Snickering quietly, Cambil shook her head as she listened to Commodore McCallister brief her on her next set of orders. She knew the man too well to know he was bullshitting her.

She sat in her ready room behind her desk, staring intently at the floating holographic display before her. Cambil had kept silent while McCallister spoke. 

“So, any questions, Bexa?” He asked, remaining serious.

Cambil adored McCallister. Though they had gone through a rough patch when she had left the Odyssey over a year ago, after disagreeing with his decision to keep a mission quiet from her, things between them now were so much better. All it took was her getting a fourth pip to understand how the Omega Directive had forced McCallister to make the choices he made. Being his first officer and friend for a long time, she knew when she could push the blurred boundary in their relationship. Cambil knew this was the right time now. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Of course,” He answered.

He was easier to read and understand than an old Bajoran prophecy. “You want me to meet with the Krenim first so you can have an easier, more enjoyable experience in meeting with the Zahl. Correct?”

Shaking his head and flatly denying it, complimented with a smirk, McCallister demonstrated hurt and upset in his words: “I cannot believe you would think that of me, Bexa.” 

“Yeah, right, I know exactly what’s happened here,” Cambil retorted. “You and Horatio have reviewed that database together and decided you want to meet with the Zahl Regency as they’re the easier, more welcoming species than the Krenim.”

“The Zahl are known for their non-confrontational and friendly nature,” McCallister responded, remaining professional with a slight curl of his top lip as he tried not to smirk at being caught out by his former first officer. “I’ve assessed that they’re a priority for us in developing strong ties with.”

Cambil rolled her eyes at his poor excuses. “And so you’re hoping that sending me to the Krenim, especially after Taes and I saved one of their colonies a couple of months ago, will go in our favour.”

“I certainly think you’ve got a step in the front door with them,” McCallister stated. 

She shook her head. “James Preston Harvey McCallister, you’re too easy to read.”

“Thanks,” McCallister chuckled. You may think this assignment is easy for us, but we know the Zahl have the most influence over others in this region. We may need this if we ever have to deal with the Srivani.”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t need the speech,” Cambil dismissed him with a wave. “I know Starfleet is worried about us ever encountering the Srivani, but do we need to go all gun-ho with the diplomatic efforts?”

“Maybe not, but if we can form some sort of coalition to support us while we’re in this region, then I’m all for it. Plus, we need to smooth relations with those Voyager didn’t leave behind in the greatest of states,” McCallister reasoned. “I’m sending you everything we have on the Krenim, but it’s not much. I know the last time you helped their scientists ended well, but it did prove that Starfleet does get involved in too many time-travelling antics.”

“Is that a warning not to get into one?” Cambil checked.

McCallister chuckled. “I’m ordering you to ensure the temporal prime directive remains followed to the letter while trying to foster new relations with the Krenim.”

“Sounds easy,” Cambil remarked sarcastically. “Anything else?”

“We know that the Krenim and Zahl have a non-aggression pact and that the Krenim are more bothered by their-” He paused to look down at his notes, “‘mortal enemies’ the Rilnar. I’d prefer our presence not upset anything.”

“I totally understand, James.” She confirmed.

Nodding in appreciation, McCallister wished her all the best. “Keep me apprised of your developments, McCallister out.”

The display switched itself off automatically after McCallister had closed the channel at his end. Tapping her combadge, Cambil ordered her senior staff to the briefing room to discuss their orders. 

“So shall I get the red carpet cleaned now, or wait until we know how many guests are coming aboard?” Perez asked with a jovial tone. 

Some of the senior staff welcomed the joke with a few chuckles. Sitting around the long table, the Themis’ senior staff discussed what their diplomatic mission to the Krenim Imperium could involve. Cambil was at the head of the table, sharing what she knew and recapping procedures for such missions. Hearing her chief engineer’s quick quip made her smirk, too. 

“Unlike our last encounter with the Krenim, I want us to be a bit more prepared,” Cambil stated. 

T’Rani, her new first officer and newly promoted commander spoke up. “I assume we should expect them to ask us about our involvement with the Pandora Machine on Onitha?”

“I would expect so,” Cambil confirmed with a nod. “And we will cooperate with them about it.”

They were a series of nods from everyone else.

“I’m happy to lead on the scientific exchange of ideas, ma’am,” Abbej offered. “If that helps?”

Cambil appreciated her chief science officer’s suggestion. “Thank you, commander. If science can lead on making inroads with them, then I’m all for it.” 

“Captain, Decter and I have been reviewing the Borg database that Starfleet has assembled over the years since our last encounter with the Krenim, and there’s one piece of technology that we would like to install on the Themis,” Lenjir raised. 

Looking at her new second officer, Cambil was intrigued by what the Tiburonian officer was proposing to her. “Do tell, Cline,”

Lenjir motioned for Jines to load up their presentation. As the lights slightly dimmed, a holographic display of a Borg Sphere hovered above the table’s surface in front of everyone. 

“Temporal shields,” Lenjir stated. “It’s a defensive measure the Borg created after encountering the Krenim several decades ago.”

Taking over from his colleague, Jines spoke up. “From what the records tell us, the Krenim possess something called chroniton torpedoes in their arsenal.”

“Chroniton?” Perez asked, sounding intrigued by it.

“They’re based on their advanced knowledge of temporal science,” Jines elaborated as he pressed a button on the model. Six Krenim ships appeared in front of the Borg Sphere. “These are the sensor logs taken from the Borg’s first encounter with the Krenim. The Krenim used their torpedoes against the Borg Sphere when they engaged one another. It was heavily damaged as the chroniton torpedoes were in a state of temporal flux. They literally passed through their shields and any other energy barriers they tried to use to deflect them.”

“Logically speaking, I assume the Borg developed the temporal shielding system to defend themselves?” T’Rani asked.

Lenjir nodded at her. “They did.”

Jines pressed another button, showing the temporal shields on the Borg sphere, effectively defending it against the Krenim torpedoes. Though Starfleet has developed its own version of temporal shielding over the years, these would be the most effective to deploy, ma’am.” He looked at Cambil, showing how he and Lenjir wanted to install this technology on the Themis.

“I, for one, would vote in its favour,” Forbes said after reading the data about the chroniton torpedoes. “Those scans of those torpedoes show they emit high levels of chroniton radiation. We would have to inoculate the entire crew if one of those exploded close to us without those shields.”

“Should we be preparing for tactical engagement with the Krenim?” Samris asked aloud. The Romulan counsellor had remained quiet for most of the briefing. His contributions mainly focused on the diplomatic approach Cambil was planning to take. “I thought the commodore wanted us to make nice with them?”

“He does, but there’s nothing wrong with being prepared,” Cambil said before looking at both Lenjir and Jines. “Cline and Decter, begin work on the temporal shields. Ramona, lend them a hand. I want it fully operational before we cross into Krenim space.”

A series of ‘aye ma’ams’ responded to her orders from the trio she had just set a task with. 

“Well…it seems as though we’re about to undertake one of our biggest diplomatic functions ever,” Cambil said, smiling at her crew. “I know in the coming days, you will all do me and Starfleet proud. In the meantime,” she paused as she looked down the table at Andar, her Phylosian pilot. “Lieutenant Andar set a course for the Krenim border.”

Andar nodded their head. “With great pleasure, captain.”

“Dismissed, everyone,” Cambil ordered, remaining optimistic about what they were about to undertake. Once everyone had cleared out of the observation lounge, she took a minute to herself. Closing her eyes, Cambil said a quiet prayer to the Prophets, asking for guidance, strength, and luck as she led her crew on its new mission. Opening her eyes, she looked out at the stars beside her via the large bay windows that adorned one wall of the observation lounge. For a moment, she wondered if other Starfleet captains had ever felt a mixed sense of nerves, excitement and apprehension before undertaking a significant diplomatic event. Had James T. Kirk known that when he escorted Chancellor Gorkon, he would be thrown into the midst of a conspiracy to stop the Federation from ever achieving peace with the Klingon Empire? Or when Benjamin Sisko travelled to the Gamma Quadrant to seek out the rumours of the Dominion, could he foresee that only a few years later, he would be leading the Federation and allied forces against the Dominion in a bloody war? Or when Kathryn Janeway confronted Species 8472 to prevent them from infiltrating the Federation, had she known that sharing the technology to fight them would ensure a lasting peace between both sides? Finally, did Jean Luc Picard know that by travelling to Romulus to meet with their new Praetor, he would be encountering his own clone whom the Romulans had brutally abused and who had led the bloody coup d’état to ascend to the highest office on Romulus? 

Worrying that she and her crew would encounter similar outcomes, she prayed one more time to the Prophets, asking for their protection. Any help, she felt, would be a welcome one. Once finished, she looked at the chronometer read out on the nearby wall console and tapped her combadge, calling for her husband. Seeing if he was free to meet for a coffee, she was happy to hear his response. If anyone could help her calm her nerves or tripedition, it was Naprem. He organised for them to meet up shortly in Ten Forward, giving her a chance to look over her briefing notes one more time before she could take a break from work.