Distant Shores - Marco Palmieri [54]
Davey shook his head. “I hope you’re right, Commander.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked off.
Abhaya looked at both of them with an apologetic expression. “Truly, I’m sorry-Davey’s always been a bit high-strung, and, well- “
“He’s not taking this well?” Mark prompted.
“Are any of us?” Abhaya shook her head. “I’m just glad I left the kids home.”
“Kids?” Mark winced. All Kath left behind was a pregnant dog. Tuvok also had children, of course, and apparently so did Joe Carey. He wondered how many others on Voyager were in that boat….
“Yes, two boys-Devraj and Michael.”
Abhaya, Mark, and Dina talked for a bit longer, then Mark decided to start mingling. Kath had given him a vague precis of the crew, and he wanted to place family to those descriptions. He spoke for a bit with two elderly humans whose son, Harry Kim, was Kath’s ops officer. Mark told them that Kath spoke very highly of Harry, although she hadn’t actually met him when last they spoke; still she had been impressed with the young man’s service record. In addition, he spoke to Emmett Rollins, whose brother was a bridge officer, and a Bolian named Epp, whose relationship with one of the science officers was still unclear to Mark, even after Epp explained it.
He exchanged brief pleasantries with T’Pel and Sek-if the word pleasantries could apply to conversation with Vulcans-and was introduced to the father and brother of T’Ral, the ship’s nurse, and the fiancee and parents of Vorik, one of the ship’s engineers. Mark knew nothing about T’Ral-she had come along with the ship’s doctor, whose name Mark couldn’t even remember-but he was able to say that Kath thought very highly of Vorik. “In fact,” he said, “she said she was very lucky to have him on board.”
Vorik’s fiancee, a slight woman named Selmar, raised an eyebrow and said, “It is very unlikely that chance factors had much to do with Vorik’s posting to Captain Janeway’s vessel. However, it is understandable that the captain herself would express it in such terms, and her respect for my bonded one’s abilities is appreciated.”
Mark supposed that was the closest he’d get to a “thank you” from her.
At one point, Mark noticed that there was a Starfleet admiral, an older human, standing apart from everyone else. He looked about a million parsecs away and wasn’t talking to anyone, not even the other Starfleet people. Mark wandered over to where Dina was standing and talking to a couple; who introduced themselves as Renee Delaney and Asano Takahashi-they had two daughters, both serving on Voyager-and asked if she knew who that was.
“That’s Owen Paris,” Dina said with a certain amount of reverence.
Mark could understand why. Although he’d never met the admiral, Kath certainly had spoken enough about him.
Renee almost dropped her drink. “The Owen Paris? How’s he connected to Voyager?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Dina said.
“I am,” Mark said, taking a sip of a thick drink that the Ferengi said was called kanar. “He was Kath’s mentor early in her career, and she served with him on the al-Batani. I should go say hi-excuse me.”
Renee and Asano both inclined their heads, and Asano said, “Of course.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Dina asked. “I’ve always wanted to meet him.”
Mark shrugged. “Sure.”
Admiral Paris was a large, imposing man with thinning white hair, a round nose, and looked like he was carrying the weight of several worlds on his shoulders.
“Excuse me, Admiral Paris?”
Paris blinked twice, and looked at Mark as if not sure who or what he was. “Hm? Oh, yes-ah, what can I do for you?”
Offering his hand, he said, “I just wanted to introduce myself, sir. My name’s Mark Johnson. I’m- “
Returning the handshake, Paris smiled, though like Abhaya’s, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course, you’re Kathryn’s beau. It’s a pleasure, Mr. Johnson. Kathryn talked about you often.”
Mark chuckled. “All nice things, I hope. Uh, this is Commander Dina Voyskunsky.”
She shook his hand as well. “It’s an honor, sir.”
Paris frowned. “Voyskusnky-I know that name. The Hood, right? You serve with Bob DeSoto?