Voyage of the Star Killer

Chapter 24

Section 1. Weddings and Wishes

The holographic display theater received a fine bedecking. Someone had taken comprehensive scans of Jaadha and uploaded them to the ship's computer. As a result, someone else developed a program to replicate the smells and sounds of the green planet. One week to the day of the binding ceremony, Emperor Wyeth and his wife were joined in an official ceremony, on the hills of Amele's beloved Jaadha. This time, the knot remained, the ribbon only removed by the hands of the emperor. It was a lovely affair.

Section Two

***Excerpt***

Gireau opened a channel to the entire ship. "Ladies, gentlemen, officers and passengers of the UASE V1, this is the captain speaking. Information has come to light about a threat to our persons and our ship. This ship has become its own entity of a sort, relying on you all to operate her. This ship embodies the community and friendship of the United Alliance and the trillions of lives that we have brought in. Our new friends and family, discovered brothers and sisters, lovers, and even our children - we have a decision to make. This information is trusted by myself, our security team, and the commanding officers of this ship. However, we will leave it to you to decide for yourselves. Commander Thoreau will upload a recording of an event that happened even as we were beginning this journey together. Eight years ago I would not have asked this of you. Copies of this recording will be sent to every space station in the Alliance. Our allies, our friends, will receive a transmission. We leave it to you. Watch the recording. And know this - if you choose to leave us when we reach the next space station, we bid you no ill will. If you remain, there is the possibility that you will never see your earth-bound families again."

Silence filled the halls. The education centers fell still. No one stirred as the captain's words took root. The recordings started to play. They ran for hours, on a loop in specific departments. Many people recoiled, some panicked immediately as they realized the captain's next steps. Several put in for transfers to the space station. 

Gireau's heart felt heavy and he turned to his wife and friends for reassurance. The Infantry Division leader, Lieutenant Saul Blackens spoke with Gireau at length before also putting in for a transfer.

****Exceprt****

"Captain." Blackens saluted and nodded at the captain's wife. "Lady Serena." He waited to be acknowledged before taking a seat at the long table. "I've seen the recording. I can not believe - I will not believe my my eyes tell me. It has to have been manipulated somehow!" 

Gireau motioned for Serena to sit on his right hand. "Saul, we've been together for fifteen years. You're in command of the Infantry." He waited for Saul to acknowledge his words. "Have I ever lied to you or led you astray? Have I ever manipulated the data or changed your orders?"

"No, Captain." Gireau saw the frustration building in the man's shoulders and chest. "But - but the Alliance! President Green! She assigned us - she sent us all out here." The defeat weighed heavy on the lieutenant's shoulders. "Where did we get this information? If it's eight years old, it could be - I mean...." He looked imploringly at the linguist. "It didn't - it didn't really happen that way, did it?"

 Serena bit her lip, taking a deep breath to fortify herself. "Saul - Lieutenant Blackens. What do you know of empaths and psychics?" 

*What do you know of telepaths?*

Blacken's eyes widened, his pupils dilating. 

*But it's - you were tortured!*

Serena nodded, an abrupt jerk of her head. 

*Aye. For days. Months? At least a few weeks. My memories of that time - it's so hard to process. I was only 16.*

Saul shook his head. "Are you - are you an alien, then?" 

Serena shared a look with Gireau. "Yes. I sought refuge on your planet. I was only a babe. My mother died ensuring my safety." 

Saul scowled. "How did we come across this data?" He allowed the gasp that pressed past his lips when the far wall blanked out. 

Serena rose unsteadily and moved through the projection. 

*It's not really here. These are my memories. I was hiding on the roof of the dormitories, studying for my final exams before my first assignment. They struck me from behind. I never saw their faces until President Green's interrogation.*

She traced an outline of herself as the figment hung stretched from limb to limb. "The first time wasn't so bad. They left me strung up for seventy two hours. They didn't bring food, or water, during that time. The evening of the third day, they released me, my muscles screaming in agony. They gave me just enough water that I wouldn't die, and injected me with a supplement. Then they restrung me. It was a relief to take my post, to join that familiar pain."

She flinched as a fist flew towards her face and Gireau wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sank into the captain's embrace and Saul felt vaguely uncomfortable. "Forgive us, Lieutenant. I still haven't brought myself to show Gireau everything. This comes as a surprise to him, as well."

 Saul shook himself and reoriented to the room. "But - is it true? Have you played the captain? Maybe this is the psychic attack President Green ordered?" The words were foolish, he knew this even as he said them.

 "Your loyalty to your crew, your men, and your Alliance is noteworthy, Lieutenant. I wish you Godspeed." Serena excused herself. 

Gireau regained his seat at the table. "Lieutenant Blackens, I'll approved your transfer request if you can answer me one thing."

"Later, when crewmembers thought of Lieutenant Blackens, they would think of him as that xenophobic subscriber, that traitor to the captain. He was seen to physically attack "that alien whore!" and overheard calling her impolite words.

"The next three months were tense, as everyone began to realize that the captain's bride was a mixed-alien breed. When the StarKiller finally docked at the Space Station Septum, everyone breathed easier to have the xenophobes transferred off the ship. Blackens took with him half his troop, roughly 80 Infantry. He made an immediate report to the Space Station's admiralty, but it was too late to stop the StarKiller from resuming its course. Before that, though, Blackens and Gireau had another opportunity to fight side by side."