Jillian had just entered the bay.  She gave Dietrich an annoyed look, and then ignored his presence with a dismissive air.  "I see you survived Johanson.  You saved me from having to write out a death certificate," Jillian said.  If Rick could have rolled his eyes, he would have.  Jillian was one of those people in your life who took an instant disliking to you, and you would never know why.  In Rick's case Jillian made his life a living hell the minute he graduated from boot camp and reported to her unit. 

    "Charming as always, Jillian.  See you soon Rick.  Remember, next Octoberfest," Dietrich gave Rick a conspiratorial wink and left.  Rick grunted something that was supposed to convey to Dietrich the verbal equivalent of "Don't leave me here with the Dragon Lady", but Dietrich didn't even slow down his retreat.  Rick had a fascination with good German beer & food.  On Earth he had successfully experimented with home brewing.  Most of his efforts were with the noble Hallertau and Saaz hops; a pinecone shaped flower whose bitterness balanced the sweetness of the barley malt.  Rick’s experiments with preparing German food were, to put it mildly, a huge disaster.  So, he preferred to get his German food at the best German restaurants he could find.  When Dietrich found out about Rick’s secret desire to someday visit Germany during the Octoberfest, he wasted no time in deciding that he would be Rick’s personal guide to the next festival when they were again Earthside. 

     Jillian stood 1.8 meters tall, with compact, long limbed muscles.  Before she was forced into Earth Infantry by the mandatory worldwide draft, she was on leave from university; pursuing a successful career kicking-ass in Women's Beach Volleyball.  Jillian's lean and muscular physique, coupled with her killer attitude, had catapulted her to the top four of her profession with seemingly any partner she chose to play with.  One season before the Galactic Empire induced plague,  Jillian had made the jump to the more lucrative Men's Pro Beach Tour.  It seems that there was a loophole in the Men's Tour rules that did not expressly forbid the inclusion of women.  She and her new partner, Harper Dredge from the State of North America, were steadily moving up the rankings and the money, finishing 17th in the World Tour in their first year.