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“Damn, Ian. Am I glad to see you.”
Brooks looked younger than he had been when he left, Urle thought. There were still tired lines on his face, and his eyes were a bit bloodshot, but he had more energy in his walk all the same.
Or, Urle mused, maybe it was just that he felt so run-down.
“I’m glad to be back,” Brooks replied, taking Urle’s hand and shaking it.
There was an awkward pause. “So . . . do I salute you now, or . . . ?”
Brooks smiled. “Ian Brooks, reporting for duty. I once more take command of the SUS Craton.”
Urle snapped to attention. “Captain on deck,” he said. It was only the two of them.
At least until Logus stepped out a moment later, who also gave Brooks a salute.
“Acting-Captain Urle, you are relieved. You may resume your position as Executive Officer.”
“Yes sir. Thank you, sir!”
“So how has it been?” Ian asked.
“A hell of a pain in the ass. I . . . have a list of things that you probably need to take a look at.”
Logus was still standing there, watching them, and Urle noticed that much of the hostility between the two men had dissipated.
“Actually, Dr. Logus there is some work for you as well. Doctor, you were helping Iago Caraval, weren’t you?”
“Aye,” the man said. “One reason I hated being recalled as I was. How is he doing?”
Urle considered how best to put it. “Down and up,” he decided finally. “I think you should make contact with him as soon as you can. His son Elliot has also been acting up a bit. Biting the heads off a lot of cookies.”
Logus frowned, not sure how to take the last part, but Urle’s tone seemed to suggest it was serious.
“I think I had better get on duty, then,” he said. “Before more confections are victimized.”
Brooks nodded to the man. “As you will, Doctor. Good skill.”
The man saluted him again, and left.
Urle waited until he was gone. “You and Logus seem to have found some common ground.”
Brooks shrugged it off. “What else is there?”
“Lots of little things. I think I have most of them under control, but . . .” He sighed. “Ambassador N’Keeea finally opened up while you were gone. It’s pretty serious, Ian.”
Brooks frowned. “Tell me everything.”
They began the walk back to the office that was now Brooks’s again. By the time they got there, Urle had finished recounting, leaving Brooks in thought.
“So you can’t get through the Diplomatic Corps?” He shook his head. “I know a few people there.”
Getting back behind his desk, Brooks brought up a screen and began typing. Urle couldn’t see his whole keyboard, but he could see enough to decipher some words.
You know we can’t ignore this . . . Get this through, he surmised, filling in the blanks. But the name of his contact was not something Urle caught.
Brooks’s eyes went to him, who snapped his attention away from the Captain’s keyboard. His pupils were not visible, but he had a feeling the Captain knew he’d been looking. That he’d wanted him to see. “Forward me your message.”
Urle felt a weight off his shoulders, as he finally took in the reality of Brooks being back and in command.
He saluted again. “Yes, sir.”
Other Terrestrial 