Shadow of the Blue Ring (6 page)

“It’s also why I was so keen to get away here for a week,” Julio added, “not much time for holidays when you’re training to join one of the most respected military units in the alliance.”

“It sounds like you’ve earned a break,” said James, “and you’re sticking around the entire week?”

“I will be, yes,” said Julio, “Karlo is heading back tomorrow evening but I’ll be around for most of the week. I don’t know if you’ve been to Lorridan before but if you have, you’ll know it doesn’t see too much of the sun during it’s winter months. A week on the beach in the city of Lahara will be a nice break from my usual routine.”

James knew that all too well and it seemed to be a recurring theme among every one of his old crew, they had all been desperately needing this. It was pleasing to see Castellan’s son doing so well for himself, James knew how hard it could be living for so long without a father figure in his life. While Valeri himself may no longer have been with them, under the guidance of Danero, his son was well and truly on his way to succeeding him, provided he didn’t get distracted along the way.

“Well I need to be heading off to the stage,” Danero announced, “I’m on the honours list for the night for exceptional contribution to the rebuilding of the alliance. A fair few of us are up there tonight I think.”

“Interesting,” said Isha, trying and failing to hide a smirk, “James, I wonder why you weren’t selected for one of those.”

“Oh it’s something to do with honouring those who have made the biggest contribution to the efforts since the re-founding of the alliance,” said Julio, “Karlo is up there for his efforts rebuilding out military. I’m not sure why they didn’t put you on there though, I can only assume the general has something else planned for you.”

“Well I can’t wait,” James chuckled, “knowing him it will be the last possible thing I could expect him to do.”

“There is definitely something planned,” Danero grinned, “but I can’t tell you what it is, actually I’m not a hundred percent sure myself but I would be ready to speak, that is all I’m gonna say.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said James. He had the sneaking suspicion that this was a possibility right from the start. Julio remained with the two of them as Danero made his way to the area behind the stage area at the far side of the hall.

“Hey, Isha,” Julio piped up, “that girl over there, is she a friend of yours?”

She looked around to see Julio indicating towards Melina who was in conversation with a group of various dignitaries behind them.

“That’s Kaydenne, my cousin,” said Isha, “why are you asking?”

“She’s cute,” Julio grinned, “maybe you could introduce me to her sometime?”

“Nice try,” Isha scowled, “you seem like a decent guy Julio but I would ask that you keep your hands off her, she’s had a hard time with men recently, it’s best not to stir things up, especially tonight.”

“Oh yeah, she dated Jovan Artennes’s son didn’t she?” said Julio, “I heard about that, hard luck I guess. Plenty more fish in the ocean though, right?”

“As long as you aren’t trying to get Kaydenne on your hook, fish away,” said Isha, “there are plenty of other women here, why not go and try your luck with them?”

“I may just do,” Julio said with a cheeky smile on his face, scanning the room for his next target, his eyes falling on one figure in particular, “hello, what do we have here?”

It took James a moment to notice who Julio was eyeing up but as soon as he did, he had to struggle to contain his amusement, Julio would be treading very dangerous water if he tried to go there.

“Don’t even think about it Julio,” James said, mixture of laughter and warning in his voice, “she will seriously mess you up.”

“Oh come on, anyone who has that much on show is clearly looking for attention,” Julio chuckled, “how bad could it be?”

“Tell me he isn’t thinking of hitting on who I think he is,” Isha whispered into James ear, watching Julio glide over to where the red headed figure of Jaiden Kosare stood in conversation with a couple of very captivated dignitaries, “the poor kid has no idea what he is letting himself in for.”

They could not hear exactly what Julio said to her over the background noise of the party but it had obviously caused her to instantly swing around to face him, the look on her face absolutely priceless, James had been about to step forward towards them but Isha held him back, giggling as she did so.

“Shouldn’t we try and stop him?”

“Are you kidding, this could be great entertainment?” Isha chuckled, “poor kid will get ripped apart.”

“Who’s that getting ripped apart?” Came the latest in a series of familiar voices from behind them as they watched on. James swivelled around, diverting his attention from the amusing scene before them to see the tall, dashing figure of Kasha Saavoy stood there before him.

“Thought you would never show up,” said James, giving him the complimentary handshake, “some of the others thought you might not be coming tonight, it’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise, captain Tavarez,” said Saavoy, “only you’re officially captain Tavarez now. I bet that feels a lot better than being a revolutionary captain does it not?”

“Sometimes I think I liked the revolutionary captain part better than the official part,” said James, “back then I wasn’t bound by all these rules, it’s all a bit different now. Must be easy for you being an admiral though.”

“Not always,” said Saavoy, “remember, I have to spend pretty much all day every day co-ordinating the fleet and the rebuilding efforts on the surface of Malorii. Which reminds me… Isha, I would like to pass on a word of thanks to your people’s government for all the help they have given us over the past years.”

“They have?” Isha had been a little out of touch with events over in the Adelante sector over the past few years. It made sense though, Anduria was one of the closer worlds to Malorii and with their own world having avoided any major damage, they would be free to give as much aid as possible to a world that desperately needed it.

“Yes, the help your people have given us has been priceless,” Saavoy continued, “Andurian engineers, architects and construction workers have been helping us restore the city of Temaseta to it’s former glory. You wouldn’t even recognise it, it has been completely restored. As for rebuilding the planet’s ecosystem, that could take some time but we’re doing everything we can to ensure the planet stays habitable and all our native animal and plant species are preserved as well. Malorii may one day become the beautiful world it once was again, we shall see.”

“Well you can be sure the rest of the alliance will continue to help you with the rebuilding,” said James, “I doubt they would let one of their oldest allies fall into ruin. Have you been able to start rebuilding your fleets yet?”

“Well we managed to get a few of our shipyards up and running about three years after the war ended,” said Saavoy, “we have a few cruiser class ships and we were able to salvage and rebuild one of our old command ships. It’s a start but it isn’t much yet, there is still a long way to go. I’m glad to be away from it all for a while though, I think a couple of days out here will do me good. The work back home is exhausting.”

“Have you had a chance to catch up with any of the others yet?” James asked, “most of them are here and it’s a great chance to get the team back together again.”

“Not just yet, I’ve only just arrived,” said Saavoy, “I’ll be sure to catch up with some of them though, don’t you worry and… oh no… James, better brace yourself, I think there’s a storm coming.”

Saavoy had turned as pale as a Naisan. James turned to see what had got him looking that way and noticed Morelli making her way through the masses towards them, her face like thunder. James had no idea what this could mean but an angry Morelli was not a sign of good things to come.

“Well, well, well, look who it is,” she said angrily, “Kasha Saavoy, don’t you have some nerve!?”

“Excuse me?’

“Oh, had you not heard?” Morelli noticed the looks of confusion on James and Isha’s faces, “you haven’t heard about the little stunt that the great admiral Saavoy pulled on me?”

“I would hardly call it a stunt Loca, it was just…”

“Personal!?” She cut him off before he had a chance to make his own case, “after the war, Kasha and myself… well… we hooked up, spent a few weeks together on Voronia. Next thing I know, I find myself falling for him, I ask him to move there with me permanently, he agrees. We were together for three years. It was a little up and down as Kasha was constantly being asked to rejoin the rebuilding effort back on Malorii but he managed to co-ordinate it all from Voronia.”

“Loca, you know that I…”

“Shut up! I haven’t finished,” Morelli dismissed Saavoy’s attempted defence of the situation once more, “so anyway, three years ago, he invites me out to dinner, says he has something really important to tell me. I get my hopes up, I think he’s finally going to pop the question, so I show up thinking I’m about to become the happiest woman in the world and what does he turn around and say to me? “I’m sorry Loca, I’m leaving, I have to return to Malorii, it’s urgent.” He packed up and left and he hasn’t had the balls to come back and face me ever since.”

“You know it didn’t happen like that, Loca, you’re exaggerating,” Saavoy pleaded, “you know how much pressure my government had been putting on me to return to Malorii ever since I left to be with you. The entire effort was in danger of falling apart and the people needed someone to look up to. I offered for you to come with me but you were in such a strop over the whole thing that you wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say.”

“So you just expected me to pick everything up and leave my homeworld, the only life I have ever known to move!” Morelli snapped back at him, “you just expected me to come running away with you and leave everything behind.”

“That’s pretty much exactly what I did for you isn’t it?” Said Saavoy, “I left behind a struggling race to be with you for three years and I wanted to stay, I really did but you have to understand everything that was happening. We are are in danger of losing our home planet. If we can’t stabilise the ecosystem, it will become uninhabitable and we will have to find a new world.”

“You know what I think? I think you’re insecure, I think you still can’t get your head out of the past and you bottled it right when you had the chance to make up for everything that happened. I think you’re a coward!”

James was a little stunned at the whole episode, he was completely unsure of what to say or do. As Saavoy went to try and make a case for his defence, James felt Isha tugging at his arm.

“I think this is one lover’s quarrel we would do well to stay well clear of,” Isha whispered in his ear, “come on, I think the main events of the evening are about to start.”

There was indeed a great deal of activity over on the far side of the room where the staging had been set up, a large number of high ranking Churian military officers were filtering into the room and many of the guests were starting to assemble in front of them. James did not hesitate to follow Isha away from the rather headed scene behind them and join the rest of the party guests. It was almost time for the party to really get started.

Chapter
Three

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Council

The attention of the entire contingent within grand hall was now drawn to the staged area on the far side of the room. Many high ranking officers of the Churian military had lined themselves up before the stage and one of them, one of the eldest of them, a man with greying hair and a fine moustache stepped up to the microphone to address the guests.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow people of Churo and honoured guests for the night…” he began to speak, “. . . let me be the first to welcome you to the Grand Hall of the magnificent city of Lahara. For those of you who do not know, I am general Alecto Canizares, I have served alongside our host for the night in the military for twenty-six years and I must say that there is no man among us more deserving of a party of the scale we have here tonight.”

It was obvious from the way that everyone present at the party hung on his every word that this was a man who commanded great respect, not only among his own people but throughout the entire alliance.

“General Theomir Ravenn has been part of the military for over forty years now,” Canizarez continued, “he is one of our most respected and long serving leaders, giving almost his entire life to his people. We can all look back over the many things he did while he was leading our forces into battle after battle against the evil of the Vulian empire but arguably his greatest moments came during those years that he was not even serving as a general. Despite having been stripped of his position by the occupiers he never stopped fighting, never stopped believing and never stopped striving to help our people and our alliance as a whole. He took part in possibly the greatest series of events ever to befall our race when he joined the great revolution of six years ago. He willingly undertook the most daring and dangerous mission possible alongside a crew of the very best the galaxy had to offer and he left the battle victorious. Those brave men and women that he fought alongside are all here tonight, all here to commemorate the service of the respected general. But that’s enough from me, the man himself needs no introduction to most of you so let me bring him in, please welcome your host for the night, general Theomir Ravenn!”

There was a thunderous cheer from the whole room as Ravenn himself finally walked out onto the stage. They had been waiting to see him all evening and now the wait was finally over. Ravenn looked well, he looked a fair few years younger than his age would have suggested. The stress of his military career and the Vulian war had not affected him physically at all, he looked in great health.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” he boomed into the microphone, “oh it’s so good to be here tonight, it is so refreshing to see you have turned out in such numbers. I’m flattered, I really am. Let me be the second person to welcome you all to Lahara’s finest venue, I’m looking forward to an excellent night alongside all you fine people.”

There was further cheering around the room as he spoke. James had never once seen Ravenn’s cheerful side, he had always been business first when aboard the Morning Star. It was refreshing though, it was nice to see that all these tough-as-nails generals and military leaders had their fun sides and were able to let off some steam.

“Well I honestly don’t know where to begin tonight,” Ravenn continued, “forty years, forty long years I have served as a general in the Churian military. There have been highs, there have been lows, there have been downright desperate times. Now, tonight, that time must come to an end. This will be my last hurrah before I step down and begin my retirement in the quiet, tropical resort of Carpara. It will be sad to see my long career finally come to an end but all good things must come to an end at some point and it is my time tonight.

“This night will not be exclusively about me though, there will be a further set of honours for the evening. I have arranged for awards to be given to those individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty to help our new alliance in it’s efforts to rebuild after the devastation brought by the Vulian occupation. Given how much time and effort it has taken to restore this alliance. I will now call up these inspirational men and women one by one to receive their awards.”

Two more officers rolled forward a stand that contained a series of sculpted, glass awards, each one bearing an inscription and two large signatures. James could not quite make out who any of them belonged to though, he wasn’t close enough to get a good look.

“First up…” Ravenn began, picking up the first of the awards, “. . . we have this award for general Marek Juarez of Suros for his outstanding contribution to the reform and the rebuilding of the military forces of Suros. This man has almost single handedly put back together the shattered remains of a once proud and fearsome military and has inspired a new generation to rise up to take the place of those who sacrificed their lives to help turn the tide of one of the greatest battles of our time. Unfortunately, Marek cannot be here to receive this award tonight but our best wishes go out to him and we will see he receives this commendation for his efforts. Next up…”

Ravenn continued to pick up each of the awards one by one with the recipient of each coming to the stage to proudly claim their award. As promised, there was an award for another one of James’s former crew.

“. . . Our next award goes to Karlo Danero of the Lorridan defence legion of Voronia. I had the pleasure of serving alongside this man in battle in the past and I can personally vouch for him in his deserving of his award tonight. Through this man’s efforts, the famed Lorridan Defence Legion, one of the most feared and respected divisions in the entire alliance has been rebuilt and renewed. In addition, he has recently opened one of the finest training institutes for young soldiers on Voronia and it has recently been voted second only to the famed Korodon academy of Tolis in terms of the quality of it’s teaching and of it’s facilities. Receiving a commendation for outstanding contribution to the future of the Voronian military, Karlo… come to the stage old friend.”

As had each of the others before him, Danero took to the stage and proudly to receive his award from Ravenn to loud applause from those watching on. He gave a quick bow before heading back down to rejoin the party. Ravenn continued through each of the remaining awards, honouring each recipient as they came to collect until only one remained. This one was slightly larger than the others. It must have been reserved for the biggest contributor to the alliance from the past six years.

“. . . And now, we come to our final award,” Ravenn continued excitedly, “this award goes to a man who has done as much for this alliance as any other individual alive today. Without him, we would not be here today, in fact our alliance would probably not even exist anymore. This award goes to a man who endured more hardships than any man should have to bear in an entire lifetime within the space of just a few years but despite this, his efforts turned what was a hopeless situation into a brand new future for our people. He does not know that he is receiving this tonight, it was left as a surprise… ladies and gentlemen… please welcome to the stage Captain James Tavarez of the Earth Nations Fleet!”

Danero had not been lying, James immediately felt several thousand pairs of eyes on him, the entire crowd falling silent, the only sound being Isha struggling to hold back a chuckle next to him.

“Not funny,” he silently mouthed at her, awkwardly making his way towards the stage, not one person in the hall taking their eyes off of him. James made his way up the steps to where Ravenn stood while the former general continued to speak to the gathered masses.

“This award is in recognition of the incredible efforts that this young man went to in an attempt to overthrow an empire almost by himself, his efforts in bringing together the people of the old alliance and helping us form bonds of friendship between our people that when I was a lad, we had not believed were possible. It goes to show how a man of modest tastes from a modest background, who enjoys his archaic forms of music, sports and entertainments can be the most daring and heroic of all of us. It does not matter who you are or where you come from… if you have the heart and you have the courage, anything is possible, regardless of your roots.”

Ravenn handed James his award as he arrived on the stage, shaking his hand as he went. The whole room broke into applause as James showed it off in front of the entire gathered crowd. He could see Isha, who had now been joined by Melina, chuckling away below. He had a distinct feeling that she might have known something of this beforehand. He must have been the only person present who did not know what had been in store for him. He wanted to make a quick exit from the stage but Ravenn was indicating to the microphone next to him, he wasn’t going to be allowed off the stage without a few words.

“Thank you general,” James said, slightly nervously, to the watching audience, “a man of modest tastes huh? I think my wife may have something to say about that. Anyway, I just want to say how thankful I am to be presented with this award tonight, it really is an honour to be recognised as one of the great heroes of the alliance. I would like to add that my efforts to bring down the Vulian empire and restore peace to the alliance were not without sacrifice, I lost a great friend that day… and I was not the only one to do so, let us not forget how many great men and women gave their lives to make all of this possible. While I still feel the sorrow of those last days of the revolution, I am also filled with hope… hope that as we continue to rebuild our worlds, our bonds of friendship will continue to grow and that our people will once again become as great as they were in the days of the old alliance. I look forward to sharing this future with all of you and I hope that myself and my people will be a big part of it. On behalf of the entire Human race, thank you all.”

The room broke into applause once more as James finished his short speech, he didn’t think he could have said any more than that, not without having something written before him. Ravenn allowed him to quickly exit the stage before taking up the microphone himself once more.

“Well that concludes our awards for the night,” Ravenn said to the watching masses, “so now I think we can finally get this party started for real. Let the main event for the night begin!”

The military guard at the front of the stage broke up, the crowd went back to it’s previous state and the music began playing, the party atmosphere taking over the grand hall once more.

“Aww, well done honey,” Isha chuckled sarcastically as James rejoined her on the floor, “we’re all so proud of the great hero of the alliance.”

“Come on then, how did you know?” James asked her.

“Oh, a little birdie told me.”

“Would that little birdie happen to be called Kaydenne?”

“Yeah, I overheard a couple of Churian officers talking about it,” Melina chuckled, “we agreed that it would be so much more fun to let you find out for yourself. Just seeing the look on your face made it worth keeping the secret.”

“Ok, very funny,” said James, “well then, shall we get to the…”

“There you are old friend!” Came the booming voice of Ravenn who was making his way through the crowd towards them, stopping James mid sentence, “so glad you could make it tonight.”

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” James said, shaking his hand, “you really know how to throw a party gen… I mean ex-general.”

“Ha! Yes it is quite the event,” said Ravenn, “well if my career has to come to an end then I will end it in style. It’s nice to have all the members of the revolution here with me for the occasion too. Our journey six years ago will rank as the greatest adventure of my life.”

“Well it would take something quite special to surpass those few months, said James, “there hasn’t been anything quite like it since.”

“Don’t you worry about that young man,” said Ravenn, “there will always be another great battle and another fantastic adventure for you to undertake before long. You just be happy that, for the moment, we have peace and that you have yourself something quite special right here. It’s good to see you again Isha.”

“It’s nice to see you again too,” said Isha, “and I don’t think there could be a more fitting way for you to put an end to you career.”

“Thank you miss Cavallera,” Ravenn said proudly, “and miss Kaydenne Melina too, well done in your victory at the Systems Gala last year, a most impressive feat. I watched the entire thing and I was rooting for you the entire way.”

“Thank you general,” Melina beamed.

“So what will you do now you are retired from the military,” James asked, “will you be looking to live a slightly quieter life now?”

“I’ve got myself a nice little place down near the resort of Carpara in the south,” Ravenn replied, “my wife and I are moving down there in just a couple of days. It’s one of the most serene and peaceful places on the planet, the perfect place to start afresh. I may even have some real time to spend with my daughters and the grandchildren for the first time in what seems like forever.”