I walk through the corridors of my ship towards the planning room as the sound system echoes my orders to the rest of the crew:

"Officers to the planning room. Officers to the planning room."

After getting to the ship and washing the stench of the alcohol out of my body I had decided to call a meeting with my officers. Needed to deal with the new information I had gotten and decide on what route to take there while confirming what was happening around the galaxy.

Beforehand, I had toured through most of the ship before making my way to the planning room in order to show the crew I was fine while checking on the people I walked by.

I knew they wouldn't shut the fuck up if I didn't show myself after drinking.

Don't drink this! Don't drink that! You should stop drinking!

They would always whine whenever I just wanted to relax and enjoy myself.

As if they knew the stress that came with my fucked situation.

And some pisshead, motherfucking bastard had decided to go too far. Overstepped their boundaries, forgotten their position, and messed up.

3 days ago? I should have known it was too good to be true.

I know they did it because they 'cared' about me, but all this managed to do on my end was add to the list of headaches I would have to deal with.

The worst offender of this was Cel.

I swear I need to discipline her one day.

I had gotten her into my crew when I found her crying over her dead parent's corpses.

How old was she when I met her? 37? Nah, around 36.

Young enough to be my grandkid.

It was no secret, no mystery.

She probably took me as a fatherly figure.

All that did was add to my ever-expanding list of problems.

But first on the list, was getting us out of this fucking mess.

So I continued down the winding metal hallways, with more and more of my subordinates joining me along the way.

I needed 7 people with me in there, 5 lo-, officers excluding Cel, my 2nd in command, and the mandated 'Overseer', put over my head by my supposed 'allies'.

I looked back to only see 3 officers behind me, the rest nowhere to be seen.

What were they up to now?

My head is hurting again.

''Where is everyone? We are missing half the fucking crew!''

I asked the closest officer behind me as I sped up my pace, still walking.

He checked, then double-checked his pad, and gave his response while reading what I assumed to be a message from the perpetrators of my headache for the coming day.

''Apparently, they were betting on whether you would come back to ship drunk, they are in the cargo section to exchange their earnings, sir.''

It was all deliberate, there was more than 1, and they were working together in their conspiracy to sabotage me.

Traitors.

''Tell them that they better be there before I step through that door or they are losing way more credits compared to the winnings they just earned!''

''Aye, boss!''

We continued walking in silence.

It took us a minute more of walking to get to the room but we got there, and to my shock, the rest of my officers, the fuckheads, managed to make it here before me.

They must have run.

After they gave me their salutes we began getting rid of our devices and started entering the room. I left my pad and electronics in the small compartment which opened next to the door, it was the usual routine.

The only electronics permitted in that room on my orders were the operations table and a comms device in case of emergency to the bridge except the holo-table and recorders set inside.

Chairs were pulled, and the table was booted up.

People took their spots and we began the meeting.

Lights were dimmed, and attention was focused.

All coordinated with high efficiency, we had done this many times before.

Like a well-oiled machine.

But I could tell, the perpetrators who had to run the way here were starving for air.

They tried their best to hide it, but I saw through the facade they tried to keep up.

But that would be for later, so I booted up the voice recording function and started the meeting.

''This is Captain Suleiman of the TCF Ark, beginning the 107th official meeting of this ship. Today is the 12th of September 2387 by the Earth calendar.''

My personalized map of the galaxy, projected into the air from the holo-table; showing us borders, important events, and notes written down along with our current location.

I first checked the USH borders on the map.

Let's hear what those bastards back at home have been up to first.

"Any news from the USH coalition government?"

I asked into the open.

"None boss, but we expect them to announce their reintegration efforts to the public by next week from the intel we have at hand despite the resistance shown by the remnants."

Bastards.

It was gonna happen eventually, 17 years is a good delay.

The remnants must have put in some serious work.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"And what of our allies? Do they have any problems with us dealing with the GC's internal mismanagement?"

I asked the female Xirkirx standing at the opposite side of the table from me as we looked at the map, skull drawings getting drawn into the map in real-time, signaling the potential danger of where we would be going.

"The council decided that you may do as you please as long as you remember the deal you made and don't mess with public dissent.''

Understandable.

I nodded at her in acknowledgment.

They must have thought that I would be an asset they could depend on enough compared to the likelyhood of me causing problems.

Feeling satisfied I moved on to what I had gathered at the bar and relayed it to them.

The vote was swift and decisive.

With no objections, we would be taking the contract.

After which, it was their turn to tell me of any additional developments.

It took around 30 minutes of discussing and double-checking the information gathered as my officers relayed more information to me. The heating up of the civil war, the rising popularity as the remnants recovered, and the newly developing issues and division within the GC.

When the officers were done I ordered a minute of silence as I processed the information.

None of it should matter for our current course.

It was all as we had predicted, nothing surprising.

Now, let's deal with these snakes.

I opened my eyes and looked through the room once again.

Observing. Waiting. Watching for a hint of the truth.

I made the motion for B'rn to speak, she looked like she had something important to say.

''I forgot to mention, but.''

"Some [senators] will be holding events nearby. A celebration for a [historical holiday].''

Said the Xirkirx as she looked at our custom map.

She then proceeded to type in the commands into the digital table and started circling off some sectors red with her talon on the projection.

''For you, that means don't go [east] of this line.''

She finalized her drawings by drawing a line from the Boir Cluster to the Hue-tak Station.

''If they catch you over there you know what will happen.''

I crossed my arms and started rubbing my fingers on my unkempt beard.

That shouldn't be an issue for what we were planning anyway.

I took my hand off my chin and swiped the map back down south.

"That'd be easy to do. We shouldn't need to go eastwards anyway. Our current goals would be to earn credits and reputation by dealing with those disappearing ships problem and then-"

I input a few commands which allow me to draw on the map as I begin drawing a plan of arrows in yellow.

"-we continue south to sell more cargo which will extend the detour more to reach a scrapyard.''

I look at the map again after my drawings are on it, unsatisfied.

We will have extra money from those bounties, but we have too much cargo, and we are reaching the crew limits this frigate can hold.

I have been with this ship for 16 and a half years now.

It has been modified 2 different times to keep it up to date with our wants and needs but there was only so much a single ship could do.

Evident in the incident of the 28'.

I deleted some of the arrows I previously drew on the map.

I had new ideas. New plans.

"No. I think it's time we add a second ship to our fleet. The bounty we get should pay for repairs and remodeling and if we find some crew that are to my liking we accept them as members of a 2nd ship.''

Our new directions pointed to a shipyard in the territory of the Alliance. A civilization of different species in a union inside the council.

They would be useful as a way for me to get in touch with him…

I look at the faces of my officers, my 2nd in command, and then the overseer.

There seemed to be worry in some of their eyes, but no one raised concern, so I continued.

''To fill the initial holes of personnel and the new personnel's training we can transfer some crew from the Ark. Our recruitment plans will be the same as what we have done until now.''

I look around one last time.

‘’That’s about it for this meeting. Any objections?’’

My 2nd in command raised his hand.

'’You may speak, John.’’

And so he questioned:

‘’I know that recruitment style hasn't failed us yet sir, but wouldn’t it be more worthwhile to get a trained crew? It would save us time and resources that we could then use on other things.’’

I look at John, the other officers, and the overseer.

'’Meeting adjourned.’’

John looks at me perplexed, but I hold my open palm high to demand his silence.

‘’I’ll tell you in a bit.’’

I closed the holo-table and the recording device attached, recording this conversation would be too risky.

The officers and the overseer open the door to try and go outside but I stop them just before they can leave.

‘’I’m going to need B’rn and some of you-’’

I point to the last few officers on the line trying to go through the door.

‘’-to wait outside for me as I explain something to John. The rest of you may go back to your duties.’’

‘’Alright’’

‘’Sure, boss.’’

‘’Aye aye, sir.’’

I go towards the door and close it by punching in the security code.

1.9.8.4. and the door closes, locking us from the inside.

I look towards John and begin walking around the room, examining its details, taking it all in.

The man inside it looks at me confused but doesn’t say anything.

John. Former member of the New USH fleet, and my old friend.

I wonder what we would be doing right now if I hadn’t gotten us into this mess.

‘’I’ll be honest with you John, I would have told this to you before if you had asked but you never did, but this is a good time as any so listen up.’’

He raises an eyebrow, still maintaining that military silence and stare, the one lower-ranked soldiers give to their superior.

I stop at the opposite side of the table pull a pen out of my pocket, and begin spinning it in my hand.

‘’You are a military man. One of the best in the entire USH no doubt, which is why I get you to train the new crew I pick up, from slaves to pirate victims, from those who gave up to orphans.’’

I stop spinning the pen and throw it at him.

Just before it hits him in the chest his reflexes kick in and he grabs it before it falls

‘’Why do you think that is? Why would I choose untrained personnel over qualified individuals?’’

He gets to thinking.

He fidgets around with the pen I gave him for a bit before answering me.:

‘’Because you want to train them in a way that's compatible to your doctrines and ideals, ensuring discipline so that people listen to orders?’’

He throws the pen back to me, satisfied with his answer.

I catch the pen mid-air, with less grace and precision but I at least don’t drop it.

‘’Well, that is part of it but not the entire picture.’’

I hold the pen at our eye levels as we are relatively the same height. Around 183? 184?

‘’This pen is a gift from one of the crew members. A gift he gave to me as thanks for saving his life from a ship that would have taken him along with it.’’

John looks at me confused, unimpressed even.

The hulking man probably didn't understand.

‘’And what does that have to do with the choosing of the crew?’’

I smile.

If only I had a simple mind like John’s, I wouldn’t be in this mess.

‘’It shows me how much they value me, emotionally.’’

‘’John; a soldier, doesn't jump into the battlefield because their superiors tell them to. They do it because they think that if they obey their superior's orders; their friends, wives, and kids at home will be safe.’’

I look up at the dim red light that had been lighting this room the entire time.

‘’If you get people under you to care for you, to feel a need to repay you, to protect you, to connect with you. They will show unrivaled loyalty that no discipline could hope to match.’’

‘’And so what if their skills are subpar? New skills can be learned, old skills can be improved with enough guidance and time.’’

I look back into John’s eyes. I can practically see the cogs turning in his brain. He's valuing my methods against what the military taught him.

‘’But loyalty? It is way harder to get people loyal to you than getting skilled people to work for you.’’

A tone resurfaces from inside my mouth, from inside my heart.

One that hadn’t been used in a long time.

‘’Just like how a stray cat that’s on the verge of starvation will stick with you after you feed it once, people will often give their lives up for yours if you save them just once.’’

I can see it in his eyes. Johns’ seeing what I mean. Good to see I still haven’t lost my touch.

I start walking towards the door to punch in the code once again.

‘’But don’t get them too emotionally attached to you, or you might have a Cel situation in your hands.’’

I say with a smirk.

John probably wasn’t expecting that, because he tries, and fails, to stop himself from giving me an exhale in amusement as we begin making our way out of the room.

I punch in the code and finally open the door while smiling to myself.

I guess I have grown soft over time, but it’s good to see that John hasn’t changed one bit.

John follows closely behind me and I enter the code one last time to close the door from the outside.

Now.

Now it's time for some sins to be repaid.

I look over the 4 fools.

They thought they could get away with this?

It's time to crush their hopes of getting out unscathed.

I walk up to the officers and throw my arms over their shoulders while changing their direction so everyone faces each other in a circle-like position.

‘’Now that we are all here, mind explaining to me why in God's name you lot sold our entire alcohol supply back at that station?’’

They all freeze in place.