Star Trek The Next Generation The First Duty rewrite

Chapter 2

The grounds of the Academy were similar to any large university: Neatly manicured lawn and hedges, one or two statues or busts of alumni, possibly a fountain, etc. several cadets were seen moving to and from class or talking in small groups, there's a somber atmosphere here as the recent tragedy was still on everyone's mind. In the distance, the Federation flag could be seen at half-mast on a flagpole. Picard was walking slowly across the grounds, lost in thought.

As he came to a quiet contemplative spot with a view of the rest of the grounds. There was a large tree with a couple of nearby benches. Sitting at the foot of that tree was a young male cadet reading a book.

He stopped and looked at the young boy for a long minute as if seeing a page from his youth suddenly brought to life.

Suddenly, a man wearing well-worn coveralls and boots appears. He's an older man with a rumpled appearance and an irascible disposition. He held a sharp-edged gardening tool in his hand, a grin came to Picard's face as he watched at a distance. The old man moved calmly to the tree then the cadet looked up, reacted as Boothby frowned. He looked at the cadet lying in a nearby flowerbed crushing some plants Boothby's eyes of fire shoot at the cadet who went pale and he promptly grabbed his books then took off wider as Boothby shook his head with disdain and kneels down and began to repair the damaged plants. Picard quietly moved over to the tree.

"Boothby?" he said.

Boothby looked up irritated and raised an eyebrow as he saw Picard.

"Jean-Luc Picard, class of twenty-seven." Picard said prompting

"I know that. What happened to your hair?"

Picard smiled.

"How are you?"

"I'm pretty damned cranky, thank you. I've already replanted this bed four times this week."

Picard knelt beside him to help.

"Let me give you a hand."

"You?"

"I've acquired an interest over the years."

"Well, careful you don't plant 'em too deep, the leaves," he started. "will rot."

Boothby reacted to Picard's knowledge.

Meanwhile a cadet was walking along the path. He suddenly froze in his tracks and reacted as he saw a Starfleet captain on his knees with the gardener.

"Picard asked.

"No sir, Captain." the cadet said and hurried away.

Boothby knew Picard when he was just a cadet and was faintly amused by the lofty status he's now achieved.

"Captain Picard, of the Enterprise, no less giving the commencement address."

He chuckled.

"You sound, surprised."

Boothby rose, brushed off his hands.

"Surprised? Uh uh. Nothing you ever did surprised me, son. Nothing. Except that time you caught that Ligonian with a reverse body lift and pinned him in the first fourteen seconds of the match, didn't think you had it in you."

"Was all in the legs, from all the running I used to do." Picard said grinning at the memory.

Boothby then started to walk so he followed him and uncharacteristically struggled with saying what he wants to say to the old man.

"Boothby,"

"Hmmm?"

"I don't know that I've ever really told you, how much, appreciate."