Shadow of the Blue Ring (50 page)

Having been dreading the worst when he had arrived for the meeting with the council, James concluded that things could honestly not have gone better for them. Peace with the Vulians, the Adeans joining the alliance, James and his crew receiving a fair reward for their troubles… it was all about as much as anyone could have hoped for.

With the meeting dismissed, the councillors and all those who had been present for the meeting began to filter away and make their way to the exits. Out of the corner of his eye, James noticed Anaya Ansare among the Naisan delegation, whatever weight of emotions she was feeling at the time having been very well hidden. James made his way over to her, Isha following behind him.

“Anaya… I’m so sorry for your loss,” James said to her, although despite the immense measure of sadness she would have been feeling, she managed to force a faint smile. “It’s Ok, James,” said said calmly, “my husband died as a hero, a true alliance hero. I am so incredibly proud of him and what he chose to do. I will mourn him in time but right now, we are all just truly thankful to him for what he did for every person in the alliance. I know it must be hurting you too, I know he was a friend.”

“It was hard to see a friend die like that,” said James, “it’s not something I ever want to have to experience again. I really do wish the best for you, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling right now.”

“Nor should you want to,” said Anaya, “even if I am holding it together right now, what I am feeling inside… it hurts more than anything I have ever felt. I always knew that Kaldun’s job came with it’s share of risks. When you are married to an admiral of the fleet, you have to be prepared for the worst at any time. It’s just… of all the times for this happen. We were going to announce it at Ravenn’s party but you and Kaldun were dragged away before we had the chance. James… two weeks before the party I found out that I was carrying his child.”

“Oh…” James could not even begin to imagine how that must have felt for her. Isha was almost in shock at this news too, being with child herself, she would know exactly Anaya felt right now.

“I’m so sorry…” Isha said to her, “. . . if there is anything that any of us can do for you…”

“It’s Ok, I will find a way to cope,” said Anaya, “Kaldun may be gone but he will not be forgotten. This child will grow up knowing that it’s father was one of the greatest heroes in the history of Naisus. It is a fine example to live up to.”

“Anaya, it’s not just you who is carrying a child,” said Isha, “I found out that I was expecting at almost the same time as you did. I want to ask… perhaps you could come to Earth sometime? When our children are born, we could let them grow up together. I mean, with Kasha and Loca together now, I imagine it wont be long before they have one on the way too.”

“I would quite like that sometime,” said Anaya, “perhaps as their parents have been friends, their children can also grow up as friends too.”

“That would be absolutely brilliant,” said James, “and who knows… maybe one day when we all step down and live out our twilight years, it will be our children saving the galaxy instead of us.”

“It is certainly a future that we can look forward to,” said Anaya, “Isha, I will be in touch about your offer. I look forward to introducing our children to one another one day. Now if you will excuse me, I must return with my people to Naisus. There is a lot to be done, there are a lot of arrangements to be made for Kaldun’s memorial service.”

“I wish you all the best,” James said to her as she fell back in line with the Naisan delegation heading out of the council chamber. With everyone heading back to their old lives now, this would likely be the last time that James and his old crew were together like this. With so many fresh starts about to be made, this was it for the old team. Saavoy, Morelli, Melina, Kristea, Kosare as well as the new additions, Kalmar and Julio, would all be heading their separate ways.

“So then…” James said as he gathered them around, “I guess this is it for the team?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Morelli, “but don’t worry, just because we aren’t running around saving the galaxy together anymore, it doesn’t have to be goodbye.”

“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll all see each other around,” Julio agreed, “and you never know, there may yet be another galaxy-ending apocalypse that threatens us all again sometime.”

“Well… rather you than me!” Saavoy laughed, “it’s been a good run for all of us but eventually there does come a time when you have to take a step to one side and say ‘enough is enough’. I think now is as good a time as any.”

“What about you James?” Morelli asked him, “what do you think the future holds for you now?”

“Well, I guess things will be a bit different once we get back home,” said James, “we have a long holiday and then after that, we have a child on the way. Things will be different but… I don’t think my days of saving the galaxy are done quite yet. My dad was able to serve in the fleet and still be a good father to me so I see no reason why I can’t do the same for my child when he or she comes along. I don’t think this is the end at all. Just promise that you will all keep in contact this time guys.”

“We will, you can be sure of that,” said Saavoy, “it’s been fun serving with you, James, again, perhaps we will run into each other again soon?”

“That sounds good to me,” James said, shaking his hand, “I wish you and Loca all the best, provided she’ll still have you that is.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll still have him,” Morelli game him a nudge as she said it, “we’ll all get together for a catch up sometime, I want to meet the little Tavarez who is going to save the galaxy one day. How about it?”

“You bet,” said James, “maybe we could even introduce them to a little Morelli?”

“Whoa, not even thinking about that yet!” Morelli laughed, “long way to go before that but… maybe, just maybe.”

“Well we’re all looking forward to it,” said Isha, “we’ll see you both again soon.”

Saavoy and Morelli made their way out of the council chamber, arm in arm, giving them one final wave goodbye. James was very pleased for them, they had both found something really special at the end of what had been a very trying time for all of them. James turned back to the others.

“So, Julio, you and Jaiden…” he said, “. . . are you going to make it a full set?”

“Ha, now that would be some achievement,” Julio chuckled, “look at what I had to go through just for the suggestion of a single date with her. Getting her to agree to this… lets not even go there.”

“Well you go and you make that date the best damn date she has ever had in her life,” James said to him, “I know she likes you, she’s just too stubborn to admit it. You two will be great together.”

“I appreciate it,” said Julio, “well anyway, it’s been a real honour fighting alongside you. Best few weeks of my life by far. Seeing as I finish my academy training next year, I’ll be out saving the galaxy alongside you soon enough. Perhaps we could always team up again some time in the future?”

“I have no doubt that we’ll see each other around,” said James, “maybe next time the alliance needs saving we’ll come riding to it’s rescue.”

“Definitely,” said Julio, “although I should probably be heading back now anyway. Karlo has arranged transport for me back to Voronia, he’ll be wanting to get me back on track at the academy. I don’t think he expected me to be away for this long or to have to go through what I went through. James, captain Tavarez, I will see you around.”

Julio shook his hand before turning to leave himself. James had been very impressed with how Julio had handled himself throughout the mission. Even if he had only had a small part to play in the events, he was young and he was still learning. In time, he would go on to achieve great things.

“I guess I should be heading off too,” said Melina, “I’ve missed a lot of training and I’ll need to get myself back on track if I’m going to get myself into the gala again next year. The first qualifiers are less than a month away now.”

“From what I’ve seen, you’ll have no trouble getting in again,” said James, “you flew like a champion all the way through the mission, I’m sure you’ll go back and rock it again next year.”

“That’s certainly the plan,” said Melina, “but don’t you worry, I will make absolutely sure that I get a few weeks off to come and see you again when the little one is due.”

“Yeah, you make sure you do,” said Isha, “I hardly ever get to see you anymore so you make sure you come for regular visits from now on.”

“Or we could do it the other way around,” James suggested, “we have five months of shore leave coming up and I did promise you that we would go to Anduria as soon as we got a break from the fleet. Perhaps this could finally be my chance to come and see your homeworld.”

“That would be fantastic!” Isha exclaimed with a smile, “I haven’t been home in so long, I’d love to go back there for a while.”

James had wanted to see Anduria for a long time now. It was the only alliance world that he had not yet visited other than Comris and he was determined to see what he was missing. Isha spoke very highly of her home planet and James was keen to see if it lived up to the billing that she had given it.

“I’ll be expecting you to come and visit then,” Melina said as she turned to leave, “don’t leave me hanging.”

“Don’t you worry, we’ll be along to visit,” James called after her. Despite having been with Isha for a couple of years now, he had still not had the chance to meet with her family back on Anduria. This was finally his chance to get to know the place that his wife came from and to meet her friends and family. All of his crew would soon be away on their holidays with a well deserved break from the everyday monotony of their duties within the fleet and all of the old crew were now either settling down and starting a new life or going on to bigger and better things. All of them except the most recent addition to his crew…

“So then, captain Kalmar, whereabouts are you going from here?”

“I wish I knew,” Kalmar sighed, “serving in the fleet was my life, I never really had much back home on Adean. My father and my brother were both killed in the war against the Al’cari and I have very little in the way of family left. Being forbidden to serve again is painful to say the least… I’m not sure what I really have to live for now.”

“You were only forbidden from serving in the Adean fleet,” Isha pointed out, “Gera never said anything about not being able to join up with another fleet.”

“She’s right,” said Kristea, “when my people and I were exiled from Akris, the Tolians took us in and gave us a purpose. I am sure someone will take you in, from what I have seen, you’re a good officer.”

“I guess…” said Kalmar, “. . . it wouldn’t quite be the same as working with the imperial fleet in the war against the Al’cari but… yeah, I suppose I could get used to it. Who would take me after what I did though?” “Well, James will be needing a replacement first officer for a while once I’ve had the little one,” said Isha, “you know the ship, you know the crew, you could always join the Evening Star for a while. I’m sure Lucy wouldn’t mind having you there, she seems to have a bit of a thing for you.”

“What do you think?” James asked him, “want to join my crew?”

“Yeah, I think I could do that,” Kalmar agreed with what seemed like the first smile he had cracked since he had first come into contact with James’s crew out in the Blue Ring.

“Great,” said James, “you will have to put in an application with the admirals before you can join up though but it shouldn’t be a problem. Davidson will surely put a good word in for you and Jamerson owes me one so I’m sure he will too.”

It would be a huge change in his life but James was sure that Kalmar would adapt to it eventually. The admirals would surely accept him into their ranks too, they would never pass up the chance to add any new assets to their fleet and a talented captain with experience of facing powerful enemies in battle time after time would be a welcome addition. After all, they had accepted Isha into the fleet and they had done that knowing of the conflict of interests that they were allowing for at the time. This time there would be no such concern.

With the meeting with the council concluded and everyone heading off in their own direction, James and Isha finally left the council chamber behind to return to the Evening Star, Connolly and Lucy also returning alongside them. It was the first time in a long while that James had actually felt optimistic about the future. After the endless stresses of his job, the uncertainty surrounding the alliance, the potential for another war to break out… the future finally looked bright for both the alliance and for him individually. With an era of peace seemingly descending on upon the galaxy and James and his crew now with some well deserved shore leave ahead of them, it was finally a chance for them to rest and relax. There was always the chance that something might suddenly come up and require him to run back to the fleet for a while but regardless of what happened in the future, he was getting a full five months away from the fleet.

The mission into the Blue Ring and it’s repercussions would likely change a great many things throughout the alliance. The peace with the Vulian empire would likely stop the conflicts between the alliance and Vulia’s former allies, easing the pressure on the alliance races to heavily patrol and defend their borders. The Adeans joining the alliance would provide them with a huge increase in their military power in case of another war. There was also the discovery of the Jaiytid homeworld, Alatennia, and the potential for a re-colonisation effort of the ancestral homeworld of every race of in the alliance. With the conflicts done and dealt with, every alliance race would now have the chance to explore and expand as they saw fit, some maybe even attempting a colonisation effort on newly discovered planets or using Jaiytid technology to attempt a terraforming effort on a nearby lifeless planet.

Despite looking forward to his time away from the fleet, James had found that recent events had given him a new perspective regarding his time in space. When he got back from his shore leave, it wouldn’t be straight back to patrol duty or simple escort missions, he would finally be out exploring and doing all the things he had always wanted to do in his position as a captain. There was something else that had been playing on his mind too… who were these mysterious masters that had been controlling the Al’cari and the Lataka and why had they wanted the Shadow Bringer? The Al’cari captain on Alatennia had been right, there was a lot more going on in the galaxy than anyone in the alliance was aware of and this era of peace was exactly what they now needed. If there were any more threats lurking in the dark places of the galaxy beyond the borders of known space, they would need this extended time of peace in order to allow them to build their strength. James could look forward to some interesting times ahead with the fleet but before any of that, the one thing he was looking forward to more than anything was getting to meet his son or daughter for the first time. A lot of things were soon to change for both he, Isha, and everyone in the alliance but for the best part of it, the future looked bright.