Posted by Lieutenant Riley Dekker (CNS & 2O) in Riley’s quarters

Posted by Captain Julien King (Captain) in Riley’s quarters
Julien rang the chime to Riley’s quarters and knew that Riley would already now know who was in front of his door.

• Julien

OOC: Might take me some time to answer in this thread, but I will keep answering :)

Riley was propped against the arm of his sofa, in loose fitting pants and a t-shirt, scrolling through the latest dispatch of current events from Earth on a PADD when the chime rang. A smile crossed his face.

There were few minds as familiar to Riley as Julien’s. David’s, perhaps, although the scientist always tucked away a secret part of himself. Sage’s, of course, yet even she had been absent more lately, since the loss of her embryos aboard the former Genny.

He stood, depositing the PADD on his coffee table and padded across the carpet to his front door. He triggered the release for the door latch, letting the doors slide open and reveal the large frame of his captain.

Riley crossed the threshold and wrapped the man in a hug. He didn’t know why. Most likely it was because the last time he saw Julien had been in La’kia’s quarters and he knew the emotional toll that conversation had taken on his friend. But perhaps it was something else. Perhaps, he simply needed to hug his friend.

Dekker, CNS

Julien returned the hug without reservation, careful as always to put less strength into his right one. When they walked in, Julien looked pensive and gave Riley a long look.

“So let me get this out quickly before I loose my nerve… not because of what I’m about to tell you, but because of who I’m telling it to.” he said and took a deep breath. If he didn’t know better, he would bet Riley was El-Aurian. How could one looking so young be so wise.

“The talk with La’kia was great, she is, as you know a marvellous woman. She accepted it - all of it, including Marishka.” he shook his head. “There is no chance that I’ll ever live up to that, but if I don’t at least try, especially now that her life is again in danger - and it is with this second inter-species birth - I will always regret it and think less of myself. So many things could go wrong Riley, imagine I’m somewhere charting star systems and meanwhile she and my daughter die on Earth because neither me nor Sage have been there. I can’t ask it of Sage and I would not, her life is here, with Marius. Mine… isn’t. “

He looked up at Riley again. “I’m resigning from active duty Riley. I’ll return to Earth with La’kia. I’ll get my son first and together we’ll be there for the birth of Flavia.”

• Julien King, CO