Story:Star Trek: Infinite Voyages/Consequences

Summary
"One's choices have consequences..."

Captain Tobias Quinton has just completed a bit of early-morning work in his quarters and is on his way to his ready room when Lieutenant Valok alerts him to an incoming urgent message from Starfleet Command. It's from Admiral Phyllida Driscoll, who gives him some odd instructions: following the imminent completion of the Pioneer's current mission, the Pioneer is to rendezvous with the USS Ballard to take on a passenger—Admiral Laurence Whelan. Quinton inspects the dossier Driscoll forwards to him, but notes that it gives little indication of Whelan's exact assignment, cryptically described as "observation". However, the Admiral is tight-lipped on the matter, and Quinton is left with several unanswered questions and a bad feeling.

It's not long until the scheduled meeting with the Ballard is underway and Admiral Whelan comes aboard. Quinton meets him in the transporter room and then takes him on a tour of the ship. When they reach the bridge, Commander Franklin Xavier is unsettled by Whelan's dismissive, almost contemptuous, reaction to him.

Later that night, Quinton and Xavier are together in Quinton's quarters, about to share a romantic evening, when Whelan pages the captain. The official briefing with the senior staff is scheduled for the following morning, but Whelan requests a meeting with Quinton tonight. Reluctantly, he agrees. Xavier is reluctant to stick around for this: his relationship with Quinton, though not strictly against Starfleet rules, would be frowned upon by some and he suspects the scrupulously by-the-book Whelan would be among them. Quinton refuses to let the Admiral interfere with his life and tells Xavier he won't mind if he leaves because he wants to, but that he shouldn't just because he feels he has to to appease Whelan.