would have been home long before now.” K’Alan’s voice was soft and, he hoped, comforting. “I would have never wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry I never met you before now. I am so, so sorry.”
“Yeah. Sure you are,” Elam snarled at his father. The boy stormed out of the room.
“Elam,” K’Alan called after him. He turned back to K’Itea when she squeezed his arm. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
“Let him go, Kal,” she said, her voice sad. “He will come around in time.”
“I hope so.”
“Commander Bryce to the bridge, please,” the voice of Katherine Yeuid floated into the isoroom over the shipcall.
K’Alan looked up at the speaker and sighed. He thumbed his wristlink. “On my way, Kath,” he said. “Actually, it’s Captain Bryce now.”
“Sorry, Captain,” came back the quick reply. “Didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it. The official announcement isn’t until 2000 hours.” He thumbed his wristlink off and looked at his family. “I don’t want to, but I have to go. Duty calls.”
“I understand, my love,” his wife smiled at him. “I will be here when you are done. I doubt I am going anywhere anytime soon.”
2.1.2136
1700
SLS White Knight
The Bridge
Thala sat at her station on the bridge. It would be the last time she would sit in the command chair of the White Knight. Even though it was her decision, she hated the thought of leaving. She felt like she had lost something. It was not the first time she had felt that way when it came to K’Alan Bryce.
She was checking over some of the controls on her station when he walked onto the bridge. She watched him walk to his station, check some controls and then head for her.
“I hear you’re leaving,” he said when he got to her station. He kept his voice soft out of respect for her. It would be touching if he hadn’t driven the knife into her back one more time.
“I hear you’re taking over for me,” she replied in a terse voice. “Congratulations.”
“This is not exactly what I had in mind to get a command of my own,” he shook his head. Damn him for looking sad! “In fact, I want you to know, I protested strenuously at first.”
“I’m sure you did.” Her voice was distant. She was already trying to figure out what she was going to do next. “I suppose it is time for me to go.”
“Captain, I relieve you,” he said in a quiet voice. He’d snapped to attention as the custom dictated.
“I stand relieved,” she sighed after a pause. After a moment, she clapped her hand on his shoulder. “Good luck, Captain Bryce. I know you will succeed in your mission to bring M’Bek Tarmos to justice.”
“Good luck to you as well, Captain Ker’sal. I hope you find what it is you’re looking for.”
Thala strode off the bridge. She was fighting tears as she walked. She would not cry in front of him. She had never cried in front of him, and she would be damned if she did now. She could feel his eyes bore into her back like daggers all the way off the bridge.
2.1.2136
1837
SLS White Knight
Soran’s Bar
Captain K’Alan Bryce was halfway to the bar to get a drink when he heard his name being called from a different part of the bar. He recognized the voice right away, and changed his course from the bar to where Mario was sitting with his father.
“The captain’s bars look good on you, Kal,” Mario smiled at his friend.
“Not the way I wanted to earn them, Mario,” K’Alan grunted.
“Well, congratulations anyway,” Mario laughed.
“It’s well deserved, K’Alan,” the admiral added. “I did not give you the promotion lightly.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence from both of you,” K’Alan shared a weak smile with the two men. “Listen, Mario. I’m going to be leaning on you quite heavily over the next couple of weeks.”
“Of course, Kal,” Mario nodded.
“Yeah. Sure you are,” Elam snarled at his father. The boy stormed out of the room.
“Elam,” K’Alan called after him. He turned back to K’Itea when she squeezed his arm. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
“Let him go, Kal,” she said, her voice sad. “He will come around in time.”
“I hope so.”
“Commander Bryce to the bridge, please,” the voice of Katherine Yeuid floated into the isoroom over the shipcall.
K’Alan looked up at the speaker and sighed. He thumbed his wristlink. “On my way, Kath,” he said. “Actually, it’s Captain Bryce now.”
“Sorry, Captain,” came back the quick reply. “Didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it. The official announcement isn’t until 2000 hours.” He thumbed his wristlink off and looked at his family. “I don’t want to, but I have to go. Duty calls.”
“I understand, my love,” his wife smiled at him. “I will be here when you are done. I doubt I am going anywhere anytime soon.”
2.1.2136
1700
SLS White Knight
The Bridge
Thala sat at her station on the bridge. It would be the last time she would sit in the command chair of the White Knight. Even though it was her decision, she hated the thought of leaving. She felt like she had lost something. It was not the first time she had felt that way when it came to K’Alan Bryce.
She was checking over some of the controls on her station when he walked onto the bridge. She watched him walk to his station, check some controls and then head for her.
“I hear you’re leaving,” he said when he got to her station. He kept his voice soft out of respect for her. It would be touching if he hadn’t driven the knife into her back one more time.
“I hear you’re taking over for me,” she replied in a terse voice. “Congratulations.”
“This is not exactly what I had in mind to get a command of my own,” he shook his head. Damn him for looking sad! “In fact, I want you to know, I protested strenuously at first.”
“I’m sure you did.” Her voice was distant. She was already trying to figure out what she was going to do next. “I suppose it is time for me to go.”
“Captain, I relieve you,” he said in a quiet voice. He’d snapped to attention as the custom dictated.
“I stand relieved,” she sighed after a pause. After a moment, she clapped her hand on his shoulder. “Good luck, Captain Bryce. I know you will succeed in your mission to bring M’Bek Tarmos to justice.”
“Good luck to you as well, Captain Ker’sal. I hope you find what it is you’re looking for.”
Thala strode off the bridge. She was fighting tears as she walked. She would not cry in front of him. She had never cried in front of him, and she would be damned if she did now. She could feel his eyes bore into her back like daggers all the way off the bridge.
2.1.2136
1837
SLS White Knight
Soran’s Bar
Captain K’Alan Bryce was halfway to the bar to get a drink when he heard his name being called from a different part of the bar. He recognized the voice right away, and changed his course from the bar to where Mario was sitting with his father.
“The captain’s bars look good on you, Kal,” Mario smiled at his friend.
“Not the way I wanted to earn them, Mario,” K’Alan grunted.
“Well, congratulations anyway,” Mario laughed.
“It’s well deserved, K’Alan,” the admiral added. “I did not give you the promotion lightly.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence from both of you,” K’Alan shared a weak smile with the two men. “Listen, Mario. I’m going to be leaning on you quite heavily over the next couple of weeks.”
“Of course, Kal,” Mario nodded.
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