Fireflies continued to dance across Bib’s eyes as the last of whistling transporter beam echoed through the small room. He flexed his fingers, gingerly wiggling them individually, ‘All accounted for’, he whispered to himself. 

“It’s a shame your missing the tip of your antenna.” Bib twitched involuntarily as the wry joke floated over his shoulder. “I suppose they look even now.” Zaya continued, taking a step forward and down from the transporter platform. Panicked, Bib dropped the rucksack in his hand and reached up to the twin protrusions on his head. 

“That’s not fair Zaya, leftie has always been a bit shorter.” He sighed, catching the wide grin expanding across the Cardassian’s face. “Ever since Tumold Prime.” A faux shudder echoed down his body as he picked the bag up from the floor and stepped down to join her. 

“Tumold Prime?”

“Let’s just say the guy was really obsessed with the Earth’s 19th Century France.” He motioned with a flat hand across his head, barely clearing the slowly twitching stalks. “Leftie was luckier than Louis.”

“Louis?” Zaya asked, her mouth struggling around the unfamiliar name. 

“I’ll find you a book.” he laughed. Turning to the transporter operator he lifted his hand in a semi-salute, “Theta Squad, reporting for duty.”

“Yes sir. Commander Dil is on his way.” The mousey human woman seemed glued to the spot, her eyes wide. 

“Is everything alright crewman…” Zaya offered a pause for the young woman to fill. 

“Essels ma’am.” she paused, “Normally people just materialise and then walk out. They don’t tend to…” she paused again, struggling to find the right words “…talk to me” she finished. 

“Ma’am?” Zaya smiled, turning towards the Andorian, now standing in mock attention. “I could get used to that.”

“Yes Ma’am. Of course, Ma’am.” Bib intoned. His posture the perfect display of drill attention. 

“I’m sorry… sir?” Essels offered, the young woman turning a shade of crimson deeper than her uniform. 

“Ignore him Essels.” she faked a small slap against the Andorian’s chest. “It’s been a long time since anyone called me anything other than Zaya. I don’t plan to change that.” She tugged at the hem of the crimson Starfleet uniform she now wore, it would take some getting used to being in any uniform again, but after Maine’s breakdown Bib needed someone to step up and she hadn’t needed asking twice. “At least” she thought “this uniform is more flattering than Central command’s.” 

The dark doors of the transporter room slid opened as a young Bajoran strode into the room, his shaved hair barely hiding the sweat that lined his brow, his voice carried itself far into the room before his quick feet did. 

“…I understand that Sima, but the captain is due to wake up at any moment and I really need that gravity plating back online, Bahir will explode if we can’t get his security staff relocated before his completely unnecessary self-organised inspection.” He offered up one hand apologetically, the other motioned furiously to his combadge. 

“We will… do our best.” said the cold female voice from ether. 

“That’s all I ever ask. Dil out.” Tapping the combadge the man sighed heavily at the shoulders and smiled to the pair. “Lieutenant Commander Bib, Lieutenant Zaya, welcome to Daedalus.” He lifted his hand to his forehead, where he would have a crest were he Cardassian and then to his chest as he turned to Zaya.

“I haven’t seen anyone do that for a long time. Especially not a Bajoran.” Zaya whispered, taken aback slightly at the man’s traditional greeting. “And no-one outside of the Keleran valley.”

“I thought it was polite?” Dil blurted out. 

“Oh it is.” Zaya smiled reassuringly. “Just… unexpected.”

“No traditional greeting for me?” Bib interrupted, sensing the awkward tension. 

“It’s difficult without the antenna.” Dil, raised his index fingers over his head and wiggled them. Motioning to the still open door, “shall we?” He had already started briskly walking before a response was proffered. 

They had only got a few meters down the hall before a sharp intake of breath sucked between the Zaya’s teeth, “Wait!”, breaking almost into a run as she rushed back to the transporter doors. “I’ll see you later Essels!” she exclaimed into the closing doors. 

“Yes Ma… Zaya!” came the young woman’s confused voice just as the doors whispered together. 

“What? She said no-one stays to chat.” Zaya shrugged, walking back to the two men as they all stepped into the turbolift. 

“We’ve made arrangements for Theta Squad on Deck 3, we’ve converted the security block for you. There’s a briefing room and a small office for you both. We’ve converted the brig to a secure research lab and there’s a small engineering space in the armoury.” Dil stopped as the doors of the lift slid open with ease and he began walking down the corridor turning back only momentarily to check Zaya and Bib were in tow.

“What about the security staff? I can’t imagine they were happy to give up the space?” Bib asked, turning slightly as a young engineer rushed past with an armful of tools. “Why is everyone rushing?” he finished, ever so slightly out of breath as they arrived at the wide doors still marked ‘Security Complex.’

“This stuff with the Lost Fleet set off the captain’s annual hibernation cycle early; started as soon as we got back to base. The senior staff decided they wanted the ship back and ready before the captain finished his cycle and we got a new assignment.” Dil sighed again, deeply. “Unfortunately that means I’m the one chasing up the loose threads.”

“I’m sure he would understand.” Bib offered, the young man looked like he had a hundred thoughts running through his head. 

“Oh, he wouldn’t mind at all, we just wanted to show our appreciation by being ready to go when he was.” Dil smiled honestly. “Either way, if Sima can’t get the deck plating reset down on Deck 7 in the security team’s new block Bahir will hunt us all down. Then it won’t matter if we finished or not.”

“Bahir is?” Zaya asked.

“Chief of Security and Tactical Officer. Big red Saurian, you’ll know him when you see him.” Dil raised a hand over his head by about a foot, indicating the Lieutenant’s height. “He wasn’t happy that he had to move house. But it makes sense that you are up here by the labs and the sickbay rather than downstairs.”

“Honestly? I’m hoping we can find a way to share the spaces. We’re going to need to operate with ships security a lot.” Bib said, it didn’t make sense to alienate anyone immediately; the point of Theta Squad being assigned to a bigger vessel was so they were not alone facing the difficult choices. Like the one Maine had to make at the Oromal Cluster that cost the life of T’Sal. 

Dil smiled, his body relaxing subtly. “That’s what we like to hear. I was a little worried you were going to come along and expect us to be a boat for Theta Squad.”

“Not at all. We’re all part of the family as far as I’m concerned.” Bib returned the young man’s smile. 

“Well then, without further ado. Welcome to your new home.” Dil pressed the wall panel, causing the two wide doors to fall open with a quiet breath, revealing the new heart of Theta Squad’s operations as well as the looming red face of Lieutenant Bahir.