[center][h1]Colony Day, Horizon (Downtown) 9:00 AM[/h1][/center]

On some level, nothing could dampen enthusiasm for Colony Day. 

For children, of course, it was just a day off. The political implications of the holiday meant nothing to them, nor could they truly grasp the technological marvels that it was meant to celebrate. They had lived with it their whole lives. The existence of settlements beyond Earth was just a fact of life, as certain as sunrise. Even most adults hadn’t lived through the thrill of the very first settlement on the Moon, but they had surely lived to see humanity expand from there. And some had been young when Armstrong earned its city status. For all that the world had complicated since then, the achievement was still remarkable. Remarkable enough to be worth celebrating.

And nowhere was it celebrated better than Horizon. 

The seven cities that boasted Mass Drivers took special pride in Colony Day, but Horizon went above and beyond. Locals and tourists alike flocked to the beaches, the commercial districts, the restaurants; the day had begun at dawn, and would not end until last call at the bars. The parade would draw immense crowds to its route, and even bigger swells for the businesses lucky to be along it. Even though towards its periphery would benefit from the crowds. The mayor was slated to give a speech, before the parade began, and while that held little attraction the parade itself most certainly did. Horizon’s military would be on hand, with events of their own, and anyone with an imagination would flock to see the Walkers on display. The air show wouldn’t be until later in the day, but it was sure to draw as much attention as the parade itself.

The atmosphere was electric, and for once without the looming anxiety the Ark Union caused. Colony Day was as sacred, if not more, for the colonists as it was on Earth. Footage of the festivities, planet- and colonyside alike, would be streaming on every major network all day. The occasional war hawk would find their soap box; some network would be willing to give them some air time, if only to try and differentiate themselves from the other networks. But few would be inside to watch, anyway. Even if they were smaller than the celebrations around the spaceports, every small town in the Federation would have their activities planned. 

The civilians weren’t the only eager participants, either; Colony Day was a holiday for all non-essential military personnel. Enlisted men, women, and officers alike would flock to the streets to enjoy their day of freedom. The favorite local bars would have specials going on all day, even on top of the Colony Day specials. Horizon had a lot to offer, as its military personnel knew very well, and held something for everyone’s downtime preferences. 

The day was just beginning, and it promised to be a good one.

[hr]

“What’re you doing here, sir? Wouldn’t let you out of the home for the day?”

“Watch it, LT. I sign your leave slips.” Major Patrick McKinley half-growled, blinking his eyes open to glance at the speaker. Ops was quieter than usual, seeing as everybody who [i]could[/i] vacated when they got half a chance. He knew the Colonel was in her office, even if he hadn’t seen her yet. The boss was as essential as essential personnel got, so the day wasn’t a walk in the park for her. Wasn’t for him, either, but he didn’t have a whole lot to see to. “What’re [i]you[/i] doing here? I wasn’t aware I’d need phone calls answered today.”

“Ha ha.” The Lieutenant picked her way through the room to her station, ignoring the fact that McKinley had his feet kicked up on his console. Again. No one was exactly sure how the commander of the Walker garrison beat [i]everyone[/i] to work every day, but the running theory was just that he never left. He wasn’t ever volunteering any answers, other than “the ex can’t get on base”. But Noah would have thought, at least, that he might have been less eager on a holiday. “Someone has to remind you how your email works. Sir.”

“True.”

The silence went on for a bit, after that. McKinley resumed reading the reports on his tablet, Noah ran through any memos for the day, and the handful of other officers in Ops continued their business. Nothing out of the ordinary. A few requisitions from the crew chief down in the hangar to sign off on, notices of delivery for a few units, summaries of the R&D department’s progress for the week. Not that they [i]technically[/i] answered to him, directly, but they used his division’s resources and pilots so there were certain niceties. He’d worked for [i]them[/i], way back when, so there was respect, too. But still, nothing especially worth giving too much thought.

“Lieutenant, run me through the docket. What’ve we got today?”

“Usual reps are setting up for the PR stuff in town. The flyboys are getting their last prep in for the airshow this afternoon. Local PD has already called to make sure we’ve told the kiddos to behave themselves on leave.” Noah went through the list easily, rolling her shoulders to stretch the last sleep out of her back. “Nothing unusual, other than the usual reminders to keep vigilant. Customs flagged a big shipment coming from the Union, later, but the credentials all seem to be in order. If there’s anything to worry about, we should hear it from Luna long before it gets to [i]us.[/i]”

“So, nothing.”

“Pretty much, sir, yes.”

McKinley sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, shit. I’m gonna need more coffee, or I might just take a nap.”

“Don’t worry, sir, I’m sure the Colonel will have you home for bed by five.”