“They can take their best shot, make it true…

But baby, I’m bulletproof because of you.”

Theo let loose with the last line of the song, his voice strong and powerful as he threw his hand out, his arm outstretched toward the audience beyond the lights in front of the stage.

He held position, even though sweat ran down the groove of his spine. The Screaming Helltoads stage show was fast paced and energetic, and as the lead singer most of that was down to him. Straightening up, he grinned as the music finally died away and he heard the screams, catcalls and cheers of the crowd. Seemed the ‘toad’s music had gone down well with SBB, the crowd demanding not one, but two encore’s.

Turning, he caught Ryke, the bass player’s eye. The only other member of the band here in person—the others were performing over hololink—Ryke was rocking a similar look to Theo himself; long ‘big hair’ wig, eyeliner and leather pants more sprayed on than worn. Ryke was still (mostly) wearing a vest top, whereas Theo’s had long since been torn off and flung off the stage to parts unknown, revealing the heavy tattoos that covered his torso and arms. Unlike the wig, they were real.

As a look, it was a world away from the straight and narrow senior officer he was during the day.

“More! More! More!” the crowd chanted and he laughed as he stepped back up to the mic.

“Thank you Starbase Bravo! But… that’s us for the night! Thank you for your support!”

There were more calls as the ‘toad’s all stood, slinging arms over shoulders as they took a bow. The lights snapped off and Enna and Steele, the two remote members, disappeared, their hololinks cut.

“That went well,” he murmured to Ryke as they headed off the stage. He looked for his shirt as he went but it appeared to be long gone. No matter, they were all replicated anyway.

The moment they stepped behind the coulisses, the buzz of the venue still humming in their ears, a figure darted toward them. Xaevo, the venue’s manager, her dark hair cascading in waves, was already beaming. She threw her arms wide, her smile almost too big for her face. “Great show, guys!” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Loved it!”

“Hey Xae! Thanks!” Still high on the high from the performance, Theo grinned back. “It went really well. No hitches with the hololinks or anything!”

Xaevo’s grin stretched wide, her eyes sparkling under the stage lights as she stepped closer. “Come find me later,” she said, her voice warm and effortless, “and we’ll book your next performance.” She hesitated, leaning in slightly, then added with a sly wink. “Some Starfleet Brass were in the crowd—they asked for you. Don’t keep them waiting, yeah?”

“They did?” Theo’s grin slid off his face. What on earth did the brass want with him? Well, what did they want with him as the lead singer of the ‘toads anyway. None of the band’s real identities were known. Not a secret, so much as… not widely advertised that they were all Starfleet officers.

“Sorry boss, I have to get gone,” Ryke slapped him on the shoulder, his voice way more cultured than expected for the way he was currently dressed. He sang backing for the group, but his voice lacked that raw whiskey-roughness of Theo’s. “I have patients first thing in the morning, and I need to read up on my case notes.”

“Yeah, sure thing, you get gone. I’ll see what they want and clear down the set.” Theo nodded, watching as the tall counselor headed off, his bass slung over his back like a soldier would sling a rifle.

Issuing instructions for the stagehands to start packing up, Theo dropped down off the stage, landing lightly on his feet to stalk through the crowded room, sliding back into his stage persona as he went.

Callen Varro sank deeper into his reserved booth, the remnants of the performance still dancing in his chest, the pulse of the music vibrating through him. His fingers absently traced the rim of his glass, but his mind was far away, still caught in the energy of the show. The raw intensity of it all—the way the crowd had swayed with every note—reminded him of something distant, something he couldn’t quite place. It felt like home, but not in any way he could name.

His eyes scanned the dim room, catching the last flickers of light as the club settled into a relaxed hush. His gaze drifted toward the stage, then flicked to the entrance as a figure moved through the shadows. The figure’s posture was confident, almost purposeful, as if he knew exactly where he was going. Callen’s breath caught for a moment when the performer’s silhouette became clearer, the broad shoulders and familiar outline of the man who had just commanded the stage now unmistakable. He was heading directly toward him.

Of all the people Theo had expected to be in the crowd, in a booth at the back like he was trying to deny being here, Captain Varro, Director of Fourth Fleet Operations, was most definitely not it. Which meant Theo was faced with a dilemma. Did he act as Captain Barrington, Executive Officer of one of the Task Forces Varro commanded, or was he going to be Theo, lead singer of the ’toads…

Still high on the buzz of performing, the choice was an easy one.

Grabbing a chair from a table as he passed it, he spun it around easily and dropped down to straddle it; his arms looped lazily over the back. “I heard you were looking for me, Captain?”

“I was!” Callen burst out, his voice thick with excitement. He leaned forward, his hands resting on the edge of the booth as if the energy of the performance was still charging through him. “I just had to tell you how much I enjoyed the show. It reminded me of the local bands back home—so raw, so real. Truly stellar!” He grinned, a glint of admiration in his eyes. “You’ve got that kind of energy that pulls you in. Have you been in the business long? Because you’ve got the kind of stage presence that makes it look effortless.”

“Thank you, that means a lot.” Theo’s smile widened in response, and he flicked his hair back over his shoulder out of the way. It seemed that Varro was a fan, nothing more, so he relaxed a little.

“I’ve been singing all my life, but only with the ‘toads for a couple of years,” he revealed. “We’ve really been lucky recently, managed to land some awesome gigs so we’re really beginning to get out there.”

“It really sounded great!” Callen said, his eyes bright with enthusiasm as he leaned forward, barely able to contain his excitement. He paused, letting the words hang in the air for a moment before he glanced away, pretending to consider something. His fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the table as if weighing the thought.

“Just off the top of my head,” he continued, his tone casual, yet with a hint of mischief, “would it be possible to book you for my next set of quarterly reports?” He let out a soft chuckle, the corners of his mouth curling.

“Usually, we try to relieve the stress with a game of Go Fish, but I’m thinking… a private concert might do the trick. Something to help my COs let loose, shake off the tension, and get their heads back in the game.” He looked back at the singer, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes as he imagined the scene.

“It would certainly be different,” Theo chuckled. The fact that he’d be there while wearing… yeah, definitely not correct uniform… just deepened his amusement. Varro didn’t seem to have recognised him, so perhaps no one else would. “It’s something we’d be open to, sure. Schedules permitting,” he added. Ryke was here on SBB, while the other two were on a ship somewhere in the Thomar Expanse, so it was doable.

“Hey, let me grab you a drink,” he said, noticing Varro’s glass was empty. Lifting his head, he nodded to the bartender over the other side of the room. “So… is rock your preferred genre of music?”

Callen gave a thoughtful nod, his expression softening with genuine appreciation. “It is, actually,” he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’ve always had a thing for the classics. They’ve got this timeless pull, you know? But every now and then, something new pops up that really grabs me.” He tilted his head slightly, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. “What do you think about that new contemporary stream? Some of it’s been pretty interesting.”

Theo nodded his thanks to the waiter who brought their drinks, sliding Varro’s over the table to him.

“It’s interesting, but some of it I find a little too… elevator music? For my taste anyway. I’ve always definitely been into classics. There was some Klingon cello a while back I found really interesting.”

“Klingon cello?” Callen’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, his drink pausing halfway to his lips as he absorbed the idea. He lowered the glass, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “Now that’s an idea,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “That would definitely make my quarterly report get-together a lot more interesting!” He leaned back, already picturing the unique touch it would add to the event.

“It’s surprising, but it’s good. I mean, I have no idea where they even got the cellos for a start off!” Theo chuckled, knocking back his drink. He hissed as it burned all the way down. Then he tilted his head as he looked at Callen. “So you wanted to hire us? That’s why you left a message with Xae, the venue manager?”

“No, no, that’s just something I came up with on the spot, Mr. Barrington,” Callen said with a soft laugh, raising a hand as if to dismiss the idea, a playful glint in his eye. He took another sip of his drink, then set it down, his posture shifting as he leaned in slightly, his tone softening. “But honestly,” he continued, his gaze meeting Barrington’s with genuine sincerity, “I really just wanted to congratulate you. That performance was something else. You had the whole room in the palm of your hand.”

Theo was startled for a second, then he laughed.

“Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have expected this…” He gestured to himself. “To have fooled a former spook. But thank you, that’s kind of you to say.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement as he picked up the glass in silver-ringed fingers, rolling the edge against the table. “I also realise that I have backed myself into a corner anyway.”

Callen’s laugh was warm and effortless, a sound that seemed to fill the space between them. His eyes danced with amusement as he leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth lifting into a sly grin. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to catch on,” he said, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. He shook his head with a soft chuckle, the lightness in his voice betraying his enjoyment. “But hey, that was fun!”

He settled into his seat with a satisfied sigh, but his gaze sharpened just slightly as he leaned forward again, his voice taking on a playful edge. “So, does my dear friend Wyll know about his Executive’s extracurricular activities?”

Theo’s lips quirked up at the corners, a wicked little gleam in his eyes. “Not as far as I know. So far we haven’t been recognised. But we have a gig booked at B’Aar on DS47 next week. So, we’ll see…

“Captain Varen is an exceptional diplomat—maybe the best Starfleet has,” Callen said, his voice thoughtful as he tapped his fingers on the table. “His deductive skills? Well, they’re certainly up there with mine.” He paused, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But let’s be real,” he continued with a soft chuckle, shaking his head as if at a private joke. “You won’t catch him at a classic rock concert anytime soon. He’d probably rather sit through a week of debriefings.” His eyes twinkled with amusement as he leaned back, clearly enjoying the contrast.

Theo inclined his head. “That may be why we haven’t been recognised yet then,” he chuckled. “Plus… B’Aar is a relatively new establishment. Excellent bloodwine though.”

“I’ll make sure to check it out next time I’m there, then,” Callen said, rolling his glass between his fingers before setting it down with a soft clink. A smirk tugged at his lips. “I’ve got a taste for Klingon beverages—at least the ones that don’t squirm. Generally, I like my drinks, and my meals, to stay dead.” His eyes gleamed with amusement as he pushed himself up from his seat, smoothing out his jacket with an easy shrug.

“Well, Mr. Barrington,” he said, his tone warm but laced with finality, “thanks for the incredible performance and the good conversation. You put on one hell of a show.” He cast a brief glance toward the exit, his expression shifting as duty crept back into his stance. “But duty calls.” A knowing smile flickered across his face as he met Barrington’s gaze one last time. “I have a feeling this won’t be our last conversation.”

“Likewise and thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the performance, sir.” Theo smiled as he rose at the same time. He offered his hand to shake. “And I suspect not. Although, the next time we speak,” he chuckled. “I’m likely to look a little different. But anyway, I’ll let you go. You have duty calling, and I have a set to help break down before my transport tonight.”

Callen dipped his head in a slow, easy nod. “Good luck, and safe travels,” he said, his voice low but certain. The faintest hint of a smile flickered across his face before he turned away.

He moved effortlessly through the dim haze of the club, the neon lights pulsing against his silhouette, briefly outlining his form before swallowing him into the crowd.