Chapter 53

Third Mission, inbound in star system RKO-289 aboard the FUP Shuttle Royal Yacht, 2401 CE

“Lieutenant Straperlo,” G3 Henderson spoke up using her efficient, military-tone of voice as she shifted in her seat on the other side of the galley table, “as G2 Blaugelt-Sitwell has correctly identified, I am the keeper of records for our household.” From below the table she produced her data-pad that must have been in a cargo pocket on her duty blues. Putting the pad on the table before her, Bea looked to her right toward the JAG officer sitting on the end of the table with the starboard galley bulkhead behind him that separated the galley compartment from the rest of Forward Stowage Space A.

“Sir, in that capacity, I have been asked to brief you concerning all the Brotherhood contraband awarded the Sitwell household through proper channels. All those prize items, and more, Lieutenant Straperlo, are presently secured here aboard this vessel, the Royal Yacht.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate a briefing on this information without having to request one ... but why are you, or your household, volunteering this, G3, ah, Henderson?” Straperlo asked, “Is this another part of your plan?” And he looked down the length of the galley table and focused his gaze on Juliet as he sat back in his chair.

“Yes, Sir; it is part of our plan,” our shuttle commander told him as she picked up her coffee mug, taking a sip. After she swallowed she said over the steaming cup, “As you are the only officer aboard, Lieutenant Straperlo, we want to apprise you of the supplies situation on the Royal Yacht. We especially want you to be aware, Sir, what supplies are already recognized by ExServ as our personal property, what gear is presently unclaimed contraband, and what supplies are service issued items. You will find, Lieutenant Straperlo, even without our personal property, Sir, this class of shuttle is amazingly well stocked.”

As a silence descended on the galley, my paranoid ass-wipe was happy that Juliet was coming into her own as our shuttle commander; and becoming the face of our household as far as this damned lawyer was concerned.

Nobody said anything. We all just looked at each other; some taking a sip of their beverage from time to time. I got the feeling we all wanted to test the true depth of Lieutenant Straperlo’s seeming calm demeanor. After all, we’d heard his wild, frustrated rant while he was still inside his escape pod with nothing but the Big Black surrounding his tiny vessel.

From my connection with my first wife, I could tell that Juliet didn’t care what Straperlo might suspect, or what we might inform him about our household in general. The concern foremost in her mind was if and how the officer might find out about Anika background. Juliet knew none of the rest of our household would tell him of Anika’s royal family.

In addition, my first wife didn’t think Straperlo would figure out from the evidence he was learning that our younger wife was a princess, and that was the reason Captain Mowmyier awarded possession of the shuttle to Anika. Juliet just wanted to make sure that it was Anika’s decision to reveal her royal roots.

In the ongoing silence, I could read below the surface of Juliet’s mind that a copy of all the official files signed by the Captain transferring command authority over the Royal Yacht to Anika had been duly recorded in the shuttle’s log at the same time her own appointment as command pilot was registered. However, Juliet was resolved not to provide Lieutenant Straperlo with the necessary password string so he could get into her log—even if he attempted to order her to do so!

I heard a tea cup click against a saucer, and somebody shifted their boots on the deck. Looking down the table, I saw a grin on Lieutenant Straperlo’s thin lips and was surprised to see the grin in his eyes as well.

With a sigh, I looked at the other end of the table to focus fully on my connection with my first wife. She looked relaxed as she continued to gaze at the newest member of our group. Through our connection, I could again feel Juliet’s determination that if Straperlo did learn about Anika’s royal family, it would only happen if it was Anika’s decision to tell him. I was surprised when I realized my first wife was beginning to think that Anika might actually do that at some point so she could use the royalty card to put the Lieutenant in his place. If that did occur, Juliet was sure the rest of us would support Anika. Also, if that happened, Juliet was thinking it might even finally force me to put on the ducal ring Anika had told Juliet and Bea she’d given me!

In response to the thought of declaring myself a Duke, I successfully stopped the snort before it came out of my mouth.

Pushing deeper into my connection with Juliet, I discovered she hoped I’d put on the ring at some point. That surprised me! Juliet wanted our household to be able to claim all the prerogatives that went along with my being a Duke and Anika being royalty. Not only that, but through our connection I could feel that Juliet found the idea of being the married first wife of a Duke exciting and arousing!

In addition, I discovered that she hoped one day to return to her home world with us. Juliet wanted to show off just how well she’d married to some members of her extended family and all the girls she felt had shunned her when they’d gone to school together!

I had to clear my throat with a cough that broke the silence in the galley—Juliet really wanted to be a Duchess! In spite of all those revelations, I kept my poker face in place and looked back down the table at Lieutenant Straperlo, where everyone else was focusing as well.

The JAG officer continued studying each of us as he sipped from his coffee mug. I figured he was collating what he thought he knew so far about the situation. As he swallowed a sip of coffee, I saw another grin form on his lips. Again I was taken by how pale his skin seemed to be and how dark the shadow of his beard was in contrast—it made his cheeks, chin, and neck seem blue.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” the Lieutenant finally said as he put the mug down by his plate. “As I’ve told you, I love solving mysteries. Now, from your own words, I can see my original assumption is supported—that you have to have some kind of official sanction that not only gave your household access to this shuttle, but that has also allowed your household to use this vessel to store contraband awarded as personal property aboard, as well as Mister Sitwell’s accumulated survival gear and supplies I’ve heard about. However, I don’t understand why those items couldn’t have just as easily been placed with the Glenndeavor’s Personal Property officer for safe keeping.

“But then,” Straperlo said with a shrug of his shoulders, “you’d not have them aboard now, would you. I just hope, Mister Sitwell,” the Lieutenant told me as he focused on my eyes, “that you have enough additional gear to provide for your household, and the others aboard as well as some of the people you link up with once this shuttle makes landfall. I don’t plan to be aboard by then, but it will take some time before the first Federation retrieval elements show up; but they will arrive.”

I found myself grinning back at Lieutenant Straperlo, thinking that if the agitation I was feeling through my connection with Anika over his presence aboard was an indicator, he might not be aboard when we made planetfall because he’d already accidentally gone out of the airlock—having been spaced by a person or persons unknown. Also, I knew that Beatrice was about to point out to this officer just what our survival supplies situation really is. I looked over at our honey-blonde lovely and gave Bea a nod of my head to proceed. She winked back at me and took a breath.

“In partial reply on that point, I need to inform you, Sir,” Beatrice spoke up, getting Straperlo’s attention, “that we three SPI agents,” and she nodded at Anika and me, “with the help of our search teams at the time, which included the now deputized G2 Xazan and G3 Kyler here, discovered another large cache of contraband during our last assigned duty watch right before the evacuation.

“At that time, Sir,” said Mister Henderson while maintaining her focus on the officer at the foot of the table, “I was asked to file for several groups of those items by different members of the Sitwell household as well as by Mister Xazan and Mister Kyler. Before our shift was interrupted by the need to evacuate, Sir, I received confirmation concerning those claims. We were bringing the items awarded to our household aboard this shuttle and, after G5 Sitwell deputized the G2 and the G3 following proper regulation procedures, Mister Sitwell was planning to have Mister Kyler and Mister Xazan deliver the remaining unclaimed contraband to the collection point in CSB-One. During the process of off-loading our claimed items, Lieutenant, the Evacuation Alert was given. After he decided we had the needed time, Mister Sitwell directed us to load all the remaining contraband aboard this shuttle as well; which we were able to do, Lieutenant Straperlo. Several of us aboard also were able to retrieve some or all of the contents of our quarters before abandoning ship.

“Now, here, Lieutenant—” Mister Henderson told the officer before he could ask any questions or make any comments, and Bea tapped the control surface of her data-pad. The light-blue background of a table-wide holographic field materialized above the galley table. It formed just beyond the coffee cup in front of Straperlo and the field extended higher than his head.

I judged the active area to be about ten centimeters deep. Then I saw a large page of colorful text come up in the field for Straperlo to view.

“—that is the table of contents for this interactive manifest,” our record-keeper declared, sounding official and maybe just a little smug, “which displays the categories of contraband I am talking about, Sir. By touching any category heading, you can view all the individual items and descriptions in that group, also you’ll see the dates those items were discovered and awarded as well as the total quantities for each line item.”

Straperlo leaned forward and studied the text. Through the holographic list that I viewed as backwards due to my line of sight, I could see him begin studying the basic information.

“Once you tap on a category, Sir,” said Beatrice, “all line items for that category that come up displayed in green text indicate items that have been awarded to the Sitwell household. All items in red text are the contraband items that we intended be delivered to CSB-One. And all items in white are ExServ gear and supplies issued to this shuttle.”

“Well done, G3 Henderson,” Straperlo told Bea, sounding impressed as he concentrated on studying the information. I saw him raise his right hand and touch the large header that, even though it was displayed backwards to me, I could read—WEAPONS.

The content in the holographic field changed and there was a mix of green and red line items that scrolled up the page with only an occasional white line of text. When the flow of information stopped, I saw in blue backwards text the words, Next Page, at the bottom.

“By the first hell,” the Lieutenant said in a low-pitched voice, and through the transparent holographic field I saw him look down the table at us, his eyes big. “How is it your, your household, was awarded such huge quantities of ammunition as personal property—anyone?” Then he looked back at the page in the air in front of him. “And look at all the weapons!”

“Sir,” Beatrice spoke up in a calm-sounding voice, “some of those line items are in red. You need to know; the last cache of contraband I told you about contained all the combat gear necessary to outfit twenty-four infiltrated troops with generous amounts of weapons, ammo for the same, and other supplies. That’s why you are seeing some of the quantities of weapons and ammunition that you are. As for the reasons of our awards—we three Irregulars did give Major Luce the idea that there could be infiltrated enemy troops aboard the Glenndeavor, Sir.”

“Being SPI agents, Sir,” I said, “the three of us are, by regulation, required to maintain a supply of secured ammunition for any weapon our immediate supervisor deemed necessary for us to carry out our duty assignments.”

“And Lieutenant Shellbee decided to err on the very generous side, Sir,” Bea told him. “Especially after we kept getting into, well, situations that demanded more and more firepower to successfully resolve.”

“And our husband,” Juliet spoke up from the head of the table, “has discovered that providing us with fine weapons and lots of ammunition is one of the sure fire ways to our hearts, Sir.”

“Wow—” I heard Corry Groves say down the table to my left. As a Marine, I was surprised she didn’t swear. “—an Exie who understands.”

“Hell, G3,” Straperlo snorted, “I hadn’t even looked at those red lines yet. But tell me this; do you think this latest contraband cache you found was intended to arm another group of infiltrated troops aboard the Glenndeavor that hadn’t been found?”

“That’s how it was in the storage compartment next to CSB-Three, Sir,” Mister Henderson said. “When we discovered there was enough combat gear to arm fifty-six troops, a G2 from Life Support named Kilmer, who happened to be there when we explained our suspicions, told Major Luce that there were fifty-six stasis chambers in the next compartment; CBS-Three. That’s how, Lieutenant, it was figured out there might be trouble. So we were in the right place at the right time. But in the case of the last bunch we found, the only place, Sir,” Bea told Straperlo, “that comes to mind as a hiding place, since I don’t know if they were searched, would be if those twenty-four troops were in stasis chambers hidden in some of the cargo pods attached outside the Glenndeavor along the Drive Boom—and are labeled as something else, of course.”

“And, Sir,” Anika spoke up from my left side, “if such is being the case, I am hoping these fucktard Morlocks’ frozen dreams were ended by fragmentary impacts. I say that I am hoping this tragedy to our fine Glenndeavor is bringing the true wrath of God down upon them, one and all—those Morlocks still freeze dried and remaining in CSB-Two as well—Sir.”

“My Polka Fireball,” I said, slightly turning toward her while trying to beam good, calming energy to Anika through our mental connection as my inner geek supplied information from regulations, “one of the points in the rules covering abandoning ship requires that all prisoners held in the brig be released so they can escape as well. However, I can’t cite any previous examples where prisoners were being held in stasis at the time the vessel containing them had to be abandoned. Besides, if anyone had the time to even try to start the defrost cycle, they could expect those Morlocks to come out of those units all hyped up on those drugs they were chewing when we encountered our batch, and armed with those nasty machine pistols we ran into during the dust-up in CSB-Three. Besides, there wasn’t time for the stasis chambers to cycle them safely awake in the short time the crew had to react to the evacuation alarm.”

“As a JAG lawyer,” Lieutenant Straperlo said from his end of the galley table, “I can tell you, ah, G2 Blaugelt-Sitwell that OP-FLEET-INST one-six-four-zero-eight point-eight-A, Manual for the Operation and Administration of Afloat Brigs, has precedence in this case—specifically, section four-zero-zero-four point-three. I won’t inflict the exact wording on you, but all necessary steps must be attempted to free POWs, Civilian Internees, and other Detained Persons while maintaining and protecting the security of the vessel’s crew against any threat the prisoners are known to represent or might represent.

“However, Mister Blaugelt-Sitwell,” said Straperlo, “if it is any comfort to you, section four-zero-zero-two point-three-A deals with rules regarding how guards can handle escapes of imprisoned individuals who are armed. And section four-zero-zero-two point-one-E covers the use of force and deadly force against armed prisoners attempting to escape from confinement or from the control of brig guards while being moved from place to place.”

Everyone was looking at Lieutenant Straperlo, and while my inner geek had memorized the cited regulations he spoke about for later study, on the other side of the galley table I could see Jodie Jane sitting back, her eyes beginning to glaze over. Behind me I heard a mug clunk on a countertop; Mel, I was sure. Up in one of the overhead vents, the soft sound of an air circulation fan began.

The temperature here in the galley must be rising, my inner geek thought.

“Ahh, Sir?” Beatrice said. “Returning to my report; you can see an overview of all the contraband gear that we saved, Lieutenant Straperlo, by going back to the table of contents and selecting Unclaimed Contraband Items at the bottom of the page.

“We’ll be able to provide you with at least one or two pairs of BDUs from that group of contraband, Sir,” said Beatrice looking down at her data pad. “I’ll warn you now the BDUs will be used, but should be in good condition. We’ll also be able to supply you with a side arm, a rifle if you want one, and ammunition, combat helmet, and other gear—but no POC. However, we do have several types of communication devices that should work to replace your personal communication rig. Correct Mister Sitwell?”

“That is correct, Mister Henderson,” I told Beatrice with a grin, knowing that the Lieutenant would have technically be in violation of regulations by not having his POC on his person under other circumstances. But since he’d lost his issued POC during an evacuation, there was a subsection in the regulation that cleared him of negligence.

“I now see why you wanted to brief me on the status of both confiscated contraband and contraband that seems to be duly awarded to your household,” Straperlo told us as he went back to the table of contents and touched the Unclaimed Contraband header. “Although I must grudgingly tell you; I have no idea, at this time, why the officer in charge of granting material awards for confiscated contraband would ever consider allowing your household to acquire so much equipment and weapons as personal property—even if you were instrumental in discovering the armed threat to the Glenndeavor and need to be properly armed to do your duties as SPI agents. I have to say, I think they have set a dangerous precedent with their actions.”

What else are we going to do aboard that this asshole going is going to think might set a dangerous precedent? my PAW hissed from down in my lizard brain. Better start carrying that duck ring around in one of your cargo pockets.

“I have much to study here, Mister Henderson, and even more to ponder, I see,” the Lieutenant said and picked up his coffee mug from next to the holographic field in front of him.

“I have another data pad for you that contains this manifest, Sir,” Beatrice told the Lieutenant, “so you’ll have the information to study whenever you choose.” She reached under the table again. Bea’s left hand came up holding the device and she handed it to Helen Xazan on her right to pass down the table. “Unfortunately, our data pads only have texting capabilities. If they’d do audio, you’d be set with a personal communicator, Sir,” said my amazing honey-blonde lover as she gestured to the data pad the Lieutenant now held in his hand.

“All of the crew here was on first watch aboard the Glenndeavor, Sir; and it’s been a long, trying day,” Juliet said to Lieutenant Straperlo from her end of the galley table as she gestured around with her right hand. “If we could adjourn this meeting, I know I for one want to get some sleep.”

“Then, this meeting is adjourned,” the JAG officer said, “I’m tired as well. Thank you, Captain Mindenhall-Sitwell. And Mister Henderson, you’ve impressed me with your efficiency and your thoughtfulness; thank you as well,” Straperlo told Bea with a nod of his big head. “Now, I just have a few more questions before all of you leave. Question one—have you set a time for our first PT session, Captain Mindenhall-Sitwell? Question two—have you decided where I am to bunk? And last question—is there any more of this wonderful coffee?”

“We’ll prep your quarters while you have another cup of coffee, Sir,” said Juliet as she started to rise. “Just ask RY, the shuttle’s A.I., for directions to your quarters as well as tomorrow’s duty schedule.”

“Thank you, very much,” Lieutenant Straperlo said with a nod of his head as the rest of us started getting up, reaching for our dirty tableware. “And I’ll clean up everything in here—please, leave that to me. I plan on pulling my weight while we’re in route to our destination. I may be an officer, but I don’t plan on being a constant pain in your asses.”

Through my connection with Anika, I could tell his words just added to her loathing of the man. I started to worry what she might do to the officer under the guise of sparing with Straperlo during hand-to-hand mat time.

Leaving Lieutenant Straperlo in the galley studying the manifest projected in the holographic field while drinking another cup of great coffee before doing KP duty, the rest of us walked to Anika’s cargo section. After freeing just two wall sections—one was a door module—from a larger group of remaining panels, my Polka Fireball stopped us before we could get any other pieces. The Princess told the rest of us that his quarters wouldn’t be very wide, but it would be big enough with just two units by using two bulkheads for the other two walls. Anika was adamant that she wasn’t providing any more of her materials for that fucktard piece of gowno that somehow learned to talk!

It was easy to see the surprised reaction of Mel, Jodie Jane, and Helen to Anika’s announcement and her choice of words. PFC Groves and Corporal Aisins just exchanged a quick glance as Bea snorted back a giggle.

Juliet shot Anika a hard look with pursed lips and told our Fireball to watch her tongue when she talked about officers.

It was easy to see that my younger wife wasn’t chastised one bit as Kyle and I continued to strap together the two wall modules. Once we deployed their wheels, the two of us jockeyed the building panels out of the Royal cargo section as the rest of the crew followed along behind us.

Pushing the panels around the fluorescent red escape pods secured to the deck of the Cargo passageway, Kyle and I finally rolled the material toward Special Needs Cargo Bay 002. Bea increased her pace and, reaching the hatch before us, she tripped the automatic threshold, making the big hatchway slide open.

Once we were inside, Juliet said there was plenty of room to put up Straperlo’s quarters between where the two cargo lifts we’d brought aboard were strapped down and the forward bulkhead and against the outer bulkhead. That would leave lots of space remaining in the rest of the bay to for PT and spreading out the mats for sparing with room to spare—and we’d save Anika’s remaining precious panels for other uses.

We worked on securing one butt of the first wall panel against the curve of the outside bulkhead using the door unit width as a measure so the outside of the quarters would be plumb with the two existing bulkheads. As we worked, Juliet let us know about the upcoming structure of the daily schedule we’d follow for the first month of our voyage to the third planet. Our shuttle commander informed everyone that since we’d all been on first watch, we’d be keeping the same watch routine from the Glenndeavor so our established sleep patterns wouldn’t be disrupted along with everything else.

We’d have breakfast between 0000 and 0100; however, that included time to fix our food, eat, and then clean the galley afterward. Juliet informed us that a rotating schedule for cooking and KP would be set up for each meal.

We carefully started securing the entryway panel to the inside butt of the first panel as my first wife told us that from 0115 to 0245 we’d have classroom work for the next week prior to beginning our training in four-man fire teams. That training would consist of additional classroom work as well as tactical training exercises we’d execute to the best of our abilities inside the physical constraints of the Royal Yacht. At that point, after a quick discussion between Juliet, Anika, the Corporal and me, we all agreed that Corporal Aisins would decide and assign individual team members and their responsibilities in their team sometime near the end of our first week. That would give him time to ascertain and collate our individual skill levels and strengths.

Juliet next said that from 0300 to 0500 would be our first work period. We would alternate jobs during the day until each of the tasks was completed. Our primary assignment would be the sorting, stowing, and securing of all gear brought aboard during the evacuation. The next task would be familiarizing all hands with the shuttle; the emergency procedures that applied to the specific configuration of the Royal Yacht; and we’d all studying any maintenance schedules that we needed to follow with Anika as our engineering rating in charge. Juliet also informed us that she might assign different individuals other tasks to accomplish during the first two-hour work period each day as needed.

While Kyle helped Anika carefully attaching the power and comm lines from the paneling to the forward bulkhead to finishing enclose the new quarters, we learned that from 0515 to 0615 would be lunch time, which would be handled just like breakfast.

From 0630 to 0730 would be our second work period, with some of the same rules as our 0300 to 0500 schedule. However, Juliet informed everyone, one of the jobs at the end of the first week would be setting up and beginning to use Anika’s firing range simulation gear. After Anika introduced us to her equipment, we’d cycle through using the firing sim by firing teams, once those were determined. The range master and the instructor for each group would be named by Corporal Aisin.

For the first week, physical training followed by mat time for hand-to-hand instructions, provided by Ron Aisins and Anika, would be conducted from 0745 to 0845 followed by our dinner from 0915 to 1015. After our first week was over, our shuttle commander informed us, PT would start our daily schedule followed by mat time.

Finally, Juliet told us that from 1015 to 1500 would be either personal time or other work projects she would direct individuals or groups to perform. Those things would include all the tasks already mentioned, but would also include additional hand-to-hand training for individuals that our instructors, Anika and Ron, decided needed the extra lessons. Juliet recommended lights out by 1530 or there about so we’d have time to get a good night’s sleep while still having some time for the development and-or continuation of personal relationships.

Bea giggled and, reaching up, she gave Jodie Jane’s right shoulder a little shove.

Looking around at everyone during that byplay, I could see all of us understood our expected daily schedules.

With the wall panels finally secured in place and sealed to the overhead, Anika and Kyle checked the connections to the power and communications wiring grid inside the bay again. As the comm panel next to the new compartment’s hatch energized, Mel volunteered to initialize the integrated panels and touch screens once Anika was happy everything was working correctly.

Beatrice and Jodie Jane started going around inside the compartment and lowering built-in shelves along the forward bulkhead. Kyle and I walked over to a mixed stack of netted down contraband in the far corner of the bay. There we retrieved and then inflated one of the sturdy air mattresses while Bea lead Corry and Ron out to get sheets, a blanket, and a pillow for Straperlo’s quarters.

We finished our final good deed for the day at 1720. Then Beatrice, Jodie Jane, and Mel headed back to the galley, saying they’d let our newest crewmember know where his quarters was located and inform him of our daily schedule, which Bea had recorded to one of her data pads and posted to ShipNet. The rest of us went to our separate quarters in Cargo Bay 003 to settle down for the six hours of sleep available to us before we needed to get up and start another day.

Going into our new digs followed by Anika and Juliet, I was immediately impressed. At some point, somebody had partially sorted out and placed a lot of our gear and possessions up on the built-in shelving that was now deployed from the two shuttle bulkheads that made up part of our new quarters. All the various bigger boxes and the orphaned drawers were placed below the shelves against the two bulkheads. Luckily, when the women rushed to strip our old quarters, everything on a clothes hanger was taken from all the locker rods in bulk. Now the clothes on hangers were suspended below a long section of shelves that was stomach high to Anika.