Yasamin,
I'm sorry I took so long to write. I know I promised to send you word before we departed for Picon, but you know what I'm like. The ship is amazing. I've never been on or around anything quite like Cerberus before, and it seems like half the people I meet have chips on their shoulders to match. The squadron's excited; I think I'm unlikely to see much of them for the next month, while they absorb themselves in the culture here. When I say culture, of course, I mean playing triad with the hotshot pilots and getting piss drunk. Assuming Command decides to lift the alcohol ban any time soon. Can you believe they've banned drinking? Aboard a battlestar on her inaugural journey?
The more time I spend around the lifers, the more I remember why I wanted to get out. The CAG seems like a good woman and someone I might be interested in knowing better, but a couple of her squad leaders have already made it pretty clear that they don't respect me. I guess I ought to give things a chance. They want me to plan a demonstration for the stuffed shirts in the Quorum Delegation. Yeah, can you believe that? They've even got one of their journalists bunking with us. With me.
How are the kids? Is Zia still being fussy about his bedtime? Sholeh wanted me to bring something back for her. Tell her I'll see if I can get some shore leave in once we're finished with the wargames. Or maybe I can grab an autograph from that guy, what's his name again, Aurelius or something? You know, the one she's got a couple of posters of, up on her wall. Yeah, I forgot to mention, I saw him aboard the other day. Guess they've turned the place into a movie set, too. It's a real animal house over here.
If Margaret calls, tell her I wish her the best on her and Graham's honeymoon, and the offer's still open for that free lesson for him, when I get back. Gods, I can't wait to be back. I know we haven't seen much of one another lately, but I swear this'll be it for a good long while. Kheili delam barat tang shode. Man asheghetam.
~Ibrahim