Homestar Saga

Chapter 36: Space Captain

After several more beers, the High Commander had a couple of cots brought into his office. The sisters took them into the room behind the desk. Mims was on a cot of his own, snoring. Yvian was still processing what she'd learned about the human. It...explained some things.

Mims had lost everyone he'd ever loved. By his own hand, no less. The High Commander believed the Captain had done the right thing. The only thing he could do, really. Yvian agreed. The Klaath were truly to blame. But she doubted she'd feel that way, if she'd been in the Captain's place. Especially with so many people trying to murder him for revenge.

He'd been forced to flee. He'd found himself in the Confed, a place that hated his species almost as much as his species hated him. He spent thirty years alone as a hired gun, knowing his entire species and half the rest of the verse wanted him dead. She tried to imagine what that would be like. She couldn't.

No wonder he was so cold. No wonder he was so awkward. No wonder he'd been so kind. Yvian and Lissa were the first people he'd cared about since the death of his family. They were the first people to care about him.

It was the saddest thing she'd ever heard.

Lissa was shaking. Yvian glanced over to see tears falling down her cheeks. She put an arm around her shoulders. Lissa cried harder, trying to stay quiet. She didn't want to wake the Captain. Yvian thought that was sweet, but she suspected her sister needn't worry. That man looked like he'd sleep through a gunfight. Then again, it was Mims. He was not a man to be underestimated. The sisters did not speak. They simply held one another while Lissa cried herself out. Yvian was feeling a little emotional (and drunk) herself, but she held the tears back. Her sister needed her.

It took a few minutes for Lissa to cry herself out. When she'd finished she withdrew, wiping her eyes. Then she realized she didn't have anything to wipe her nose with. After looking around for a few seconds, frustrated, she donned her helmet and activated its cleaning function. Nose clean, she took it off again. Yvian gave her shoulder a squeeze, then started to set up her cot. Lissa didn't bother readying hers. Instead she curled up on the Captain. By the time Yvian managed to lie down, the two of them were snoring together.

At 0800 hours, the door opened. The High Commander walked in, followed by Hamilton with a cart full of breakfast. General Young wore his dress uniform. It was similar to General Devera's, but with more ribbons and five stars on each shoulder in stead of Devera's two. The uniform was perfectly tailored, but the High Commander's massive muscles gave the impression the crisp white cloth would burst into crisp white rags the moment he decided to flex.

"Best eat up while you got the chance," said the General. "We've got a lot to do today."

Yvian rolled off her cot, groaning. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest. ENERGIZER had allowed her to maintain yesterday's punishing run without discomfort, but the damage to her muscles remained. She considered activating PAIN REMOVAL, then thought better of it. Lissa didn't seem to be faring any better.

Mims rose calmly and tore into his breakfast. He showed no sign of discomfort. Yvian was one hundred percent certain he was hurting just as much as they were, but the motherless son refused to let it show.

As they ate, the General continued. "It'll take two days to organize and deploy the delegation to the Xill. We want you to escort them there once they're ready. In the meantime, you'll be staying here. We'll arrange quarters and a security detail." He paused. "You're not part of the SDF. Technically, you're not supposed to be armed. But General Devera made you out yourself on an open comm, and God only knows how many people on this station want to take a poke at you. I trust my people, but it's better if you can defend yourselves. Just in case."