And his friends had called him silly for insisting on bringing a pair of sunglasses with him. Richard glanced up, but not directly at, the simulated sun. There was no cloud cover today and as Richard sat outside the small café, sipping on a coke and munching his bagel, he could almost forget that he was on a star base. Yup any minute now Jess would be raising him over the com, probably forgot his data pad somewhere and needing to borrow his. Except he wouldn’t be, because this was Star Base 118 and he wasn’t here for some way out there field trip. This was it, the Cadet Cruise, and while Richard was actually really excited about it. He found himself wishing he were back at the academy. “Oh I know that look,” Jess slid into the seat across from him. While he pulled out his burger and fries, he went on. “You got that ‘the hell was I thinking’ look on, or possibly you ‘I just remembered I like to keep my feet on the ground’ look on. Which you know never made any sense to me because you don’t have a fair of heights or flying.” “Only when you’re the pilot,” Richard snapped, though he hoped the smile that was sneaking across his face softened his words. “Whatever old man,” Jess took a bite of his burger. “So did you actually take in any of the sites? Or just set around brooding? Not that that isn’t working for you.” Richard frowned and turned to look where his friend was pointing. Crowds of people, some moving with a purpose, others you could tell were tourists just taking in the sites. A small group of women giggling, and quickly looking away when they caught his eye, oh, he snickered. “Not this week,” “Seriously? But, but.” Jess rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder about you man. I mean you’re a good looking guy. Tall, dark, scruffy unshaven, but smexy not unkept.” “Jess, is this your roundabout way of telling me something that you’ve been afraid to tell me?” “Shut up man.” Richard laughed, “Come on hurry up, we don’t want to be late.”