Star Trek Enterprise Bk. 02 - Inherit Ch. 11

The next day Archer began his debriefing, a task which he quickly found to be more tedious than any mission he had endured. Admiral Forrest was exacting in his questioning, but he was nothing compared to Soval. The only thing the ambassador was missing in his long list of complaints was examples of how Archer had shown poor leadership and decision making skills each mealtime when he chose his food. The one part of the debriefing he was not concerned about was the portion where Captain Hernandez would give her feedback. If there was anyone who would show him an ounce of sympathy it was her. Unfortunately that was still a long way off.

Erika only had a few notes about the mission and they were minor at that. While Archer was being questioned, she had spent her day supervising progress on the Columbia. Some things had been completed, others were not and then there were some areas where changes were being made for better efficiency, more power or greater access. All were lessons learned from the Enterprise. By late afternoon, it became obvious to the captain that she would not be giving her feedback until at least the next day. That was fine with her because there was something more important that she wanted to take care of first.

She had learned where Danaë was staying while talking with Hoshi the night before. It wasn't very far and Captain Hernandez soon boarded a transport to go there. During the ride she thought about everything she had noticed at the arena and then at the restaurant. It was not like Archer to set aside Starfleet regulations and protocol. She had always known him to be a stickler about such things. In fact, he didn't just know where the line was, he was usually the one who drew it. He had once ended their own relationship over it, so it was hard to believe he would risk it all now.

As the transport approached the apartment complex, butterflies began to flutter in Erika's stomach. She wasn't sure just how to broach such a sensitive subject. The words would have to be chosen carefully and she would have to keep the air light and friendly if she wanted to get anywhere with the lieutenant. She was going over what to say as she rang the doorbell and waited. Hoshi was expecting a visit from her parents and rushed to open the door, eager to see them. Her excitement was instantly replaced with surprise as her eyes fell upon Captain Hernandez. Both women knew each other professionally, but until the banquet, neither had ever really spoken socially. Having her show up at her door out of the blue was completely unexpected and a bit baffling.

Despite being taken off guard, the ensign quickly welcomed her into her apartment. Erika, in turn, smiled warmly and greeted Hoshi as though they were old friends. She asked Ensign Sato how she was recovering from the mission and was gratified to know she was doing well. Captain Hernandez also couldn't resist mentioning her desire to lure the communications expert away from the Enterprise. Stepping further into the living room the captain suddenly noticed Lt. D'Arcy sitting on the couch looking at her PADD.

"Ah, lieutenant, just the person I was looking for," the captain said, sweetly. Danaë looked up from her work a bit surprised that anyone was looking for her at all, especially Erika Hernandez. During her days in the academy, back in her own time, she had heard of this captain. She was the gold-standard that all female cadets looking to move into command positions wanted to emulate. Perhaps the lieutenant should have been impressed or even a bit intimidated by the woman before her, but she wasn't. Her introduction to captain Janeway had been more imposing, but then she had only been about fourteen or fifteen. A lifetime of being around Starfleet top brass had left her rather jaded. She still understood rank and duty and did not hesitate for a second to set her PADD aside and stand at attention.

"Captain Hernandez, how can I help you?"

"I have been trying to find a moment to congratulate each of the Enterprise's crewmembers, but I never got a chance to speak with you after the ceremony or at the banquet," Erika smiled. This seemed rather odd and Danaë's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. There had been plenty of opportunities at the banquet if the captain had wanted to talk to her. "I understand you were the one who managed some 'unique' rewiring techniques to increase the pulse's power and destroy the spheres."

"It was a team effort, captain," the lieutenant answered, making fists with her hands to hide the burns left on them from the wires.

"I think you're being too modest," Captain Hernandez said, then glanced out the window at a park just across the way. "That park over there has a lot of nice trails. Would you mind walking one with me, lieutenant?" Lt. D'Arcy nodded and slipped on her shoes.

The park was a beautiful area steeped in botanical gardens, wooded glens, creeks, arbors and bridges. The two women walked through one garden filled with sweet smelling vibrant flowers then passed under a stone archway that led into a wooded area that ran along a man-made creek. Their conversation was trivial, consisting of the weather, the best shoes for hiking, where to get the best coffee, and the latest movie depicting Earth's last great war with itself. Most of the talking was done by Erika Hernandez. Danaë could offer very little opinion on fads and fashion of this era. As they turned a corner and stepped on to a bridge, Captain Hernandez' smile disappeared and leaning on the railing she stopped and looked over the water as it babbled on past them.

"Lt. D'Arcy, I'm sure you can guess why I'm here." Captain Hernandez was civil to be sure, but it was obvious that there was a point to be made.

"Not really," Danaë answered, truly bewildered by Erika's sudden interest in her.

"I heard a rumor about you and Captain Archer," she paused, and in an effort to remain delicate, attempted to choose her next words carefully. Turning to face Lt. D'Arcy, she decided to 'rip the band-aid off', but still mask her concern under the guise of rumors. "Word has it that the two of you are something more than friends. I'm sure it's probably nothing more than idle gossip, but it still warranted some investigation." The captain was trying to keep a friendly air between them even as her sharp black eyes stared into the lieutenant.

"Are we speaking off the record?"

"Of course."

"I'm afraid I don't know anything. I'm not aware of any such rumors and I've been on a ship where gossip travels faster than a lightyear," Danaë responded politely but firmly. This was not exactly a lie. She had never heard any stories involving her being in a romantic relationship with Archer. If there had been any whispering at all it was that they didn't exactly see eye to eye. This baseless piece of gossip came from the fact that they were seldom seen in the same space together. The truth was quite different of course, but neither Archer nor Danaë had any intention of correcting it.

"Then I have your reassurance that both of you were completely professional at all times. There were no moments of misconduct, inappropriate behavior or anything that could possibly be misconstrued."

"Captain, are you planning to file a formal complaint against Captain Archer using these so-called 'rumors' as evidence? Since the two of you are of equal rank that could be your only course of action. You are free to bring whatever charges you deem fit against me, but in this instance it would be impossible without bringing the captain into it. I don't know how he would feel about your questions on this subject, but as for myself, I don't have to answer a damn thing." At this response, Erika narrowed her eyes in irritation, but was careful to keep her voice low. The last thing she wanted was to draw unnecessary attention.

"Lt. D'Arcy, I am a very old friend of Jonathan's and if there is something going on that could endanger his career and everything he has worked for then I think I am entitled to know," her remarks were pointed and her expression hard.

"I am aware of that, but you are not privy to anything that concerns me." It was obvious that the lieutenant wasn't about to discuss anything, but Erika was a strong-willed person herself and simply heaved a sigh and tried a different approach.

"You, the captain . . . the entire crew of the Enterprise have gone through a lot. I've kept myself informed of everything that was going on by reading log entries and communiques. The kind of stress that you were under can cause a person to behave in a manner which . . . they might not do otherwise." At this Danaë raised an eyebrow. "In a moment of stress, desperation or unhappiness, it's not hard to believe that a person might find themselves seeking comfort in another's arms."

"I suppose, but if such a thing had happened, I seriously doubt such a person would be stupid enough to open their mouths and talk about it," Lt. Darcy answered with a slight smirk. At this Captain Hernandez lost all patience and taking a step forward looked directly into Danaë's eyes.

"Captain Jonathan Archer has devoted his entire life to Starfleet and the exploration of space. He carries with him all the hopes and dreams of his mother, his father and countless others. He has worked too damn hard to throw it away on a momentary relationship with some unknown woman who appears out of nowhere and manages to wiggle her way into Starfleet and on his ship. Can you not see all the great things that he can accomplish?"

"Yes, captain, I know better than you what the future holds for him," Danaë responded, equally as defiant as her rival "I also understand that I have no control over him or the choices he makes. Only he can decide his fate. Let's say we were foolish enough to engage in such an affair, if he doesn't see me as a barrier or limitation, then why shouldn't I accept him?"

"Because of your rank, lieutenant. Starfleet regulations are very clear on this matter. If he were to engage in any inappropriate behavior with you in any way then both of you would be dishonorably discharged. He is being hailed as a hero across the globe just as you and the rest of the crew are. Do you really want to destroy that?" To this the lieutenant was silent. She had no wish to take away any of the glory due those she had served with. This in itself might have been enough to convince Danaë to be more obliging, but Captain Hernandez couldn't resist taking a jab at the lieutenants still unknown past. "I should think you would be far more comfortable keeping the company of the other crewmen whose ranks and backgrounds are a better match to your own anyway."

"Match to my own? In sharing a word or two with Captain Archer I would hardly consider myself out of my element. He is the captain of a star ship and I am a captain's daughter. I have spent nearly my entire life in the company of high ranking officers . . ."

"Perhaps, but we only have your word on that, don't we?" Erika smirked, knowing she was right and it was grating on Lt. D'Arcy and she knew it. "Tell me now, yes or no, did you have an affair with Captain Archer?"

A thousand thoughts and memories went through Danaë's mind. She recalled the intimacy she had shared with Jonathan both physically and emotionally. She would have loved to look into this infernal woman's face and screamed 'yes, I love him with every fiber of my being and if he asked I would be his', but she dared not. The truth of the matter was that she loved and respected her captain and the achievements of the crew too much to sully it with any such allegations. After a moment's deliberation she gave her answer.

"I did not." At this, Captain Hernandez heaved a sigh of relief.

"Do I have your word that you will not attempt such a relationship?"

"No," Lt. D'Arcy answered without hesitation. "We've established that these supposed 'rumors' are false so there is nothing for me to promise. Neither of us knows what the future will bring or what changes will happen, so no captain, I will not make you any such promise. While I can't say how Captain Archer would feel about your prying into his affairs, I can say with certainty that you have no business dictating mine."

"Then you intend to try and win him for yourself."

"I have made no such claim! The only thing I intend to do is live my life as I see fit. I am beholden to nothing and no one . . . least of all you. Good day to you, Captain Hernandez."

There was nothing left to say and Danaë wanted the woman out of her sight. She immediately went off down the trail and followed it until she was out of the park. Rather than go back to Hoshi's apartment she continued walking around the city of San Francisco. She wanted to know how Erika Hernandez could have figured out there was something between her and Archer. They had always been extremely careful. She didn't believe that the woman had been privy to any such rumors, so how did Erika know?

If gossip wasn't to blame, then it had to be something that she had observed herself. The only time that could have happened was at the banquet the night before. While at the restaurant, Danaë had thought they conducted themselves appropriately, but perhaps not. If that was the case, then was Captain Hernandez the only one to notice anything, or had there been others?

After hours of walking she still had no answers and seeing the darkness and lateness of the hour the lieutenant decided to go back to Hoshi's place. God, how she wished there was someone she could talk to, like her father. Unfortunately as far as Danaë knew the only other person who knew about her and Archer was the captain himself. This left her feeling quite alone. Why couldn't there be just one thing in her life that was simple?

Wandering through the city, Lt. D'Arcy found that San Francisco was the same and yet so very different from her own time. Turning one corner, she noticed a bar across the way and glancing through the window she saw Captain Archer seated at one of the stools. For a moment a crazy notion struck her that he would be happy to see her and they could talk as they always had. She started to open the door only to stop abruptly in her tracks. Captain Hernandez was sitting with him and both were talking and smiling. He looked so happy and for Danaë it brought out so many bittersweet feelings. It hurt to know that Archer could never be hers, but she also felt a degree of pleasure at the sight of him looking so happy. He deserved to be. If Erika Hernandez could be there for him and take care of him as she would have tried to, then so be it. She wanted nothing else.

With a sigh, the lieutenant closed the door and continued walking down the sidewalk. She silently chided herself for feeling hurt over the sight of him and Erika together. They had no promises between them, no real discussion about feelings. Nothing. For a moment she stopped and looked up at the sky. The stars were nearly impossible to see with all the lights. They had always been her go to place when she needed to think things through. The last time was when she had been told that Archer had died in the explosion of the Xindi weapon. She had gone to the mess hall and looked out at the bright sparkling celestial bodies. All over the ship people were mourning their captain, but she wasn't. She was as defiant as ever.

"He's alive," she had told herself. "He will become an admiral and bring about the United Federation of Planets. He is going to be president of the Federation. He is alive I tell you. He will come back. I know he will come back!"

She had been right of course and when he was once again on the ship she snuck her way onto the lift and waited for him. Once he stepped inside and the door was closed, she threw her arms around him in joy and relief. He was alive and safe, nothing else had mattered. He held her in return and even kissed her forehead. No words were ever spoken and when the lift came to its stop they let go of each other and parted. The fates had granted her his life, she would not dare ask them for more.

Looking up at the night sky, Danaë sighed. Even before she was drawn back in time she had spent many years wandering the Earth in a vain attempt to find her place but she never succeeded. Her heart and soul was out there exploring the universe in space, it always had been. She had once said of her father that exploration was his passion, his mistress. They were hers too, but now the rules had changed. She could either continue serving on a ship with a man she loved but could never have or serve on the Columbia with a woman she reviled. She was in sight of Hoshi's apartment building and another thought crossed her mind. She still had her backpack and she would only need to pick up a few more supplies. Perhaps it was time to continue seeking out the Grand Tetons and the place that would become known as Stargazers point.