[the evening after the tour]
Devereux stared at the screen, trying to make sense of the sociological survey. The report on the Aerian culture and beliefs contained enough technical jargon, she thought, to test even the most robust translation algorithms. The text seemed to be written in English, but the scientist who authored it appeared to have been determined to present her findings in the most obtuse fashion as possible. During her days at both university and then the Academy, she had suffered through many academic treatises, but this one seemed to be worse than most. Either that, Devereux decided, or she was long out of practice in deciphering these kinds of documents.
It took her a moment to realize that Elizabeth stood waiting just at the top of one of the ramps that led up to the command deck. She turned and gave the young officer a quick smile. "Yes, Lieutenant?"
Elizabeth offered her a digital tablet. "Status reports, Captain."
Devereux accepted the tablet without looking at it. "Thank you, Lieutenant." She paused a moment, studying the young woman's expression. Elizabeth could have just as easily submitted the report from any station on the ship. She saw Elizabeth's eyes dart momentarily toward the display and then quickly away. Devereux mostly suppressed her smile. Without a word, she reached over and brought up the same image on one of the larger screens so that Elizabeth could view it more easily.
Elizabeth gave a guilty start before seeing Devereux's reassuring smile. "Go ahead," Devereux told her. "Maybe you can make more sense out of it than I have so far."
The young lieutenant studied her captain's expression for a quick moment before turned her attention to the screen. A slight frown crossed her features. "You didn't know about this?" Elizabeth sounded genuinely perplexed.
Devereux looked uncomfortably awkward for a moment before replying. "It never really came up before." She caught Elizabeth's expression, sensing what she thought was going through the young officer's mind. You put an Aerian in charge of your infirmary and you didn't bother researching her first? If that was the primary question in Elizabeth's mind, she managed to cover it well, and even surprise Devereux, with her next question.
"How did you and Hope first meet, Captain?" Elizabeth's asked quietly. Her tone conveyed only curiosity, with perhaps a faint hint of amusement. There was certainly nothing even remotely accusatory in it that Devereux could detect.
She paused for a long moment before answering. "That, Lieutenant," she answered with a slow breath, "is a story for another time." She noticed that Elizabeth seemed both disappointed and mildly confused by the response, but she suppressed it quickly.
Devereux turned back to the display that Elizabeth was now studying. "I knew about the Star Bloods, and the Star Wings, and some of their civilian classes," she explained. "And I knew that Hope was different," she went on. "But I didn't realize how different," she added with a wry chuckle. "Until today."
Elizabeth continued to stare at the images on the screen, but Devereux could tell that her thoughts were elsewhere. "He treated her like she was some kind of priestess or something," Elizabeth offered thoughtfully.
"Or something," Devereux agreed softly.
"He said something to her," Elizabeth went on. "And she answered back."
Devereux nodded slowly and gestured toward one of the smaller displays. "I couldn't get a clear translation of all of it," she said. "It sounded like some kind of ritual greeting."
"What part of it did you get?" Elizabeth asked.
"Just this part," Devereux replied, pointing to a short string of words displayed on the screen. "It seems to be what the Star Blood used to address Hope."
Elizabeth read the words and her eyes widened. She looked over at Devereux, who answered her with a slight frown.
"If the translation is correct," Devereux said. "He referred to her as 'Revered One'."
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