Chapter 18 – Resignation

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Malcolm ran along the shore, scanning the water for any sign of her, barely hearing Jon's voice over the roar of the rapids.

"She's approximately fifty meters ahead!" Jon shouted.

Malcolm hurried over the rocky terrain and ignored the painful throbbing of his newly healed ankle. "I don't see her!"

"She's alive, but I'm getting unusual readings on her vitals," Jon said, finally catching up to Malcolm who had stopped to climb onto a boulder for a better vantage point.

"I still don't see her," Malcolm said worriedly and climbed off the boulder and started running. She's fine. She's probably hiding in the whirlpool.

He repeated those words in his head like a mantra.

Archer was on his heels and they traversed the fifty meters quickly. The sinking feeling in his gut grew. The whirlpool was farther downstream. Hoshi wasn't where he had hoped.

He scanned the tops of the ragged boulders frantically. Any hope that she had climbed onto one of them to safety was dashed as he peered out at them. "Where is she?"

Jon tapped the scanner in frustration. "I don't get it. She should be over there."

Jumping into the water, Malcolm climbed onto an outcropping. His breath caught in his lungs as he saw an arm hanging over a boulder. "There she is!"

Jon waded into the river, fighting the shallow rapids to get a better angle. "Hoshi!"

"She's not moving! She's hurt!" Malcolm yelled, eyeing the distance between the boulder where she was hung up and the one he was standing on.

"Malcolm, don't!" Jon shouted but it was already too late.

Malcolm leapt into the water, swimming against the current that was rushing past Hoshi's precarious position.

Pulling himself onto the boulder, Malcolm could see Hoshi's extraordinary predicament. She was wedged into a crevice, her head amazingly above water. He grabbed her hand and pulled with all his might.

She groaned as he gathered her in his arms and he pressed his lips against hers. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he murmured into her wet hair.

"I love you," he whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

--

She was flying, strong arms around her lifting her into the air. Malcolm's worried voice whispered reassuringly in her ear. The air around her stirred and she opened her eyes. She and Malcolm were at the end of a rope, flying through the air. "You're alive," she whispered reverently, her lover unable to hear her soft declaration.

The air swirled around her and Hoshi looked up to see the underside of a shuttle. Smiling, she wondered when Malcolm had found the time to fix the shuttle.

Peaceful oblivion claimed her.

--

The sound of voices brought her back to consciousness.

"How long until we get out of this bloody nebula?" Malcolm asked.

Who was he talking to, she wondered groggily. He sounds cranky.

"Fifteen minutes, Commander," Jon answered sharply.

Her eyes snapped open as unpleasant memories flooded over her. She struggled to sit up. "Malcolm," she called weakly, his voice laced with panic.

"Hush, luv," he soothed. "Everything's going to be fine."

Trying to recall how she had gotten there, Hoshi continued to struggle.

"Stay still, luv. You've got a nasty bump –"

"But he…they –" her words caught in her throat as she glanced behind Malcolm where Trip Tucker sat, bound and gagged. Her eyes were wild with fear.

"I was wrong," Malcolm stated. "Wrong about the captain. Tucker used him. You're on your way home, Hoshi. You were caught between two boulders. I pulled you free. The captain 'air-lifted' us off the boulder. You're on your way home," he repeated, gently kissing her forehead.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, barely able to hear what Malcolm was trying to explain. "M-Malcolm?"

Brushing her hair off her face, Malcolm placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Try to rest, luv. You're pretty bruised up."

He was right. She felt as though she had been beaten. She was cognizant that she was going home, but felt no euphoria over the prospect. She would be reunited with her mother. Other than her, Hoshi had no one else. Undoubtedly she would resume her royal duties and her life would go on as usual. And she would lose the freedom and the man she had come to love.

Silent tears spilled onto her cheek and Malcolm kissed away.

--

Malcolm let her doze even though she had a concussion. They were going home. She was safe, going back to the life she was born into. Their affair was over. Given the circumstances, it never should have began. Now he only had to tell her.

Her head was nestled on his lap and he ran his hand over her hair, memorizing the texture of it.

"You love her, don't you?" Jon asked.

Malcolm's eyes met his in the reflection in the shuttle window but he quickly looked away and didn't give the man an answer.

"She loves you. She came after you after I stunned you. Thank God Tucker's a lousy shot. He had his phase pistol on…kill," Jon whispered, the last word catching as emotion overwhelmed him.

"She never did believe you had anything to do with it," Malcolm replied.

Making some adjustments to the console, Jon glanced at Trip's unconscious form. "I'm sure it was quite a shock when I showed up with him."

Malcolm made a noncommittal reply.

"Are you going to continue your relationship once we get back?" Jon questioned softly.

Malcolm pondered the question, hearing the undercurrents in the captain's tone. He wanted her. He loved her but there was no future for them now. There was no way he could continue as her guard now. He was too involved.

"After we crash-landed, I informed her Royal Highness of my intent to resign. I plan on tendering my resignation officially once we return."

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TBC