Disclaimer: Not mine, but Paramount's.

An Honour (Archer's POV)

Kneeling beside you on the floor, I can see that you are dying, and I want to scream at the injustice of it. But I don't, because I know it won't change anything, and anyway, a Captain must retain an aura of professionalism. My feeling of helplessness doesn't fade, however, so instead I retreat into the past, into memory, to avoid having to face the future.

I remember the very first time I saw you, sitting in the front row at one of my academy lectures. Even then you were cocky, and so sure of yourself, and I knew you were going to be a brilliant, if difficult, student. I shouldn't admit this, but after that first lecture I actively sought you out. You thought we'd run into each other by accident, but that isn't true. The truth is that I wanted to get to know the young man who had answered practically every question I put to my class.

What I hadn't counted on was becoming your friend. But you charmed me instantly with your easygoing manner and open heart, and I soon knew that the cocksure attitude was just a front. Although it wasn't the best conduct to become such good friends with a student, I ignored the rules and we became virtually inseparable, both through your days at the academy, and the years we spent preparing Enterprise for launch.

When my father's dream came true, and Enterprise became the first warp five ship, I knew instantly who to choose as my Chief Engineer. Sure, there were accusations of nepotism from some of the more jealous members of Starfleet, but you proved them all wrong straight away. Everyone could see you were best man for the job, and I was proud to have you on my crew.

Space is a lot more unsafe than I (perhaps naively) hoped it would be. We've met plenty of friendly races in out travels, but also more than our fair share of unfriendly ones. But through it all you've never lost you enthusiasm for exploration. You were always first to volunteer for an away mission, the first to leap in to defend someone in trouble, even if you'd only met them five minutes previously. Your big heart had gotten you into trouble more times than I can count, including this last time. And I was too late to save you. I'm responsible for eighty other people, and yet I can't even save my best friend. It should be me dying, not you.

A wheezing cough distracts me from my thoughts, and I realise that your time is finally up. The thought that I'm about to lose my best friend renders me speechless, but your final whispered words bring tears to my eyes.

"It was an honour serving with you, Cap'n."

The honour was all mine.