recruits had been delivered. The officer slowed his walk just enough to see Stone tap his finger on the door panel. In less than a second, the door opened up, and he walked inside. The sound of “Attention on deck!” was called out by one of the new recruits.

Seeing that Stone was now inside the recruit room, the officer was now clear to silently approach near the closed door. He wanted to wholeheartedly not disturb the master sergeant in his drilling. Curiosity was on Javier’s mind. He decided to be discreet. He didn’t have to do much on his part. The voice of Stone was so loud that it bled through the closed door. It was clear enough for Javier to overhear it. He now stood by the door as he listened.

“What the hell is this!” Stone yelled. “You call this a made-up bunk!? It looks like shit! My deranged grandmother could do a better job than you! What do I expect!?” WHAT DO I FUCKING EXPECT FROM THE COMEDIAN OF THE DIVISION!? And this!” There was a pause in his talking as if he was walking around the room. “You call this being in uniform!? I’ve seen scarecrows dressed better than you! I bet you even slept in your bunk with your uniform on, didn’t you!? Like the fucking dirtbag you are, Enlai. I should call you recruit crinkle! CHRIS FUCKING CRINKLE! All of you, drop! DROP RIGHT NOW! We’re starting this morning with fifty pushups, and after that, I’m going to show you how to make a goddamn bunk! Right now! Right, the fuck now!”

There was a pause as Javier’s eyes lightly widened. Even with the soundproofing of the door, it was never enough. He could only imagine what was going on in there.

“Louder!” Stone yelled.

“One!” all four of the recruits called out. “Two!”

“One!” Stone corrected them. There was another pause. “ONE! What is it supposed to be!? It’s ‘One, Master Sergeant! Two, Master Sergeant!’ Did they not teach you anything in the first week of boot camp? Or did all of you have a brain aneurism in your shuttle ride to this ship!?”

“One, Master Sergeant!” they all called out in unison. “Two, Master Sergeant! Three, Master Sergeant!”

Javier had heard enough that he pulled away from the door. He had a big sigh of relief. His time through officer’s boot camp was more than enough for him. His curiosity was satiated.

“Phew...,” a female voice said behind Javier’s shoulder. “Sounds like Stone is having fun with our newbies in there.”

The officer wasn’t startled, but he turned to look upon another marine. The Oshunian woman had apparently snuck up to listen in as well. Standing beside her was an Aksren Itrean. The smaller statured anthro oviraptor was benevolent and fellow mate to the human marine woman. Of course, Javier already knew of the pair and the fact that they were inseparable.

“Sergeant Zalika, good morning,” Javier addressed her. “Bekra.”

“Good morning, sir,” Bekra politely nodded her head to him. She looked up at Zalika, who got close to the door and listened further to the commotion going inside the recruit training room. Zalika said nothing as if she was afraid to cause any sound to travel past the closed door.

“Oh ... he’s really giving it to them,” Zalika quietly said. Her Oshunian accent was well placed. “I bet he’s the wake-and-bake sort of drill sergeant. Oh ... man ... fuck I wouldn’t want to be in there.”

“Was your experience like this too?” Javier asked her.

“Pretty much, sir,” she replied to him. “Had a female drill instructor that wouldn’t stop at all. Phew ... damn...” she practically backed up, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Come...,” Bekra said. She took her four-digit hand and wrapped them around Zalika’s arm. The scaly fingers neatly gripped Zalika as she was almost pulled away from the door. The couple walked off as Javier smiled at the two.

Javier decided to move along as well. There was no further need to be there, and he proceeded to leave. He continued in his walk in the passageway for half a minute. Then, a part of his mind began to clear away all the details and nuances that the working day brought forth. Instead, he focused on the one thought again that made him who he was.

He reached the door to his quarters. They were the most unique of the many doors present. The red and blue emblem of the UHN seal was painted on it. It was technically supposed to be an officer’s stateroom, but it was his room. On the nametag of the door, it stated the words “CO Shira and XO Javier’s Stateroom” in both English and Chinese lettering. The very idea of a married coed officer’s room on a military warship was unthinkable, but these were unique circumstances. The Itreans offered a plethora of loopholes and non-established rules on how the UHN conducted their personal business. Nevertheless, a married couple of different species could serve as the leaders of the same ship. He could be with his lover with no threat of the UHN to tell him otherwise. Javier knew that he was a lucky man indeed. However, the road to reach such a position was not an easy feat and far from over.

He tapped the panel buttons a few times and watched the doors slide open. Upon stepping inside, he could already see the lavishness of the CO’s room. Even for a transport ship, it was pretty large. However, much of the interior was too dark to see. He was already used to the captain’s quirk of languishing in areas where the illumination could be poor. Any flooding light from the passageway revealed the edge of the table on the other side of the room before the doors completely closed behind him.

Of course, Javier already knew well enough what the CO was doing. She was sitting on her chair and looking at the display image that was on her table. The projected 3d image glowed blue and revealed a little bit of the surrounding area. The brief outlines of a glowing red burning cigarette could be seen. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air, even distorting the image a few times while the vapor blew through it.

“Ugh ... Just finished up watch,” Javier addressed her.

Shira’s only response was to take another drag of her cigarette. It was still too dark to see her complete appearance. But, what could be seen, was a single yellow working shark eye. On the right side was her purple flowing hair that completely covered the other eye and face. The exposed smooth gray skin and pointed snout were on the left side. Her pointed fin-like ears jutted out from her scalp and sides. Javier knew that her attention was focused on one single thing at the moment.

Before he even asked, Javier looked at what Shira was gazing upon. The projected image was that of a small star that was glowing red. However, this was no ordinary star. A large object was neatly planted over it, almost as that of a Dyson’s Ring. It consisted of a single structure. It was a slab of metal that was bent into two interconnecting rings. These rings had a large series of hatches, constructed buildings, and a massive trench that drove through the entire long track of the superstructure. This metal seemed more than capable of handling the enormous heat of the low-mass star. It almost appeared to be sitting on the star, floating, while the light rays pressed onto its rear sides without a care in the universe. On the northern pole trench was that of an enormous optical lens piece. This massive shell-like structure almost appeared to give the gigantic station an eye of some sort. Altogether, Javier knew of the vast station and its purpose.

“A star fortress...,” Javier remarked.

“Yes,” Shira said in her deep voice. Her tone was calm and collected, without any hint of emotion in it. “What star fortress is it?”

Javier looked at the object again as his mind tried to answer it. Finally, however, he was forced to guess. He only had a one out of four chance of getting it correct.

“Starfortress Trin’sica,” he answered.

“Incorrect,” she replied with utter clarity and lack of an accent. Her hand lifted and pointed at the structure. “Look closely at the construction hatches on the Eastern and Western quadrants on the superstructure ring. These are construction drydock hatches. You will notice that they are far larger than the other hatch doors of the other star fortresses. Try again, Javier.”

She lowered her finger and provided another hint. Her finger began to tap the console a few times. Finally, the room started to offer that of a low hum. It would echo in and out like a heartbeat. Javier was already well aware of what the sound was. It was that of the cosmic radiation that was sputtering from the star. The radiation was then converted into a sound that could be heard by human and Itrean hearing since sound didn’t travel in the vacuum of space. However, the uniqueness of the melody was further amplified by alterations in the superstructure. The enormity of the star fortress would alter the hum and rhythm. It made it almost sound like a low dial ring tone. It would echo in and out, further accompanying the hum. It was quite beautiful and sat in the human senses with a certain elegance. Javier could see that Shira was enjoying the converted music of this particular facility.

“Starfortress Ome’tci,” he tried again. This time, Javier was surer of what Shira was getting at.

“Correct,” Shira explained. “Formerly known as Starfortress Xil, of the Alara’jal clan. When it was being finished in construction, the drydock construction facilities were enlarged to accommodate the larger warships built and used by the Alara’jal. Do not forget this.”

Javier shook his head. “It never ceases to amaze me of the sheer magnitude of these fortresses.”

“Truly, a marvel of Itrean engineering at its finest,” Shira had a slight grin on her face that quickly faded. “Perfect. Indefatigable. Beautiful.” She took another drag of her cigarette. “Jalgren the Great knew what he was doing when he wanted to build such stations of great power. It cemented Itrean capability in securing its position in the galaxy.”

“True, but isn’t Ome’tci now in the hands of the Aksren clan?”

“Yes. One of the greatest battles to ever occur in Itrean history. Of course, there were profound reasons as to why the Alara’jal clan would lose their prized station.”

“The disease ... the disease that played a significant role in wiping them out.”

“Many reasons,” she added and blew a large amount of smoke from her nostrils. “And yes, it’s now in the hands of the Aksren clan. A significant factor in why the Aksren are in such an advantageous position as we speak.”

She seemed to have enough. Shira’s hand flicked a button on the console shutting off the projection. The melody in the room came to an abrupt end. The overhead lights began to illuminate significantly. Even Javier’s eyes had to adjust momentarily. But, within a second, he could more appropriately view the room and Shira.

The captain of the UHN Lifen was the typical Shal’rein of the Itreans but with noticeable differences. She was somewhat short, about seven feet in height. Her red and blue jumpsuit uniform seemed to fit comfortably on her. However, she seemed well adjusted to sitting with her shark-like tail that protruded from her rear. Her seat was custom-built to allow proper spacing to prevent it from bending too hard into her tailbone. Javier could further see the black banding strap that held her eye patch over her right eye. Her long, tied-up purple hair radiated from the glow of the ship’s interior lights. A few other sets of items lay on the table, including the stopwatch Javier had given her as a gift.

The interior room consisted of that of a single large alcove and bed. There was a metal table, mounted chairs, restroom, displays, paintings of various ships, and multiple closets and cabinets. There was also a rather elegant bathtub that was near the bed. However, the tub and bed had a dark visor tinted screen covering them. This would help prevent other personnel from having their attention drawn to it. In addition, the UHN seal was neatly decorated on the bottom carpet. Technically, the room wasn’t much bigger than most rooms, but its layout still helped make it appear larger than necessary.

“Stone seems to be grilling the new recruits,” Javier told her.

“He’s doing his job,” she replied. She took another drag of her cigarette.

“Let’s hope that he doesn’t do too good of a job. Stone is a bit ... much.”

“Quite the contrary, my mate. He is more than perfect for a human of his abilities.”

“I hope so. I’m not in the mood to be the one to pass bad news to the families of those new recruits.”

“I’m sure of it,” she assured him. “A leader can never second guess on their choice of actions. Everything is set. The order committed.”

Shira’s voice was that of pure acknowledgment. She was methodical in how she spoke compared to Javier’s more emotional tone. It was by no means a fault in Javier’s personality. If anything, Javier was professional in how he spoke to her, as any officer would in his position. However, Shira’s calm demeanor was contagious. There was no inkling of anxiety or distress in her talking.

“They will be coming soon,” she said as she doused her cigarette. She grabbed the stopwatch that was on her table and moved it close to her side. “Ready yourself.”

“What?” he asked.

“I have not had a chance to talk to our new arrivals yet.”

“Ah ... you mean our new pilot and his two wives?”

“Correct. They will be here any minute. It’s the final act before we go to sleep.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Not far from the CO and XO’s stateroom, Mizu was walking down the long passageway, admiring that his feet and weight pressed to the deck. The spinning centripetal force of the ship provided gravity.

On both sides of Mizu were the two Itrean women seen in the shuttle ride yesterday. One of them, the one with the pointed beak and long white feathers, had her arm almost neatly wrapped around Mizu’s right arm. Her belly was slightly extended, and she seemed to be taking it easy in how she walked. The other Itrean woman with green scales was slightly ahead of Mizu when she walked. Unlike the other, she seemed more complimentary in her movement and not so tightly woven around her husband. There was a look of happiness on her face.

“This ship is so amazing!” the green Yutilian said with much enthusiasm. Her accent carried the familiar French, Japanese, and Spanish accent to it that many Itreans had.

“It’s just a transport, Li’lo,” Mizu said.

“Yeah, but it’s better than some of our smaller ships,” Li’lo argued. “Our room is so nice. Plenty of room for our kids to grow.”

“Safe for my egg,” the other Itrean woman said.

“It’ll be alright, Jenta,” Mizu took his hand and tapped her scaly hand. It seemed to assure her. Unlike Li’lo, Jenta still didn’t seem fully comfortable with the entire vessel. She was way more cautious with everything.

Finally, the trio reached the door and came to a stop. Mizu seemed partially uneasy with the idea of meeting the captain. It was not precisely that of fear or anxiety but more of past memories. Shira was a virtual unknown, except for a couple of times that he had spoken to her. She didn’t seem cruel, but he knew better, especially regarding how certain officers behaved around him. It didn’t help that he had two pregnant women to watch closely.

“Is everything alright?” Li’lo asked him. She could see that he was preoccupied with his thoughts.

“No, it’s alright,” he replied. “Just ... the idea of being back in service with the UHN again. I never really thought that I would get the chance to come back.” He looked at the passageway admiring how fresh and clean it was. “I guess it beats having to keep those damned water purifier filters on Earth working all the time.”

“You get to be a pilot again! I’m so excited.” Li’lo’s tail wagged a little bit. Then, she turned around and started to walk backward while she spoke to him.

“Yeah ... but, a pilot of what? This ship has no shuttles to fly, and my skills at flying a large transport ship was not what I was expecting when it comes to controlling a ship.”

“You’ll do fine,” She waved her hand at him.

They reached the door to the CO’s stateroom. Li’lo only stopped in her walking when she saw that Mizu and Jenta had stopped. The man looked at the door. He didn’t notice another man that was walking down the passageway.

“Alright...,” Mizu said to himself. “I guess it’s time to meet the shark Captain.”

His hand reached out to the door panel when he heard the individual that was walking in his direction. He turned to see a man dressed in the familiar red and blue jumpsuit uniform. This person had long blond hair that was neatly tied up. He had a paler complexion than Mizu ever had. The nametag of “Dean” was written on his uniform with the rank insignia of Petty Officer 1^st Class. Li’lo and Jenta both turned to look up at him.

“Umm, hello,” Mizu greeted the individual.

“Oh ... hello, man,” Dean replied back. Right from the start, his voice and tone resonated with that of a person who was utterly stoned and laid back. He had a profound smile on his face.

“Petty Officer Dean?”

“Whoa ... like ... how did you know my name?” Dean replied with some surprise.

“Uh ... it says so on your nametag.” Mizu pointed at his uniform.

“Oh ... ha, ha,” Dean looked at his nametag. “So that’s why people know who I am. I kept wondering how they just kept ... knowing who I was.”

“Umm ... right,” Mizu gave a confused look at him.

“My name’s Dean,” he extended his hand to greet him. “Sometimes, people like to call me Doper Dean or Pilot Dean or Petty Officer Dean or ... Petty Officer 1^st Class Dean or just Dean or...”

Doper Dean ... Mizu seemed to pause and think quietly to himself as Dean continued giving him a myriad of other names. Finally, he shook the man’s hand. It was as if the name Dean seemed to remind him of somebody important. Finally, the pilot finished his introduction.

“Mizu,” he addressed himself. “Pilot, coming aboard the UHN Lifen.”

“Far-out, like ... I’m also a pilot too. Great to have you aboard, man.”

Didn’t he already say that he was a pilot? Mizu knew that this man was quirky right at the start. He didn’t appear to be mean, however. The man’s joviality and kind demeanor were all present, and he seemed like a nice guy. Mizu decided to be cordial to Dean to the best of his abilities. It couldn’t be that the man was that stupid or incoherent. Nobody could. Dean looked upon the two Itrean women.

“Whoa, two Itrean women to also come aboard,” Dean waved to them.

“Hello!” Li’lo happily greeted him with a wave. “I’m Li’lo. Nice to meet you, Dean.”

“Dean...,” Jenta greeted him as well. “My name is Jenta. Your name ... you have a mate?”

“Totally do,” Dean said. “My wife’s name is Izzy. She’s a...”

“Gersin!” Li’lo clapped and recognized him. “You’re the mate of the Gersin onboard.”

“Yep, Izzy is like ... really cool and all that.”

“We had a chance to meet her already. Iz’tre is so nice. It’s so great to have her onboard.”

“That’s awesome, man. I would totally hang out with her as much as you want. You know ... you two look pregnant. Izzy is like ... pregnant too, you know? Hey, Mizu. I think you should know that they’re pregnant. You’re like ... going to be a total father and all that.”

“No ... really, Dean?” Mizu replied. “I hadn’t noticed.” His eyes lightly squinted.

“Yeah, man. Just letting you know that. It allows you to get all prepared for being a parent. Same thing with me, you know? Oh yeah, you can also call me Father Dean too.”

How stoned was this man? Mizu had no idea, but it was evident that Dean was a rather unique individual. It still reminded him of somebody that he knew but couldn’t put his finger on it. Before he had a chance to think about it further, Li’lo and Jenta continued their conversation.

“I’ll be laying soon,” Jenta said. She put her hand to her stomach.

“Well, like ... just make sure not to have it in the ship’s galley,” Dean informed her. “Somebody might accidentally cook or eat it, you know? Just letting you know because that would be a total bummer, Jenny.”

Mizu lightly facepalmed before he nodded. Jenta put her hand to the side of her snout at the very thought of that, but she was catching on quickly as to what Dean was telling her.

“I ... I agree,” Jenta replied.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Li’lo added. “That’s why Izzy will be there for Jenta.”

Dean looked at Li’lo, and both of them started to nod together.

“So ... umm, Dean,” Mizu said. “What brings you here? Are you planning on seeing the CO as well?”

“Oh yeah, man,” he replied to him. “The Captain was wanting to talk to both of us and like ... bring up some things.”

“Oh, ok.”

“And I’m supposed to like ... wait for you guys to finish up talking with the Captain and ... remain out here until called in.”

“Ok. Well ... in that case.”

Mizu reached his hand to the door panel while Dean stood away from the door. Jenta remained close to the human as Li’lo composed herself. She clasped her hands together as if she was preparing to meet an important dignitary.

Mizu’s fingers pressed the door panel and awaited a response. Within a few seconds, the door slid open. Jenta released her grasp upon her mate as they all stepped inside the CO and XO’s stateroom. Mizu did his best to keep himself composed. He could see Shira sitting comfortably behind her table as officer Javier was standing comfortably beside her. He walked in and saluted her.

“Petty Officer Mizu, reporting in, ma’am,” he said.

“At ease,” Shira waved her hand. She then pressed her fingers together as she laid back in her seat.

As the door closed behind the three, Jenta had her arms wrapped around herself. She lowered her head and feathers to acknowledge the Shal’rein in the room. Then, she politely bowed to her as a sign of respect. Shira was an imposing figure, and the uniqueness of her position further heightened her dominance and importance in the room.

However, Li’lo was a different situation altogether. While Jenta was standing in place, Li’lo tried to walk further into the room. She was a little bit ahead of Mizu. While she moved, she tried to do an overhead arm bow using her right hand. When she did so, the left talon on her foot had snagged onto the carpet. When she continued to step forward, the claw jolted free, causing her to fly forward and staggering her greatly. This essentially tripped her rather hard, sending her flying straight into the CO’s desk.

“Ahh!” Li’lo reacted. Mizu had just dropped his salute when he saw Li’lo’s collision course with Shira’s table.

Suddenly, Li’lo’s body and left hand smashed into the metal table with a proverbial thump. This was followed by a light screeching sound as Li’lo’s clawed fingers scrapped the alloy. Javier stepped forward to see how she was.

“Ow ... ow ... owie,” Li’lo replied as she shook her head and stepped back. “Oh, I’m so sorry about that.”

“Are you alright?” Javier asked her.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Li’lo reacted. She wiped her shirt and dress to recompose herself. “I didn’t mean to hurt your table, Captain Shira.”

“You do not have to apologize,” Shira calmly replied back. She then took the stopwatch that was close to her and neatly placed it back on the table from where she had initially moved it from. “As you can see, you did no damage to my table. I use metal tables, not wood.”

Javier had noticed that Li’lo’s hand would have landed directly on the stopwatch if she hadn’t moved it. He took careful note of that as Shira leaned back onto her chair.

“That’s pretty smart of you, Ma’am,” Mizu replied. “That’s exactly what happened to Admiral Simmon’s prized desk back on Mars if I recall your story.” He looked at Li’lo.

“Yeah ... clumsy me,” Li’lo replied with a slight grin. “I don’t think he’s forgiven me ever since.”

“So, that’s how that happened,” Javier remarked with a slight chuckle from him. “It’s good to have you on our ship, Administrator Li’lo.”

“I know, right!?” the Itrean woman was jovial. “Ambassador Ifra wanted to make sure that the T’rintar clan government awarded me the entitlement of Administrator.”

“Have you all made yourselves comfortable on the Lifen?” Shira asked them.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Mizu replied.

“It’s great,” Jenta added. Li’lo gave an affirmative nod.

“Make sure that you address any issues with the quartermaster if there are any other things you need to take care of,” Javier told them. “I would ... recommend making sure that you check up with Doctor Folar’sha when it comes to any medical needs.”

“Right,” Li’lo patted her slightly pregnant belly. “It’s good to see both of you. I never imagined that both of you would get your own ship.”

“You don’t have any issue with serving on a military vessel?”

“Hmm ... yes, but it’s different. It’s you guys. You make the difference.” The feathers rose up a little bit on her head. “Like, I remember defending you in court, Captain Shira. I remember you, Javier. Now here you are. Even Ambassador Ifra seemed happy about the idea of me being with the both of you.”

“That’s good,” Shira explained to her. “I will need your expertise in serving as an ear for the Ambassadors. Unfortunately, it will be needed far sooner than expected.”

“Expected?” Li’lo reacted. Jenta’s eyes blinked rapidly as she gave a questioning look to Shira.

“I already have an assignment for you at your earliest convenience.” Shira reached over and grabbed a small computer tablet before handing it to Li’lo. “I will need you to contact Ambassador Ifra and Ambassador Kane. Inform them that I wish to have a joint training exercise with the warship “Avastier” and “Cetra.” I have the list of instructions, how the training will be conducted, and how it will be committed in the tablet given to you.”

This took Javier by almost complete surprise. He looked over at Shira and saw that she was earnest about her request. He felt a slight wave of anger but quickly suppressed it to avoid having the others see his reaction. He remained professional. However, the name of the Dome’seeka sounded familiar to him.

“Yes, I’ll do that,” Li’lo replied with the tablet in hand. “I will make that my first act of the day when I get back to my quarters. If you have any other paperwork that needs to be taken care of in administrative matters, you can count on me!”

“Good. That will be all for the moment.” Shira’s gaze looked upon Mizu. “Petty Officer Mizu, do you feel competent and capable of performing your duties?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Mizu responded. “Although, I wonder why you need a person like me to fly a shuttle when we don’t have any shuttles.”

“That answer will come to you very soon.”

Javier put his finger to his chin. “Were you able to get in contact with your family?” He asked him.

Mizu’s head looked down in disappointment that even Jenta put her hand to him. “No, sir. All my efforts keep getting shot down. The most I’ve gotten was an angry Batrician guard telling me to go fuck myself.”