—- Conference Room —-

Commander Cruz sat at the head of the table with a mostly assortment of her senior officers. The sudden attack on the Seattle’s male staff had left them in quite a jam, and that was before they had to fight off pirates. Now Lieutenant Commander James Young, one of only two men who seemed to have escaped the attack was listing off the things on the USS Seattle that needed fixing, including a new paint job. Thankfully so far out, and alone, the list did not include the warp engines which had survived.

Cruz raised her hand, “Alright Doctor Va’Tok what is out status?”

”We have five casualties, including Chief Science Officer Debub,” the Doctor Reported, “The chemical attacked only male member of the crew, and aside from Young none of them escaped.”

”How about you?” Cruz asked.

”I am not biologically male,” Doctor Va’Tok said, this news came as a surprise to Cruz but she moved on, only nodding.

”The rest then?”

”Most will remain recuperating for several weeks. Some need more extensive treatment than I can offer here, and will require attention on Starbase 72,” Va’Tok said, “Including the Captain who will need a lung transplant. The disease attacks the respiratory system, and he is only surviving on oxygen. He is the worst off, some others may return to duty before we get home.”

”How are we handling the numbers?” Cruz asked, fifty crew members was a lot to handle in sickbay.

”We have worked with Engineering to activate the ship wide holographic system allowing us to engage the Emergency Holographic Doctor. We will have one of them visiting all patients, as I oversee their treatment,” Va’Tok explained. He seemed pleased by that, a computer doctor was as logical as you could get.

“I sent our reports off to Starfleet, I should be getting an answer back today. Dorian can you continue to handle security for the next while. Tashai, you’re now First Officer,” Cruz said, “Gabriella Miller, you are now the Chief Science Officer with Lieutenant Sone, as your Assistant Chief.”

The blonde nodded. She was a higher ranking officer, and while command duties associated with running the department might get in the way of her studied, it was what needed to be done.

”Young what do you need to get the ship working?” Cruz asked.

”We’re at warp six now, to sustain anything more I’d want to run checks on everything and have at least a day stopped,” Young said, then added, “I think that math takes into account our staffing situation.”

”Lieutenant Kolem, you’re now third officer. I also want you and the other counselor visiting everyone, including the healthy. This ship just took a big hit, we need to keep it from falling apart more,” Cruz said, “Okay, dismissed. Thank you all.”

—- Ready Room —-

Commodore Jalian appeared on the screen, the delay meaning this would be a one way conversation. She smiled a sad smile, and seemed empathetic on the other side of the glass. 

”I am sorry to hear about the events on Seattle. However good job saving both the ship and your crew Commander Cruz,” she said. Cruz sat back in the Captain’s chair watching the video, recorded a day and a half before hand.

”At this point your return is of priority, and we will ensure the proper medical treatment is here upon your arrival,” the Commodore assured her, “Any stops you were planning on making are called off, unless they are required to speed your way to Starbase 72. Save for one, and it’s on the way. We lost contact with a Starfleet observation post beyond our borders. Stop at the planet and find out what happened to them, save the members if possible. Do not risk the ship, or your crew. We are sending a full mission brief in a day, you are still several days out.”

”And to make this formal, I am relieving Captain Hawthorne of command of the Seattle and putting you in charge. I am also giving you a field promotion to Captain. So please add a pip to your collar. Congratulations, though I understand that you did not want it this way,” she said and then ended the broadcast with a few more words of condolence.

—- Captain’s Quarters —-

The additional pip was the first thing Hawthorne commented on, “You come to kick me out of my room?”

“Yup I’m taking it all,” Cruz said sitting down on the bed next to him. 

Hawthorne had oxygen pumped into his lung, from tubing running to his nose. He looked frail and weak. Still he managed a smile, “My lungs are busted up.”

”Well nobody said first contact missions were easy,” Cruz said.

”Congratulations, seriously, you’ll do great,” Hawthorne weezed.

“I’m still just your first officer, this is your ship, I’m just borrowing it,” Cruz said.

”Sure Captain,” Hawthorne said, “Hey, I know we don’t say romantic stuff or anything mushy, but…”

”I know,“ Cruz said, “I lo…”

An Emergency Medical Hologram appeared, a small balding man. He went about checking Captain Hawthorne’s vital signs, “Ignore me, I am just ensuring he’s still alive.”

”Is he still alive?” Cruz asked.

”He appears to be,” the hologram that had just appeared said.

”Well that ruined the moment, you were just going to admit you liked me, that you loved me,” Hawthorne said.

”I was going to say nothing of the sort,” Cruz said and kissed his forehead, “I’ll see you later sir.”

”Hey you know, don’t spend your time worrying about me. Enjoy your first command. Maybe kiss Jara again if you want, Kirk is up and live a little,” Hawthorne said.

”Kirk never lost half his crew,” Cruz said.

”You didn’t I did. You saved them all, all of us are alive now because of you Captain,” Hawthorne said.

—- Sickbay —-

”So is there anything we need to talk about,” Captain Cruz asked.

”About?” Doctor Va’Tok asked.

”You,” Cruz said.

”Not unless you find the subject of Me interesting. I do not. I simple identify as a male, and yet have a female anatomy, you are familiar with such things are you not?” Va’Tok said.

”Who knows?”

”Captain Hawthorne, T’Rala as my doctor on board. Now your new senior staff know, I do not know who they told,” Va’Tok said.

”Well if you need anything,” Cruz said.

”I can see you are trying in a human way to be kind. I only need you to continue to treat me as a member of your staff and as Va’Tok. I do not require anything else,” Va’Tok said, “Though I thank you for caring in your human illogical way.”

He nodded, and T’Rala passed by.

”Just treat him like the old cold dead fish he’s always been, and he’s happy,” the Romulan said smiling.

”I presume she is kidding though her pronoun usage was sufficient to demonstrate that she does actually care for me,” Va’Tok said.

“How hard was your department hit?” Captain Cruz asked.

”Barely at all. Most of our nursing staff are female and our few males are orderlies and doctors,” Va’Tok said, “We are down there, but the Emergency Medical Holographic Program is helping.“

”He looks like the guy from Voyager,” Cruz observed.

”We have a slightly updated version of the software but the program remains largely the same,” Va’Tok said.

“How is Lieutenant Jara, she got hit with a phaser,” Cruz asked.

”I’m fine Commander, errr. Captain,” Jara said stepping out of an examination room, “A few days of rest and I’ve got a might bruise. But I’ll be fine.”

”She can return to active duty in two days,” Va’Tok said, “And her quarters now.”

Buttoning up her uniform, she nodded, “Thank you.”

”I’ll walk you back,” Cruz said and she walked beside the Lieutenant as they left sickbay for her quarters.

”The Captain said I should kiss you again,” Cruz said.

”Yeah but you’re a Captain to now, you give the orders,” Jara said.

”I care about him,” Cruz said.

”I know, that’s why I knew our session was just a drunk fling thing,” Jara said, “Too much radiation in the brain. You won’t admit it to yourself, but you love him.”

”We’re not saying that,” Cruz said.

”Because you know it’ll end and you think saying it will make it harder. It’s going to be hard no matter what you say,” Jara observed.

Cruz nodded, they took a turbo lift, and stopped outside Jara‘s door.

”You’re the Captain now, you don’t get to be happy any more,” Jara said, “That’s the thing Starfleet doesn’t teach you in Command School.”

Lieutenant Claudia Jara smiled sadly, then gave a cheeky salute and went into her quarters, not inviting the Captain to join her. The door slid shut and Captain Cruz headed to the bridge.