Posted by Lieutenant Hannah Lori Asimina (Asst. Chief Medical Officer) in How I Met Your Mother, Part II

Posted by Civilian Jason Reilly (Deputy Director - Colonial Intelligence Agency) in How I Met Your Mother, Part II

Posted by Lieutenant Hannah Lori Asimina (Asst. Chief Medical Officer) in How I Met Your Mother, Part II
Posted by… suppressed (20) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Hannah stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “She is intense, but that’s not bad. So is your dad, just in a different way. I like them.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Besides, like you said, you’ve never been serious about anyone. I’m sure it looks suspicious to both your parents.” And it was suspicious. What they had was genuine and honest, but it was sudden and there were realities they weren’t sharing.

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason smiled. “I’m glad you like them. They like you, too. I can see it. Even my mom. ” He leaned in and kissed her, and then slid his hand down and patted her butt. “Let’s just hope it goes as smoothly with your folks.” he said after a moment. “Speaking of… they should get here soon, yeah?”

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Hannah leaned into him and laughed softly as he patted her. She glanced at the chronometer. “Should be soon.” As reluctant as she was to step out of his arms, she did and went to check the arrival time. “Twenty minutes until their ship arrives. That gives us just enough time to take the shuttle back up, unless you just want me to call for a transporter?”

Half an hour later they were standing back on the Orbital Platform waiting for the transport ship her parents were on to open the docking doors and let the flood of people out. Hannah was holding Jason’s hand, leaned against a wall waiting. When the door opened she stood up, stretching up on her toes to see over the crowd to try and spot her parents. Lyla and Tahoma weren’t hard to spot. Lyla’s platinum blonde hair and Tahoma’s tanned skin and dark hair, were sharp contrasts to each other. Jason could feel Hannah’s excitement race through her when she spotted them. The crowd was too heavy to push through, so she settled for waving exaggeratedly to get their attention.

Lyla dropped her bag to the concourse and ran forward, leaving Tahoma to shake his head resignedly and pick up her bag and follow after her. Lyla made an “H” hand and then brushed it in a circular motion over her stomach with a huge grin. Their sign name for Hannah, a combination of “H” and ‘’Happy”. Hannah splayed her fingers and touched her thumb to her chin, Mom. Lyla placed her hands on both of Hannah’s cheeks and stared at her, studying her daughter,and then she hugged her tightly. Lyla let her go so Tahoma could squeeze in. Seeing the hurt and sadness in his baby’s face, he folded Hannah into his arms, laying her ear against his chest where she could hear his heartbeat and rocked her gently from side to side.

Lyla turned to Jason. Hello Jason, and then she enfolded him into a warm hug.

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason hugged her back and said “Hello. I’m really glad you are here. Welcome to OED V.” He let go of her after a moment and then walked over and picked up the bags, setting them in one hand so he could offer his hand to Tahoma. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.” he said sincerely.

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Lyla gave him that equally intense study, “We are very excited to be here. Thank you, for everything.”

Tahoma looked over Hannah’s head at the offered hand. One arm tightened around his daughter and the other extended to take Jason’s hand. His gaze was intense, but not threatening, as he took in the man that his daughter was going to marry. From everything he had seen, Jason was a good man and made his daughter happy. He didn’t run when things got hard either. He silently prayed he was correct in his judgement.

“It’s nice to meet you in person, Jason,” Tahoma said as Hannah wiggled away. “I’m not really the type to hug someone I just met, but I’ll give it a go if ya like.” His chuckle was deep and rumbled along. Lyla rolled her eyes and put an arm around Tahoma’s waist. “Don’t mind him, he can’t decide between being ecstatic to meet you and see Hannah or play the part of the stern over protective father.”

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason smiled and said “Be ecstatic to see Hannah… I always am. As for the rest, sir? Play it how you want. I’m flexible.” with a smile. “And we’ll save the hug for if and when you think I’m worthy of it. How about that?” and he chuckled.

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Hannah laughed and Tahoma grinned. The man wanted, for his daughter’s sake to say the man was worthy of it. But he had… concerns given what appeared to be such a sudden union. Hannah was a good woman, but, in his fatherly opinion, was easily taken advantage of by the men… well man, she had lived before. If he could ever get his hands on that man…

“Sounds like a plan. Now, I am ready to see this planet that my daughter talks so much about,” Tahoma said. He had noticed that Jason had picked up their bags and he nodded his thanks, rather than insisting on taking them back.

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason offered his arm to Lyla and said “Well let’s get you settled into your place and let you catch your breath; then you can meet my family and we will go to dinner. I made reservations for us at the Wild Fork.” He looked at Hannah and gave her a wink and then started leading the group out of the arrivals terminal and towards the private bays where Jason had their shuttle parked.

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Lyla slipped her hand onto his arm. “I am looking forward to real ground under my feet. I have never really enjoyed the feeling of artificial gravity. I am looking forward to meeting your parents.”

Behind them Hannah and Tahoma were signing silently. Discussing each of their respective work. Hannah glanced over at Jason and smiled. “I hope you brought something nice for The Wild Fork, mom.”

“Nice? Of course I did. We don’t do fancy on Catawba, but I know how, Hannah.”

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

“I’m quite certain you do.” Jason said reassuringly.

They walked a few minutes until they came to a door to a private hangar. Jason tapped in a security code and the door slid open. “After you.” he said to Hannah’s parents.

Inside, with the nacelles glowing a soft blue as the shuttle sat on standby, was a Class C shuttle craft that for all intents and purposes looked completely normal. Of course, due to the nature of both Jason’s public position and his actual job, it was anything but. But none of that was obvious to anyone but experienced pilots and those trained in such things.

As everyone settled into their seats, Jason sat down on the pilot’s chair and brought the ship to life. As he guided the shuttle smoothly out of the rocking bay, he rolled the craft over so that the windows faced the planet. There were clouds and sky far below them, and the occasional shimmer of the planetary atmospheric shield. “Well… there she is. Oed V… home sweet home.”

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Tahoma looked out the window and gazed in wonder at it. “That atmospheric shield is really amazing technology.” Spotting the clouds, “I didn’t know you had any weather yet. Cloud formation should be a few years off.” Lyla was studying the view as well. “I see green. Lots of it. I thought you said there were only the two original domes, Hannah?” Her parents worth spoke and signed. “It was when I arrived, but Governor Hyrushi has a knack for finding the top people in their fields. They are very good and very determined. Oed is also lucky to have HHI here to partner with in some endeavors.”

“Like the atmospheric shield,” Tahoma asked. Hannah nodded. “It’s really exciting. My department head, Cmdr. Fayth, is really excited about it. She keeps going on about all the native Oedian plants she will get to study and test out their medical uses.”

“Really? I’d like to talk to her.” Lyla smiled, “That’s my specialty in Catawba. I work with the native plants to create cures.”

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason grinned. “OED is rapidly becoming the premier case study is terraforming and environmental reclamation.” he said and signed. “And Hannah is exactly right. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor put a ton of effort into recruiting personnel; specifically those in charge of large governmental divisions. They recruited one of Star Fleet’s most decorated Marines to head the Colonial Customs and Defense Agency, or CCDA. And his Vice Commander is a former Star Fleet Security Officer with a long track record of service. The Police are headed up by one of the Federation’s best investigators. But they don’t just recruit the most appealing on paper. The Education Director hadn’t been in a role like this before here at all, and she is making the educational system here one of the best in the quadrant. The Terraforming Director is just barely out of university; but the Governor saw something in her and she is absolutelycrushing all the milestones set up for reclaiming the planet.” He turned and looked at Tahoma specifically, but the trip was a group as well. “Hell… Governor Hyrushi even went out and found a truly eccentric Conservation Head. That guy lives like it six hundred years ago. Even carries a damn sword, if you can believe that.” and he laughed. “But eccentric or not, he knows his ecological science. And he is doing a great job of assisting the terraformers not only stay on or ahead of schedule, but he is making sure that their efforts are done right the first time so they don’t have to repeat anything.”

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Tahoma raised a brow. “I remember there being some folks like that on Earth before we left to work on Catawba. Really into living rustic. I studied their farming and cultivation techniques in school. I use a lot of what I learned in my work. There is something to be said for more traditional techniques. They worked for thousands of years before our technology. Part of our work on Catawba is to leave a little of a footprint as possible. To allow the planet to continue to evolve in its own way.”

“It is a delicate balance between my work of using the resources on the planet and what Tahoma does to preserve it,” Lyla said. “It sounds like this gentleman provides a good balance to the progressive efforts.” She smiled at Tahoma, “Kind of like us.” Tahoma took her hand and winked at her.

“I’ve not met him, but Dr. Fayth has talked about him. If I didn’t know she was so head over heels for her partners, the way she gushes about how brilliant the man is, I’d wonder,” Hannah said with a grin. “It’s really exciting. If you’d like to see it, when can take you out to see some of the work being done.”

Tahoma nodded, “I’d like that.”

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Jason turned back to the console and brought them into the planet’s burgeoning atmosphere. “Anyone you’d like to meet, let me know. My job has given me some contacts I don’t mind asking for a favor from.” He banked the shuttle towards the city, dropping them into the traffic lanes and guiding them towards the building he and Hannah called home.

“Thank you, Jason. We may take you up on that,” Lyla said. Then they both turned their attention out the windows to take in the planet and the city.

Setting the shuttle down on the roof landing pad, he stood up and then opened the hatch. The warm, dry air glowed gently in from outside, and Jason said “Follow me. I’ll take you to your apartment and then when you get settled we can all meet up and you can meet my folks.” He led them down a short flight of stairs to the passenger lift which took them to their floor. Jason carried their bags and showed them to their place and set the bags just inside the door.

The air was different. Very dry, but a hint of moisture that was teasing. Tahoma and Lyla were used to the lush tropics and forests of Catawba. This was very different. They followed Jason and Hannah down the lift. They stopped just inside the apartment. Lyla looked around. “This is lovely. Thank you, Jason. I wasn’t expecting such a large place.” Tahoma nodded with appreciation, surprised as well. “Thank you for arranging this.”

“Hannah and I are on the top floor. My parents are just across the hall. Whenever you are ready, just take the lift to the top floor. We’re on the left.”

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Lyla turned and drew Hannah into a tight hug. We have missed you so much, Hannah. We won’t take long, I promise.

Tahoma held out his hand, “We will be along shortly. We are looking forward to getting to know everyone.” Hannah hugged her father, and then she and Jason left to let them get settled. She leaned against his side, head on his shoulder as the lift took them up.

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Bump

Bump

As they walked into their apartment, Jason signed I’ll get the snacks and drinks ready. What do your parents drink for special occasions?

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

Aldebaran whiskey for them both. Hannah made her way over to the windows and adjusted the tinting. The sun would be coming in directly through them soon. She loved the view, but no one needed to be blinded by the glare. The view was just as magnificent. Then she walked back toward the kitchen. Can I help?

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Bump

Nope, I’ve got this. You just make sure everything else is ready. Jason has vanished her from the kitchen since the morning, but now he began setting glasses on a large tray before picking it up and carrying it into the living room. On it was two glasses of whiskey, two glasses of port for his parents, a pineapple / mango / coconut drink for Hannah and a beer for himself. But it was what the drinks surrounded that was truly impressive.

Everything was ready. Hannah had nervously checked and arranged the living room multiple times in the last day. However, she did it again - fluffing pillows, folding already folded blankets, fidling with the shading on the large windows. She turned when when Jason came over with the tray.

A charcuterie board with all different meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and breads was laid out in such a way as to look like the three planets of the couples that were there. Jason looked at Hannah and grinned. What do you think? Too much? and he laughed.

Reilly- Deputy Director, CIA

She grinned looking at the intricate board. Maybe, but you wouldn’t be you otherwise. When Jason did something, he put 200% into it. Hannah adored that about him. The effort he put into the over the top design eased some of her excited nervousness. It’s a shame to eat it.

Lt Asimina, SFAMO

Bump