—- Bridge —

The Rhode Island-class ship cut a sleek figure against the starry backdrop. Captain Adriana Cruz had to admit that she wished at times that she could be on another bridge as her ship passed by just so that she could see it. Perhaps it was just pride in her first command or an actual love of the design of the ship, but the USS Seattle’s lines were to her mind… perfect.

“Hey cap you ready for this bonding thing?” Lieutenant Commander Jake Dornall called from the turbolift. In Cruz’s mind he was far from perfect, a distraction and a threat to the efficiency of her ship. Dornall and his orders from intelligence were frustrating and went against her being the Captain. She doubted Hawthorne would have put up with this, the Seattle’s last captain had been less than enamored with people stepping on his authority. But even in the twenty-fifth century there were things a white man could do that a brown woman could not. Besides Cruz knew she was a new Captain it was easier to pull this on her than someone established.

”Don’t call me Cap,” she said rising from her Command Chair, she nodded to Tashsai who took over as acting Captain while the real CO was off of the bridge and the First Officer was off-duty. 

The bonding thing had been prescribed by the ship’s Chief Counselor Doctor Lieutenant Yuhiro Kolem, and neither of them were particularly looking forward to it. Yet each had their reason for going along with it, even if it seemed silly and like a waste of time to Captain Cruz. Her issues with Lieutenant Commander Dornall were less about personality (though that was annoying too) and more about how he seemed to think that Starfleet Intelligence had control over the USS Seattle.

A turbolift ride off the bridge and down to the recreation deck brought them to the holodecks and their ’bonding thing’.

—- Holodeck 2 —-

”I was half expecting trust falls or something,“ Jake Dornall joked as the two Starfleet officers looked down at the canon. It was an old style one, that ran on gun powder and fired a physical projectile. The mission was that together the pair of them could defend a fort against pirates if they worked together to load and fire the canons, but if they were unable to bond together as a team they’d be overwhelmed.

“I assume you understand the general mechanics of this,” Cruz said as she poured a handful of gunpowder into the first canon. 

“Yeah, gunpowder, canon ball and then we light it on fire and boom,” Dornall said.

”Okay, you load up the canon balls, I’ll handle the gun powder,” Cruz said, moving to the next one. In total there was five canons in the old stone fort. Enough, Cruz presumed to drive off the pirate invaders if they kept them firing at a steady pace. 

“Fine,” Dornall said, “By the way I like the look, nice bodice.”

Cruz frowned, “Keep your eyes off my bodice.”

She focused on ensuring the remaining four canons got an adequate serving of gun powder as Dornall loaded them with the canon balls. Once they were done Cruz had him aim while she lit the fuse, and one by one their fired their shots. Most hit the ocean, but one canon ball made contact with the simulated pirate ship.

”Reload,” Cruz said nervous about only making one of the shots count, and how closely the pirate ship was coming now.

She scrambled shoveling gun powder into the canons as quickly as she could. She supposed real soldiers had had specialized tools for this, but she could not find anything on hand and so she had to make do with her own hands which were increasingly becoming blackened. One by one they loaded the five canons, this time doing it quicker.

”This time let’s aim for the sail,” Cruz said, figuring that hitting the sail would at least slow down the ship, and if they missed lower they might actually make contact.

Dornall, who was adjusting the aim of the first canon, nodded, “Fine, works for me.”

The fist shot when wildly over their target, but subsequent shots connected with the sail, punching a hole in the fabric, and the body of the ship sending wood flying as it created a hole.

”Next round, you load the canon balls, I’ll do the gunpowder,” Dornall said.

”Why?” Cruz asked.

”Because they’re heavy, just get going,” Dornall said as he began to shovel gunpowder into the first canon. 

“You’re not the boss of me,” Cruz said, “I’m a Captain and you’re a Lieutenant Commander.”

”Well sir, put the canon ball in, or we’re going to fail this,” Dornall shot.

Not for the first time Cruz wanted to hit him, but instead she once again bit her tongue, and fell silent loading the canon balls as he’d ordered. It was not that she was caught up in rank, but he just acted like he was in charge in any situation, and that infuriated her. She had to work her ass off for every inch and he just seemed to go through life carefree and getting exactly what he wanted.

The Captain took over the aiming this time, once more targeting the ship’s sail. This volley about half hit, and the pirate ship seemed to be taking on water, though it still advanced on them.

”One more volley should do it,” Dornall said.

Cruz nodded hoisting a cannonball up, “I’ll handle the cannonballs again.”

This last volley proved to be the one that sank the attacking pirate ship, and the two Starfleet officers watched the 18th century ship sink beneath the waves taking on water. They watched it sink beneath the surface of the simulated ocean and then both sat down on the stone floor of the fort that they were defending.

”Remind me to not let Kolem pick holodeck scenarios again,” Dornall said, then added, “Though I do like your outfit with the bodice and everything…”

”Stop talking about my bodice,” Cruz snapped.

”You don’t like men noticing you, in that way?” Dornall asked.

”I don’t like it when that’s all people notice. I worked so hard to get where I am, and I could very well be back on the streets in Mexico City scrambling to make ends meet,” Cruz said, “So I want people to take me seriously, not just note that I look good in a bodice.”

Dornall nodded, “You think that’s what I think? I know you didn’t have an easy time of it, but you’re mistaken if you think I did. I got where I am through merit. Just because I am more relaxed now doesn’t mean I didn’t work just as hard as you. Come on, I’m from Risa, you can’t think of any negative stereotypes that might hold me back?”

Cruz was silent, looked down at her hands. She could think of a few, and a few that she’d unfairly and uncharitably thought on her own in his direction. Finally she nodded, “Alright, I’ve been unfair I see that.”

”And maybe I’ve been too cavalier sometimes,” Dornall said, “It’s just how I’ve learned to deal with the world. I’ll try to tone if down for you.”

Cruz sighed, “Looks like Kolem was right. We’re getting along now.”

Dornall stood and extended a hand downwards, “Well we won’t tell her.”

”Deal,” Cruz grinned as he pulled her to her feet.

They looked at each other, and for a second it felt as though they might kiss, as much of a bad idea as that would be for both of them. Then Dornall winked, “And as I say, it’s a nice bodice.“

Cruz glared at him as he left the holodeck. This was not over.