Hellloooooo everyone! I am a humble servant to the cause, a fairweather writer with penchant for teasing. I got the idea for this story because I absolutely love movies and shows which are about sci/fi space adventures. My favorite is Stargate (regular and Atlantis - the latter is on Hulu if you have it!) and definitely Firefly. In fact, if you're a fan of firefly, I would like to believe that the Cassiopeia is a similar fictional analogue. I made her a little bigger, and a little fancier ;) thats the Stargate lover in me. But do you know what ELSE I love? Thats right. Its the ultimate ship, kenshin and kaoru. See what I did there? You guys will like me if you get to know me I swear ;_; JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE 3
But honestly, seriously guys, I have been trolling through the rouken forum for a few weeks now just absolutely revelling in the stories teenage me got offff tooooooo uhgggg so JUICY. I love what yall have done with the place too, new stuff that just makes me giddy. I couldnt contain myself anymore. I had to contribute gorramit ;) And it seeeeems that the space theme is one of the few left... unexplored. hohohohoohhooooooo
If you're familiar with the references I listed, you will find A. LOT. of parallels. Unlike the OG's however, there will be times where I absolutely have no idea what Im talking about. Space knowledge is total mumbo jumbo to me. But i know how to barf back up some stuff ive heard in my many rewatches of these faves. If you have any sciency-flavored input, please dooo shaaarree. I'd love to incorporate some of YOUR mumbo jumbo into this bad bitch.
I have no idea how long this will be in progress, how many chaps, anything. Literally have nothing planned except the plot outline. but thats reeeally all I need right?
if this stupid rambling intro didn't repulse you then WELCOME and I LOVE YOU and please leave a review of even one word if you can stand to.
If you're interested, notes in the footer will be my rearview comments and reread edits!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, really the plot isn't even that original so literally only the poetry of my verse (?) belongs to me
The sky above was a fluid mixture of cool colors; blues and deep purples seemed to swirl together and blend with the last of the looming clouds. The rain had passed just before sunset, rewarding any onlookers with a moody show of extravagant shades and hues. They reluctantly enmeshed with the darkening heat of the setting sun, its own majesty of painterly aesthetic vying for attention in a last gasp of changing day.
Kaoru loved to watch the sunset. On every world, every new planet or moon, they were the one thing she could turn to for the familiar sting of comfort lost. It was a nostalgic feeling that provided equal quantities of longing and love, ringing through her body and reminding her of memories that no longer had corporeal presence in the world. No, the people and moments her mind attached to sunsets so fondly no longer existed on the same plane of being as she. They had been buried on a distant planet, along with a piece of her heart. Perhaps it was that missing part which twanged with aching sadness, the chasm it created in her body only able to amplify in echoes what she cast into it. Despite the bittersweetness of the pain, Kaoru caught the sunset whenever she could, wherever she was.
She was broken from her reverie when a loud crash boomed behind her. Though she did not flinch, she did roll her eyes. Like many others from her scattered bloodline she could sense who it was creating a fuss behind her and if she hadn't been so caught up in her own thoughts, she likely would have been able to prevent whatever chaotic mishap had occurred. After closing her eyes for one more brief moment of peace, she spun on her heel and let the tendrils of her senses snap towards those bodies around the shattered crate that had been dropped.
They had been just amping up the argument regarding blame when they felt the cold drip of their captain's gaze bearing down on them. Both flinching, the two young men turned sheepishly to hold their hands up in placating gestures. The sharp blue eyes of Kaoru Kamiya went between them and the broken crate with rapid precision, a frown tugging her lips down as she crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto one foot. Waiting, they realized, for their assuredly biased explanations.
"It was Rooster-head! I swear! I had a damn good grip on the bottom lip of the box and then he just - "
"A damn good grip?! Then how exactly did it slip when adjusted mine you bratty little - "
"I'm not little! Don't call me that you stupid - "
"Enough," The cool voice made them both halt before they could regain the momentum of their argument. The contents of the crate, medical supplies, lay at their feet surrounded by shards of wood. "Gather the goods and any pieces of lumber there which are salvageable. You two should know better, everything has a cost and a use. This time, employ your more delicate sensibilities." She emphasized the feminine word and pointed at the mess at their feet. "Put them in Megumi's stockroom and don't," she cast a very specific look at the taller of the two, "get distracted. When you're done see that the rest of the cargo is safely secured in the main hold. We can sort it out when we reach sailing altitude." At this final instruction the two men scrambled to begin their orders. Kaoru's gaze had turned back to the sky contemplatively as she spoke her final sentence, a sign that the two crew members took not only as their dismissal but also that their captain was preparing to leave. If things weren't in order by then, they'd get a much worse end of the stick than they'd just had.
"What are you going to do with those two? They're idiots at best and useless at worst." The sparkle of companionable affection tilted the words away from unkind and into teasing, drawing a small smile from Kaoru that reached her eyes and made them sparkle, banishing the last remnants of somber nostalgia that had captured her earlier. The sun was gone now, and all that remained were the calm swirls of the night sky.
She turned to her spritely mechanic and allowed her smile to widen enough to show a few teeth as she reached out to boop the young woman on the nose with her index finger. "Misao," she chided amicably. "You know we couldn't go on without them. Despite their many," a sigh escaped on the next word "many shortcomings, they are still family. And besides, I think young Yahiko is good for Sano. Keeps him on his toes." They shared a conspiratory chuckle, in Misao's case it rang closer to a giggle, before the smaller woman danced off towards the ramp where the two men in question were once again trying to load cargo. Kaoru's eyes followed her trajectory until she disappeared into the hulking mass of metal and wires that they all called home.
The Cassiopeia was a triumph of her homeworld and had seen her ramshackle family through more than its fair share of dangers. The ship boasted many advancements not found anymore on small cruisers, a testament of both progress and revision. She herself had practically grown up on the vessel and knew many of its components left, right and sideways. Its shape was aerodynamic to assist in on-world maneuverability, the bow tapering to a graceful point with an array of weapons and thick shielding to decorate its huge mass. As her appreciative gaze swept backwards she took in its main body, flanked on each side with massive engines that complimented the streamlined shape of the hull. There was one main engine on both the starboard and the port sides and nestled around their greater shape were smaller engines ingeniously designed to support the on-world efforts of her captain, able to move more quietly and flexibly than almost every other vessel of its size.
Kaoru's mind was drawn back into nostalgia as she took in her pride and joy, remembering fondly the many times the ship had saved her life and the lives of her crew. It was a hard boat to pin down in battle whether in the vacuum of space or the atmosphere of a planet. The center mass of the Cassiopeia was her home, swaddled by the fearless bulk of metal and protected from the harsh elements of their many wanderings. It had rooms enough for bunking, generously sized and separated holds for different types of cargo like food and weapons, a training room, a greenhouse, and two small emergency escape ships which each easily fit her entire crew and a solid quantity of supplies. The escape ships were barely visible as she completed her casual inspection, but she knew they were there. One of them betrayed itself by having a few lights visible through the small panels which acted as windows.
Kaoru pulled herself out of her own thoughts this time, tangling her fingers together behind her back and striding towards the open rear hull. It was like a huge yawning beast with a tongue lolled out, easily fifty feet wide and tall to allow any sort of material to be brought on board. The ship itself could have been compared in ancient times to that of a sports field, 'football' her mind supplied, and yet by many it was considered small. For her, it was nothing short of perfect.
Kaoru alighted the ramp a few moments after the men had disappeared inside, meeting up with them in the belly of the hold. "Are we loaded Sanosuke?" The tone of her voice was firm and clipped, the usage of her first-mate and pilot's full name bringing him to immediate attention.
"Aye Cap'n, she's heavy and ready to fly." A smirk broke through his mask of professionalism. She returned it, sharing in his sense of pride.
"Good. Take us up."
Engines flickered alive and then roared in response to their internal commands. Sano was at the front helm in a seat which had seen many rear ends, the worn leather a small comfort to the person managing the controls as it allowed one to sink in a little, like the pilot was a component of the vessel itself. Kaoru glanced over the control panel as Cassiopiea came alive under her pilot's skilled hands. All systems were at full functionality, and as her eyes moved to take in the view of the wide front window, she had a sudden pricking sensation of apprehension. Something inside her was wary of coming danger.
"Shields up, set a course for Dejambe and keep to the dark," referring to the unlit sides of planets they would pass, her hand resting on the curve of Sano's chair. "Let's see how long we can keep Cass this shiny and new."
The response from Sano was another "aye cap'n" and she turned from the bridge to exit into the hall. If she followed it straight for a few paces it would open up into the kitchen, a large room that boasted one of the larger communal spaces on offer. It stretched the width of the ship, an eating area with a large table to the right of her and the cooking space to the left. Around the table were cabinets well-secured for flight that contained anything the crew could want for long voyages; dishes, rags, games and reading material were all well stocked and the latter often rotated to provide fresh entertainment. The kitchen was similar, stuffed to the gills but neatly arranged were utensils, pots and pans, two ranges and two ovens, flash-ovens and coolers for perishables. The ample counter space was clean, and with a smile of satisfaction she knew that if she ran her hand down the length of it there would be no resistance of crumbs or spills. Her crew knew their work. At the end of the counter there was just enough space to open a door, which revealed a spiral stair down into their artificial greenhouse on the level below.
Passing directly through the dining space she came into an even larger room, indeed the one which the rear hatch opened to with its great expanse. It was a room much less cozy than the last, which had been cheerily painted with light blues and greens. This was more like a warehouse space than anything else and from her vantage on the metal catwalk that surrounded it, she could see every part except what was directly beneath her. She was on what could be called the second floor of the room, if it had had one, about thirteen feet off the metal textured floor below. The scaffolding she stood on had been recently replaced due to a rough solar storm and some tricky maneuvering, the twisting proving too much for the decking which, to her knowledge, had been original to the ship. A part of her had been sad to see the broken metal reused in other places or discarded, but she heard her father in the back of her mind whispering approval at her choice to repair it fully and not bandaid the remaining bits. The safety of her crew was paramount, and even in easy flying that catwalk was un-cat-walkable.
Now she stood on it to look out over the cargo bay and the swell in her chest returned from earlier, soothing her in its special way. The ceiling went up another thirty feet above her, arching and dipping in certain areas where mechanical components were required. The belly of the ship, her ship, and it was in the best shape she had ever seen it. She owed much of that to the newest member of their crew. The spirited mechanic performed miracles in the bowels of the ship, deep in the engineering bay where even Kaoru sometimes came up without an answer. The new recruit's talent freed up the captain to make other nonessential improvements, as well as have the time to order a good scrubbing of the ship's insides.
Bringing Misao on had not been a question - it had been an undeniable necessity when her security officer had stoically brought her the trembling bundle of blankets and dirty rags. The girl had been running from something, but she couldn't remember what or for how long. She'd been a street orphan for as long as she knew life, on a waste planet outside the bounds of civilized worlds. Kaoru's man had been passing through a market when he saw her knock out two boys coming at her from a small gang, and did not allow the rest to have their shot. When he had looked over his shoulder after dispatching the hooligans, he caught her wide green eyes and knew he could not leave her. Though she had landed two punches the effort must have cost her dearly because no sooner had she cemented herself in his heart with that first look, she had collapsed.
'How long ago was that now… it must be at least five years..' Kaoru wandered through the memory as she began the descent into the cargo bay, hand drifting along the railing as she went. Misao had looked barely ten, but after a few good meals and a bath she had unhesitatingly revealed her entire self to the crew. Still a young lass at nineteen in those days, she knew she looked fragile and had often played that to her advantage in the world. She was a skilled manipulator and could weasel her way into the tightest physical spaces imaginable. She had stolen food to get ahead, but never caused harm. 'Well..' Kaoru thought with an affectionate quirk of her lips, 'unless circumstances demanded otherwise,'
Although they were a rag-tag bunch of misfits, all of her crew had strong moral convictions regarding right and wrong. They had been in many ways victims of their advanced society, left behind or deemed unworthy to be a part of its luxurious civilized world. They came together and stayed together due to bonds of loyalty and trust, each of them having their own predispositions but working to remain as one, as a family.
Misao seamlessly fit into their clan and rapidly proved her incalculable worth. The girl was a wonder in mechanical engineering. She couldn't remember her youth, but one thing was clear - before the loss of her memories, she had lived on a ship. Kaoru privately suspected she had been a relative of the employed mechanic therein, and so had been inundated with the function of a space cruiser since she had been old enough to comprehend anything at all. It seemed like she'd had an excellent teacher; even though she couldn't remember her mother's face, Misao knew the intricate components of a spaceship as well as the back of her hand. She could repair a hyperdrive, restore weapons functionality, and reroute power in the most desperate circumstances under the greatest pressure for survival. Kaoru could never have dreamed of finding such a skilled engineer, having had to maintain the ship herself for many years before finding Misao.
'Or should I say, before she found us?' At this Kaoru's eyes alighted on a door above her on the scaffolding she had just come down from, away to the right of where she had been standing. The request to move into joint quarters had come as a surprise, particularly because it had been her icy security officer who had come knocking one day a few months ago with the question and not the green-eyed ball of energy she had been expecting. It was no secret that from the first moment Misao had been infatuated with Aoshi, though he had spent the last few years carefully keeping distance between them and trying very hard not to get attached. But coming from Aoshi, with no warning that they had even begun having an intimate relationship, she had been shocked and a little hesitant.
"No offense, but you know that she's become far less expendable than you, yes? It must not come down to you-or-her should anything arise…" The implication in what she had left unsaid had hung between them. "And in addition to that, I must have your word that this will not compromise your own responsibilities on this ship, Aoshi. Is that understood?"
Her eyes left the door again. For six months now there had been no problems and in fact, she was beginning to see improvements due to the change in accommodations. Aoshi's manner was still cold, but there was a comfortable ease to his body language when Misao was nearby. And, blessedly, she aimed almost all of her rambunctious energy at him whenever possible. The little she had leftover was more than enough to share amongst the rest of the crew.
The rustle of fabric alerted her that she was no longer alone in the cargo bay. With her hand resting on one crate she turned her head to catch sight of the presence. "Megumi," she breathed with a gentle smile. "I'm glad to see you well again, captain," The other woman's voice was practically a purr, smooth and easy in its tone but with a crispness to its edges, like a viper ready to strike. It was a playful sort of viciousness that she had come to expect from the woman, one that had gone from irritating to almost-friendly in their many years of knowing each other.
"Thank you. I hope that Sano didn't damage any of the materials brought to your storage? I know you had to use a lot of what we had on me, I'm hoping this batch will replenish what was used and still keep us going a little longer than last time." She winced when thinking about how much her recent escapades had cost. The wound in her right side still ached, and that was enough, but on top of that medical supplies were hard to come by and expensive when they could be found. They hadn't made enough money off the job that had wounded her to make up for the losses incurred as a result.
"Hohoho, that brute did his best to be gentle with them, but I'm sure it was one of the great challenges of his lifetime to do so." Her hand came up to cover her laughing mouth with a practised ease. Kaoru knew that Megumi could share or not share her emotions at will, covering them with the expertise of a trained companion, and found that when Megumi was most comfortable she would blend both together into what Kaoru could only presume was her truest personality. A little control, a little wickedness, and a little kindness all blended in perfect measure. Pleased that Megumi had gotten to this level of comfort around her more regularly, Kaoru offered a smile.
"He could use a few lessons in grace, couldn't he? You might be the perfect teacher.." Kaoru's look was just a little devious as Megumi's laughter stilled to give the captain a little glare of warning over her still-raised hand. "I don't think even my skills could soften those edges," She huffed in response, shrugging off the sisterly tone in which Kaoru had suggested the idea of the two sharing space with any kind of amicable talking and listening. It was rarely anything but bickering and teasing between the pilot and doctor. In that instant Kaoru was quite grateful for even the instability of her crazy band of misfits. They were all healthy, well-fed and looking forward to the next leg of the race. Everything seemed so easy, so calm and refreshing. Kaoru savored these little moments, as they did not often present themselves in their line of work.
Almost as if the fates themselves had intervened at that precise second, a crackle from a discrete speaker set their postures straight as they both waited to hear the words carry through it.
"All hands to stations, captain to the bridge," The words were spat out quickly as though the speaker was quite busy with other tasks. The women shared a look of resigned worry before dashing off in different directions. Megumi raced up a separate catwalk stair and into a door towards the other end of the cargo bay, and Kaoru retraced her earlier path to the bridge in a few seconds flat.
"Report!" She demanded as she entered, slipping smoothly into the seat a few feet from Sano's own with a myriad of controls, switches and lights between them. Before them stretched the wide expanse of the forward view, thick glass reinforced with shielding protecting them from the nothingness they floated through. Except, it wasn't nothingness.
They had come around the side of a small moon and into a battleground. Two massive ships were firing on each other, ricocheting blasts off their shields and seemingly at an impasse of capacity for engagement. The Cassiopeia was a cruiser class but had been designed specifically for maneuverability, reconnaissance and stealth. They were as yet undetected by the warring sides, but the emptiness around them was littered with debris from both ships. Both parties' vessels were at least four times the size of the Cassiopeia, but to Kaoru's trained eye they were also much older models. One looked to have even been converted from battle-class to transport in its long lifetime, and unfortunately it seemed like that would be its downfall. She could see its shields failing as more and more enemy shots picked off vital components. In an instant their main weapons system was eliminated and Kaoru pursed her lips, knowing a death-nell when she saw one.
Sano was beside her keeping a similar cautious eye on the battle but also working to maintain the ship's position and shielding, recalibrating it against the tiny pieces of debri that could threaten the integrity of their own hull. They drifted to a slow pace, then halted while still in the shelter of the moon's orbit. With their shields raised and energy output diminished, they had essentially cloaked themselves against detection. It seemed, however, that both warring ships were much too busy to engage with the Cassiopeia even if they had noticed her.
Kaoru watched tensely as the less-damaged ship seemed to pause in its attack, aware of the position it had the transport in and apparently evaluating its options. "Tune in to communications." The words were quiet as she spoke them, gaze remaining fixed on the combatants. Wordlessly Sano complied, flicking a few switches and then adjusting a dial to amplify the connection.
"Give up -" static, then "- all we want, otherwise -" more static, "imminent destruction. Respond immediately or -" infuriating static took away the last of the transmission as Sano fiddled with more controls.
"Sorry Cap, I think one of them is emitting a frequency that's dampening relay." His brow furrowed as he worked, "Probably the losing side, they may have beaming tech -" His words were cut off by a clear return from the transport ship, a stout masculine voice.
"We will not surrender to you, and you will not take this ship. Our crew have made it to the planet and it is only I on board. Come and collect your bounty on the pain of death."
Koaru made a confused face as she picked apart the words. There was something familiar about them in addition to their mixed message. Suddenly she sat up and slammed a few buttons while sparing a shout to the still bewildered Sano "Get us behind the moon!" Her voice was clear but if one knew where to look within it, there was panic. Sano understood immediately and gave a hard shove to a lever to his left, then reached up and pulled another one above his head. Their bodies lurched forward as the ship's reverse thrusters came alive under his hands and pushed the ship backwards, retreating to the safety of the moon's shadow.
"Maximum power to shields, hold our position, shut down nonessential electricals." She barked out orders while committing her hands to others not voiced, rapidly flying over the controls and hoping she had reacted with enough time to protect the Cassiopeia and its human contents. Unquestioningly Sano followed her instructions and then, just as both of their hands stilled, a bright white light flashed and blinded them momentarily before it was followed by the silent boom of an explosion. From their position they could only see a small portion of the burst, which was large enough to create light in the dark place they had sheltered for longer than Kaoru was comfortable. There had been a lot of force behind that explosion and she had a feeling it was not the aggressor who had caused it.
They breathed quietly for a few seconds, Sano straining with preparation to act on his captain's next command, and when she gave it he started in surprise. "Move back into the battleground, I want to see the aftermath of that one." This time with some reservation and a half of a frown, Sano haltingly obeyed. He didn't like the idea of putting their ship back into the battle theatre, but he knew better than to question Kaoru's instruction at a time like this.
Kaoru stood from her chair and stepped around the control array to stand in the small space in front of the viewing window. It was room enough that the entire seven man-and-woman crew of the Cassiopeia could occupy the space together. When she was there alone in moments like this she felt most like her father, hands clasped behind her back and posture straight, staring out into the void with an unreadable expression.
The destruction was unparalleled. The transport ship had chosen to destroy itself instead of being taken over by what she was beginning to suspect were pirates. It was like a snowstorm of broken metal swirling around them, bouncing off their invisible energy shield and spiraling back out into the void. They had emerged just in time to see that the ship which had emerged victorious was recalling its fighters, small one- or two-man ships for close range attacks in space and scouting on-world. Kaoru watched them enter an open bay before the large door slid shut behind them, and then the main ship opened a hyperspace window. Swirls of blue, green and white in an aurora of color burst through the blackness of the open sky and within seconds the ship had passed into it, disappearing and leaving only destruction in its wake. Then they were alone again.
"What the fuck," Sano finally breathed, slumping back into his chair in pure relief. "That thing could have wasted us without any effort." He covered his face with his hands, groaning. Slowly dragging them down to reveal his eyes, he took in his captain, who was still assessing the remains of the fight with her back to him. If he didn't know her better, he would think that the fidgeting of her tightly clasped fingers meant anxiety. She was thinking hard about something.
"We must have come right at the end. Their fighters were on the ground looking for where the ship had beamed the crew to. I wonder if they found anyone.." She said in thoughtful reflection, ignoring Sano's remarks. "They told the aggressor that they had sent the crew to the planet, why would they do that…" The gears in her head were grinding. This didn't make any sense. Her lips pursed again in consideration of the evidence. If the captain of the transport could be so cavalier with the location of his crew, it only left a few possibilities. Either he knew they would be safe with whatever protections the settlement had on the planet, or he had wanted the opposing side to go after them instead of…
"Expand the lifesigns detector, check for survivors." Her tone remained detached as she continued her line of thinking. What type of cargo would be so valuable that the ship carrying it would rather the enemy go after its crew? And how could it have been protected when there were only little pieces remaining of the once massive transport vessel? There was a slim chance that the responding captain had made it to an escape pod before he blew the ship. If he was out here floating, depending on the type of pod, he might be in trouble. If they found him perhaps there would be more information offered. Maybe even a reward, which would really come in handy after the expensive supplies-and-repairs-themed vacation they'd been on for the last few weeks.
A sharp intake of breath behind her had her turning. She raised an eyebrow and strode over to Sano's chair, watching him make adjustments and then begin moving the ship forward. "I found one," he said without looking up from the small monitors. "A few clicks ahead of us, a damaged pod, it's not sending out a rescue signal which is probably why trigger-happy didn't find it," A small breathy sound belied her amusement at how Sano spoke of the other ship. She found she agreed, having a strong distaste for anyone who would threaten complete destruction on a seemingly simple transport ship.
"Get it on board." Then she punched a button nearby and this time it was her voice that rang through the entire ship instead of Sano's. "Crisis averted folks, you can relax."
It took her little time to emerge from the bridge and head to the main cargo bay. The main airlock they used to access space debris was connected to it, and instead of properly using the stairs Kaoru slid down them with her hands on the railings, reaching the bottom with a light step to turn and be in position to open the airlock. From behind her she could hear the rest of the crew, sans Sano, approaching with different flavors of curious conversation. They had been moving towards the bridge for a check-in when they found their Captain waiting patiently in front of the airlock, so they reoriented the course of their gaggle to join her. Misao was covered in grease smudges everywhere her skin was visible, Aoshi next to her and listening with rapt attention as she described the nuance of the task she had been engrossed in only to have to leave it for an apparently bluff encounter -
"It was not a bluff. Megumi, please prepare to treat whoever comes out of this pod. I have no idea what their condition is, I think the pod was damaged in the explosion." Everyone dropped into silence at her words as her gaze swept over them and landed on Megumi, who curtly nodded and with a wave to Tsubame, her young assistant, the two dashed back up to the alcove they had come from.
The crew was spread out behind her in a sort of semi-circle around the airlock door. Wordlessly she stepped up to it and watched through the small window as the outer doors opened and a beam from inside the chamber reached out to grasp the free-floating pod she could now see with her naked eye. The beam was an incredibly useful piece of technology that not many other ships could boast, allowing them to snag useful debris out of space or, in this case, escape pods, and drag it into the airlock where it could be retrieved into the cargo hold. Kaoru watched as the pod floated gently into the small room, then the outer doors shut and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Human life was a precious thing in their age, and this one all the more so for what it might tell them of the cargo that ship had been so ready to incinerate itself to protect.
With the press of a button, the inner doors opened. With Yahiko and Aoshi's help, aided with the eventual arrival of Sano as his duties in the bridge were stabilized, the pod was dragged into the main hold area and the airlock was sealed again. The pod was of a design Kaoru was not familiar with. All eyes watched her hands walk up it looking for an access point until she stilled. Her trained senses had entered the chamber already and reported back the strangest sensations. There was anger, concern, and a tinge of fear. But above all else, there was power. Whoever was in the pod had a disturbingly large presence of spirit and it tickled the edges of her mind with a sort of ghostly pass. She pulled her hand back and frowned, the only sign to her crew that there was something disturbing her.
"Captain?" Aoshi prompted in his quiet way, wondering what had bothered her. Kaoru shook her head a little and tried to set aside the sensation that someone was capable of connecting with her so directly, and that it had seemed to relax after the brush along her senses. Her hand finally found the mechanism for externally opening the pod and it clicked open with a hiss before the entire top folded open to reveal the body inside. Her hand, which had hovered in the place it had engaged the opening control, remained in its position as its stunned body worked to understand what it was looking at.
As they all peered inside, the man in the pod did not stir. He looked tired and had tears and burns in his clothing, though physically seemed unharmed for the most part. He had flaming red hair that was deeper than the colors of the sunset and much longer than was typical for a man, lightly tanned skin and a slight frame. He couldn't have been much taller than Kaoru herself judging by the extra space in the pod. He was motionless though, and just when Kaoru was bending down to get a closer look at his face she was jostled by the arrival of Megumi and Tsubame. They wasted no time in checking his vital signs and having the men lift the refugee onto a stretcher, bearing him away down a hallway that led to the chamber near Megumi's quarters that served as the infirmary. Kaoru followed, wanting an update on his condition and knowing the fastest way to get one was to stay close enough to Megumi to hear her talking both to herself and Tsubame.
"He needs fluids, and a bandage on the left forearm," was one mumble Kaoru caught before the man was in their one infirmary cot and being efficiently fussed over by the two women. Aoshi, Sano and Yahiko had stepped back and were now sharing glances wondering exactly what to think about the new passenger. They all knew Kaoru had a habit of adopting strays, especially when they were hurt, but even they with their limited senses could tell that there was much more to this man than met the eye. Kaoru waved their hand at them dismissively, trying to imbue the action with a little reassurance as well.
"We will manage this for now. Yahiko, get some food started. Sano, I want us back on our original course with a heavy dose of caution as we pass out of this quadrant. Aoshi, remain at the ready in case our… guest, does not awake in a pleasant mood." Her eyes returned to his unconscious face as she spoke, considering for the first time that she only hoped that he was an escapee of the transport ship, and not a coward from the aggressor. Something inside her dismissed the idea easily, but that same part was the one tugging her closer, humming along the sensory strings which had tentatively connected the two of them before she had even opened the pod. Looking internally at them with a critical eye she could not place the comfort they brought in any tangible memory, yet the sensation was familiar.
Another thought occurred to her. Just as Sano's body had filled the doorway in exit, she stopped him. "And Sano - put a marker on this planet. If the crew was beamed aboard, we should know how to get back in case any of them would claim this man. They might be his people, but I'm not going to risk staying here until he wakes up to find out. Who knows what we've gotten ourselves into here." Sano's dark brown eyes considered her for a moment, then he nodded and was gone.
A sigh took her away from her thought process and caused her to look up at Megumi, who had paused in her ministrations to replace the redheads arm on the bed after taking his pulse. "He seems in good health, but I have the strangest idea that he has used all of his energy on something. The best I can figure out is that he is in a deep sleep, and I have no way of knowing when he will wake again. What are your wishes, Captain Kamiya?" Woven into the respectful question was a reminder that Kaoru was responsible for the safety of everyone on board, and bringing on a stranger with no information could be a dangerous decision.
After a moment's hesitation she let her blue eyes soften. "I don't think he poses a threat to us and Sano is already working on getting us out of the area. When he wakes up, I want him to answer a few questions. But until then…" She trailed off, examining his features as she thought. "I will stay with him a little while, if he doesn't wake up soon then likely he will much later. We will take shifts. Aoshi, you can relieve me in four hours. And bring me the better parts of whatever Yahiko is cooking." She added the last part with a bit of a pessimistic groan. At least he cooked better than she did.
"And bring an extra portion for the new guy, just in case."
Author Review
WoW dId I lEaRn SoMe StUff
I am so out of practice with creative writing, my internal thesaurus needs some tweaking and I have a super bad habit of using repetitious language in the same paragraph... if yall catch any of these little errors you are SO welcome to point them out to me either in a pm or review.
So what do yall think of this little setup? I'm sort of aiming to blend a little sci-fi, a little fantasy, and a little of everything else in here. I've probably read this about 100 times by now and I'm still enjoying the little nuggets of plot.
if You read this yesterday when it came out, you may want to glance over it one more time for a few adjustments made to the conversations happening and a little extra info. But you're not missing much if you choose not to :)