Amantus
Copyright© 2026 by QM
Chapter 3
A chime woke Amantus, and he showered quickly before heading to the mess hall, where he ate a filling breakfast. He was soon joined by a couple of other Midshipmen who introduced themselves. Crendon, being in engineering, was denoted by the yellow band on his sleeve, and Mabis, being in support services, was denoted by a blue band on hers.
“So, command?” Mabis asked after the introductions. “We don’t get many of those, according to Lieutenant Sach.”
“It’s where I was placed,” Amantus smiled.
“Placed?” Crendon frowned.
“I’m an involuntary recruit, in for twenty years,” Amantus shrugged, not seeing a point in keeping that a secret.
“Who did you kill?” Mabis blurted out.
“No one,” Amantus chuckled. “The question you should ask is, whom did you offend?”
“Oh, sorry, guess that was a bit rude of me,” Mabis replied, blushing slightly.
“Just a bit,” Crendon laughed. “So, who did you offend, Amantus?”
“Lendmenos Hachat, he believes I deflowered his daughter,” Amantus shrugged.
“Did you?” Mabis asked.
“No, but I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to take the blame.”
“Sucks to be you,” Crendon nodded.
“Yep,” Amantus agreed.
“Got your card marked?” Mabis asked.
“Yes, I’m persona non grata for any results announced, same with any promotion reviews,” Amantus confirmed.
“Do you have a noble title?” a clearly curious Mabis continued her questioning.
“Not anymore,” Amantus chuckled. “I’m cast out, written out of the records and not permitted back on Vreekoos during my exile.”
“Couldn’t you sneak back? You must have friends who could help?”
“They put something into my neck that will blow my head off if I try,” Amantus replied, ignoring the part about friends.
“And just because some noble thought you fucked his daughter?” Crendon asked in disbelief.
“It’s a big thing in the nobility, the purity of a daughter that is,” Amantus explained. “The implications of being found out not to be can have ramifications for the status and standing of the whole clan.”
“So if you didn’t, who did?” a puzzled Crendon asked.
“I suspect it was either the young lady’s fiancé, or she was seduced by a servant, probably the latter.”
“Ah, and she didn’t want the family to find out it was a servant?” Mabis nodded.
“Seems likely, and as I had been visiting their complex on other business, my name got roped into the mess, and I was conveniently made to vanish to appease an outraged father,” Amantus replied with a wry smile.
“Well, you’ll find the crew here won’t give a damn about that,” Crendon nodded. “Most will think it’s stupid.
“So, what do you do here?” Amantus asked.
“I’m being taught how to rebuild and restore ship systems, including the XD drive,” Crendon replied. “It’s a lot of hard work, but fun, too.”
“I look after the ship’s plant, keep it healthy and productive,” Mabis added.
“Plant?” Amantus asked, not really understanding.
“It’s a bioengineered plant that is designed to recycle air on the ship as well as any food waste,” Mabis explained. “It also produces fruit, some of which you’ll have eaten as it’s added to the meals here.”
“Wow, I never knew,” Amantus smiled.
“It can also be adapted to extract radioactive particles from the air,” Mabis continued. “Though only Lieutenant Commander Collis can do that yet, I’m still learning the basics.”
There was a soft chime, and Amantus realised he had ten rotations to get to the bridge where his duty station would begin at the comm station.
“See you later,” Amantus said as the two also got to their feet to head to where they were stationed.
“You too, Amantus,” Mabis replied with a cheery smile.
Amantus timed it perfectly, at the very microrotation that the red shift changed to the orange, he stepped onto the bridge after the standby trooper scanned his perscomp and saluted the duty officer.
“Nice timing,” Lieutenant Commander Dant smiled as she returned the salute. “Take a seat at the comm station and observe.”
“Ma’am,” Amantus replied, before heading to the station where a young Lieutenant sat.
“Name’s Venn,” the Lieutenant said. “Keep it informal unless the Captain is looking over your shoulder or there are crew about.”
“Yes, Venn,” Amantus nodded.
“Your basic covered this, but I’ll go over it again,” Venn began. “The comm station monitors all communications, either onboard or between the ship and anything out there. We also listen out for distress signals or signs of planetary raiders.”
“Monitor but not listen in, unless it’s urgent?” Amantus asked.
“Pretty much it, the captain has a private channel, the rest of us have to ask to use one,” Venn smiled. “Comms also covers the computer activity onboard, though the Engineers fix the equipment.”
“We look for downloading porn?” Amantus asked with a wry smile.
“Heh, sort of, we’re mostly looking for infiltration subroutines trying to sabotage the ship,” Venn chuckled. “But that too.”
“I take it the ship’s computer looks after the bulk of it?”
“It does, we just deal with what it highlights, as well as direct comms.”
Venn then demonstrated what the station monitored and how each part worked. He instructed Amantus on the protocols used when dealing with Fleet or civilians.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Venn concluded. “But you’ll soon figure out what is and isn’t important and then how you deal with it when a higher officer isn’t around.”
“I thought the bridge was always manned?” Amantus queried.
“Comms is always manned,” Venn corrected Amantus. “You don’t need the rest of us when we’re docked.”
“Correct,” Lieutenant Commander Dant said, startling Amantus slightly. “The command deck is now manned as we prepare to debark.”
“And when the Captain arrives, we’ll know it’s soon,” Venn chuckled, making Dant smile.
“True, he has the Lignet running like a well-oiled machine,” Dant chuckled.
“Best kind of Captain,” Venn nodded.
“Captain on deck!” the standby trooper barked.
“At ease,” Mance’s voice came immediately, as he moved to his station. “Report?”
“Station command has given authorisation to move out,” Venn replied.
“Docking tube disengaged, auxiliary ports retracted,” Dant followed up.
“Drive functions are all green, Captain,” the Engineering station reported.
“Civilian and Fleet traffic are clear; we can move on your order, Captain,” the officer at the detection station informed Mance.
“Take us out, standard G,” Mance ordered. “Once at the limit, set course to Dephrar.”
“Sir,” came the response from the pilot.
“Station acknowledges our departure,” Venn added after checking the desk.
“Speed now constant at one G,” the pilot informed the deck. “We will reach the XD limit in four hundred rotations.”
“Screens remain clear in the departure lane, all surrounding traffic is within norms,” detection informed the bridge.
“Carry on,” Mance replied to all. “Senior officers to my day cabin when we reach XD for the mission briefing.”
“That’s anyone with a ‘Commander’ in their command rank,” Venn informed Amantus. “Not the likes of us.”
“Figured that,” Amantus nodded. “Still feels odd not being able to see outside.”
“Dopplering would spoil the view,” Venn chuckled. “And we won’t get close enough to anything interesting.”
“True,” Amantus smiled. “Any ideas on the mission?”
“The captain will inform the senior crew, but it’s likely a backup mission where the picket ships at Dephrar have detected a potential move against the system,” Venn shrugged. “But that’s pure speculation on my part.”
“So, why’s the weapon station not manned?”
“That’s Dant’s job, and we have no one to shoot at,” Venn chuckled.
“If you see me, Zaka or Futris there, you know we have a problem,” Dant’s voice came from behind them. “Now less of the speculation and more of the tutorial.”
“Sir,” Venn replied with a grin.
The time between reaching the XD limit went quickly as Venn went over the functions of the comm station with Amantus. This included protocols for dealing with other sections of the ship, including who had direct access to Captain Mance and who had to go through Dant, or whoever was the current duty officer.
“Most of the time it isn’t an issue,” Venn explained. “Each section head has a time slot to see the Captain as the day goes on; mostly it’s an all ok or occasionally a heads up.”
“They know what they are doing,” Amantus nodded.
“Yep, most have been with the Lignet for at least one enlistment, a couple have done three, same as the Captain.”
“Good place to train,” Amantus replied.
“Yeah, we currently have six Middies, including you, but you’re the first command Middie we’ve had, in my time,” Venn nodded.
“I’m an involuntary,” Amantus informed Venn. “Fleet has instructions about me.”
“Well, they shlecked up big time with this posting,” Venn chuckled. “The Lignet might be out of favour, but the Captain’s second to none, and he’ll teach you right.”
“XD limit reached,” the pilot announced. “Transitioning ... now.”
There was a faint hum as the XD drive engaged, forcing the Lignet into a dimension where the distance between stellar objects was far less than the physical universe.
“XD drive working normally, we’ll reach Dephrar in a thousand rotations,” the Engineering station reported.
“Good, bridge may stand down from full alert,” Mance ordered.
“That’s because there’s very little that can get at us here,” Venn informed Amantus.
“I didn’t realise we were on full alert,” Amantus confessed.
“We always are when moving in normal space,” Venn explained. “It’s not like battle stations, though.”
“I thought you said nothing got close?”
“Not unless it wants to, and if it does not identify itself or its actions don’t fall within acceptable norms, then it’s designated as potentially hostile,” Venn explained. “That’s why we’re on full alert.”
“Got it,” Amantus nodded.
“Gets worse when we’re in a disputed or neutral system, and some non-Protectorate ship wants to force a confrontation,” Venn chuckled. “That can put years on you.”
“Senior Command Officers to my day cabin,” Mance announced, his voice carried through the ship via speakers. “You too, Midshipman Amantus, you might as well observe what happens in one of these.”
“Sir,” Amantus stood and saluted.
Once in the day cabin, which was attached to the bridge, Amantus was introduced to the senior command staff. He was then given a seat and told to observe, but not interrupt. Mance then went over the mission orders and parameters, which were, as Venn had suspected, a support mission to back up the destroyers Lance and Pinion.