Chapter Seven

Halee walked out her quarters, stretched and cracked her neck. Then she noticed James walking towards the turbo lift and ran to catch up with him.

"Good morning commander, going planet side?" she said, looking at the blue hula-shirt I was wearing.

"I'm meeting up with some friends. This isn't the first time I've been to Risa." I said as we both got onto the turbo lift. "Transporter room one. I take it you're going too?" I said. It was kind of obvious, she was wearing a blue one piece swimsuit with a yellow flower print shall around her waist. She just smiled at the rhetorical question.

"So, what are you going to be doing today?" She asked.

"I was planning on doing some flying. My sister's husband owns a small piece of land on the northern continent. He's a Risan, and owns a mining company that operates in the Risa system's asteroid belt. They have a house there, and a small flight strip for flying old-fashioned aircraft. I have a replica of an old Bi-Plane there that I built before I joined the academy."

"Sounds like fun." She said sounding interested.

"Ever flown in an open canopy aircraft Lieutenant?" I asked.

"Can't really say I have, actually."

"Do you want too?"

"I'd like that. Didn't really have much else planned but swimming." She said as we got off the turbo lift and walked into the transporter room that was close by.

"Commander, Lieutenant, where will you be going today?" Asked Ensign Samantha Langley.

"Here." I said, stepping up beside her and punching in the coordinates, and then I hopped up on to the transporter pad next to Halee. "Energize."

The dull metallic grey of the transporter room faded away into a blue light as the transporter disassembled our molecules, beamed them down to the surface of the planet, and reassembled them exactly as they were. Just the thought of it sent chills down my spine.

"James!" A man called out of nowhere and came running up to greet us.

"Joss! Man, it's been ages, how are you old man?" I asked.

"This old man can still beat you at spring ball, young'n. Now, what do we have here? You always travel in the company of beautiful young ladies?" Said Joss, walking up and greeting Halee.

"Joss, this is Lieutenant Halee Valco, Chief of Security of the Divination." I said.

"It's nice to meet you Joss." Halee said, shaking the old man's hand.

"Halee, I have to talk with Joss in private for a moment. Get something from the bar; have them put it on my tab."

"James, you know you and your friend's money is no good here. Kou! Fix the young lady up with what ever she wants." Joss said as he and James took a table off in the corner.

"Sure thing, boss. Now, what can I get you?" The bartender asked.

"Umm… Do you have lemonade?" Halee asked, and before she knew it, there was a fresh glass of lemonade in front of her. "Thank you."

"How long have you known James?" Kou asked, drying an empty glass.

"I just met him yesterday actually." She answered.

"Well, he's a good man. He saved my life once." He said, putting the glass down and moving on to the next one. Halee raised her eyebrows as if to ask what he meant since she was taking a drink from her lemonade.

"Eight years ago, James, his brother and two of his friends were enjoying themselves here in the bar. I was a cook in the kitchen back then. One of the cooking units overloaded and then exploded, causing a large fire, which spread quickly. I was trapped in the kitchen by a wall of fire and couldn't get out. His brother Matthew and his friend Erin got everyone out of the main bar to safety, while James and Amanda rushed into the back room to get everyone else out. James carried me out of the kitchen that night through back door. Since then, the four of them have been our friends." Kou explained. Halee looked off to the table where Joss and James were sitting. Joss looked like he had been given some bad news. She put her glass down when the two of them started walking back towards the bar.

"Come on Halee, we have to charter a transport. I'll see to you later Kou, might drop by for a drink." James said as Halee got up after saying good-bye to the friendly bartender. As they walked to the transport terminal down the street, Halee took a look over shoulder to see the old man consoling the Kou behind the bar.

"James, Kou told me what you did for them. That was very brave of you." Halee remarked.

"We were young back then. It was our senior year in the academy. When the fire broke out, our training kicked in." I said in response. "When we got back to the academy, and our instructors heard what we did, I think they gave us all 'Brownie Points' as Erin put it."

"You say that, but I don't think I could have done what you did. It takes a special sort of person to run into a burning building."

"Thank you." I replied.

"Can I ask you something?" Halee asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why are you taking me on this little trip?"

"I don't know, spur of the moment I guess, I was just going to be doing some skydiving, but you caught me on the way to the turbo lift. And you've never really seen Risa till you've seen it from the air."

After that we both got on the small transport that took me to my brother-in-law's estate. We both made small talk; I asked some questions about life on the Divination, and who my predecessor was.

"Yeah, David Forester was… interesting to say the least." She said, getting a curious look out of me. "During the beginning of his career, he had a run in with a "Q". Well, more like his boot had a run in with the Q's head. As punishment, that Q thought it would be funny to turn his outside looks into a humanoid fox. He had the temperament and the mannerisms to match too. But he was a nice guy though. He got promoted and given the command of the Endurance I think." She explained.

"You're right, he does sound interesting..." James said just as he was interrupted.

"Excuse me, sir, we've arrived." The pilot said as he set the small shuttle pod down for a landing. James got out of his chair and paid the pilot, then opened the hatch and got out. He offered Halee his hand to help her out.

"C'mon, let's have some fun." He said with a smile on his face. Halee returned it and took his hand.