Cl.01.16 – The ceremony on the surface of Bentar Prime nearly took 45 minutes. Since the planet was nearest to the location where the Battle of Borrhali took place, it was selected by a delegation of the Felwar, Zhaant and Starfleet to erect a memorial to pay respects to all lost life. The last speech was about to start. President Okeg stepped out of the crowd while Captain Intendent Axxin stepped down from the speech platform. President Okeg and Axxin briefly nodded as they passed each other. Axxin, dressed in a stylish all black variant of the Zhaant uniform took his place next to Captain Aelyn.
“War seldomly comes without a price…” those were the first words of the speech that the slender looking President had chosen to begin with. As his speech progressed, Calyssa experienced increasing difficulties with listening to it. Now that she was standing on the surface, looking at the memorial, reading the names of all the lives that were lost in the battle had her mind going wild. Though the thing that preoccupied her mind the most was the seizure of the vessels that were assigned to her command during the second major battle of the war. It was still unclear that had become of those ships and their crew. Ever since the USS Ceres and the USS Sarthaal are reported MIA. If she ever found out if those crews were still alive, she would do all she could to extract them from GYor territory.
“Well, that’s that.” Axxin said softly when the President stepped down from the platform. Calyssa snapped out of her day dream and subtly shook her head to get focused on reality again. “What do you say, Calys?” He smiled. “I have my entire evening freed up. What do you say we spend it together?” Calyssa smiled, the prospect of being able to spend an evening with the man she prefer to spend her private time with, was something she looked forward to. The last time they spend time together was before she left The Reach with the U.S.S. Citadel to collect her new ship which was several weeks ago. “I take that as a yes.” Axxin muttered softly, just before the President was about to ask for a minute of silence. The next minute Calyssa forced herself not to dwell too much on the hours that lied ahead. Instead, she found a way to focus herself onto the present, paying her respects to the lost ones.
As soon as the ceremony was over, the two quickly finalized their plans which led her to her first officer who had been participating in the ceremony several rows behind her. The anthracite coloured standard duty uniform looked well on Commander Kobrrei but the lighter dress variant looked even better. His shoulder length white hair was rightly combed back and braided into a thick but loose braid. His striking yellowish eyes clearly stood out. “Commander, Captain Intendent Axxin and I have some plans to finalize. I’d like you to take my place on the bridge.” Kobrrei nodded. “Aye, Captain. I’ll make arrangements for Axxin to be able to come aboard without security creating too much of a problem.” “That does not matter” Axxin replied. “Considering the status of your passengers, I welcome your security clearance routines.” He smiled, paying proper respect to the current intensified protocols. “Thankfully, they’ll be off my back in three days.” Calyssa muttered, smiling to Admiral Nyagi who instantly returned the gesture. “I have been wearing this dress uniform for too long and too much.” She complained.
Calyssa and her senior staff where one of the last to transport back to the Callisto, just behind the President. Before she retired to her quarters, she conferred with her second officer to check the itinerary of their guests for the remainder of their stay aboard her starliner. It seemed that there were only two remaining matters left: a visit to the Chozo ruin dig site on Calmaren III and a closing meeting with Admiral West on Rivendell, after which the Callisto was to set a rendez-vous course with the ship that was to take the delegation back to the Sol sector. “They all have requested for some time off schedule to work on their reports. First thing on our mind should be breakfast tomorrow morning, Captain. Admiral Nyagi has requested you to join him then.” Calyssa sighed, that stubborn man was not about to give up on his campaign to recruit her into his staff, at least that was what she expected. Again she sighed and nodded. “Very well, have your stewards set up breakfast in the Captain’s private diner.” She said, heading to the turbolift while she used her fingers to loosen the collar of her ash-grey duty uniform. Then she headed back and asked. “What does the Admiral prefer to have for breakfast?” “I believe that he prefers a spicy miso broth filled with salted fish dumplings.” “Lovely…” Calyssa replied cynically. “The one thing I do not like on an empty stomach. Set it up just as he likes, but make sure you include something that I like as well.” With that said, she entered the turbolift, allowing Commander Faulckner to go about her business. With a smile the ruby-haired Irish female walked away. While in the turbolift, she unbuttoned the top of her uniform which she removed. Releasing a steady stream of air out of her lungs, she was glad that this particular day was nearly at its ends. Suddenly a shoulder massage from Axxin seemed particularly pleasing.
Several hours later, Calyssa and Axxin had enjoyed quite a fancy meal that was a successful combination of the better replicator work and cooking themselves. Now they were seated on the rather comfortable sofa underneath the large window in the living area of her private quarters. “Want some more?” Axxin reached for a bottle of spice wine from his home planet but Calyssa declined. “Not as long as we have the President of the United Federation of Planets on board my ship. I think that an intoxicated Captain, handling a crisis situation with the PotUFP aboard is something that the news services would feast on. I am not going to grant them that.” She smiled. “You have the night off…” Axxin said. “It will help you relax, you are all tensed up.” “Yes, it does relax me and you of all people should know that a Commanding Officer never has the evening off.” She leaned against his broad chest. “You could give me that shoulder and back rub you promised now.” She got up, slowly walked towards the dormitory while she teasingly slowly started to remove her top. Just slow enough to show him her naked back before she turned around towards her bed. “I think that that is a great idea.” Axxin said, following Calyssa into her bedroom.