The big chair was as comfortable as he remembered. 

RJ bit back his smile as he sat in the captain’s chair in the middle of the Resolute’s bridge. He’d been here before, of course, but not as a member of the crew, so his time on the bridge had been short, sweet, and didn’t include the chance to sit in the captain’s chair. 

He had offered to sit on Mason’s lap, but he’d been given one of those looks. The stern, dangerous ones that just made him want to ruffle Mason all the more. 

“Easy as pie,” he slid a sideways glance at his new XO, Thane, as the Resolute successfully left SB86 and headed out on its first patrol under his command. It was just the sort of mission he liked, spicy with a chance of bad guys. 

“Indeed,” Thane replied, looking at ease in the XO’s chair. He was an experienced executive officer, that much had been evident from his service record. But one element had made RJ sit up and take notice. His name wasn’t Thane. Or rather, it wasn’t just Thane.

“So,” he drawled, leaning on one arm rest of his chair. “When were you going to tell me you’re related to Captain Mason… Commander Mason-Thane?” 

Thais turned to look at him, his gaze level. “I didn’t think much on it, sir. I would have done when and if it became relevant.” 

“Hmm,” RJ grunted in the back of his throat. He didn’t like being blindsided. 

“I guess it explains why he picked you for my executive officer then. How are you related?” he looked Thais over. He should have known immediately that the guy was llanarian… they were so damn big. “You don’t look like each other… so cousins?” 

“Sir,” the comms officer broke into their conversation. “We’re being hailed by the USS Manticore. Captain Mason for you.”

RJ inclined his head and levered himself out of his chair. “I’ll take it in my ready room, please.” 

Shooting Thais a look to warn him their conversation wasn’t done yet, RJ walked through to his ready room. 

He couldn’t help the sigh of satisfaction as he walked in. His ready room, not Mason’s anymore. He sat behind the desk, and almost disappeared as the chair flipped backward. 

“Jeezuz!” he yelped, grabbing the desk to right himself just as the damn screen turned on and Mason’s face appeared on it. 

“Yeah,” the other captain said, his deep voice sending a shiver down RJ’s spine. “Should’ve warned you about that. That chair’s a bit glitchy. Probably ‘cause of taking my weight for years.” 

“Yeah, a warning would’ve been nice. About your cousin as well,” RJ groused, a little discomforted that Mason had seen him making a prime tit of himself. “Did you want something, Mason?”

Mason’s eyebrow quirked up. “Other than the respect due your squadron commander?” 

RJ blew him a kiss. To his surprise, the corner of Mason’s lips quirked. “See! I knew you had a sense of humor in there somewhere!”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m just deciding when to sack you in my head,” Mason threw back. “Now shut up and listen. My new XO turns out to be quite a dark horse—“

“…not the only one…”

“—and he’s listed some extra locations we need to take care of on our patrol,” Mason carried on, talking over him. “I’m sending them over now.”

RJ nodded as his console pinged to notify him of a new message. He opened it and frowned. “And these are… these are…” He looked up. “These look like black market locations. How did he get these?” 

Mason shrugged. “He has somewhat of a checkered past. He said his information is about twenty years out of date.”

RJ shook his head. “No no… if he knows what to look for, that’s invaluable. We can map previous information onto what we have, and we should get a better idea of what we’re facing out there.”

“Exactly,” Mason nodded. “I’ve altered our original route, all the details are in that file there, and I’m sending the Resolute ahead. We’ll RV at the indicated points.”

“Sounds good.” RJ scanned the mission profile. “So this first RV, we have a layover there?”

Mason inclined his head. “Yeah, the science bods want to get some scans of that system so we’re going to hole up for about twelve hours on the graveyard shift to give them a chance to get the data they need. It won’t be as expansive as from a ship with a better science department—” 

RJ snorted at that. Neither the Resolute nor the Manticore were ‘traditional’ science ships, they both had way too many guns for that. 

“—but it’ll let the people who know about these things work out if they need to send a science ship out.”

“Twelve hours?” RJ grinned. “On the graveyard? What about dinner?”

Mason sat back in his chair. “It’s a solid evening meal.”

RJ rolled his eyes. “Are you going to make me spell it out?” 

Mason grunted, but there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “That depends. Can you spell?”

“Wounded!” RJ clutched at his chest overdramatic. “I am utterly wounded. And I’m asking you to dinner.”

Mason rubbed his beard. “I thought you had a drinks date with Anderson when we get back? I’d hate to step on his toes and all…”

“He threatened me with the airlock!”

“And a cold shower. But, to be fair, you were the one that mentioned handcuffs.” Mason grinned and leaned forward, reaching out.

“Wait! What about—“

Mason cut him off, “See you at the RV, Ryder.” And then he cut the comm. 

RJ sat back in his chair, remembered at the last moment to grab the desk so he didn’t flip backward and blew out a breath. 

Then he smiled. 

Mason knew his name.  His real first name.