The Good Captain Davage

FP

Adonis Rep

I'm a man of many worlds, you might say. Using my Ring of Portation, I've tracked interviews to multiple worlds far removed from my own home of Aubrus. This is the first interview, however, that has taken me into the space between worlds. This is my first interview outside of the comforts of atmosphere.

My editor rented me a Personal, Unrestricted Fusion-Flight, Yacht to make the trip. I boarded the P.U.F.F.Y. and set a course for the star, Mirendra, in Xaphan space, where Captain Davage was rumored to be hunting down Black Hats -- an elite sect of powerful Xaphan outlaws. The good Captain's life long conflict with Xaphan society is well documented, but recent endevours and associations of an unusual nature have stirred up a fair amount of controversy. I was hoping to catch up with Captain Davage aboard his starship, Seeker, before the Vith hit the proverbial fan.

Orbitz had assured me that the P.U.F.F.Y. was equipped with Stellar Mach capabilities. The trip should have only taken three minutes. Ha! Rentals! There must have been something wrong with the coils. The P.U.F.F.Y. would jump ahead with nauseating force for about three seconds, and then shudder to a bone jarring stop. I'd have to power down, wait for about an hour, and repeat the whole start sequence. What should have taken me the length of a boiled egg, ended up taking me the length of a baked turkey. And yes, I failed to pack a lunch.

The worst part of the P.U.F.F.Y. was its Automated Sanitation Station. I'll spare my readers from the horrifying details, but about half way through my nightmare trip I felt the need to relieve myself. I pried myself from the captain's seat and moved to the A.S.S. of the P.U.F.F.Y. I'm shaking still as I write this. The only thing I'll say, is, if you ever have the occasion to use the A.S.S. of a rented P.U.F.F.Y., be sure you know which way to face. Those things should be more clearly labled.

A change of clothes, a few shots of Morninglow to calm the nerves, and about thirty stuttering mini-Mach convulsions later, I was finally able to track the good Captain, aboard his straylight vessel, The Seeker. His twenty two deck starship dwarfed my P.U.F.F.Y., but as a wise recluse of Dagobah once said, "size matters not." I docked my adequate rental at the tail end of the swan-like starship and was promptly led to the Captain's state room.

My misfortune in the A.S.S. of the P.U.F.F.Y. had left me a little under dressed for the interview, but the tall handsomely dressed Captain removed his dark blue fleet uniform coat and triangle hat to put me at ease.

Adonis Rep: Captain Davage, thank you very much for granting this interview. Your hunt for the renegade Black Hats in the area is very taxing, I'm sure. So, I'll be as brief as possible.

Captain Davage: Well met, sir. I am pleased your journey to ‘The Kills’ area of space was generally uneventful. Your P.U.F.F.Y is truly a remarkable vessel. I am pleased you wish to pose me a series of questions, though I am normally loathe to discuss myself in any great depth. Surely, much more interesting personages are available in the League.

AR: You underestimate yourself - and overestimate my rented P.U.F.F.Y. The people of Aubrus find you very intriguing. Your recent activities have served to reinforce your reputation as the League of Elder's most controversial figure. I'll be direct. Are you, sir, fraternizing with the enemy?

CD: A bold question, sir, and well-asked. ‘Fraternizing with the enemy’ would assume that I am providing aid and comfort; that I am engaged in various civilities, businesses and intrigues with the Xaphans, and, in particular with the House of Xandarr. I do not feel that is the case.

You, of course, are aware of my previous dealings with Princess Marilith of Xandarr. I have met Princess Marilith in battle, both as a helmsman and as a full-bonded captain, over thirty times in space. I have sunk Princess Marilith with many prisoners rescued and her Bloodsimple taken a-prize many times. She is a capable ship’s captain and I duly respect her warcraft. And, as she was once my fiancé and Zen-La, I do feel a bit of fond nostalgia for her. However, I have not seen her in person in over eighty years, since I left her standing before the cleric with the wedding baton clattering on the floor. Can you imagine … However, I do my duty and sink Princess Marilith wherever she may be found. She holds nothing back in our space-borne encounters and nor do I.

AR: Ah, how silly of me. I'd forgotten all about the rumors of a continued liaisons between yourself and the notorious Princess Marilith. You are a busy man. I was actually refering to more recent events. Reports indicate that you entered the brig with a notorious and powerful Black Hat prisoner in an ill advised attempt to rehabilitate her. Two questions: What possessed you, against the protests of your first officer, and the Sisters of Light, to tangle with Sygillis? And why has no one attempted this sort of thing before?

CD: The Black Hats are a fearsome sect. The Black Hats may kill from millions of stellar miles away. They may slay with a thought, with a point of their finger, or with their vile Shadow tech traps. The Sisters of Light teach us that only they may face them in battle with a reasonable chance of surviving, and perhaps they are correct. Only a fool would dare sit in their presence. Dying a fool’s death is not fashionable in League society, so the Black Hats are generally unchallenged and left to the Sisters. Still, a Black Hat, Sygillis of Metatron, was a prisoner aboard my vessel, and therefore is entitled to enjoy all the privileges afforded any Xaphan prisoner. One of those privileges is to have an audience with the captain, and I have had to endure my fair share of Xaphan reprobates and ill-smelling sailors in my day, so why not a Black Hat? Additionally, I felt she was owed and I was curious. I wanted to see for myself if she is as nefarious as we have all been told. I wanted to look her in the eye.

AR: Very noble of you. Of course, as a Vith Lord, nobility is to be expected. Speaking of which, as a Vith Lord, you have some considerable innate abilities. How have these come into play in your dealings with Sygillis? Which do you find most beneficial?

CD: Yes, I … fortunately am blessed with a number of Vith Gifts. It’s normally considered rather rude and out-of-turn to discuss them in an empirical sort of way. It’s not in proper taste. However, as you are an esteemed visitor here, I shall try to accommodate your question while not boring you with the particulars. The Waft was clearly an ace-in-the-hole that was available to me. As a Black Hat, Sygillis of Metatron may be considered a Master at most Vith Gifts, as well as all the various illegal Gifts they practice, however, Black Hats are clearly not known for their speed. The speed of my Waft is something that I pride myself on, and I assumed that I could Waft fast enough to evade her particular gifts, most notably: The Point, The Mass, and her Sten. Additionally, my Gift of Sight allows me certain … precognitive … faculties where I could prepare myself in advance for any treachery. As the Sight is unknown in Xaphan Space, she was quite keen on it, and subsequently ‘charmed’ by its light.

AR: Hmm. . . "charmed." Is there any truth to the rumor of a budding romance between the two of you? What sort of future, if any, do you imagine?

CD: Romance? Sir I … am not certain where you gather your information. Clearly it would be improper for a ship’s captain to engage in such things with a prisoner in his charge. I have a duty to maintain her captivity and well-being, and to compromise the situation would not be wise. I’m sorry, I’m not really answering your question, am I? Truth be told, I find Sygillis of Metatron charming. I do. I find her perspective and point-of-view refreshing and unencumbered by League politics and Blue nonsense. She is an eager debater and has a sharp mind. And, yes, she is a beautiful woman as well. So, to concisely answer your question: romance? How can there be such a thing? As to the future, that is up to her, and the Sisters. I can assure you one thing, there shall be no wedding bells ringing any time soon.

AR: In any case, it is certainly unusual for the Sisters of Light to give even a Captain of your renoun such leeway with a deadly Black Hat prisoner. Can you shed some light on their unusual permisiveness in this instance, and your relationship with the Sisters in general?

CD: The Sisters have been very accommodating. My actions have been, at times, very troubling to them, and against their expressed wishes, but they’ve given me their trust. I’ve long suspected that my father enjoyed a very close relationship with the Sisters and the Grand Abbess of Pithnar in particular. Rumors suggest certain intimate–forbidden lines may have been crossed. But he never spoke directly of such things, and I never asked. It seems clear to me they were more than mere friends. I'm truly grateful for her continued kindness.
As for my relationship with the Sisters, I choose to believe that they appreciate a clear head and a sound point-of-view. I hold the Programmable status of Magni, and therefore have their approval.

AR: You're currently looking to press the conflict between the League and the Black Hats. Bringing the fight to their doorstep, as it were. What sort of response do you anticipate? And in an ideal world, what will success look like?

CD: I fight where my duty calls. That does not include ‘pressing" the fight to the Xaphans. Should they invade League Space, should they proceed in some genocidal pursuit as they have done in the past, then I shall be there to counter them. I do not anticipate my role changing one bit. In an ideal world, there would be no League and no Xaphans—we would all be one people again. However, I am certain some other enemy would come to the front. As the Vith heroes of old were fond of saying, ‘The empty lair of one slain monster provides suitable shelter for yet another’.

AR: Your committment and resolve are inspiring. And, at least in the case of the reformed Lady Sygillis, seem to be paying off. Please, keep our readers posted of any future. . . um. . . developments along those lines.

I do want to thank you again for your time, sir. I did have one further concern, however. I was wondering if you might be so kind as to have one of your people take a look at my P.U.F.F.Y. I think I may have twisted my coil.
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Check out The League of Elder: Sygillis of Metatron, and other books by Ren Garcia at: www.theleagueofelder.com
You can also purchase his books at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/League-Elder-Sygillis-Metatron/dp/144012129X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273790944&sr=8-3
Barnes & Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-League-Of-Elder/Ren-Garcia/e/9781440121296/?itm=1&USRI=the+league+of+elder
Keep an eye out for his soon to be released, Hazards of the Old Ones.
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Adonis Rep interviews are created and written by Tim Worsham. If you are an author or fan of genre fiction and would like to see one of your favorite characters interviewed, contact Tim at tcworm@hotmail.com