Summon the Thunder

It probably doesn’t hurt that I’ve got nothing else to which I might devote my attention.

The lingering, bitter thought was fleeting and he gave himself a mental kick to send it on its way. Yes, he conceded, his personal life lay in ruins, by his own hand as much as, if not more than, the actions of anyone else. Even his wife, Lora, who had dealt the most recent and vicious—if not unjustified—blow, could not be blamed for the mistakes he had made. Pe

It was that resolve which had guided him to Tom Walker’s, though not to drown his sorrows in drink. Instead, he started to write, not allowing himself to leave the booth at the back of the bar until he had composed a story for transmission to FNS.

By the time he was finished, he had completed two.

While his former editors had purchased some of his pieces since his disastrous flameout with the Bombaystory last month, they had not so much as acknowledged his accompanying communiqués with a cursory reply indicating receipt of the stories. Pe

Good luck with that,he thought as he sipped his tea and thought of T’Pry

His odd relationship with the commander also had taken a surprising turn after his return to the station. After catching sight of her while walking through Stars Landing and taking note of the odd, almost distracted look on her face, Pe

Taking care to avoid being seen—a tactic seemingly wasted given T’Pry

That line of thought went into the recycler, however, as he watched her hesitate at his door before turning and walking away. Had she lost her nerve? Pe

She certainly did not seem to display such feelings a few hours earlier. Knowing that T’Pry

Perhaps there even was a co

Much like the shadow that fell across his table.

“Mr. Pe

Startled, the reporter looked up to see Commodore Reyes, standing tall in an ever crisp and immaculately tailored Starfleet uniform. His normally cold, craggy features were warmed somewhat by the suggestion of a smile.

“Commodore,” Pe

Nodding, Reyes moved without invitation to lower himself onto the cushioned bench seat opposite Pe

“I’ve just finished some interesting reading,” the station commander said, leaning against the bench’s backrest while leaving his forearms on the table, interlocking his fingers. He said nothing else, though Pe

When no further clues seemed to be forthcoming, Pe

“Something you wrote yourself,” Reyes clarified. “Your dispatches for the FNS. I thought it was excellent work, and wanted to tell you so.”

Pe

“Your perspective on colony life in the Taurus Reach was rather insightful,” Reyes said. “It’s nice to be able to put a face on the personal struggles colonists have amid the political circus we’re holding out here. Getting Ambassador Jetanien to chime in was a nice touch, though I have to admit I’m surprised you were able to pin him down for a statement.”

“My inbred tenacity, I guess,” Pe

“The piece about the accident on Erilon was also very well done,” Reyes continued. “Very respectful, particularly toward Captain Zhao and those of his crew who were lost. I wanted to say I appreciated that.”

I wonder if he’s feeling all right,Pe