Lt. Commander Jennifer Douglas made one last glance over her shoulder and up the gangway towards the interior of the USS Sentinel. The docking ports of Montana Station had that familiar hum of a Starfleet installation, with the all too familiar scents of a mixing of various races from all around the quadrant.  There was the baseline hum of voices that reverberated off the bland Starfleet walls.

Jenn adjusted the strap of her duffle and tugged at the collar of her uniform, her callused fingers catching the fabric like Velcro, and she muttered a swear word unsuitable for the delicate ears of her fellow Starfleet officers. Those who heard it scowled, while a civilian freighter captain who looked more like a pirate from Treasure Island than an honest merchant winked and let out a laugh like gravel.

Jenn shot the captain a scowl and shrugged at the nearest Starfleet officer. A full commander. She repeated her curse without uttering it, adjusted her pack strap, again, and pushed through the milling crowd of departing and arriving passengers.

Why the hell didn’t I resign? I came back for Ryx. No Ryx, no need to be in Starfleet, she thought for the hundredth time since getting this assignment.  But, she did know why. She had nowhere else to go. They had already replaced her at the Normandy dig, and going home in disgrace with her tail tucked between her legs, dealing with her brother was something she had no desire to deal with.

She could already see the smug look on his face when she told him she had returned to Starfleet. “You’re going to be you and you and there’s no war going on. Starfleet captains aren’t going to want to put up with your bullcrap, and they don’t need you. They’ll have you court martialed within the year, or you will just quit. It’s what you do, sis. Stat at Normandy. It’s  the best place for you.”

“Screw you,” she muttered under her breath.

A nearby Bajoran glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, not you,” Jenn said with a half smile. The Bajoran nodded and moved on. Jenn emerged onto the Promenade, where the scents of cooking food assailed her senses, the slight tang of ozone from the environmental systems, and a chatter of the crowds rose above the background noise to become intrusive.

She glanced around and took a deep breath.  Well, here we are. So if I know why I am here, the question remains: why did Captain Dread take me on? I’m proven damaged goods associated with a known womanizer, reckless captain, and general thorn in the side of Starfleet Command.

“Some mysteries may never be known,” she said, this time making sure no one was around her when she did. She was already half-crazy; she didn’t need people thinking she had taken the plunge feet first into the pool of insanity.

Across the promenade, Captain Helena Dread watched as Douglas made her way onto the station. She had originally thought of a low-key dinner to meet her new XO, but her restlessness had taken its toll, and she’d walked from the Gagarin.  She walked across the way, catching the woman’s eyes.  She stood at attention, and Douglas did the same.  “Welcome to Montana Station, Lieutenant Commander Douglas.  Permission granted to board and all that.”  She pulled out her PADD and tapped a few keys, and a resounding beep sounded from the device.  “And welcome aboard the Gagarin.  Come with me.”  They walked through the lower promenade and down a corridor towards the docking area.  Dread slowed as they came into view of the Gagarin in the expansive dock. “Before we board, what questions do you have?  Or reservations?”  She spoke plainly, “This is an arranged marriage, Douglas.  Whatever we do now at this moment will give it a chance to last beyond the honeymoon.”

Jenn hesitated, then shrugged and decided to rip off the band-aid. “Why am I here? You have seen my record, haven’t you? And what do you mean by ‘arranged?'”

Jenn had only ever served under one captain.  One man who was closer to her than her own brother.  It was his arms wrapped around her when her brother had been killed in the attempt to retake Deep Space Nine.  Now, she was going to have to learn how to serve under a new captain. This Dread, she seemed straight to the point.  So was she.  Jenn sensed that might cause some friction.  Of course, this was just a first impression.  Perhaps she was coming at her with both barrels to destabilize her and assert her authority as captain.

Dread would have to employ more than bluntness to knock her off keel.

Helena chuckled dryly, “Arranged for both of us.”  She pointed out the sleek Gagarin. “Fleet Captain Fontana feels like the Gagarin can do more with a crew chosen for the task.  My name was on the transfer documents as your CO, but Fontana and his betters are the ones who are putting us all together.”  She walked towards the massive windows, and Douglas followed behind.  “Something I’ve learned about Fontana – he likes his misfits.  Those in the squadron – captain on down – seem to fit that bill.”  She turned back to her new XO, “I’m not the enemy, Douglas.  I’m not expecting us to get along right away – we’ll have to work on that as we go.  We’re short of command officers as it is out here in the rimward.  Mind you, I have high standards.  Your record, such as it is, speaks of qualities that can rise to them.”

“I’m going to tell you how it is, ma’am,” Jenn replied, staring straight ahead, never looking in Dread’s direction.  She walked with her hands clasped behind her back.  “I may be a scientist, but I have been baptized by fire. I have seen things that would curl the toes of most officers. I will not sugarcoat the truth to spare yours or anyone else’s feelings. You will likely hate me at times, possibly always.”

Jenn let her words sink in for a moment.  “I don’t do politics, and I will respect an officer who is in the wrong but stands up for what they believe over someone right, but doesn’t believe in anything.”

Helena replied with a thin smile, “When you put it that way, I think our marriage has a chance at survival.  I’ve got the rest of the senior staff arriving in the next few days.”  She handed her new XO a PADD, “Get settled, take a walk around the Gagarin – we’ll meet first thing in the morning at 0600.  Welcome aboard, Douglas.”

Jenn nodded, glanced at the PADD in her hand, and sighed.  “Thank you, Captain.”