'Almost small fry, see.' I said and pointed out the window. She leaned over, looking out her mouth hanging open. 'Wowww.' She said in awe. I always loved seeing the ships as they launched out or landed on my home planet when I was a young child.
I looked back at Karen who sat one row back, the gold stripes on the cuffs of her uniform glinted as she picked up her young son from his travel booster.
'Karen, you good back there?' I asked as Jacob squirmed around and then started to suck on the bottle nipple she had placed near his mouth. She looked up at me and smiled as I remembered the scared, dirty, slave that I found in a Flin Carrier Admirals sleeping quarters nearly 22 years ago.
She had looked out at me from the pod that he had kept her in, now here she sat with 2 children, a Naval Lieutenant Commander. She was the daughter and granddaughter of Admirals and had just received her orders to her XO Command on a heavy cruiser. Both children would stay with Lori and myself as I was retiring today and would be out 20 days from today at the end of the month.
'Yes Sir, he's just a bit restless from all the travel that's all dad.' She told me and rocked Jacky, as he'd been nicknamed, back and forth. I looked down at Maria who had crawled over to Lori's lap who was gently rocking her back and forth and humming quietly.
'Dad, you need to get ready.' My son John VII said. He held my dress blue jacket with all its metals. I stood up and shed my travel jacket and J VII helped me into the fresh one. 10 minutes later I was properly dressed in all the bells, lights and whistles. He pulled on his own dress uniform jacket, the LTJG gold stripes glinting, and his sword around his waist. I checked my own as Karen handed Jacky to the nanny who quickly readied him. I looked back and spotted Flower, my Flin slave that I had captured all those many years ago, she brought Maria over and checked her over one last time then stood next to the nanny. She leaned forward and whispered something in Karens ear, they both started giggling like the pair of young girls I remembered.
I felt the shuttle dock and the light above the hatch turned from red to yellow and a minute later green, the crew chief checked several items before opening the inner then outer hatch. 'All clear Sir, watch your step please.' He said as I shook his hand, donned my cover and stepped out.
'Honor Guard, A ten HUH.' I heard from a nattily dressed marine 1st Lt. The crack of 22 sets of heels coming together made an impressive sound. 'Present... Harms.' The slap of palms to the hard thermoplastic guards and the trill of the Boatswain pipe was equally impressive. The Lieutenant saluted me with his sword, and I returned their salute and walked across the gangway to the gathered officers and men.
