"Rush?!"
In Weir's office, Hammond was making no attempt to hide his astonishment. He said again, "Rush? You don't mean Nicholas Rush?"
"Yes, I do, sir," said Weir, unflappably sipping her tea.
Hammond looked to Lutes for some kind of confirmation that he was hearing a notion that was clearly insane. Lutes was also surprised, but he hid it better. "I must admit, Captain, that I was under the impression you were going to recommend Sheppard for the position. That's the reason I didn't ask him to be here for this meeting."
"If Sheppard were interested, he'd have let me know," Weir said reasonably. "Besides, I think Rush would be far more appropriate for the assignment."
"Weir, in case you haven't noticed, the man resigned. Rush is no longer a member of Fleet. He hasn't been for---what, five years? Six?"
"Officially, he took leave."
"Officially? The man told me to go screw myself! He stormed out of my office! He's floated from one job to another, some of them exceedingly shady! Do those sound like the actions of a man who has any intention of, or interest in, coming back to Fleet?"
" 'Shady?'" asked Weir.
"There have been rumors," Hammond said. "I've heard dabbling in slave trade---gunrunning..."
"That's absurd. We can't be guided by rumors and innuendo."
"True, true," Lutes said, "but we must be cautious."
"Face it, Weir, he was a troublemaker even when he was in the Academy. The fact that he was your protégé...."
"He was not my 'protégé,'" Weir replied. "He was just a damn fine officer. One of the best we ever turned out." She put down her cup and started to tick off reasons on her fingers. "He knows that region of space. His homeworld, Rizajor, is right up against the Centauri frontier, and he did some exploration of the territory after he left Rizajor, but before he came to the Academy. Furthermore, he knows the Senderians, in case they're somehow involved with the fall of the Cenaturi Republic....and, Bioldyon's indignation aside, I think that may very well be the case. Above all, Admirals, let's not kid ourselves. If the Centauri Republic is falling apart, you're talking about planets at war with each other. Angry factions at every turn. You need someone who can pull worlds together. Rush has done that. He was doing it when he was still in his late teens. We need that strength and skill now, more than ever before."
"He's unpredictable," Hammond said.
"So are the circumstances. They'll be well suited."
"He's a maverick. He's a troublemaker, he's....."
"Admiral," said Lutes, "instead of complaining, may I ask whom you recommend?"
"The first officer of the Universe," Hammond replied promptly. "Commander Tamara Johansen."
"Johansen?" said Weir.
"You're familiar with her, as I recall."
"Oh yes," Weir said with a thin smile. "It's probably fortunate that Commander Sheppard isn't here; he'd be chewing naqada about now. They didn't exactly hit it off when she served aboard the Atlantis----particularly when he was busy trying to clean her footprints off his back."
"Johansen is a solid, aggressive officer," continued Hammond. "She learned a good deal from Jelantos Anarth. She deserves her own command."
"That may well be, but I don't feel that this is it," said Weir. "The unique situation, the challenges it presents----Rush is simply better suited."
"You're trying to put a cowboy in the captain's chair," Hammond told her.
"Guilty as charged," Weir replied. "This is a new frontier. Who better to send in to try and ride herd on it than a cowbody?"
"All right, gentlemen," said Lutes. "I'd like formal proposals on my desk back at Fleet within forty-eight hours. I'll review the specifics of your candidates' records, and consider other options as well. I'll render a decision as fast as I can."
The meeting clearly over, Hammond began to head for the door, but then he slowed when he realized that Lutes wasn't following him. He turned and looked at him questioningly.
"I've got to talk to Captain Weir regarding another matter," he said. "If you wouldn't mind, George....?"
Hammond tried to look indifferent as he shrugged and walked out, but Weir could tell that Hammond was annoyed. Then again, Sheppard had once observed that it was easy to tell when Hammond was annoyed: he was awake.
Lutes turned to face Weir, his arms folded, and he said, "Regarding Rush...."
"Surely, Admiral, you haven't allowed Admiral Hammond's antipathy to prompt a hasty decision...."
"Elizabeth," Lutes said slowly, "you've got to understand that I'm about to tell you maters of a delicate nature."
The change in his tone puzzled Weir. "Delicate in what way?"
He began to pace Weir's office. "There've been rumors, as Hammond mentioned, of Rush engaging in some shady dealings."
"As I said before, I would hope rumors wouldn't...."
"They're not rumors, Elizabeth."
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Oh, the exact nature of Rush's activities may have been exaggerated in the retelling. These things always are. But Rush has engaged in some extremely questionable activities. I know because I assigned them."
"You---?!"
"There are certain departments in Fleet that prefer to keep a low profile, Captain. Offices that attend to matters which need a---how should I put it----subtle touch. Matters where general knowledge of Space Federation or Fleet involvement would be counterproductive."
Weir couldn't quite believe it. "You're telling me that Rush has been acting as some kind of----spy?"
" 'Spy' is such an ugly word, Captain," Lutes said, sounding a bit amused. "We prefer the term 'specialist.' Nicholas Rush has managed to establish a reputation for himself certain quarters as a renegade Fleet officer who will take on any assignment if the price is right. In doing so, he's both rooted out brewing problems and served our needs on certain occasions. You might say he's 'deep undercover.'"
"So he didn't leave Fleet...."
"Oh, he left, all right. The incident involving the Destiny which prompted his departure was entirely genuine. But then he wound up getting himself into some trouble, and my office stepped in with a proposition that he couldn't exactly turn down. In short, we bailed him out of a situation from which he likely wouldn't have gotten out in one piece, and in return..."
"He's worked for you clandestinely. I see...."
"It served both our needs, really. Nicholas Rush is a man who needs challenges. He thrives on them."
"I know that all too well," acknowledged Weir.
"Well, we were able to provide him with that. It served the needs of all concerned."
"So what you're telling me is that Rush is out of the running. That you wish to reserve him for your----'special needs.'"
Lutes gazed out the window, his hands draped behind his back. "Not----really," he said slowly. "I agree with you that Rush may be one of the best that the Academy ever turned out. Part of the reason for my recruiting him----under duress, I admit----was that I didn't want to lose him. I'm concerned that we may be on the verge of losing him now. He's been 'under' for too long, I think. Moving through disreputable, unsavory circles for so long that it's getting to him, bringing him down. Poisoning the essential goodness that's inside him."
"He gazes into the abyss, and it gazes back."
"That's right. For the purpose of achieving our own ends, doing what needs to be done....I'm beginning to fear that we may have damaged the man's soul. If we don't do something about it soon, the damage may be irreversible. If I simply 'fire' him from the department, though----God knows what'll happen to him. He needs a purpose in life, Weir. He needs Fleet, even if he doesn't fully accept that."
"With that in mind, do you feel he's still capable of resuming a place of command in Fleet?"
He turned and looked back at Weir. "At this moment, yes. This would be the ideal time. A year from now, maybe even six months----it might be too late. He might be dead---or worse."
"Can you bring him to Fleet Headquarters? Talk to him?"
"I'm not entirely sure he'd listen to me," said Lutes. "Not about the subject of coming back to Fleet. And as for bringing him in, well----I think, in this instance, it might be easier for the mountain to go to Mohammed---if you get my drift."574Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6w4hh5SGF
