July 15, 1921 P.D.
Grayson, Protector's Palace Spaceport
Rachel Mayhew saw the engines flare to life on the RMS Paul Tankersley and her nerves flared. Again. She turned to face her father.
"Well daddy, this is it."
Benjamin opened his arms. "We're so proud of you. We'll miss you, so very much. Message me when you can."
She was passed to Katherine's arms, who didn't want to let her go, but reluctantly did so. She cupped Rachel's face in her trembling hands. "Remember who you are, my sweet girl, you're a Mayhew. You're a woman of Grayson. I love you."
She stepped back so that Elaine could say her good-bye. "This is a hard day, but a proud day. We get to see our smart, brave girl follow her dreams. I love you, sweetheart."
Rachel wiped the tears from her face and gave her brothers and sisters hugs and kisses. The hardest part was watching Hipper giving the treecat version of goodbye to the 'cats. The other 'cats understood, but it was bittersweet nonetheless. To Hipper it was merely another adventure, but they would meet again and have stories to tell.
Nate and Noah, two of Rachel's armsmen, had already taken her rather meager luggage to the waiting yacht. Standing apart from the touching family scene was her primary armsman who had been with her since she was a baby.
"Major William Henderson," Benjamin intoned.
Major Henderson stepped forward and Benjamin grasped his forearms.
"My daughter, my first-born, will no longer be in my care. She will be in the Tester's hands and yours."
"I understand, m'lord."
Abigail had told her leaving would be hard, and she was right. The last thing she saw was Sparky wiping his own cheeks and giving her father a handkerchief.
Whatever you do, don't look back! Abigail had advised.
So she didn't, and instead looked ahead to Nate and Noah talking to a tall, weathered RMN crewman standing beside the hatch of the Tankersley. When got close enough to see a nameplate, she saw WO3 Harkness, Horace on his upper right chest and three rows of ribbons on his left chest, to include the PMV. Major Henderson snapped a salute.
"You don't have to, but thanks," Horace said, returning the salute.
"You saved the Steadholder's life and wear that medal, you rate the salute," William said and gestured to the hatch. "M'lady?"
When Rachel, her three armsmen, and Hipper were settled in their seats, Harkness checked the passenger compartment one last time and secured the hatch. He knocked on the hatch leading to the flight deck and took a seat at the communication and monitoring console.
"Skipper, everything's a go back here."
"Then let's be about it," a voice called out.
"Who's flying?" Rachel asked.
"At the stick would be Captain Prescott Tremaine, Miss Mayhew," Horace replied.
Rachel looked at her armsmen, puzzled, then back at Horace. "Why would Captain Tremaine be doing this?"
She was certain that Captain Tremaine should be sitting in the captain's chair of a starship in the fleet, not flying her around in a yacht!
Horace shrugged. "Dunno, Miss. You can ask him if you like."
Hipper slid down to the seat next to William and Rachel asked to enter the flight deck. Scotty glanced at her and gestured the empty seat to the right. She sat and buckled herself in. When they were in flight toward Manticore, he relaxed and faced her.
"You're wondering why I'm on this flight?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
He shrugged. "The admiral asked for a favor, and I had some spare time. My ship is in the yard. I'm a pilot at heart and this is a joy to fly."
"Which ship, sir?"
"The Werewolf, I'm the COLAC."
"Oh."
"Like I said, she asked as a favor. There's no way I'd say no, I'd go to the ends of the universe for the admiral if she asked."
"And to hell and back, too," Horace added.
"Nervous?" Scotty asked.
"A little, sir."
Scotty waved the comment away. "If you get through the first couple of weeks, you'll be fine. Granted, you'll probably be wondering if you even know your left foot from your right that first week, but all the first forms will be feeling the same. Make some friends and get into some electives. Try out for a sports team, if that's your thing. It helps."
"Were you in anything?"
He nodded. "Sure was. Swimming team, all four years, and the academy flight squadron."
#
Two days later, they were in Manticore orbit, and Rachel was in awe of how beautiful the planet looked. She was going to be spending the next few years of her life on planet where she could swim in the ocean if she chose, or she could walk outside and take a deep breath without it killing her.
"Prepare for approach, I've got the nav beacons," Scotty informed Harkness.
"Saganami says they're a go on landing pad three," Horace replied.
Scotty did indeed look like he was born to fly as he made a flawless descent toward Saganami Island. After a textbook touchdown, Horace opened the hatch and pressed a button to extend the platform for the passengers to exit. He hopped down to look about the area, then the armsmen followed to perform their security check of the area.
"M'lady," William said.
Rachel nodded and stepped out, blinking at the brightness of the sun. She took a deep breath and started coughing. Hipper hopped on her shoulder, patted her back and gave her an inquisitive chirp.
"M'lady?" William asked and she held up a hand.
"Cadet, are you well?"
She turned around and cleared her throat to control her coughing. "I apologize, sir. I'm not used to it."
"You would be Cadet Mayhew?"
"Yes, sir."
He held up his hand. "I'm a petty officer, you can stop with the sir. You'll get used to it in a couple of hours; all the Graysons that've arrived spend as much time outdoors as they can."
He gave her an identity card and a folder. "Don't lose this identicard! It'll get you in everywhere here at the island, it's the only way cadets can use funds on the island, and it's your identification. This folder has a map of island, your schedule, your dorm assignment, and a list of everything the Navy is going to issue you this week."
He pointed to a brown brick building with a blue roof. "See that building with the blue roof? That's your dorm. Drop off your luggage, then you'll get more instructions. Welcome to the Navy, Cadet."
Horace, Scotty, and Petty Officer Loomis watched Cadet Mayhew and her three armsmen walk toward her dorm.
"Nice bird, skipper," Loomis said, nodding toward the Tankersley.
"She flies like a dream," Scotty said, walking around the ship, doing some preflight checks before he took the yacht back to landing pad at Honor's Jason Bay home.
"Sure you don't need a lift anywhere?" Scotty asked Harkness.
"No, skipper. I'm going to try and find Iris, see if she's free for dinner," Horace said.
"Tell her I said hi and give her my best with the new bunch," Scotty said. "See you back on the Werewolf."
"Aye, aye skipper," Horace said and gave off a jaunty salute.
"New cadets have been arriving for three days, I don't know if Sergeant Major Babcock is free," Petty Officer Loomis said in apology.
Horace shrugged. "If she isn't, she isn't. Them's the breaks."
On the way to the main academy grounds, Horace thought he saw a head of red hair walk inside of the main auditorium, waving a digital clipboard in the air as she talked to someone trying to keep up with her.
#
At Dorm Five, Rachel found that she was rushed for time. Her armsmen were placed in a dorm next to hers and a chair with a small table was outside her door. She saw that her dorm-mate had already arrived, Cadet Truman, Angela by the label on the bunk, wardrobe, and foot locker. I wonder if she's any relation to Admiral Truman? As instructed, she changed into the cadet uniform, cadet red beret, and boots already on her bunk and hurried back outside. Will was there, ready to walk with her.
"Nate and Noah will remain here," he said.
"Only one of you? No desperate assassins skulking about the hallways?" she asked and he gave off a long-suffering sigh. They had had this discussion her entire life.
Hipper snickered and she opened the door into the sunshine once more. "A girl could get used to this."
"I agree, it's pleasant," Will said and Hipper chittered in agreement.
As she approached the auditorium, several cadets milling around outside saw her, got each other's attention and watched her approach. When "m'lady" was heard from them, along with courtly bows, she couldn't help but feel exasperated. Hipper bleeked in high amusement. Well, Aunt Honor said that there would be 73 first form Graysons this term. Thank Tester there's only 12 out here!
"Calmly, m'lady. They don't know what else to do, so they fall back on traditional courtesy," William murmured, looking over the young men in interest.
"You're right, thank you Will."
She approached the group of Graysons with a hand out, shaking many. "I appreciate the courtesy, but as of now, I'm Cadet Mayhew. No more of this m'lady business, alright? In fact, when it's just us, you can just call me Rachel."
She looked at her chronograph and saw that she had six minutes to spare before First Call and although she didn't mean for it to happen, the group followed her inside. She stopped at the door and sighed.
"M'lady?" Will inquired.
"Tester help me, there's sixty more Graysons inside."
The group chuckled behind her and she took hold of the door handle. "Then let's be about it."
A short walk down a hallway led to the auditorium, where first form Grayson cadets all rose and bowed when she entered. Hipper bleeked in question from her shoulder. Sergeant Major Babcock watched the scene with amusement. Horace had told her that Rachel was a good kid, not some stuck-up princess, and he had enjoyed the two-day flight from Grayson with the girl. She was obviously embarrassed as hell by the deep blush on her cheeks, but kept her composure. She nodded and shook hands with some of the Graysons around her and took a seat. Hipper settled in her lap and her armsman stood at the entrance to the auditorium. His hands were clasped in front of him and he kept an eye on the cadets and the hallway. Sergeant Major Babcock looked at the clock on the wall, and when it changed to 1800 she hopped up to the stage and took her place behind the podium, looking out over the 3,644 new cadets.
"Cadets, hold up your identicards."
"You there, twenty-third row, where is your identicard?"
"I don't know, ma'am," was the reply.
"I'm not an officer, so don't call me ma'am. Address me as Sergeant Major."
"Yes, Sergeant Major."
"Now, look in all of your pockets."
He did, looked up, and shook his head.
"Look under your seat."
He did so and rose, holding up his identicard.
"Moving on… for the rest of your time here at the Island, you will stand at attention when an officer walks into a room or your general vicinity. There are exceptions. You don't have to stop eating and stand, or when you're at physical training, or when you're finally allowed liberty off island and might encounter an officer out there somewhere."
She pressed a button her digital clipboard.
"Next… feeding all 3,644 of you. All of you, look on the back of your identicard. You'll see a number and a time. That indicates which floor of Casey Dining Hall you are assigned and what time. There are over 12,000 cadets here at the island, so you have 20 minutes to eat. For tonight, enjoy what will probably be the last normal meal you're going to have for a while."
Hipper bleeked in question and flitted his tail.
"Take note that I am a Marine. On Her Majesty's starships, Marines oversee security. Many of your close combat and martial arts instructors are Marines. Here on the Island, Marines oversee the safety and security of academy personnel and property. Marines run the weapons ranges here as well. Address them by their rank or Marine. We will also be your customs and courtesies instructors this first semester. I am the senior Marine on the Island, and my door is always open for any concerns you may have."
"Reveille is at 0500, attire is your assigned summer physical training uniform. Fall out in front of your dorms by 0530."
She set her clipboard on the podium. "You're dismissed for mess. Welcome to the Navy."
#
Two weeks later, Sparky Rice interrupted Benjamin's dinner to let him know that mail had finally arrived from Rachel. The entire Mayhew family left the dinner table and gathered around Benjamin's comm console and he keyed in to start the recorded message. Rachel's official academy photograph was her wallpaper that appeared for a few seconds then her smiling face appeared, and she was sitting at a desk in her dorm. Hipper too was crouched on the desk cleaning his whiskers, and a blonde woman waved and flashed a smile in the background when she passed.
"Hi Mayhew family! Hipper says hi too! That was my roommate, Angela Truman. Yes, she's related to both Admirals Truman. One is her aunt, the other her sister. She's in the Engineering track too, so we were placed in the same room. She's been such a help to me and is a really good friend."
"Aww, thanks Mayhew."
Rachel rolled her eyes at her roommate and held up her right arm, which was in a flexi-cast. Benjamin chuckled.
"My goodness," Katherine mumbled.
"It was broken yesterday during coup. Don't worry, after some doses of quick heal today and tomorrow, I'll be as good as new. I'm on the lower form team coup team, and I'm trying out for the soccer team when this cast comes off. Will, Nate, and Noah are in a room next to mine. They and Hipper are having the time of their lives seeing me run ragged, stuffing my face in speed-eating, and tripping over my own feet trying to march."
She held up her digital clipboard to read from it.
"My classes are all first form History, Navy Operations, Physics, Flight Training, Computer Science, and Starship Design."
She put the clipboard on the desk and Hipper patted her cheek and chirped a question. "I know," she replied, scratching the 'cat behind his ears.
"She looks so tired," Elaine said.
"I'm going to sign off, for now. I'm tired, and it seems like as soon as I close my eyes, I hear reveille. So good night, I love you all, and I miss you all. Tester bless you."
"And to you, sweetheart," Benjamin whispered and touched the screen.
HMS Hexapuma
Lieutenant Abigail Hearns was in the officer's lounge, snacking on cheese and crackers when she received a notification for incoming mail. She clicked the acceptance button and smiled when she saw that it was from Rachel. Her friend's cadet photo wallpaper displayed briefly and then Rachel's smiling face sitting behind a desk in her dorm. Hipper was sitting on the desk as well, cleaning his whiskers.
Rachel pointed a finger at the screen. "Abby, you have some explaining to do!"
Abigail laughed at Rachel's chiding expression and then she said "oh!" when Rachel displayed her casted arm.
"And of course it's my right arm, and I'm right handed. Some doses of quick heal today and tomorrow and I'll be as good as new."
"How?" Abigail wondered.
"How what?" asked Ensign Helen Zilwicki.
"My friend started Saganami a couple of weeks ago. Her arm is already broken."
Helen looked at the screen. "Protector Benjamin's daughter went to Saganami? How did that happen?"
Abigail shrugged and Rachel continued. "Myself and Sergeant Major Babcock were practicing some coup and we fell awkwardly. As soon as we heard the snap, she got right up and took me to the academy hospital herself. She feels kind of bad, but hey, it's coup. It happens. I'm on the lower form team."
"Good for her," Abigail said.
A blonde woman waved and flashed a smile in the background when she passed. "That was my roommate, Angela Truman. Yes, she's related to Admiral Truman. She's in the Engineering track too, so we were placed in the same room. She's been such a help to me and is turning into a really good friend."
"Aww, thanks Mayhew."
Rachel rolled her eyes at her roommate. "I'm trying out for the soccer team when this cast comes off. My classes are all first form History, Naval Operations, Physics, Flight Training, Computer Science, and Starship Design."
She crossed her arms on the desk and leaned close. "Now we come to the part where you have some explaining to do."
"Oh yeah, she's the Protector's daughter alright," Helen said.
"She does have a way about her," Abigail agreed.
Now two more people were standing behind Abigail watching the video message.
"Will, Nate, and Noah are in a room next to mine. They and Hipper, are having the time of their lives seeing me run ragged, stuffing my face speed-eating, and tripping over my own feet trying to march. I don't even know my right foot from my left anymore."
"I remember that," Helen said and another agreed with her.
"Who are Will, Nate and Noah?"
"Her armsmen," Abigail said.
"Ohhh," the group echoed.
She rubbed her face and ran her hands through her hair and let out a breath and looked at the screen. "Abby, when I walked into the auditorium at First Call, all the Graysons stood and bowed. I thought I was going to spontaneously combust on the spot."
The group sputtered and chuckled.
"It's getting better; there's hardly any bowing and less of the m'lady stuff with each passing day."
She leaned into the screen. "There's so many men here, Abby, so many," Rachel said and wiggled her eyebrows.
The watching group snickered and snorted. This was what passed for entertainment in the Talbot Sector, mail from a Saganami cadet.
"Except that I have an armsman named Will who keeps scaring off any young man who says anything beyond please pass the salt."
Now Abigail was overcome with giggling.
"Angela thinks it's hilarious. I reckon it's just one of those things I have to deal with on my own. I know daddy wants Will to watch out for me, but not socializing with any man the entire time I'm here isn't realistic."
"That much is true," Abigail agreed.
"I'm signing off for now. I'm tired, and it seems like as soon as I close my eyes, I hear reveille. So good night, take care and stay safe. Tester bless you, Abby."
"Tester bless you too," Abigail replied and switched off the console.