Return of the old guard

Posted on Mon Dec 23rd, 2024 @ 10:48pm by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Captain Cameron Bourne

1,616 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Broken Mirror
Location: Shuttlebay, USS Calypso

ON:

Standing in the back of a type 9 Shuttle, Cam was checking over his old gear one last time before they arrived at the Calypso. It had been a few years since he departed the ship and retired from the Corps, but for him, he found the civilian life lacking. Eventually biting the bullet, Cam made his way back to Earth to sign back up to Starfleet's Marine Corps.

Reaching into his duffle bag, Cam pulled out a framed picture of a beautiful woman, his now ex-wife, Kara Melo. During his time away from the Calypso, his relationship with his wife became strained as the distance between them became harder for both of them to tolerate. In the end, Kara chose to divorce Cam and the two of them hadn't talked in almost a year. While the idea of seeing her again had crossed his mind, he wasn't even sure that she was still on board.

Hearing the voice of the shuttle pilot call him forward, Cam looked out of the shuttle's window to see the massive form of the Galaxy class USS Calypso. Taking a deep breath, Cam stood up straight, "well, here we go" he said as the shuttle was guided into the saucer shuttlebay.

Since Captain Rye was busy with a conference call, Kara had been tasked with meeting the incoming shuttle and helping the new Marine get settled. It was a routine assignment; one she'd done dozens of times over the years. How long had she been on the Calypso, anyway? She really wasn't sure. Longer than most, but she was generally happy here. Really happy for a while. She closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't thought of her ex-husband in months. Why now? She shook her head and stood straighter. What was it the gunny said in boot? If the corps wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued one. She never had agreed with that, until Cam was transferred and they kept missing each other. Different shore leaves, different parts of the galaxy. Different lives. Maybe she should have done more... She pulled her thoughts back to the matter at hand. She didn't need a ghost haunting her memories.

She stood at parade rest where she could wait for the Marine--she wasn't given a name--to debark and watched the deck crew prepared for the shuttle.

Standing at the rear of the shuttle, Cam slung his duffle bag over his shoulder as the back of the shuttle folded out. Here it was, his last shipboard assignment and now his new home. For him, it sort of felt like returning home. Like returning to an old hometown, He wondered how much it had changed since he'd been gone.

Taking one final deep breath, Cam walked down the ramp, turned around the side of the shuttle and immediately spotted the last person he'd expected to see, Kara. Pausing for less than a footstep, Cam figured since she was down here, she must be his welcoming party and no one had told her who was to arrive. 'Ah screw it, might as well rip off the band-aid' Cam thought to himself before marching over to her, placing his pack down beside him and giving her a salute, "Lieutenant"

Kara watched the Marine come around the shuttle...and froze. She had to be seeing things. It couldn't be Cam. But when he spoke, she just stared at him, one hand on her stomach. So many conflicting emotions warred with each other. Emotions she couldn't deal with right now. She felt...shell shocked. Then training kicked in and she returned the salute. "Welcome aboard, sir. I...guess I don't need to show you around." Her voice was husky and a little hoarse, but at least it worked. Mostly.

Cocking an eyebrow at her reaction to him, Cam cleared his throat to move past it for now, "Then, may I assume the barracks are the same way they were when I left? nothing has changed?" he asked, focusing on her comment about not needing to be shown around.

"Nothing major. Captain Daniel Rye is the Marine CO. He had a conference call with command, or he'd be here to greet you. You'll be in the XO's quarters." Why was he here? Last she heard, Cam had left the Corps for civilian life. "Is there anything you need before we head to Marine Country?" This was a lot harder than she thought it should be.

Doing his best to keep a straight face, Cam gave her question a moment of thought before shaking his head, "not that I can think of. If you could direct me to my new quarters, you can go about your duties. I'm sure a 1st Lieutenant has better things to do then act as a guide"

Not really. "I've got the time." She gave him a nod and headed out of the shuttle bay. He was getting to her and he hadn't done anything. They hadn't spoken in what...a year? And yet it felt like last week. Maybe she just needed a good workout. To keep from thinking too much she began to tell him about the crew as a whole. "Most of the crew has changed. Captain's the same, as are the chiefs of security and intel. As for the Marines, Bosley is still here. And Parhtz." She glanced at him. "I think he was around when you were here."

Cam nodded in response, "They sound familiar. It's good to know I won't have to whip the entire department into shape, just a few shinnies" he said as he followed her out of the shuttle bay and into the ship. Seeing these corridors again was stirring up feelings of longing and old memories, both the good and the bad. "it's good to see you made 1st Lieutenant, I look forward to calling you Major or Ma'am one day" he said, trying to be friendly towards her, even though his heart was screaming to leap forward and give her a hug. He still loved her with every fiber of his being, but he was fairly sure that she didn't feel the same. perhaps one day they could be friends again.

She shook her head. "I doubt it. I'm not sure I want to be a paper pusher--no offense. I know you were always more than that." Just his being here was bringing up too many memories. Too many feelings. Yes, she was the one to file for divorce, but that was because, with one thing and another, they could never managed to get together after he was transferred. In the end, she didn't think it was fair to him to have a wife half way across the galaxy who couldn't manage to get shore leave the same time he did. Surely she would be over him by now? At least he wasn't in the same quarters they shared. That would be more than she could deal with.

Cam smiled, "is that all you think senior officers do? Paperwork? You'd be surprised the amount of leeway a senior officer has to go out on missions. While it seems that most of them are happy to sit behind a desk and send others into danger, there are those of us who prefer to lead from the front." he said, turning his attention to her, "remember your Starfleet history, Major Hayes of the NX Enterprise?"

She gave him a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten. And I know most Marines aren't like that." She paused. She really had to get out of her head before she did something stupid. "You're not." She almost asked him then why he was back in the corps, but this probably wasn't the time--or the place. She skirted the parade grounds and command as he was already familiar with them and headed around to the barracks and officer quarters.

As they walked through Marine Country, Cam took a deep breath in and gave a sigh of contentment. This was where he was meant to be, not on some farm world, but out here serving the Federation on the front lines. Following Kara towards the Barracks, Cam figured they were far enough away from the others to be a little less formal, "I know I'm not like that Kara, I just don't want you to limit your future out of misunderstanding what is ahead of you. I don't think either of us expected to be here standing as Officers, so you never know what the future has until it arrives, So stop worrying and keep that chin held high"

"I'm not worried about my future in the corps. I want to make captain, but if I don't go higher, I'll be fine." She wasn't sure what he thought she might be worried about. She wasn't going to tell him she didn't know how to react to his arrival. Kara paused in front of a door. "Your quarters are here. is there anything else I can do for you?"

Pausing for a moment, Cam pushed aside the feeling of wanting to hug her and simply shook his head, "no, I think that'll be all. Thank you Lieutenant, you're dismissed" he said before punching in his command codes and stepping inside.

Kara waited until the door closed, then leaned heavily against the wall and wrapped her arms around her middle. She had to get her act together before she made a fool of herself because, in spite of what she tried to convince herself, she was still in love with her ex-husband.

OFF

Captain Camoeron Bourne
Marine XO
USS Calypso

1st Lieutenant Kara Melo
Platoon Leader
USS Calypso

 

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