New beginnings

by [AAA] Gr82cu2m8

Already it had been six months since the Arvad generational ship finished its deceleration burn towards Adalia Prime. For those six months, the crew worked around the clock to bring teams of engineers and materials to the surface. They had started constructing various structures the people would need to colonize and survive on this cold, unforgiving rock.

Ray waited patiently on the flight deck of the Arvad. Behind him, his assigned drop ship slowly spun up its engines to prepare for departure to their new "home." Lisa, of course, was late. His daughter always was, but that was alright. Commander Ray Moncoga was a calculating man, and he knew his daughter well. Ray had coordinated to meet Lisa here considerably ahead of their scheduled departure, so there was still time for her to arrive. Not that the drop ship would dare leave without them. No, Ray just fancied that he never be late for anything in his life.

And there she came strolling in, running her hands along the walls like she didn't have a care in the world. Lisa was a pretty, slender thing, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. He loved her, of course, more than life itself.

*Hmmm, only ten minutes to spare, I knew it*, Ray thought, but he didn't care enough to say anything. Instead, he hugged his daughter warmheartedly and led her to her seat in the drop ship.

"Once we arrive on Adalia Prime, I expect you to enlist in the Marine Corp and start your officer's training," Ray said to her commandingly. He had always loved the army life. As a boy, he had been eager to join and make his family proud. Lisa had never shown any interest in this family tradition, which bothered him. Ray continued, "I still have some friends in 'the Order'; I hear it's a fine outfit."

"No! No way!" Lisa interrupted her father with an aggravated voice. "I am NOT going army. It's not for me." She looked annoyed that he had brought it up again. She turned her blue eyes away from him and stared out the starboard side window.

Ray's blood boiled. He had a hard time keeping his temper in check, and this argument was well-trodden. *The Military is a Moncoga family tradition, and playtime is over now. You'll need to work on your future!* He wanted to shout at her. But instead, he kept silent and breathed. Deep down, he knew it to be true. Lisa was not like him. She had always had her nose in books. Preferably the ones he couldn't understand one bit: science books. Ray started to calm down a bit. Somehow he liked that she dared speak her mind, especially when it was something he didn't want to hear.

"So,… Science then?" Ray said, more calmly than he felt. Lisa's turned back to him, her eyes sparkling. Lisa slid her hand into her backpack and showed her dad a folder of the NSC. "New Science Chorus, huh?" Ray responded with a tone of approval. She smiled again.

Moments later, the drop ship gently undocked the Arvad and slowly started its descent toward Adalia Prime, where Ray and his daughter would start their new lives. No, this would not be a pleasure cruise, Ray knew. Hard choices would need to be made down there, and he was appointed by High Commander Dan Arkos himself to be the one to make them. He should have expected that, perhaps. He and Dannie had a history together that dated back to childhood. And given their past, there likely were not many other people still breathing that Dannie could trust.

It was not like Ray could have said "no" to the assignment. Ray knew Dannie long enough to know that once the man made up his mind, "no" was not going to be acceptable. But to take the lead on the colonization of Adalia Prime? Was he even going to be up to the task? Clouds of doubt troubled Ray's mind for a few moments, but then they soon dissipated when he caught Lisa's eyes looking at his. She gave him another smile when he noticed. "No!" Ray said to himself, resolutely convincing himself there was no room for doubt. He was going to have to go all-in and give it his very best. Their very survival would depend on it. His daughter's survival depended on it.

As the drop ship moved closer to the colony and started its deceleration maneuver, Ray caught a glimpse of the colony's newly erected structures from a small portside window. At that moment, he realized the gravity of it all even more. It was as if a light had switched on: this was about a lot more than just survival on a dead rock. All the inhabitants of the Arvad would be passing through this rock – no, this colony, he corrected himself. And most would not be the army types with which Ray was familiar. No, these were going to be bloody civilians. And with civilians came their petty problems, hopes, and dreams for a future in this system. Indeed, they all would be looking at him to give them the tools and means to realize those dreams.

He glanced at Lisa again. It was clear to him now what hopes and dreams she would want to pursue. Science was her passion, and no doubt she had the brains for it too. It wasn't the army career like he hoped for her, of course. But Ray did not doubt that if he supported her in this, his daughter was sure to make extraordinary discoveries that would benefit all.

It fit. Ray had always had this conviction: if good people had the motivation and freedom to pursue their passions, they would amaze you with what they could accomplish. And the little quarrel with Lisa had reminded him of this. It made Ray realize all those civilians would need that same motivation and freedom, without Ray just ordering them around like soldiers, if they were to thrive. Why, then, was it so difficult for him to apply the same conviction to his daughter's career choices? Ray couldn't tell.

With a hefty clunk, the drop ship set down on the landing platform of Adalia Primes colony. The shock of it took Ray right out of his state of pondering.

"You looked like you were in a different galaxy, dad. What does go on in that mind of yours?" Lisa giggled. "Hi hi, come on, dad, adventures await!" With that, she launched out of her seat and quickly exited the drop ship before anyone else had a chance. Ray couldn't help but smile and nod his head while taking a bit longer than most to exit the drop ship.

The following weeks flew by without too many significant problems. Drop ships flew in and out, bringing in more people and resources every day. Teams of engineers worked round the clock to turn those resources into new structures to support and house the new arrivals. Ray was surprised to realize it was becoming somewhat crowded on Adalia Prime. Meanwhile, the process of dismantling the Arvad to strip it for its resources was well underway. As the Arvad became parts, people realized even more that there was no going back. The only home they had known for the past 150 years would soon cease to exist.

Lisa Moncoga, still as bright and cheerful as ever, wasted little time after arriving. In her position at the NSC, her research focused on improvements to core sampling techniques. Based on her findings, many mining families selected promising asteroid locations to set up their mining outposts. Ray could not have been more proud of his little girl. Her research was going to have a massive impact on keeping the colony provided with the necessary resources once the final shipments from the Arvad ended.

Ray never forgot that short trip on the drop ship with his daughter. His guiding principle as leader of the colony was the lesson he had learned from Lisa: Find people jobs about which they are most passionate. Under his leadership, the colony thrived, and Ray was loved and respected by the people.

To be continued ...

> *(c) by [AAA] Gr82cu2m8 / with thanks to [1ST] Gareth for review and redaction*
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