So, my story for @inklings-challenge is unfinished, but tonight's the deadline, so we're posting anyway. Someday I will actually figure out what I'm writing before the weekend before the deadline, but that is not this day. Or year. Whatever. I do hope to finish it in the next week or two, though.
Also, I feel like I need a better title, but I need to post this tonight, so we're going with this, and I'll rename it when I come up with something better. It's space travel in the sense that it occurs on a ship traveling through space; hopefully that qualifies.
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Lion of Wisdom (Part 1)
Commander Kyros Al-Amin, Lion of the Void and newest fleet commander of the Tahaqiq Union, arrived aboard the Wisdom of a Thousand Stars at precisely 1530 fleet-standard time. As he stepped from his small transport vessel into the immense hangar, rows of soldiers straightened to attention as one, slamming fists to heart in salute.
Kyros waited just a moment, studying them. They looked sharp enough, in their deep blue dress uniforms, each with a polished blast-pistol on one hip and a stun baton on the other. Yet even the most pristine company could hide abundant laziness and corruption beneath its surface. This ship's forces were no different than those on any other he had commanded, and whatever darkness lurked among them, he would find it and root it out — root it out and send it into the void, if necessary.
Today, however, was not the day for that task. Today was for establishing himself in his new position. Kyros strode down the line, making eye contact with as many of the soldiers as he could, although, as usual, he had to look slightly up to do so in most cases. To their credit, he spotted only a few looks of disbelief at the fact that the famed Hero of the Tahaqiq Union was, in fact, half a head shorter than most soldiers, and he caught no one staring as if trying to reconcile a full head of white hair, pulled neatly into a stubby ponytail at the back of his head, with a face that accurately suggested that he was a bit younger most of his predecessors had been when they took on this role.
At the end of the line of soldiers, he reached a group of men and women dressed not in military blue but in the green-and-white of civilian leadership. Here, Kyros stopped and tapped his own fist to his chest, addressing the foremost individual, a tall, white-haired man who wore a deep green robe, edged with gold, over his tunic and pants. "Commander Kyros Al-Amin, reporting for duty. You would be Director Javed Rostami?"
"None other." Director Rostami acknowledged Kyros's salute with a nod. "Welcome aboard, Commander. It is an honor to have you here, not just to defend our ship, but to lead the defense of the whole Tahaqiq Union. With your track record of cunning and loyalty and your previous successes against the Rishedari and other foes, I have no doubt that we are all in the best of hands."
"You honor me," Kyros replied. "I will endeavor to protect all of the Union against threats both inside and out, as I always have. Now, I understand that there are still several hours before the welcome celebration? I would like to get settled in my role here as soon as possible."
Director Rostami smiled as if he'd been let in on some joke. "Ah, yes. I have also heard that you do not like to waste time, Commander Al-Amin. Come. I will show you to your offices myself, and my secretary and aides will ensure that you are properly in the ship's systems. From there, I have arranged for you to be given a tour of the ship before tonight's festivities. Is that agreeable?"
"Entirely." Kyros turned to face the company of soldiers once again. "I thank you all for your welcome. In the coming days, I intend to meet with many of you to learn what manner of men and women are under my command. For now, you may be dismissed as your captains see fit."
"Yes, commander!" rang out from a thousand throats, and fists tapped hearts once more.
Well, they put on a good show at least. Kyros turned back to Director Rostami. "Lead the way at your leisure, Director. I am at your disposal."
~~~
Kyros's new office were near the ship's bridge, as he had expected, and also close to Director Rostami's own, in a section of the ship that had, once upon a time, been the spacefaring answer to a royal palace. Hints of that heritage still showed in the imitation wood bookshelves built into the rear wall and in the curlicue gold and lapis decorations inset in the white walls and ceiling and outlining a wide screen on the far wall that showed a view of the stars outside the ship, as if it were a window looking out into space. The room was spacious enough to hold not just the desk-station and associated seats, a meeting table and chairs, and a small kitchenette that could be hidden behind a curtain, while still leaving an open space in front of the screen. There, woven training mats had been embedded into the floor, providing an area for either exercise or pacing.
Adjoining his main office were several other chambers: a secondary meeting space equipped with the latest in vid-con technology, a full refresher room, a small sitting room, and an even smaller chamber equipped with a fold-out bunk, meditation mats, and a well-cushioned pod-chair, clearly meant as a retreat in case the occupant felt the need for some mid-day rest.
It was all far more luxurious than Kyros needed, and this wasn't even the entirety of the space to be his — somewhere on the Wisdom was another suite of living quarters reserved for him. When he commented as much, however, Director Rostami merely smiled indulgently. "Your humility is indicative of your character, Commander, but rank has its privileges, and you have certainly earned them."
There was something in Director Rostami's tone that Kyros didn't quite like, but before he could reply, several people appeared in the doorway, two men and two women. Both men and one of the women wore uniforms with the insignia of the Tahaqiq military on the left side and their rank on the right; all three rank insignias were accompanied by the silver star that marked them as a commander's aide. The final woman didn't wear a uniform, though her tunic and pants matched the blues of her companions, and she held a slim tablet in one hand.
Director Rostami beckoned them inside. "I took the liberty, Commander, of selecting some of your staff for you. Lieutenant Colonel Esmail Moradi, Sergeant Zahra Kazem, and Senior Wingman Behrouz Darzi will serve as your aides. Lieutenant Colonel Moradi was formerly a member of my own staff, and so I can assure you of his capability; the other two were chosen by his recommendation. Additionally, Ms. Parisa Nagi was the secretary for your predecessor and has expressed a desire to retain her position, as I believe you were already aware."
The three aides each saluted as Kyros surveyed them. Senior Wingman Darzi was a young man, taller and thinner than Kyros, who seemed to be trying to hide his nervousness behind a straight back and a professional expression. Sergeant Kazem wore her brown hair in a bun a little messier than regulation required, and the insignias on her uniform were slightly crooked, as was her nose, but she held herself with a confident readiness and met Kyros's eyes when he looked at her. The four-leafed pin above her rank insignia told him that she had at least twenty years of service behind her already, and NCOs didn't move ships often. Probably she knew the Wisdom like the back of her hand.
Lieutenant Colonel Moradi's service pin held only three leaves, but his square-jawed face was stern enough that, for a moment, Kyros almost felt he was looking in a mirror at his younger self. The motions of his salute were as crisp and precise as the creases on his uniform, and he looked like he could've been the poster boy for some recruitment campaign. Maybe he had been. He smiled as he saluted, showing a flash of his teeth. "I look forward to working with you, Commander."
"And I you," Kyros replied, keeping his tone neutral. "All three of you." He turned next to Ms. Nagi. "And you as well, ma'am."
Ms. Nagi bowed her head slightly, showing the grey beginning to infiltrate her short, dark hair. "Thank you, sir, and thank you for allowing me to stay on in my current role. I've been honored to work under the last two Fleet Commanders, and I hoped to continue doing so under a third."
"I've no doubt your experience will be a great boon to me as I get used to a new ship." Kyros returned his attention to Director Rostami. "I believe you mentioned we could begin the logistical onboarding process before tonight's events?"
Director Rostami nodded, clapping his hands together. "Of course. Ms. Nagi, if you will?"
Ms. Nagi stepped forward, offering Kyros her tablet. "Of course. This has the necessary onboarding documentation on it for you to fill out at your leisure, Commander. And, of course, you'll want your earpiece." She produced the device from her pocket — the sleekest version Kyros had ever seen, just a curved bit of metal and plastic shaped to fit over the ear, a far cry from the full visor he'd been given on his first ship, or even the bulkier earphone he'd used at his last assignment, with the speaker that curved down in front of the ear opening. "We had your voiceprint and profiles transferred from the Journey of a Thousand Steps, so everything should be set up for you."
"Thank you. Very efficient." Kyros took both from her and fitted the earpiece over his ear. The magnets in the side clicked against the metal of the connection port there, and the shimmer of the visual display appeared in front of his right eye as a voice chirped — in his head or in his mind; he could never tell — <"Welcome, Fleet Commander Kyros Al-Amin! Your personal interface is ready to go!">
The voice sounded disorientingly real and even more disorientingly childlike. Even aboard Kyros's last ship, no matter how the technicians tweaked the ship's audio interface, there was always a certain computerized quality to its voice. But this sounded so lifelike that if not for the visual display now showing him vital signs and name labels, he would've wondered if someone was playing a joke on him. "Your system has an unusual audio interface. I'm impressed."
Director Rostami's smile grew a little, and he straightened. "Thank you, Commander. I myself had a hand in designing it. It's the latest technology, and we look forward to when all the ships of the Tahaqiq Union can implement it."
"Hopefully that day will come soon." Kyros unlocked the tablet with a swipe of his thumb. A list of documents appeared on the screen. "A child's voice is an interesting choice, though."
"Well, 'from the lips of children,' as they say. And I've heard no complaints about it; in fact, many people seem to like it." Director Rostami swept his gaze across the trio of aides and Ms. Nagi. "Wouldn't you all agree?"
Lieutenant Colonel Moradi nodded, as did Sergeant Kazem. Ms. Nagi brightened a little. "Certainly, Director. It's a very sweet voice; it cheers me up when I'm having a bit of a bad day."
"Sweet's sure the word for it." Wingman Darzi gave a shaky laugh. "Ro — Uh, really disorienting sometimes when she's giving me a flightpath or warning me about enemy spacecraft, but still sweet."
"Hmm. I see." Kyros tapped the first document on the tablet. "Thank you all for your welcome. I'd like some time to myself to get settled in now, if it's convenient."
Director Rostami nodded again and waved the others towards the door, moving that way himself. "Of course. I'll have Colonel Moradi come back about an hour and a half before the celebration to give you a tour of the essentials and show you your quarters so you can get ready for tonight." He paused in the doorway. "Thank you once again for accepting this position, Commander. I have no doubt that this will be good for all of the Union."
With that, he stepped outside. The door hissed as it slid shut behind him. Kyros slowly walked around the desk and settled himself into the chair. "Wisdom, set an alarm for two hours before the welcome celebration."
Again came the cheerful, childlike voice. <"Alarm set, Commander! You'll be reminded two hours before the welcome celebration.">
"Thank you." The words came automatically, and Kyros paused. There was no requirement to thank the computer, and he hadn't made a habit of it on his past ships. A computer was only a machine. Yet this one sounded so lifelike . . .
Well. This new assignment would take some getting used to. Still, he could rest in the fact that his duty hadn't changed. Protect the people, uphold what was right, root out corruption, execute justice, and preserve order — those responsibilities were the same no matter where he was, and he would carry them out to the best of his abilities.
~~~
Heavy footsteps and the hiss of the office door in its tracks heralded Sergeant Kazem's appearance in Kyros's office. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyros saw her stop just inside the doorway and do a quick, loose salute, just enough of one to say she had done it. "I pulled those incident reports you asked for, Commander. They should be arriving on your desk now." As always, she sounded faintly hoarse, as if she'd done a lot of talking — or yelling — already. Maybe that was a result of spending so much time as a sergeant. When Kyros had checked her file the first day he arrived, he'd noticed that she'd refused her last offered promotion, and that had been nearly seven years ago.
The notification appeared on his desk: <Document relay from Sgt. Kazem.> Kyros tapped the "Scan and Download" command. "Thank you, Sergeant." As the download began, he picked up a slim tablet from his desk and held it out to her. "This contains disciplinary warrants for all the overlooked infractions I've noted so far among the ranks. Most of the issues can be dealt with by the individuals' commanding officers; about half a dozen will require more extensive action, potentially up to a discharge and imprisonment. Please distribute them to the appropriate persons — and make sure they acknowledge that they've received and understood the orders."
Sergeant Kazem took the tablet automatically. "Yes, sir." She paused. "Imprisonment, sir?"
"That is what I said." Kyros glanced down at the desk, noted that the download was complete, and tapped to open the first file. It opened on the slanted document display section, and he picked up his stylus. "Additionally, please inform Ms. Nagi that I need a time within the next week to address the Wisdom's troops at an all-hands. I believe that everyone here needs to be reminded both of the values to which we all swore and the reason for and importance of those values."
"Yes, sir." Sergeant Kazem started to put the tablet in her pocket, then stopped. "Sir, permission to comment?" She waited for Kyros's nod before going on, "You've been here two weeks, sir, and you've found enough issues for disciplinary action that six is a minority. Most Fleet Commanders would leave this kind of thing to those under them, but you've done it while keeping up with all your normal duties and touring the whole ship day by day."
"'Defense of the Tahaqiq Union begins with defense against corruption and errant behavior within ourselves.'" Kyros could've quoted those words in his sleep, he'd repeated them so many times since the chaplain at his training assignment first said them to him. "My first concern is that I can trust those under me to be men and women of honor. If I cannot trust them to act rightly when all is well, I cannot trust them to act rightly when they are under fire. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir." Sergeant Kazem saluted, but didn't move. Her gaze remained fixed on Kyros.
"No, sir." Sergeant Kazem shook her head. "But I'd like to ask another question, if it's all the same to you."
Colonel Moradi, who'd been sitting at the meeting table, working on his own tablet, looked up slightly. Wingman Darzi appeared in the doorway behind Sergeant Kazem as he leaned back in his chair.
Kyros set down his stylus. "What is it?" He had a guess; if he was right, it was a wonder his aides had lasted this long before asking it.
Sergeant Kazem straightened almost to attention, as if by doing so, she could offset any perceived offense in her next words. "Are the rumors true, sir?"
So he'd been right. Kyros sat back in his chair. "Which rumors would those be?"
Sergeant Kazem nodded slightly towards him. "People say you're part Rishedari yourself, sir. They say you can think like them, and that's why you've been so successful combatting them."
"Well, I certainly didn't go white-haired like this from old age." Kyros was inclined to blame some great-great-great ancestor for his height as well — Rishedari were fairly uniformly white-haired and shorter than the average human, a side effect of the genetic manipulation and environmental adaptations that had also given them their near-endless lifespans, increased intelligence, and supposed special abilities that bordered on magic. Unfortunately, none of those more interesting traits had been passed down to him. "As far as 'thinking like them' goes, however, that's a misunderstanding. I understand how their strategists think. That's all." That had been what he'd told his commanding officer years ago, when he'd come up with a strategy to keep their battleship from being trapped in a siege position and turn the tides against the two Rishedari-commanded ships they'd been fighting — when he'd won the first of his many recognitions and honors.
"I don't see the difference, sir, but I'll take your word for it." Sergeant Kazem tilted her head slightly. "You aren't concerned that when you're fighting them, you might be fighting your own ancestor or such?"
There was another question in her words, one no one would be bold enough to ask aloud. "I'm no Rishedari sympathizer, Sergeant. I wouldn't be in this office if I was. They're people, the same as ordinary humans are. And just like ordinary humans, when they use their capabilities to enslave and tyrannize others, they need to be stopped." As they had been aboard the Wisdom and aboard every other ship in the Tahaqiq Union, back in the days when they ruled the fleet. "That's my job, and that's why I need people under me who know what's right and do it." He paused. "Any other questions?"
Sergeant Kazem shook her head. "No, sir. Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome." Kyros picked up his stylus again. "Dismissed."
This time, the sergeant did step out, allowing the door to shut behind her. At the meeting table, Colonel Moradi returned his attention to his tablet.
Kyros stared at the door for a moment, contemplating. All in all, that interaction had gone fairly smoothly. Hopefully, any remaining concerns she or others had would come out with time.
For now . . . Kyros considered the documents in front of him, then abruptly logged off his desk display and stood. "Time for a walk. Colonel, on me."
Colonel Moradi stood. "Where this time, Commander?"
At the same time, in his head, the Wisdom's system voice piped up, <"Do you want navigational assistance, Commander?">
"No navigational assistance, thank you." Kyros said the words under his breath, knowing the connector would pick it up. He needed to know the ship without the aid of the computers — you never knew when something would happen to knock out some system. To Colonel Moradi, he added, "Third level, fourth quadrant. Let's go."
@lady-merian and @brielle-of-the-notions both tagged me for the last sentence tag game! And for once, I am actually responding instead of forgetting forever.
Rules: Write the latest line from your wip (or post where you last left off in your art) and tag as many people as there are words in the line. Make a new post, don’t reblog.
At last, she asked, "Lookin' for something, Genie? You're acting jumpier than a wet cat on the fourth of July."
Technically, that's two sentences, but I didn't want to only post half of a piece of dialogue.
No-pressure tagging @fairytalearista, @theriu, @fairytale-lights, @kanerallels, @silverpaintedstars, @swinging-stars-from-satellites, and whoever else wants to consider themselves tagged because I am tired and cannot remember who does and doesn't have active WIPs.
