She stared at the firstofficer, challenge in her deep brown eyes. “Don’t we,sir?”
“We have our orders – wewill follow them.”
Deck whispered,“Understood.” She got to her feet, slowly. “May I be dismissed,Commander?”
“You may.” They allsilently watched her leave the room. Lindstrom sighed beforesaying, “Are there are any other questions?” When they all murmuredrespectful negatives, Lindstrom said, “Then you’re all dismissed,too. Kennedy, I’m sure you want to go after Decker.”
Con rose to his feet andnodded. “Thank you, sir, but she’ll let me know when she’s ready totalk. Good night, Commander.”
“Good night.”
Once they were outside inthe passageway, Aqila asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to go see ifDeck’s okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I knowher – she’ll want to be alone for a while.” He smiled sadly down athis wife. “Besides, I already know – she’s not okay. How could shebe? A huge chunk of her world is on the Lovelace rightnow, and theyappear to be in some mighty deep trouble.”
***
After nearly half an hourspent pacing her temporary quarters, Decker needed to burn off someexcess energy. The Aurorahad no basketball court, nor even anybasketballs, so she IM’d Con to see if he was up for somesparring.
When Con was recovering,they’d fashioned some makeshift bo staffs for bōjutsu workouts; when he met her in the gym, Deck wordlessly tossed one hisway. Kennedy caught it with one hand, smoothly moving into hiswarm-up drills. After they spent a few minutes mirroring eachother’s movements, he asked, “Couldn’t sleep?”
“No.” Deck startedspinning her staff in a figure-eight maneuver. “I keep thinking…mylast conversation with Tal, at least I told him I loved him. Mylast conversation with my father – I called him‘Captain’.”
“That wasnot the lastconversation you’re ever gonna have with your dad.”
She continued with herwrist rolls, while saying, “You don’t know that.”
“Honestly, I can think ofat least a dozen scenarios where Ricci would feel the need to senda message like that – and in most of them, everyone walks away justfine.”
“Even though he thought itnecessary to send the message in Chiricahua?”
“He’s obviously showing anabundance of caution towards the Lignatians, but the fact that hedidn’t tell us to head for home ASAP, means yes, even with thatthrown in, I still think their situation is not completelydire.”
Deck stilled her movementsand looked at Con. “Yeah, maybe….” Her voice grew exasperated asshe continued, “In any case, it’s obvious that he should havelistened to us. Especially you, as his chief tactical officer.”She bounced the end of her staff twice on the floor and heaved agreat sigh. “He can be so goddamnedstubborn.”
“I gotta admit – when Ifound out who he was, I immediately knew where you gotyour stubbornness.” Deckcouldn’t help but laugh in response. Con then asked, “Youready?”
“Let’s go.”
He assumed a defensivestance, awaiting her attack. Deck started with an up-strike and thegym rang with the sound of their clashing staffs for over twentyminutes. They took a short breather and resumed the mock battle.After another twenty minutes, Decker, sweaty and spent, called ahalt to the proceedings.
Con seemed eager to stop,as well. “Ya’ good? Tired enough to sleep now?”
“I’m tired enough to sleepright here,now.”
Due to the furiousactivity, they were unaware that Kay was not their only spectator –until a voice from the shadows called out, “That was a mostimpressive display. I must admit, bōjutsu was never my favorite classat The Rock.”
Naiche spun around to findCommander Lindstrom lounging against the wall near the doorway.While she was thinking that she couldn’t really imagine the lanky,languid first officer engaging in any hand-to-hand combat, Kennedy hadthe presence of mind to thank their CO for the compliment. Con thenlooked at Naiche with the trace of a fond smile. “Walk you to yourquarters, ma’am?”
Deck knew that Con wantedto ensure she was actually going to bed but she couldn’t accept hisoffer. “Thanks, but no.” She nodded at the dog who’d roused himselfafter they’d called it quits and was wagging his tail inanticipation. “I have to take Kay for one last outing beforeturning in. The Aurora has no dog-friendly bathrooms, you know.”
“That’s true – though I’dlove to see how fancy a canine-bathroom designed by the Lignatianswould be.” Naiche’s good mood evaporated at the mention of thealiens who, she presumed, had her loved ones in their crosshairs.Con reached out, clasping her shoulder, and giving it a comfortingsqueeze. “They’re gonna be okay. You gotta have faith inyour…captain.”
She plastered on as brave asmile as she could muster up. “Sure thing.” They all headed out ofthe gym together. When they came to the passageway leading towardsthe crew quarters, Deck wished Con a good night. She was about todo the same with Lindstrom when, to her surprise, he offered toaccompany her and Kay on their walk.
“Of course, sir,” sheanswered since no other option was really open to her. As theysilently strolled around the perimeter of the Aurora, it suddenly occurred toDecker why Lindstrom might also be having trouble sleeping. “I hopeyou’ll forgive my presumption, Commander, but are you worried aboutDoctor Clemente?”
There was no answerforthcoming for so long that Naiche began to wonder if he was toooffended to respond or if he was winding up for a scathing remark.Finally, Lindstrom said, “Yes, I am. Though worry is only one partof what I’m feeling.” In the faint light reflected from the planetthat Tolu orbited, Deck threw a puzzled glance at Lindstrom, butelected to give him room to explain, if he so wished. After amoment, he did. “She’d be here – safe with us, if I wasn’t such anass.”
Belatedly, Deckerremembered that Lindstrom had actively chosen Uddin over Clementefor this mission. “You couldn’t have known. If anything, staying onthe Lovelace seemed the safer option at the time.”
“True, but that hadnothing to do with me making that choice, so it does nothing toerase the fact that it was my decision. Moreover, I approved of thecaptain’s plan to go to Jileesa. So, you might say, I’m doubly atfault.”
“What if you hadn’tapproved? He’d have just said, ‘duly noted’ and goneanyway.”
Lindstrom shook his headat her flippancy, observing, “Notif I’d told Captain Ricci that I was concernedfor our safety here on Tolu, with the Lovelace being
