Free Beyond the Stars: INEO by Kelly Beltz

honors, and was destined to be promoted as one of the youngest commanders in history.” He lowered his eyes and voice and said, “He’s three months younger than me.”
    I smiled at his competitive need to explain. “So he got promoted to commander?”
    “No, he blew it. While Loic and I were still understudies with Tyden, we encountered an unmarked alien vessel. It seemed to be following us, ignored our ship’s hails, and refused to communicate with our people to explain its presence. A dispute broke out on the command deck on how to handle the situation. Loic was at the helm at the time. He should have consulted the reigning commanders, not only for protocol, on principle. Instead, he panicked when they got too close, and after assuming they were a threat, he decided it was best to eliminate them. He fired upon them without notifying or consulting anyone, including Tyden.”
    “Talk about taking matters into your own hands.”
    “Tyden was furious. He would have investigated the oncoming vessel per mission protocol. Loic’s action was impulsive and in complete violation of our oath ‘to do no harm’. He obliterated the ship. It was later discovered that the ship was a new interplanetary travel vessel transferring Farni. It was completely benign. The Council went through endless torment to straighten out the mess in order to keep the peace. They told the Farni that their ship accidentally activated our ship’s automated defense system due to their close proximity. And Loic was punished. Not only was he banned from Discovery Fleet for life, he was stripped of his degree and had to take a job as a Katarian scout. He and Tyden have steered clear of one another ever since.”
    “Why would Loic do that? I can’t imagine anyone from your planet killing without just cause.”
    “He claims that the Farni fired on us first. No one, including Tyden, agreed with him, and there was no proof of damage because our shields were up, allowing the Farni to look completely innocent in the matter. Loic had no one on his side during the trial. The deck crew working with him despised his arrogant, condescending attitude and weren’t willing to risk their own livelihood to save his. I don’t think Loic ever forgave Tyden or the rest of us for not validating his testimony to cover up his blunder.”
    I sighed. “There’s only one way to find out …”

CHAPTER 6

    MINING
     
    Zaric and two crewmen joined Gaelan and me in the landing to prepare for the mission. I watched Gaelan gather his things for the excursion and gave him a yearning expression, hoping he was still worried about me feeling cooped up.
    Gaelan sat down on a bench and pulled on a low pair of boots. “Are you planning to come along?” he finally asked nonchalantly. “There really isn’t much to see. It’s cold and dirty. But if you want to stretch your legs …”
    Yes, I thought, an invite with no pleading needed. My hunch was confirmed.
    “Okay, sure,” I answered with fake hesitation and swiftly snatched up a bundle of clothes and pair of boots in my size.
    “Hey,” shouted Noah, as he came rushing through the door toting an empty sack and tool belt full of gadgets strapped to his waist. “Don’t leave without me. I just heard there’s a Sulo Montaro ship left for scraps. Those babies are equipped with the best microprocessors ever made. They cost a small fortune to build. I could incorporate the parts to enhance our own relay system. It will improve our drive time by three hundred percent.”
    “Noah, you look like a kid on Christmas morning,” I teased.
    “Sami, you appreciate fine workmanship. This one has some of the best. Anyway, it’s customary to recycle all reusable parts before you abandon any ship.” Noah beamed.
    “Fine, Noah, you can join us … if you’re quick.” Gaelan motioned for him to get dressed by tossing him a beige jumpsuit from the table.
    Everyone promptly got ready. I watched two crewmen hop into a levitron. It was a