Chapter 4

"Master James P Hawkins."
Jim felt uneasy as he shifted in his seat. Tension filled the room as a council of eight governors lined a long table before him. They said nothing. Just faces beneath massive wigs that watched him.
"You are here because we feel that, in the light of recent findings with regards to your history. You may no longer be fit to serve in this Academy."
The alien stood with certain poise. Reptilian in appearance, every part of his body seemed long and slender.
A large, white wig that hung from his head did little more than make his face and torso unusually small.
Jim swallowed, clutching the letter he'd been given. One that marked him a traitor to the Acadamey.
"You were excused from your previous juvenile crimes under the recommendation of Honoured Captain Amelia Smollett. However it has come to our recent attention that you have made such claims as having actually located and found the fabled 'Treasure Planet' from pirate legends. Master Hawkins, do you understand making such claims points to you being actively involved in piracy?"
"What?" Jim backed in his chair, his mouth going instantly dry. "I wasn't involved in piracy. Is that why I'm here? I swear I am not a pirate."
The alien ignored him.
"You will also understand it is the law that anything of such value discovered must be reported to the Academy and all stolen items returned to owners."
"You don't understand. That treasure was…destroyed."
Jim fought him but it was no use getting into arguments with officials.
"We have on our records an affinity you developed with a member of the renegade crew of Captain Smollett. A man going by the name of John Silver. Is this correct?"
"Councillor, if I may speak."
The voice that sounded from behind was a godsend and caused the board to pause. Heels tapped on the old floorboard as the figure slowly stepped up to the centre of the room.
Jim could only sigh, relieved. Finally someone here that was on his side!
"Captain Smollett."
The council member nodded in a silent acknowledgement.
"Make that Captain Doppler," the feline gave him a predatory glare, her lip curling into a scowl. "Now what, might I ask, is the purpose having this fine young chap under your eyes of scrutiny? What wrong has he done to merit an investigation of these sorts?"
The council seemed unimpressed with her intrusion. The foremost member rubbed an eyebrow, tapping an impatient finger on the table.
"Captain Amelia, why are you here?"
"I am here because what you are accusing James Hawkins of is utterly ludicrous. Have you not at all considered my logs?"
The council member said nothing, but rather referred his next question back to Jim.
"Master Hawkins. Are you aware that John Silver is a wanted pirate? Remember you are under oath."
"Yes," came Jim's reply, slow and careful.
"Then you will also realise that affiliations with pirates is considered to be an act of high treason."
Jim swallowed, suddenly realising where they were about to head.
John Silver was the only pirate able to escape the R.L.S Legacy. A feat accomplished with the help of Jim.
"What are you getting at?"
Picking up on this, Amelia was quick to intervene.
"Despite having assisted in the capture of a slew of pirates, you dare accuse James Hawkins of aiding in the escape of a single brigand? This is insanity."
"Mrs Doppler. If you will." The counsellor wasn't interested in hearing her out. "Master Hawkins, you may or may not be aware of this but your father, Sir Leland Hawkins was killed in space several years ago."
He searched Jim for a reaction but found himself disappointed.
The counsellor coughed, continuing.
"What you most likely haven't been informed on, however is the fact that he died at the hands of the navy. Master Hawkins, your father died committing high treason."
Time seemed to stop for a moment.
His father? A traitor?
Again the counsellor searched him. But Jim could only attempt to swallow down the dryness in his throat.
"What did he do?"
The counsellor was merciless in his stare.
"He aided in the escape of a wanted pirate."
"And what does this have to do with James Hawkins?"
Amelia interceded but Jim's mind was stuck. His own father? A pirate sympathiser. How? Why?
Little more was said on the matter however as suddenly the hammer came down, silencing Amelia in her defence.
"We cannot continue on like this. If you cannot control yourself Captain, then this hearing is adjourned. Master Hawkins, we have considered your case and we have found it to be inconclusive. I'm afraid we have no choice but to suspend your enrolment in this Academy until this hearing can continue."
Jim was speechless.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Suspended?
"What? This is utterly ridiculous! Your claims and reasoning's are based upon frivolous pieces of whimsical information!" Amelia's cries were accompanied by her shooting to her feet, slamming her palms on the table before her. "This is an abomination! How is he supposed to finish his exams if he has been suspended?"

But the council's decision was unchanging.
"The hearing of Master James Hawkins will commence come the beginning of the new semester. He will not be permitted to sit in his exams and he will not be permitted to stay on these grounds until this happens. Now I suggest you gather your things Master Hawkins and leave the premises right away."
And with that, they stood and left.

The Montressor space port was unusually busy for the time of the evening. There had been reports of pirates in the area which had caused many dockings to come in late.
The young woman wandered quietly through the crowds of dock workers and refugees, clutching a small sack of goods. To one side of her a black panther stalked the streets and to another a caped figure kept to the shadows. They were watching her, carefully.
Young Pell made her way over to the registry office, producing from within her sack a passport. Its photo was that of a young wolf-like character not at all resembling she that held it.
Pell swallowed, eyeing off the character in the passport photo. She hated wolves for what they did to her family. The savage beasts. That mangy fur, sharp fangs…
Elizabeth knew Pell was afraid of wolf men. Was that why she had chosen for her to take on this identity?
Pell stood in the lines, closing her eyes. She could feel the urging stare of Elizabeth and her men upon her. It was all up to her now.
Her face began to change. Her nose expanding outward into a snout. Teeth began to form and fur sprouted.
Sharp, pointy ears popped out from her long hung orange hair that was already turning a shade of brown.
"Next please?"
The woman at the registry office glimpsed the wolf alien signalling her forward.
Pell obediently did just so, presenting her passport.
The resemblance was irrefutable.
"Where are you headed young lady?" the woman glimpsed her over her glasses.
"I arf…rrrr." Pell stopped suddenly, her tongue falling about her mouth.
Curses! This form was so hard to talk in!
"I errm loookingh farrrr a frrrriend."
"What was the name?"
"Hawkinsssss. Jamesh Hawkinsss."
Hardly noticing Pell's retarded speech, the woman tapped away on her type writer sending off the request of information to the registry room.
She received her reply in a matter of minutes.
"We have one match on a James and Sarah Hawkins. They own the old Benbow down on the main planet. You're in luck, we have a shuttle heading down to their designated dock within the hour. If you hurry, you'll be able to catch it."
She handed Pell the piece of paper which showed the whereabouts of this James Hawkins and smiled at the girl before heaving a loud call at the line behind Pell.
"Next please!"

Black clouds closed in on the Benbow, the looming threat of a storm, inevitable. Because of this, darkness had fallen early that evening.
This didn't bother Jim, though as he sat alone in his room, his mind adrift somewhere between the then and now.
The semester was out, exams completed. Students celebrated the end of another year. That was what Jim should have been doing too. Celebrating… awaiting the results of exams and finding out what classes were to befall him in the coming new year.
But, instead he sat alone, awaiting his hearing.
The letter addressed to him lay crumpled on his bed. Its dark, unforgiving message open to the world.
He heaved a sigh, watching the rain fall upon his window. He should have known his past would catch up with him.
Because, despite Captain Amelia's recommendations to the Academy, there was one thing that Jim let slip through his fingers, that barred him from his future. John Silver.
They were going to question him. What had happened to John Silver? And under oath, Jim would have tell them. He let him go.
He let a wanted pirate go.
He was a traitor, just as his father was.
The small sphere that sat upon his bedside table glinted in the candlelight, catching Jim's attention…reminding him of the adventures of a lifetime ago.
A built replica of the map he used to find Treasure Planet, it sat a project started but never finished.
Jim grabbed the sphere, playing with it in his hands, his fingers instinctively falling upon the buttons and dials that would have activated the real thing.
All of that was gone. Now nothing but a distant memory, just like everything else in his life.
Jim's future was over…