What is it about this woman?Aloud, he said, “Well, then, cut to the chase, Commander.”

Her face grew serious, and they were so close he saw her eyes flick back and forth, searching his.

“Yes. I just wanted to say that I understand. Completely. What you said about someone being angry enough to want to kill, or feel that murder is the only way. I understand all about that. I understand about passion.”

“And pain,” said Kodell, and then wondered why he’d said that.

“And pain.” She paused. “I think maybe you know about pain, too. Loss.”

“And why is that?” He tried to keep his voice light, and didn’t know if he succeeded. A high thin whine sounded in his ears, almost like an alarm.

“I just know.If that makes sense.”

He was very still, though his mind was not. Uncanny, how did she know? For some reason, he was acutely aware of the way his heart thudded in his chest: almost as if his heart had stopped beating and just now remembered to come back to life.

Oh, Th’leila Bok, how much of my life have you stolen? How much did Ilet you steal?

He cleared his throat. “All this talk about emotion, we’ll think you’ve spent too much time with our ship’s psychiatrist.” He’d meant it as a joke, but instantly he saw her embarrassment, and he knew he’d stumbled into something. “Commander Bat-Levi, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay,” she said. She made a move to go. “Anyway, I should…”

“No, don’t.” He almost reached out a hand to stop her but restrained himself at the last instant. “I’m the one who should apologize. Not many people to talk to in engineering, just machines,” he was aware that he was starting to babble but plunged on, “and, anyhow I’m out of practice, I made a bad joke. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, her voice tight with mortification. “I forgot. It’s a small ship and, of course, everyone must know.”

Now he was confused. “Know? Know what?”

“Well, that,” and just as quickly she stopped herself. Kodell knew at once he shouldn’t pursue the matter. “Nothing. Oh, hell,” she sighed, “I always put my foot in it.”

“I know this idiom. On Trill, we say, Uncork week-old fermentedklah.” Kodell pulled his features into a comical grimace. “Very unpleasant.”

Despite herself, Bat-Levi chucked. “Sounds gruesome.”

“Smells. Yes. By the way, congratulations; I hear you’re going to be our new first officer.”

“Just acting. Until the captain decides what she wants to do.” Bat-Levi gave an inverted smile, something that seemed to come naturally. “I’m not sure it’s the way I wanted to make XO, though. Not even sure I want to befirst officer, but, sometimes, opportunity chooses you.”She pulled herself up. “I should go; I didn’t mean to keep you. But, maybe, we could, I don’t know, catch a cup of coffee, or something? Sometime?”

Kodell hesitated for what seemed like a long time but was, really, a fraction of a second. “Yes. Coffee. I’d like that,” and he meant it.

And then he did something that was, for him, totally out of character, almost insane. “Do you mind if I make a little suggestion?”

Coffee, and then offering to help with her servos— “I couldn’t help noticing that they need adjusting. Why don’t you stop by engineering when you’ve got time?”—like it was no big deal. Bat-Levi hummed as the turbolift shot up to Deck 12, and the doors sighed open. So, why did it feellike such a big deal?

Because it is, honey. It is.

Just you wait, Tyvan. Just you wait.She stumped toward her quarters. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when she told him. She was even more surprised that the thought—her wanting to tell Tyvan anything—didn’t make her angry. Not one bit.

Bat-Levi burst out laughing. And that felt good, too.

Chapter 23

Marta Batanides stopped speaking, and for a good ten seconds, the bridge was so quiet the staccato bleeps of the ship’s systems cracked like pistol shots. Even Stern, who stood to the left of Garrett’s command chair, was speechless.

Although Batanides had come through on audio, Garrett stood before her chair, hands clasped behind her back, her stance formal. “I want to lodge a formal protest.”

“Certainly.” Batanides’s voice was just as formal. “I’ll see that Admiral Stout is informed. Anything else?”

“You mean besides the fact that I don’t want you taking Commander Halak off the ship without representation, and unaccompanied? That regulations demanda command-level inquiry with his captain in attendance? That I protestyour authorizing the removal of one of myofficers from myship, yet you haven’t filed a singlecharge?” Garrett shook her head even though Batanides couldn’t see her. “No.”

“Objections noted,” said Batanides.

“What about Starfleet Command? My personal report to Admiral Stout?”

“Admiral Stout has authorized meto inform youthat he is aware of your objections and they’ve been duly noted.”

“And?”

“And nothing. Facts are facts, Captain. You are hereby ordered to remand Commander Halak to Lieutenant Burke. Your former first officer,” Batanides paused as if to underscore Halak’s status, “will not be unaccompanied. Lieutenant Burke and a representative of the Vulcan V’Shar, certainly an impartial agency…”

“Logic isn’t synonymous with impartiality.”

Batanides talked over Garrett. “Willaccompany him. If after a more formal inquiry, charges are brought, Commander Halak will be afforded representation.”

“I want to be there,” said Garrett, knowing her demand would fall on deaf ears. But for the same reason that she’d chosen to take the call on the bridge, she wanted her objections on record. No more cloak-and-dagger routine on hership. “The regulations are clear, Commander. They demandthe presence of Halak’s commanding officer.”

“Captain Garrett, those same regulations also stipulate that should said commanding officer’s duties interfere, a formal statement will suffice. If it’s any comfort, we’ve contacted Barkerand Captain Connors is en route.”

“No, I’m not comforted. Surely my testimony isn’t irrelevant.”

“No one’s suggesting that. But we are reopening our investigation into the Ryn mission. Thatmission was and isnone of your concern.”

“Isn’t Captain Connors likely to be a little prejudiced? You claim two of his crewmen were murdered.”

“And you’re notprejudiced? One of your officers is also dead.”

Out of her left ear, Garrett heard Stern give a muffled curse. Swiveling on her hips, Garrett silenced the doctor with a look. Garrett faced forward again, staring at stars, talking to a woman she couldn’t see. “That’s not the point, and you know it.”

“Captain Garrett.” A little pause, as if Batanides were a disapproving schoolteacher. “Be reasonable. You have your orders. Further, Halak’s shuttle is to be put under guard, and secured. The shuttle and its contents are evidence, and a team of SI agents will be dispatched to bring the shuttle back to Starfleet Headquarters for further study. As for the Enterprise,you are to proceed to the Draavid nebulae cluster.”

“The work isn’t exactly urgent. I don’t expect a new star to pop into existence in the next two weeks. Surely that mission can wait,” said Garrett. Privately, she was appalled. Mapping protostars was the sort of mission Command handed to junior crews—and green captains. Garrett was certain Burke had a hand in this, convincing Batanides to get them out of the way until SI’s investigation was over. A trip to the Draavids would put them in a virtual communications blackout, and out of circulation, for two weeks.