Ready Room

Matt Kirby motioned for Roger Allen to have a seat.  When the XO was settled, Kirby folded his hands, resting them on his desk.  “What can I do for you, Roger?”

A few seconds passed before Allen spoke.  “There’s been a lot of talk about Doctor Weaver and Hok being away.  I was wondering if you could bring me into whatever is happening so I can give everyone assurances.”

“They’re on leave,” said Kirby.  “Why are people concerned?”

Allen smirked.  “If just one of them would have taken some leave time, I’d understand, but both of them?  I don’t mean any disrespect, but something is going on.”

Kirby studied Roger.  He knew the XO would suspect something, but the mission was need to know.  He had his orders, but he felt guilty keeping Roger out of it.

Mess Hall

“Leave time?  Come on, Haia, you don’t believe that, do you?”

Haia Ohtani was reading a PADD, her elbows on the table.  Peeking over the top, she looked at Nick Saunders.  “I don’t know.”  She shrugged.

Saunders groaned in exasperation.  “We came back from our first assignment after upgrading to the Eagle and two of our key people, one the CMO, take leave at the same time.  Something is up and we’re not being told anything.”

Ohtani set her PADD on the table.  “What do you want me to say?”

“Well, I don’t know, but something.”

Ohtani chuckled.

“It’s got to be a secret mission.  Why else would they just leave without saying good-bye or telling us they were going?”

“Secret mission.  Congratulations, Nick.  You just solved the mystery.”  Ohtani picked up her PADD.

Saunders squinted at the science officer, but she spoke before he could.

“Is there anything we can do about it?”

“No.”

“Then don’t worry.”

“But they’re our friends.

Ohtani put her PADD back onto the table.  “I know.”  She squeezed Saunders’ hand.

Ready Room

“I know you’re concerned, Roger, but I can’t tell you more.  I’m sorry.”

“Does it have anything to do with the intelligence officer that covertly beamed into your ready room when we were on layover at Starbase 93?”

Kirby almost choked.

“I know things, Captain.”

Taking a sip of tea, Kirby cleared his throat.  “I won’t ask how you discovered that.”

“You probably shouldn’t,” said Allen.

“Look, Roger, you know as well as I do that sometimes assignments and missions happen and we’re not told what they are.  We’re Starfleet officers, so we do our duty.  That’s all I can say.”  He paused.  “We don’t need to talk about it anymore.”

The expression on Allen’s face told Kirby his XO didn’t like that.

“You’re right, sir.  I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize.  A good executive officer cares about his crew.”

“Yes, sir.”

The room fell silent.

“If that’s all,” Roger got up, “I have my duties.”

Kirby nodded.  When Roger was gone, he went to the window, clasped his hands behind his back, and stared into space.  “You better come home.”