“There’s a lot I still don’t know, sir,” Kirk said, rotating his glass between his hands as he studied its contents. “I’m going to have some questions.”

“I’m sure you will,” Nogura replied. “I may be able to answer some of them, but probably not all of them. You should keep that in mind before you actually ask me anything. It’ll save us both some time.” Though the statement was firm, the admiral punctuated it with a small mischievous smile that succeeded in taking away some of the sting.

“Fair enough,” Kirk said, before pausing to sip from his brandy. “I’m actually surprised we’re having this discussion at all. Given the secrecy surrounding the project, I figured you’d already be working to clean up as much of the mess as possible before burying the whole thing for good.”

Nogura nodded. “Oh, make no mistake, that’s being done even as we speak. For all I know, they’re preparing to stuff me in a box along with all the data and other materials we collected.” He brought his glass to his lips and inhaled the brandy’s aroma before taking a sip. “However, aside from the ships actually assigned to Starbase 47 in support of the project, you and your crew had more involvement than anyone else. So it seems only fair that we have this one last talk about it before I order you to forget the whole thing forever.”

Managing to suppress a chuckle, Kirk said, “It’s not the first time I’ve heard that song, Admiral. I imagine you’ll be having a similar talk with Captain Khatami.”

“I’d call that a safe bet,” Nogura replied. “I’m talking to you first, because the Enterpriserepairs will take far less time than those required by the Endeavour.Khatami and her crew aren’t going anywhere for a while yet.”

“How long before the Endeavour’s ready for duty?” Kirk asked.

Nogura gestured to the computer terminal on his desk. “According to the last report I got, at least three weeks, and that’s with repair crews working around the clock. Most of the engineering staff has to be replaced, and there aren’t too many chief engineers around qualified to crew a Constitution-class starship.” He paused, his expression falling. “They really got pounded. It would’ve been a hell of a lot worse if the Enterprisehadn’t swooped in when you did.”

The fiery end of Starbase 47 in the Taurus Reach a mere five days earlier had been one of the most intense conflicts in which Kirk had ever taken part. Nogura had called the Enterpriseback to Vanguard when it became clear the station would be targeted for annihilation by an armada of Tholian vessels. Kirk and his crew had arrived in time to render aid to the Endeavourin the final moments of that vessel’s hopeless bid to defend the massive Watchtower-class space station against the hundreds of Tholian ships pitted against it. The Endeavour—assisted by two other Starfleet vessels that ultimately were destroyed and a third that was so damaged it was forced to leave the battle—had managed for a time to stave off the incursion. However, sheer numbers had worked against them from the moment the first shot was fired. With the Enterpriseable to provide cover, the Endeavourhad succeeded in evacuating Vanguard’s remaining personnel before both starships retreated just as the station exploded.

“The Sagittarius, on the other hand,” Nogura said, “is faring much better. According to the latest report, it should be ready for duty in about three days. I’ve ordered its priority downgraded so that we can get you on your way as quickly as possible.”

Kirk nodded, his mood sobering. “From what I can tell, Captain Terrell certainly deserves his promotion. I just wish it could be under better circumstances.”

“Agreed,” Nogura replied. “He’s got big shoes to fill. Captain Nassir was one hell of an officer.”

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Kirk sighed. “Yes, he was.” Adelard Nassir, captain of the Sagittarius, was one of two casualties the small Archer-class scout had suffered during the battle. The ship’s first officer, Clark Terrell, assumed command and guided his wounded vessel to safety when it had become apparent that the Sagittariuswas outmatched against the waves of Tholian vessels. That had not stopped him from wanting to stay in the fight, and he might well have done so if not for an order from Captain Khatami to evacuate the area. “I’ve never met Terrell, but I hear he’s a good man, too. He’d have to be, or else Nassir would never have recruited him to be his second-in-command.”

Nogura, having finished the brandy in his glass, reached for the bottle and poured himself another portion. “He’ll do fine, and he and the Sagittariuswill have plenty to do, as our exploration efforts in the Taurus Reach will continue, but that’s not why we’re here.” He leaned back in his chair, sipping brandy. After a moment, he added, “Of course, I suppose we’re going to need a new space station.” He shook his head, and his expression turned to one of discontent. “An entire Watchtower-class starbase, gone. Do you have any idea how long it takes to buildone of those damned things?”

“Lieutenant Xiong was very brave, doing what he did,” Kirk said.

“Yes,” Nogura agreed, his eyes dropping to stare at his desk. “He certainly was.”

The captain had been saddened to hear of Xiong’s passing, though he could not help but admire the lieutenant’s bold, selfless action that had saved so many lives. He had met Starbase 47’s archaeology and anthropology officer during the Enterprise’s mission to the Federation outpost on Ravanar IV to investigate the loss of the U.S.S. Bombay, a vessel assigned to the station and believed destroyed after an attack by Tholian vessels. That assignment, and the ensuing mission to the planet’s surface, had almost ended in disaster when Kirk and his landing party, along with Xiong, fell victim to a booby trap left by the Tholians responsible for the outpost’s destruction. Kirk had found Ming Xiong to be a driven, ambitious officer, motivated not by a desire for personal gain but instead the simple furthering of knowledge. The lieutenant had approached the mystery of the meta-genome and the Shedai with the hope of bringing all the knowledge they once had commanded back to the Federation.

“From what I understand,” Kirk said, “he stood by the button until the last possible second, giving us every chance he could to get clear.” After a moment, he added, “He was a good man.”

Nogura countered, “He was an idealist, which by itself isn’t a bad thing. There were those who argued he wasn’t the right man for the Vanguard project, but I came to believe otherwise. In a lot of ways, he was our moral compass. More than anyone else, he wanted the Shedai technology to be an instrument for good, and who knows? That might still happen, at least in some small way. I’d like to think that was possible, even after everything that’s happened. At least then maybe his sacrifice and that of so many others won’t feel like such a damned waste.”

Despite his still-limited knowledge of the veils of security that had shrouded Starbase 47 and its mission in the Taurus Reach, Kirk reasoned that the decision to allow the station’s destruction was born from a desire to protect whatever secrets remained of Operation Vanguard. That the act also had dealt the attacking Tholian fleet a crippling blow and sent the survivors into a frenzied withdrawal from the skirmish had been a fortunate happenstance for both the Enterpriseand the Endeavour.

“After our mission with Lieutenant Xiong and his team to Ravanar IV,” Kirk said, “we were ordered to purge all details of that incident from the Enterprisememory banks.” He paused long enough to finish the brandy lingering in his glass. “I suppose you’ll be asking us to do that again?”

Nogura smiled. “Already being taken care of. Commander Spock has been given precise instructions on the transfer and deletion of relevant data from your ship’s computer records. Everything with even the most fleeting connection to Vanguard will be expunged, beginning with your mission to find the Defiant.”