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.
And that simple comfort made all the difference in the world.