Page 8 of Star Cruise Captain's Story

The carts stopped side by side and her team wasted no time emptying the cargo area of their belongings. Maeve and Theo Knox walked to the sealed portal of the ship.

“She’s a beauty,” Theo said, running an appreciative hand over the ship’s gleaming outer hull. “I was ready to go full pirate mode, in some ancient, creaking tub, but this is going to be a pleasure. Thanks for including Jayna and me in your privatearmy. I owe Fleming more than I can ever repay, for taking me on after I was cashiered out of the Space Navy on bogus charges. He’s a good guy.”

Maeve was in total agreement with Theo but decided not to say anything. Her emotions were running high now she was actually about to go after Gil and her control was slipping. She couldn’t afford to lose her corporeal form in front of Jake Dilon right now. He was the key to this entire mission and if he lost confidence in her, the others would follow him and back out of the trip. She ordered the ramp to open and the group hustled to carry their gear and supplies, including armaments, inside. Once the ramp closed, she gathered the others around her and projected a holo of the ship’s interior for them. She pointed out the cargo hold, the control deck, the engines, the medbay and the cabins she’d assigned. There was an empty one for Gil, which she’d use, and several others.

“I’d like to lift off as soon as possible,” she said to Jake. “Sitting on the ground is making me twitchy.” Raising her eyebrows at the glance he and Red exchanged, she added, “Not for any reason other than the possibility of a last minute monkey wrench in our plans. Once we’re in space we’re free and clear to go about our task.”

“Theo, we’ll get the gear stowed,” Jake said with a nod to her acknowledging her concern. “You go ahead and get us off the planet.”

“I’ll need to walk the ship,” Theo said, frowning. “No responsible captain takes off for the first time in a vessel he hasn’t inspected.” He gave Maeve a charming smile. “I’m sure this is a top notch rebuild, but I’m responsible.”

“I understand,” she said, reining in her impatience with difficulty. She’d order the ship to lift off herself if he didn’t hurry up. “No offense taken.” She needed these humans to get Gil and his brother out of trouble and it wouldn’t do to allow herimpatience to cause her to erupt at them. Theo was only trying to do the job she’d asked him to carry out.

Theo saluted and hastened deeper into the ship, heading for the engine room most likely.

“Em, why don’t you and Tyrelle go ahead and get the sickbay set up?” Jake said. “Red, Jayna, Owen and I can get the rest of this gear stowed.”

Dr. Shane kissed him on the cheek and tugged at the antigrav container floating behind her. “Sounds good. Meet you in our cabin later.” She and Tyrelle studied the diagram for another moment and walked away in the direction of the corridor leading to the medical facility, Midorri scampering at their feet.

Maeve helped with moving their supplies into the hold and the armory respectively. While they were in the middle of laying out and checking over the weapons she’d already ordered, which had been waiting inside the hold in crates, and getting the items Jake and Red had acquired, Theo’s voice came over the com.

“Lifting off in five minutes, everyone take their positions. Acknowledge the order, please.”

Jake responded for their group as the five of them stepped to acceleration pads and activated the restraints. Maeve heard Dr. Shane answer for herself and Tyrelle and then there was a lull as the engines could be heard spooling up for the effort to escape the planet’s gravity.

Owen turned his head to Maeve. “You got the hydroponics setup I asked for, for my wife?”

“She’ll have to set it all up but the ship came with a small vegetable garden, so there shouldn’t be any issue with Tyrelle adding her own plants with the framework I ordered. It’s top of the line for small ships like this.” Maeve wasn’t entirely happy to have the alien empath included in the group, not because she wasn’t fond of Tyrelle, but because her presence was yetanother wrinkle and Maeve was wary of things becoming too complicated. This had to be a clean rescue, quick and fast, to have any chance of succeeding. She was concerned too many people would become unwieldy. Jake hadn’t raised any objections, however, and she reminded herself she’d deferred to his judgment when it came to the actual operation.

And she had definitely wanted the big Cargo Master on the team. He wasn’t a Tier One operator like Jake and Red had been, but he’d seen combat and was tough and efficient. He was also personally loyal to Gil Fleming which she regarded as another critical success factor. This job would probably get dicey and men and women who were devoted to Gil would go the extra mile to get him out of the trouble he was in. She’d seen enough in her years as a battleship AI and then on theNebula Zephyrto understand how humans worked when it came to loyalty and extra efforts. Maeve was willing to use every advantage she could get to save Gil. She hoped to rescue his brother as well but the captain was her priority.

Once the ship had left the planet’s atmosphere and was headed out of the system, Theo asked permission to go to lightspeed. “The sooner we jump, the sooner we get there to help the captain,” he said.

“Go for it,” Jake answered without hesitation.

The ship made the transition smoothly, with only a small deviation in the underlying harmonics, which let experienced spacers know they’d gone into the FTL drive. Maeve was relieved her purchase of this vessel had proven to be a good one.

The rest of the day tried her patience, having to remain corporeal and participate in a weapons briefing from Jake and Red with everyone else, even Tyrelle and Theo, who were to remain in the ship at all times. Then there was dinner in the common room. She knew the others were watching to see if she ate, which she did. This body the Mellureans had created for herwas biological in all respects and required the same sustenance as humans did. The fact she had additional capabilities of her own was comforting.

“All right, everyone rest up tonight,” Jake said as dinner ended. “Tomorrow we’ll start going over the information Maeve has for us about the planet, the Jlonngi and their main base, and making our plans.” He raised his glass. “To a successful mission and seeing Captain Fleming in his rightful place again.”

Everyone echoed his sentiment, clinking their glasses together and then drinking whatever fluids they’d chosen to wash down the preprepared meal from the ship’s stores.

Finally Maeve was free to slip away to her cabin and she barely waited until the portal closed before she released her hold on her body and dove into theValkyrie Revenge’sAI system. Re-entering theNebula Zephyr’ssystem was like stepping into a vast calm ocean. Joining this much smaller, more limited network was like diving into a chilly lake but it was restorative nonetheless. As she expanded her consciousness into all aspects of the new ship, she relaxed and regained her usual good mood. When she’d purchased the ship one of her primary concerns had been to find a vessel with a standard, non-conscious AI. Maeve had no desire to override and squabble with a resident AI endowed with personality, even if it wasn’t truly self aware.

Now she roamed the network, focusing on various aspects of the ship, identifying improvements she wanted to make and prioritizing them.Engines first. A lot of potential to increase the capability there.Narrowing her concentration, she began making adjustments to the setup.

“Dinner was interesting,”Owen said to his wife once the couple reached their own cabin.

“Watching Maeve eat like the rest of us, you mean?” Tyrelle asked with a smile. She slid her hand over Midorri’s soft fur as the pet sat in her lap, purring.

“Yeah for one thing. I’m still grappling with the idea that she’sMaeve, you know?” His grin was self-conscious. “After all these years of dealing with her and now she’s a woman, not a ship. Not a disembodied voice.” He shrugged. “I guess stranger things happen when the Mellureans are involved. How’s our crew doing?”

“Remembering I don’t read minds—I read emotions and auras,” Tyrelle said, “Overall quite well. Theo is happy to have his own ship again, even briefly. Jayna is pleased he’s happy and gratified to have been included on this mission. She’s hoping there’s going to be real action.” The empath made a tsking sound. “She’s something of a hothead. But good people, as you say on occasion.”

“And the doc?”

“Emily is grimly determined right now. She’snotkeenly anticipating any kind of ground battle but she’s sublimating her fears—mostly of disappointing Jake—in the activity of preparing a combat medic’s kit and making sure the sickbay here is top notch. It’s good I’m here to help smooth out her PTSD. Jake is Jake—tough as always, thinking ahead, making plans for every contingency. No worries about him. Maeve was smart to ask him to lead the team. He is worried about his wife and the effect this may all have on her. I’ll have to try and speak with him privately and give him reassurance. Emily will be fine.” Scratching Midorri’s chin while the pet slitted her big eyes in pleasure, Tyrelle said, “Red is a duplicate of Jake right now, except for missing his wife.”

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