The cold wind whipped around the two men as they sat on the hill. The lights of Tom’s home town twinkled in the distance. Nearby, their horses stood tied to a tree, calmly looking around them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt cold like this,” Matthias grumbled as he pulled his coat tighter.

Tom let out a breathy chuckle as he wrapped his arm around Matt and pulled him closer. “What about that Academy survival training we did in Antarctica?” He asked, “During our third year?”

“Okay,” Matt grudgingly agreed after a few seconds, “that was colder.” He paused for a beat, “But this is still pretty damn cold.”

Tom’s smile widened. “Spoken like a true California boy.”

“If you’d listened to me, we’d be drinking Mai Tai’s on the beaches of Whixby right now.” Matt had argued strenuously for breaking their leave in two; one week spent on Coltar with Tom’s family with the other on Whixby, but Tom managed to guilt his boyfriend into spending both weeks on Coltar. “I mean, I’ve enjoyed getting to know your family and everything, but I think I would’ve liked drinks with little umbrellas in them more.”

A comfortable silence fell between them, and Tom drank in the sight of his home as he considered the past year’s events. If twenty-three-ninety-nine had been a year of professional change for him, twenty-four-hundred had been a year of personal transformation.

After a few minutes, Tom could feel Matt’s eyes on him, silently watching him, “What are you thinking about?”

“Just about everything that’s changed in the past year,” Tom replied softly.

Matt nodded slowly. “This time last year, I was at a party in London, and one of my colleagues was trying to set me up with a friend of hers.”

“Did you go out with him?” It hardly mattered now, but Tom couldn’t completely prevent the pang of jealousy he felt from driving him to ask the question.

He must have picked up on Tom’s insecurity because Matt placed his hand on Tom’s knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “No.”

“Oh.” Tom released a breath that he hadn’t realised he was holding.

Matt gave Tom’s knee another squeeze. “I’d just had a brief but intense thing with a Starfleet captain, and I couldn’t stop thinking about him.” He let out a long sigh. “I was still hoping he’d pull his head out of his ass.”

“That’s one of the side effects of a near-death experience; it forces a person to reevaluate their priorities.” Tom took a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “I’d spent my whole adult life chasing one goal to the detriment of everything else, and when I finally achieved it, it was hollow. I pushed forward and told myself I was happy, but I wasn’t. I was surrounded by people, but I was so alone.”

He could feel tears pricking his eyes as Matt asked, “Does your life still feel hollow?”

“No,” Tom told him, his voice thick with emotion. He turned to face Matt with unshed tears shining in his eyes and added, “Because I’m not alone anymore.”

Matt leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Tom’s lips. “I love you,” he breathed when Tom pulled back, “but you’re still an idiot.”

“I know,” Tom replied with a teary smile.

“And we’re spending next New Year’s-“

“On Whixby,” Tom cut in, “I know.” 

The sound of fireworks exploding in the distance interrupted them and drew their attention towards the horizon. Forrester rested his head on Matt’s shoulder and watched the town’s fireworks display. “I love you too.”

“Happy New Year, Tom,” Bentley mumbled into Forrester’s thick chestnut hair.

Matthias wiped the sleep from his eyes as he shuffled into the farmhouse’s kitchen. “What time is it?” He asked through a yawn.

“About eleven-thirty-ish,” Tom replied, already dressed and sitting at the table with an empty plate in front of him. “Sit down, and I’ll make you some pancakes.”

Bentley slumped into the nearest seat as Tom popped up and set about making a fresh set of pancakes. “It’s disgusting how much of a morning person you are.”

“I’m captain of a starship,” Tom said as he prepared the batter mixture, “I have to be a morning person and a night owl. Even when I’m not on duty, I’m on duty.”

Matthias watched as Tom poured the batter into a pan. He loved watching Tom work in the kitchen. Matt found his boyfriend’s enthusiasm for cooking to be one of his more endearing traits. “The burden of command.”

“Morning,” Tom’s mother greeted them breezily as she came through the door. “What time did you boys get home?”

Tom looked at Matthias, who shrugged. He hadn’t looked at a clock. “I think it was about zero-three-hundred,” Tom replied eventually. It was correct, as far as Matthias knew.

“No wonder you both slept so late.” She replied as she moved around the kitchen. v “Do you know what you’ll do with your last few days?” 

Bentley shrugged again as Tom set a plate of pancakes in front of him. “We’re not sure yet,” Tom replied, “Matt’s been talking about a beach vacation, so I thought we might visit the beaches on the north coast.”

“That’ll be bracing.” Tom’s mother commented.

Having spent two weeks as a gust of the Forresters, Matthais knew ‘bracing’ was code for cold. “Or perhaps I could take your mom up on her offer to teach me how to bake?”

“You just want to stay in the warmth of the farmhouse.” Tom shot back.

Tom’s father poked his head into the kitchen, “Thomas, there’s an incoming transmission for you in the study.”

Matt glanced at Tom, and they shared a knowing look. “Thanks, dad.” Tom wandered off to the study, and Matt followed a few minutes later.

“Understood, Commander,” Tom’s voice came from beyond the door, and Matt pushed it open and leaned against the doorframe. “We’ll be underway by this evening and should be home sometime tomorrow, depending on conditions in the Paulson Nebula. I’ll contact you with an updated ETA once we’re underway,” Rix nodded in silent acknowledgement, “Forrester out.”

Matt folded his arms. “At least now you can’t drag me to the beach for a ‘bracing’ walk.”

“This time,” Tom joked, “you won’t escape it forever.”

Matt pushed himself off the doorframe. “I’ll start packing while you tell your parents we’re leaving today.”

Commander Tarven Rix stood outside the shuttlebay, waiting for the captain and his boyfriend to emerge. Tarven had only arrived on board the day before Forrester and Bentley left for their holiday, so they’d only been able to meet once. The door to the shuttlebay parted, revealing Captain Forrester and Commander Bentley in civilian clothes. “Welcome back.” Tarven smiled politely, “I trust your vacation was relaxing?”

“It was cold.” Bentley groused. 

Forrester turned to Bentley, “Y’know if I had a bar of latinum for every time you complained about the cold, I’d be rich enough to buy my own moon by now.” Forrester returned to Tarven, “It was nice to spend a few weeks with my family. What’s our status?”

“We’re still waiting for several officers to return from Risa, but they should be on board by the end of the day. Most of the new senior officers have arrived and are settling in well.” Five of the Challenger’s senior officers had either retired or accepted transfers at the end of last year, and Tarven had been the first of them to arrive. “Commodore Stafford has scheduled a briefing for us at zero-eight-hundred tomorrow.”

Forrester’s eyes narrowed. “Do we know what he’ll be briefing us on?”

“No, sir,” Tarven replied with a shake of his head.

Forrester nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Bentley. “Okay, we’re going to go home and get unpacked. I’ll see you in the morning, commander.” He gave the Trill a tight-lipped smile before he and Bentley set off down the corridor.

Tarven watched the two men walk away and couldn’t help but wonder what the new year had in store for them all.

After two weeks orbiting Starbase Bravo, the Challenger was preparing to receive new orders. The crew was well-rested and ready for whatever Starfleet Command had in store for them next. With Forrester’s return, he and Rix were summoned to a meeting with Commodore Stafford, the Fourth Fleet’s Chief of Staff.

To say that Rix’s first two weeks as the Challenger’s XO were uneventful was an understatement; they were downright non-eventful, so he was looking forward to the Challenger setting sail once more into the inky blackness of space. It would allow him to get to grips with the Challenger and her crew better. He’d studied their service records, but now he could get to know them as people rather than just dry career statistics. 

He and Forrester were met by an Andorian lieutenant when they materialised in the transporter room. He introduced himself as one of Stafford’s aides and, after the usual pleasantries, escorted Rix and Forrester to the commodore’s office. The corridors they walked along had large windows at regular intervals, giving the pair a magnificent view of the Challenger as she orbited the station.

They were led to a small room with a desk, where an imposing-looking Bajoran woman sat. Her uniform held the rank insignia of a Petty Officer 1st Class. She fixed the new arrivals with an unimpressed look. “Wait here.” She ordered sternly as she rose from her seat and walked into Stafford’s office. 

Forrester and Rix shared an amused look. She reappeared moments later, glaring at both of them. “You can go in.”

“Thank you,” Forrester replied with a polite smile. 

The Petty Officer glared at them as they walked towards the office. Forrester was unfazed and ignored her. Rix, however, was unnerved. Her manner reminded Rix of the Medusa from Earth’s Greek mythology; if he looked her in the eyes, he would turn to stone. Once he was through the door, he looked back over his shoulder and finally met her gaze.

“She rules over my diary with an iron fist and doesn’t like it when I arrange meetings on my own,” Stafford told them, drawing Rix’s attention back to him. “Anyway, I’ll come straight to the point. We’re sending the Challenger back to the Gamma Quadrant.”

Rix had never been to the Gamma Quadrant; none of Rix’s hosts had. While he was excited about being the first, his memories of the Dominion War gave him pause. Jorell Rix had served during the war and saw up close how ruthless the Dominion could be, so exploring a region in their backyard made Rix uneasy. He glanced at Forrester, who showed no sign of unease. Just the opposite, he seemed excited by the prospect.

“I was hoping you would, sir,” Forrester replied.

By pressing a control on his PADD, Stafford dimmed the lights., “But we’re not sending you alone.” The lights in the room dimmed, and holographic images of three starships appeared; a Galaxy, an Excelsior-II, and a Nova. The three officers gathered around them. “The Inverness and the Higgs will join you in exploring the Riada Sector as part of a new squadron with Challenger in the lead. We’re calling it Challenger Squadron.”

“We’re not returning to the Eden Cluster, sir?” Forrester asked, needing clarification.

Stafford shook his head but didn’t offer any further explanation. Pressing another control on his PADD, the three starships disappeared and were replaced with a star chart. “The Riada sector was under Dominion control until about four years ago.”

“I assume we can expect the same mixture of political instability and reemerging animosities that we’ve seen in other regions they’ve withdrawn from?” Forrester asked.

“You can, and you may see a few more planets like Stakoron Two.”

Rix furrowed his brow. “Stakoron Two?”

“A formerly Dominion-occupied world,” Stafford replied. “They became utterly reliant on the Dominion to supply the fuel used in their power grid. When the Dominion withdrew, that supply dried up. We’ve been assisting them for the past few years.”

Dominion ruthlessness takes many forms, Rix thought.

“We’ll do our best to support those planets the Dominion have abandoned,” Forrester told Stafford before returning to the formation of the new unit. “Who’ll command the new squadron?”

Stafford pointed at Forrester, “You will, with a promotion to Fleet Captain,” he told them. “The Inverness’ skipper, Captain Everett Ashford, will be your deputy.”

Rix smiled and turned to congratulate the captain but stopped when, instead of pride of happiness on Forrester’s face, he saw a frown darken his features. He wasn’t sure what part of Stafford’s announcement displeased the captain, but Forrester wasn’t as happy as he should’ve been.

“You and Captain Ashford were at the Academy together, weren’t you?” Stafford asked, eliciting only a silent nod from Forrester. That silence spoke volumes to Rix, who concluded that Forrester’s relationship with Ashford was the source of the problem, and he would have to talk to the captain about it later.

“The Higgs recently lost several people when she weathered a level ten ion storm, including her captain,” Stafford said. “Her XO, Commander Matheson, has been given command, but that still leaves her short an XO and several other senior officers. We won’t be able to assign replacements quickly, so those positions will have to be filled from within the squadron’s existing personnel.”

Forrester nodded. “I’ll work with Ashford and Matheson on shuffling people around to ensure we have the right people in the right positions.”

“Very good.” The hiss of the door behind them opened, causing all three heads to turn in that direction where they found the commodore’s yeoman standing in the doorway, giving Stafford a look that could kill. “That’s her subtle way of telling me I have another meeting. All the information we have on the Riada Sector will be with you in the next hour so you can begin operational planning. Captains Ashford and Matheson are receiving orders to report to you on board the Challenger at zero-nine-hundred tomorrow. Any questions?”

The yeoman cleared her throat. Rix thought it sounded like a warning to him and Forrester to refrain from taking more of the commodore’s valuable time. “No, sir,” Forrester answered for both of them.

“Then you’re dismissed,” Stafford told them with a sharp nod.

Rix followed Forrester out, avoiding eye contact with the yeoman lest he be turned to stone. They stopped in front of one of the large windows and gazed at the Challenger, “With my new duties as squadron commander, you’ll have to take on a greater share of the command responsibilities, and you’ll need a yeoman to assist you.”

“Just as long as you don’t try to poach Commodore Stafford’s.” Rix joked. Forrester’s smile lasted only a few seconds, replaced by his frown. Rix didn’t know the captain well enough to guess how he would react to his XO’s next question, but it needed to be asked. “How well do you know Captain Ashford?”

He didn’t need to look at the captain to notice his body tense. “Not very well,” Forrester replied. Rix waited for the captain to expand his answer, but Forrester wasn’t forthcoming.

“Sir, if there’s a prob-“

Forrester cut him off mid-sentence, “Don’t worry about it, Commander.” Rix let the matter drop for now, but if there was a problem between Forrester and Ashford, then Commodore Stafford needed to be made aware.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the journey to the transporter room.

Rix wandered into sickbay a few hours later. There was nothing wrong with him, but the new chief medical officer had just assumed his duties, and Rix wanted to check-in. Rix found him standing by a biobed treating a patient. 

Henry Young was a handsome man. Rix caught himself admiring how Young’s uniform clung to his body, showing off his muscular arms and broad shoulders, before quickly giving himself a mental shake. Not only was it unprofessional for him to be ogling a colleague like that, but it was also inappropriate; Young had been widowed only three months earlier. 

Eventually, Young handed the PADD to a nurse, who would deal with discharging the patient, and approached Rix. His smile was friendly and welcoming, but there was sadness in his eyes. Several of his previous hosts had been widowed, and Rix could remember seeing that same sadness reflected back at him.

“What brings you to sickbay, Commander?” Young asked.

“Just checking in. I wanted to see how your first day’s going.” Rix replied. “Though now I’m here, it’s been a while since my last check-up. I guess we could get that out of the way while I’m here.”

Young flashed a sunny smile that briefly masked the sadness in his eyes. “Sounds like a plan. Have a seat on one of the beds,” he motioned over his shoulder, “and I’ll be with you in a second.”

Rix settled himself on the biobed recently vacated by the Ensign that Doctor Young had treated and watched as the CMO retrieved a large PADD. “You started your career on the Challenger, didn’t you?” Rix asked when Young walked over to the biobed.

“That’s right,” Young replied gently, a wistful smile playing on his lips. “A lieutenant junior grade fresh out the medical academy who thought he knew everything. That first tour on the Challenger disabused me of that.”

Rix smirked, remembering his own arrogance when he graduated, “I think we’re all like that when we graduate. Those first few months really puts us in our place.” He watched as Young pressed a few controls, “Has it changed much since you were here?”

“Not really,” Young replied as he studied the biobed’s sensor readouts on the PADD. “There’s been a few upgrades, and the medical facilities have been expanded, but it’s much as it was back then.” He looked up from the PADD. “It’s nice to be back, and it’s kinda like coming home after years away.”

Rix thought that was an excellent way to consider his return to the Challenger. “There must be a few familiar faces too.”

“One of the junior nurses from my first tour is now my head nurse,” Young told him. “And I recognise a few other faces, but most of them have moved onto new postings, been promoted or retired.” 

It felt as if there was an unspoken end to that sentence, but Rix didn’t push. “That’s the nature of life in Starfleet.” He said. “So, how am I doing?”

“All your scans check out,” Young replied, studying the PADD. “Your isoboromine levels are fine, your heart looks fine, and kidney and liver functions are good.” He deactivated the PADD and let his arm fall to his side. “You’re cleared to continue with your duties.”

Sitting up, Rix smiled gratefully. “I appreciate that.” He jumped down from the biobed. “I don’t think Captain Forrester would appreciate his new XO being relieved of duty after only two weeks on the job.”

“I wouldn’t want to be the one to have to explain that to him,” Young said with a friendly smile.

Young walked Rix to the threshold of sickbay. “If you need anything, let me know,” Rix said.

“I appreciate that,” Young replied with a smile, “thank you, sir.”

Rix returned the smile and said his goodbyes. He’d been putting off his next stop since beaming back from Starbase Bravo. Captain Forrester was less than forthcoming about his relationship with Captain Ashford, but if Rix were a betting man and had any latinum to his name, he would bet that it was a frosty one, to say the least. That didn’t bode well for Challenger Squadron.

Since Forrester wasn’t about to answer Rix’s questions on his relationship with Ashford, that left only two other people on board who could. Rix hated the idea of sneaking around behind the captain’s back. Still, if Forrester’s relationship with his new deputy was going to be a problem, then Commodore Stafford needed to know.

The computer helpfully supplied the location of Rix’s intended target, and sure enough, he found him exactly where the computer directed him. “Hey, do you have a minute?”

Gentle music played gently in the background, providing the ambience for their evening. Forrester was cutting two large carrots into chunks to be added to the vegan lentil stew he was preparing. The smell was already beginning to fill the captain’s quarters. He wore an apron that read, ‘I’m the Captain of this Kitchen’. Bentley knew better than to offer his help, so he was enjoying a glass of shiraz that Forrester promised would pair well with the stew. Bentley had come to trust his boyfriend’s judgement in this area.

“Commander Rix came to see me today,” Bentley announced after taking a sip of his wine. 

Forrester added the carrots and moved on to chop three celery sticks. “What did he want?” Forrester asked, keeping his focus on what he was doing.

“He asked me about you and Everett Ashford,” Bentley added.

That caused Forrester’s knife to still briefly. “What did you tell him?” He asked as he resumed chopping.

“The truth,” Bentley replied casually, taking another sip of his wine. “That you’ve hated each other since you met and have had this stupid rivalry ever since.”

Forrester stopped chopping and looked up at Bentley. “We are not rivals.”

“Really?” Bentley asked challengingly. “When he made XO before you did, he sent you a message to gloat. When you made CO before him, you sent him a message to gloat. So tell me again that you’re not rivals.”

There was no immediate response from his boyfriend. He watched as Forrester added the chopped celery to the stew before plucking a peeled potato out of a water-filled bowl. Picking up the knife again, Forrester began cutting the potato into chunks.

“I’ve never understood what your problem with him is.” Bentley had always gotten along well with Ashford and remained friends with him after graduation.

The sound of Forrester’s knife hitting the wooden chopping board became louder. “He’s always looked down his nose at me,” Forrester replied hotly. “Thinks I’m a simple agri-world farm boy hick and that he’s better than me because his family’s served for generations.”

“Babe,” his tone caused Forrester to stop and look at his boyfriend, “we just spent our vacation working on your family’s farm. You are an agri-world farm boy.”

That drew a wry look from Forrester. “Nice to know I can count on your support,” Forrester replied sarcastically as he returned to cutting the potato.

“Everett doesn’t care where you came from,” Bentley told him. “He’s not like that.”

Forrester didn’t look up. “I guess you don’t know him as well as you think you do.”

“That’s rich coming from someone who never took the time to get to know him,” Bentley scoffed. “You just decided that he looked down on you and have stuck with that idea for more than twenty-five years. Have you ever actually heard him say that he thinks he’s better than you?”

There was no direct response from Forrester; he just pushed the potato chunks to one side, grabbed another potato and started cutting it. That was all the answer Bentley needed. He thought the most likely scenario was Forrester projecting some of his insecurities onto Ashford.

“Rix is worried you won’t be able to work together,” Bentley said, steering clear of that minefield for now. “Is he right?” 

Bentley watched his boyfriend add the potatoes to the stew and stir it. He placed the cover on the pot and adjusted the hob’s temperature. “Of course not,” Forrester’s voice was confident; he seemed very sure. “Ashford and I may not like each other, but we’re Starfleet Officers. We can put our feelings for one another aside to achieve our mission.”

“Good,” Bentley took another sip of wine, “because I told Rix the same thing.” As he watched his boyfriend wiping down his chopping board, a thought occurred to him that caused a smile to pull at his lips. “You know, one of you will have to be the bigger man and rise above this rivalry of yours. Don’t you wanna beat him to the punch?”

The chortle that got out of Forrester caused his face to light up. “Are you trying to use my petty rivalry with Ashford to get me to end my petty rivalry with Ashford?”

“So you admit you’re rivals and that it’s petty?” Bentley cocked an eyebrow with a victorious smile.

Forrester ignored him and lifted the lid off the pot, giving the stew another stir before replacing the cover. “Okay, you win,” Forrester said as he walked around the counter to where Bentley was standing. “We’re rivals, and it’s petty.”

“They say admitting you have a problem is the first step.” Bentley grinned as Forrester’s arms snaked around his waist. “You think you can bring this stupid rivalry to an end?

“I’m game if he is.”

“Thomas fucking Forrester.” Ashford fumed. “Of all the people Starfleet could assign as my squadron commander, they assign Thomas fucking Forrester.”

Despite being on the Inverness for a month, Ashford’s quarters had none of the embellishments one would expect. There were no photos of friends or family, no ornaments or keepsakes collected during his career. Just a few objets d’art that had been there when he arrived. The only sign that the quarters had been lived in were piles of PADDs strewn throughout the room.

“Only you could be made second in command to your mortal enemy.” The disembodied voice of Ashford’s best friend, Elias Powell, said over the comm channel. 

The amusement in his friend’s voice only served to wind Ashford up further. “Stop taking pleasure in my misery.” He paused momentarily, “And we’re not enemies, don’t exaggerate.”

“Okay, only you could be made second in command to a guy you’ve hated for more than twenty years,” Powell replied, his amusement replaced by a wearied tone. “You’ve never told me why you hate him so much.”

Ashford sighed heavily and dropped his fork onto his half-empty bowl of soup with a clatter. “He thinks he’s better than me,” Ashford replied, unable to keep the indignance he felt from his voice. “He thinks I’ve had it easy because my family has a legacy of Starfleet service, and he’s had to work harder every step of the way.”

“Is that what he thinks?” Powell asked. “Or is that what you think he thinks?“

There was no need for Ashford to fight the urge to roll his eyes; his friend couldn’t see him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How do you know that’s what he thinks? Has he ever said that to you?” Powell asked though it was clear from his tone that he already knew the answer.

Frustration bubbled up from deep within Ashford. “He doesn’t have to. It’s been obvious from the day we met.”

“Or maybe you’re wrong, and he doesn’t think that at all.” Powell pointed out. “But since you’ve never sat down with him to get to the heart of the matter and try to overcome it, you remain entrenched in your opinion.”

That’s nonsense, Ashford thought. “I’m not wrong.” He said with certainty.

“Well, it’s good to see that you’re keeping an open mind,” Powell said with a long sigh. There followed a silence on the channel until he announced, “I’m being summoned to the bridge. At least think about what I said. This is a chance for the two of you to clear the air and make a fresh start.”

Ashford had no intention of thinking too hard about his dislike of Forrester, but he told his friend what he wanted to hear. “I’ll think about it.”

“No, you won’t,” Powell shot back with the smile on his face evident in his voice, “Anyway, I gotta go. Speak again soon.”

The comm channel went dead, leaving Ashford alone in his quarters once more. He picked up his spoon but dropped it again almost immediately. His soup was cold now. He returned the bowel to the replicator and recycled it.

Having spent the day stewing about Thomas Forrester, he decided instead to focus on the mission that lay before them. During his twenty-six years in Starfleet, Ashford had never been to the Gamma Quadrant. Few Excelsior II-class starships were given assignments beyond the confines of Federation space; the Inverness was one of the few being sent a long way from home. 

The Inverness’ job within the squadron was logistical support. In practice, that meant the Inverness would handle the heavy-duty engineering tasks. That was why a detachment from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers was being assigned to the Inverness, arriving tomorrow.

Ashford settled himself on the couch and reviewed the Challenger’s crew manifest. A note from Forrester earlier in the day had informed Ashford and Matheson that any gaps in their crews would have to be filled from the Challenger’s compliment. He wanted their requests ready for the meeting in the morning.

In silence, Ashford studied the Challenger’s medical roster to determine if there was someone qualified to be the Inverness’ new chief medical officer.

One of the benefits of the Higgs undergoing repairs at Starbase Bravo was that Matheson and Egan could avail themselves of the station’s many eateries. They’d settled on a small pizzeria on the promenade where the pizzas were made by hand in view of the patrons rather than simply being replicated. The atmosphere was intimate, with subdued lighting, candles on the table and music playing gently in the background.

If they thought agreeing on a restaurant had been difficult, it was nothing compared to the protracted negotiations over which toppings to have on the pizza they’d decided to share. Finally, with their toppings chosen, the pizza and a bottle of house wine were ordered. 

Another benefit of being on Starbase Bravo instead of staying on the Higgs was that they weren’t the captain and the counselor here; they were just Ana and Callum. 

Conversation flowed as they ate, avoiding work-related subjects, which often meant chewing over the recent gossip flying about the Higgs. It was only when the plate between them was empty, and there was only a glass, maybe two, left in the wine bottle that the conversation turned to work.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Egan asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Matheson set her wine glass down and stared at it while slowly turning it by the stem. “I’m not nervous, no,” she replied, looking up to meet Egan’s gaze. “I guess intimidated would be a better description. Forrester and Ashford are highly decorated officers with years of command experience. I was only XO for a year and a half before the captain’s death.”

“Starfleet wouldn’t have given you command if they didn’t think you were capable,” Egan assured her. “You’ll do great. And you’ll get to lead us in exploring a new sector in the Gamma Quadrant.”

That brought a bright smile that lit up Matheson’s face. “I am excited about that,” she admitted. “We’re going to be the first Federation starship to study these worlds; we’ll be the first Starfleet Officers to set foot on them. This is why I joined Starfleet.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you get this excited about a mission.” Callum told her softly, “I’ve missed it.”

Matheson couldn’t disagree with that. “What was there to get excited about?” She asked rhetorically. “We spent the last year lurching from one humanitarian mission to another. First, it was the aftermath of the century storm, and then it was the fallout from another Romulan coup. There hasn’t been much chance to do any exploring.”

“It’ll be nice to get back to doing what we all came out here to do.” Egan agreed.

The brief lull in the conversation that followed gave Matheson the opening she needed to tell Egan what she’d found out. “I was looking over the Challenger’s manifest earlier.”

“Anything interesting?” Egan asked as he glanced around for a waiter.

She watched him for a moment before announcing, “Your ex-husband’s the first officer.”

“What?” Egan’s head snapped around, his eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”

Matheson shook her head slowly. “He was assigned a few weeks ago.”

“XO of the Challenger.” Egan was lost in thought for a moment before a smile pulled at his lips. “He’s doing well for himself.” He said, meeting Matheson’s gaze.

There was a wistful look on Egan’s face that Matheson hadn’t seen before. He’d never talked much about his marriage or the reason it had ended. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Egan replied. “It’ll be nice to see him again.” At Matheson’s questioning look, he elaborated, “The divorce was amicable, and we parted on good terms, so I don’t think there’ll be any awkwardness.”

Matheson studied her boyfriend. He’d always been reluctant to talk about his marriage, so she’d always assumed it had been a difficult time in his life. But Egan’s reaction to the news suggested otherwise. “You’ve never really talked about him.”

“You never asked,” Egan told her. With a shrug, he added, “I always figured you didn’t want to know.”

They’d both made an assumption and been wrong, only proving the old human proverb that when you assume, you make an ass of u and me. “I always thought it wasn’t a happy time for you, so I didn’t ask.”

“Nothing like that.” Egan shook his head vigorously. “Tarven and I had a great relationship, and our,” he paused, “physical chemistry was intense. But we realised we weren’t in love, and we weren’t going to be.”

Matheson smiled. “Well, that’s much better than all the scenarios I’ve considered over the years.” She told him. “That’s why I wanted to tell you; I was worried that seeing him again might be traumatic.”

“No.” He told her with an appreciative smile. “We haven’t kept in touch, but now that I know, I’m looking forward to seeing him again. Hopefully, we can still be friends.”

That was enough talking about the past and Egan’s ex, Matheson told herself. “That can wait until tomorrow,” she told him as she stood and took his hand. Matheson pulled him out of his chair and started for the door.

“Where are we going?” Egan asked as he was led, practically dragged, out of the restaurant by the hand.

“You’re taking me dancing.”

The sound of the door chime cut through the tranquillity of the ready room. Forrester dismissed the holographic screen in front of him with a downward swipe. He took a deep breath, held it briefly, and released it slowly out of his mouth. “Come.”

Forrester stood as his guest entered the room. Everett Ashford hadn’t changed much since Tom last saw him. His raven hair showed no signs of the grey flecks that had begun to creep into Forrester’s chestnut mane, and his brown eyes still held Tom with the same frosty look they always had. The man hadn’t changed at all.

“Captain Everett Ashford, reporting as ordered,” Ashford snapped to attention as he announced himself.

Forrester successfully fought the urge to roll his eyes at Ashford’s pettiness. “I think we can drop the formalities, don’t you?” 

“As you wish, sir.” Ashford continued to glare at Forrester, who was unfazed, as he stood crisply at parade rest.

Forrester leaned forward with his palms on his desk, “Look, we’ve never liked each other. But Starfleet has assigned me command of the squadron and you as my deputy.” He sighed heavily and slowly pushed himself off the desk, standing to his full height, “We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to work together. Drop the BS.”

“Fine,” Ashford finally begrudgingly agreed after scowling at Forrester for a few tense seconds. “What will the Inverness’ role be in this new squadron?

Forrester could empathise with Ashford. If their roles were reversed, he would be resentful too, and while he hoped that he would be more gracious in that situation than Ashford had been so far, he seriously doubted it.

“Logistical support,” Rifling through the multitude of PADDs on his desk, Forrester found the one he was looking for and handed it over. 

Ashford’s scowl deepened, “So we’ll just be bouncing between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants?”

“No,” Forrester replied with a head shake. “While you’ll have to travel back to the Alpha Quadrant occasionally, you’ll spend most of your time in the Gamma Quadrant. Logistical support is another way of saying you’ll chart star systems and provide engineering support for the rest of the squadron, take on second-contact missions, and investigate stellar phenomena. Basically, whatever’s required.”

Without looking up from the PADD, Ashford said, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” He grumbled. “Providing engineering support explains why engineers from Starbase Bravo have started converting one of my cargo bays into an industrial replication facility.”

“And why a detachment from the Corps of Engineers is being assigned to you,” Forrester added. “They’re due to arrive today.” Ashford’s head snapped up, and he fixed Forrester with a look of barely contained anger. “Commodore Stafford’s orders,” Forrester explained quickly.

The anger in Ashford’s eyes dimmed, though it wasn’t completely extinguished. The fight he’d planned to pick with Forrester was forgotten, and he returned to the PADD. “Have you selected an officer to be your new CMO?”

“Lieutenant Commander Powell, your ACMO,” Ashford replied.

Powell was a good choice, and he’d been on the Challenger for over a year and had impressed Forrester. “Doctor Powell’s long overdue for this promotion. He was my first choice to replace our previous CMO, but Starfleet assigned Doctor Young instead.”

“Glad to hear I’m not the only one Starfleet’s springing new personnel on,” They shared a sympathetic look, though it was all too brief, and Ashford’s eyes darkened again quickly.

The sound of the door chime filled the room again. “Come.”

Anastasia Matheson was buzzing with excitement. Her meeting with Fleet Captain Forrester provided her first chance to set foot aboard a Galaxy-class starship, and she was making the most of it. Ana beamed over early so she could speak to two Challenger crew members; she even managed to find time to look around the science facilities.

She stepped into the ready room at the captain’s command to find Captain Ashford already there. Ana stepped up to the desk on Ashford’s left with a beaming smile brightening her features. “Anastasia Matheson, reporting as ordered.”

As Fleet Captain Forrester came around his desk, Matheson had a few seconds to study him. Forrester was a good seven or eight inches taller; Ana was only slightly taller than his shoulders. Ordinarily, she would’ve found him an intimidating figure, but his lips were turned upwards in a friendly smile, and a twinkle in his hazel eyes put Ana at ease. Flecks of grey were sprinkled throughout his brown hair and beard. “Captain Matheson, it’s a pleasure. Welcome aboard the Challenger.”

“Thank you, sir.” Matheson’s smile widened as she shook his hand. “It’s quite a ship you have here.”

“She certainly is.” His pride was evident in his voice. “I’ve been very fortunate.” 

Ashford scoffed, getting both their attention. “This is Captain Everett Ashford,” Forrester said, apparently unfazed by Ashford’s outburst. “Squadron deputy commander.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, captain.” Ana’s cheerful smile faltered when she came face to face with Ashford’s dour features. He gave her hand the briefest, most perfunctory shake, and if he made any noise, Ana didn’t hear it. 

Turning uncertainly back to Forrester, she found him once more on the opposite side of his desk. “What’s your status?”

“Repairs to the Higgs are almost complete, and we should be good to go in another day or two,” Ana told him. “I’m still missing an XO, a chief flight control officer and a chief engineer.”

Forrester nodded. “Are there any members of my crew that you believe could do any of those jobs?” He asked. “I have a few suggestions of my own.”

“I’d like Lieutenant Armstrong as my chief engineer,” Ana replied. She’d chosen two candidates to fill those three roles and had already sounded them out. “And I’d like to request Lieutenant Commander Mitchell as my Exec and CFCO.”

Ashford scoffed again, but this time Ana ignored him. Forrester seemed surprised by her choice of Mitchell, but his surprise only registered briefly on his face before he carefully schooled his features. “Both of them will serve you well. Submit the requests, and I’ll approve them.”

“When do we get underway, sir?” Ana asked, unable to mask her eagerness. Then again, she wasn’t really trying.

Forrester reached for a PADD and handed it to Ana. “We’ll depart Starbase Bravo on Monday and proceed to the Bajor System. Once on the other side of the wormhole, we’ll travel to Opaka Outpost for a local strategic and diplomatic briefing. On the way, we’ll develop our plans for exploring the Riada Sector, make any final adjustments after those briefings, and we can get started.” He paused and looked from one to the other. “Questions?”

Ana glanced at Ashford, shaking his head stiffly while fixing Forrester with a frosty look. She wasn’t sure if the chill she felt on her skin was from the Challenger’s life support system or that look; probably the latter, she decided.

No questions sprung immediately to the fore of Ana’s mind, but she was sure that one would occur to her the minute the meeting was over.

“There are two more matters pertaining to you and the Higgs, Captain Matheson,” Forrester said. “The first is that you’re being promoted to the rank of captain,” a wide grin broke out on his face, “congratulations.”

Ana was stunned. She was young for such a promotion, and the voice of doubt in the back of her mind questioned whether she was worthy or ready for this. As always, she wrestled that voice into submission and accepted the small box from Forrester with a proud smile. Slowly opening it, there was a single sliver pip inside, her fourth. She looked up at Forrester with tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now for the bad news,” Forrester’s smile fell slightly. “I’m reassigning Lieutenant Commander Egan to the Challenger.” 

The news came as a shock to Ana. Her brain started quickly running through the reasons that Forrester was doing this and, as it always did, jumped to a conclusion; he’d found out about her relationship with Callum and didn’t think a captain could have a romantic relationship with a subordinate. The pride and happiness she’d felt moments earlier were extinguished, replaced by anger and shame. “Understood.” 

Forrester eyes her for a moment before turning to Ashford, “I think we’re done here. I’d like a private word with Captain Matheson.” 

Ashford shot Ana a frosty look before turning and leaving her alone with Forrester.

“I’m sorry for reassigning Egan,” Forrester told her gently. “I know the two of you are,” he paused for a second as if he was searching for the right word, “close.”

Ana nodded slowly. She didn’t know how but Forrester was already aware of her relationship with Callum. “I know it’s frowned upon, but I wasn’t in command when we started dating.”

“Captain, as long as it doesn’t affect the good order and discipline aboard your ship, they don’t care if you’re dating your counselor,” Forrester said with a lopsided smile. “And neither do I.”

So that wasn’t the reason Callum was being transferred? “So, you’re not transferring him because of his relationship with me?”

“If that were the reason, it would make me a terrible hypocrite.” Ana’s confusion must have been written on her face because Forrester explained, “My CDO is also my boyfriend.”

“Then why?”

“Because you have three counselors for a crew of eighty, and I have three for a crew of over one thousand.” One of Ana’s junior counselors was probably ready to make the jump to senior counselor of a small ship like the Higgs, while Callum was the perfect candidate to head up the counseling section on board a vessel of the Challenger’s size. “My need is greater than yours.”

Ana nodded slowly and flashed Forrester an appreciative smile. “Understood, sir.”

“If there’s anything I can do to make this easier on you, just let me know,” Forrester added.

Judging by his voice, he understood the thoughts running through Ana’s mind at that moment. He’d probably had similar thoughts about his own relationship. Thankfully Ana and Callum had discussed this possibility and were prepared for it, but Forrester’s offer was gratefully received. “Thank you, sir.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you any longer.”

Ana took that as her dismissal. With one final smile at Forrester, she left the ready room. As she’d suspected, a question occurred to her as she crossed the bridge, but it wasn’t pressing enough to turn back and bother Forrester with it now. 

Ana glanced down at the black velvet-covered box in her hand as she entered the turbolift. It felt heavier than it really was, weighed down by the meaning of that fourth pip she would soon wear on her collar.