Subject: Grail: "Unexplored Spaces"- `Alone'

<<Stardate: 47307.19- 17:00>>

<<Captains Quarters>>

Epic Terrakian entered his quarters for the first time in two days.

He had allowed himself a few catnaps in his Ready Room, but hadn't

really slept. He was about to do just that.

He sat heavily on the edge of his bed and pulled his boots off.

Throwing them into a corner, he noticed his message light blinking. With

a grunt of exertion, he walked over to his desk. He didn't sit again for

fear of being unable to muster the energy to get up again.

As he punched up the message, his tongue explored the raw areas

where his teeth had been repaired. This reminded him of Brinn again. He

shook his head. He didn't want to be reminded of Brinn again.

His ego was not damaged in that fight. Epic had no illusions. Brinn

was a combat vet since before Epic was born. She was a fighting machine.

A machine that never switched off.

"`You awright, Captain?"", she had called to him as he left. Epic

knew that, for Brinn, that was an effort to reconcile their violent

exchange, but Epic had no heart for it at the time. He decided at that

moment that he was done wasting his time on trying to win her respect.

Until that moment, it was important to him that she regarded him as an

equal, but he didn't care anymore.

In the world that Brinn lived in, she had no equal. In the world

she lived in, if she had an equal, her strength would be compromised.

Epic was glad that he had finally seen that. Otherwise, she might have

killed him in his efforts to win her over.

He shook his head again. So, now, it was up to him. And him alone.

There were no kindred spirits. There was no `partner against the

Galaxy'. There was only him. And all those others who must either follow

or be discharged. There would no longer be overtures made to be a

`member of the family'. Epic would be the `boss' now. And that was that.

And like sunshine through clouds, Epics mood brightened when he saw

from whom his message came. It was Kaje. And more significantly, she had

replied as Kaje. Not Arda or Lt. Arda or lieutenant.

****

To: Epic

From:

Subj: Dinner

****

I would love to join you for dinner this evening. I have scheduled

myself for Beta Shift, so if you're free after that, I'll see you then.

~Kaje

Epic read the message three times. He was more pleased than he

would have imagined by her response. Had he assumed she would have

declined? He supposed he suspected she might. She had been aggressively

pursuing the responsibilities of her department and still made time for

her daughter. He had secretly decided in his mind that she would be too

exhausted to be socializing with her bizarre and distant captain.

Suddenly, he wasn't tired. He was possessed of new energy. He

tapped his response into the comm.

***

Kaje.

I will be waiting in my quarters until you are free. Kaede will be

with me when you arrive. Thank you.

~Epic

****

Epic sent the message with a last tap and took a cleansing breath.

After a shower and a shave, he would retrieve Kaede from the nursery.

Then, he would have nearly seven hours with her all to himself.

And the gloom he felt in the wake of his defeat was replaced by

gladness. And he realized as he showered and dressed that as long as he

had Kaede, he would never be truly alone.