Read Online Star Trek: Duty, Honor, Redemption by Vonda N. McIntyre - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vonda N. McIntyre
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thunderheads, Mount Shasta.
The shuttle continued its ascent. Distance blurred the evidence of civilization, even of life, stripping the underlying geology bare, until the lithic history of lava flows, glacial advance, and orogeny lay clear before him. A lightning bolt flashed along Mount Shasta’s flank, arcing through the clouds.
And then the earth curved away beneath him, disappearing into the sun far to one side and into the great shadow of the terminator on the other.
Uhura reached out and brushed her fingertips against his arm. He glanced around. The computer lay abandoned beside her.
“Thank you,” she said very softly. “That was beautiful.”
Hikaru smiled, glad to have someone to share it with.
“My pleasure.”
She went back to her computer. He homed in on the Starfleet Spacedock beacon and engaged the autopilot. It would be a while before he had anything else to do. He stretched out in one of the passenger seats, where he could relax but still keep an eye on the control display.
The admiral closed his book and pushed his glasses to the top of his head.
“You look a bit the worse for wear, Mister Sulu—is that from yesterday?”
Hikaru touched the bruise above his cheekbone and grinned ruefully. “Yes, sir. I didn’t realize I’d got it till too late to do anything about it.”
“There’s one thing you can say about Mister Spock’s protégés: They’re always thorough.”
Hikaru laughed. “No matter what they’re doing. That was quite a show, wasn’t it?”
“It was, indeed. I didn’t get much chance to speak to you yesterday. It’s good to see you.”
“Thank you, sir. The feeling’s mutual.”
“And by the way, congratulations, Commander.”
Hikaru glanced down at the shiny new braid on his uniform. He was not quite used to it yet.
“Thank you, Admiral. You had a lot to do with it. I appreciate the encouragement you’ve given me all these years.”
Kirk shrugged. “You earned it, Commander. And I wasn’t the only commander you’ve had who put in a good word. Spock positively gushed. For Spock, anyway. And you got one of the two or three best recommendations I’ve ever seen from Hunter.”
“I appreciate your letting me know that, Admiral. Both their opinions mean a lot to me.”
Kirk glanced around the shuttle. “Almost like old times, isn’t it? Do you still keep in touch with your friend Commander Flynn?”
“Yes, sir—I saw her off this morning, in fact. She made captain, early last spring.”
“Of course she did, I’d forgotten. When the memory begins to go—” He stopped, then grinned, making it into a joke. But he had sounded terribly serious. “They gave her one of the new ships, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sir, Magellan. It left today.” It will be a long time before I see her again, Hikaru thought, with regret.
A long time. The new Galaxy -class ships were smaller than the Enterprise, but much faster. They were most efficient around warp twelve. Only three as yet existed: Andromeda, M-31, and Magellanic Clouds. Their purpose was very-long-range exploration; commanding such a mission was the career Mandala Flynn, who had been born and raised in space, had aimed for all her life.
Jim Kirk chuckled. Hikaru gave him a questioning glance.
“Do you remember what she said to me, at the officers’ reception the day she came on board the Enterprise? ”
“Uh—I’m not sure, sir.” Actually he remembered it vividly, but if Admiral Kirk by chance was thinking of something else, Hikaru felt it would be more politic not to remind him of the other.
“I asked her what her plans were, and she looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Captain, I want your job.’ ”
Hikaru could not repress a smile. Besides remembering that, he also remembered the shocked silence that had followed. Mandala had not meant it as a threat, of course, nor had Kirk taken it as one. Not exactly. But it had not been quite the best foot for a field-promoted officer, a
The shuttle continued its ascent. Distance blurred the evidence of civilization, even of life, stripping the underlying geology bare, until the lithic history of lava flows, glacial advance, and orogeny lay clear before him. A lightning bolt flashed along Mount Shasta’s flank, arcing through the clouds.
And then the earth curved away beneath him, disappearing into the sun far to one side and into the great shadow of the terminator on the other.
Uhura reached out and brushed her fingertips against his arm. He glanced around. The computer lay abandoned beside her.
“Thank you,” she said very softly. “That was beautiful.”
Hikaru smiled, glad to have someone to share it with.
“My pleasure.”
She went back to her computer. He homed in on the Starfleet Spacedock beacon and engaged the autopilot. It would be a while before he had anything else to do. He stretched out in one of the passenger seats, where he could relax but still keep an eye on the control display.
The admiral closed his book and pushed his glasses to the top of his head.
“You look a bit the worse for wear, Mister Sulu—is that from yesterday?”
Hikaru touched the bruise above his cheekbone and grinned ruefully. “Yes, sir. I didn’t realize I’d got it till too late to do anything about it.”
“There’s one thing you can say about Mister Spock’s protégés: They’re always thorough.”
Hikaru laughed. “No matter what they’re doing. That was quite a show, wasn’t it?”
“It was, indeed. I didn’t get much chance to speak to you yesterday. It’s good to see you.”
“Thank you, sir. The feeling’s mutual.”
“And by the way, congratulations, Commander.”
Hikaru glanced down at the shiny new braid on his uniform. He was not quite used to it yet.
“Thank you, Admiral. You had a lot to do with it. I appreciate the encouragement you’ve given me all these years.”
Kirk shrugged. “You earned it, Commander. And I wasn’t the only commander you’ve had who put in a good word. Spock positively gushed. For Spock, anyway. And you got one of the two or three best recommendations I’ve ever seen from Hunter.”
“I appreciate your letting me know that, Admiral. Both their opinions mean a lot to me.”
Kirk glanced around the shuttle. “Almost like old times, isn’t it? Do you still keep in touch with your friend Commander Flynn?”
“Yes, sir—I saw her off this morning, in fact. She made captain, early last spring.”
“Of course she did, I’d forgotten. When the memory begins to go—” He stopped, then grinned, making it into a joke. But he had sounded terribly serious. “They gave her one of the new ships, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sir, Magellan. It left today.” It will be a long time before I see her again, Hikaru thought, with regret.
A long time. The new Galaxy -class ships were smaller than the Enterprise, but much faster. They were most efficient around warp twelve. Only three as yet existed: Andromeda, M-31, and Magellanic Clouds. Their purpose was very-long-range exploration; commanding such a mission was the career Mandala Flynn, who had been born and raised in space, had aimed for all her life.
Jim Kirk chuckled. Hikaru gave him a questioning glance.
“Do you remember what she said to me, at the officers’ reception the day she came on board the Enterprise? ”
“Uh—I’m not sure, sir.” Actually he remembered it vividly, but if Admiral Kirk by chance was thinking of something else, Hikaru felt it would be more politic not to remind him of the other.
“I asked her what her plans were, and she looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Captain, I want your job.’ ”
Hikaru could not repress a smile. Besides remembering that, he also remembered the shocked silence that had followed. Mandala had not meant it as a threat, of course, nor had Kirk taken it as one. Not exactly. But it had not been quite the best foot for a field-promoted officer, a
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