After Jo had rescued Kimmie from her terminal funk in her cabin, the two women made their way up toward Ten-Forward. As predicted, the other members of Banshee Squadron were here. Jo and Kim wound their way through the crowds towards their wingmates, near the large forward windows.
The Hornet had just dropped out of transwarp. The streaking stars shortened in length until they were just pinpoints. The imposing phenomenon known as the Briar Patch towered like a wall on their port side, and the sun of the New Canada system shone brightly off to starboard. Nearest though was New Canada itself -- blue and green and brown, with wispy white clouds -- it looked almost like Earth itself.
Max Vasser, XO of Banshee Squad, whistled low in appreciation, but it wasn't the beautiful world below them that had inspired her. Rather, it was the massive human artifact that hung suspended above New Canada -- Supply Base 901!
"You said a mouthful, Max," said Lee Carter, the Banshees' commanding officer. She too was gazing with rapt attention out the window. The same was true of the other woman standing beside her, Sam Beckett, although true to form, she remained silent, preferring to keep her private thoughts just that. When Jo and Kim walked up to the windows themselves, their jaws dropped too in reaction to the vista, just like their teammates'.
The new Supply Base was truly a marvel to behold. It was immense! The old base would almost have fit inside its cavernous spacedock facility!
"Wow!" said Kimmie. "I'll bet this place is keeping Garek busy!"
Lee glanced over at her youngest team member and smiled. Ah, youth.... It was no surprise to her that Kim's thoughts were of the base's chief engineer, Commander Garek Loran. The two had been an 'item' from the moment they met, back when the Banshees had first been assigned to the Supply Base. Their reassignment to the Hornet had been difficult for Kim, but such was life in the military.... Lee was glad that her friend would have a few days to spend with her boyfriend. She addressed Kim: "The Hornet will be docking in about half an hour, Kimmie. Me and Max have a small wager on who the first person out the airlock will be."
Kim looked over at her boss and blushed fiercely. Her teammates razzed her mercilessly about her romance. It was all in good fun though, and she knew it. "I hope you didn't bet against me, Commander," she riposted, having quickly recovered her composure.
"I say she gets trampled by everyone else in the rush to get off this tub," quipped Max.
"Oh, Max...," reproved Sam gently. "Don't always be such a gloomy-Gus."
"Just call 'em like I see 'em," replied Max, although the slight grin tugging at the corners of her mouth belied her grim prognostication.
Forty-five minutes later, four of the Banshees were wandering the endless corridors of the newly-built Supply Base, sufficiently impressed by the polished handrails and unscuffed floors wherever one looked.
"So, who won the bet?" asked Jo.
"I did," said Carter, "by a long shot!"
"I still say the bet's off," grumbled Max, then turned to Jo and explained. "She had herself beamed off the ship before we even got inside the spacedock. Straight to the base's engineering section and her boyfriend's arms...."
Off to the side, Sam chuckled. Jo laughed out loud and said, "Well, I guess we won't be seeing her until it's time to leave!"
The new station's main commerce section was a grandiose affair. Multi-tiered, endless, it spanned the entire diameter of the station, several levels deep. If Earth's 'Mall of America' could see Supply Base 901's Commerce Section, it would hang its head in shame.
Lee, Max, Sam and Jo just stood and stared up into the distance. A gigantic fountain played in the center of the mall. The roof of the commerce section far above was invisible in the mist from the fountain's spray. Around them, people of all shapes, colors, sizes and genders strolled amiably to and fro, some carrying packages, some carrying small children, some carrying nothing but fat wallets ready for plucking by entrepreneurial store owners. There was so much to see, and they only had a few days!
Suddenly, a familiar smell wafted through the air and right into their nostrils. As one, they turned as if hypnotized. They raised their eyes to behold the glowing neon sign before them. It read, "El Taco"!
The Banshees looked at each other, stunned to find their old hangout here on the new station.
"We're home!" cried Jo.
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