"Captain Bole, please, sit," Archer said, gesturing down toward the chair in front of his desk.
The Betazoid came over to the chair then sat down.
"Yes, Admiral?" Bole regarded the grayed, but older admiral.
Archer looked different from the photographs of the historic core bridge crew. He had a piano nearby. His dogs were sleeping on their separate purple beds parked alongside the piano that had its personal bar with various bottles hidden in a compartment and lots of glass. He seemed to enjoy jazz music which was playing in the background. The relaxing variation of jazz playing on repeat. His eyebrows were still thick. Hadn't changed in the last several decades compared to his face. The laughter lines was an addition. The lines alongside his jaw. The wedding ring on his ring finger with a Andorian gem glinting inside. He poured Romulan Ale into two cups. The see through green substance lingered there bubbling up. Archer slid forth the glass.
"Congratulations on your mission assignment," Archer said.
"Thank you, captain," Bole said. "we had to make sacrifice but we made it."
"'The crew?" Archer asked, concerned.
"Not a crew member," Bole said.
"The Ambassador?" Archer asked.
"A friend of the Ambassador that we picked up," Bole said.
"A friend," Archer repeated.
"Yes," Bole said, with a short lived nod.
"And does he know?" Archer asked.
"It was best that he didn't know when he left," Bole said. "You are excited about something… I sense it is not something I will like." Archer took a sip from the glass then lowered it.
"You don't like leaving Federation Space often," Archer said.
"It is not a favorite of mine since the Gladion," Bole said.
"How about you take command of the USS Shenzhou?" Archer offered.
"The Shenzhou?" Bole repeated. "That vessel is highly outdated."
"Still works," Archer said. "She got an update last month for the systems."
"But not a refit," Bole said. "The Shenzhou is a bitter reminder of what I lost, Admiral, and I will not accept that assignment." she took a sip from her glass.
"Well, you're not going anywhere then in Star Fleet," Archer said. "Unlike most explorers out there, you prefer to stay in one place," Bole nodded in return lowering the cup. "Starbase 46. Needs a commander. Her previous commander just vanished during a mission. Missing in action." he took a sip from his glass. Bole sensed there was no deception. "I only ask because that was something I have been meaning to fill," he tapped his finger onto the glass. "Our Cardassian defector, Commodore Orego, hates it. Would love a science assignment."
"No assignments into deep space?" Bole asked.
"None," Archer said. "You'll just be responsible for a wide variety of people."
"I will take it off Orego's hands," Bole said. Archer smiled.
"To your future," Archer said, holding his glass up.
"To the future," Bole said, holding her glass up then clunked her glass against Archer's.
