Star Keepers, Chapter One

Star Keepers

By Paul Adams

Chapter One

A Captain Among the Stars

A heaven of stars twinkled softly against the black canvas of space, drifting gently along the milky way in their eternal celestial dance. Each minuscule speck of light, no matter how small and peaceful they seemed, signified entire star systems teeming with life. It was entrancing in a way, the sheer spectacle and enormity of it all.

Gavin pressed his hand to the wide window, the only object standing between him and the vast cosmos beyond. The stars blinked gently back at him. He smiled, listening to their gentle call to adventure that had drawn to him his whole life.

His eyes fell on a single star in the window’s upper right-hand corner. He knew from star maps that it was a part of his favorite constellation from back home on Centauri IV: Skywalker. The rest were nowhere to be seen, likely somewhere on the other side of the ship, broken up by the immense distance of space.

He remembered warm summer nights laying out under the stars with his cousin James, pointing out constellations and dreaming of the adventures they would go on some day. He remembered how he would tell James about how he wanted to fly a ship along the stars of Skywalker so fast he lit up the constellation’s sword just like in the old stories. James would laugh and do his best to explain that wasn’t how it worked, but Gavin’s young mind didn’t care.

Gavin smiled, pulling his eyes away from the window, bringing himself back down to reality. A freshly-pressed silver uniform was laid out on the desk before him. He took a deep breath and stepped up to it, picking up the coat and making sure it was clean and smooth. He slipped one arm inside, then the other. He shook the coat out and buttoned it up. He took his time, methodically threading each button and smoothing out the material, checking himself in the mirror to make sure everything looked okay.

Once he was certain the coat looked perfect, he slipped on the pants and moved on to the badges. He picked up a small red insignia, the mark of a captain, and pinned it to his collar. All that was left was a small gold nameplate. He held it up to the light, grasping it between two fingers. A single word was engraved into its smooth surface.

KENT.

Gavin looked in the mirror as he pinned it to his chest, taking in the full ensemble. He was tall, Human, with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, silver streaks running along the side, indicative of a faint trace of Leadikan heritage. Clear, blue eyes stared back at him, full of fear and uncertainty unbecoming of a captain. Gavin’s fingers flipped back and forth the way they did when holding a pen during a test back during his academy years.

He looked away from the mirror. A line of about a dozen portraits lined his wall, twelve faces staring back at him. In the first, three men in astronaut suits posed in front of a backdrop of Earth’s moon, the man in the center with brown hair and blue eyes just like Gavin’s. The nametag at his chest also read “Kent.”

Further down the line was a man with Gavin’s pointed nose shaking hands with an alien. A woman with long brown hair laid the foundation for a new Human colony on Centauri IV. A pilot with blue eyes handed food to a starving alien child. A stately woman with silver-speckled hair held up a treaty. Each one bore a nametag reading “Kent.”

At the very end of the line, Gavin’s grandfather, Leonard Kent, stood dressed in full admiral’s regalia, his blue eyes stern and serious. Right beside him, Gavin’s father Orion held a golden medal for heroism, his long brown, silver-streaked hair draped around his face, his blue eyes burning with courage and passion. Gavin studying their faces, trying his best to meet their gaze. He squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest.

“I will make you proud,” he promised them.

Gavin pulled down his sleeve and checked his wrist. Glowing numbers flashed across his skin for a moment, showing him it was almost time. A crew member should be arriving to fetch him any second now. He looked himself over in the mirror one more time, making sure to smooth out any potential wrinkles. He glanced out the window to see a large purple planet approaching in the distance. He checked his wrist again. What was taking them? Gavin’s stomach churned with a mixture of panic and excitement that he was trying really hard to keep contained.

He was just considering heading out when the door on the other side of the room flashed green, letting off a soft beep.

Gavin jumped, all of the feelings jumbling around inside him spiking. He clenched his fist to keep his fingers from fidgeting. Come on, Gavin, you can do this, he reminded himself. Ignoring the urge to run, he crossed to the door, waving his hand across its metallic surface. The door turned temporarily transparent, granting him a view to the corridor beyond. The ship’s communications officer, a small, yellow lizard, no more than a foot tall, floated outside the door, a long tail spinning rapidly over his head like a propeller. A bright smile stretched across his reptilian face.

Gavin’s stomach squirmed again. He took a deep breath and swiped his arm, returning the door to its solid state. He tapped it with his fingers, and it slid open.

“Good morning, Captain,” the officer said, the moment the door opened. “Are you ready for your first big day?”

Gavin fought the urge to run back into his quarters, shut the door, and hide in his bed for the rest of his life. “Good morning, Lieutenant,” he said, stepping out into the corridor and straightening his uniform again.

“Lieutenant?” the officer said with an exaggerated expression. He shook his head. “You think you know a guy. Spend years at the academy together, and suddenly you’re just ‘Lieutenant.’ You’ve changed, Gavin. You’ve changed.”

Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes. “Good morning, Long Tail,” he said.

“Now that’s better,” Long Tail said. Gavin felt a weight on his shoulder as Long Tail settled himself down and let his tail drape across the other side. Gavin looked over at him in annoyance. Long Tail grinned back at him.

“You know, most communications officers aren’t supposed to ride on their captain’s shoulders,” Gavin said.

“Really?” Long Tail said. “How do they ever get around?”

Gavin shook his shoulder, trying to dislodge the tiny lizard. Long Tail simply dug his claws into the silvery fabric.

“You’re going to get me demoted.”

“Probably,” Long Tail shrugged. “But at least we’ll get demoted together.”

At the end of the corridor, a clear, cylindrical tube stuck out slightly from the wall. Gavin pressed his hand against its surface, calling the lift. He leaned back against the wall, trying to calm his nerves while they waited.

“We made it, buddy,” he said.

Long Tail nestled down into Gavin’s uniform. “We sure did, buddy,” he said.

The lift flashed green, and the clear glass wall opened. It was time. Gavin steeled his nerve and stepped into the lift, a small, clear cylindrical capsule, contained inside the clear tube. “Bridge, please,” he said, loud and clear. The lift beeped again, and the door closed. The floor vibrated, and the lift rose upward through the shaft.

Gavin leaned back against the glass wall behind him. He looked up to see a small square of light approaching. “You ready for this?” Long Tail asked, adjusting himself on Gavin’s shoulder.

“Probably,” Gavin said. He looked over at Long Tail, who was picking at the silvery fabric of his uniform. He shook his shoulder again, trying to shake the lizard off.

Long Tail clung on, watching Gavin’s shoulder curiously. “You really ought to see somebody about these muscle spasms. They’re very concerning.”

He looked up at Gavin with an innocent smile. Gavin shook his head and gave up. The square of light above them extended and filled up the front of their view as the lift slowed to a stop. Another ding sounded and the door opened.

“We’re here,” Long Tail said.

“Yep,” Gavin said. His gut bounced around inside him as if it were full of live insects. He felt Long Tail’s weight lift from his shoulder as the tiny lizard took off into the air, his tail spinning over his head once again. He turned back and saluted, holding his right claw vertically in front of his chest.

“See you out there, Captain.”

Gavin smiled and returned the salute. “Thanks, Long Tail.”

Long Tail turned and floated out the door. “All right, look alive, people,” he said loudly. “The captain is on the bridge. The captain is on the bridge.”

Gavin smiled and shook his head. Here it was. No putting it off any longer. He stared at the looming threshold, just waiting for him to step through it. He closed his eyes and took a breath, stepping over the threshold.

“Attention!”

The crew got to their feet as Gavin stepped through the door. Seven officers stood at attention, each using the same salute Long Tail had used. Gavin looked them over, trying not to feel overwhelmed. His first officer, a tall Witani named, if Gavin remembered right, Aghri kei KibaZhoka, stood to one side, right beside the lift. He stood head and neck taller than any human, with long lanky limbs ending in long, clawed fingers, with quills growing from the top of his head and sharp teeth filling his ape-like mouth. His glowing golden eyes met Gavin’s and he dipped his spindly neck respectfully. “We await your command, Captain,” he said. His voice was soft and gentle, nothing like his fearsome appearance.

“Thank you, Commander,” Gavin said.

A step down from where they stood, the ship’s combat officer stood, a tall female Leadikan who looked almost exactly like a human except for the faint glow coming off her skin. She had a head full of curly auburn hair, and cold, serious gray eyes. Beside her, the diplomatic officer, an obese Pindarian sat on a floating platform, enormous rolls of fat hanging over the edge, his watery eyes looking up at Gavin while a heavy claw held a device displaying some holographic notes he’d been going over. Long Tail floated behind him, giving Gavin the same wide grin.

Behind them, on a raised platform facing the large window taking up the front of the bridge, a young Human sat. If he remembered right, she was the brand-new pilot, fresh out of the academy. She didn’t look much younger than Gavin himself. Her bright green eyes looked up at Gavin with the expression of a fresh young recruit waiting eagerly for her first command by her first captain. Gavin smiled, remembering his own time in her position all too well. He couldn’t let her down.

He squared his shoulders and stepped forward. “At ease,” he said.

As one, the crew dropped their salutes and loosened their stances. Gavin stepped forward. Standing here on the bridge, he didn’t feel quite so nervous. This was what he had trained for. He looked over at his first officer.

“Welcome aboard, Commander Aghri,” he said.

“Welcome aboard, Captain Kent,” the officer replied.

Gavin stepped up to the edge of the top step where he and Aghri sat, a small round platform rising from the floor behind him. He sat, and the metal conformed and reshaped itself to fit the contours of his body. Once he sat, the rest of the crew sat and returned to their duties.

“Mr. Garrison, report.”

Down at the far end of the bridge, the ship’s computer officer was surrounded by a myriad of screens and consoles. He stood and turned to face Gavin, the screens disappearing and reappearing on the lenses of his thick glasses. He stared up at Gavin, his eyes the same blue eyes and his hair the same curly hair as Gavin’s cousin James.

“A Woraugenn ship appeared in orbit around the planet Hentu almost a day ago,” James said, his tone smooth and controlled. “So far they have shown no signs of hostility, but they haven’t responded to any attempts at contact either.”

Gavin looked up at the purple planet now looming large through the window. A small greenish-golden ship hovered nearby. Gavin recognized its shape, a circular head with two wings curving back to a pair of engines. The battleships used by the Woraugenns twenty years ago in the war. His father and mother had fought numerous battles against the same kind of ship.

“Thank you, Mr. Garrison,” Gavin said. “That will be all.”

James nodded. “Yes, Captain.” He dipped his glasses and met Gavin’s eyes for just a moment before sitting back down. His screens lit back up when he did so. Gavin sat back in his seat, studying the Woraugenn ship. This was it. His first mission. He could do this.

He sat forward to discuss with his command crew. Aghri, the combat officer, and the diplomatic officer leaned in as he did so.

“What are we seeing here?” he asked them. “Is this a breach of treaty?”

“Not likely,” the diplomatic officer said, his deep voice reverberating through the bridge. His droopy jowls flapped as he spoke. “Many splinter groups were unhappy with the treaty. This is more than likely one of them causing trouble.”

Gavin scratched at his chin. “You imagine they’re probably hostile, then?” he asked.

“Probably,” the combat officer said, her gray eyes following the ship’s movements carefully. “Though it’s possible this is all just a misunderstanding.”

Gavin nodded. He looked over at his first officer. “What are your thoughts?” he asked.

Commander Aghri’s golden eyes stared up at the ship. He scratched at his ear, which Gavin couldn’t help but notice was ragged and covered in scars. “I think we should try to make contact with the ship before we do anything,” he said. “Find out what they are here for.”

 “I agree,” Gavin said. He considered the situation for a few seconds. “Alright,” he said, pointing to the diplomatic officer. “Ambassador Bardlun, make contact with the ship. Find out what they’re here for, try to work out a peaceful solution. If you can’t,” he pointed to the combat officer, “Commander Neru, you know what to do.”

The two officers looked at each other. “Yes, Captain,” they both said.

Ambassador Bardlun spun in his seat to face Long Tail. “Contact the ship, Lieutenant Long Tail,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” Long Tail said. He tapped at the air before him and the platform he floated over lit up, projecting a holographic cylinder around him. He tapped at the cylinder and cleared his throat. “This is Lieutenant Long Tail of the Starship Arrowhead calling the unknown Woraugenn vessel. Come in, unknown Woraugenn vessel.”

His cylinder beeped faintly, the light of the holograms pulsing. Gavin adjusted himself in his seat, trying not to feel anxious. His first mission was about to begin.

Long Tail’s cylinder stopped ringing. A small, square image appeared on the surface, displaying a green face full of teeth that Gavin recognized all too well. The Woraugenn spoke, speaking in a garbled language Gavin didn’t understand.

“Does he speak Ubar, Lieutenant?” Bardlun asked.

“I’ll check,” Long Tail replied. He asked the Woraugenn something in the same garbled language.

“No, he does not.”

Bardlun nodded. “You’ll have to translate then. Full screen.”

Long Tail tapped at his cylinder. His platform brightened, the cylinder filling up with bright white light that swallowed him entirely and obscured him from view. In his place, the full form of a Woraugenn soldier appeared. It stood nearly two feet taller than the tallest Human Gavin had ever seen, with thick arms wider than his own torso, its green skin oozing with slime. Its eyes were fixed on eyestalks that swiveled around, fixating on Ambassador Bardlun.

Gavin sat up in his seat a little straighter. This was what he had trained for his whole life. Bardlun cleared his throat, bringing his heavy arms together in front of him and holding his claws in a cupping shape. “Greetings,” he said, keeping his deep voice clear and enunciated. “I am Ambassador Bardlun, Diplomatic Officer of the Starship Arrowhead. May I know to whom I am speaking.”

The Woraugenn’s face seemed to sneer. It uttered a name Gavin couldn’t make sense of. Long Tail’s voice replaced the Woraugenn’s own, translating its words into Ubar and denoting it as the grand vizier of the ship. The Woraugenn repeated Bardlun’s gesture, its claws more clenched than Bardlun’s were.

“May we dine?” Bardlun asked, nodding respectfully.

The Woraugenn’s eyes narrowed. Its claws clenched tightly, as if crushing something between them and pulling apart. “We may,” Long Tail’s voice said, in tandem with the creature’s mouth.