What Judgments Come

Both men stood silent as the bartender returned with Pe

“I’m closing out your tab,” the bartender replied. “You’ll be leaving soon, and I don’t want you skipping out on your bill.”

Pe

Turning to look toward the door, the reporter saw a pair of burly Orion males heading toward him. They were bare-chested save for the leather bandoliers that crisscrossed their muscled, jade-green torsos, and their heads were shaved bald. Both guards sported an assortment of gold and silver rings, studs, and other piercings on their faces and bodies, and there was no mistaking the disruptor pistols and sheathed knives each Orion wore suspended from the thick leather belt around his waist.

Uh-oh.

Doing his best to appear resigned to his forthcoming departure, Pe

“If you can get word to my mother,” Reyes said, “let her know I’ll try to send a message soon.”

Well, that’s bloody insightful,Pe

His reply was punctuated by the pressure of a large hand on his shoulder, and he turned to the owner of the hand, one of the Orion security guards, towering over him. The guard’s expression was one of controlled disdain, and Pe

“Mister Pe

“Is that right?” Pe

The guard leaned closer. “All I know is that I’ve been ordered to see you off the ship, sir. You can either come willingly, or I’ll carry you.”

Okay, that’s enough,Pe

Reyes nodded. “Take it easy, Tim.” Pe

And that’s it, then.

As he had promised, Pe

“Thanks, but I think I’ve got it from here,” Pe

The short stroll through the gangway was followed by a brief inspection at the Starfleet checkpoint inside the docking hatch that served as an entrance to Vanguard, with the two security officers positioned there grateful for the interruption in their otherwise boring assignment. Pe

Living life on the edge again, I see.

However mundane his evening schedule was looking, none of those activities would be happening right away, he knew. At least, not until he got past T’Pry

“Lieutenant T’Pry

T’Pry

“I think so,” Pe

Nodding in approval, T’Pry

“I don’t know about that,” the journalist replied. “I mean, I know we were overheard, and there’s no way the bartender wasn’t a spy for Ganz or one of his lieutenants. However, I was careful with what I said, and the commodore was very guarded.”

“Was he under guard, or accompanied by any other escort?” T’Pry

Pe

All this cloak and dagger bollocks makes my gut ache.

Rather than answer his question, T’Pry

“Whoa,” Pe

“You provided information that may well prove quite useful,” T’Pry