Hello my faithful readers!!!! I would personally like to welcome you to the 1st OFFICIAL chapter of my story!!! Yayness!!! So anywho, I don't own Treasure Planet, yada yada yada, but I DO own Tessor, and any other character I see fit to make up. So anyway, enjoy!!!
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"Mr. Hawkins," called a sharp, feminine voice. Jim looked up from the deck he was scrubbing.
"Yes, Captain?"
"It would be greatly appreciated if you would come to the helm for a moment and take the wheel, while I check the maps and charts in my stateroom. Can you handle that small task?"
A smile played at the corners of Jim's mouth. "Sure thing Captain," he replied. Captain Amelia raised a pointed eyebrow. Even after one year, this boy was still as cocky as the first day she had met him. Even months at the Academy hadn't been able to straighten out that personality quirk of his.
Jim threw his scrub brush and rag into his bucket of soapy water, ascended the stairs to the helm, and accepted the wheel from the Captain.
"Let's try to keep the ship in one piece, shall we? I'm sure you are quite capable of that," she muttered so only Jim could hear. Given his history with ships, Jim grinned at the remark.
"Aye, Captain. The Legacy is in good hands," Jim answered sarcastically. Amelia rolled her eyes, turned and left Jim in her wake. He doubted that the charts really needed to be checked. The RLS Legacy was always right on course, and the Captain never made mistakes.
But seeing as Jim had taken the semester off from the Interstellar Academy to earn his voyaging hours, it was crucial that he be learned in all aspects of ship maneuvering and maintenance. Which was why Jim was currently back in his old position as cabin boy.
Gotta work your way up, the Captain had said. Just like everyone else.
He respected Amelia's decision and made no complaint of the tasks she assigned him. Like scrubbing the deck for instance. An eyeroll escaped him.
Just like the stuff Silver used to make me do. He made me feel so useless sometimes. But he had his moments.
Jim looked out to the horizon set before him. Millions of stars winked at him from all around, and giant space clouds of every color imaginable swirled around the ship. A sigh of contentment escaped him. These were the moments that truly made him happy, the ones that he lived for.
Sure the Academy was great and all, but it was pretty stifling, and being out in open space was made him feel free and alive, like nothing was out of his reach. Jim's eyes closed in remembrence of his very first voyage. It was then he figured out that this was where he belonged. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, another smile playing on his lips. He would gladly trade all of Flint's Trove (which he helped obliterate), to relive that chapter of his life.
Ten uneventful minutes later, Captain Amelia returned from her stateroom.
"All good, Captain?" Jim asked.
"Aye, Mr. Hawkins, everything seems to be in order. Now, if you'll return to your deck swabbing please."
"Aye." Jim turned and left Amelia at the helm, returning to his bucket. He picked the scrub brush out of the soapy water and returned to his task.
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Later that night, Jim lay wide awake in his hammock. Soon the Legacy would return to Montressor Spaceport, and he would be on his way back to the Academy. A strand of hair fell in his eye, and he proceeded to blow it away. He was going to miss the galactic wind on his face and the peaceful rustling of the solar sails.
I belong in space. Not some classroom. It doesn't matter anyway. Just a few more years, and I'll be out of there and back on a ship.
Jim rolled over in his hammock, closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.
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Yeah, I know it was a bit of a fluff chapter, but it's completely necessary for my plot. Things are going to get rather interesting in the next few chapters, scout's honor! So anyway, please RXR and another chapter, this time with Tessor, will be up. Toodles!!!!