Rommie entered Beka's quarters. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. Thanks for coming. I know you didn't want to."

"No, I didn't but I'm here, so get on with it."

"Why don't you have a seat."

"Fine." Rommie sat. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk. Things between us aren't the same."

"Gee, I wonder why."

Beka sighed. Rommie'd learned sarcasm. This was really going to be fun. "Look, I'm sorry, O.K. I never meant to cause any trouble. I realize I was stupid."

"Wonderful. You realize you were stupid. And you never meant to cause any trouble. Too bad you didn't have those thoughts before going off, nearly getting yourself killed and endangering the mission."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Geez, Rommie, what do you want from me? I'm trying to apologize. Dylan disicplined me for what I did. I accepted it and it's over. Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because of what you endangered, that's why."

"The mission? Oh, give me a break, Rommie. If I had died then Tyr would have been promoted, that's all. Or if not Tyr, than Dylan would have found someone else to be first officer. That's it. The mission would have gone on. No big deal. You know Dylan can't be deterred from his dream."

Rommie's eyes flashed fire and her whole body shook with outrage. "This is it." She jumped up. "You're going to listen to what I have to say and you're going to listen good, Beka Valentine. Is that how you really see things?"

Beka was staring at Rommie, her mouth agape. "Well, I, unhh..."

"Let me tell you how I see things. I didn't like any of you at first. Considering how when we first met you all tried to hijack me, I hardly think that that's a surprise is it?"

"Nnno." Beka shook her head.

But, you all served on me. I got to know you. I saw potential. I saw loyalty. Sure, you're not High Guard and you probably never will be. Sure, you don't really believe that what Dylan's trying to do is possible. But you help anyway. I knew you had personal agendas. I guess I was naive to think that that would never interfere. At any rate, you have impressed me with how you handle things.
So, to hear you talk like this, galls me. Do you really think you'd be so easy to replace?
That Dylan would dismiss your loss and move on? That I would? Then you never really knew us at all. That hurts, Beka. It really does." She turned away. "I should go."