“I smell bacon!” Nelson almost squealed as she entered Corbin’s quarters with excitement at the aromas that lingered in the air.

Corbin chuckled as he wiped his hands on his apron and confirmed what Nelson’s sense had detected. “You asked for it yesterday, so I thought I would cook you a full English breakfast, just like you used to have back at the Academy.”

Clapping like an enthusiastic child at Christmas, Nelson bounded over to the kitchen area of Corbin’s huge quarters. “Does Arleena even know she’s married to the best breakfast chef in Starfleet?”

Corbin chuckled, moving with his usual calm precision as he plated up the food. “She does, but she does not appreciate breakfast food like we do,” Corbin shared before pouring Nelson a mug of coffee. “She prefers desserts.”

“Hey, we can’t all be perfect,” Nelson joked before thanking Corbin for her first mug of coffee for the day. She picked it up and smelt it first. Raising it to her lips, she sipped on the hot beverage. “Oh, you are spoiling me this morning, Rome. Are those the Bajoran beans you got in last week in this?”

Nodding as he switched off his hob and oven, Corbin confirmed what was in her coffee. “Yeah, my last bag as well until I can order some more,” he shared as he took off his apron, placed it on a nearby hook and gestured for them to go and sit down at the nearby table. He had already set up table mats, cutlery, and a glass of fresh orange juice for each of them.

“This is delightful! You are spoiling me,” Nelson said as she sat down and placed a napkin over her lap. She paused as she put her coffee down on the glass table. “Wait, you only cook this type of breakfast when you’re about to break bad news to me or you want a favour from me.” Looking straight at Corbin as he sat down, she gave him an almost glare-like expression. “Which one is it, Rome?”

Corbin chuckled, his dark eyes crinkling with amusement and scoffed at the idea as he, too, put a napkin on his lap. “It’s neither, Liz, I’m just getting antsy over us waiting for so long for our orders, so I got up early and made us breakfast instead of replicating it. Can’t I treat my favourite first officer?”

“I’ve been your only first officer for twelve years,” Nelson reminded him as she picked up her knife and fork.

“And that makes you my favourite,” Corbin stated after taking a sip from his orange juice. Unlike Nelson, who was a huge coffee drinker, Corbin was more into other drinks, especially different tea flavours.

“So I take it you couldn’t sleep and were bored in bed?” Nelson said as she cut up her bacon and pushed it onto her fork alongside some scrambled egg.

Corbin knew he couldn’t hide the truth from his friend. They had known each other since their academy days, back when they were paired during their survival and extensive combat training ahead of the Dominion War beginning.

“You always see right through me,” he admitted, nodding. “I think I also pulled a muscle in my shoulder after my velocity game with Reon. In any position that I tried, I couldn’t get comfortable.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t just his shoulder keeping him awake. The waiting, the endless waiting for orders, gnawed at him more than he cared to admit.

“You’re not as young as you used to be, Rome,” Nelson said after swallowing her mouthful. “Plus, Reon is seventeen years younger than you and spends most of his off-duty time in the gym.”

Mildly offended by that, Corbin feigned a look of hurt. “Hey, I still work out daily.”

“It is still amusing that you think you could keep up with someone much younger than you,” Nelson quipped before picking up the triangular-shaped toast on the edge of her plate. She started to spread butter over it. “He and I are planning to organise the first Atlas concert for the end of the week. We’ve got some cool, trendy tunes lined up.”

“Now who’s trying to be young and hip?” Corbin countered sarcastically.

Nelson giggled at that. “Touché, Captain Corbin, touché!”

“Have you heard from either of my godsons, while we’ve been waiting?” Corbin asked, referring to Nelson’s children.

She nodded in confirmation. “Yes, I got messages from them both yesterday. Corey is enjoying his third year at Mellstoxx, and Hunter shared that he was meeting up with your boy on Starbase Eighteen before they head to Risa.”

Corbin shivered a bit, “Oh no,” he said. “I knew they were going to do their first vacation together, but on Risa? That’s the lamest choice.”

Wiggling her head side to side, Nelson gave her viewpoint on it. “They’re young Starfleet officers who have heard the mysteries and wonder that Risa brings. They want to explore on their first shore leave.”

“No, they’re both single young men who’ve heard far too many stories about Risa,” Corbin muttered.

Nelson raised an eyebrow. “You mean jamaharon stories?”

Corbin groaned. “Exactly.”

“With others or each other?” Nelson quipped back.

Corbin gave her a look that said he wasn’t impressed with their sons or their antics, then chuckled. “Knowing our two, probably both,” he said before biting down on some toast of his own. He sat back. “You honestly think the two of them will get together? Avexan seemed to be interested in that girl from his academy days.”

“Well, at least if he does get with my son, he will have an amazing mother-in-law.”

“It’s Hunter’s potential mother–in-law he should be worried about. Arleena is very protective of Avexan, more so than our daughter.” Corbin warned in between bites.

Nelson chuckled. “Don’t be mean about your lovely wife,” She warned him. “I know she’s been very worried about you, and anyway, she’s only protective of Avexan as that gorgeous daughter of yours could probably take on the Borg Collective with one hand tied behind her back.”

“I think Niraxa could probably take on the Q Continuum with her feisty attitude,” Corbin shared. “Anywho, as long as Hunter and Avexan don’t get themselves kicked out of Starfleet, whatever they do on Risa is not something I want to know.”

“Shouldn’t that be whoever?” Nelson said with a cheeky wink as she picked up her coffee mug.

That caused them both to laugh.

“If the admiralty knew how crude we could get,” Corbin stated as he shook his head. “I’d lose the Atlas before we leave Avalon.”

The laughter faded. For a few seconds, the only sound was the quiet clink of cutlery against glass.

Corbin ate another portion of his breakfast, and after he swallowed it, he looked back at Nelson. “Have you heard from Andy at all?”

The mention of her husband made Nelson pause slightly. The two of them had recently separated after feeling their marriage had come to an end. “No, but Hunter did mention in his message that Andy arrived safely on Starbase Twenty-One. Brock wanted to visit him but realised that the Izar system is quite far from the Academy campus on Mellstoxx.”

Corbin realised he shouldn’t have asked the question; he had spoiled their morning routine. He leaned over and grabbed Nelson’s hand and squeezed it gently. “I’m sorry for asking.”

Nelson shook her head, grateful for her friend’s gesture. “No, it’s fine, Rome. And anyway, if I don’t talk about it, then it only makes me feel worse for bottling it all up. Plus, your lovely wife sent me a message the other week saying she will use the entire might of the Fourteenth House of Betazed to bring hell down on Andy.”

Hearing that made Corbin laugh somewhat. “That sounds like Arleena, ever since she’s become head of the house, I think she thinks she can use that and her role as a Federation ambassador to do as she pleases.”

“And you’ve got an issue with that?” Nelson asked.

Corbin shook his head furiously. “Not a chance in the Fourteenth House! I am not getting between my Imzadi and her lust for power!”

Nelson laughed at that. “Stop being mean about your lovely wife, she’s a gorgeous woman who loves you madly!”

“And I love her,” Corbin confirmed.

“Good, because once my divorce becomes final, I am going to need her to be my wing-woman in finding me a new man! I hear she knows some powerful, handsome men, who I expect her to set me up with!” Nelson quipped, returning to her usual bubbly self when she was around Corbin.

“If anything, Arleena is very good at matching up people.”

“That’s my girl!” Nelson cheered as she raised her coffee mug at that idea. “When are we going to see Arleena next?”

“Not for a while, she’s currently on Kovar attending a diplomatic conference with the Romulan Free State,” Corbin answered as he cut up some of the remaining breakfast on his plate. “After that, she’s heading back to Betazed.”

“Bridge to Captain Corbin and Commander Nelson,” spoke Alkos after the intercom chime had gone.

Surprised at the interruption, Corbin and Nelson both exchanged a look before Corbin tapped his combadge to answer. “Go ahead, Reon.” He knew that Reon was on the duty roster for the bridge this morning’s shift. There wasn’t much to do while they were in drydock and awaiting their orders, so the senior staff were rotating who was on the bridge, allowing them all time to ensure the ship was fully prepared.

“Sorry to disturb you both, but we’ve got an incoming transmission for you both from Admiral Jenson.”
Intrigued and surprised to hear that, both officers looked at one another again. They both knew Jenson well. She had been the one to promote Corbin to captain many years ago when he took over command of the Rhode Island-class scout, the USS Shackleton. She had issued them many orders in the past and had become familiar with them. They had attended her retirement party a few years back, and both of them had heard she had been pulled out of her retirement after the events of Frontier Day a year ago.

“Patch the admiral through to my quarters, commander,” Corbin ordered immediately.

“Aye, sir,” Alkos replied before closing the intercom channel from his end.

Almost a few seconds later, the holographic form of Admiral Katelyn Jenson appeared before them. Jenson’s bobbed auburn hair, streaked with silver, was neatly styled as she stood tall in her usual commanding stance. Straight away, Jenson smirked at the two officers before her. “Romen, Liz, I’m so sorry to disturb your breakfast.”

“It’s never an issue when it’s you calling us, Admiral,” Corbin replied politely.

“It’s good to see you, ma’am,” Nelson added.

“Likewise,” Jenson responded. “It’s nice to see you both are still working together.”

“Nothing can separate us two,” Nelson said, smiling. “Plus, you know, Admiral, that Romen would be lost without me,”

“It’s true!” Corbin confirmed.

The admiral chuckled at them both. “Well, I’ve got some news for you both.”

“Oh?” Corbin said with some interest.

“You may or may not be aware that I’ve been given command of Task Force Seventeen within the Fourth Fleet, and I’m heading up their exploration division. We’re currently in the process of deploying ships from the Fourth Fleet to explore the Shackleton Expanse.”

“The Shackleton Expanse?” Nelson repeated. “Is that on the far side of Romulan and Klingon space?”

“It is,” Jenson nodded. “And we want the Atlas to make a guest appearance.”

Both Nelson and Corbin sat up straight after hearing that statement from Jenson.

“Admiral, are you telling us what I think you’re telling us?” Corbin asked, sounding almost like how Nelson had been when she first entered his quarters earlier and smelled the bacon cooking.

Jenson nodded again. “I am, captain. I am pleased to be giving you your first orders for the Atlas. Prepare your ship for departure, captain, as you’re heading to the Shackleton Expanse to lead on a very important first contact mission for the Federation.”

Corbin could sense Nelson’s overwhelming excitement buzzing in his mind after the admiral had spoken. He blinked a few times to suppress her emotions as well as calm down his own. “Admiral, that is the best news you could have delivered to us over breakfast.”

“I aim to please,” Jenson said, smirking. “Now let me tell you about the place we want you to go to.”

As the admiral’s voice continued, Corbin’s heart quickened. At last, after weeks of waiting, Atlas would finally launch and join the rest of the fleet.