Victoria's Challenge (2 page)

“She what! How...” Lucas sputters, his eyes searching for Victoria. "When did this happen?”

“Fuck Lucas, over two cycles ago
. Don’t you
talk
to her?” Barek's eyes are assessing.

“Of course I do!
” he replies angrily.

“Apparently not, maybe you should start
. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dance with Victoria.”

The cool night air caresses her skin as Victoria walks through the Queen’s garden. It has been a wonderful night, she danced, talked, laughed but there was still one thing left to do.

“Hi mom, dad,
Grandpa Jacob, baby brother.” Sitting on the bench, Aunt Cassie had placed in the memory garden she looks at the moonlit etched stones. “It was a wonderful day today. Aunt Cassie made it wonderful…”

Lucas stands in the shadows listening to Victoria tell her family about her day
. She’d always done this, talked to them, about them, at least with family. They might have died on Earth but their memory lived on, here on Carina.

He’d been there that day, the day the Regulians destroyed Earth
. He’d held her as she cried for them, but he hadn’t been able to calm her nightmares. As she rises to leave, he steps deeper into the shadows, letting her pass unseen. Soon he’d be able to claim her, for she was nearly grown, and once he did, he’d never stand back again, never step aside, she’d be his.

The Retribution hasn’t changed that much, not to Victoria’s way of thinking
. It is still the pride of the Coalition, only now it’s commanded by Admiral Quinn Tar. Settling into her quarters, Victoria assesses. It’s smaller than the one she and Aunt Cassie had shared when they arrived. Lucas had secured their quarters then, finding them the last available one on G Deck. It too had been private but they’d made it work, neither she nor Aunt Cassandra was considered large, not by Carinian standards. She’s an educator now, not a refugee, here to teach the children of the crew, so she’s on E Deck, the section that housed nonoperational personal.

She’
s done it. She can't help hugging herself. She's gotten herself on the Retribution with Lucas. She’s going to see him every day, no longer once every two or three cycles. She has time, she’ll be here six moon cycles, time for Lucas to see her as his life mate, but first she needs to prepare for her first class. The past educator left her notes and assessments on each child, it’s time to sit down and get to know her students.

What
she finds in the files isn’t surprising. There were few disciplinary problems with crew children, most wanting to go to the Academy. Any marks in their permanent file meant they might not be accepted.

Reading the next
file, she frowns. Turning back to the front of the file, she looks at the visual of an unsmiling nine-cycle boy, his brown eyes are flat and solemn. Cade Reymont, his marks had been excellent up until six moon cycles ago. Now, he was either uncommunicative or disruptive. Reading further, she discovers his mother had been killed six moon cycles earlier in a Regulian attack.

Leaning back
, Victoria sighs, another victim of the Regulians. She knew what it was like to lose a mother to them. Could she help him?

One week down, Victoria sighs rubbing the back of her neck, she’s surprised how stressful it’s been. She's used to being on the other side of the desk. Her students are bright and eager to learn, most rising to the challenges she’s given them, only Cade hasn't responded.

Her interaction with the parents
is another thing. Most know who she is, and if that isn’t enough for them to be reserved, her age is. Most are closer to Lucas’ age than her’s. They aren’t sure she should be teaching their children. She’ll have to prove them wrong. Closing up the classroom, she heads down the corridor and sees Cade with his father.

“Corporal Reymont
,” Victoria calls out. When he stops, she walks up to him. “Hi Cade.” She smiles down but receives no response.

“Cade!
” Reymont bumps his son’s shoulder, hard.

“Madame Chamberlain,
” Cade finally responds.

“Corporal
, I was hoping I could talk to you if you have some time.”

“We’re just heading to F Deck to let Cade blow off some steam.”

“Would you mind if I join you?” She watches the man’s eyebrows rise before he nods. Entering the play area on F Deck, Victoria looks around. It hasn’t changed since she’d played here nine cycles ago.

“What’s Cade
done now?” Reymont demands. Frowning, Victoria looks down at the little boy still standing with them.

“Cade hasn’t done anything, but I would like to talk to you while
he plays.” She stares into hard eyes.

“Cade, go play
,” he orders.

“
Yes sir.” Cade looks at her then slowly walks away.

“So what’s wrong with Cade?
”

“Nothing
’s
wrong
with Cade, Corporal. I’ve read his file, he’s an exceptionally bright little boy, but recently he’s been struggling.”

Reymont
doesn’t answer.

“I hope I’m not overstepping, but I know you recent
ly lost your wife.” She watches the man stiffen.

“What about it!”

“I was hoping you’d let me talk to Cade about it. I know what it’s like to have your mother killed by the Regulians. It might help him to have someone besides you to talk to about it.”

“Who says we talk about it
! She's gone, there's nothing to talk about!” Victoria is shocked but before she can reply, they are interrupted.

“Hey Tabor.
” A smiling man approaches them. “What’s up?” Victoria turns, not happy with the interruption but keeps it from showing on her face.

“Jager
. This is Madame Chamberlain, Cade’s educator. Madame Chamberlian, my brother-in-law.”

“Hello.
” Victoria’s smile is polite.

“Problem?”

“Cade of course,” Reymont spits out.

“Corporal…
” Victoria’s eyes widen at Reymont’s total indifference for what his son is going through, if Aunt Cassie had done that...

“I think it’s a waste of time, the boy needs to
toughen up, but it’s your time,” Reymont says, disgusted with his son. “But it’s your time.”

“Yes it is.
” Victoria kept her voice cool and crisp. “I'll talk to him after the next class. Walk him to his quarters after. If that’s okay with you.”

“Fine!
” Reymont says, dismissing her.

“Thank you Corporal
. Ensign.” With a nod, she turns and leaves.

Sitting down to third meal, Victoria is still frowning. She’d known talking to Reymont was going to be difficult, but his total lack of sympathy for his son surprises her. No wonder Cade is struggling if his father’s telling him to toughen up.

“What’s got you frowning so?
” Lucas sits down across from her. He’s been trying to stay away from her, eating at odd times. Had almost turned and left when he’d first seen her but the frown stopped him.

“What?
” The frown changes into a bright smile. “Hi.” It’s been days since she’s seen him.

“
What’s the problem?” he repeats.

“No
problem just concerned about a student.” Victoria proceeds to tell him about Reymont and his son, she’s always told him everything. Lucas frowns, listening to her.

“Are you sure this is something you should be handling?
” Lucas has heard of Reymont and hasn’t liked what he heard.

“Someone needs
to. Cade’s a bright little boy, he always scored high before his mother’s death. Now he just doesn’t seem to care.” Lucas sees the honest concern in her eyes and it worries him.

“That’s what doctors are for, not educators.
” He sees the shock in her eyes.

“But…”

“Major Zafar, report to the flight deck,” the comm announces.

“I need to get going.
” Lucas doesn’t notice the confused eyes that follow him.

Why would Lucas say something like that
? Victoria thinks. He was at her graduation ball. She
is
a doctor.

“What’s up Dodge?” Entering the flight deck, he finds Dodge working on a Blade.

“We’ve got a problem with the connectors for the laser system.
” Dodge gets right to the point.

“What do you mean a problem?
” Lucas’ tone turns icy.

“Over half of them are defective.”

“What! Who signed off on them?”

Dodge looks at
the paperwork.

“A Corporal Reymont.”

“Get his ass down here! Now! How many have been installed?” he demands.

“None, Lorre caught it before they went in.”

“Good.”

Lucas is sitting
behind his desk. Lieutenant Bakke, Reymont’s supervisor standing stiffly at attention, silently waiting Reymont’s arrival. When he finally does, it’s easy to tell he’s been drinking.

“Attention
, Corporal!” Lucas demands.

“Sir.
” Reymont stands next to Bakke.

“Major,” Bakke starts
. “May I inquire as to why we’ve been called here?”

“You’re here because
every one
of the connectors Reymont made for the Blade laser system is defective!”

“What?
” Bakke pales. “But….”

“You’re his supervisor aren’t you?”

“Sir, yes sir.”

“Then you’re as responsible as he is.
” Lucas turns his attention to Reymont. “I want an explanation, Corporal.”

“I made them according to the specs
,” Reymont replies belligerently, his eyes glaring at Lucas.

“Really, the specs clearly state a connector made of
eighty
mills of wolfram, yours contain
eight
!”

“If they contain eight then that’s what my specs said!
” Reymont’s face turns red with rage.

“Lieutenant?
” Lucas looks to him.

“Major, the specs were very specific
.” Bakke looks at Reymont. “Eighty mills, otherwise firing the laser will cause a meltdown.”

“Correct.
”

“That’s
bullshit!” Reymont turns on Bakke. “You’re not putting this on me!”

“It
is
on you Corporal!” There is no doubting the rage in Lucas’ voice. “
You
misread the specs,
you
made the defective parts, and
you
sent them to be installed! If it hadn’t been caught, we could have lost
half
our pilots!”

Reymont opens his mouth then snaps it shut
, hatred blazing out of his eyes.

“
Bakke, who inspects your men’s work!” Lucas demands.

“
Sir…” Bakke stutters.

“You do have them inspected don’t you
, Lieutenant!”

“Sir, spot checked.”

“And who did Reymont’s?”

“Sir, I’d have to check.”

“Don’t bother, I already did. No one!”

“Sir?”

“No one inspected his work!”

“That’s not possible sir
, its procedure, all work is spot checked.”

“No one needs to inspect my work!
” Reymont hisses through clenched teeth.

“
You knowingly went outside procedure, Corporal?” Lucas’ eyes flare as they turn back to Reymont.

Reymont
doesn’t realize he’s in serious trouble.

“I’m lead machinist
, you fucking little foabhor!”

“Not for long you’re
not!” Lucas slams his fist down, ignoring the insult. “Not only are you making defective parts but you’re drunk and insubordinate.”

“What I do off duty is none of your business
, Zafar!”

“It is when it affects
my
men. You’re dismissed, Corporal!” When Reymont doesn’t immediately leave, Lucas slowly stands. He easily towers over Reymont. Reymont turns and storms through the open hatch. Suddenly, he realizes the entire flight deck has heard him being reamed. Red faced and muttering, he makes a hasty exit.

“
Bakke, I want every part Reymont made or signed off on, re-inspected
personally
by
you
. Is that understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!
” Bakke tries not to cringe at the amount of work he’s just been assigned.

“
I’ll be sending my report and recommendation to the Admiral within the hour. You’d better prepare for a full investigation. Dismissed!”

“Yes sir!”

What Victoria hasn’t worked out attacking the bag, she has on the treadmill
. She hadn’t realized how many memories would be stirred up by working with Cade. Memories of the Regulians, of Earth. She thought she’d come to terms with them cycles ago. It’d been hard, losing her family, sometimes she dreamed about them being alive but knew it was just a dream. Wiping the sweat from her face with a towel, she steps off the machine to find Lucas watching her. Smiling, she walks over.

“Hey there, what’s up?”

“Heard you
were hitting it pretty hard down here. What’s wrong?” he demands.

“What?”

“Dodge said you were destroying the bag.”

“
Oh, I’ve been working with Cade. It just stirred me up more than I thought it would.”

“Damn it Victoria
!” Lucas runs a frustrated hand through his thick black hair. “I told you to let a doctor handle it.”

“Lucas, what’s going on?
” She gives him an honestly confused look.

“What do you mean?
” Angry eyes meet hers.

“I know you
. You don’t forget things.”

“Not here.
” Taking her arm, he pulls her out of maintenance and into an observation room, slamming the hatch closed.