Not all those who wander are lost…

…sometimes they’ve been kidnapped instead.

Negotiations…

DS47
Late 2401

Theo sighed as he sat back, looking at the report on his desk. How the hell did anyone manage to lose their division captain? Were they abs—

He cut that thought off, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the  two names on the report.

Mason.

Reese-Riggs.

Those two names alone should have warned him that the normal rules just didn’t apply. Not to those two. They tended to see rules as more like vague guidelines at the best of times, and if you asked them to think outside the box, they’d immediately deny the existence of anything vaguely box-like.

Which was all well and good when the Dominion turned up out of nowhere. In situations like that, mavericks like these two became an ace up his sleeve because if he couldn’t predict what they’d do, then the Dominion had no chance.

Right now though, they could crash and burn his damn career if the wind blew the wrong direction.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, then opened his mouth and started to speak before he was aware of making the decision.

“Computer, route a comm call to Captain Thorne of the USS Stafford.”

He expected for the comm to bounce back, so he was surprised when the logo on the screen in front of him disappeared and a woman appeared in its place.

“Theo!” Her expression immediately split into a welcoming smile he knew many people didn’t get to see. “This is a pleasant surprise. Social or business call?”

He hid his smile. That was Liv all over. No nonsense and straight to the point. It was one reason they’d always gotten along from the moment they’d met at the Academy.

“Social, kinda business,” he shrugged. “You got five?”

She nodded to someone off the screen and returned her attention to him. “For you, always. It’s a little manic here what with the transfer of the Stafford over to her new CO.”

“Shit. When is that? It’s not a problem if you’re up against it.”

“Tomorrow.” She smiled and sat back, giving him her full attention. “And I’m good. What’s up?”

He bit back his grimace. “Does something have to be up for me to call you?”

She chuckled. “No, but you did say, and I quote ‘kinda business’… so, you need someone to listen, or a helping hand? I warn you, I’m all out of shovels to help bury bodies this month.”

He groaned and leaned his head back against the padded cushion of his chair. “Just someone to listen for the moment… the rage rooms on base were all booked up.”

Her eyebrow winged up. “That good, huh? Okay, tell me what’s going on. A problem shared is a problem halved and all that.”

The tension in his shoulders eased slightly as he leaned forward. “Oh, I’d love to half this particular problem. The trouble is, there are two of them, and if I split them up, then I have two problems, not one.”

“Okay, so it’s a staffing problem.”

“You could say that.” He reached up to rub at the stubble on his jaw. “I have, for want of a better word, a couple of problem children. Starship CO’s… well one of them is. The other is just off administrative leave and is currently in observation status waiting reassignment as a ship co.”

Liv nodded. “Problem children… in what way? Disregarding orders, sycophants or something else?”

Her question startled a short bark of laughter out of him as he leapt to his feet, his chair rolling back, and began to pace. “Oh lord, either of those would make these two easier to deal with. Technically, they never actually disobey an order, but neither of them seem bothered about the chain of command and just do whatever the hell they want!”

Her brows snapped together. “So they’re unpredictable?”

“Unpredictable? Seriously Liv, unpredictable isn’t the word for these two.” He sighed and folded his arms over his chest. “We sent them to Arriana when the Lost Fleet showed up. Do you know what they did?”

She leaned back in her chair, her expression neutrally polite as she shook her head, but he couldn’t see the amusement dancing in her dark eyes. He didn’t blame her. It was rare for him to get heated about anything, or raise his voice even, yet here he was, stalking around his office like a damned madman.

“They dropped a bloody ship on the Jem’Hadar!” He threw his arms up. “From orbit! Thankfully, it wasn’t one of ours.”

Her lips quirked. “I assume it solved the problem though?”

He stabbed a finger at the screen. “Don’t you start agreeing with their tactics! Blood dilithium? Mason blew his own bloody ship up to get the Devore off it!”

“Damage to Starfleet property is a very serious business,” she agreed mildly.

“Yes! Exactly!” He dropped into his seat and glared at her. Which wasn’t exactly fair, since none of this was her fault. But, they’d known each other for years, so she was more than used to him.

“And now…” He shook his head, shoving his hands through his hair, sending it into wild spikes all over his head. “You won’t guess what they did now.”

She crossed one knee over the other in an elegant movement. Automatically, he tracked the moment. Damn Alex for getting to her first.

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” she said, brow arched slightly in an invitation to continue as she reached for her mug. Coffee, black. She’d drunk it that way since he’d known her.

“Damned right I am,” he growled. “They lost their division captain.”

The mug paused halfway to her full lips and she speared him with a look over the rim. It was a hard, direct look that made even him quell the urge to squirm in his seat.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said they’d lost their division CO.”

“I did,” he admitted with a sigh.

“How did they lose their division captain?” she asked. “Like, did they put into base and he wandered off? Or did they lose him and his entire ship?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Just him. They decided to go on an undercover away mission to recover stolen weapons tech and lost him. And it gets worse.”

“Wait.” She closed her eyes for a moment, holding up her hand. “So, you’re telling me that both division CO’s went on an away mission? And that somehow, they lost the division commander? How does it get worse than that?”

His answer was blunt. “His father is Admiral Murphy.”

He had the satisfaction of seeing Olivia Thorne surprised. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second and she whistled softly. As she might. Retired Admiral Murphy’s reputation for meddling was unparalleled.

“Oh, now that is… Yeah.” She shook her head. “I would not want to be in your shoes, that’s for sure.”

“Well…” He trailed off, trying to put on his most charming smile.

“What?” She shot him a direct look. “You’ve got your crocodile smile on. You want something.”

Sometimes she knew him way too well. He widened the smile.

“Well, as of tomorrow you’ll technically be in the reassignment rotation. Can I persuade you to take on a little assignment for me?”

She groaned. “Theo Barrington. I hate you. What’s it worth?”

He grinned. She never could resist him and he knew it. “A bottle of Scotch, your choice of vintage. Those fancy chocolates you like.”

“Hmmm…” She eyed him in assessment. “Throw in a foot massage and you have a deal.”

The Riot Act…

DS47
2401

“This is not going to go well.”

Mason dropped into the chair behind his desk and spared a glance for the leanly-built captain opposite. “No, it is not.”

It was going to go about as well as any CO’s who had lost their boss and now had to report that to his boss. The bosses boss. And they were not going to be happy. 

“I told you we shouldn’t have taken Murphy,” RJ groused, arms folded over his chest. His uniform was immaculate and, for a change, his hair was tamed. He actually looked like an upstanding Starfleet officer. Emphasis on looked. But they needed that. Like really needed that. And more luck than either of them was likely to see in their lifetimes.

“I told you he’d get into trouble.”

“No, you did not,” Mason rumbled. “What you actually said was that you’d get the blame if he was killed, and get kicked out of the fleet.”

He checked the time. They’d both been ordered to be available for the call and the clock was counting down.

“Don’t flirt,” he ordered with a hard look as his console informed him of an incoming call. He tilted the screen so they were both in view, him sat behind his desk and RJ leaning against the built in shelves along the wall by the door. It meant the other captain was perched precariously, but it was his ready room, so he was getting the damn chair.

“Not going to,” RJ grumbled in a low voice. “Tried it with Barrington once. He threatened to space me.”

Mason arched an eyebrow. “How many senior officers have threatened to do that now?”

RJ frowned, counted on his fingers, looked down like he was contemplating taking his boots off as well, then shrugged.

“Upwards of twelve? But! I nearly got a date out of one of them.”

Mason shook his head just as the comm chirped.

Before either could reach for the small control console the face of Captain Varen Wyll appeared on the screen, his mane of thick black curls barely tamed beneath a thick pomade.

“I have barely read the mission report and I can already feel a headache coming on.” Across the quadrant, the senior officer rubbed his temples in furious circles.

“Could someone please give me the… and I hesitate to use this word… highlights.” Varen leant back in his chair, allowing the soft cushions to comfort his weary body.

Sat next to Varen, Barrington folded his arms over his chest, watching the two trouble-makers on the other side of the screen marshall their defence. It was quick, but from these two, he wouldn’t have expected anything else. Reese-Riggs could charm his way out of anything given enough time, but Mason was used to thinking on his feet, usually under fire. Two senior officers weren’t going to rattle him.

“The mission went sideways,” Mason admitted. “Which I take responsibility for. While we successfully recovered the stolen tech we’d been sent in for, resistance was greater than we anticipated and unfortunately, we lost track of Captain Murphy.”

“People lose track of hyper spanners, their favourite mug, puppies.”

Varen turned to Barrington on the screen, his dark eyes narrowing into two thin lines that hung precariously over an unimpressed curl of his moustache.

“Do you remember assigning a puppy to command Canterbury? I have a vague recollection of there being a rather strapping and handsome man who sat in the centre chair. Red uniform, four pips, a smile that could convince the Kai to part with their Jumja stick?”

There was a cough and a mutter from Reese-Riggs that could have been…was a spanner.” before he yelped and disappeared off the screen. The movement was highly suspicious, and looked like his feet had been kicked out from under him.

“Apologies for that. We’ve had trouble with some of the antigravity systems since Frontier Day,” Mason said. “Sorry sirs, what were you saying?”

Barrington resisted the urge to shake his head and answered Varen’s question. “I do think I recall the captain you mean. Looked like he could have starred in a hair product commercial.”

“It is very well kept,” Varen muttered, running his hands through his own unruly mop of hair.

An awkward silence descended on the conversation. For all their ribbing Murphy’s disappearance was concerning, he was a good officer and dependable, even if he was full of frustratingly heroic tendencies.

“You secured the chip at least, we could have lost a great deal more.” Varen chewed his cheek, the mission was at least mostly successful. With a sigh he reached for a padd nearby and held it off-screen, his eyes darting back and forth between its hidden surface and the pair of officers as RJ’s moustachioed face reappeared.

“Do you have any leads where your lost puppy could be? Have you checked behind the couch?”

“The couch, the chair and behind the TV cabinet,” Mason replied. Then he nodded toward RJ. “We do have a few leads to chase up, courtesy of Captain Reese-Riggs’ family connections.”

“Follow the money,” RJ said, straightening up. “To that end I propose that I take the Canterb—“

“-I’m sure your new Captain will take all your proposals into consideration,” the senior officer interrupted as he offered a sideways glance towards Barrington. Whisps of barely contained smiles danced at the corner of the pair’s mouths.

The Bajoran man held up a hand as RJ began to mount a protest.

“Whilst I have no doubt in your ability to lead the crew of Canterbury in what would most likely to be an explosive search and rescue attempt,” Varen began.

RJ flinched but for once, considered discretion the better part of valour.

“Command feels that a more objective point of view might be necessary to improve the chance of success. Someone with a good nose and a very loud whistle.”

Varen leant into the screen, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“And if I may offer a small piece of advice gentlemen, flirting doesn’t work as well on her as it does on me.”

With a click the comm link disappeared, leaving the pair in the silence of the ready room.

 

New Broom…

USS Canterbury
Jan 15, 2402

“So, tell me again why we’re missing the blue skies and sandy beaches of Trenalis prime?” Aaron, lying on his back on the bench opposite grumbled, throwing a ball up into the air and catching it one-handed.

Olivia recognised it. It was the stress ball from her office. She shook her head and looked back at the padd balanced on her knee. She’d wondered where it had gone… No, actually, she wondered how the hell he’d stolen it when he’d been on the other side of the door when she’d thrown it at him.

“Because, somehow, this little lot managed to lose their division CO and Theo called a favour in,” she answered mildly, making a note on one padd and handing it over to Rhys, sat next to her. He grunted in the back of his throat, and nodded, making a note. She watched him for a moment, her lips curving into a fond smile. Rhys and his handwritten notes.

“Lose their division co… who does that?” Aaron chuckled as he sat up.

She looked at him and he frowned. “Wait…what? You’re serious? They actually lost their CO? How the hell did they do that?”

“From the reports, it looks like the CO’s of both ships went on an away mission,” Rhys commented without looking up as he wrote. “Against all common sense and god knows how many regulations.”

Aaron shook his head, muttering something about the idiocy of commanding officers.

“Hey!” Liv mock-glared at him. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

“Yeah,” he rumbled, pushing to his feet only to immediately lean down and claim her lips. “My CO wife, who will absolutely not be heading out on any away missions, with or without the other CO who managed not to get himself lost.”

“Like either of you will ever let that happen,” she grumbled, just as the computer announced their approach to the USS Canterbury and the USS Resolute.

“You’d better believe it, right Rhys?” Aaron cast a glance at Rhys, who just grunted again. Like it was a given. She ignored the hint of tension between the two men and, putting her padds aside, stood up. They’d work it out. Things were always a little… off balance when a new member joined a marriage group.

Dropping into the pilot’s seat, she opened a comm to the ship in front of them. “USS Canterbury, this is Captain Olivia Thorne,acting Division commander of the Canterbury Division. We are on approach now, ETA… five minutes.”

The response was immediate, as she’d expected. There was no way a ship like the Canterbury hadn’t picked up their approach. “Canterbury to Captain Thorne. Acknowledged. Shuttlebay two is on standby for your arrival.”

“Excellent, thank you. Please ensure that Commander Vann is available on my arrival and send a message that I require to see Captain Mason at his earliest convenience please.”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

She cut the comm, altering their course to bring them around to Canterbury’s shuttlebays. Rhys and Aaron stood behind her.Aaron whistled. “That’s a Rhode Island and… holy shit, is that a Lamarr class? You bring me to the nicest places!”

Her lip quirked at the corners. “I thought you’d like that.”

“A fact you’d have known if you’d read the briefing,” Rhys grumbled, which the other two ignored as the shuttle looped around the Canterbury and she took them directly into the shuttlebay.

There was a small welcoming committee standing waiting as she set them down on the deck. Two men.

“I’m assuming that’s Commander Vann on the left,” she said, pointing out the man with the X-B implant on his face. “The other one I don’t know. It’s not Mason, that’s for sure.”

“Why?” Aaron asked, following her as they headed for the door. They’d packed light since this was a short term assignment but she still didn’t get to her pack in time before Rhys claimed it, slinging it over a broad shoulder with his.

”Mason is a llanarian,” Rhys snapped back. “They’re huge.”

She glared at him for a moment before giving up, he and Aaron were just going to have to sort their issues themselves, and headed down the boarding ramp.

Or rather, she would have, but a ‘MREoWW!’ brought her abruptly to a stop, the two men behind her almost slamming into the back of her as a black cat emerged from nowhere and trotted down the ramp like an emperor, tail held up like a furry banner.

“Well, hello… where did you come from?” she asked, arching an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at Aaron, who looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’d been on and on about wanting a pet for the last few months and she’d said no since they were being reassigned soon.

“Mreowww!” the cat stopped at the bottom of the ramp, and blinked large green-gold eyes back at her in expectation.

“Well, the chief has spoken so let’s get on with it.” She smiled, then in an undertone to Aaron. “Look after it, make sure it gets fed and doesn’t get in anyone’s way.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

She sighed as he produced a cat carrier out of nowhere. Conveniently. The newly named chief complained bitterly about being scooped up and subjected to the absolute indignity of capture.

She eyed Aaron warningly as she walked past him, Rhys at her side.

“Commander Vann,” she nodded to the former borg officer, offering her hand. “Captain Thorne.”

The commander nodded, his lips moving in what might have counted as a smile and shook her hand. Good, firm shake. Not too much pressure but not weak either. Good. A man without a need for ego. So many male officers tried to crush her hand during a shake, and if they did they quickly found out that a girl brought up on a mining colony had a grip that could crush both rocks and billiard balls.

“Welcome aboard, Captain.” He turned slightly. “Might I introduce the ship’s second officer, Commander Beck?”

“A pleasure to meet you, commander.” She inclined her head, keeping her manner reserved and professional. This was the command team who’d allowed their own CO to head out on an away mission after all.

“Likewise…” Beck shook her hand as Vann’s gaze flicked past her to her companions.

“My apologies,” he said. “We weren’t aware that you would be accompanied. I’ll ensure that the quartermaster assigns quarters for your staff.”

“No need. These are my husbands, Commander Rose and Lieutenant Vincent,” she said, introducing the two men. “Commander Rose will be taking up the empty Chief Security role aboard for the duration of my time here, and Lieutenant Vincent will be joining engineering.”

Vann nodded. “Very good ma’am. If you’d like to follow me, the captains from the Resolute should be arriving shortly. I’ve set us up in the briefing room for now.”

“Very good, lead the way commander,” she ordered, shooting Aaron a warning glance before she and Rhys followed her new (temporary) XO.

Being called to account…

USS Canterbury
Jan 2402

Olivia followed the two commander’s from the Canterbury command team, her keen gaze noting everything about the state of the ship and the crew as she passed. The Lamarr classes were rare, only about two dozen or so in service, so she’d never been aboard one before.

“As I understand it, this class can host cetacean operations departments for long range survey and charting missions,” she commented to the XO as they stepped into the turbolift. “But I didn’t see any mention of survey missions in the records? Why is that?”

To his credit, Vann met her gaze levelly. “I don’t have the answer to that, Ma’am. I was assigned to the ship just after the Captain and, at present, we don’t have any cetacean officers aboard. I do believe he had a shortlist of possibles before…”

She nodded, allowing him to trail off as they reached their stop. The doors opened on a short corridor that ran behind the bridge. It might not entirely be his fault he’d lost his captain… Murphy was a Star Fleet Captain, he’d been more that capable of making his own decisions. Even if they were bad ones.

“This way, ma’am,” said Commander Vann, sweeping out an arm as Beck peeled off, presumably to head to the bridge.

“Good ship,” Rhys leaned down to murmur by her ear. “Crew seems competent and fairly comfortable despite the circumstances.”

She nodded. She’d noted the lack of panic in the crew they’d passed in the corridors.

They were led into a large briefing room with a stunning view of the system around them, a nearby nebulae painting space in shades of pink and purple. The other division ship, the Resolute, was off their port side. She  turned to face Vann, her hands on the back of the chair in the middle of the table.

“I assume the message was sent to Captain Mason that I required his presence at his earliest convenience?”

“It was indeed,” a new, deep, voice sounded from the doorway. She turned to find what had to be the biggest captain she’d ever seen filling the frame. As she watched, he moved, or more accurately was jabbed in the ribs until he moved to reveal another captain, shorter but still above average height and more slender. Both were handsome men. The first she doubted looked in a mirror more than it took to comb his hair, while the other knew he looked good. It was written in every line of his body.

As soon as he saw her, his smile became blinding and he leaned in to murmur to his companion, “This is the new division CO? She’s stunning. I’m gonna flirt.”

She raised an eyebrow. Okay, that last line confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt who Captain two was.

“I am indeed your new division CO, Captain Riggs. And I’m afraid flirting will get you nowhere. My second husband is a consummate flirt so I am somewhat immune. Captains… perhaps you would like to take a seat?”

It wasn’t a suggestion, no matter how pleasant she kept her voice.

“Of course,” Mason, who was obviously the smarter of the two, inclined his head and took a seat. It creaked slightly under his weight. “I must say, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain Thorne. Your reputation precedes you.”

She levelled him with an assessing look as she took her own seat. She’d reviewed both their records on the way over here. Mason was a dark horse. Extensive combat experience, which was always going to be helpful in a region like the Thomar expanse,  but more interestingly to her point of view, there was a note from command that the man also had a great deal of diplomatic training that he didn’t like to own up to. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, then turned her attention to Riggs.

Who grinned. Again.

He was a different kettle of fish. His record was littered with complaints, disciplinaries, and none too complimentary performance reviews. He was a charming wildcard more known for his exploits off the bridge rather than on it. Which was a pity. From what she could see of his actual fleet service, he was a very capable Starship commander, if only he’d managed to hold onto the centre seat.

“I have to say, that both your reputation precedes you,” she replied mildly, sliding a quick glance at Rhys, who handed over her padd from her bag. “And that is not a good thing.”

“I’m sorry,” Riggs said suddenly, turning that blinding smile on Rhys. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure, Commander…?”

“Commander Rose-Thorne,” Rhys replied, surprising her by using his full name.

She saw the moment the name registered with Riggs and he looked back at her again. “Ah, the charming second husband.”

“First husband,” Rhys growled, still glaring at Riggs. “Second’s down in engineering.”

Riggs’ smile widened.

If you don’t mind,” she said, her voice like a whip as she nipped that little conversation in the bud. “I’d like to get back to the matter at hand. Namely the current whereabouts of the captain of the Canterbury, and how you came to… what was the phrase?”

She looked down and pretended to read the report in front of her. Rhys leaned over and pointed out a section. She bit back her smile. It was about waste management facilities on the Lamarr class. She didn’t need to ask his opinion of Riggs then… 

“Ahh yes… here it is. You apparently ‘lost’ your division CO. Would you care to explain?” She put the padd aside and leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table as she looked at them.

“We’ll start with you, Captain Riggs.”

Wait… what?

USS Canterbury Briefing Room
Jan 2402

“Perhaps, I should take the lead on this one,” Mason interrupted smoothly. “Since Captain Riggs is an observer on my ship and therefore under my command.”

Captain Thorne’s dark gaze cut to him. Her elegantly shaped eyebrow arched, just slightly.

“You could, Captain Mason, but you won’t. You are both captains, and you are both culpable for the loss of your division CO.” she carried on, leaning forward, forearms resting on the table to lace her fingers together. “Which is why Captain Reese-Riggs is going first.”

Instantly, he understood their TFCO’s warning. Olivia Thorne was steel through and through. Flirting wasn’t going to work. Especially not with Commander Rose-Thorne glaring at them like he planned to rip their spines out through… unmentionable locations if they even thought about trying.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem that RJ had gotten the memo, or if he had, he didn’t care.

“I will, but I warn you, nice guys always finish la—“

Thorne’s eyebrow arched more.

“Are you sure you want to complete that sentence, Captain Riggs?” she asked mildly as she reached for her padd to make a note.

Giving a slight cough, he shifted position in his chair and plastered the most charming smile Mason had ever seen on his face. “My apologies, ma’am. I agree, that conversation is best left for more… intimate surroundings.”

Mason leaned back in his chair, his expression neutral as he watched RJ adjust his approach on the fly.

“Well, I suppose I should start with the fact that Captain Murphy was well aware of the risks we were undertaking when we planned the mission.” RJ sat back, and it was like looking at a different person. “Given the highly dangerous nature of the technology we were tasked to recover and the fact that those in possession of it were aware that a Starfleet team would be dispatched, we had to resort to a somewhat irregular mission plan.”

Damn… Mason blinked, but the same ‘new’ RJ sat in front of him. His expression was serious and his focus didn’t switch from Captain Thorne one iota.

She tilted her head. “Interesting. Would you care to elaborate on this ‘irregular’ mission plan?”

“Perhaps I should just break in he—“ Mason tried, but she held her hand up to stop him, still looking at RJ.

“Well,” RJ sat back, crossing one leg lazily over the other. He looked totally at ease. “Given that we knew they’d be expecting a starfleet team, we leaned into it. Captain Murphy took on the role of bait.”

“Bait?”

RJ didn’t even blink. “He played the part of the starfleet officer undercover, while the secondary and tertiary teams—“

“Secondary and tertiary teams?” Surprise washed over her face. “Explain. How many starfleet personnel did you involve in this… highly unorthodox approach?”

“Four,” RJ said promptly. “Maybe five.”

Rose-Thorne’s glare intensified as Captain Thorne tilted her head, her voice dangerously mild. “Maybe five? Over three teams?”

“Well,” RJ shrugged. “Captain Mason counts as a whole team all by himself. Murphy was with Rennox, since neither of them could operate undercover if their lives depended on it, they were our distraction. Which left me with Vayne.”

“The ‘maybe’ fifth?”

He nodded. “Vayne was our way into the black market auction where the tech was being sold off. I suspect he was undercover something or other though. He knew our protocols and procedures far too well not to be.”

Mason grunted. Interesting that RJ had picked that up.

“We made the auction, where our targets attention was on Murphy and Rennox. Then we created a diversion so that we could snatch the tech out from under their noses.”

“Yes… so I read in the report,” the new division CO said, looking down at her padd. Presumably it had a copy of their action report on it. “But this appears to be where they snatched Murphy out from under your noses.”

She looked up. “What diversion did you use?”

“I beg your pardon, ma’am?”

For the first time RJ looked surprised, and Mason took the opening. 

“I made a pass at him,” he explained. “And Vayne picked a fight. He slammed me into the table, or I slammed him into the table. It broke and chaos ensued.”

“Then the orions opened fire,” RJ cut in. “The lights went out and there was an explosion.”

Thorne rubbed her temples, looking a lot like most senior officers they came into contact with.

”Why would this Vayne pick a fight… actually, no, I don’t want to know,” she sighed.

“Okay, the notes on this report say you have a plan to track down Captain Murphy’s current whereabouts. Do you want to run me through your ideas before I end up with a headache trying to figure out your thought processes?”

Waking the Bear…

Shuttle enroute to the USS Canterbury and the USS Resolute
Jan 2402

It was like sitting next to a sleeping bear.

Well, not quite literally. He didn’t snore, though, in the small confines of the shuttle, she could easily hear his breathing from what seemed to be a sound sleep. Like someone who had just plopped down and gone into hibernation in a matter of moments. She never could figure out how to do that and she was often envious of the people who could.

When Catriona first boarded the shuttle, she wasn’t too surprised to find that she wasn’t the only passenger onboard. Before she served on ships, she was a diplomatic officer assigned to foreign missions so she was very well versed in living out of a suitcase and saw the interior of shuttles far too frequently than most pilots did. She’d met all kinds of people during her travels which often presented interesting interactions.

The back of the Type 11 Shuttlecraft was devoid of supply crates so it was clear to her that this was purely a personnel transfer, but after pleasantly greeting the two pilots who would be taking them to their final destination, she went to one of the empty seats in the passenger cabin and made herself comfortable.

Her attention went back to Mister Bear.

She didn’t sit that far away from him. She didn’t feel threatened by him so she didn’t bother keeping her distance. He was still soundly sleeping in his corner, dressed in a military uniform she didn’t recognize. Definitely not Starfleet, and unlike her clean and pressed tailored uniform, she could tell his had seen the battlefield, maybe even recently. And even with him doing his best to slouch down and be comfortable, she could tell he was a big man and the muscles underneath his shirt were definitely real. She couldn’t see his face, his cover had obscured the top half to shield his eyes from the bright cabin light, but she could see what looked like to be a scar, marring his face.

Somehow that just made him seem even more interesting.

Not wanting to be rude and scrutinize the sleeping man further, Catriona decided to have a little snack. She was a bit hungry, not having had a chance to eat before she left. Her friend had given her the pickup time well in advance, but it wasn’t until that morning that she received an update from the pilot that they were arriving earlier than expected.

She barely had time to pack up everything she was doing and reach the starport just in time.

She didn’t have time to cook a meal before she left, she was preoccupied with something else she was making in her oven. Her new assignment was a big deal and meeting her friend after a long time, she wanted to give her and her new comrades something to enjoy from the bottom of her heart. She’d brought plenty, perhaps a little too much, but then she always liked to make extra. Taking out one of the insulated boxes from her carry-on, she took off the lid and the sweet scent of freshly made pastries began to waft within the cabin.

Jayce’s nose twitched, his stomach informing him that he hadn’t eaten for… yeah, he didn’t want to think about that, or what his last meal had likely been. Something slopped into a mess tin and eaten hastily. He couldn’t recall the details. The last few days had merged into one. 

Lifting a hand, he pushed his cap back, squinting against the cabin lights as they stabbed into his eyes. A young woman in a starfleet uniform sat opposite. She was a pretty little thing, all blonde hair and blue eyes. Instantly, he felt grubby. Well, he actually was grubby, there was at least a couple of days of dirt on his clothing. 

His attention latched onto the box in her hand as his stomach grumbled loudly. Where they… donuts?

A squirt of sanitizer from her purse wasn’t enough for Catriona, she took out a tissue to pick up one of the glazed donuts from the box. They were still warm, the insulation doing its job well in preserving the food, and looked as delicious as it smelled.

But before she could take a bite, Mister Bear’s breathing changed and a moment later, the unmistakable sound of a grumbling stomach reached her ears. She turned and realized that her fellow traveler was now awake and was eyeing her food like a predator that had spotted its prey.

He was handsome, and yet much more intimidating now that he was awake. He was clearly a warrior though even if he wasn’t Starfleet, he surely was friendly if he was on this shuttle, wasn’t he?

She offered him a smile, followed by the box of donuts that she held out to him. “Hello. Would you like some?”

He blinked the rest of the sleep from his brain and sat up, abs bunching under his grimy t-shirt. He’d been aware of the second stop the shuttle had made but hadn’t paid it much mind. No one had gotten close enough to him for him to worry over much, and if they had, his instincts would have brought him out of his doze. Now he wished they had. His companion was pretty as hell and she had food. 

“Only if you’re sure,” he said, voice raspy from sleep as he eyed the box. They looked homemade. 

She chuckled as she stood up to hand him the box. She was taller than most women but being this close to him, his presence seemed even more prominent. “I made plenty,” she offered. “Please have some. Or would you prefer brownies? I have some of that too.”

“Marry me,” he said instantly, a grin across his features as he reached for a donut. He flicked her a look, gaze settling on the rank on her collar for a moment. “Brains and cooking? You have to be the perfect woman.”

 

The mask, lifted…

USS Canterbury
Jan, 2402

“What the hell was all that?” Mason rumbled as they stepped into the turbolift after they left the briefing room. He’d been through some tough debriefs in his time, but Captain Thorne had put them through the wringer and then some.

Right now though, he wasn’t bothered about that. The woman knew her stuff and as such, had his respect. He’d expected that after reading everything he could on her.

That wasn’t what he was interested in though. What he was interested in was the man next to him.

RJ slid him a sideways glance, his lips quirking. “What?”

He turned, his voice sharper. “Don’t you ‘what’ me. Where did all that come from in there?”

RJ just winked at him, which only made his temper rise more.

“I’m fucking serious RJ!” he growled, crowding the other captain. “You could have gotten yourself out of the shit months ago acting like that instead of…”

He turned away suddenly, shoving a hand through his hair. He’d kept RJ under his wing, shielding him from his own stupid decisions for months, and now… knowing that was underneath all the time. He felt like a damn fool. 

“Instead of what?” The question was silky smooth, and right behind him.

Mason whirled around, shoved the smaller man back against the wall and followed it up with a hard forearm in his throat. Pinning him to the wall as he glared down at him. “That man back in there. The capable one with his shit together. That one.”

He shoved a little harder, not missing the fact that RJ hadn’t moved to protect himself. Most people would have been freaking out right about now, but he just stood there, looking back with that damned irritating little look in his eyes. Like he was smiling. Like he was remembering the last time they’d been in this position.

It made him feel offset. And Mason didn’t often feel offset. He didn’t like to feel offset. His voice was lower as he spoke again, “And the fact I’m fairly sure you know at least three ways to put me down right now without breaking a sweat.”

The door pinged before it opened but neither of them looked away, their gazes still locked in a battle of wills.

There was a snort, then a female voice sneered.

“For fuck’s sake, Mason, get a freaking room would you.”

 

RJ watched as surprise flared across Mason’s face, chasing away the dark look in his eyes that had been there a second before. A second later he grunted slightly, the air shoved from his lungs as Mason pushed off from him bodily.

“Bennett,” the big man nodded as he turned to stand at the back of the lift, hands behind his back in the utter image of a former soldier as he stared at the wall to the side of the door. Interesting, he’d never seen the big man react like that before.

Getting his heartrate under control, he turned to look at the new arrival in the lift. Blonde, tall and muscular, she reminded him of images he’d seen of amazonians during his schooling. There was no way she wasn’t another Llanarian. And then…

“Did you say Bennett?” he asked, frowning as he looked at her. “Any relation to Dayne Bennett from the Resolute?”

Her hard gaze snapped to him and for a moment he was sure she’d say something like because he was human, did he know the Earth President or something but then she inclined her head, just slightly. “He’s my twin.”

RJ’s eyes widened a little at that. But then he saw it, they both held themselves the same way, something about set around the eyes…

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said, a smile spreading over his face as he stepped forward, offering his hand. “RJ Reese-Riggs. Observer on the Resolute.”

She nodded, stepping fully into the lift and ordering Engineering in a low voice before she reached out to shake his hand. It was a firm grip, but he hadn’t expected anything less.

“Vix Bennett. Canterbury CEO.” Chief engineering officer, like her brother. And she was about as talkative as Dayne. Unlike Dayne though, she seemed to be doing her level best to ignore Mason standing with them in the lift, just as much as he was her. There was history there for sure.

“It’s a real pleasure to meet you. You’re much better looking than your brother, that’s for sure.”

She gave a small noise, like a feminine version of Mason’s grunt. Perhaps it was something all Llanarian’s did? Like a species thing? Was that a response to his subtle flirting? But then, Mason and Dayne were both about as subtle as thrown bricks so perhaps she hadn’t registered it?

“Have you ever been on the Resolute to visit your brother?” He turned, leaning on the wall to watch her. She was the same height as he was, which was nice, he didn’t have to crick his neck looking down at her. “If you wanted, I’d be more than happy to show you around the ship.”

She slid him a sideways glance, and raised an eyebrow. “On a Rhode Island? What would that take, all of five minutes?”

He grinned. “Oh, I’m very good at making things… last?”

She gave him a look as the lift slowed at her stop. “Be careful, captain, I might just take you up on your offer.”

And with that, she left him alone in the lift with the silent monolith that was Mason. 

He turned and eyed the big man, “So… that amount of tension. Ex-lover?”

Long Distance Situationship?

Shuttle enroute to the USS Canterbury and the USS Resolute
Jan, 2402

Catriona laughed at the unexpected quip and compliment. He had a nice smile, something that instantly did away with any sense of severity he might have, not that she was scared of him. “Thank you kindly. Shall we then? Though I’m afraid I didn’t pack a wedding dress with me this time,” she drawled.

He grinned, patting his pack. “No worries, I brought mine,” he said and demolished the donut in large bites. He sighed in pleasure, his eyes closed for a moment, communing with the donut on what felt like a soul-deep level. It was heaven.

Opening his eyes, he swallowed and offered her a hand that felt huge compared to her little, dainty one. “Andrews, headed for the Resolute.”

She set her own donut down back in the box, napkin still wrapped neatly around the bottom, before shaking his offered hand. He was strong, she could tell just from the pressure, and his palms were rough from hard work, but he was surprisingly gentle which put her more at ease. Thoughseeing him thoroughly enjoy her handmade pastry like he was experiencing a transcendent revelation had her a little giddy. “Nice to meet you,” she offered with a smile. “I’m Catriona Holliday, bound for the Canterbury.”

She paused their conversation for a quick moment, quick enough for her to retrieve her big oversized carry-on and take out another box and a silver vacuum flask. No longer shy in joining him for company, she sat next to him and opened her offering which contained several squares of brownies as the scent of chocolate and caramel hit them squarely in their faces.

“Triple chocolate fudge, with hazelnut and caramel,” she said with a proud grin. “Though, I hope you’re not someone who dislikes sweets. Sadly that’s all I have, and this coffee.”

“I’d offer you mine, but all I have is water and nutrient bars,” he admitted, moving his pack out of her way. He didn’t want to get dirt on her clean uniform. “And no, I don’t dislike sweets… quite the opposite.” He selected a brownie with a murmur of thanks. “Sure I can’t persuade you to transfer to the Resolute?”

“Oh that won’t do,” she said at his mention of his own provisions, wondering if that’s all he had to subsist on until now. Realizing that, she became determined to feed this man until he was full. “Don’t worry, there’s plenty to fill your belly so please enjoy. I baked a little too much and there’s still more in my other luggage. I just wish I made something proper for a meal. Maybe some salisbury steak or lasagna.”

“Is that to further your marriage proposal, good sir?” She chuckled as she picked up her donut and took a modest bite before breaking out the coffee and taking a sip from the small metal cup. “Would you like some?”

“Coffee? Fuck yes, always.” He sat up a little straighter, realised he was looming and slouched back down. “Yes. I’m exec on the Resolute which means bigger quarters,” he added as if that would seal the deal. “I mean, it’s a tin can so bigger quarters mean something the size of a broom closet but still…”

“A man after my own heart,” she grinned as she offered him a fresh cup then sighed as if having to break to him some bad news. “Sadly, I’m afraid it’s expressly written in my commission that I must have a bed no smaller than queen-sized. If we force that in your quarters, I’m afraid it’ll just be too cramped for someone as big as you. Not to mention I have a little too much luggage. How will we ever live?”

He tsked, shaking his head. “Well damn, I really thought that would seal the deal as well. Although,” he dropped a look back to the rank on her collar again. “I highly suspect that your quarters on the Canterbury will fit mine in three times over. Department head? Let me guess…” He tilted his head. She had the easy bedside manner of medical, or maybe counselling, but the red didn’t match. There was no way she was a pilot, she just didn’t have that edge most of them did. “Strategic something? Am I right?”

“Oh my,” she said as she crossed her legs and leaned slightly back into her seat as she smiled at him. “I didn’t realize I had this impression of an expert strategist and troubleshooter. I’m flattered.” She didn’t want to keep him guessing though, especially since he was nice enough to offer the fact that he was indeed a Starfleet officer and the XO for the Resolute. “I was headhunted to be the new Executive Officer of the Canterbury. My old ship underwent its first major refit not too long ago and I was in between assignments. My new captain was kind enough to pick me for the job.”

She sighed and gazed at him wistfully after taking a sip of her coffee. “Sadly, this means we won’t be able to share quarters.”

He winked. “Well, we’ll be working together on division ships, so we’ll have to make do with longing glances and a long-distance relationship.”

Catriona laughed at that. “It seems so. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.”

Noticing the not-so-subtle glances from the front of the shuttle, she excused herself for a moment and went over to the cockpit to give the two pilots some of the pastries too. The two officers were reluctant to accept at first, even though they were both eyeing the donuts and brownies almost the same way as Jayce did, but all she did was leave the container on the center console and she smiled to herself when she heard the two quickly dig in as soon as her back was turned.

On your marks…

Shuttle en-route to the USS Canterbury
Jan 2402

Jayce took the opportunity while his charming travelling companion was otherwise engaged to make a quick change. Standing, he stretched, rubbing the kinks out of his back. He’d been travelling on various transports for the last couple of days to get back to the Resolute, to the point he was having dreams about an actual bed.

Looking over his shoulder to make sure Catriona was still talking to the pilots, he shucked his boots and clothes quickly. Rooting in his pack, he managed to get his uniform pants back on before he heard a gasp behind him.

Catriona wasn’t expecting to suddenly be face to face with a shirtless bear of a man but having come back from the cockpit just a few feet ahead, that’s exactly what happened.

He was big. And while he was taller than she was, which wasn’t too hard since she was only 5’7”, if she thought he was massive while sitting down in his chair, he looked even more imposing with his shirt off and standing up. His muscles had muscles, and everything was so finely defined that he clearly spent a lot of time and effort in taking care of himself. This kind of physique wasn’t something anyone could have just from going to the gym. His body was a reflection of his will and discipline.

And she had to admit, he looked really good.

His broad muscled chest was easily almost twice the width of her own body, and perhaps it was her past unexpectedly making a resurgence but she kept having this impulse to reach over and touch his chest. How she managed to resist that, she didn’t know.

Even his thighs and legs were massive, the corded muscles underneath his skin hinted at by his trousers that were neither too loose nor too tight. The man didn’t skip leg day even once.

The cockpit was somewhat separated from the passenger cabin but not by much, so Catriona was mindful of the volume of her voice when she uttered a sincere compliment.

“Wow, you have an amazing body,” she gushed. “You take really good care of yourself.”

Andrews was blunt to a fault, and he used that to his advantage. When no one (not even him at times) knew what was going to come out of his mouth, he could use that to his advantage. But her murmured comment sent a rush of warmth through him.

”Errr… thank you,” he managed, as heat flared over his cheeks. A blush, seriously? What the hell was with that? Still, she was watching him so he stood up a little straighter, unable to help flexing to show himself off.

Catriona’s smile broadened when she saw the color on his cheeks and suddenly, it was like all those years ago when she was apprenticing in the hallowed halls of the central shrine. Before long, she had closed the distance between them, seemingly mesmerized by the play of muscles rippling under his skin, but at the very last moment, she managed to stop herself from reaching out with her hand, in an effort to see the state of his body.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her turn to blush as she pulled her hand back. “It’s an old occupational hazard. You must occasionally get some stiffness in the muscles here and here, don’t you?” She asked as she gestured towards his upper chest and shoulders.

He froze as she almost touched him, the air between them thick with sudden tension.

“Yeah,” he admitted, his voice rough as he tracked her movements like a hawk. “And in the lats.”

“I think some heat treatment that goes into deeper tissue with massage would do wonders for you. It would also help get rid of some stiffness if you overdo it sometimes,” she said with a chuckle. “More magnesium and vitamin E would also be nice, maybe supplements if you can’t get more in your diet.”

He looked down at her with surprise. “Yeah? The physio’s I’ve seen on and off keep banging on about stuff like that. It helps?”

“The heat therapy would quite immediately will,” she said. “Though it will have to be constant since you regularly maintain your physique. The same with the diet but while it won’t yield immediate results, it will help keep your muscles more resilient and quicker to heal in the long run. You should see a doctor about that.”

Not wanting to be tempted to touch again, Catriona turned to retrieve her donut, or at least what was left of it and demolished it in one more bite before picking up a still-warm brownie and indulged. “Not many people in your position tend to have physiques like you do. But considering the uniform you were wearing before, I guess your reason for maintaining your body in that state must be more practical than I thought.”

He looked at the dusty uniform by his pack and his lips quirked. “That, and wait until you see the Resolute’s CO. Dude could make a galactic bodybuilding champion want to hide under a rock.”

Realising he was stood there in the middle of the shuttle naked to the waist while she ate the donut and watched him like he was a snack, he snatched up his undershirt and pulled it on. Dressing quickly, he watched her. “That kind of knowledge is specific. You had issues yourself?”

“Oh my, so the command team on the Resolute are both big strapping gentlemen,” she said with a smile and offered him the box of brownies as soon as he was done putting on his uniform.

“If only I had you both during some particularly difficult negotiations I’ve had before, it would have gone a lot more smoothly,” she said with a chuckle. “Simply standing there and being your charming selves would have spared me and my team so much headaches.”

At his question, she shook her head. “No, I’ve never had those problems. Rather a long time ago, I was the one who helped people.”

He tilted his head as he did up his uniform jacket and reached up to clip his rank to his collar. So she’d had a career before the fleet. Interesting. But there was a hint of something that crossed her face that warned him not to press too much on that.

”Oh yeah, Mason and I can play dumb grunt to perfection,” he grinned. “Just call if you want someone glared at.”

She smiled back. “Lovely! Then if the need ever arises, I shall kindly rely on you both. I’m afraid my presence isn’t quite as imposing or I would have gladly used it to my advantage already.” She lifted her arm and stared at her bicep as she flexed it. “Perhaps I should consider improving my physique as well.”

He grinned. “Well, if you ever need a spotter, I’m your guy.”

Not long after that, they received an announcement from the cockpit that they were on now entering the flight control zone of the Canterbury, which meant that they were now communicating with flight control for their approach. Catriona smoothly did away with the leavings of their snack with the practiced motions of a professional, and in no time at all, she’d put away everything back in her carry-on.

Rather than sit where she originally sat down, she chose to sit next to her new friend and buckle in. As the shuttle made its approach, she took out a compact from her purse and retouched her tinted lip gloss before one last check of her reflection to make sure she was presentable. It wouldn’t do to show up with crumbs on her uniform or some caramel sauce smeared on her cheek.

Realizing Jayce might have the same problem, she turned and gave him a quick once over before taking out her packet of disposable wet wipes and extending it to him. “Since we can’t wash our hands,” she offered with a smile.

”On final approach to the Canterbury now, sirs,” the pilot called from the cockpit.

“Thank you,” he rumbled in a deep voice, managing to hide his surprise as he took it and cleaned off his hands. She wasn’t at all what he expected from his opposite number on the Canterbury. “I can already see I’m going to like working with you.”

“Likewise! It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Saved by the Bell?

USS Canterbury
Jan 2402

“Captain Mason, please be advised that Commander Andrews has arrived on the Canterbury. Please report to shuttlebay two.”

Saved by the bell.

Mason grunted at the notification from the Canterbury’s bridge officer and completely ignored RJ’s question. He wasn’t in the mood to explain the complicated situation with Vixara Bennett to someone who hadn’t lived through the same war they had. To someone who didn’t know Raal…

“Thank you,” he replied to the notification. “We’re on our way now.”

They’d been informed of the change in XO during the meeting with Captain Thorne and while the loss of Zale was a bit of a blow—although, he couldn’t blame the woman, he had blatantly ignored all her suggestions since she’d been aboard—he couldn’t help but be relieved that Andrews was on his way back. He’d served as Mason’s XO for a few years before his extended personal leave, and Andrews knew the way he worked. He wouldn’t have to explain to the guy why he did what he did all the time.

“We?” RJ challenged with a raise of his eyebrow.

“We,” he said firmly, meeting RJ’s challenge with one of his own. “Unless you want to head on back to the Resolute on your own?”

Given what had happened, he’d half expected Thorne to remove RJ from the Resolute, but she hadn’t. But he was still on an odd no-man’s land, not quite command crew, but too qualified to be an XO. To be Mason’s XO.

Even an hour ago, Mason would have said that was qualified on paper and command knew that RJ was a wildcard who couldn’t be trusted. Who needed the guiding hand of a more experienced commander. Now? After that little display in the briefing room? He wasn’t so sure.

“Nope.” RJ struggled, that playboy smile settling over his face again. “I’m quite happy to tag along. Especially after everything I’ve heard about Andrews. Is it true he’s the only one to ever beat Kovash at arm wrestling?”

Mason narrowed his eyes. What game was RJ playing?

“Yes.” The lift pinged their arrival and the door swept open. He swept an arm out, letting RJ exit before him. “But only because he kissed her and she hit him instead.”

RJ grinned over his shoulder. “A man after my own heart.”

Mason grunted, nodding at an ensign who had plastered herself against the side of the corridor, looking up at him in surprise. Seriously, the Canterbury had a Bennett aboard… he wasn’t that unusual a size.

It was a short walk to the shuttlebay, where a shuttle was just on it’s approach in. Standing to the side of the door out of the way, Mason folded his arms over his broad chest.

“I’m onto you, you know,” he rumbled, deliberately not looking at RJ. “You’re not going to get away with hiding now.”

A warm welcome…

USS Canterbury
Feb 2402

The landing was smooth, and Andrews was on his feet before the doors began to open, turning to his companion and holding his hand out for her bags. “Here, let me get those for you.”

“My a gentleman,” she gushed, gladly handing him one of her larger carry-ons. “Thank you, kind sir.”

This left Catriona with her smaller tote bag which hung from the crook of her arm and her purse that she held with one hand. Starfleet officers didn’t normally carry so much luggage when traveling between ports and billets, but the beautiful thing about being a member of the diplomatic corps was that one had some nice perks to go with the job, and one of them was special logistics privileges that very few people say they share.

As they stepped out onto the cold hard floor of the shuttle bay, she watched as the deckhands made short work of unloading the rest of her things and loading them onto a grav sled. Catriona marveled at the interior of her new home for the immediate future. She’d already seen how good the Canterbury looked from the outside, a state-of-the-art vessel that was far superior in most ways compared to the Cherbourg. But while the interior was just as impressive, it was clear to her that despite the ship having the latest that Starfleet had to offer, it was more utilitarian than her previous posting which boasted some of the finest in comfort and accommodation that Starfleet could fit inside a starship.

But her new home wasn’t bad, not bad at all.

She turned and graced her traveling companion with a wistful smile and a matching sigh. “It seems that this is where we will be parting ways,” she said. “That is… unless you have some sort of business aboard the Canterbury?”

Andrews added her carry-on to the grav sled and nodded toward the two men walking over the deck toward them. Mason he recognised, the big lug was unmistakeable, but the other guy he’d never seen before. 

“That’s my business right there,” he said, nodding toward them. “Captain Mason is the big one, dunno who the other one is.”

Catriona couldn’t help but leave the hopeful inflection at the end of her question even as Jayce accompanied her off the shuttle. But even as he revealed that he wasn’t leaving just yet, the sight of the two men coming their way immediately stifled the reply already on her lips.

She might not have had enough time to read up on everything that she could learn to make things easier for her on her new assignment, but at the very least she’d read the information packet sent to her before her departure so she recognized the man her companion identified as Captain Mason.

Captain Raan Mason, commanding officer of the USS Resolute; the other command involved in the situation that brought her here. While Jayce was a big bear of a man, his new commanding officer looked like a bigger brother to him. Now she wondered if Jayce was a Llanarian too. Considering his imposing size and physique, it would make a lot of sense. However, just like her travel companion, had this atmosphere of danger much like a bear.

On the other hand, the other man did as well in a different way

She didn’t recognize him either, either he was someone new or his file wasn’t in the ones she hadn’t yet read on the way over. Not that Jayce or his new CO weren’t good-looking, but this third man was handsome and he knew it full well. He had the air of confidence of someone who always got what they wanted, and as a diplomat, this was the sort of opponent that Catriona was always wary of. The man looked like trouble.

Watching them approach and studying their body language, she quickly noticed something subtle between the two men. It was a tiny detail, and she wasn’t completely sure what it meant, but she was sure she wasn’t mistaken in seeing it.

Interesting.

She quickly glanced at Jayce’s shirt, wanting to be sure he didn’t have any crumbs on his uniform. She wasn’t worried about herself, she’d already made sure she was presentable. She quickly put on a smile but remained quiet, letting her travel companion do all the talking.

ANDREWS! ‘BOUT TIME YOU GOT YOUR ASS BACK HERE!” Mason roared before he was halfway across the shuttlebay. 

Jayce grinned, and walked forward. The two men collided in the middle of the bay, in a bear hug with back slaps that would have put a shoulder out on smaller individuals. 

“Well, I did take the scenic route through as many battlefields as I could, try and match your score,” Jayce chuckled. “How’s that handsome beast of a husband of yours? Kicked your ugly mug to the curb yet?”

Mason snorted. “You wish. Thais is good, thanks. His kid just graduated the academy.”

“Seriously? That’s awesome. Congrats!”

Mason’s grin was wide as he looked down, gripping Jayce by the shoulder. “Hell, lad, did you find a gym and eat it or something?” 

Catriona watched quietly with keen interest as the encounter played itself out before her. Hearing about a spouse being mentioned, a man named Thais, she filed away that information involving the Resolute’s captain. But while not unusual, she found it curious that he referred to his husband’s child in that particular phrasing.

But what she found even more interesting was the other gentleman’s reaction to the news.

She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but it felt like she was watching a soap opera play out before her. How exciting!

Jayce snorted, then remembered his manners and turned to his companion. “Commander Holliday, please let me introduce Captain Mason, CO of the Resolute.” He leaned in a little toward Mason. “Commander Holliday is my opposite number on the Canterbury.”

Mason smiled as he offered his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, commander.”

She regarded him warmly and shook his hand, an action she must have done thousands of times, yet each one was always different, just as diverse as the people she’d met throughout her life. This man was the same way; a good firm handshake but not overpowering, and a sense of care that came from a gentleman and someone who has spent a considerable amount of time being responsible for the fate of others. He was similar in many ways to Jayce but yet different.

“The pleasure is all mine, sir,” she replied. “Commander Andrews was quite animated talking about his return to your ship when we met on the shuttle. He also said that I could count on the both of you should I ever need to intimidate someone on particularly tough negotiations.”

“Did he now?” Mason’s lips quirked and he inclined his head. “Well, we do have a certain… look about us, don’t we?” 

Turning slightly, he caught RJ’s eye. “Commander Holliday, can I introduce Captain Reese-Riggs, currently an observer on the Resolute.” 

She was the one who held out her hand this time, regarding him pleasantly with that diplomat’s smile she often sported on her face. “How do you do, Captain? Catriona Holliday. It’s a pleasure.”

“Please,” he smiled, taking her hand to shake. “Call me RJ, all my friends do.” 

His smile was charming as he stepped in slightly, and lifted her hand to place a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you. I must say, given your captain and now you, I’ll have to put in a request to transfer to the Canterbury, the scenery is much nicer.” 

“Goodness, how flattering,” Catriona gushed at his compliment. “My and I wouldn’t have thought I would meet someone with such a way with words outside of a diplomatic posting. But I must say Captain Mason and Commander Andrews are striking gentlemen, aren’t they? Much like yourself.”

RJ’s grin widened. “Oh, Command won’t let me anywhere near diplomacy. Or diplomats. Or in fact, any official function. I am, resolutely, the black sheep of the fleet.”

She smirked at that declaration. “Alas, that means our paths wouldn’t have crossed before my recent assignment here given most of my career was in the diplomatic corps. You must be one of those gentlemen we were warned about.”

He winked. “Oh, not ‘one of’, I am ‘the’ man they would have warned you about.” 

“How dangerous,” she drawled. “I must be mindful to take care then.”

First Impressions

USS Canterbury
2402

Olivia leaned back in her chair after the two captains left, and looked at Rhys, one eyebrow raised.

He answered the unspoken question.

“They’re both wildcards,” he said, his deep voice a rumble that had always been pleasing to her. “On the surface, Riggs more than Mason… but I’d watch the other one more. Riggs is dangerous, but Mason?” He shrugged. “He’s dug in like an takavalian spider. Pulling strings around him.”

She nodded, agreeing with Rhys’s assessment. He came over as the grumpy security officer (which he was) and overly possessive of her (which he was but she’d rarely seen him express so overtly), but he was extremely observant, and picked up body language like no one else she knew.

“Riggs surprised Mason though,” she commented, sliding the tip of a shaped nail around the edge of her padd screen. “Did you see it?”

He nodded. “He’s a chameleon. Guys like that always are.”

She didn’t let her expression change even at the charged note in his voice. He was talking about Aaron, who was just as charming as Riggs and, when pushed, flipped to serious in just the same manner.

“They do tend to be.” Refusing to be drawn on that, she gathered her padds. “Okay, our new XO should be arriving shortly, but until then, let’s get on with things, shall we?”

Rhys grunted as she levered herself to her feet. She smiled down at him. “I believe you have a new department to go and scowl at.”

He stood up, deliberately looming over her, so close that her skin prickled. “You like my scowl,” he reminded her, his voice low.

“I like you,” she chuckled, pushing at his arm. It was like pushing a rock. “The scowl, maybe. The difference is, you don’t intimidate me.”

He grumbled again in the back of his throat, watching her. Even though they were alone in the briefing room, she knew he wouldn’t kiss her. He never did when they were on duty, unlike Aaron, who did whenever he thought he could get away with it.

“Don’t be late for dinner,” he told her and, turning, left the briefing room. She watched him go, appreciating the way his uniform fit since there was no one present to see her, and followed him at a slower pace.

Emerging onto the bridge, she waved down the bright spark who started to announce ‘captain on the bridge’. She’d have to rescind that protocol. Immediately.

Crossing the bridge, she settled in the center chair, aware of everyone’s eyes on her and crossed one leg elegantly over the other.

“Mr. Thayer,” she addressed the chief helm officer, even as she typed on the small console on her chair. “Lay in the following course please. Warp 6 on my mark.

“Aye, captain.” The reply was smooth, even if she caught a slight hint of surprise that she knew his name already. Which she did, just like she knew the Chief Science officer, Steele, was currently at his bridge station and that the tall woman who’d just walked through the door was Lieutenant Commander Bennett. Followed swiftly by Aaron, who winked at her. She raised an eyebrow, but then ignored him. 

“Computer, is Commander Holliday aboard yet?”

“Yes, captain. Commander Holliday reported aboard five minutes ago.”

Excellent. Transporter room, this is the captain, have Captain’s Mason and Riggs transported over to the Resolute?”

Aye captain. The two captain’s and a commander transported back over to the Resolute a few moments ago.”

“Thank you.” Olivia sat back in her chair. The commander would be the Resolute’s new XO, Commander Andrews. She’d scanned his record, but he was Mason’s preferred pick for the position. Seemed he’d served with Mason before and, despite the Murphy debacle, Mason had a good, if unorthodox, track record.

“Ops, open a shipwide channel please… Good morning, this is Captain Thorne speaking. As of my arrival a few hours ago, I have taken command in Captain Murphy’s absence. I would like to assure you that while I have been assigned command of the Canterbury, this does not mean the search for Captain Murphy has been abandoned. We will, working with the Resolute, be continuing the search. You have my word that we will find him.”

She nodded to the ops officer to cut the comm and said, “Please send a notification that I want to see all department heads in the conference room in one hour please.”

”Aye ma’am.”