—- Starbase 72 —— 

Commodore Jalian smiled patiently. New captains, like Miss Cruz, often had issues when they realized that the line of command in Starfleet was not always a straight one. Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall sat with a duffle bag at his feet grinning, clearly enjoying the Captain’s discomfort. 

“So I don’t get to know what my mission is?” Captain Adriana Cruz asked. 

Commodore Jalian continued to smile, “No, not until you launch and near where you are going. Lieutenant Commander Dornall will be giving you the assignment then. I know it’s not what you’re used to but it’s home Starfleet Intelligence wanted to handle this. You’re still the Captain, you still report back to me, but on this mission you’re taking your marching orders from Dornall.”

”The Seattle gets to do something important boss,” Dornall said still smiling.

”I have a team,” Cruz said, “I don’t need a new addition.”

”Ten new additions, we’re swapping out some of your security team, but my people will pull their weight,” Dornall said.

”I don’t like this,” Cruz said to Jalian who only smiled back.

”You’re the Captain, you’re in charge and it’s your ship, but the mission is Dornall’s,” Jalian said, “Now unless there’s any questions, I have a Galaxy Class ship to see off.”

She rose, indicating that the meeting was over, nodded to the Captain and her new Chief Intelligence Officer and headed out of the boardroom. The others followed her. Giving them both a nod she sauntered off for another part of the Starbase. 

”Well welcome aboard then Lieutenant Commander,” Cruz said, “We ship out tomorrow. I’ll see you on the Seattle.”

”Absolutely Sir,” Dornall said a grin still on his face, “I wouldn’t miss it for any world.”

Cruz nodded and headed towards her ship which was having the final touches completed after its run in with the Cardassians. The scorch marks had been buffed off the hull and the warp engine readied for its latest mission, one that she was not going to find out until she was well on her way, an odd feeling.

—- USS Seattle, Docked At Starbase 72 —-

She found her Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander James Young and her Assistant Chief Medical Officer Doctor T’Rala in Engineering. T’Rala’s arms were wrapped around Young in a casual and intimate way. She let go when the Captain entered.

”At ease, grope each other, but do it respectfully,” Cruz joked. She knew that many members of her young crew were coupled off, and did not see it as an issue. They needed a way to relieve stress plus events had put her other shoe on her foot and now as Captain she was involved with her First Officer, after being a First Officer involved with her Captain.

”This is Seattle?” Cruz guessed at the silhouette of the skyline, one had been painted on all decks, showing different eras in Seattle’s history. 

“You can tell from the Space Needle, this is it in the 1990s, when the namesakes of our shuttles and Waverider were active,” Young said.

T’Rala who had only been to Earth a handful of times had not context for what Seattle was, so she said nothing. Despite her appearance, and her involvement with Young, she was one of the older members of the crew but Romulans aged far slower even when raised by humans on a human colony.  

“Ready to leave Young?” Cruz asked, knowing the answer already, but preparing to be surprised if he had a curve ball to throw at her. 

He nodded, “We passed our inspection yesterday, the Seattle is ready to go, the last of the crew should be back on-board tomorrow. Your new First Officer is already bedded in, as much as Andorians settle anywhere.”

He did not mention Donall and the new Intelligence team, but then he likely did not know about it quite yet. 

“Alright, I’ll go speak with Commander Shraa,” Cruz said then nodded farewell to both as she signaled for a turbo lift to take her to deck 1 and her XO’s new quarters. Or rather the new XO’s quarters.

— First Officer’s Quarters —-

“Come,” newly demoted Commander Shraa Th’risris said as her door chimed. The disgraced Andorian former captain looked around the quarter as Captain Cruz entered. She was not happy with the new assignment but it was better than being drummed out of Starfleet or worse so she was grateful. She also knew that this was her own fault, and not Adriana’s and all that Cruz had done was figure out how to best keep her in Starfleet after hitting that ambassador.

Still knowing that this was not Cruz’s fault and acting like it were not the same thing, “These are small, my old quarters on the Obama were much bigger, even my XO had bigger rooms.”

”Well we’re not as comfy as on your old milk truck, but these are exactly the same size as mine,” Cruz said.

”What is a milk truck?” Shraa asked.

The door hissed shut behind Cruz, “I don’t know, something that takes milk which a drink us humans like from cows which are a mammal that makes it to the people who want to drink it I guess. Milk runs are a saying, it means an easy safe run that any starship could do.”

”You calling me a coward Cruz,” Shraa asked.

Cruz smiled, “I wouldn’t dare, I saw you fight to the death on your home moon remember?”

”How was the Commodore?” Shraa asked.

”I can’t really talk about it, not yet. You joined at an interesting time, that’s all I’ll say,” Cruz said.

”If I can’t have a decent sized room I should at least have interesting voyages,” Shraa said.

Cruz sauntered up to the tall Andorian woman and leaned up to kiss her, “No personal chefs either.”

”What?” Shraa said feigning surprise, she’d figured that by the fact that less than 100 people were on the crew.

”Nice beds though,” Cruz said taking off her Starfleet uniform top.

”I’ll need a tour from the Captain,” Shraa said using her strength to push Cruz onto the firm mattress.

—- Chief Diplomatic Officer’s Quarters —-

Lieutnaenant Yi Zhang helped the new Chief Diplomatic Officer move her bag into her quarters, along with a box of physical books. He set them down with a thud, and glanced at the spines, asking “What is a Hobbit?”

”It’s umm, a mythical creature from a book. About language and Earth legends and stuff,“ Lieutenant Diya Acharya said, not wanting to explain too much, but knowing that if she started truly explaining it she would just keep adding context.

”Ah,” Zang said, nodding as if he understood what that meant. He was trying to make a good impression on the new officer to the Seattle, but felt that maybe he’d insulted her. Or something, it was not clear.

”It’s umm, sequel is one of my favorite stories,” Acharya said, “Lord of the Rings, have you heard of it.”

Zhang shrugged, “I’m not much of a reader, my mother made me read some Chinese classics from ancient Earth but I don’t know. Nothing called Lord of the Rings.”

”One of my mothers was an English teacher, this was her favorite book,” Acharya said, “It was written by a Professor in England during the Second of Earth’s World Wide Wars. Or just after. It‘s about his experience in the first one.”

“Why did Earth keep doing that? Almost destroying itself to plant flags on territory?” Zhang said shaking his head.

”I could explain it to you a bit,” Acharya said, “I mean over a drink, or something.”

”Sure, let’s go I’ll show you Nine Forward.”

”I thought,“ she said, “This ship only has eight decks.”

”We do,” Zhang confirmed.

—- Chief Counsellor’s Office —-

Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall smiled at the half-Betazoid. He had set his mind to be unreadable, as he knew all about being around Betazoids, and how to keep his thoughts internal to himself. Of course Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem was only half-Betazoid and did not have the ability to read his mind quite like a full Betazoid would have, but still it was better to be mysterious, than too forthcoming when you were in Starfleet Intelligence.

”You know it only works to keep me out of your emotions if you aren’t showing them so plainly on your face,” Kolem said.

”You’ve got me wrong Lieutenant it’s not just you who doesn’t get in here, it’s anyone, I’ve got state secrets up here,” he said tapping his head as he leaned forward and grinned at the woman.

”Like where we’re going?” Kolem asked.

“Like where we’re going,” Dornall confirmed, “Plus us Risians are famous for their dirty minds you’re too goodie-good for that.”

Kolem raised an eyebrow in imitation of the ship’s Vulcan Chief Flight Control Officer, “How do you feel about that stereotype?”

”I feel like it’s pretty good, being underestimated never hurts and plus, I am a collector of fertility idols,” Dornall said.

”Are you?” Kolem could not tell if he was joking.

”No, not really,” he said, confirming that yes he was joking.

Kolem nodded. She was not sure why he had not pulled rank and gotten himself out of the weekly counseling session, other than the fact that the Captain would have put him there had the Chief Counselor pressed the issue. Maybe he actually believed in her job. Not being able to read him she asked.

”Why then come here to counseling?” she asked.

”I may not tell you everything but I’m who I am, and I’m honest about that. Besides mental health is important,” Dornall said, “Don’t you think Counsellor?”

”I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not,” Kolem confessed.

”I am being serious. Plus I wanted to meet you, after reading your file,” he said.

”And what does my file say?” Kolem asked.

”You’re smart. I guess we were looking at making you an operative at one point, before you graduated the Academy. We recruit lots of Betazoid and other empaths or telepaths to join, it makes it easier when you can just read the enemy’s mind,” Dornall said.

“I don’t have enemies,” Kolem said.

”We all have enemies, you just don’t know them yet, but somewhere out there someone is trying to kill you,” Dornall said.

”Me personally?” Kolem asked.

”They won’t know your name, but somewhere someone wants to wipe out humanity, or Betazoids, or brunettes from Mars. They already blew up your home,” Dornall said.

”That wasn’t about me,” Kolem answered.

”Still blew up Mars,” Dornall said.

”So we meet once a week as long as you’re assigned to this ship,” Kolem changed the topic to his schedule.

”What happens to that if I kiss you?” Dornall said.

”You’re not kissing me, and if you did you’d meet with Ensign D’Won,” she explained, “I’d transfer you.”

”He sounds boring,” Dornall said.

”Well therapy isn’t all just offering to kiss your therapist,” Kolem said.

”But you want me to,” Dornall said.

”I‘m the empath here, you can’t know that,” Kolem said.

”Come by and see my fertility idols,” Dornall said as they both stood the time for the session ending.

”I got possessed and brainwashed my last boyfriend, and the one before that cheated on me. I’m going slow from now on and you seem to be anything but slow,” Kolem said.

”I read about both those things in your file, the offer still stands,” Jake Dornall said. He eyed her and then stepped towards the door, “I’ll see you around Doctor Kolem.”

She was going to ask him how he knew about her new doctorate that she’d just found out about and only the Captain knew about at this point. Yet she assumed that it was not a slip, the way some people assumed that all Counselors were doctors even when few of them had doctorates. It had been a deliberate phrasing, to leave her thinking about him, and she had to admit it had worked.

—- Nine Forward Lounge —-

A few hours later Kolem carried a large mug of beer to the table and sat down next to two couples and the ship’s new Chief Diplomatic Officer, a role she had not thought they would have needed. Of the couples none of them really made sense with Lieutenant Jara the Chief of Security being an odd match for the studious Lieutenant Commander Gabriella Miller and Doctor T’Rala being a great deal more out going than the ship’s Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander James Young.

”Do you think opposite’s attract she asked,” as she sat down next to Miller.

”Sometimes, but I think that sharing interests is important,” the new woman Lieutenant Diya Acharya said.

”I mean you see examples of it working out here,” Jara said.

Kolem nodded, “Have you met Lieutenant Dornall?”

Jara smiled, explaining “Kolem gets a new boyfriend every few months, so new guy on the ship, new drama.”

Kolem frowned, “That’s not fair. Hume and I were good, until I didn’t want to get married yet after a few months of dating and he cheated to hurt me. Then I don’t even know how to define the last relationship I had, since have the time I as possessed by an ancient goddess.”

”What?” Acharya asked.

”It was a thing, we dealt with it,” Miller said, “I wrote a paper on it, if you want to see it. Cambridge published it.”

“Speaking of Hume was he replaced by our new intelligence team?” Kolem asked.

”Sorry sister,” Jara said, “He’s still in Security, my XO as it where. We did lose a few people, but unless we want to invade Cardassia we’re fine with a smaller team security team.”

Kolem nodded.

”He’s hot though, if you’re into guys I mean,” Jara said.

”I would agree, I gave him his medical,” Doctor T’Rala said, “Very nice, the way he looks out of uniform is pretty good too.”

”Hey,” protested Young.

”Hush, I can look,” T’Rala said.

”Can you, you’re a doctor what about your oath?” Acharya asked.

”I’m not telling you anything about his appointment, just that I saw him,” the Romulan smiled.

”The problem with you Kolem, is you’re always looking for the one,” Jara opined, “Maybe start looking for fun, not the one. All indications are he’s here for a few weeks, maybe less and then him and his team are gone to boss another Captain around.”

Kolem was quiet and sipped her beer. Jara was impulsive, but this was not a bad point. She had thought that Hume was the one and then she had thought that Sánchez might possibly be the one but they had both either left or cheated. Maybe someone who was definitely likely to leave, well maybe that wasn’t so bad.

—- Chief Intelligence Officer’s Quarters —-

Lieutenant Commander Dornall nodded as the door to his quarters opened. 

”Come to see my idols?” he asked.

”No, just letting you know that I was transferring you to Ensign D’Won from now on,” Kolem said.

“But don’t read too much into that, of course,” Dornall said with mock seriousness.

”I move slowly,” Kolem said, “I get the feeling you don’t, we’ll figure it out. Might be nothing here.”

”Not nothing,” Dornall said then nodded, “But you take it slow. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Kolem nodded, smiled and backed away from the door, “Maybe next time I’ll come in and see your idols.”

—- Bridge —-

The USS Seattle‘s Captain did not know where her ship was going. The instructions were being parceled out by the ship’s Chief Intelligence Officer who was working on orders to keep everything on a need to know basis. Every so often he’d give them a new destination of nowhere in particular which the ship would go to. Not knowing where they were going, or why they were going, was making her job feel redundant. Captain Adriana Cruz was about to go to her Ready Room where she could at least have privacy if not a purpose when Lieutenant Eleanor Dorian the Chief Strategic Operations Officer spoke up.

”Captain we’re getting an S.O.S.,” she reported.

”Cardassian, Federation?” Cruz asked sitting up a little straighter in her chair. There were not meant to be any colonies of either power here, which was likely why they were heading that way.

”Neither it’s an old Romulan code,” Dorian said, “Really old, more than two centuries old.”

That was interesting. Cruz learned forward as a planet appeared on the main view screen, what were Romulans doing out here, in the Cardassian / Federation Demilitarized Zone? The planet was lush, green, covered in plant life and water in places. Like how Earth must have looked before humans ruined that by building cities and highways.

“I want scans of the planet, slow and approach but stay out of scanner range for now,” Cruz said, “Get full details and we’ll discuss this in two hours. Call in science to.”

— Briefing Room 1 —-

Two hours later Dorian pointed to the screen on the wall of the briefing room, “The planet is populated by about four hundred Romulans.”

”How’d they get there?” Captain Cruz asked.

”Not sure at this point. There’s signs of metal, but not a ship. However given the age of the beacon they’re using to send an S.O.S. I’d guess they broke apart their ship to use it for building supplies. Over the course of two hundred years….” the Chief Operations Officer trailed off.

Chief Engineer James Young nodded, “What was a ship no longer would read as one. These people are pre-Captain Kirk.”

”We’ll let Starfleet know, but carry on,” Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall said, “We have a mission.”

”We don’t actually. I’m just following around nothing in the dark, our mission is to respond to a distress call, all Captains have to unless we think it’s a trap,” Cruz said.

”If you respond to that call you’ll just have to leave those people eventually,“ Dornall said, “we let Starfleet know where they are and they can investigate.”

”We’re here now, and we can supply help of a kind. I agree we aren’t taking on 400 Romulans but we have resources,” Cruz said, “I’ll contact Starfleet and see what they say.”

Dornall nodded. Cruz had a feeling that the intelligence officer would be doing the same thing.

—- Bridge —-

Four days. It was not what Cruz had wanted but it was a far sight better than the ”just ignore them” notion that Lieutenant Commander Dornall had proposed. Perhaps that was not being fair to the man, but she was getting tired of being lead around by the nose and welcomed a break from that. Commander Shraa and a team that included both the ship’s doctors and Lieutenant Jara in security along with Dornall was a good first wave team to assess the situation.

”Off to the Isle of Lost Romulans,” Jara said as her replacement at the tactical station arrived on the bridge. 

Cruz headed to her Ready Room not wanting to appear too nervous in front of her team. While this did not seem like a trap, she was no longer the USS Seattle’s First Officer and thus no longer part of most away missions. While she trusted everyone, save maybe for Dornall, she was not yet ready to let go of all the responsibility, and accept that her people were putting themselves in harms way while she remained mostly safe on board the ship.

—- Planet-side —-

The away team materialized in a clearing and Romulans were all around them. It might have been alarming had the Romulans not been of all ages including very old and young children. The Romulans looked at the colorful arrangement of characters who had beamed down. By contrast the Romulans clothing was mostly tattered and much of it was a dull green, clearly constructed from leaves and other things.

“I am Sublieutenant B’Vor of the Romulan Star Empire I’m in charge here,” the man said in formal Romulan, the universal translator handled it all.

”I’m Commander Shraa of the USS Seattle,” Shraa said, “Forgive me but isn’t a Sublieutenant kind of low ranked to be in charge of so many?”

The Romulan nodded, “I was the youngest and now I’m the oldest, and we haven’t been handing out promotions like we do in the Empire, you are Andorian?”

”I am,“ Shraa nodded and then introduced the rest of the away team.

”I am Vuclan and Doctor T’Rala is Romulan,” Doctor Va’Tok said when he noticed the Romulans seemed especially interested in the medical staff.

”So we are one happy family again,” B’Vor said.

”No, Romulans remain, much as they were separate from the Federation and Vulcan,” Va’Tok said.

”I was raised by humans,” Doctor T’Rala said.

”I remember some of my kind might have killed you for that alone. But after so long, I don’t believe you’ll find anyone that passionate about Romulus here doctor,” B’Vor said.

”We should probably discuss some things that have happened while you’ve been here, but first do you require medical assistance?” Shraa said.

”We have been using what we can find in nature, but our supplies of medical equipment, and medicines were depleted long ago,” B’Vor said, “I am sure your doctors, can assist in many ways.”

”Va’Tok, T’Rala set up a clinic go through everyone, make a list of what you can get from the ship. B’Vor how did you get here?” Shraa asked.

”We were testing a prototype device, one that could help render ships invisible,” B’Vor said, “We called it a cloaking device.”

”Romulans have that in our time, I mean today,” Shraa confirmed.

”Well we were tasked with sneaking through Cardassian territory to prove its usefulness. Unfortunately we had a malfunction and here we are,” B’Vor said.

”What went wrong?” Shraa asked.

B’Vor shrugged, “I was a Sublieutenant, and quite young. I do not know, the engineers are all long dead.”

“Do you have this cloaking device?” Lieutenant Commander Dornall asked.

B’Vor shook his head, “No after five years we knew Romulus was not sending help so we broke down everything to build what you see here, keeping only the transponder and emergency beacon going. Converting those to solar power. The cloaking device is gone.”

A young man walked up, “These are humans?”

B’Vor nodded, “Yes. Not the blue one, but the other two are. The ones over there are Vulcan and Romulan. This is B’Var, my son.“

Shraa nodded, “Pleased to meet you. We’ll return to our ship, the doctors will stay though, but I need to inform the Captain of what’s going on, and we’ll be back with more supplies.”

B’Vor nodded, “Thank you.”

—- Conference Room, USS Seattle —-

“I’ve spoken with Starfleet, they’ll be letting the Romulan factions know about the survivors,“ Captain Cruz said a few hours later. With the exception of Doctors Va‘Tok and T’Rala the crew was back on the ship, both doctors remained on the planet conducting medical tests on the roughly 400 Romulans there. Cruz did not mention that Starfleet would likely wait a week to not interfere with the ship’s still secret mission that it was in the middle of.

“Could we take the Romulans back with us?” Chief Counselor Yuhiro Kolem asked, the half-Betazoid trying to work out the logistic of such a thing in her head.

”The Rhode Island class can hold about 200 crew,” Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall said, “But that’s crowded, we could take maybe a third of them if we were to forget the important mission we’re on.”

Chief Operations Officer Tashai nodded, “We could stack Romulans two or three deep to fit them all in here, but it wouldn’t be comfortable and we’d be basically running back home. As it is I’ve got teams taking supplies down to them, realistically we have a few days left, we need to do what we can for them and then leave.”

Cruz sighed, three days left seemed insufficent to help people who had been here for nearly two centuries. Most of the survivors were second and third generation here. Their entire experience with Starfleet would be the ship stopping by, and then leaving.

“Lieutenant Kolem and I can help, announce what happened to Romulus,” said the ship’s Chief Diplomatic Officer Lieutenant Diya Acharya, and Kolem nodded in agreement.

They had three days, and with that the Captain dismissed everyone, as they broke from the meeting to start the task ahead of them. To Lieutenant Kolem this reminded her of being back on the USS Anaheim, and the missions that the California-class ship dealt with regularly. A Rhode Island-class however was much more constrained.

As Kolem was heading the transporter room she was waylaid when she was pulled into a supply closet by Lieutenant Commander Dornall. 

“When you get back you should stop by my room,” Dornall said.

”So you can show me your idols,” Kolem said, not sure Dornall understood the concept of taking it slow. It was tempting to throw caution to the wind around him, but she held strong to her earlier conviction and stepped back when he stepped forward, not that there was much room to maneuver in the supply closet.

”Yeah,” Dornall said.

Kolem shook her head, “How about a drink in the lounge, with Lieutenant Acharya to keep it nice and plutonic.”

”She’s cute, maybe you both can come and see my idols,” Dornall said grinning cheekily.

”You’re giving Risians a bad name. Or at least living down to the reputation you already have,” Kolem said slipping past him and out the door into the corridor. Dornall followed.

”Fine, call me, I’ll meet you at the lounge,” he said, “And bring whoever makes you feel the least interested in me.”

”I don’t know if I can get my mother onboard on such short notice but sure,” Kolem joked and waved as she headed to the transporter room.

—- Gym —-

Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander James Young put down the weight and studied Doctor T’Rala. The Lieutenant was peddling a stationary bicycle, but had seemingly stopped.

”You okay there?” he asked. Though engines more than people where what he understood he knew the Romulan well enough to know that she was distracted by something. He had a guess as to what had distracted her and it was not him.

”I’m just thinking I should be down on the planet, there’s a case of scurvy that some of the children have been fighting,” she said.

”Who gets scurvy in 2401?” Young said.

”People with no access to easy medications and who don’t eat vegetables or fruit,” T’Rala pointed out, so much of what they took for granted had been lost either in the crash or over the two centuries that the survivors and their offspring had been down on the planet that it was as if they had stumbled upon a pre-warp civilization. In some ways they had.

Young nodded, giving her the point. It was not as if he had been down on the world, he’d welcomed the chance to work on the USS Seattle’s tractor beam a little which had been acting weird before they had last docked. While he knew that he had been able to tackle passion projects, she was busy caring for people and it was her people. Well not exactly, she was raised by humans after all, but he realized that T’Rala had likely never been in amongst so many Romulans before. It must be odd for her, and easy to picture herself as one of them In a way that nobody else on board the Seattle did.

“We’re shipping out tomorrow,” she said.

”You and Doctor Va’Tok have been down there almost constantly since we arrived, you’ve done good. You need to take care of yourself too,” Young said.

“I’ve watched you pull all nighters with the warp core,” the Assistant Chief Medical Officer said, “So this is my warp core.”

Young nodded, “I get it, but you need rest too. We’ll go to bed after a few more reps and you can get up bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow and head down.”

Shaking her head Doctor T’Rala said, “No I should go down now.”

Young nodded, “Okay, take someone in security down with you. And you know I care right? I mean about you.”

T’Rala smiled, “I know James. I’ll be back.”

—- Planet Side —-

With Lieutenant Junior Grade Rose Flores from security with her Doctor T’Rala beamed down. It was daylight on the particular part of the planet that the survivors had settled even if it was 20:00 onboard the Seattle. The doctor distributed some vitamin C shots to those that lined up, and ran some more scans. It was true, she had never been around more than one or two Romulans at once, and now suddenly she was surrounded by them. But not Romulans, since most of them had not grown up with the same governmental structures that modern Romulans dealt with. The Tal Shiar had been around two hundred years ago, but not here. By the time most of these Romulans had been born they had long ago given up being rescued.

”Thank you,” a man who T’Rala recognized at B’Var said after the scanned and injected his daughter. 

“You’re welcome,” T’Rala said as the young girl ran off to play. T’Rala smiled, realizing that she had never really spoken in a social way with a member of her race. Back home they mostly distrusted her, or like her they were more human than Romulan. 

“You were raised by humans?” B’Var asked, clearly interested in the idea.

”I was yes,“ she confirmed.

”You’re an odd one then, like we will be,” he said, “Raised savages.”

T’Rala smiled, “Well I imagine since Romulus is gone, now you can be whatever you want. There’s no more central authority, no one really knows who anyone is.“

B’Var nodded at his daughter, “Her mother died last year. I’ll die this year, I’m glad that she may finally be able to see our people, to be among her own kind.”

“What do you mean?” Doctor T’Rala asked getting her scanner.

”She got sick, and now I’m getting sick in the same way,” he said.

T’Rala scanned him, “Cancer, we can treat it back at Starbase 72.”

He shrugged, “I’d rather you take her and so would most of us want you to take the kids.”

”We can’t take thirty or so kids,” Doctor T’Rala said, she realized that there was no exception to be made, they were not taking anyone, it was an all or nothing kind of situation.

He nodded, “Just our luck, to be saved but not really saved.”

”This close to Cardassian space, it’s a shock we even found you at all,” T’Rala said, “Until recently the Cardassians would have claimed this space and we’d have a ship chasing us off.”

“Your fellow Romulans are still dying, regardless of why you’re leaving us,” D’Var said.

While she wanted to argue that they were doing their best, and had supplied a year’s worth of clean water and varied food, Doctor T’Rala knew he was right. For once she could held her people and she was turning her back on them. She was leaving them to their own fate, and counting on Starfleet being able to find someone in one of the many factions of Romulus’ outcasts to take them in. It was up to someone else to come and rescue them.

Had this been anyone else, but a bunch of forgotten about Romulans, their government would be there in no time. Cardassians, humans, Vulcans, anyone. But because it was Romulans, well nobody was going to take the chance to trust them, not in a way they would for their own. 

“I’m doing everything I can,” Doctor T’Rala said with a sigh.

”Sure you are, but is your Federation?” B’Var asked as he stood and with a nod to T’Rala went to follow his daughter.

—- Nine Forward, Lounge —-

Chief Counselor Lieutenant Kolem watched as the more logical members of the crew left. Pr’Nor had work in the morning and Tashai did as well. The couple departed leaving Kolem and Lieutenant Commander Dornall on their own.

”Your mother left,” Dornall joked, referencing Kolem’s threat to invite her mother which was an impossibility since she was back in the Sol System.

”My chaperones maybe, not my mother,” Kolem said.

Dornall shrugged, “So if you make a mistake now, there’s no one to catch you.”

”Are you saying you’re a mistake?” Kolem asked.

The Chief Intelligence Officer laughed, “I am what I am. Call me a mistake, or a force of nature. I get what I want.”

”Well I didn’t need to be empathic to tell that much,” Kolem said, “You have the swagger of someone who doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ a lot.”

Raising a glass Dornall smiled, “Confidence. You attack every problem with confidence, and every so often you get that you want.”

”Now you’re a mistake and I’m a problem,” Kolem said, doing fake math on her fingers.

”A mystery waiting to be solved,” Dornall said.

”And once you solve me what happens, you get bored and wander off?” Kolem asked, “Go chase the next problem?”

”I plan to be around for a bit, as much as your Captain might not like me,” Dornall said.

”I wonder why that is, you’ve taken her ship from her,” Kolem said.

”Sure but to do something important, more important than babysitting two hundred year old Romulans,” Dornall said.

Kolem offered him a shrug, “We had to respond to the distress call, we’re Starfleet. You want to run around like Romulans or Klingons, you go join up with them.”

”Nah, this is where you are,” Dornall replied, “I don’t want to be nowhere else.”

”Were I’ll be is in my quarters,“ Kolem said standing, “I’m going to bed.”

”Gunna keep making me wait?” Dornall said.

”Yup, Kolem answered.

”Well it’s time to up my game clearly,” laughed Dornall. He smiled and added, “Good night.”

”Good night,” Kolem nodded.

—- Ready Room —-

“I wish to resign from Starfleet,” Doctor T’Rala said, as she handed over the PADD she had carried in there.

”Denied, now why do you want to resign?” Captain Adriana Cruz asked, trying to balance what road her one Romulan crew member might be on with the needs of a ship, and a crew. T’Rala was not just anyone, she was her second most experienced medical officer.

”We are leaving tomorrow,” Doctor T’Rala said, “Unless I stay behind more people will die needlessly.”

”You can’t save everyone,” Cruz said, “we’re leaving what supplies we can and Starfleet has been in touch with various Romulan factions to pick these people up. I’m not leaving you here to be picked up by the Tal Shiar or something.”

”We don’t know how long it will be. I know we can’t take these people, but I can save lives. There’s a difference between leaving bandages and a smile and leaving a doctor,” T’Rala argued, “Look I’m not a good Romulan, I never have been. But I can save my people’s lives, if this was a human colony from Admiral Archer’s time wouldn’t we be doing everything we could to save them?”

”Have you talked to Doctor Va’Tok?” Cruz said sighing.

”Yes, he thinks it’s illogical but he supports my decision. He can lean on the Emergency Medical Hologram until you get back and then hopefully I won’t be here too long,” T’Rala said.

Cruz shook her head, “We’re in the middle of former Cardassian contested space. You may be here while.“

T’Rala nodded, she was aware of that and that the USS Seattle was unlikely to come back that way for sometime. She knew she was being left alone with a group of Romulans who had mostly never been offworld with no way home and no way back to Starfleet.

Cruz sighed, she did not like leaving T’Rala behind but she also knew that doctors could be pig headed sometime, and if the roles were reversed and it was a colony of stranded humans that she could help she would want to stay behind. There was probably even more impulse because of T’Rala’s never having bonded with her own kind before this.

”Okay you can stay but you’re not resigning,” Cruz said, “Whatever faction of Romulans do end up showing up let’s hope it’s one that won’t torture a doctor and that they realize bringing you back is more politically advantageous than doing something else.”

Doctor T’Rala nodded, “Thank you ma’am.”

”There is one person you need to talk to first though,” Cruz said.

”I know,” T’Rala nodded.

—- Engineering —-

James Young stepped away from the warp coil, they were ready to fly. Everything was aligned, turned up and ready to go. He was satisfied that they’d be able to handle whatever the next segment of this top secret mission was. 

“Can we talk in your office?” a voice asked. It belonged to Doctor T’Rala who the Lieuenant Commander happened to be dating. Normally he found her intrusions into Engineering to be a bit of a nuisance, since he was always holding things together with string and good intentions, but right now when everything seemed to be going well with his warp engines he was actually glad to see her.

He kissed her cheek, she did not kiss back.

”Sure,” he said, realizing that something seemed off.

In his office he cleared some tools from a chair for her and they both sat down. It was cluttered but T’Rala had a feeling that James Young knew the location of every piece of equipment in the office. She looked at him and smiled, and said, “James I need to break up with you.”

It was not what he had been expecting to hear and he blinked once in surprise before asking, “What? Why?”

T’Rala had expected the confusion and smiled, “I’m staying behind to help the Romulans. I could be hear awhile and it’s not fair to you if your girlfriend vanishes and never returns. Nobody knows what’s going to happen this isn’t exactly a normal assignment.”

It was not really an assignment at all.

Young shook his head, “I’ll come with you, Stay with you.”

T’Rala nodded as if that had been a serious suggestion, “Sounds good do you think the Captain would approve of her Chief Engineering Officer staying?”

Young paused, knowing that would not work, there was no way the Captain, any Captain really, would let their Chief Engineer stay behind if they could avoid it.

”Besides it’s a Romulan colony, I’m the only one that’s able to stay,” she pointed out, “And the only one who may be treated well by the Romulans when they come.”

”Then stay onboard, your life is here, your friends are here, I’m here,” James argued.

”In the days, weeks, months, years before help comes I can save lives here. I can do more good here. So this is where I’m staying,” Doctor T’Rala explained, “And I’m breaking up with you because we both need to live our lives. That’s the decision I’ve made, there’s no point in us arguing about it.”

She did not want either of them to feel guilt over what happened while separated. Maybe once, and if, she returned this was possible again but not if they had to recount any slips that occured. Not if one of them had failed to stay faithful and the other had managed. Broken up would limit, if possible, the hard feelings and if she never returned and died on the colony, hopefully make things easier for James.

Leaning forward the doctor kissed the top of his head, “Take care your yourself Young.”

”I l…” he paused then nodded, “Take care of yourself.”

—- Bridge —-

“Ten degrees to our starboard, ahead ten light years,” said Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall the Starfleet Intelligence officer only giving out their destination a few light years at a time. 

The fingers of the Vulcan helm officer moved swiftly over the console and the ship adjusted course. 

“Still nothing on long range sensors,” reported Lieutenant Claudia Jara at tactical. 

The USS Seattle was deep within Cardassian space, not a place to be if you wanted to survive. Only the fact that the Rhode Island-class had some of the best long range sensors in the fleet was keeping them from being seen. They could pickup any Cardassian ship and adjust course before being spotted, or at least that was the theory. Dornall joked that it was as good as having a cloaking device, though pretty much everyone else on the bridge would have taken a cloaking device.

”If you told us where we’re going we’d be much better at this hide and seek nonsense,” Captain Adriana Cruz pointed out, annoyed that her ship was being used in this way. They were explorers and not meant to be doing… whatever they were currently doing. Dornall‘s Intelligence Team was being tight lipped so nobody in the ship’s crew knew what they were actually doing.

Dornall seemed to consider this and then finally nodded, “Alright Captain I’ll tell you and Commander Th’risris in your Ready Room.“

— Ready Room —- 

About half and hour later he and his assistant Lieutenant Syvia Voosha an Ardandan female were in the Captain’s Ready Room. Also there was the Captain and First Officer.

”We are going to a Cardassian penal colony, here,” he gestured at a blank bit of space on the map he’d brought up on the screen across from the Captain’s desk, “When we get there my team with elements of your security team will beam down and start a riot, and in the chaos retrieve a Cardassian spy who aided the Federation during the Dominion War.”

”There’s not planetary bodies there,” Cruz pointed out.

”No but there is a station. It gets resupplied monthly, if out timing is right we will be in and out before any Cardassian ships come near. We do our thing and head to Federation space,” Dornall said, “If we’re seen, then it’s a cause for war which we want to avoid.”

”So why do it,” Commander Shara Th’risris asked. 

“We owe him, he’s in there for doing what he did to aid the Federation, it’s taken years but we need to honor our promise to get him out,” Dornall said.

Cruz nodded, “Fine. I’ll give Pr’Nor the actual destination, and we can play cat and mouse ‘till we get there. Thank you for sharing that at last.”

”War with the Cardassians, you kind of get why I didn’t,” Dornall smiled.

—- Lounge —-

The forward lounge was not the big popular one that most of the crew used. It was an officer’s only affair and had no staff, relying only on a handful of replicators and a personal stock mostly of wine supplied by the Captain who now found herself owning half a winery back on Earth. 

Lieutenant Commander Dornall sat in it sipping a bottle of the Captain’s red wine, pouring himself glasses and drinking those, when the ship’s Counselor Doctor Yuhiro Kolem entered.

“Counselor, I didn’t realize we had a date,” Dornall said.

”Drinking alone, you realize that’s a sign of alcoholism,” she said.

”Then you’ll have to finish this bottle with me, so I’m not alone,” Dornall said.

”Your staff have been missing their therapy sessions,” Kolem said taking a glass.

”My staff aren’t all as capable as I am around telepaths,” Dornall said.

”I’m not a telepath, I’m empathic,” Kolem said.

Dornall nodded, he knew the difference, and he knew the Counselor’s limitations. 

“Then Counselor what do I want?” he asked.

Kolem looked at him as if she was reading a book, “I don’t know your mind is a puzzle. One I’d have to work at to open.”

The Intelligence Office nodded, “I bet you like that. Us men are usually so obvious around you in what we want.“

”I must admit the change of pace is nice,” Kolem said, “Though I doubt your interest in me is no less base, just better hidden.”

Dornall smiled, “Oh I assure you part of my interest in your is base, but there’s more to you than that. Your mind for example, I love that.”

Kolem nodded and took a sip of wine from her glass, “And what about my mind?”

“You’re trying to unravel my like one of those knit sweaters as we speak. You’re smart, clearly smarter than me, and either the Captain or the First Officer. Yet you’re a bit of a prude, despite your history. Betazoid customs scare you, and so you embrace your human side harder,” Dornall said, “The idea of being so free as your people tend to be, frightens you.”

”You’re just saying all of this because you’re from Risa, and thus have be hide your own inner hedonism,” Kolem said.

”You got me, I’m a big sack of lust,” Dornall said finishing his glass, “Good night Counselor. Until tomorrow.”

—- Stellar Cartography —-

Chief Diplomatic Officer Diya Acharya watched human body sized planets swing by. She stepped out of the way and looked at the star map that was now all around her. She was not an expert at reading locations from charts alone, but she could tell they were definitely deep within Cardassian space. Getting caught out here, well she had no idea what would happen but she was pretty sure that a Diplomatic Officer was not going to get them out of trouble.

Lieutenant Akane Sone was the Stellar Cartogapher and so knew exactly where they were, this was an exciting chance to study Cardassian Space, but the implications of where they were were not that comforting. Any minute she expected a warship to appear on long range scans heading towards them.

”What would the Cardassians do to us?” Sone asked, making an adjustment to the sensors.

”We’ll probably kill the senior officers, those intelligence people we picked up. We’d probably get spared and either bartered back to the Federation or be assigned to forced labor camps,” Acharya explained, “I doubt they’d declare war, they’re too weak right now for open war against us.”

”No war, just torture,” Sone said, adding “Cool.”

“Let’s hope we’re not caught then,” Acharya said.

Sone nodded, the stellar cartographer thinking that this was a long shot, but then there was not much for them to do other than trust in the ship’s pilots and hope that the sensors kept them one step ahead of any Cardassian ships. Capture was not an option that she was looking forward to.

— Cardassian Prison —- 

The shimmering lights indicative of a transporter left fifteen soldiers on the deck of the station’s command bridge. They wore no logos and no insignia and moved quickly. Lieutenant Sylvia Voosha had been training for this for months. The layout of the bridge, the number of surprised Cardassians, and even the position of the guards had all been worked out back in training sessions in the Federation. Phaser fire cut down the Cardassians, technicians or guards they were all stunned. Once the last Cardassian hit the floor Voosha slung her phaser rifle over her back and headed to the nearest console, shoving a Cardassian body to the ground.

She read Cardassian so did not need translation, she located their target and said, “Cell block D, level 3.”

Beneath his mask Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall nodded, “Open ’em up, all levels. We’ll make our war down in the chaos, get our guy and get out.”

”Opening up all of cell block D,” Voosha confirmed. 

“Okay Lieutenant we’re going down, we have approximately an hour before the Cardassians send a ship, get the Seattle here and pick us up,” Dornall said leading the rest out the door. 

Left along Voosha disabled the external scanners, and hailed the darkness of space, “Captain Cruz please pick up the shuttle and prepare to beam back our team.”

The human face appeared on screen wearing a red command Starfleet uniform, “Understood. We have nothing on long range scans yet.”

”Good,” Voosha said, “I’ll contact you again for extraction.“

Voosha began to open the duffle bag that had been transported onboard along with the extraction team, and began to set explosives about the area. Not enough to kill everyone but enough to permanently disable the station, and the prison, causing the Cardassians more of a headache than they could handle and allowing the USS Seattle to make her escape. 

—- Ready Room —- 

”I’m still mad they didn’t take me,” Commander Th’risris said. The Andorian was one of the most capable fighters that Captain Cruz knew, and aside from the fact that pulling off a mission without leaving evidence of Starfleet involvement got a lot harder because Andorians did not just fit in masks with their antenna, there was no reason the Captain would not have sent her.

If it was her mission. 

”Not my mission,” Cruz said not wanting to argue about it, “Maybe next time we break into a Cardassian prison you can go.”

Shraa snorted but didn’t argue. She knew that Cruz was just as hand tied as anyone else on this mission, she had been directed where to go and how to get there by Starfleet Intelligence. Its officers and some of the crew of the USS Seattle were right not retrieving a Cardassian big wig of some kind. They were deep into Cardassian territory, a fact that was clearly making the Captain nervous.

”I’d better get out there,” Cruz said with a sigh as she stood.

—- Cardassian Prison —-

Lieutenant Junior Grade Hume was enjoying this. The security officer had not seen a great deal of action lately, and so to be included on his and to be taking out Cardassian guards was fun. It made him feel closer to his departed father who had been killed during the war with the Dominion. Sure they were not actively at war with any part of the confusing array of Cardassian entities, but this was simple and straight forward. Get their guy, and get out. 

Lieutenant Commander Dornall lead the group, he was the one who knew the layout of the prision, and his way deep into cell block D. He was the one who spoke with an elderly Cardassian and then gave the signal to withdraw back to the station’s bridge. The station’s security was divided between the intruders who were still masked and the sudden prison breakout that they found going on around them. The prisoners, for their part, were more focused on the guards. Some had been dissidents of the government, others had been criminals and petty warlords. None seemed to pay much attention to the unknown soldiers who moved through the hallways heading towards the bridge.

On the bridge they hailed the Seattle and beamed aboard, setting off the explosives that Lieutenant Voosha had laid out.

—- Bridge, USS Seattle —-

“We have four warships appearing on long range sensors now,” Lieutenant Claudia Jara said as the ship’s shields rose, and it pivoted away from the station. 

Captain Cruz nodded, “We’re about five minutes away from them identifying us as Starfleet, so let’s book it. Looks like out only route is deeper into Cardassian territory, at least until we can get around them. Pr’Nor plot a course and keep us as far away from those ships as possible.”

She did not like running but this was not a fight they could win, and even being seen here was an act of war. So they would run, far and fast. 

—- Chief Intelligence Officer’s Quarters —-

Jake Dornall was laying in bed, wishing he were drinking. He had managed not to lose anyone, but that was not always the case and in the moments after something like this the ghosts always visited. But they did not usually ring the door chime. He sat up, “Come.”

”Ah Counselor, what do I owe this visit to,” he asked as Yuhiro Kolem stepped in and the door whooshed close behind her. 

“I wanted to check on you. For the first time ever I feel something from you,” Kolem said, sitting on the bed next to Dornall.

”Oh what is that?” Dornall asked.

”Pain, loss,” Kolem said, “Normally you’re so controlled.”

”Normally I am, but after a fight, I get the adrenaline going,” Dornall said, “The Cardassian’s and old intelligence office. He worked for my father as a double agent, my dad died protecting him. So getting him out was a bit more personal than usual.”

Kolem nodded, “I’m sorry. It’s hard losing people important to you.”

Dornall nodded, “No attempt to relate your pain to mine? Your dad’s dead too.”

”True my father died but not doing anything like that. Nothing I can avenge of make right. We all suffer loss, it’s what you do with the pain that matters,” Kolem said, “So I feel your pain, but I can’t tell you what to do with it.”

Dornall nodded, and took Kolem’s hand, “I can think of one way of numbing it. The pain that is.”

”More base emotions,” Kolem smiled, “I’m not used to feeling that from you.”

Jake Dornall leaned over and kissed her on the half-Betazoid lips, then along her jawline to her neck. Then down her neck and he heard a soft feminine sigh. He reached for the Counselor and felt her melt into his arms.

”You didn’t even show me your idol,” Kolem gasped as he pulled away, working to catch her breath. Jake smiled and reached under his bed pulling out an organize engraved idol.

”Here it is,” he said setting it on the shelf looking at the bed.

Kolem looked at it, she was not an expect in the gods of Risa. 

“Which one is that,” she asked.

”Your soon to be favorite god,” Dornall said, “Let me show you.”

He pushed her back onto the bed and then setting his hands on her hips began to show her.

—- Officer’s Dining Room —-

The Cardassian slowly took another bite of his Sem’hal stew which the replicators had surprisingly had one file. Captain Ariana Cruz wondered if that was the doing of Lieutenant Commander Dornall who had know that they would have a Cardassian guest or if such things were standard even on ships with no Cardassian crew. She said nothing though, just grateful that they seemed to have a prime selection of Cardassian foods on hand taken from the files of Deep Space Nine.

“I haven’t had good Rokassa juice like this in years,” the man said taking a sip of his beverage. 

Cruz was not sure how good the replicator was at producing ethnic foods, it often had issues with Mexican cuisine that weren’t as commonly known like taco, but she supposed when you’d been in jail since the Dominion War even bad replicator food could taste sweet.

“May I ask Legate Vanvok, why you were not let out when the governments changed,” Cruz asked.

”Just Vanvok, I‘m not a Legate any longer. While the governments have changed, there’s one law that’s unforgivable in Cardassian society, and that’s betraying your people,” he said, then added, “Even if I betrayed the Dominion and not Cardassia.”

Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall smiled, “You’re free now, finally.”

”We’re not out of Cardassian space yet,” Cruz reminded them. As they dined the USS Seattle was trying to navigate Cardassian space unseen using its long range sensors to keep from being spotted by any other ships. It was making for a slow, and harrowing journey as they changed course, backtracked and slowly moved towards Federation territory and safety. 

“We are glad to have you though,” Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem said, the Chief Counselor trying to ensure that everyone felt welcome.

”I am grateful for the risk you have all taken,” Vanvok said nodding.

Captain Cruz nodded but did not say anything. She understood the value in Starfleet saving those that had helped it but they were now risking the lives of ninety officers for one old Cardassian, let alone the risk of further conflict if Starfleet was proved to be behind the attack on the prison. Sure she had not been a part of the conflict with the Dominion, and so did not have the loyalty to Vanvok that Dornall seemed to but the risk of this mission did not seem worth it to her.

”So do you have any plans for your freedom?” asked the ship’s Chief Diplomatic Officer Diya Acharya. 

“It is not much freedom, as I will not be able to return to Cardassia Prime,” Vanvok said, “I suppose I will visit Earth, see what it is you humans like so much.”

Cruz’s comm badge beeped, as the bridge called, “Captain we are entering Federation space.”

Rising she nodded at those assembled, “If you’ll excuse me, once we’re back in Federation space I need to establish contact with Starfleet Command.”

—- Bridge —-

“Nice monkey suit,” teased Commander Th’risris as Captain Cruz entered the bridge still in her dress uniform. The Andorian woman stood exiting the Captain’s chair and nodded at the Captain as she took her seat in the center of the bridge.

“Establish a connection with Commodore Jalian,” Cruz said. A moment later the Saurian female was on screen.

”Captain, I see you made it out okay,” Jalian said.

”We did, and we have the cargo,” Cruz said, being coy about what it was they picked up. Long distance comms were not always secure and so it was best not to talk about sensitive things on a channel like this.

”A bit of a change of plans,“ Jalian said, “You’re being transferred to Task Force 86 and are to take your cargo to Starbase 415. Following your arrival and the cargo’s transfer you’ll be contacted by Commodore Chiffao Tharc who will be your new CO.”

Cruz nodded, “More pirate stuff there, less exploration.”

”Task Force 86 deals largely with defending the Federation often from criminal organizations. I’m sure you’ll be useful,” Jalian said.

”Of course, we’ll adjust our heading now,” the Captain nodded, glancing at her Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer Lieutenant Thomas Winfield.

”Good luck Captain,” Jalian said and then ended the transmission.

—- Nine Forward, Lounge —-

“I think you’ve had enough wine,” Yuhiro Kolem said as she finished her own glass. Not being synthahol she could feel its intoxicating effects and one did not need to be empathic to see that Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall was also feeling them, if not more so.

”It’s rare you get decent booze out here,” he said pouring himself another glass and finishing off the bottle of red wine. 

“Captain Cruz got a stock when she got a new family,” Kolem said.

”And a winery,” Dornall added, though he’d not been aboard the USS Seattle when that had happened he was well aware of the sudden good fortune of the ship’s Captain. He had had his choose of ship’s to take into Cardassian space for this mission, he was not about to admit that easy access to good wine had put the Seattle over the top.

“I still don’t get why this is called Nine Forward when you only have eight decks,” Dornall said.

“It’s clever,” Kolem said.

”It’s just inaccurate,” Dornall rebutted.

”You’re inaccurate,” Kolem rebutted back. 

Dornall kissed her, “Is that your professional opinion Counselor?”

“I’m not your doctor,” Kolem said, “Besides all you spies erect boundaries to keep me out.”

Dornall smiled, “Admit it, that’s what makes me interesting.”

”I like an open book,” Kolem said teasingly.

”Well I just liberated a Cardassian Prison. I’m looking to blow off some steam,“ Dornall said, “Is that open enough for you?”

Kolem nodded, “For now.”

—- Ready Room —-

“We need to make some changes to the crew in light of this new assignment,” Captain Adriana Cruz said looking through the roster on her PADD.

“What are you looking for?” the ship’s Counselor Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem asked.

“We’re built for science and exploring but from what I can tell we’re going to be handling border duties more now,” Cruz said, “So we’ll need more street savvy types.”

The USS Seattle’s first officer looked out at the station as it grew larger outside and the ship approached it. She had her own news that she had wanted to give the Captain in private but she supposed that this meeting of the senior three members of staff was worth giving it.

”You’ll need a new first officer too,” Commander Th’risris said.

“You’re leaving Starfleet?” Cruz said surprised.

”No, I have a chance to retake some command courses and put myself back in line for a ship,” the Andorian woman said, “I guess they’re getting desperate.”

Cruz smiled, ”You were a Captain before me, you’ll be one again. I’m happy for you.”

”As long as I don’t deck a diplomat again,” the Andorian said.

Raising her glass of water in a type of toast Kolem said, “Congratulations Commander.”

“I’ll be back soon enough, I owe you my career Cruz I’ll repay you,” she said, grateful to the younger woman who had stuck her neck out on a limb for her after Th’risris had gotten in trouble for assaulting a diplomat who had been a pain in her ass. She’d lost her command and had almost lost her career before Cruz’s intervention. In the end she’d been knocked down to Commander and exiled but she’d kept her commission.

Cruz smiled deviously at Kolem, “We’ll until I get a new one, you’re the First Officer. I trust your department can do without you for a few weeks?”

The Chief Counselor who was also the Second Officer frowned, “I would probably need to continue with appointments during most hours, but I can make it work.”

Cruz nodded, “Get yourself a red uniform then. I’ll have a new XO soon so you can go back to blue.”

Kolem nodded, nervous about being the First Officer. Second Officer was more a symbolic position than anything else, a sign that Cruz trusted her but not that she was going to leading away missions or taking over the bridge. There were more senior people on the ship, and they deserved the role more, but it made sense to elevate the Second Officer for such a brief period of time.

Captain Cruz stood as they moved closed to Starbase 415. The Narendra-class station was certainly not the largest they’d been to but after long enough on the small USS Seattle the crew wanted to stretch their legs and see something new. The Rhode Island-class ship eased along side the station as the senior staff exited the Ready Room.

”Welcome to Starbase 415 and Task Force 86,” Captain Cruz said as they docked.

—- Starbase 415, Section E, Lounge —-

Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem saw the Captain enter the lounge which was unusual. Since her appointment as the First Officer aboard the Seattle Adriana Cruz had not ever socialized with the crew, usually just with the Captain or later when she’d become Captain her First Officer. It was almost hard to imagine the Captain existing outside of the Bridge or her Ready Room.

“Mind if I sit here?” the Captain asked and when Kolem nodded she pulled out a chair and sat at the table, a purple-blue drink in her hands. The Captain adjusted her uniform and sat back, looking beyond her new (temporary) First Officer out into space behind Kolem.

“You okay?” Kolem asked, the Captain’s face was inscrutable, but as a empath it was not hard for the half-Betazoid to tell that something was eating at the Captain. An unfamiliar uncertainty.

”I used to be in a gang you know, before I got caught and put on a path that eventually lead to Starfleet Academy,” Cruz said, “Ever since then I’ve felt like I could map out what was next. All the way to being a Captain, though it happened in a way I hadn’t anticipated.”

Kolem nodded, the male population of the USS Seattle being poisoned and unable to serve had been unexpected. While Captain Hawthorne had survived he’d never taken command of the ship back and had been transferred. 

“So I’ve never worried about what’s next. Either I didn’t care or later I had a clear path. Now I don’t know,” Cruz said with a shrug, “Th’risris and I broke up. She’s gone back to Earth for retraining, and didn’t want to be tied down. I never thought about it really but I kind of expected to be married by the time I was a Captain. Now I’m one and my love if is out the airlock.”

”Spaced basically,” joked Kolem which earned a smile from the Captain. She pressed onwards, “Dating as a senior officer is certainly fraught. On a small ship, the further down the ranks you go the more uneven it is in terms of power and rank. I’m not saying it can’t happen, or hasn’t, but it becomes hard to handle accusations of favoritism, and stuff like that.”

“Clearly Starfleet should give me a bigger ship and bigger dating pool,” Cruz joked nodding out the window where the USS Jobs was arriving to take the Seattle’s ’cargo’ back to Earth in style. The Obena-class ship dwarfed the USS Seattle. 

“Or maybe date outside of the fleet,” Kolem smiled.

Cruz nodded, “You’re one to talk, Hume, my brother, and now Dornall. You’re not going that far afield.”

“I’m not a Captain, Captain,” Kolem smiled.

”Yet,” Cruz said, “Then all this will be yours.”

”Like figuring out what to do in this new Task Force?” Kolem asked.

”Like figuring out what to do in this new Task Force,” Cruz confirmed, “We’re a ship made for science and speed, not border duties or dealing with rogue Klingon elements. The crew isn’t right, and while I trust Starfleet has a plan, it’s hard to see it when pretty much every one we meet both has more guns than us and wants to shoot us.”

Kolem nodded, “You’ll figure it out.”

”I’ll just figure it out,” Cruz nodded, not quite believing it but hoping that the bravado carried the day and convinced the one woman she could not lie to on her crew.