Tiva Boon: Royal Guardian (36 page)

She stepped out of the shop and smoothed the tight fitting uniform along her sides. Preferring the one-piece gray and blue jumpsuit with belt, she purchased two. The third a two—
piece dress uniform of the same color fit looser and was more comfortable. Exiting the shop, she heard a strange high-pitched noise coming from the opposite side of the promenade. B’abot was bobbing his head, making the noise with his lips, as his gaze moved along her body. Gripping her bag tight, she walked past him heading for the
Tolox
docking ring.

“Aww, come on sweet thang, give a man a chance to look at ya.” He ran up alongside.

“If you value your life, sir, I suggest you refrain from further comments about my appearance. I do not like being ogled.”

“Why’d those things on yer head keep changin’ color?”

“They are markings, and they change color with my emotions.” She glared at him and the moons went dark. “That means I am agitated.”

“Shesh, yer one uptight woman, you need to get some,” he said, mumbled and walked away.

Had she been in a better mood, she might have asked what she needed to get, but as Hill gave her no other instructions and her free time was dwindling, she made her way back to find him.

“And now that I’ve given you the grand tour of the
Tolox
, Captain Maar wishes to see you.” Hill smiled. Tiva nodded and entered the lift. “Oh, before I forget. The Union gives each of us a small living allowance. It allows for amenities and personal items. If you are good at managing money you can save enough by the end of your career to settle down somewhere nice.”

She cared not for material possessions save the few she left on Abennelp. However, she was glad to hear she’d have some means of support.

The ship, overall, was in excellent condition. Hill showed her every level and essential sector of the vessel. Her office was small, but the fact she even had a place of her own outside her living quarters was a welcome surprise. The three-room dwelling was barren, Hill said she could add her own flare, and she intended to do so.

Finding her way around the ship would be easy, yet as they rode up the lift to the command center she wondered where she would find the AI hologram Locke warned her about.

When she stepped off, B’abot, the bald man, was sitting at the front console rubbing his facial hair. Captain Maar stood in the middle of the room, and two other females were at posts, one she recognized as Gigs.

“Ms. Boon, welcome to the
Tolox
.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“As I am sure you’re aware we’re posting you as the senior security coordinator for the ship.” Tiva nodded and he continued, “This is Gigs, our computer’s holographic artificial intelligence interface.” Maar then turned to the other woman. “This is Aliri Caedm, our science expert, and I heard you ran into our weapons specialist Jimmi already.”

“Yes, sir,” she said carefully.

“The rest of our senior staff is still on the base, you will meet them during your welcome dinner.”

“Sir, I require no special attention.”

“Nonsense, the senior staff always gets together for dinner when a new recruit joins. It’s tradition, you have traditions where you come from, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Good, good, then there’ll be no arguing, and everyone,” Hill interrupted and looked straight at B’abot, “will be on their best behavior, understood?”

Gigs laughed and then vanished. The hologram appeared in a smaller form, sitting on Captain Maar’s shoulder.

“Gigabyte! Off!”

The others laughed, and Gigs dissolved once again then reappeared next to Tiva. Knowing it did no good to hold a weapon on an image; she stood still and waited to see what it would do.

“Hide me!” she screeched, as Captain Maar lunged forward playfully. Tiva didn’t know what to do or say.

“Gigs, stop messing with the new girl
.” Aliri smiled, and Gigs giggled.

“All right, everyone back to stations, we need to prep for departure. Gigs you can play hide and seek later,” Maar said, turned to Tiva, and lowered his voice. “Don’t let her talk you into playing, she cannot be beaten.”

“Everything can be beaten, sir.”

He smirked and rubbed his hands together. “Welcome aboard, Tiva Boon, welcome aboard.”

Alone in her new room after shift, Tiva read through the crew manifest, protocols, ranks, and general standing orders of the Vexillum before the ship left. Knowing she should take the time to become more familiar with the
Tolox
before they departed, she reviewed the ships schematics to learn where everything was located. She did not care for the welcome dinner; however, she would keep with their traditions and do as asked.

Tiva smoothed the dress uniform along her thighs, and glanced at her reflection. The silvery blue collar and shoulders of the tunic didn’t flatter her skin, but it gave her a nice stature when she stood straight. She sighed, and turned away from the mirror. This uniform was not the one she wanted to wear.

Emptying her belongings onto her bed, she rifled through the Uucorian clothing Harai insisted she keep, and picked up her tattered guardian uniform. Though neatly folded, it still smelled of blood and fire. She was still amazed at her lack of injuries compared to the condition of her outfit.

The
Tolox
did not have a ban on personal weapons for its senior crew, so she grabbed her Timbur and attached it to her belt. It was just added comfort in her heart. She knew training with the Union weapons was in order, and from her research, she believed the standard issue plasma guns were similar to the blasters used during the Great War.

After she combed and fixed her hair, Tiva secured the faded Guardian strap around her braid, and ventured out into the corridor. The AI appeared and smiled.

“Hiya, Boony.”

“The name is Boon.”

“Wow, Jimmi was right…” She chuckled. “You heading down for the crew dinner?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Do you know the way?” Gigs said and floated alongside.

“I believe so, but I do not mind the help.”

“Great…level three,” she said, entering the lift. Her appearance altered without warning, from dark to light hair, and Tiva studied the hologram. “Jimmi said I look cute as a blonde. I don’t know though, perhaps I’ll keep it. But I really like your hair style, can I borrow it?”

“If you wish,” Tiva said.

When the lift stopped, Tiva exited and searched for the mess hall. None of the doors were marked, making it difficult to figure out where she was. Before she asked the AI where to go, her form materialized in front of the last door in the hall then Gigs smiled and disappeared again.

It was going to take time getting used to the technology on the ship. Tiva was unsure which would cause her a greater hardship over all, the technology, or the people.

As she entered the room, every head turned. The captain rose from his chair and met her half way.

“Welcome, Ms. Boon, we’re glad you joined us.”

“Thank you for having me, sir.”

He escorted her to the table and everyone exchanged their greetings. The only empty seat was between Caedm and Hill, so she sat, and surveyed the food on her plate.

“You haven’t met our operations controller Emerala Teer or the flight specialist Raife Nassut…” Captain Maar said from the head of the table.

“No, sir, I have not,” Tiva said then nodded to each of them. “Pleasure.”

“Welcome to the
Tolox
.” Nassut smiled, and Teer wiggled her fingers in a friendly manner.

“First things first, we have a couple new tasks,” Captain Maar said. “There is a colony of people in the Arillo galaxy who require supplies. Also the Union thinks one of the planets there might be ready to join the organization so we are authorized to begin negotiations.”

“Will I head up the negotiation team again, sir?” Hill said with a wide grin.

“Yes, as usual.” He snorted. “But now, let us all enjoy a good meal with fine company.” He raised his glass toward the table. “To new friends and new journeys.”

“Here, here,” Hill said and lifted his own glass. The others followed suit so Tiva picked up her drink and then took a sip along with the others.

The captain sat, and the crew began their meal. Tiva picked at her food, eating only a few bites of everything on her plate.

“So, tell us about yer home, Ms. Boon,” Jimmi said suddenly.

Tiva glanced around the table. Everyone seemed interested in hearing, but still unsure of the situation, she lowered her guard to gather a sense of everyone’s emotions. A powerful wave hit her immediately, emanating from many of the crew. The humans, Hill and Jimmi were hard to read; the captain and Nassut were easy to sense while the two women seemed to be hiding something.

Caedm glanced over and narrowed her gaze as if studying something. Tiva raised her shield and turned to Jimmi.

“My home is in a state of war at present. I am unable to return, there is not much to say.” She sipped her drink, hoping to divert the woman’s attention or at least change the topic of conversation.

“Surely you have stories you can share,” Nassut probed.

“I was raised a Royal Guardian, a protector to the king and queen on my world. I failed in my duty, and now I am trying to start a new life. I am no bard; I have no exciting stories to share.”

“I seriously doubt that…one warrior to another,” Captain Maar chimed in.

“While I was trained from a young age, sir, I do not consider myself a warrior. My people have striven for peace and accomplished such a feat for many cycles, until recently. Unfortunately for me, if I return to my home I will most likely lose my life.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Caedm said. “However, I do know the feeling.”

“Yes,” Teer said. “Many of us come from similar backgrounds. I think the Union brings people like us together. We all want peace, for our homes and the rest of the universe.”

“Indeed,” Hill bellowed. “It is the hope of many.”

The table grew quiet and somber. Tiva dared not lower her
guard; the emotions of the group were overwhelming. Caedm gave off the strange vibe, and she wished not to take any chances. After the group finished their meal, Teer walked Tiva to the security office as it was near the operations center. They enjoyed a short talk about space travel, and Tiva was grateful for the company.

“It really sucks that you don’t have a team yet.
However, this is the baby ship in the fleet…we’re growing slowly, but surely. In the mean time, my assistant has some background in security, he’ll be happy to help with the codes and reports. Hill is a stickler when it comes to timeliness. He wants all reports in his queue first thing in the morning.”

“How do you know when it is morning?” Tiva said.

The small woman laughed. She pushed her bright red hair from her shoulders and squinted her pale yellow eyes at Tiva. “If I wasn’t born on a starship, I probably wouldn’t know how to tell the difference either. People just use the clocks or ask the computer, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. Many ships reduce speed in the morning, it’s easier for some of the other species to wake up and get going. Though with the shift work on most ships now, it doesn’t make much difference, but it’s still a habit of many captains.” She shrugged and craned her neck to look up at Tiva. “Space is an odd thing, Ms. Boon, you’ll either grow to love it or hate it.”

“I hope I grow to love it.”
As I have nowhere else to go,
she thought. “Thank you for walking with me, Ms. Teer.”

“Please call me, Emerala. I’m not much for formalities.”

“Very well, Emerala please call me Tiva.”

“Great!” She smiled. “I have to get going, see you tomorrow, Tiva.”

“Keep safe, Emerala.” Tiva waited for her to turn the corner before entering the security office. The room, half the size of her living quarters, held a few space-themed paintings as decoration. One was a planet with two moons and a sun, the other a space cloud of some type. She sat at the desk and brought the terminal online. Several beeps and ticks later, the screen came to life filled with reports, memos, and outstanding issues from around the ship.

Unaccustomed to compiling reports, as most of hers had been verbal, Tiva settled in the chair for the evening, wanting to get a head start on her first day. Several hours passed without interruption, she was thankful for the quietness, but when her stomach grumbled, she knew she’d have to head to the mess hall to eat.

It was the middle of the night, though the scenery in space never changed. To her it seemed like one long night. She entered the mess and shivered. Aliri Caedm sat in the corner staring out into space. Not wishing to disturb anyone, Tiva grabbed a bottle of juice and something Jimmi called a sandwich from the food dispenser, and walked to the exit.

I know you have abilities beyond what you have divulged.
Caedm’s voice filled her mind.

She paused at the door, and turned around.

You and I share more than you realize, Tiva Boon, I can help you.

I do not require assistance
,
Tiva responded.

Caedm stood up and crossed the room. A sharp pain shot through Tiva’s mind the closer she came. She attempted to guard her mind, but the pain was tremendous. Tiva grabbed her Timbur and slashed the vacant air before her. Off balance and unable to fight, she collapsed and cradled her head in her hands.