A Woman's Intuition

Chapter Six

"Women never use thier intelligence - except when they need to prop up their intuition" - Jacques Deval (1954)

Synopsis: Colleen and Kathleen O'Flanagon are the only survivors of a raid on their ship, the DeSpritz, a Scout class ship; while talking to Hardy, Kathleen discovers Colleen's old boyfriend, Sandor, is on board.

"Utoh," whispered Kathleen to Nova, "incoming." There was a brief period of very still silence before both Colleen and Sandor regained their composures. Colleen stepped back from the table and picked up her chair. Sandor, after giving a nod in her direction, before heading for his seat.

Kathleen stood while her sister set the chair right and addressed Derek, "Sir, may I inquire why we are denied permission to rescue our shipmates?"

"Yes, please sit down Captain." Wildstar glanced at the other twin who slipped into her seat, eyes downcast while Kathleen turned her chair around and sat, chin resting on her clasped hands in front of her. The Deputy Captain was feeling a bit uncomfortable over the interplay of his Chief Technician and the Captain. He sighed, resloving to get to the bottom of that problem later. Taking a breath, "We are following a message sent by Treleina of Telezart. She asking for help. We cannot leave our flight plan to help you. When we've finished, I'm sure we could certainly help you then. Until then, your shipmates will have to make do without you."

"Is this why you have a company of Space Marines onboard?" asked Kat, one eyebrow up.

"No. They had to be rescued from planet Brumas and are forced to stay with us for the same reason I gave you, Captain O'Flanagon." Wildstar turned his attention to Sandor, who seemed to be lost in deep thought. "Sandor, you were going to report?"

The Chief looked up sharply at the sound of Derek's voice. He rose, "Actually, it can wait til later. I'll meet you on the bridge. Excuse me."

Derek nodded and Sandor left the debriefing room. The moment he left, Colleen looked up and said, "I think I'm done here. Excuse me, sir."

"Please don't call me sir, we are a bit more unformal here on the Yamato." He caught Nova's subtle nod. "I guess there's no other questions then? Okay, let's get back to work. Captain, report to sickbay and Doctor Sane can show you where to bunk." As the room started to clear out, Derek asked Nova, "Would you please stay for a bit?"

Nova looked at Kathleen who waved at her on the way out. "What's wrong Derek?"

"Why the reactions of my Chief and the Captain?" he asked with bluntness. "What on earth is going on with them? They looked like they were seeing ghosts!"

The brunette smiled gently and strolled back to a chair. Once she sat down, Derek followed suit. Placing her folded hands on the table, she told him. "During the Gamilon bambardment of Earth and just before the Star Force was formed, they were engaged. She was still a student at the Academy, majoring in technical design when the O'Flanagon's home was destroyed. Kathleen had all ready been accepted for Intelligence and Colleen, after a long sleepless night, decided to join too. However, when she told Sandor, he wasn't happy - they had a rather loud fight and she left. The next day, he was assigned to the refitting of the Yamato. He went by her place to," here she shrugged, "aplogize but she had all ready reported for duty." Nova stopped for a moment and gazed into Derek's deep brown eyes. "Just give them breathing room, Derek. I have a feeling that they will work this out by themselves and everything will be all right."

"How can you tell?" Derek was mistified.

"Oh," Nova rose with a sly look on her face, "I just have a feeling about it."

Out in the corridor, Kat waited for Nova, who gathered the twin to her. "I have a proposal for you."

"Humm. The last time you said something like that I almost got thrown out of school."

"This time is different."

"Right."

"Really." They continued walking. "See, Derek's birthday is coming up and..."

Colleen stood in the semi-darkness of the sideship observation room, furiously blinking away her tears. She hadn't expected to see him again after all this time and she thought she had gotten over him. It was a shock amonst many for the last few days and Colleen drew in a ragged breath. Grow up girl, she thought to herself, this isn't the end of world. You knew you'd see him again some time. The EDF isn't very big and we would have run into each other sooner or later. Deal with it now. You're an offier and an adult, act like one.

"Colleen," came a hesitant voice from behind her.

The young woman turned to find Sandor approaching, his face a mask of fear, hope, anxeity balled up into one. His hands were hidden behind his back when he stopped a few feet from her. "Are you all right? That is, if you don't mind me asking?"

She gave him a small smile and dashed away another tear. "No, I don't mind." Taking a breath. "I was just very surprised to find you here, that's all."

"I see." The Chief was quiet for a moment. "I am sorry if I caused a scene in the debriefing room."

Colleen blushed and turned back to the view outside. "I had forgotten how polite you are."

"Colleen?"

"Yes?" She turned back around to find him, kneeling, holding a single red rose. Her heart melted. "Oh, Stephen..."

"I went to your apartment the next day after our fight," he explained in a rush, looking up at her eagerly, "but you had all ready gone." Handing her the rose. "I'm sorry. I acted like such a buffoon that day. I should have known what you needed to do."

"I should have not yelled back," she admintted. Her hand cupped his and she surprised him by a kiss on the forehead.

He rose and looked deep into her emerald green eyes, their hands still touching.