What do you mean, Commander?!?
13 Jan 2018TalonAlmese
I had been under the watch of my mentor for a few years now. It still amazes me how far I've come, the old man drilling me heaving with every single day being a trial. Never knew he had some kind of terminal disease though.. it was a surprise when that particular bomb dropped."Tell me boy, you've been with my crew for a good three years now. I've made you study and take control of each position on various ships before your stay at the Venture. What do you think of her?" To be fair, I fingered the scar on my face idly, remembering very well the faulty control panel that had exploded when a dumbfire missile had breached our shields during a pirate hunt. "If I have to be honest? She's a slow, stubborn beast of a ship. Tempermental, and has a tendency to be sluggish on the pitch. She excels on the roll, and truly shines with her ability to tank and hold the attention of those she picks fights with."
The grizzled veteran stared down at me, holding back a racking cough, but I saw it easily enough. I think it pissed the old man more that I noticed it, as his eyes narrowed dangerously with a glare that I'd not seen since we'd lost a bounty a month ago to some overzealous security forces that didn't want to pay out for our services. "Good enough measure. I suppose you've noticed it, but I'm not in ship condition any more. The girls been pesterin me something fierce to sit on the sideline.." He motioned to the corridor behind the bridge, so we walked and talked. Idle banter really, more or less about my performance, his disdain for me helping the Federation and Imperial navies, and how much I sucked at the fighters.
I don't exactly remember why, but my vision suddenly exploded into lights, and I felt it hard to breathe. Flailing and grasping about, I'd noticed only too late that we were in his quarters and his firm grip was about my throat. I tell you this, being held against a bulkhead by a man that looked like he can bitch slap a bear and get away with it, is downright fearful. "This doesn't go anywhere." I can only croak a guttural response, and barely nod in reply. "I'm dying boy. That month I spent observing those Thargoids.. something got into the air when they breached the hull of the ship I was on. It's eating me away from the inside out, and let's face it.. I'm not as young as I used to be. I'll be rolling in my late fifties this year."
I don't know when he let go, but I sure as hell felt it as I fell on my ass. Hacking and gasping for air, I managed to slowly get back to my feet. "Why you telling me this, old man? We both know the girls would rather shoot half the crew than have to pick someone to be captain." The man chuckled, and this time didn't hold back his cough. I did my best not to grimace as I saw crimson trickling from his mouth. "Because boy.. I'm leaving the Errant Venture to you. You'll have to change her name though, I've made enough enemies." The man sighed before going over to his bunk, grabbing a bag. "You do one thing right by me though."
It was dead silent in the ship suddenly, something that chilled me to the bone more than anything I'd witnessed in my short life... and I'd personally witnessed the old man flay someone to get information on a pirate lord's hiding area. "You stay away from those aliens. Universe s'got more problems with slavers and pirates harassing the military and draining station assets. You ain't ready for that hell yet. Them's be the stuff of nightmares." Sighing, my mentor seemed to sag and deflate, as if all his years suddenly caught up to him. Stepping up to me, I was handed an outfit, the blue and grey of the Enforcer Corps, the red stripes of a ship's commander patterned into the right shoulder, with a holo display for the left shoulder for any personal emblems. "Spirits watch over you, bo... Commander Almese." He just left me there after that, holding the uniform in shock, as the ships AI began informing me of access codes. It was going to be a hell of a future..