Last One To The Party

Posted on 23 Apr 2018 @ 2:58pm by Ensign Miraj Derani & Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin
Edited on on 04 May 2018 @ 11:11am

1,829 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: SS Queen Anne's Revenge
Timeline: MD 104 1900

[ON]

Miraj had ummed and ahhed all day about what she knew, and if anyone else also knew it. In the end, curiosity got the better of her, and she made a subspace call to the person who was probably her closest friend. Because if she didn't already know that Lirha was out of jail and throwing rejections at people, Amaranai definitely needed to hear it.

Amaranai had been in her temporary quarters when her computer beeped with an incoming message. She rolled over to the screen and pressed the accept button. She saw the pink-haired girl and smiled.

"Hey Miraj," Amaranai said. "What's up?"

"Hey." Miraj looked suddenly awkward. "I need to ask you something. Did you ever reapply to the new galileo?"

Amaranai wondered what Miraj was talking about.

"Yeah, I did," she answered. "And I was rejected."

The security officer was unsure of what Miraj wanted to know.

"But after that. Did you apply again? Did you get an interview that time around?"

"I didn't apply again," Amaranai said. "I said, screw it and then waited for other interviews." She paused. "But then . . ."

Another pause.

"Then I was contacted for an interview. I thought it was for Saratoga, but it turned out to be for Galileo after all."

"Oh," Miraj hesitated, unsure how to frame the next question. "So you met the new captain?" It was possible it wasn't Lirha. But be real. Of course Lirha would want her lover.

Amaranai could see the hesitation from her friend and immediately realized why Miraj had contacted her.

"Yes," she said after a moment. "But what's the big deal? I thought you would be happy to see the admiral." She paused and corrected herself. "The captain, I guess."

Happy? It was the last thing Miraj felt. "Why would I be happy? She didn't want me. I was only there to give chief darius a ride. She didn't tell me she was free. She didn't arrange a mysterious interview for me. All i got was that rejection. Even my best friend didn't tell me." She added accusingly.

With Miraj's attitude changing, so, too, did Amaranai's, as she sat up on her bed and looked at the screen.

"Look, Miraj," Amaranai said. "I know you and Lirha had issues in the past, but I was rejected too. I got a flat out rejection and only came for the interview because I was under the assumption it was the Saratoga."

Amaranai paused a moment.

"Lirha didn't tell me that she was free. Me! You think you're feeling bad for not getting an interview! I started screaming at Lirha for not telling me."

Amaranai's emotions were changing, just thinking about that moment just a few days ago. But Amaranai wasn't going to let Miraj see her cry.

"It's not very nice that she wouldn't inform people that she was free, I get that." She paused. "But if you want to be on the Galileo, you need to fight for it."

Miraj looked defeated. Amaranai had obviously been set up for that interview which just happed to turn into a Galileo interview. Lirha had obviously gone out of her way to make sure the people she wanted on Galileo got on Galileo. Even if they hadn't reapplied after the rejection. Which meant Lirha didnt want her. No one wanted her. There was no point forcing herself herself onto a ship where she wasnt wanted. "Its okay. I just wanted to find out if you knew, given what was going on with you. In case you wanted to reapply. But you know. So it doesnt matter. So I'll go now. Ill catch you in person when you're next in port. Im sorry for bothering you."

"Wait!" Amaranai said. "What do you mean 'next time I'm in port'? Aren't you coming with me? I need my best friend so I can complain about my sister for the next three years."

Wasn't that obvious? "Lirha didn't organise an interview for me from another ship, when I didn't reapply. I wouldn't even have known she was free if I hadn't been giving Lamar a ride out." Miraj explained gently. "She doesn't want me on board. And I don't want to serve with someone who can't be honest with me."

Miraj's comments were understandable but Amaranai wasn't sure exactly what she could do for her friend. Amaranai sighed.

"I don't care what Lirha thinks," Amaranai said after a moment. "I want you on the Galileo."

She paused.

"If you're not careful, Miraj, I'm going to talk to Lirha and force her to bring you aboard. Galileo is going to need a pilot and you're the best."

Miraj felt both a thrill of excitement and gratitude for her friend's generosity. And then she had a stab of guilt. "I can't ask you to do that. You can't have a fight over this." She looked guilty. "You weren't the only one who screamed at her."

Amaranai shook her head at Miraj's statement.

"I'm sorry, Miraj," Amaranai said. "Besides my sister, you're probably the only person in the galaxy that I would be willing to argue with Lirha over."

Miraj felt ridiculously grateful, not just for the second chance at Galileo - She wasn't sure about Lirha, but the ship had a meaning for her - but also to have a friend like Amaranai. It was good to have at least one relationship where she wasn't thrown away. "I just don't want you be sad becuase of me. So don't push it okay? I want happy Amaranai. Sad Amaranai doesn't wear corsets, and come fighting pirates with me."

Amaranai smiled and looked at her friend.

"I'm not going to be sad because of you," she said. "I'm going to be angry if you are not aboard the Galileo when it leaves spacedock in a few days."

Amaranai was being honest. The half-Boslic girl had become one of Amaranai's closest friends and the security officer wanted to keep that friend close by. She knew the previous history between Lirha and Miraj and was aware of how Miraj felt about the admiral - captain, but Amaranai still wanted to fight for the girl.

"Happy Amaranai will have her best friend pirate alongside her."

Miraj beamed. "Thank you. It means a lot." The Galileo had been the places she'd formed the first real friendships. She'd grown up in isolation on her father's space hulks and salvage wrecks with just adults and her brother to play with, and the academy had just been an endless series of lectures, cramming and extra study; the few friendships she'd made had to be squeezed around everything else. And the other pilots hadn't appreciated being made to look like toddlers without training wheels by her own highly evolved skill. Nothing had ever developed into the sort of thing she had with Amaranai. Losing it was going to hurt.

"It better mean a lot," Amaranai chuckled. "If I'm willing to argue with my girlfriend to make sure you make it onto the ship, then you'd better appreciate it."

She laughed again and then waited a moment before speaking again.

"So, Darius, huh?"

A different grin crossed her face.

"What's that all about?"

Miraj went red around the edges. "Nothing. He just needed a lift. Besides. He's at least as old as Luke." thinking about him made her heart lurch and her guts twist. "He wouldn't want me either."

Amaranai felt that Miraj was selling herself short and told her such.

"Uh huh," Amaranai said. "Just because he's older doesn't mean anything. And no matter what you think, anyone would want to be with you."

"Luke doesn't," Miraj sniffed. She didn't want to cry like a baby, however much she felt like it. It would just be proving his point. "He broke up with me."

Amaranai was stunned. It didn't make sense. She thought that they were happy.

"What?" she said. "Why?"

"Because he thinks I'm too young. Not old enough. Certainly not old enough to... you know." Miraj said glumly, with not a small amount of frustration.

Amaranai scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure you are old enough to . . . you know," she repeated the words. "And if he can't deal with the age difference, then he must have his own issues."

Amaranai didn't say out loud the fact that Miraj was about the same age as Luke's daughter, so perhaps he felt old with Miraj as a lover. She didn't know but was trying to keep up Miraj's spirits.

Miraj sighed. "I know. But what does it say about me? In the last six months I've had five people express an interest. Four of them were creeps and the other one doesn't want me after all. At this rate i'm going to die an old maid."

"Only six?" Amaranai smiled. "I would think it would be up to about sixteen." She paused a moment. "Of course, the whole Kreanus thing and then being quarantined and kept away from a lot of people, I guess that would slow you down."

At Miraj's old main comment, Amaranai couldn't help but chuckle.

"Right. An old maid with pink hair."

Miraj snorted. and gave Amarani a grin. "I've seen old Boslic. We grow our own blue rinse."

Amaranai shook her head at the comment.

"Sadly, I believe you," she offered.

She paused for a moment and then finally spoke again.

"I really want you on the Galileo," Amaranai said. "I don't care how you feel about anything, I want you there."

"I love you too." Miraj replied, "But I kind of let her have a full broadside. I doubt she'll have me and I don't want you having a domestic over this. Im not worth it. Okay?"

Amaranai smiled. It was a nice sentiment and Amaranai did love Miraj like a sister and Amaranai was glad to know how much Miraj cared about Amaranai's relationship with Lirha.

"You're worth it to me, Miraj," Amaranai said carefully. "Regardless of my relationship with Lirha. Trust me."

"Thank you."Miraj looked bashful, and she had to take a deep breath so she didn't cry. "It means a lot." she tucked a stray strand of pink hair back behind her ear. "Anyway. I should go. I've got to go get myself on the reassignment list. I'll have more luck getting a berth if the captain doesn't actually have a choice."

"Thanks for calling, Miraj," she said. "I'll do what I can to make this work."

"You take care. And give my best to your sister. I'm sorry I can't meet her in person right now. But I'm sure we will."

"There will be plenty of time for you to get to know her and find ways of tormenting me during our travels."

Amaranai chuckled.

"Talk to you later."

With that, Amaranai pressed the console to end the call.

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Amaranai Franklin
Assistant Chief Security and Tactical
USS Galileo-A

Ensign Miraj Derani

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