The air smelled sweet as Tia sucked in a deep breath through her nose. She felt tempted to pinch herself to ensure she wasn’t dreaming, but she wouldn’t allow herself such an impulsive gesture as she was certain every eye of her new crew would be upon her as they assessed their new captain. Her heart swelled with pride as she surveyed the USS Tesla. The ship had been undergoing repairs since the mission to Ryex, a mission that would always have a special place in her memory. She grinned as she recalled her time with Chung, Kula, and Richardson. They had proved themselves to her and she was thrilled when they had agreed to come with her over to the crew of the Tesla. The thought of taking over the ship with an entirely new crew had somewhat terrified her, and she was thankful to have a few familiar faces on her roster.

The smile slowly faded from her face and a quick frown flitted across her features as her mind pulled her to less pleasurable memories. Saying goodbye to the crew she had left behind proved difficult, with some goodbyes being far tougher than others. With a slight shake of her head, she dismissed that particular memory and forced her feet into motion. The past was behind her and she would not allow it to cause her any uncertainty. As a new captain, she had a lot to prove and she would not allow her new crew to witness any sign of wavering or doubt. Making her way aboard the renovated ship, she strode down the corridors to her quarters with clipped steps. Her eyes remained steadily in front of her, her chin held high as she passed by crewmembers. She could hear their whispers as she passed by, this being their first glimpse at their new captain. She couldn’t be certain what they were saying, but she felt positive that she would face some questions as to her abilities, due to her inexperience and young age. With a determined set to her jaw, she swore to herself that she would swiftly dispel all doubts with a firm hand. Tia had made up her mind to quickly prove herself to Starfleet command by running a tight ship and developing a stellar crew. Her thoughts drifted towards the possibility of future advancements in Starfleet, and she quickly had to pull herself back to reality before allowing hubris to overtake her. One step at a time, she reminded herself.

Tossing her duffle into a corner, she decided to unpack later. Anxious to make her presence known to her new officers, she headed to her ready room, calling her new XO and Ops officer on her way. Entering her ready room, she was pleased to find her Ops officer already waiting for her.

“Commander Vostugo,” Tia greeted him with a short nod.

“Captain.” He straightened to give her a sharp salute which she casually returned.

Vostugo would not have been Tia’s first choice for Operations officer as she would never have thought such an officer would be willing to accept a position under her command. Vostugo had an extensive history with Starfleet and boasted a distinguished career as a military officer coming from a family with a long history of Starfleet service. After he had applied for the position aboard the Tesla, she had reviewed his file and was surprised by his credentials. She hadn’t expected someone with such experience to volunteer with her, but she found a sense of pride in the fact that he had chosen to serve with her. Due to this being her first command, Tia had been given little to no say in the selection of her crew members, and so she was hoping that Commander Vostugo would be able to provide her with some helpful insight on the crew she had been assigned. She had briefly skimmed over the crew roster and looked into a few of the higher-ranked officers but hadn’t found the time to review every crew member in depth.

She gave him a relaxed smile and held out a confident hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander. I’m glad to have you on board.”

“Pleasure to be here.” He accepted her hand with a firm shake but did not return her smile, his features remaining stolid and his eyes sharply surveying her. She instantly got the impression that idle chit-chat was not something her Ops officer was likely to engage in and was thankful when the XO entered to spare her the awkwardness of trying to maintain a conversation alone.

“Lieutenant Commander Adams, thank you for joining us,” Tia also reached out to shake the hand of Lexi Adams, her new XO and who she hoped would be a strong assistant in navigating the waters of a new captaincy.

                                                                          *******

Lexi had been trying to get unpacked when the call came for her to meet the CO. She sighed it had already been a long few weeks due to the transfer to the Tesla. Lexi still wasn’t sure about the whole thing, but that was probably because she had been rushed away quickly from her position on the Oracle.  

She surveyed her room before straightening her uniform and making her way to meet the CO, as she was ordered to do. The halls of the ship gleamed brilliantly under the artificial light above her. The reports stated the ship had been under repair since a mission which the now CO was on. She smiled as she entered the meeting room. Her hair glistened in the light and her smile was as bright as could be.

”Greeting Captain.” She said as she shook the CO’s hand. “Sorry I am late trying to get settled in was proving a bit more than I expected, though I’ve had little time since arrival. Regardless how do we plan to structure watches and manage the crew? Every command is different and I don’t want to overstep?”

“Well I look forward to discussing a joint management strategy with you here shortly,” Tia smiled warmly. “But at present, I was wondering what you all could tell me concerning the crew. I’ve had little time to thoroughly review the roster while overseeing the repairs to the Tesla, but hoped you all could fill me in on any of the crew members you are familiar with.”

Lexi shook her head “Actually Captain, I am not aware of any of the crew. I have been in deep space for so long that sometimes I forget that we have access to databases. I apologize and will make sure and read up on the crew.”

“I must inform you.” The Chief of Operations spoke up with his usual clipped tone that pleased Tia. He seemed sharp and to the point and she suspected they would get along famously. “Both the Helmsman and Chief of Engineering are from the Effrenus. Are you familiar with that command?”

“I am not,” she responded quickly, feeling compelled not to keep him waiting for an answer due to the swift manner in which he delivered his questions.

His silence was deafening as he observed her for a moment. And she suspected that he was carefully considering his words before he spoke.

“They will, no doubt, require careful handling due to their past command,” was all he chose to say on the matter.

Tia looked to her XO for further elaboration but suspected from the blank look that her XO knew as much on the matter as she did.

Lexi shrugged indicating she had no idea, as to what the Chief of Ops was saying. “I have no doubt you can handle it though, Captain.”

“I’m certain we can manage,” Tia spoke with a confidence she did not quite feel as she turned back to Commander Vostugo.

The cool look from his steely blue gaze clearly warned her that he could easily read through her obvious farce, but he simply gave a respectful nod before he continue on.

“It may benefit you to read over the recent command of the Effrenus as you have obtained several crew members from that particular assignment.”

Tia’s brow creased but as she did not wish to appear entirely ignorant on the subject her Operations Officer was so clearly well informed on, she simply nodded in reply.

“Do you have any questions?”

Tia suspected by the tilt of his head and the squint of his inquisitive gaze that he knew of her ignorance, but she chose to ignore his offer of assistance.

“Not at all,” she answered smartly. “You are dismissed, Commander Vostugo,” she told him with a quick nod. “I would like to speak with my First Officer now.”

The Commander responded with a slow nod and almost imperceptible upturn at the corners of his mouth. She suspected that he knew more than he was letting on, but also felt he would be a willing ally should she see fit to lower her defenses and allow him into her inner circle.

Once they were alone, Tia turned to her new XO. “Lieutenant Commander Adams, I’m glad to have you aboard and as my new XO. In my experience, a Captain and First Officer who complement each other well as a team can build quite an impressive crew. With that goal in mind, I wish to always be transparent with you on my intentions for the Tesla.” Tia took a deep sigh and studied Adam’s with a watchful gaze. “I am new as a captain, and I am certain I will have many difficulties to overcome during the first few months with a new crew. I intend to manage any issues with a firm hand to quell any doubt as to my abilities from the very beginning. I hope I can count on your support in my efforts to run a tight ship and build a strong and well-established crew.” Tia paused and eyed her XO, waiting for a response.

Lexi nodded “I wouldn’t see another option that would be more prudent than that. Just because you’re new doesn’t mean anything! You have the drive and tenacity to do this if not the Orion blood just your personality. I will do everything in my power to assist you.” She said as she smiled warmly.

“Let’s take a walk and visit our bridge crew now then, shall we?” Tia invited with a grin.

Tia led the way from her ready room and as they entered the bridge they were met by Idrin Vostugo.

“Captain. First Officer.” He greeted them with their titles and a short nod. “I would like to introduce you to your bridge crew.” He turned first to the helmsman station. “This is Lieutenant Zenobi Ty, our Chief Flight Controller. He and Lieutenant Commander Darius Thatch both served together for several years aboard the Effrenus, so they do have some experience running a bridge together.” 

The dark-skinned man with black curls and a well-trimmed beard rose from his seat at the controls to bow low from the waist and address them both in a thick Indian accent. “It is a pleasure to meet you both,” he stated with a wide grin.

Tia noted a tremor at the corners of his lips which seemed to be an attempt to hold back laughter as he spoke. She was uncertain what her new Conn Officer found to be so amusing, but when he rose from his respectful bow she saw nothing but sincerity in his dark brown eyes.

“It’s good to have you aboard,” she returned his greeting with an extension of her hand which he gladly accepted. An uncomfortable pause then overtook the situation as he stood awkwardly, seemingly waiting for some further conversation but as Tia had nothing further to say she was at a loss.

The Chief Engineering Officer broke the tension of the moment by pushing himself from his seat and thrusting a meaty hand in Tia’s direction. “Darius Thatch,” he introduced himself with a booming voice that Tia suspected did not have volume control. “I handle the engines. And over there is little Freya who seems to be right smart with the tactical and weapons shit.” The barrel-chested engineer threw a thumb over his shoulder towards the young female officer seated at the tactical station, but Tia was far more intrigued by the easy way in which invective passed from his lips as though cursing were a comfortably natural addition to his normal language. 

Freya glared at Thatch. She hated when he called her little and he knew it. “Freya Dawson,” she said calmly and smoothly. “As Mr. Thatch so eloquently put it, I am head of weapons and tactical,” she said, rolling her eyes at Thatch, but not in a particularly foul mood. Thatch was an interesting individual, but Freya liked him as a shipmate and he knew it. It’s why he pushed and never got yelled at by Freya for it. 

“Lieutenant Commander Thatch has an extensive history of experience in engineering and should be a great asset to the Tesla’s maintenance crew,” Vostugo spoke from behind her. “And while Lieutenant Freya Dawson’s history with the fleet may be a little briefer, she is a renowned military technician and graduated the academy with high marks.”

Tia turned back to throw a quick nod over her shoulder to her Operations Officer and found him taking a seat next to the captain’s chair. It was not the casual way in which he took his chair or the ease in his demeanor that instantly set her on edge, but the amused smile that flitted across his lips as he took a seat that raised a flash of anger in her. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and she couldn’t help but feel that it was due to her somewhat clumsy handling of introductions. What was expected of a new captain? Should she have prepared a speech or perhaps called a meeting before visiting the bridge? Tia pushed her self-doubt back and refused to allow it to consume her thoughts. Too late now, so no point in dwelling on what could have been. She would have to press forward with the current turn of events. Her train of thought was interrupted by a new arrival on the bridge.

A tall, thin man wearing suspenders over a button-up shirt with a set of thick spectacle perched atop a thin nose strode from the lift and Tia instantly matched his appearance with that of the Chief Science Officer Jasik Aldrich who she had read about on the crew roster. He entered the bridge with roving eyes that bounced from one station to the next, never fully settling on one thing. “Is my ship ready to go?” he threw out the question to no one in particular.

Tia’s mouth opened but it was a few seconds before she found her voice. “Your ship?” she asked him to clarify.

“My ship, the Tesla.” Jasik snapped impatient fingers. “The ship for my scientific exploration. Are we ready to be off?”

Tia’s chin rose slightly. “Lieutenant Commander Aldrich, this is my ship, and I will be certain to notify you when we are ready to depart.”

“Excellent!” He turned to exit just as quickly as he had entered. “I would like to be underway soon. There is much to do as we head out to the far reaches of the quadrant and I cannot be having-.” His sentence disappeared through the lift doors as he continued to speak even after he was out of ear reach.

Tia, mouth still open, turned to glance towards her Ops Officer.

Idrin was comfortably lounging in his chair, legs casually crossed with one finger resting lightly on his upper lip above a light smile. There was a twinkle in his eye as he met her gaze, and Tia quickly looked away to snap her jaw shut. She turned to glance towards her XO, hoping for a sign of something, she knew not what. Sympathy perhaps?

Lexi knew at times it was best to stay quiet and observe and that’s exactly what she had done. She didn’t like Idrin. He seemed smug and that alone didn’t sit well with her. He seemed like he thought he was Captain of the ship from his cocky attitude. She was the head of all department heads.  

She stepped up to the center of the bridge with her hands clasped “You may not know me but I am Lieutenant Commander Lexi Adams, the ship’s Executive Officer. I run a tight ship and do not tolerate sloppiness.“ She indicated to the relaxed demeanor. “We’re on the bridge of a starship and I expect a certain decorum when you’re at your station. This is not your quarters it’s your station and I expect you to treat it as such. Some of you may not like the way I run things, but rest assured I am not intimidated easily.” She concluded as she saw the crew comply with her words though it seemed like a struggle. Lexi stepped back beside Tia and nodded.

Tia was pleasantly surprised by her XO’s frank candor in taking control of the situation. Clearly, Adams was not feeling the same trepidation and uncertainty that currently held Tia’s heart in a vise-like grip. Lexi seemed to be confident in her role as XO and with her past experience in similar positions, which gave Tia confidence in the leadership team they would make.

Tia sucked some courage into her chest and then stepped forward to make her own introduction. “And as I am certain you are aware, I am Commander Tia Dalia Savik, your captain. I am new to the position of commanding my own vessel, therefore I expect each one of my officers to contribute to a team effort of maintaining order and morale while striving to complete successful missions under the directive of Starfleet Command. I recognize that it will take some time to build our crew into a well-oiled machine that can operate together as one body, but it is my goal to create a team of individuals who will far exceed the expectations of our commanding officers. But a fair warning, those who fail to keep up with my rigorous expectations will be cut from the team and replaced. Each person must pull their own weight for the good of the whole for it only takes one weak link for the chain to break.” Tia paused and made sure her searching gaze met the eyes of each individual on the bridge, mentally cataloging every officer’s expression for her to analyze later. With a deep breath, she continued. “Here shortly I will be making a call to command to receive our orders, after which we will take immediate departure for our destination. In the meantime, in an effort to get to know each one of you better, I would like you to prepare a comprehensive assessment of the individuals and equipment under your command. I would like to receive those reports within three hours.”

With this, Tia strode to her place on the bridge and firmly planted herself in the captain’s chair, sweeping another sharp gaze slowly over the members of the bridge. Zenobi Ty and Freya Dawson quickly turned to their screens to begin their task of producing a report. Tia noted a scrunched nose and upturned lips on the grizzled features of Darius Thatch, but he turned to his task without a word. The only sound on the bridge became the busy drumming of fingers tapping on the screens and Tia released her breath in a slow sigh. Perhaps this captain thing wouldn’t be so difficult after all. Tia’s eyes fell to her PADD, but it was not long before the silence was broken. 

“Hey, how do you spell adequately?” Darius’s thundering voice reverberated throughout the bridge to seemingly no one in particular as he peered down at his screen with a furrowed brow.

“Why are you asking me?” Zenobi responded in his rich accent with a teasing tone. “English is your primary language.”

“Well you know I don’t know how to write this stuff,” Darius retorted.

“Oh so am I to play your personal secretary then?” Zenobi continued to poke fun.

Darius leaned back in his chair and studied the conn officer with laughing eyes. “You see this white dot here?” Darius traced a thick finger across his patch to remind the helmsman of his rank. “Do you got one a those?”

“Oh get off it,” Zenobi shot back. “That extra dot just means your old.”

“Is that so?” Darius couldn’t contain the smile that was breaking out across his face.

“Yes.” A short giggle escaped Zenobi’s lips. “They give those to anyone old and fat. My grandmother has so many dots.”

“I didn’t see any when I visited your gran-.”

“Lieutenant Commander Thatch!” Tia’s voice rang out sharply. “Do you have that engineering report completed?”

“Workin’ on it,” he responded amiably although his brows rose at her interruption. 

“See that you are.”

With a good-natured grin he turned back to the console before him, and Tia heard Zenobi’s hushed whisper.

“You’ve upset mother.”

“Shut it,” Darius whispered back, not so quietly. 

Silence once again reigned on the bridge as her officers, whether busy at work on simply pretending to be, bent over their stations and industriously tapped away at their screens with newfound diligence. 

Leaning over to speak directly to her XO, Tia ordered, “Lieutenant Commander Adams, I’m leaving the bridge in your care. In two hours there will be a meeting of the commanding officers in the briefing room. See that all the department heads are notified.”

Lexi nodded. “It will be done, Captain!”

With a short nod, Tia then rose to depart. 

                                                                          *******

Tia took a seat at her desk and glanced at the time. Only a few minutes before the scheduled call from StarTrek command to relay the orders for their first mission. Sucking a large breath of air into her lungs, she took a moment to contemplate the interactions of the morning. She hadn’t even met all her commanding officers, and yet she knew she was in for a ride with the crew she had been assigned. Suddenly her desk lit up and before her appeared the image of a Star Fleet Admiral. 

“Commander Savik, I hope you have found your new quarters to be satisfactory,” the Admiral said in greeting. 

“The quarters are hardly a concern,” she responded quickly, “the crew however will require some work.”

“Are you having issues, Commander?” There was a coldness in the tone but Tia determined to report the truth of her reservations concerning her crew so that any issues would have prior documentation with Starfleet Command.

“They seem to be a somewhat rowdy bunch but I’m certain I can handle them. However, Lieutenant Commander Aldrich seems as though he will pose a particular problem, as he does not display any inclination to respect authority. I’m certain I will have to deal rather firmly with him, but I’m concerned he may not respond well to my management.”

“Commander Savik.” The impatience in his tone warned Tia that she had stumbled into dangerous territory. “The mission of the Tesla is to scout unknown regions for the purpose of scientific advancement. Lieutenant Commander Aldrich may be a bit eccentric at times, but his passion for studying the natural sciences is unrivaled and as he is your Chief Scientist, I have full confidence that you will find a way to work in harmony with your new officers.” The Admiral paused and eyed her sharply. “That is unless you believe yourself to be incapable of handling the position to which you have been assigned.”

Tia had been about to respond but now quickly snapped her jaw closed as the Admiral delivered this final insinuation. “Of course, I can handle it, Sir,” she responded somewhat stiffly. 

“Very well then,” he continued on briskly. “I am sending details on the Tesla’s first assignment, as well as a mission to be handled by your Chief of Security, Lieutenant Vikas. Vikas has also been provided with the mission briefing for the operation she has been charged with. You will coordinate with her and provide any support she requires. If you have any questions you know how to reach me. Are we clear?”

“Understood, Admiral.”

“Very good.”

With that terse goodbye, the hologram disappeared and Tia was left alone.

Tia snatched up her PADD and began jabbing taunt fingers at the device with a viciousness that the electronic implement did not deserve. She knew she was allowing her emotions to get the better of her, but with her tensions on edge due to her newly assigned position, she was finding it difficult to maintain her usual cool. She felt as though her commander was dismissing her as an inexperienced captain rather than considering her feedback, and had a slight inkling that her new Chief of Security was being entrusted with a more delicate mission than the one she herself had been given. Not enjoying this feeling of being overlooked, she distracted herself by pulling up a list of her new officers and began to comb through their service records. It was in the file of Darius Thatch that she saw the list of his service under the USS Effrenus and recalled the suggestion of her Operations Officer to read up on the command. She was a short way into a report when the door chime chirped and she glanced at the security screen to find her Ops officer waiting outside.

With a reluctant swipe of her hand, she permitted him entry, and the ops officer strode into the room to approach her desk with that easy walk that gave him an air of reserved grace that she grudgingly admired. She suspected that he held no doubts as to his ability to handle the responsibilities of his new position, and almost envied the ease of a lower-ranked position. 

“So, what are your first impressions of your crew?” he cut directly to the point, choosing not to mince words or exchange pleasantries. 

“My first impressions?” Tia’s right brow rose, and her tone asked more than her words did. By the inflection in her voice, she was clearly questioning if her Ops officer truly desired to hear her unbridled opinion of her new crew.

“Yes,” he encouraged her to continue. 

“They’ve assigned me all their undesirable officers, basically saddling me with a crew of misfits.” The annoyance in her voice was strong and she did not censor her harsh judgement. 

Idrin’s lips pursed and his eyes narrowed, but he responded simply. “A crew is what you make of it.”

Tia did not appreciate this response which seemed to make light of her situation. “You would have me be more lenient with them, or rather ignore their flaws?” she challenged. 

Idrin leaned forward to rest both palms on the edge of her desk and study her with a steady gaze. “I would have you value them for their skills, not their reputations.”

“Skills? My Conn and Engineering officer can’t stop wisecracking long enough to man the ship, while my Chief Science Officer seems to be under the impression that he’s the captain.” Tia was finding it difficult to agree with her new Operations officer. 

Idrin’s gaze fell and he let out a deep sigh as he considered his next words carefully. “You may have an unruly crew that will challenge you, but you have a crew of some Starfleet officers who are the most skilled in their fields, and they answer to you simply because no one else wishes to put up with them. If you can manage them, you could potentially lead one of the greatest crews in Starfleet history. This crew is yours, Captain. It may not be the crew you would have chosen for yourself but it is your crew to make or break depending on how you manage them.”

“Depending on how I manage them,” Tia repeated with raised brows, indicating she certainly intended to manage this crew how she saw fit.

“Well complaining about them will get you nowhere,” Idrin sighed and invited himself to a seat. “So, formulate a plan and put it into action.” He wiped imaginary dust from his already immaculate and tightly pressed pants before looking up to meet her gaze. “How do you intend to manage this crew? What kind of captain will you be?”

Suddenly the hairs on the back of Tia’s neck rose and alarm bells began to sound in her head. Why was her new operations officer so interested in her opinion of the crew and questioning her concerning her intentions for management. Recalling the warning that command would be keeping a watchful eye on her progress, she suddenly wondered if perhaps they had assigned an officer for the purpose of assessing her to report her every move. Tia pondered this and slowly circled around her desk to take a seat across from the stone-faced officer. Instead of answering his question, she finally chose to ask one of her own. Why skirt the issue? Preferring to tackle things head-on rather than engage in exhausting subterfuge, she chose to confront him. “Are you evaluating me?”

“I’m always evaluating everything,” Idrin answered without hesitation. “And as a new officer under your command, I would expect to be subject to your constant assessment as well.”

Tia caught the skillful way in which he circumnavigated her question. “Fair enough,” Tia’s tone was light but inwardly she warned herself to be more cautious of her words in the future. “Then in the interest of getting to know you better in order to formulate a fair appraisal, would you mind telling me why you turned down an opportunity to command your own ship and instead volunteered as an officer under an unpracticed captain?”

He sucked in a quick breath through his nose and she noted an almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw as he considered the question. “I have no desire for such responsibility, and I am very content with my current position. I prefer to play partner to a capable leader rather than attempting to play leader for myself.” 

Tia was hardly satisfied with such an answer and suspected there were other factors influencing the commander’s decision, but she chose not to push the issue. “Tell me about the Effrenus,” she instead ordered. If Idrin truly was sent here to spy on her, then she would at least make use of his knowledge. The hint of a smile at the corners of the Commander’s lips and a somewhat wistful gaze in his eyes told Tia that her Ops Officer had some personal feelings for the topic matter. 

“The Effrenus was somewhat of an experiment. Some believe it to have gone terribly wrong, while others hold the opinion that it was a success.” Idrin’s gaze was piercing as he met the eyes of Captain Savik. “It was a study on how unique leadership practices can be effectively applied to manage individuals that society would label as undesirable.” Idrin opened his mouth to continue but his words were halted by the chirping of a notification on Tia’s PADD.

“The officers are in the briefing room for a meeting,” Tia stated, rising to her feet. “I do, however, look forward to continuing this conversation at a later time,” she expressed pointedly. 

“As do I,” he agreed, rising to his feet to follow her from the room.

TBC…

Tia strode into the conference room and was pleased to find her XO and the other bridge officers already present, as well as a few new faces she had not yet had the opportunity to meet. She matched the sharp Vulcan features of Ilyia Vikas, her Chief of Security, with the image provided in the database, and the friendly face of the seasoned Charles Acker, her Chief Medical Officer, was another she recognized. With a quick mental note to drop by the medical bay for a private introduction with her Chief of Medical, Tia wasted no time in making her way to the head of the holotable to begin the briefing. 

With a quick clearing of her throat she called their attention. “I have just received our orders for the Tesla’s first mission. There is an unnamed class L planet on the outskirts of the Glintara Sector the Federation believes may contain valuable samples that are essential to groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the development of more advanced medicine. We have been tasked with exploring this unknown region and documenting our findings in the area. Take off is set for three hours from now. The coordinates for the planet and the grid reference system is detailed in the briefing I am now sending to your PADDs.” Tia paused to press a few buttons and the room dinged with notifications as the brief was received and the holotable lit up to display the planet. “I would like to plan an approach that will provide us a good placement to gather some detailed scans of the terrain before we send down a ground crew. Do you have any suggestions?” Tia addressed Lieutenant Ty. 

“Barring any issues, with a departure in three hours there will be two larger moons on this side of the planet when we arrive.” Zenobi leaned forward to spin the holograph and point to the moons he was referring to. “We would want to avoid these and they have potential to interfere with our scans, so approaching the planet from the opposite side may be our best course of action.” 

“Good,” Tia nodded a quick approval. “Coordinate with engineering and tactical and update me once you’ve had time to run through some scenarios to ensure this is the best plan of approach. Otherwise, we will plan to leave shortly. Any questions or input?” Tia opened the floor. 

“Why aren’t we being sent to the Velorum Sector?” It was Thatch who voiced the question they were likely all thinking. 

Tia gritted her teeth. She should have expected such a query since she herself had wondered the same thing, but she quickly skirted the issue. “The Federation naturally wouldn’t desire to send every member of their force to one sector. We will be playing a more supportive role and ensuring the fleet has members available at various locations to respond should unforeseen incidents arise. And the advancement of science cannot be halted every time some sector seeks independence.” The confidence in Tia’s unruffled tone as she brushed off the issue almost had her believing her own excuse. “Isn’t that correct, LC Aldrich?” Tia looked to her CSO who she was certain would support her in the argument that science was a far more valuable pursuit than any political dispute, but her quick glance did not find the teal suit it was searching for, and with a raised brow she realized that the Science Officer was nowhere to be found. 

“Where is Lieutenant Commander Jasik Aldrich?” Tia placed the question to no one in particular as she scanned the room. An uncomfortable silence was the only response and Tia pursed her lips. “I’ll have a conversation with him later,” she stated firmly. “If that’s all, everyone excluding Lieutenant Vikas may now be dismissed.”

Tia did not miss the glance her XO threw her as she excluded her from this private briefing, but she refused to meet her gaze. Federation command had been very specific that the details of this mission were to be shared with as few crew members as possible. The room slowly emptied but Vikas remained in her seat till everyone else had left. Tia knew her security officer had already been provided details concerning her mission, but she wanted to run through the particulars regardless. She was still uncertain as to why command had placed Vikas as the lead on this mission, and hoped to glean some information from this conversation. 

“The political unrest surrounding the collapse of the Romulan Star Empire is no secret and stories of small groups rising in support of the former Romulan Empire are quickly growing. You have been tasked with sending a small team to meet with the captain of a Bajoran vessel who claims to have knowledge of a growing force of Cardassian rebels who seek to support the Romulans. I’m sure you’ve seen the particulars in the briefing.” Tia raised her brows.

Vikas responded with a short nod, maintaining her stony Vulcan visage that betrayed not even a sliver of emotion.

“I have a few suggestions for members you may want to consider for your team,” Tia continued, nodding to the PADD in the security officer’s hands. Tia normally would not have adopted such a commanding and slightly confrontational tone with another officer, but she was still peeved that the Federation Command seemed to value Vikas as a commander more than her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something larger at play. 

Vikas’s sharp features did not flinch under the cold stare of her captain. “I’ve looked over your updates and I agree that the Bajoran doctor could provide a positive rapport with our contact. As you’ve indicated this team has worked together in the past, I’m willing to accept your suggestions and move forward with the crew members you have provided.”

Tia couldn’t tell if the Vulcan was simply appeasing her or actually agreed with her input. Vulcans were always so difficult for her to read. She could tell she wasn’t going to elicit any sort of unscripted response from the close-mouthed Chief of Security, so she determined to move on and do her own digging in private. “Very good. Please keep me apprised of the situation and let me know should you require any assistance.” 

Vikas rose to her feet without a change in expression. “Am I dismissed?”

“You are.”

                                                                          *  * *  *  * 

Meanwhile, in the science lab and not the officer’s meeting, Jasik was bent over a microscope, entirely engrossed in the world of the tiny organisms that swam before his eyes. His lips closed and parted as he seemed to be speaking to himself, but no words were heard as he carried on his private conversation in his own head. He was far to captivated by the living things he watched flitting about on the slip of glass to notice the arrival of another crew member bearing the teal blue uniform of a science officer. 

“Hello.” It took Senri a moment to overcome her shyness enough to announce her presence to the clearly preoccupied Chief of Science, but her desire to meet the legend she had heard so much of during her training far outweighed her fear of negative social interactions, and so after a deep sigh she thrust the greeting from her mouth. However it seemed as though her trepidation held no merit as her idol took no notice of the word which had been squeaked out in a high pitched voice. “Hello,” Senri grew bold and repeated herself a little more loudly. “I’m Senri Ruka. I’ve been assigned as your assistant,” she introduced herself. 

“Hmmmmm.” A low hum was the only response she received from the hunched figure. 

She nervously bit her lower lip a few times before determined not to press the issue but instead settle into her new work station. Busying her mind with the task of familiarizing herself with the new lab, she began to rearrange a few items to set up the equipment in a way that she felt would be more functional. The silence was deafening as her new commanding officer continued to utterly ignore her as though her efforts and even her very existence was of no import. 

“Do you mind if I call you Jay?” She asked impulsively, somewhat desperate to break the silence that was causing the tightness in her chest to grow. 

For the first time he tore his eyes from the microscope to glance up at her with a curious gaze. “Oh, I don’t mind what you call me at all. Call me anything you like.” He shrugged and returned to his microscope.

“Jay it is then,” Senri accepted with a nod. 

Silence reigned for a moment and then his head once again shot up to look at her. “Are you a natural scientist?”

“I studied more social and formal sciences,” she informed him. 

“Huh.” His grunt was unimpressed and his head lowered again. “I suppose formal science is somewhat useful.” He spoke primarily to himself but neglected to lower his voice as he did so.

A sideways pursing of Senri’s lips was the only response she gave.

                                                                          *  * *  *  * 

It was not till sometime in the late evening that Tia felt she had sufficiently prepared herself for the mission ahead and decided to give in to that gnawing desire to allow herself one drink for the evening in an effort to wind down. With annoyance, she realized she had failed to stock her room with any private stash of whiskey, and realized she would have to make her way to the brew house if she was to make good on her designs for a stiff drink. 

What had once been the Scarlett Fire had now been redubbed as simply the Brew Pub and was under new management. Although Tia’s heart leapt at the thought of once again visiting her old haunts that she had so often frequented under the command of Captain Ryder, she steeled herself against the familiarity of visiting the pub, determined to set a precedent as a new captain and not permit herself to slip back into her former ways of fraternizing with the crew in a manner that she felt did not befit a commanding officer. She recalled the first time she had been invited to sit with the crewmen shortly after their mission on the Ryex.

                                                                          ~  ~ ~  ~  ~

“You must have been over two miles away. It was about a tenth of a second before I heard Mack’s fire after seeing that bullet hit.” John was still drooling over Akeno’s magnificent long-range shot. 

“Lieutenant Chung.” They hadn’t noticed Savik as she approached their table. “I would like to extend to you my congratulations on your excellent shooting during our encounters with the Hirogen at the village. Without your effective cover fire, we may not have been able to successfully execute the strategy with no loss of life to civilians.”

“Oh, it was entirely self-serving.” Akeno waved off the accolades. “Who would have carried my wounded ass around if I hadn’t gone back to save my boy John here?” he laughed. 

“Regardless, I don’t believe I was given the opportunity to acknowledge your contribution to the mission earlier, and I wished to inform you now,” Savik stated with a quick nod and then turned to leave, feeling somewhat awkward. 

“Care to join us for lunch?” John extended the invitation although he somewhat doubted the standoffish XO would accept. Although they had shared time together on a few missions, he found it difficult to read the female commander. She surprised him by easily sliding into the seat next to Akeno.

“Sure,” she accepted with a light shrug. She had barely sat down before Riru Sareth approached their table.

“We’re eating at this table now?” Riru asked with a raise of her perfectly arched brows as she slid her tray onto the table to settle herself in the seat across from Savik. Riru had started eating most of her meals with Tia and wasn’t going to change her newly formed habit simply because of some uninvited company.

Riru wasn’t quite certain what had first drawn her to the introverted XO who sometimes came off as a bit snobbish, but after spending a few weeks at her table to avoid conversation with other less desirable lunch partners, she found that Tia was her type of person. Straight and to the point with little time for pleasantries, Tia didn’t talk overly much, and when she did it was normal to discuss theoretic engineering, a passion which they both shared. Tia had at first been annoyed by the chief engineer’s company but had been won over by her extensive knowledge of engineering concepts. And so Riru had chosen Tia as a mess hall partner and Tia had unwittingly gained a friend.

“No one invited you to eat with us,” John good-naturedly joked as she settled in next to him. 

“I don’t need an invitation,” Riru shot back. “I do this little thing called whatever-the-hell-I-want.”

“There you go,” John rewarded this quip with an approving laugh.

“And who might you be?” Akeno asked for an introduction with the most charming smile he could muster. 

“This is Lieutenant Commander Riru Sareth, our Chief Engineer,” Tia introduced her.

Akeno extended his hand across the table. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Give it some time.” Riru didn’t even acknowledge the offered hand. 

Akeno laughed and lowered his hand. He was accustomed to the initial rebuff that attractive women normally gave simply to save face. He would break down her defenses in time. With a confident grin, he began a retelling of the mission they had just been on, with John and Tia occasionally interjecting with a fun fact or supportive laugh. 

“I was well over two miles away with shrapnel still hanging from my wounded leg-” Akeno was suddenly interrupted by the little engineering chief speaking over him to cut him off. 

“Yes, I am going to cut you off mid-sentence and change the topic but in my defense, you were boring me and my survival instinct just kicked in,” Riru halted him with an offhanded wave of her hand. 

The remainder of the lunch conversation was ruled by Riru, who chose to primarily discuss engineering with Tia and deliver cutting remarks to the men who knew very little about the topic at hand. Finally, near the end of their meal, Akeno threw out an offer he knew would garnish a hasty rebuttal but his curious mind could not resist testing the waters.

“Would you care to join me in the training hall sometime for a little exercise?” Akeno directed the question to their Chief Engineering Officer. “I make an excellent sparring partner.” He threw a quick wink at the end of this statement. From the corner of his eye, Akeno noticed their XO stiffen a bit in her seat. 

“Go disappoint the next woman,” Riru responded with zero hesitation as though she had stored this retort in her arsenal for just such an occasion. “I’m busy.” With a swish of her hair, Riru rose to her feet. Tossing her napkin amongst the remains of her lunch she pointed down at the finished tray with a commanding finger that could not be ignored. “I’ll leave that for you boys to take care of,” she announced as she turned to leave the table. 

Akeno noted the grin on their XO’s face as Riru delivered this rebuttal and suspected more than just an appreciation for quick wit.

“I should be getting back to the bridge as well,” Tia stated with a smile, graciously picking up Riru’s tray as she departed from the table. 

Akeno caught Chief Richardson’s gaze following the lithe Orion as she left their table, and he leaned over to speak in John’s ear.

“Forget it, John. You’re not her type.”

“You got that from one lunch?” John doubted his friend’s abilities to read the situation quite that well. 

“John, something tells me our little engineering friend, Sareth, would have a better shot than you,” Akeno surmised with a smirk. 

                                                                          ~  ~ ~  ~  ~ 

Tia shook her head as she pulled herself from her reverie. Now as a captain she could not slip back into her familiar ways. John and Akeno had come to be as close to friends as she would ever allow, and Riru had become so much more. She had been pleased to find that John and Akeno were following her from the Neptune to the Tesla, but her parting with Riru had left her feeling vulnerable. She could not allow anyone to get so close again. Figuring she would have to face John and Akeno at some point, she decided not to put it off but to tackle the issue head-on. She knew it may be difficult for some of her former crew members to accept the change in decorum due to her new station, but it was an affair that would need to be dealt with. 

She sucked in a deep breath as she crossed the threshold to the newly renovated bar and was pleasantly surprised to find that the new owner had kept the same ambiance of a classic pub that Felicity had worked so hard to create. A rush of old memories hit her causing a smile to flit across her face for a brief moment before a searing pain gripped her heart. Shaking off the feeling of self judgement she reminded herself that not all things can last forever, and moved forward to continue in her walk along a new path. A familiar voice reached her ears before she had gotten two steps inside the pub and the large form of John Richardson broke into her view as he halted on his path from the bar to their old group table to hail her with a wide grin.

“Captain Savik!” The pride was evident in his voice. He approached her with wide arms to give her a hug, but then glanced at the full glasses of beer in each of his meaty paws and lowered his arms with a laugh. “Come on, Tia,” he extended a jovial invitation. “It’s high time we celebrated that promotion.” He swept an arm to where Akeno and Jovi were both seated. 

Tia glanced over to see Akeno and Jovi observing the exchange with interest, but she also felt the gaze of everyone else in the room, and raising her chin with a proud tilt she found a tone that was kind but firm. 

“I don’t believe that would be entirely appropriate, Master Chief Richardson.”

John took a step back, seemingly surprised by her rebuff, but with an easy grin he brushed it off. “No problem. Just thought you might enjoy a drink with some old friends.”

Tia set her jaw and steeled herself to deliver a message she did not particularly relish. “I believe the responsibilities of my new position demand I set a precedent from the very beginning. I engaged in some activities during my time as an XO that are not befitting to the degree of formality my new responsibilities dictate. Regrettably, I will have to have to cut out some former practices that are not in line with the position of leadership I now hold. I would hate for it to appear as though I show any sort of special treatment to formerly close associates, so moving forward I would appreciate it if we could keep our relationship strictly professional.” 

John’s eyes narrowed and she could sense that he saw more of her than she cared for him to see. 

“Is this why Siru was so upset? You tell her that when she decided to stay with the Neptune?”

So many retorts raced through her mind, but not one of them found its way to her lips. John observed her as she stood mute, unable to latch onto one single response. Slowly the face of her comrade softened and it was he who broke the moment of tension.

“You’re gonna do fine, Captain Savik.” His tone held empathy but was still a bit stiff. He turned away from her but took only a few steps before turning back to say one last thing before departing. “And you’re gonna do great as a captain because people will realize you’re someone worth following, the same as we all realized when you were an XO.”

Tia swallowed hard and found words, but Richardson was already gone. She wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor and be gone from all the prying eyes she could feel watching her, but ignoring the curious stares she stifled her emotions and mustered a bold front before marching to the bar. She ordered an old-fashioned from a bartender whose face was nothing more than a blur as she pushed the thoughts of her parting with Riru Sareth back into the deep pit of her heart where she locked away any painful memory of her past. She was proud of her voice which sounded confident and did not shake, and she chose to ignore the questions bouncing around in her brain. A cool glass slid across the counter to meet her hand and she took it robotically before searching for some dark corner to disappear into. Selecting a booth in the back corner she headed for the privacy of a table to escape the eyes she knew were still on her. 

That all too familiar feeling of doubt began to gnaw at the pit of Tia’s stomach, but another gulp of her drink served to silence the inner questioning. The confusing feelings she had experienced when saying goodbye to the fiery little engineer who had chosen to stay aboard the USS Neptune with Captain Ryder could be explored at a later time. For the moment, she was playing her new role as captain and she refused to allow her crew to see any doubt. It wasn’t till she started on her second drink that she was able to entirely push Riru’s face from even the deepest recesses of her mind and focus on her mission going forward. She had only just begun to contemplate how she should approach her disorderly new Chief of Science when her inner musings were interrupted. 

“Everything goin’ okay?” Thatch put the question to her as he plopped himself down in the seat opposite her. His frank candor and lack of decorum irritated Tia more than it normally would have, due to her already high level of annoyance after the confrontation with Richardson.

“Everything is excellent, commander,” she responded curtly. 

“Ya know-.”

Tia made no attempt to conceal her deep sigh of irritation as he continued to speak. 

“Sometimes the issue with acting like you don’t need anyone is that some people actually believe it.”

Tia’s jaw tightened at the familiarity in his tone as he delivered this statement, which almost seemed to be questioning her judgement as well as probing into her personal life which she felt did not concern him in the least. Her mind leapt to the possibility that her new crew members may have heard rumors of her relationship with Riru and her cheeks flushed at the thought but she worked to regain her composure. 

“Would you care to elaborate on that?” She could not control the stiffness in her voice, but she kept a civil tongue as she chose to give him the chance to explain his statement. 

He pulled back, clearly put off by the hostility in her tone. “Well I didn’t mean to upset you,” he spoke amiably.

Tia could not hold back a short huff that betrayed her annoyance at how quickly he seemed to retract his statement, and he quickly caught that their new captain only respected those willing to stand firmly behind their statements although he wasn’t quite certain how to proceed with this insight. 

“I’m just sayin’,” he continued on, “Sometimes people see things in different ways. Like I’m on one side of the hill and you’re on the other side and I say a tree’s on the right and you say it’s on the left and neither one of us is wrong we’re just lookin’ at different sides.” He came to a blundering halt as he realized he did not possess the eloquence with which to express his thoughts to their somewhat robotic commanding officer. His eyes squinted as he studied her to see if his words were hitting their target, but he saw no realization in the captain’s eyes. “Don’t pay me no mind.” He waved a meaty hand in the air to dismiss his previous statements. “Just the ramblings of a low-level mechanic. You have a good evening, miss.” He raised his glass to her and then pushed away from the table to once again leave her to her own thoughts. Tia’s brow squinted her lips parted slightly as she tried to translate the words of her chief engineer, but she quickly dismissed them with a shake of her head. That animal may know his way around a nuclear fusion engine but she certainly couldn’t understand how he had reached his current Starfleet rank based on his obvious level of education. It was as though he only understood mechanics and nothing else, although how his mind had managed to grasp the advanced physics of nuclear machinery completely escaped her. Clearly, language was not his strong suit, and she was thankful he was not in charge of comms aboard her ship. Tia was only left alone for a moment to consider the shortcomings of her new crew before her silent reverie was once again interrupted, this time by her operations officer. 

The half-Vulcan smoothly slid into the seat across from her, hardly making a sound. He folded his hands before him and leaned his forearms against the rim of the table, every aspect of his posture betraying he had not come here for a casual drink. 

Tia sighed but accepted this interruption with far more grace than she had afforded the chief engineer. 

“Can I help you, Commander Vostugo?”

He studied her for a moment with deep eyes that she almost felt could see into her soul. “As I was seated at a nearby table, I could not help but overhear your conversation with Lieutenant Commander Thatch and was hoping I would be able to provide some clarity.”

Tia sucked in her breath. How many people were still watching her and judging her due to the events of this evening… or maybe events from further back that she had hoped would not be so widely known? She chose to say nothing as no question had been placed to her, waiting for Idrin to explain himself further.

“I believe what our friend lacked the eloquence to express is this. When you pretend a chosen course of action is easy, some may find it difficult to understand the emotional toll behind such a decision. It is certainly noble to feign courage in the face of danger when the goal is to raise the morale of others, but what will be accomplished by feigning indifference when such a response will only cause pain?”

“You think I don’t know the effect my actions have?” Tia was annoyed by this line of questioning and the growing suspicion that her crew may be spreading rumors of her past indiscretions behind her back pervaded her mind. Were they talking about her management of the crew or was he chiding her for what he may have heard of her liaison with Riru? Tia wasn’t certain, but she couldn’t help the feeling of being personally burned by his words as her agonizing farewell with the fiery little engineer was still a fresh wound in her mind. 

“Oh, I am certain you are fully aware of the effects your actions will have. I only question if you considered an alternative means of expressing the desired message that would result in a less emotionally damaging outcome. I understand the desire of many to speak for the benefit of personal emotional gratification, however, I have always held the belief that a leader must place the needs of the crew above their own. ”

Tia’s mouth opened, but it was a while before she finally spoke. “You think I could have handled it better?” She deduced as she considered his words. “That I spoke simply with the intent of making myself feel better rather than considering how my words would affect others?”

“That is what I said,” the officer responded simply.

Tia let out a deep sigh and her jaws clamped shut as she leaned back to absently run a finger around the rim of her glass. “I’ll take your opinion under advisement.” She slipped the statement from between tightly clenched teeth. 

With a short nod, the Ops officer rose from his seat to leave their captain alone with her drink. He had said his piece and now had other matters to attend to. 

TBC…

Lieutenant Ilyia Vikas had elected to accompany her security team to meet the Bajoran Captain who would be guiding them to the Cardassian ships that were allegedly aligning themselves with the Romulans. As the Tesla hovered in orbit around the planet of Bajor, Ilyia with her selected company took a shuttle down to meet with the Captain who had informed the Bajoran council of the Cardassian threat. Ilyia and previously informed her squad she would not be with them in the field but would oversee the mission from her security station aboard the Tesla, and Akeno had been happy to learn that he would be heading up the ground team of his familiar crewmates, but as Captain Vitinius now extended a meaty paw in greeting, Akeno got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The Bajoran Captain Alvaro Vitinius was a large figure of a man with shoulders that strained the seams of his large overcoat. His lips held what must have been an attempt at a smile, although to Akeno the upturned lips looked more like a snarl. But it was the dark eyes that held no spark of humanity causing Akeno’s stomach to turn. He had met men like this before, men covered in such a shroud of darkness that it made you question if there was even a shred of compassion left in them. Akeno didn’t know of Vitinius’s history, but he could take a guess at the chaos and butchery that lay in this man’s wake. 

“It’s an honor to have the Federation show such an interest in the affairs of the Bajoran military, however, I do believe this collaboration to be entirely unnecessary. We are more than capable of handling any threat the Cardassians may pose.” Captain Vitinius was careful to use words that did not outright speak to his disapproval of their presence, but the undertone in his voice spoke volumes. 

“Well, Federation Command and your Bajoran Ministers have decided otherwise,” Ilyia spoke directly, refusing to return the play at false niceties. “So my security team has been assigned to accompany you to investigate the level of threat this Cardassian support for the Romulans may pose.”

The Bajoran Captain managed to keep a forced smile pasted on his face but his voice lost all warmth. “As I have informed the Council of Ministers multiple times, I can adequately handle the Cardassian threat. I have no idea why they chose to involve the Federation in this matter at all. It would save us all a lot of time and trouble if you would simply accept my report on my findings and allow me to keep you apprised of the situation. If a situation should arise where I and my crew require assistance, I will be sure to inform you.”

Ilyia took a step forward, clasping one hand in the other behind her back, eyeing the Bajoran down with an unyielding gaze. “My team will accompany you, and report back to me. They will be present at every officer’s briefing and you will collaborate with them for each mission. If there are any issues, you or a member of my team may reach out to me. This is what has been agreed upon by both our superiors, and this is what will be happening,” Ilyia finished briskly and then stepped aside to wave Akeno forward. “This is Lieutenant JG Akeno Chung who will head up the security detail, he will be your primary contact within the team.”

“We look forward to working with you,” Akeno stepped forward to thrust out his hand in greeting. 

Alvaro’s dark eyes did not leave the face of the unrelenting Vulcan female who had so concisely shut down his attempts to dissuade a Federation team from boarding his ship. Refusing the offered hand and not even deigning to glance at the security team that he would be working with, he instead wheeled about to stalk away, motioning for his men to follow with a quick flick of two fingers. 

Ilyia turned to Chung with her typical stony visage. “You and your team have two hours to prepare and then you will board the Bajoran vessel. Keep me apprised of the situation at all times.” And with those terse commands, she took her leave.

It was a long and low whistle from John that finally broke the silence as the little security team took a moment to process the scene that had just unfolded before them. “Well he seems like a nice guy,” John said sarcastically. 

“The kind you wanna have over for Sunday dinner,” Akeno agreed, turning to head back to the Tesla. 

“Introduce him to your momma,” John continued with a grin, falling in step next to him. 

“Bake him a nice apple pie.” Akeno’s face broke into a smile as he jabbed John in the ribs with a playful elbow, but their light mood quickly changed when Jovi spoke from behind them. 

“I know him.”

Akeno and John quickly turned back to the Bajoran doctor who had hung back. 

“Maybe I’m reading things wrong, but I’m not getting happy reunion vibes,” John observed.

“We knew each other a while back,” Jovi tried to keep her voice nonchalant but the boys could hear the strain in her words. “Years ago, we were practically kids,” she brushed it off. “But things didn’t end well.”

“Jovi, is this too much for you?” Akeno turned back to face her, both hands on his hips as he studied her closely. “You don’t need to go on this mission if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll be fine,” Jovi assured him with a firm set of her jaw that told Akeno she would not be deterred from making her own decisions. “But I can’t guarantee I won’t punch him in the face at some point.”

“I’ll hold him for you,” Akeno backed her with a grim smile. 

                                                                          *  * *  *  * 

Back aboard the Tesla, Captain Savik had finally succeeded in getting the Chief of Science to attend an officers briefing, though it had required Senri Ruka to practically herd him there as he spewed forth a rather colorful rant concerning the shortcomings of corporate gatherings and the failure of the Federation, in general, to produce a healthy working environment for the advancement of science. Tia had made it quite clear that she expected to see LC Aldrich in all future team meetings, with a special glance at Ruka that served to convey all responsibility for attendance onto the assistant’s tiny shoulders. Senri succeeded in her task only by implying that important decisions concerning the missions should not be made without the voice of the Chief of Science, a voice of which Tia was now receiving an earful. 

“We need my ship here so I can see what specimens can be found in this region. Based on the planet’s layout I believe this area will provide the greatest variety of foliage for me to sample,” Jasik tapped his finger on a spot on the map and Tia sucked in a quick breath. 

“LC Aldrich!”

Jasik’s gaze shot up to meet Tia’s eyes and she saw only blank innocence on his face, but she determined to be firm and set a precedence for future meetings. 

“For the second time, this is my ship. I give the commands here, you give suggestions.”

Jasik’s nonplussed expression did not change as he quickly processed this statement, and when he responded his tone was neither aggressive nor hostile, only innocently factual as though explaining a concept to a small child.

“This is a scientific exploration vehicle. I am a scientist. It is for me to explore. And I need to explore this region here,” he again tapped the end of his pointer finger on the map. 

Tia heard a muffled giggle escape from the direction of her helmsman, and she could not control the blood that rose to her cheeks but forced herself to take a deep breath before she spoke. 

“I am the captain of this scientific exploration vehicle,” she could not hold back the sarcasm as she repeated his terminology for her ship, “and as such I will determine what is best for this ship and everyone on board. This-,” she jabbed her finger at his chosen spot, “is not a safe place to land, and before we attempt any sort of landing, we will first send out a shuttle to thoroughly investigate the planet and study our scans to ensure we don’t encounter any natives once we set down.” 

“It’s a class L Planet. There are no natives,” he shrugged.

“I would rather be safe than sorry.” Tia’s tone was firm and succinct.

His eyes narrowed as for a brief moment he leaned forward to peer into her face. “You’re not a very trusting person are you,” he deduced.

“As a rule, no,” Tia answered.

“Very well then,” he blew off the incident with a casual wave of his hand as he turned around. “Just let me know when you’re ready and I can begin collecting my samples. I will be in my lab.” And with that their Chief Science Officer rose to make his departure.

“LC Aldrich, you have not yet been dismissed!” The deep furrows in Tia’s forehead would have warned any normal officer to issue forth a profuse apology and take a quick seat, but the quirky scientist did not process his surroundings in quite the same way as a normal officer. 

“I’ve conveyed all the factors relevant to my research. I am confident you can plan the remaining details without my assistance.” He continued on his way out the door. 

“Lieutenant Commander Jasik Aldrich, as we previously discussed, while you are a senior officer of this crew you will be required to attend all officer briefings,” Jasik opened his mouth and Tia hurriedly continued, “and remain for the duration of the meeting, regardless of how relevant you may deem the information to be.” Tia didn’t realize she had risen to her feet till she found herself standing over the holotable, both palms flat on the table’s surface as she directed the most authoritative gaze she could muster at the irreverent scientist.

Adams waited for Tia to finish before speaking up “I concur with the Captain’s assessment. You are a part of the staff and you are to act like it. Briefings are still important regardless of what you think. Start acting like a Starfleet officer.” She concluded with the stern voice she had used many times before.

Tia appreciated the united front her XO provided, and Jasik gave a light shrug of his shoulders and sat down without further argument. Tia released a sigh of relief, perhaps she would be able to manage this crew yet. 

                                                                          *  * *  *  * 

Meanwhile, the Tesla’s security detail was having issues of their own. Captain Alvaro Vitinius had been cold and unwelcoming to the security team as they were introduced to the Bajoran ship’s bridge crew. His threatening implication still rung in Akeno’s ears. “It would benefit you and your team to follow my lead on these missions. It would be unfortunate for an accident to befall one of your group while you are here.” As seemed to be the custom with Alvaro, his words were politely cordial but his tone implied far darker intentions. 

As Akeno now stood on the bridge of the Bajoran vessel, he was glad to have both John and Jovi on his team although they were not with him at the present. The glances Alvaro had been casting at Jovi since he saw her had not gone unnoticed. Akeno felt protective over Jovi, like an older brother, and he suspected that John may be developing far deeper feelings for the feisty little doctor. He was certain that was the reason behind John’s suggestion to take Jovi and tour the remainder of the ship as Akeno met the bridge crew. They would certainly have to keep an eye on Captain Vitinius. No man would be safe if they made a move to harm Jovi, not even a captain protected by the diplomacy of political relations. 

Alvaro had completed the introductions around the bridge, and the crew was now preparing for takeoff but Akeno was as yet unaware of their heading.

“Do we have a location for the Cardassian rebels,” he inquired. He only received a cryptic response with a sly grin from their captain. 

“We have an ace up our sleeve, Lieutenant.” Alvaro nodded and Akeno turned as the sound of a scuffle attracted his attention. 

The slight figure of a lithe, young woman was dragged into the room between two hulking Bajorans. The girl struggled in their grasp, but with her wrists cuffed tightly together and one soldier gripping a metal collar about her neck, her efforts were easily subdued. Peeking from between strands of thick dark hair that hung loose and wild about her face, Akeno could see the captive’s dark eyes, shining dully against pale skin but with a spark that warned of a raging fire within. 

“Let her go,” Alvaro ordered with a subtle grin. 

The soldiers released her and she immediately lunged for Alvaro, but then the enraged captive seemed to be halted by some invisible force as for a moment she froze in her charge and then collapsed to the floor writhing in pain with her jaw tightly clenched. Alvaro slid from his pocket a small controller which he once again pressed the button on, and the girl’s muscles tensed and strained as waves of electric shock rippled through her body. It was clear the pain experienced by the prisoner was immense, but not a sound escaped her tightly sealed lips as the shocking force pulsated from the collar around her neck. The pleasure Captain Vitinius received from pressing that button was transparent upon his features. He watched the thrashing captive twist about on the ground with eyes that shone like a thrilled cat preparing to pounce on a toy. 

“Not only is this little missy a Cardassian-.” the captain crouched down and the prisoner pushed herself up with unsteady hands till her eyes were level with the captain’s. Alvaro reached out to grip her chin and she quickly jerked it from his grasp. “But she carries Organian blood in her as well.”

“Impossible.” Akeno scoffed at this statement but his voice also held a twinge of doubt.

The prisoner refused to meet her captor’s gaze, and he slowly withdrew his hand with a maniacal chuckle. “All too true, Lieutenant Chung.” Captain Vitinius rose to his feet in a brusque manner, instructing his men to deal with the prisoner with a passing wave of his hand. 

The girl was scooped up and shackled securely to a chair. Her half-hearted attempts to fight back told Akeno that she had long endured this sort of treatment, but had somehow still managed to keep a spark of fire alive. The Bajoran captors stepped back and Alvaro brushed the comms officer aside to tap on a few buttons, the controller for the prisoner’s shock collar resting lightly in his hands. 

“Soon you will see the power she wields,” Alvaro promised. 

“Is the council aware of this?” Akeno questioned, finding it hard to believe the Bajoran leaders would authorize such treatment of a prisoner. 

“The council knows the severity of the Cardassian threat and allows what methods are necessary for the protection of the planet.” 

Akeno noted the evasive answer and he began to suspect that he would discover many things Captain Vitinius had been keeping hidden from the Bajoran Council.  

Alvaro turned from the conn station to stalk towards the captive. She glared at him with defiant eyes that gave no sign of surrender, her body taut, her breath heavy as Alvaro neared her. Alvaro’s long fingers absently toyed with the shock controller in his hand. 

“Are you going to cooperate today?” 

Her lips curled back and she showed bared teeth at her tormentor. 

Her useless defiance only served to amuse the captain. He chuckled darkly. “She’s more beast than anything. But she does as she’s told.” Alvaro leaned forward till he was at eye level with the girl. “Go on now. Show him what you can do. Find one of your ships for us.” 

The girl’s eyes dropped and she shifted uncomfortably in her shackles, the metal rings digging into already chaffed wrists. 

“Don’t be difficult now.”

Alvaro prodded but her jaw remained firmly clamped. 

“You know it’s useless to resist,” Alvaro pointed out. 

Her gaze slowly rose back to meet his, the fire in her eyes flaring. She would not give up the information so easily. 

Alvaro briskly turned away to address Akeno. “I apologize but it looks as though she’s being difficult today. I’ll have someone show you to your quarters so you can get settled in and I’ll notify you once we have a heading.”

It took all Akeno’s strength not to protest, but he knew when he was outmatched and with the threat of an unfortunate accident still ringing in his ears, he held no doubt in his mind that Alvaro would not hesitate to eliminate him should he interfere. At least for the moment, he would have to comply. He left without a word, not wanting to see what he knew was to come next. Akeno was all too familiar with the uncomfortable task of interrogating a prisoner, but Alvaro’s methods seems diabolical. Akeno cursed under his breath. What had he and his team gotten themselves into this time? 

TBC…

The comm band on Akeno’s wrist chirped to life as a short message came through. They had located a Cardassian vessel and the Tesla crew members were being summoned to the bridge. Akeno had been careful to avoid John and Jovi as he took a moment to settle into his new quarters, pondering how he would approach them concerning his suspicions about the duplicitous nature of their Bajoran host and his use of the Cardassian prisoner. He was hesitant to inform John of the situation, knowing the hot-headed master chief well enough to predict the outrage and lack of logical reasoning that would follow such a revelation. John would certainly demand they storm the bridge, take over the ship, and bring Captain Vitinius to trial in chains. Yet Akeno hesitated to take such action till he had uncovered more of the details concerning this prisoner who the captain claimed had Organian blood. Akeno now ran a hand through his thick black hair as he headed for the bridge, not relishing what he suspected would await him. He hoped Captain Vitinius would deposit the prisoner back in a cell somewhere till he had a chance to talk to John and Jovi, but he doubted the brazen captain would consider such discretion.

Sure enough, as Akeno entered the bridge he immediately spotted the shackled figure. The girl was sagging in the chair, her face hidden by disheveled, dark hair that streamed down her body. Only a slight twitch of her fingers betrayed that she was still awake. Jovi threw a sideways glance at the girl chained to a chair but John was not afraid to broach the subject outright.

“Who’s she?” The master chief nodded his head at the slumped figure.

Alvaro glanced up at John’s question. “Did your lieutenant not inform you of our hunting dog?”Akeno felt both John and Jovi’s eyes burning into the back of his head, but he refused to meet their gaze.

“You said you’ve located a Cardassian ship,” he firmly changed the subject. He knew he would be having a conversation with John and likely Jovi later, but he had no desire to get into an argument with his childhood friend in front of their Bajoran host.

“She sensed a ship circling this planet,” Alvaro indicated the planet before them on the screen. “We came up on the opposite side of the planet to remain undetected. We are circling now to approach.”

“And who is she?”

Akeno was a little surprised by the challenge in Jovi’s voice as she addressed the captain concerning the identity of the captive girl. He had quickly recognized Jovi to be no pushover since their last excursion on Ryex, but the strength with which she demanded information from Alvaro sounded similar to a superior officer speaking with a subordinate. Alvaro seemed to receive Jovi’s demands with distaste, but he answered her regardless.

“Yael Nahareya, a Cardassian-Organian hybrid we use as a tracker. We know she can sense Cardassian ships but we suspect she’s capable of a lot more than that, she’s just not willing to cooperate,” Alvaro finished with a growl.

It was clear that Jovi wished to say more but Akeno once again steered the conversation in a different direction. “We’re coming up on the Cardassian vessel.”

The Bajoran ship rounded the planet and the bow of another vessel began to appear on the horizon. As the Cardassian ship came into view, Akeno’s brow furrowed. 

“It looks to be a loaded merchant ship. Not even heavily armed.”

Alvaro was already speaking over him. “Phaser cannons at maximum power. Fire!”

“Belay that order! We are here to determine if the Cardassians pose a threat to the-,” but the phaser beams were already well on their way before Akeno finished speaking.

The unarmed merchant vessel didn’t stand a chance against the heavy phaser fire and it was over in an instant. Akeno’s jaw tightened as metal shards floated through the air, slowly disseminating from the newly created wreckage. Akeno was about to lay into Captain Vitinius for not consulting with them before shooting the ship down, but Jovi’s swift approach towards the Cardassian hybrid prisoner drew his attention.

The girl named Yael strained against the shackles on her wrists, her body contorting in spasms, her eyes tightly closed. The lithe form tightened and relaxed in waves till the fit slowly seemed to subside.

“Are you alright?” Jovi knelt down to inspect the girl but the prisoner recoiled.

“She’s fine.” Captain Vitinius seemed annoyed by her concern.

“She seems to be in pain,” Jovi pressed the captain, showing no sign of intimidation before the hulking Bajoran.

Alvaro threw her a dark glare but answered. “The doctors have inspected her in the past. She suffers no physical harm. They surmise she simply feels it when the Cardassians die.”

“She feels their suffering?” There was stark horror in Jovi’s eyes as she reached this realization. 

“She needs help.” Jovi’s voice rose, strong and insistent.

“It will pass.” Alvaro brushed by them to exit the bridge.

“I won’t allow such treatment of a prisoner!” Jovi’s voice rung out harsh and demanding.

Alvaro whirled back to march towards her, stopping to thrust his face down towards her angry red visage. John’s hand slid to the sidearm at his belt but a warning glare from Akeno stayed his hand. 

“You’re not in command here, Jovi,” Alvaro snarled down at the little fearless little doctor.

Akeno threw John a questioning gaze wondering if he too noted the strange tension between the two, but John didn’t notice the look. His eyes were locked on the Bajoran captain who towered over the doctor, his hand still in the handle of his sidearm. However, Alvaro made no further advance toward Jovi but instead turned to stalk away.

Jovi was hot on his heels, marking after him with a look in her eyes that would have caused any normal man to be weak in the knees. John stepped forward but a blazing glare thrown in his and Akeno’s direction warned them both not to follow and they watched in silence as the feisty doctor strode after the ruthless captain.

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Jovi’s voice echoed down the hall as the door to the bridge slid shut behind her.

Alvaro’s broad shoulders halted and he whirled about to swiftly stride back towards her, thrusting his head down till his face was but inches from her flushed visage.

“What are you doing here, Jovi?” He asked her brusquely.

“I’m following orders, something which you clearly still haven’t learned to do,” she shot back.

“You’re not my commanding officer anymore.”

“And do your commanders know the truth of what’s going on here.”

The curled back lips gave a response she knew all too well. Alvaro Vitinius had always been one to press the bounds of his position and take whatever action he deemed necessary rather than waiting for approval. With a guttural growl he turned his back to her, but she called after the retreating figure.

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

The brawny figure halted and turned back to stride quickly towards her, stopping but inches in front of her to thrust his strained visage down close to her face. “Everything I did in the past I did it all for our race.” Then for a brief moment, the hardened features softened a bit and his voice took on a tone that almost sounded like tenderness. “I did it for us. I did it for you, Jovi.”

But she knew better than to give in to soft words she had heard so often before. “No. Don’t you put that on me. I never wanted that.”

“Like you haven’t done the same.” Anger flashed across his face and the tenderness was quickly gone, but the little doctor didn’t back down an inch.

“I drew a line, Alvaro. I drew a line and I didn’t cross it.”

A snarl was the only response Jovi received before he turned on his heel to stalk away.

                                                                          *  * *  *  * 

Idrin entered the Captain’s office to find Tia standing before the large oval screen that gave her a view of the galaxy outside. A half-empty tumbler betrayed she had likely been surveying the floating stars for some time now.

“Was the officer’s briefing that bad?” Idrin questioned her in his usual bland monotone.

“Still attempting to decipher the engineering report.” The ice cubes in the glass clinked as she waved the whiskey glass at her desk where the offending report still shone on her screen.

“Anything I can assist with?” His offer seemed almost robotic and Tia wondered if he genuinely wanted to help or only offered from politeness.

“Why can’t Thatch just talk plainly as most officers do?” Tia spoke the question allowed, not really expecting a response.

“He does speak plainly, just in his own language.” The half-Vulcan turned his piercing gaze on her and as usual, she felt her heart shrink in her chest as she bore the full brunt of those cold eyes. “As a being who speaks several languages, I would think you would understand, not everyone expresses themselves in the same way. You must seek to translate each person individually.”

Tia rolled her eyes at the technically detailed response she was growing accustomed to receiving from Idrin. A balanced blend of Idrin’s overly intellectual way of speaking and Thatch’s simplistic ramblings would make for an ideal conversationalist.

“My last engineer just spoke MY language, I suppose,” she murmured half to Idrin and half to herself. Suddenly Riru’s face flashed before her mind’s eye and a reminiscent smile stole across her lips, her gaze growing distant.

“You cared deeply for her.”

Tia whirled about as the commander’s voice cut through her thoughts. Her cheeks showed a dark red flush against the green hue. This whiskey had loosened her tongue far too much. “Who told you that?” she demanded harshly.

A gentle grin tugged at the corners of Idrin’s mouth and he answered in his typical calm and level-headed tone. “You did. Just now.”

“So you haven’t heard rumors floating among the crew?”

Idrin gave a light chuckle and leaned an elbow against the back of a large armchair. His demeanor became more relaxed and friendly than Tia would have thought possible, but Tia refused to let her guard down. “Would it serve to put your mind at ease if I were to assure you that no such rumors exist?”

Tia continued to view him with eyes of distrust.

“You wish to say something.” It wasn’t a question when Idrin put it like that.

“Commander Vostugo, are you here simply to report back to command concerning my captaincy of the Tesla?” Maybe it was the alcohol or perhaps she was simply tired of playing games, but Tia chose to speak her mind and confront her operations officer concerning her suspicions. It was strange to see such a stony figure laugh outright, but he looked almost pleasant as a large smile broke across his normally granite features and his eyes twinkled with a level of humor that she had never before seen him display.

“I am sorry to disappoint you, Captain Savik, but I truly doubt Federation Command cares about either of our careers enough to assign us with our own personal surveillance.”

“So you really are here simply because you wish to be an operations officer under a green captain with no previous experience?” Tia still found this difficult to believe for someone possessing his career history.

Idrin’s eyes took on a pensive gaze and he now turned to study the stars. “Very early in my career, I used to perform in a training role, evaluating new recruits to determine who was fit for service and which officers should advance. I saw it as my duty to ensure the ranks of Starfleet remained pure, untainted by those who may prove unfit for service. During this time, there was one man who opposed me at every turn.” Idrin turned to study Tia. “I believe you served under him for some time aboard the Jupiter Station.”

“Rodbert Sgoc?”

“It was one of his soldiers, Cadmus Shadduck, who went on to captain the Effrenus.”

“I never knew Captain Shadduck served under Sgoc.” Tia’s eyes fell as she mulled over this new bit of information. “And you didn’t get along with Sgoc?” Tia found such a fact difficult to believe, as every memory she possessed of the man only served as a credit to his integrity and excellent service to Starfleet.

Idrin once again smiled and this time Tia allowed herself to believe the authenticity of the emotion. “I was very young and yet confident that I knew everything. At the time I did not understand him, but now I respect no human being quite so greatly.” Idrin turned from the stars to make his way towards her desk, pointing at the decanter of whiskey she had been quick to procure after the incident in the Brew Pub. “May I?”

She nodded and he helped himself to a glass before returning to her, casually swirling the brown liquid before taking a sip. He seemed in no rush to provide her with details but with her drink warming her chest and the stars floating before them, she felt in no mood to rush him.

“It was Sgoc and his Jupiter Station which first took on a project which Shadduck continued aboard the Effrenus. Sgoc and then Shadduck fought me at every turn, and due to their age and experience against my own greenness and naivety, they often won. Those two took all who the Federation would have deemed as unfit for service,” Idrin paused to correct himself. “Those who I would have deemed unfit for service.” He took another sip. “Sgoc trained some of the greatest minds and Shaddock developed one of the most tightly knit and productive crews in the fleet. I always wondered how they did it.” Idrin turned to meet Tia’s eyes. “Much of your crew is here simply because I evaluated them and rated them as unfit, so they ended up aboard the Effrenus and have now been assigned to you.”

“Why was I selected for this command?” Tia couldn’t help but feel there was a greater work at play here, but she still couldn’t quite grasp the particulars surrounding this unusual assignment.

“You are one of many green captains who has been saddled with undesirables on their first command, but you are the captain I chose to serve under due to your ability to logically and intellectually evaluate not only persons and situations around you but also yourself. I believe you will be one of few who can adapt and overcome the difficulties of navigating a crew with great potential but little discipline.”

“How did you gather all that from my file?” Tia pressed him, suspecting he knew more than he was telling her.

Idrin let out a slow sigh and turned away from her. “We have never met, but unbeknownst to you, I performed an evaluation of you before you were accepted into the academy. Evaluating you was one of my first assignments.”

“You evaluated me?” Tia pondered for a moment as a new revelation began forming in her mind. “Is that how I ended up aboard the Jupiter Station?”

“I believe I should turn in for the night, Captain Savik.” Idrin returned the now empty glass to its tray. “I hope you have a wonderful evening.” He gave her a polite bow and made his departure, leaving Tia to stare after him with her mind whirling.

                                                                          *  * *  *  *

Aboard the Bajoran vessel, Akeno was trying his best to keep John from immediately taking up arms against their Bajoran hosts. Akeno had informed John and Jovi of his hunch that Alvaro may not be acting under the council’s authority, but John seemed far more concerned about the welfare of the Cardassian prisoner.

“We can’t leave her here.” John’s voice held no uncertainty. He was not making a request and Akeno knew his superior rank would do nothing to stop John from disobeying orders if John felt he was doing the right thing. Akeno also knew that rash actions could get them in a lot of trouble, not only with the Bajorans but also with Starfleet.

“We know nothing about this prisoner or what she’s done to land herself in this position.”

“She didn’t choose her parents, Akeno.” The emotion in John’s voice betrayed that this situation hit a little too close to home, and Akeno worried about his judgement.

“I understand that she can’t help her lineage, and believe me, John, I know how you must feel about this but just because she’s a hybrid doesn’t mean the Bajoran’s treatment of her is entirely unjust. She could potentially be a homicidal maniac who they’ve learned to handle with extreme prejudice due to past experiences.” Akeno looked at John and Jovi to see if his argument for reason was having any effect. Jovi stared at the ground and John’s gaze was unrelenting.

“No one deserves that kind of treatment. Regardless of their past.” Jovi spoke quietly from where she sat on the wooden table, but her words hit hard.

“Look,” Akeno softened slightly but he knew any sign of weakness would have John diving headlong into a course of action he could not walk back, so he worked to remain firm in his resolve that the mission must come first. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t act. If Captain Vitinius is hiding details of his operation from the Bajoran Council, then we will bring those details to light and he will be forced to account for his actions, but that is for the Bajorans to judge and not us. Our mission here is to access the Cardassian threat and we can make no move to jeopardize our diplomatic relations till we have completed our mission.”

“Oh come on, please let me shoot him,” John groaned in annoyance. The master chief doubted he could last much longer in the company of the overbearing Bajoran Captain without drawing his weapon.

“We need him alive. He has to confess before the Bajoran Council or it will simply be our word against his crew.”

“Well, I won’t kill him. I’ll just shoot him a little bit.” John shrugged a bulky shoulder.

Akeno threw his arms out. “We’re gonna have to wait this one out to finish our mission. Besides, it’s not like they’d take prisoner a completely innocent woman. She could have the blood of many innocent Bajorans on her hand and Captain Vitinius’s treatment of her may well be justified.”

“You don’t know him,” Jovi spoke, finally raising her eyes from the floor. “I don’t enjoy talking about my past, but I left a position in the Bajoran militia to be a doctor for Starfleet. I can tell you I’m not proud of the things I was a part of when I was in the militia, and my past is something I’m still trying to atone for. When I say it’s highly likely that this girl has done nothing to deserve her current situation, I speak from a place of experience. Alvaro’s hatred for the Cardassians runs deep, and he will stop at nothing to eradicate their entire race from the galaxy. Many Bajorans support his goal and several will turn a blind eye to his methods as long as he achieves his goals.”

Akeno sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Well let’s at least consider all sides and fully assess the situation before we act. We are close to a Cardassian ship. Once I’ve had a chance to parlay with the Cardassians and we are on our way back to the Tesla with a report, then we can discuss our next move concerning the prisoner and Captain Vitinius.”

Jovi made no movement to either agree or argue, but John slowly rose to his feet and headed for the door. Brushing past Akeno with his shoulder, he delivered a statement of intent with a heated gaze that refused to be quelled.

“She’s not staying on this ship.” With that, John was gone and Akeno was left with Jovi. As Akeno looked into the Bajoran doctor’s eyes, he saw no sympathy and knew he would have both of them to contend with once the Cardassian threat had been adequately accessed.

TBC…