Knight discipline. He would try to recall what happened in Quellus Borealis star system after the Protren arrived and things seemed to “white out,” including his memory of the subsequent events.
Commodore Sheppard headed down the corridor to the medical deck. “Elijah, good to see you,” Sheppard said. Dr. Grey turned around from monitoring a treatment. Sheppard had selected him for the chief medical officer position and later as chief fleet medical officer. “Sir…” Grey said.
“Not an official visit, Elijah,” Sheppard said, smiling. “More of a friend-to-friend visit, although I might need the doctor-patient kind too.”
“How so, Robert? Not feeling well today?” Grey replied smiling.
“I’m going to use a meditative Star Knight discipline, and I don’t want the medical staff to worry if my physical monitors give an abnormal reading during the process,” Sheppard said. “I probably won’t need actual monitoring, but I’d rather not have the med team signaled to go to my quarters for a possible medical emergency because of my life signs possibly fluctuating; therefore, I have come to the sick bay so you can monitor me.” Most people knew that Star Knights were not government-sanctioned police or guards but were more akin to special agents who belonged to various organizations, or orders. Fewer people knew their primary function was to preserve civilization.
“Oh, all right; let me finish this cellular layering repair, and then I can help you,” Grey said.
“That’s fine; no rush,” Sheppard replied. He watched Grey use the cellular layering device. It had produced several cell layers of skin, muscle, and bone.
“Now all I have to do is replace the part of this marine’s hand that carried the nerve,” said Grey. “This Zeltro cellular layering device creates cells and forms tissue components and even organ tissue to replace organ or body portions.”
Sheppard nodded as he watched; he was always interested in science, and one day, his more dangerous Star Knight activities might result in his benefitting from such a marvelous medical device. Sometimes Star Knight missions were dangerous, and such restorative devices would be beneficial.
“During the QB7 battle, we used some temporary devices as a quick fix, which allowed injured marines to manipulate the distal body parts using the focused signal sensor device to send signals to the muscles and bypass the damaged tissue or nerves,” Grey said. “Now that we have time, we are replacing his nerves and other tissues.”
“Yes, I recall seeing the med techs down on QB7 place some centimeter-sized implants above and below damaged arms or legs, and the marines could walk or use their weapons again,” replied Sheppard. “That was before my starfighter was blown-up on the landing area—the time Commander Taylor and I got separated from the outpost base by some Varlon troops.”
Shortly, Dr. Grey finished the restorative process on the marine officer. Then he asked, “Is this one of those psionic or telepathic Star Knight abilities that allows you to relive a traumatic or past event?”
“Yes, something like that,” Sheppard said. “I am doing it to recall some of what happened at QB7. It may not be completely helpful, but I should get some enlightenment.”
“Well, I think I can help. Why don’t you just lie down on this monitoring bed and be comfortable, Robert,” Grey said.
“Yes, I would rather lie down, of course,” Sheppard replied with a chuckle. “I would rather not cause a commotion when my clothing’s life-sign monitors send odd readings to the medical monitoring computer or have a med team be dispatched to investigate when I don’t respond to my commlink.”
Dr. Grey looked over at Commander Bell, one of the other physicians. “Connie, would you help with monitoring the commodore from time to time? I think he may be at his ‘telepathic meditation’ for several hours.”
Commander Constance Bell was a very capable physician. She was also a gorgeous brunette, and Sheppard knew that Grey was creating one of his arrangements again knowing Sheppard was not married—although in space, most of the captains could be considered married to the ship.
“No problem, Elijah, I would be glad to take turns monitoring Commodore Sheppard.”
“Oh, one question before I commence,” Sheppard said, looking at Dr. Bell. “Has the Varlon Nanotechnology finally been removed from the medical systems? Those torpedo attacks containing the nanobots caused some allergic reactions in the crew, if I recall correctly from an earlier report.”
“We have done a good cleaning job, as far as I can tell, Sir,” Bell replied. “I think the medical diagnostic systems were most affected…that is, before the entire ship seemed to be restored.”
“That’s right, Robert, the ship is clean now,” Grey added. “The report Bell made during the QB7 events was that the Varlon nanobots were causing havoc, but after the restoration event, they seemed to stop being a problem.”
“Well, I’m going to meditate on that very event,” Sheppard said. “Earlier I did not have the time, but I hope I can now glean some additional information from remote sensing and other techniques I will attempt…or at least get some peace of mind.” Sheppard began to focus on his Star Knight meditation.
***
In the meantime, Ares had been playing a game of Kosho, a Tyrian game reminiscent of a cross between basketball and soccer with a few small trampolines. As with several other sports, there was a yearly tournament among ship, task force, and fleet. After the practice, Ares soaked in a tub of hot water in the spa area of the main exercise facility complex onboard the Phoenix. For the most part, the water would be recycled. She realized she was being indulgent, using water to rub soap onto her skin and then to rinse it off. As she stood naked for a moment, she noticed a bruise; she did not worry, however, as she healed rapidly due to her genetics. She essentially had a perfect body, yet she worked to not flaunt that with others.
Ares stood, walked a few paces, and grabbed a towel, drying off the beaded water. She wrapped herself in the towel before she passed some of her teammates in the exercise facilities’ changing room as she headed for her clothes container. She was not the only transhuman in the fleet or in the sport. The Phoenix team was mixed; not all were human like her. Some species had senses or agilities or strengths as good as or better than hers, but not usually all aspects together.
“Good game, Diana,” Lyra Darani said, smiling. Commander Lyra Darani liked to play Kosho, as well, but she was not on the Phoenix’s official team, which had been cobbled together as the construction of the Phoenix was finished only three months ago. She was a fairly good player, and as a Quarlusian, she was the only one of her species onboard who tried to fit in with other groups. She had played against Ares’s practice group today.
“Thanks, Lyra; I aim to win,” Ares replied. “If you really like Kosho, you could join the team. Just ask Benson; as coach, he could arrange it.”
“I will think about it,” Darani said as she continued to dress.
Ares continued changing back into her nonduty clothes. Originally, she had thought the Quarlusian, Darani, was a security risk, since she was of the same race of shape shifters sent by the Varlon to sabotage Star One. A group of Quarlusians had worked with some Androsynths sent by the Accad, and both groups had sabotaged Star One and assassinated senior officers and ministry staff. Ares headed back to her quarters. On the way, she would pick up a quick meal in the galley and then head to the bridge to continue her work.
***
On the bridge, Captain Wilder was reading and organizing his briefings from the crew and reports of the other captains in Task Force One. He knew several ships were in position and were using long-range sensors or linking with the hyperspace COMNET system to better locate the Star City. The Talcon ambassador was observing the officers and had even been helping plot probable intercept courses for the Star Cities.
“The information you provided us with is somewhat different from the telemetry we have obtained,”