Leon exited the reading room and saw Gareth waiting down the hall. He was reading on his holo-ring, a frown fixed on his face. What he was thinking? With the way Gareth was, he was probably worrying.

“Cap!” Leon called as he got close. Gareth looked up at him, eyebrows furrowing. Yep, worrying. “The girl is being honest. Still dangerous, but if you think it’s worth it, I’m on board.” He said. Gareth closed his hand and the holo-display vanished.

“Good. Thank you for taking that responsibility, Leon.” He started back towards the room with a sharp turn.

“My choice, man. The Captain must be protected after all.” Leon said. Gareth made a face at that. “You ain’t as replaceable now as you were for the imperials. They can hire someone new, but, for us, you’re the only Captain we got.” Leon watched the door ahead.

“I get it, Leon. You’re right.” Gareth said, “Don’t let it go to your head.” He added. Leon glanced over and grinned at the smirk on Gareth’s face. The tension finally eased from his back. They reached the door, but Leon nudged his arm.

“Hold on, what was up with that whole eye contact thing?”

“Oh, you weren’t on the bridge very often… There are very strict rules on the behavior of the SCT members.” Gareth said. Leon frowned, and the Captain opened the door.

***

Valorie was focused the door as it opened, and her shoulders tensed as they entered. Her eyes jumped from the door to each of their faces. She wanted it to be clear she was listening to their requests.

“Congratulations Ms. Valorie Davis, as of now you are welcome to become crew to the FL Helianthus. You will be on probation for the first month, at the end of which your hiring will be final. Payment will be room and board while on duty, as well as a cut from the ship’s earnings. Do you agree to these terms?” Gareth said. Her eyes were wide as she listened. Her heart leapt, and she could not agree fast enough.

“Yes, sir.” She said with a bow of her head.

“Can you report to the FL Helianthus at dock 242B at 1200 hours three days from now?”

“Yes, sir.” A smile spread across her face. She stood and bowed her head again. “Thank you, sir.”

There was a quiet moment as she absorbed the news, and then it seemed Leon couldn’t take it anymore.

“You really survived the MRH Anderson? How is that even possible?” He asked. She jumped at the outburst, her stomach dropping as she looked at him. Before she could respond, the Captain interrupted, gripping Leon’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry about him. You don’t have to answer.” He said.

“What? Why not?” Leon scowled. Gareth steered him towards the exit. Valorie tried to listen, but her vision blurred. She blinked to clear it and ducked her head in embarrassment. She touched the tear streaks on her face. These physical reactions were out of control.

“We will see you Monday.” Gareth said, but she only nodded without looking up. He paused near the exit. “And take this as my first order. Around the crew, you may ignore the SCT Conduct Protocol. They will not get mad, I promise you.” He said. She wiped at her eyes.

“Yes, sir. If I may ask, how would you prefer I act?” She asked.

“Just act like yourself, Valorie.” He said. She flinched, and finally met his eyes once more.

“Yes, sir.”

***

17 Months Ago

The MRH Anderson was a crown ship of the King’s elite vanguard. One of the largest ships in the known galaxy, she could support 6,210 crew and passengers without straining her resources. The bridge crew was no less impressive, with a minimum of 32 on hand members at all times.

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Many of the Imperial ships were practical in design. Every ship had thick metal walls, no windows, and only as much light as necessary. Claustrophobia was a major complaint among long-term crew members. The MRH Anderson was built with a new design in mind. The walls were smoothed and painted. A lighting strategy was implemented to maximize positive emotional output. Finally, large windows were added in highly defended areas.

When she was waiting on orders, Valorie couldn’t help but stare out the domed window that spanned the bridge. The stars that sparkled from such vast distances made her problems feel small. She rested her hands on the bar below the input display, taking a slow breath.

“Is there something wrong?” A small voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked to her right, meeting the eyes of her partner in Communications, Evie. A girl in her late teens with gray hair. Evie’s large dark eyes watched her, but she wasn’t sure if what she saw was concern or curiosity. The clones were never quite right, always a little off from human, but Valorie found it endearing.

“I think so… They’re worried about something.” Valorie was careful to keep her voice low. Hushed whispers and strained tones from the rest of the bridge crew left a thick uneasiness in Valorie’s chest. The longer she listened, the harder it was to breath. She already missed her moment of zen. “Focus, Evie… Is there anything out there?” She asked. Evie frowned.

“As I reported, there is no comms except for the usual feed from the Network.” Evie said.

“Nothing closer?”

“No. Nothing electrical, nothing biological.” She said turning back to the screens before her, “Nothing sentient.” She added to quell any more questions. Valorie was still trying to gain her trust.

With the advent of the Imperial Network, it had become normal for communication officers to come in pairs, the Seer and the Ward. Seers were clones, chosen for their ability to interface with the Network. Their training began at a young age. Valorie looked over the cables interspersed through Evie’s hair. Many peeked out from the strands and led away to the docks below her displays. As Ward, Valorie’s job was twofold. One: help organize and disseminate the large volume of data the Seer gathered. Two: keep an eye on their partner. Keep them in line, keep them focused. Valorie was sure she wasn’t Evie’s first partner, and she knew all too well the overbearing nature of most Wards. Valorie rubbed her temples trying to block out her growing anxiety.

“I wasn’t doubting you.” She muttered. Evie did not respond, focusing on the screens before her. Valorie tried to focus on her own displays. Instead, her ears picked up whispers from the captain’s chair nearby.

“Within the hour… Unpredictable trajectory, movement not advised… best probability…” The whispers made it impossible to concentrate. All she had put together was that something was heading for them. She wanted to pull her hair out.

“Sorry,” Evie whispered.

“What?” Valorie asked, but felt guilty when she saw the wide-eyed look of her partner.

“You’re right. They’re all so scared. I just, I was trying to find something… to help. There is nothing.” Her voice grew so quiet, Valorie wasn’t sure she was meant to hear it.

“Have you tried looking at the stars?” Valorie asked. Evie glanced up, confusion spreading across her features. When she found nothing, she shook her head.

“No, I mean, to relax.” Valorie clarified.

“I’d prefer not to…” Before she could finish, there was a call for silence from high command. Evie’s eyes went straight to her desk the moment the call was made. The captain stood and addressed the room. His voice broadcasted from every console.

“This is an emergency announcement from your captain. I have deemed it necessary to prepare for evacuation. There is time if we each work together. Please be calm, follow your drills. There is room for all.” He spoke, and when it ended there was another advisor at his side whispering.

No one on the deck moved. It was not their job to hide. Not if there was something they could still do. Each awaited their orders, focused on the consoles before them.

Valorie could scarcely breathe, her hands gripping the arm of her chair so tight they felt glued down. This was it. This was how it all went wrong. This was how she would die. Somewhere deep down she knew, from the moment she left the surface – A sweaty hand slid over hers, breaking her deathgrip. When she glanced over, Evie was pale and the fear in her eyes grounded Valorie immediately. She put all her focus into her friend, flipping her hand over and squeezing Evie’s hand to comfort her. There was another call for silence.

“Alright, command. We will be evacuating the deck as well. There is a storm heading our way, and there is no move we can make fast enough to evade. Do not panic, we have time. Valorie, please make sure our distress signal is on all channels.” He said. Evie released Valorie’s hand, and a message appeared on Valorie’s screen.

“Yes, sir.” She said, as she opened the message. She read it word for word, “The network has heard our call. The MRH Perez, with full search and rescue capabilities, is preparing for launch.” The captain smiled at her. The word rescue rang in the air, bringing life back to the eyes around her.

“Very good. We will be using escape pods on the C2 dock. We will start with those closest to the door. I will call out your turn. ” He turned his attention to navigation. Valorie turned back to Evie and lowered her voice.

“Thank you for that quick message. We’re definitely going to be okay.” Valorie said. Even as the words left her mouth, the weight did not leave her chest. Evie finally met her eyes again. The trust in her eyes was the only thing that kept Valorie grounded.