Meeting Your Heroes, Part 2 (backpost)

Posted on Wed Mar 27th, 2024 @ 3:53am by Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Lieutenant Alisha Reno
Edited on on Fri Mar 29th, 2024 @ 8:39pm

1,456 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Junichi Koyama
Location: USS Akina
Timeline: After "Alert Statuses", before “The Call Before the Storm”; before leaving Beta Antares

Previously on USS Myogi:

**

Batting her eyelids, then opening them wide in astonished surprise, Alisha had dropped from the last press up onto her side, “You, you’re Jane Sinclair?” She said in a nasally, incredulous voice, “The Jane Sinclair? Number 81?” She pressed one hand to her chest, remembering that the ‘Trill’ had had far larger ones there, then sighed, “No one will believe me back home… But I was your biggest fan! If you ever need anything done to whatever you’re flying, you’re going to be flying shuttles or something I’m sure, just let me know. Anything at all.”

Jane couldn’t help but laugh and hang her head. “I can’t believe it.” Part of her felt tricked, but she knew it was part of Alisha’s training.

**

And now, the continuation



Found that camera?" Jane called from the bedroom door, grinning at her realization of where she knew Anise from.

“Got it!” Anise said triumphantly, withdrawing a holocamera that was only about two years old from the drawer and turning it around to see where she could set it up. It was a Zuikon model, one that was often used by high end photographers due to the crispness and depth ‘perception’ it had. She spotted the corner of one of her pieces of furniture was clear and took a few seconds to expertly set it up. Apparently, photography was one of her hobbies, then looked excitedly to Jane, “We’re all set!”

"All right!" Jane said, excitedly. "How do you want me?"

Anise bit her lip to stop what she was really thinking, then waved her over to just in front of the bed, “You don’t mind if I make this a video, do you? I mean, my friends may just accuse me of photo manipulation, but it’s way harder to fake a video!” She got a nod from Jane and then pressed the record button on the camera, “Hey guys, you’ll never believe who’s here!” She bounced into the frame with Jane and grabbed a hold of her arm, Jane was at the same height as her, “Jane Sinclair, in the flesh! And before you think this is a fake!-“ she leaned over intending to give Jane a smooch on the cheek.

The kiss on her cheek was unexpected but Jane giggled when it happened. Anise Halaat was energetic, and her joy was infectious. “Hi! It’s me, Jane! Number 81 in Interstellar-One, 2379 to 2389.” She wrapped an arm around Anise’s waist and pulled her close. “I’m stationed on USS Myogi, and we just finished a joint mission with USS Akina, where my new friend Anise is stationed. Now I wonder though whether you, Anise, have a question for me that I can answer on the record.”

That caught the Trill by surprise and she looked like a deer in the headlights as her mind went to overdrive, but she was still just so excited that her heroine was there. There was that one tidbit, but she'd said to keep that a secret and she would absolutely do that. It was still only a fraction of a second while she thought, "Your race-shuttle, aside from it being a Renault, no one could pin down just what model it was based off of. Was it a true custom-built craft, or did they take a stock ship and just add upgrades?"

“I only ever raced custom,” Jane answered. “It’s one of the reasons I went with Proxima-Renault, beside the homeland connection of course. They’re masters at a custom craft. The model I flew was different even from the one my teammate used. We would squeeze every ounce of potential from every component, every design, but it always has to specialize at least a little bit, and something ends up being weaker. You brought up with me the micro impact at the Vongen Classic. My craft sometimes were a bit weaker in atmospheric portions because we’d make some sacrifices in the wings to bolster my capabilities in sublight space runs. That same collision wouldn’t have even dented Max Ricciardo’s wing.” He’d been a good teammate back then. He won that race, and she came in third. Not a bad finish. “Look at a team like Ferrari-Vega. They start from a stock model and build out. Not too bad an idea if it’s a shuttle as good as a Ferrari stock, but they can’t tune to the precision that we could with our custom craft. And that’s why I always kicked their arses!”

"That you did!" Anise beamed up at the racer, then looked back at the camera, "And if that doesn't prove she's real guys, nothing will!" She waved to the camera, then bounced forward to turn off the recording quickly, not realizing she'd missed the correct button because she turned around quickly and bounced back over to Jane, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She threw her arms around her once again and didn't even think as she pressed her lips to Jane's in a kiss.

It was only a matter of microseconds before Anise realized what she'd done and instantly let go of her and backed off, horrified in herself and going a bright red, "OhmygodI'mSOsorry,Ididn'tmeantodothat." She mumbled quickly, eyes widened in horror at her actions, "I'd never do something like that intentionally, I mean you and Alexis make SUCH a cute couple and I'd NEVER want to come between the two you on anything because you and she are so happy together..." She looked down at the floor, "I'm SO SO sorry Jane, I-"

“Shhh, hey it’s okay it’s okay,” Jane said, holding her index finger against Anise’s lips to interrupt her and lifting her face so their eyes met. “It’s fine. It’s okay. You were excited. You had an experience you never thought you’d have and you reacted. I’m not upset.” She smiled. “Truth be told, it’s been a bit since I’ve had a good kiss anyway. Alexis has been off filming and has been gone a while. So…it was a surprise but it was nice.” She giggled. “I wasn’t sure you liked me like that but I guess the Maxim and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition posters might’ve been clues.”

“I, umm.. Well, yes, I’ve kind of got a crush on you and I.. Umm..” Anise gave a slight smile as she stayed a bright red, “Never thought I’d ever get to meet you and all.. And Alexis is off filming another movie? That must be really exciting for her and all what with what happened back before! But that means..” She looked back into Jane’s eyes, “Why would she leave you alone? That’s not fair to you.”

Jane shook her head. “It’s not like that. She has demands on her time, just like I do. I have no more right to urge her to stay with me than she has to make me go with her. I respect her choices and she respects mine, and that’s part of love, dear.” She smiled. “And we manage. We either talk over subspace or write basically every day.” Her eye caught the Maxim poster again. “Damn I wish they let me keep that dress. I looked amazing there.”

“And you still do.” The words were out of Anise’s mouth before she could even contemplate stopping them, but Jane seemed so down to earth that it didn’t bother her to say it, “I really wish the best for the two of you, she seems really sweet from everything I’ve read in the news and tabloids. You must really miss her.”

The words made Jane blush. “Thank you. Truth be told we have another arrangement which helps matters when we’re apart. It’s actually fairly common among Fleeters too when their partners get posted far away.” She giggled. “So it’s not like you kissing me earlier was cheating.”

Anise’s heart began to beat faster as her breathing unconsciously did so as well. Okay, a kiss wasn’t cheating for them, but would… Of course, could she ask? Could she not? Hesitation happened and her hands clung to one another as she tried to make up her mind on what to do. If she asked and Jane said ‘No’, then she would have ruined any chance to have any spot on her racing team or any input. If she said ‘yes’ then… “Dammit Anise, you only live once.. The odds of even this are astronomical..” She whispered to herself.

(To be continued)

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