17. Prologue: The Captain

Later
Three years four months after the wedding

About fifteen minutes later found the pair walking the busiest, most public place on Starbase 118 --- Commercial Sector. Jesa's hand slipped in Buck's arm, her wedding-ring clearly visible on her right hand. Jesa knew this Starbase very well, she knew which back passageways to take and where it would be easier to slip from where they had been to their destination. But she had chosen against it.

This had nothing to do with concerns over efficiency, or security considerations. The reasons were as mysterious as the deep ingrained feeling that this was her first day of freedom. She caught people noticing her and Buck, and a few seemed somewhat thoughtful, as though they were trying to place their faces. As they passed near a knot of security officers, she realized they were whispering amongst themselves, and one even went so far as to point at her.

Apparently the rumor mill aboard the Starbase was as healthy as ever. There were only about two-dozen captains which could be found in the vicinity of one Starbase or another so it wouldn't be difficult to generally pick one out in the crowd, and admittedly Buck and Jesa had always been a fixture at the local restaurants when they were docked here.

Buck grinned, his arm laid over Jesa's shoulders. "Y'know, I think we're causing quite a spectacle. I'd forgotten what it felt like, walking around at the Captain's arm. They must think I'm the luckiest guy in the Fleet. But I know something they don't know." He kissed Jesa's cheek.

Jesa chuckled. She had always secretly enjoyed causing an uproar of any sort. Of course it was normally best to restrain such urges. Not today. "And what is that?"

He grinned, lopsidedly: "I know they're right."

She smiled at him, half-grinning. There wasn't really a good response to that so she just wrapped her arm around his waist and continued walking down past the stretch of shops and restaurants. There were always various officers strolling through this area, both in and out of uniform and Jesa found herself scanning the myriad of faces for anyone she might know.

Buck was scanning them on an entirely different level. Not deep, just looking for any sign of a threat. He knew that, for now at least, Jesa was safe. But part of him --- the paranoid, nasty part --- the part he didn't like yet had come to rely upon to ensure their continued survival --- was just 'making sure'. No threats, at least none he could detect. Buck thought he recognized a couple of the faces --- he knew he recognized a few others - ---but the majority were strangers. He had been gone a long time... "I think we've made a big enough impression, my dear --- shall we attend upon your commission?"

Jesa was just about to respond when one person seemed particularly familiar. She tilted her head and looked in the direction, waiting for the man to turn towards her. Carefully studying his profile for only a second Jesa smiled and turned to Buck for a moment, "Yes, but I think there's someone we need to greet first."

Without waiting for his response, Jesa half-led half-dragged Buck through the crowd. She appeared to be closing in on an average height human, or human in appearance anyway, with brown hair which was slightly graying at the temples. Coming up out of his sight range, Jesa got near enough to the man she had spotted and then reached up and touched his shoulder.

Harmond had been leaning up against a wall just watching the crowd for about three hours now. Every so often he moved location and wondered if he was ever going to catch up with them. Knowing enough to check the room allocation table, he found over a hundred new entries on the last two days, far too many to check into. That was even assuming that they would have been in the list somewhere. About the only thing he could think to do was wait. He knew she was here now, but where, was another problem entirely. Then he felt the touch on his shoulder and turned, only to be greeted by the very people he had been looking for.

"Jesa," he said with a chuckle. "I should have figured you'd find me first." Without hesitance he embraced his daughter for a moment then turned and offered Buck his hand. "How are you both?" He was the same friendly, honest and rather disarming man that Buck had met shortly before the wedding.

The young Betazoid accepted his hand, earnestly, smiling. "Better for seeing a familiar face, Sir. Indeed, much better. How are you, and your good lady-wife?"

There was a slight hesitance before answering. "Good," he answered with a smile. "We're both well." He turned to Jesa, "I'm afraid Jessie isn't able to be here right now. She's attending to other things. But you have me here to watch your back," he chuckled self-debasingly, "Yeah, I know, doesn't make me feel any better either."

Either Jesa wasn't ready to deal with what the hesitance meant, or she hadn't noticed it. "Never-mind that," Jesa said, slightly scolding, with a chuckle. "I am very glad to see you, Dad."

Buck just smiled --- this was a moment Jesa must have been looking forward to even more than receiving her Letter of Commission and her husband didn't want to interfere in any way.

Harmond gestured the way he guessed they had been walking to indicate he'd prefer to walk with him. Jesa smiled and took position in the middle, slipping her hand around Buck's arm again. 'Love you,' she thought to him even while she was pondering what to say next to her father. It had been three years.

"So where are you two heading?" Harmond asked, breaking the silence.

"The Isannah," Jesa answered with a smile.

"Ah ha," Harmond returned with a smile. "I should have figured. Orders came through this morning, didn't they?" He wanted to say---again, how glad he was to see them both alive and well. But it seemed redundant.

Jesa seemed a bit surprised, and Harmond caught the expression and chuckled. "Your mother has been tutoring me. I'm a quick learner, but bereft of natural talent." His expression became a bit more serious, "How are you, really? Three years is a long time."

The Changeling smiled softly, "A part of me is very tired. I mostly just want to get on the Isannah and away from this... this... den of snakes." She shook her head. "A line has been crossed and we can't go back from there."

"And now you simply must do what's necessary," Harmond finished, quietly. "I know." His eyes met Buck's for a moment, and Harmond wondered how he was faring under all this. The older man wasn't attempting to exclude him from the conversation but couldn't come up with a way to include him without prying. He didn't know Buck well enough to know what would be considered prying and what would be interpreted as simple concern for his well-being.

Buck smiled at his father-in-law's concern --- telepathy was, occasionally, a blessing rather than a 'gift' or a curse. "I am well, Sir, I assure you. And I promise that I shall keep your daughter well --- by love, life, or death, as my people say. We're back --- and, for a while at least, they cannot touch us."

Harmond chuckled, realizing what had happened. But unlike many Humans, he didn't seem the least bit discomforted by it. "I am glad. And just Harmond is fine, Buck."

"Harmond, thank you. Don't worry about us --- we're survivors." He glanced at Jesa, smiling, squeezing her hand. "We've proved that much."

"I do worry about you, both of you. After all, you are family," he answered with a smile. He wondered if Buck seemed to think he had some sort of unfavorable judgment about Buck's fitness to protect his daughter. All he really wanted to do was put the younger man at ease around him.

Buck grinned, "Thank you, Si- I mean, Harmond. That means a lot."

Harmond smiled, kindly. "Well, I shall leave you two kids to have your fun. I will probably be around until the Isannah launches again. If you should find a use for me, let me know."

Jesa smiled, "Thanks, Dad." She hugged him. Then Harmond turned to Buck and clasped him gently on the shoulder for a moment.

Buck returned the gesture, briefly establishing telepathic contact --- Harmond had raised two Betazoids himself, and it was thoroughly normal for him. 'I will look after her, Harmond. She is my world. Give Jessie my regards, and whatever is troubling you, may it pass quickly and in the best manner possible.'

Harmond formed his thoughts into words in his mind, 'I have no doubts on that score, Buck, none. I am simply glad she has found someone who accepts her for who she is, and whom she obviously thinks the world of. It makes all the difference, even if you don't think you are doing anything.' He smiled at the Betazoid man. 'And thank you,' he was, of course, referring to the last part of Buck's thoughts.

Buck nodded, and took Harmond's hand, shaking it. "And we had better go --- there's a bit at the end of Jesa's Commission about 'neither you nor any of you shall fail, at your mortal peril' or some such --- I want to make sure she's at her bridge as soon as possible." He grinned.

"Good idea, if you delay too much, she might pull your arm off," he winked.

"Da-ad," Jesa whined, then chuckled, shaking her head.

"I will see you both later." And with that he turned and left.

Buck turned, smiling, to Jesa. "Y'know, I like your Dad."

Jesa smiled, slipping her hands into Buck's and squeezing, gently. "Me too..."

Written by: Jesa Callen's and Buck Gear's Players


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