Oh my, I didn't realize you knew the admiral personally. I shall send for him immediately."
A moment passes, and Hermes speaks again. "I have summoned him. For the sake of surprise, I have not let him know who it is that requests his presence. I assume this is what you wanted?"
Will's gut twisted the moment he heard the name of his younger brother. Tom had been killed in the destruction of Deep Space Twelve. With all of the commotion of the defense of Starbase Avalon, Will had never gotten around to sending word of his death back home.
"Uh, Dad. There's some things you and I need to talk about."
A large, modular freighter that looked to be at least 100 years old pulled slowly into one of the civilian docking bays. An older looking man with short white hair and a salt-and-pepper goatee stepped from the umbilical dock.
"Hey, computer, where can I find the Admirals around here?"
"Perfect!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but civilian meetings with the admirals is by appointment only. Would you care to make an appointment?"
Will stepped into the docking bay, and saw the face of the man standing there, immediately recognizing it.
"Dad! What are you doing all the way out here?"
"What the hell are you? My name is James Karelia, and I sure as hell don't need an appointment to see Will!"
"I got bored of Luna, son. There's only so much to do in a moon-dome for forty years, after all. There was really nothing keeping me there anyway, and ever since your mother died, I've been rather alone with you and Tom out here on the borders."