AFTERMATH : THE JOURNEY BEGINS

         After they had taken their showers, they reported to Life Center where a very impatient Severus, Sebastien, and Robin awaited them, and upon noting the flushed faces on several of them...

         "Really?" Severus growled, ushering Roark to the nearest bed.  "You kept us waiting for..." he glanced down at his chronometer, "well over two centars just so you could--"

          "Damn it, Sebastien, this is so unnecessary," Raphael grumbled to his brother.  "We're all fine."

          "Be that as it may, your core body temperatures were over critical several centons longer than what I'm comfortable with, so just shut the hell up and settle down.  Harry, Rabastan!  Stop that right now!" he ordered the kissing pair.  "Didn't you get enough in your showers?"

          Laughter as the pair drew apart.  "Of course not," Harry said breathlessly.  "We never get enough."

          A snort of amusement.  "Fairly obvious from the flushed faces several of you bore when you came in here."  Severus said,  "This is useless.  Their heart rates, respiration, and pulse are too elevated for proper reading."

          "Which is exactly what they intended all along, I'm sure," Robin said with a deep chuckle.  "Go on, you scamps," he swatted at Kili and Logan, who stood beside their husbands, waiting to be seen.  "Get out of here, but if you show any signs of a headache, sudden fatigue, or high body temperatures, you report to Life Center immediately." 

          "Yes, Sir," they said with mock salutes and hurried from the room.

                                                                            cccVccc

          Silence fell in the Officers Club as soon as they entered.  As one, everyone in the room rose to their feet, turned to face them, and saluted them.  Then the clapping began, right along with the shouts of 'fantastic flying,' and 'you guys are crazy.'

          "Go grab your table, boys," Rhett called out from behind the bar, already preparing their favorite drinks.  "I'll bring your drinks over in a few centons."

          "Need any help?" Roark called out as they made their way through the now noisy, laughing crowd.

          "Go sit your ass down, Roark Lestrange!  Let someone else do all the work this time.  WILLIAMS! BARTON!  CANTRAL!  Come give a Tauran a hand, would ya?  Let's get this party a rollin'."

                                                                             cccVccc

          "You realize," Thorin said as Roark handed him a tumbler of amber liquid, which he sipped from immediately, "the boys are going to be useless tomorrow?"

          Roark took a seat in the comfortable, high-backed chair across from him, lips twisted in a grin.  "Of course they will.  No matter, they deserve to have a day off.  We'll use the day to set up the duty roster for when we start sending teams down to Carrilon."

          "They have been working nearly non-stop, and on little rest.  The report I have from Rhett says the party is in full swing...Do you want to release Starbuck from his confinement for a few centars?"

          "And who asked you if we would...or do I even NEED to ask?"

          "Apollo.  Boomer.  Jolly.  Greenbean.  A few others."

          Roark looked thoughtful for a few moments, then reached over to punch in a code, and waited for an answer.  "Security Agent Benton, Admiral."

          "Benton, escort Lt. Starbuck to the Officer's Club.  Allow him to join the party for a couple of centars, then escort him back to his quarters."

          "Yes, Sir."

          Then, once the disconnected, he called down to the kitchen to order dinner for him and Thorin, and as they ate, they began work on the duty rosters for the who would go down to Carrilon when, and for how long.

          "Once we find the Tylium deposits, we can begin to land the fuel freighters, let them refuel, then begin to refuel all the fleet ships."

          "We also have two more ships...one from Leo, the other from Piscia that are going to have to be scrapped."

          "Leaking solium tanks?"

         "Among other things--" the door plate beeped a visitor asking for entrance.  "Come," 

          The door opened to admit an unhappy-looking Schyler, his hand on his expanded waist.  "Oh, oh, what's wrong?" Thorin asked.  "I thought you went to the party?"

          "I did, but with everyone drinking..." he shook his head, "and as I can not--May I join you, Uncle Roark, Uncle Thorin?"

          "You may.  We're setting up the duty rosters for Carrilon, and Thorin just told be we have two more ships to scrap."

          Schyler nodded.  "The transfer of the passengers to other ships began just before we entered the Nova, but had to be halted."

          "Send the shuttles back to both ships.  Let's get those people relocated, once that is complete, send both ships into the Nova.  The mines will destroy them."

          "Did the scanners locate the caretaker facilities?"

          "Not yet, but they're still scanning."

          Schyler frowned.  "Are we even sure they left anyone behind?"

          "The reports we have said they did, they just didn't specify the location. We'll keep looking."

         The rest of the evening passed quickly as they got the duty roster completed, then just spent the next couple of centars relaxing until the com link beeped the code that Rhett was closing up the Officer's Club and sending the drunk partygoers back to their quarters.