The nebula gases swirled and danced through space, a veritable kaleidoscope of sights and colours filling everything for as far as the eye could see. Strings of denser matter ribboned their way through the gas clouds, highlighted by the harsh white light of lightning storms, triggered from volatile gases mixing in the nebula.
The ancient remnant of a star, the nebula spanned the remnants of an unknown and un-named solar system. The size and distance of the nebula itself was massive – spanning more than four times Sol or Cappella in terms of sheer size, and within it lurked the foundations for new stellar nursery's where one day new stars would blossom into life. Even now the nebula was growing and expanding, reaching out deeper into space as the decaying old white dwarf at its centre continued to eject material from its core, sending particles spinning away from the star on escape velocities to join the stellar remnant.
"See anything?" murmured a voice from alongside my ear, making me jump in surprise and crack my head on the curving bulkhead above me.
Right, two can play that game, I thought to myself. "Actually, yes I do Commander" I replied to Danny, half turning to face her while keeping my eyes staring out of the viewport.
"Really? Something interesting I hope!" said Danny, moving closer to the viewport to get a better look out the reinforced plastic, and incidentally closer to me. I took a breath quietly and then moved around behind her. "Where were you looking?" asked Danny, "I can't see anything especially great".
"Look straight ahead. That's right – straight out through the viewport. Can you see it?" I told her, sliding up behind her in the cramped compartment so I could look out the viewport as well. "That's it – right in front of you now" I told her again, and she craned her head forward to peer through the gases in front of her.
"I can't see anything but gas!" she complained, still staring out the plastic with serious intent.
"Its there"
"Is it worth all this effort?"
"Oh yes, its beautiful" I half whispered. She was snagged now, staring out into the nebula with all her will. I moved again closer to her, lifting my arm up to her shoulder. I felt her move back against me, subconsciously adjusting to my presence as she scanned the skies. I lifted my arm higher, as if to drape it over her shoulder.
WHAM!
I pushed my hand into the back of her head, throwing her forehead forward into the viewport a few inches in front of her with a smack. She rebounded off the tough plastic and fell back onto the floor, coming to a harsh landing on her arse as I neatly sidestepped out of her way.
"That's for scaring the living crap out of your commander!" I said with a laugh as I pulled Danny up off the floor. She growled at me, but was grinning all the same. I hadn't pushed her that hard into the plastic.
Danny stood up straight and brushed herself off, tucked her red hair back behind her ear and looked me square in the eye. At a square six foot, that required a fair bit of looking down on her part to my five six. Tall, short cropped red hair usually tucked behind one ear and with a slim athletic build Danny took the best parts of both her parents, one a model and the other a naval captain, to create possibly the most lustful object in the Navy as I new it. "That wasn't nice Johnny!" she exclaimed after a moments thought, and I doubled over in laughter at the high pitched voice she effected.
As I felt tears form at the corner of my eye, I saw her take the bottom part of her blue naval shirt and tug it down.
Fuck!
I spun to the side just a Danny thundered an open palmed sweep through the air where my head had been. I brought my head up as I came into a half crouch and was forced to dive away to one side as Danny's foot cut through the air where my feet had been. I rolled and stood up, using my left arm to block another sweeping palm and then spinning on my heel to plant an elbow in her midriff.
Or I tried to. Halfway through the manoeuvre one of her legs snaked through mine and caught the back of my left knee, which was currently holding all my weight up for me. As I tumbled, I snaked both arms around her right arm and pulled her down with me, rolling so I fell atop her.
Again, I tried to. As she hit the floor with her back her legs swept up and planted her feet on my chest. One push and I was off the top of her and rebounding off a bulkhead into an intended kick to the stomach. I pushed it aside with one arm as I came back off the wall and then swept in close to her, catching her in a bear hug and bowling her over to the floor. The fall stunned her for a moment and I backed off, allowing her to regain her feet. She came at me again, swinging in legs and punching with fists. I blocked and parried, swept in a few of my own leg kicks and even managed to knock her back into a bulkhead with another charge.
After several minutes though, the end was clear to both of us. Danny was faster and quicker – she blocked my attacks and riposted almost as one, the moves instinctual for her as breathing was to me. In desperation, I gathered my last shreds of reserve energy and leapt into the attack, slicing a harsh riposte into her wrist and then spinning to plant a boot firmly into her ribcage, for which I was rewarded a satisfying gasp of expelled air from her lungs. I spun on my left heel and planted a foot on the bulkhead directly behind me, kicking off it and spinning my foot through the air.
Coming off the bulkhead, Danny ducked under the foot and grabbed hold of my flailing legs with both hands and spun, bringing me crashing into the floor as she threw me down on to it. It felt as if my spine was trying to exit my body via my rib-cage.
Seeing I was finished, Danny flopped down onto the deck next to me. Both of us were sweaty and exhausted. Self-consciously she brushed her hair back behind her ears and even managed to straighten out her tunic. Looking down at mine, I saw at least two dozen creases and what looked to be a foot print marring the fabric. I looked up again and saw Danny vainly trying not to giggle.
"All right all right! I know it was the wrong thing to do!" I exclaimed with several halting breaths. My lungs felt bruised, and several dozen minor bruises were making themselves known to me as I lay flat on the thankfully cool deck.
"A Rebound?" giggled Danny. "I hope you don't think you kick that hard!"
"Oh fine" I breathed grumpily, still trying to cram as much oxygen as possible into my aching body. "What should I have done then?"
"Well not that for one thing! A Rebounds a finishing move, for when your opponents on his last legs" she replied, looking thoughtful. "Maybe a few punches to the chest and gut, or if I'd been a male a kick between the legs. A Rebounds to slow – I was able to recover and take you out with a Slam easily!"
"Guess that's why you graduated top of our martial arts class then"
"Did you even graduate? Oh don't look so pissed. You know you did well in that one, and you were only just behind me on the test"
I laughed "Only cause you lost points for breaking that Marine you were meant to be 'sparring' with" I said, stressing out the sparring part. Danny and sparring didn't mix – Danny and fighting, that mixed very well.
"I didn't break him! Only his jaw and collarbone" argued Danny. She tossed her head and gave me a sly look "Anyway, I made it up to him when he got out of hospital"
I could think of no reply to that! So I stuck out my tongue instead. Danny hated that. So she tried to rip it from my skull with her fingers as soon as she saw it. We rolled on the deck as I vainly tried to stop her pulling my tongue out of my mouth.
A cough brought us up short. I closed my eyes and turned my head towards the door. Opening them slowly, painfully, I saw Actar standing at attention in the open hatchway. A bright red Actar.
All too painfully I was aware of the current situation – a sweaty and exhausted Captain and his second in command, lying with each other on the floor of one of the observation rooms.
"Ahem, ah…" I muttered off. Now this did a lot for my command presence!
"Ensign, report!" called out Danny, sharp as a knife. Actar sprung to attention as if a tightly wound spring.
"Sirs! Admiral Petrarch has requested permission to board the Aeolus!" answered back the furiously blushing Ensign. Thank god for Danny, I thought.
"Ahem" I cleared my throat, "Tell the watch to let him aboard and have him escorted to my cabin. Get the galley to clear the dining hall" a silly word for a four by four metre cubicle with a steel table, I thought "and have them prepare the menu I set up earlier. Three places"
"Aye Aye Sir!" replied Actar, still bright red. He stood there for a moment, as if pondering a question, and then abruptly left by bounding down the hall. The hatch slid shut.
"Oh bollocks. Now the whole crew's going to think I'm shagging the XO!" I exclaimed to the heavens, who at the moment didn't really seem to care.
Danny laughed out loud at that, then collected herself. "Don't worry Johnny – I'll catch up with him and set him right" she assured me.
"For Christ's sake don't do that" I exclaimed. I was getting lots of practice at exclaiming, "He'll think we're trying to cover something up"
"You ordering me not to Johnny?"
"You bet!"
"Aye Aye Sir" She replied smartly, though I could see a grin upon her face as she strode past me. She'd ignore me, to be sure, but at least she'd feel good about it. She always got out of shape if she didn't get to break something regularly, and on a naval starship there weren't that many things you could break and get away with. I guess an order was as good as a jawbone to her.
I picked up my stuff, a few spare coins and a pen which had slid loose of my pockets during the sparring session, and left for my cabin. God knows what would happen if Actar started gossiping about what he'd seen. If someone heard it and passed it on up the chain of command, I'd probably have to stand before an inquiry for breach of conduct – liaisons with subordinates were not allowed, especially aboard the same ship. Aside from that, half the male crew would want to kill me for shagging their sex idol.
The other half would want a blow by blow account, with images to back up my claims to boot.
Either way, it was out of my hands now. I tried to clear my mind and think of a way of how to explain my uniform before I saw the Admiral. At least Danny would have time to shower and change before dinner…
I punched the code for my cabin and strode in, unsurprised to see the Admiral already in my cabin before me. After all, he wasn't in the corridor behind me so where else he could have been.
The Admiral sat on the small bed set into one side of cabin's far bulkhead, staring down onto a photo. I didn't think he'd heard me come in, but before I could even come to attention he spoke out. "How long has it been John?" he asked quietly.
I swallowed, feeling my throat dry out. "Four years, seven months and seventeen days Admiral" I answered, even more quietly than the Admiral if that were possible.
"I keep meaning to ask you for a copy of this photo. The fire claimed most of them, you know" he spoke quietly, still staring intently at the photo.
"I know Admiral. You can have that one" I offered gently, though it tore at my heart to offer it to him.
"No. A copy will do me fine" the Admiral looked up at me now, "I won't take it away from you"
I wasn't inclined to argue, not in the slightest. "Thank you Admiral" I said simply. Neither of us speaking for a few moments, both us of reflecting upon the past.
Suddenly, the Admiral stood up off the bed and crossed the small space between us to offer me his hand. I shook it, ignoring the tears which welled in his eyes. "Come now John, how long has it been since I last saw you and Danny?" he asked gruffly, almost awkwardly. I was glad of the chance to change the conversation.
"Nearly 6 months, Admiral. Just before Aeolus and I rooted out those rogue's in Delta Serpenta"
"Ah yes, I remember seeing the reports on that piece of action. A fine piece of work there" he turned away and discreetly brushed away the tears from his eyes. I ignored him, out of politeness. "How did she hold up?" he asked as he began pacing around the cabin.
"Well" I answered, "Very well. We took some knocks but bonded armour held off most of it, and the new reactors gave us a much faster recharge time than anything they had" I paused for a moment "We had a rough time of it, I'll admit, but we took down all three cruiser-weight ship's they had and vaporised their moon-base"
"Indeed. You should have called for reinforcements on that one Johnny" the Admiral said pointedly.
I shook my head sadly. "There was not time Admiral. Anyway, it all worked out quite nicely I thought"
"Indeed, you rescued all the hostages and killed the rogue leader in what I hear was the best example of fencing ever seen in Delta Serpenta"
"Well, he was an antiques collector you see…" The Admiral cut me off with a laugh. "I'm sure he was Johnny, and I'm sure you carved him up nicely for his pains" he said. "Still, not everything worked out just right, did it"
"No, not really" I replied. The cruise through Delta Serpenta had meant to be a show case cruise for the retrofitted Aeolus-Class. Despite proving itself in combat, Command refused to see reason on re-building the remaining Aeolus's in service. Having the evaluation team kidnapped from the Aeolus might have had something to do with that, I thought sadly.
The Admiral saw my glum expression. "Its not all bad. You made some headway with Command, or so I hear. And rumour had it that you and one of evaluators got on quite closely during the combat.." the Admiral let that one trail off.
"Ahem, well…" luckily I was saved by the bell, or rather the chime from my hatch. Excusing myself from the Admiral, I turned to the hatch and pushed it open. Actar stood outside, already at attention.
"Ensign?"
"Galley reports that dinner is prepared, Captain"
"Excellent" I replied, "Wait here for the moment". I turned back to the Admiral.
"That was the galley – dinners ready Admiral"
"Ah excellent. Well, lead the way" he said, putting down the photo on my desk.
"Well if you'll follow Actar here, he'll lead you on your way. I just need to change quick, and I'm sure Commander Croll will be pleased to entertain you" I replied, pointing at the stained and creased tunic I wore. The Admiral gave a quick laugh and then nodded his head.
"Yes indeed. I'll see to Danny first" that with a sly wink that I had to laugh at "and then you can join us for dinner, Captain"
"Of course Admiral" I nodded, and he followed Actar out of my cabin. I waited for the hatch to hiss shut, then strode to my desk. I picked up the picture the Admiral had put down and stared at it. Danny and myself stared back at me, 5 years younger, looking all groomed and proper at 20 years old. A brown haired young man stood between us, medium height, medium build. Both me and Danny had our arms round his back, while he held Danny with both arms looped around her waist.
Danny's fiancé.
My best friend.
Petrarch's son.
