Riandri had returned to her cabin after visiting her deceased husband’s memorial. When she got in she was surprised to see the computer console was flashing with an urgent message. She made her way over after taking off her snow boots and tossed her heavy coat onto the sofa.

Sitting down she opened the message and blinked. There were two, the first from her old CO in the Signals Intelligence Section office at SFI and the second from the USS Denver’s Master Chief, Robert Jeter’s. 

She opened the one from Jeter’s first in case something was happening on the Denver and found a short message. 

Lieutenant Nalam, I have forwarded an SFI report of current underway activities. I expect you will be interested in this. Admiral Dailey thought you would want it. I will be information the Captain of the information within momentarily.

MCPO Jeter’s

Before she opened the report she checked the message from Commander Sinclair and stopped dead. 

Riandri! The news will be breaking soon. The second and fifth fleets along with the Klingons have retaken DS9. I have attached the preliminary report for you. I know that all ship-based intelligence officers will be getting it in the next 12 hours but since Denver is here I thought I would get it to you now.

Don’t be a stranger. Stop by HQ.

Riandri opened the reports and read through them, excitement rose within her as the full implications of the battle began to play out in her mind. “We might just have a chance now,” she muttered to herself.

She typed out a quick response to both Jeter’s and Sinclair thanking them and promising Sinclair she would stop by HQ and her old posting for a catchup just as she started to think about getting ready for dinner with her neighbours, Stephen and Stacy Menzanie.

She had been looking forward to the dinner and assumed that FNN would pick up the story shortly so maybe she would even be able to talk about it with them. She flicked on the screen to FNN in case the story came on. She then quickly jumped into the shower, savouring the feeling of hot water cascade over her skin and not a sonic showing before getting dressed and applying a little makeup.

As she stepped into her living room intense waves of dizziness washed over her and she collapsed onto the sofa as she slowly fought through the waves which prevented her from standing. It felt like hours passed but after a couple of minutes waves of dizziness subsided and Riandri was left staring at the ceiling, her head pounding. She slowly made her way to her feet and grabbed a tricorder from the draw and scanned herself but after a few seconds, the only thing that came back as abnormal was some vascular dilation of her blood vessels which would explain the headache. Shaking her head she muttered a few curses under her breath before grabbing several painkillers and taking them to dull the already subsiding pain. “Must have been the hot shower and moving too quick,” she thought aloud.

She wasn’t a stranger to headaches especially since her husband died so she brushed it off and grabbed a nice bottle of Chateau Picard Cru Bordeaux, her coat and shoes and stepped out into the early evening.