Harris sat in his quarters on Bravo, reading the latest research on warp drives, transwarp, and the entirely unpredictable and unknowns that were being developed.  It was a fascinating read, but he was thankful he had the center chair on a starship, not a research and development chair in some deeply complex Starfleet operations center.  Those people had to deliver hard results with an expectation of genius.  He’d spent some time with that group in the academy years ago.  He hadn’t fit in – at all.

=^=Central Hospital 1 to Commander Harris=^=  He answered for them to go ahead. =^=We have a…visitor here to see you.  Says he will only speak to you.=^=

Harris sat forward, “Patient or staff?”

=^=Patient, sir.  His name is Major Tulak.=^=

Pulling up a PADD, he searched for where he knew that name. He found it in the records of Doctor Henry Longfellow.  And his eyes widened.

=^=Commander Harris?=^=

Ambrose quickly tapped his badge, “I’m on my way.”

Central Hospital 1 – Ward 2

The nurse led him to the patient’s bedside and offered him a stool, which he took.  A Vulcan male lay in the bed, his eyes closed.  He wasn’t old by the CO’s eyes, but something about the man’s presence unsettled him.  He sat for a moment before the eyes of Major Tulak fluttered open, and he turned his head slowly to see who sat beside him.

“Commander Harris.”  The voice was deep and scratchy but full of a strength the human wasn’t sure what to do with.  It exuded from the Vulcan as if poured from the Sun, fiery and scalding.  “I wondered if you would come.”

Ambrose held up a PADD with files displayed, “Your name…I remembered it from Longfellow’s reports.  Our encounter with Commodore Patra put us onto the original incident here at Bravo.  You were on the run.”

Tulak frowned, “Vulcans do not run, Commander Harris.  We are very adept at the game of shadows.  I simply stayed in the deepest darkness where they could not find me.  Commodore Patra was not as smart as he thought himself to be.”  He coughed and groaned, “You are here, and all the better.  There is more out there.  More darkness.  More evil.” He stared at Harris, “You must put a stop to it, Commander.  The light must prevail.”

A shake of his head was his first response, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Major.  We put Patra away for the rest of his life.  He’ll never escape.  The Romulans helped clean up his mess.  Far as we know, things are still terrible, but his people and power are gone.”

The Vulcan Major kept his eyes glued to the Edinburgh CO, “Are they?  Truly?  Do you feel it in your bones and know that the darkness has been cleansed…that there is no more reason to look over your shoulder…or to watch your back?”  The Vulcan man turned his eyes to the ceiling above, “No, there are still elements out there.  I came here because I knew it was safe.  There are places in the outer reaches of the Federation where walls are porous, and security is a punchline to every joke.  But here…Bravo is a place that keeps the darkness at bay…that shines like a lighthouse against the tempest of space.”

Harris frowned, “You a religious man, Major?”

Tulak rolled his eyes, a rare expression of emotion, “Vulcan ideology is at best simple yet complex and at worst intricately woven with layers upon layers of competing theology.  Religion is not the word you should choose to identify what is coming and what is out there.”

Ambrose leaned forward, “I suspect you want my help.”

Tulak appraised the Starfleet commander, “You surmise correctly, Commander Harris.  The trick is…I must come with you.  Because what is out there… is coming for me as well.  And I must stand at the altar of forever…and close this chapter of evil forever.”

The CO of the Edinburgh sighed, “You’re going to have to tell me a little more about…all this…evil before I agree to consider taking this to Starfleet.”

The Vulcan Major studied the face of Harris for quite some time in silence.  He pushed himself up to sit against the back of his biobed, “Very well.  It begins with Commodore Patra…but many years ago….”

“This seems highly suspect, Commander.”  The Admiral had sifted through the massive report that Harris had prepared for him, and the CO of the Edinburgh wasn’t about to argue.

“I agree, Admiral.  Lots of what the Major is saying can’t be verified given that most of the names he’s given us are either dead or reported dead.”  Ambrose scrolled through his own PADD, “The locations he references are also hard to connect – most of them are not the actual name for the sector or the planet or whatever.”  He let out a sigh, “It also doesn’t help that Major Tulak is suffering from a condition that is affecting his mind.  The Bravo medical staff has found a treatment that will help extend his life, but his mind won’t be fully recovered for a few weeks.”

The Admiral raised his eyebrows, “You’re going to tell me that will be too late for whatever it is that we need to do.”

Harris smiled quietly, “It seems the places and people he’s identified are only in play wherever they are for a short time – if we wait for his recovery, we may lose out on the opportunity to take care of Patra’s remaining operations.”

“Do we know who is running his operations now?”

The CO shrugged, “That’s still a mystery, sir.  We’ve got some possibilities, but we’re going to have to check them out.”  Ambrose tapped his PADD, “There is one thing I was hoping to get some help with, Admiral.” The man stared him down and gestured for Harris to fill him in.  He started, “I’d like to ask Thasaz for her help.”

The Admiral frowned and tapped at the PADD, “She was a member of your crew previously…you’ve already got a Chief Science Officer.”  He looked up at the commander, “What’s your plan?”

“She can be a special envoy, sir.  She still has connections with the Romulans.  She’s been doing her own work on Patra.”

“And her ship?”

“The NAR Journey can dock here – she’s trained an executive officer to manage the crew.  There are plenty of programs on the station for the colonists to engage with as well.”  Harris looked at the Admiral, hoping.

“Very well.  You have a go, Command Harris.  I’ll sign off on the transfer paperwork for the Major and for Thasaz.  I hope you find what you’re looking for with all this.”

USS Edinburgh – Bridge-1045

Harris stepped onto the bridge as the crew was just starting to activate stations and prepare for departure.  The news had spread regarding Thasaz’s arrival.  His briefing to the command team had elicited plenty of questions and concerns – all that he readily understood and accepted.  It was an odd case, and the possibilities were too hard to ignore.  He returned to the center chair and sat down, still feeling the wonder at getting his chair back.

“Ensign Prentice, status on our guests?”

William turned in his chair, “Thasaz is aboard and on her way to the bridge.  The Major has been received by Doctor Reid, and she’s evaluating his condition and treatment regimen.  All stations reporting ready for departure.”  He smiled at the nod from his CO and returned his attention to the course he would need to plot.

Ambrose turned at the sound of the bridge doors opening and jumped up, a wide smile greeting the former Chief Science Officer to the bridge.  “Thasaz!  Welcome back to the Eddie.”

She stepped cautiously onto the bridge and then returned the smile as she embraced Harris, “Thank you, Commander…it is good to be back aboard.”  She stepped back and greeted those she knew, including her replacement, Sadie Fowler, who approached awkwardly.

“…I don’t know what to call you…Captain Thasaz?”

The Romulan woman chuckled and hugged a surprised Fowler warmly, and pulled away, looking the young woman over, “Captain Thasaz works…or just Thasaz.  Ensign Fowler, you’ve come a long way.  The stories the Commander tells me – you continue to impress your old chief.”  The Science Chief reddened in embarrassment and pride.

Harris cleared his throat, “The bridge crew is invited to dinner this evening with our Special Envoy, Captain Thasaz.  For now, let’s get underway.”  He motioned for his former officer to follow him where he offered her the chair to the right of him.  He dismissed her protests, “Commanding Officer to Commanding Officer – it’s your chair.”  She sighed and took the seat as Ambrose leaned forward, “Mr. Prentice – take us out.”

The Edinburgh slipped out of the Starbase and slowly rumbled away from the surging traffic until it was alone in the stars, impulse engines propelling her forward.  Prentice turned, “Course plotted, sir.”

Ambrose smiled a little.  It always brought him some sense of joy to order the ship to warp speed.  He wasn’t sure of the why…just that it was.  “Very well, Mr. Prentice…let’s get out there.”

“I admit, Commander, I do miss this crew.”

Harris sat on the couch by the windows while Reid sat at his desk working on the report on the Major.  He gave her a smile, lifting his glass of chilled cider, “They’ve missed you too, Thasaz.  Sounds like the Journey is your new home, though.”

The Romulan swirled her cup of steaming green tea, “It has been an experience…being a captain and a governor at the same time.  They are an incredibly smart group.  The training officers left us early.  They are just that good.”  She smiled quietly, “It is still surreal to me that I found them, and they found me.”  A pause as she reflected on her journey, “I suppose we must speak of the Major.”

Reid stood from the desk and walked to the screen that covered the wall in the ready room, “Major Tulak is suffering from a neurological condition similar to the human Alzheimers condition.  His situation is different in that it can be treated and his life extended.  The parts of his brain that are impacted are the ones we need him to access, and the treatment to return his mind to him…will take far too much time.”  She tapped the screen, “He will improve with time, but it will be slow.”

Ambrose gave her a nod, and she returned to the desk as he mentioned to the PADD he had given Thasaz, “There are several locations he’s identified that we are able to ascertain what the probably real-world counterparts are – they are within various Romulan territories.  Starfleet has sent out communication that we’re going to be around the areas doing some support and science work.  So far, they haven’t had any pushback.  Trouble is…”

Thasaz finished it for him, “Once they identify what we are doing, they will be more inclined to..as you say, pushback.”  She held up the PADD, “I am aware of Tulak.  The Commander has been kind enough to send me what little they’ve given him…and I’ve been doing my own work on the Patra question.  Given what he told you, I think there’s a very good chance he’s not lying.  Early in his career, Patra made it a goal of his to build alliances with unlikely groups, governments, and operatives.  He continued to cultivate these things as he grew in power and influence.  His final actions with the outlying Klingons were a sample of his efforts.”  Shaking her head, she continued, “He was very good at shell games.  He would use intermediaries with Tulak and his group – making sure to keep enough of his fingerprints off while still moving and shaking.”

Harris asked, “Was he involved in the T’shalaith case?”

The former science chief tapped at her PADD, “It took me some time to, as you humans say, ‘shake that tree,’ but I was able to confirm that Patra had his eyes on the Vulcan woman and harbored a desire to put her into his service.  She operated in the shadows for so long that he found it easy to push some of the more extreme elements of the Vulcan science community to track her down.  Your good doctor was attacked on orders from Patra.  And he fully intended to capture her and bring her back to him.”

Reid raised her eyebrows, “And he didn’t succeed because…?”

Thasaz chuckled, “Bravo station has built a reputation of keeping the darkness at the gates, and Patra found out the hard way that he wasn’t going to get through the doors with anything short of an invasion.  He was close to actually contemplating doing just that – but you kept distracting him.  Truthfully, he would have lost that battle…but his mind had gone mad from fear and anger; he was going to try anything to retain his power and control.  You took a powerful player off the board, Commander.”

The CO replied, “We got lucky, and we sacrificed to get there.  The trouble is; apparently, his operations run on and on.”

She tapped at her PADD further, “Whoever is running it is very good at staying in the shadows.  With Major Tulak’s help, we’ve got a pretty good idea of where to start.  Some advice, Commander.  Patra was a bastard – through and through.  He was blinded by his vengeance at the end.  Whoever we may face now…there is an intelligence to how they’ve run the operation.  They won’t be baited by fear.”

Ambrose pushed off the couch, “It’s good advice, Captain Thasaz.  Keep giving it, even if I won’t listen.”

She stood and shook his hand, “Anything to put this nightmare into the memories of the past, Commander.”  She gave a nod to Reid and left for the bridge.

As the door closed, Reid gave him a look, “You’re not worried about this?”

He thought about her question for a moment, “You seem to be.”

Jordan grumbled and leaned back in his chair, “Something just doesn’t feel right.  The scans on the Major show this condition as a quickly developing situation.  I did my practicum work on Vulcan physiology in the Academy.  This kind of thing doesn’t kick off as fast as this did.”  She left the rest of her statement to hang in the air.

Harris picked it right back up, “You’re suggesting this was done to him?” A shrug was all she had.  “That’s a helluva thing, Jord.”

“I’ve got more work to do with him to figure out more details and confirm what I’m feeling…but like she said – I think we gotta be more careful this time around.”

She stepped out from the desk and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek, “See you later tonight, ‘Brose.”

The door closed behind her, and Ambrose returned to his desk, sitting down in a huff.  The twists and turns in the road built by Patra continued to trouble him.

“Entering the sector now, Commander.”  Prentice dropped them from warp, waiting for science and tactical to get a read on the situation in the system.

Kondo spoke up first, “Nothing of note on the tactical side of things.  We’re getting some trace of a mining operation on the planet and in orbit around the moon.”

Fowler tapped furiously at her console, a frown growing, “The moon mining operation isn’t populated – sensors reporting mineral content of the moon is very low.  However…,” she put the second set of scans on the viewscreen, “The planet has a rather significant mineral operation at work.  Reading upwards of four hundred life signs in and around this location on the surface and a little below.”

Harris leaned forward, “No ships?”  Kondo repeated his scan and shook his head.  Ambrose wondered what that meant.  He turned to Thasaz.  “That’s a bit odd.”

Her eyes searched the screen as she read the details, “It’s not unusual.  They didn’t know where we would come first – the operation would only have so many ships available to cover the varying operations.  You can be assured they’ve signaled someone about our appearance.”

“Ensign Prentice, open hailing frequencies.”  The sound of the open channel whistled across the bridge as Harris spoke, “This is Commander Harris of the Federation starship USS Edinburgh.  We’re here on a scientific mission with the permission of your governments.  Please advise.”  He waited for a moment and looked at his chief helm officer.

The young officer shook his head, “They’ve received our hail; I can confirm that…but the channel remains open.”  Harris motioned for him to mute the channel.

Thasaz stood and walked to stand behind Fowler, “Ensign, see if you can modulate the sensors to get a better picture of the interior of the moon.”  Sadie turned and stared at her former chief for but a second before returning to her console and configuring the sensors.  As she did so, the Romulan watched as the image clarified.  “There it is.”  Fowler’s hands were shaking as she tapped the information to show up on the screen.

Harris stood in shock.  What the hell was he looking at?  That couldn’t be….”That’s a moon…station?”

The Romulan captain returned to the chair on his right, “There was always talk of building things like this – I’m sure more of them exist than I’d be comfortable with in various places…but yes.  You’re looking at a way to hide a small fleet…which is what that is.”

The CO turned to Kondo, “Do they know we know?”

De La Fontaine ran his hands across the console carefully, “They’re not moving…and the power signatures remain unchanged from both the planet and the moon.”

Prentice spoke up, “They are responding to our hail, Commander.”

Harris motioned to Thasaz to step into an alcove so as not to be seen and gave a nod to his helm officer, “Onscreen.”

A Reman stood in a command room, his eyes searching the bridge as the visual connection activated.  He looked around to each officer and settled on Harris.  “Your presence here is noted, Starfleet.  We’ve received your scientific packet of information.  It is…very broad in its explanations.”

Ambrose remained standing, “We’re looking to build a pretty robust study.  This system and a few others represent our best chance to get the data we need.”  He resisted the urge to shift his posture.

“I see.  I am Shasa, the overseer of this colony.  You are welcome to complete your study in our sector…and then leave for your next system.”  He glanced off-screen and frowned before muting the channel.  Harris motioned to Prentice to do the same.

He looked around the bridge, concern filling his face, “What do we know?”

Fowler spoke up from science, “They did a pretty good scan of us, sir – whatever mining equipment they have on the planet, those sensors are far more complex than they should be.”  She tapped at her console, “There’s nothing to see…oh, that’s new.” Her hands ran faster across the console, and a map of the Edinburgh appeared, a blinking dot appearing as the image zoomed until it showed where it was located.  “A signal is coming from sickbay!”

Harris tapped his badge, “Harris to Doctor Reid – report!”

There was a clatter of action as she responded, =^=Commander, we need security in sickbay…NOW!”  Kondo was on his way out the door, hitting his own badge as Harris returned his attention to Reid.

“What’s going on, Reid?”

There were further sounds of a struggle until there wasn’t, and the voice of Chief Kondo could be heard in the background as Reid thanked him and took a few breaths before responding, =^=Major Tulak suddenly woke up and nearly escaped from sickbay…took out two orderlies before I managed to restrain him.  Thankfully Chief Kondo arrived on time.  The scanners are picking up a signal coming from the Major, Commander…what is going on?=^=

The CO allowed a frown to cross his face, “You’ll know when I know.  Harris out.”  He turned to Fowler, “What are they up to?”

She was watching her screens as if possessed and shook her head, “The moon station isn’t doing anything…but the planet’s defenses are warming up – several planet-based defense platforms are now being detected.”

Ambrose grumbled, “Prentice, give me the overseer.  Unmute us.”  Prentice tapped at the console, “Overseer Shasa, we’re detecting that you’re powering your planetary defense networks…what is the reason for this?”  He tried gamely to maintain an even voice.

The Remen returned to the channel.  “You have someone on your ship that is not welcome in this place, Starfleet.  Someone who has caused us all great harm.”

Harris let out a small sigh, “He’s incidental to our scientific mission.”

Shasa frowned and let out a low growl, “You do not know you have, do you?  Major Tulak is a wanted man, Starfleet.  He is responsible for the near destruction of our organization.” Silence held on the bridge, and Thasaz stepped out, her face as a stone, staring into the eyes of the overseer, who visibly took a step back, “You.  YOU!”

Thasaz growled, and Harris nearly stared at her as she spoke, “Shasa.  Been a bit.  I wasn’t sure you’d come back to Patra…and his group.”

The Reman spat at the ground, “This is too much.  You are not here for science.  You are here for something else far more nefarious than just scanning the system; I should destroy you where you stand.”

The CO chuckled and was amused at the confused look on Shasa’s face, “You would invite the full weight and fury of the Federation upon you, Overseer Shasa.  What was Tulak to you?”

A look of genuine concern crossed over the alien’s face, “You do not know?  Well, isn’t something.”

Harris cut to the chase, “What do you want.”  It wasn’t a question.  

The Reman licked his lips and considered, “A replicator system.”

“Done.  Chief Kondo, get it done.”  He turned back to Shasa, “Now, answer the question.”

“Or what?”

“I’ll leave and start sending messages to whoever will listen about you…never mind if they’re true.”

Shasa stared at the commander, “You wouldn’t.”

It was Ambrose’s turn to growl, “I’m tired of chasing my tail, Overseer Shasa.”

A moment and the man relented.  “He became the head of Patra’s group.  Did a good job of it for about a month.  Then…something happened.  Some say he grew a conscience.  All I know is that one day he was in charge, the next he was gone, and things have been chaotic since.”

The CO frowned, worried about the answer, “Who is in charge now?”

Shasa shrugged, “No one.  The fracture started about two weeks ago.  I’m a free agent at the moment…and we’re entertaining offers.  Interested?”  He laughed heartily at that, and Harris rolled his eyes.

“Replicator units are on their way.  Good day to you, Overseer Shasa.”  The channel closed and Ambrose turned to the bridge crew, “What the hell just happened?”

Thasaz leaned against a station, “There’s only one Vulcan who can answer that question, sir.”

The CO bit his bottom lip, “Thasaz, you’re with me.  Fowler, you have the CONN.”  They left for the turbolift as Sadie Fowler stood awkwardly and walked cautiously to the chair.  It had become a very weird day.

“Are you going to kill me?”  Major Tulak was strapped to a biobed with two security officers at his sides.  His eyes moved from face to face wildly, his breathing uneven.

Harris spoke as he nodded to the two security officers to step away, “Major, you know that’s not how we work.”

The Vulcan’s eyes pleaded with those around, “It may not be how you work…but the things I’ve done…the Romulan whose throne I sat on…you must understand my fear.”

The Chief Counselor spoke up, “We’ve all done things we regret in life.  We’re more interested in what happened to you to get you here.  That must be a helluva story.”

Tulak closed his eyes as he thought about the truth.  It was true. Starfleet wasn’t going to kill him.  “I took over for him because I was the best they had.  At first, I found it stimulating and worth my efforts.  Slowly I began to wonder if I was truly doing the right thing or even the things I should be doing.  I started to doubt my place in this machine…and that it needed to die.  So I needed to die.  So I tried to leave.”

Jordan Reid interrupted, “You’ll notice that his memory and mind have returned.  In his escape attempt, they tried to wipe his mind entirely of his knowledge of the operation.  Our friend here managed to escape the machine and jump to warp…but not before he got a pretty heavy dose of the machine.  He was found drifting in a ship and brought to Bravo – where he reached out to Commander Harris…and here we are.”

The CO frowned, “The signal?”

Kondo held up a bag with a small metal device, “They implanted him with a tracking device that would activate should he ever show up near one of the installations…and they would sound the alarm.”  He glanced at Tulak, “He remembers everything, which is a benefit but also troubling if they discover that he is restored.”

Jordan let out a sigh, “If you think I know how his brain just kicked back into gear, I’d need to run a battery of tests, exams…everything to figure it out.  The tracking device’s activation may have had something to do with it.”

Thasaz spoke up from the corner, “So the question is…what do we do with him?  And his knowledge?  He knows everything about the remaining pieces of the operations.  He won’t be able to hide now that they know he’s with us.  They’ll come for him.  And they won’t stop.  They just don’t want to start a war with the Federation…which is what is keeping us safe.  For the moment.”

Harris looked at Tulak, who shrugged, “I know that I must atone for my errors and the things I have done.”

Thasaz had been staring at the Major for quite some time as he and the others had spoken.  She broke her gaze on him and focused on Ambrose, “Commander…I need to see you in your ready room.”  With that, she walked out of sickbay.  Harris dismissed the crew and followed the Romulan to his ready room.  The door closed behind them, and she paced the floor in silence.  She looked at him with a look of regret, “I think I must ask you for something that…you may not agree with, commander.”

Harris offered her a seat on the couch and sat opposite her, “What’s on your mind?”

She shook her head slowly, “The idea came to my mind as the Major was talking about his story.  It grew as he spoke about his intentions and his desires.”  She leaned back on the couch, “I think I want to join him in the fight to destroy what is left of Patra’s work.”

Ambrose’s eyes went wide.  He attempted to form the words but couldn’t find them at first.  He ended up with, “You’re right…I’m not inclined to agree with that, captain.”

The former Chief Science officer shifted in her seat, smiling quietly, “The thing is…I don’t think you can tell me no.”  She looked up, “I’m a free agent.”

The CO tried again, “The Journey?”

Thasaz contemplated for a moment, “We’re a ship without a fleet.  Privately owned.  There’s a small fleet on that moon.  And I can scare the shit out of Overseer Shasa.”  Harris frowned, and she chuckled darkly, “Shasa was never a true Reman warrior.  I wasn’t surprised that he folded on us so quickly.  He’s more of a Ferengi than Remen.  He’s content to operate his mining operations and stay out of the way.”

Ambrose shook his head, “You’re taking a big risk, Captain.”

She leaned forward on the couch, “Comman…Ambrose.”  She looked him in the eyes, “I’m old enough to know what I’m doing.  You were my commanding officer…and you’re allowed to worry and wonder about me when I’m off on my own…but you cannot stop me from getting out there.  The same goes for any of your crew.  They won’t be with you forever, sir.  You won’t be on the Edinburgh forever.  Starfleet is big, with lots of places and people.”

Harris chuckled dryly, “ I don’t have to like it.”

“No, you don’t.” She stood, and he accepted her embrace, “I wish you luck, Captain Thasaz.”

She tightened her embrace for a moment and whispered, “The same to you, Commander Harris.”  She turned and headed out the door.  Harris stood quietly in his ready room, turning to look out the window.  Long ago, they had called it The Final Frontier. The Undiscovered Country.  He realized it was still true – the infinite nature of space refused to have an end point – it was constantly calling to the travelers and the explorers – that pull to seek out the newest of life, the new worlds, the new pieces of the connection that urged them together somehow in the end.

Harris turned back to the door to the bridge.  His journey had just begun.  He was quietly anxious for what would come next.

=^=Commander Harris to the bridge.=^=

He smiled wryly to himself, “I guess that answers that.”

“Good morning, Commander.”

Harris glanced up from his working desk and stood to shake the hand of the ensign, who was on time for her interview.  “To you as well, Ensign Atega.  Please, sit.” She nervously sat, her eyes searching the desk, the office, the walls, the floor – anywhere but the eyes of the CO.  He pulled up her application on his PADD.  “You’ve served with success on the Polson.  Why the Edinburgh?”

Presley gulped and started with something but changed her mind three times with her words until she decided, “In all honesty, sir, Captain Rachel Harris was very…convincing.”

Ambrose chuckled, “Her diplomatic skill knows no bounds.  Aside from my mother’s suggestion, why us?”

Atega thought for a moment, “My interest in linguistics and communications is all-consuming, sir.  I’ve never met a book about it that I didn’t like. I can’t expand my understanding without the next step in the process of my journey.”

He took notes and then asked, “There are multiple notes here about your efforts to work with people as a team and collaborate more.”

She let out a soft sigh, “Yes.”  She forced her eyes to look at the CO’s.  “I have been working on it with our counselor for the last year in order to improve this…part of me.”  Presley felt her eyes threatening to spill, and she forced her emotions to hold.  “I am still learning, Commander.  I can say I have come a long way.”

Harris accepted her answer, “We’re all work in progress, Ensign.  You should know our command crew is a pretty close group.  They will make themselves known to you and want to spend time getting to know you – the good, the being worked on, and the still learning.”

She managed to keep her eyes focused on his as she picked up on what he had just said, “Sir, you’re speaking as if….”

The CO tapped at his PADD, “Your performance evaluations are solid, your recent commendations are impeccable, and your letters of reference speak highly of you.”  He stood and extended his hand, “Welcome aboard the USS Edinburgh, Chief Communications Officer Atega.  You can report to your quarters and station within the hour.”  She shook it; still, a bit overwhelmed.

“Thank you, Commander.” As soon as the door closed on her, Harris could hear her shout for joy out in the corridor. 

You think you’re ready for this? The voice of Yora, the previous host of his symbiont Tir, tugged at the back of his mind.  Calog had known Yora and Tira for the past ten years, and Yora had been sufficiently critical of his decisions in that time that they had fought early on about his path to Starfleet and his decisions to embrace operations.  She had come to accept his choices, but she’d never truly given up asking the question at each turn.  The trouble was she wasn’t wrong in her line of questioning, and it frustrated the Trill to know that while Yora may have lost her life early, she wasn’t going to let him take risks without making her feelings known.

“Lieutenant Tir?  He’ll see you now.”

He stepped into the office and stood before the CO of the ship he had applied for, “Lieutenant Calog Tir reporting for my interview, sir.”

Harris glanced up and motioned for him to sit, “You’re lucky your ship was passing through the sector, Mr. Tir.  We’ve got need of an operations officer.”  He sat back, “There’s no question as to your qualifications.  You’ve been promoted and held the assistant chief position for a good length of time.  The question is – what do you bring to the table of the Edinburgh?”

The Trill blinked.  It wasn’t an unexpected question, but the forthrightness of the commander still managed to startle him slightly.  “I care about my work, sir.  I am singularly focused on making my department run well and helping connect everybody else together.  Any starship worth its weight needs a steady and focused hand on the operations wheel.”

Ambrose scrolled through the personal report, “Your previous host died.”  He looked up to Calog, “There’s not much detail here…I’m hoping you can fill that in.”

I don’t trust him, came the voice of Yora, and he shook her loose from his consciousness.  “She died in the midst of a smuggling operation gone very wrong.”  He paused and waited to see if this commander would let it go at that.  The look on his face suggested Calog needed to continue.  “She was the captain of a transport ship, and she hadn’t been made aware of a smuggling part of her cargo.  Some pirates got motivated and took the shipment and thought they’d killed her.  Tir kept her alive until a rescue operation found her in the nick of time.  They needed someone immediately; I had been waiting on a list…and given the circumstances, I stepped up.”

Harris remained impassive, “Does Yora agree with that…record of events?”

The joined Trill allowed a quiet smile, “You’ve done your research, Commander.”

“If I’m going to ask you to be a part of my crew, I make sure I do my research and ask the right questions.  Letting the wrong one in can destroy a command crew and a ship in very short order.”  He repeated the question.

Calog decided that truth was better than fiction, “She wasn’t happy to be placed inside a man.  It was a rough start.  We still argue off and on, but it’s more of a married couple than anything.”

It was Ambrose’s turn to quietly smile, “That is a reference I understand, Lieutenant.”  He glanced over the file one last time and stood, extended his hand, “Welcome aboard the USS Edinburgh, Mr. Tir.  Your quarter’s information is on your PADD, and your first shift will kick off in an hour.”

Calog thanked him and headed out the door and back into the masses of Bravo.  He was a chief, and he had a future ahead of him.  Hope sprung eternal.

Okada sat in the bridge officer’s lounge, her chilled green tea grasped in her hands.  She had woken up that morning and found herself with the urge to return to the ship.  It was an odd feeling at the time.  Katsumi had forced herself to see old friends on the station, but she was left with this sensation of…wanting more?  The conversations had often turned to the subject of her friends and the latest gossip or the latest thing that had taken the crew by storm.

She’d wandered back to the Eddie, reflecting on the connections she had built in six months.  The Friday movie nights at Prentice’s place had become a hallowed tradition that they observed as sacred.  She’d found Woodward’s Sunday afternoon Sabbath sessions hard to grasp at first, but she was slowly starting to understand what it meant not to do any work as a part of your downtime.  She’d discovered she enjoyed reading for fun and was starting to learn more about cooking.  She found her people, she’d decided that morning.  Each of them had something that drew them together, and each of them brought an energy that encouraged the others.  They were still a young command crew, and there were plenty of journeys ahead, but she felt she’d found where she belonged.

The door to the lounge opened, and the new Chief Communications Officer stepped nervously into the room, clasping a PADD tightly to her chest.  She glanced around the room and spotted Katsumi.  “Lieutenant Commander Katsumi!”  She walked over and eyed the empty lounge, “May I…join you?”

The XO nodded, “Get a drink from the replicator if you’d like.”  The new officer nodded heartily and went over to begin the process of finding her drink.  She settled on a hot chai and returned to sit across from her on the couch.  She took a sip and closed her eyes for a moment. Katsumi gave the woman a once-over.  She was Filipino and smarter than her in communications and linguistics.  Her profile read like a book of advanced degrees and more – she’d found herself impressed with the ensign.  She leaned back, “How are you finding the Eddie?”

Presley took a swig of her chai and thought about it for a moment, “It is…a unique place, Lieuten…”

Okada put her hand, “Chief Okada or Chief Katsumi will do just fine…or just Chief.  It’s a lot simpler than the long rank and title.”

The ensign took note and started again, “It is…a unique place, Chief Katsumi.  I’ve been serving on an Olympic class ship for three years…I didn’t make many friends…it’s full of a lotta people.  But this ship…I’ve met most of the command crew, and I’ve only been here one day!  Even people in the hallways want to know me.  It’s been…hard to be open to this new experience.”

The XO smiled quietly, “I read your file, Ensign Atega.  The Eddie isn’t unique.  There’s lots of ships out there with crews and captains and chiefs just like this.  You just got lucky that you landed with us.”

Atega grimaced, “I read that Commander Harris doesn’t believe in luck.”

Katsumi laughed loudly, startling the young communications chief.  “You’ve done your research.  And ya, it’s true.  Thing is, enough of us believe in luck; we can create our own, and it’ll get us all through in the end.”

A pause as the new officer thought about what the XO had said.  “I’m not sure what I believe about luck and…all that.”  She took a sip of her drink and leaned back in the couch, “I always dreamed of space.  The incredible distances that exist…the languages…the species…the history.”  She glanced at the XO, “Sorry, Chief Katsumi…I ramble sometimes.”

A shrug, “I’ve been out here in space for so long…I sometimes forget what it’s like back planetside, you know?  Been on this ship for six months…and I’d never imagine going back to Bravo…or even Earth for a posting.  My place is here with these people – weird and wonderful as they are.”

The ensign was quiet for a moment, and Katsumi could see her mind working on deciding what she going to say.  She grasped the PADD tighter, “They say you talk to your warp core.”

The loud laugh returned to the Chief, and she shook her head, “It’s common knowledge.  Not just the core…the engine room, the conduits, the Jefferies Tubes…whatever ship I serve is my girl, my sister, my friend….it’s a relationship unlike any other.”  She eyed the young woman, “Was that an attempt at humor there, Ensign?” A weak smile was the response as she continued to clutch the PADD.  A chuckle, “We gotta work on your timing, Chief Atega.”

Presley loosened the grip on her PADD and set it down next to her as she looked up to her XO, “May I sit here with you?  This is helping.”

The XO raised her glass, “Let us toast to the luck and the linguistics in our journey, Ensign Atega.”

Jordan looked from her desk as the new Chief of Ops stepped into Sickbay, as a nurse went up to speak to him.  A moment later, she appeared at the office door. “Lieutenant Tir is here to see you as requested, Doctor Reid.”  

The Chief Medical Officer stepped out of her office and gave the officer a shake of her hand, “Welcome aboard the Eddie.  Doctor Reid.  Let’s do this in one of the exam rooms.”  He followed her and gingerly stepped up on the biobed as she closed the door to the room.  “Standard procedure with most Trills is to do an onboarding check-in.  More of a conversation than an examination.”  Slipping out a medical tricorder, she began her scan, “How have you and your symbiont been doing today?”

I like her, Tir murmured beneath the surface.  Calog could feel her looking at Reid and trying to see what more there was to the woman examining them.  He returned his attention to the doctor, “We’re well.  She’s…pessimistic about most things, and I’m the optimist, so it makes for…interesting conversation.”

Reid chuckled, “That’s probably putting it lightly.”  She put the medical tricorder on the bed and walked him through the results, “Your levels are normal and within parameters.  Pretty standard to start out; we’ll check in a couple of times a week, make sure you’re both adjusting…then we space the appointments out.”  She slipped the device back onto her belt, “How was your first day with us?”

Calog reflected on his day working with both crews from the Edinburgh and Bravo – the position of operations was often the referee between departments and people.  He had nearly had to break out a whistle or two today.  “It has been illuminating, I suppose.  Lots of people wanting to get to know me.  I think I’ve met most of the command crew in passing or on duty.  You’re my last.”

Jordan sat back on the sink, “You’re our first Trill on the Eddie…and even the Erigone.  People are going to be interested in you from the start.  Make sure you establish your boundaries, Lieutenant.  We’re a friendly bunch but some of us may push that curiosity too far.”

He smiled quietly, “It’s nothing new, Doctor Reid.  It is refreshing to hear someone speaking about it openly.”

She pushed off, “Here to help, Chief. You’re clear for duty. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He gave a wave on his way out, and Reid let a smile return to her face.  Whatever came next, she hoped the new crew was ready for it.