Chapter 9
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
Jim had thought that maybe after winning the race and spraining his ankle in the process he would receive a little slack from his everyday routine the next morning. As it was, though, he was drawn from his heavy sleep by the insistent beeping of his and his roommates' alarm clock. Leaning over, Jim hit the clock on the bedside table with such force he heard a sickening crunch as it toppled to the floor.
"Well, that's just great, you broke our clock," Ray complained as he sat up rubbing his face. The boy was shirtless and was all prepared to roll back over for sleep when Jim smirked and threw his pillow at him.
"Nope, it's time to get up," he called. Ray groaned.
"I hate morning inspections!" Doug was also stirring from his slumber as the three boys prepared for the day. Jim struggled to pull on his pants with his ankle still weak. He had been icing it throughout all of the previous evening after the nurse had wrapped it up tightly to help it heal. Even so it would be a while before Jim would be able to walk without a significant limp. Once all three boys had freshened up and made their beds they left their dorm room to take up their positions out in the hall beside all of the other boys on their floor. Right on time, as usual, the professor in charge of their floor stepped down the hall, his enormous clawed feet clicking on the tile floor.
The man was at least seven feet tall with a deep gray body and wrinkly skin. His face was rather large with dark eyes and lips that were turned down at the corners which gave the cadets the impression that he was always scowling.
"Cadet Abbot?"
"Here, Sir."
"Cadet Adams?"
"Here, Sir."
On and on the list went as was the usual morning routine for the cadets of the Interstellar Academy. Occasionally their professor would stop to issue a cadet mail, or make a remark about their uniform or attendance.
"Cadet Havens?"
"Here, Sir."
"Cadet Hawkins?"
"Here, Sir," Jim replied in a steady voice as his professor stopped in front of him, staring Jim down.
"I have a letter, Hawkins, that is addressed to you," the professor announced, pulling a small envelope out of his pocket and holding it out for Jim to take. This came as no surprise to the young man. He often received his letters from home in this manner.
"Thank you, Sir," Jim said, taking the letter and storing it in his own pocket for later as their professor continued on down the list of names until they were through. As the boys fidgeted, awaiting to be released for the rest of the day, the professor stopped, and did something rather unexpected.
"Now, you will all be allowed to head to the dining hall after I make a very crucial announcement in regards to upcoming events." The boys looked around, sparing each other glances, but they remained silent. "Admiral Bluedwarf has requested that each professor in charge of a dormitory floor inform second year students and up that their classes are soon to be discontinued until further notice."
At this chatter did break out amongst the boys. Jim caught Ray and Doug's eyes. Both young men looked worried.
"Silence!" the professor called, calming everyone down. "As you all may be aware the Procyon populace has been deemed treasonous and has declared war on the Terran Empire. The Royal Navy is preparing for a massive confrontation with the Procyon race, but because the armada is short on men the Queen has requested an old technique to help prepare for the war. Drafting."
All of the boys were silent. Jim was concentrating hard on the man's words. What could he mean by drafting?
"Since it is such short notice and the Empire does not have enough time or treasure to prepare new recruits they have looked toward another solution. All second year students and up will be assigned to a ship and a commanding officer and will be required to serve time on these vessels."
Again all of the young men began to speak, sharing their terror, their excitement, their curiosity. This time it took a while for the professor to calm everyone down, but when he did he huffed, not looking at all pleased he had had to shout over them.
"However, Academy students will not be allowed to go into battle on the frontlines. You will be serving your time by aiding the Empire's bases in any way that is deemed fit so as to allow more able bodied men and women to resume a more direct approach," he explained, eyeing them all carefully, daring them to make a noise. "You will continue with your classes for the remainder of this week. The vessels will be arriving this Saturday, so be prepared cadets. Friday night you will receive your information so you know which ship you are to board and which sector you will be patrolling. That concludes our morning inspection. If you have any other questions you may inform your professors or find me. Dismissed."
As the boys all turned back to their rooms, talking away about the upcoming dangers and excitement they might face Jim turned to Ray and Doug.
"This doesn't sound good, guys. If they're drafting that means that the Procyons are really getting out of hand," Jim said, his voice grave.
"You don't actually know that, though," Ray chuckled, trying to shrug it off. "Besides, it's no big deal. It's not like we're fighting in the war. If we were on the frontlines then it would be getting out of hand."
"What if we're not assigned to the same ship? There have already been sightings of Procyon vessels deep within our territory. Just because we won't be on the frontlines doesn't mean it won't be dangerous," Doug argued. Jim felt a little nauseous as he began to imagine being separated from his friends surrounded by other students he didn't know or trust. And if he survived the mess at all, what if he came back to find that one of the other ships had been destroyed with Alice or any of the others on board? Jim didn't think he could handle that.
"Not to mention the ships that keep getting destroyed by the unseen force," Ray added, looking a little more deflated.
"That too," Doug agreed, looking at the dark skinned boy. "It may be the Empire, but it's still war. These are dangerous times." Jim was about to suggest they head to breakfast so as to stop any more despairing thoughts from weighing on his shoulders, when he realized what was different about the moment in front of him.
"Hey," he grinned. "You two are talking again! You just spoke to each other without saying anything rude." Doug and Ray both looked a little surprised which would have made Jim laugh had it not been for their immediate glares that followed. Ray pushed past Doug, giving him the cold shoulder as he headed for the cafeteria alone. Before Doug could follow at a safe distance, Jim took the boy's wing.
"You two need to figure this out. You're best friends for the stars' sakes!"
"Were," Doug muttered.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"We were best friends," Doug spoke up louder, passing Jim a dark look as he turned away from his roommate to go attend breakfast himself.
"Doug," Jim called after him again. The boy hesitated, but didn't turn around. "In one week's time you two might be on completely different vessels heading out to war. You have to make this right now just in case…" Jim trailed off, unable to speak the horrible words. He didn't even want to allow the possibility to hang in the air that one of them could end up in mortal danger.
"Just in case what?" Doug asked, turning to Jim with a more resigned expression. Jim swallowed hard.
"Just because it's the right thing to do," he finished lamely. Doug didn't reply as he walked off, leaving Jim alone to slump against the wall, feeling more than a little defeated.
Alice was not in the mood to attend classes that day. After hearing the earlier news about Academy students being drafted she was more than a little restless. She wanted to talk to Jim about the situation, but she wasn't allowed to see him until lunch. Alice felt helpless, angry, and afraid. How could her professors continue to instruct her when in a week's time they were being shipped off to fight? She tried to reassure herself that there wouldn't be any fighting, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be under attack. If the Procyons were smart they would do anything they could to stop the Empire from transporting weapons or other supplies that could be used to defend the galaxy. The Procyon ships had done so already.
Alice scowled as her history professor droned on about planetary alliances and battles for minerals. Didn't he realize they were dealing with the stress of a battle right now? She couldn't believe her professors were able to brush off what was happening to easily.
Of course a few days ago Alice had been one of the people that tried not to concern herself with all the wretched things the Procyons were digging into. What could she do about it anyway? She was just a student. But now that she was being drafted the war was almost too much for her to swallow. It was as if a black tidal wave was riding toward her and she had no way to stop it and no direction.
Besides, there was no guarantee she'd end up on the same ship as Jim or any of her friends. She couldn't bear the thought of losing one of them if something did arise where a Procyon vessel attacked their ship. She had never sailed without Jim before, anyway. She couldn't imagine living on a ship without him. They relied on each other. No matter what happened they were in it together, and where one of them slipped up the other caught them. Sure sometimes they needed a break from each other in which they would have a night alone with just the guys or the girls, but living without Jim by her side was petrifying to Alice. He was the first person to ever show any interest in being her friend…in being more than a friend.
Alice was drawn out of her reverie when her professor called her name.
"What was the ambassador of the Helix Nebula who confronted Admiral Winston during the Four Skies War?" her professor asked. Alice was silent a moment as she scrambled to remember the information she had read in her textbook the night before. She was drawing blanks and blushed furiously when the rest of her classmates stared at her.
"I don't know, Sir," she admitted.
"Yes you do," he replied just as quick. Alice looked down, wishing she could melt into the floor. She tried desperately to remember but nothing came to mind.
"Sir, I don't think it was in our reading," she finally spoke up.
"No, indeed, Miss Perez. If you were paying attention for the last fifteen minutes you would understand that I am covering this topic at this very moment. I suggest you take notes." Alice felt hot all over when she realized what was written on the board behind the professor: The Four Skies War.
"Oh," she whispered as he returned to his lesson. Alice hurriedly began taking notes, trying to catch up on all she had missed by daydreaming when some girls nearby snickered, passing her looks as they whispered to each other. Alice found it a bit insulting that they were laughing at her just because she hadn't been paying attention. They were doing the same thing at that very moment! She frowned and tried to ignore them, but it was difficult when they kept throwing glances her way. The young cadet was sincerely grateful when class was dismissed. She pushed her way out into the busy hallways, struggling to hold up her stack of books when she noticed something not quite the same about the hallways.
People were whispering.
Not everyone of course, but many of the students were huddled in groups, speaking in quiet voices or laughing about something Alice wasn't sure of. She figured it might just be the news of the drafting, but that didn't explain the upbeat attitude most of the students shared. She didn't want to act paranoid but she was starting to wonder if some of the kids were looking at her. Alice analyzed what might be wrong with her appearance. There were no 'kick me' signs on her back and nothing in her hair or uniform. So, what could they be laughing at her for?
She ducked her head, prepared to begin an all-out sprint for her next class so as to spare herself the humiliation when someone bumped into her sending her books and papers flying. She stumbled back, crouching down to gather her things lest the other students step on them when an unfamiliar voice reached her ears.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Alice. Here, let me help you with that." Alice winced as a foot came down over her math homework, leaving a sizeable boot print on the clean paper.
"What's your problem?" Alice demanded after she had retrieved her things and gotten back to her feet. The student who was harassing her Alice had never met before, but that only left Alice feeling more confused. At her Boarding School people had picked on her all the time, but not at the Interstellar. Alice didn't understand why everyone in the hall was suddenly staring at the two girls, some snickering and pointing at Alice.
"I heard you're related to a pirate," the girl taunted. "We don't need scum like you in our school."
"Where did you hear that?" Alice whispered in surprise. The only people that knew about that were her friends and they would never speak to people about her past behind her back. Sure, there had been some speculation about it from the public beforehand especially since Maximillian White had written the column about said rumors, but they had only been guesses, nothing serious and they had only been shared in the Montressor Tribune.
"Wow, I thought you would've gotten the memo. You're famous, Perez." Alice fumbled as the girl pushed a newspaper into her hands. Alice shot the girl a steely look as she opened up the paper.
HISTORY OF THE LEGACY'S CREW
Alice scanned the article, realizing with sickening dread that somehow someone had managed to write a very detailed description of her past. Alice's heart shuddered; there was no way a reporter could have known that much information about her mother! When her eyes reached the bottom of the page the young girl noticed something that made her blood boil.
Bancroft T. Thatcher.
But how could the man have possibly known about her past, whoever he was? Alice had never felt more terrified in her entire life that someone unknown knew things about her she had hardly disclosed to anyone else. Trying to remain calm, Alice folded up the paper and handed it back to the girl in front of her.
"If you know about the piracy you might also realize I'm related to one of the finest captain's to walk out of this school," she scowled.
"You're a half-breed then. We don't have room for half-breeds," the girl sneered, giving Alice a push.
"I'm not a half-breed!"
"You start a war with your little boyfriend and then cozy up to the principal of this school just to get free access to an education that could be given to more deserving people than yourself." Another push. "No wonder you want the Empire to fall. You have pirate blood, it's in your nature to hurt other people!"
"Stop it!" Alice yelled, pushing back as she dropped her books. While the hallway was beginning to empty out as people raced to their classes there were still a few other students who stayed behind to witness the show. "I don't know who Thatcher is or where he's getting this information, but he's wrong!"
"Just go home, Alice, nobody wants you around. Nobody has ever wanted you around."
Alice blinked feeling like the girl had knocked the wind out of her. She remembered a time on the RLS Legacy when Jim had spoken those very same words.
"Pretend what? Escape from what? Your parents? Because they're gone, Alice! They didn't want you around, nobody has ever wanted you around."
Alice had no idea that such a simple sentence could have such an effect on her. She stayed silent as the bell signaling the start of class rang throughout the halls.
"See you later, pirate scum," the girl mocked, giving Alice one last rude push as the crowd of students began to disperse, some shooting Alice snide remarks as they passed, others giving her sympathetic looks. Alice choked back a sob as at last the hallway emptied so she was left alone. How could this have happened? How could everything in her life have become so twisted?
Hugging her knees to her chest while sitting against the wall, Alice dipped her head in embarrassment as words of her past haunted her brain. She could never escape what had happened. No matter what, her history was written all over her, etched into her skin. She could never leave behind the legacy her mother had begun. Without another word, Alice buried her face in her knees and cried.
Jim would not have considered that day to be his best. In fact it was relatively low on his list of 'good days'. From the moment he had heard the news that morning that he was being drafted everything had been going downhill. It didn't help that he struggled to get to his classes on his twisted ankle either, and Doug and Ray were unavailable to help since they were so caught up in their own game of 'let's-see-how-long-we-can-ignore-each-other'. Jim didn't know what to do about them. They needed to fix it, but neither of them would cooperate long enough to fix it.
Anne Marie really had thrown a wrench into their relationship. At first Jim was angry that Doug had ever had to meet the girl in the first place, but then he realized that his irritation was not meant for Anne Marie, who had never done anything wrong. It was Doug and Ray's incompetence that was getting to him.
As Jim sat in his study hall that afternoon in the library working on a diagram for another mechanics project, a peculiar sound reached his ears. He perked up a bit when he realized that there was a couple standing in an aisle across from him. They had a newspaper open in front of their faces as they laughed and read the article. Jim shrugged it off, figuring it wasn't anything he should concern himself with when he heard another group of friends whispering nearby. Jim glanced their way, noticing that they were giving him rude looks while they buried their faces behind another familiar newspaper.
In fact the more Jim looked around the more he began to realize that a lot of the students in the library had their attentions directed toward him. Not only that, but the ones that were staring at him all had newspapers in front of their faces. Jim tried to control his breathing as he rolled up his diagrams and grabbed his book bag. Before he left the stifling room, Jim stopped by the stand where the library usually kept its updated newspapers. Jim rifled through some of them. There was the Terebellum Tribune, Lower Jacksonport Post, and Galactic Press. Jim grabbed one of the few remaining copies of the Galactic Press and flipped it open, his eyes scanning each page until he found what he feared he might find.
HISTORY OF THE LEGACY'S CREW
Jim skimmed the column, realizing with dread that there was information in the article that couldn't possibly have been revealed to anyone outside of Amelia's crew. There was some dirt on Jim about him being a juvenile delinquent back home, but that was to be expected. Anyone with a warrant could go to the police on Montressor and do a little digging, no, it was the story about Alice's past that had his heart racing. Only close friends knew that information, there was no way anyone could have figured that out without Jim or someone else close to Alice tipping off a reporter, but Jim knew that none of their friends would do such a thing.
He closed the newspaper, his breath rattling in his chest. No one would betray Alice like that, would they? Jim couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Before he returned the newspaper to its stand he flipped it back open and glanced at the bottom of the page.
Bancroft T. Thatcher
Jim had never felt so angry in all his seventeen years of living. Stuffing the paper back into its slot he left the library, ignoring the looks people passed him as he headed to the dining hall for lunch. He fumed as he limped along, cursing his ankle for being twisted. He needed to find Alice…he also needed to find out who this Bancroft T. Thatcher was as soon as possible before he wrote anything else.
As Jim collected his lunch and took a seat at an empty table he began to realize how helpless the situation was becoming. He didn't want to think about the end of the week, and he wished Doug and Ray would quit fighting long enough to help him out a bit. But as it was they were at separate tables not far away from Jim's own placement. Jim picked at his food waiting for Alice or Dalia and Josephine to show up when someone cleared their throat.
Jim looked up to see Ray standing in front of him a little awkwardly.
"Can I sit with you?" he asked, balancing his tray. Jim waved to the seat across from him as Raymond sat down, staring at his food. "I'm sorry, Jim."
"What for?" Jim asked, taken aback.
"For being such a jerk. I don't want to be a jerk. I just wish everything was back to the way it was, back to you, me, and Doug going on adventures. Back to the dream crew with the girls. Everything just feels so heavy, you know?" Ray sighed, slumping down in his seat so he looked even shorter than he was.
"I know what you mean," Jim muttered. "I just found out Thatcher has written another column about all of us."
"Oh, and what'd he try this time?" Ray growled. Jim relayed the information he had found in the article and the looks people had been giving him all day.
"Are you serious?" Ray exploded. "How is that even possible?"
"I don't know, but whatever happens we can't let Alice find out about it."
"Jim, just seeing how people treated you about it, she likely already knows," Ray grunted. Jim let out an exhausted breath and rubbed his face when a voice called his name across the lunch room.
"Hey, Hawkins!"
An icy dread settled in the pit of Jim's stomach as he gripped the table with such force he was afraid it might crack in two.
"Easy there, man," Ray lowered his voice so only Jim could hear. Jim slackened his grip as he turned in his seat to face Rob with Brian following close behind. It seemed the two boys had made a few more friends, for standing behind them were two other students Jim had never met and didn't think he wanted to.
"Hey, congrats on making the newspaper again," Rob smirked, tossing the article onto the center of the table. "Juvenile Delinquent, huh? They got you spot on. I'm glad that the world is finally seeing you for the piece of trash you really are."
"Piece of trash?" Ray scoffed. "Please, at least he doesn't have garbage dribbling out of the corner of his mouth."
Rob wiped at the corner of his face, realizing that there had been food stuck there as usual. He sneered at Raymond.
"Want me to step on you, Shrew?"
"I insist," Ray shot back, getting to his feet, but before Rob or any of his cronies could make a move, Doug had stepped between them and the table. He had been witnessing the scene, as had many of the other students enjoying their afternoon meal, and although he wasn't happy with Raymond, he didn't want to see his friends get hurt.
"Is there a problem?" Doug asked, crossing his wings.
"Want me to pluck you, bird boy?"
"Aviate is the correct term."
"What?"
"I'm an Aviate, not a bird."
"Yeah? Doesn't mean I won't use your feathers to make my bed tonight," Rob spat before turning back to Jim. "You gonna let your friends defend you, Hawkins? Gonna hide like the real coward you are?"
Jim tried to maintain his breathing.
"Maybe you're not as upset over the article, though, because your girlfriend took most of the damage. You should've seen her when she showed up to class today, Slim. She was a mess, not that she isn't already…her having pirate blood and all. She's nothing but a half-breed –"
Robert had no time to react. He had pushed too far and now he was going to pay. Leaping to his feet and ignoring his ankle Jim punched Rob as hard as he could, channeling all of his anger and frustration into a single blow. Rob hit the floor, his nose running red, but Jim had little time to gloat. Robert's cronies took this opportunity to intercede. The lunchroom was now in an uproar as Brian tackled Jim back onto the table, knocking the wind out of him. Using his knees, Jim pushed Brian up and off of him, throwing him over the other side of the table as Jim rolled out of the way right as another boy tried to whack him with a tray.
Ray and Doug were right beside him.
"Yeah!" Ray hollered, picking up his own tray and ignoring the contents of his meal that went flying. "Try to touch my friends, this is what you'll get!" Swinging the tray with a momentum that only Raymond could generate, he slammed another boy in the back making him trip and go down. "How you holding up, Jim?"
"Great, fine!" Jim grunted as Rob got back to his feet, fisting Jim's shirt collar and throwing the boy back so he hit the floor and slid a few feet. By now it seemed that all of the lunchroom had gotten up to get a better look at what was happening. The few that were in the front began to cheer and whistle, egging the boys on.
Doug ducked a punch thrown at his beak and elbowed the boy in the ribs causing him to stumble.
"Ray!" he gasped when he realized that Ray was in a headlock with Brian.
"Don't worry, Doug," Ray wheezed, his dark skin turning a slight shade of crimson from lack of oxygen. "I can handle him!"
Doug didn't have much time to worry about his friend since the boy he had elbowed was now coming at him with more force.
"How about you? Holding up there?" Ray hollered as Doug avoided another swing.
"Piece of cake," he replied. Meanwhile, Jim was struggling to get his breath back when Robert charged him, letting out a cry of anger. Jim had just managed to get to his feet when Rob pushed him back into the wall, making Jim lose his breath all over again. A fist connected with the side of Jim's face, tenderizing the same place Rob had pummeled back on Montressor. As Rob made to wind up and hit him again, Jim used the wall as leverage to kick his legs out, nailing Rob in the gut so both boys fell over.
"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" the other students screamed, going wild at the action. Rolling out of the way, Jim snatched the first weapon he could find – which happened to be a spoon on a nearby table. Glancing back up, Jim threw the spoon as hard as he could as he scrambled to his feet trying to hop over the table only to watch as Rob deflected the spoon with his arm while Jim's ankle gave out and he toppled off the surface, hitting the ground with a thump.
Ray had finally managed to evade Brian's clutches but was now being cornered by Brian and the larger boy Ray had never met before.
"Listen, guys," he laughed, swallowing hard. "We don't really have to…do this, right? I mean come on! Fighting is beneath us." Ray stopped short when his back nudged the small mobile countertop that held all the sauces for other people's meals. When Brian's fist shot out, barely missing Ray, knocking some of the bottles back, the dark skinned boy knew his persuasive techniques were over. "Guess not," he gulped, rolling out of the way as the large boy tried to grab him. It was then that Ray had an idea. The bottles…bingo.
Smirking, he darted for the counter, grabbing two of the bottles and lifting them up like he had two loaded pistols.
"Come and get me, bozos!" he yelled as the boys made to tackle him, only to be stopped as Ray unleashed the power of sauce. Pressing down on the nozzles, he covered them in the sticky liquids making the boys cry out as it got in their eyes.
"My face!" Brian yelled. "I can't see!"
"That's how it's done," Ray tossed the bottles aside. "Man I've always wanted to do that. Later guys!"
Jim struggled back to his feet, grabbing a chair from a nearby table and holding it up as Rob came at him again. Using his body weight, Jim pushed forward, nailing Rob in the stomach with one of the chair legs before releasing his hold on the piece of furniture and falling back. His ankle couldn't hold up much longer and continued to give out, making Jim lose his balance. Snatching up another weapon, Robert used an unopened milk carton like a grenade. Jim thought fast as he snatched another tray off of a table and held it up while the milk carton exploded against the surface. Jim had hardly lowered the tray an inch before Robert was throwing something else at him. It seemed the boy was determined to continue hitting Jim with anything he could get his hands on.
Unfortunately for Jim, it was working. The more Robert threw the less Jim could block until he found himself back on the ground thanks to his dreaded twisted ankle. Robert approached and Jim was about to give up all hope of seeing the light of day again when all noises in the room were quickly overpowered by one booming vocalized command.
"ENOUGH!"
At once the cheering began to die down as students gasped and parted while professors and staff raced forward, pushing pupils back to view what was going on. At the head of the party was Admiral Bluedwarf himself accompanied by Principal Coleman and several other upstanding officers.
"Everyone is to return to their classes or dormitories immediately except for these young men!" Coleman ordered as Admiral Bluedwarf began moving people out leaving Jim, Ray, Doug, Rob, and his cronies behind, all of them nervous and covered in food. "You seven will accompany me to my office immediately," Coleman commanded as he turned and strutted from the room, expecting the boys to follow close behind, which they did. As they were passing out of the lunchroom and through the crowds Jim spotted Alice standing beside Dalia, Josephine, and Anne Marie. Her nose was pink and her eyes red from crying, but when she saw Jim her mood only seemed to darken.
Jim wanted nothing more than to be far away from his current predicament with the ability to talk to Alice about all that was going on, but it was not so. He avoided her gaze as he followed Coleman to the areas students were not usually allowed. As they reached his particular office he opened his door and held it open for the boys to shuffle in. Once all of them were standing in front of his desk he closed the door and moved around the surface to take a seat.
"Look alive, cadets," he demanded as the boys straightened their backs and looked him in the eyes, however painful it was. "I would just like to say right now that I am astounded at your behavior. I should have you all expelled at this moment for uncivilized violence on the premises of this school," he began, his voice ringing clear in all of the ears. Jim's heartbeat skyrocketed as he held his breath. Surely he couldn't get expelled could he?
Horrible images popped into his mind – images of him disappointing his mother, disappointing Alice, disappointing Silver. The last thought stung more than Jim wanted it to. How could he ever become a captain if he was kicked out of the Interstellar Academy? He had a second chance and he had wasted it because he hadn't been able to control his temper. Alice would continue on to achieve her post on a ship while Jim would be sent home to buss tables the rest of his life, never being able to support himself, eventually losing Alice –
"But I am not going to do that," Coleman stated, jarring Jim back to the present. The young man released a visible breath of relief. "A moment of weakness does not mean that any of you are lacking the qualities of a good spacer. Though some of us may need a little work." As Coleman said this he gave Rob a harsh stare. The boy hunched his shoulders and looked down. "I am disappointed in what I have witnessed today. The Interstellar Academy stands for discipline in the field. It stands for nobility, bravery, and benevolence. It does not stand for unjustified violence of any sort. We are the Queen's Royal Navy for the stars' sakes!" Coleman roared, slapping his hand down on his desk and making the boys jump. "What you young men participated in today was no short of an act of piracy!
"None of you will be respected if you continue to act in such a barbarous manner. I understand that the Procyons have inflicted sensations of frustration and irritability to this student body – even toward some of the staff members. But in the face of battle we will prove that we are the better people. I hope you boys learned something from this fight today. Let me ask you something, do you feel good about yourselves?" Coleman asked, his fingers steeple-d in front of him.
The boys shook their heads as Coleman's eyes swept over the group, staring long and hard at Robert.
"Do you feel good about yourself, Mr. Clark? Did that fight make you feel better? Did you release your anger? Did you get what you want?"
Robert shook his head.
"Answer me straightforward, boy!" Coleman barked as Robert shivered and passed Coleman a terrified look.
"No, Sir."
"And why not?"
"Because I'm in trouble, Sir."
"Ah, yes. Punishment," Coleman smirked, getting to his feet. "Perhaps you will remember that nothing is without consequence the next time you attempt something so deliberately against the rules." Jim tried not to blink as Coleman turned his fiery eyes on him.
"How about you, Hawkins?"
"No, Sir," he answered, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
"Why not?"
"Because it was wrong, Sir."
"No, Mr. Hawkins, beating on your peers is not what I would consider a stellar solution to a heated argument." Jim wanted to spit out that Rob had harassed him plenty of times before and had been the reason for Jim's detention, but he kept his mouth shut, conveying with his expression to Principal Coleman that there was more going on than met the eye. The man challenged Jim's look with his own as he took a seat once more.
"All of you boys will be on kitchen duty for the remainder of this week after your classes are done. Professor Simmons will keep an eye on you and you will not be allowed to return to your dormitories until she is absolutely convinced that every possible area of that galley is clean. Is this understood?" he growled.
"Yes, Sir!" chorused the boys as they snapped to attention.
"And I would like each and every one of you to know that if I hear of any more of this sort of behavior I will not hesitate to remove you from these premises immediately. You are dismissed."
Jim was never happier to leave Coleman's office than at that very moment, but it seemed as if the fates still had one more prank to pull.
"Mr. Hawkins, I would like to speak to you in private." Jim stopped as Doug and Ray gave him sympathetic but curious expressions as they left, closing the door behind them. Jim stood, his back stick straight as he gazed at his principal in mild confusion. What if only he was to be expelled and Coleman wanted to break it to him in private? "Mr. Hawkins you are one of the better students I have seen come through those doors. You are excelling at all of your classes and from what your professors tell me you have the true makings of greatness in you."
Jim tried not to smile at his choice of words and instead replied, "Thank you, Sir."
"I would not like to see someone like yourself lose the opportunity to achieve said greatness. I know that this is your second detention you have been issued so far," Coleman said pointedly, giving Jim a hard stare.
"I know, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. It's just that…" Jim trailed off, unable to express what he wanted to.
"It's what, Mr. Hawkins?"
"It's nothing, Sir," Jim whispered, his eyes finally breaking contact as he studied his boots.
"It's Mr. Clark, is it not, Hawkins?" Coleman inquired in a softer tone. Jim's head snapped up.
"Sir, I don't want –"
"To complain to me about a fellow student? You have good intentions, Mr. Hawkins. Whereas you could easily say that Robert is the cause of all your troubles, judging by the way you two interact and how your last detention was also issued with him present, you still refrain from doing so. Why?" Coleman pressed, his brow furrowed as he tried to analyze the boy standing before him.
"Because, with all due respect, Sir, it's not up to you to fix my troubles. Besides, Rob isn't the only cause, and it would be unfair of me to blame him so," Jim struggled to answer. Coleman nodded.
"Yes, I have realized that the crew of the RLS Legacy is under verbal attack from the press at the moment. I do not pretend to ignore my staff's own doubts and the confusion that is currently filtering around this school. This is why I wanted you to remain, Mr. Hawkins," Coleman explained.
"Sorry, Sir, but you wanted me to remain to discuss what they're saying about me in the papers?" Jim asked.
"No, Mr. Hawkins, no. I wanted you to remain because I wanted to discuss with you the implications these columns are having on your day-to-day routine. There is a war on the horizon, Jim. I cannot deny that the things we will all face will be difficult. The upcoming events are going to challenge us all, you and the rest of the Legacy's crew especially. At your age, Mr. Hawkins, it is a difficult burden to bear. I would just like to remind you to always do what you feel is the right decision. That is the makings of a true captain." Jim was silent for a while as Mr. Coleman sat back in his seat. "You are allowed to leave, Mr. Hawkins, but remember this: responsibility over rash decisions is how one obtains a higher rank."
"Yes, Sir," Jim replied. "Understood." The boy had never been more relieved to leave a room in his life. Coleman meant well but he still intimidated Jim, especially since the young cadet knew he had been the reason the fight in the lunch room had broken out in the first place. He needed to regulate his temper next time. He couldn't lose control again. As Jim made his way back toward his dormitory he stuck his hands in his pockets when his fingers brushed something odd.
Curiously, he removed the paper from his pants and realized that it was the letter he had received from his mother earlier that morning. Jim glanced at one of the many clocks located around the Academy's hallways. He only had five minutes left of class anyway, what was the point of showing up now? Besides, Jim wasn't so sure he wanted to face all the condescending looks of his classmates especially since his uniform was covered in food and the side of his face was swelling to an uncomfortable proportion. Instead he took a sharp turn and headed back toward the doors that led out into the Academy's lavish gardens. Jim lost himself in the maze of flowers until he was sure no one would bother him as he sat down on a marble bench and tore open the letter to begin to read.
It was indeed a letter from his mother and at first Jim was happy to read about all the trouble B.E.N and Morph were causing and the everyday life back on Benbow. Jim wouldn't admit it, but he missed having his mother around. It was days like these that he could count on her to support him – even if it meant another lecture. Jim continued down with the letter and to his dismay even the mail was now carrying ill-tidings.
Mrs. Hawkins wrote about how Amelia's rank had very nearly been revoked and about all the troubles brewing on the Empire's horizon, but what really caught Jim's eye was her speaking about the drafting.
His mother rambled for two full paragraphs about how unacceptable it was that they were being drafted filled with another long heartfelt letter that made Jim's stomach twist into knots. It was almost as if she was writing him a final goodbye as if she was afraid the drafting meant he might not come home.
"Mom, I'm coming back," he whispered to the silence around him. "I'll always come back." Jim's eyes found the place he had left off on as he continued to the second page of the letter expecting grim news. However, the more Jim read the more his eyes widened. "No way!" he gasped, leaping to his feet before having to sit down again from the pain in his ankle. His lips began to curl upward in a smile, but he continued to read, afraid that the words would turn out to be a lie. Yet even after finishing the letter and rereading it once more to ensure that the information was true, Jim knew that what he held in his hand was all the confirmation he needed.
Standing up, slower this time so as not to stress his ankle, Jim limped as fast as he could through the garden, determined to find Alice at any cost. The boy didn't have to walk far, for just as he was turning a sharp corner in the tall hedge maze, someone ran into him knocking him flat on his back. Jim let out a grunt as the air was knocked out of him, and it was only when he lifted his head to keep the sun out of his eyes did he realize who it was.
"Alice," he exclaimed, grabbing her arm as they both sat up.
"Jim? I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she muttered, looking away. Jim stopped himself from sharing his good news when he realized that Alice's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She tried to duck her head to keep him from noticing, but Jim stopped her.
"Alice, what is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she cleared her throat, getting to her feet and crossing her arms leaving Jim to struggle into a standing position by himself. "Didn't get expelled, I see," she whispered, keeping her back to him.
"No, but that's beside the point," Jim said.
"The point?" Alice scoffed, finally turning to face him so Jim could see that she was indeed very upset. "The point, Jim? The point is that you started a lunchroom riot!" Jim was silent a moment as Alice fumed. At last he let out an irritated breath.
"Yeah. Alright, you caught me. I did start a lunchroom riot," he held up his hands. "But in my defense, Robert had it coming. He can call me names but when he starts mocking you –"
"That doesn't mean you have to go and be a bruiser about it," Alice snapped.
"Oh, sorry, I won't stick up for my girlfriend next time. I guess that was wrong," Jim retorted, his tone sarcastic.
"It's wrong when you go ahead and punch someone. Besides, Jim, if you haven't realized people have been calling me names all my life! What's a little more going to do…?" Alice trailed off as her voice quivered. By now fresh tears were leaking out of her eyes. "I can't do this anymore," she shook her head, turning to hurry away when Jim caught her hand to pull her back.
"Listen, Alice, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have started that fight. I guess that's the last thing you wanted to deal with after seeing what they wrote about you in the papers," he sighed, folding his fingers between hers.
"I was just so scared you would get expelled," she admitted, allowing Jim to pull her into an embrace. Jim rubbed her back as he felt her breaking down against his shoulder. "Jim, this day has been terrible. Everyone is calling me a half-breed now. How could they have known about my past?" she choked out, pulling back enough to stare at him through her wet swollen eyes while she wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve.
"I don't know, Alice. I really don't, but we'll find out who this Thatcher guy is and soon. He can't have much more to write about us," Jim lowered his voice, his eyebrows knitting together. Alice nodded before giving him a curious look. "What?" Jim asked.
"You didn't…tell anyone did you?"
"Me?" Jim asked in surprise, feeling a tad affronted that she even suspected him at all. "You're serious? You really think I would tell someone about that, Alice? What kind of a guy do you think I am?"
"Okay, okay. I just thought you might've accidentally told someone," she shrugged, blushing when she realized that her question came off as accusatory.
"Is it even possible to 'accidentally' tell someone that? 'Oh, hey, my girlfriend's mom was a pirate. How's it going?'" Jim gave her a pointed look making Alice giggle.
"I take it back, I'm sorry."
"Unforgiveable," Jim shook his head, a teasing smirk pulling at his lips.
"I take it back!" Alice laughed before her face dropped once again. "I am sorry. Today has just been really stressful, and now apparently we're being drafted! Jim, what if…what if we don't end up on the same ship together? What if…?" Alice trailed off, unable to say what she wanted to for the thought was too horrible to accept.
"Um, actually, that I can make you feel better about," Jim coughed as he pulled away from her in order to reach into his pocket and grasp the letter his mother had sent him. He held up the letter, unable to contain his grin. "Being friends with the captain has its benefits."
"What do you mean?" Alice asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I mean that since we were originally part of the Legacy's crew, we're both being assigned under Captain Amelia's supervision along with Ray, Doug, and all our other friends that came with us on our voyage to the Eternity Star," Jim explained, watching as Alice's face contorted to one of shock.
"Stars above," she gasped, snatching the letter from him and skimming over the words. "Is this for real?"
"Yeah, since the Doc and Captain spend a lot of time at the Inn, Amelia told Mom about who was assigned to her vessel. So, in that case we get to know about our placement a few days before our classmates," Jim passed Alice a mischievous smile. The girl herself couldn't contain her happiness as she wrapped her arms around Jim's neck and pulled him down into a kiss.
Jim's face felt hot at the sudden attention as his hands caught her sides, sliding down to her waist when Alice pulled away looking happier than she had all day.
"Jim, this is great! I mean, no it's not great that we're being drafted, but this means that if we're on the same ship together –"
"We can look after each other," Jim supplied when Alice nodded, leaning up and capturing his lips once again. The boy melted into the kiss, feeling lighter than he had all day.
"We really are sky sailors, huh?" she breathed, their noses brushing and their eyes still half-lidded and hazy with affection.
"Can't have a ship without both of us together," Jim let out a breathy laugh, closing the space between them once more. The young man was disappointed when Alice pulled away first.
"We should find our friends and let them know," she said. Jim squeezed her hand.
"One more kiss?" he pleaded and ducked out of the way when Alice tried to punch his shoulder.
"You're such a tease," she snickered, taking his hand and pulling him forward causing Jim to stumble as he tried to keep up with her fast strides.
"You know you like it," he smirked.
"Hard to tell," Alice released a light laugh in return. She could deal with being called a half-breed, she could handle anything the war threw at them. So long as she knew that Jim would be at her side through the thick of it. They were sky sailors, partners, lovers, and friends, and Alice was totally convinced that nothing could change that, that nothing ever would.
A/N: Song for this chapter: Troublemaker by Weezer
Well, here is the next chapter. I was going to make it longer, but then I decided I was pushing it as it is. Um, I don't really know what to talk about. I guess I'm just...not feeling as into this story as I was before. All of my writing is just tanking right now.
I had to rewrite the fight scene twice because it just...blegh, I just wasn't as in it as I thought I would be. Originally I was really psyched to write this chapter but now...meh. Every time I get excited about a chapter when I actually get down to writing it I just lose all interest. Maybe I'm pushing it with these Treasure Planet fanfictions, I feel like I'm pouring in way too much time and effort into them and they're not even turning out the way I want them too! Ugh!
Anyway, enough blabbering from me.
So, yeah, Rob finally got what he deserved...sort of, and Jim and Alice and their friends will all be sailing out on the same ship, woohoo. But what's going to happen to Doug and Ray's relationship? Also, does anyone have any guesses as to who Bancroft T. Thatcher is? How did he get the information on Alice's past? He described it in great detail whereas before the press had only heard rumors - nothing so spot on. So how did Thatcher get that information? Any guesses? No? Maybe? Let me know in the comments section or from your reviews.
So I also added in some crappily written romance again (Jim always seems so out of character when I write about him next to Alice). I hate romance, but I put it in there because I thought I needed to appeal to my internet readers as well and not just my younger brother. I read these to my younger brother and he hates romance, he only likes the action parts XD
Also, I've been thinking long and hard about these stories and I have to laugh because I'm finally owning up to it. Yeah, Alice is a Mary-Sue. She is a total Mary-Sue, a character I hate and love at the same time because she will always retain that part of her that's so blegh but at the same time I hold affection toward her because she was the first character I ever created. Whatever, she'll just remain a Mary-Sue, I don't care enough to change her. I'm more interested in the story plot.
That's about it, I honestly have mixed feelings toward these fanfictions. If I was really cruel I would abandon them altogether, but I feel I owe it to the very few people that actually read these to finish the stories. As well as the fact that I have poured so many wasted hours into these fanfictions, there's no way I'm just going to stop now. What a waste of time that would be!Well, hope you guys enjoyed this obnoxiously long chapter!
Special Thanks goes to: PartofYourWorld-ArielMermaid, lazyX1000, and Tita2001! Thank you so much for the continued support!