*Robbie*

Robbie walked briskly down the hall to his office, making up for lost time with long strides. He still had a couple of hours to kill before his review, and it wouldn't help to go over things with the lawyer again, so he could take the time to relax a little.

Maybe Wyl had been right, maybe he had needed some attention this morning. He felt a little on edge now. Robbie knew he had done the right thing, the only thing, but it was disconcerting after so many years with a flawless record to be before a review board now. He needed quiet, he needed relaxation...he opened the door to his office and walked inside.

Damn. Well, there went that idea.

"Boss man!" Jane threw him a relaxed salute from her chair, flipping aside one of her dreadlocks with her index finger. "I was wondering if we'd have to hunt you down." She smiled slyly at Leesie Paulsen, the station's newest marshal and Jane's new best friend. "Could have been fun, actually."

"Not enough of a challenge, we knew where he'd be," Leesie retorted, but her attitude was a little more subdued. "Are you okay, sir?"

"Fine. Didn't I assign both of you duty shifts today?" He shut the door and walked around the slender, transparent desk to his chair.

"Yes, but we were both excused by the visiting brass, in case he needs to ask us any questions."

"Do you have a name yet?" Robbie asked.

"General...oh what the fuck is it, something unpronounceable...I can't remember it."

"Go and find out, please."

Jane heaved a sigh and glided out of her slouched position with the grace of a dancer. "Yes, sir." She left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Leesie turned slightly nervous eyes towards Robbie, but masked her discomfort by asking brightly, "So I suppose Wyl is with T now?"

"Once I persuaded him to get out of bed."

"Oh, lord." Leesie shook her head and grinned, relaxing a little. "He's always been terrible about that. Whenever he got a rest day back on Hazard, the only thing that could get him out of bed was food. After he ate, he went right back to sleep. He was working a lot more then, though, and I know he needed the rest." She arched one eyebrow. "What's his excuse now?"

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Robbie felt himself begin to blush and silently cursed. He'd always been a terrible liar, completely unable to conceal his emotions. Leesie just smiled. "Never mind, it isn't any of my business. I'm just glad he's happy. He really needed to find someone like you."

"Even though it almost got him killed?"

"Everything turned out all right," Leesie replied. "That's the most important thing." Wispy strands of pale blonde hair had drifted out of her bun and floated around her face. She looked as slender and fragile as Wyl, Robbie thought. In both cases that fragility was an illusion. She smiled again, and Robbie had to smile back.

Jane burst back through the door, waving a small piece of paper. "Caractacus! Miles Caractacus. Say that five times fast."

Robbie stopped moving, completely. He knew he was gaping, but he couldn't help it. "General Miles Caractacus?"

"Yeah." Jane looked at Robbie quizzically. "You know him?"

"Yes."

Jane and Leesie glanced at each other. "Where from?"

"He's my ex's father."

Jane eventually broke the ensuing silence. "So...is that a good or a bad thing?"

"I have no clue." Garrett had mentioned that his father still thought well of Robbie when they had last spoken, but that was six months ago now. A lot of perceptions could change in six months. And what was he doing out here anyway? General Caractacus was also an Alliance senator, and he wasn't in Robbie's direct chain of command anymore.

"We'll give you some time to think," Leesie said quietly, standing up. Jane looked like she wanted to stay, but Leesie's hand was gentle and insistent on her arm, and she allowed herself to be turned. They left, and Robbie dropped his face into his hands, massaging his temples and resisting the urge to groan.

It figured. Even thinking about Garrett wasn't something he wanted to do anymore, and coming face to face with his father over his actions on Hazard was even further down the list.

Now that Robbie thought about it, this was probably a bad thing. Miles, as he'd grown accustomed to calling him after he and Garrett got together, had been the one to give him authorization to investigate Danica and started extradition proceedings for Wyl. And what had he done? Gone haring off like a vigilante after his lover without so much as a "with your permission." That couldn't reflect well on Miles' decision, no matter how well-founded Robbie's reasons had been. And to top it all off, there was his relationship with Garrett...or his lack thereof.

Miles had actually introduced them, back when he had been a colonel and Robbie was still entrenched in the marines. Robbie was doing classroom time during officer training, and his instructor, Colonel Caractacus, had invited the graduating class to dinner at his house. Garrett, who worked as a biophysicist for a terraforming company, was there as well. They met, sparks flew, and it didn't take long for them to become lovers. Hardly an hour, actually.

In the end, though, it hadn't worked out. Robbie was at the front fighting for months at a time, and Garrett, who was accustomed to a certain amount of worship, felt neglected. After Robbie's final tour was over, Garrett had encouraged him to find work closer to home. He had signed on as an Alliance marshal instead. That strained things to the breaking point, and after a number of hurtful interactions, they had called things quits.

And now Miles was here. For whatever reason, he was here, and he would decide Robbie's future. Anxiety welled in his chest, not only for himself, but for Wyl. Would any of the negative fallout affect him? Would they make him answer questions? Would they transfer his bond somewhere else?