Vice Admiral Jaret sat behind her desk, her brow furrowed with concern, as Doctor Parin passed her the PADD. “How is he?” Jaret checked, her voice filled with genuine worry before she looked at the device now in her hands. 

Parin wobbled his head from side to side, a small smile playing on his lips, “Physically, his injuries have healed nicely…”

“There’s a but there, Jowain,” Jaret remarked, encouraging the younger office to spill more. After knowing him for so long, Jaret knew how to read Parin. She didn’t need to be a Betazoid to read his mind. Parin was obvious with his expressions. 

“What Jowain is trying to get to is the mental scars that Ensign Horin has been inflicted with,” Taf added. “Well, that’s going to take longer to heal.”

“Yeah, the trauma he has endured is significant,” Parin agreed.

“What’s the plan, Lenara?” Jaret probed as she started to review the report from Parin in her fingers.

“Close counselling support,” Taf replied. “Which is something that is already in place for him post-Frontier Day.”

Jaret nodded in acknowledgement. “Is light duty for him being recommended?”

“For the next few days, while his body responds to the treatment,” Parin replied with a nod. “However, we may need to consider relieving him if he does not cope.” 

“And I want to take it one day at a time and keep that under review with his psychological recovery,” Taf said. “Also, he’s not the only one we need to be watching and helping.”

Jaret looked up from her PADD. “Sturok and Dawn?” She checked. She knew that the Caatati had captured the two more senior officers, but from what she had been told, they hadn’t been treated as badly as Horin. 

Parin shook his head. “No, their injuries weren’t as significant as Tate’s.”

“I’m worried for our first officer and chief operations officer,” Taf stated bluntly. 

Jaret sighed; she had always wondered if bringing the Horins onto D-S-Nineteen was the right choice, the right decision, but the better side of her told her that it was the right choice (at the time). “That’s the danger of wearing this uniform, Lenara,” Jaret said, trying to sound supportive of her senior officers. 

“I agree wholeheartedly, “ Taf said with a nod. “But, they’ve had to balance being parents with being senior Starfleet officers in quite distressing circumstances. We can’t ignore the impact it has had on them.”

“Your suggestions?” Jaret asked, intrigued to know what Taf would recommend to help them come to terms with what had happened to their son.

“Give them the space and time to support their son,” Taf answered. 

Jaret nodded. She had no issue with doing that and had already told Jaxxon and Anizza to be with their son. She was about to ask them how their Caatati guests were now settling in when the door chime went off. Peering through the transparent aluminium was Commander Fitzgerald. Surprised that her science officer was visiting her, Jaret asked Taf and Parin to stay where they were while she invited Fitzgerald in.

“You okay, Layla?” Jaret asked. 

“Sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but we’re detecting something in ops that I think you need to see,” Fitzgerald answered. 

It took a lot for Fitzgerald to be that concerned and disturb a meeting, so Jaret nodded and asked the other two to join her in ops. Leading them down into the main operations centre, Fitzgerald gestured for the others to join over by the science station. 

“I was conducting further scans of the area where we found the Caatati vessel, and I’m detecting an increase in gravimetric distortions and tachyons. It’s not high, but it is growing.” Fitzgerald said as she pushed the holographic reading of her scan so that everyone could see it. 

“Any guesses as to what it is?” Parin asked. 

“The Caatati haven’t shared their sensor logs with us yet,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m still trying to understand what dumped them on our doorstep.”

“Why haven’t they shared with us their logs?” Jaret questioned. She was concerned that after rescuing the Caatati, who had traumatised one of her officers, they weren’t helping her and her crew now. 

“Captain McCord reported that her and Captain Levy’s legal and diplomatic attempts with the Caatati leadership has been…” Fitzgerald paused her sentence as she considered her next word carefully, “challenging.”

“In other words, they want our help, which we are offering freely; they’re not so receptive to our hospitality and are holding out on us,” Jaret stated with a heavy sigh. 

“Keeping their cards close to their chest, ma’am,” Fitzgerald confirmed.

“Very well,” Jaret said as she considered her next move. “Keep monitoring these readings; let’s launch as many probes as we need to help with this. Let’s also set up warning buoys for other ships to avoid that area. In the meantime, let me go and see Sandra and Dawn to see what they’ve achieved so far.”

Jaret dismissed her officers to get back to their work while she left ops at a quick pace, making her way towards the docking ring to where two of her senior officers were working on working with their latest guests.

Admiral Jaret stepped through the heavy doors of Deep Space Nineteen’s docking ring. The docking ring thrummed with its usual mix of activity of various civilian crews loading and unloading. Visitors walked through and made their way towards the habitat module, but today, the air was charged with an extra layer of urgency. She couldn’t quite work out what was stopping the Caatati from sharing their logs with them. In return for providing medical support, repairs, food, and shelter, all her team had asked in return was for access to their sensor logs. Why the resistance? Had the whole incident with Tate Horin made them completely distrust them? Were they expecting more from those who were helping them? Jaret’s heart felt for these people. She understood their plight. Her own people’s past was similar to the Caatati – millions suffering after another, more dominant race had attacked them. The only thing that made them different was that the Bajorans still had a homeworld to return to. These people only had the ships with which they had escaped from the Borg.   

Captains Levy and McCord were waiting for Jaret in one of the smaller conference rooms. As Jaret approached the conference room, she took a moment to compose herself. Her silver hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense style, and her eyes, rich with the experience of countless missions and negotiations, scanned the bustling corridor with practised ease. She nodded to passing officers, each acknowledging her presence with a mix of respect and curiosity. It was rare to see the admiral in this area of the station. The increased level of security was also paramount and evident. Numerous armed guards stood at certain sections. 

The doors to the conference room parted smoothly at her approach. Inside, the two captains stood from their seats at the sleek, polished table. Both women mirrored Jaret’s own alert readiness, their expressions serious but respectful.

“What’s the latest?” Jaret asked the moment she stepped over the threshold.

“The Caatati do appreciate our help,” Levy started. “But aren’t budging on sharing their logs.”

“I know that Dawn. Is there anything we can do to change their minds?” Jaret probed as she took a seat at the head of the table. 

“Admiral, I don’t think we should push it,” McCord replied.

“Why not?” Jaret questioned.

McCord and Levy glanced at each other, and it was apparent to Jaret that her two friends had already discussed this matter before her arrival.

“Come on, spit it out,” Jaret encouraged. 

“Ma’am, the Caatati have no reason to share anything with us,” McCord started.

“They don’t trust us,” Levy added. “I would go as far as to say they’re intimidated by us.”

“Even though we’re helping them, and they brutalised a member of our crew?” Jaret checked. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Even with that,” Levy said, and then she raised her hands up, pre-empting what the admiral was about to say. “And before you suggest we take back our aid, I don’t think that’s going to convince them.”

“We’re now of the view that we need to work on rebuilding their trust, focus on repairing their ship, treating their injured and feeding their people,” McCord advised.

“And then after we’ve done all that, we ask for the logs?” Jaret asked.

“Hopefully, they will give them to us,” Levy said. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but even trying to explain to them if they share their logs so we can understand what’s happened and how they got here so we can send them back hasn’t convinced them.”

Jaret let out a big sigh. “So, they don’t want our help to get back?”

“The incident with Ensign Horin and then with their leader surrendering to us has caused a lot of tension,” Levy answered.

“Tension they caused,” Jaret reminded her officers. “And remind me if I’m right here, Dawn, but they imprisoned you and Sturok too.”

“Dawn and Sturok understand that,” McCord said, coming to Levy’s defence. “And no one is saying what they did is wrong here, but their perception of us is not positive.”

“As long as Ensign Horin doesn’t want to press charges, then we’re recommending we release Calhmin,” Levy shared.

Jaret was surprised to hear that. The Caatati leader, Calhmin, had surrendered to them the moment the Formidable had tractored his ship to one of their docking ports. No one had enforced it; instead, he walked up to Jacinta, fell to his knees, held his hands out, and begged to be taken away. To avoid a scene, they took him to one of the holding cells and questioned him about what had happened to Horin, Levy, and Sturok. 

Standing up and walking over to one of the large bay viewports, Jaret crossed her arms as she stared into the Kovar system. “Do we know where Tate sits on this matter?” She heard McCord sigh. “Sandra, your sighs get louder each day; come on, tell me what it is.”

McCord sat up in her seat and turned around to face the admiral. “Ma’am, Ensign Horin doesn’t want any charges pressed-”

“But?”

“Commander Horin does.”

“Anizza is obviously distraught about what happened to him,” Levy added.

Jaret turned around. “Where does Jaxxon stand on this?”

“He’s with his son on this one,” Levy answered. “It’s caused some friction between him and Anizza.”

Jaret turned to McCord. “Where do we stand on this one legally?”

“They’re not Federation members, and as the victim of the crime, which is Tate, does not want to pursue any legal action, Anizza does not have any say on the matter,” McCord replied.

“That won’t please her,” Jaret said as she walked back to her chair and placed her hand on the back of it. She drummed her fingers along the top of it. “Okay, release Calhmin, provide the Caatati with guest quarters and provide them with as much as they need.”

“Can I make one more suggestion, admiral?” Levy asked.

“Sure.”

“Kovar has several equatorial islands that Starfleet owns. We use them mainly for training purposes. Why don’t we offer the Caatati a place to stay down there?” Levy suggested.

“Why?” Jaret asked, intrigued by Levy’s idea.

“A bit of sun, fresh air and warm weather may make them more amenable to our requests,” Levy suggested. “I can have my department make sure they’re well treated.”

Jaret considered the idea for a second and then nodded. “Sure, go right ahead.” She nodded to them both with thanks and started to make her way out of the room. Behind her, she heard McCord comment that pampering the Caatati might cause them more problems, with Levy dismissing the idea. Jaret chuckled to herself as she approached the doors, but that chuckle was soon stopped by the intercom going off.

“Ops to Admiral Jaret,” spoke Fitzgerald.

Tapping her combadge, Jaret stopped walking as she answered. “Go ahead, Layla.”

“Ma’am, sensors are detecting the arrival of four more Caatati ships. They’re sending out a distress call.” 

Jaret looked over at Levy and McCord; both women heard the announcement, knowing this would change everything for them. Jaret held back her sigh. “Let’s prep the Formidable and other runabouts to leave to tow them to the station. Maybe one of them will give us a better picture of what’s happening here.” 

“Aye, ma’am.” 

Jaret looked at Levy. “Dawn, you better ensure your new resort has plenty of rooms.”