Veldiami didn’t join everyone else in the dining room as she was going up to arrange their departure from Assembly Hub. The extra day's delay was due to the new communication relays that had been delivered to Dreams. It had taken a day, even with Assembly Hub prioritizing them, for the relays to be manufactured and delivered. One entire cargo bay on Fractured Dreams was now filled with the new devices. Veldiami was glad they were heading out, as some in the Assembly were still unhappy with the new venture and the project's costs. She had no desire to be further entangled in the politics of the enterprise.
“I was curious if you’d been spirited off Dreams for a meeting,” Rassiar chuckled when Zander and his wives came strolling in.
“Family business delayed us,” Zander shrugged, but his smug smile told the story. “Today’s a day off, so you’re free to enjoy whatever you want. We’ll be training tomorrow.”
“I think most of us are going to jump into the game,” Vizinna said.
Most of the others agreed that they were, too.
“I’m going to be busy,” Zander said. “But you all have fun. My squad can manage a scenario without me.”
“Of course we can,” Mozmne smirked, her muzzle creasing with a smile.
Zander gave the Rakshasa an amused look. “It’s easy when someone plays my same class, even if without a familiar.”
“I’d have one if my AI was even half of Maker,” Mozmne shrugged. “Instead, I’ll take better spells.”
“Anything you need help with, Zander?” Rasisar asked.
“Nope. Seriously, you should all do whatever, game or gym, or anything else. The price of command is more work.”
“Here is food for you and your wives, Zander,” Aphopa said as she and her wife, Maxa, delivered the food.
“Thank you. Are the two of you good for handling all the food?”
“Easily,” Maxa said. “The scale of the food processors on the ship makes it trivial, especially with the reduced crew numbers compared to a normal cruiser.”
“I’d have gotten another helper if I thought otherwise, Tender,” Sage said. “I’ve worked with both of them to ensure they were comfortable before we left.”
“Sorry, Sage,” Zander said, even though she hadn’t sounded upset in the least. “I shouldn’t have asked; this is your department, not mine. Just wanted to ensure everyone is going to have time off.”
“Everything will be fine, Tender,” Sage smiled.
“Same with my techs,” Gravtina added.
“Stepping out of asking anyone else,” Zander said, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
“It’s not about lessons, but trusting in us more,” Lavella said. “Just as we know you’ll always be ready for deployment.”
Zander couldn’t blame any of them. He’d started to act like he had to double-check everything, and he knew his wives were highly competent at their jobs. He started eating, showing he could listen and move on. He had to be on the bridge after this because Veldiami wanted him there for the first two relay placements. After that was done, he’d have time to find Lavella and play predator and prey with her. Then he’d track down Gravtina around lunch to make good on his plans to spoil her again.
As he ate, though, his eyes drifted to Pet. She’d been overjoyed to join them before breakfast to help gather what she could when Zander was playing with his wives. Sage had even given her what she could during that same time, and Zander knew that image would stick with him. Something about his peach letting Pet suckle on one breast had been far more erotic than he’d imagined it would be. He did want to have a private talk with her later, as he was still worried even those small moments would keep pushing her to want more. The moment that thought hit his mind, he exhaled through his nose. Idiot, didn’t you just agree to stay out of things? He chastised himself. She is Sage’s offshoot, and Sage would tell us if there was a problem, she’d promised she would. Don’t meddle. Trust your wife to handle things.
The conversation around him was all about the game and how each squad had built its in-game team to cover a lot of bases so they could be a solid team. It had meant that a few of the newest pilots had to take their second favorite classes instead of their first choices to round things out, but no one was upset. Zander’s team was melee-heavy, but he had a dedicated cleric with Lumuna, so it worked out. All of them used their call signs in-game, which meant that Zander had to give Jalzin one, as the Gnome had been their last pilot. He’d gone with ‘Jazz’ as the gnome had a quick tempo in fights in mecha and in the RPG. Which was funny as the small man had chosen a rogue type which worked perfectly with his fast, stabby hands. Zander had joked about jazz hands, and the name stuck.
When the meal ended, everyone split up. Zander walked with Ping to the bridge; she was taking over navigation and communication to give her subordinates a break. Zander was going to kill time on the bridge until the relay call happened. When they got there, Ping went right over to relieve her two underlings, but Zander just stopped and smiled as he looked over the bridge. People filled numerous stations working as Fractured Dreams left the dock and began to glide out toward the edge of the system. The main screen showed the station shrinking as Dreams accelerated away.
“Zander, here early?” Veldiami smirked at him.
“Figured I’d just stay on hand for my single part in today’s fun.”
“Very well,” Veldiami said. “Any open seat is fine if you wish to rest. I know you’ve been working already.”
“Hardly work, even if it did raise my heart rate,” Zander chuckled. He drifted over to where Vorsa sat. The Fire Giant gave him a nod as he approached. “How are things, Vorsa?”
“My subordinates have excelled on the sims,” Vorsa said. “When we need tactical to defend the ship, we will be as protected as possible. If all of us are on station at the same time, that will only increase our ability to defend the ship.”
“High praise coming from you.”
Smoke lightly drifted up from Vorsa’s mouth when he grinned. “Sometimes the truth is praise.”
“Fair enough. I bet you’re already setting new records on simulations.”
“The Assembly records were broken before we left the hub,” Vorsa smirked. “When they changed my status to honorably discharged from dishonorable, I ensured that I did it.”
“Think your old family is regretting their actions now?”
“I don’t care,” Vorsa said softly. “I cut off all emotions regarding them long ago. I do hope that pilot chokes to death, though, as that would bring me some satisfaction.”
“Likely to be apoplectic when he finds out,” Zander snickered.
“Good. I don’t wish death on many, but on him…he deserves it still.”
“If we cross paths with him, point him out to me. Pilots beating other pilots isn’t really a crime; it’s just highly frowned on. While I won’t kill him, because that would still be a crime, I can throw his ass into recovery for a good bit.”
“I wouldn’t want you to sully your name or hands with him,” Vorsa said, but he dipped his head. “I appreciate the thought, though. Knowing you’d be happy to pummel him as I did is gratifying.”
“I did note that there’s a new fire giant on security,” Zander said slowly.
“Meltimu? Yes, I met her the other day.”
“Seemed like she had a bit of hero worship toward you.”
Vorsa glanced at Zander before shaking his head slightly. “Not all of us want romantic entanglements again, Zander. I know Arlizarista’s voice moved me and made me hopeful briefly, before she joined your family, but having hope is just a pathway to pain.”
“Your call. Just pointing it out, in case you missed it.”
“I haven’t missed the looks, even if I don’t understand them. I’m older than she is and was barely reinstated to have my honor back.”
“The heart wants what it wants. It’s not logical or understandable at times.”
Vorsa’s chuckle had more smoke wafting up from his mouth. “Like having…how many is it now?”
“If you count Maker, which I do,” Zander grinned. “Nine, not including Sage’s offshoot in Pet.”
“And all of them are different. For such a small man, your appetites are far beyond those of us of bigger stature.”
“Only giants can really call me small,” Zander laughed.
“Which I am.”
“Fair enough. You just coming on shift or jumping off soon?”
“Just on. Veldiami has relaxed things so our direct subordinates can hold the bridge as long as two or more are here if the rest of us aren’t. Though I think she did that for selfish reasons.”
“I can hear you,” Veldiami said. “And you’re right, it was purely selfish.”
“And none of us would say it is wrong,” Vorsa said, his back to Veldiami’s chair as he didn’t turn from his station. “It was just an observation.”
“Captain,” Ping said, interrupting the back and forth, “we will arrive at the edge of the system in half an hour. I have already plotted out our two jumps for the day. Dreams assured me it will take only a few minutes each time to drop off the relays and ensure they are working as intended.”
“We’ll take at least an hour with each,” Veldiami said. “I promised Maker she could direct a full battery of tests at each relay once it was active.”
“Understood, ma’am,” Ping said, purely professional when on station. “We are keeping it at the safe two jumps a day?”
“Yes. No reason to stress engineering,” Veldiami said.
Zander leaned back against the wall as he watched and listened to everyone on the bridge. It had been over five hundred days since he’d been brought to this universe, and yet he was still enthralled with the idea of being a mecha pilot on a spaceship that killed giant bugs. The only thing that would have made his life better would have been if Devin and Selda had survived that first day. His hand drifted to the necklace under his uniform. It had his keepsake of Devin as Selda’s ring was on his hand, the one touching the necklace. He didn’t feel the same harsh pain anymore, but the deep need to kill the Entoma was just as bright as it was that first day he woke up on Dreams.
~~~
Zander was bored by the time they made their second jump and dropped off the third relay. He would have preferred to use a six-point containment for each system, with each relay at one of the six points, ensuring the best coverage. In time, the Assembly might go for that, but for now, it was only a single relay per system. He’d had a brief back-and-forth with Orious after the second relay was placed, but now it was time for the third relay and one more test. After this test, Dreams would take over exchanging messages with Assembly Hub instead of it being Veldiami and Zander speaking with Orious. There was a small delay as each relay had to open portals for the drones, but if a portal was open with a drone on either side, communication was nearly instantaneous. If it were a non-video call, there would be a delay of a couple of seconds, but that was it.
“Communication established with Orious, Captain,” Dreams said, and then the screen showed the Dragon still sitting in the Assembly Hall with everyone else.
“Captain Veldiami, can you hear me?” Orious asked.
“Perfectly clear, Orious,” Veldiami smiled, but there were small ticks as the video was a second or two delayed. “We are two jumps from your station.”
“Good, there is a fractional delay with the open portals, but still, to think we’d have a live video from systems away…this technology will help us stay safer and spread the word faster.”
“We’re glad to assist,” Veldiami smiled. “Zander, you wished to add something?”
“Orious, this step is important, but in time I’d still suggest you do as was discussed and use the six-point set-up to ensure no Entoma slips past because they entered on the far side of any system.”
“It is being debated as it is an increasingly costly expenditure,” Orious said. “Though we do have a consensus to make it at least a double set.”
Zander just nodded and stepped back behind Veldiami’s chair. He knew if he pressed, the idiots who hated him would just dig in harder. It was up to them to be smarter than they were currently.
“Fractured Dreams and the hub AI will continue to check each relay going forward,” Veldiami said. “We will be running diagnostics on each relay as we set them up. Those will be the results we send to the hub to verify we’ve done the job.”
“Very well. Safe flying and Antecedents’ speed,” Orious said before the screen went dark.
“That’s done,” Veldiami sighed. “I believe our wife is waiting for you, Zander.”
“She is,” Zander grinned. “See you at dinner.”
Ping and Veldiami watched him leave. They both knew he was going to Lavella. Their wife had promised to share a Maker-filmed video of it later, and they were both eager to see it.