Knights in Space

Sir Gallant was inspecting the decks as he did his usual rounds. There were no drills or emergencies that his lord needed so he was put on security detail. There was no doubt that he was the same rank as his cohort but he got the feeling that they were treating him like a junior knight or, god forbid, a page. Speaking of which his page was finally accompanying him on this detail.

“Actually accompanying me today? Does this mean you weren’t able to get lucky last night?” Gallant asked the page.

“Yeah fuck you too,” the page replied, grinning like a fool.

Most knights were very curt and snobby with their underlings. “Carry my shit carefully,” and “You didn’t shine my armour well enough you waste of space,” were common to hear in the barracks. As the USSU Pony launched through space the turbulence of avoiding space debris forced the two men to the side. A shaky metal bridge suspended by wires from the roof and enclosed by two small railings were the only thing keeping the two from plunging down 30 metres into the peasant’s farm below. There weren’t any peasants out save for a few diligent farmers trying to get a few more things tended to before they went into their shacks.

“So how was the bar last night?” Gallant asked his page

“Same as every other night, and every other night before that, and every other time you asked…but, hmm.”

“So you’re about to say there was something different but you don’t have the pride to undo that insult?”

The page gave Gallant the side-eye, “I suppose. But there was a galaxan there.”

“A galaxan? But I thought we were sectors away from Galaxia. In fact I know for a damn fact we are sectors away from Galaxia. What’s going on there?”

“We must have stopped by somewhere without anyone noticing. Somehow.”

Faster than light travel is a tricky matter. It can cause some people to have mild hallucinations and in some rare cases, if the crew haven’t been praying enough, to completely go mad. The two finally finished crossing the bridge and were almost completely run over by a stampede of knights and their loyal pages following them from behind.

“What the blazes is going on!?” Gallant hopelessly shouted at the horde. One knight took a hard left, holding his page tightly by the arm and pushed Gallant back from the door.

“Get off of your security detail, we’ve got an emergency.”

“What? What emergency?” Gallant breathlessly responded.

“Beats me, we just got an announcement and we’re headed there.”

Gallant and his page looked at each other as the other knight walked back into the rush.

“Ten denars says it’s another jousting tournament.”

“Our noble knows better than to host another jousting tournament using the emergency system. He can’t possibly think that would work.”

“Alright, whatever you say.” The page replied.

The two joined the mad rush and within no time at all they were crowded around the platform used for announcements. Behind the velvet curtains adorned with amazing patterns from New Persia was the noble. Gallant couldn’t see him but he knew the noble liked to perform the entire speech just behind the curtain before he came out and repeated himself.

While the crowd of knights were in perfect formation and chattering amongst themselves, Gallant could hear small whispers of the speech. Another fucking tournament god damn it.