"To the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A, James," Fleet Admiral Robert April said as he clinked the glass of brandy he held against the one grasped by Captain James T. Kirk. "A worthy successor to her predecessor!" Having downed his drink, he placed the now empty glass on the small table between them and, with a throaty chuckle, said "Managed to drink that without spilling any or breaking the damn glass! My doctor would be proud, if he didn't mind me drinking alcohol at my age!"
Hearing the words of the much older and frail man sat across from him, Kirk gave his own chuckle, glad that someone so old could still be so jovial, and briefly wondered if he would be so lively if he ever lived to be ninety-eight. "She certainly was worthy," he muttered, gazing out of the wondow of the officers' lounge at the USS Enterprise-A, bearing the scars of her last battle at Khitomer, docked inside the starbase, never to coast across interstellar space again - like himself. "At least she'll have a decent home at Starfleet Museum. I just regret that your Enterprise never got to receive that honor, Robert...thanks largely to me."
"Thanks to you, James," April replied, "Enterprise went out in a blaze of glory, in defence of the Federation. If I'd still been in command, I would have done the same thing, though it would have broken my heart to do so. I only led one five year mission on the Enterprise, where you and Chris both did two, but...I really grew to love that ship. As sad as I was to hear she was gone, it was wonderful to know that the name would live on, and with you back in the captain's chair!"
"Eight years, I commanded the A," Kirk said. "I know one thing...I'll never command another."
April eyed him. "Not even if they offered you the Enterprise-B?"
Kirk gave a melancholy smile. "It would be too different. And besides, like Chancellor Gorkon said - it's part of of the undiscovered country. The future...and it belongs to the young. I've had my day; time to give someone else a chance."
April returned his smile, his eyes wet with tears. "The galaxy won't forget the name of Enterprise," he sighed. "That is our gift to generations as yet unborn."
In the docking bay beyond, the Enterprise-A seemed to watch over the two old heroes and explorers, a monument to the past, and an inspiration to what was to come.