A large dark gray Deveron battleship slowly trudged its way through the vacuum of space. It was patrolling somewhere between the Terron and Deveron kingdoms in the Orion Arm. The ship was just outside of Deveron space but well within its new, recently claimed territories. The huge sub-space engines mounted to each side of the ship where quiet. Only a large ion drive in the ship's stern was propelling it forward. Several large silver laser cannons were mounted along its main deck. They glistened from the light of a nearby sun. The port holes along the hull of the ship gave off a soft cold glow while a warmly lit heavy tower rose far above the main deck. At the top of this tower was the brain of the ship, the bridge. The circular bridge was a hum of activity. The ship's Captain sat in a large chair at its center. Red uniformed men manned the computer consoles and control panels that surrounded him. Slowly the Captain swiveled around in his seat. He was keeping an eye on everything his crew was doing as they ran his ship. At the bow was a large elliptical window with a view out into space. Below that was a small flat view screen. The main piloting console was placed just behind this and in front of the Captain. All of the ships navigation is controlled from here. A pilot was at this post, preoccupied with maintaining the battleships course and speed. The Captain stopped turning and gazed out the window. Dim and distant stars were all that he could see. He then looked at the small screen below it. The screen displayed a tactical read out of where the ship was in space and everything around it. Nothing had changed on the screen since the Captain last looked at it only minutes ago. So he leaned back in his seat, took a stretch, and a long relaxing yawn. “God what a bore,” said Captain Neval Marn. His voice was as old and scratchy as his well-worn looks and slightly faded red uniform. Neval was an old, short, stout dark-toned man who was still full of zest. He had been in the Deveron military most of his life and that was the only life he knew. It took him most of that time to finally get his own command. “Nothing ever happens in our control zone. I'd rather be patrolling near the Meant border defending our trade ships from those thieving pirates,” he said as a slight grin curled his lips. “We might even be able to get into a good fight with one of those Meant warships.” “Dream on old man,” mocked a voice from behind him. The Captain quickly spun around towards the elevator to face the person responsible for the remark. Neval looked up to see a tall, thin man with soft golden skin and oriental features step out of the elevator onto the bridge. He looked very sharp in his crisp red uniform. His handsome looks and short soft curly hair would make any man envious. Neval, on the other hand, never thought much of his young arrogant first officer. “Oh, so you are openly calling me an old man now, aye Anvo?” Captain Marn said in a deep growl as he looked up at the young man. “Yes sir, and if you remember it's for that very reason you'll be forced to retire in just a few more years,” Anvo said with a smirk. With rage the Captain yelled, “Anvo, you son of a bitch!” Suddenly the bridge crew fell silent. “How did you know my mother was a bitch, sir?” Anvo replied casually. “Damn you, Anvo, don't you ever get mad, even at an enlisted man?” Neval shouted trying once more to find any weakness he could in his first officer. “No sir, I find it useless,” he said with an emotionless straight face. The Captain rubbed his hands together in anger. With a red face he said, “You're just waiting for command of my ship, the Uhola, aren't you? It would be quite an accomplishment for you to gain command of one of the best battleships in the Deveron Space Forces at such a young age.” After a pause Marn continued, “I bet you can just smell it and yet you just stand there, so passive about it all. How is that?” the Captain narrowed his eyes on Anvo for a response. “I've been waiting for over six years now sir. I can wait a few more,” the first officer said with a grin. The Captain slowly got up out of his chair. Then raising his right fist, he bellowed. “Anvo, I've been aiming to do this for a long time.” The first officer's grin quickly disappeared. Suddenly the sensor alarm blared to life with its incessant howling. The pilot exclaimed, “Sir! The ship's sensors have detected three Ocitegon Trading vessels heading for the Meant Empire. Telemetry is now on the tactical screen.” The Captain spun around to look at the screen. In a three dimensional representation he saw three small ships moving across the screen. “Are they in Deveron-controlled space?” the Captain questioned as he lowered his fist. “Yes, they are sir,” said the tactical officer as he looked over his screens at his station. He then added, “They're two thousand kilometers away and starting to move out of sensor range.” The three ships on the screen were slowing moving away and getting smaller. “Then that makes them fair game,” the Captain said as he jumped back into his seat and swiveled it back towards the tactical screen. “I think it's time to give the Meants a little payback and take from them for a change. Prepare for attack. Arm the main laser cannons. Ready the magnetic grapplers to capture cargo containers. Neval began tapped the arm of his chair with his fingers in anticipation eagerly smiling. It had been a long time since he'd last seen any action. Anvo, without any further sign of emotion, slowly walked away to man his post. Neval Marn forgot about his frustrating first officer, at least for the moment. © Lee Crystal's Outpost 13 All rights reserved