Melissa Good - Xena Sci-Fi 1 Partners By Melissa Good

He returned the hug, his eyes meeting Jess's over Dev's shoulder. “I'll miss you too, Dev.” He released her, but kept an arm around her as she turned and the rest arrived. “And I'll miss the rest of you too. It's been quite an experience we shared.”

“It has been for sure.” Clint responded. “Too bad you're going to miss the party tonight.”

“Mm.” Doctor Dan's eyes twinkled. “I am sorry about that, but my head probably isn't if I remember those parties as well as I think I do.”

“Hehehe.” Elaine let out a low laugh. “You do.”

Jess had her hands in her pockets, her black duty suit outlining her tall frame. “You should come visit again soon.” She said, a smile shaping her lips. “Or maybe we'll come visit you.”

Doctor Dan pictured in his head the hysterical reaction to that invasion and smiled his gentle smile back. “I think that would be an excellent idea.” He responded mildly. “Especially when we start developing the advanced programming for Dev's successors.” He glanced fondly at her. “Though we're going to have to really work at matching you.”

Dev smiled in obvious delight. “Please say hello to everyone at the creche for me.” She said. “Especially Gigi.”

“I will.” He promised.

The outer hatch unsealed and opened, and a blast of cold, wet, salty air tinged with rocket fuel gusted against them. A man in the bright blue oversuit of the interspace crew entered, looking around. “Kurok, Daniel J?”

“That's me.” Doctor Dan waved at him.

“Please board.” The man said. “We are off schedule.”

“Ah. I see the customer service is as spectacular as always.” Doctor Dan released Dev and started forward, only to be intercepted by the gang of Interforce personnel, each of whom offered a hand shake, or a pat on the arm, or from the anxiously waiting sets, a timid embrace.

It was almost overwhelming, and it ended with a swirl of motion and then Jess was closing her arms around him in a rush of energy new, and strange, and yet echoing with remembered familiarity. “Both of you take care.” He uttered softly. “You hear me, Jesslyn?”

“You too.” Jess answered, as she released him and stepped back. “C'mon. We'll walk you onboard.”

The interspace loader scrambled out of the way as the gang of them filed through the hatch, out into the icy rain falling around the shuttle, escorting his passenger until they reached the ramp, and he went up alone, pausing the top to turn and wave goodbye before he disappeared inside.

Dev sighed, her eyelashes blinking to shed the raindrops. “Bye, Doctor Dan.”

Jess gave her a one armed hug, then turned and motioned the crowd to go back inside. “We'll see him again.” She predicted confidently. “Maybe sooner than you think.”

The hatch closed behind them, and the rest of the crowd dispersed, but Dev and Jess went to the window and stood there, watching until the shuttle's engines fired, and it rumbled back off the ground into the sky.

**

It was still raining, though the darkness kept it to just a sound on the edges of the dome overhead as the assembly space filled with bodies.

The ramp doors were open, and everyone was wandering in, a mixture of ranks and specialties in a swarm of colored uniforms.

The mess had been restored to the point where it could offer crocks and basins of the basics, and just to one side of the food line was a cluster of black and dark green clad bodies, sprawled on the multi level stone platforms that led up eventually to the dais.

The newcomers sent from HQ mixed with what was left of Base 10's ops teams, personalities already emerging and polite conversation devolving into mild trash talk that even so, barely had a sting.

So Jess and Dev, along with April and Doug and Mike and Chester, Elaine and Tucker, and a carefully wrapped up and still pale Jason and Brent were in a crowd of newcomers, Jeff and his partner Able, and Donna and her tech Caroline, both veterans along with eight other pairs who were waiting to hear if the assignment was going to be permanent.

“S'better here than back west.” Jeff was saying. “Room to make a mark, y'know?”

“True.” Donna agreed. “It's like starting new. Just need to find out if we'll stay here, or be part of the North team.”

“Other side makes a move, we'll be the front lines.” Elaine reminded them. “It's not a picnic.”

“Can we have another picnic?” Dev softly asked Jess, whose head was resting on her leg.

“Sure.” Jess opened one eye and regarded the crowd of ops teams. “No it's no picnic but where in the corps is?”

“Exactly.” Jeff nodded. “Least we'll see action here.”

A stir got their attention, and across the room Bensen Alters was walking up to the podium as the lights brightened a little to focus the attention on it.

Jess sat up and swung her legs off the platform, bracing her hands on the edge of it as Dev scooted over a little. “So now let's see what we're in for.”

Alters had been acting commander for the week, and proved himself to be a calm and laid back presence who focused on returning the citadel to functionality and handle the logistics of the repair teams and materials that had been flown in.

Jess had found herself hoping they made his a permanent assignment. She didn't know who the other candidates might be though. HQ and Alters had left her pretty much alone the whole week as though hoping it would all fade into the past and let normality take over again.

It was almost a bit of a let down kind of feeling. She'd at least expected to get a request to submit a report, or something.

But no, nothing.

Maybe they'd reviewed everything again, and decided she was a cock up after all. That she should have seen through Bain earlier. Or something.

Alters cleared his throat and the sound in the room died down as everyone turned to listen to him. “Good evening people.” He said. “I'll make this brief since this is a time to relax and celebrate for a few hours.”

That didn't sound so bad. Jess picked up her mug and took a drink from it. Maybe they hadn't decided yet about anything.

“I've just got a few announcements.” Alters said. “First off, a final assignment of command has not yet been made here. So you will be stuck with me for a while longer.”

“Heh.” Jess chuckled. “Bet they want to see how he does.”

“Sounds right.” Elaine had settled next to her. “He's all right.”

“Secondly, it has been decided that North base will not be revitalized at this time.” He went on. “At least until we have more personnel available. The recent past has left us a little shy of that.”

“That's not good news.” Elaine muttered.

“To address this, we have opened up a staffing review.” Alters said. “New announcements will be made as warranted on that. We are also reviewing the possibility of renewing our base at the Pole.”

“Oh shit. Please don't let us go there. “Jeff moaned. “I saw that report.”

“So until any of that changes, this facility will be the eastern vanguard and as such, the decision has been made to do a refresh of the battlements, and add some new weapons systems now under development.”

“Ah. Good.” Jess nodded. “I like that.”

Alters cleared his throat again. “HQ has informed me commendations and citations are in transmit. Likely those of you affected will have something in queue by tomorrow morning.”

“So far, so good.” April commented.

“However, I would like to announce just one of them now.”

The ops group all turned and looked at Jess. “If this isn't for you, I'm limping out.” Jason said. “Dripping blood all the way back to my quarters. I swear it.”

Jess shrugged. “I don't need any useless commendations.”