Within an instant of the transporter materialisation process completing, Captain Giarvar Kauhn of the Buran was practically sprinting down the steps of the transporter pad into the welcoming arms of Lakota’s executive officer and his good friend. A warm embrace between Noli and himself was what he needed after months with a crew he was still getting to know. Eventually releasing each other from their tight grip, they stayed interlocked at the arms and smiled at each other.

“It’s good to see you,” the Captain grinned, delighted to see Noli in person for the first time since he’d rescued her during the Frontier Day chaos, causing the blonde to blush involuntarily. Noli was not known for emotional outbursts or becoming embarrassed, but Giarvar thrived on the understanding that he, and he alone, was able to make her break character.

“We’ve missed you,” she whispered, squeezing his arms gently, in such a way that suggested perhaps it wasn’t so much the proverbial ‘royal we’ as opposed to, maybe, just her? Shaking off the feeling before it could progress any further, she stepped aside and gestured for the doorway. “I can’t believe this is your first time aboard Lakota,” she quizzed, leading the Trill from the transporter bay.

“Keziah never invited me before,” Giarvar shrugged, falling into lockstep with his friend.

“It took her some time to adjust to being here,” Noli admitted while rounding a corner on approach to the turbo lift. “Lakota is a fine ship, but she’s no Hathaway, after all…”

“Romaes really lucked out there, huh?” Giarvar nodded, following the Bajoran into the turbo lift and watching her intently as she gave the order to head to deck one.

“I always figured we’d probably end up back there once her repairs were complete,” Noli pouted as she slumped against the railing around the lift and placed her hand on either side of her for support. “I miss the old days. Prida. Or’uil… you.”

For a split second, Giarvar could have sworn the blonde’s eyes glistened. Perhaps it was the lighting of the lift reflecting off the metallic surfaces around them. Or maybe it was something else?

“Well…” he shifted a little, running a hand through his thick, wavy hair. “I don’t think it was ever in the cards for me to come back,” he frowned, his left hand fingering the fourth silver pip on his collar playfully. “Kinda need your own ship when you get one of these,” he added with a smirk.

“Or three…” Noli added cheekily, in reference to the fact that he’d already commanded three different ships in the short time he had been a Captain.

“Two,” he told her sternly, yet playfully. “That time on Hathaway doesn’t, doesn’t count…” he said between shakes of the head.

For the next minute or so, the two friends shared nothing but flirtatious remarks and eye movements until they were interrupted by the arrival of the turbo lift at deck one. Emerging from the lift, all sign of playfulness was long gone as the Bajoran led the Captain to the ready room and handed him over to the care of her superior.

For approximately a half hour, Kauhn and Nazir regaled each other with tales of their early days aboard their respective commands. Whilst Nazir lamented Lakota not being Hathaway, Giarvar reminded her that all had needed the clean break. Whilst Kauhn moaned about the size of his tiny scout ship, Keziah recited the old adage of ‘it’s not the size that matters, but what you do with it that counts.’ When their conversation eventually turned to the recent events along the former DMZ, the elder Trill went to great lengths to express her thanks to the Captain for helping her enforce the Quasaris sector’s blockade.

“I saw that the Hypatia arrived this morning to reinforce the quarantine,” the spotted gentleman lifted his chin and tilted his head towards the behemoth of a vessel outside the viewport; a ship so large it looked closer than it was.

Standing from her seat behind the ready room desk, the Fleet Captain stood at the viewport and gazed at the enormous starship before them. “I’m told she’s forty-five decks,” Nazir began as Giarvar joined her, leaning on the window frame to gaze out at the Sutherland-class cruiser. “Over two hundred science personnel and a massive medical department,” she told, folding her arms across her chest.

“She’s certainly impressive,” Giarvar nodded, subconsciously echoing his superior’s stance. “Not sure I’d want to take a hulk like that into combat though,” he laughed with wide eyes regarding the mighty vessel.

“You’ll have to avoid battles as much as possible when you’re out there,” Nazir sighed, slapping her friend on the shoulder and then returning to her chair.

Her words were not lost on Giarvar, the man spinning on his heels and giving her his full attention, almost as if the impressive sight beyond the viewport had never existed. “You mean the ‘royal you’ of course,” he asked with great curiosity. When she spun in her chair to look up at him with a sheepish smile, the Trill’s eyes widened further and his jaw almost dropped to the carpeted decking.

“Your orders, Captain…” Nazir finally responded, rising from her seat and holding out a data PADD across the desk to where Giarvar was slowly rejoining her. “You are hereby requested and required to relinquish command of the Buran, effective immediately, and assume command of the Hypatia,” she grinned, “orders sent from the very highest echelons of command, from Fleet Admiral Duncan himself.” She shrugged her shoulder and pursed her lips in a way that playfully mocked her subordinate for receiving orders from the brass – something highly unusual in the current organisational structure of the fleet.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” for once, the usually assured and reliable orator was lost for words. Taking ownership of the data PADD, he had to read the words carefully to ensure his friend wasn’t playing a practical joke on him. When he was, at last, satisfied, he slumped into the chair behind him and placed the PADD on the desk. “I haven’t even done anything to deserve such a job,” he whispered, looking up at Nazir in a state of confusion.

“You do yourself a disservice,” Nazir told him, returning to her seat. “You do not question your service to Starfleet, yet you do not blindly follow orders. You show loyalty where, perhaps, it is not deserved,” here she was certain he’d make the connection to their service together and the loyalty he had always shown her, even when she was new aboard their previous posting and didn’t deserve the friendship he showed her. “But most of all… you see things, Giarvar, things that that others do not. Things that make you the perfect choice for such a prestigious assignment.”

As he listened, the spotted man could feel himself getting choked up at her kind words, his eyes welling up until he had to let out a cough and sneak a moment of composure. Looking back at her, he smiled graciously. “Thank you, ma’am. I won’t let you down,” he responded, offering her a hand in gratitude.

“You never have Giarvar,” she grinned, shaking his hand vigorously, “you never have.”

When they had finally released hands and Giarvar had composed himself, they took the opportunity to gaze at his new ship from the window once again. A thing of beauty, the Hypatia had long nacelles sweeping aft from her stardrive, a far cry from the stunted profile of her predecessor, the Nebula-class. From their vantage point, they were clearly able to make out the integral warp nacelles that permitted her saucer to achieve modest warp speeds when separated from the secondary hull. Perhaps her most striking feature, however, was the enormous sensor pod sat atop the primary hull. It was a thing of beauty, even for a starship aficionado such as himself.

“She’s currently under the command of a Vulcan named T’Prynn. You haven’t got much of a senior staff, so you are free to recruit from within the squadron,” Nazir told him while he gazed at his new home, “with the only restrictions being you can’t take Noli, and whoever you request gets final approval from me.”

“Understood ma’am,” he nodded, then finally turned to her. A startling realisation hit him. “What about the Buran? What happens to her?”

“T’Prynn will assume command of Buran and return it to Starbase Bravo. Anyone you don’t take with you will remain aboard,” the Fleet captain revealed, a confirmatory nod signalling his understanding of the situation. With their conversation dwindling now, and the sense of wonderment finally abating, the younger of the Trills found a new feeling filling his body. A feeling of excitement and anticipation.

It wasn’t the first time he had changed commands in the last few months, but this time, something felt different…

…like he had a renewed sense of purpose.

This time, it felt special.