The Captains Speech

The Captains Speech

“Though many a Ship Captain have fought for their crew

Tasted the smoke and steel of battle

It is the select few in command

That bring them home are the ones that will remain truly immortal”

Admiral Donald Reeves 

Former Captain of the Star Cruiser "Leviathan" 2156 AD

Those words were written over a hundred years ago. 

And to this day, in the theaters we created in our age.

They still remain true.

The words were engraved in a plaque below the great Commandant's portrait in the Captain's office aboard every battleship, destroyer, corvette, and especially in the Mega Starship Carrier “Ares,” which served in the Terran Defense Alliance.

Captain Steven Anthony Kingston (or “The King” as he was known by his crew) read these words beneath his copy of the portrait, displayed in his office concealing a safe. He was half dressed in his Dress White uniform. His pants and shoes were shiny and proper, but he waited to put on his dress jacket until later. An old comfy t-shirt will suffice until the ceremonies begin.

He swung open the portrait, used the retina scanner to open the safe and placed his missile keys inside. This was a far outdated practice; technology made it a lot easier to rain hell on their foes, but Captain Kingston valued the older traditions and left them there with a note for the next commanding officer of the Ares.

In the grand scheme of military history, Steven Kingston wasn’t that old. He celebrated his forty-third birthday with the crew only a couple months ago. Even Admiral Dickins made a visit to wish him well. And also to hand him his new orders.

While the carrier was to go under a complete retrofit of major components Captain Kingston would be reassigned as a department head for the new training school out in the shipyards in northern Canada.   

He grew up in Norway, so the cold weather never bothered him. His wife and now six year old daughter had settled in their new quarters. The pictures they sent him made him wonder if he would ever get used to comfortably sleeping with his family.

Steven was not overly tall but what he lacked in towering height, he spoke better with his towering presence. Oddly enough he never thought he would be in the military. His only interest when he was a teenager was pleading with the local lieutenants to send patrols to guard his family’s farm from bandits. When he kept getting rejection after rejection he convinced a group of his school friends to not only defend the farm, but also organized a small militia of about fifteen people to attack the bandits camp. The militia force coerced over seven hundred to surrender at the nearest military outpost. When the area lieutenant who denied his request earlier heard about this, he quickly found young Steven and fast-tracked him to the officer training school. Usually these schools were reserved for rich military and government children, and the lieutenant's own daughter would have easily been sent there. Upon hearing this story of the small kid who took down one of the major terrorist networks they knew he was destined for greatness.

You can’t train somebody like this in a classroom.

They were wise to do so because even after twenty five years in the military Kingston became one of the most celebrated Carrier Captains in the fleet.

His mission was simple. Protect his quadrant of Terra Nova from any attacks, both foreign and domestic.

The main threat was a rebel militia group that started organizing on the Mars Industrial Sector. In a time well before Kingston walked the earth there was some sort of mini-revolution that happened in the shipyards that spread throughout the other regions on the planet. The rebellion had to be taken seriously as almost half of the weapon manufacturers relocated there due to a shift in Earth’s climate (both environmentally and politically). The shipyard located in the stratosphere of Mars also had at least a third of all fleet vessels operating in space at the time. 

There was a standing military force on the Earth's surface, but there was a risk of aerial bombardment from military forces who settled on Mars and their space stations which were scattered across space. He had a couple squadrons of space fighters, a squadron of larger transportation shuttles, and a battalion of armies and even ground armament under his command to be sent out as needed.

All in all, Captain Kingston truly lived up to his nickname “The King” as he had a dominance on this region. Every single attempt the enemy made to advance on the region was promptly shut down. Not even an inch was gained on his theater. He showed mercy and restraint where necessary, even giving hospice for an enemy aid ship to safely make repairs under his protection.

At the end of his command though he humbly boasted an incredible feat.

Not a single person under his command perished.

There have been many close calls, and he often boasted about the incredible medical team he had on board; he himself even required their services from time to time. But as they say in old Terran lore: “Any battle you can walk away from is a good one.”

The King was not ready to turn over the keys, but orders are orders. He thought he would be riding out for at least another couple of years.

Even through all his accomplishments there was a nagging feeling:

Was this all worth it?

He believed in the cause the Terran Defense Alliance told him. Or at least what was given to by drilling, testing, propaganda; but if he were to explain what the other side was fighting for, well what were they really fighting for, he could probably not explain it not even in the slightest. He heard many rumors that there were failed negotiations with Earth over wages and the general working condition; but all of these talks happened when his grandfather first held his rifle as a young cadet.

All he knew was that by the time he learned about them in the Military Academy, each other had hated each others guts.

He had one final task.

Captain Steven Anthony Kinston was too address the crew one last time in a “Change of Command” Ceremony in the Main Hanger. 

He heard a knock on his office door. A young officer, who looked like he was only on board as part of the event team for the festivities poked his head in.

“Sir, the caterers had a small problem bringing their equipment on board, and there were some refrigeration concerns, but we should be ready for you downstairs on roughly an hour!” the young officer announced excitedly.

Kingston took the datapad off of his desk. The same data pad he used as he went to school with. The some pad he planned all his maneuvers and battle plans on, The one that any officer would gouge their own eye out to have in their possession, even for an hour.

And it was also the same pad he wrote his speech on.

“Thank you L.T..”

Kingston took the pad into a reading position, and looked ready to perhaps rehearse his upcoming speech on him; but then hesitated.

“How old are you L.T.?”

“Oh, sir, I just had my twenty-first birthday a week ago. Sir.”

“And what do you know of war, son?” asked Kingston rather gravely.

“In terms of color schemes, or lighting….I might be able to scrounge up a few last minute props somewhere on my- “

“That will be all L.T..: interrupted Kingston. He realized that the only guns the young officer held were probably in some kind of school play.

He knew he would never find the answer to his burning question by asking him about his methods of war.

He wanted to practice his speech on somebody, but everybody around him seemed to eager to please him, rather than give him an honest answer to his question.

He realized there was only one person he could trust on the vessel. Whether she liked it or not.

Kingston finished putting on his dress uniform. 

He realized he had to make one last stop before heading to the hanger bay for the ceremony.

The King passed many corridors receiving salutes and handshakes for a job well done. Some from fellow officers, now friends. And each and every crew member from engineer to cleaner took time to salute and wholeheartedly give them their thanks. Even though he was not looking for flattery, he was glad that he took the trip around the lower decks. It reminded him what he was doing, and who he was doing it for. It wasn’t just the fellow officers who surrounded him on the Command Deck, but it was everybody that made sure all ship operations were running smoothly.

He made his way to the bottom of the ship towards the Brig. Kinston at one time felt like it was an odd place to put a prison, but when he heard that the entire section could be jettisoned into space at a moment's notice he understood its ghastly design. 

The prison officer looked kind of flustered looking at a mountain of prisoner transfer requests where the entire block was to be evacuated, and each guest to go to one of several locations depending on their crimes. The officer only recognized the Captain when he saw that his white dress uniform stood out against the gray that surrounded him.

“Oh, Sorry, sir! I didn’t even know this many prisoner transfer forms could exist in one office at a time!” 

“Oh I get it!” sympathized Kingston.

The Prison Officer had more of a relaxed demeanor towards other officers, but it was because he was given the role nobody else wanted to do. In fact he served as a Flight Officer while Kingston was the Executive Officer on the Command Deck, but due to a sudden departure of the existing Prison Officer he was given this task. Having a pair of Kings on his hand did not win him the hand when Kingston thankfully had a pair of Aces to take the Poker game.

“Has our VIP been transferred yet?” asked Kingston

The Officer didn’t even hesitate to respond “Oh no, there given her the ‘special treatment’ Whatever the hell that means!”

“Thank you. I’d like to speak to her.”

“No problem, just sign in…..” The officer started, but realized he had no idea where his Visitor Log went.

“Just no altercations, please! I have no time to fill out that paperwork!”

Kingston went down the main hall and made a left at one of the more larger cells in the brig.

There laid on her cot the former Captain of the Mars Freedom Fighter ship “Angie's Hope.”

The Hope was a very effectively designed Corvette Class fighter designed on Mars. The Terran Military force also had a variant, but the engineers on Mars made several innovations that gave The Ares a good fight. It wasn’t until the Science Officer noticed a small gas leak on the starboard side that could be exploited that the battle turned in Kinstons favor. Kingston decided to fire a self propelled missile with partial explosives to expose the weakness rather than a full compartment to destroy the vessel. Kingston took a gamble and ordered the ship to surrender or retreat for the next missile they had in the launch pad had a full explosive compartment. The Hope chose to return back to their space, but ejected the Captain from an escape pod as punishment for failure.

The Captain did not take her banishment and excommunication very well; and she made several attempts to take her own life. Both the doctors and onboard therapists spoke to her, and although she was in a much better place, she felt quite betrayed by the people she once stood for and fought to protect.

Dani, as she preferred to be called, sat up to acknowledge her visitor. She didn’t look very confused. Actually in some ways she was almost expecting him.

“So you want to run your victory speech by me?” Dani asked mockingly.

Kingston kept a confident pose, but inside felt very confused.

“The crew talk around here.” she confided. Kingston sighed a quick breath of relief. Dani noticed.

“Well shall we just get on with it?” Barked a now slightly irritated Kingston.

Dani motioned him to continue. She sat on the edge of her cot eagerly.

Kingston took out his datapad. He tapped it twice on his hand. 

Then he read:

“My fellow officers, and servicemen.

You boarded my ship as you were ordered as shipmates, but through trials and tribulations, we now stand here, all of us as family.

We’e stood by each other. We’ve had our backs ever since the beginning; and even after we no longer walk these corridors, we will continue to walk together as one ship, one crew, and one family. 

We’ve been through hell and back! They pounded their backs, and we’ve pounded our backs harder!

I stand here as your commanding officer, but if it wasn’t for each and every one of you, we woud not be standing here today!

Throughout each pounding, through the bullets and missiles, times we battled our foes, and even the battles we fought in our minds we always ask he question:

“Was it all worth it?”

I know, I know. That question may surprise you, but we have to remember why we fight!

We fight for our beautiful land! We fight for our friends! We fight for our families, birthed from both blood and trials!

We fight because we know why we are here!

Although we fought many foes, shed much blood, even concrete and terrain. With so much death and destruction we’ve seen and caused, it’s easy to ask whether it was worth it. To this I can only answer that each and every one of us look at yourself, look at your neighbor, look at you family and loved ones……

…..You tell me that this is not worth it!”

There was an intense moment of silence from both Captains.

Kingston waited eagerly for Dani’s response.

Dani laid motionless. Throughout the speech Dani’s head lowered and was now at a point where her eyes were hidden. There was no way to anticipate her reaction to the emotional speech.

Until

“You son of a bitch.” Quipped Dani, her face still concealed enough to read a reaction. Dani then started laughing out loud.

“You actual son of a BITCH!” Her expression lightened and was laughing hysterically now.

“You came here with a question, didn’t you? ‘Is it all worth it?’ you said? And now you are going to stand in front of your crew, and even your own family and recite the speech I was going to share with my own crew!” Blurted out the former ship's Captain.

You can learn a lot from a Captain from what they keep in their datapad. Including the datapad of the Captain from the enemy escape pod you brought on board your vessel.

Indeed the speech on Kingston’s pad was not written by himself, but he copied it from Captain Dani’s pad.

“The spoils of war, I guess….” replied Kingston returning the mocked look from earlier. “.....with a couple of minor changes of course.”

“Of course.” replied Dani slightly appreciating that her dark sense of humor didn’t go to waste.

“And did we answer the question: Is it all worth it?” Dani asked.

There was a moment of pondering. Kingston then revealed he had a second datapad, Dani’s pad, concealed behind his. He glanced briefly at a photo album of pictures that Dani would’ve displayed in her office. He noticed just how similar the two Captains lives were.

Not that any of this answered the burning question though.

He returned Dani’s pad through the meal tray slot through the cell. A respectable nod was given.

Dani quickly skimmed the pad to make sure nothing was missing. Surprisingly nothing was taken out

“It’s all there. There really wasn’t any ground-breaking security info we needed.” assured Kingston. 

There was one addition to the datapad though. The Captain attached a copy of the photos he displayed in his office.

And a copy of the speech that Captain Dani was to give to her crew was now replaced with the speech he was to give to his crew. It wasn’t the best he had ever written but it came from the heart.

The Prison Officer popped his head around the corner, curiously.

“The transfer ship just pulled in”

“Thank you. I take it you can take are of things from here?” The Officer nodded.

“You’re going home Captain Dani.” The expression changed drastically on her face, there might’ve even been some joy even.

“You are part of a ‘prisoner exchange’.Rumor has it that the crewmembers that lead the mutiny on your ship were ‘taken care of’ and you won’t have to hear from them again. Apparently they want you to give your speech after all!” Kingston responded jokingly.

The Prison Officer then motioned for the guards around the corner to come forth.

Each Captain was now on their way to address their crew one last time.

The question “Is it worth it?” might not be answered, but they were now going to be asking the question from a completely different point of view.