Epilogue

Epilogue

The two Starfleet Intelligence officers waited for him the moment he stepped out of the airlock. They were of course in civilian attire meant to blend into the station’s population, but he spotted them right away. They looked like Hurd’s twin brothers, with the same military bearing beneath the thin veneer of practiced indifference.

Rather than just put up his hands and surrender, Brett thought he should reward their efforts by pretending to be fooled. He might even find a way to elude them and get off this place to safety. Wherever safety might be. Some non-aligned station in a backwater system, perhaps. Maybe he could even find a little civil defense force in need of his services.

When he told Robyn about his plans, he hadn’t merely been trying to make her feel better. The betrayals and carnage from this last deal gone sour were more than enough convincing that he should drop out of the smuggling business while he could. He didn’t want to end up like Grek or Smitty, getting vaporized in some backwater system trying to deliver weapons to make the situation worse.

As much as he hated to admit it, his recent brush with Starfleet had reminded him of those virtues he’d long forgotten: honor, loyalty, and duty. It had been good to believe in those things again, if only for a week. He might as well attempt to keep those good feelings alive.

If the Intelligence goons tailing him through the station’s packed corridors didn’t arrest him and drag him to a penal colony. For what he’d done prior to meeting up with the Orion, he supposed he deserved going to jail. Though if he were going he’d make sure to take Ril with him. The Federation might even lighten his sentence if he testified about some of the Ferenghi’s many, many illegal dealings.

As comforting as this thought was, he wouldn’t go to prison without a fight. Up ahead he spotted a throng of people in colorful robes—some kind of religious celebration no doubt—chanting, marching, and generally creating a racket. It was a perfect place for losing a couple of unwanted tails.

Shoving his way through the crowd, Brett made his way into the religious gathered. At this close range his ears rang from the chanting and singing of the faithful. If he were uncomfortable the Starfleet Intelligence men would be doubly irritated at not being able to communicate with each other.

Brett pushed his way through the celebration, coming out the other side to an almost empty corridor. After a peek back to make sure his tails were still caught up in the ruckus, he sprinted down an adjoining corridor, back towards the docking bays. There he could find someone in his former line of work to sneak him off.

He didn’t make it that far.

From a pair of storefronts in the corridor, Starfleet security officers armed with phaser rifles poured out to block his way. More beamed in behind him to prevent him from escaping. Unless he wanted to go down fighting like Slonix, an idea that held little merit in his mind, he better surrender.

Brett raised his hands and said, “That’s some good work, guys. Very well done.”

“Thank you, sir,” came a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Lieutenant Ramirez at the head of the rear guard, his phaser still in its holster. “It was actually Captain Lichen’s idea.”

Brett thought back to the last time he saw Robyn at the Orion’s airlock. In lieu of a kiss, she shook his hand and patted him on the back—

“She planted a homing device, didn’t she?” he said in disbelief. Of all the people in the galaxy, he never thought Robyn would betray him like this. Clearly her sense of duty had overwhelmed her love for him even as a friend. Or else she was nursing a grudge about his rejecting her affections.

“Yes, sir. She thought this would make things easier.”

“Easier for her I’m sure,” Brett growled. Yes, this little trap was much easier for her than tossing him back in the brig and having him led away in cuffs. This way she didn’t have to look him in the eye when she drove the knife into his back.

“This way, sir. We’ve got everything ready,” Ramirez said. He motioned for Brett to follow him into one of the storefronts, the kind of seedy bar people like Brett frequented and that people of Ramirez’s ilk shunned.

Brett’s mouth dropped open in shock when he found Robyn sitting at a scarred table next to Admiral Thelen. “Please, have a seat, Commander,” Thelen said.

“You of all people should know I’m not a commander. You drummed me out of Starfleet, remember?” Brett said. He kept his gaze aimed away from Robyn.

“That’s what we’re here to discuss, Brett,” Thelen said. He motioned a wrinkled hand to a rickety wooden seat, waiting until Brett reluctantly sat down to continue. “Captain Lichen and I have been having discussions the last three days. She claims your help was instrumental in resolving the Serparnian crisis before it blew up into a full-fledged war. Would you say this is an accurate statement?”

Now Brett faced Robyn, seeing the mischievous grin pulling at the corners of her lips. “I’m not sure I’d say instrumental. I did what I could to help.”

“Commander Boutwell designed the strategy to neutralize both the rogue Serparnian warship and the Serparnian Liberation Army,” Robyn said. “We couldn’t have done it without him. And as I indicated in my report, he performed as a model officer. The younger members of my crew found him especially effective as a mentor and role model.”

“A role model? Me? You’re kidding, right?”

“Ensigns Cooper and Merle especially benefited from Commander Boutwell’s influence.”

“So what’s this all about? You want me back in Starfleet, even after some of the things I’ve done?”

“I’ll admit I had some misgivings, but Captain Lichen has been very persuasive on your behalf. As have other members of the crew I’ve spoken with,” Thelen said.

Brett glanced back at Ramirez. “So you’re all in on this, huh? I don’t know how you managed to pull it off.”

“It was difficult but not impossible,” Robyn said.

“Of course as you can understand, we couldn’t reenlist as a captain and give you command of a ship right away. Since you performed so capably as Captain Lichen’s first officer, we thought you could continue in the role once the Orion is fully repaired and ready to return to active service.”

Brett stared incredulously around the room. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Admiral Thelen, the man who dishonorably discharged Brett, wanted to let him back in. As Robyn’s first officer no less.

His gaze settled on her eyes. Thinking back to their heart-to-heart in the ready room, he frowned. If he accepted, they would be working together almost twenty-four hours a day. He couldn’t think of a more awkward arrangement. It was too risky, for both of them. If something happened like on Serpalal Prime, he couldn’t forgive himself. Nor could she in the reverse if something happened to him.

“I’m sorry, Admiral. I can’t go back to the Orion.”

Thelen’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure you understand the situation, Commander. If you refuse, the officers behind you will take you into custody and I’ll see to it you’re prosecuted to the fullest.” Thelen waited a moment for this to sink in. “Captain Lichen has vouched for you. I would essentially be releasing you into your custody on a trial basis. One unsatisfactory fitness report and you’d be mining dilithium in a penal colony.”

The smile faded from Robyn’s face, her skin paling at this pronouncement. She had put her name and reputation on the line for him. Out of love or loyalty perhaps or, knowing Robyn, out of a misplaced sense of duty.

The duty of one friend to save another.

A duty he had long ignored until now. “If those are the terms then I don’t see much choice.” Brett stood up, flashing a parade ground salute. “Permission to reenlist, sir.”

Thelen and Robyn returned the salute. “Granted, Commander,” Thelen said. He then wagged a wrinkled finger under Brett’s chin. “Don’t make me regret this, Commander.”

“I won’t, sir.”

The admiral swept out of the bar, most of the security guards accompanying him. Once they left, Brett dropped into his chair like a sandbag. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” he said to Robyn.

“I couldn’t let them take you.” She motioned behind him to where he found not just Ramirez and a handful of the Orion’s security personnel, but also Cooper, Merle, Dr. Chen, and dozens of other crewmembers. “And what I told Admiral Thelen wasn’t a lie. You’re a damned fine officer. Everyone knows it but you.”

A smile crept across Brett’s face as he looked upon all those who believed in him, especially Robyn. “I’ll try not to let you down then.”

“You better not. It’s my rear on the line.” She waved the rest of the waiting crew inside. “I’m sure you know your way around these places better than I do. See if you can rustle us up some drinks.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

For the rest of the night Brett played bartender to the Orion’s weary crew, which didn’t give him much chance to talk with Robyn. She kept her distance to mingle with the others—her crew now—as if in no hurry to broach the issues between them. He supposed they would have plenty of time to get into it later.

Cooper plunked her empty glass on the bar, the joyously dazed look of someone who couldn’t hold her liquor on her face. “I’m glad you stayed,” she said, slurring the words.

“I am too.” In civilian clothes and with her hair down she looked younger than he thought. Too young to have gone through what she had. “I think you’ve had enough, Ensign. I’ll find someone to take you to your quarters—”

“No need, sir,” Merle said too quickly. He put an arm around Cooper’s shoulders. From the easy way she leaned up against him, this couldn’t have been the first time.

Clearly Brett and Robyn weren’t the only ones with romantic issues on board. “This should be interesting,” he muttered.

Ramirez came up to the bar a few minutes later for a refill of his water. He and his men were still on duty. “I thought for a second there you might refuse,” he said. “I guess we must not be very good company.”

The smile on the lieutenant’s face told Brett he meant it as a joke. Brett didn’t want to go into the real reason for is reluctance. “Just not sure I wanted to get back into that stuffy uniform and have to wake up early again.”

“Well, I’m glad you changed your mind.”

“Me too.”

Ramirez stalked off to keep an eye on things with a nod. The party began to wind down as more of the crew stumbled back to their quarters to sleep off the festivities. From experience he knew there would be a lot of headaches in the morning.

“You don’t look like you’re having a lot of fun,” Dr. Chen said. She carried a half-empty glass of a green liqueur, better educated on the effects of alcohol than any of them besides Brett, whose research was all first-hand.

“It’s been a long day.” He grinned at her. “Don’t you think this violates Starfleet health protocols?”

“Maybe. If people don’t go easy on the stuff. But psychologically I think we all needed this, don’t you?”

“You’re probably right. I know I sure do.” Brett poured himself a glass of Scotch whiskey dating back to before the war. The owner would be very distressed in the morning at the state of his liquor supply.

“Are you sure you can handle going back?” Dr. Chen asked, her words dripping with meaning.

“We’ll see. If not, you can declare me unfit.”

“Don’t think I won’t. I report to the captain first.” The doctor sipped at her drink again. “I just wanted to make sure you knew what you’re getting into. Captain Lichen is my friend and I don’t want to see her get hurt in a way I can’t heal, if you know what I mean.”

“I read you loud and clear,” he said. “I’ll do my best.”

She nodded and then sauntered off, her message delivered, leaving Brett to contemplate it. Of course he knew what he was getting into. Not that he had much choice. Admiral Thelen had made that quite clear.

Someone tapped a glass against the bar. He snapped out of his reverie to find Robyn sitting on one of the wobbly stools. “I’m grateful for pulling strings for me, but don’t you think there’s going to be a problem…with us?”

“Maybe,” she conceded. “We’ll have to work on that. Just don’t think I’m going to give you any more special treatment because I love you.”

She winked at him and then disappeared from the bar. “Oh boy,” Brett mumbled, pouring himself another drink. “Things are going to be very interesting indeed.”

[END]