Observe and Honor

         Sarcasm began to creep across Greene's face as he crafted a retort to Edison's less-than-flattering comparison to one of the great heroes in Earth history. He didn't want to spark another argument, but after all the smug attitude he'd been given since this man boarded his ship he was going to find a way to enjoy this.

         "No. I'm not him. I never have been. Jonathan Archer is a special man. Born of a special family whose hard work made these ships possible in the first place. He saved Earth. I sure as hell can't put that on my resume if I resign my commission and want to get another job someplace else. But I know my ship. And you sure as hell don't."

         Balthazar was already regretting his words. He should have just kept his mouth shut, ate his pasta and thanked the Captain like a good soldier.

         "I know my crew. She's not a very old ship, but I requested all of my senior officers when I was given command of her. Some of them served with me on Earth. Others were with me on Jupiter Station when I was assigned there. But they're all great men and women. And working together we're gonna use all our talents and training and get us back home.

         We'll probably lose somebody. That's war. I don't have to tell you a thing about that. But I'll be damned if I don't get this ship and as many of my crew as I can home. I took an oath the day I joined Starfleet. I told Admiral Gardner I'd get us home. And I told my wife I'd come home. I'm not going to betray any of them. 

         We're gonna win the war, Major. Maybe it won't be the shoot-'em-up bloodbath you and your men expected or even wanted, but we're going to do what we came out here to do and get us that much closer to the end of all of this. You talk about Archer. He didn't save Earth from the Xindi just so we could lose it to the Romulans."

          And with that, silence fell over the table and Edison was left to process the words just spoken. Awkward silence as the Major hadn't experienced in a very, very long time.

          "Understood."

          Greene gazed down at his food and reached up to scratch the edge of his brow with his right thumb. "I'm not asking you to become a Pollyanna and look at this mission through rose-tinted glasses, Mr. Edison, but I am requesting - no, ORDERING you - to keep the opinions of our chances between the two of us and not demoralize my crew or your own men by repeating them outside this room.

         Is THAT understood, Major?"

         "Aye, sir."