Chapter 2

That evening, down in the galley, the atmosphere was loud and friendly. All the officers were sitting in groups with their friends, drinking rum and sharing stories of past adventures. Jim and David sat at one of the tables with other officers of their rank, discussing what they could over the noise. A long snouted, plump, dim yellow colored officer was sharing one of his more gruesome stories. "Now, what they did wasn't strictly mutinous, ye see," he took another swig of rum to quench his thirst. "but ye know their capt'n wasn't entirely keen on practical jokes of any kind."

"I can't imagine any captain being able to keep composure after that." A lumpy grey mass of a man ventured. "Salting all the food on board affected everyone. And with no fresh water at the time, it could have come across as murderous."

"Well, in th' end, he suffered quiet the painful death." The yellow alien pulled the edge of his bowl to his lips and slurped down the warm soup. "The fool had salt shoved down his throat, was gagged and bound, then thrown to the mercy of the nearest ocean."

"Great Cthulhu, what a way to go!" An octopus lieutenant sitting in a barrel of water dragged his face down in horror with two tentacles.

"Indeed. That is quite the story, Honrous." David got up from his seat and took his bowl to the cook. Jim watched him leave before turning back to hear the next story. The octopus officer pointed a tentacle to the far wall and began to tell his tale.

"I was just coming out of training," The octopus began, but Jim wasn't paying attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Almrez Uriratha glaring at him. The alien was clenching his spoon so tight in his fist that it had bent out of shape. His mouth was curled down in a snarl and his friends were also glaring directly at Jim. The alien had barely said 100 words to him since they'd graduated, but Almrez's blood was always boiling like he was ready for a fight. Jim turned back to his comrades, but he couldn't focus on what they were saying. He could hear some of the noise in the room quiet down and glanced over his shoulder again. David was making conversation with some officers at the back of the galley, and Almrez's friends were now whispering to one another. The more Jim tried to ignore them, the more nervous he became. It wasn't until people started leaving that Jim decided to turn in for the night.

"See you in the morning, guys." Jim patted the shoulder of one of the lieutenants and made his way up the stairs behind a group of sailors headed off to the sleeping quarters. When above deck, he took a deep breath of fresh air and gazed at the sky above them.

A shooting star flew overhead, and just beyond a thin veil of mist you could see a dwarf planet hovering in its asteroid belt. He could hear others climbing the stairs and giving their goodnights before retiring.

"Hawkins!" He heard a familiar voice bellow. Jim turned to see Almrez pointing a meaty finger in his direction. "Don' think that David will be here to protect you forever." He leaned on a friend for balance, obviously drunk. "There'll be a day he's gone, and you'll have forgot me, but I won't ferget you!" He's stumbled forward and thrust his fist at Jim. Before he could do anything, his friends dragged him off to bed.

David soon appeared from the galley, watching as Almrez stumbled down the steps to the crew's quarters. "What was that racket?" David turned to Jim for an explanation, but all the brunette could do was shrug and shake his head. The two of them waited for a moment, assuring that their crew mates were asleep before heading to bed. The sleeping quarters resembled those of a submarine, rows of bunk beds lined up throughout the room with narrow openings to walk down. Jim and David's bunks were near one another's, only three away. Unlike on the Legacy, Jim had a pleasant bunk mate, a rabbit-like alien that slept quietly on the top bunk. There were lanterns hanging from the ceiling between every fourth and fifth bunk, with one row consisting of 8 bunks.

Jim made his way to his bed and pulled his duffle out from underneath. Selecting a pair of long sweatpants, he stripped down to his undergarments and put on the pants before climbing under the blanket and folding his hands behind his head. Glancing in David's direction, he caught him with his back turned. Jim could feel heat rising in his cheeks as he watched David. His bare back was tan and muscular from a life of physical labor. Jim knew that David had come from a farming planet, but he was unaware as to what David's involvement had been there. As he watched David organizing his things and hanging up his uniform, he could see scar tissue rolling along with the movement of his shoulders; an old battle wound he wouldn't talk about. For a twenty-nine-year-old man, David had seen his share of war time. Jim had tried to pry more out of him but the officer was tight as a clam, unwilling to reveal any darker parts of his past.

David moved to shove his duffle under his bunk, and caught Jim eyeing him. Blushing, the younger officer looked away, but not for long. When he peeked again, David was smiling that crooked smile of his and was climbing up to the top bunk. He looked at Jim once more and mouthed the words "good night." Jim mouthed them back as one of the crewmates in their row started turning down the oil lamps.

Though the night was undisturbed, and the vessel sailed quietly through the Alligro galaxy, Jim was restless. Amid the snores and mumbling dreamers, he alone sat staring at the ceiling, unable to quiet his thoughts. What was so important that a navy fleet had to guard it through such treacherous territory? No one besides the Captain knew what they had in tow, but the aura of the crew felt guarded and secretive. As for the crew itself, Jim was aware that the captain knew of the records a lot of these men had. Surely, she would have known about any histories of rebellion and offenses. So, despite this, why had she let soldiers like Almrez on board? On second thought, however, Jim had to admit the alien was rather intimidating, Almrez was quite skilled in battle, and could be useful if his loyalties were to the crown. But his arrogance, his act first think later ways, and his brash demeanor toward his crewmates made him a potentially traitorous mate.

Jim turned to look at the mentioned offender. Almrez was sleeping quietly in his bunk, unaware of the two human eyes examining his every move. All the alien did was snore here and there, but Jim couldn't help but be wary of him. After what felt like hours of watching, Jim's eyes had drooped down to a close, finally letting sleep take control. The soft creaking of the ship lulled Jim into a deep sleep, allowing him to relax into the soft bedding beneath him.

One lime green eye opened just a sliver, and peered from the dark. After confirming that Jim had rolled over in his sleep, he smiled. Almrez's eyes shot open, and he slowly sat up in his bunk. Resting one hand under his cheek to support himself, the watched became the watch dog. The small smile stretched out into a delirious grin of sharp, dirty teeth. Soon, the sun of Helmren would pass, and the day would begin. Jim had only ever stood up against Almrez once, but oh how he remembered it. He'd been humiliated, embarrassed beyond belief at the hands of this young, human, Lieutenant. He'd been playing pranks in the private's quarters after basic training, and had been caught red handed in the gymnasium.

"Officer Uriratha, what is this?" Jim stood with his hands behind his back, examining the gruesome display. Two of the newest naval officers had been tied back to back and were currently experiencing a modern form of tarring and feathering. Except, instead of tar, the boys were covered in hot maple syrup and honey, with feathers clinging to their sticky skin. Their faces were red from being slapped around, and it appeared that one of the lads was suffering the beginnings of an allergic reaction. Jim turned to face Almrez with a stern look of disapproval.

"Hazing of new recruits, sir." Officer Almrez Uriratha replied with a smirk on his face. He took a glance down at his superior, only to find the younger man staring with a disappointed frown.

"Who said we allowed hazing at this academy?" Jim inquired quietly.

"No one sir, but-"

"But nothing." Jim snapped. "I'm not sure you're aware that officer Greng has an allergy to pollen but after examining his face, even from this distance, you can come to that conclusion. You will take him and officer Lasser to the infirmary, and return to your quarters. There, you will write a 500 word letter to both of your fellow officers, apologizing for endangering their lives in such a foolish manner." Jim signaled for two officers to untie the unfortunate recruits.

Officer Almrez bit back his tongue as he heard his friends snicker behind him. A blush crept across his face and he tried to control his heartbeat from embarrassment. Jim moved to stand in front of him and cleared his throat. When this did nothing, he changed tactics.

"Do I make myself clear?" He asked. Almrez nodded gently, which was not the answer Jim was looking for. "Officer! I said, 'do I make myself clear?'" Almrez jumped and saluted his superior.

"Sir, yes sir!" He shakily held his stance, trying not to be angry at his friends behind him, who were stifling giggles. His blush grew hotter by the second, and he could feel angry tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He was hazed when he had first been introduced to the academy, and was told it was a normal ritual amongst most military branches. Petty Officer Hawkins was being unjust, not giving Almrez a chance to explain himself. A great anger began to burn in his chest.

"You and your giggling hyenas," Jim glanced at the officers laughing in the corner, "will be on mess hall cleaning for three months." The boys in the back stopped their chortling. "That should assure that none of this behavior repeats itself." Jim turned his back on the officers and raised one hand in dismissal. "You're free to go."

The next three months, officer Almrez fed a great fire in his belly. It raged inside like a virus, consuming his thoughts and making him bitter toward all authority. When he graduated to Petty officer, he used his fury to his advantage, crushing any opposition to make it to the top. But no matter what he did Jim was ten steps ahead. With better grades and better references, Jim acquired the rank of Lieutenant; while Almrez was stuck in place. He had acquired Petty Officer second class- but could not advance. When he discovered that both he and Jim were assigned to The Remnant, his plans for revenge reached fruition. They were so ripe with opportunity, that they were almost ready to pick.

Almrez watched Jim's chest rise and fall from across the small space between their bunks. There was plenty of time to enact his plan, but the wanted to wait for the right time. He knew that David would be near Jim at every available moment, but even they would be separated soon enough. Now that he had kindled his anger, he was ready to sleep. Resting his head back against his pillow, he caught the last minutes of precious sleep before the day began.

A whistle sounded off the morning wake up call. The first mate, a reptilian man in full naval dress, was standing at the bottom of the stairs blowing a shrill tune. The men rolled out of their bunks, pulling on pants and jackets. "Breakfast ends in 10, boys. Let's not dally." He turned and retreated up the stairs, with a few officers following close behind.

Jim ran a hand through his hair before sitting up in his bunk. His bunny bunk mate scrambled above him to get dressed, before leaping to the ground in full uniform. Jim stood and threw his jacket over his shoulders, careful to button his sleeves tight around his wrists before pulling on his pants and slipping his feet into his boots. As his fellow officers cleared out of the quarters, it was soon just he and one other sailor standing near the bunks.

When he'd completed lacing up his boots, Jim got to his feet and rushed to the stairs. A hand grabbed his shoulder from behind and turned him around. David stood before him, smiling that crooked smile.

"Lord, Day." Jim breathed a sigh of relief. "You gave me a heart attack!" He moved in close to his companion and straitened the man's collar. "You can't just grab someone without announcing yourself, ya know." Jim looked up at David, who just stood there with a soft smile on his face. Leaning down, the bearded man began kissing the jaw line of his much shorter crewmate. "We're gonna miss breakfast..." Jim tried to reason, but David just pulled him close so the two were pressed against each other. He moved his kisses back up Jim's jaw and began nibbling on the lobe of his ear.

"Maybe I'm not hungry for that gruel." David growled softly and rested his chin on the crook of Jim's neck. He breathed in the light scent of honeysuckle and sage. He couldn't recall where he'd last seen any honeysuckle; but the sweet aroma reminded him of summers from his youth.

"Well I'm not either," Jim admitted. "But we need to go before they begin roll call and find us miss-missing!" Jim tried to whisper, but found himself distracted by a pair of hands moving down from his hips. "David," Jim protested in a quiet voice, catching the attention of the older man and ceasing his actions. "I promise I'll make it up to you, but morning roll call is not the time." David kissed Jim's neck once more before letting him go.

"You're right," he smiled. "Let's get something to eat." The pair made their way up the stairs one after the other. "Besides," David remarked. "The mess hall is the best place to make a mess, right?"

"That's an unpleasant thought." Jim's nose twitched in disgust. "Who'd want to do anything sex related in a place where men put their dirty boots on the table?"

"The same people who eat near the people who have their dirty boots on the table?" David suggested. Jim shrugged in defeat.

The two men sat at their normal place in the galley, surrounded by less than chatty shipmates. Everyone was groggy the first day on a new mission, but there were a handful of anxious newbies that couldn't touch their food because of their excitement. It was a foolish thing to do, considering the work load they would all have before getting to eat again. But nothing could stop a foolhardy rookie from trying what he'd set his mind to.

Back near a great bucket of purps, Almrez eyed David with suspicion as he handed his bowl to the cook for seconds. There had to be some jobs that he could suggest the Commanding Lieutenant for, jobs that would keep him from checking up on his little partner. A smile spread across his face- he knew what to do to assure that the two would be apart at just the right time.