Chapter Five

Genuine optimism wasn’t something Rhys was used to feeling over the last few days, but as he opened his eyes to the light that streamed in through his artificial window he did so with a smile. He kneeled on the bed and rested his arms against the windowsill, though he knew there would be nothing to see.

To maintain the crew’s sanity on the longer voyages through space, all the rooms were fitted with ‘windows’ that mimicked the times of day, and even had a few weather patterns loaded in. When it was switched off, all there was to see was a featureless pale blue screen. Though it imitated the passing of the sun, there was no discernible light source.

In actuality, behind that wall was Lieutenant Cooper’s quarters. Spacecraft could never be fitted with any windows, and the ship’s exterior shell was inaccessible to all but authorised maintenance crews. Only the main bridge was unprotected by the double-walls, or in the case of newer models, triple walls, that lined every ship.

Rhys checked the time to see that outside it would actually be light; he had slept through the entire morning darkness. It was not long after midday and thus the sun would have just risen.

There were no signs that Twitch had already been, but Rhys didn’t have long to wait before the door beeped twice and hissed open.

He turned around, but his optimistic smile very quickly faded from his face. Twitch was not alone. The mustelid looked terrified by his company; Lieutenant Cooper. As for Cooper himself, he looked confused and enraged at the same time.

“Get down from there. Where’s Captain Griffiths?” Cooper demanded of Rhys, who found his voice completely lacking. Cooper impatiently waited for a few seconds for Rhys to splutter wordlessly. “Answer me weasel. I know you’re up to something. I followed this one away from here yesterday.” He pushed Twitch to the ground, who fell with a brief cry, but did not resist as Cooper placed his foot against his back. Twitch was bleeding from a cut on his forehead.

Rhys slowly stood up and jumped down from the bed, terribly aware of how short he was now compared to Cooper. Whereas he had once been the taller, he now barely reached halfway up his first officer’s chest. One of the things Rhys had never tolerated on his ship was violence. Though he had always assumed it went on behind his back, he had never condoned his crew to assault mustelids either.

“Let him go,” Rhys said quietly in a voice that quivered with fear and fury. His hands formed fists by his hips, prepared to fight if it came to that. He would not act passively like Twitch had, like all mustelids did. While as a human he had been competent at hand-to-hand combat; it had been part of his training, he wasn’t as confident as a mustelid. This body didn’t feel strong.

Cooper just laughed. “What? What authority could you possibly have over me, weasel?”

“As captain of this ship,” Rhys replied, flourishing his captain’s epaulettes, which he had been storing in his pocket. It took him a moment to realise that Cooper probably wouldn’t believe that in the slightest. He was absolutely correct, and Cooper laughed again, but behind his mirth was a steely glint in his eye that made Rhys take a sudden step backwards.

“It would take a mustelid to make a lie so blatant,” he said coldly, approaching Rhys. He covered the distance between them in a couple of steps and snatched the epaulettes away from Rhys’ unmoving fingers. Cooper took him by the collar and threw him against the wall. “Where is Captain Griffiths?” he demanded.

Rhys slowly stood up and spat blood on the floor. So much for not acting passively. He felt his ribs tentatively and ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, making sure nothing was broken or missing. He glared at Cooper. “No matter what you may think, or what I look like, you have just struck a superior officer,” he said. Twitch sidled to his side and stood just behind him.

“You are not the fucking captain of this ship. You’re not even human,” Cooper said, raising his hand to strike Rhys again.

Acting instinctively, Rhys blocked the attack and struck out with his own hand, jabbing Cooper in the ribs. Though it lacked the strength he could usually muster, the blow was still enough to shock Cooper into taking a couple of steps back. “I did notice that, Mr Cooper. There was an incident with the teleporters. They made me like this. Now, will you please get out of my quarters before you destroy your career further,” Rhys said. With difficultly he managed to keep his voice calm and even.

“I don’t know what’s got into your mind, weasel, but I will never believe you’re Captain Griffiths, no matter how many times you say it,” Cooper said, his voice beginning to rise to dangerous levels. His hands were flexing repeatedly by his side as though it was a struggle simply not to throttle Rhys there and then.

With that observation in mind, Rhys knew he was taking a massive risk by simply saying, “Leopold Grundy.”

Cooper’s fury seemed to collapse in on itself, a bad sign Rhys knew. He would have taken a step back from the white-faced officer had he not already been pressed against the wall. “How do you know that name?” Cooper said in a voice barely more than a strained whisper. The colour returned to his face as his rage violently exploded with far more force than before. “Answer me, you fucking animal.”

Rhys struggled to remain calm with the tempest raging before him. “Admiral Garter told me all about your history when he appointed me captain of this ship. Only him, Chancellor Roberts, and myself know about it,” he said with only the slightest squeak of fear in his voice.

Something snapped within Cooper’s mind. “Shut the fuck up,” he bellowed, bringing down a rain of blows to Rhys’ body.

Though Rhys tried to defend himself, Cooper’s strength was too great and he took powerful punches to his head, neck, and body before he was forced to the ground. Cooper reached down to grab Rhys, who then reacted on pure instinct. He tasted blood as he bit down on Cooper’s outstretched hand.

Cooper howled in pain and forced his hand from Rhys’ grip. He picked the mustelid up by the collar and threw him right out the still-open door. “Get out of here you disgusting creature. I never want to see you on this ship again,” he yelled.

Cooper then turned to Twitch, but he fled before the human could grab him. The door closed behind them.

“Great, thrown out of my own quarters,” Rhys said, rubbing the back of his head where he had hit the corridor wall. He grimly got to his feet and for a moment entertained the thought of opening the doors and confronting Cooper again, but thought better of it. The back of his head was pounding from the impact with the wall.

Twitch was staring at him, his mouth open and ears perked upright.

“What?” Rhys asked.

“I’ve never seen a mustelid stand up to a human before. That was amazing,” he said in absolute awe.

“I shouldn’t have bit him.”

“No, that was cool. You know how much respect you’ll get when you tell the others that you stood up to him like that? You’ll be a hero to them.”

Rhys shook his head, not to disagree with Twitch, but more as the reality of what had just happened overtook him. This was a very bad situation. He had been assaulted by his first officer, who had refused to believe his new identity. Rhys had to go to Admiral Garter about this, but before that he needed to see Sparks. The doctor would need to publically announce Rhys’ ‘condition’ and the reason he had been kept in isolation for so long. Admiral Garter had to be told the truth before he was made aware of Cooper’s misinformed opinion.

“Come on, change of plan,” he told Twitch. Together, they hurried through the ship down to the medical bay. Rhys glanced nervously up at everyone they passed, but no one even spared them a second glance.

Sparks was clearly surprised to be interrupted by the two mustelids. It also took him a few moments to recognise Rhys. His eyes widened slightly as he looked from one to the other. “Glad to see you up and about again,” he said as he gestured for them both to enter his small office, just off to the side of the medical ward. Rhys noticed that instead of focussing on him, Sparks looked at the foot of empty space between him and Twitch.

The office was very cramped. A small desk dominated the centre of the room. It was barely big enough for the computer, books, and paperwork that had been spread over it. Each wall was completely covered in filing cabinets and bookshelves, which were themselves overflowing with various reference books. There wasn’t much room to stand.

Rhys wasted no time in informing Sparks of the reason for their visit. “You have to tell Admiral Garter about the teleporter and all of this.”

“What happened?” Sparks asked, instantly aware that something had gone amiss.

“Cooper followed Twitch up to my quarters – who you sent up to me, didn’t you?” Sparks and Twitch shared a guilty glance with one another, and Rhys knew he had his culprits. They didn’t need to say anything in their defences, for there were currently bigger concerns. “Cooper refused to believe me when I said who I was. He physically assaulted me, and I fear he’s going to take his story to the admiral. We need to make sure Admiral Garter knows the truth first.”

“Cooper attacked you? That would mean...”

“He’ll never work on my ship again,” Rhys finished for the doctor, but that hadn’t been his train of thought.

“Well, yeah, obviously. But it’s more than that. You stood up to him. You must have fought back,” Sparks said. Silently, Twitch vigorously nodded his head.

“How did you know that?”

“Because you’re not a sorry, bloody mess of broken bone. I know all about Giles Cooper’s temper. And his background.”

Rhys stared in absolute shock. He had just told Cooper that only three people in Spaceways knew about his past because that’s what he had believed to be the case. Sparks was definitely not on that list, and yet, the evidence to the contrary was obvious. How the doctor knew beggared belief.

“People in my trade get access to a lot more information than you may think,” Sparks explained. He opened one of the many filing cabinets around them, revealing rows of thick files, all labelled with a name, some of which Rhys recognised. “Patient histories. They give a lot of information, including what ships a person has been treated on. I know all about Cooper’s time with Leopold.”

“Leopold? You mentioned him before. Who is he?” Twitch asked, looking between Rhys and Sparks.

“Leopold Grundy is the real name of the Silver Fox. You’ve heard of him, right?” Sparks said.

“Yeah, of course. The pirate,” Twitch said, brandishing an imaginary sword as he spoke. The Silver Fox had been rumoured to carry one of the archaic weapons. “Even we have stories about him. You know he had a mustelid on his crew?”

“I don’t know about that, but he was the greatest threat to TIE, discounting the CGP. Hardly anyone knew his real name, or where he was based. Giles Cooper was his first officer for many years, but he turned traitor and handed Leopold over to TIE. We never knew what his motives were, but as a reward he just asked to be enrolled in the Spaceways,” Rhys said. This had all happened before he had completed his training, but Garter had told him the entire story. There had never been any troubles with Cooper’s conduct, though Sparks was right to point out his notoriously short temper. There were more urgent concerns than Cooper’s past though. It was what Cooper was doing at the present that filled Rhys with worry.

Leaving the two mustelids behind, Sparks went away to find the admiral.

Twitch gazed at Rhys with a look of pure admiration in his eyes. An awkward silence stretched out, until Twitch finally broke it. “I have never seen a mustelid stand up to a human before, you know. Never even heard of it happening.” He started pacing the room restlessly. Rhys could sense the thought that was forming in Twitch’s mind, as though he was weaving it with his footsteps and creating a banner proclaiming his mind. Sure enough, Twitch added, “You could help us – inspire us. We don’t like our position, and with you we could change that.” 

“Hang on a minute. You want me to lead a revolt?”

Twitch nodded, his eyes wide in his excitement.

“Don’t you think it’s a little early for any of that?” Rhys said weakly.

“Why?”

Rhys sighed and sat down awkwardly, the chair not accommodating his tail very well. “I can’t be seen at the front of an army or rebellion against the Empire. I still have my career to think of. I won’t stand idly by and let any poor treatment of muste... of us go without punishment, but I can’t lead a revolt.”

It was the first time that Rhys had referred to himself as a mustelid in a manner that didn’t sound like a curse. The affray with Cooper hadn’t destroyed his self-opinion, like it would have done just a few days earlier. Instead it had only solidified his resolve to be accepted in Spaceways and continue to excel. He now understood that he would have to replace some of his crew, but that was a problem he was willing to overcome.

“I hope you’ll keep that promise,” Twitch said before falling silent. They waited for the doctor and admiral in the ward.

Sparks returned a few minutes later. He was in the middle of an animated conversation with Admiral Garter.

The admiral started when he saw the two mustelids waiting for them in the main ward. “These are your ulterior motive for bringing me here, Doctor Sparks?”

“Yes. I’ll make it brief, don’t worry. I want you to tell me, Admiral: can you tell any difference between these two mustelids?”

“Most humans can’t tell apart two mustelids aside from any obvious height and fur colour differences. I, however, have worked with a lot more mustelids than most, and can identify individuals with relative ease. Between these two though, I can’t see a single difference,” Garter said, looking very intently at Rhys and Twitch.

“That’s because there isn’t any. These two are completely identical, Admiral,” Sparks said.

Admiral Garter didn’t appear too impressed by such a revelation. “I’m sure there are identical twins amongst mustelids as well as us, Doctor. Now can you please take me through to Captain Griffiths,” he said.

“I’ll take you in a minute, I promise. This is important though. These two mustelids weren’t born identical. They became it.”

This time Admiral Garter’s interest was betrayed by the slightest rise of his eyebrow. “Go on.”

“When the teleporters malfunctioned about a week ago, they lost the second one’s genetic information. Instead it replaced it with an exact copy of the first mustelid, who had gone through about thirty seconds earlier, effectively creating a clone of the first with the mind and personality of the second.” Sparks spoke quickly. Rhys could feel the tension rising. His fingers grasped the side of the gurney behind him.

Admiral Garter appeared struck dumb. He looked again at the two mustelids, closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “The teleporter attendant told me Rhys came down just after a mustelid when the system malfunctioned,” he said eventually in a very quiet voice. He turned back to Sparks. “Which is he?”

Wordlessly, Sparks pointed to Twitch. Twitch then pointed to Rhys, and Sparks quickly corrected himself.

“Good afternoon, Admiral,” Rhys said, not quite able to meet Admiral Garter’s eyes. He noticed his hands were fiddling with his tail, so he placed them flat against the gurney again.

Admiral Garter had to sit on the closest chair to him for support. “Captain Griffiths? Well, I must say, when I heard you had been taken ill, this was not what I expected.”

“The illness was all up here, Admiral,” Rhys said, tapping the side of his head. “It took, and still will take, a lot of getting used to.”

“And you feel you’ll be ready to resume your usual duties soon?”

Rhys’ ears perked up. Admiral Garter wouldn’t have asked that question if he didn’t still have trust in him. “As soon as I’ve cleared some trouble I’ll need your help with, Admiral.”

“Do explain.”

Rhys told Admiral Garter about the incident with Cooper, not leaving out any piece of detail, not even the embarrassing matter of biting his first officer. Admiral Garter didn’t say anything as Rhys spoke. He just clasped his hands beneath his chin and bowed his head slightly.

“You are right of course,” he said once Rhys had finished. “Lieutenant Cooper’s position has become quite untenable. And yes, I will make public knowledge of your new identity. I shall take your doctor here and get him to inform your crew, with my backing. I shall then spread the word to the rest of the port, and then on to Chancellor Roberts.”

“Thank you, Admiral. Have you received any word from him about the Dawn?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t have heard that yet. The chancellor said that no blame could be laid on anybody present. A review will be put into place over the inadequacy of the defence systems here. He also, upon hearing of your illness, wished you a prompt return to... well, to your usual self.”

“I think we can both agree that’s a long shot, Admiral,” Rhys said quietly.

There was a smile on Admiral Garter’s usually taciturn face. It was the closest Rhys had seen him come to humour. “Indeed,” he said, nodding his head in dismissal of the captain. He turned to take his leave, before pausing to add one last thing. “Be present at briefing tomorrow at 0900 hours in the control tower, when I can tell you more about the chancellor’s report, but right now I have other pressing matters to deal with. I will give you special mitigation for the time being, given your exceptional circumstances, but do try and find a uniform more suitable for your rank. Doctor Sparks, if you’d care to follow me.”

Rhys assured Admiral Garter that he would be present in the morning. As soon as Admiral Garter had left with Sparks, Rhys turned to Twitch. “I think we’re overdue a visit to the other mustelids, don’t you?” he said. A great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Admiral Garter had not even questioned his ability to resume his usual duties. There was more than just a faint hope in Rhys’ mind now. There was a realisation that, with Admiral Garter’s support, things may not really change at all.

Twitch grinned wildly and practically dragged Rhys from the medical ward. “Trust me on this, they’re going to absolutely love you,” he said.

No one gave a second glance at the sight of the two identical mustelids walking through the Harvester and then out through the port. In fact Rhys wasn’t even convinced anyone realised that the two were identical. Surely if they had it would have drawn at least a curious glance.

If Rhys were to be honest, he had absolutely no idea where they were going. He had been to Normandy many times before and had spent most of the last few months in the spaceport, but he wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for where the resident mustelids lived. Never once before had he ever felt the need to go find them. Despite Admiral Garter’s support, Rhys noted that things clearly had changed if he was now willingly seeking out their company.

The answer to his questions on where the mustelids dwelt was on the very outskirts of the port. It was one of the newer buildings, which actually surprised Rhys a bit. He had expected them to be holed away in one of the older and shabbier corners of the spaceport. It was also one of the few structures in the spaceport that rose above the ground. Only the control tower and a half dozen other small buildings cleared the surface.

The mustelids’ residence was a tall and sprawling warehouse-like building consisting of just a single level, or so it appeared from the outside at least. There was only a single entry that Rhys could see; a large double door that rose almost to the roof. It was absurdly tall for use by the mustelids. In fact Rhys would have considered it too tall even if it had been used by humans. Then Twitch pushed opened the door and all thoughts were knocked out of his mind.

“Oh shit, they’ve cloned Twitch,” was the first thing Rhys heard as he stepped inside. A flood of other comments followed shortly after.

“Not with a cardinal around they wouldn’t. Church banned that stuff ages ago.”

“There’s a cardinal here? Better not go out unless it’s really necessary then. You know what they’re like.”

“I know, right. Always after our fur, the religious pricks.”

“So why the two Twitches then? One was bad enough. No offence to you Twitch.”

“None taken.”

“Come on, start explaining then. Don’t say you’re out of words ‘cause we won’t believe you.”

“Yes, we’ll explain everything,” Twitch said, pulling Rhys closer to him. For a moment there was a bit of silence, and Rhys was able to catch up with his senses and take stock of where he was. The entire building appeared to be just a single, massive room. Down each wall was a row of beds, but there was little else to furnish the room. At the far end was a woefully small kitchen, where a couple of mustelids were working, creating a tantalising aroma of fried fish. Near the ceiling there was a collection of vents that regulated the temperature inside. For all the newness of the building, everything inside was all rather archaic.

As soon as the doors had opened, all the mustelids within, which Rhys had made a conservative guess was around fifty, had gathered close. They were all wearing the same blue overalls Rhys and Twitch were wearing. All of them were eager to know who the stranger was in their midst, and they especially wanted to know why this stranger was physically exactly the same as another of their number.

Rhys would admit it to no one, but he was absolutely terrified, and he hoped no one would be able to see him shaking. He was no longer quite sure if this had been such a good idea. If the mustelids rejected him...

“This must be all the mustelids in the port, surely?” he whispered under his breath. He hadn’t realised there was so many of them here.

“Yeah, we only work during the weekdays. We all get today and tomorrow off, and we have no place better to be than here,” Twitch replied, just as quietly. Then he turned his attention back to the other mustelids, who were crowding close, eager for answers.

Of all the tactful and diplomatic ways that Twitch could have explained the situation, he chose the bluntest and simplest. “My new twin here is none other than Rhys Griffiths.”

His name was evidently not unfamiliar amongst the mustelids.

“Captain Rhys Griffiths?” was the most repeated response to that piece of news.

 “He has to be joking, right?” usually followed straight after, but the mustelids soon came to realise that Twitch had not, in fact, been joking at all. Though it was hard for some of them to believe, they were really looking at Captain Rhys Griffiths.

“He hasn’t been seen for a while...”

“And there was that thing with the teleporters...”

Then one of them laughed. A female near the back. “If this is true, then it is good for us. He’s a captain. He has more authority than any mustelid has ever had. He can help us,” she said as she started to push her way towards the front of the crowd.

Then another piped up. “But does he consider himself a mustelid?” he said sceptically. At once, all eyes turned on the pair of Rhys and Twitch. Clearly they were a little unsure as to which one precisely they were meant to be staring at, so they settled for both at the same time.

Rhys knew he had to say something now. “I can never be human again,” he said, diplomatic where Twitch had been blunt. “If I don’t consider myself a mustelid, then what else am I?”

“Neither us nor them,” the sceptical mustelid said. A few others murmured in agreement.

“He doesn’t care for us,” another said. “He only comes here asking for our help because no one else will give it. Just because he looks like one of us doesn’t mean he’s like us on the inside. He’s still the same, uncaring human he always was.”

Rhys looked down at his feet. “I know I have done nothing to deserve your help. You have no reason to trust me. I don’t know how much sway my word as captain has here, but I promise you I can change my ways.”

That seemed to satisfy the majority of the mustelids as for a moment there was a short silence filled only by the whir of the vents high above them. Rhys thought back to what he had heard earlier and was intrigued. “How do you need help?” he asked.

His question opened a floodgate of answers, with many of the mustelids eager to make their opinion heard. There were so many voices speaking over the top of each other that Rhys couldn’t make heads or tails of anything anyone was trying to tell him. He couldn’t even pick up on whether the dominant emotion was hope at his acceptance to help or anger at his ignorance of how they needed it. Rhys was paralysed by the hopelessness of trying to decipher everything.

Then someone picked up a bit of common sense. “Quiet!” a powerful voice yelled across all the babble. Silence soon fell at the request of the one mustelid, a large male with coffee-coloured fur. After a few moments Rhys recognised him as the one who had been working with Twitch on the Europa.

“David Reynolds,” Twitch whispered to Rhys. Then he surprised Rhys by adding, “He’s my partner. And I don’t mean work partner, which he is too. But you know what I mean, right?”

That explained something at least. Rhys now had a reason why Twitch had been so fascinated by his body back in his quarters. He thought he should feel disturbed or something, but continued to surprise himself when he realised he didn’t. He shook his head once and placed his hand on Twitch’s shoulder. “I know what you mean,” he said. He thought for a moment, and added, “Just make sure he knows who is who between us, alright?”

Twitch smiled nervously. Both his ears were pulled back on his head in a movement Rhys was keen to remember. He wanted to learn every emotion, and he had the slight feeling he would be rather nervous quite a lot in the upcoming days.

David was staring at the two intently. Rhys felt a little embarrassed by his attention, especially knowing his relation to Twitch. Given he was identical to Twitch, well, his earlier comment had been flippant and without thinking about it too much. But what if David did think he was Twitch? Rhys told himself to forget it. The two were partners. He was sure that David would be able to tell if the mustelid he was with was his partner or someone still trying to come to terms with his new identity as a mustelid.

Then the female who had spoken up before had finally pushed her way to the front of the crowd. Twitch promptly introduced her as Steph Allen. She had a slight figure, and even as far as mustelids went, she was short. Her fur was a very dark brown, almost black.

“We do need help, Captain Rhys. We’re sick of being treated like we are. I’m sure you contributed to that somewhat, but I don’t judge you for that. You were simply acting as you were taught. I just hope you use this experience to see what we’re really like, and to end this treatment of us,” she said, making Rhys feel a little guilty despite himself for his past behaviour to mustelids.

“He was never as bad as some of the others,” one mustelid said, alleviating a little of the guilt.

“It’s just TIE though,” another mustelid added.

“And the Vatican,” a third said.

“The CGP humans treat mustelids as equal, I’ve heard,” the second mustelid continued.

“We haven’t got any proof of that though,” a fourth said. “And besides, the CGP don’t send their ships here, and we have next to zero a chance of leaving this desolate rock.”

Rhys felt physically sick as the guilt returned with the force of one of Cooper’s punches. The mere rumour that the CGP treated his new kind well would have been enough to make him uneasy. But he had been aboard a CGP ship, albeit a recently acquired one, less than two weeks prior. And what was more, he could confirm the rumour. Rhys did not like the fact that he could find equality amongst humans again if only he would fight against the Empire. But then he reminded himself that the emperor had not turned his back on him. Yet, added some insidious part of his mind, which he told to shut up and leave him alone. Still, the mustelids had a right to know. He had to tell them.

“I know the answer to that,” he said before anyone else could speak. “The Terrestrial Dawn defected a couple of weeks ago. I was onboard when it passed Ceres to pick up any who wished to join them. Their navigator was a mustelid.”

“A CGP ship? Here? Why didn’t we know about this?” David asked, regarding Rhys with suspicion. He wasn’t the only one. Everyone’s attention, even Twitch’s, was now on Rhys.

“I told you he was no different to the others,” a dissenting mustelid grumbled.

Rhys held his hands up defensively. “That was Admiral Garter’s decision, not mine. Though we were willing to inform you of the situation, and assist in the defence of the port if we were attacked, Captain LeFavre recommended against it. He thought you were more likely to flee to the Dawn,” he said. Then a small smile touched his lips. “You can’t deny he was right in his reason, but I understand now why you would be frustrated by his decision. I would have probably felt the same way.”

Was that really true? Had Rhys been a mustelid already, would he have turned to the CGP at the first given opportunity? He decided he wouldn’t even attempt to answer that question until a few more days had passed. Only once he knew the true opinions of TIE and Spaceways would he try and work out the truth.

“So will you help us?” Steph asked.

Rhys didn’t even need to think about that question. “I can’t lead a revolution, but I’ll do what I can,” he said, repeating the sentiments he had told Twitch not long earlier. The next moment he was bowled over as Twitch hugged him, clearly expecting Rhys to be able to stay on his feet. A chorus of laughs ran through the room before David came over to disentangle the two. There were still a few laughing when Rhys tentatively returned to his feet. And then he did something that probably had him confused for Twitch by quite a few present. He stuck his tongue out playfully at some of those still chuckling. He really felt quite giddy, and he briefly wondered if he had inherited Twitch’s maniacal hyperactivity. Then he decided he didn’t care either way.

“I knew you’d be alright,” Twitch said as he returned to his feet.

Already he felt quite a home amongst the mustelids. For the most part, they were willing to accept him, and so far he had already received very negative human reactions. Cooper had effectively deserted the ship after less than five minutes. At least he hadn’t noticed any condescending tones when talking with Doctor Sparks and Admiral Garter.

He still wanted to keep his position as captain, but already his justification for that was changing. It was less about personal gain anymore. He would use his authority to give equality to the mustelids in Spaceways, and eventually, throughout all of TIE. That way they wouldn’t have to risk everything in a desperate attempt to flee to the CGP. There would be people who would oppose. They would oppose vehemently. He understood there could even be some mustelids who would feel he was meddling in affairs that were not his own. But he was determined to succeed.

And then as suddenly as that, an idea came to his head that would help deal with two problems. It would fill in the new vacancy aboard the Harvester, as well as make a powerful message to the crew of his ship, and to the other captains of Spaceways. It was risky, and it went against Spaceways custom, but as far as Rhys could determine, it went against no legislation.

“Twitch?” he called out. The energetic mustelid poked his head out from between David’s arms at the sound of his name. “How would you like to be a first officer?”

For the third time, all the attention was on him again. “Can you do that?” David asked after realising that, for once, Twitch was actually speechless.

“The Harvester is my ship. Only I can make the decision on who can or can’t be on the crew,” Rhys replied nonchalantly.

“Couldn’t someone dismiss you though for employing a mustelid? Wouldn’t that give them a legitimate reason to get rid of you? Which they might want to do now,” David countered. But Rhys knew that the mustelids would have a fairly limited grasp of Spaceways policy.

“No one has the power to dismiss a captain based on who is in their crew,” Rhys said, knowing that to be a fact. As for dismissing a captain for being a mustelid, well, never had a mustelid even been a ranked official before, so he highly doubted it was written in legislation anywhere. He supposed he could pull up a defence of not being permitted to dismiss an officer because of personal prejudice or dislike.

“So, Twitch, what do you say?”

Finally Twitch broke his silence. “Of course I will,” he breathed, and became the first mustelid ever to be appointed an officer of rank on a TIE ship. Of course, Rhys would have to speak with Captain LeFavre, as Twitch was under service for the Normandy spaceport. But Rhys was hopeful there would be no problems there. He doubted the Cerian captain cared too much about the identity of his mustelids. David hugged his disbelieving and silent partner a little tighter. Rhys considered it quite an achievement to stun Twitch into silence and he watched the couple with interest.

Rhys then had to spend the next ten minutes being thanked by what he felt was every single mustelid that lived in the Normandy spaceport. Clearly the gesture of deciding to appoint Twitch as his first officer meant a great deal to them all. They didn’t form any orderly line, but jostled amongst each other and felt the need to raise their voices in an attempt to be heard. Eventually Rhys had to shout himself to try and find a little space for himself. He was flattered by the compliments, but just one thanks was enough. He didn’t need everyone to thank him individually.

No one seemed particularly keen on heeding his request though, but eventually every mustelid was given the opportunity to give their thanks. There were a few who hung back and refused to come close, but any protests to his presence were kept silent. After that their attentions turned to questions, and Rhys was asked virtually anything to do with human life. Some questions were rather personal, and he didn’t feel he could answer them in a public location. But some he was more than happy to give answers to. Even simple things like their diet were asked. One younger mustelid even asked why the humans didn’t have fur. Rhys had no idea how to answer that one, but tried nonetheless. He actually rather enjoyed the entire experience.

Sat on the edge of one of the many beds that lined the warehouse-like room, the mustelids gathered around by his feet as he spoke for hours. Rhys had his own questions too. When the mustelids’ queries seemed to be exhausted for the time being, about halfway through the afternoon, Rhys was able to ask the gathered crowd something that had been pressing on his mind all day.

“Why do you need me to help you? If you so desperately want to change things, why have you waited for someone like me to happen?”

There was a short period of uncomfortable silence before an answer was offered. It was the same little mustelid who had asked Rhys for help in the first place, Steph.

“We’ve been dominated by humans for over two hundred years. We have no authority amongst them and they never listen to us when we speak out. We’re a little short on confidence,” she said. She held her tail in her hands and looked down at Rhys’ feet bashfully.

“If one of us is successful, then others will follow,” another added. He was one of the few young mustelids that Rhys had seen. His furry face was beaming with youthful hope. It was an expression that was prevalent throughout the fifty-strong crowd gathered around Rhys.

“So I’m to be the inspiration for better things for you all?” Rhys said. That was something not too alien to Rhys. He had been idolised by the new recruits in the Cardiff Spaceways Academy when he had last visited to give some motivational speeches. Inspiring others was within his means. All he had to do was continue to excel, and given Admiral Garter’s support, Rhys had little doubt that he could achieve that.

“We need you to make some noise too. It’s not just mustelids here that need your help. Every mustelid in TIE needs to have someone to look up to,” Steph said.

Rhys looked around at the expectant faces. This was a chance they had all hoped for, yet believed would never happen. The true realisation of the task at hand hit Rhys. It wasn’t just the fifty mustelids here he would be fighting for. It would be the tens and hundreds of thousands spread throughout the reaches of the Empire, across two star systems. There was also no question in his mind that he would shirk away from the responsibility. He nodded slowly, committing himself to the mustelids’ cause.

Steph grinned widely. “I knew you’d do it. I heard you always were one of the better humans. As one of us you can do so much more for us,” she said. Her voice carried the hopes and expectations of all mustelids in TIE.

“It won’t just be me either. Twitch will make the finest damn first officer the Spaceways has ever seen,” Rhys said, looking over to where Twitch was sat with David at the back of the large group. Twitch, hearing his name, smiled and waved at Rhys, but gave no indication he had heard what Rhys had been saying.

Steph had also followed Rhys’ gaze, and she laughed. “Lieutenant Christopher Hall. You know he’s going to be absolutely unbearable now. He already had the biggest ego out of any other mustelid here, but now...” she said.

“Christopher? That’s his real name?”

“Yeah. Just don’t tell him I told you. He hates that name. Not even David dares to call him it,” Steph said in hushed tones and a conspiratorial giggle.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Rhys said. He looked around again at the mustelids who remained and smiled. Most of them had already moved on, sensing that Rhys had nothing further to say. Out of the dozen left, six were children, or kits, Rhys knew the correct term for juvenile mustelids was. They were all gazing at him with awe, before, as one, they all sniggered at something.

“What?”

“Your ears. They’re angry but your face is always happy,” one of the kits piped up. Both her ears perked upright as she smiled widely. “You look happy like this.”

“I have a lot to learn, it seems,” Rhys said.

“Curious, questioning, and intrigued,” another of the kits said, paying attention to Rhys’ ears. His left ear had curled in on itself.

“Alright, that’s enough. You don’t need to commentate on everything,” Rhys said.

“Slightly amused!” the second kit said excitedly. “You’re starting to get the hang of it, I think. Oh, and that one means you’re annoyed, and – oh, sorry.” The kit fell silent as he realised exactly what was annoying Rhys.

“You’re going to get a lot of that,” Steph commented as the kits scampered away, probably to annoy some other poor soul.

“It’ll get much worse tomorrow,” Rhys said with a sigh. Even though he had Admiral Garter’s personal support, he was still terrified about the morning briefing. Captain Le Favre was not exactly renowned for his good opinion on mustelids. Then there was also the matter of the cardinal. If the Vatican’s emissary was present then matters would likely get very heated.

Steph put her hand on his. “Don’t worry too much about it. For now they can’t touch you. If, as you say, your admiral supports you, then everyone else must too,” she said.

“I wish it were that simple,” Rhys said. He stood up and intentionally broke the contact between the two of them. He looked across at Twitch, who looked like he was slowly falling asleep in David’s arms, and then up to the row of windows just beneath the warehouse’s ceiling. The sun was setting for the second time that day. It would soon be night again. This was not where he needed to be. No captain fit of their title would be seen in the mustelids’ quarters.

“What am I doing here?” he muttered, not intending for anyone to hear him, but a mustelid’s hearing was better than that of a human.

“What do you mean?” Steph asked. She was perched on the edge of the bed, her claws digging in to the tattered mattress. Both ears had pulled forward and the tip of her tail was twitching.

Rhys stumbled as he took a couple of hasty steps away from the diminutive mustelid. He yelped as he thrust his hand out for support, only to lean against a boiling water pipe. Regaining his balance, he cradled his burnt hand against his chest, fending away the concerned attentions of Steph with his other.

“I... can’t be here. I’d better get back to my ship so I can get ready for tomorrow,” he said, trying to suppress a whimper as he moved his injured hand slightly.

“You can always stay here,” Steph said.

He looked down at her, but he shook his head. “I’d better not.”

“Why?” Steph asked, before shaking her head and sighing. “Let me at least look at that hand.” She reached out to touch Rhys on the arm, but again he pulled away.

“I’m fine,” Rhys said, before ruining the illusion by crying out in pain as he tried to brush Steph away with his right hand. He felt tears spring to his eyes, so he turned his back to the smaller mustelid. “It’ll look better to the others if I’m staying on my ship and fulfilling my duties still. I have... I have paperwork to catch up on,” he said. He grasped his tail in his left hand and started to walk away. This time Steph did nothing to stop him.

By now, Admiral Garter should have informed his crew of their captain’s new identity, but Rhys still doubted anyone would recognise him for who he was. It would make no difference to anyone but him where he slept, but as comfortable as he was in the mustelids’ presence, there was something that stopped him from bedding with them. He wondered if it was because of how natural it would have felt. A couple of dissenters aside, he had been made to feel more welcome than he had felt since long before graduating from the Spaceways academy. He didn’t know why, but that made him feel very nervous. He couldn’t get too used to their presence. He had to remain comfortable and confident with humans too if he wanted any hope of maintaining his rank. No matter what the mustelids said, no human would allow a typical mustelid to command a spacecraft.

Keeping his excuses short, Rhys quickly left before anyone else was able to hold him up. He headed right for the docking bay, pausing for no one or nothing. Not that anyone paused for him once he had left the warehouse, or even gave him any attention at all. He felt invisible to every human he passed. Even onboard the Harvester, no one bothered him. Rhys went right to his quarters, locked the door behind him, and went straight into his small bathroom to immerse his aching hand in water. He hissed as it felt like needles were being jabbed into his skin, but he forced his shaking arm to stay under the flow of cold water.

Though he felt bad about leaving the mustelids behind in such a rush, Rhys knew he simply couldn’t remain with them overnight. A part of his mind already wanted to forget Spaceways and its prejudice, but Rhys didn’t want to feel that. Most of his life had been dedicated to progressing through the ranks of Spaceways, and it felt a waste to just give that up at the first, true obstacle. That being said, Rhys knew that the following day would provide the parameters for his future success.

As the stinging pain diminished, Rhys removed his hand from the water and gently dabbed at it with a towel. Keeping the towel on his hand, he collapsed on his bed and cast a longing look towards his out-of-reach drinks cabinet. The full situation was largely out of his control, as he was relying on a positive reaction from his fellow captains. That irked Rhys more than anything. Never before had he felt so out of control. He had always been the reason for his successes and his failures, and knowing that it was all beyond him now troubled him more than anything else.