Avon. Blake looked over at the other man, concerned to see him swaying
slightly. Blake crossed to him, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder.
"Go to sick bay, Avon. Have someone take a look at your head."
Avon twisted away. "I don't need you to tell me what to do, Blake." He cut off the rest of the upcoming tirade at the hurt look, quickly masked, in Blake's eyes - something he would never have noticed only days ago. The computer tech was surprised to find himself relenting. "All right. I'll go."
Blake kept his voice carefully neutral, his tone light. "Good. You're bleeding all over the weapons console." Avon looked down, startled at the blood on the console, and on his hands, then took off for the medical section, back ramrod straight. Blake had to smile at the retreating figure, Concessions or no, Avon would still never admit he'd needed help. Stubborn fool.
A timid cough alerted the rebel to a presence behind him. Gan? Blake turned around, a grateful smile forming on his lips, but which died stillborn in surprise. Gan was not alone; a familiar woman and child clung tightly to each hand, regarding him with varying degrees of trepidation.
Blake recovered, completing his smile. "I didn't know you were aboard, Shel. When did you teleport up?"
Gan stepped forward apologetically. "The Federation knew about her, Blake," he said. "I had to bring her here."
"I'm not criticizing your decision," Blake hurried to reassure the big man. "We owe you our lives, Gan. I was just surprised." He turned back to the woman. "Welcome aboard Liberator."
She returned his smile nervously, remaining silent. Blake addressed Gan again. "Why don't you show Shel to Number Eight cabin. It has two beds."
"Yes... Fine." Gan seemed curiously hesitant. "But then I need to talk to you."
Cally stood up from her battle station, and smoothed her green tunic before heading for the exit. "It's all right, Gan. I will take Shel to her cabin. I need to go check on Avon, anyway." She smiled warmly at Shel, "You must be exhausted. Come with me and I will show you where you may rest."
The other woman shot Gan an affectionate look, then took her son's hand and followed the Auron, Lar trailing sleepily along. Gan watched them leave, a look of pure love on his face, Then he squared his shoulders and turned to face Blake again, wearily. "She couldn't stay on Epsilon. The Federation would have found her eventually."
Blake nodded wordlessly, his stomach beginning to tighten. He knew what was coming. "I love her, Blake. I still want to marry her." He smiled shyly. "And she loves me."
Blake placed a cautious hand on the big man's shoulder, "Liberator is a dangerous place for a child. The Federation.."
He paused, at Gan's upraised hand, "We won t be staying here, Blake, Shel, Lar and I need one of those bolt-holes Avon is always going on about. I had hoped you might give us transportation to one of the free worlds " His eyes took on a faraway look. "Somewhere we can live in peace. Somewhere Lar can grow up safe and free."
The vision persisted a moment, then was replaced by the view of Blake's warm smile, "If that's what you want, Gan, we'll consult Orac for a good, safe planet for you, I presume you will want an agro-world like Zephron?"
Gan nodded, "Thank you. It will be nice to get back to the ground again."
A decanter of the results of Vila's latest wine-making venture stood on a side table; Blake poured two drinks and handed one to the other man, "I still can't believe the Blackhawk made planetfall without putting up her shields. Was it a malfunction, do you suppose, or just plain stupidity?"
"They had their shields up."
"What?" Blake turned to face the other. "Then how...?"
"We called up the computer command code and forced them to lower their shields."
Blake frankly gaped, "You called up the command code?" This was one surprise on top of another! "How did you know how to do that?"
Gan returned the stare blandly, "Avon was working on overriding Liberator's command code some months ago. I asked him to explain it to me,"
"And he did it?"
Gan grinned, "It was right after Vila mixed up that first batch of berry wine. Avon was feeling very mellow at the time." Blake snorted a laugh. They had a;; felt very mellow that evening. Vila's wine had tasted so mild that even Blake had underestimated its potency, causing much amusement among the crewmates. Of course, he'd just as soon forget the next morning. Come to think of it, the whole two days were pretty fuzzy anyway. Probably just as well, he thought philosophically. "I can't wait to see the expression on Avon's face when he hears you forced Orac to break that command code,"
The bigger man shook his head. "Actually, Vila was the one who did that. Avon's expression should be an even better sight to see."
Both men smiled companionably. "You will stand up with me at the wedding, won't you, Blake?"
Blake felt a lump in his throat. "I'd be honored, Gan." He raised his glass. "To a long and peaceful life, Olag Gan."
The other matched the gesture. "And to victory over the Federation."
Blake drank deeply. "Amen, to that, my friend. Amen to that."
Finished
Avon twisted away. "I don't need you to tell me what to do, Blake." He cut off the rest of the upcoming tirade at the hurt look, quickly masked, in Blake's eyes - something he would never have noticed only days ago. The computer tech was surprised to find himself relenting. "All right. I'll go."
Blake kept his voice carefully neutral, his tone light. "Good. You're bleeding all over the weapons console." Avon looked down, startled at the blood on the console, and on his hands, then took off for the medical section, back ramrod straight. Blake had to smile at the retreating figure, Concessions or no, Avon would still never admit he'd needed help. Stubborn fool.
A timid cough alerted the rebel to a presence behind him. Gan? Blake turned around, a grateful smile forming on his lips, but which died stillborn in surprise. Gan was not alone; a familiar woman and child clung tightly to each hand, regarding him with varying degrees of trepidation.
Blake recovered, completing his smile. "I didn't know you were aboard, Shel. When did you teleport up?"
Gan stepped forward apologetically. "The Federation knew about her, Blake," he said. "I had to bring her here."
"I'm not criticizing your decision," Blake hurried to reassure the big man. "We owe you our lives, Gan. I was just surprised." He turned back to the woman. "Welcome aboard Liberator."
She returned his smile nervously, remaining silent. Blake addressed Gan again. "Why don't you show Shel to Number Eight cabin. It has two beds."
"Yes... Fine." Gan seemed curiously hesitant. "But then I need to talk to you."
Cally stood up from her battle station, and smoothed her green tunic before heading for the exit. "It's all right, Gan. I will take Shel to her cabin. I need to go check on Avon, anyway." She smiled warmly at Shel, "You must be exhausted. Come with me and I will show you where you may rest."
The other woman shot Gan an affectionate look, then took her son's hand and followed the Auron, Lar trailing sleepily along. Gan watched them leave, a look of pure love on his face, Then he squared his shoulders and turned to face Blake again, wearily. "She couldn't stay on Epsilon. The Federation would have found her eventually."
Blake nodded wordlessly, his stomach beginning to tighten. He knew what was coming. "I love her, Blake. I still want to marry her." He smiled shyly. "And she loves me."
Blake placed a cautious hand on the big man's shoulder, "Liberator is a dangerous place for a child. The Federation.."
He paused, at Gan's upraised hand, "We won t be staying here, Blake, Shel, Lar and I need one of those bolt-holes Avon is always going on about. I had hoped you might give us transportation to one of the free worlds " His eyes took on a faraway look. "Somewhere we can live in peace. Somewhere Lar can grow up safe and free."
The vision persisted a moment, then was replaced by the view of Blake's warm smile, "If that's what you want, Gan, we'll consult Orac for a good, safe planet for you, I presume you will want an agro-world like Zephron?"
Gan nodded, "Thank you. It will be nice to get back to the ground again."
A decanter of the results of Vila's latest wine-making venture stood on a side table; Blake poured two drinks and handed one to the other man, "I still can't believe the Blackhawk made planetfall without putting up her shields. Was it a malfunction, do you suppose, or just plain stupidity?"
"They had their shields up."
"What?" Blake turned to face the other. "Then how...?"
"We called up the computer command code and forced them to lower their shields."
Blake frankly gaped, "You called up the command code?" This was one surprise on top of another! "How did you know how to do that?"
Gan returned the stare blandly, "Avon was working on overriding Liberator's command code some months ago. I asked him to explain it to me,"
"And he did it?"
Gan grinned, "It was right after Vila mixed up that first batch of berry wine. Avon was feeling very mellow at the time." Blake snorted a laugh. They had a;; felt very mellow that evening. Vila's wine had tasted so mild that even Blake had underestimated its potency, causing much amusement among the crewmates. Of course, he'd just as soon forget the next morning. Come to think of it, the whole two days were pretty fuzzy anyway. Probably just as well, he thought philosophically. "I can't wait to see the expression on Avon's face when he hears you forced Orac to break that command code,"
The bigger man shook his head. "Actually, Vila was the one who did that. Avon's expression should be an even better sight to see."
Both men smiled companionably. "You will stand up with me at the wedding, won't you, Blake?"
Blake felt a lump in his throat. "I'd be honored, Gan." He raised his glass. "To a long and peaceful life, Olag Gan."
The other matched the gesture. "And to victory over the Federation."
Blake drank deeply. "Amen, to that, my friend. Amen to that."
Finished