Starship's Mage: Episode 3 by Glynn Stewart

something he couldn’t identify to the smell of sea and waves, something completely different.
    The smell of a new world. For the first time in his life, Damien was walking on the surface of a strange world. At Corinthian and Legatus, he hadn’t gone to the surface, which made Chrysanthemum his first ‘alien’ world.
    The water was a different shade: a deep purplish blue that lack the slightly iridescent tinge of his homeworld’s waves. The sky was darker than Sherwood’s, with a dimmer sun shining through a thicker atmosphere. The floating landing pad wasn’t something Sherwood would have used, as his home had significant areas of granite to hold landing facilities near most of the inhabited zones.
    A blonde-haired man clad in a dark blue suit was standing at the edge of the platform, where transparent barriers protected beds of bright pink flowers. He gestured for the Blue Jay’s officers to approach, and stepped out to greet them with a bright smile that made Damien think of oil.
    “Welcome to Chrysanthemum City, Captain Rice,” he greeted David. “I am James Margrave, Aide to President Holsen. And these are your officers?”
    “ They are,” Rice confirmed, stepping past Damien to face the aide and give quick introductions. Damien found it odd to be introduced as ‘Damien Montgomery, my First Pilot,’ but nodded along regardless.
    “ I have a car waiting for us on the shore to take us to the Festival Hall,” Margrave told them. “President Holsen is looking forward to meeting you. If you’ll follow me?”

#
    The trip to the Festival Hall took the Blue Jay ’s officers through a neighborhood of neatly trimmed hedges, public flower gardens of dozens of varieties of chrysanthemums, and large houses set well back from the road in treed surroundings.
    The impression of peace and luxury was spoiled somewhat by the view of the massive industrial complex, fisheries, factories and warehouses mixed together, that David could see to the north. He also could see the omnipresent cameras and security men that he suspected his officers missed.
    He doubted even Damien missed the two patrols of uniformed, face-masked, police in black armored personnel carriers that they saw sweeping the streets. They’d been directed to the shuttle pad for the system’s dignitaries and industry leaders, so the path ran through a showcase neighborhood. Those same dignitaries required round the clock armed security on Chrysanthemum.
    The Festival Hall was the clear centerpiece of the neighborhood, and of Chrysanthemum’s attempts to show off to anyone they felt they needed to. It was a massive structure, built of local stone and painted a brilliant white. Two wings swept away from a central structure that looked like an immense white clam.
    The entire bottom section of the ‘ clam’ apparently slid up, providing a semi-open air central chamber that open out onto a front green lined in carefully nurtured flower beds and containing a small, somewhat tasteful stone water fountain carved in the shape of a giant chrysanthemum – in case anyone had forgotten the name of the planet.
    Margrave stopped the massive, open-topped black ground car he’d delivered them in, and gracefully opened the doors for them.
    “Welcome to the Solstice Festival gentlemen, lady,” he told them. “The food is inside, to the left. Waiters are circulating with drinks and appetizers.” He turned to David. “Captain Rice, the staff will take excellent care of your officers. If you’ll come with me, the President wishes to speak with you.”
    David nodded wordlessly and turned to his officers.
    “Stick together,” he told them quietly as Margrave started away. “No booze.”
    “ I’ll keep the boys under control,” Jenna promised him. “Go see what the President wants – it’s not every day a planetary head of state wants to see you!”
    With a firm nod, David followed Margrave towards the fountain. Crossing the green lawn he saw that a number of