—- USS Selene, Briefing Room 1 —-

Commander Barin Kayto of the USS Sizemore sat down. The captain of the USS Sizemore took the cup of coffee that had been offered by the acting first officer of the USS Selene Yuhiro Kolem, and looked at the plan that had been drawn up by the tactical and strategic operations department aboard the Selene.

“So this thing has taken out a number of our ships and stations,” he observed, dark Betazoid eyes looking up at Captain Olivia Carrillo, “what makes this different?”

Carrillo knew that Kayto tended to respect the chain of command, and those officers who had a higher rank than him. What he’d think of her if he knew that two days ago she’d been a Commander just like him, she was not sure. For now she was a captain, and had to act like she was confident in her plan.

“We’re looking for them, and they’re not hunting us,” she said, “we’ve given you modifications to make to your photon torpedoes. We’re making the same ones. We assume the drones are resource intensive, it’s not easy to make them. We keep slamming them with torpedoes, keep them from getting near our ships. Once they’re out of drones we close in with phasers.”

He glanced at Kolem and then nodded, “Okay, I guess that’s the plan.”

The two ships were flying in tandem to their destination deep within the Triangle. It was a location known to be rife with pirates, and not a place the Steamrunner-class ship would have ventured normally. But joined by two other Starfleet vessels there was a feeling that risks could be taken.

“We’ve also sent the specs over to your engineering team,” Kolem said. Half-Betazoid herself she admired the officer for rising to the rank of commander, a feat that she was not sure was possible with everyone’s inner thoughts in your head all day.

Kayto nodded, “Well if we survive this we’ll have to get together and have quite the party.”

“Well hopefully we survive this,” Kolem smiled.

Kayto nodded and left the room heading back to the transporters and his own ship. The door slid closed behind him and Carrillo glanced at her temporary First Officer, “You were flirting with him.”

“He was flirting with me,” Kolem protested.

“Oh I know,” Carrillo said.

“You should have heard what we thought to each other,” Kolem teased.

“What?” Carrillo asked, interested.

“Nothing actually, but I got you interested,” Kolem said, “It’s not just Betazoids that are frisky.”

“I’m married,” Carrillo protested in her own defense. She stood, she had department heads who were still getting used to their new ship to meet.

—- USS Selene, Main Engineering —-

Lieutenant Commander James Young gestured to the warp core, “It works if that’s what you’re asking.”

Carrillo nodded, “It’s not all I’m asking. Give me the run down on the ship.”

“It’s a beautiful mess. If they’d built a hundred of them by now it would be running like a dream,” Young said. He gestured around him, “Instead they built a small number, scrapped the plan once Mars blew up and never went back to it. So there’s not many of them, and they’re temperamental because the kinks haven’t been ironed out. But…”

“But?” Carrillo asked.

“But it’s in good shape and we could get to our destination much faster if we weren’t escorting two other ships,” Young said, “Slower ships.”

“Tactical systems, shields?” Carrillo asked her Chief Engineer.

“Built like a Sovereign,” Young said, “Not as well armed but the shields will take punishment. The phasers are solid, just conserve your torpedoes or you’ll run out of them.”

“Young about the First Officer job, even though it’s temporary,” Carrillo began.

Young shook his head, “Save it, I’m not a people person. I know my team, but I can’t be your XO. I just don’t have it in me. I’m good at this, I appreciate you bringing me along, but I don’t want to get promoted out of engineering.”

Carrillo smiled softly at him, she’d been worried that as the most senior member of the team he’d have been angling for the role, but it turned out that Young was happy with what he was, and content to remain in place.

She watched the engineering team for awhile as they explored their shiny new workspace. Some of the team had come with the ship, since their crew capacity had ballooned to 750 people. There was a more intensive cetacean operations department that had to be maintained along with more finicky systems than on the Luna which had been built with tried and tested materials.

Finally without announcing it she looked her leave.

—- USS Selene, Science Lab 1 —-

In the science labs Gabriella Miller was directing organized chaos, as the Lieutenant Commander showed everyone where to move in. Most of the science staff had not yet joined the ship, as its rapid deployment had happened quickly. Their science department was going to more than double once they returned to space dock, as the ship’s primary mandate was to explore and do science. That meant there was a very good argument for a scientist to be the First Officer, since that was the primary function of the ship.

She spotted Captain Carrillo as she entered and walked over to her commanding officer, PADD in hand.

“How’s it going,” Carrillo asked, knowing that though Miller was less concerned with their current mission of pirate hunting she was likely the second most stressed person on the ship, after Carrillo herself.

“I have about one hundred ongoing experiments that we had to shift ships with,” Miller said her blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, “We have one hundred scientists and have to find labs for them, plus we’re getting at least one hundred and fifty more, as well as cadets. But we’ll figure it out.”

Wanting to give credit where credit was due Carrillo nodded, “You mean you’ll figure it out.”

Miller gave a non-comital shrug, “Well that’s debatable, actually Lieutenant Commander Mason has been leading a lot of it.”

Carrillo took that in, “I came by to see how you’re doing, but also to talk about the XO role. I was told that I can’t have Kolem as my XO beyond this mission, and at least until Captain Cruz gets back I need a First Officer. So while it may be temporary do you want the job, I figure I need a scientist this being a science ship.”

Miller shook her head, “I didn’t even want to be Chief of the department, how about Mason? She’s smart, and seems to work well with people.”

Carrillo regarded the half Vulcan half human watching as the woman showed their space anomaly experts to a lab. She nodded, “Okay, on your recommendation I’ll go talk to her.”

She did not know Mason that well, she’d buried herself in the department, but clearly Miller thought highly of her. Carrillo walked up, and smiled, “Lieutenant Commander Mason could you take a walk with me?”

The woman nodded, “Yes ma’am.”

As they exited the science labs they headed, with Carrillo taking the lead, towards the forward officer’s lounge. The newly minted captain glanced at the science officer, “So Mason, what do you think of the USS Selene so far?”

“It’s nice, lots of potential,” Mason said, “are you looking for approval for taking it over the Luna?”

“What? No, I’m just trying to get to know you more,” Carrillo said, “Lieutenant Commander Miller thinks you’d be a good First Officer for me. I need to know we’re on basically the same page, at least on the important issues.”

“Why don’t you make your husband the XO?” Mason asked.

“That would be wildly inappropriate, he’s not anywhere near the rank needed and his experience is all in the twenty-third century,” Carrillo said, “I trust him and love him, but he’s not going to be an XO anytime soon.”

“Well ma’am, I think that is wise and a good answer. I will be happy to take the role,” she said, “If you’re offering it.”

“Until Captain Cruz gets back and I shift back into the XO post,” Carrillo said.

“That’s not going to happen ma’am,” Mason said, “Either you or Cruz will get your own ship, Starfleet doesn’t have enough captains. Unless you set the carpet on fire, they’re not going to demote you.”

Carrillo gestured to the shiny metal floor, “No more carpets. Okay, you start tomorrow, work with Miller to replace you as the Assistant Chief of Science, and tomorrow you wear red. I’ll let Kolem know she can go back to just running our counseling department.”

Mason nodded, “Thank you ma’am.”

“Unless we’re on the bridge it’s Olivia now, at least while you’re my First Officer,” Carrillo said, “Got it, thank you Keyana.”

—- USS Selene, Intelligence Office —-

“So I have you to thank for a new command and a new pip?” Carrillo asked Jake Dornall suspiciously. She’d never felt like the officer was quite fully honest with her, or with anyone really.

He smiled the same grin that suggested he knew more of what was going on than anyone else, not that he’d admit it, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Carrillo sighed, “Look Lieutenant Commander Dornall. This is a science ship, and my XO is a member of our science team. But I do want to get you as the Second Officer, if you’ll take the role.”

Dornall shrugged, “Okay, I can do that.”

“What do you get out of getting me the Selene?” Carrillo asked, mostly out of curiosity.

“Top of the line sensors, more offices, and more officers. Don’t worry you’ll pay me back later,” Dornall said, “For now we have a pirate to catch.”

Captain Olivia Carrillo sighed, “Just keep in mind we’re on the same side.”

“I’m well aware of what side everyone’s on Captain,” Dornall said and gave a half mocking salute.”

“I’m going to hate owning you a favour,” Carrillo said.

“You’ll love it, trust me,” Dornall said.

“Oh I don’t trust you Dornall, but I probably need you,” Carrillo said and nodded at him, before heading back to her quarters. He was too stuck in the Dominion War-era where he’d lost his father fighting the Cardassians. He was too young to have fought back then, but he was still preparing for the Federation to be at war with someone, or everyone.