—- Starbase 86, Promenade —-

Compared with the old K-7 stations that he’d been used to serving aboard the USS Boston for most of his life in a previous century, the Aurora-class Starbase 86 was massive and bustling. He recognized Klingons and Romulans who walked around the halls of the station’s docking bay and public areas and it felt like fights were about to break out. That much had not changed, or it had changed and then changed back. Just like in his day peace was no longer on everyone’s mind, it was the growing expansionism of the Klingon Empire, and even though they were not at war with them even the Starfleet officers who passed the Klingons gave them looks as if a fight could break out at any minute.

Commander Olivia Carrillo nudged him, “Bigger than you’re used to?”

She had correctly guessed the reason for his hesitation so Lambert nodded. He knew it was because she’d been put in charge of chaperoning him as he settled into the twenty-fifth century, but the truth was Carrillo was pretty close to his only friend now that pretty much everyone he had known had died. They’d played quite a few hands of Piquet once he’d shown her how, and she’d taken to the ancient French card game that Lambert had grown up playing.

”This is bigger than Earth Spacedock,” Lambert said.

”Not anymore, Spacedock is giant,” Carrillo said, “but come on you wanted to look at getting some modern clothing.”

”You’re going to help me shop for clothes?” Lambert said.

”What else do I have to do?” Carrillo asked, “The ship is being resupplied and we gave the crew a few days off. Stretch our legs, get a bigger room on the station for the night.”

”The Luna’s rooms are huge compared to what I’m used to,” Lambert said.

“You should see mine and the captain’s,” Carrillo teased, then nodded at a passing Klingon that she recognized. He scowled in return, “Place feels weird, as if it might kick off at any moment. Couple of months ago we were all friends, and now…”

”See I never knew this peace with the Klingons, so war isn’t odd,” Lambert said, “Same with the Romulans, we just recently learned that they looked like Vulcans, or rather the Enterprise discovered it. But fighting with the Klingons. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

The intergalactic translator in Carrillo’s badge handled that, telling her that it meant ‘the more things change the more things stay the same’. It was how she could be speaking in Spanish and him in French and they still carried on a conversation.

Carrillo lead the Lieutenant to an area where there was four stores in a row dealing in clothes, and he tried on and ordered a few outfits to the Luna. 

”Did you want to go to Quark’s?” asked Carrillo once they’d finished looking at clothes.

”What’s that?” Lambert asked.

”It’s a chain of bars, opened up on a station near the Cardassian border,” Carrillo said, “They’ve spread since then. It’s very cheesy, dabbo and drinks. Real drinks.”

”What’s dabbo?” Lambert asked.

”Kind of like that Earth game where you spin the wheel but different,” Carrillo said.

”Baccarat?” 

“Sure,” she shrugged not sure if that was the one she meant, but it was all academic. Games of financial fortune were different in a world where nobody used currency. They’d spin the wheel a few times, lose and then have some drinks.

As they drank in the packed and popular bar, Lambert asked, “Why did you join Starfleet?”

”My dad was murdered when I was young,“ Carrillo said, “And I hoped in and out of foster care until I found direction, and that was to be in space. I never wanted to be anything else, just in space. But you get good at other stuff these days in Starfleet. Everyone is readying for a fight, with the Borg or the Klingons. I just want to be out here. You?”

Lambert nodded, “By the town where I live there’s still grooves in the ground, from where they bombed in World War II, both sides. You grow up knowing how close we came to ending ourselves on Earth you think the future must be better out in space. Except it’s not, it’s the same thing just different ridges on the foreheads.”

Carrillo said, “It is better, you’ll see.”

”You’re pretty when you’re optimistic,” Lambert laughed, then he stiffened, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…”

Carrillo smiled, “No it’s okay. But I bet you are always getting lost in time and telling the Commanders that.”

Lambert smiled, “No ma’am, just you.”

Carrillo smiled, but said nothing.

—- Starbase 86, Docking Ring —-

“So you are going?” Captain Adriana Cruz asked.

”I am, you are now on border patrol duties, I have no role to play. I need to return for reassignment to help my government deal with the Klingons,” S’anra Navana said stiffly. 

Captain Cruz nodded, she tried to do her best impression of a Vulcan as she felt sad. Losing a close associate, and someone she had been intimate with however casually was not how she had wanted to start the shore leave. A few months ago she’d had a Klingon and a Romulan on her bridge getting along and now both officers were off to fight in the war, a war that made no sense to Cruz. They had just barely survived the Borg and now they were off to try to kill each other.

”Look into where my Chief Medical Officer is okay,” Cruz said, for lack of anything else that she could say without admitting how this hurt.

”I will, if her and the Romulans you found crash landed have been recovered I’ll ensure she finds her way back to the USS Luna,” Navana said.

“Good bye S’anra,” Cruz said shaking the woman’s hand again. The Romulan nodded, looked unsure of herself for a moment, as if she might trade in her uniform for that of Starfleet and then nodded heading towards a Romulan ship that she was taking.

—- Starbase 86, Officer’s Lounge —-

Carrillo sat across from Cruz who was scowling.

“What are you so happy about?” Cruz asked.

”Lambert called me pretty,” Carrillo said.

Cruz nodded, and bit her tongue rather than snapping at her First Officer. Despite their many similarities, she had to remind herself that she was not Carrillo and the woman could not be expected to be exactly the same as Cruz herself. She’d wanted someone who looked like her, a woman of color, to make up for the many ships she’d served on where white men had been her bosses. It did not make her and Carrillo the same.

”I’ve always been more, relaxed in companionship,” Cruz said, “but maybe I’ve been doing it wrong.”

Carrillo shrugged, “Maybe there’s no right way or wrong way. Maybe the Vulcans have it right, every seven years just go crazy with lust or die.”

”We’re waiting on a Ross-class to drop off some VIP types who will be ferrying this next mission,” Cruz said, “Heading into the space between the Federation and Cardassian borders, should be fun. If you like dealing with the Maquis.”

“We’re getting a Barzan crew member,” Carrillo said, “Operations I think, a few are rotating off the ship. A few crew, not Barzans.”

Cruz nodded, “I miss exploring and First Contacts. I hope we get back to it soon.

”We will ma’am,” Carrillo said, ”We will.”

—- USS Luna, Briefing Room 1 —-

The Obena-class USS Washington could be seen outside the windows matching the USS Luna’s speed though it was scheduled to depart in just under and hour. The assembled senior crew and the two guests ignored it, they’d already noticed how it looked and had commented on what life aboard must be like. The guests of course had come from the USS Washington, transported from the larger ship to the USS Luna which would take them to and from their final destination.

“The planet in question,“ a slender Vulcan continued, “lays within the no man’s land between Federation and Cardassian space. The Cardassian’s had a garrison there up until the defeat of their alliance with the Dominion and then abandoned it until recently.”

”Why would the Federation allow them to rearm a garrison in territory that’s under Starfleet control?” Captain Cruz asked.

The other mission advisor a tall human in a suit jacket nodded, “We were not aware of their intention to rearm it until now. However they have, and the local Federation population on the world has been upset by it. Hence the attacks by the New Maquis.”

”The problem being is there is also a population of Janinar people on the world,” the Vulcan said, “and while no Cardassians were hurt, six Janinar were killed. The Janinar pre-date both Federation and Cardassian interest in the world, and have allowed both peoples to settle it.”

”And build military bases,” Cruz noted.

”Indeed. The Janinar are unique in that they are a telepathic species, but unlike any we’ve encountered save perhaps the Borg,” the Vulcan said, adding, “They do not see a species as individuals but rather as a collective, for example they call all humans ‘Commander Maddison’ based on the officer they first encountered years ago. They see themselves very much as one organism. The Cardassians are holding six human farmers who are possibly not responsible for the attack, and the Janinar do not see them being different from any six humans including the Maquis.”

”Meaning the Cardassians will transport the farmers to jail, if we do not prove their innocence,” the human Matthis Bernard said.

Cruz sighed, “And add to that we’re not allowed weapons.”

”Correct the Janinar are not allowing humans with weapons on their world. In fact the USS Luna will have to wait and we will travel to the world on your Captain’s Skiff,” the Vulcan Slaj said.

Cruz nodded, “Commander Carrillo you’ll lead the mission. Take Mister Bernard and Slaj in the skiff. Take also Lieutenant Acharya and Lieutenant Kolem. Add three security personnel and two pilots or your choice.”

Carrillo nodded, “I’d like to take Constable as well, we will want an engineering eye on the attack site.”

”Very good,” Cruz nodded, “Let’s try to free those farmers. Send everything you can back to us, we’ll have to use the Luna to track down the Maquis if we want to give the Cardassians someone else.”

—- VIP Dinning Room —-

Matthis Bernard sipped the wine and nodded, “A good vintage, this is from your own personal winery?”

Captain Adriana Cruz nodded, “I inherited one from a father I never knew. Now my brother that I never knew runs it. I just get the wine sent to Starbase 86.”

“That is a fortunate turn of fate for you,” Slaj the Vulcan said.

Nervous Commander Carrillo changed the subject, “So you are both lawyers?”

”We are. We are outside of Starfleet, so we don’t do JAG stuff, but this is a civilian trial, sort of,” Bernard said.

”The Cardassian military isn’t going to want us poking around,” Carrillo noted.

”Illogical, the Cardassian military stands to benefit from capturing the real perpetrators and not innocent farmers. The New Maquis are much more of a threat,” Slaj said.

Bernard nodded, “They won’t love us poking around, but they set this military base up in secret and only the Janinar are preventing Starfleet from closing it down. If anything they find the attention annoying, as they’re hoping Starfleet gets more involved with the Klingons and Romulans and ignores them.”

”Why do they allow Cardassians to be armed on the world?” Cruz asked.

”The Cardassians have not killed Janinar, humans have,” Slaj said, “The Janinar have the space they require and are not interested in our dealings with each other, unless it affects them. All we know for sure is that the perpetrators of the attack are human, and not Cardassian and that is due to the Janinar.”

”How long until we’re there,“ Bernard asked.

”Three days on the Luna,” Commander Carrillo said, “and then two days on the skiff.”

”Well at least there is wine,” he joked. Slaj said nothing but the two female Starfleet officers chuckled to appear appreciative of his humor.

—- USS Luna, Captain’s Skiff —-

Lieutenant Lambert stashed his bag beneath the lowest bunk. The crew quarters on the Captain’s Skiff was more in line with what he remembered on the old Reliant-class ships. Shared bunks, shared bathrooms. Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Winfield chucked his bag on the bunk on top and stretched.

”Four days on this thing. I’m going to miss Sone,” the Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer said.

Despite being a pilot as well Lambert had, at least initially, been sorted into the Stellar Cartography department as there were no ‘Navigator’ positions on Starfleet ships any longer. He knew from working with her that Winfield as referencing Lieutenant Akane Sone, the Assistant Chief Stellar Cartographer.

“At least she’s in the same century as you,” the time displaced Lambert said.

Winfield nodded, “Sorry man. It’s a raw hand you got dealt. I’d freak out if I woke up and was suddenly, what are you like two hundred years old?”

”Something like that,” Lambert said, sorry he’d brought it up. He didn’t want to talk about it much.

“At least you’re getting eyes from the Commander,” Winfield said.

”Getting eyes?” Lambert said, “Like those visors that some people have to wear to see?”

”No like, she likes you,” Winfield said rolling his eyes, “Commander Carrillo, why do you think she put you on this trip? Honestly you’re not who I’d go with if I needed a pilot, no offense but you’ve never flown anything in the modern area and this ain’t a Reliant-class.”

Lambert did not answer, he had wondered that. He knew he had to start doing Starfleet assignments, and he figured that the two pilots would switch on and off, but he really did not know much about flying a small craft like this. He imagined that much of it would carry over, but was not really sure. Was it possible that Carrillo liked him liked him?

”Well if it isn’t my pilot boys,” a male voice said as Assistant Chief of Security William Hume entered and tossed a bag on a bed, “welcome to Cardassian space. Anyone explain to Lambert about the Dominion War?”

”I’ve read about it a bit,” Lambert said.

”Well read more, we kicked Cardy butt across the quadrant,” Hume who had lost his father fighting in the war said.

”You weren’t there, you father was,” Winfield pointed out, “and we barely won and only because the Cardassians revolted against the Dominion. So, enough being macho.”

Hume shrugged, “We fought them and drove them back. They thought they’d be winning with their squishy faced allies and instead we beat them back through the worm hole.”

Sesi Oari entered, the Bajoran and other security team member did not share Hume’s bravado. Though she had only known life after the occupation of her homeland, she was not going to pretend the Cardassians were not a threat and not dangerous. 

”Zip it Hume, we’re guests and besides we aren’t armed,” she pointed out, “No time for triumphalism.”

“Big words,” Hume said, despite being ranked lower on the Luna his position was actually higher than Oari as Assistant Chief of Security.

”You’re a Bajoran right?” Lambert asked.

”That’s right,” Oari answered gesturing to her nose and religious earring.

”I don’t think I’ve met one before,” Lambert said, adding, “I’m from the past.”

”I heard. That’s okay we’re not sharks, you can keep us as pets,” Oari grinned teasing him.

”What’s a shark, I don’t think I’ve met them yet,” Lambert said.

”Like on earth. Sharks, the fish,” Winfield said.

”Ah yes I’ve seen sharks at the aquarium sorry I thought that might be a species I hadn’t met yet,” Lambert said.

”I’ve read about them, and saw one of the great big white ones in an aquarium on Earth when I was at the Academy,” Oari said.

”We should go through the pre-flight check list,” Winfield said, nodding at Lambert his alternate pilot for the journey.

”Oh right, yeah,” Lambert nodded, “I hope I don’t crash into a sun.”

When nobody laughed he shrugged, “That was a joke. I’m actually a good pilot.”

—- Captain’s Skiff —-

The main room was mostly dark after dinner with only the pilot’s console lit up after the rest of the crew had retreated to bed. Lambert had shown that he could successfully fly the ship, and was alone on the controls as the rest of the team slept. The Commander and two mission specialists getting large rooms while the rest of the crew shared bunks. Though not all beds were full with Lieutenant Kolem and Lieutenant Acharya taking a room between them.

He heard footsteps and Commander Carrillo sat in the chair next to him on the right hand side. She stretched and yawned, clearly tired.

”Commander,” he nodded.

”Lieutenant,” she nodded back, “Just came to keep you company.”

“Can I ask a question ma’am,” Lambert said.

”Of course,” Carrillo said.

”Did you pick me for this mission because you like like me,” he asked.

Carrillo laughed, “Oh, wow. Okay, umm, no. Look you weren’t the obvious choice but you need to get into a role on the Luna. You can’t forever be ’past guy’. So yes I threw you feet first into the briar patch, but I knew you could swim to mix the metaphors.”

”So not because of anything else?” Lambert said.

”Yes, look. I’m new on the ship and so are you. We’re friends, I think. I like you and I know you, and I need someone I know for my first long term away mission,” Carrillo said, “The Captain made Kolem the Second Officer because the trusts and likes Kolem even though other people outrank her. In command you go with the best, but also who you know has your back and I thought you’d have my back.”

Lambert nodded, “Okay, I get it. You’re right I have your back.”

“Now Lieutenant feel better?” she asked.

”Yes ma’am,” he said.

Carrillo smiled, “Good, now let’s try not to drive into a sun tonight.”

—- Pangangar, Near the Cardassian Base —-

Ensign Vanessa Constable flipped her tricorder closed. She’d captured as much data on the attack as was present. It had been a rather ineffective attempt to damage the Cardassian base, given that the base was much more resilient than the explosives would have been able to handle.

”Well,” the Cardassian officer who had been nominated as their chaperone for the day said, or asked. 

“Matches the design of old Maquis explosive devices,” Constable said glancing at her security team. Neither Lieutenant Junior Grade William Hume or Lieutenant Sesi Oari had phasers or weapons of any kind, so Constable was not sure how much help they were meant to be. Particularly since the Cardassians guarding them all kept looking at the Bajoran Oari anxiously, nervous about her being there.

”There’s no old Maquis left really,” Hume observed.

”Whoever it was then either learned from them or wanted to look like them,” Constable said. Logically it was the kind of attack that the Cardassians might have launched on themselves, but the planet’s native species the Janinar had identified humans as the culprits. The New Marquis seemed the reasonable and natural assumption.

”New Marquis,” Oari said.

Constable shrugged, “There’s nothing in the explosion or its after math to say either way. The explosives are common, used for mining and clearing out rock. Farmers might have access to it, but so would construction workers, basically any one could be behind it.”

The Cardassian nodded, Trooper Legar was his name, “So the people we arrested are guilty.”

”Well this doesn’t tell us either way,” Constable said. The Cardassians seemed anxious to close the case and get the Federation offworld. As far as Constable could tell the only purpose of this instillation was tracking and reporting on Starfleet activity in the region, it had large communication satellites, and oversized sensors to watch everything that went on in the region. The reality was they likely had no interest in either the human farmers or the natural Janinar population. Had the Janinar not been killed and demanded punishment of the humans the Cardassians probably would have just ignored the attack to avoid drawing Starfleet’s notice.

Chief Diplomatic Officer Lieutenant Diya Acharya nodded, “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll be going.”

”Next time don’t bring that Bajoran scum around here,“ the Trooper said and gestured to indicate Lieutenant Oari.

Hume looked threatening, like he wanted to start a brawl. Acharya shot a look at the Assistant Chief of Security that told him to stand down. She instead smiled, “Bajorans are a member of the Federation, and Starfleet is made up of all kinds. Infinity Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Lieutenant Oari is an important member of our crew and may join any mission the Captain or our Commander sees fit.”

“Whatever,” the Cardassian grumbled and the guards pointed their rifles closer to the Starfleet officers. Seeing their welcome being rescinded Acharya nodded and turned to leave, walking back towards the Captain’s Skiff. She had said her piece and did not press the point. She would need to return with the two advocates to speak with the arrested farmers, so there was no point in pressing the issue now.

—- Pangangar, Captain’s Skiff —-

Captain Adriana Cruz frowned on the screen, “We have both runabouts out and searching but honestly the local populations of the region aren’t being helpful. This New Maquis is well hidden, and nobody is saying anything.”

“The Cardassians have a ship on the way. If we don’t arrest someone by the time it gets here they’ll send the farmers to Cardassian space we won’t see them again,” Commander Olivia Carrillo said, knowing that there was nothing that the Captain could do about that. This was mostly just venting at this point.

”Undestood Commander Carrillo but we can’t find the Maquis currently. We’ll keep searching, but you need to find evidence to support their innocence,” Cruz said.

”Forensic evidence is a dead end. The Janinar keep calling all of us Commander Maddison, and we’re getting nowhere,” Carrillo said, adding, “The legal team met with the detained farmers, but they’re not even saying anything and don’t have alibis. It was late at night and they were all sleeping, but nobody can confirm that beyond immediate family.”

”Don’t start a fight with the Janinar or the Cardassians. Keep the two civilian lawyers alive. Unfortunately our hands are tied here, there’s not a lot we can do,” Cruz said and sighed, “Okay we’ll keep searching. Cruz out.”

—- Pangangar, Captain’s Skiff —-

It was later at night, after a day worth of digging and investigating. Commander Carrillo sat at the long dinning table that was doubling as a briefing table and looked at the wall screen which was currently displaying the evidence they had. Mission specialist and lawyer for the accused farmers Matthis Bernard sat down at the table blowing across the top of a freshly replicated mug of tea. 

“So there’s no chance that the Janinar are wrong,” Carrillo asked him.

”No chance,“ Bernard said, “The Janinar don’t lie, they just don’t consider it because they’re a collective like the Borg.“

Seated at the table was Lieutenant Lambert who was on the evening shift watching the Skiff and thus unlike most of the rest of the crew still awake, “Could it be someone in disguise? I read a file that Kirk ran into a Klingon that looked human due to plastic surgery. He tried to blow up a space station with an explosive in a tribble.”

Bernard shook his head, “They’re telepaths, they’re senses are just as much mental as they are visual, it was humans that night.”

Carrillo though, “Lieutenant Kolem said that when she spoke to the farmers she sensed they were holding something back. The Cardassians built their base on a popular spot for fishing. When they returned the farmers couldn’t use it anymore.”

”Which gives them a reason for blowing up the Cardassian base,” Bernard said.

”No there’s lots of spots still for fishing, this was more annoying than anything,” Carrillo said, “Not worth killing people over, Cardassian or Janinar.”

”The colonists here, they use animal waste as fertilizer right?” Lambert asked.

Bernard nodded, “Yeah we saw that when we visited the colony, mostly cow manure.”

“My grandfather was killed on a ship, these are the early days of flight. His ship was transporting manure and there was a build up of methane gases,” Lambert said, “In those days they didn’t have the sensors or safety devices your modern ships have, so a fire in the cargo hold was it for the ship.”

”Farmers know how to handle manure to avoid that,” Bernard said.

”But what do the Cardassians want?” Lambert asked, “They want to be left in peace right?”

”Sure,” Bernard said.

”Human colonies create unwanted attention to the base,” Lambert pointed out.

”Okay,” Bernard conceded, not sure where this was going.

”Carrillo, what Constable say about the explosives used,” Lambert said.

”Maquis design,” Carrillo said, “And nobody knows more about the Maquis design of explosives than Cardassians at this point.”

”So the Cardassians plant explosives in the manure used to fertilize the soil,” Lambert said, “Make it Maquis design to point elsewhere if discovered. They figure fertilizer is flammable, so if something happens the farmers will assume it was carelessness. If they destroy the fertilizer the crops fail and eventually the farmers find greener worlds.”

”But how do the explosives get to the Cardassian base,” Bernard asked.

”As you say the farmers are annoyed, but not that mad at the Cardassians. They just want to make a mess, so they sneak out and spread some cow poop on the outside of the base, assuming the Cardassian soldiers will have to clean it up. Juvenile, and dumb prank. But they don’t realize explosives have been set in the poop until they go off, with the manure spread on the base. It kills the Janinar, who know the humans planted the bombs by way of smearing the poop,” Lambert said.

Bernard and Carrillo were quiet as they considered the theory. It held up, but the question was how would they get the Janinar to agree with it, and could they find evidence.

”See if you can get the farmers in Cardassian custody to admit to vandalizing the base with manure,” Carrillo said to Bernard, “I’ll have Constable run tests on the manure that the farmers still have, and the base looking for traces of fertilizer.”

Bernard nodded, “Thank Kirk we got a theory now.”

—- The Village of the Janinar —-

The Janinar gave no emotional display as the two advocates, a human and a Vulcan, presented the evidence that the Starfleet personnel had uncovered. They were silent for a moment, telepathically speaking with each other to figure out how they would approach this new evidence. It was not fair to say that either side was clean, the Federation farmers had caused the deaths of their people by smearing cow dung on the Cardassian base as a prank, but they had no way of knowing that the Cardassians had planets explosives inside the fertilizer in the first place.

Matthis Bernard glanced nervously at Commander Olivia Carrillo as the Janinar remained passive, internally debating the merits of the case. Finally after deliberation they looked at the human lawyer Bernard and the Chief Janinar who had been interacting with the Starfleet officers spoke, “We realize both the Cardassian and human populations of this world are unable to remain without conflict. Thus both species will be required to leave the planet in one solar cycle.“

Bernard objected, “The farmers’ prank was juvenile but not intended to hurt anyone.”

The Janinar remained unconvinced, “Conflict seems to be the constant. We have allowed co-habitation for far too long, clearly.”

As the small team that had come from the Captain’s Yatch returned Commander Olivia Carrillo asked, “So what does this mean?”

”It means Commander that the Janinar have made the decision that both humans and the Cardassians must leave Pangangar within the space of one year,” said the Vulcan lawyer Slaj. He seemed unmoved by the situation that this was causing, as now the crew had to inform the villagers that though they had secured the release of the detained farmers they had lost the right to the planet.

Chief Diplomatic Officer Lieutenant Diya Acharya nodded, “While Pangangar is within the Federation run neutral zone, the Janinar lived her before either race and thus according to Federation law they have the say. Things get muddier since they initially allowed human settlement, but given recent events I don’t know.”

”Add to that that we do no know the level of power the in the Janinars’ possession,” Slaj said, “Their telepathic gifts are formidable, and while they seem committed to peaceful coexistence, Starfleet has not tested the limits of their resolve.”

—- Captain’s Yatch, Pangangar —-

“The USS Washington is on route to either take the farmers off world, if they’ll go or work out a more permanent diplomatic solution,” Commander Carrillo said, having finished her briefing of Captain Cruz back aboard the USS Luna. An Obena-class ship was more equipped for planetary evacuation, and then there was a long and potentially difficult conversation to be had with the settlers. Though they only numbered in around four thousand, as opposed to millions, it was still a sensitive topic.

“We’re ready for liftoff whenever you are,” Winfield said, having run through all the pre-flight checks. 

“Slaj and Mister Bernard will be remaining here to continue arguing the colonist’s case,” Carrillo said.

”And who’ll ensure the Cardassians leave on time,” asked Winfield.

”They don’t want open conflict with the Janinar, and they’re likely as in the dark about the extent of the Janinar’s abilities as we are,” Carrillo said, “So Starfleet is assuming that they’ll leave, plus we’ll be checking up on the world now that we know they’re here. The point of having a secret base is a bit moot once we discovered the secret base.”

Carrillo headed outside after having given a liftoff goal of two hours from now. The Luna was a good ship, and had every luxury that she could imagine wanting, but it was nice of be out of the artificial environment for a bit and feel a real sun‘s light beating down on you. She’d served on planet-side bases before and there was nothing that she missed more, though she also knew that it was harder to be in Starfleet and not deal with life aboard a ship at some point.

There was the unmistakable crunch of rock underfoot behind her and Lieutenant Lambert came up and stood beside her looking at the world they were about to leave.

”You okay?” Lambert asked.

”I just got yelled at by farmers for the last few hours,” Carrillo said, “Just decompressing a bit before we head back to the Luna.”

”We saved the accused, and found out the truth,” Lambert said, “that’s all we can do.”

”I know it just doesn’t feel like a win,” Carrillo said.

”Well Commander. Olivia, life isn’t all wins, I might still be figuring out the twenty-fifth century but even I know that much,” Lambert said, “Even back in my time sometimes it felt like you’d take one step forward and two back.”

”You’re right,” Carrillo relented. She had to deal with this before going back to the team who would feel equally defeated by the farmers being exiled within a year. As a Commander she was an emotional flag pole, offering guidance to less experienced officers about how to react to a setback.

She turned and looked at the time lost officer, “You’re right Pierre, thank you.”

”Any time Mademoiselle,” Lambert grinned and then held out his hand and gestured to the Captain’s Yatch, “We should go, Winfield wants us in our seats for take off, and I wouldn’t keep the man waiting.”