Epilogue
"…and let me thank you, again, for your time." The Hegemon stepped back from the airlock, allowing Dylan to close and seal it prior to his departure. Their visit to San-Ska-Re had been successful, insofar as he had his answers; he had even secured a cautious pledge of support from the Than Hegemony. But it did not have the taste of victory. Another victory with your many. But for every victory, a loss, captain, he thought.
Gaheris had said that. Another of his failures. There was little success to be had in the universe of today, and what little he had found was always somehow tainted.
We must move forward sooner or later, captain. The Hegemon's words still echoed in his head. She seemed content that a new Commonwealth could somehow avoid the pitfalls of the old one, and perhaps she was right. Perhaps, having seen the consequence of failure, people could be relied upon to make a new one succeed. No, thought Dylan with an ironic snort, what you can rely on people to be is people. He snorted again, smiled, and shook his head. The law of conservation of optimism at work again.
Well. Time to move forward, if only just a little.
"Beka, take us out."
