Moons of New Saturn: Moons of New Saturn, #1

By L. D. Morgan

As we meet Johnson Free, he is waking from a not so quiet night with a not so familiar off-world female in a rather nice goverment alloted hotel room. The Association has granted a large Intergalactic starship to the soon-to-be named Fleet Captain. Son of the Great Betrayer Dr. William Free, Johnson has a lot to learn in a very short period of time after the self-appointed Vampire Overlord goes on a rather grisley killing spree, biting a man's head off on live galactic televison. This act of aggression cannot go unpunished so needless to say war is all but iminent. Join Johnson as he flies through the cosmos gathering his team of intergalactic misfits the only way he knows how: through non-stop violence and the occasional one night stand. The stakes are high and the margin for error is nonexsistent. Let's see what hijinks the Captain and his party get into as they battle through the barricades between the Moons of New Saturn.

Series: Moons of New Saturn                     Volume: 1;                                        70,100 words

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. D. Morgan
• Release date: Sep 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386978404

Book preview

By:  L.D. Morgan

Chapter One

Mr. free

Johnson Free got the call from his court mandated attorney at about 06:45am Earthman Time. He looked at the clock as he touched his watch and the hologram of the overweight cat looking creature showed up on the dirty carpet of the hotel room he shared with his new friend from last night’s adventure at the bar. She didn’t smell as fresh as he remembered when he took his last swig of Venusian spice rum. She wasn’t as human as he remembered either, only now noticing the gills behind her left ear.

‘She must be from Atlantis,’ he thought to himself, hoping she was at least an earthling. The off-world girls always came with some kind of weird after-mating ritual. They would try to kill you or bond themselves to you. He didn’t have time to deal with all of that bullshit today. It was his birthday after all. This was the reason he went out celebrating last night in the first place.

He looked down at the carpet. The cat-like creature on the hologram lovingly referred to as the Felorn, looked confused as the now shirtless Johnson moved the naked, and for all intents, alien girl to the side and acknowledge him.

What the hell Milo, Johnson croaked. Who do you know that wakes up at this ungodly hour? Johnson put his finger to his eyes angrily wiping the sleep away. His fingers recoiled quickly when he realized there was some sort of blue slime on his face.

Milo looked a little concerned. Then spoke his intent

My client, a good morning I do wish to you, Milo bowed his head like a human would.

Hey Milo. Johnson spoke forcefully. Partly in annoyance with Milo attempting to go through every human custom of greeting whenever they talked and partly in desperation to rid his face of this blue substance he somehow unknowingly acquired. Save the horseshit greetings and tell me what you want! The sun’s not even up for god sakes!

Yes, my client. Milo picked up a holo file and inserted it into his watch. The files immediately showed up on Johnson’s floor replacing Milos face. I have acquired the necessary settlement from your government in regards to your father’s estate. Files began flying through the air as Johnson used the bed sheet to clean his face. As you can see here, your father left you a very large portion of his earthly holdings before he... Milo shifted uncomfortably, hesitant before changing his mind about his choice of words ...well, prior to his untimely departure. 

Johnson snickered wryly at his lawyer’s generous interpretation of his father’s disappearance.

"Fatso! That rat bastard betrayed the entire Association, leaving me and Ashley to hold the bag for it. You can refer to it as his untimely betrayal, no skin off my back."

Milo shifted uncomfortably again in his seat and made a weird head movement very unfamiliar to Johnson. Well my client, dismissing the aforementioned unpleasantness, I have some other very exciting news for your ears to hear.

Johnson attributed the circular movement Milo had just busted into to some kind of Felorn behavior and looked directly at the moving files on the floor, interested to hear what his lawyer had to say.

Well, go ahead Fatso, spit it out. What you got?

The papers disappeared with Milo appearing again in its place on the hologram screen.

Our human-run sector of government has decided that since you are officially traitor-born and your father is NOT dead, except perhaps in the eyes of your entire species, you have no rights to any of the wealth, property or stocks he rightfully left to you in his will

Oh, my ears are just jumping with happiness, Johnson mocked as he wiped away the last trace of the blue gunk.

Milo put up a placating paw in objection, One second my client, let me complete the reading. Under the newly instituted Sins-of-the-Father laws, they can no longer hold any of your father’s research materials in government storage. All aforementioned research must be released to its rightful owner, and in the absence of your older sister Ashley, this to your good fortune equals you.

Johnson shifted uncomfortably on his corner of the bed, letting the information sink in before he spoke.

Milo continued.

As you know, your father was heavily involved in making robotics and engineering new warp ships for The Galactic Association and before he... Milo did the weird circular head motion thing again. ...Before his untimely departure, he had completed several ships.

Yes, I know that Milo. My dad was always out there in space building things, searching the galaxy for this and that, getting involved with god knows what. The Atlantian girl beside him rolled over, letting out a very guttural grunt in the process. What am I going to do with a fleet of warp ships? I don’t know much about piloting them and I definitely don’t have the fuel to get them moving. I mean, why did...

Milo cut him off, My client, unfortunately you have no rights to your father’s latest fleet of government warp ships, however, you do have claim to his personal Star-destroyer and a small collection of robots the government has deemed ‘non-essential’.

Johnson looked up from the hologram and then back down with a smile on his face. You mean to tell me that I have a damn Star-destroyer class star ship at my disposal?

Milo looked at a stack of papers on his table. My client, I sent you a very detailed hologram and I thought I explained, brief as it was, very specific...

Johnson turned to cut Milo off. These other species didn’t really understand human idioms, it was best to just say exactly what you meant to avoid confusion. This was sometimes easier said than done.

Yes, yes Milo. Yes, I understand. I’m just expressing surprise. It’s just hard to believe that they’re talking about giving me an Association ship that large.

Well, my client, Milo said with a little disbelief himself. This was not an easy conclusion for them to come to. This took much convincing on the part of my law firm, which brings me to the forged gold bars you were bequeathed

‘And here comes the old Felorn final shot to the temple. Not a minute off schedule.’

You were left 4 gold bars and the government will collect two, in payment for the storage and upkeep of your Star-destroyer for the past five years. I and my associates will be collecting one bar in payment for your outstanding earth debts and our legal fees.

Milo! You fat, money grubbing son of a bitch! I was told you were appointed by the court system and your services were free. The only thing I wanted out of all my dad’s crap were those damn bars! What the fuck am I going to do with an Association ship? I don’t have a planet port or any Captain documents to even be able to take that thing out of park!

Milo’s face instantaneously turned sour like he smelled something awful coming through the hologram.

You listen and listen well! He growled at Johnson. My associates and I went through great lengths to get you this generous settlement. You should be happy you’ve not been hunted down and eviscerated for the crimes your birth-male committed. If you were of the chosen species – a name the Felorn called themselves in only the most private of circles – we would have dragged you into the streets on the heel of your father’s crimes and purged his torpid DNA from our illustrious gene pool!

Johnson could see Milo seething even through the hologram, while shaking his head left and right in disgusted disbelief.

Fucking disturbing, Milo. You know that man. How come every one of our conversations have to end with you talking about purging my DNA from the gene pool. That shit is rude!

Milo’s face softened.

My apologies my client, I forget that your human negotiating tactics are often less aggressive than that of my home world

It’s fine Milo, however, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re trying to basically steal over 2,000,000 credits from me and I got nothing to show for it but a gigantic ship that I can’t fucking move!"

Milos face turned red with rage as his pupils noticeably dilated and he hissed towards the camera.

MILO! Johnson screamed at the hologram

Milo again softened countenance, this time looking a little embarrassed, clearing his throat and straightening his bow which Johnson assumed was the equivalent of a Felorn tie.

Forgive me my client, however, there is nothing to worry about. It is in your good fortune that my law firm also deals in intergalactic matters of voyage and wayfaring. My life-mate is your continent’s leading regulator for non-military Captain licensing authorization for the past 12 moon cycles, and most fortunately for you, as part of your payment we have procured you an operational intergalactic Captain’s license signed and sealed under the Selected Species emblem of identification.

Johnson saw the crest floating in his holo and knew it well. A phoenix in front of four planets representing the core worlds of the Associations main species; Humans, Felorn, Graybore and Newt – with the Galactic Association of Selected Species surrounding the outside of the crest. It was a symbol he had spent years in the Academy serving under.

This was when his likely alien friend from last night’s bar adventure decided to chime in.

Wait, I thought you were already the Captain of the Pacific Sea Vessels? she said through a yawn, stretching out her arms high enough to touch the ceiling and exposing her bare ample blue breast to the hologram cameras. Milo didn’t seem to care or notice that this was at all inappropriate.

Uummm, Johnson said, trying to think on his feet for a good enough lie. He had in the past told bar girls some pretty outlandish stories to get them in the sac with him, but claiming to be the Captain of the entire pacific naval battle fleet. He had really outdone himself this time.

Save your lies sailor boy she said as she floated out of the bed toward to the restroom. You and every horn-dog human that come into my bar is the imaginary Captain of one thing or the other.

Milo continued like he had seen or heard nothing.

You will need to appoint a First Officer within thirty days of being sworn into position, my client. Now, you should head down to the G.A.S.S. HQ to claim your authorization and your ship. Then you will no doubt be immediately directed to your continent’s capitol building to fill out the necessary paperwork and register your crew to finally pay your intergalactic docking fee, and then off to the stars you go.

Johnson wanted to protest over the cost exceeding 2,000,000 credits, but procuring a Captain’s authorization to travel internationally was hard, getting an Intergalactic Association authorization was close to impossible. It was a lifelong appointment passed down from generation to generation within the confines of only a few affluent families and it guaranteed a bid for funding from the Galactic Association of Selected Species. Johnson’s father, although a captain in his own right, had not yet had the honor of representing Earth on an official intergalactic scale and definitely not in any manner under the Association’s Crest. With the seal of the phoenix, he would practically be a made-man with all the privileges and responsibilities of accredited Association Captains. Maybe his father actually had a method to his madness after all, enrolling him in all of the Captain training courses from the time he was eighteen until his father’s betrayal when he was dishonorably discharged. Johnson wanted to protest but being an actual Earth Captain appealed to him even more, and in that moment again he had nothing to say.

Milo spoke out, snapping Johnson out of his self-aggrandizing thoughts. I will take your silence and look of perceived self-admiration as a concession to defeat in our negotiations and will wave over the needed documents and appointment times to conclude our business, Captain Free.

"Captain Free..." He liked the sound of that. If he was being honest with himself, he loved the sound of that.

Sounds good Milo, let’s just get this over with. I’ll ring you up after I wake up to hammer out the details.

Milo looked confused. You seem perfectly awake now Captain, are you suggesting you have been asleep through our entire conversa...

Johnson disconnected the transmission as his friend from the bar emerged from the bathroom smelling intoxicating and still completely undressed.

Well, she said with an alluring smirk on her face. "I suppose since you are a real Captain now, I don’t know if I should bow or curtsy."

These were words Johnson vaguely remembered hearing the night before when he jokingly made mention to his best mate Sean of being able to shit gold as the first human Captain of the Pacific fleet. He now remembered a beautiful high ranking fleet officer equally drunk butting into his conversation asking if she should bow in courtesy.

It all came back to him in that second, how he ended up here with this attractive officer. The actual Captain of the Pacific battle fleet. The intimidation rose and fell as he swiftly jumped out the bed and took her into his arms and said the same thing he had said to her the night before at the bar.

With a body like yours, he said as he looked her up and down just like he did the night before. I would prefer you bend over. Then he kissed her.

And this time, without Sean sitting next to them and booing at his corny pickup lines, they again made wild love in the government owned hotel room.

SEAN AND JOHNSON WALKED into the always open doors of the Galactic Association of Associated Species headquarters. This place was a hub for intergalactic space life from the Milky Way and across other galaxies beyond. Johnson always hated walking through the headquarter doors because it always meant he had some sort of meeting ahead of him. Since his father had betrayed the entire human race, Johnson always thought it was best to stay as far away from this place as he possibly could, and of course for the exact same reason, it hadn’t worked out well for him either. Sean spoke with the receptionist at the galactic front desk while Johnson looked around at the empty spot his father’s statue had once prominently stood before he disgraced himself and his family name. This resulted in the statue being removed and destroyed in a very dramatic spectacle. They changed the area it once stood into a cheap souvenir gift shop connected to a public restroom.

The Association will recognize your paper work. Please tell your friend over there, Mr. Free that if he wishes to be finished with this process today, that I’m going to need him to provide his fingerprint and certificate of birth issued from his original birth planet. The smallish Graybore female receptionist remarked as she incessantly typed on her console.

Johnson turned back towards the Bore-faced female and presented her with the fingerprint documents that Milo waved over to him earlier that morning. He was ready to have this whole process all over with.

The Graybore receptionist spoke to Johnson in a very dry tone. "Mr. Free, please check-in the boxes after completing this paperwork in its entirety which specifies you were originally born into Graybore, Ferlorn, Newt, Brollin, or Human. Do you understand the statement as I have just read it to you, and hereby swear to give the most truthful and accurate answers to the best of your current knowledge?

Johnson palmed the top of his forehead and looked upward towards the ornately decorated ceiling and tapestries of the gigantic office.

Human. Do I look like I have scales, feathers, or fur? I’m human!

The Graybore tapped the gigantic pile of papers sitting in front of Johnson and spoke even more nonchalantly, stressing mainly her first word.

"After completing this paperwork sir."

Johnson knew this wasn’t going to be a quick process for him; no process involving the Association was ever fast enough. Once, when he was in his beginner officers’ training class, he had petitioned the Admiral’s office to receive authorization for a class T-shirt and the response – eventually a denial – came back to him the day after the class graduated from their first field training exercise, three years later.

This is a pile of flaming horse shit! Johnson yelled at the Graybore woman, who typed away on her computer screen without taking a second look at Johnson or acknowledging his outburst.

Johnson sat down and began to fill out the paperwork.

I can’t believe you’re actually going to be a Captain, Jonny. Sean said while sipping on his specially concocted smoothie and looking thoughtfully at the astonishing decor. No un human ever really gets to be a real life galactic space captain this young. Sean looked down from the ceiling and began swiping away on his holo watch. You have to be the first in our class, besides Kennedy of course.

Yeah, Jace Kennedy was born to be Admiral of the entire Federation right? Johnson raised his palms in the air and moving it across the surface as he spoke each word. The cadet of cadets.

Well, Sean wiped his eyebrow. He did beat your ass in close combat finals man. Johnson quickly sat up, dropping his pen to the paper and looking at Sean in total disbelief that his friend would even bring something like that up.

He cheated goddamn it! Johnson made a stabbing gesture toward no one in particular. No one can predict that capoeira style floor scraping gibberish in a real fight and even with that, I was still handing him his ass on a silver platter.

Really man? You want to go with ass on a silver platter? Sean shook his head disapprovingly while letting out a louder than necessary scoff.

"I do, I want to go with that. I trained hard in my Jeet Kune style and for that very reason; I was giving him all he could handle." Johnson picked his pen back up, giving a firm nod in the process.

Johnson, I'll tell you that Bruce Lee close up double punch shoulder push spin kick style stuff that you so eloquently perform in most situations, is as effective as I've seen any style up close, I'll give you that man, but he caught you with that low leg sweep and you just weren’t ready. Sean tossed his completely empty paper cup across the room into a large trash can, making the shot with ease as he continued his speech. You went down like a ton of bricks and didn’t recover before his heel caught you in the face. Sean rose his hands and shrugged. I just gotta call it like it is.

Kennedy’s style is weak, he goddamn cheated with that low sweep and you and I both know it. Johnson said loudly in the crowded waiting room before he realized himself. I am the best hand-to-hand fighter in the fucking galaxy Sean and Kennedy knows, that was why he went low and cheated like the ball licking high born scumbag he is.

Johnson caught ahold of himself as the people filling out paperwork and standing in line around him began to look and seemingly listen in to their conversation. He whispered his next words.

He would get an ass whopping, the likes of which he had never seenin his lifetime if he wanted to throw down with me again.

Sean nodded his head in submission. "Throw down? Really? OK Jonny boy, whatever you say."

Sean turned his attention back to his holo watch while Johnson turned his attention to his huge stack of unfinished paperwork. They were in for a long afternoon.

JOHNSON LOOKED OUT the front bow of the ship’s main engine room. He sat in the comfort of the Captain’s chair, gazing at one of the most beautiful sights he’d seen in his short 28 Earthman years. No sunrise or sunset, just the sun. The gigantic glowing sun and only the stars hanging in the dark space.

Well, Captain, Sean said twiddling with some buttons on the engineering screen in front of him. Looks like we can go wherever we want in the entire universe now. He pressed a glowing green orb on the console and a map emerged on the main interactive screen on the Captain’s display. Johnson was impressed with how quickly his friend