The Incident II

1 hour before the explosion.

Brigham was alone with Instructor Mok on the bridge since everyone had left to fulfill their assigned duties. The instructor was teaching the blue-haired student about all of the functions on the captain's chair. Which button did what, how to issue commands and how to helm the ship. With sparks in his eyes, Brigham listened with great enthusiasm. Finally, he was learning about the things that he had wanted to know about since the day he enlisted.

He watched intently as Mok issued commands to the crew and the ways in which he explained why he was doing what he was doing. It was a class in heaven. Brigham felt he had received a great privilege.

"Sir why did you ask me to be your deputy? I was never the best in the class at school. Never at the top academically nor was I physically very impressive. I don't question your decision and I am deeply honored by your choice. I just wonder why?"

"It doesn't take to be the best at everything to be the captain. Different skills are required for different jobs. You could never do Curro's job on the main computer, you would always lose when it comes to target practice compared to Ana, and in a fight, I don't think I need to tell you Khalid would leave you on the ground with his signature slap."

Mok reclined in his chair and continued: "But their abilities, though useful in other situations, are not what makes a good captain or a good leader. A good leader needs to be able to see the bigger picture, he needs to be able to carefully weigh his options but most of all, he needs to be able to inspire people to do great things. You are still young and inexperienced, but have the makings of a great leader."

Brigham bowed his head, blushing over the embarrassment. "Thank you so much, sir! It means the world to hear you say that!" It was probably the greatest compliment anyone could have bestowed upon him.

"At ease," Mok chuckled at his student's formality. "A good leader needs to be empathetic, he needs to garner understanding amongst the men and women he intends to lead. If you do become captain one day, you will often find yourself with people who have diametrically opposed views. A professional captain can get people who would otherwise dislike each other to work together. This is why it's important to be able to inspire those around you."

Brigham nodded along and said: "I understand, but isn't it easier to get together people who already agree with each other."

Mok chuckled at Brigham's naivety. "Let me tell you right now, that is impossible, dangerous and unhealthy. I love my wife, she is my genuine soulmate, been together with her for 25 years now. We don't agree on everything. We are very similar, but she has many views and opinions that are different from mine. People will never agree on absolutely everything. Look at class Lupus?"

The instructor raised his eyebrows and continued: "I'm sure you are aware of just how divided this class is. It shouldn't be that hard for you kids to unite, you are all the same age, all of you born in the same place, same education yet all of you are so different and so at odds with each other. People are individuals, unless you get them into a cult they will never think the same. Places where everyone thinks the same are places where nobody thinks. There is inherent value in disagreement and diversity."

"Okay, I have a different question. How do I know what is correct?" Brigham crossed his arms. "If one group is telling me let's do A and the other let's do B, is it A or B? How do I know what's the right call as captain."

"You hear out the arguments and weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes in order to bring people together you have to compromise, and ask both sides if we can all agree on C? If you or others are always uncompromising that will lead to collapse and more conflict. People have to be willing to compromise in order to move forward. Everything in life is a sort of compromise, from relationships to governments. We can never always get the things we want. That's a huge part of being an adult."

"What if the question is something like 'Is the sky on Planet Spark green?" Brigham placed his index finger on his chin. "There isn't really an option C, it is a yes or no question?"

"In those situations as a leader you have to be firm in your principled yes, it is green. Compromise is necessary and good, but not at any cost. Immature children are uncompromising in every situation. Spineless cowards are ready to compromise on everything. The mature and wise know when it is time for both."

Brigham nodded and took the words to heart. "One more question. As a leader, you have to have the support of the majority to lead. What if the majority asks you to do something you think is wrong?"

"Ah yes, great question. It is true that you have to be a pleaser as a leader, you can't lead if nobody likes you. Getting others to respect your judgment and leadership is important because then everyone will go along with your decisions, even if they don't agree with you on a particular thing. Like compromise, leaders need to be able to know how to balance. To please the majority in most cases, and to know when to take a stand. A leader also needs to protect and appease the minority sometimes. Otherwise, the majority will always steamroll them."

Mok raised an index finger to emphasize the next point: "Balance is the key word here and balance doesn't mean being in the middle of every issue. It means knowing when to be soft or tough, ruthless or gentle, empathetic or merciless, siding with the majority or minority, and so on." Mok paused for a moment to issue the commands for warp speed to the rest of the class. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, before you become captain you have an exam to pass."

"Sir yes sir!" Brigham saluted Mok, "I'm sorry if I am asking too many questions."

"Absolutely not. That's why I called you out here, so that I could teach you the essence of leadership. Knowing what buttons to push and how to yell out orders is something anybody can do. The rest is about building character and knowing what qualities a leader must have. My final words on this subject are, and remember this. As the captain, you have the most power on board and the one that has the final say. You also have the biggest responsibility. If something goes wrong or someone dies, it is your fault as captain. Your decisions are your own, along with their consequences. Now get ready we're about to enter warp speed."

The vessel slightly recoiled as it entered warp mode. A cacophony of hues and shades is displayed on the windshield while warping. A loud and obnoxious flash of colors assaulted Brigham's eyes, he found it hard to take. Mok was already used to it, his eyes were adjusted to the effects of warping.

The blue-haired student found warping quite nauseating and trippy. It was the first time that Brigham didn't want to have been on the bridge with his instructor.

After exiting warp speed the Rubin asteroid belt came into view rotating around planet Hrkar, which was orbiting around the system’s sun. A boundless number of asteroids extended far and wide against the blackness of space. Among the belt was the planetoid NB011, it differed from the rest of the asteroids in the belt since it had an atmosphere.

NB011 was built of off several other asteroids clashing together and forming a larger body. Through these clashes and reactions, an atmosphere was formed paving the way for life. The killer bug-like Kortonians inhabited NB011, its surface was covered in ice and snow. An unending snowstorm and fog were ever present, making human life impossible. Although, these Kortonians were a low-level threat which made them good training for the students.

The kids were also going to be inside a training camp, the inside provided a refuge from the snow and the large bug-like monsters. It wasn't going to be unforgiving, just challenging enough.

Mok explained to Brigham that planet Hrkar was a massive cold desert planet also inhabited by the Kortonians. However, the ones on Hrkar were far more dangerous. If the Kortonians on NB011 were a level 3 threat, the ones on Hrkar were level 10. Frequent large meteor showers, a punishing gravity 4 times that of Earth, and the strong hostile bugs made Hrkar unfit for colonization.

This system's relative seclusion and absence of natural resources made it perfect for training young students. They were going to be unbothered by the Cold War in this backwater part of space.

The three ships were approaching close to NB011, their destination.

"Time to get in contact with our comrades from Serpens and Ovis," Mok pointed at Brigham, "Give an order through the microphone to Roy to send out a video signal to both ships."

As Mok uttered those words, before Brigham even gave him a reaction, an explosion from inside the class Lupus ship knocked both student and teacher to the ground. The ship started spinning out of control and it hit both Ovis's and Serpens's vessels. The larger Lupus ship tore through the exterior of the smaller ones and sent them on a collision course to planet Hrkar as the Lupus spacecraft continued spinning.

Mok jumped to his feet his metal prosthetic clanking in the process. "Are we under attack? Is it the Americans? Is it the Soviets? Is this the beginning of an intergalactic war?" Mok panicked at the thought of being caught in a historic moment, no less with his students. He looked at the captain's computer and realized the engine room was damaged. "Brigham you stay here I will go look at the situation in the engine room. The instructor ran out of the bridge as fast as he could, his metal leg loudly clunking against the ground.

Brigham was just getting back to his feet, never as quick as his teacher even with the prosthetic leg. The blue-haired student looked through the windshield and saw the ship was still wildly spinning out of control. Out of panic and not knowing what else to do in this situation, against his orders he ran to the engine room and to Mok to help.

Inside the engine room, several fires started filling the room with smoke and ash. It made Brigham cough but he still moved towards the instructor undeterred. Brigham saw Mok rearranging some cables at the end of the engine room, before he got to call out the instructor's name, the wires went haywire causing another mini explosion knocking the instructor off his feet. Mok's head came into direct contact with the metallic wall of the hallways, knocking him unconscious.

Brigham ran towards his instructor faster than he had ever run in his entire life, only to find his teacher no longer had a pulse. Mok was dead. Before he could process what had just happened, the engine room doors closed behind Brigham's back, leaving him to suffocate from the smoke. If he couldn't find a way out quickly, he would join the departed along with Mok.