grieved.
He went downstairs to his ready room office and listened to Wheeler's dying testimony, about his betrayal of Jonas, the manufacture of Ayan and everything else had given him the deepest desire to be alone. We're all on strings. If we weren't manufactured we're attached to some company or government that can just pull on a line and force us into doing God knows what. Even all the way out here, I bet one transmission could send the whole crew into hysterics.
He drank the last of the scotch in his glass and poured another belt. “Make the galaxy free again,” he said to himself. “What an idea. At full officer mercenary wages this ship would run me dry in a year. If only we weren't all tied down by cash.”
“We don't have to be,” Stephanie said from behind.
She had been uncharacteristically quiet, or he wasn't paying enough attention. Stephanie sat down beside him and set down Jonas' long coat and his sidearm with gun belt down beside the white scarf he had left on the bar before. “Of course we do. A crew works, they get paid, they keep working.”
“You offered them peanuts before and not many of them left. We have half the military and they're sending requests to the bridge to have more picked up. The word's out that the Triton is taking trained people on, and I wouldn't be surprised if we had more applicants than we could handle when we reach port.”
“Every single one of them will want to be paid, and frankly, I don't want to see what happens when the money runs out. I can't back that kind of crew if privateering stops paying or if I can't find us someone else willing to legitimize us.”
“Why would we need to be legitimized? What's the point of having a letter of marque when we can process or sell most anything we capture? I shouldn't have to tell you, especially not you this but when a ship like the Triton drifts into harbour everyone notices. This ship gives us the clout to capture, salvage and sell whatever the hell we want and even if half the tech on this ship is junk we have more than enough equipment to do everything ourselves. So if you're worried about paying the crew, all you have to do is put them to work and just being active out here will provide.”
“She's right Captain, an' a lot of us won't be after much in way of pay while livin' here. Pay 'em half then dock materializer fees. Should keep usage under control an' anyone from materializin' heavy metals, sucking up power like it's free,” Frost added from the doorway. He walked across the room and got behind the bar, immediately rooting around for loose bottles. “Watch is all set. Tracked down a few of Wheeler's bridge crew and told them you wanted 'em on. Most of them were hidin' in their racks, tryin' ta get some sleep after weeks of bein' over worked, they didn't mind takin' a quiet bridge shift. Grace helped, nice girl, that one.”
“Thank you Shamus,” Captain Valance said, raising his glass.
“Ship's in mournin'. People are settlin' in where they're told. Most of the people aboard lost someone on Enreega.” Frost produced two big two litre bottles and put them down on the bar. He reached for the second glass beside Jake's and the Captain put his hand on it.
“That one's taken,” He said, putting it beside the pile of Jonas' possessions.
“Ah, so it is.”
The lift door opened to admit Ashley, who had her arm around Alice's shoulders. “Someone needed to see you Captain,” She said as she guided Alice to sit beside Jake.
He put his arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. It was so natural to accept Alice, so easy after thinking her his daughter for years that he set all the questions that had built up aside. There would be another time.
No one knew what to say as Ashley took a seat beside Stephanie. Frost filled the air with the sounds of him washing out glasses with a small water hose and lining them up atop the bar until there were four. “Well, look here, I think this drawer here's supposed to wash things up.” He said as he opened a small compartment behind the bar.
Ashley smiled at him and shrugged. “At least you know the water works.”
“Aye, care to try some of this Gogama Brew with me? There's about twenty four bottles down here.”
“Sure.”
He poured three glasses of the thick porter, raising a head an inch thick. “Not materialized stuff, that's for sure. I think this'll be a wee bit bitter.”
Stephanie tried it first and nodded. “I wouldn't say bitter, but strong.”
Ashley sipped it and cringed. “Tastes like I'm drinking old tree sap.”
“Well, if you're not going to drink it, I'll take your glass,” he said as he reached for it.
“Oh, no you don't. There's always a chance I'll like it by the time I see the bottom of the glass.”
“Well, if not then there's more for me.”
Quiet settled over the group for a few more minutes, each one wrapped in their own thoughts. Frost offered Alice a glass and she quietly shook her head. Her hand was resting on Jonas's long coat. She had just made it for him before they arrived on the Triton, he hadn't even finished equipping it with tools.
Jake ran his hand up and down her back. She had left her flight jacket somewhere, probably in his ready quarters. At the moment there was nothing he wanted to do more than take care of her. When she had first come through the lift into the bar room he had immediately felt selfish. He couldn't believe he had just left her alone up there so he could go off and pity himself elsewhere. Everything Stephanie said was right. These people want to fight. Give them time to rest and regain strength and it would take a smallest spark to start a rebellion that would go down in history. They're not in this for the money. He thought to himself.
Stephanie broke everyone out of their thoughts when she sat up straight and said; “I quit.”
Everyone looked at her, even Alice and Jake looked surprised.
“What's that?” Frost asked, more surprised than anyone else. He actually looked hurt.
“I won't be your first officer,” she said to her glass. “I'm just not qualified, it would take years.”
“Do you really think this is the time?” Ashley asked quietly with a nudge.
“It's as good a time as any. I'm not leaving the ship or crew, I just don't want the job.”
“Well what do you want to do, lass?” Frost asked, still reeling.
Captain Valance just looked at her, Alice was leaning forward so she could see around him.
Stephanie took a drink and went on; “I felt completely out of place unless I was doing security today. Every time I looked at anything other than deck layouts in the computer my head started spinning. It felt like I had eight years of school ahead of me before I could even start working with anything else. I want security. That's what I want to do,” she didn't look at anything but the glass in front of her for the entire time she spoke, and when she was finished she took another long drink.
Attention shifted to the Captain, and for a while he just sat there looking at her. “Anyone else thinking about their careers?” he asked finally.
“Flying this ship is like swimming in a calm ocean. She moves like nothing I've seen, don't take her helm away from me Captain,” Ashley pleaded with a smile. “We're just getting to know each other.”
“I got a look at that gunnery deck before comin' down. My grandfather would be in tears at the sight of it and I have to admit I shed one of my own. Put me in the middle o' those guns. If I never see that bridge tactical display again it'll be too soon.”
The door opened and Liam took a seat at the end of the bar with a woman and another fellow. He was wearing his long robes, but didn't say anything by way of introduction.
Captain Valance looked to Alice, his face close to hers, and squeezed her to him gently. “What would you like?” He asked quietly. Everyone's attention was on her.
She looked tired, it was plain that she had been crying. Alice just stared at him for a while. “A home. I've been moving for year and I'd do anything to call this ship home,” came the whisper at long last.
“Done,” Captain Valance said to her. He looked down the bar towards everyone else and said; “Done. As of tomorrow morning you're the Gunnery Chief,” he pointed to Frost, “you're my Chief of Security,” he pointed to Stephanie, “you're my lead pilot,” he pointed to Ashley, “and you, if you'll have us, will be my Chief Engineer.” He looked back to Alice and kissed her on the forehead. “And you have a home along with a father if you'll have me,” He whispered against her forehead.
Alice wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “You have no idea what you're getting yourself into,” she whispered back through brimming tears.
Everyone else gathered at the bar overheard, and laughter came easily.
