Home (Part 1 of 3)

Posted on 22 Dec 2013 @ 3:47pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant Ammar Fahad & Lieutenant Asahi Kita & Lieutenant JG Victoria Crawley & Commander Norvi Stace & Command Master Chief Markum Quinn & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant Min Zhao & Lieutenant Olsam Mott & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Verity Thorne & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 1st Class Camibree Christoph & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde

1,873 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: USS Galileo - Main Bridge, Various
Timeline: MD 01 - 1255 hrs

[ON]

With a bright flash and silver blur amongst the cosmos, Galileo dropped out of warp just beyond the Sol system's asteroid belt. It had been a long and quiet journey home, with two weeks spent returning to Starbase 185 to off-load Venture's wounded survivors, followed by another two-week journey from the northern Beta Quadrant all the way back to Sector 001.

Looking at the view screen, Lirha could barely believe her eyes as the familiar sight of the Sun shone brightly through the display and cast yellow hues across the entire bridge. She smiled to herself and let out a deep and therapeutic breath of relief, overjoyed that her ship had finally returned home for its first annual repair and refit schedule. There had been many times over the past year when she thought she and her crew would never see the blue oceans of Earth again, but fate had been on their side and they had managed to overcome some of the most impossible odds she had ever encountered.

Quinn was standing on the Bridge, behind the Command Chairs facing the MSD, when he saw his first glimpse of home in over a year. "Skipper, XO? When we get home, I'm throwing a party at my family ranch in Idaho. It'll be small. And so will be the wedding. Skipper, can you marry Tarish and me? And Commander Holliday? I'll give you a personal tour of the secret family distillery."

Lirha turned around with a light laugh of surprise, not so much at the offer to come to the wedding, but more so at be asked to perform the ceremony. "I...um," she wasn't sure she knew much about traditional Terran weddings. "Are you sure you would not prefer an ordained member of a church? I am not very familiar with ceremonial marriage customs on Earth..." Knowing her COB, however, there was no way he was going to let her miss out on the opportunity.

"With all due respect, Skipper..." Quinn said with a guilty smirk. "your ass and the XO's better be there, or I'll tell Willis you want his body...both of you."

"I don't think we have a choice ma'am. I'm sure if we try to avoid it the CoB here will find something buried in the regulations to make us attend....we'll be there Mr Quinn. Both of us."

John piped up, smirking to his CO as she tried to avoid the request, or at least get out of being the one solely responsible for the marriage. The XO made a mental note to check over his dress uniform in advance.

"Worst case, we'll just have to do an Orion wedding."

Lirha couldn't help but grin sheepishly at the two if them. "I will be there...I would not miss it for anything. Besides, I have never been to Idaho but am very fond of your Earth potatoes."

Tactical sensor sweep of the Sol system provided the usual multitude of space faring vessels; thousands upon thousands. The 40 or so nearby were identified quickly and confirmed as no threat.

Theron leaned back in his seat and thought about how to spend leave. He felt it would be good to spend time on Earth again for awhile. During the years at the Academy he had traveled a little. It would be good to walk through the tall forests near San Francisco, or possibly walk through the great chasms in the southwest desert of that continent.

Dea had been monitoring their approach from her station on the bridge. Without realizing it she let out a sigh of relief. Since Galileo was still in flight she had duties to perform.

As Ammar continued to review the repair work that had taken place so rapidly, he found it difficult to believe that it had gone so well or so quickly. Even at a Starfleet yard repairs as extensive as Galileo's would normally take weeks. Of course, that assumed that the materials were already on hand.

The young engineer could have made the ship workable in so short a time, but not much more. It was incredible. And seeing Earth again, as it came into view, was a welcome relief. He would be expected to visit home, and he would, of course. Among other things.


Deck 2 - Lounge

Half bent over a piece of sheet music that he was editing the old fashioned way with a pencil on paper, Verity Thorne glanced up at the change of light from the large lounge viewports.

Verity dropped the pencil distractedly, abandoning the choir music he'd been working on as he watched the familiar spacescape in all its glory. He pushed himself up and walked towards the view, a grin spreading across his face.

As he approached the viewport he would notice a certain Andorian with one normal antennae and the other one barely more than a stub. He was dressed in in uniform, but his jacket was undone and hanging loose.

On his lap he held a sketch pad and he was drawing. His eyes would flick up to the screen than back down to the page he was holding.

"Chaplin?" he acknowledged.

Verity smiled, shaking his head lightly as he folded his arms. "It's home," he said lightly, his blue eyes shining as his smile widened. "Well, for me anyway." He took a deep, tight breath. "It will be good to stand in a real cathedral again."

"Cathedral?" the Andorian asked stopping his drawing and looking up at the other man. "I am familiar with the term, but have never actually seen one,"What are they like?"

"Like a church, but bigger, grander," Verity thought about it, tilting his head. "Built with hope many centuries ago, blood and sweat in times when it was hard, grueling work to build, let alone so big. Slabs of stone, high arches, spires that reach to the sky," he looked across to him with a smile. "Full of - soul. Old soul, from people across centuries."

"I think I would like to see one," he replied a small smile playing at his lips. "Could you send me in the right direction, or better yet act as my tour guide?"

"Of course," Verity smiled and motioned to the sketch he was doing. "It would be a grand subject for an artist."

The Andorian's smile widened. "That would be awesome. I am not a particularly religious person, though I do like to think of myself as Spiritual. But I would enjoy experiencing a cathedral. I have spent quite a lot of time on earth, but had never given it much thought until your brought it up.

And having you as a tour guide would make it that much better. Except, you are quite handsome and I might be tempted to look at more than just the scenery."

Verity chuckled at that, arching an eyebrow and shaking his head lightly as he looked back to the view. "You fleet boys will be the death of me..."

Keval smiled cheekily,"But what a time you'll have before you pass. You know what they say about us Fleeters..." his voice trailed off letting the other man fill in the gaps. Truth be told he was just making it up as he went along. It had been a while since he had flirted with someone.


Deck 3 - Security Offices

"Look!" Gabriel Stark dropped the padd he'd been working on, laughing as he jumped on the table to slide over it and off the other side, racing for the screen. "Look, we're nearly home! I sense ice cold vodka and city nightlife already...."

"Naw." said Christoph, "That's my breath you're smelling. I'm off duty all ready." and gave him a wink then turned to watch more of the decent on the monitor.

"Vodka?" Luke said entering the room "Its all about whisky on the rocks!" He joked standing behind Stark looking over his shoulder "And there's only one place to party and that's London. Damn I haven't been back to Earth in such a long time" It was true, between moving around and all his different ships and especially the dominion war he hadn't spent more than a couple of hours on Earth at any one point.

"Wow, haven't been to London in....can't remember," Gabriel chuckled. He had avoided England as much as possible since pissing his father off. "Ah man, I can't wait."

Christoph spoke out, "I'll be heading to New Orleans. I have always enjoyed the parties there. They take place every night, all night."

"Certainly sounds like a place worth visiting, I don't recall ever being given so much time off. Usually it's less than a week and bam! Back with a new ships or assignment," Luke added sitting down on one of the free chairs.

"I know what you mean." Christoph replied, "But I'm taking it all and going to have a blast." She winked at them, "If . . ya know what I mean."


Bridge

"Helm, set course for Earth, one-half impulse," the captain ordered. "Contact Earth spacedock and let them know we are inbound to San Fransisco Fleet Yards."

"Approaching Earth at one-half impulse," Dea replied. "Awaiting orders for final approach to San Francisco Fleet Yards and permission to dock." She couldn't put into words how good it felt to be home.

Asahi already had a hand on the comm, channel open to the spacedock. =^=This is the USS Galileo to Earth Spacedock. Mission has been completed and we are now requesting permission to touch down in San Francisco Fleet Yards.=^=

The cool and calm female voice of Spacedock's controller promptly sounded through the comm in reply. "This is Spacedock control, we copy your request, Galileo. We are transferring you to Orbital Control, stand by and welcome home."

There was only a momentary pause in the comm system before a new male controller's voice sounded. "Galileo this is Earth Orbital Control, we have you on sensors. Your request to dock at San Francisco has been granted, proceed with atmospheric entry."

Thank all the gods and their wives. =^=Thank you, Orbital Control. Proceeding with atmospheric entry now.=^=

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

CMDR Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

Lt Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Jr. Grade Asahi Kita
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Theron Rhodes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

CPO Luke Wyatt
Secuirty/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Junior Grade Norvi Stace
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

LT Dea Mialin
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Delainey Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Chief Counselor/Doctor
USS Galileo

Lt. Cmdr. Scarlet Blake
Chief Counsellor/2XO
USS Galileo

WO Alexion Wylde
Doctor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

PO2 Gabriel Stark
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

PO2 Verity Thorne
Chaplain
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

Command Master Chief Markum Quinn
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo

...and others

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