Andrew smiled and bowed as the captain left the room. Having already made the meal, he walked in to check on the men that had been tasked with cleaning the mess. He was expecting the men to still be scrubbing away at the grim, but was pleased to find them lounging on one of the benches that lined the room – with glowed radiantly. This was to be a pleasant trip indeed.
Lukas followed the aged-man, sighing and shaking his head. When they stopped, he ran his finger over his cropped crew cut hair. He’d thought about growing it out, as Barnabas had, but decided against it after a incident involving fire – fire that happened to be a little too close to his face.

Lukas had to admit, when the Cour’s men were told to do a job they did it. The mess appeared to be a completely different room from what it had been only a few moments before. Lukas was quite certain he could safely eat off the floor. He chuckled, “Do they meet your expectations, Andrew?” Andrew simply nodded and walked over to one of the men.
“My dear boy, could you send to ring the dinner bell? I believe it is rather near six and the men must be growing hungry.” With that, Andrew returned to the kitchen.


Paddy grinned at the boy in front of him, completely enthralled by the boy’s youth and innocence. He himself remembered what it was like to be that young – he was still that young in the opinion of others. He was slightly disheartened to hear that about the boy past, but being from a similar upbringing he understood. There was still something that hit a nerve with the man.

“Wut do ye mean, tha Cappy own ye?” Paddy was going to ask the boy further questions, but the bells cut him off. “Well, lad wut say we go scrounge up some grub?” He motioned to the door, not wanting to let the boy out of his sight.


After the Captain had left, Barnabas sunk had decided to take a nap. He’d kicked off his other boot, taken off his sock and rolled the left pant leg up to match the right. He unbuttoned three of his shirt’s buttons – enough so his defined chest was visible, and so were the slight patches of dark hair. He rubbed his stubble covered chin and yawned. He cracked his neck and took the ribbon out of his hair. His hair fell neatly to just brush the tops of his shoulders. He gathered his clothing in a small pile next to the suspended cot. Cleanliness was next to Godliness, Sir he heard Andrew say. He chuckled and shook this head.
His head had just hit the pillow when Holmes burst into the room. “Sir,” the young man asked “Major Williams? Are we still having the meeting?”

Barnabas groaned, and said without opening his eyes “No, not now at least. You might want to get some sleep. That list Andrew gave to the captain was a list for watches. You might have the watch at some point tonight. Besides,” Barnabas pulled an expensive looking watch out of his pants pocket “it’s near six o’clock. They’ll probably be ringing a dinner bell sometime soon. If you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to. You are dismissed, Holmes.” Barnabas waved his arm awkwardly and yawned again. He at least wanted to get what he could in the ways of a nap. There was a shuffle of boots and a “sir” muttered under breath as the marine stepped away.

Barnabas thanked whatever Gods there may or may not be that he could easily fall asleep anywhere. Not only did it help with the missions, it also helped after a late night at the taverns. The soft hum of the engine could be as soothing as any lullaby. It reminded him of his mother sometimes. She was a singer – it was where his sister had gained her talent – by birth. It was how his parents had met. His mother was singing in an Opera house that his father happened to visit one night. His father was so enthralled by her that he married her – and then he made sure to keep his bird in a gilded cage.

Kanara Williams had loved her home on the tropical resort planet of Dodeca. She had played with the visiting children – even teaching some of them to read on their short stays. Of course, she herself was the planet’s only permanent resident. Most of her friends she only saw a few weeks out of the year. While technology made people close, it still robbed the woman of physical contact. She had been younger than her husband – 15 years his junior. But she had fallen in love with everything about him. He was handsome to look at, he treated her well enough, she wanted for nothing… and yet, she saw her husband rarely. She had learned quickly that she was his treasure – a treasure to be looked at and admired, but never touched or shown off around others, much like the fine dishes she ate out of. After having two of her children taken from her to be raised by others, Kanara had put her foot down. She would be the one to raise Barnabas… or she would take both herself and the babe inside of her to a watery grave.

Barnabas remembered the night he woke to the sounds of his mother crying. He remembered the fits she used to have. She had struck him once, and then hugged him for hours and hours afterward. You’re just like him! she had spat before delivering the painful slap to his cheek. He remembered pleading with his mother at a young age to run away and explore the stars. She had started wailing, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t… over and over again. Then one night it happened. His mother did find her way to the stars. She was buried the next day. The day after that, Barnabas was sent to the Marine Academy. He had never had time to grieve.

He thanked the bells that shocked him awake. He joined the line of men trudging towards the door. He neglected to return to his proper attire, still shaken by his haunting memories. Maybe food would rid his mind of such dark thoughts.

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