The Honeymoon’s Over

By Yuki Wildstar

A Star Blazers Fan Fiction work

 

Chapter One: Honeymoon and Recall to Duty

 

I. HONEYMOON

Earth

The Pacific Region

Palau Island

Sunday, June 24, 2204

Morning

 

After a long night on the beach, Captain Derek Wildstar awoke to a bright sun coming over the horizon. Looking down on his wife, Lieutenant Commander Nova Forrester, as she slept, he could not believe after all this time that they were finally together. As he stared at her she moved a bit, opening her eyes to see the man that she had married and had loved for so long.

 

“Good morning Mrs. Wildstar, how did you sleep?” Derek asked.

 

“MMMM, just wonderful” Nova replied, “and a good morning to you, Mr. Wildstar.”

 

As they sat on the beach watching the sun rise it was just beginning to hit them that they were indeed all alone on the island. They were sitting on a large beach towel, with their swimwear cast off somewhere in a pile.

 

“Derek,” Nova asked while looking into his eyes with a playful light as she cuddled her nude form next to his, “do you think that we could do the same thing that we did last night?”

 

Derek looked back into her eyes and smiled, “ I think I can accommodate you on that.”

 

So, he took her into his arms again and began kissing and caressing her body for a long time until Nova moaned just enough for him to take her. Their bodies entwined once again, but this time it was less of a rush.

 

Nova responded to Derek’s body more so then the night before. This time they were more in tune with each other. As the sun began to beat harder down on their bodies, it was almost magical to them that they were alone and making passionate love on the beach. As they both came to the height of their love making, Derek grabbed Nova tighter just as Nova did with Derek.

 

Finally, fireworks came at the end as they fell back onto the beach towel in a heap, smiling at each other.

 

“Wow! That was fantastic!” Nova said in exhausted tones, “I can’t believe it gets better every time.” To punctaute her words, Nova gave Derek an affectionate kiss.

 

“I know,” Derek replied “ I knew it would be great, but baby, you are the best. I love you so much.”

 

“I love you too, darling,” Nova replied. As she began to stand up, Derek pulled her down again.  “Nova? What is this? Make love and run? I mean, you’re just gonna leave me here like this? I don’t even know where my Speedo trunks went.”

 

“No, silly,” Nova said looking into his dark eyes, and admiring his slender, yet muscular form, which was starting to get an all-over tan she was finding very appealing, “I would never leave you! Come on…we can shower and have breakfast, because after last night and this morning I am starving!”

 

“Me, too!” Derek yelled back, after she started to run back to the bungalow, flying with barefoot grace through the sand with her dancer-like legs going as fast as they could. As he got up and started to chase her back, Nova squealed with delight. It would be a race to see who would get back first.

 

“Last one there makes breakfast, while the other takes a shower!” yelled Nova, while hoping that he would out run her, because after the last time he had tried to cook…everything was cooked a la burnt.  

 

Running faster to get to the door, Derek passed her in order to take a shower first; after all he knew he wasn’t the greatest cook.

 

He knew Nova was being nice to him after he made breakfast the last time, and he didn’t want to put her through that again.

 

“Ha, I beat you!”

 

“OK, OK , I guess I should get breakfast started, you go and take your shower.” Nova said as she stretched on her toes on the wall-to-wall carpet in the hallway.

 

Derek stole yet another glance at his wife’s body. Her hair was a lighter shade of blond than usual due to the sun, and she was lightly tanned all over, too, from the top of her forehead down to the tips of her toes. She wore only a small cross necklace, the wedding band he had slipped on her finger at Heroes’ Hill in the Tokyo Megalopolis a bit less than twenty-four hours ago, and mother-of-pearl nail polish on her fingers and toes that had matched her wedding gown. Few people had been able to see the polish on her fingers during the ceremony, since Nova had worn long gloves with her dress, but more than a few people saw her toes, as she had worn sandals for the warm weather as a June bride.

 

It was miraculous that they were together, Derek thought. Only a month beforehand; Earth had been facing extinction thanks to the Deinguilians and their sick plan to drown Earth by warping Planet Aquarius there in a war that had begun in late April. One bleak day in early May, Nova had remembered the space battleship Yamato arriving home on automated control, badly damaged. She had boarded her with Doctor Sane and had found that the crewmembers with helmets on would stand a chance of living while those without helmets were dead; and…

 

…she had found Derek without his helmet. At that, she had nearly killed herself.

 

She couldn’t face life without him. Not then, and not now…

 

Derek’s voice brought Nova back to where they were as he said, “Well we can take a shower together and make breakfast later together…if that sounds a little better” said Derek while kissing her neck even though there was still sand on it from sleeping on the beach.

 

“Why, Captain Wildstar, is that a proposition…or an order?” Nova laughed.

 

“Well if it has to be…than it’s an order, so march yourself into the shower and be prepared to be pampered all over…” Derek said with a grin.

 

“Oh you, what am I gonna do with you?” Nova laughed while heading to the shower.

 

Kids…

 


 

II. TIME TO GO…

The Pacific Region

Palau Island

Sunday, July 8, 2204

Morning…

 

“I can’t believe that it’s over, why couldn’t it have lasted a little longer?” complained Nova as two weeks’ worth of swimming, lovemaking, diving, sunbathing, lovemaking, dancing, talking, singing, running, lovemaking and exploration of Palau all too quickly came to an end as Nova got their bags in preparation of their departure for home.

 

“I know, baby,” replied Derek. “But…reality calls us…and we have to get back and face the music with the EDF.”

 

“I know,” sighed Nova.

 

“I wonder what surprises they have in store for both of us. As much as I want to spend the rest of my life just laying around and making love to you, we have to get back to the real world,” Derek said to his new bride, that he loved so much.  He still remembered the promise that he made to Venture and he knew would never go back on that promise for as long as he lived.

 

That promise, sworn as Venture had been dying at his post on the Yamato, had been “Make her happy, Derek…”

 

As he looked at his lovely wife of two weeks, Derek thought of their lives on the Star Force and he wondered again why he waited so long to marry her. He should have married her years before…even if it was a quick ceremony at least his best friend and brother would have been there. Maybe then he would have known of Captain Avatar still being alive and he would have never missed them getting married. He thought of the possibilities that could have been, had things been a little different and if Earth wasn’t being threatened by enemies.

 

The Gamilons, the Comet Imperials, the Black Nebulans, the Bolar Federation and the Garumans, and the Deinguils. All of them had conspired, as it were, to keep them on duty and apart those many years.

 

And what about Desslok? Derek thought. After the Yamato’s last battle, in which Desslok, thought dead in the devastation of Garuman, had appeared, the mysterious Gamilon had left again for the stars.

 

Once my enemy…now my friend, thought Derek. I wish he could have remained around long enough so that he could have been at our wedding. He knows how much we have always loved

each other. Instead, he sent a message, stating that he had to depart-duty called him. I wonder what he meant? Derek thought. But…well, enough. That was the past. What is now is now.

Now we can finally move forward, he thought to himself with a thoughtful look running across his face as a breeze blew his hair against his light blue EDF uniform top. Since they would be flying soon, Derek and Nova had reluctantly had to put back on their uniforms and pack away their summer things until they arrived home.

 

“Derek, what are you thinking about?” Nova asked as he readied his red flight helmet. She knew that something was running through his mind. “You looked so far away for the moment.”

 

“Is it that obvious?” Derek asked.

 

“Yes. You seemed so far away and your eyes were somewhat glossy, is everything all right?” Nova asked with worry crinkling her delicate features above her skin-tight EDF blues.

 

“No honey, nothing is wrong…I was just thinking to myself of how stupid I was to wait so long to take you as my wife, among other things. I know that we decided together that the time wasn’t right, but now I think back and ask myself, when was the right time? Venture is no longer with us, neither is my brother and Captain Avatar is dead, at rest on his post aboard the wreck of the Yamato up in space. And, Desslok just departed soon after our last battle.”

 

“Derek,” Nova said. “Mark and Captain Avatar are in a better place now; I can sense it. Mark is finally with Trelaina, and the old Captain is with his dead wife and son. As for Desslok, he’s like the wind. Who knows where he went? Maybe to rebuild what was left of his Empire? I don’t know…”

 

“I know. But, Nova, I only wished that they were here to see us get married. I guess reality is hitting me now of the possibilities that we could have taken. But enough of that…I don’t want to return home with this gloom all around us.”

 

Derek walked over to Nova and grabbed her hand. “I love you Nova, and I would never do anything to betray that, to you or to Venture and Captain Avatar. I promised them I would always love you, and be there for you…no matter what…we’ll be together.”

 

“Oh, Derek!” said Nova as tears of happiness filled her eyes.

 

And with that, Derek he kissed his bride long and hard, hoping that the moment would never end.

 

“Oh Derek, I love you so much too… I ever couldn’t imagine myself with any one else. And I’m so glad that it was you that I fell in love with.” Nova said with more tears in her eyes. She too didn’t want this magical time to ever end. But, now, she thought, It is back to work and back to dealing with the EDF…at least they have Singleton to be there for the Star Force, whether they are together or apart. At least they have that….

 

As they both packed their things in preparation of departing, all they could do was stay silent and bask in their own thoughts of the lovely wedding and honeymoon they had enjoyed.

 

When they were finished packing, Derek broke the silence by saying, “Well are you ready, my love? Duty calls us.”

 

Nova smiled at him and nodded. Together they placed their things into the Star Voyager boat, and they both took a last look at the place they thought of as home for two weeks.

 

Back to the real world, Nova thought to herself. But, at least I’m going back as Mrs. Derek Wildstar…. to which she smiled at.

 

“What are you grinning at? You look like the cat that ate the canary,” Derek said while looking at her with a puzzled look on his face.

 

“Well,” said Nova as she ran her booted foot around in the sandy soil. “I was thinking that now…we are going to start our lives as Mr. & Mrs. Wildstar, at long last,  Nova replied. “Derek, did you ever think that it would ever happen, considering that we had to postpone our wedding, like, I don’t know…about a million times? Between all the wars we fought, and besides, the fights we had to fight with the EDF. And now we have to go back and probably fight more with them. Did you ever think about it, Derek?”

 

“Too many times, but we are here and now we are going to our new home. I just can’t wait until I carry you over the threshold to finally make it legal.”

 

“Legal?” Nova asked with a puzzled look on her face. “I had the idea that the Padre in his vestments made us legal on Heroes’ Hill when we said, “I do” to each other… Or did you find our wedding rings in a cereal box?” she teased.

 

“Nova, we’re not fully legal until I carry you over the threshold.”

 

“Then?” said Nova as she playfully pushed her husband.

 

“And then my love, we have to christen the house in a few places.” Derek said with an evil grin. “The bedroom, the guest room, the living room, the rec room, the bedroom, the dining room, the foyer, the bathroom, the Jacuzzi, the bedroom…”

 

“I think I like that idea,” said Nova as she winked at her husband.

 

“Ok…everything on board, we got everything, how about the portable comm-set?”

 

“Oh gosh, almost forgot about that thing.” Nova said. “We can’t leave it here for the next set of guests. I requisitioned it from Homer back home.”

 

“I’ll get it, babe…you just finish up here and I’ll go fetch it,” Derek said while heading back to the bungalow.

 

When he got back, he found Nova fast asleep in the front cockpit. He decided to leave her be and finished putting their stuff into the plane. He put their dress peacoats in last, since he knew they would need them back home. Once he was done, he strapped Nova into her seat, put her helmet on her head, kissed her before sealing the faceplate after turning on the air supply, and then he blasted off. Back to the home that awaited them on Great Island.

 


 

III. TOUCH DOWN TO REALITY

Great Island

July 8, 2204

Federal Air Station

1314 hrs

 


 

“This is zero niner zero to control tower …come in, control tower,” Derek said into the radio.

 

“This is control tower, zero niner zero, we’ve been expecting you Captain Wildstar and Mrs. Wildstar, you’re clear to land on runway 62S. Welcome home.”

 

“Thank you control tower, clear to land on runway 62S, preparing to land,” Derek said while looking at his sleeping wife. “Oh well I guess I’ll have to wake her,” he said to himself. Then, speaking more loudly, he said, “Nova, Nova honey, wake up we’re here!”

 

“MMM, what?, where are we?,” Nova asked while trying to wake up, “What do you mean we’re here?”

 

“Baby, you slept the whole way…we’re home, we are just about to land, so you have to put your seat back upright,” Derek told Nova.

 

“Oh my, I can’t believe I just did that, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t up to keep you company,” Nova replied.

 

“That’s OK…I just love watching you sleep and...” Derek was about to say when a familiar voice came over the radio.

 

“Captain Wildstar, Mrs Wildstar, this is Commanding General Hiram Singleton; on behalf of the Star Force and Earth we welcome you two home. Please report to my office once you land…we have a lot to discuss.”

 

“Roger, Commander…Captain Wildstar and Lieutenant.....,” Derek stopped and looked at Nova. “What shall we call you now for EDF purposes…Lieutenant Commander Forrester or Wildstar?”

 

“Well…considering that people will get confused over which one of us, I think its best to stay with my maiden name, so it’s Lieutenant Commander Forrester, if that’s OK with you, Captain Wildstar?” Nova replied.

 

“Hmmm,” said Derek as a sour look crossed his face. “Roger…sir… Captain Wildstar and Lieutenant Commander Forrester will be there…”

 

“Good,” said the Commander. “We have much to discuss…and an old friend of yours will be there to help brief you, too…”

 

“Acknowledged,” said Derek.

 

“It sounds as if I may have interrupted…a discussion between you and Lieutenant Commander…Forrester…so, we shall talk later,” said Singleton. “Please report to my office in EDF Headquarters after you land. I will expect you there at fourteen-thirty hours. Good luck.”

 

At that, the Commander cut off. 

 

Nova looked at her silent husband. “Are you mad?”

 

Derek then looked at Nova and just said “No. We can talk about this after we land…that’s all…”

 

“Is this going to be our first fight?” said Nova with a pleasant voice but fire in her dark brown eyes.

 

“Nova…we’ve really never discussed this before…I guess once we land we’ll need to talk about it.”

 

“Yes. We certainly will,” replied Nova. She looked at Derek with the strong will that she had which Derek knew all too well.

 

Derek thought, I guess I better prepare myself, I know she’ll win this one too..

 

As the Voyager finally landed, Derek and Nova looked around to see if there were any reporters lingering around. The last thing they needed right now were digital cameras flashing in their faces and lots of nosy, intrusive questions.

 

They looked in the distance to find someone approaching them on the taxiway.

 

“Sir, Ma’am, your car is over here,” said a young enlisted man as he saluted. “My name is Corporal Jack Middleton and I will be your driver, please step inside and I will take care of your luggage.”

 

As Middleton placed their things in the car Derek and Nova tried to sneak one last kiss before going to Singleton’s office. They were successful, but they sighed a little as Corporal Middleton got their heavy dress peacoats and helped them into them. Even though they were shorter summerweight jackets, and not the regular issue coats for Fleet duty, the two young officers soon felt a little hot in the navy blue and scarlet Naval peacoats with their high, stiff red collars that harkened back to Napoleonic days when military officers had dressed well.

 

Finally Middleton returned to the car and began driving back to the EDF Headquarters Building where Singleton waited for them.

 

Why couldn’t this wait until we were unpacked and settled in at home? Nova thought to herself.

 

Wildstar wondered also what was it that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. “I wonder what the Commander wants…I hope nothing is wrong, to come back from such a wonderful time with my wife to something else that can take us apart from each other” Derek said out loud.

 

“Oh Derek, do you think that we already have orders to leave somewhere? Or even worse, will you have leave on a mission that will take you away from me for a whole year?” Nova said looking at Derek with grief in her eyes. “I know they said they were rebuilding the Fleet with the relatively few ships they had left after we lost most of the Fleet to Lugal’s forces…but…?”

 

“I don’t know but I’m sure we will know in a few minutes, we are coming up to the building now,” Derek said.

 

The massive EDF Headquarters building loomed before them. Middleton pushed a few codes, and the aircar came off the main Government Center Circle Parkway that surrounded the main governmental buildings in the Capital of Earth, and it took a private exit that led right to one of the high-priority clear techtite vacuum tubeways that went right into the huge multi-storied Headquarters building. This tubeway led to around the eighteenth floor, around the Fleet Ops and BuShips levels. BuShips was the part of the EDF that designed new space and seagoing naval vessels and procured new ship construction for the Fleet.

 

The aircar finally came to a full stop and the door was opened by Middleton.

 

He said, “Sir, Ma’am…the Commander is waiting upstairs in his office on the sixty-fifth floor, oh…and by the way, welcome home…Captain and Mrs. Wildstar.”

 

“Thank you Corporal” Wildstar and Nova said in return.

 

Derek and Nova headed into the building and looked around “nothing’s changed” thought Derek as he looked around, watching male and female officers and enlisted men and women scurrying around in the standard blue EDF uniforms and different-colored coveralls of the different Headquarters units, punctuated here and there by robots of different classes.

 

Derek and Nova both waited for the elevator to come. Just as one opened its doors, their old friend Commander Stephen Sandor stood inside.

 

“HEY! Wildstar!”

 

“Sandor! How’s it going, what are you up to, Steve?”

 

“Design work. We have a Fleet to rebuild,” said Sandor.

 

“Nova…has this guy been taking good care of you?” Sandor said looking at Nova.

 

“What do you think?” said Nova. “Yes. Except for a little discussion whether I’m going on active duty as Lieutenant Commander Forrester or…”

 

“Wildstar,” blurted Derek.

 

“Forrester,” repeated Nova as she patted Derek’s cheek.

“Nova…you look absolutely radiant,” said Sandor. “It looks like marriage agrees with you and Wildstar. But didn’t you just get back? What are you doing here so soon? Couldn’t get enough of this place I see.”

 

“Naw, Sandor, Admiral Singleton wants to see us both in his office as soon as we landed. Any idea what this is about?” Derek ask Sandor in hopes that he knew something. After all, he knew that Steve had his ears at about a hundred different keyholes, so to speak, because of the friendships he had with all sorts of people here at Heaquarters.”

 

“Nope, sorry…” Sandor said. “I do know that there’s a rumor going around about a new space battleship or two, but they’re keeping news about the Arizona II class tighter than a drum.”

 

“What’s the Arizona II class?” said Derek.

 

“Supposedly, a super ship class they’re designing that’s eventually supposed to be the new EDF Flagship. You remember the Arizona we found crashed during the Solar Crisis on planet Beta?”

 

“Yes, she was lost looking for a New Earth,” sighed Nova. “The Bolar Federation chewed her to bits. Jason Jetter, IQ-9 and I explored that wreck. She was in pretty sad shape, and most of her crew had been reduced to skeletons,” said Nova as she shivered at the memory of almost tripping over the skeleton of what had once been an officer and friend she knew. 

 

“They’re supposedly building a new one,” said Sandor. “But if they are, they’re keeping me off that project. Maybe they remember how I criticized their last wonder ship classes, namely the Andromeda and the Inflexible-class.”

 

Derek sighed at that memory. The Inflexibles were the spanking new lead space battleships they had just lost to the Deinguils. Thanks to the Deinguil Hyper-Radiation Missiles, Admiral Geoff Rowland, the commander of the EDF Fleet in that battle, had been the latest Fleet Admiral to die, joining Admirals Gideon and Yamanami in the Beyond.
 

“Oh well…Derek…let’s get going…the sooner we get up, there the quicker we can get home and unpack our luggage. And we probably have a thousand gifts to unwrap, plus not to think of the thank-you notes we have to send out.” Nova said with a smile.

 

“OK you two, we’ll talk a little later when you’re all settled in. Good luck!” Sandor said waving goodbye after getting off on his floor around BuShips.  

 

The elevator continued on to the 65th floor. That was the floor that they were to get off at.

 

When the doors opened, Derek and Nova turned left to the office of General Singleton. They were greeted by the Adjutant, a post Nova had once occupied, and a post now being held by a young woman named Lieutenant Vanessa Jacobi. She looked good in the white jacket and skirt uniform that Nova herself had once worn as the Commander’s secretary and military aide. They were told to have a seat while the Commander got off the phone while Jacobi worked. Nova knew all too well that Vanessa had quite a job, since a Commanding General’s Aide had to not only take phone calls and do paperwork, he or she also had to decide who had priority to see him and speak to him, and who could be shunted to voice mail.

 

The Aide also had to decide what papers, reports and computer files the Commander actually had to see, and he or she had to decide the meeting agenda for the head General’s busy day. There were also travel vouchers, cutting orders at a moment’s notice, runs out to different stores and supply offices, and…yes, making the coffee. The coffee part was the only part of that job Nova had never quite mastered.

 

Nova, from experience, (having been smart enough to have served three tours of duty as Singleton’s aide, along with his grand-daughter Wendy Singleton) also knew that part of the job included keeping reporters out and keeping General Stone, the by-the-book but annoying Chief of Staff, from barging in on him. Nova remembered the times she had been forced to tell Stone, “Sir, he is busy. He will see you later.” Quite a few times, Stone had had harsh words with Nova. Once, he had even cursed her out and called her names that were so rude that later on, Nova had been forced to go into Singleton’s inner office and have a good cry while he gave her some brandy.

 

But, enough, thought Nova as she looked at Vanessa’s face and wondered how long she’d last in that hot seat. Quite a few men and women had been relieved of that post after run-ins with Stone or others of his ilk.

 

Two minutes later they were told to enter the office.

 

They did so, coming to attention and saluting as Singleton faced them in his imposing forest green uniform and white ascot.

 

The Commander returned the salute and said, “Welcome back Captain and Mrs Wildstar” as he then shook both of their hands. “It’s nice to see the both of you back, so how was the flight there and back?”

 

“Very good, sir,” lied Nova. She hadn’t seen much, after all, having been asleep during the flight.

 

“Great. I’m sure that Captain Wildstar was an excellent pilot and there were no bumps on the flight. Anyway, down to business. Have a seat.”

 

The two junior officers sat down, smoothing down their peacoats as they sat in comfortable chairs before Singleton’s large desk.

 

Then, Singleton said into his intercom, “Send him in, Jacobi.”

 

“Yessir,” she said in clipped tones. Nova’s eyebrows went up as she heard a little yelp from the secretary as the intercom cut off…

 

And…a moment later, IQ-9 rolled into the office.

 

“IQ!” said Derek.

 

“IQ-9, are you being good?” said Nova.

 

“No. Your legs are much lovelier than Lieutenant Jacobi’s, Nova!” chirped the little red Analysis robot.

 

“IQ, you are talking about my…” said Derek.

 

“Derek, Tinwit is just talking,” said Nova. “Okay. Why are you here?”

 

“I was asked to be here by the General, Nova,” said IQ-9. “I have technical data pertinent to this meeting.”

 

“I see,” sighed Derek. A technical briefing? Darn. Captain Wildstar’s face went just a little sour at the thought of a data-dump.

 

Singleton said, “He is cleared to discuss classified information, Wildstar. I know that you two are in a hurry to get home and unpack. I’ve already sent the driver to the house to drop off your suitcases and he should be waiting for you when you leave here. As for my asking you two here in such a quick time, I’ll get to that right now. It has to do with your new orders.”

 

“Orders?” said Derek.

 

“Yes. As you know when before you left for your honeymoon, both your orders were not set in stone. Well after strong consideration, I manage to convince the EDF to place you both on the next flight to Pluto that leaves in about one month for training.”

 

“Training?” said Derek. He looked hard at Nova.

 

“Yes. Training aboard a new command for you, Wildstar. It is not a moment of crisis, so the Star Force is not being reunited as of yet. Instead, many Star Force officers are in other commands, training new officers and men. Cory Conroy will be at the Earth Defense Academy this fall. Chris Eager will soon be Executive Officer of the destroyer Fuyuzuki now. Homer Glitchman will be running communications training at High Point Base in North America. Dash will be aboard one of our new cruisers. Likewise, you two will be training new officers. Together.”

 

“Together?” said Derek and Nova with a sudden look of shock on their faces.

 

“Yes. Together. At Pluto, you will then broad the new space battleship Endeavor where you, Captain Wildstar will take command…and you Lieutenant Commander Forrester…? Or is it Wildstar now?”

 

“We are still debating that, sir,” Nova said.

 

“Its Lieutenant Commander Forrester, sir” Wildstar jumped in with a slight sigh while Nova’s eyes lit up.

 

“Lieutenant Commander Forrester…you will continue your work as Senior Living Group Officer, Head Nurse, and Cosmo-Radar officer…That’s if you both can handle continuing to work with each other in the Fleet?” General Singleton asked.

 

“We should have no problem, sir,” said Derek as he looked at Nova.

 

“She’s blushing!” chirped IQ-9.

 

“I am not!” snapped Nova.

 

“Are too!”

 

“Not!”

 

“You are, Nova,” said IQ-9.

 

Nova was tempted to grab down and pull off her shoe and throw it at him (as she had a few times when she had been Adjutant), but as she reached for her ankle, she remembered she had her black service boots on. Pulling off a boot in front of the Commander would have been embarrassing, while losing a shoe (as she had done once in that situation) would have been even worse.  

 

General Singleton cleared his throat and said, “IQ-9, give us a techical briefing on the Endeavor project. That is why you are here.”

 

“Yessir,” he said as he turned his dome a certain way, all business now as he focused on a spot in front of the desk. Nova gasped as one of his forward sensor units lit up and a beam of light appeared, followed by a hologram of a baby-blue and royal blue space battleship cruising through the stars.

 

“This,” said IQ-9. “Is a computer animation of the new Arizona II class of space battleships. The first ship of the class, the Arizona II, was, unfortunately, not finished in enough time for the battle with the Denguils to act as EDF Flagship. Neither was her sister ship, the Endeavor.”

 

“The Arizona II and Endeavor are intended to act as command ships and long-range exploration and patrol ships,” continued IQ-9. “If the Yamato had survived, she would have received a new upgrade and refit to make her similar to those ships. The topic of such a salvage and refit is still being considered by the Earth Defense Council…”

 

“What?” said Captain Wildstar, utterly shocked. “But the Yamato is gone…she’s a wreck in an ice asteroid orbiting Earth, and…”

 

IQ-9,” said Singleton in clipped tones. “They are not cleared for that!”

 

“I may have said too much,” said IQ-9. “I apologize. The Endeavor and Arizona II are each 280 meters long, with a gross mass of ninety-three thousand metric tons,” said IQ-9 as he showed details of the two ships, which looked like slightly larger versions of the original space battleship Arizona, which had been lost at Beta. Derek also noticed quite a resemblance to the Yamato in Endeavor’s sleek bridge tower and topsides.

 

“The Endeavor, the main point of discussion,” continued IQ-9 as he showed more holograms of the sleek light blue battleship, “has a heavy armament of pulse lasers, attack missiles, counterattack missiles, smokestack missiles, and four main shock cannon turrets. The main guns have a range of eighteen megameters. The wave motion gun of this ship has a range of thirty megameters and is switchable between straight blast and dissemination modes. She can mount two Cosmo Hound warp-capable boats, eight medical boats, six landing boats, and up to sixty fighters. She will not have a whole complement on this mission; she will be carrying a squadron of Super Star Fighters, one command Super Star fighter, and two squadrons of Cosmo Tiger II’s. The Endeavor has just been completed and is on her way to Pluto now with a skeleton crew undergoing initial trials. Captain Wildstar will be her first operational Captain. If he accepts the command, that is.” IQ-9 shut off his holo-projector and then Singleton turned to Wildstar.

 

“Wildstar,” he said as he stood and put his hand on Derek’s shoulder. “When you resigned the command of the Yamato after losing so many men and women in that first battle with the Deinguils, I knew this day would come. I am offering you a chance to finish redeeming yourself with the Captain’s papers for this new ship. I feel you and Nova would be great together assisting a small cadre of young officers in training new men and women aboard the Endeavor as a test project. Although this is not the Star Force, consider yourself the Avatar of a new Yamato on this mission, training the finest young men and women of the Fleet for new tasks. If all goes well, and I’m assuming it will, then the EDF will have no excuse to placing you both with each other on other missions in the future. Unless you decide, Lieutenant Commander Forrester, to resign and go start a family.”

 

“Well, sir, Captain Wildstar and I have spoken on that subject and we have decided to wait a while longer,” Nova said as she looked towards Derek’s way.

 

“Yes sir, we did agree…” Derek responded to her statement.

 

“Well then, I won’t hold you up any further; I know that you have plenty to do once you’re home and just a quick reminder. We will be all meeting at Heroes’ Hill tomorrow at 0700 sharp if you both wish not to attend we all will understand after all you both need to get back into the swing of the things.”

 

“We will be there…nothing can keep us away,” Derek replied.

 

“Good,” said Singleton. Finally…two more things, My niece, Wendy, and Homer are getting married in six months. I am sure that they will be telling you both together once they know you’re back, they would like you two to attend after your mission is over. And last but not least, you both have 3 weeks’ leave to settle into your new life together before preparation for your mission. With that…good luck and Godspeed, and you are dismissed.” General Singleton said.

 

With that, he signed at them to both step out the door, so that they couldn’t respond; that would mean they be there for hours catching up on the new mission and he didn’t want to take up any more time on their return home. He and IQ-9 had told them enough.

 

IV. ONWARDS TO MARRIED LIFE…

Great Island

July 8, 2204

1600 hrs

 

As Derek and Nova stood outside of the Commander’s door, they just looked at each other. Derek finally took Nova’s hand and started walking back to the elevators. She knew all to well not to speak out in the open so she took his hand and followed him back.

 

As they entered the elevator they continued to be in their own thoughts, not saying a word about the mission to each other until they got home. “The walls have ears” Nova said to Derek as he smiled and nodded at his wife.

 

Once downstairs, they waited outside for their car, which they were told, the Corporal would be bringing around to the park before EDF Headquarters. They both looked at each other and decided to walk around the grounds until the car returned. They told the guard at the front door to have the car wait until they came back in a few minutes. The guard nodded and Derek and Nova started to walk away.

 

They walked and talked about nothing in general, then Derek turned to Nova and spoke, “I know we never discussed the whole last name thing…at first it did bother me that you wouldn’t take my last name for professional reasons, but I understand now. With the new orders I wouldn’t want everyone to be confused as to who’s who.”

 

“I’m sorry that we didn’t talk about this earlier, but I really didn’t want to use your name as a coat tail, Derek. And if its any consolation, I am Mrs. Derek Wildstar outside of the office.” Nova said as she spotted the car pull up.

 

They both walked back to the car and hopped in as quickly as the day has passed.

 

When they were finally home, in their foyer, they stood amongst boxes and boxes of gifts that were left for them to open when they return. “Oh goodness, this is going to take the 3 weeks that we have off” Nova said with a sigh as she sat down on a small bench after shrugging off her peacoat. She pulled off her boots and put them in a shoe rack in a closet in the foyer, not bothering with house slippers on this warm late afternoon as she stood barefoot on the cool tile floor of their elegant new house.

 

Nova knew the place better than Derek did. It had been left to them by Captain Avatar, who was the previous actual owner of the house. He had lived in the house while he had been recovering from the operation that had brought him back from near-death, until he had been evacuated right before the Black Nebulans had invaded Earth. Nova had then found herself as a prisoner of Sub-Lieutenant Alfon of the Black Nebulans, living in one of the guest rooms in a sad existence as Alfon’s servant while she had been spying on him. Nova had told Derek about that miserable existence many times, so she had found it ironic that she and Derek had been left this house by old Avatar (who had reclaimed the place after the events of December 2202) before he had left on Yamato’s last mission.

 

“I know it’ll take a long time,” Derek said, “But…let’s wait until tomorrow and start on that and come out here. Let’s go outside a minute.”

 

Nova walked outside with Derek, not knowing what he wanted. Then, with one quick swoop he scooped her up and carried her over the threshold of their home. They kissed and Derek put her down and said “Now we are legal…finally!” Nova laughed out loud and then they kissed again.

 

“Gosh, what time is it?” Derek asked.

 

“Why its only 1700 hours, but it feels like midnight,” Nova said to Derek. “I’m tired…”

 

“Well…Mrs Wildstar why don’t we grab an early dinner out at Andrea’s and then relax among these piles of boxes?”

 

“Yeah…maybe I’ll find a blender,” said Nova as she yawned.

 

“Or two or three blenders,” retorted Derek.

 

Nova just laughed as she went into the master bedroom to change out of her traveling clothes. When she walked into the room, she noticed that someone was already there and had turn down the bed. “How inviting it looks” she thought. “I could just lay down and sleep til morning.” Derek came in after to change, as well... as he looked towards the bed he looked at his sleepy wife and said “Turning in already?”

 

“No silly, someone turned down the bed for us, must have been Wendy and Homer. I’ll be ready in a minute!” Nova yelled back from her new walk-in closet.

 

Derek went into his own closet and looked for some comfortable clothes. He put on a pair of beige slacks with a black dress shirt and matching belt and shoes. When he stepped out of the closet, he found Nova in a nice little red strappy just above-the knee dress that showed off her lightly tanned bare shoulders and shoulder length hair. Again, she had a simple cross for a necklace, the one that she never took off. Finally, she was busy strapping on a nice pair of open strappy sandals that flattered her petite ankles and feet.

 

Gosh, she has great legs, Derek thought to himself as he looked at her smooth bare legs as she pirouetted while putting on some perfume. They’re in top and fit shape, yet very delicate to the eyes.

 

Nova examined her husband and gave an approving nod. She always knew that he looked good in civilian clothes. “You look great, Derek!”

 

“And you look great too, I might have to keep you inside this house. Someone might want to take you away!”

 

“Oh, you!” laughed Nova.

 

“So, where would you like to go, Nova?”

 

“Oh lets go to Andrea’s! They know us there and it’s quiet and there are no reporters.”

 

“Darn them, always bugging us,” said Derek. “Sounds good to me.”

 

Derek smiled and grabbed her by the waist and both went to their new car, heading to Andrea’s.

 

Dinner was quiet and filling.

 

Andrea himself greeted them at the door and whisked them to a private table in the back.

 

The food and wine were excellent as usual, and before they knew it, it was already 2100 hours.

 

This was very late for them, considering all the traveling and then the visit to the Commander’s office.

 

By the time they reached the house, it was 2214 hrs and they were both exhausted.

 

As they both undressed, Derek took Nova’s hand and he carried her to the bed where he made mad passionate love to her.

 

She didn’t mind one bit as she responded to the lovemaking, enjoying the fireworks as she enjoyed loving Derek, and being loved by him.

 

Finally, with happy tears in her eyes, she yawned and cuddled Derek skin-to-skin while her husband pulled down the covers, and admired her, naked except for her necklace.

 

They talked a little, and then, a few minutes passed.

 

Derek felt an odd presence as he pulled the light topsheet up over Nova’s breasts.

 

Not sure if he was imagining it or not, Derek thought he saw the ghostly form of an old man in a dark Naval coat looking at them.

 

The old man looked just like…

 

“Captain Avatar?” whispered Derek.

 

Avatar’s spectre seemed to nod…and wink at them. Derek then sat up a little in bed, holding Nova as a breeze blew in through the open window.

 

Derek thought he smelled cherry blossoms on the breeze. Wrong time of the year for cherry blossoms, he thought as he looked up at the stars. Then, he looked at Nova again. As he looked over at her, she was already in a deep sleep.

 

“Good night Mrs. Wildstar. I love you,” whispered Derek as he kissed her sleeping face.

 

Derek lay back and within seconds he too was out like a light.

 

TO BE CONTINUED….