"Ah, there you are," the Chief Engineer said as he approached, "Come along with me, you've got a lot of catching up to do."  Though he didn't sound overly friendly, his words implied a leniency and forgiveness that was atypical for the military.  "Petty Officer First Class Charles Link, you can call me PO Link."  As Charles led Mike away, Israfil smiled weakly and waved goodbye, hoping they'd get to see more of each other later.

Sion led Solomon away, walking with Maya and Captain Hargreaves.

"Well, I hope they let Ensign Lear know that what he did was not ok, and that future incidents don't happen; for all of our sakes, and especially for your sister, 'Tera said.  Still, she thought about the tactical and strategic implications of mind control, and the possibility that Solomon was selected specifically for this reason.  If so, the leadership may not mind if he flexed his mental muscle every once in a while, even if it was against his squadmates.  She considered herself fortunate that, as a Quantum, she was immune to Ascended telepathy.  Changing topics, Tera said, "I guess we should use these 12 hours wisely and explore the ship.  Would like some time to yourself, or would you like t oexplore together?"