Six weeks later…

One step forward. Two steps back.

The moment the senior staff left the room, headed off to some other meeting somewhere thankfully well away from him, and he was alone Zach sighed and tipped his head back. Rubbing the bridge of his nose to ease the ache behind his new eye, the one that the docs had said would wear off eventually but showed no signs of going anywhere soon, he mulled over everything they’d told him.

Five weeks of intensive counselling and therapy and they were finally satisfied he had both his memory back and that he wasn’t liable to go off on the deep end again. They’d given him his command back.

The tension in his shoulders eased up a notch. The Canterbury and the division were his again. He wouldn’t have to deal with irate comm calls from his father anymore, asking why he was slacking off and what he was doing to get his command back.

Because god forbid, any of James Murphy’s children weren’t absolutely perfect or had suffered a life-altering trauma they didn’t immediately bounced back from.

He dropped his head back down and straightened his uniform. Unfortunately, the return of his command had come with conditions. Namely in the shape of his executive officer, already picked out and assigned to the Canterbury.

Captain Kellan Raaze.

A. Babysitter. Exactly what he didn’t want. Or need.

And who was apparently waiting outside the room for him. Wonderful.

Tugging on the edge of his jacket again, he took position at the head of the briefing table. Normally he’d have stood by the window, watching the view as he waited, but this briefing room was somewhere in the middle of the station. Any view would have been of bulkheads and other briefing rooms.

“Computer, please tell Captain Raaze that I’m ready for him.”

He barely had time to collect his thoughts before the door chimes went. “Come in,” he called out, turning for the first look at who command had saddled him with as an XO.

The man who walked through the door was not what he expected.

Captain Kellan Raaze was… well, old.

He was also a lot taller than anyone who looked that old had any right to be. And broader across the shoulders.

Raaze’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he crossed the space between them.

“Captain Murphy, I presume?” He said, offering his hand. “I take it I am not what you expected.”

Zach was surprised into honesty. “No, not at all,” he said, taking Raaze’s hand. His grip was impressive, the handshake firm.

“I get that a lot,” the older man admitted, then indicated the chairs. “Shall we?”

“Indeed, please.” Zach took his seat, indicating the one on his right hand side.

Raaze smiled as he sat, the chair creaking as he leaned back. “Okay, son, out with it.”

Zach blinked at being addressed in such a manner. “Excuse me.”

“Your poker face isn’t that good,” Raaze smiled. “Not for someone who’s been playing this game since before your grandfather was born.”

Zach snorted. “Yeah, right. My grandfather would have been ninety-seven if he’d still been alive.”

“Yes.” Raaze just nodded.

“What?” Zach looked at the man in front of him in surprise. “There’s no way you’re that old.”

Raaze crossed his legs, leaning an elbow on the chair’s armrest as he looked at Zach. His eyes were odd colours, one pale blue and one brown. “You’re human and like a lot of humans, you look at everything through a human lens. I’m a hundred and twenty five years old. Which, while not young, is not so advanced in age I am in my dotage.”

Zach leaned back in his chair, a frown of consideration creasing his brow.

“So you’re not human.”

“I am not.”

He waited a beat or two, to see if Raaze would provide more information but the guy just looked back at him through that odd-eyed gaze. Level. Not giving anything away. Okay, he was definitely not playing poker with this guy. Like ever.

“And you are aware that command have assigned you as my executive officer?”

“I am, indeed.”

Zach tilted his head, trying to work Raaze out. “And you’re happy with that? I’ll be blunt, but an executive spot seems an odd choice for a man of your age. I mean, you’re not getting any younger and I’m not going anywhere. It’s not like you’re going to move up to the big chair… so if you’re looking for command, then—“

Raaze was grinning. Why was he grinning? Zach stopped talking.

“You think I want a command?” Raaze chuckled. “My dear boy, absolutely not. I got that out of my system a long, long time ago.”

“You’ve already commanded a starship.” Not a question.

Raaze inclined his head. “Before my retirement, yes. For many years.”

Okay, they were getting somewhere. Zach settled into his seat, turned sideways to face Raaze. Propping his elbow on the table, he rubbed at his chin as he considered Raaze.

“Why did you retire?”

The smiled disappeared out of Raaze’s eyes, but not from his lips. “My wife became ill. I retired to care for her.”

Oh… immediately Zach regretted his tone. From Raaze’s reaction, things had not gone well. Shit.

“I’m sure she appreciated that greatly. Have you been married long?”

“We were.” Raaze’s smile was perfunctory. “You don’t need to tiptoe around the subject. My wife passed over ten years ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He didn’t feel much relieved at Raaze letting him off the hook like that. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to stray into such a sensitive subject.”

“You weren’t to know. And,” Raaze inclined his head, the overhead lights shining off the silver glints threaded through his dark hair. “You have been presented with somewhat of an unusual situation. Usually a commanding officer at least gets some input into their number one rather than it being presented to them as a done deal.”

“Yes, I was a little surprised.” Zach’s eyes narrowed. Why did he get the feeling Raaze knew a hell of a lot more than he was letting on?

“Well, not to put too fine a point on it, I think you may be labouring under a misapprehension.” Raaze’s voice was deep and calming, an aura of something about him that was almost hypnotic. It didn’t put Zach’s back up, exactly, but it definitely made him a little edgy.

“What misapprehension would that be?”

Raaze leaned forward, ticking items off on his fingers. “Well, you have always dealt with executives who have an eye on their own command, eventually. Which means you have always had to keep the fact that your XO could move on in the back of your mind. And that they have always been thinking about how they look as well, in everything they do, always looking to look good on record to impress command when it comes to promotions. You don’t have that with me.”

Zach nodded. It was a good point.

“I’m here to back you up, and offer alternative options to whatever plans are afoot. I’m here to make your life as CO easier, not harder.” Raaze chuckled. “And, other than a token gesture of complaint, I’m not going to argue if you want to go running off on away teams.”

“You’re not?” Zach blinked. That was the number one argument he’d had with every XO he’d had. They’d all argued that as the captain, he was too precious to risk on away mission. Like he should be wrapped up in cotton wool. And after what he’d just been through… yeah, he couldn’t see any situation ever being worse than that.

“Goddess no,” Raaze barked a laugh. “Do I look like the sort of man who wants to go gallivanting off on a planet somewhere? No, I’m quite happy staying on a nice warm bridge at my time of life, thank you very much.”

Zach’s eyebrow raised slightly. Raaze might look old, but he’d clocked the way the guy moved. If he wasn’t at least as fit as Zach himself was, he’d eat his own hat.

The guy was huge, he had to be at least six four… and older people got shorter with age. Which meant Raaze had been even taller and probably broader in his youth. Could probably bench-press a car or something. Even if that was a bit of a blow to Zach’s ego.

He sighed. “You’re llanarian, aren’t you?”

Raaze chuckled. “I am indeed, my dear boy. The first in the fleet. How did you guess?”

Zach just sighed and rubbed at his brow. “I’ve had a few run in’s with llanarians before. Anyway, given we are the Canterbury’s command team, I guess we should get back to her then, shouldn’t we?”

Standing, he offered his hand. “Welcome to the team, Captain Raaze. It’ll be a pleasure to have you aboard.”

Raaze rose to his feet, and shook Zach’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine, Captain Murphy.”