—- USS Luna, Bridge —-

Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem wanted the floor to open up and swallow her as she tried to smile while being glowered at by a Romulan ship Captain that was anything but happy. He and another ship had just raced across half a sector to save the Federation starship from two Klingon ships from the Hunters of D’Ghor and he was not even being allowed to talk to the Romulan that had been assigned to the USS Luna, let alone the ship’s Captain. Instead he was talking to the acting Captain, a Lieutenant Kolem that he’d never heard of and was not thus far impressed by her winning charm. Or at least what she thought as her winning charm.

”Where is Sub-Lieutenant S’anra Navan?” the Romulan on the screen demanded again, not being easily put off my Kolem’s awkwardness. It did not take a telepathic Betazoid to tell that the glowing man was unhappy with this situation. While she felt that she was a good counsellor, this was beyond her skill set. She lacked both the gravitas and diplomatic touch that came with age. Though the Captain was not much older than her, the fact that her additional years had been spent in command of starships had helped.

The sound of doors opening let Kolem know that someone was entering the bridge. A clipped serious Romulan voice said, “I am here Commander.”

The arrival of Sub-Lieutenant S’anra Navan, La Klar, and Captain Adriana Cruz was a welcome sight to Kolem who allowed herself a breath. It was clear that this turn of events was taking them by surprise have spent the last few days trapped on a holodeck computer program, but the trio seemed to adapt to it on the fly much to the young Lieutenant’s relief.

”We were previously occupied,” Cruz said not going into too much detail, but being honest, “I apologize Commander I am sure you have better things to be doing than interrogating us as to our location.”

The Romulan smiled a smile that was not in earnest, “Two Klingon war ships chasing a Federation vessel around, sometimes I miss the Neutral Zone.”

Cruz shot a look at Kolem and the empath could feel her curiosity spike, “Well again on behalf of the Federation your government allowing us to explore this space has been most welcome.“

The Romulan captain glanced at the sub-lieutenant as if to pity her and her having to serve aboard the USS Luna and nodded, ending the transmission. Kolem sighed and felt herself slumping slightly as the pressure was lifted from her shoulders. She wanted to sleep for a week, though obviously there was going to be a period of debriefing and explanation given the senior staff’s absence, which also had to be explained to them.

”Permission to nap for like a week,” said Kolem.

”I look forward to your report Lieutenant, but yes, go take a break. I’ll talk to you later,” Cruz said, then glanced at Pr’Nor, “Lieutenant Pr’Nor set a course for the next a course for our next destination. Let’s get moving, I have a feeling we’re wearing out or welcome in this sector.”

”Yes ma’am,” the Vulcan said and plotted a course.

—- USS Luna, Lunar Base Lounge —-

The drink, affectionately called ‘The Eagle Has Landed’, was actually acholoic. Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem was not sure which member of the crew had brought the liquor on board, and given that it was not wine it was not the captain, but she was grateful. It was a drink that helped dull her empathy, quiet the urges and desires of others, and allow her to focus on herself. Almost everyone else in the crew was able to, and so now that her report had been sent off to the captain, she was taking advantage of the possibility that she too could.

Beside her Jack Dornall of the Intelligence Office sat his body pressed closely next to hers, not because the lounge was particularly crowded but just because he was being physically affectionate. The two had grown increasingly close over the past few months and though the captain still had her reservations about the intelligence officers who had been placed within her crew it was fair to say that Dornall had won over the Second Officer. In particular she found the training that he’d undergone to block out telepathy and empathy such as her skills to be particularly attractive. In a world where everyone’s mind was noisy it was nice that his was silent.

”So they all got trapped inside the ship’s computer?” Dornall asked, he was more knowledgeable about threats like criminals, warlords, and raiders. Getting suck in a computer was new for him.

Not wanting to talk about it any longer, and just wanting to move on, Kolem said essentially that, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Dornall kissed her, “It must have been stressful, running the ship.“

He did not add that he should have been considered for the 2XO role, or one of the higher ranked Lieutenant Commanders. He knew his place, and there was not a chance in Hell the captain would put him in charge of the ship, even temporarily. Even if he did out rank Kolem.

He also knew not to try prying, if she had said the subject was over it was over at least for now. He was her boyfriend, not her superior officer and so he knew to act that way and not try to pull rank or to pry. Besides he knew that part of it was that the captain trusted Kolem, seeing as they’d served together for a while now starting back on the USS Seattle. While Dornall had been on one mission on their previous posting, he was not a full crew member back then.

”Two weeks, just flying,” Dornall said, it was a lot of downtime, even if his department would be collecting sensor readings and pouring over intelligence in the interim. Kolem too would have her regular counseling duties that had fallen by the wayside while she was acting-Captain.

“I have so many brains to shrink,” the Chief Counselor joked.

”Tomorrow,” Dornall said taking a sip of his simulated beer, “you can start tomorrow.”

”And I suppose you have an idea of what to do until then?” she asked him finishing her drink.

”I just might, Captain,” he teased.

”At ease,“ she said kissing him.

—- USS Luna, Captain’s Quarters —-

“So you dated the Klingon,” Sub-Lieutenant S’anra Navan asked incredulous as much as the very business like and formal Romulan allowed for. The Romulan was impressed by the USS Luna, though not a war ship it was well designed and spacious. Like most Romulans her first contact, as it where, with the class had come from when the USS Titan under Captain William Riker had helped Romulus following the collapse of the government. If the Galaxay-class and Sovereign-class were seen as enemy ships the Luna-class was the first Starfleet vessel that most Romulans thought of when they thought of potential allies. Not that they did not train to destroy them in the military, even today there was the acknowledgement that Starfleet was an alliance of connivence and one that may not last.

“Well I threw furniture at him, but we wanted different things,” Cruz said, “I was not going to leave Starfleet when he returned to the KDF and be content having a brood of half-Klingon babies.”

”He smells,” Navan said.

”I kind of like it,” Cruz said, then she switched tracks, “Where to next?”

”Next you get to play diplomat,” Navan said, almost as a threat, she grinned.