The Gift of The Gardener

Posted on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 @ 1:48am by Captain Devin Hadenbeer
Edited on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 @ 2:49am

1,163 words; about a 6 minute read

TWO YEARS AGO...

"...is the dormitories," Dare breathed excitedly, "I met my room mates, they all seem wonderful!"

Devin smiled and could not help but feel a bit of her niece's enthusiasm rub off on her, "They might not seem so after they discover you snore."

"I do not!" Dare exclaimed. Then she paused and frowned uncertainly, "...Do I?"

Devin held up a thumb and forefinger close together, "Just a bit. Marta will miss you. So will I."

"Part of me wishes I could do my tour on Lionheart," Dare replied, "But...I think I really do want to know what it is like to be a cadet like everyone else."

"Being with people your own age is important," Devin replied, "Here you will forge friendships that might last your entire career. And on Lionheart you won't know the true stress of Academy life. You will build character here."

Dare nodded.

"Or it will break you into a million pieces."

Dare's eyes widened.

Devin grinned, "You have already seen a touch of what the universe has to offer; you will be fine."

Dare nodded reflexively again, "Is it...I mean, is it all right if I give you a good bye hug, sir? I am going to have to get used to that, calling you 'sir'."

Devin held out her arms, "Not too late yet, cadet Hadenbeer. Come here..."

Hadenbeer could still feel her niece's arms around her neck, full of a desperate need to hold on to whatever remnants of childhood that were left in her, desperate for reassurance from her aunt. And Devin hand wrapped her arms around her niece's waist and it had taken all she had to let her go. Now she sat in a secluded spot on a bench, hidden by a large tree, feeling utterly despondent.

"You look terrible."

Devin looked up and saw the grounds keeper, Boothby. He looked much the same...well, a bit older. Some yards away several cadets were working on a patch of garden. He noted where Devin was looking and said, "I don't do much heavy lifting these days. Cadets can work off demerits by doing it for me. Some actually like it. You're Hadenbeer, right? The crazy one."

"Guilty as charged," Devin confessed.

"You used to run those battle chess tournaments that were all the rage there for a while. You must love chess."

"I hate chess. People are always using chess as this silly analogy for life but the truth is both sides are seldom equal, you aren't always playing by the same rules and most of the time you can't tell what moves the other side is making. So I adapted the ancient Kriegspiel method of chess playing and added a few tweaks," she smiled fondly, "I was both loved and despised, which comes to think of it was good practice for a future senior officer."

"Is it true you knocked Adenaur out with your cane?" at her nod he glanced at the one on the bench beside her, "That the one?"

"I keep that one mounted over my ready room door," she replied as she picked up her cane to give the gardener space, "A reminder of the consequences of rash decisions."

Boothby slowly sat down, "You seem to have done all right for yourself."

Devin sighed, "This is as high as I go, sir. No Admirals bars for me. And I remain captain as long as I am deemed useful."

"Is that why you seem so depressed?"

"My niece started classes today. I miss her already and am feeling quite lonely and sorry for myself."

"Ah. Understandable. Is that all?"

Devin turned and regarded him. Smiling wryly she asked, "Isn't that enough?"

Boothby returned Devin's smile with one of her own, "I apologize if I am prying."

"It is all right. I just...have other things on my mind and I...can't share them with anyone. Well, one other person knows. I...it is just difficult sometimes, that is all."

"That other person Jones? That is what he calls himself these days, right?" Boothby snorted at Devin's stare, "I heard he opened up a pub on your ship, that true?"

"...It is. How..."

"I expected him to open one up in Wales or some such. This terrible secret, is it something you can share with me?"

Devin shook her head, "I can't share it with any Starfleet personnel."

"I am a simple gardener."

"But you could share it with someone in Starfleet."

Boothby frowned thoughtfully a moment, then asked, "Is this burden a threat to Starfleet?"

"In my heart I know it is not."

"But someone in Starfleet might think so."

Devin stared at the trees across the path, "Yes."

"And so you and your Jones are keeping this secret. You can't even share it with Admiral Janeway?" as Devin turned her head to regard him he grinned, "Please. If I knew you were the crazy one don't you think I knew who you answered directly to? Janeway seems a reasonable sort, perhaps you can confide in her."

"Then one of two things would happen. The first is she becomes for lack of a better term, a co-conspirator. And she would put her career at risk. I do not accept that. The second is she would commit herself to a course of action which would force me to do something..."

"Crazy."

Devin nodded, "Very much so. Believe me I think if anyone in Starfleet Command would be sympathetic it would be Admiral Janeway. But I respect her too much to put her in a situation where she might have to compromise her beliefs or to violate Starfleet regulation. Or to risk her upholding said beliefs and regulations."

Boothby crossed his arms, "Sounds like you are at an impasse."

"I suppose I am."

"You need a way out."

"I suppose I do."

"You need a plan."

"Most assuredly."

Boothby slowly rose, he cautiously stretched his back and said, "Well, I doubt if you are going to find it here, sitting on a bench, ruminating over past failures and might-have-beens," he cocked his head and regarded her, "This thing, is it worth your career, such as it is?"

Devin stared soberly up at him, "It is worth my life," she smiled slightly, "Such as it is."

Boothby grunted, "I hope the best for you, Captain Hadenbeer. I will keep an eye out for your niece."

As he slowly stepped down the path towards the cadets he called out over his shoulder, "Don't do anything too crazy; one incident makes you look colorful;twice and they start thinking you're the next Garth of Izar...."

Devin levered herself off the bench with the help of the cane. She stared at the gardener's back for just a moment, then turned and strode purposefully the opposite way. Boothby was right, she needed a plan. And as she reached the beam out site the seed of one began germinating in her fertile imagination...

 

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