The petite woman sighed, absent-mindedly brushing back a dark black lock of hair from her face.

“What did you say that your name was?” the tall Andorian woman inquired.

“Hitomi Reiko, ma’am,” the tiny human replied.

“I take it that you’re aware of what duties I request of you in this position?”

“I do, ma’am. Of course, I would need ask your name?”

The Andorian smiled, “I apologize, little one. I am Starfleet Captain Saro Sh’iqaalran. I am in command of the Starfleet outpost here on Andoria. What brought a human girl like you here to this cold place?”

“Looking for a change in environment,” Reiko responded.”I’m hot blooded for a human and enjoy the cold weather.”

“It isn’t often to find humans that enjoy the cold of my home world,” Saro smiled, gazing down at the downright tiny human, ogling the pretty little thing. “Your background checked out and you seem to have plenty of experience. I can definitely use you. When can you start?”

“Right now, Captain,” Reiko smiled back.

“Excellent. Let me show you where I will need you for right now,” Saro grinned as she stood.

A couple of minutes later, Reiko was sat quietly as Captain Sh’iqaalran stood over her, pointing out financial and storage information on a spreadsheet, “See here where these don’t line up? I have equipment missing and no corresponding transactions of transferring this equipment to fleet starships.” This outpost regularly transferred everything from dilithium to quantum torpedoes to Starfleet vessels.

“I need a personal assistant, but first I need an outside set of eyes to take stock of what all is missing, since I am not sure I can trust my logistic personnel,”

The petite woman nodded, “I will get right on it, Captain.”

Three days later, ‘Reiko’ frowned as she entered the necessary code to override internal sensors in the warehouse. Before stepping inside, she reached up and tapped the edge of her jaw line on the right side of her face, “Bayushi to Doctor Bayushi.”

Only audible in her own ears, “Yes, mom?”

Bayushi Kachiko sighed, “We are both on-duty right now, Ensign. I need you to maintain a transporter lock on me, just in case things get dicey. But before that, please transport my welcome package to my location.”

Hefting the long bag up after it materialized at her feet, Kachiko unlocked the hatch into the expansive warehouse, the special code immediately deleting the record of her access to the facility.

“Doctor, I am inside. Please maintain transporter lock and I may need you to transport some possible captives,” Kachiko remarked to the Doctor.

“Of course, Commander,”came back the voice in Kachiko’s ear.

Kachiko set up remote sensors in unusual spots around the facility, that were not tied to the warehouse computer but to the computer on her ship docked at the nearby starport in the nearby city.

When she was done, she returned to the matter most at concern: a stock of quantum torpedoes. Pulling a powered torque wrench from her welcome package bag, she set to work opening the casing on a torpedo, before extracting the remote control and detonation receiver, her bag producing what looked exactly like what she had removed, placing it in the receivers place inside.

All thirty torpedoes later, Kachiko hefted the bag again and once more spoke over her still-open communicator, “One to beam out.”

Ten seconds later, the petite woman stood on a transporter pad, looking into the eyes of a younger woman, a taller version of her mother, “Sorry, Reiko-chan. I used your name for myself in there.”

“It’s fine, mom. They will almost certainly never meet me,” Reiko smirked.”I don’t mind.”

“So when will you get authorization to pick up some more crew?”

Kachiko sighed as she followed Reiko into the secured storage compartment, where she secured the bag with the remote receivers in a locker keyed only to herself. Then she looked back up at Reiko, “I already got authorization for two people, doll. Rita has been spared for us once we’re finished here and your auntie Karsel’lyn will be here later today.”

“Yay!” squealed the young physician, ”I haven’t seen Auntie Lyn in years!”

Kachiko smiled ruefully. She was pleased at how the young Ensign had maintained her exuberant nature through the hellscape that was Starfleet Academy and Medical School. The sweet girl was easily Kachiko’s first choice for the crew of the Raven class USS Sitacus, as she trusted no one greater than her daughter. Not to mention that she was a medical doctor and Kachiko had a tendency to be in a position where she could be pretty grievously hurt.

“Can you tell me what we’re doing here, Commander?” Reiko asked.

Kachiko shook her head, “Not yet, Ensign.”