The data pad beeped. Cate waved DJ forward under covering fire. “Trust your mate,” Cate said on the video. “Trust the rhythm. And don't overthink it. You'll only slow yourself down. No dramas.”
Helena smiled faintly, pausing the feed. “Easy for her to say.”
Larkin gave the ghost of a smile. “She tells me the same thing. Doesn't mean she's wrong,” he said. Larkin left Helena to work on her modules for the evening and went to his own quarters.
Upon entering his quarters Larkin put on some Carpenters on his data pad. “Superstar” was the song he queued up. He reached for his dog tags and untitled tied a faded rose ribbon from the chain and tied it to his wrist. The ribbon was Clara’s; She had gotten it during a diplomatic mission to the Alassari on M7T-885 when he was stationed on Atlantis. In a moment of misunderstanding, a young boy gave it to Clara as a symbolic betrothal. Clara nearly discarded it afterward, but Larkin saved it for her.
After that mission, she began to wear it out of love and devotion and Larkin would often keep the ribbon safe when she was off world. In her final days when they were married, she gave the ribbon to Larkin to keep it safe. Larkin usually kept Clara’s ribbon on his dog tags but when he was alone and off duty he would tie it on his arm. Tonight was no different.