The Sorrows of Night - Part Twelve

Posted on Tue Aug 31st, 2021 @ 4:49am by General Ranik Solusar & Lieutenant General Steven Johnson & Lieutenant Commander Kameron "Foehammer" Solusar-Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 111: The Sorrows of Night
Location: Various Locations - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1130Hrs - October 24th, 2393

General Ranik Solusar was sitting in his office on the USS Valhalla. The first of her class and it was where Solusar maintained his command. All of the marines assigned to the Taurus Reach area of responsibility were under his command. Looking after the matters of state was a full-time responsibility.

At the present time. Solusar was having a weekly meeting with his Executive officer who was likewise based on the Valhalla. Johnson was present to discuss the deployment of their marines and the status of the units under both men's command.

Solusar groaned softly as he placed a PADD onto his desk as he sighed. "Almost three fully ready divisions of infantry, ready to go for anything and one brigade of mechanized in the works..." he commented. "Where are we with the armoured units?" Solusar inquired, he had an idea but he wanted to know once and for all.

Lieutenant General Steven Johnson regarded his boss with a measured look. "Still in development. Our new tanks are being field-tested and the armoured vehicles are still in the works," he reported before he sighed. Most of this meeting would go down the same as the last meeting a week ago. "The development is coming along slowly," Johnson added.

"Lovely," Solusar answered evenly. "Is there anything else we should discuss?"

"Nope. We've covered anything that's new... Most of the rest is the same as we discussed last week." Johnson explained with a nod of his head. "Unless you got anything else we've yet to discuss?"

"Nope," Solusar answered evenly. "How's your wife and kids doing?" he suddenly asked, as the professional stuff was finished and now it was time to move onto the personal stuff.

"Heather is tired. She's out in the field with the Yankee Clipper. I know she misses the kids and me..." Johnson answered, as a notation arrived in the form of an email. Solusar heard the com-panel beeping once, it was to let him know that an email had arrived. But this one was marked as personal. "Mmm..." Solusar frowned as he noticed that the Email was from Kameron. "Kam just emailed me," he commented, while he frowned. Kam never emailed his father ever. He always sent letters and nothing else but Solusar had also been getting letters from his daughter in law.

Solusar had noticed something going on with his daughter-in-law for some time now. He had mentioned that she looked tired or malnourished for some time now. He had been concerned about both her and her baby as Solusar knew that Beth was pregnant with child three. Also, he was aware of the story behind child number one.

Johnson frowned. "Wait a second. Don't you and Kam hate each other?"

"More like we have issues which we're working on slowly..." Solusar tapped the display once which opened the email. Solusar read the email which was more or less a request for assistance. Kam and Elizabeth had become ensnared in their impressive workloads and things had finally come to a head on the matters at hand. "Woah, shit..." Solusar commented. It was more from surprise than anything else. "Well now... This went sideways." Solusar commented, he was concerned and now he had to get involved.

"What's wrong?" Johnson commented. Noting the change in the tone from Solusar.

"Things have gone sideways for Kam and Beth... The Starbase guys have allowed him and Beth to work way too hard for way too long. Now my newest grandchild is at risk..." he turned his head and looked at Johnson. There was no mistaking the hard, angry glare in his eye. Yet Solusar couldn't help it as he wanted to go deal with this matter.

Johnson knew that he was dealing with a father and grandfather, rather than a General in the marines. Johnson nodded his head gently. "Go to them. I'll handle things for you while you're gone..." he commented in a gentle tone. "Besides. I think your son would really appreciate it if... You showed up in person." he slowly grinned. "Heather would throw me out of her quarters if she heard about this and knew I did nothing about it. She would be right to do so..."

"Thank you, Steven," Solusar answered with a soft sigh. "I wasn't expecting Kam to reach out to me on this matter..."

"The chances you have my friend are few and far between..." Johnson commented quietly. "The affairs of family are not to be trivialised lightly. Nor are they to be tossed aside so easily." he paused. "They need you, we don't... I will secure a ship for your use... Also, I will inform Vanguard to expect you while you are packing."

"What would I do without you?" Solusar answered with a gentle smile on his lips.

"You would muddle through, somehow... But a word of caution... If I may..." Johnson suddenly grinned. "I made this mistake with Autumn and her wife stuck me on notice for it," he commented. "Be careful in wanting to deal with matters of family and whatever you do. Keep your heart to yourself and don't use it as a weapon."

"Wise words my friend. What do I owe for this?" Solusar rose to his feet as he came around his desk.

"Nothing more than your usual. Tolerance for my insanity and the usual..." Johnson answered with a smile. "Just continue to be yourself, sir..."

"Done and done."Solusar was dammned lucky to have Johnson and both men knew it. "Alright, I'm off." with that. Solusar departed his office. Johnson smiled as he went to work on getting the General what he needed to go to Starbase Vanguard.