The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise fell silent as the new tactical officer boarded and reported to the bridge. Captivated eyes followed as the commander strode solemnly through the corridor, not pausing to exchange niceties or greetings with the crew. The sound of the sharp footfalls hung in the air, punctuating everyone's bated breath.
Captain Kirk swallowed back his emotion and stood to meet the new officer. He offered a nervous look with Spock, but quickly realized his emotion was being wasted on the Vulcan hybrid. Stealing a glance toward Scotty, Kirk prayed the man understood his emptiness. Judging by his unusually long face, Scotty did. Behind him, Uhura was chewing on the inside of her lip feverishly. Sulu cleared his throat and turned back to the monitors, hoping desperately for a distraction.
The officer, already donning a yellow shirt, stood and addressed Kirk. "Captain. I have been assigned to the Enterprise as navigator and science officer. I'm reporting for duty."
"Yeah. I received the papers," Kirk mumbled. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself, he looked into the face of the woman standing before him. "Commander Chekov."
The woman resembled her late brother in every way. Her milky skin and straw-colored hair would have made her beautiful in any other setting, but invoked painful hurt here. Chekov had never spoken about himself much, but had brought up his twin sister when he did. Now, her blue eyes, identical to his in every way, bored into Kirk's very being, and he took a step back from the woman.
"I apologize if my presence makes you uncomfortable. I would take no offense if you put in a request to have me transferred to another starship." Chekov said, breaking the silence. Her Russian accent danced about, though her tone was serious. She sucked in her cheeks as she took a deep breath and awaited the response.
"No, no. You belong on the Enterprise." Kirk replied. "Forgive me. It's just-" he trailed off. When words didn't come, he ran his hand over his face and sighed. He tried to recall the woman's face from the state funeral but couldn't conjure anything. That day had been a blur. Losing a crew member was always gut-wrenching, but young Chekov had sacrificed himself to save his crew and millions of people he'd never met. Kirk was supposed to speak at the funeral, but once he took the podium, he could only open and close his mouth his continued disbelief that the commander was gone.
"If I may," Spock interjected as he strode forward. "I believe I can lend an explanation for the less-than-warm welcome you are receiving."
"Spock," Kirk interrupted weakly.
The woman glanced between the two men with apprehension.
"You look so similar in appearance to the former Commander Chekov, you are bringing memories of him to the crew, which in turn is making them feel sorrow at his untimely death." Spock studied the woman's face, then nodded. "You have done nothing to warrant being transferred to another starship. I have every confidence in your abilities. You'll be a great asset to the crew. Your academy scores were phenomenal, much like your brother's."
"Yes, though my brother was always the smart one," the woman replied breezily.
"We're sorry," Uhura suddenly blurted. "I'm so sorry. He died saving-"
"I know how he died," the woman said. "I read the report. The manner in which he died was foolishly heroic, but that was very much my Pavel."
"We wouldn't be here today have your brother not stayed behind to-" Uhura paused and stifled a sob. "An entire planet was at stake, and instead of letting them die, he," her voice cracked again. Scotty embraced her and refused to make eye contact with Chekov. Still, tears began to trickle down his cheeks.
"Your pain reassures me that Enterprise family he served alongside loved him as well as I did." She clasped her hands behind her back.
"We're due to embark on our next mission and we're unable to proceed without a navigator, Captain," Spock announced.
"Right," Kirk said, nodding. He turned to Commander Chekov and beheld her. She was the spitting image of her twin brother, but as much as it hurt to see that same curly blonde hair and youthful appearance, it felt right to have her stepping onto the bridge. "Commander, forgive me. I got the papers, but I can't remember your first name."
"I'm Anya Chekov," she replied.
"Welcome aboard. You've served on a starship before, so you know what to do. Let's get to it, people!"
"I do, Captain," Anya replied. She took her seat at the bridge as the rest of the crew found their chairs. A small smile found her lips as she settled into her brother's place. No one paid much attention when the computer asked for Chekov's authentication code. Yet when she spoke, the a warmth settled over the crew.
"Nine. Five. Wictor. Wictor. Three."