It took a long time before Jesa was ready to leave that place. Upon leaving it, she didn't think she would return in a very, very long time, if ever. When she left, the candle still burned in the viewport, like a beacon to his soul. Some ancient cultures believed if you burned a candle in a place a loved one spent much time, you would attract their spirit to communicate with it.

Jesa never bought into any of that, and didn't really now. She just left the candle there, in memory. It would burn for about five more hours before going out. Then some irate Sanitation Engineer would come by and find the mound of burned wax, cursing that why couldn't people pick up after themselves. But Jesa didn't care, she didn't even think about it. All she thought was it felt like the right thing to do, there wasn't much else she could contemplate right now.

She slowly made her way back through the Starbase, alone, just as she was somehow becoming used to being. Jesa looked at her side, where he would always be walking with her. She missed walking with him, gently holding his arm as they strolled. He loved her so much, and it was expressed just as well in silence as in speech.

On her way back to the Isannah, she passed the docking berth of another ship, an Akira Class ship she had noticed earlier---a brand new Akira. Out of vague curiosity, she stopped this time while passing it, as quite a number of people where in the observation room before the ship---and this great number also included a healthy number of the brass. Jesa walked in quietly so as not to disturb the ceremony in the last. She knew it was the christening of the new ship.

Looking up, Jesa clearly read the name of the new Akira---USS Resolute was clearly blazoned on her hull. She was sleek, new, and innocent… not worn by battle as the Isannah, which could be seen peeking about from one of the bays further down. But in the room, a Captain stood before her on a small ceremonial platform, one she judged of a few more years than the age Jesa chose to personify. The woman was half Vulcan, Jesa guessed from her features. She turned to the crowd.

She knew the name of this Captain. It was Captain Allison Selden. "Now Ladies and Gentlemen, in the time honored tradition I am pleased to now break the bottle of champagne. But as a special treat to honor my parents, this bottle contains both Human and Vulcan champagnes." She said, speaking regally and formally in testament to the seriousness of this occasion.

All eyes refocused on the hull of the sleek ship, knowing the tradition behind this occasion, the room began to grow silent, everyone pleased in partaking of this ceremony. And Jesa did note, it was magnificent. Only she held the sadness in this room. Then, when she was ready, the Captain reached forward and pressed the button, launching the bottle of champagne towards the ship.

The green bottle moved slowly, spinning through space with a grace that could only be seen in zero gravity. Slowly it moved towards the bright white hull of the new ship. All breaths were held for some indeterminate reason, watching the bottle become nearer, and nearer. Then all of a sudden it contacted the hull of the ship, shattering into a million pieces and spraying the liquid across the bow of the ship.

A cheer went up from the crowd, those of her crew beamed with pride, and only the expressions on their faces could differentiate them from the rest. The female Captain spoke again. "At this time folks, I'd like to welcome you all aboard the USS Resolute for a quick tour. The ship will be open to the public for two hours, and then, we'll be launching."

'So nice it would be, to be again, that eager young ensign I was once…' Jesa thought, while watching Sleden descend from the platform, as a wave of people came up both sides, moving to congratulate her. Jesa found herself in the middle of the fray and just stood there, letting the waves of people move past her, jostling into her many times; but Jesa didn't even feel it. The mumbled apologies that were offered, were not answered.

At one point Sleden made her way past, and Jesa took that moment to grasp her hand gently, and look into her eyes, conveying a lot in that moment that could never be expressed in words. "Congratulations, Captain." Confusion passed over her face briefly as Sleden tried to place Jesa, but to her knowledge, she had never seen the woman before. Jesa knew this and released her hand, melting back into the crowd.

After Sleden had left, people crowded around the exits like locust trying to shove through a tiny crack. Jesa just stood back and sat down on a nearby stool, for when ceremonies like this weren't in place, this area served as one of the many officer bars all over the station. She just sat there, like she was in a grief induced drunken stupor, watching people with ambivalence all over her face.

It was funny, though. As an ensign on this base, being in a place like this, she would have already gotten hit on at least three times. But as she looked around, she noticed that anyone who came near her, took one look at her pips then turned away. Jesa didn't mind, in fact, she kind of liked that. At this point, she could chew up and spit out anyone---and would enjoy doing it.

She leaned her elbows back on the bar and sighed. Since when had she become so nasty? 'Since life was a bitch, and I got kicked in the teeth one too many times.' Jesa sat bolt upright. Did she just think that? She squeezed her eyes tight and tried to shove all those thoughts from her mind. It seemed like anger was seething through every pore.

Jesa opened her eyes slowly, only to see a figure standing before her. "AH!" she yelled, jumping in surprise. Then she silently cursed herself for being so careless.

"Wow, sis. I actually got you that time." Terah said, with a slight smile on her face.

Jesa turned around and faced the bar, kicking the paneling slightly. "Martini, dry." She ordered from the barkeep.

Terah couldn't keep a slight grin off her face as she sat down on the stool next to Jesa. "So I really scared ya, that's quite an accomplishment." She teased gently. Though her manner indicated she wasn't taking Jesa seriously, she actually was. But her attempts at that moment were concentrated on lifting Jesa's mood, not being glib.

"No, you startled me. There is a difference." Jesa retorted as the tender brought her the drink.

"Oh, and since when do you drink that stuff?" Terah asked, pointing at the drink.

"Since I had an annoying sister who started following me around, surprising me while I was trying to regain some focus." Jesa said boredly, taking the olives out of the drink and then downing it in one gulp.

"Thanks Jes, I love you too." Terah said, actually quite serious, but thinking it was a good way to make a joke.

Jesa nearly spat her drink out in surprise, then chuckled briefly. "Terah…" she shook her head, trailing off and not knowing what to say.

"Jesaaaa..." Terah answered, keeping her light tone and drawing out the 'a'.

Jesa looked sideways at her. "Thanks." She said, getting up and squeezing Terah's shoulder lightly. Then she got off the stool and began to head for the door.

Terah got up, then shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her pants, making herself look ridiculous. She pulled them out again, then jogged to catch up to Jesa, catching her at the door.

Their eyes met briefly, Terah asking permission to walk with her, and Jesa silently accepting with a nod of her head. They could almost communicate through only body language, something that was quite unique to the both of them. Jesa, for a change, did not return to the Isannah alone. She and Terah, were side by side.

Loaded: 03.10.2004