Alsea Rising: The Seventh Star by Fletcher DeLancey

Author:Fletcher DeLancey [DeLancey, Fletcher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heartsome Publishing
Published: 2020-08-13T22:00:00+00:00

30

A toast

“Battles end; bureaucracy is forever” was an old Fleet saying that Ekatya had never understood quite like she did now.

The preparations for a battle were nothing compared to those for decommissioning a ship. A printed list of the logs, reports, images, and other files being sent to Command Dome for historical conservation would surely reach from the Phoenix’s nose to its tail.

Every piece of artwork had to be taken down and packaged for shipment, meaning she could not walk down a corridor without tripping over another crew member carefully prying tile art from the bulkhead. She had personally boxed up the ship’s bell from her office and the builder and commissioning plaques from the bridge.

Commander Zeppy had a team packing up the official plaques and insignia throughout the ship. More teams swarmed the corridors removing every Fleet identifier from bulkheads, doors, offices, and public spaces. Officers and crew in every section were looking for any other object that could be considered an integral part of the Phoenix’s short history and tradition, each of which required an explanation of its significance in writing. Her section chiefs vetted the selected objects and sent their reports to her for approval.

She had been reading many, many reports about many, many objects.

Because this was a handover as well as a decommissioning, all ship’s systems had to be in top working order and signed off by the appropriate section chief. Every file not necessary to the running of the ship had to be pulled from the ship’s computer. All ship’s stores not included in the handover were being packed up. Every time she turned around, something else needed to be done.

On top of everything else, she was writing her final Command Operations Report covering the year to date. Given that this time period included the biggest battle of her career, her report contained a staggering amount of detail.

Having never yet met a pile of work she couldn’t add to, she was also dealing with her relinquishment of command, retirement, award acceptance speech, and induction into the warrior caste. She was hopping from the moment she woke each morning until her eyes slammed shut at night, secure in the comfort of Lhyn’s arms.

She had never been so happy.

The isolation that had haunted her since Admiral Greve’s arrival was gone, replaced by Lhyn’s company and the camaraderie of a crew working toward a common goal. There were still those who didn’t know how to act around her, but she had been accustomed to that since making captain. Awe of rank and awe of possible divinity didn’t differ all that much, she found. What made the difference were the walls that had fallen around her. Each time she spoke openly to an officer, crew member, or friend, she rejoiced anew in her freedom. Only now did she fully understand how caged she had been.

And yet, her cage had been virtual. Lhyn spent every day aboard one or another of the Voloth ships, working with slaves and some hangers, and returned to the Phoenix each evening with tales of cages that were all too real.

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