Excalibur Arrives, Conversation Ensues

[Major Cloud 0]

Days on Camelot were slightly longer than Cloud Makisu had become accustomed to on Earth, but not as long as those he'd experienced for three weeks on the gnarled hulk of rock that the Cardassians had named Kalon. That had been the longest three weeks of his life, literally and as he watched the twin Avalon suns rise over the horizon of Avalon and casting their brilliant double light on the Camelot Station—he'd considered how long the last three weeks had been.

 

Waiting. That was what was making this worse. He hated it. Hated it. And that was all he could do, sit and wait, at least on Kalon people were shooting at him. His company had enjoyed it, and that made it, he supposed, slightly worth it. They'd done nothing for the past several months but train for this mission and this was the first time in weeks they'd had any down time. He supposed that would do them some good, but it was killing him.

 

In the distance, a flash of bright light caught his amethyst colored eyes—the signature sign of a ship dropping out of warp. A few moments later his communicator beeped, it was Commander Sprint askin him to report to the CNC. Straightening his uniform, the Marine Major moved away from the observation windows and headed towards the nearest lift, the wait, it seemed, was over—the Excalibur had arrived.

 

--

 

“Major,” the Dameon Captain said stoically. “I trust that your Company is ready to begin transfer to the Excalibur?”

 

Makisu nodded quickly, but took longer to respond any further—he was measuring Corizon up. Finally speaking Makisu nodded again and said, “Yes, Captain. The company is ready to begin the transfer at your leisure.”

 

Lifting an ear, the Dameon looked at the Marine for a long moment, now it was his turn to measure up the man. There was something...familier about him, but something he couldn't quite place either. He was shorter than Corizon and more thickly built. His eyes were purple and they almost seemed to glow against his pinkish-purple hued skin that was a few shades purple of a human.

 

That was the first thing Corizon noted. The second was the way the Marine carried himself. His posture was upright, and he spoke clearly and with confidence. In other words, he wasn't intimidated by Corizon. “Very well them, Major,” he finally said, “Have your XO get in touch with shipboard operations and get them moving. I'd rather not waste time here.”

 

“Of course, sir,” came the response from Makisu.

 

“Welcome to the team then, Major,” Corizon said, placing his right hand in a fist and bending his arm so that his fist met his shoulder, the Dachlyd gesture of welcome...as well as Corizon could remember.

 

Laughing despite himself, “It's the left arm...”

 

“Oh,” Corizon said with a chuckle. “I could never remember that...”

 

“If I could ask,” Makisu said, “Where did you even learn that? Its not as if there are a lot of Dachlyd in the Fleet...”

 

“And it's a good thing,” Corizon said jokingly, “As stubborn as the lot of you are.”

 

“I take it that means you've known a few.”

 

“A few,” Corizon said nodding.

 

“I can tell getting answers out of you hasn't gotten in easier.”

 

Opening his mouth slightly, Corizon closed it and tipped his head to look at the Marine. “I am slightly embarrassed to say this, but do we know each other?”

 

Makisu laughed again, grinning from ear to ear. “I made it a point to stay out of the front row...I always heard those were the first ones you clawed if the class did poorly on a test.”

 

“I had you at the Academy?” Corizon looked at him dubiously, not because he doubted it, but because it meant he was getting older.

 

“Spring semester '71,” Makisu said quickly, as if he had, and he had, been waiting for this for sometime. “I had you for Tactics 364....”

 

“Advanced Tactical Theory...”

 

“That's correct sir.”

 

“Seventy-one, eh?”

 

“That's correc...”

 

“Don't tell me you...”

 

Smiling incredulously, the Dachlyd could no longer contain himself. “As I recall you wrote in the margins of my final paper 'Perhaps you should transfer to something more suiting? Perhaps...wa..”

 

“Waste removal,” Corizon finished the sentence.

 

“I still have that paper...”

 

Grinning, fangily. “Well...I guess I might have been wrong about you.”

 

“Might? Might?” Makisu was still grinning from ear to ear.

 

“You did turn out to be a...what is the human word...'bottlehead.'”

 

“Jarhead,” Makisu smirked, quite amused with himself.

 

“Right.”

 

“So you admit you were wrong about me?”

 

“Me? Never. You on the other hand, well your paper was utter trash.”

 

“And the Dachlyd are the stubborn ones?”

 

 

“From everything I hear,” Corizon said innocently.

 

“You haven't changed one bit, Captain. That's good...considering what I've heard.”

 

“Oh,” Corizon said waggling a hand, “I am sure you've heard quite abit about me...”

 

“And all of it lies?”

 

“Maybe, maybe not.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind, Captain.”

 

“You do that, now if you'll excuse me, Major...I have an appointment with the Vorta...”

 

“Aren't you the lucky one?”

 

“So they tell me...”