Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. Any original characters are mine.
"I must congratulate all of our new graduates of the illustrious Interstellar Academy. You now join the ranks of some of the galaxies most infamous and decorated captains, navigators and star ship crews. Give yourselves a round of applause!" the director said into the microphone. A loud roar of hands clapping rose up, including a few whistles and some "Ya-hoo!"
Jim, or rather Capt. James Pleiades Hawkins, stood on stage overlooking the crowd of graduates and their families. He had successfully graduated to the full rank and title of Captain. At twenty-two years of age, this was quite a feat. Most captains did not get their rank until they were at least twenty-six, after about ten or so years of study and tutelage under a working captain. But Jim had surpassed all expectations, working twice as hard and keeping his nose to the grindstone. He'd wanted so hard to prove to the non-believers back home that he could be something and today brought those years of hard work to fruition after only six years at the academy.
Some of the cadets threw their hats into the air but Jim just smiled and quietly made his way off the stage. He greeted a few friends on the way down, shook a few hands and got his back pat so much he was sure he'd have a bruise there the next morning. Surprisingly, here at the academy very few people cared about where he'd come from but rather where he was going. If you had an honest goal then that's all they needed to know. He'd quickly made lots of new friends and found himself a second home.
"Jim," a tender voice said as warm arms wrapped around his neck. He hugged his mother, who was now a good six inches shorter than him. He'd sprouted like a weed during his second year but had found that the height did not include the muscle. It hadn't been until this last year when he'd finally managed to put on some weight.
Sarah Hawkins looked up at her son with such proud eyes. She'd sprouted a few more wrinkles around her mouth but altogether she still looked just as young as she always had.
"You have no idea how proud I am of you," she told him, pulling in for another hug. She was part of the reason he'd worked so hard. For so long she'd had disappointment after disappointment in her life. The Academy had been his chance to make some of it right.
"I promise when you get back home I'll fix you your favorite meal and we'll have everyone over to celebrate," she told him. They walked towards the refreshment table, her arm tucked safely under his.
"Jim! There you are!" the doctor called. Dr. Dilbert Doppler waved the mother and son over, his wife smiling proudly beside him. Amelia Doppler had been the one to send Jim to the Interstellar Academy with a glowing recommendation, but unfortunately had not been the one Jim could study under. She'd semi-retired, choosing instead to stay home with her husband and children until they were old enough for her to take jobs again.
"Excellent work, Jim my boy!" Dilbert cried, pulling the young captain in for a hug. It was a bit awkward but Jim couldn't help but hug back. The doctor had helped him with a lot of studying and questions over the years, so he owed a lot to the man.
"You're a credit to your name," Amelia told him, as she too went in for a hug. That surprised Jim, since the older captain wasn't much of the touchy-feely sort, save for her immediate family. But he hugged her as well, considering all her influence in getting him into the academy in the first place.
"So, how does it feel? Being a full-fledged captain and all?" Dilbert asked as he stuffed a crab puff into his mouth. Jim chuckled as he picked up a bottle of Bootleggers Beer.
"Don't know. Haven't gotten an assignment yet," he replied.
"Well don't worry, it won't take long. Especially considering the glowing credentials you'll be getting from your professors, not to mention-ah, Capt. Monroe, we were just talking about you!" Ameilia said, waving over the aforementioned captain.
Captain Emmett Monroe was the man under which Jim had studied as an apprentice. He was a tough but fair instructor as the young man had found out. He was of the Balsan race, a people who somewhat resembled what was long ago called a squid. His face was covered in tiny barnacles and he had what would have looked like a beard but was actually free-moving tentacles. As he walked over to their group, Jim noticed one held a glass of some kind. While he'd long ago gotten used to them, there was still a time or two he'd get a little creeped out.
But even still, the man held great respect in and outside of the academy. Jim had become one of those after watching the captain at work. He was a force to be reckoned with and didn't take anything except one-hundred percent from his crew. Even now, he walked with his chin up and chest out, like a general into battle.
"Captain," Jim said, saluting. For the first time since coming to the academy, the captain saluted back. The young man was stunned for a minute before a deep rumble interrupted his thoughts. It was Capt. Monroe, laughing.
"Jim, you're a full-fledged captain now. It only makes sense that I salute a fellow officer," he said.
"Yes sir. Thank you sir." The captain laughed again, making the color rise in Jim's cheeks. It was years of programming, he couldn't just turn it off.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. There's someone I'd like you to meet," Amelia said, waving another person over. He only got a quick glance at the guest before a look on Capt. Monroe's face made him look back. The man's coal black eyes had softened and a small smile crossed his face. Even Sarah seemed taken aback by the gentleness that the older captain was displaying.
Jim looked back at their newest guest, a young woman probably about his age had joined him. She was about his mom's height by guess and had a dark auburn bang handing over one eye. The rest of her hair was covered by a white-and-gold embroidered scarf, pulled up and away. It matched her dress, which was sleeveless with the collar wrapped around her neck. She kissed Amelia on both cheeks before extending a hand to Capt. Monroe.
"Captain Monroe, how are you? Enjoying the evening I hope?" she asked. The captain bent over and kissed the offered hand, making nearly everyone there jump.
"I am always happy when my students graduate, my lady," he replied. The soft look in his eyes frightened Jim, making him wonder what kind of woman would elicit such a response from the war-toughened sailor.
"Uh, Jim, this is Tabitha St. Claire. She's a graduate as well, though she's a navigator. Tabitha, this is Captain Jim Hawkins," Amelia said. The girl turned to him and he watched as her smile changed from one at ease to one at work. She held out her hand, which he shook and noticed that she had some strength in her fingers.
"So I finally get to meet the infamous Jim Hawkins. It's a pleasure I must say." She sounded as if she were reciting it from memory. "I believe we worked together once, but I don't think we ever got to meet each other formally."
"I'm sorry, but where was that?"
"The mission to Xenbo. I was a practicing navigator under Capt. Monroe while you were apprenticing. Unfortunately, we navigators are on a rotation schedule. We rarely fly with the same captains twice while we're studying. I'm not surprised you don't remember."
Was she insulting him? It sounded like it but he couldn't be sure. It was during the pause that he finally noticed the color of her eyes. They were a bright green and reminded him of a gem he'd once seen while shopping for the winter holidays. The shop keeper had called it jade and he suddenly thought that a name like Tabitha was not suitable for her.
"Hey Jim!" a voice shouted before a body slammed into him. Luckily Jim maintained his balance but he quickly shifted the weight off and around.
"We graduated! Can you believe it man?! We're really done!" Altor cried. The Neveian was his best friend and the first one Jim'd made at the Academy. He was there studying to become an astronomy scholar and was hoping to use it to teach. It might not have sounded like something useful for sailing, but it would come in handy teaching future generations of star fleets and Altor was good at it. He was also good at drinking, obvious from the shine the man's bright blue eyes.
"Ahem," a voice cleared. Altor looked over before gaping and immediately saluting.
"Capt. Monroe sir! My apologies!" The Balsan did not look amused and pointed to Amelia. Altor followed the finger and went pale. "Capt. Amelia ma'am! My apologies to you too! You're looking well ma'am!" he stated. Amelia did her best not to laugh but she couldn't keep a small smile from creeping to her lips.
"Looks like you live up to your reputation, Boozer." Jim looked over to find that a very bored look had crossed Tabitha's face. Altor narrowed his eyes and swung his drink in front of her face.
"At least I don't have the proverbial stick up my as-" Jim muffled the rest of it with his hand but a hint of a blush crept into Sarah's cheeks. Tabitha just rolled her eyes and swirled the drink she had.
"Oh, that rebuttal doth make my knees quiver," she retorted. Jim might have been amused had it not been for the fact that she was insulting his best friend. He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud screeching.
"Well look at this, ladies. Tabby's gotten herself into an insult match again," a woman commented, before screeching again. Jim assumed that Obsidian's screeching was actually her way of laughing but it grated on his ears. He could only imagine what it was doing to the Dopplers.
The woman approached their group, followed by what Jim could assume was her groupies. Obsidian Knight was actually a gorgeous woman, with a mane of wavy black hair that begged to be touched, a body that could knockout a whole platoon and looks that could easily rival any young model or actress. She sauntered over in a dress that Jim could only deduce was being held up with determination and clung like a second skin. Altor was leaning heavily against him, drinking in the sight of a real life goddess.
"Hello Jim. How are you?" she cooed, brushing against him. He swallowed hard and tried to remember why they'd only gone out for three months. Oh, right. She slept with two professors during our relationship, he reminded himself. Still, that didn't mean he wasn't completely immune to her touch. Apparently, she wanted to rekindle what they'd once had, probably due to the fact he was a captain now. Just because his body reacted to her charms didn't mean he was stupid.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see everyone giving her the once over. The men were almost outright staring at her, while the older women seemed to disapprove of her seduction attempts. Jim could see that Tabitha appeared completely calm, which surprised him.
"Would you mind finishing what you set out to do Obsidian, or would you rather get a room with the captain?" Tabitha spat. Apparently not entirely calm.
The other girl turned a cool blue eye to her and smiled. "Jealous?"
"No."
"You sound like it."
"Disgusted by your lack of decorum would probably be more accurate. Now would you hurry up, I don't have all day."
What happened next was too fast for Jim to accurately recount but he assumed some time in the following five seconds Obsidian had snatched the scarf off of Tabitha's head and danced away with it, giggling like a little girl. Tabitha was still cringing when she finally realized what happened.
"Give me back my scarf," she demanded.
"No. Everyone should see what you really are, you half-breed Anglican," Obsidian said.
Jim turned back to notice that auburn hair tumbled down Tabitha's back, but what was most startling were her ears. Or the wings that were where her ears would normally be. They fluttered in and out, like they were catching some imaginary breeze. Jim also noticed a considerable amount of color had flooded Tabitha's cheeks.
A cracking and shattering noise alerted Jim and he quickly looked around the room, checking all the windows. When they appeared fine, his eyes fell on the disheveled girl in front of him. She'd shattered the glass in her hand she'd been squeezing it so tight. Blood trickled down to mingle with the alcohol on the floor. Before Jim could make a move, the woman had her scarf and a hand on Obsidian's shoulder. She whispered something in her ear, making the gorgeous vixen pale before turning back to the others.
"My apologies, but I really must be going. Capt. Amelia, Capt. Monroe it was a pleasure to see you again. Capt. Hawkins, Altor, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other. I bid all of you good night," she said before spinning on her heel and towards the door. Jim thought he saw some tears brimming in her eyes but it happened so quickly he couldn't be sure of what he'd seen. No one spoke for a few moments as they tried to register what had happened.
"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish," Obsidian said, but the waver in her voice did not make it sound like she was convinced.
"Half-breed Anglican?" Jim asked.
"Anglicans are an ancient race of winged people who aren't well liked in today's day and age. They still exist there's no doubt, but they don't like outsiders and take to keeping to themselves. That's half of Tabitha's parentage, though I'm not sure about the other half," Amelia explained. Jim stared at her for a moment before turning to look at his mom. She seemed to be deep in thought, though still shaken up by the turn of events from the white still covering her face.
"Well Jim. I hope we can get together some time soon. And I mean, REALLY get together," she hummed into his ear. He politely shook her hand before she swaggered off, quickly followed by her entourage.
Altor leaned over, following the sexy woman's movements with his eyes. "Helluv an evening, eh?" he said.
"You got that right," Jim replied.
Author's Note: Ah, I do love Treasure Planet. It was a good movie, I don't care who you are. I'll try not to turn any of the characters OOC or anything. I like continuity too. Please review.