The Rea Cheveyo Chronicles Book 2: Talyss

Heath Douglas walked gingerly onto the bridge of the Rea Cheveyo and eased into the captain’s chair. He’d sat in the chair before.

He’d sat in the chair and dreamed of the day it would be his. And now it would be.
It was not the sweetest of victories. Heath’s possession of the chair came at a great personal loss. The man who still had claim to that chair was the best friend Heath had ever known. They’d have one more flight together, and then Ian Logan would step off the Rea Cheveyo and into a new world.

Heath was happy for Ian, truly. Ian had found that one special woman and was smart enough to know it and brave enough to embrace her future as his own. Ian’s lady, Kiana ni Jamallan, was the ruler-elect of the planet of Adonica.

Heath did have hope that with the reforms Kiana envisioned, he’d be able to visit Adonica from time to time and see his friend. And he did plan to make it plainly understood that if the naohm-elect or her husband needed transportation anywhere in the Cygni Omega sector, they’d better call the Rea Cheveyo’s newest captain.

He listened to the bridge chatter. The crew wouldn’t be informed of Ian’s decision to resign his commission until they returned to the Jericho Bruis Space Station. Those higher up needed to be told first, and the next captain of the ship officially announced.

Heath had no doubt about who would be named. He was eligible for his own command, knew the Rea Cheveyo and her crew, and was already berthed on her. The only concern he had was who his first officer might be.

Mara St. Yves was his first choice, but she’d never leave operations. She loved ops. The crew had gone through a major shakedown when Ian got the Rea ten months ago. There’d been several ships in the fleet getting new captains at the same time, and central command still hadn’t processed all the transfer requests of people wanting to follow a particular captain to a new assignment.

Heath looked over his shoulder at Ripley Parker. Ripley had been Ian’s sidekick since their school days. Ripley was going to take the news hard. Heath hoped the man would stay with the Rea Cheveyo. For the record, Parker was a communications and navigation wizard.

Off the record, Ripley Parker was a computer hacker of extraordinary talent.

Heath had the sinking feeling he would need to rely on Ripley when the commander-in-chief of the Cygni Omega sector, Graham Dayshaun, worked out a plan to settle a few problems in his backyard.

“Commander, the captain’s on the com link.”

“Thanks, Ripley. I’ll take it in the office.” Heath rose and entered his soon-to-be office. He opened the com link. “Ian, you’re alive.”

“So far, smartass. How’s our ship?”

“Purring like a kitten,” Heath replied. “How’s Kiana?”

“Likewise. The naohm-elect has requested we stay one more day. She’s also given permission for a small scientific survey team to shuttle over and gather information on flora and fauna.”

“Really? That’s a good place to start, I suppose.” Heath was surprised. The Adonicans were not the most welcoming of races when it came to humans.

“Since we have nothing on record about Adonica they didn’t supply, I think so. People will know the team is off in the wilderness and be more curious than frightened.”

“She means to do it, doesn’t she?”

“Yep. Kiana wants to open Adonica and allow all Adonicans the chance to leave the planet and return. It’s a big reform, but I think it will work.” Ian paused, then continued. “The people here are ready. Most of them, anyway. Kiana knows it will take time.”

“Just making it legal gets people thinking.”

“You sound like her. I have to go. I’m about to be formally presented to Naohm Yatai ni Geani and explain myself and my actions in corrupting the naohm-elect.”

Heath laughed. “Oh, that won’t be difficult. She’ll take one look at you mooning at Kiana and tell you both to go away and leave her be.”

Ian grinned. “I hope so. One more day, and then I’ll be gone for three months.”

Heath heard the sadness in Ian’s voice. He and Kiana had already endured a long separation. At least this time, they knew they’d be together at the end of it.

“Okay, my friend. I’ll get a team ready. You send up the location of their landing site. I’ll put us in a long departure count, and you go explain yourself.”

Ian snorted. “You make it sound easy. How’s it feel to sit in the chair and know it’s yours?”
“I’m shaking in my boots.”

* * * *

A day later Heath was behind the captain’s desk when a morose Ian returned to the Rea Cheveyo. Heath took one look at his friend and tried to be sympathetic.

“Cheer up. It’s not like before. At least this time, you know she’ll be there when you get back.”

“Yeah, I know. But she cried this time.”

“Hmm.” Heath quickly grabbed his redi-memo and handed it to Ian. He didn’t want to even think about a woman’s tears.

“Ship’s status is green. We have a little blip on the long-range scans that has me curious.” Heath rose and motioned for Ian to take his chair. Ian hesitated, but sat.

“This is just off the direct flight path to Jericho Bruis.” Ian scanned the information. “Do you want to investigate?”

“How fast do you want to get to Earth and back? We’ll get better scans as we go. It may be nothing.” Heath was already calculating scanning-to-speed ratios in his head.

“I want to get back in a hurry, but we’d better take a closer look.” Ian placed the redi-memo on the desk. “Do you have any idea who you’ll ask for as your first?”

“I have an A-list. It’s pretty short. Bonnie Dennis is my first choice, then Arleigh Conrad or Berkley Rice.”

Ian nodded. “Bonnie would be good. But she’s just agreed to do a year on the Monument to oversee that crew putting itself back together.”

“Bloody hell. Well, she’s perfect for that job. That crew needs a soft, steady hand to recover. God, what a thing to happen. I guess I tend to forget how dangerous it can be out here.”

“We all do, until something like that happens.” Ian leaned forward. “I hate to tell you this, but I think Jordan should transfer over there. They need his expertise.”

“You’re just a fountain of cheer, aren’t you?” Heath shook his head. Every certified pilot on the Monument had been killed when her fuel system was compromised and a massive explosion occurred. One hundred and twenty-one members of a two-hundred-ninety-nine-person crew had been lost.

“If you want my opinion, I’d go with Rice. Arleigh Conrad has been passed over for his own ship too many times. He’s bitter.”

Heath sighed. He’d had a run in with Conrad on Luna, but he chalked it up to the man having a bad day.

“Okay. Berkley Rice it is if he’ll accept. You want to call Kiana and say goodbye?”

“No. If I talk to her, I’ll never leave.” Ian activated his computer station. “Get us underway, Commander. Send Ripley in just before he goes off shift.”

“Aye, sir.” Heath gave Ian a small salute and returned to the bridge. Ripley had his head together with Andie James. They spoke in conspiratorial whispers. He walked up behind them.

“Don’t listen to him, Andie. He’ll lead you astray.”

“Too late. I just learned some very interesting facts about our computers.” She grinned at Heath.

“That scares me. Better take your station. We’re ready to go.”

Andie hustled down to navigation and began pressing buttons.

“All departments are green, Commander,” she reported.

“Then let’s get to Jericho Bruis, Lieutenant James.”

Andie keyed in a sequence, and the Rea Cheveyo broke orbit, banked left, and gathered speed. Jericho Bruis was forty hours straight ahead at six-light speed.

Heath sat quietly while the bridge crew worked their duty stations. The normal crew chatter would resume in a quarter-hour or so, and then he’d have them start a closer scan on that little blip.

Once that was accomplished, he turn the bridge over to Ripley. It was time he went for a captain’s walk. Just to see what it felt like.

* * * *

Talyss of Warlonah Keep, and lately of the spaceship Warlonah’s Glory, was brought out of her reverie by the excited voice of her science specialist.

“Talyss, that LAW ship is headed right for us!”

Talyss walked calmly over to Variss and looked at her long-range scan. By the Oracle! It was true. The Rea Cheveyo was headed right at them.

“She’s still hours away. Bring thrusters online. Move us away from her projected flight path, but do it slowly. She may not have seen us.” The ship vibrated under Talyss’ feet as Variss followed her instructions. They began to drift.

“Watch her, Variss, and be ready. If she adjusts her course, we will abandon our wait and go to Jericho Bruis. It cannot be helped.”

“Talyss, we can’t. People are depending on us.”

“I understand. But better they miss one shipment than the LAW find out what we are doing.”

“They might die!”

“A few may. But if we are caught, more will as the result of their own stubbornness. Obey me, Variss.” Talyss turned and walked away from her friend. It would serve no purpose to continue to argue.

The fur rose on her arms. She couldn’t wait. She’d given her word not to reveal her friend’s plight. Talyss turned to her second-in-command.

“Flinnen, we are leaving. Full power. We are going to the space station now.”

There was a murmuring of dissent on the command deck. Talyss stared at Flinnen. She knew he had strong feelings about what they did. He finally nodded. Talyss released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Why did this have to be so hard?

She was not as detached as her attitude implied. She commanded this ship. The responsibility for it and its crew was hers. Her duty was to keep focused on the larger picture, the safety of all. She made her decisions with the bigger view in mind.

“I’ll be in my quarters. If the Rea Cheveyo increases her speed, do likewise. I want to be at the station and under Jericho Bruis customs protection as soon as possible.”

“That won’t make any difference.”

“Variss, it will make all the difference. I have investigated the captains of the LAW ships that patrol our space. Ian Logan is unlikely to demand to board and search this ship if station personnel have allowed us to dock. He will go through channels and obtain the station commander’s approval. But he will watch us, and so we must be careful of him.”

Flinnen looked at her, visibly unhappy.

“I have seen those reports. Graham Dayshaun trusts him. Logan may not insist on personally boarding us, but he will file his report.”

“And it will say what? Flinnen, adjust our flight log to show a problem with our navigation control and a subsequent repair. When we realized we were off course, we powered down, and then drifted even more while correcting the problem. We are now continuing to Jericho Bruis to deliver our cargo, per our manifest.”

Flinnen nodded. Variss was not satisfied.

“What was the League of Aligned Worlds doing at Adonica for four days? I don’t like it.”

“I don’t know, Variss. Not all of what happens in our space need concern us.”

“That’s just it. It is our space. But it has been taken from us. Others claim it, and others agree.”

“The Oracle tells us that all the heavens belong to us. That is an extremely large territory for us to control. Perhaps one day, in a distant future, we will truly be heirs worthy of it all. But for now, in this time, we are not. The Oracle has often said, ‘It is not come.’ We should be content and allow the Oracle’s visions to mature.”

“Meanwhile, people die!”

The beginnings of a headache throbbed at the base of Talyss’ skull. She spoke with the authority of her position, that of heir to Warlonah Keep and all of Warlonah holdings.

“We all will die, Variss. If this ship is impounded, what help will we be to anyone? I’m going to my quarters. Notify me immediately of any developments.”

“Yes, my lady,” Flinnen replied.

Talyss stepped into the downtube and slowly freefell four decks. She caught the bar and swung out. Her quarters were just a few steps away.

Sanctuary. The quiet twilight of her cabin was blessed sanctuary. She uncovered the crystal of the Oracle. Its glow bathed the room in sunset. More than anything, Talyss wanted to sleep. She rarely did when she was out on the ship. Someone always required her time and her presence.

She needed to rest. She had to be alert, sharp, when they docked at Jericho Bruis.

Just in case Variss was correct and that LAW captain had been made curious.