After their wild timeout they both got dressed, reverted back to being Captain and XO and started discussing Lalandes latest performance during the recent skirmish with the rebel blockade runner. Not quite as professional maybe, like any captain and her XO would do. They relocated their meeting over to the lavishly cushioned leather couch, where M.J rested her head on his lap.
M.J. was just visualizing data and reviewing an incoming report from the fusion reactor detachment. That gave him time to watch her gesturing through the air and reading information only she could see by means of her build in retina display.
Daniel preferred to access his data and reports with a physical, fleet issued pad. The roughly hand sized device had been in his possession since he had been chief weapons officer aboard the battleship SFS Yu Shan roughly eight years ago. He had been serving under Captain Kgoboge back then since 2355 and the Yu Shan had been stationed with the 6th Battle group at St. Yegorov depot. It had been a rather dull assignment until in 2356 they had received a new XO, as Commander Piqué had recently been transferred to the staff of Admiral Horikoshi.
Her replacement had been one Commander Min-Jeong Fechter. After her arrival things quickly got heated in both his professional and personal life. The Hope Insurrections broke out and most men and women who served aboard the Yu Shan during the following years would remember the combat missions they lived through and the comrades they lost. Daniel mainly chose to recall the memories of fucking and making out in every nook and cranny of the battleship together with his forbidden lover.
This had been a dangerous time for the couple. The Solarian Fleet was very strict when it came to sexual relationships between superior officers and their subordinates. This was a career ending offense and it could even be punished as a crime under specific circumstances. Like for example during wartime in which they had found themselves back in 56, although the civilian government on Earth avoided calling the engagements in the outer colonies a war. Meanwhile, their subterfuge skills had increased quite a lot.
The end of their secret relationship came in 2359. M.J. had been given the opportunity to take command of the Destroyer Unity City and she had accepted without any second thoughts. He had known back then, that this day would come. They had talked about these things and it was a constant option that the fleet would transfer one of the officers to another assignment. However it was feasible to influence to some extent how your career in the navy developed. They both had a good standing with Captain Kgoboge and could have avoided a transfer, at least for some time.
Daniel would have refused any assignment if it meant that he could be together with the woman of his dreams for just one more day. M.J. on the other hand had made it clear that her career in the Solarian Fleet would always take priority. She was a rising star in the fleet. The initiative she had shown early in her career during the border skirmishes with the Neyja Star Empire in 51 had given her an opportunity to serve aboard SFS Solaria, flagship of Admiral Koslova, who was the commander in chief of the Solarian Fleet.
The Solaria was known to young officers as the crucible. If you proved your capabilities there all doors were open to early promotions and prestigious assignments. If on the other hand you were one of those officers whos principal qualities were your political or personal connections your station aboard the Solaria would most certainly lead to either some holding track position where you couldn’t do any further damage or preferably directly back to civilian live.
It had been hard to lose her, but he knew that the woman he loved would never sacrifice the chance to command a starship of her own for the doomed romance they shared.
Fast forward to 2362. Captain Min-Jeong Fechter had been entrusted with the command of a fresh off the assembly line Krüger-60 class heavy cruiser, the Lalande. The main perk of such an assignment was that she could handpick her officer staff since there was no pre-existing crew aboard. She had requested him as XO and their affair had continued right were it had stopped 3 years earlier. They were headed towards the war zone of the Beta Virginis sector screwing each other at any opportunity they thought they could get away with.
“Did you hear what I just said ?” M.J. snapping her fingers in front of his nose brought the Commander back to the present of 2363.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about the Yu Shan.” he said apologetically.
“The good times or the bad ?” she asked, her left eyebrow arching slightly.
“Well, a little bit of both I suppose.” he firmly put down his datapad and placed it on the couches arm rest. “Look, Chérie, none of these reports is critical at the moment, could we please talk about us ?”
She sat up straight and locked eyes with him, apparently deactivating the report that had currently been shown in her Retina display. “All right, what’s on your mind ?”
“I have been thinking about how we were separated when you took command of the UC. We will probably be back from this Tour somewhere around December or the beginning of 64. Then what ?”
“I don’t have a crystal ball to see the future, Danny. I know however, that Captain Levasseur is due for retirement. If the Olympus Mons is still in the Sol system, that is a position I will try to be transferred to. Alternatively, if there is an open staff position within the 1st fleet I will see if that is an option. Both paths will increase my chances to make flag officer, when a position opens up.
“Ok M.J, that’s you and the Navy, what about us ?”
“Sorry. Well, if I make Captain of the Olympus, or any other battle ship, I might be able to get you aboard as XO again. Depends of course on how the record of the acting Commander aboard would look like. Alternatively you could apply for a position within my battle group. You’d think a XO position aboard another cruiser, or to hell with that, you might be able to get a command for yourself. We would not be on the same ship and that would certainly complicate things, but it would be preferable to being separated by lightyears again, right ?”
“But how long, do you think we can get away with this? I am sure Chief Palecek was aware of our affair back on the Yu Shan and chose to turn a blind eye on it. Shall we just hope to be lucky again for years on ? Do you even want to keep living like that ?”
M.J leaned against him and started to play with the silver knobs of his uniform jacket. Her left hand wandered down, but before she could reach between his legs Daniel stopped her and softly held her fingers between his palms.
The fiendish smile, which had shown on her lips for some seconds withered away. “So we are really getting serious today, hm?”
She effortlessly withdrew her hand, pressed her thumbs and index fingers together and gave his words some thought.
“You are right, we are in a bad situation strategically. We have been quite careful in the past, tried to include other officers in our meetings most of the time. If we spend too much time together alone, someone will eventually start to talk. If we never did , that would be strange as well, since it is common knowledge that we go way back together, some might even say that we are friends. No matter what we do, people being people someone might report scuttlebutt up the network and we could find ourselves in front of an investigation committee. So, the cold-hearted thing to do would be to end this relationship right now and the smart thing to do would be to enjoy the time we have with each other while we still can and let it run out when either of us gets transferred to a new position. Me being me, I am neither cold-hearted nor smart, when it comes to decisions concerning you. You have obviously thought about this. My plans aside, what is it that you want to do ?”
Daniel tried to embrace her but she resolutely held him back at arms length, her right hand pressed against his chest. “No, Danny, if I don’t get to fondle you don’t get to hug. Tell me what you want.”
The blond Commander looked past his lover as he began to talk.
“We could resign from the Fleet together when we return to Sol. We get some well payed corporate jobs, move down the gravity well and live on Earth. I recommend a small beach town in southern France, Provence preferably.”
“Can we compromise on Miranda?” she interrupted him, “It’s all beaches and beautiful sunsets but the gravity is much more likeable.”
“No matter where we live, Chérie. It will not be in secret. We will have a live together, a family maybe.”
“We are not calling our daughter Jeanette, just so you don’t get ideas.” M.J shot mockingly
“I will be able to see you every day, fall asleep with you in the night and wake up next to you in the morning.”
“And here I thought you wanted to have a serious discussion about our future.” she stated with a hint of exasperation.
“Well, you asked me what I wanted, your plans aside, Chérie.” he reminded her smilingly before he continued in a more solemn tone. “I know how important it is for you to wear the uniform. Your convictions and sense to serve humanity is part of why I love you. For me, I have been thinking about mustering out for quite a while before I met you. I could do this when we return. I know you don’t believe in marriage, but we could build something together. You would have a home to return to when you are in the System. Or, if you get posted to a far off sector like the Sultanat or Centrista, I could come along with you. It is not uncommon for partners to accompany their spouse on such an assignment.”
“This is what I love most about us Danny,” suddenly all her playful mockery had vanished, “We can talk about our dreams for the future and regrets about the past. For me, you are the closest thing to family I have ever had in my live. I am always aware how dangerous it is to keep you close, but on the other hand I would not be the officer I am today without taking risks. What you propose now would be very attritional. My assignments could always take me on year long missions away from you. Do you really think you can be the guy patiently waiting for his soldier-wife to return home for some months only to see her leave again ?”
“What would be the difference to being separated while we are both serving on different posts in the Solarian Fleet? At least, when we are together then, this time belongs to us and we don’t need to steal it away and hide our affection in front of other people.”
“Ok, I get it, but apart from that you are also an excellent officer, Danny, and it would be a total waste if you left the Fleet. Just earlier today you have shown good initiative when you told Augustin and Bukowski to prepare the boarding before I gave the order. With a little bit of necessary ass kissing you could have gotten a command of your own years back. Out here and wearing the uniform we can really make a difference in the universe. Are you really prepared to give that up for…”
A priority message from Lt. Major Augustin suddenly interrupted their heart to heart talk and M.J accepted it with video feed, via her work station, so Daniel could listen in.
“Go ahead Major, Commander Lafontaine is with me and we hear you.”
“Captain,” the distinguishable bass voice of the old American rang out ,”I have a first inventory of the freighters payload. Mostly ship to ship ordnance and DMS equippment. More importantly I have your Ensign from decryption next to me. Giving her the channel now.”
Daniel immediately recognized the ever nervous Yrsa Katlasdottir’s voice. The young decryption officer from Oceania had joined the Solarian Fleet not out of conviction, but for the chance to study computer science at Garcia University on Europa. From what he had seen so far, she was excellent at her job but had never really fit into the military.
“Ma’am… I mean, Sir. You got to see this right now, we are on a frickin gold mine here.”
“Slow down, Ensign, and tell me what you found inside the Fredonias computers.” M.J. said measuredly.
“This is one of the rebels spoke ships. I am getting all kinds of things, like their encryption codes for the NET, distribution lists, rendezvous schedules…, I mean this is the jackpot right ?”
“Thank you Ensign, good work. Now keep digging and prepare a preliminary report for me. Prioritize the rendezvous schedules and also sent it directly to CIC.”
“Yes, Sir,” Katlasdottir confirmed before M.J. broke the connection.
“Sorry Danny, seems like we need to postpone our private conversation,” Daniel saw the predatory smile of a huntress on his lovers face.
“Of course, this is more important” he agreed promptly ,”if Yrsa is right that could really lead us to the rebels base of operations between Asterion and Groombridge.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What nobody aboard the Lalande could know at this stage was that the ship that came out on top of Ensign Yrsa’s list for rearmament and resupply was the Helldriver. The same Helldriver that had captured the Elysium Interstellar bulk carrier Penelope a little over a month ago.