—- Ready Room —-

“I wish to resign from Starfleet,” Doctor T’Rala said, as she handed over the PADD she had carried in there.

”Denied, now why do you want to resign?” Captain Adriana Cruz asked, trying to balance what road her one Romulan crew member might be on with the needs of a ship, and a crew. T’Rala was not just anyone, she was her second most experienced medical officer.

”We are leaving tomorrow,” Doctor T’Rala said, “Unless I stay behind more people will die needlessly.”

”You can’t save everyone,” Cruz said, “we’re leaving what supplies we can and Starfleet has been in touch with various Romulan factions to pick these people up. I’m not leaving you here to be picked up by the Tal Shiar or something.”

”We don’t know how long it will be. I know we can’t take these people, but I can save lives. There’s a difference between leaving bandages and a smile and leaving a doctor,” T’Rala argued, “Look I’m not a good Romulan, I never have been. But I can save my people’s lives, if this was a human colony from Admiral Archer’s time wouldn’t we be doing everything we could to save them?”

”Have you talked to Doctor Va’Tok?” Cruz said sighing.

”Yes, he thinks it’s illogical but he supports my decision. He can lean on the Emergency Medical Hologram until you get back and then hopefully I won’t be here too long,” T’Rala said.

Cruz shook her head, “We’re in the middle of former Cardassian contested space. You may be here while.“

T’Rala nodded, she was aware of that and that the USS Seattle was unlikely to come back that way for sometime. She knew she was being left alone with a group of Romulans who had mostly never been offworld with no way home and no way back to Starfleet.

Cruz sighed, she did not like leaving T’Rala behind but she also knew that doctors could be pig headed sometime, and if the roles were reversed and it was a colony of stranded humans that she could help she would want to stay behind. There was probably even more impulse because of T’Rala’s never having bonded with her own kind before this.

”Okay you can stay but you’re not resigning,” Cruz said, “Whatever faction of Romulans do end up showing up let’s hope it’s one that won’t torture a doctor and that they realize bringing you back is more politically advantageous than doing something else.”

Doctor T’Rala nodded, “Thank you ma’am.”

”There is one person you need to talk to first though,” Cruz said.

”I know,” T’Rala nodded.

—- Engineering —-

James Young stepped away from the warp coil, they were ready to fly. Everything was aligned, turned up and ready to go. He was satisfied that they’d be able to handle whatever the next segment of this top secret mission was. 

“Can we talk in your office?” a voice asked. It belonged to Doctor T’Rala who the Lieuenant Commander happened to be dating. Normally he found her intrusions into Engineering to be a bit of a nuisance, since he was always holding things together with string and good intentions, but right now when everything seemed to be going well with his warp engines he was actually glad to see her.

He kissed her cheek, she did not kiss back.

”Sure,” he said, realizing that something seemed off.

In his office he cleared some tools from a chair for her and they both sat down. It was cluttered but T’Rala had a feeling that James Young knew the location of every piece of equipment in the office. She looked at him and smiled, and said, “James I need to break up with you.”

It was not what he had been expecting to hear and he blinked once in surprise before asking, “What? Why?”

T’Rala had expected the confusion and smiled, “I’m staying behind to help the Romulans. I could be hear awhile and it’s not fair to you if your girlfriend vanishes and never returns. Nobody knows what’s going to happen this isn’t exactly a normal assignment.”

It was not really an assignment at all.

Young shook his head, “I’ll come with you, Stay with you.”

T’Rala nodded as if that had been a serious suggestion, “Sounds good do you think the Captain would approve of her Chief Engineering Officer staying?”

Young paused, knowing that would not work, there was no way the Captain, any Captain really, would let their Chief Engineer stay behind if they could avoid it.

”Besides it’s a Romulan colony, I’m the only one that’s able to stay,” she pointed out, “And the only one who may be treated well by the Romulans when they come.”

”Then stay onboard, your life is here, your friends are here, I’m here,” James argued.

”In the days, weeks, months, years before help comes I can save lives here. I can do more good here. So this is where I’m staying,” Doctor T’Rala explained, “And I’m breaking up with you because we both need to live our lives. That’s the decision I’ve made, there’s no point in us arguing about it.”

She did not want either of them to feel guilt over what happened while separated. Maybe once, and if, she returned this was possible again but not if they had to recount any slips that occured. Not if one of them had failed to stay faithful and the other had managed. Broken up would limit, if possible, the hard feelings and if she never returned and died on the colony, hopefully make things easier for James.

Leaning forward the doctor kissed the top of his head, “Take care your yourself Young.”

”I l…” he paused then nodded, “Take care of yourself.”