Gia Brown

Location: Athena Academy

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BACK AND FORTH, back and forth. That's all I could do while waiting in my dorm for the Athena Academy Pick to start. This was where all cadets would be evaluated and assigned to teams to go on missions under a united front. The Terran Defense Division is an honorable place for people who want to make a difference in this world. While pacing, I could see my academy-long friend on her Standardize Artificial Processor typing away, possibly sending her newest boyfriend a cute little message as she sat on her bed. That was Sophia. She and I met when we first arrived. Out of luck, we became bunkmates and then became friends after that.

She is wearing the customary AA uniform. A skintight suit that was gray with her green ranking colors on her shoulders and the symbol of their role on the top of the sleeve. She had her red-headed hair pulled back into a ponytail as she glared into her SAP. The holoscreen was scrolling through her last text chats. How she could be so chill under the pressure of living up to what she was meant to be beats me. I looked around the room as I paced. Always enjoying the contrast between her and me.

Her side always has the newest poster of a band or some new trending thing, while mine was a bare wall with my bunk on top and a work space below. I was always the more studious one of the two of us, but she was always there to help me loosen up a bit if needed. It was 12:45 ship standard, 15 minutes away from the Pick. I could feel my heartbeat jackhammering in my ears. This is the most important moment of my life. I was staring at the time on my SAP. The seconds felt like an eternity. The minutes felt like years. That's when I got a knock on the door and my attention to the clock broke. I looked over to Sophia to see if she was expecting anyone, and she looked at me with the same confused look.

I walked over to the door as Sophia swiped her SAP off and stood as well. Whoever this was, Sophia was interested in them. I swiped my keycard as the hydraulics on the door hissed. The scanner turned green as it revealed the person on the other side. My father, Cmdr. Theodore Brown, stood with a tablet in his hands and a worried look on his face. I could tell this had to be serious. He wouldn't come to me with this kind of look unless something had gone wrong. The screen was flashing and a video feed was playing on loop. The video was hard to see from this angle, but it looked like head-cam footage; blueish particles flew over most of the screen as the view shook. He looked me straight in the eyes; his were a little greener than mine, as he parted his tan lips to speak.

"Ms. Brown, you were requested to join me in a meeting this instant. There was a report we need to discuss with commanders. It's a private meeting, and we request no SAPs be brought along. Leave yours here and join me, please." He said as he eyed my SAP. He wore his commander's suit, a black suit with white accents, and his white cap. It looked similar to an Earth-era navy suit with more tech built into it. My father was a very professional commander, and though I was his daughter, he gave me no special treatment. I followed him out as I noticed many of the other cadets were also following their lead commanders; whatever this was about, it was big.

The other cadets all looked a tad shocked and confused when we all entered the massive boardroom with a holoscreen and some more people on it. Each chair was full, and people did not speak a word as we were motioned to sit. The main man of the room was a Mevioth general; he had slick back brown hair, and his tan skin was flawless. He had a tattoo running down his neck, hidden under his collar. His face was stern as he waited to speak.

"As you all know, there was a mission up in the air about whether or not Operation Orion should be done. We have not made contact with this planet, which is outside the Terran Defense Division. We brought you all here, our highest-performing and future commander material, for this mission. This mission is only to be discussed in this room; if it is caught to be discussed in public view, then the commander and crew shall lose this chance, and it will be passed onto a new one. Understood?" he said it sharply, a contrast to the normal Mevioth speaking tone. The man looked over at the cadets brought into the room, a brown eyebrow raising as he looked over. My father rose from his chair as he motioned for us to approach.

"Sir, my cadets on floor 496_003 have been training for this mission as long as anyone. They just need a crew, and they can prove themselves. I can promise that one hundred percent." he said as he looked at us, at me, in the eyes as he turned back to the Mevioth general. The man cleared his throat and gave a nod as he looked at the rest of the room.

"Cmdr. Brown will proceed with his proposed plan, and the four of you cadets will be placed on teams of our choosing. The pick is over, and I will let you pick from what’s left of the teamless cadets. Fathom," he said as he raised his hand in a salute, and we all mimicked the same. I looked up finally to see a clock in the corner. It read almost ten minutes behind the pick being announced, and I had in fact missed it. Once we all filed out of the meeting room and I slumped back to my room, I finally let out an exhale. I hadn't realized that I had held my breath the entire way from the room. The four years at the academy and the seven years working my way here—and for what? To get called onto a mission of a lifetime but not have a crew that could be up for the job! My blood was at an all-time high. This was a load of—my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door of my dorm room. I called out for them to come in and heard the hydraulics of the door decompress, revealing the sound of two pairs of footsteps entering. I turned to find my roommate and another cadet with her. Sophia had a small smile on her face as she looked at me with apologetic eyes; the other one was a face I knew too well.

Regan was a cadet I shared all my classes before the academy with. He was a good friend before he chose to be a jerk and hung out with the wrong people. He was also my ex. We dated for almost a year before we broke things off, more like I did, and haven't talked since. He went off to try and be the best commander at the academy to try and fly on my radar. I stayed in my dorm to get work done and study my arse off. Now this man was standing in front of me after 3 years of not talking with a massive smile on his face and arms wide open.

“Ah, Gigi, how's it going? Heard you missed the Pick, so I took it upon myself to get you a team. Of course, not having one myself, the academy chose me to join yours as an extra hand." he said as he inched closer and wrapped me in a small hug. I pushed him off as I returned the "smile".

“Thanks, Regan. Soph, who do I have on my team?" I said, turning toward her as I tried to keep my cool. She pulled up the roster on her SAP as she turned it toward me to look at. There were eight names on the roster; two I could eliminate because it was him and me, then I saw some I recognized.

There was Brianna Abel. Bree was my best friend for a while, and it was a shock to see she was the last pick. Maybe she chose my team, seeing that he was here. Then there were two brothers, Kai and Naoki Timons, who were our pilots. They both were Scoveth; one had their black hair slicked back in a sort of mullet while the other had theirs in a buzzcut. They both were noted as being very to themselves, and one has a temper. Then there was Paxton Phillips. It's noted that he alone blew up a TX-19 spacecraft in his engineering class. That’s why the pilots couldn’t use the shuttle bay for almost a whole month. He was also said to always take everything as a joke or to always crack one. Then there was Nicanora Silva; she was a Mevioth like the commander who gave me this mission. She was a quieter girl, as she is noted to not talk much. It was also said to make sure her practices were on the books. She was said to have caused the old engineer instructor to quit due to health risks. Then the final one was Skylar Sanchez; she hadn't had much on her file but was said to be a great genius in the medical and factual fields. I scanned over the information a few more times to process it all. Then I slid the file off and rubbed my temple. These aren't the best cadets I could have asked for; some are just ones that seemed to be social outcasts, but now they were under my watch, and I had to lead all of them.

Regan was there with his stupid smile as he pulled up the cadets files on his own SAP as I had the files transferred to mine. I caught up with Sophia about who she got as we left the room with Regan in tow. Once we got to the end of the hallway, we departed, and I was left with Regan by myself. He was lost in his SAP, getting the team into one group comm. This left me with two options: either stick with him here or go find Bree and possibly discuss the cadets. She and I could get together and discuss the logistics of this team's odds. I chose the latter.

"Hey, Regan, can you set up a meeting room for us to converse at? Im going to go around and hunt down our new squad." I said this as I was already departing from his location. He looked up from his SAP and caught my eye. I could see the smile on his face falter a tad as he shrugged his shoulders and continued to type on his SAP.

"For sure, yeah, I was already getting a chart of all the available rooms near our ship. We were assigned the Cradle shuttle line. Those should be able to get us through Gateways just fine." he said as a ping of a message on his SAP brought his attention back to it as he typed more onto the holo-screen. "Dope, got us a room in Launch Bay Three. Right across from our shuttle and near our mechanics shop, I’ll swing by there and talk to Nicanora, and you can find the rest. I want to run some diagnostics before takeoff," he said as he closed his SAP and departed in the opposite direction. It seems like the Regan I remember could take a few tips from this new guy. He seems to have the whole plan set up and an agenda to keep.

I went the other way as I headed toward Bree’s room. I know I said I would find the rest of the crew, but talking to Bree was part of the team agenda, so it wasn't a total lie. The halls were flooded with people as they were all moving toward their respected meeting points and finding their teams. I dodged multiple masses of people, some just milling about, while others were on their SAP’s messaging people as they walked. Once I exited the Commander's Wing, the chaos only got more wild. The center of the academy had a big garden full of lush bushes and artificial grass. The white marble floors sloped to a green lawn that was surrounded by waist-high bushes colored with beautiful purple-pink flowers that had a yellowish center. The smell of them has long been muted by the smell of the rest of the ship, but if you got close enough, you could smell their lovely yet rotten aroma. The center of the garden had a small pavilion with a glass enclosure and a small tree. The tree looked like something from Earth's era, as the architects of the academy were originally from Earth. I left the crowded garden and headed toward the diplomat wing. Their hallway was a massive hall with the same marble-like floors and metallic white walls. The walls had the green diplomatic colors illuminating the frame as the fluorescent lights above beamed light onto the hundreds of faces moving about. As I passed groups and dorms, I finally arrived at the one I was searching for, Room 317.

Her door was open a bit, as most people in this hall were nicer folk. Never go down the more brutish hallways; they are fans of punching and asking who you are later. I entered her room, which was as familiar as I remembered. Her door was covered in posters of famous Milky Way speakers and peacemakers. There was a mix of Earth diplomats and other planet heroes that any diplomat in training would aspire to be. The biggest one was Carlox Kingston, head of Diplomatic Control for all 32 planets under the TDD. Bree was at her desk reading an article on her SAP.

When she heard the hydraulics of the door hiss open, she swiveled around in her desk chair and a smile engulfed her face. She stood up with open arms as I entered. I let her embrace me for a good minute before we broke, and she sat down and motioned to a spot on her bed.

“G, you have to tell me how you've been; it feels like a decade since I've seen you! You look thin; have you been eating well?" She said this as she gave me a once-over and acted like an overprotective mother. I couldn't help but smile stupidly at her. I missed her so much in the two years we haven't talked.

"You know, you didn't need to join my team to see me. I would have expected coffee and girl talk." I said with a small giggle as we sat and began to get to work. I pulled up the file on our squad and sent it to Bree’s SAP. She looked over it and read all the files, laughing at her own once she saw the picture they used. Once she finished the mock-up of the results, she looked it over once more as she looked back up at me with a small smile.

"We still have the Timons brothers as our pilots. Kai and Naoki both scored high in the simulations and have a collective accuracy rate of ninety-eight percent. That, and their ability to get out of any situation thrown at them in the Sims, makes them a good bet. Nicanora, Skylar, and Paxton are the oddballs I don’t know yet. It seems Nicanora is Mevoth, a race of very highly honored ancestors. They don’t like physical contact, as they see it as a form of very intimate interaction. Then Paxton and Skylar are both Terran, at least. The team doesn’t look half bad." She said as she closed the file, got out of her chair, and sat on the bed. I let out a sigh as I reread the file once more. Something about this crew didn't sit well with me; a ton of oddballs and unknowns were not the best.

"What are the chances that we can actually get this crew into proper cadets? These are variables we’re gambling with; our careers are in the hands of this crew. " I said with a hint of anxiety in my voice. This was a big thing and not having the chance to look at all my options was killing me. This team was made by someone I could barely trust, let alone have in charge of making my team. I breathed out and tried to see the positives. All their scores on paper looked promising, and it was only for six months. Then the reassignment process would be done. Bree rose from the bed as she grabbed my hand, smiling.

"Well, I'm not letting my future commander and team leader sit around moping about the team she never got. You’re going to march down to Launch Bay Three and be the fierce and adorable leader I know you are," she said as she dragged me out of her dorm and down the hall. It was mainly emptied as most teams were probably already assigned missions and had teams all together. There were a few lone crew members that were working on small repairs, like that damn light that always flickered that everyone complained about. We passed by in a hurry as she led the way toward Launch Bay Three. The launch station was mostly empty, as most ships and carriers were already deployed. The only people around were the staff members maintaining important vessels needed in an emergency. Most of those ships aren't even used but just sit there. Bree stops right in front of the door to the meeting that Regan got for us as we both hear the commotion on the inside. I look over at Bree, as we both have a confused look on our faces. She inched toward the door, turning the knob as the sounds just got louder, arguing, and I understood what was happening.

I could see the veins bulging in the larger man, Paxton's neck after the comment from a smug-looking Scoveth with a mullet, Kai. Paxton’s hands balled into fists in an instant. Then the first comeback was out of his lips faster than I could even understand. I mean that literally; I couldn’t understand it as it seemed to be said in Scots. Kai’s grin was instantly washed away; I could see only hatred in his eyes. The black in his eyes dilated, his brother’s pleased look washed away as well.

"You will regret those words, Terran. My mother is not a person to mess with." Kai hissed as he jumped up out of his chair with a quickness as he approached Paxton and got in his face. Bree, being the diplomatic one of us, tried to intervene in the matter only to receive a shove and a punch straight in the nose. Nicanora jumped out of her chair and backed up into the corner. The fighting knocked down the chair she was just sitting in. What was I doing, you may ask? I'm wondering how I ended up here.

This group was only a few moments from getting on my nerves. The fighting only got worse. Kai picked up one of the chairs and threw it at Paxton. Paxton dodged the initial attack and then returned it with a blow to Kai’s jaw. Bree was now back at the front of the room, Skylar tending to the bloody nose Bree received last time she intervened. This sent my nerves on fire. I’m not letting some priss pretty boy punch my best friend in the face. My professionalism broke as angry coursed through my veins.

“You listen here bud, your not going to get away with punching a your fellow cadet under my watch!” I said as I approach the group. Paxton had his arm around Kai’s neck and Naoki was breaking in as well to stop the fight. He got there first. Holding his brother back as I went over to Paxton.

“You two are not going to keep up this immature behavior under my watch. This in uncalled for and you will be reprimanded for the assault on our diplomat.” i said as I looked over to Bree.

“Oooo I’m soooo scared. What are you going to do, daddy’s girl? Jip us from the team. Surprise! No on wants us and you know it.” Paxton shot back as he shoved away from me and glared at Kai as if he could start a round two.

“Daddy’s Girl! You think I wanted to be here. You all are the ones making my job harder. Look what you did to our diplomat!” I yelled back at him. Bree shuffled away from Skylar, at her protest of course, and came over toward me.

“G you have to calm down. This isn’t needed right now. They'll get their punishment for doing so.” she said it in such a calm tone. Just like my father would say if he saw me here. I tried to calm down as I took position at the center of the room. That’s when i heard the infamous words of “man who couldn't quit”.

“Yeah, don’t try to pull this crap again or it be your arse out in the airlock.” he said quietly to Kai and Paxton.

“I’ll like to see you try, Terran dirtbag.” Kai said as he settled back in his chair. Regan’s eyes narrowed as his veins pulsed in his neck. Was this restraint from the Mr. TooCool. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Coming from you that’s priceless.” I muttered. Regan snapped over at me. A hint of hurt on his face as he frowned. His brow knitting together as it always did. I just looked at him with a small smug face. It’s not every day I can jab at him. Before all tension could burst, Nicanora did the most horrendous thing my ears have ever heard. She brought he nails across the board that was on the wall creating a screech of noise from the collision.

“Captain, can you please continue. If these arses want to be reckless we can leave them for the administration. I would like to know of the mission I’m assigned to.” she said as she walked back over to her chair and picked it off the floor. I couldn’t disagree with her. This was a good reason and the point of this. I looked back at the group.

“Can we people, or do you prisses have more to fight over.” I said as i looked around and got a bunch of murmurs in response.

The Mevoith girl, Nicanora, was holding what I believed to be distaste and intrigue behind a cool, collected frame. Paxton looked over and was still furious at the Timons brothers for the Terran comment. "It doesn’t matter what was said here. This is a damn debrief. So let‘s act like grown, mature cadets and do this debrief. So the mission we are assigned came from the higher ups." Kai shifted in his seat with a scoff. Clearly distained by what I said.

"Higher ups? You mean the prisses that wanted us all to be disqualified from The Pick to be here? I could have had the best team in the galaxy! Yet I was put with you all." He whined as I realized we shared the same view. Had they really been taken out of the opportunity to be here? Regan had some explaining to do. I tried to ignore the comment for now. I had to keep the professional look as I continued on.

"As I was saying, this is a mission we have all been assigned to. We must go to a planet on the edge of the 'Way. This is a top-priority mission and will stay that way. Understood?" I said as I turned the holo-screen onto a visual of the planet captured by a TDD orbitor. Bree stepped up to explain the diplomatic plan.

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"Once on the planet, we will make contact with the natives as we explain our purpose. Remember, we want to keep their traditions in mind when we communicate. They are a species built on their history and who they are. Each territory of this world is its own independent nation, so please don’t bring up any relations." She explained as a map of the land masses flickered on screen. The academy didn't have much information about the planet, but the visuals were still beautiful. The land had lush greenery and clear waters. Pollution hasn’t affected the planet at all, even though its population is roughly the same size as Earth’s. The planet's civilization was more compact, with plenty of open land for greenery to thrive. The planet was like how Earth used to look before the Terrans destroyed it. Then there were the different climates. Man, does this place feel like a better version of Earth? It's almost like Utopia in a way.

The screen switched to the leader of the planet as she continued. "The main queen of Orion is Queen Orval Ferguson the third. She was given royal status as the previous king was killed by assassination due to an undefined group. She and the rest of the royal family are on the bridge. The center of civilization is on a floating platform in the center of the Rahlyn Ocean," she said as the image flipped to a beautifully constructed building that is a mix of sharp spikes and a bunch of oval floating platforms. The whole structure was all white with a hint of gold accents. The center structure was a sphere. It all looked well planned and designed to me. Each alleyway led to a new street; the roads all connected together as one. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

"Is there anything else we should know about the planet, Gia?" She asked as all eyes shifted from the screen that had turned off and toward me. My brain was still on the bridge and its beauty. Once my eyes adjusted, I realized I was the center of attention.

"Uh… no there isn't any more information that has not been already shared. Nicanora, can you meet me in the hanger? I would like to run a few more tests on the shuttle before takeoff," I said as I motioned to the door. She looked at me and gave a simple nod.

"Commander, you can call me Niki. It is my preferred name of choice," she said as she stood from her chair. Niki made remembering her name a lot easier, so that was a plus. As we left the room, I could hear them continue a conversation inside. We went down the hall toward the launch bay. I noticed how Niki was walking perfectly quietly. She didn't make a sound as her feet fell onto the marble floor. She also had her back straightened and walked with purpose. I hadn't noticed that when she walked into the meeting room. There was a lot of commotion in there, so I can see why I didn't.

The launch bay was a wide space with about fifty different shuttles and crafts, and a massive three was etched on the wall with the atmospheric shield on the right wall. The floors here were a gray, shiny rubber material with a concrete material underneath. The walls were still that white metal, as multiple pipes ran through the exterior. We walked to the fifth loading station, where our shuttle was waiting. Niki walked over to a tool bench and rummaged through it, searching for something. I walked over to the rear door as I entered the shuttle.

The Cradle was a crescent moon shape, as it had the main cockpit jutting out of the center. Then there are two wings on either side and the TDD logo on the side, an eagle with a shield behind it. The two warp core engines were in the back as I strolled into the back extending door. The main hull of the ship was a hall with two rooms on each side, both containing the plasma generators, which were the heart of what kept this bird in the air and functioning. The floors were a gray metallic color, as they had grip protection on them. Then, as I walked down the main hall, I entered the cabin. It was where the two pilot chairs in the cockpit stood in front of a main console with two additional panels on each side. The cockpit had a glass aircraft canopy. The whole front was in full view of the hanger as I brushed my hands over the console to my right as I scanned for the warp core starter. I used the exterior communications unit to call out to Niki.

"Starting core test in three….two….one." I hit the button as I heard the engines kick in and slow to a small hum as I checked all gages for a problem. All systems were a go, and everything was running great. I heard Niki yell to cut the engines, and so I did. I pushed out of the pilot seat and exited the shuttle as Niki slid out from the underside of the shuttle, closing a compartment.

"This is an arse of a ship, but she will fly. Get those Timons brothers out here to fire her up for takeoff, and I’ll get the shuttle out of Launch Bay Three to be sent out." She said as she wiped her hands on the towel next to her. She moved from the engine hall and toward her workshop to gather the last bit of stuff she’d need. I headed back to the meeting room to get our pilots and found the place empty. Regan and Bree were talking about something as I entered the room. My gaze went over toward them as I raised one of my eyebrows.

"Where did everyone go?" I asked as I glanced around the empty conference room we held our debrief in. Bree turned my way as she walked over.

"They went to their dorms to get their personal belongings and put them into the Cradle. Why, what do you need?" she asked as she raised a brown eyebrow.

"We just need the pilots to get the ship started, and we’ll be good to go. Get your belongings onto the Cradle, and we’ll be off." I said as I turned to find their dorms. Bree yelled something as I left.

"Pax should be able to help; he’s their roommate, so he should be able to point you in the right direction. I’ll meet you at Cradle." She yelled as I heard the door slide shut. It should be easy if I find Pax near the bridge. It is said in their file that the brothers were paired up with him as he was originally a pilot before the whole TX incident. As I entered the main garden area of the Athena Academy, I saw Pax around another group of PEs as he was telling a joke that I could only see as a big hit. I headed over toward him as their group dispersed. Only catching him as he was leaving.

"Hey, Paxton, you know where Kai, Naoki, and your bunk are. We need them to fire up our shuttle to see if everything is up and running. We’re departing in 20 minutes." He turned around as I said it. I could see the green eyes he had, which showed a little humor and some disdain for the intrusion. He had black, curly hair and a pale complexion. His broad shoulders were held snug under his AA uniform.

"Naoki should be in his bunk, yeah, on the northern wing. Room 235. I’ll get the rest of the crew together and head over to the Cradle." He said that as he went off into his SAP, I gave him the launch bay, and I went off toward the northern wing. As I typed in my SAP for the directions to the exact room, I managed to run right into Naoki, who was heading toward Launch Bay Three. I just smacked my forehead into my newest pilot in the middle of trying to find him. What are the odds? We both stammer back as I stand up and rub my head as a headache starts to form. He dropped his SAP on the floor and looked up at the person he ran into. He gave me a surprised look as he reached down and picked up his SAP off the floor.

"Commander Browns. My apologies, but I did not see you there. Didn’t mean for my new commander to strike me straight in the face. I was just heading to find you after I read Pax’s message. Said you needed help booting the shuttle up."

"Yeah, it's all good. We’re heading out in 20 minutes. Meet at Launch Bay Three, and then Commander Johns and I will make sure the whole crew is on the Cradle and ready to go. Head there once you've gathered your things, as well as inform Kai. I’ll see you both aboard Pilot." I said it in a hopefully more authoritative tone to keep it professional for the crews. He looked a little longer at me; his full black eyes were staring at me, and I could tell the cogs were turning in his head. Then he typed onto his SAP, as he assumedly was notifying his brother of the departure. He gave me a small salute, and I reciprocated the motion as we left toward the hanger. They're all notified and everyone else is on the Cradle already. Now, I just needed to gather my things and make my way on board. I raced back to my bunk as I saw less and less people in the halls. Most commanders had to be gone by now; damn, I wanted to say farewell to Sophia beforehand, but I’ll have to give her a big hug after we all return.

My bunk felt empty without her. Her side was empty as most of her belongings were gone, yet her posters stayed stationary. Ccan't bring them along on a small shuttle. I grabbed some spare clothes from my dresser and some more personal belongings. I shoved them all into a small AA duffle bag as I heard the hydraulics of my door open. I instantly turned around to see a pair of greener eyes staring back at me; my father was there with his proudest face he could make while also showing a hint of sadness. He had a small duffle bag of his own, which he sat on the carpeted floor as he walked over to me, arms wide.

"My baby girl, all grown up and a commander. I'm so proud of you!" he said as he squeezed all the air out of my lungs, and I could hear a small crunch. I pushed back at his arms as my breath was slowly fading.

"You’ll kill your ‘baby girl’" if you don't let her breath," I said as he dropped me and backed away with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, sorry. I’m just so happy. Here, take this before you leave." he said as he picked the bag off the floor and passed it to me. "It's a few rations of your favorite snacks. I know how much you love your chocolate," he said with a small smile. I couldn't help but crack one as well; this man thinks of everything under the sun. I opened the bag as my father grabbed it as well. "Ah, not so fast. I know you love your snacks, but wait until you're in the Cradle before you open it. We wouldn't want you spoiling your dinner on these, would we?" he asked as he raised a black eyebrow and zipped the bag up fully. He took one more look at me as he put his hands on his hips, tapping his finger rhythmically on his side. I gathered the two bags as I walked to the door.

"Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it. I'll be safe, don't worry. You can always contact the shuttle whenever you need to check in, one call away." I said with a sad smile. This was the last time I would see my father for six months. I didn't know if his little heart could take not seeing his baby girl for that long. There is only one way to find out. I gave him one more hug as I left my dorm. I only have ten minutes to get to the shuttle and do a headcount. As I rounded the corner to the launch ramp, I saw the group entering the shuttle with their own duffle bags, and Regan was on his SAP checking things off on the ship to do a final check of everything. As I strolled up, Regan looked at me with a smile forming as he closed his SAP.

"Look who finally showed up. I know your rooms are farthest from this wing, but this is not the girl I remember at all." he said as he shook his finger. Only thing that came to mind was the greatest idea. I tossed my cloth bag at him with a small laugh.

"Want to be an arse or help me get these on the ship? How's the diagnostics looking so far?" I asked as he stumbled back over the bag I threw at him. He stumbled to his feet and scooped up my bag as he explained.

"All functions are a go; she’s pitch perfect and a beaut. Should be out of here as soon as we enter. Isn't that right, Timons?" Regan yelled into the shuttle. Their response was a small closing of the off-ramp. Regan looked back at me with a smug expression as he did a small bow as I entered the ship. "After you, my fair captain," he said with a grin. This gesture just earned him negative points in my book.

As I entered the shuttle, I could see the whole crew in motion. Niki and Skylar were in the plasma core rooms, while Paxton and the pilots were in the main area. I caught a glimpse of the pile of bags in the rec room as I walked up. Great, so I was also tasked with a messy crew too. Regan probably told them to do it knowing it would drive me insane. Naoki swiveled around in his chair to face me as Kai entered the last few coordinates into the console.

"All systems are a go at your request, ma'am. Our engineers and brains are at work on the cores to make sure they're flight-ready as we speak. Should be smooth sailing til we hit gateway territory." he said as he stood and pulled the map up on the navcom. The holographic screen came to life as a series of dots floated into the air to only swirl around into our solar system. Thirty-five planets were all displayed in small golden dots as they all surrounded Sagittarius A*, a massive black hole at the center of our universe. There were a dozen or so small gold lines that represented gateways, as they stayed stationary for around 10 hours till they closed and reappeared elsewhere. Naoki swiped his hands as he charted the course we would be taking. It showed us leaving the academy and heading toward Gateway 503-2. Then, once we've traveled for 4 hours, we exit and descend onto Orion. The plan was solid and well-made. I filled him in on the information I knew so he could make adjustments if need be. Paxton was chilling in a pressure chair, looking at the star map we were constructing. His black, curly hair was a little messy, as if he was just sleeping. Maybe he used the time to catch some sleep before transit. His blue eyes were concentrated on Orion as a whole, possibly due to the fact he knew nothing about the planet's origin or history at all. This was a planet Athena had no prior knowledge of, so we are all a little curious about it. I shifted my gaze back to the map as I took it all in.

"Looks great. I’m going to download this to my SAP as a personal navigation system in case of an emergency. It's always good to have a backup." I said as I slid my SAP into the download slot to get a backup. Naoki collapsed the map as he slid back into his pilot chair. Turning toward the Gateway console to see its measurements and levels to prepare for entry as Kai came over the shuttles PA system.

"Attention all cadets aboard Cradle. We are about to take off; please prepare yourselves and strap into the pressure seats located in the cabin of the shuttle. If you fail to do as this intended warning is saying, you will look like a meat pile on the back of this ship as all your bones are—" he was cut off as Naoki took over the rest of the announcement.

"As our lovely pilot was saying, please strap in as we take off, We’ll let you know when we are leveled and simulated gravity has kicked in. Thank you for flying Timon's Cradle Line. We hope you enjoy your ride," he said as he released the PA button and gave a sly look at his brother, who was staring him down as if holes would form. Niki and Skylar came out of the core rooms and strapped into seats as I did the same. Paxton was already strapped in and making himself comfortable in the pressure seat as the pilots strapped in their own. There was a small rock in the shuttle as it rose off the ground and into the air. Bags were being rocked back and forth as the chairs joints rattled as we gained altitude. I had to guess that they were at least a meter off the ground. Then without any warning, gravity dropped from the shuttle. The bags drifted into the air as the airlock opened.

Then the shuttle kicked into full gear. The hums from the engine roared to life as I heard the plasma liquidate and turn into energy. The shuttle shot violently forward as the velocity of the shuttle propelled us forward. Our bodies struggled against the force as the pressure seats took most of it. I could hear my heartbeat being hammered into my ears as my body tried to fight back against the pressure. Then it was over. The auto generated gravity kicked in, and my body adjusted to the right positions as we steered ourselves and cruised along fine. Naoki came over the PA again to inform everyone. Niki was the first to rise as she moved to run the test on the cores one last time. Skylar followed behind to see if she needed assistance. Kai’s hands were flying over the dash to make sure we were flying properly as Noaki let out a sigh as he slumped back into his chair.

I looked out the window to see the academy in its full glory. It was a mix of silver and titanium, as the main floor was in the center. A massive round circle with a main window. Then you have the three launch bays that are on the uppermost level, where we just launched from. The main center had an upper floor where higher-ups lived in an enclosed dome-like structure with windows as well. There was a pointed spike of titanium on the bottom. It was to keep the station in orbit around the planets. But what really caught my eye was the gateway.

The main gateway outside the academy was man-made. The muted colors emitting off the rip in space were a glorious sight. The gateway was four meters wide and very narrow. The stars of further galaxies were twinkling in the black void of space as we launched toward Gateway 503–2. The universe looked so vast and beautiful as I watched. This was truly what made this career worth it.

Once I was adjusted, I went to the navcom system and looked at our route one more time. Regan got up a little later and walked back to the bunk area. He must be determined to get some rest. Naoki and Kai set the shuttle on autopilot and swiveled around in their chairs. Both sets of black eyes are looking at me.

"So, Commander, what shall we do till we get there in under five hours?" The tallest brother, Kai, asked as he leaned back against his pilot's chair. He crossed his arms, and his long black hair was pushed back in a gelled-up looking slick back mullet.

"Cadet Timons, do you have any ideas on what should be done while we wait? I was thinking we could do hand-holding exercises and trust falls." I said as I stared back at him with a smirk and rolled my eyes.

"Was that supposed to be a joke, Commander, or did you really want us to do Terran activities to display trust and friendship?" Naoki asked as he leaned forward, raising one of his black eyebrows.

“Maybe. I thought it was a good idea.” I said that and actually got a laugh out of the brothers. I took a good look at these brothers; they were my pilots after all, and I needed to get a handle on who they are. What better way to do that than to observe how they appear? Someone's appearance can literally speak volumes about them.

Kai was the taller brother. His gray skin was smooth and without a blemish in sight. He had his AA uniform and a stern look on his face. He stared back as if saying, Hey, I know what you're up to. It's not going to work, commander. I tried to see anything to start a conversation but couldn't. He looked like every other cadet at the academy, ready for what's next, not sure what that was.

Naoki was the shorter of the two, with his black hair cut into a shorter buzz cut. His gray skin was branded with a tattoo on his neck that went down toward the collar of his uniform. Any marking on their skin was meant to mean something, and that was definitely interesting. He was wearing the AA uniform but kept a piece of his home world on his wrist in the form of a bracelet. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen—a mix of twisting blue and green metals that clashed against one another as they seemed to be equally balanced. I found a starting point in getting to know him.

"So your bracelet, it’s a beautiful piece. Where did you get it?" I asked, pulling out one of my nicest smiles to help get him to open up.

"The bracelet was a gift from our mother; a sign in my culture for is'lamena." He said it as he looked down, turning the bracelet around his wrist. "She always told us to make a future for ourselves but never forget where we came from. This is why I carry it, to show how beautiful my planet was in its prime as a kid." He looked back up at me, and I could see sadness in his eyes. As if the memory itself haunted him. His planet was destroyed in a starship attack, and all Mevoith were evacuated from the surface.

"It’s a nice reminder. Meva was a beautiful place, and it will always be remembered." I said as I placed a hand on his leg. Naoki nodded his head. Kai only sat there with his eyes fixed on me, as if I had killed his hamster and thrown the body at him. His eyes were filled with the same sadness as Naoki's but also with a tiny bit of hatred as well. He stood from his chair and walked over to the bunk area. Once he reached the door, he finally spoke.

"Home was not all sunshine and rainbows, brother; you were only a kid when it blew. Do not praise that place. Call me when I’m needed." He said it in a stern tone as he went into the room. I knew some people thought the planet deserved all it got, but I’ve never seen that firsthand. Naoki looked at the door frame as he had a deadpan look on his face. He looked back at me and shrugged his shoulders.

“Brother has no pleasant memories tied to our home.” He said as he turned back in his chair and looked over the controls to make sure we were heading in the correct direction.

Well, that was a nice chat. I sighed a little as I stood and looked around the cabin of the shuttle. Most of the crew was off in the bunks getting their stuff sorted or just asleep. I heard commotion from the reactor core and walked over toward the door. The lights on the shuttle were mostly off with the light in there on. I headed over to the reactor where Niki and Skylar were gathered and looked at the core for one last check. Niki had her tools and a makeshift workshop set up in there, and Skylar, being our brain, was helping out to the best of her ability. Those two seemed to be working together perfectly. Niki raised her hand, and Skylar brought her the tool she needed, then asked for its measurements before writing them down in her SAP.

"Hey gals, how is the core looking?" I asked as Skylar looked up at me. Niki continued to work. Skylar’s blonde hair was wrapped in a ponytail, and her glasses were around the neck of her AA uniform as she glanced in my direction.

"Core is ready for Gateway travel. Get the pilots to send us in while we make the final preparations. I'm just trying to keep myself busy for the next five hours. Anything you need me to do, Commander Brown?" She asked as she packed her stuff up. Niki slammed the last panel and fired the Cores gateway protector into place. It's good to see the crew can work as effectively as they can. The only pilot that’s awake is Naoki, so I went to tell him we can head toward the gateway. I left the core room and went down the hall toward the main area of the shuttle to find most of the crew awake. Pax had an ice pack on his black eye as Naoki was at the control console, charting a course toward the gateway. Regan and Kai were a miss in this area; both must have been asleep. I walked over to Naoki as he finished setting the course and turned around.

"Naoki, can you set the course for the gateway? Cores are ready for entry, and we have all shields online." I said as he punched in the information needed and flipped a few switches. His hands flew across the console as green lights turned on. Once all the commands were in place, he went onto the navcom.

"Prepare for Gateway entry. If you are currently eating anything solid, then I recommend it be wrapped up and put away in case of liquidation. I’m looking at you, Commander Johns, the MRI meal can wait." I heard a groan from the bunk area as Regan came walking out with a sour look on his face. I sat down in the copilot's chair as we began approaching the gateway. The colors of the real world were slowly fading as most light was being absorbed by it and not reflected off. I looked back at the main hall as the place turned a full shade of monochrome. Man, I missed gate travel so much.