AJ sat in the corner of the observation lounge, his uniform still on from the latest duty shift. His eyes staring at the large view screen as it displayed a peaceful image of the stars outside Eos Station. Yet, in his mind, the images were anything but calm. Nichols was still out there. AJ couldn’t shake the feeling that the end of the investigation wasn’t the end of the man.

He had spoken with Elena, and they both voiced the same opinions. Nichols was not dead. How could he be? The pieces didn’t fit. The elaborate scheme, the black market operations, and the figures involved in it all… No way was this just going to end with Nichols dying.

AJ stood up abruptly and left the lounge, walking through the corridors of Eos Station. He was in the communications hub, where a technician worked on routine reports. AJ paused by the console and ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts swirling. He needed to take action.

With no concrete proof that Nichols was alive, there was little more they could do. At least, not within the restraints of the uniform. But AJ knew he was right: they couldn’t just let it go. Nichols’ disappearance was a convenient narrative that allowed the Federation to wipe its hands clean.

But they knew too much. They understood the ramifications of what Nichols had planned, and as long as he remained out there, his network wasn’t gone. The Federation had settled on its conclusion, but that didn’t mean the fight was over.

He made a decision. Nichols wouldn’t be forgotten. No matter what, AJ would find him. Even if it meant going beyond Starfleet’s orders. Crossing lines the Federation was unwilling to cross. He wasn’t done yet.

“Not this time, Nichols,” he muttered to himself.

Later that evening, AJ sat in Elena’s Ready Room. The lights were dim and the view outside the large windows showed the expanse of the Alpha Doradus system. It was a reminder of the peace that surrounded them.

“Elena,” AJ said finally, his voice quieter than usual. “We can’t just let this go. Nichols… he’s still out there. Whatever they’ve been telling us, it’s not true.”

Elena slowly turned to face him, she’d been wrestling with the same doubts. However, as a Commanding Officer, she couldn’t afford to let those doubts cloud her judgment. Their orders were clear. The investigation was over. And yet…

“I know,” she said softly. “I’ve known it since the moment we first found the evidence of Rempeck’s involvement. This isn’t finished. But what else can we do? Starfleet wants us to move on. They’ve closed the file, AJ. They want us to forget.”

AJ shook his head, “I don’t think we can forget. Not after everything we’ve seen. The Consortium, the Romulan involvement… and now Rempeck. He’s still hiding something, Elena. Nichols wasn’t just some random smuggler. This whole thing runs much deeper. It’s bigger than just a few black-market deals.”

Elena exhaled slowly, walking over to the window to look at the distant stars. “You’re right. I think about the same thing every night. The moment we thought we’d found the end, the next thread unraveled. But what are we supposed to do now? We can’t keep digging. We’ll be risking everything. Starfleet Command will have our heads if we keep this up.”

AJ stared at her for a moment, “What if I don’t leave? What if I stay here with you? We might not have the authority to pursue this, but maybe we can keep an eye on things. We can’t ignore this.”

Elena looked at him and there was a flicker of something in her eyes. She sighed. “You want to stay here? After everything? It’s not a guarantee, AJ. You’ll be taking a risk, and I don’t know where the Federation will send you next if you remain.”

“I’m already taking the risk, Elena,” AJ said firmly. “I’m not going to sit around, not when I know Nichols is out there. You’ve been more than just a captain to me these past few years. You’ve been someone I trust. If we’re going to keep going after this, we do it together. I can’t do this without you.”

She stared at him, her expression unreadable, before nodding slowly. “Then we stay. We’ll make our own path. But we need to be careful, AJ. We can’t afford to get caught in something bigger than us.”

AJ smiled faintly. “We’ve always walked the edge, haven’t we? And we’ll keep doing it.”

They stood in silence for a moment, understanding the weight of the decision they’d just made. But the mission was far from finished. “Wherever this takes us, we’ll be ready,” Elena said, her voice calm, but with a fire that wasn’t easily extinguished.

“I’ll be ready,” AJ replied. “And we’ll watch for Nichols. We won’t stop until we find him.”

As the two stood together in the quiet of the Ready Room, Elena looked over the PADD in her hand as AJ turned and headed out of the room.  There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes as something catch her eyes, “AJ, wait. Get back here!”