Captain Xisuma of The Hermit
Getting his captain license was a long time coming. Xisumaâs been through schooling, sat through the slide shows and WHMIS training. He has his cpr certification for over five different alien species. Currently working on his sixth, but thatâs more so because he wants to, not because he needs it.
Heck, he can drive through an asteroid field with minimal damage to a ship haul! Heâs done it before! Xisuma even went as far as to get a recommendation from Grian, whoâs a captain of his own space vessel, the EVO. Yet he doesnât have his license, all because of one stupid rule!
Xisuma needs at least three other people to agree to be crewmates of his vessel. They need the appropriate training and certification and be legally tied to him for the next year. It should be easy, a lot of people love being a part of spaceship crews.
However, not many people want to be part of a ship where the captain is a Void Stalker.
âIâm sure youâll find your crew!â Keralis says, patting him in the shoulder. The manâs hand is cold against him, though Xisuma knows the other runs hot. Itâs just one of those Void Stalker things.
âIâve put out applications months ago! My ship has everything a crew would need! And I even said Iâm willing to change the rooms to fit certain species if need be. I thinkâŠMaybe people donât trust me as a captain?â He rambles. His body jitters inside his Netherite suit, pressing against it. As if his frozen core wanted to escape.
Keralis gives him a look before sighing. âYou're a new almost-captain, itâll give anyone a pause! If I weren't already signed to work on a vacation vessel for the next three months, Iâd be a part of your crew.â He says. Smiling in that off putting human way of his.
âI know.â He nods. Because he does know. Keralis was the best ship engineer he knew! He made things efficient and beautiful. Pipes were always hidden out of sight, writes were tucked in, and everything was colour coded. Down to the light switches. The man had even taken a look at Xisumaâs new ship after he bought it. Fixing up anything he deemed ânot good enough for my best friendâ.
Standing up, he stretches out his limbs. His suit creeks with the action. âGoing so soon?â Keralis asks, also standing up. They were at a cafe on the planet Trender. Having already finished their orders, they spent most of their time here chatting. Or complaining, in his case.
âItâs been two hours.â He chuckles, pointing at the paid bill. âThe waiters are probably going to shoo us off themselves if we donât leave. Or buy something else.â And Xisuma canât afford much else on a not-yet-a-captain salary.
âOkay okay. I have business to get to anyways.â The man stands, making sure to check his oxygen mask. Once he makes sure itâs secure, they walk out. The gravity shifts slightly once they exit the cafe and Keralis grabs onto his arm. His knees bend a little with the higher gravity. He lets the other steady himself as they continue to his mini saucer.
Once inside the vehicle Xisuma starts it up with a flick of a switch. The gravity changes to something more closer to Earth gravity and Keralis sighs. âI love your new ride, Suma. The old one never had gravity settings.â
Xisuma rolls his eyes, driving over to where he parked his main ship. âYou're the one who bugged me to spend a small fortune on it! All because you canât handle a little extra gravityâŠâ
âMy bones hurt man, my bones.â Keralis complains. Laughing, he pokes at the manâs side.
It doesnât take long for them to reach their destination, The Hirmit. Itâs a large travel ship. Built for long excursions and many crewmates. Xisuma hopes to get a full crew one day of builders and creatives. Helping underdeveloped planets, fixing houses and overall covering the galaxy with his artistry,
He needs to be a captain first, but a man can dream.
Once in the hanger Xisuma closes the Hirmitâs hatch and opens up his saucer's doors. Heâll need to drop Keralis off at a station, but he can do that on his way off the planet. âIâll need to fuel up before I can drop you offââ
Heâs cut off by a beep on his communicator. Looking down, Xisuma is met with a notification from his job posting. He gasps, clicking on it. A small hologram pops up above his device.
âHello, uh, is this thing on?â A human man says. His hologram flickers, and his cheeks rise underneath his mouth covering. He must be smiling. âMy name is Etho Slab, and Iâm a chef. I know a chef isnât really, ah, important to have as an early higher. But! Iâm trained in over two hundred species specialties and have every certification! Iâm also trained in basic CPR. I hope to hear from you.â
âYou got one!â Keralis jumps over to his side, staring at the now reset hologram. âAnd heâs a chef! Now you can actually taste real food.â
âMy food is realâŠâ Xisuma frowns, though it doesnât stay long. His body ripples eagerly underneath his suit.
âYour food looks like black slime.â Keralis counters.
He goes to counter how itâs not slime, its hydrated obsidian crystals, when another beep catches his attention. Then another. The two men turn back to his communicator, two more recordings showing up. Clicking on them, he canât help but feel his heart thump against his chestplate with glee.
The first one is by a groven man, his body covered in bright green moss and an assortment of sticks and flowers. âMy name is Bdubs! Iâm a botanist with a minor in herbology.â The groven, Bdubs, opens up with.
The second is a golem. His skin cracked and sealed shut with gold. His eyes were two sparkling diamond-like in colour. He introduces himself as Welsknight and is applying for the position of security. Of course, Xisuma immediately starts setting up a face to face meeting with every single one of them.
âYou're going to be a captain!â Keralis says.
For once his friend's smile doesnât unnerve him. âIâm going to be a captain.â He breaths. After all these yearsâŠ
Heâs going to be a captain.
