“So, tell me again why we’re missing the blue skies and sandy beaches of Trenalis prime?” Aaron, lying on his back on the bench opposite grumbled, throwing a ball up into the air and catching it one-handed.

Olivia recognised it. It was the stress ball from her office. She shook her head and looked back at the padd balanced on her knee. She’d wondered where it had gone… No, actually, she wondered how the hell he’d stolen it when he’d been on the other side of the door when she’d thrown it at him.

“Because, somehow, this little lot managed to lose their division CO and Theo called a favour in,” she answered mildly, making a note on one padd and handing it over to Rhys, sat next to her. He grunted in the back of his throat, and nodded, making a note. She watched him for a moment, her lips curving into a fond smile. Rhys and his handwritten notes.

“Lose their division co… who does that?” Aaron chuckled as he sat up.

She looked at him and he frowned. “Wait…what? You’re serious? They actually lost their CO? How the hell did they do that?”

“From the reports, it looks like the CO’s of both ships went on an away mission,” Rhys commented without looking up as he wrote. “Against all common sense and god knows how many regulations.”

Aaron shook his head, muttering something about the idiocy of commanding officers.

“Hey!” Liv mock-glared at him. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

“Yeah,” he rumbled, pushing to his feet only to immediately lean down and claim her lips. “My CO wife, who will absolutely not be heading out on any away missions, with or without the other CO who managed not to get himself lost.”

“Like either of you will ever let that happen,” she grumbled, just as the computer announced their approach to the USS Canterbury and the USS Resolute.

“You’d better believe it, right Rhys?” Aaron cast a glance at Rhys, who just grunted again. Like it was a given. She ignored the hint of tension between the two men and, putting her padds aside, stood up. They’d work it out. Things were always a little… off balance when a new member joined a marriage group.

Dropping into the pilot’s seat, she opened a comm to the ship in front of them. “USS Canterbury, this is Captain Olivia Thorne,acting Division commander of the Canterbury Division. We are on approach now, ETA… five minutes.”

The response was immediate, as she’d expected. There was no way a ship like the Canterbury hadn’t picked up their approach. “Canterbury to Captain Thorne. Acknowledged. Shuttlebay two is on standby for your arrival.”

“Excellent, thank you. Please ensure that Commander Vann is available on my arrival and send a message that I require to see Captain Mason at his earliest convenience please.”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

She cut the comm, altering their course to bring them around to Canterbury’s shuttlebays. Rhys and Aaron stood behind her.Aaron whistled. “That’s a Rhode Island and… holy shit, is that a Lamarr class? You bring me to the nicest places!”

Her lip quirked at the corners. “I thought you’d like that.”

“A fact you’d have known if you’d read the briefing,” Rhys grumbled, which the other two ignored as the shuttle looped around the Canterbury and she took them directly into the shuttlebay.

There was a small welcoming committee standing waiting as she set them down on the deck. Two men.

“I’m assuming that’s Commander Vann on the left,” she said, pointing out the man with the X-B implant on his face. “The other one I don’t know. It’s not Mason, that’s for sure.”

“Why?” Aaron asked, following her as they headed for the door. They’d packed light since this was a short term assignment but she still didn’t get to her pack in time before Rhys claimed it, slinging it over a broad shoulder with his.

”Mason is a llanarian,” Rhys snapped back. “They’re huge.”

She glared at him for a moment before giving up, he and Aaron were just going to have to sort their issues themselves, and headed down the boarding ramp.

Or rather, she would have, but a ‘MREoWW!’ brought her abruptly to a stop, the two men behind her almost slamming into the back of her as a black cat emerged from nowhere and trotted down the ramp like an emperor, tail held up like a furry banner.

“Well, hello… where did you come from?” she asked, arching an eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at Aaron, who looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’d been on and on about wanting a pet for the last few months and she’d said no since they were being reassigned soon.

“Mreowww!” the cat stopped at the bottom of the ramp, and blinked large green-gold eyes back at her in expectation.

“Well, the chief has spoken so let’s get on with it.” She smiled, then in an undertone to Aaron. “Look after it, make sure it gets fed and doesn’t get in anyone’s way.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

She sighed as he produced a cat carrier out of nowhere. Conveniently. The newly named chief complained bitterly about being scooped up and subjected to the absolute indignity of capture.

She eyed Aaron warningly as she walked past him, Rhys at her side.

“Commander Vann,” she nodded to the former borg officer, offering her hand. “Captain Thorne.”

The commander nodded, his lips moving in what might have counted as a smile and shook her hand. Good, firm shake. Not too much pressure but not weak either. Good. A man without a need for ego. So many male officers tried to crush her hand during a shake, and if they did they quickly found out that a girl brought up on a mining colony had a grip that could crush both rocks and billiard balls.

“Welcome aboard, Captain.” He turned slightly. “Might I introduce the ship’s second officer, Commander Beck?”

“A pleasure to meet you, commander.” She inclined her head, keeping her manner reserved and professional. This was the command team who’d allowed their own CO to head out on an away mission after all.

“Likewise…” Beck shook her hand as Vann’s gaze flicked past her to her companions.

“My apologies,” he said. “We weren’t aware that you would be accompanied. I’ll ensure that the quartermaster assigns quarters for your staff.”

“No need. These are my husbands, Commander Rose and Lieutenant Vincent,” she said, introducing the two men. “Commander Rose will be taking up the empty Chief Security role aboard for the duration of my time here, and Lieutenant Vincent will be joining engineering.”

Vann nodded. “Very good ma’am. If you’d like to follow me, the captains from the Resolute should be arriving shortly. I’ve set us up in the briefing room for now.”

“Very good, lead the way commander,” she ordered, shooting Aaron a warning glance before she and Rhys followed her new (temporary) XO.