Goodbyes and Farewells...
[Day 5, 1300 hrs]
[Outside Main Conference Room]
After five days, it was over.
Raan filed out of the conference hall with mixed feelings: a strange sense of relief that the briefings were over, and a sense of disappointment that they were. The Initiative had been an odd little world of its own, of new faces and friendships forged over a small period of time, and calls to duty as they were asked to make decisions that would impact their careers for years to come. In a way, he didn’t want to leave, and couldn’t wait to leave to start this new phase of his life. It was… confusing. Frustrating. Exhilarating. All at the same time.
His padd pinged him and he looked down to see new orders. He was to report to Docking Precinct A, for the SS Minnow, leaving at 1700. No mention of his assignment yet.
The crush of the crowd leaving the conference room forced him to look up and he instantly spotted a familiar figure by the back door of the corridor. Blue hair like a flag that flowed over her shoulders… Blue hair spread over a pillow. She spotted him and smiled. He was already cutting through the crowd toward her before she waved him over.
“Hey,” he kept his voice soft as he came to stand next to her. “Did they let you go now? Or do you have other meetings before you leave?”
Comments
Juliet looked up at his face and smiled. "Thankfully, yes. See that man over there?" She pointed to a tall bearded man talking with Kara. "That's Captain Jason Hawk. He commands the Excelsior-D. He's transporting a handful of us back to Devron. Admiral Thrace and I can't afford to stop working right now, so we're getting to fly home in something that has offices and secure communications facilities." She grinned. "The conferences ends, but the work never does."
Her grin softened and there was a warmth in her eye. "I'm glad I met you this week, Raan. I meant what I said earlier. If you find yourself near Starbase 86, send me a message. If I'm there, too, I'd love to see again."
Commodore Juliet St. Clair
Executive Officer, Task Force 93 | Commanding Officer, USS Saturn
“No, it definitely doesn’t. But that’s what we signed up for. Although, I’m a little jealous of your cushy ride.” He chuckled, then his grin expression grew a little more serious.
“I’m glad I met you too, although I have learned not to bet you on anything,” he kept his voice low. Not because he didn’t want people to hear them, but because it wasn’t anyone else’s business. “And I definitely will do.”
He looked up, aware they were being watched, to see the officers Juliet had pointed out had all the body language of people about to leave. “I’m shipping out in a couple of hours… but it looks like you’re going to beat me to leaving.”
He offered his hand, shaking hers firmly. “Pleasure to have met you commodore,” he said, his voice louder now. “Until we meet again.”
With that, he excused himself with a smile and a small bow and disappeared into the crush of the crowds.
“Until then,” she replied, waving goodbye with delicate fingers.
When he left, she noticed her friends looking at her and the smiles on their faces. She also realized she was blushing.
“All right,” she said, paying their teasing looks no mind, but struggling to hide bright red cheeks. “Let’s get out of here.”
Commodore Juliet St. Clair
Executive Officer, Task Force 93 | Commanding Officer, USS Saturn
Jason spotted the Blue haired Commodore approach both himself and Kara as they stood at the entrance to their shuttles docking port doors. Kara couldnt help notice the colour of Juliets cheeks and motioned with her hand as she patted him on the shoulder and eyed the door for Jason to head onboard “Juliet is that you?” Kara called over sarcastically “I was beginning to forget what you looked like, I havent seen you since our briefings”
Pausing for dramatic affect as she put her hand up to her chin “that was 2 days ago, where have you been” as she grinned and walked through the doors herself
Vice Admiral Kara Thrace
Commanding Officer, Task Force 93
Captain Jason Hawk
Commanding Officer, USS Excelsior
"Oi!" Juliet exclaimed, unable to hide her smile. "Come on, then. We have a lot to do on our way back to Devron." She headed into the shuttle, eager to return home after a productive, interesting, and amusing week.
Commodore Juliet St. Clair
Executive Officer, Task Force 93 | Commanding Officer, USS Saturn