David Hofmann as James Glory

James Glory ran his hand over the hull and sigh a bit. She wasn’t much to look at and he’d need a good mech to keep her running but she had something a lot of new ships didn’t. Most important she was his.

He had come a long way from the little orphan found abandoned, not that he remember much about that time. He’d read the official reports so many times he could recite them word for word, but no how much he hope for it, they never sparked memories of before he had been found.

According to the official report, the ship he was found on had been deserted. Half the escape pods had been jettisoned and no else found on board. The ship had taken a pounding. Much of it from normal objects that had no doubt collided with the ship, though there were a few strange scorch marks that could be explained.

The life support system had been only function at half capacity when the distress signal had been detected by a passing ship. His rescuers had found him highly dehydrated having been trapped in storage rooms.

Most of the system had been heavily damage including the computer records do to some kind of power surge. So no records of where it came from or who had been on board could be determined. The ship it’s self named glory according to a plaque on the wall of the bridge had not been registered at any near by ports.

The crew cabins showed signs of having 2 males and 1 female having lived in them along with clothes for James. In the end that how they had determined his first name at least. It had been written on his underwear. He gained his sire name from the ship he been found on.

Over the years the James had been put with a number of foster families but they never worked out for some reason. They weren’t all bad, a few of the temporally ones were with really nice people that he wished he could have stay with longer. But by the time he was in his teens he hated the system he was trapped in.

Despite his trouble childhood he’s graduated at the top of his class a few years early. He still could remember the look on his case workers face that day when he shown up in her office with the paper work to be release from child services. He work hard in school not just cause he enjoy learning, but cause he learned if he graduated early he could files to be release and start his own life.

Now years later after working freight runs, ship yard work, and anything else he could manage he managed to get what he wanted the most, his own ship.

Name: James Glory
Born: Estimated 2390
Birth Place: Unknown
Parents: Unknown

2393 – Discovered alone on an abandoned cargo ship. Enter into Child Services after authorities were unable to locate any relatives. Estimated to be approximately 3 year old.

2395 – Removed from Foster care. Records sealed.

2399 – Recovered from space port after having run away. Was attempting to gain access to a ship going off planet. Removed foster care after brief investigation of foster parents.

2400 – Received an award for excellence in Georgian Planetary Science fair. Recommend for honors classes.

2403 – Received Junior Pilots licenses: Air Based. Pilots Licenses upgrade to Orbital and Near Planetary.

2405 – Graduated top of class. Refused scholarship. Filed paper work to be released from child services.

2415 - Meets Nova for the first time while working as a pilot.

2418 – Purchases the Gina-Lee.

Part of him didn’t want to do this. He knew what would happen already. They always turned out the same way. Yes he liked her and he got a vague sense that she liked him. But how could he be sure that it wasn’t just her being nice cause of the chair. Would she go out with him out of pity?

Why had he let Nova talk him into this? It’s unfair for her to do so. She knew all the things need to say to talk him into it. Including pulling the “You be doing me a favor.”

Well if he was going to do this, he would do it right. After all Sadie certain was attractive and well he did have to admit he had found her interesting. If he was careful this could be interesting.

How to ask her was a good question. A wave seemed a bit impersonal but showing up at her door could be awkward. A card might work but it needed something else. Sadie seemed to like things military so perhaps something along that lines. No, the moment he thought it he knew that it didn’t feel right and he learned long ago not to ignore his hunches.

Rolling his way to his quarters he found a box he’d carved a few years ago. Inside was another piece of art he made. A crystal rose. The crystal he’d found in space and it had remind him of a flower. He spent the rest of the long voyage carving it with a special laser. It was hard then some metal yet had a beauty to it when shown the light. It somehow was the perfect thing.

Pulling out a pen he sent wrote down an invite and then rolled out to the main dock. There were always kids around watching the ships or looking for a bit of extra work. He got the attention of one and hand over the message with a small package of things he always kept on hand to bribe dock kids. Then he head back in to get some work done while he waited.

She didn’t seem the type to delay responding just to make herself not seem too eager so he wasn’t surprised when short while later a wave arrived. He opened and read through the message, then re-read it a couple times. It was clear and to the point. A nice thank you and an offhand dismissal about being busy, but something about the message read wrong. There was something that kept tickling the back of his head. He looked down at his foot and with a sigh he started the process of getting clean up, he’d need the extra time.

---

He’d dressed himself to look a bit more like an off duty marine hoping to put her at ease and avoid any odd looks from anyone he met on the way. Strictly speaking being down here wasn’t against the rules. However generally you had to be buzzed through a few sections, sections that he gotten through thanks to some nice people who opened the doors for him.

He pushed button to signal someone at her door and waited for her to answer. She looked annoyed at the interruption and he noted the half packed bag on the bunk behind her. He had to admit to himself that she looked good. Hair pulled back, high polished black boots, standard issue fatigue pants and a tank top clearly designed by a man not a women.

"Hmm... There is something about to be said about that outfit. You will fit in at the Museum." He commented with a smile.

Then the dance began. She initially assumed that there been a mistake that he missed her message. Then there was more excused from her and a bit of frustration showing through, but there was something else there. Something that he might have missed if Nova hadn’t meddled and he made his choice.

It was underhand of him to hint that he happily sits out here in the hall way all night if needed. The offhand comment about striking up passing neighbors was icing. He knew how it would look. With a hat on to cover his hair he’d look like he belonged here. The wheelchair and waiting outside her door, the male neighbors would assume that she was disrespecting a fellow enlisted person who been hurt. The female would likely assume that she lead him on or broken his heart. Both would make things difficult. It was underhand and dirty, but he somehow knew that Sadie would always have an excuse to avoid going out just as he was sure she need this as much as him.

That thought surprised him a bit, but he filed it away.

In the end she gave in and agreed to dinner but demand that she be back in time to finish packing and catch her flight.

He was glad to find out that she liked sushi and knew right where they should go. Mr. Minsu was small but wonderful little place. It prices were a bit high so it was never too busy, but for those that knew the reason it was worth it. Jim knew because he had been hired by Mr. Minsu. Mr. Minsu didn’t believe in artificial stuff and had arranged for real fish to be lifted from the surface. Over half the space that Mr. Minus had acquired on the Alhambra was dedicated to special tanks and hydroponics.

Mr. Minsu granddaughter, Chou, was at the front door to welcome them when they arrived. Jim greeted her and they were shown to his usual spot away in a little private room made by rice paper screens. Jim didn’t miss the look that Chou gave him and knew she be asking questions next time he came.

“Japanese?” Sadie asked in Japanese drawling his attention once more and he realized he had greeted Chou in Japanese out of habit. It broke the ice as they started comparing languages. He could tell she hadn’t expected him to know several, and was even more surprised when he showed he wasn’t bragging. He did know several languages well.

Languages lead into a bit about their earlier year which in turn brought up Jim meeting Nova and a tentative question about their past together. He wasn’t sure how much they know about Nova past or what she told them about him. Honesty, with a bit of vagueness seems the best choice. But Sadie’s questions got a bit pointed and he realized it’s time to change the subject. Past relationships with Sadie friend is probably not the best topic he thought, so he move toward her career. It was a good plan, but talk about stepping into it.

She gave the standard answers first, ones she probably told people hundreds of times, but there something deeper. He asked a few questions and sensed her open up. He could tell when the answer stop being automatic and become more personal. His hands settled onto the table a bit closer to her without thought.

She starts to tell him about her sister, Jennie Heart. He remembered her. They’d met once though she probably wouldn’t remember him. To be fair, he probably wouldn’t remember her ether if it wasn’t for what had happened to her. He remembered seeing the footage both the public released and the stuff that found its way underground. He remembered the look in her eyes as she went under the crowed. Eyes that had previous had so much hope and joy.

It never occurred to him that Sadie could have been her sister. He knew the entire crew and somehow had missed that fact. Looking into Sadie eyes he could see all the pain there. The desire to fulfill her sister’s dream and the anger that the dream wasn’t as shiny she hoped.

He listened as she talked about her past and her family and sense in a way that she was like a flower that has closed up due to the darkness and was opening in hopes to find a bit of light.

She explains about what she doing in the next couple days, the reason she said she was going to be busy and he realized he’d had been wrong. Jim had thought it was just was come something for the GAF but she was taking time to be with her sister. Time they both cherished.

There was a flash of self consciousness as she apologized for not simply being honest with him about why she declined. The pain of it with all the wrapped up emotions about her family was too much. He reached out and took her hands before she could close herself back up and put all the feeling into his comment that it was OK. Assuring her that he respect her for her spending time with her sister and willing her to understand it.

It was like the first rain after a drought. She soaked it all up in that moment and took everything else he could give. She squeezed his hand and pulled hers away while his head reeled.

“What about you.. any family?” She asked. He’d been asked that plenty of times, but it hit him like a sledge hammer. With nothing to stop it all the hurt and pain of his childhood boiled up to the surface. "Well I have my crew, but beyond them, no. I was an orphan." He responded as he pulled back his hands. He could feel the sympathy flood out of her.

It’s too much. He’s dealt with it enough times. The pity at loss of his parents was always horrible to feel, but then when they learned about his childhood, those feelings were sometimes worse. More pity or in some the scorn when they though he was telling lies for sympathy. He couldn’t take that now. Pulling himself together he put on the best smile he could manage and brushed off the entire thing as if it didn’t bother him. She didn’t buy it for a moment, but she was nice enough to let it go. He didn’t think it was because she didn’t care, but more likely because she did.

She changed the subject again, this time to his foot and gave him enough time to recover a bit. They started talking about the common safe new day topics. What do you like? Who do you read? Until the conversation gets a little bit more philosophical. She had finished one roll and the excuse to get back to packing comes out.

She agrees to let him escort her back, but all but flees into her bunk.

“Well that could have gone worse, after all no one died.” He comments to no one as he heads back to ship. He knew Nova would happen by tomorrow to find out how it went under the veiled pretense of seeing him before he shipped out. That was going to be awkward.

Closing the com window Jim leaned back in his chair and let his mind run through all that he just happened. He hadn’t expected a message from the Valdosta. Learning that the Alhambra had been destroyed was amazing, but that there had been a concern that his crew and he had been there when it was attacked? He couldn’t remember the last time someone had check on him to make sure he was safe. Probably not since he was a child, surely at some point when he was a child someone had? He let the thought go, they would just lead to thinking about his childhood and that part of his life was in the past and he rather it stay it there.

He looked over to his pilot, “Wren, I want you to increase speed as much as we can. Cut what corners you can. I want to drop this shipment as soon as we can then head back to Alhambra’s space. There value in the salvage and the power that be will be looking for extra ships to help.” Jim pushed the button for internal com, “Fisher, I want you to keep the engine running at full. Give Wren everything we can. Ford I want you to setup log rang communications and start gathering what information you can. I want you also to do a little bit of off the grid searches as soon as your can safely do so. Find out what they aren’t telling people. Use some discretionary fund if you need to send a few gifts to get extra code access.” Jim paused, “Also do some searches see what items we can quick pick on the way that might be useful or profitable in that order. I not going to go missionary but if we can help it good for business.”

Jim clicked off the com and starting running numbers and calculations to help make arrangements. It was his job. The ship and crew were his life and came first. But if could help some people in the process then that sat right with him. He played the hard roll because in some of the area they had to work to make money it was required, but his crew like him knew the truth. He’d work with a number of crews and his current one was one of the best. They all had a hard exterior, one formed from the beating life given them, but all of them also had code they followed. It was something he looked for in his crew.

His thoughts turned to the Alhambra. He thought of all the faces he knew from there and wonder who live and who died. The information he got from the Valdosta hadn’t been much and it would be a while before the full accounting came about. He thought of Mr. Minsu and his family. Had the restaurant been open or closed when it happen? The hydroponics would have kept someone alive if the seals held on for a while, but he didn’t know how strong the blast had been or what was left.

He considered sending a com to Mr. Minsu family that was planet side. He knew how to reach them from past transports he done, but Jim wasn’t sure he wanted to know. They had a while before they could get back and knowing might make the wait worse.

“I swear if the Crimson cost me the best dang sushi in the Universe I will make it my life goal to bring their downfall” Jim mutter to himself, drawling a look and half smile from Wren. She didn’t like fish but she like Mr. Minsu and his cucumber rolls.

oc yaaah there's uh... some space dust left... that's about it...

:nod: Brit told me you contact my ship to check if we were OK, but didn't know how much we knew beyond that so I figured it best to write it from the not knowing. I'll be curious what Haley says we know about your ship disappearing. Cause I promised Brit a post in response to that. Currently there 3 in my head forming.

He had read the report twice, double checked the source, and even called in some favors to get the unofficial report. He had everything but the black box information and there was a chance given time could even get that.

Officially they were MIA with search ongoing. The unofficial was MIA presumed dead.

He walked slowly over to the wall and hit the button to raise the shield cover up so he could look out the window. One tiny star showed in the black void of nothingness, the window might as well been a mirror. A small part of his burned desperately with hope. They were some of the best in the galaxy, they been chosen for that reason. He met them and despite how dysfunctional they were, he knew when they worked together their reputation wasn’t simply PR spin.

It seemed silly to worry, silly to be upset. Yes Nova had been special to him at a point in his life, he admit even had a crush on her for a while, but besides the occasional communication and greeting they didn’t know each other that well.

Then there was Sadie, beautiful, smart and stubborn as hell. What chance did they have? She was career and he wasn’t sure he could live that life? He shook his head. They had one date, one that he forced at the prompting of Nova, it was nothing just a passing thing.

Part of him pulsed again he knew he was lying to himself. Nova was special, she always would be. It wasn’t love but it was something just as strong in many ways. Strong enough that she had told her the truth, strong enough that he suspected he unconsciously dropped clues so she would find out.

His thoughts turned once more to Sadie. One date, but one in which something in her had called to him. A pull so hard that he had touched her. Even now he could still feel the touch of that longing, of that need. If she was truly gone could he live with the echo of that feeling? Would it every fade?

He hit the button to close the window before walking back to the terminal. Shipping and transport was in disarray. Private runners like him were in high demand but often time’s deliveries were delayed due to red tape, lack of docking points or port crew for moving the cargo. The other nearby port weren’t equipped to increased traffic cause by the loss of the Alhambra. His current shipment wasn’t ready still and there wasn’t even an estimate.

He pulled up the course plot and sighed before key the internal com, “Ford, I’m going to head dirt side. Open cargo two and prep it. Also start watching for any dirt side shipments, if there any that good or we get a message about the current one forward it to my portable. Wren, I’m going to send you my course information in case you need to meet me, run the number.” He paused listening to the response, “Yes, I’m going to make two stop. I’m going to visit Nova’s son and then I may being heading to Australia. I’ll high orbit between stops to minimize travel. If need to, you can pick me up mid flight,” he paused for just a moment before continuing “that is if you think you can handle a mid flight pickup?” He smile with a bit of pride as Wren expressed her opinion on the mater.

Celestine hadn’t seemed surprised to find him on her front door. She smiled reassuringly and greeted him by name when he attempted stumbling attempted to explain why he was there. She knew why. She probably understood better then even he understood it himself.

If he didn’t know better he would swear she knew he had been coming, he’d barely taken a seat in the kitchen when she pulled fresh cookies out of the oven. Chocolate and peanut butter chip, one of his favorites. He asked her how she did it jokingly, but she smiled in that way she always did.

They sat there watching Orion playing on the floor and talked about life. Several times he debated about bring up what happen, but it just didn’t seem right. It was Orion who broken the unspoken, there was tug at his pants and he reached down the pick up the little tike. He saw in Orion a bit of Hazard, but he also so Nova, and like that he just started talking. Celestine listen without word as his hopes and fears flooded out. As he looked back up at Celestine he caught a flash of pity in her eyes and what for a moment he took as guilt. It was gone so fast he wasn’t sure if he imagined it or not.

He finished writing out an apology on his portable and hit send. He stood outside the house waiting for the transport he’d called and it had seemed only right to apologize. In retrospect he wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t seen him or that her response had been rude. Considering what she been through she likely didn’t enjoy the company of strangers much. Worse he knew that some of the less reputable news systems were attempting dragging her once more into the spot light. He’d read the article talking about how the GAF had nearly taken her life and had taken now likely successfully taken her sisters life. Leave it to scum reports to use such things in an attempt to help there circulation and ratings.

He looked around. This place didn’t feel like Sadie, and yet looking at the house he could see little things that came from the two of them having similar tastes in some things. There was a feeling to it, a sense of a real home.

Oddly as the transport pulled up he was almost regretful to leave. As he looked one last time at the house she saw a face looking though the curtains on the window. He nod to her and pushed as much feeling of apology into it as he could before getting into and leaving.