Girls’ Night Out - Promotion Celebrations

Posted on Tue 29th Sep, 2020 @ 7:13pm by Commander Mikaela Locke & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & Major Haley Sawyer

746 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Deck 600 - Orchids and Jazz
Timeline: MD-02: 2013 hours

“Alright, alright...”

Commander Mikaela Locke raised her voice over the din of conversation around the large table that Jade had arranged especially for them in Orchids & Jazz. The conversation duly subsided and, with the attention on her, she continued. “A toast,” she began, picking her glass of Andorian wine up from the table and holding it out in front of her. “To two of the best marines in the service and two excellent friends.” She looked from Butch Cassidy to Haley Sawyer and back again. “You have both very much earned this - and I, for one, am delighted for both of you.” She raised her glass a little higher. “To Colonel Cassidy and Major Sawyer.”

Alora raised her glass briefly as well, she didn't know them well, but enough to appreciate their competence and she hadn't wanted to pass up the chance to congratulate them.

Beck raised her glass and said, "Hear, hear!" As everyone drank to the two promoted Marines, she reflected that she could honestly say she was happy for them. Because of past issues, she didn't expect to make rank again, and that was fine with her. Cassidy was a particularly fine Aerospace Leader, and Rebecca was happy to be where she was and serving under someone she trusted so much. Sawyer she didn't know as well, but what she knew of her was all good.

"Congratulations to both of you," Kiara added, toasting the two. "The promotions are well-deserved." She didn't know them personally, nor had she worked with them, but she had looked up their records and was impressed.

"Not bad for a lady who's been dead for fifteen years, huh?" called the Marine most often seen in Cassidy's shadow off duty, Captain Sharpe. Cassidy laughed ruefully and shook her head.

And that's a tale and a half, thought Rebecca. She didn't think she'd ever heard the entire story ... nor did she think she ever would. It was quite likely no one ever would. What she did know was that the light colonel had more issues in her past that Beck herself, and Rebecca was happy not to trade with her.

Kiara was fascinated, listening to the talk around her. Most of the people here were unknown to her, but she was picking up a great deal, and she was definitely enjoying herself.

"Speech! Speech!" she called, wondering if either would respond.

"Sorry, you gotta say something," Alora said with a grin. "I don't make the rules." She held her hands out briefly, humor in her tone.

Butch laughed and looked over at Haley. "Flip you for it?"

"Oooh! Three falls out of five!" Sharpe crowed. "Let's do it!"

Butch shook her head. "I just meant a two-sided die!" She dug in a pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out an enameled disk, showing one side emblazoned with a large, blue numeral one, and the other side with an old-fashioned Valkyrie fighter.

Beck was interested in the disk. It almost resembled a coin of old Earth, and she wanted to ask to see it, but she kept silent, waiting to see how the newly promoted woman would use the thing to determine who would speak. Would it be like flipping a coin?

Sawyer rolled her eyes and raised her hands with an air of mock annoyance. "Go on, then," she said, "I'll take the Valkyrie." Alora just watched the antics with amusement as the others went back and forth. Kiara waited patiently for one of them to decide who would speak, whether it be by coin toss or not.

Cassidy balanced the coin on her thumb and flipped it upward. She reached out and caught it, then slapped it down on her opposite fist before withdrawing her hand and revealing that the numeral adorned the uppermost side. "Looks like it's me, then." She cleared her throat. "Friends, Vulcans, Countrymen... lend me your...."

"Don't say it!" Sharpe cut her off with a laugh. "Don't you dare say it!"

Cassidy cleared her throat. She cleared her throat again. Held up a hand with the index finger raised, grabbed her mug off the table, took a drink. "Here's to us!" she called. "There's damn few like us, and gettin' fewer every year!" And if, in the resulting laughter and cheering, she looked at the coin she'd flipped with a little sadness, well... it went unnoticed as others had their eyes in their own mugs.

 

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