01:30 to Rigel

Posted on 26 Apr 2018 @ 5:24pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Nesh Saalm

1,217 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Rigel II - Avondale Shipyards / Earth - San Francisco
Timeline: MD 100, 2353 hrs

[ON]

Rigel II - Avondale Shipyards, Personnel Complex

"Computer, begin transmission," said Lirha Saalm in a soft and quiet voice. "Nesh, it's me. I'm...back. They released me from Perth and I've taken a new assignment. Call me so we can talk. End transmission," she finished, then folded the top of her LCARS terminal closed and leaned back in her chair. She reached up and stretched her arms, the loose fabric of her nightgown sliding down to her shoulders to expose her emerald green arms. It was her first night at the shipyards and barely a week since she'd officially been released from Australia's rehabilitation colony. Life had moved so quickly that she'd barely had time to sit down and take care of her own personal affairs, and she now found herself hoping to get in touch with her little sister.

There was maybe two minutes pause, before a written response appeared. Lirha? You took your sweet time. What do you mean you're back? I've been trying to get hold of you for months. I swear you have thirty seconds to call me back!"

Lirha's eyes snapped down to the screen with excitement when she saw the reply. It hadn't been instantaneous, but she knew Nesh well enough that she knew her sister could have made her wait a half hour out of spite if she'd wanted to. She reached down and opened her display, then initiated a subspace comm to Earth with a press of the green button.

Nash answered instantly, the younger orion had been painting. she wore a simple black vest and there were smears of a pale brown paint on her cheek, "Lirha? Where have you been? I've called and called and called and everytime its been 'her visitation has been used', 'her com privaledges are used'. The goat eyed lawyer wouldn't tell me anything. Ive been going out of my mind! What's going on? Where are you? Why aren't you in Perth? Are they still taking your citizenship? Why didn't you call me?" She paused to breath in, giving Lirha a slim opening to get a word in.

"I'm at Rigel now, actually," the older Orion replied with a small tug at the corner of her lip. Not only was the star system home to one of Starfleet's largest shipyards in orbit of Rigel II, but Rigel VII was the Orion homeworld where Lirha'd been born. Of course, Nesh had been born in space, but Lirha knew she still enjoyed visiting the rest of their family back home. "It's a long story. But my citizenship's been restored and my record's been cleared. I'm still demoted, of course, but...at least they gave me back my command," she started to explain.

"Which one?" Nesh asked suspiciously. "There's several to choose from. This isn't a sneaky attempt to make me visit mother is it? You've dropped enough surprises on me, I don't want another."

"I'm stationed at Avondale Shipyards, Rigel II orbit," answered Lirha. "Well, at least for the next few days. And I was planning on visiting Vajripam before I'm scheduled to go away on assignment. Do you want to come for a few days? Aila is still back in San Francisco, I think, but the rest of the family is still on Rigel VII."

"Yes. Of course." Nesh said instantly. "Proper wing slugs, For a start. Ohmygoshohmygoshmygosh! I have to tell everyone! What ship are you getting. They'll want to know so they can apply. No, don't tell me. Let me conference in a few people, you can tell us all together." She started typing frantically, eyes flicking round the screen as she hunted for com details.

The mention of wing slugs -- proper fresh, non-replicated Orion wing slugs -- made Lirha's mouth water. She grinned at her sister and gave her a knowing look, and was even more happy that she wanted to bring friends. After all the older Saalm had recently been through, including months of incarceration, she now craved a bit of shore leave for her self. "Galileo is being recommissioned," she then revealed with a spoiler. "The ceremony is in a week, and...I want you to come. Join my crew. It's a long assignment, Nesh, three years. I don't want to be away from you that long," she admitted with a healthy dose of sisterly love highlighting her expressions.

"Three years!?" Nesh frowned. "You know I quit, right? Resigned, walked out, handed in notice? And have you got Tuula's comm details? I had them right here, but now they're not."

Lirha shook her head and huffed. "Yes, I know you quit. How could I forget?" she smirked. "But this is different. And you're smart, and talented, and most people your age would do anything for a trip to explore the frontier. I know I would have." She ignored the request for the arcane doctor's contact information.

"I'm not joining up again. If you think I'm going to yes ma'am ,no ma'am you for the next three years you've got another thing going. And who cares about frontiers," she said with the confidence of youth. "Who wants to be another Kirk or Picard. Always dashing off to the next place. Never stopping to look, and be inspired." Her gaze wandered off again. "Ah-ha, found it. Okay that's Tuula. Abbey, Mimi, who else?" Nesh's eyes went distant as she started listing the crew of the old Galileo in her head.

Lirha started to protest but knew it would do absolutely no good over the video comm. If she was to actually try and convince Nesh in a reasonable manner, it would have to be done in person. And so she didn't challenge Nesh's words, but merely listened to her start preparing a huge party on their homeworld.

"Nesh, I think we should start slow...and give us time to talk and spend time together on Vajripam. Without too many distractions," Lirha tried to hint. "We have so much to talk about."

"Like shooting my models?" Nesh asked "Don't think I've forgotton that. Or whoever it is you're munching carpet for." She wagged a finger at her big sister. "You will tell me. One way or the other. I will just call everyone on that ship with a minge and ask them."

The older sister rolled her eyes and waved an exasperated hand at the screen. "Just come and meet me. Please? We can talk more. Rigel II, Avondale Shipyards. Come to the administrative complex. Do you need me to book passage for you?"

"No, I'll sort myself out." Nesh's divided attention made it obvious she was looking for berths on ships headed that way. In San Francisco there were plenty. "Just as soon as I've told everyone you're out. Everyone's going to be thrilled."

A genuine smile, the first in a long time, spread across Lirha's gold lips. "Good. I'll see you here soon, then. And don't tell anyone... Lirha out." She closed the comm channel with a quick press of the red button at the bottom of her terminal then leaned back in the chair with a soft and satisfied sigh of things to come.

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

Nesh Saalm
Artist
[PNPC Derani]

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