'She has high standards, sir.'
'Damn straight.' Captain Shen smiled once again, the expression coming and going rapidly. 'So does my daughter. She's never held on to a man this long before. They usually got the boot pretty quick.'
'Dad, if you don't — '
'Mind you, they all deserved to get the boot, because they didn't deserve her. Apparently she feels differently about you.'
'I'm a very lucky man, sir.'
Jen covered her eyes with one hand. 'Oh, please.'
'Good people tend to make their own luck. Are you good enough for Jen?'
'I'm doing my best.'
'We'll see if your best is good enough.'
Jen spoke sharply. 'I'll be the judge of that.'
'Sure, Jen. Where's your next assignment? Any word yet?'
'I've got six more months on the Maury, Dad. I've got my dream sheet in with the detailers telling them what assignments I really want, but no responses from them.'
'Nothing too odd about that. Am I correct in assuming you two have matching dream sheets?'
'Yes. We want assignments close to each other and know we need to make sure our detailers know that. I'm not an ensign anymore, Dad.'
'Heck, no. You're a lieutenant junior grade! Practically an admiral. Let me lay it on the line. As long as you're not officially hitched the detailers are real unlikely to worry about sending you to the same general area on your next assignment.'
'We know that, Dad.'
'I assume there's no plans to rush into marriage to try to ensure you get similar orders?'
Jen look of annoyance deepened. 'There won't be any rushing into anything.'
'Well, that's a relief. What are your career plans, Mr. Sinclair?'
Paul tensed some more. The question was outwardly run of the mill, yet in professional terms the career plans of an officer told you a lot about them, for better or worse. 'I've put in for shore duty on Franklin Station, sir. Preferably in the operations branch, but I'm willing to look at other options.'
'Hmmm. Space officers tend to rotate to Franklin for shore duty, so I'm sure you'll get that. What about afterwards?'
'I'm going to evaluate options when my next orders come up, sir.'
Captain Shen looked skeptical. 'That's not exactly long term planning. Are you going to make the Navy a career?'
'That option's still open, sir.'
'Options are all very well, but it's necessary to make decisions at some point.'
Paul made a small gesture which stopped Jen's next eruption. 'Sir, I'm fully capable of making decisions. I'm just awaiting some more experience before making decisions that don't need to be made now.'
'The proof's in the pudding, young man.'
This time Jen ignored Paul's attempt to handle the issue himself. 'Dad, Paul has proven his ability to make tough decisions. He doesn't need any criticism from you on that score.'
'I take it you're referring to his testimony in his former captain's court-martial. Carrying out Commander Herdez's instructions — '
'Sir,' Paul interrupted, hearing his voice carry an edge of anger which he tamped down. 'Commander Herdez gave me no 'instructions' on that matter. The decision was mine.' He'd never boasted about it, but he couldn't bear having such a difficult, soul-wrenching decision casually dismissed.
'Really?' Captain Shen let the noncommittal reply hang for a moment. 'Not a good moment for the Navy, in any event.'
'I'm not happy it happened, sir.'
'You're still the collateral duty legal officer on your ship?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Aspire to be a lawyer, eh?'
'No, sir.'
'I understand you had a run-in with Greenspacers recently. Tell me about it.'
Paul recited the events surrounding the canceled test-firing, but couldn't shake the feeling that he was reporting to a superior instead of sharing information with a fellow officer. Boy, am I glad I don't work for this guy. No offense, Jen. Not that I'm ever likely to tell you that.
Paul's report over, Captain Shen appeared ready to interrogate him in other areas, but Jen ostentatiously brought her wristwatch up. 'I'm sorry, but I need to get back to the ship. Are you ready, Paul?'
'Sure.' Trying his best to conceal his relief, Paul stood and offered Captain Shen his respects, then stood outside the stateroom while Jen said goodbye. Within a few minutes, they were off the Mahan.
Jen walked rapidly, her mouth tight. 'Well,' Paul finally offered, 'that was fun.'
She looked at him skeptically, then tried to smile. 'No, it wasn't. You did well, though.'
'What was that all about?'
Jen led the way over to one side, where a large screen portrayed an image of space outside the base. She leaned against the bulkhead, her head turned so she could look at the field of stars displayed there. 'My dad's been in the Navy a long time, and he's been commanding ships for years now. I sometimes think he's forgotten there's another world, one where his word isn't law and people don't jump to carry out his orders. Instead, he acts like he expects everyone and every place to acknowledge him as the Captain.' She smiled ruefully. 'He usually gets disappointed when he tries, though.'
Paul leaned against the bulkhead on the opposite side of the display. 'Sorry, Jen.'
'It's not your fault. But since he's my dad he's sort of the baggage I bring to this relationship. I was hoping he'd be better tonight. He's not a bad person. Just tough and smart and demanding.'
''Tough, smart and demanding' sounds familiar.'
'Yeah, I come by it honestly.'
'How's your mother handle it?'
Jen looked down at the deck, her expression hidden. 'Mom died six years ago.'
'Oh, geez, Jen. I'm so sorry.' No wonder she never talked about her mother. And with us being based up here and working constantly I never wondered about it. Family seems very far away, except when they come riding in with their own ship like Jen's dad did.
'It's not something I talk about. Maybe someday. But Dad got harder after Mom died. Maybe she'd always softened his rough edges, maybe that's how he grieves. I don't know. He doesn't talk about it, either.'
'That's a helluva big elephant in the room whenever you meet, though, isn't it?'
Jen looked up, smiling wanly now. 'Sure is. But that's how we both handle it.'
'I won't bring it up again, Jen. But if you're ever ready to talk, I'm ready to listen.'
'Thanks, but don't hold your breath. It's not going to happen tomorrow, I'll guarantee, even if my ship wasn't leaving in the morning.' She looked back at the stars for a moment, then reached down, unzipped one pocket, and fished in it until her hand surfaced with a rectangular, plastic, coded room key. 'I got us a room.'
'Are you sure you're up for that tonight?'
'Very sure. I'm tired of the universe, Paul. It's too complicated. At this moment, I just want to go somewhere private where you and I can forget about everything except each other for a while.'
'I'd like that, too. Lead on, my lady.'
'I have no intention of being a lady tonight.'
They began walking. Aware of the weary moodiness in her, Paul felt an urge to drape his arm over Jen's shoulders and hold her tight. But they were in uniform, and the passageways of Franklin Station still held plenty of personnel attending to personal and professional errands, so such a public display of affection between officers would be unprofessional and improper. Jen looked over at him, and as if reading his mind, reached her near hand toward Paul and pantomimed squeezing Paul's hand. Then her hand dropped, and the two officers walked on with a half meter of space separating them.
