âThe time is 0630.â After fifteen years in Starfleet, Karana Valance should have been used to being woken by the dulcet tones of a starship computer. But without fail every morning was a jolt to consciousness, and at her movement the lights in her quarters rose to a dim, gentle illumination. For thudding heartbeats she sat there, steadying her breathing, letting her eyes adjust, and centred herself. She was aboard Endeavour, the faint hum of a low warp rumbling through the deck. She was not alone.
Isa Cortez, as ever, woke only barely and with much reluctance, rolling over to burrow deeper under the covers. âNope.â
âItâs morning,â Valance reminded, swinging her legs over the bed.
âFor you. Youâre gonna run. Have fun.â
Cortez did not move again as Valance rose, nor as she fished out her exercise gear before leaving. This routine had played some part in the two spending more and more nights in Valanceâs quarters; Cortez was far more easy-going about her schedule, though the extra space of the XOâs rooms helped. But here, even in the gloom, Valance knew where everything was, and could head with a robotic certainty out the door and to the gym.
Deck 2 was officersâ quarters and adjoining facilities: the officersâ mess, a limited selection of recreation and exercise rooms. The halls were quiet at this hour, but even among the fewer faces Valance passed, she could see the tension. The straight backs and crisp nods at the sight of her, the burdens on everyoneâs shoulders. They had left behind Teros IV, but nothing was over. Arriving at Starbase 23 before setting off on a fresh patrol had ended nothing. Not for the ship, anyway, but that thought gave Valance a fresh burst of resentment to power her through the first few kilometres on the gymâs treadmill.
They had arrived maybe a week ago, leaving not long after. The first of their crew to disembark had been Connor Drake, and heâd done so in a casket. But the next had been Davir Airex, and heâd done so with all worldly belongings. Valance had walked him aboard the starbase, walked with him to the transport that would take him at top speed to his new assignment at Starbase Bravo, pretended she had business on 23 to justify seeing him off.
âYouâd best keep me posted if you learn of anything on Admiral Beckettâs staff we need to know,â sheâd told him stiffly as theyâd reached the docking port.
âOf course youâll be briefed,â Airex had replied, only to add, âBut I expect much of what Iâll handle will be classified.â
But she hadnât really been asking him for security updates, and it was hard to believe he didnât know that. So sheâd squared up as the airlock doors spun open, looking him in the eye. âDo I get to know why youâre leaving?â
âAdmiral Beckett needs -â
âWhy you requested a transfer before all this?â sheâd pressed.
Heâd looked away, at the door to his escape rolling open to clear his path, and sheâd seen the struggle. But all heâd said was, âThis is for the best. For my career. For the ship. For all of you.â And then heâd left, and no more was said for the end of three years of friendship and camaraderie.
She ran longer than she meant to, forcing half a jog on the late return to her quarters. Cortez was at the replicator and raised an eyebrow. âI was gonna ask if you wanted food before shower, but nope, youâre a state; Iâm not sitting to breakfast with you like this.â
âI lost track of time,â Valance grumbled.
âUh huh. Iâll make it a pot of coffee.â
âNo, donât,â she protested, heading past her for the bathroom. âIâm low on time, Iâll shower and change and head straight up.â
âUh huh.â
But when Valance returned, clean and in uniform, she found a pot of coffee, two mugs, and a plate of eggs and toast before the empty chair across from Cortez eating. âI said -â
âItâs a morning meeting with the captain. Which means heâll pile loads on your plate – like me, I guess – and then youâll stay busy. Youâre not having a duty shift on an empty stomach.â Cortez jabbed her fork at the opposite seat. âEat some damned eggs, woman.â
âItâs a meeting to discuss staff arrangements. Itâs important.â But Valance slid into the seat and poured herself a mug of coffee. She could bring that with her, at least. âI think I liked this relationship better when you were too afraid of my boundaries to boss me around.â
âI donât know how you survived without me, honestly,â said Cortez with an amiable shake of the head. âSpeaking of staffing and bossing, tell Rourke I donât want to be second officer.â
Valance frowned. âYou canât tell him?â
âI will. But he might ignore me. So we can be a united front on this.â
âYouâre going to have to be, at least temporarily,â Valance pointed out. âWho else will do it? Sadekâs not bridge qualified. Dathan?â
âDathan would be fine. I mean, thatâs a little bit too much sarcasm in the command team for me to love itâŚâ
âWhy donât you want it?â Valanceâs frown deepened. âYouâre qualified, youâre capable, itâll be great for your career.â
âWoah, my career is doing fine.â Cortez lifted a hand. âIn the engine room. Where I intend to stay.â
âWhere youâre a great team leader with sound judgement, traits which apply very effectively to command -â
âWhich I donât want! And this is the argument I didnât want to have with Rourke, either!â
Valance stabbed her breakfast as she pondered this. âI didnât know this was an argument. But yes, I had been planning on explaining to the captain that it wouldnât be a problem for the chain of command if you were second officer.â
Cortez was watching her, gaze cautious. âMaybe I can do it temporarily. Until everything with Sae and Rhade gets sorted.â
âKharth wonât be second officer,â Valance said, acerbic again. âNeither of them should be second officer. The ship needs a reliable command team who will follow orders and maintain crew cohesion, so why are you being difficult about this because of your long-term ambitions?â
Now Cortez raised both hands defensively. âAlright! I said temporarily! But if Rourke has to replace four members of the senior staff, at some point he can get someone better than me shipped in!â
Valance didnât answer, ploughing through breakfast. She had more appetite for that than the conversation, which she expected to repeat with Rourke. Cutlery was set down with a slight clatter when she finished, and she topped up her mug to carry with her.
âIâll tidy if youâve gotta get going,â offered Cortez, watching her.
âI do,â Valance said roughly, and stood before she hesitated. âIâll let you know what my scheduleâs like tonight.â
Cortez looked on the verge of rolling her eyes. âDo I get to not be on eggshells any time soon?â
âWhat?â
âYou can be bummed that Dav left, but please donât take it out on me.â
âIâm not -â Valance paused, and contemplated the myriad of things that had disrupted her sleep and kept her out of sorts. They did include Airexâs departure, but they also included programming targeting solutions on a Romulan scout ship. âWeâll talk about that⌠this evening?â she said with a wince, and wondered if Carraway would be proud of her. Baby steps.
Now Cortezâs near-eye roll looked more affectionate. âSure. Go see Rourke, and if heâs really having kittens over second officer⌠fine.â
âEndeavour thanks you for your service,â said Valance wryly, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek before she headed off.
âI almost died saving the ship once but fine!â Cortez called as she left, but it was still a bit much for Valance to treat that memory with the same levity.
Rourke had set this morning meeting uncomfortably early, presumably so they could get it out of the way before their duty shifts, and Valance assumed she had enough credit with the captain to endure a couple of minutesâ tardiness. But she realised something was amiss when she arrived at the bridge and headed for the ready room, only for Lieutenant Thawn at the command chair to pipe up.
âTheyâre on the conference room, Commander.â
Valance stopped. âThey?â
Thawn hesitated. âCaptain Rourke and the others?â
Which was the only reason Valance didnât look completely bewildered when she made it to the conference room to find Rourke sat across from Lieutenant Juarez and Ensigns Beckett, Harkon, and Arys.
Rourke frowned even as he ushered her to a seat beside him. âCommander Valance; glad you could join us.â She heard the admonishment and tried to not bristle at him dropping it in front of junior officers. But to explain would only draw more attention, so she sat next to him and kept her expression measured, even as she studied the faces in front of her for a hint. They all looked as lost as her.
After a quick gulp of coffee, however, Rourke straightened like he meant business. âGood morning, people. Endeavour has received fresh orders and weâll be finishing this border patrol soon,â he said, and Valance tried to not burn through his skull with her glare. This was the first sheâd heard of any new assignment. âObviously we have something of a staffing issue, still. Thatâs why the four of you are here.â Valance glanced at Juarez and Harkon, whose presence she somewhat understood, but Beckett in particular looked nonplussed, a sense she shared.
But it was Juarez who piped up first, shifting his weight uncomfortably. âLieutenant Kharth hasnât been shipped off or released from the brig.â The question was left unspoken.
âThe question of bringing charges against Lieutenants Kharth and Rhade,â said Rourke smoothly, âwill be delayed until the end of this crisis. I hope it doesnât come to that. But as we move to something more significant than making sure the border to the Neutral Zone is quiet, I want you carrying on as Chief of Security and Tactical.â
Juarez was a competent officer with some years under his belt, who had possibly been disappointed that Kharth had been brought in after Commander TâSariâs death anyway, so Valance was begrudgingly impressed to observe his reluctance. Apparently Kharth had won some loyalty, at least. But the burly Texan nodded. âI can do that for a time.â
Rourke grunted at âfor a time,â before he looked on to Harkon. âLikewise, Ensign, Command has yet to find us a new helm officer under current circumstances. Iâd like you to carry on as Acting Chief Flight Control. I expect this to only be for a few more weeks.â He was softer then, at least; asking her to step into a dead manâs boots was a different prospect to taking over from a disgraced superior. Her nod and assent were quiet, polite, before Rourke looked over to Arys. âEnsign, youâre taking over the Hazard Team.â
Arys straightened with surprise, and Valance almost missed the stunned look on Juarezâs face because she, too, was staring at Rourke. âSir?â The young yeoman squared his shoulders. âIâve – Chief Kowalski -â
âIs a capable second. But youâve been training with Lieutenant Rhade to take a space on the team, and you have the rank. You should of course listen to Chief Kowalski, he knows what heâs doing, but itâs time you were given more opportunities and more responsibility. In addition to your regular duties, of course. Commander Valance will be stepping back in as training officer,â said Rourke, which was news to Commander Valance, too.
As people marshaled their expressions of surprise, Arys brightened. âOf course, sir!â he said, visibly fighting a beam. âI wonât let you down.â
âGood,â said Rourke, then looked to Beckett. âNate, I want you as Acting Chief Science Officer.â
Much to Valanceâs relief, Nate Beckett blurted out, âWhat?â before she could, before adding, âSir, Lieutenant Veldman has seniorityâŚâ
âLieutenant Veldman is a biochemist,â Rourke pressed on. âOur mission will need your skills far more. Itâs irregular, I grant you, but donât be misled by how Endeavourâs done things in the past; Commander Airex was over-qualified for this post, which is why heâs moved on.â
Beckett stared at the table like he was contemplating all the ways he might be fragged by Lieutenant Veldman, an officer seven years his senior who had served as Assistant Chief since Endeavourâs commissioning. At last he flapped, âI – if thatâs what you want, sir. Iâm not sure why our mission of particles -â
âThereâll be a senior staff briefing soon,â Rourke cut in. âEverything will be clear then. In the meantime, get to work in your departments for the takeover. These might be temporary arrangements, but make no mistake: these are difficult times, and I expect the best from all of you. Understood?â At the awkward nods, he waved a curt hand. âDismissed.â
The four of them trooped out, leaving Valance staring at Rourke, who shifted between PADDs and didnât look at her, even when the door shut behind Juarez. At last he said, âIâm thinking of making Thawn temporary second officer.â
Valanceâs jaw dropped. âThawn? Cortez has seniority.â
âCortez is best not taken out of her engine room. Besides.â Rourke looked up at her. âShe wonât want it, will she? And Thawn has much more bridge experience than Dathan.â
âI donât think Beckett wants Science, either, but that didnât seem to factor in there.â She leaned forward, baffled. âCaptain, I understand Juarez and Harkon – youâre just confirming what theyâve got to do anyway – but Beckett? Arys?â
âArys was put on Endeavour because heâs frighteningly bright and competent and is going to be a captain some day,â Rourke said plainly. âThatâs why he was going to be mentored by MacCallister. He didnât get MacCallister in the end, he got me, and all Iâve done is have him pushing paper. Heâs exactly the kind of young talent to lead a Hazard Team.â
âHeâs barely trained with them and hasnât deployed with them.â
âNeither had you when you saved the ship from the Wild Hunt boarding party.â
âI have a little more experience than Tarâlek Arys!â But his expression didnât budge, and she found herself drifting from disastrous topic to disastrous topic. âAs for Science, Lieutenant Veldman is perfectly qualified, and she was Commander Airexâs choice.â
âCommander Airex also chose to leave this ship. And like I said, Nate Beckettâs talents will be more suited to our mission.â
She worked her jaw. âIs there a reason you made these personnel changes without consulting me?â
Now he looked at her, bright eyes rather paler than she was used to, stern and stiff in a way she associated with when sheâd put him on the back foot in the early days of their relationship. âBecause I was sure of them, Commander. This crisis isnât over, and Iâm going to need you to keep on trusting me.â
âOf course I trust you,â said Valance, and meant it even if she had to shove the words out a bit. âBut we got through Teros because you were as open with me as you could be. I donât see why these command decisions needed to be made in the dark.â
He hesitated, but then the door-chime sounded and his expression shut down as his head whipped around. âCome in!â
The arrival of Doctor TâSann made Valance feel like she was even more steps behind, but to her relief the archaeologist looked about as nonplussed as her. âCaptain Rourke. You wanted to see me? Honestly, I wasnât going to hold you to your agreement to help me with my research; it seems the skyâs falling in one way or anotherâŚâ
Rourke didnât smile, gesturing TâSann to a seat opposite. âThatâs not why I asked you to stay on board when we reached 23. I thought your familiarity with the Neutral Zone might be an asset, but it seems your skills are even more significant. I think you can help Starfleet, Doctor. If so, I can give you a cast-iron commitment to chasing your lost wreck when this is over.â
TâSannâs eyebrows raised with curiosity, but the way he sat back suggested he wasnât getting his hopes up. âYou have my attention.â
âAs you say, the sky is falling in,â said Rourke. âIâm not cleared to explain it all to you, but my most recent orders from Command are to pursue any and all avenues to learn more about the Tkon Empire. Especially anything related to a system they might have moved beyond the Galactic Barrier.â
âThe Tkon?â TâSann scratched his beard. âNot my precise area, but I dare say I know more than the average historianâŚâ
âI donât really need a history lesson. What I want to know is, if you wanted to learn something new about the Tkon – find some world weâve not reached, pick up some archive or device – and you werenât constrained by resources, laws, or politics, where would you go?â
Valance found herself watching the two men like it was a game of racquetball, with Rourkeâs volleys keeping TâSann on his heels. âHow interesting,â the doctor mused. âHow much trouble are you prepared to stir?â
âNothing we canât walk away from. But Endeavour is a very big stick.â
TâSann leaned forwards. âArcidava,â he said at last, and smiled at their nonplussed expressions. âAssuming this crisis is enough that you can let yourselves into Republic space, anyway?â
âI think the treaties will cope, so long as weâre polite. Whatâs Arcidava?â
âThere are – were – several major establishments of historical research in the Old Romulan Star Empire. It shouldnât surprise you to learn theyâve largely remained in the territory of the Empire or the Free State. But then thereâs the monastery at Arcidava.â
Valance raised an eyebrow. âMonastery?â
TâSann sighed. âWithout getting too deep into the monastic traditions, these orders are among the oldest organisations in Romulan culture – sometimes predating it. Theyâre long-lived and often somewhat independent of government politics. This positions them perfectly to act as keepers of records and relics of value, which is a role the Fae Diwan of Arcidava have performed for centuries. They areâŚâ He hesitated, gathering words. âTheyâd call themselves seekers of truth within secrets. So to that end, theyâve committed themselves to understanding the secrets and truths of the galaxyâs past.â
âDo they share that knowledge?â she asked dubiously.
âThere were few research agreements between the Federation and the old Romulan Star Empire,â he pointed out, âbut their monks did travel and discuss their findings and research. The DIâs wanted access to their archives for years, but the Star Empire and Free State have made it clear theyâd be very upset if the Republic shared such an asset. Of course, they frame it as objecting to the Republic exposing a cultural touchstone like the Fae Diwan to outside interference. But nobody wanted to trigger warbirds crossing the Republic border for the sake of some dusty old tomes – or, in this case, highly advanced and ancient digital archives.â
Rourke sat up. âThey have archives on the Tkon?â
âI donât know,â TâSann admitted. âBut if they do, nobody in the Federationâs ever seen them. I have met some of the monks of Fae Diwan; if we can get there without upsetting the Republic too badly, I expect I can convince them to help. But thereâll be hell to pay for the diplomats when this is over.â
âThereâll be hell to pay sooner if we find nothing.â Rourke nodded, then looked at Valance. âSet us a course, XO. Iâll get on to Command so someone in the Republic at least invites us in.â
TâSann smiled. âIâll reach out to my contacts once the welcome matâs rolled out.â
But Valance was stiffer as she stood, hands clasping behind her back. âAs you say, Captain. Arcidava.â Then she left without further comment, because for all the uncertainties, one thing seemed apparent: Rourke had no interest in seeking her opinion on the choices ahead.