“Commodore, I strongly disagree with this move,” Elena protested one last time. She knew it wouldn’t work, but that nagging need to object before the Commodore cut her off was strong. “This isn’t a good move, not now, at least. I just took over, and we are still neck-deep in repairs and upgrades. If the Ambassador wants an embassy, fine, but to roll out the red carpet,” she sighed, “We are not ready for that.”

“Elena,” the Commodore leaned in, “enough. If the Republic wants the red carpet treatment, we will give it to them. Whatever regime is currently running the Romulan government…”

Elena interrupted, “This week.”

“Captain, this is not a joking matter,” the Commodore said sternly, “enough.” The Flag Officer almost shouted. “The Ambassador and her party have a large-scale event, all the bells and whistles, make it happen.”

“Look, Elena,” the Commodore added, “Starfleet has been keeping their eye on the T’Vel family, especially Senator T’Vel. No one here will argue that there isn’t something going on here. Planting his own daughter as Ambassador it’s a strategic move. However, a move to what, we don’t know.”

“On that, we agree,” Elena replied.

“For now, we are granting the Senator’s daughter full diplomatic courtesy, and she’ll be at your station soon,” the Commodore smiled, “remember to play nice, keep that security ear open, and stay alert. If you discover something, pass it up the line.”

Before Elena could reply, the Commodore reached over and cut off the channel. The conversation had ended, “Well, I didn’t even get to file a formal protest,” Elena rolled her eyes. Starfleet had ruled, and now the staff of Eos had to fix this. Lieutenant Chen would have her work cut out for her and her team. Whatever passed for a conference room on this station would need a fast makeover.

The comm panel on the Captain’s desk alerted her to an incoming message, “Captain, the Romulan vessel Tetam will be docking with the station in fifteen minutes.”

Elena tapped her comm badge, “thank you. Commander Okafor, please meet me in transporter room two.”

Elena and Jason stood there, both of them looking rather uncomfortable in their dress uniforms. Jason smiled, “I wasn’t expecting to do this so soon,” he tried to cut the tensions, “I mean, sure, but now?”

“Starfleet knows best, Doctor,” Elena replied as the Chief coughed. “Energize,” Elena straightened her uniform as she stepped forward when the Ambassador materialized before her. “Ambassador T’Vel, welcome to Eos. May I present Commander Okafor, our..”

“Let’s dispense with the formalities, Captain,” the Ambassador cut her off, “I know you don’t want to be here, and I don’t want to be here. Neither of us had a say so in the matter.” She looked around the room in utter contempt, turning her nose up. “I would have expected a welcome more appropriate to my status. A dingy transporter room is hardly the welcoming an Ambassador would have expected.”

“My sincere apologies,” Elena forced a smile. “Our teams are working hard at,” her attention was caught off guard as an older Romulan came into view. Elena knew the face almost immediately. “General Rempeck, it’s an honor to have you here.”

The Ambassador hissed a quick reply, clearly not afraid to show her frustration, “Rempeck is not a General in the Romulan Republic; my aide will be seeing to my needs,” she waved the older Romulan off.

“I do not need a babysitter,” T’Vel said, looking at the Captain. “My team and I would like to take a look around the station; we will see ourselves at the embassy. I trust it’s in better shape than this transporter room.”

The Ambassador nodded her head, “Good day, Captain.” Before the Captain could even utter a reply, the Romulan delegation turned and headed out of the room. Elena nodded to Commander Okafor, who knew what he needed to do. Turning, the Commander followed the Romulan part out of the room.

Elena looked up; in all the commotion, she’d failed to notice that Rempeck hadn’t followed his team. The man seemed a shell of what she had read out. Rempeck was a well-known military strategist. He was a man who commanded men into battle. Known for his quiet, decisive action, he was not a man to be ignored. However, the man in front of her was none of that. He seemed broken.

“General?” Elean asked.

“Captain, a piece of advice,” the Romulan gestured to the door, “don’t make an enemy of the T’Vel family. The Senator’s daughter might be young and stubborn, but her father has numerous connections.” Rempeck nodded, “I was to remain behind to tend to take care of the lesser work.”

The two stepped into a turbolift as Elena looked to the Romulan, “I’ll forgive me for the asking, but from what I read about you, I am surprised you are serving in this role. Clearly, someone of your status has earned a spot…”

Without warning, Rempeck turned around, stepping as close as he could to the Captain. “Be very careful, Captain,” he raised a finger, sticking it in her face, “T’Vel isn’t the only one with connections.”

Elena, an experienced Security Officer, reacted swiftly as Rempeck threatened her. With practiced precision, she shifted her weight, planted her feet, and grabbed Rempeck’s right wrist. She then used her left hand to grab his right elbow, applying pressure to force it to bend inwards. Shoving him into the wall of the lift, she locked him in the armbar. Rempeck’s arm was now pinned behind his back, so he could not resist. Elena maintained control, ensuring Rempeck’s compliance. ‘Make one thing certain, General,’ she stated firmly. ‘I am a Security Officer first and a Captain second, at least for now. You will not threaten me on my station.”

Rempeck laughed, almost mocking her, “Peter was right about you; you’re spirited. I see why he married you.”

Elena had expected many things from the man, but this actually threw her off. First, there was Commander Harris and his connection to Pete and now Rempeck. Just what exactly was her husband doing? “How do you know Peter,” she demanded.

“Kindly let go of my arm,” Rempeck looked down.

Elena released the man as she stepped back, “Pete is an analyst on Earth; he reviews reports and looks at survey data. He wouldn’t, I mean couldn’t…”

Rempeck laughed, rubbing his wrist, “You have quite a grip. Did you really think he sat at Earth behind a desk, reviewing logs? A Captain, a man, is his experience and length in his career just sitting behind a desk?”

“I’ve seen his office.”

“You’ve saw what he wanted you to see.”

Before the two could speak or even address the revelation, Rempeck dropped in Elena’s lap, and the lift shook. It wasn’t violent; in fact, he was hardly noticeable; it was just enough to get the Captain’s attention. 

As Elena and Rempeck exchanged worried glances, the lift shuddered violently, knocking them both off balance. Rempeck’s expression turned grim, and he grabbed Elena’s arm, his voice urgent. “Captain, we need to move quickly. There’s more at play here than you realize.”

Elena nodded, her heart pounding. She tapped her comm badge. “Ops, what’s going on?”

“Captain, we have a situation,” Commander Harris’s voice crackled over the comm. “There’s been an explosion at the Romulan Embassy. We need you down there immediately.”

Elena and Rempeck rushed out of the lift and down the corridor without hesitation. The scene that unfolded in front of them was a nightmare. The embassy’s doors were twisted, and smoke billowed out of the wreckage. Emergency response teams were already on the scene, trying to contain the damage.

Elena’s stomach churned as she saw the body of the Romulan Ambassador, barely recognizable amidst the debris. She tapped her comm badge again. “Security to the Romulan Embassy. Doctor Rodriguez, report to the embassy immediately.”

Rempeck gripped Elena’s shoulder. “She’s still in there. My government will handle this. But we need to find out who’s behind this.”

Elena nodded determination in her eyes. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, General. And we’ll make sure whoever did this pays for it.”Rempeck’s eyes narrowed as he turned to Elena, his voice quiet but intense. “Captain, make no mistake. The T’Vel family will not let this slide. They will hold the Federation accountable for this attack on their embassy. The Romulan Republic will not rest until justice is served. You may be the Captain of this station, but you are also a representative of the Federation. I expect nothing less than your full cooperation in this matter.” His words lingered, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.