“Finally,” Captain D’Antonio stated, breaking the silence that had sat between them. The captain’s ready room had been silent, the only sound coming from the warp core hummed as it carried them away from Selara. The captain and his number one sat opposite each other at the former’s desk.

Commander Pressly lifted his head as he paused the reading he had become lost in. “Sir?” Often following a mission, the pair would sit in either the ready room, observation lounge, or zephyr lounge where they reviewed reports and finished up their reports to command, and since it was nearing the end of alpha shift, they reviewed paperwork and went over departmental updates before the shift change.

>D’Antonio looked up, spinning the access console towards Pressly as he stood. “This just came in,” he said as he stepped over to the replicator on his desk where he refilled his cup of tea.

Setting the PADD down, Pressly read the article. “Another fleet-wide shore leave?”

As D’Antonio returned to his seat, setting the glass down. “It would seem so. They’ve invited us to join the rest of the fleet in the Colludia System.” He hadn’t visited the system before, but from what he had heard of it, each planet was Risa unto itself.

“I assume we won’t be joining?” Pressly inquired.

“That would be correct, number one.”

“Where are we going then?”

“Hycon.”

Pressly’s eyes widened momentarily at the mention of their destination. “I haven’t been there since I was a child,” his voice carried the soft tenor of childhood memories.

“Last time I went, it was shortly before taking the reins of this fine ship,” D’Antonio paused as he looked off in the distance, remembering the life before the Typhoon. “It’ll be good to be back.”

“The crew needs this,” Pressly stated, pulling him back into focus.

“We all do,” he responded, emphasizing that both of them were included in the crew. “Do you think if I order the senior staff to relax they will?”

“Yes—but also no.”

“Elaborate.”

“Shepherd, Ramirez and Uhmari have already been asking about a shore leave, and Portier has been hinting that the crew needs one, but everyone else is a workaholic,” he said, pausing. “Including us.”

“Including us?!”

“Captain, when was the last time you slept?” asked the commander. “And stayed asleep.”

D’Antonio could see the concern across his first officer’s features. He was impressed at the fact; he had already known how to read him only a year into being together. So he thought it best not to lie.

“Fair point.”

“We all need this,” Pressly responded as he returned his attention to his PADD.

“So it’s decided,” D’Antonio stated as he turned to his right. “I’ll inform Jackson that we will be at Hycon while you pass it down the chain. Also, inform the staff I want to meet as soon as we arrive at Hycon.”

Pressly nodded in confirmation as he stood, closing his PADD and heading towards the door. “Acknowledged, Captain.” He called back.

“And number one.”

“Yes, Captain,” he said, stopping at the door’s threshold.

“Don’t forget to call her.”

Pressly gave a curt nod. He knew who she was; it didn’t need to be stated. However, he hadn’t talked to his fiancée in years.