A New Beginning

[Capt. Henry Morgan]

(//This story builds off of a past smuggler character of mine. I've only made two forum posts about him before, which can be seen here and here. Of all my past characters, this one seemed like the best one for this story.)

Fifteen Years Ago

Gary stepped off the Humpback's ramp into the main spaceport on Planet Malta. He had only been here a few times so far, and each time, he was struck by Malta's unique beauty. He suspected it was more than the cardamine profits that kept him coming back here. He had a little time before the people at the spaceport were done offloading the slave sleeper pods and loading the cardamine onto his ship, so he wandered around the city a bit. He enjoyed these strolls, and enjoyed learning about these people.

Today, he decided to go down a street that he hadn't been down before. As he walked, he came across what appeared to be a small chapel, much more nondescript than the Maltese Catholic churches he had seen before. It blended in very well with the buildings around it, and he almost didn't notice it at all. He suspected that it was built that way on purpose, and he was about to pass it by and continue exploring the city, but then his curiosity overcame his cautiousness, and he stepped inside.

Once his eyes adjusted to the reduced light levels in the chapel, he looked around. The interior was much like a typical church, complete with stained glass windows, a center aisle with several pews on each side, and an altar at the front. Above the altar was a cross, much like a typical church. The images on the windows, however, weren't of saints and the like. Instead, the images there were of somewhat abstract, almost biological blue shapes. He didn't have any idea what they might be, though.

Gary's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of another person entering the chapel. He turned around and saw a man in a monk's robes. The monk spoke to him in heavily accented, but understandable, english.

"May I help you, senor?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I was just passing by and I became curious."

The monk smiled at him. "You are not intruding, senor, Visitors are always welcome here. I assume that you are from one of the transport ships that visit our world?"

"I am. My name is Gary Thacker, and I command the independent trader Humpback. I've not been here often, but I enjoy my visits here. I can't say that I mind the profits from these trips, either. I am curious, though. What are those images on the windows?"

"Those are the angels of light that guard our fallen pilots, and it is to those divine spirits that this chapel is dedicated. You see, Gary, our fallen pilots are interred in their fighters, and are buried in space, deep in one of the nearby nebulas. Any who dare to defile our dead by looting their ships face the guardian's divine wrath. They don't usually bother those who go there with peaceful intentions, though this is not always the case. They are benevolent beings, but I wouldn't test them."

Gary found that to be a difficult story to believe, then again, he wasn't very religious at all. "You mean to tell me that there are actual angels here in Omicron Alpha? I don't mean any disrespect, but I find that a bit hard to believe."

"Many before you have said the same thing, before meeting them. I sense that something is a little different about you, though." The monk stops to think for a second, then reaches into his pocket to pull out a small crystalline object. "Here, I want you to have this. It is a divine artifact left by the guardians, and it will keep you from harm."

Gary didn't believe in the divine, but he felt a strange attraction to the artifact. "Are you sure? We just met, and I've already said that I don't believe. Do you really want to give me one of your holy artifacts?"

Again, the monk smiled at him. "Senor, I am sure. I have my faith, and I trust that you are the right person to receive this. Please, take it."

Gary takes the object from the monk. It appears rather unremarkable, but he can't shake the feeling that appearances are deceiving in this case. Before he can say anything else, his timepiece beeps, telling him that the spaceport workers should be done loading his cargo. "Thank you. Unfortunately, the spaceport staff is done with my ship, and I must take my leave. Thank you for the gift. I will always keep it with me."

"You are most welcome. Vaya con Dios, Gary."

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