The Odyssey hung silently in the vast expanse of space with the Themis, Constitution, Triton and the Orion surrounding it. The once active underspace corridor aperture was now a dormant relic in their rearview.

On the Odyssey’s bridge, Dalen sat at the operations console, her fingers dancing over the controls with practised precision. Despite her shift having finished over five hours ago, Dalen’s commitment to her work was unwavering. The bridge was quiet, a sharp contrast to the bustling hive it had been several hours ago as they monitored the Cardassian withdrawal, and the aperture had closed. 

The only sounds were soft murmurs from the crew and the steady hum of the ship’s systems. Dalen’s sharp eyes scanned the data readouts one final time, ensuring every piece of information was securely logged and transmitted to Starfleet Command. Her dedication to duty was unwavering, a hallmark of her quiet, diligent nature. 

“Commander Dalen, I appreciate the extra dedication to work, but your duty shift ages ago. Isn’t it time you finish up and let those on beta shift finish whatever you’ve not done before gamma shift starts?” asked Commander Court behind her.

Dalen looked over at her shoulder at Court. She blushed at his question. Tobias Court was handsome, and she could see why her new captain had married him. He was polite, charming and kind in his manners. 

“I’m almost done; thank you, commander,” she replied. 

Court looked at her with a soft expression, but his words were firm. “Fifteen more minutes, and then I want you out of here—that’s an order.”

Dalen smiled at him and nodded. “Fifteen minutes, aye, sir.” She quickly returned her focus to her work. She had one final diagnostic to check, and then she would be done. As she waited for the results to load up, Dalen looked up at the viewscreen, staring at the blankness that was now the space they inhabited. The vast emptiness of space stretched before her. Stars glinted like distant diamonds. She allowed herself a rare moment of stillness, her mind drifting.

A brief memory surfaced: her childhood on Bajor, her parents taking her to a service being held in the labour camp they were in. She remembered the strong sense of community and faith that once surrounded her. Immediately, she recalled the day she removed her earring, deciding that her path lay in the stars, the tangible and the provable, not the spiritual. She didn’t understand why her parents believed in the Prophets. They did nothing for Bajor, in her opinion. They were wormhole aliens. 

“Reddick to Dalen.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the intercom and Commander Reddick’s voice. Instinctively she tapped her combadge. “Go for Dalen,” she replied. 

“Darling Marjo, a few of us are meeting in the Auditorium for drinks. I wondered if you would like to join us?” Reddick offered.

“Thank you, commander, but I’ve got some work I want to finish before we leave tomorrow. Perhaps another time,” Dalen replied, trying not to insult Reddick.

“Understood, we’ll be here if you change your mind,” Reddick responded before closing the channel.

After finishing her work, Dalen swiftly left the bridge. As she stepped into the turbolift, she reconsidered Reddick’s invitation. In the end, she threw the idea out of her mind. Preferring the solitude of her quarters or the comfort of her work. Today was no different. Her place was not in the company of others but in the solace of her private quarters, where she could find peace in her own way.

Returning to her quarters, Dalen dimmed the lights, ordered herself some Deka tea and retrieved a Bajoran lute from a storage compartment. The instrument belonged to her mother and provided a link to her heritage that felt personal and authentic. It was untainted by the rituals and beliefs she had left behind. She ran her fingers over the strings, feeling the smooth wood and the delicate tension.

Sitting down, she tuned the strings with practised fingers, each note resonating softly in the quiet room. The first notes filled the air, a soothing melody that echoed her inner thoughts. The simple act of playing the lute connected her to a part of herself that she rarely acknowledged—a balance of logic and emotion, science and art. It was her own form of meditation. Dalen closed her eyes; the echoes of the lute’s melody resonated in her mind. 

At that moment, she was free from everything and everyone. 

Perfect bliss.

“To the Cardassian withdrawal,” Flemen toasted as he raised his drink into the air, a gesture that was met with agreement and clinking glasses from the rest of the group. 

“Here, here,” Tomaz agreed, clinking his glass with his friend’s drink and the others in their group.

“So tell me, how often does the Odyssey senior staff get together for drinks or other social events?” Reddick asked the group.

Duncan, Hunsen, Slyvexs, Horin, Tierra, Keli, Paynkor, and Rosle were standing around the bar side of The Auditorium. 

After taking a sip of his drink, Duncan was the one to answer the questions from their new chief science officer. “Not often.”

“Well, that has to change!” Reddick said in a giddy response.

Slyvexs smirked at Reddick’s energy level. “The problem is some of us are too old for all-night partying, and others have family commitments!”

“Talk for yourself, doc; I’m young and have no family commitments!” Flemen declared.

“Likewise,” Paynkor added, which earned him a cheer from Flemen.

Tierra chuckled. “Unfortunately, the doctor is right. A good number of us can’t always escape other matters.” 

Horin agreed. “I’d love to pull an all-nighter, but I already do them with our son,” the counsellor looked at her Imzadi. “Isn’t that right, Commander Hunsen??”

Placing his beer down on the bar, Hunsen nodded in agreement. “Absolutely, Captain Horin.”

“What about you, Captain Duncan?” Reddick probed. Her enthusiasm levels remained as she cheekily challenged her commanding officer. 

“I’m in the same boat, commander,” Duncan responded before sipping his drink. “But that’s not to say we can’t do this with enough notice.”

“So you can make sure Tobias is on duty?” Hunsen playfully asked. 

“No,” Duncan insisted. “Anyway, it’s my first officer’s job to complete the roster.”

Hunsen looked conceited at that. “True,” he nodded. “so you best be nice to me!”

The group all shared some laughter. 

“So, did anyone think we would fight the Cardassians so far from their borders?” Rosle asked aloud in between sips of her cocktail.

“The thought did cross my mind,” Keli responded. “However, Jacet was too focused on his mission. I just wished we knew his intentions sooner.”

“Yeah, losing the underspace corridors is a real shame,” Horin agreed. “I was hoping we could have easier access to home.”

“I think we all were,” Flemen stated. 

“Has anyone heard from the commodore?” Tomaz questioned. “Is he coming back from the Constitution?”

Duncan nodded. “He said he was going to spend another day over there.”

“So the Duncan reign has begun!” Slyvexs remarked, raising her drink. 

“And long may it reign!” Hunsen added with joy. 

Everyone burst into laughter as they clinked their glasses against each other. 

“Well, at least until half of us get home, we’ll have to check in on the kids!” Tomaz added with a smirk.

“To family,” Duncan toasted. “Whether it be those at home or our crewmates, let’s never forget this is more than just a ship. It’s home.”

“You’re definitely getting sentimental in your new position, Max,” Hunsen said quietly into his friend’s ear as the crew shared more cheers. 

“I had a good mentor,” Duncan said with a wink as he sipped his drink. He was glad to finally enjoy the perks of being the commanding officer of the Odyssey. He didn’t know what awaited them around the corner, but after this brief mission, he started to feel that his crew were starting to fully settle with the recent changes.