Tal’lia sat in a chair outside the Office of the Marine Operations Corps’ CO in her dress uniform, her cap rested on her lap and she started forward, intently not looking at anything. She had been waiting for less than five minutes but she was already more nervous than she had been since her first time actually sitting in a Starfighter. a melodious voice woke her from her distracted stare “2nd Lieutenant Veyo, the General will see you now” Tal’lia stood up quickly and turned towards the door and mumbled something non-commital she thought might have been thanked and placed her cap on her head. Her hand hesitated for a moment over the doorknob before entering the office. She entered, closed the door then took two long steps towards the central desk and went to attention “2nd Lieutenant Tal’lia Veyo reporting, sir” She said in her formal voice looking above the man seated behind the desk.

There was a moment of silence and then a deep rumbling laugh “At ease Lieutenant, at ease”
The man said standing up and in two strides she was engulfed in a bear-like embrace, he was taller than her by half and twice as wide and lifted her with annoying ease. After what felt like an eternity she started slapping his back “Air”

She barely managed to let out and immediately she felt firm floor under her feet. The man took two steps back, leaned on his desk and smiled a wide fatherly smile “It’s good to see you Lia” He was older than when she’d first seen him but his voice was as steady and reassuring now as it had always been, she smiled back “It’s good to see you as well father” Joseph Karlson was a large well-built man in his fifties, his dark brown hair had started greying around the temples. He returned to his chair and offered her a seat which she took gratefully “I thought they would have to drag you out of the Corps but now you’re just retiring?” She asked incredulously, it had been two years since she saw her adoptive father in person last but their last conversation over subspace had been a heated one where things were said that she regretted deeply.

Joseph smiled “Oh I’ve accomplished as much as I can here, I’ve seen more war than most and to be frank” He leaned in and whispered loudly enough to be heard in the next building over “I didn’t sign up to do paperwork” He finished the sentence with a playful wink and leaned back in his chair “Your mother and I want to go travelling and with Timor going to Starfleet Academy next year we thought we might go for it, your uncle Johann has a new ship he wants to show off and Neema convinced me to go with” Tal’lia shook her head but her smile remained “Want to avoid an empty nest then?” Her father laughed at that “Indeed we do, besides there are some loose ends we need to tie up out there and I can’t do that with these bloody stars” Tal’lia nodded.

“Listen about when we spoke last” SHe started but was interrupted “No need to say anything, you were right I have no business putting stuffing my nose in your personal business” She shook her head “It’s not that, of course, you don’t” That received the chuckle she had hoped for “What I said, I didn’t mean it” She put a hand up to forestall any interruption “It was childish, petty and cruel. When I turned eighteen I decided to take up Mothers family name because you two are my family, you and your stupid island customs means I can’t have a family name from you but I have that.” Joseph had grown silent as he listened but nodded as she spoke “I know, you have a temper and when you don’t contain it you say things far harsher than you want to but ever since you were a little girl you’ve always known when and how to apologise.” He stood up “Now give your ageing father a hug, I have to get fired honourably” He stood up with a smile. They embraced for longer than before but it wasn’t as bone-crushing as before, each hugging as tight as the other.

After some time had passed they stepped from each other, both surreptitiously wiping their eyes “Shame about the rain” Joseph said and Tal’lia answered “I didn’t even notice the clouds” She grabbed the wooden cane hanging on the side of the desk and handed it to her father “Me and Nilani have this theory that you haven’t needed to use this cane in almost six years” Josephs only reply was an amused grunt “We think you think it’s cool and that’s why you walk around with it” He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and looked at her “Guess we’ll never know” He said with a wink and turned the handle down but before he opened the door Tal’lia stood at attention once more and saluted her father “Sir” She said in her parade voice “Thank you for your decades of Service, sir” Joseph straightened his back and returned that salute “Thank you lieutenant, now let’s get going, Nilani’s been dying to see you, she’s been seeing this Russian kid and won’t introduce him to us until you give your approval” He said as he opened the door and let his daughter out.

Tal’lia walked beside her father, the last day he would wear the uniform of a Marine Flag Officer, ending his career as she starts hers. Today was going to be a great day.

2nd Lieutenant Tal’lia Veyo Jósefssdaughter