Mary Rockford stared at Peter Crawford, her hands twitching on the arms of her chair. Eseri sat off to the side, her hands gripping the arms of hers. She was the designated referee, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to pull the two apart if it came to blows. The Andorian suggested, “Perhaps-”

Rockford snipped, “No perhaps. What the hell were you playing at, Peter? You patch things up with the parents to squeeze me out?” Her face was furious, and eyes narrowed into a glare that threatened a precision strike.

Crawford had returned to his quiet demeanor. “Nothing in this universe could bring me to consider patching things up with them. I am as unhappy about this as you are, Mary. Having a lawyer review the paperwork to find a way out for us is the first step.” He kept his eyes on his cousin, cooly regarding her.

She scoffed. “One was a lawyer, the other a judge. It’s a hopeless enterprise. You had nothing to do with this?”

It was Crawford’s turn to scoff, and he added a darkly tinged chuckle. “You’ve spent too much time with the rest of the family. I’ve stayed away these thirty years for a reason, Mary. The accusations, the backbiting, the plays behind the back…it was tiring then, and it’s exhausting now.” He drummed his fingers on the chair arm. “They knew what they were doing. They knew I couldn’t let the farm collapse. It was a trap, carefully laid.”

Eseri stared at her captain. She realized what this meant to him. Not just him, but her, and the rest of the crew of the Denver. She whispered, “This means-”

He let out a long sigh. “It means I have to leave Starfleet and come home in thirty days. I don’t have to look at the small print to know that’s where this is going. My parents wouldn’t have considered allowing me to be a silent partner. They would have wanted me back here in the dirt.” He spat out the last part, aggravated.

Mary had gone silent, and Eseri noticed her usually tight face had softened, as soft as her face could be, she reasoned. “Sir, I…there has to be a way.” She caught a look of sympathy from Crawford as he turned to face her.

“I’ll do the due diligence in getting it checked. I didn’t expect this. If I had known, I’d have kept you far away from this family drama.” Another sigh escaped his lips. “I suppose this wouldn’t have happened if I’d tried to repair the break.” Eseri followed his gaze to Mary, whose face was a mix of emotions.

She grimaced, working through her feelings. “We’re a miserable family, Peter. Your parents…my aunt and uncle, weren’t any different. They maximized profits and made everyone richer from the exports. The Crawford family has enjoyed plenty of the spoils over the last thirty years. There’s one thing they forgot in their scheming.” Eseri leaned forward. The tone change in Rockford’s voice signaled something, and she listened for it. Mary continued, “They were so focused on revenge, they forgot the character of one Peter Crawford.”

Peter’s brow furrowed. He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Eseri caught the conspiratorial glance from Rockford. She turned to her captain. “What she means is…you’ve got what humans call scruples, sir. A moral compass to keep your integrity intact. I studied your career when I was brought into the squadron, sir. I don’t think they paid any attention to it.”

Crawford sat back in his chair, blowing out a burst of air. He asked his cousin, “Are you going to work with me? Or are we going to rehash old fights and feelings?”

Rockford shrugged. “I can’t say how I’m feeling or how I’ll feel in thirty days. What I do know is that this family needs a shake-up or just a good shaking. This farm and the ranch are the lifeblood of this town. I’d like it to last with a better reputation than what’s been built from the start.” She put a hand up so she could continue. “It won’t be easy for me, Peter. Or the rest of them.”

He nodded slowly before turning to Eseri. “I’m sorry.” She could tell he meant it.

Her antennae swirled in anticipation. “Sir, I…I’d like to ask for something.” Crawford’s brow furrowed, and she explained. “I appreciate you working to get me transferred to Fourth Fleet. But…I wonder if I could be more useful here, with your new responsibilities.”

Peter’s face paused, then a sly grin cracked his lips. “That is something to consider. Mary?”

She shrugged, “We’re going to need all kinds of help, including science. I’m open to it.”

Crawford chuckled. “Fontana is going to hate this.”

Mary stood, and the two others did the same. She asked, “You don’t? Hate this, I mean?”

Eseri watched her captain carefully as he looked to Mary and then to her. “I don’t know how to feel yet. I thought I had my future figured out before we went on shore leave. The universe has a habit of surprising me when that happens.” He rubbed his hands together. “I’m hungry after all that. Dinner?”

On that, they all agreed.