The Hodkin Chronicles Part 11: Lip Service
15 Jan 2017S. Hodkin
27th June 3301 - Ackerman Market, Eravate SystemAn uneventful few days seemed to pass by, until a call from Sarah to announce her engagement to a fellow WO, Luke McCoy of the 2nd Beta Hydrian Division, a deployment I would have had were I not propelled into peacekeeping duties so quickly in my full service days. Either way, I can’t seem to fully trust him as yet, he has character defects I can’t yet work out, and considering he outranks me, it’s a little unnerving. That said, with a name like McCoy I can relax, Jenna’s current flame also being of seemingly Celtic origins, accent and all.
In the meantime, preparations were continuing for the joint trip with Jem out to Sol. Itineraries to finalise, ships to supply and reinforce, and the occasional drink to be consumed in each other’s company. And so on Friday night, it was the almost regular meetup in Eravate with Jem for a drink and conversation, nothing major.
On this occasion we went for the Nova Bar on Ackerman Market - brash, loud and colourful. I can see why Mark was worried during the closure in the brief skirmishes of the last few days. The Black Hole is popular, true, but the Nova will always try to indulge in one-upmanship on all fronts, even with its supposed shady dealings.
While nursing a pint of Eravate Dark, Jem and I began discussing fighting. I was a little surprised when she asked if I’d ever hit a woman. I brushed it aside, the only exceptions having occasionally been with my sisters in a little defence testing they put on me before I set off for Naval training, and that was parrying plastic after all. Her tale from a few years ago had me laughing, if a little nervously.
Admittedly the twins had also caught wind of my frequent drinks with Jem, and now my parents were getting interested in knowing more of what I had done with her, who she was, and what she did. Then without thinking I unconsciously blurted out my lack of experience with the fairer sex, duty above companionship among other things - and then she kissed me, with words that struck a warm chord to my ears.
“I love you Sam.” were her exact words, which I returned without delay, and in the bright lights and loud music of the Nova Bar, we kissed with more passion and love than we had before, we would be heading to Sol as more than friends. If one thing can be said, as one who hasn’t really experienced it before, waking up to the sight of a woman you love sleeping next to you with a contented smile on her face is the best feeling in the galaxy..