“This was one of Sean’s favorite books growing up,” Camille said. “Even before he read any of mybooks, he loved this one.”
“I think that’s where he got his love for pirate stories,” said Keru.
Rhyst gestured toward another room. “Why don’t we sit in the living room?”
They moved to the living room, which featured a Napoleonic decor. Camille made herself comfortable in an easy chair, while Picard and Rhyst sat on a low divan, and Keru in another nearby chair. Camille placed the old book on the coffee table, its pages open to an illustration of a lonely and wounded Peter Pan standing atop Marooner’s Rock in the rising water. Picard read the quote beneath it: “To Die will be an Awfully Big Adventure.”
I hope that’s true,he thought.
Picard set the bag he’d been carrying onto the plushly carpeted floor, near his feet. His eyebrows scrunched together slightly as he composed himself to speak. He knew that nothing could take the pain out of his first words.
“I’m very sorry about Sean.”
Rhyst put his drink down on the coffee table before him, and stared at Picard coolly. “Yes, well, we got a message to that effect from you, or from one of your assistants. Got one from Starfleet, too. And from Ranul, of course. It’s been a difficult few days. Sean’s brothers, Darey and Jason, are on their way back home to join us in a . . . celebration of Sean’s life.”
Camille leaned forward, looking at Picard. “Please don’t think us insensitive or uncaring, Captain, but we’ve raised our sons to believe that life is to be lived and savored. vored. It’s uncertain when or how any of us may be lost to this life–and we simply don’t knowwhat lies in the next–so we have tried to instill in our boys the importance of joy and love, adventure and passion.”
“You instilled those values well,” Picard said.
“We heard yesterday from the Yorktown’s Captain Kentrav,” Camille said. “He was Sean’s first commanding officer. We’ve been touched by how Starfleet has reached out to us.” She paused for a moment, looking at Keru, then Rhyst, then back at Picard. “Does this sort of . . . personal attention happen with everyfamily that loses a son or daughter in Starfleet?”
“Unfortunately, no,” said Picard, sighing. “Resources and assignments do not always allow for it.”
“Then why are you here?” asked Rhyst.
Picard pulled up the bag from the floor and unfastened the opening. He retrieved several items from it, placing them on the table next to the book. “I wanted to bring you Sean’s personal effects. Sometimes it takes months for this type of material to be sent back to the families.”
Rhyst leaned forward, his eyes locking with Picard’s. “But you could have sent it with Ranul. Why are youhere?”
“I suppose I wanted to see where Sean had come from. What had shaped him before he entered Starfleet.”
“I was never as supportive as I could have been of his choice to join Starfleet,” said Rhyst. “I guess I always thought he did it just to escape the boredom of the Martian suburbs. All of the boys have had . . . wanderlust. But Sean was always a smart one– uncannilysmart. Maybe Starfleet was a good fit.”
“It was the bestfit for him. He was an excellent officer,” Picard said soberly.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve always resented Starfleet a bit. It’s always been so Earth‑driven. I’m a Martian, and I’ve always felt as though Earth treated Mars as if it was just a province. My ancestors fought and died to be free of the Earth consortium, but what have we become since the War of Martian Independence? A garage for Earth’s starships.”
“Hmmm,” Picard grunted, not sure how to respond.
For a moment, the four of them sat quietly. Finally, Keru broke the silence. “Camille, why don’t we get something more to drink in the kitchen?”
Keru stood, holding his hand out to help the older woman up. She put her arm around his waist lovingly, and the two exited the room. Keru looked back once, catching Picard’s eye, before they were out of sight.
He’s going to leave theEnterprise, Picard thought. Maybe not right away, but hewill leave.Picard couldn’t say he blamed Keru for making that decision.
And then he was alone, with Rhyst.
Rhyst sniffed, and turned toward Picard. “Can you tell me what goodcame from Sean joining Starfleet?” He held up his hand, motioning Picard to be quiet for a moment. “I don’t mean in the abstract. Starfleet has hundreds of thousands of cadets joining its ranks each year, thousands of officers, hundreds of captains. My son sacrificed his lifefor that organization. Why him?What did it accomplish?”
Picard took no offense at the older man’s pointed questions. They were the same imponderables with which he himself had to grapple each and every time he lost a member of his crew.
“Your son was notjust one of a thousand officers to me, sir. He was a valued member of my crew, and one whom I trusted with my life. And he accomplished some truly great things.”
Picard hesitated for a moment. He knew he would have to edit any reference to Section 31 from the story he was about to tell. But Hawk’s father deserved to hear about his son’s finest hour: the mission in the Chiaros system.
“About six months ago, your son went above and beyond the call of duty to defend his ship, its crew, and his own principles. And he did it without a moment’s hesitation or doubt . . .”
About the Authors
Andy Mangels is the author of the best‑selling book Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Characters,as well as Beyond Mulder & Scully: The Mysterious Characters of The X‑Filesand From Scream to Dawson’s Creek: The Phenomenal Career of Kevin Williamson.Mangels has written for The Hollywood Reporter, The Advocate, Just Out, Cinescape, Gauntlet, SFX, Sci‑Fi Universe, Outweek, Frontiers, Portland Mercury, Comics Buyer’s Guide,and scores of other entertainment and lifestyle magazines. He has also written licensed material based on properties from Lucasfilm, Paramount, New Line Cinema, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Microsoft, Abrams‑Gentile, and Platinum Studios. His comic‑book work has been seen from DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse, Wildstorm, Image, Innovation, WaRP Graphics, Topps, and others, and he was the editor of the award‑winning Gay Comicsanthology for eight years. In what little spare time he has, he likes to country dance and collect uniforms.
Michael A. Martin’s short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.He was the regular co‑writer (with Andy Mangels) of Marvel Comics’ monthly Star Trek: Deep Space Ninecomic‑book series, and co‑wrote other Star Trekstories for Marvel and Wildstorm. From 1998 through 2000, Martin was one of the principal writers for Atlas Editions’ Star Trek Universesubscription card series. Martin has also written for the British Star Trekmonthly magazine, Grolier Books, and Platinum Studios. Rogueis the first Star Treknovel to bear his name. When not hunkered over a keyboard in his basement writing office, he reads voraciously, watches documentaries, and performs folk ballads for the amusement of his two‑year‑old son, James; Martin lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, their aforementioned son, and too many computers.