Chapter 6 - Content

Jack McCall walked back to his ranch, feeling rather good about his day. He hadn't gotten some things done around his place, but he enjoyed having lunch with Felicia, and he had to admit he was definitely enjoying getting to know her. She was really nice, and they seemed to get along great. She was a good friend and he liked things that way.

Once back at home, he found he had several messages waiting for him. The first one to catch his eye was from K'lremi, his old Caitian friend.

He touched that one and watched the display.

K'lremi, a Caitian wearing a Starfleet uniform, appeared almost frantic.

“Jack, I just heard!” she said. “What the hell happened? Please contact me.”

Then it was over.

He touched a control on the display, and the source showed as having come from San Francisco. Jack hit the return button.

A moment later, K'lremi's feline, fur covered face filled the screen.

“Jack! Thank you for getting back to me.”

“It seemed urgent,” he said. “What's up?”

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Actually, I'm having a great day.”

“No, I mean I'd heard you resigned. Is that true?”

He took a long breath. “Yes.”

“Why the hell would you do that?!”

“Look, I can't talk on an open channel like this.”

“You want to encrypt it?” she asked.

He thought a moment. “I don't think that would do much good.”

She nodded. “So where are you?”

“My ranch in Nebraska.”

“A ranch? Real work?” she asked with a smile.

Jack could tell she was doing her best to pretend to be happy for him, but she was still agitated.

“What are you doing back on Earth?” he asked.

“We got attacked by three Breen ships last month,” she said.

“You okay? How about you crew?”

“I lost seventeen,” she said, looking somber. “The Venture was pretty beaten up. It's at Utopia Planitia getting repaired. I'm teaching a tactical seminar at the Academy for the next month.”

“Sounds fun.”

“It is.”

“I wasn't being sarcastic,” he said. “I think it would be fun.”

“You should do that too,” she said. “They're always looking for retired officers to tell their war stories.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking down, hoping she got the message.

“Hey,” she said. “You busy tomorrow?”

“My Sunday is all free.”

“Mind if I come by? I'd love to see this ranch of yours.”

“Sure!” he said. “I'll make us lunch.”

She frowned a moment. “No salads, okay.”

He grinned. “I know better.”

“Good,” she said. “It'll be great to talk to you again.”

“See you tomorrow.”

The screen went blank.

Jack leaned back in his chair. This was going to be interesting.

***

“You took on Dameron?!” K'lremi shouted. “Are you insane?!”

“I had little choice,” Jack said as he set the two steaks on the counter in preparation for seasoning. “He ordered me to exterminate everyone on the planet.”

She stared at Jack a moment. “He actually ordered you to do that?”

Jack nodded as he took a sip from the glass of wine in front of him.

“He's getting more brazen than he used to be,” she said. “I’d heard rumors about him skirting the rules especially during the war. But giving that kind of order...”

“I'm not sure I should tell you this, but you are a captain.”

“What?” K’lremi asked, reaching for her own glass of wine.

“It involved the Omega Directive.”

Her eyes widened. “God.”

Jack gave her a moment to let that sink in. “I know how that directive is worded, but I couldn't murder a planet full of people who had done nothing to threaten anyone.”

“So did you resign out of disgust or something?”

“They decided to court-martial me over it to make an example of me,” Jack said. “But then my XO and chief staff officer were murdered, and I got the impression more of my crew was going to end up like that.”

“Kadan murdered?”

“Yes,” he said. “And what happened to her, it was brutal, Kel.”

She shook her head. “You think it was someone within Starfleet?”

“Wakernaggle came to me, and while he didn't come out and say it, he implied my crew would pay for my intransigence. They didn't want Dameron forced to testify, nor did they want Kadan to testify Dameron had ordered genocide.” He stared at the uncooked steaks for several seconds. “After Kadan's murder, I had to protect my crew from all of it.”

K'lremi nodded. “I can't imagine being placed in that kind of situation. I've always had reservations about the Omega Directive. We have to do something to get that thing eliminated.”

“I doubt you'll be successful,” Jack said. “There's a level of irrationality about Omega technology within Starfleet which I don't think is going away anytime soon.”

“Damn,” she said. “You sound as if you've given up.”

“Not given up. Accepted reality,” he said. “The thing I love about retirement is lives aren't hanging on my every decision any longer. I sleep a hell of a lot better now.”

She stared at him. “I can't believe I'm hearing you talk like this.”

“It's who I am now.”

“Bullshit. Giving up to save your crew is one thing. Giving up entirely and crawling into a hole is another. You're a starship captain! You have a duty!”

“Not any longer.”

“You may not wear the uniform, but that doesn't mean you are free from responsibilities.”

“Along with the uniform, I've had all of that stripped from me.”

“This isn't you, Jack. You would never let someone else win when you know they're wrong.”

“I'm tired, Kel. Really tired,” he said. “I've finally gotten a chance to relax. I'm enjoying life for once.”

“How does your wife feel about all of this?”

“She's XO on the Chamberlain now,” he said. “She answers to a new captain.”

“That's your ship.”

“Starfleet says otherwise.”

“Don't tell me you don't care.”

Jack shook his head. “My world is much smaller than it used to be, and for the most part I'm glad about that.”

“The most part?”

“Melissa and I…” He paused a moment. “It’s complicated.”

“Have you given up on your marriage too?”

Jack looked down. “It's not like I could force Melissa to accept my rules for marriage, is it?”

“So, you sell yourself out instead?” K'lremi asked, staring at him, her mouth forming a snarl.

“I thought maybe that's what I was doing for a while,” Jack said, leaning back, and surprised at how at ease he felt about this. It was as if a fog had cleared in his mind. “But now, I actually am at peace concerning all of it. my career, the ship, my marriage. Since I started living here seven months ago, I feel as if I've discovered what life is truly about for me.”

“And what is that?” she asked, her upset having cleared somewhat.

“I wake up each day and look out at the land around this house and I feel content,” Jack said with a smile. “I'm only responsible for me, not a crew of three thousand, not people I just met on a world whose name I can barely pronounce. I am free of all of it.”

“And your marriage?”

“I admit, at first I was anxious as hell about what Melissa was asking for.” He smiled. “But if that's what she wants, and she feels we can still have a marriage, then fine. While she's away, I'm also free to make friends with someone, and perhaps a little more.”

She stared at him as if she were trying to read his mind.

“Are you really happy?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “I really think I am.”

K'lremi nodded. “That's all that’s ever mattered to me, Jack. If you're happy, then okay.”

“Then we’re good? he asked.”

“If this is who you have become, of course I'm okay with it. I've always loved you, Jack. And I always will.”

Jack took her hand. “I've always loved you.”

“Is Melissa seeing someone?”

“I insisted we keep things discreet,” he said. “If I don't know about it, then I'm not as likely to blow up about it.”

K'lremi nodded, and took a drink of her wine. “You aren’t hiding out here all the time, are you?”

He looked at her. “No. Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend.”

“A woman?”

He nodded. “I'm not falling in love. We're just friends, and she understands the situation.”

“Well...” K'lremi said with a grin. “It's good you're making friends.”

***

Two hours later, after they had eaten their meal, and after more talk and some laughter, Jack walked K'lremi toward the tram station. The Sun shined brightly in the sky overhead.

“This is a quiet place,” she said as they walked through town.

“That's what I like about it.”

She turned to him as they stopped just outside the tram station. “I enjoyed spending time with you.”

“This was great.” Jack gave her a warm hug, and then she was gone. He watched the tram car speed away toward the West.

He took a leisurely stroll back through town on his way back to the ranch. He noticed he was about to pass Felicia's place. He stopped when he saw her step out of her front door and approach the fence surrounding her yard.

“I thought that might be you,” Felicia said with a smile.

“You busy?”

“I was digging through some historical records,” she said. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“Show me what?”

“Come and see,” she said, waving him inside.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the reduced light inside her house. He followed her to the dining room table where a number of PADDs and several paper documents were spread out.

Felicia reached for a printout of an old newspaper.

“Take a look at this.”

She handed it to him.

The headline read: Local Man Disappears After Explosion In Hills.

Under the headline was a picture of a bearded man from the nineteenth century. Under the photo, it read: Jack McCall.

Oh god! he thought. That's me!

“Isn't the resemblance amazing!” Felicia said. “He looks so like you.”

“I guess the genes have some real staying power in my family.”

“I'd say so! He could almost be your brother,” she said, turning her gaze to the paper, then back to Jack. “I wonder what he was like.”

“Probably like a lot of the people back then,” Jack said. “Focused on survival most of the time.”

“Most other people, yes, but not him,” Felicia said. “He was the wealthiest man in town. Aside from John Prange, he was probably one of the wealthiest men in the state at the time.”

Jack certainly hadn't felt that way back then. Yes, he was more insulated from hardship than most people, but a bad cattle drive and he'd have been scrambling for the means to survive.

“When there was an economic downturn several years before he disappeared, he gave a big part of his wealth to keep the people in this town alive, made sure they had plenty to eat,” she said, looking back to the picture. “That's quite forward thinking for a man of his time period. The Pranges certainly didn't feel inclined to help anyone out.”

She put the paper down, and pulled a book off the table. “According the writings of Horace Prange, he regretted the way he and his brothers had acted toward the town during that time. He said his father was a greedy old bastard who never cared much about anyone but himself.”

“Horace?” Jack asked with a grin.

“John Prange's youngest,” Felicia said. “He witnessed Jack McCall kill his brother Chester during an ambush Chester had organized against McCall, but he had only good words to say about McCall, said he looked up to him, and it was because of McCall that he turned his life around.”

Jack fought to suppress a grin. He was glad for Horace. He had always liked him.

After a moment, he noticed Felicia staring at him.

“Family pride kicking in?” she asked with a grin.

“Something like that.”

She opened the book to a page which had another picture of “Jack McCall.” Then she looked at the man in front of her again. “The resemblance is amazing.”

Wanting to change the subject, Jack asked, “You think I should dress more like him?”

“Why?”

“To complete the image of the ranch. I could even wear a hat.”

She smiled wide. “This isn't about completing the image of the ranch, is it?”

“What?”

She closed the book, her smile still filling the room. “Oh, I don't know, Mr. McCall.”

“What other reason could there be?”

Felicia turned to face him, still smiling. “Tell me the truth, you've idolized this Jack McCall all your life, haven't you?”

“Idolize?”

“You were named after him, so it would be natural.”

“I think idolize is perhaps a bit strong.”

“Okay, you've admired him,” she said. “He's been a role model for you, and that's why you wanted to live on the ranch, and why you now want to dress the part.”

“Well, he might have had an influence.”

“It's okay,” she said. “A little hero worship is a good thing. God knows we all could use some heroes these days.”

He smiled. “And you? Why did you choose to live in this town, to live in your ancestor's house?”

She laughed. “Same reason as you.”

Jack let out a laugh as well. “Then why all the needling?”

She leaned up and kissed Jack on the cheek. “Because I like you.”

After an awkward silence between them for a few seconds, Jack took a step backward.

“I should really get going,” he said. “I've got some things to tend to.”

She nodded. “You want to have lunch tomorrow?”

“Maybe,” he said with a grin.

“Maybe? Is that all I get?”

“What do you want?”

She smiled wide. “Have lunch with me, and you'll find out.”

-GO TO CHAPTER 7-