—- Ready Room —-

“Come,” Captain Adriana Cruz said as the chime chimed. 

The door slid open and Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem the Chief Counsellor and now the ship’s Second Officer entered the room. The gave a small smile then sat down across from the new captain and looked around.

”Still feels like an old man’s museum to the past, sure you don’t need any more oak in here,” she teased.

Cruz smiled, “Captain will be back soon enough, I’m not changing it on him.”

Kolem nodded, “Just in case nobody has said it, it’s not your fault. People might say it is, people might make you a captain and say you did a great job, but what happened was beyond your control. They saw an opportunity, and took it. You can’t really blame them, and well, they were going to do what they did either way.”

Cruz nodded, “I know, it just feels wrong.”

”We followed the playbook the whole way. One of them shot your Assistant Strategic Operations Officer, and poisoned the crew. Not your fault, not Captain Hawthorne’s fault. You only made one mistake,” Kolem said.

”What’s that,” Cruz already knew what the half-Betazoid was going to say despite not being an empath herself.

”Made me Second Officer,” Kolem said.

”Not a mistake,” Cruz said, studying the woman. She knew that Kolem was the first to doubt herself, and while she was a good Counsellor had not quite fit into her role as a Starfleet officer as easily. She knew how to make people feel better, and better at their jobs, but was not quite as comfortable in Starfleet.

”I’m not the most senior officer,” Kolem protested.

”No, but look some of my decisions are to get us home, and some are to set up the future,” Cruz explained, “Tashai isn’t going to be a Captain. She has no desire to, and just wants to observe and experience being in Starfleet until she does something else. Yet she’s the natural pick for First Officer. You want to be in Starfleet you’re just learning. You’re green and need experience, but you’re also ready to learn. Plus one day I’ll get my own ship and you’re my First Officer then.”

”I’m not First Officer material,” Kolem protested.

”Okay, let’s talk about who is then? Young might be but he’s busy in the Engineering department and I can’t lose anymore engineers. Same with Va’Tok and T’Rala. I’ve already moved Dorian into security, so I can’t promote her or Jara. Plus neither of them are ready,” Cruz said, “Any of the male heads are out of service, so that leaves you or Lieutenant Commander Miller who I made Chief Science Officer and is coming to grips with losing her section head.”

”Half my section is down,” Kolem argued, it was just her now in her section after the attack.

”Half of everyone’s section is down,” Cruz said, “We adapt, you adapt. You’re smart, you’ll pick it up. Besides Second Officers barely ever have to do anything. It’ll look good on your service record, and set you up for the future.”

Kolem gave up the fight, “Fine, I’ll be your Chuckleberry.”

”What is that?” Cruz asked.

”Old Earth saying,” Kolem said.

”I’m from Earth and I’ve never heard that one,” Cruz said, ”You been to see Hume?”

”Not yet,” Kolem said.

”You should, even if you’re not together,” Cruz said to the Counsellor, even Counsellors needed advice.

”You been to see Hawthorne?” Kolem asked.

”I have. He… ummm, it was hard,” Captain Cruz said, “I’m so used to him being this vibrant but slightly ridiculous thing, but a good man too. I don’t know if I can handle it is he doesn’t recover.”

“Our first mission he kept calling me his Troi, it made me so mad. But he’s a good guy,” Kolem said.

Cruz nodded, “I was training him to be better.”

—- Nine Forward, Lounge —-

Lieutenant Commander Tashai used her free arm to get her drink, “I will admit I have never been in a largely all female environment like this.”

Lieutenant Commander James Young raised a hand in protest, “Hey I’m here.”

T’Rala kissed his cheek, “You’re one of the girls.”

Young was not sure if the Romulan was joking or not, but conceded the argument. It had been odd, that was for sure, suddenly finding himself one of only two male identifying officers still in active duty aboard the USS Seattle. Though he treated everyone the same, there were some things he was only now coming to realize that the women he served with had to deal with. One of those things was representation, and while female Captains had been in Starfleet for longer than any of them (save Tashai) had been alive, for every Janeway it was true that there was still a Picard, Pike, Kirk, Fitzwelder, and others. Thus having Cruz as Captain seemed to delight most of the current crew some of whom had never served under a female commanding officer.

“Adriana’s Angels,” Tashai suggested, “It’s an old television program I used to like on Earth. Back in the day, well before my time even but it’s about all female spies.”

Pr’Nor who was beneath Tashai’s other arm, not the free one for drinking, said, “Why must it be an Earth name. Nobody knows what that is anyway, it is an old human show from before holonovels.”

Young suggested, “How about Valkyries? It’s still an Earth thing, but more classic than some old entertainment program.”

”I like that, see you do have good ideas for a man,” T’Rala teased, the Romulan doctor squeezing him arm, “The wait staff was all male, I’ll have to go up and get the next round.”

“You are a fascinating couple,” Pr’Nor observed.

”Like a deer and headlights,” Tashai said.

”What’s that?”

”Another old Earth saying, anyway, it’s cute,” Tashai said.

”Yes, cute,” Pr’Nor said.

Young eyed the two women who were sat back wrapped up in each other. He was not sure that cute was the word they really word used. He understood that the Romulan had basically bullied him into dating her. Still he was not a lost puppy, he had gone into this with eyes wide open. Still it was not worth fighting about, nobody’s opinion had ever been changed by someone insisting that they were actually quite in command of a situation. 

Lieutenant Akane Sone, the Stellar Cartographer joined the table, “Who’s cute?”

”Young and his boss,” Tashai joked.

The blue uniformed Sone nodded, not quite getting the joke, but realizing that delving into it further was probably not worth the time.

“If we hadn’t lost half the crew on our first first contact mission I’d say it was too bad we’re going straight home,” Sone said.

”It is irrelevant and pointless to wish things were different,” Pr’Nor said, “Our male colleagues are unable to carry out their duties, and many require medical treatment that we can only get at a Starbase. Wishing that things had gone differently will not change the past, unless you have some abilities we do not know about.”

Sone pouted, “Vulcans are no fun.”

”They are lots of fun,” Tashai said.

Pr’Nor nodded, “She is an expert and the First Officer now. You must listen to her.”

”I don’t think that’s how it works,” Young said, still smarting over T’Rala being called his boss rather than his girlfriend, they were not even in the same department.

”It is,” Tashai said, “I’m old listen to me.”

“To the Captain,” T’Rala said distributing new drinks as she returned to the table.

”Both Captains,” Young said.

”Just the cute one,“ Tashai said.

”Which one is that?” T’Rala asked.

”Whichever one you think,” Tashai said again and toasted.