"Mira?"<br/>Garrick gasped, his mouth still agape from the shock.<br/>The once long lanky girl from his youth standing before him; perfectly filling out a long black dress with ample hips, and bosom.<br/>Coot nodded with and little mischievous grin, bowing away.<br/>"I'm sure yeh both have plenty to catch up on, so I'mna see what this shindig has to offer."<br/><br/>Before Garrick could even mutter another word. He was gone, lost into the crowd.<br/>Leaving him alone with this strange creature that wore the face of his childhood sweetheart.<br/><br/>She looked up at him with those big blue doe eyes, veiled by thin ribbons of raven locks that smelled of lilacs and spring rain.<br/><br/>"So... I see you missed me...."<br/><br/><br/><b>Chapter 4: Perilous Void</b><br/><b>Eight hours later</b><br/><br/>"Ah." came a small voice from the bundled up ball of warmth and sheets in Garrick's arms.<br/>Butterfly eyelids fluttering in the semi-darkness of his bunk, eyes locked defiantly at his chest unwilling to look at the clock.<br/>"Just like old times, Garrick." she smiled peacefully, nuzzling her forehead into his chest, her bare body brushing against him.<br/>Garrick looked off into the distance, through the little two by four window that graced all the ship's quarters.<br/>He exhaled softly in consent, his arms wrapping around her again.<br/>She cooed happily, kissing that little spot on his neck that always made him squirm.<br/><br/>"Still ticklish...?" she looked up at him mischievously, those soft sapphire eyes meeting his mercurial ones.<br/>Garrick grinned. "Oh yes...but fortunately for me, I know you are too."<br/>He attacked her slender hips with his fingers, causing her to flail and thrash in the bunk, giggling madly.<br/>"Oyie, hey git off!" she cackled, her voice thick with Arcadian accent that she reverted to when she was feeling some strong emotion.<br/>As suddenly as his assault began, it had ended...with a passionate kiss and a stray hand in no man's land...<br/>Garrick raised his eyebrow at her with a impish smirk.<br/>"Again...? We only have twenty minutes..."<br/>Mira nodded, her voice lusty and breathless.<br/>"Race you to the finish..."<br/>Garrick chuckled.<br/>"You're on."<br/><br/><br/><br/><i>Thirty Minutes Later...</i><br/><br/><br/>It has been a rough night for Todd.<br/>First there had been that he ended up lost somewhere on deck 53, and then pub...<br/>Todd touched his forehead tenderly, a soft purple ring beginning to form where someone's fist had caught his face.<br/>That and the thirteen Irish beers and 1/5 of whiskey  he had downed made this a particularly bad hangover. And here in the squadron briefing room the lights seemed to be turned up to max. Waves of agony shot through his head like someone was injecting a red hot poker into his skull.<br/>He placed the data pad he was carry over his brow to shield his eyes from the overheads, though the pressure on his contusion was making his headache even worse.<br/><br/>Todd sighed in defeat, tossing the pad down onto his seats arm-desk in annoyance. Todd looked around for a moment, for a light switch perhaps in range so he could down the dimmer a bit, but no such luck. It was probably one of those voice activated systems. The newer ships with AI usually had those.<br/><br/>Todd put his elbow on the desk in defeat, cradling his eyes and nose in his palm, rubbing them both softly.<br/><br/>"Hey. What's up?" came a sudden, cheery voice as the entire row shifted  with the weight of a new body sitting in the chair next to him.<br/><br/>Todd looked up to see a rather sickeningly cheerful Garrick sitting next to him, bright and chipper, humming a jaunty tone beneath his breath.<br/>"Oh, where we you last night? I didn't see you there."<br/><br/>Todd winced at every syllable, his voice grating on his nerves .<br/><br/>"A bit softer please." Todd growled, still cradling his head.<br/><br/>"Oh." Garrick said, his demeanor looking a bit confused.<br/>"So where were you last night anyway? Didn't you say you were going to meet me at the ball?"<br/>Garrick inquired, his voice hushed down to a whisper, somewhat out of necessity as the other pilots came trickling in.<br/><br/><br/>Todd shook his head.<br/>"Don't even get me started. Got lost....there was a pub.... I don't remember much more after that."<br/><br/>"How'd you get that shiner?" Garrick asked, motioning to his forehead.<br/>"Same place....I don't remember what I said, I only remember one of the patrons....disagreeing...with me."<br/><br/>Garrick chuckled.<br/>"You should have let me know, I could have come and picked you up."<br/><br/>"Lesson learned at least."<br/><br/>Garrick looked up, A man in a bright sky blue uniform entered the briefing room, and with him the young woman Garrick had spent the night with.<br/><br/>The man, Alliance brass by the look of him, turned to the gathered assembly of pilots. After a few moments, the room hushed. A few pilots looking curiously at the young attractive female at the Admiral's side who smiled rather brightly up  at them, Garrick was sure he even caught a wink from her.<br/><br/>"47th Dragoons. I would like to introduce you to your squadron leader. Lt. Commander Mira Reveran."<br/><br/>And for a moment, Garrick swore his heart could have stopped.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>