Title- The Captain
By-naughtypuss
E-mail- angeldawg@wycol.com

Sarah Dark you can use if you want,just e-mail me beforehand. All other characters in this lil diddy are belonging to whoever the heck made Blue Sub 6. You figure it out. I wrote this because Captain Iga is my favorite character in Blue 6,and NOBODY WRITES ABOUT HIM!!!! I don't like Keno much,because she's all tense all the time. Kinda gets annoying,huh? I only like to draw her. Go figure. But whaddaya know,I put her in my story anyways. = ) I know there's not a whole lot of storyline here,but I just love to write dialogues! So no flaming,folks! note-this takes place before Zorndyke dies and all that crud.

The Blue Six was docked at a branch of the Blue Dome repairing herself after a run-in with a Musaca fleet. Word had reached that a Zorndyke fleet was coming into the territory and the crew had to rush for repairs. They wouldv'e moved on long ago,but the sub was too damaged to move on. It was hectic inside with all the repairs being made. Heavy boots clomping constantly on cold steel decks,cries for help with a certain part of machinery,and so on and so on. Enough to drive anybody crazy.

Captain Iga stood on the bridge,giving orders to anyone who had trouble. He sighed and rubbed his forehead,trying to keep his cool among chaos. Would they ever get these repairs done and over with?

Noticing some members standing around talking,he shouted over. "Hey! Kill the talking and move people! Unless you wanna get blasted by Musacas?" The talkers stared a moment,then melted away into the crowd.

Iga growled to himself and sat down heavily in the seat where the tactics officer usually did. He took off his tattered green cap and wiped a sweaty forehead with the back of his hand.

Suddenly,an officer came up behind him. "Sir? We need someone for the central tech room."

"Go then."

"Me? I can't,sir. I'm busy myself working on the flood tanks."

"Then go find someone!"

"Iv'e already checked the whole ship over. Nobody's free."

Iga closed his eyes and sighed. "I guess that leaves me. The central tech room is quiet anyways. I'll need some help,though."

"I already got Keno started on it."

Iga nodded and and started on his way to the central tech room. It was the part of the sub where all the electronics intersected into a gigantic computer - everything from toasters to E.M.P chargers. Now that he thought of it,working in central tech wouldn't be so bad. Nice and quiet in there. Nothing but the quiet hum and beep of the computer system. Or whatever was working at the time.

Iga stopped at the door and punched in the codes to open it methodically. "Four-eight-six-one-nine-one....and...open," he muttered to absently to himself as he tapped the keys. The doors swooshed open and Iga walked in to find Keno. He looked around for her,but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Keno?"

"Back here!" came her voice from behind an unscrewed panel in the wall. The panel itself lay on the flat on the linoleum floor next to a screwdriver. Iga slapped his hand on his forehead. "Keno.." he growled softly.

Keno stumbled out of the door to the computer system room a few feet away from the unbolted panel. "Um,hi,Captain...sir."

Iga sighed annoyedly. "The door's right there,Keno. It's more conventional to use it instead of unscrewing the wall panel to get inside somewhere."

Keno looked at the floor so the captain wouldn't see her shame. "Oh...that. Well the door was locked and I couldn't get in..so I sorta..um...yeah."

Seeing that Keno was embarrassed enough already,he decided to change the subject. Iga put one hand in his coat pocket and opened the door to take a look. "I was sent to help you on the central tech room. What's wrong with it?"

Keno perked up and slipped past the captain,kneeling down in front of the huge central system computer - basically a mess of wires and metal all combobulated together to make the ship function somehow.

"I've just been repairing some snapped wires,scanning over the system,but I can't figure out what's wrong with the magnetic conductor."

Iga knelt beside her,picking up a flashlight and switching it on to look at the computer cables. After inspecting them he turned his head slightly to Keno. "Hand me that wrench,will ya?"

An hour passed slowly. Keno and the captain talked occasionally back and forth. They told a few war stories to each other,just to pass the time.

"See this Keno?" said Iga,rolling up his sleeve to point out a bite-scar on his well-muscled arm.

Keno looked up. "Yeah?"

"That's from a Zorndyke muteo mutant in the Battle for the Sonde. She got me good before I plugged her with a .45 bullet. Little monster jumped me and hung on like a vice-grip."

Not to be outdone,Keno held up her wrist and traced a serpentine mark with her index finger. "This is from a piece of metal flung out of an exploding barrel of gasoline at the Battle of the Docks."

The captain's expression sank into a seriousness. "This -" he said quietly and solemnly,holding a clenched fist to his heart. "...This is the worst kind."

Keno tilted her head questioningly at her captain. "What do you mean?"

"Hand me that screwdriver and I'll tell you."

Eager to hear what he was trying to say,Keno grabbed the screwdriver quickly and handed it over. Iga made a minor adjustment and sat up,propping himself up on his arm and staring thoughtfully into the air.

"Her name was Sarah. Sarah Dark. Most beautiful girl I ever had the pleasure to meet. Met her in a pool hall out in Indiana. Heaven musta been missin' an angel back there. So,we dated a while and eventually got married -"

Keno interrupted,shocked somewhat. "Wait a minute...you were married?"

Iga gave an exasperated grunt. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well,to tell you the truth,sir.."

"Let me finish!

Well anyway,five years later,we fell apart. Just fighting all the time,alienating one another,acting like little kids the whole time. We only saw our differences and forgot how much we needed each other. Drifted away aimlessly. Then it happened. I got enlisted for the navy and went away to war. Never saw each other again. Two days in my life I'll never forget - the day I set off for the submarine docks and she never looked back and the day six months later,serving aboard the sub Poseidon 3,that I recieved the divorce papers. Biggest surprise of my life even though I'd been expecting it a long time." He finished,trailing off the last words distantly.

Keno looked on,amazed. She nor anyone else had ever seen any emotion eek out of this hardened,stolid man. His creased face was a mixture of pain,saddness,yet a solid determination not to act weak.

"You guys ever have kids?" she ventured quietly.

Iga remained vigilant in his stare at the walls. "No. Talked about it sometimes,but never did."

"I think that's a shame,sir."

Iga lifted a deep blue eye to the young soldier.

"You'd have made a good father."

Iga gave a half hearted smile. "Thanks,Keno."

Another few minutes of silent work on the computer system and Iga sat up. Wiping his hands off with a rag,he said wearily, "Well,that should do it. Fixed for now."

Iga stood to his numb legs,which had fallen asleep long ago and stretched a bit. Keno sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well,see you in the morning,sir. I'm going straight to my quarters for some sleep!" she said,yawning a little.

"I'll take your advice,Keno." replied Iga.

Keno started for the door,but was stopped by a firm,calloused hand on her shoulder. "Keno," said the captain quietly. "It felt good to get all that off my chest. And I'm confiding in you not to tell,so please.."

Keno smiled slightly. "Yes,sir. Nobody will hear a word."

"Thanks. Your'e dismissed."

Keno walked out the door and shut it behind her. When Iga was sure she was far enough away,he reached into his inside coat-pocket for something. He pulled out a small,folded piece of paper. He unfolded it - a photo. It was of a lovely young woman with shimmering brunette hair and emerald eyes sitting next to a young man of about thirty with black hair and moustache in a country garden. He touched the woman's face gently with his fingertips and looked at the picture with sad eyes and a half smile.

"You may be gone,my Sarah,but I will never forget you."