[Round 9] 1stLt. Isaac Green & Lt.(jg) Jaxon Mc Ghee - Right Time

[Toni]

(Thunder, Deck 10, Flight 93)

:: Arriving a little early, the Chief went to the Replicator and ordered a cup of tea. As he expected Isaac to call or turn up soon, he decided to show good manners and wait until the Lt. was also there before ordering lunch. Finding an empty table near the windows he took a seat, setting down his mug and reading from his Padd. A reflection on the devices screen made him turn his head. Outside the planet was easily visible as it stretched away under the ship and the Space Dock. Wispy clouds strips blocked parts of the surface from view. ::

:: It was on the verge of a small wonder that he had not only remembered the meeting, but also managed to arrive with time to spare. He turned back to his Padd, waiting for Green to call him. Be low the planet turned slowly. His tea grew cold::

Green: =/\= Green to Lieutenant Mc Ghee=/\=

Mc Ghee:Without looking up from the Padd: =/\= Mc Ghee here.=/\=

Green: =/\= I’ve got a hungry spot for a cheeseburger. Are you ready to eat?=/\=

Mc Ghee: =/\= I am already in the Lounge waiting for you Isaac. =/\=

Green: =/\= Excellent! I figured you would be head first in a Jefferies Tube somewhere. Did you have to ties somebody to a bulkhead so you could get away? =/\=

Mc Ghee: =/\= No, I just managed to get away a bit earlier than expected. The planet looks good from up here. =/\=

::There was a pause in the communication as Isaac assimilated what Jaxon had just said. ::

Green: =/\= Just to confirm… did you say ‘up here?’ I thought we were meeting down on the planet.=/\=

::Mc Ghee frowned, taking his eyes from his Padd. He needed a moment to realize what the Marine had said. Down on the planet? Well they hadn't actually said which lounge they wanted to meet at::

Mc Ghee =/\=Oh! I thought we were to meet In the 93 Lounge; I'm aboard the Thunder!=/\=

:: A smile broke across Isaac’s face. He had lost track of who he was talking to for a moment. Of course Jaxon would be on the Thunder, where else would he be. ::

Green: =/\= I’ll beam to the Thunder and meet you there.=/\=

Mc Ghee: =/\=Wait a sec, I just need to check the Embassy's position.... ::typing on his Padd:: Your in luck mate, the Embassy is just about in range. Do you want to beam here? =/\=

Green: =/\= Yes, sir. It’ll be nice to have lunch on the Thunder. =/\=

Mc Ghee: =/\= Okay Isaac. Chief Mc Ghee to transporter Room 1 lock onto Lt. Greens combadge and beam him to the Flight 93 Lounge=/\=

::Transporter energy enveloped Isaac and within a few seconds he was standing in the lobby of the Flight 93 Lounge. The aroma of foods throughout the lounge made Isaac’s stomach growl, and he realized he was starving. He saw Jaxon sitting at a table near the windows and Isaac walked across the room to meet him. Outside the windows, the docking pylons of the Laudean dry dock were visible and the worker bee service craft dutifully worked on the necessary repairs. Isaac took a seat across from the Chief Engineer. ::

Green: It’s good to see you, Mate. How ya been?

Mc Ghee: :Playing it down: Oh, a normal day. How are you Isaac?

Green: I recon I’ve been worse. I think my head’s still swimming from all the stuff that’s been going on over the last couple of days.

Mc Ghee: oOUnderstatementOo I think I may be able to understand.

::One of the lounge staff came to their table to take their orders. Isaac ordered a double cheeseburger with bacon and fries. He ordered a chocolate milkshake to go with it and a cola for the drink. Jaxon ordered a light selection of vegetables, a mix stir-fry of various meats and a further cup of tea. The waiter headed off to prepare their meals. Turning back to Jaxon, Isaac’s tone took a serious note.::

Green: I need to ask. Was anyone in your department hurt during…

Mc Ghee::hand raised, face neutral:: We came through… with a few minor bumps and bruises. oOI got a big headache and mild concussion, but there you go.Oo

Green: I’m glad you’re alright. You know I wouldn’t have done that if…

Mc Ghee: Isaac, forget it. ::Laying weight into the following words:: You weren't yourself.

Green: Thanks, Mate. That means a lot to me.

::There was a brief and uncomfortable pause in which neither men looked at each other. The silence had a quality that even Jaxon felt he had to fill.::

Mc Ghee :quietly, looking at the planet: Sometimes things just happen.

::Isaac had turned his eyes toward the table top out of fear of admonishment by his friend. When he heard Jaxon’s words, his heart lightened several degrees and he looked up. He had served with Jaxon since their check-out examination on Starbase 118, and it had been a pleasure to continue to serve with him on the Ronin and now the Duronis II Embassy. The thought of damaging their friendship, for any reason, made Isaac’s stomach churn. When he looked up he saw Jaxon still looking thoughtfully out of the window, but there was a rare smile on his face. Mc Ghee turned and Isaac couldn’t help but smile back.::

Green: What are you smiling about?

Mc Ghee: Memories and Friendship, and Two Freshman Cadets. ::Giving a even rarer laugh:: Do you remember how eager we were as we arrived at 118?

Green: Do I? Holy cow I was nervous. Commander Tallis intimidated the hell out of me.

::Their shake down mission had been on a holodeck simulator which placed them on a frozen planet, much like their first real mission on the Ronin and Tyberius VI. The mission had tested them, and they had achieved high enough marks to earn their way onto a starship. As luck would have it, they were assigned to the same ship. It was definitely they best of both worlds.::

Mc Ghee: And the Breen and the Ronin? I would have loved to get to know her better.

Green: Get to know who? ::Then realization set in:: Oh, her... The Ronin, yeah she was a great ship to serve on, even if it were for a short time.

Mc Ghee :Nodding thoughtfully: Yeah…and look at us now. I’m learning to run a department and never fix a [...] thing, and you’re no doubt running through training plans and going through the files of your Marines….

::Jaxon fell silent while his ears caught up with what his mouth had said without his brain’s intervention while he rode on the wave of his memories until it broke painfully onto the beach of reality. The silence that followed was denser than a black hole. Mc Ghee kicked himself for his meaningless chatter that had disturbed wounds that had likely not even started to heal.::

::Isaac saw Jaxon's facial expression change. It was almost as if he had bit into his lip while he was talking about... then it dawned on Isaac what Jaxon had said, and he realized Jaxon had made a statement about what had happened on the Thunder. Isaac looked across at his friend.::

Mc Ghee:quietly, avoiding eye contact: I am sorry Isaac.

Green: Jaxon, it's alright. You only stated the obvious, and that *is* my job. Yeah, it still hurts, but it'll pass. I've been beating myself up over this for days, and I have to get over it. There was nothing I could do. It was me, they were my mines, and they were *my* Marines. If I could go back and do it all over again, you [...]ed well know I would have found a way to do something different. What kills me, Jaxon, is that I can't help but feel people look at me different because of it.

::Isaac realized he had become more exuberant with every syllable he spoke. When he finished speaking, his finger was against the table where he had been poking at it emphatically as he punctuated the words. His anger had, once again, almost gotten the better of him.::

::Mc Ghee sat for a moment, his friends response ringing in his head. The anger and pain in Isaac’s voice was evident, but so was his frustration at his helplessness. Isaac had been forced to act against the very fabric of his soul and that went further than mere words could express.::

Mc Ghee :still quietly: You, Marines and Mines? You were physically present, yes. But that wasn’t the Isaac Green I first met, ::louder:: the one I met, covered my back while we were on an enemy planet. He prevented a disaster that may have taken the lives of innocents. He even stood up the minute he was free again and offered his assistance without regard to any reprisal that may await him. Things went wrong Isaac, but you did everything right. You didn’t commit those crimes and in my mind…:even louder:…to hell with anyone who says otherwise!

:: Isaac was quite taken back by his friend's exuberance about his innocence. He had been worried he had damaged their friendship before he arrived in the lounge, and now he was sure Jaxon would punch anyone in the mouth who questioned it. ::

Green: ::Forcing a smile to his face:: Calm down, Chief. You'll get us thrown outa here.

Mc Ghee:calmer, quieter: We all have our ups and downs Isaac. But when the bad times turn up we quickly forget the good things we were privileged with. Let us not dwell on the past as it can’t be changed. oOAt least not easily.Oo

Green: True that, my friend. History is history, and that's all there is to it. What matters to me is how you, the command staff, and one other person feel about the person I am. Everyone else will have to either get over it, or learn how to work around it.

::As if propelled by some kind of higher Cosmic Power, the Waiter arrived with their order and began placing plates and glasses on the table. His presence seemed to temporarily break the somber feeling that had descended at the table. As the waiter walked away, there was no pause in the consumption of the food set before them. They had to have been hungry, because neither of them spoke much as they ravenously inhaled their lunches.::

JP by,

1stLt. Isaac Green

Team Leader

3/7 Marines K Co

UFoP Embassy Duronis II

&

Lt.(jg) Jaxon Mc Ghee

Chief Engineering Officer

Embassy Duronis II