It had been five years since the last time. Five seemingly long years, and yet all the same they passed in such a way that it was as a snap of the fingers. It was perplexing and inevitable all in one go; something to mourn, yet something that you knew you couldn't do anything to stop. That was how it went. You could rage and rant all you wanted. You could even refuse to accept the changes that time brought. But those changes still happened, and ultimately there was nothing you could do; nothing you could say, beg for, or order. A man was - at the end of it all - helpless in the face of time.

Five years had passed.

Five years ago he'd been halfway through his tour on Dac. Five years ago he'd never have guess at what the future was to bring him. Also, five years ago he'd not had a single strand of grey creeping into his red hair.

How it had become an agreed upon number he could never guess. Five. He was fairly certain that the others wouldn't be able to answer, either.


* * *


Unencumbered by his duties, Kes sat in his quarters. He waited. His eyes looked out at the starfield his window offered. It was quite honestly a wonderful view, and he was glad for Lt. Gradoona's proactive decision to upgrade what had been there previously.

But any thought of the pristine black velvet outside, speckled with glittering white corusca diamonds, went no further than the surface.

They would come. After all, it had been five years.

Not as many would be here though. It seemed as though every time there were fewer. This time, there would be two less.

The redhead gave a long sigh, and his eyes slowly slid from the starfield down to the single glass of bourbon that rested on the caf table.

And in that moment, he felt old.