the surrender. If the Karn government had just acknowledged
the Ebrim superiority before that last battle, my father would be here today.”
“Aden, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Why didn't you
tell me earlier?”
“I try not to think about it. My whole family despises
the fact I joined the Lashmere military. They believe I sold out the Karn
people, but all I ever wanted to do was serve in space. When I discovered I was
so good at drone command and got my meritorious promotion, no one in my family
was happy. They all told me to stop helping the enemy.” Aden sighed heavily. “I
usually try not to talk about it because it's such a depressing topic. I'm
proud of the fact I can serve the people of Lashmere.”
“Sounds like you have the right attitude, Aden.
Sometimes the past can be really hard to let go of.”
“Yeah.”
Marli took Aden's chin in her hand and tilted his face
up. She looked at him for a long moment before letting go. “Come on, Aden.
Let's get out of here before you depress everyone else.” She smiled and gave
him a suggestive wink. “Besides, I know just the thing to take your mind off
the past.” With that, she took his hand and practically dragged him out of the
boarding concourse.
Stokes watched the pair depart. He turned to Hanlon
and said, “How long has that been going on?”
Linis said, “About five weeks now, sir. I was pretty
surprised. Patho isn't who I would have pegged as her type.”
“Well, she'll have to put a stop to it once she is
officially assigned as our science officer tomorrow morning. I suppose we can
let them have one last night together before I surprise her with her new
orders. I was going to present them to her informally this evening.”
“Sir, I never knew... you're a romantic.”
Stokes chuckled quietly, almost to himself. “Since you
are shortly headed to a system at least a hundred light years from here, I can
assume my secret is safe?”
“I am the reigning queen of discretion, sir,” Hanlon
grinned at Stokes.
“Things won't be the same without you here, Linis.”
“I'll miss you too, sir.”
The pair quietly contemplated the moment for a few
seconds and then nodded to one another and strode off to their separate duties.
Hanlon went to clean out her cabin so Kri could move in, and Stokes set out to
begin driving the shipyard with Hanlon's schedule.
The expeditionary force departed in an alliance troop
transport seven days later. The cavernous ship, originally designed to haul
massive loads of consumer goods and raw materials from one side of the alliance
to another, housed the entire force easily. The ship had been retrofitted with
expanded life support and a warren of crew quarters. Most of the crew of
Rampart came to cheer and support those who were leaving.
Cobb joined the other member of the scientific team,
an actual archaeologist, Dr. Stapeley, who was a long-time expert in the study
of mankind's origins and arrival on Lashmere. The two man team reported to
Stokes and Kri before being assigned guest quarters.
Stokes had not relished telling Simmons she was
assigned to the Rampart. She had frequently been a problem with discipline, and
he had his doubts as to whether or not she would follow protocol and break off
her relationship with Patho now that they were assigned to the same command. So
far, no one had reported any questionable behavior to him, and Kri had taken a
strangely intense interest in ensuring the pair was actually following the
rules. Vesper had assured Stokes that Simmons would be transferred back off the
Rampart once their exploration of Buckman's star was over.
Rampart was ready to depart the Lashmere system two
days later, a full eleven days ahead of schedule. Hanlon's organizational
abilities were still bearing fruit. The morning of departure, all stations were
manned for maneuvering out of space dock. Stokes entered the newly repaired
main bridge and settled himself into the
the Ebrim superiority before that last battle, my father would be here today.”
“Aden, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Why didn't you
tell me earlier?”
“I try not to think about it. My whole family despises
the fact I joined the Lashmere military. They believe I sold out the Karn
people, but all I ever wanted to do was serve in space. When I discovered I was
so good at drone command and got my meritorious promotion, no one in my family
was happy. They all told me to stop helping the enemy.” Aden sighed heavily. “I
usually try not to talk about it because it's such a depressing topic. I'm
proud of the fact I can serve the people of Lashmere.”
“Sounds like you have the right attitude, Aden.
Sometimes the past can be really hard to let go of.”
“Yeah.”
Marli took Aden's chin in her hand and tilted his face
up. She looked at him for a long moment before letting go. “Come on, Aden.
Let's get out of here before you depress everyone else.” She smiled and gave
him a suggestive wink. “Besides, I know just the thing to take your mind off
the past.” With that, she took his hand and practically dragged him out of the
boarding concourse.
Stokes watched the pair depart. He turned to Hanlon
and said, “How long has that been going on?”
Linis said, “About five weeks now, sir. I was pretty
surprised. Patho isn't who I would have pegged as her type.”
“Well, she'll have to put a stop to it once she is
officially assigned as our science officer tomorrow morning. I suppose we can
let them have one last night together before I surprise her with her new
orders. I was going to present them to her informally this evening.”
“Sir, I never knew... you're a romantic.”
Stokes chuckled quietly, almost to himself. “Since you
are shortly headed to a system at least a hundred light years from here, I can
assume my secret is safe?”
“I am the reigning queen of discretion, sir,” Hanlon
grinned at Stokes.
“Things won't be the same without you here, Linis.”
“I'll miss you too, sir.”
The pair quietly contemplated the moment for a few
seconds and then nodded to one another and strode off to their separate duties.
Hanlon went to clean out her cabin so Kri could move in, and Stokes set out to
begin driving the shipyard with Hanlon's schedule.
The expeditionary force departed in an alliance troop
transport seven days later. The cavernous ship, originally designed to haul
massive loads of consumer goods and raw materials from one side of the alliance
to another, housed the entire force easily. The ship had been retrofitted with
expanded life support and a warren of crew quarters. Most of the crew of
Rampart came to cheer and support those who were leaving.
Cobb joined the other member of the scientific team,
an actual archaeologist, Dr. Stapeley, who was a long-time expert in the study
of mankind's origins and arrival on Lashmere. The two man team reported to
Stokes and Kri before being assigned guest quarters.
Stokes had not relished telling Simmons she was
assigned to the Rampart. She had frequently been a problem with discipline, and
he had his doubts as to whether or not she would follow protocol and break off
her relationship with Patho now that they were assigned to the same command. So
far, no one had reported any questionable behavior to him, and Kri had taken a
strangely intense interest in ensuring the pair was actually following the
rules. Vesper had assured Stokes that Simmons would be transferred back off the
Rampart once their exploration of Buckman's star was over.
Rampart was ready to depart the Lashmere system two
days later, a full eleven days ahead of schedule. Hanlon's organizational
abilities were still bearing fruit. The morning of departure, all stations were
manned for maneuvering out of space dock. Stokes entered the newly repaired
main bridge and settled himself into the
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