“Syndicate operatives are being held in the custody of the Judge Advocate General’s office here on Montana Station and will be processed through the justice system.  All twenty of them have been identified.  Starfleet Security and the JAG office did not answer questions beyond the announcement press conference early this morning.  A specialized medical team is currently ensuring the ongoing treatment of the suspects. We do not know the condition of the alleged Borg Monster and have received ‘no comment’ across the board from anyone we ask, including the commanding officer of this station, Fleet Captain Geronimo Fontana.  You may recognize his name – formerly a Task Force XO and CO, his assignment here is a curious one…”

Fontana muted the screen in his office.  The FNN reporter, Craig Syracuse, had a reputation and had upheld it since arriving at the station a month ago.  The good news was Geronimo had a stellar public relations officer who had taken over the media-facing responsibilities.

The door to his office opened, and Captain Helena Dread walked through, not taking the seat he’d offered.  “What have you done?”  Her voice was strained, and her eyes were wide.

“News travels fast” was the best he could offer.  She stared at him, her fists balled tightly at her sides.

“It does, Fleet Captain Fontana.”  Her fury was wrapped within her words, terse and tense.  “I would have the reason.”

He decided against asking her to sit.  Dread’s reputation was not a violent one.  She simply did not suffer fools gladly.  He answered her, “Tougun, Sarge, and the increasing activity of the Orion Syndicate in the rimward have put significant pressure on us.  The Gagarin has teeth where it matters.  Our meeting this afternoon was going to cover this.  I’m sorry.  How did you find out?”

Her fists were unclenched and clenched several times before she slid into the chair opposite him, “The docking operations team had her on the list as incoming.  They also had the Douglas as being in line for some work and eventual transfer.”  She leaned back in her chair, “Is this one going to stick?”

“Are you asking me or asking yourself?”  He flinched when her eyes returned their burning stare.

Dread didn’t speak right away.  She turned her attention to the window into space across the room, “I wish we had been given more time with the Daedalus.”

Fontana replied, “I wish you had too.  You’re still in the center chair, Helena.  I trust you…and more importantly, Fourth Fleet trusts your ability to command.”  He tapped at his PADD, “She arrives tomorrow morning.  One last thing…Pantuso has asked for Commander Ford as her XO.  Commander Hargraves has been tasked to assist with diplomatic operations here.”  He handed over the PADD, “We’re working on finding you an XO.”

Dread read over the screen while she said, “I have a thought about that.  Fowler.”  She thought out loud in response to his raised eyebrows, “We’re a young crew, Ger – ensigns and lieutenants. She can take the command courses onboard and cycle off when classroom time is required.  We’ve got XOs she can work with on both ships to mentor her – not to mention Walton’s previous position.”

The station CO had been nodding as she explained, “The well is pretty dry at this point – bottom of the barrel is where we’d be starting from, and I didn’t like their chances.  You need to be sure about this, Helena.”

She chuckled, “With me or the Gagarin?”

“Both.”

“And I’m sure, Ger.  Like you said – the barrel’s pretty bottomed out.  We need good officers we can count on.  We can count on Fowler.”

Fontana replied, “Then I’ll be counting on you.”

Dread stood, a sense of relief cooling her initial annoyances, “I’ll take that, Ger.”

The door closed behind her, and Geronimo sat back in his chair.  Risk was their business, he reminded himself.  What kind of explorers would they be if they played it safe?

Jordan Reid stood awkwardly at the dock doors for the USS Perseverance in Montana Station.  She’d spent the last week thinking about what she would do.  The question that Walton had put to her hadn’t faded.  It had stuck in the back of her mind, digging around her thoughts.  She’d tried to put it out of her mind with every trick she knew.  Yet…it kept crawling out of whatever hole she’d buried it in.  Her conversation with Dread had been comforting in ways she always knew but had worried about anyway.

“Jordan.”  The door had opened, and Captain Wren Walton stood in the doorway.  “Dread called ahead.”

Reid fidgeted with her hands, “I don’t like admitting when I’m wrong.”  She pushed her eyes to meet those of Walton’s, “But I was wrong.  Ambrose…he did see something in me.  He didn’t ever do anything by half measures…and he didn’t hesitate to promote me to XO.”  She swallowed, her heart climbing her throat, “I think I didn’t want to see it because I lost him…and I didn’t want to have that happen to anybody around me.”

Walton stepped through the doorway and stood beside Jordan. “I had a feeling, ” she said, her smile reassuring Reid. Wren continued, “Your journey is your own…and it won’t be easy.”

“I suppose you’re going to tell me you’ll be with me along the way?”

“Got it in one, Lieutenant Reid. Commander Park was pretty thrilled when I mentioned my idea to her.”

Reid frowned, “She’s not worried I’m going to replace her?”  She’d been in that position before.

“Park has grown a lot and learned a lot.  I don’t want my XOs to be XOs forever.  You’re meant for more, Lieutenant Reid. So is Park.”

“What about you?”

Wren chuckled, “I’d like to move up in the universe someday, too.  You can keep me accountable to that if you like.  Park’s already like my mother…what’s another one to keep me honest?”

Jordan glanced around the station docking area one last time.  New adventures.  New crew.  New sickbay.  New mission.  It felt like a new day.  She said, “Then I request permission to board, Captain Walton.”

Wren’s smile broadened as she led her towards the open door, “Welcome aboard the Perseverance.”