Change is a Constant

Posted on Fri Mar 11th, 2011 @ 1:45pm by Commodore Samantha York & Colonel Damon Raine

1,351 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Forests of Mythraeli
Location: York's Quarters
Timeline: Before arriving at Mythraeli

OOC: This is for after Damon learns of his transfer. I figure it'll take us a week to get the post done. Plenty of time for you to write your solo post.

ON

Samantha had spent a long day dealing with the departure of her sick crew and the body of Jaxara to a nearby Starbase. Now, in need of serious relaxation, she was stretched out on her couch, her feet on the armrest, a pillow under her head and strains of Mozart drifting through the room.

She was rereading Grimm's Fairy Tales for the hundredth time, hoping to get lost in the familiar stories. Or, if nothing else, she wanted to pass a few hours until Damon stopped by.

Damon took his time arriving at Sam's quarters, having lapped the section three times before finally pressing the chime.

He had felt a sizable knot twisting in his stomach ever since he finished the call with the General and he was completely unsure how he should break the news to Samantha. He wasn't even sure this was all happening, it all felt surreal.

Damon walked into her quarters looking terrible. Sam immediately put her book down and walked over to him. "What's wrong?" she asked, putting a hand on his cheek and looking into his eyes. "You've received bad news?"

He lifted his hand up and pulled away her hand from his face. He had trouble even looking her in the eyes from the shame of it all.

"No, it should have been good news, it should have been everything I've worked towards." He released her hands and sat down on her couch. "I guess I just wasn't strong enough to do it." He still couldn't look her in the eyes. "I guess I wasn't strong enough to be a Marine."

Now Sam was really concerned. "What do you mean, Not strong enough to be a Marine? You're the strongest person I know." She sat on the couch next to him and waited for him to respond.

His hands remained clasped together and his eyes remained fixed on them as he began to talk. "General Brend just called, he gave me my new orders, effective immediately. I was ordered to transfer off the Calypso and head up operations on Tyranis Four. It would...It would be a long term assignment."

It was what he'd wanted. And the reason he didn't want to settle down. The reason he felt he never would. "What do you mean, you were. You turned him down?" She placed her hand over his and squeezed gently. "What happened?"

"I didn't want to leave, Sam. I couldn't leave, you mean too much. So I told him no..." He looked up at her, "I had to resign my commission. It was the only way I could stay."

"Oh, love, I'm sorry. I know how much the Marines meant to you. Is there any way we could work something out? I don't want you to resign because of me."

He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel it was in any way her fault. "No, it's more than that. The promotion may have just been an easy way for the Corps to transfer me out in favor of an officer more 'mouldable' to them, especially with the experimental nature of the Calypso's Marine program." He let a long moment pass before speaking again. "I didn't resign because of you, Sam, I did because of us. I guess staying Marine just isn't worth giving that up...nothing is." Damon felt as though he was going out on a limb.

She let go of his hands to hug him, burying her face in his shoulder, "I feel the same way. I'd give up just about anything to be with you. Including the Calypso."

He was relieved to hear that she felt the same way and he found comfort in her embrace. Still, it was nothing to free him of the knot in his stomach. His whole life was the Corps, he knew nothing else; He didn't know how to be anything else.

"What do you want to do? Teach on Earth? They can always use instructors at MCRD. I can probably get you a Fleet position on the Calypso. Lieutenant Colonel Harmos Aurelius on the Endeavor switched over and is now the ship's XO." She looked at him for a moment. "I think you would be a phenomenal XO. There's nobody I trust more than you. Tell me what you want and I'll do whatever I can to help." Especially if it meant they could stay together. Even if it didn't, she loved him enough to want him to be happy no matter what that meant.

"I don't know, I really don't." He said, shaking his head. "It's never been something I've had to think about, my future has always been in the Corps until now. All I know is that I want to stay here." He shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that becoming a Fleetie would end up being a bad idea, especially one second in command of a Starship. Colonel Harmos is probably better adjusted than I would be to the position."

"From the way you handled things while I was... indisposed on Turkana IV I think you'd do a great job," she said. "I honestly can't say if the Colonel was any better than you'd be. I haven't met the man. You've both had lots of experience running a company of Marines. A starship isn't too different. There are just different departments. And not so much fighting." She laid her head back on his shoulder. "I just want you to be happy, querido."

He wasn't sure what that meant anymore. Being honest with himself, he never really had the luxury of determining what was entailed in being truly happy. All he knew right then was that giving up the Corps over Samantha and what they had was the right decision.

"I guess I just need time to figure out what I should do next. I'm not one to make snap decisions." He had a pleading look on his face. "I bet you never saw yourself dating an unemployed guy before." He forced a smile to accompany the joke.

Sam kissed him on the cheek and sat back. "I want you to be happy. I don't care if you're employed or not. I don't care if you're a Marine or not. As long as we're together I don't care what you do. As soon as you decide, let me know and I'll do what I can to help. If you want to switch over to the dark side, I can even help you become a Fleetie."

"Well... I have too much pride to sit back and do nothing." He admitted with a sigh. "I think I may go nuts if I don't have a regimented schedule."

"You'll find something soon. I can always make you an advisor until you find what you want."

Damon leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "Guess I'll have to replicate a suit then." A weak smile twitched at the side of his mouth.

"Not on my ship. No suits. You can still wear your cammos..." She sobered. "But I guess you won't get to wear your rank. I'm sorry, love." She hugged him again. "How about we do something? Do you want to go ice-skating? Target shooting? Swimming?"

"Thank you, love. Right now I just want ... Hell I don't know what I want to do. Nothing, I guess. Things just seem ... off."

Sam wrapped her arms around him again and held him. It was hard seeing him like this, but she respected his decision and she'd do what she could to support him. "Okay. We can stay here and do nothing. Just let me do nothing with you." She knew that as long as they were together everything would work out.

OFF

Captain Samantha York
Commanding Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Colonel Damon Raine
Acting XO
USS Calypso

 

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