Illumination

[Hanna-Beth Rieve 0]

First Lieutenant Hanna-Beth Rieve sat on the edge of her bed in her small quarters. She leaned over the console; her shoulder-length hair, that was usually tied upwards, was let down, and it now flowed down over the side of her face. She faced the countertop that doubled as the top of her dresser. The lights in the room were dimmed, and two small candles burned on the countertop. Behind the candles was a mirror built into the wall, where she could see her own figure illuminated by the backlighting and the small flames. The woman looked towards that direction in quiet reflection.

 

It was a Friday evening. When Hanna-Beth was young, her elderly great-grandmother Ella would have her family over for dinner on Friday nights. The artificial lights were always low, and there were always two candles on the table. Neither she nor her immediate family had continued the tradition. She didn't know anything of its original significance; by the time she could understand it, Ella had already died of old age. Hanna-Beth had barely spoken to her family since leaving Theta Proxima for the Marine academy. Occasionally, she would send them a message, and receive a reply back. They were curteous, but distant. But, they still hadn't gotten used to the distance, nor could they grasp the idea of their own blood as a Marine.

 

It had been a long week. The battle simulation had ended, and, even after all the reports and debriefings, Hanna-Beth still wasn't sure how to evaluate herself. When it started, communication between the security officers and the Marines wasn't top notch. It was mostly a top-down command scenario with the Marines on the bottom. Tactics and planning were minimal. But, once she was given some leeway to make decisions, and a plan began to take shape, the lines of communication began to open between her Marines and the security teams. When Kor'both challenged her, it showed that there was a new openness between them in the game. Her team, and even the security officers, performed admirably. Even though everyone knew it was just a simulation, they certainly went above and beyond the call of duty fighting to the last man. She thought that they could study the data tapes for months, and still learn from their successes and failures -- meaning, both Alpha and Bravo teams'.

 

But, while the battle simulation weighed heavily on her, it was not all that was on her mind. With the transfers of 1Lts. Nesbitt and Seversen, she had become the ranking officer in the NNC while Col. Harper performed her duties as XO on the bridge. Effectively, the go-to girl for the active-duty Marines. And, Col. Harper was a touch act to follow.

 

Hanna-Beth looked over at herself in the mirror and lightly touched her new pip with her fingers, then placed her hand back down on the bed. The long week was over, the candles burned brightly. Now, it was time to reflect, recover, and rest for the next challenge.