Chapter Four: We've Met
/\/\/\
"Darling… it's four in the morning." Delbert said feeling for the sheets that had been promptly seized from the bed. "You really don't have to be down to the Legacy for another two hours. So that should give us another hour of sleep."
"Delbert, if I let you sleep another hour, we wouldn't get to the Legacy until seven."
"Excellent!" Delbert said in a muffled tone into his pillow, finally finding a scrap of sheets and pulling them over himself. "I'll meet you on board at seven then."
"I could order you to get up if I really wanted to." Amelia said staring down at him, hands on her hips.
"I'm not a naval officer, you can't order me around." Delbert said, or at least that's what it sounded like.
"You're now a part of my crew and – never mind." Amelia said and in one swift motion grabbed a handful of sheets and pulled with all of her strength. Doing so cause Delbert to tumble out of bed and onto the cold hard floor.
"You'd think a newly engaged couple would have pushed past this type of physical abuse." Said Delbert standing up.
"I do love you Doctor, but I'll not start getting behind schedule because of you. Not hurry up and get dressed, we're running late." Amelia said touching one sharpened claw to Delbert's nose and passing a kiss along to him.
"Aye Captain."
When Delbert arrived down stairs in fifteen minutes time, Amelia was sitting down at a barstool in the kitchen drinking a steaming cup of coffee and going over some form of paperwork or another. When Delbert arrived in the kitchen, Amelia looked up and smiled.
"Don't we look quite dashing this morning…" Amelia said as she rose from her seat and walked over to her fiancé. Amelia straightened out the collar of his shirt and kissed him. He actually did look rather handsome on this day. He favored dark sturdy pants, a light tan shirt, boots that stopped just shy of his knees, and a long black trench coat draped around his arm ready for when they left the house.
"I – ah – I don't know." Delbert said bashfully after the kiss was broken. "I thought it might be a bit more appropriate. This is going to be a long voyage and my normal clothing seemed unfit for this type of voyage."
"Darling, you may look the part of a spacer but you're still easily one of those foolish academics that cause all us spacers so much trouble." Amelia teased, a devilish look in her eyes.
"Dear if I wanted to cause you so much trouble I would have dressed like a politician." Delbert replied, a playful smile at his lips.
"Quite the silver-tongue today, aren't we Delbert Doppler? If I didn't know any better I'd say those clothes are aiding your attitude."
"No, I think you're beginning to influence me."
"And clearly I can't influence your clumsiness seeing as you so effortlessly tripped over your own pajamas only minutes ago upstairs."
Seeing as Delbert had clearly lost this battle of wits he gave up and kissed Amelia, who passed a hot cup of coffee to him when he sat down. As he drank his coffee he watched Amelia silently, who had gone back to her papers. She hadn't yet put her white gloves on just yet and he could see the engagement ring on her finger. The sunlight showing through the window hit the diamond perfectly. It looked perfect on her. She looked perfect. He was staring, and his coffee was getting cold. He noticed this and went back to drinking her lukewarm coffee.
"Seeing as you've clearly lost track of time Doctor, it's time for us to go." Amelia said taking Delbert empty cup and rinsing it in the sink while he put on his coat.
"I love you." Delbert said as Amelia dried her hands and placed her gloves on over them. Amelia looked up at him and smiled.
"I love you too darling."
Delbert reached out and brushed her cheek, and leaned in to kiss her. It was soft, yet passionate.
"What was that for?" Amelia asked n barely more than a whisper. Delbert only smiled.
"Simply because I'm going to miss Amelia for the length that we'll be gone. I'll just have to settle with the company of the charming Captain Smollet."
"Doctor, do you know how hard you make it for me force us to leave this house?"
"I t was worth a shot."
"Come on darling. We are extremely late." Amelia said turning behind Delbert and shoving his bag into his arms and placing a well manicured hand on his shoulder and pushing him out the door.
"Only by five minutes by my watch." Delbert said in a mock innocent tone.
"Yes, five minutes. Like I said: extremely late. Now go." Amelia countered locking the door as Delbert walked out of the house.
"Aye Captain."
When they arrived at the Legacy, Amelia and Delbert parted their separate ways. Amelia to conduct her first inspection on the ship, and Delbert down to his cabin to place his things and then back up to the main deck. Delbert stood off to the side and out of the way of working crewmen and looked up to Amelia, admiring her from afar.
Delbert looked over to the other six ships that filled the shipyard. The Legacy would stand as the flagship of the fleet with the Titan and the Zetsumei would follow with Captains Granger and Togashi in command, and the four battle ships that bordered the fleet: The Captains and their ships, the Phoenix and the Nautilus under authority of Captain Granger, and the Odyssey and Draconian, and their captains, under the authority of Captain Togashi.
The battleships were the most up armored and powerful the navy had to offer. The true purpose of these ships was to win the battle at any costs, and those who served aboard these ships followed the same vow. Destruct the enemy or be destructed before the enemy could do the same to you. They were a set of eight ships that the empire had had constructed for the Royal Navy. They were used in extreme situations war and dangerous missions such as this, were a fleet must be dispatched to confront.
Of all the times he had visited the spaceport in his life, of ll the times he had gazed upon the magnificent vessels that frequented port, this was the first time it seemed exceptionally ominous to Delbert Doppler.
He could hear commands being shouted out by Ian Firth, Amelia's first officer, to a young ensign just fresh out of the academy. He had apparently let loose a line that had led to a set loose one of the laser cannons, making it nearly slam against the railing of the ship. He had caught it just in time but as a result received a verbal lashing from his superior. Delbert came out of his corner and made to speak to Firth.
"Good morning Doctor." Said the first officer. "Another hour and we should be setting sail."
"Good news. Seems that you've had a busy morning." Delbert said. "Still wish you were at home though."
"Aye, I do Doctor. I would say that my views are the same as the Captains. More than a weeks time for leave would have been nice after a long journey versus delving straight into another, but duty calls. All in all though, beyond work time well spent." Firth said in undertones to Delbert.
"Ah. Yes. And how is your – um"
"Quite well. Whishes are the same as mine. I would say you're the lucky one in this Doctor. Not every Captain tolerates a academics long enough to keep the said expert onboard long enough unless there's some strong reason or order behind it." Firth said with a devilish grin.
"I ah – You will keep that to yourself." Delbert said
"Aye sir. Well, I'd gather I best get back to my duties. Good day Doctor."
"Good day sir." Delbert said and Firth tipped his hat to him and walked back out to open deck passing a watchful eye onto the careless ensign who had moved onto bolting down another cannon.
Delbert went back to move back out of the way and for a while and kept to himself. He was looking through a book of star charts of the nearest systems when he looked up and Amelia caught his eye from the bridge and motioned him over to her.
"How fares your inspection Captain?" Delbert said as he stood beside her on the bridge.
"Very well Doctor. If you don't mind, I would like a word with you in my stateroom before the command briefing.
"Of course Captain." Delbert said following her to her stateroom, shutting the door behind them as they entered, but when Delbert turned around he an Amelia were met by Admiral Carson.
"I hope you don't mind me letting myself in Captain. I trust the Legacy is ready to get under way?"
"It is." Amelia said sharply, a bit put off at finding Admiral Carson in her stateroom. "Is that the only reason you saw fit to let yourself into my stateroom Admiral?"
"Of course not Captain, inspections of my fleet are only part of why I'm here. But I do need a word with you Captain…" said the Admiral and looking over Delbert said, "Alone, if you mind Doctor."
"Not at all sir." Delbert said, looking to Amelia who only looked towards the Admiral. Delbert passed a last look to Carson who only looked at him with that high air of smugness he was famous for, then turned around a left her stateroom.
"I trust your morning has been productive Captain?" Carson said taking advantage of liberties and taking a seat in the chair at Amelia's desk.
"It has Admiral. Now, would you please explain to me why you're speaking to me from behind my desk, let alone on my ship?"
"Captain, I would have thought you one to keep a strict line between your work and your personal life." Amelia stared at him as if daring him to stray closer to what he was heading to say. "I mean really carting your lover around on a mission such as this… quite unprofessional Captain."
"I beg your pardon Admiral, but the Doctor is the top most expert in his field."
"I'm sure he is…"
"Admiral, is there some reason why you are here at the present? I await to meet with the other captain's of the fleet before we are to get underway."
"At which meeting I shall be present Captain. I just wanted to meet with you ahead of time, let you know how things will be run on this mission." Carson said staring past steepled fingers.
"Admiral if I may speak plainly?" Carson waved a hand for her to continue. "Admiral, I was under the impression that orders state that the fleet is under my command, not yours. I have had a command of my own for near ten years now, I know how to run a vessel, a crew, and dare I say it a fleet. Records prove I have done it before."
"So they have Captain. I, however shall be accompanying the fleet on this tour, and the with the Legacy as flagship you do command her, and I will be keeping a very watchful eye on you, your renegade command style, and the go over of the mission itself. I will be boarding the Titan with Captain Granger."
"It would seem you are the only one to distrust my competence and experience to take command during this operation." Amelia said trying to control her temper. From the look of her she was calm and controlled, but her eyes shone with the fire of the wrath Admiral Carson was testing.
"Know your place while speaking with me Captain." Carson growled rising from Amelia's chair, and ending standing only feet from her. "Your future commands will be given thought to by my recommendation of your duty performed here. I would trust it in your best interests not to slip up."
"You make it sound as if it were your neck on the line here Admiral. And by the way, higher ups have given me the command I want due to my own competence, not your lack there of." Amelia said smirking, knowing full well she had hit a nerve.
Admiral Carson glared at her, daggers in his eyes.
"I really would watch your tongue Smollet, wouldn't want to be stuck with a meandering desk job for a minor slip up. If it were up to me you would have been the last officer of choice to command this charge."
"Then I am glad it was not your choice Admiral."
Before Carson could get another word in edgewise, there was a knock at the door to Amelia's stateroom. It was Firth. The captains of the other vessels were ready to board for the mission brief before casting off.
Delbert came back above deck when the meeting of the ships captains ended and they were all filing off the Legacy and onto their own respective ships. Admiral Carson was one of the last to leave and gave Delbert a pompous glance in passing. Delbert ignored the man best he could, the only thing that irked him was that he had not idea why the admiral acted in such towards him. He was about to make his way to the main bridge when he heard someone say his name from behind. Turning around he saw a man in a blue captains uniform, not unlike Amelia's advancing toward him from the gangplank.
"Delbert Doppler, my lords I cant believe it's really you!" At Delbert's stunned expression the man said again, "You don't recognize me do you?"
"No – Well, yes I do. I just never thought I'd run into you again. It's very good to see you Kylan." Delbert said shaking Captain Granger's hand. "I see military life has treated you well."
"Aye it has old friend. Always knew academia wasn't for me. My scores through college proved that much didn't it? Never thought I'd see you on with this deal. Must say you look like a spacer, didn't convert over too did you?"
"Ah no I didn't. Just a normal astrophysicist, just happens to be on board for this mission."
"Too modest Delbert, always were. But listen I do have to get back to the Titan but we must catch up. First port me make aye?"
"All right." Said Delbert hesitantly.
Amelia watched the Admiral and the rest of the fleets' captains disembark her ship to head for their own. Captain Granger caught her attention when she saw him catch the attention of her canid doctor and speak to him for a few fleeting minutes. It made her curious to find how the men knew each other when she saw them embrace, Granger with a wide smile and Delbert somewhat timid to the whole situation. She made a point to ask Delbert about it later.
When she finally did he answered in a strange way. He said that he and Kylan Granger had attended college and the first year of graduate school together where then Granger had left applied and left for the interstellar academy. He said that he had lost touch with the man near a year after joining the academy. He had answered her questions all to the point, which is what struck her strange. Delbert never blabber on at all, it was as if Kylan Granger was a subject Delbert was not too comfortable discussing. She brushed it off as nothing for the time being and let him be.
"I believe that best be all for now. Not much else we can do until we reach port in the Marquis system next week if everything goes to plan." Amelia said two and a half weeks later as another briefing ended and the other ships captains left her ship. Captain Granger, however, stayed behind to ask Amelia to pass a message along to Doctor Doppler inviting him to the Titan once the ships made port.
"If I may ask, how exactly do you know him Kylan?"
"Aye, we were pretty good friends through college, without 'im I'd have never made it through the first year of grad school. Decided it wasn't for me though. That's how I ended up in the academy."
"So I've heard." Amelia said in an undertone to herself.
"Shame I couldn't have kept contact with 'im though. Lost touch after the funeral." Granger said solemnly.
"Funeral?"
"Aye. His wife, Juliana; Lovely woman, very friendly. It about tore 'im apart when she died. She got real ill see? I don't even think he knew what was wrong with her, she wouldn't tell 'im. Everything seemed to be going real well for a while. She got real healthy right before the wedding; I was his best man. Juliana died only four months after though. Aye, that was about ten years ago I believe. The leave I took first year at the academy, to the funeral. Thas' why I was so surprised to see 'im here. Must've come outta his shell some wince then. I just wanted to talk with 'im, reminisce you know? 'Bout the good thing of course."
"I see." Amelia said quietly. "I'll pass your message along then."
"Aye thanks Kathryn." Granger said, flashed a smile and left her to head back to him own ship.
After he left Amelia walked over to her desk and sat down. She suddenly felt lightheaded, Of all the things she had known about Delbert Doppler, she had never expected this, and if she had, she had never expected him to hide it from her. For a time she sat staring at the door of her stateroom. She didn't know how long she was staring at the same spot on the door. All she could think about were Delbert's word when she asked him how he knew Kylan Granger.
"We've met. We were in college together and the first year of grad school before he left for the Interstellar Academy. We lost touch not long after he left for the academy."
Those words and Kylan's story repeated themselves in Amelia's head all morning.