“This is not how I imagined this going.” Commander Park Seoyeon sat on the couch, sipping at a tumbler of real whiskey.  She was on her second glass.  Sadness weighed heavily on her words as she bitterly complained, “I don’t understand.”

Captain Wren Walton was at the bar, just as confused as her executive officer. She poured a generous amount of scotch over the ice in her glass goblet.  They’d returned from Klingon space to a terse message to return to Starbase 72, pending further orders.  Those orders had come through an hour ago.  “I had expected they’d shuffle us to a smaller ship…but to be pulled off active duty?  That’s particularly cold.”  She tossed back her drink, “You see the list of who is transferring?”

Park had read through it twice.  “Miados makes sense.  She was finding her groove being back on the Mackenzie.  Having your beloved second home yanked out from beneath you would piss anybody off.”  She refilled her glass, “Barzo and V’luth getting transferred aren’t that unusual – they’re good investigators – plenty of places that need good eyes like them.”  Park sat down, annoyed with the next name, “Thasaz, however…I don’t know what to make of it.  She’s worked with everyone over the year – officially and unofficially.  Maybe they have some place they need a cranky Romulan to push people around.”

Wren chuckled, amused at her friend’s complaints.  “You got along fine with her.”

The XO snorted, “Only once we agreed on how to handle each other.  We’ve both breath fire on occasion, and it’s never good for anybody to be in the area when two dragons go to war.”  She swirled her glass and refilled it for a fourth time.  “Good luck to whoever ends up with her.”

Walton deftly picked up the bottle Park had been returning to and slid it back into the cupboard, “As your bartender, I’m cutting you off.  You are a sloppy drunk, and I’m not ready to repeat the last time.”

Park slid the drink down her throat, cradling the glass in her hand as she spoke unevenly, “If you’re referring to the fight between those two burly boys, I was hardly involved.”

“You offered a bar of latinum to whoever knocked the other guy out and something about taking you home.”

“I didn’t know that town had fallen on hard times, and flashing that thing around would lead to a riot.  It was nice to see all those boys fighting over me.”  Park yawned and slid onto the couch, “That was the last time we had fun together, Wren.  We need to do that again sometime.”  Her words slurred as her eyes fluttered.  Sleep overtook her as her snore whistled softly.

Walton rolled her eyes, slid her bottle into the cabinet, and locked it.

“You going to be a problem, Commander?”  Captain Alexandra Pantuso sat at her desk in the ready room of the Dragonfly.

Commander Charlie Hargraves was in a state of shock.  Walton and Park, along with a few others, had been transferred off the Obena class starship, and he’d received an immediate promotion to the position of Executive Officer at the right hand of Captain Pantuso.  “No..no, ma’am.  Will it be a problem when I have to speak up about diplomatic matters?”

She had read his file and had been given the rundown from Diplomatic Operations.  “I’ve never had an XO who agreed with me, commander.  Your job is to be on the opposite side of me.  I’d rather have a shouting match with you in this office than you go along with whatever mad plan I’ve concocted.”  Pantuso leaned forward, “And yes, I’ve had my share of yelling matches.”

“I think I can do that, Captain Pantuso.”

“You’d better.  The Dragonfly’s not here to be a quiet voice in the wilderness.  We’re here to enter the room with a booming soundtrack announcing our arrival.  We’ll probably need to work on your swagger, Charles.”

His eyes went wide, “It’s…uh…Charlie, ma’am. Swagger?”

She was working on her PADD, “Sure it is.”  She sighed, “Do they teach you nothing at Diplomatic Operations?  I’ll schedule some lessons for you with our quartermaster.  I hear he’s got plenty of experience on the dance floor.” He wasn’t sure if he was breathing anymore and was startled when she glanced up, “Is there anything else, Commander Hargraves?”  He opened his mouth and then closed it.  He stood at attention and left the room, unsure of what had just happened.