01-10-2025, 11:34 PM
There was, in every social occasion, an optimal time to arrive between awkwardly early and fashionably late, so that there would be enough people already there that you didn't feel exposed but also didn’t look like you were having much more fun elsewhere and only attended as an afterthought. That was the point of the evening that Callan hoped he’d found when he entered the room for the Yeager commissioning ceremony.
I don’t understand why a commissioning ceremony is taking place after the ship’s first mission, he pondered as he looked around. Surely these things happen before even a shake-down cruise? I wonder what the reason is. Maybe I can find out tonight?
he mused.
He felt slightly uncomfortable in such social events, as uncomfortable as he felt in his dress uniform too. But that at least would be something he had in common with almost everyone in the room. As an engineer he believed that the dress uniform could be designed to be better fitting if someone wanted to do so badly enough. No, the things must surely be purposely designed the way they were to make the wearer remember that they weren’t at this event to relax. For who knows how many times now, he fiddled with the restrictive collar as he stepped into the small group of people. Smiling at the nearest to him, he scanned his gaze around the room to find the bar, just like everybody else would when they arrived. At least it wouldn’t take him long to find it, every Scotsman was born with a natural gift for finding the alcohol in the room.
Spotting it through the small but growing number of people he made his way over and as he approached, gave the bar staff a broad smile and ordered a whisky. He expected it to be synthahol at this event, which like the dress uniform had to be endured rather than enjoyed. Thanking the staff as he took the glass he turned to the nearest person standing next to him.
The guy standing next to him was human looking, a little taller than Callan, an athletic build, and short blond hair. The rank pips on the collar of his dress whites showed that he was a commander, the uniform itself trimmed with ‘command red’ so Callan figured he may likely be the First Officer of the Yeager.
Not the usual way to meet your new senior officer, Callan thought ruefully, but steeled himself and hoped he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.
“Commander?” he said loud enough to get his FO’s attention, then smiled and raised his glass.
"Slàinte Mhath" (pronounced "Slanj-a-va") he said as both a greeting and a toast to the commander’s health.
== Tag Jensen ==
I don’t understand why a commissioning ceremony is taking place after the ship’s first mission, he pondered as he looked around. Surely these things happen before even a shake-down cruise? I wonder what the reason is. Maybe I can find out tonight?
he mused.
He felt slightly uncomfortable in such social events, as uncomfortable as he felt in his dress uniform too. But that at least would be something he had in common with almost everyone in the room. As an engineer he believed that the dress uniform could be designed to be better fitting if someone wanted to do so badly enough. No, the things must surely be purposely designed the way they were to make the wearer remember that they weren’t at this event to relax. For who knows how many times now, he fiddled with the restrictive collar as he stepped into the small group of people. Smiling at the nearest to him, he scanned his gaze around the room to find the bar, just like everybody else would when they arrived. At least it wouldn’t take him long to find it, every Scotsman was born with a natural gift for finding the alcohol in the room.
Spotting it through the small but growing number of people he made his way over and as he approached, gave the bar staff a broad smile and ordered a whisky. He expected it to be synthahol at this event, which like the dress uniform had to be endured rather than enjoyed. Thanking the staff as he took the glass he turned to the nearest person standing next to him.
The guy standing next to him was human looking, a little taller than Callan, an athletic build, and short blond hair. The rank pips on the collar of his dress whites showed that he was a commander, the uniform itself trimmed with ‘command red’ so Callan figured he may likely be the First Officer of the Yeager.
Not the usual way to meet your new senior officer, Callan thought ruefully, but steeled himself and hoped he wouldn’t make a fool of himself.
“Commander?” he said loud enough to get his FO’s attention, then smiled and raised his glass.
"Slàinte Mhath" (pronounced "Slanj-a-va") he said as both a greeting and a toast to the commander’s health.
== Tag Jensen ==