Hey Boss, wanna know something? And this is big, I mean huge! The big guy has been conning us all, even little miss Brain-the-size-of-a-planet. Can't say for sure about Trance, but then who ever could. For a straight up guy, we all learned he could be devious when he wanted to be, he could dupe the bad guys good and proper, but honestly, Boss, I really didn't think he could fool us! What's the expression, "can't con a con artist" - well consider us all conned!
Guess I had better explain, after all you always cut me short when I rambled too much.
We couldn't believe it when we heard. It was already too late, when they brought your body back to us. We were all there at the docking bay to greet you one last time. Dylan stood a little apart from the rest of us. He stood tall, but his eyes were clouded, his fists clenched till his knuckles showed white. He was every inch the captain doing his duty, but we could see his pain. Rhade stood erect, an officer honoring a fallen comrade. He looked a little pale and shocked. Trance looked lost, and man is that a scary look! She seemed vulnerable, no longer the mysterious all knowing being that had taken away our purple princess. Rommie cried, real tears, for maybe the fourth time in her life. I really lost it, I know, I know, not very manly, but Boss, you were very important to me. Not just for everything you did for me, which I will never be able to repay, but for everything you are or I guess, were. My big sister, my saviour, my cranky boss, my friend!
Dylan was the first to move, he went up to you and looked down at your face for a long moment. Then he reached out and touched your hand briefly, brushed a hair back away from your face ever so gently, letting his fingertrips trace the line of your cheek. For a minute, I even thought he might cry, then he turned to Rommie and gave her a series of instructions on what to do with your body and preparations for a funeral, after which he walked out. I couldn't believe he was so calm. I was so angry that he could let you go so easily. But I put it aside, because then it was our turn to go up and say our goodbyes.
When you had been settled in your quarters, Rhade took us to slipstream, following the directions Dylan gave Rommie. Your funeral was held the next day, and your casket ejected out into space near a beautiful nebula. We all knew you were happiest in space. Dylan gave a short speech, appreciating your loyalty and friendship, which was followed by a few words from each of us. (I think you would have enjoyed it, Boss, although you might have been a little bit embarrassed if you had actually been there.) I only hope you knew how much you were loved by all the crew.
You wouldn't believe how many messages we got as the news spread. Rev Bem, of course, who was very upset. The Perseids, who had never forgotten their taste of Valentinology. Alyssa and Kulas Barra. Rafe, who (and you know how much I liked him, ... not) actually seemed sincerely upset. Mr Anasleazy. Plus a couple of others I am sure you wouldn't really have wanted – your mother, Uncle Sid, the slimy, sneaky ... well, you know what.
We all mourned in our various ways. We were too small a crew, too tight knit a family not to feel the loss deeply. We knew that Dylan, being a good captain and a good friend, would take the loss of any of his crew hard, and he did. But if asked, we would have said that Rommie and maybe Trance were closer to him than any of us, more important to him somehow. We never guessed how hard it would hit him, if it was you.
It was only as life slowly started to get back to normal again, as our emotions calmed, that we realised what we hadn't seen, that Dylan had been keeping this huge secret from all of us, for all these years. He had conned us all into believing that you were just his best friend. That there was some attraction between you, but nothing major. Now we knew, he had loved you. Loved you so much that losing you tore him apart. I can't believe he managed to keep something this huge hidden from all of us. Did you know, did you have any clue of what he felt for you?
We lost two crewmembers that day. Oh the ever dutiful High Guard Captain went back to work, took command, protected the Commonwealth and all the rest, but Dylan never really came back to us.