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“I don’t understand,” Admiral Gardner says, shaking his head. “Commander Shran had been extremely insistent about your ‘irreconcilable differences’.”
“They’ve been reconciled!” Archer states firmly, trying not to show his genuine anger.
Oh, they “reconciled” alright.
But Archer is now wondering why Shran didn’t ask to cancel the transfer request. Surely he had plenty of opportunity to do so?
Gardner sighs.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Captain. The changes are already made. Columbia is underway to intercept in two days.”
“Well, unmake the changes! Tell them to go somewhere else!”
“The decision isn’t only mine to make. We’re working in conjunction with the Andorian government, remember?”
“Commander Shran is now a member of my crew. Don’t I get a say in this? Does Hernandez? Does Shran?”
“Commander Shran made a very convincing case for his transfer, citing your long and complicated history, and the Imperial Guard agreed.”
“What if he changed his mind?”
“The paperwork is done. My hands are tied,” Gardner says simply. “I’m sorry, Captain.”
The screen goes blank as Admiral Gardner ends the transmission.
Archer bristles for a moment before slamming a fist on his desk.
Few things infuriated him more than bureaucratic bullshit.
Shran was so close. And now Archer was losing him again.
Two days.
He had two days before Columbia arrived.
Two days to figure out how to fix this.
~*~
“Do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do, Jon?” Captain Erika Hernandez inquires, exasperation in her voice.
“It’s just a little detour,” Archer reassures her. “It’ll buy us some time.”
“It’s insubordination!” she exclaims.
Archer sighs.
“Erika, please. It’s… personal.”
She raises her brow in disbelief.
“Let me get this straight,” she says carefully, slightly offended. “You’re asking your ex girlfriend to do you a favour — and a very significant one at that — so you can keep your new boyfriend with you?”
She’s not seriously inferring a romantic relationship, but she also doesn’t need to know that there was one there.
Archer shuffles awkwardly in his chair. He resents her referring to Shran as his “boyfriend,” but when he thinks about it, he supposes the title isn’t too inaccurate.
It just felt… insufficient.
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“Goodbye, Jonathan,” Erika says quickly, barely hiding her disappointment. “Try to keep in touch. Preferably with less bullshit.”
The transmission ends.
Archer was starting to get annoyed with people hanging up on him, though he honestly didn’t blame Hernandez for doing so.
~*~
It takes significantly longer to get through for this third transmission.
“General,” Archer greets politely.
“Captain Archer,” the Andorian General says plainly. “I don’t believe we’ve properly met.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
“What do you want?”
Down to brass tacks. Got it.
“About Commander Shran’s transfer-“
“Yes. I signed off on it myself. I disapproved when he was first assigned to Enterprise.”
Dammit.
“Is there anything that can be done to reverse it?”
The General regards Archer carefully.
“Why? It was my understanding that this transfer was mutually beneficial.”
“The Commander never talked to me about it. We disagreed on… some things. It came completely out of left field.”
The General narrows his eyes, an antenna quirking, looking confused.
“Left field, sorry, uh, I mean it was a complete surprise.”
The General hums thoughtfully.
“I’ll be in contact with your superiors. Perhaps something can be arranged.”
Archer breathes a sigh of relief. Finally, some good news.
“Thank you, General.”
“No guarantees,” he warns and abruptly ends the transmission.
There was still time. At least he was able to get the ball rolling.
~*~
“Archer,” Admiral Gardner states firmly, clearly annoyed. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to keep my crew intact.”
“This is beyond your control. Why did you contact the Imperial Guard?”
“I’m stubborn.”
Gardner presses his lips into a fine line, disapproval written into his features.
“This was supposed to be simple and you’ve gone and made a mess of things. I’ve got the Andorians arguing the semantics now on whether we could even sign off on the transfer in the first place.”
How unfortunate, Archer thinks, smiling to himself.
“I hope you’re satisfied with yourself.”
The transmission ends.
Archer is.
Extremely.
~*~
“So,” Erika says. “I hear you’ve stolen my Andorian back.”
“Your Andorian? Commander Shran is his own man.”
Internally, Archer thinks that, if anything, Shran is his Andorian.
She scoffs lightly, amused more than angry.
“When will you learn that you can’t always get your way?”
“Maybe when I stop getting my way.”
Erika rolls her eyes.
“You’re insufferable.”
“You used to like that about me.”
“Jonathan-“ she begins, not wanting to get into this topic with her old flame.
Archer raises his hands placatingly. “I’m just saying. No ulterior motives. Promise. Scout’s honour.” Archer does the Boy Scouts salute.
Erika sighs.
“We have new orders. We’re continuing on our previous heading, the rendezvous is cancelled.”
Archer smiles.
“Pity.”
“I’ll see you around, Jonathan. Try to stay out of trouble.”
The transmission ends.
~*~
“What is wrong with you?” Archer asks, finally having tracked Shran down in the mess hall after looking everywhere else for him.
A lot, Shran thinks. Archer would have to be more specific.
“I’ve been making calls all day trying to clean up your mess.”
Archer shakes his head, his brow furrowing.
“As soon as we… when we… why didn’t you…?” Archer stumbles over his words, trying to convey his thoughts while simultaneously keeping anything important private.
“I was serious about the transfer,” Shran tells him. “Initially. Then things changed.”
Archer sighs.
“I think I’ve finally gotten it sorted out. Columbia’s been diverted. You’re staying.”
“I am?” Shran’s eyes widen, his antennae perking up hopefully.
“I believe thanks may be in order?” Archer says, raising his brow.
Shran narrows his eyes at Archer. Checkmate.
“Thank you, Jonathan.”
Archer relaxes a little, smiling.
“You’re welcome.”
Archer decides that the infuriating effort of the day was worth it if, at the end of the day, his crew remained intact and Shran remained on board.