A/N: Reed + goatee in Twilight = Dear God I need a cold shower! Also I have taken gleeful liberties with the episode These are the Voyages... Talla was introduced in that episode after all, but that thing with Trip? Glitch in the holodeck program...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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Professor Hoshi Sato-Reed looked down at her husband and smiled. Her fingers were sunk into his silvering hair as she brushed her chin against his own bearded one. For his part, Commodore Malcolm Reed was quite content to rub his hands along the small of his wife's back as the two basked in each other's presence. He swore when an alert let them know that a call was coming through on their private line. Hoshi rolled off Malcolm and quickly slipped a robe on as she went to answer it.
"Hee-chan!" She exclaimed joyously as her daughter's face clicked into view.
"Hullo Mum," Hiroko replied. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"
"No of course not," Hoshi lied.
"Yes she bloody is..." Hiroko heard her father growl in the background. "Hullo Sweetheart," he greeted as he sat beside Hoshi in front of the monitor.
Hiroko smirked at her father's image. "I thought a trip to the Sato family onsen in Nagano always mellowed you out?" she teased. Malcolm narrowed his eyes at his daughter while Hoshi howled in laughter. His daughter may have taken after him in many ways, but she had her mother's knack for teasing. "Anyway, the reason I called," Hiroko continued. "We've been invited to dinner at the Andorian Embassy tonight. 1900 hours."
"We'll be there," Hoshi replied and cast a glance at Malcolm. He simply rolled his eyes before nodding his consent as well.
"I'll see you both tonight then," Hiroko smiled warmly at her parents. "I'll tell you about my new assignment too...you'll love this one."
"Oh?" Hoshi said quizzically. "We'll hear about it tonight then. Love you."
"See you tonight Sweetheart." Malcolm added as Hiroko bid them farewell and the screen went dark. "Now where were we?" he asked his wife seductively.
"I believe we were having, as you put it in that wonderful vernacular of yours, one hell of a snog and shag." Hoshi purred as Malcolm took her hand and lead her back to bed.
Lieutenant Commander Tarran adjusted her formal attire as she entered the embassy. She had gratefully accepted when the ambassador had extended an invitation to dinner. It would give Tarran a chance to see if the ambassador knew anything about the new captain she'd be serving. The usher escorted her to the formal dining area and introduced her. Tarran nodded to him in thanks before turning to her hosts. "General Shran, Lady Jhamel, Lady Talla, I am honoured by your invitation," she greeted with a deep bow of her head.
"It was our pleasure," Thy'lek Shran replied as he stepped forward to greet Tarran.
"Indeed," Talla echoed her father.
"Please join us for refreshments as we await the rest of our guests," Jhamel offered.
Tarran felt a familiar flutter in her hybrid mind and allowed Jhamel to connect with her telepathically as a show of good faith. Shran watched as his wife smiled softly after a moment and grinned. His Talla would be safe with this tactical officer. Tarran vowed to Jhamel that she would protect Talla with her life, and extended that vow to the ambassador.
"I hope it never has to come to that," Jhamel said softly. She cocked her head ever so slightly suddenly. "You're troubled, why?"
"Not so much as troubled, M'lady. More curious than anything else, about this new captain I've been assigned to." Tarran replied.
Shran grinned. "I was very pleased to hear that Captain Sato had been assigned command of this mission," he stated proudly. "Her family and mine have an interesting shared history."
To Tarran that was the highest praise anyone could offer her new commanding officer. If the legendary general of the Imperial Guard approved of this Sato, than Tarran would as well. She was about to say as much when the usher announced the newest arrivals. "Commodore Malcolm Reed, his wife Professor Hoshi Sato-Reed, and their daughter Captain Hiroko Sato." Seeing Captain Sato standing beside her parents confirmed for her General Shran's trust in the woman. Tarran began to relax immediately and looked forward to the mission.
The group mingled over drinks as the usher entered one last time to announce the last of the dinner guests. "Vulcan Ambassador T'Pol, her bond mate Admiral Charles Tucker, and Retired Admiral Jonathan Archer." Shran grinned broadly as he walked towards Archer.
"You're planning on keeping in me in your debt forever Pink Skin," he said as he extended his hand forward.
"It appears that Shran is onto you, Jonathan," T'Pol stated. Tucker snorted a laugh before turning his attention to the others gathered. All decorum flew out the window as he greeted them.
"Malcolm, Hoshi, Baby Girl!" he grinned broadly as he went over to shake hands with Malcolm and hug Hoshi and Hiroko. "I hear congratulations are in order, Captain Sato!" Malcolm smiled in pride as his friend picked Hiroko up and hugged her tightly for a moment.
"And yet you insisted you two weren't drinking this afternoon," T'Pol gently teased Archer. Her attention then changed to the Andorian Ambassador who was coming over. "Ambassador Talla, my thanks for this invitation this evening," she added.
"A pleasure as always Lady T'Pol," Talla grinned. T'Pol raised an eyebrow at the term of endearment Talla had had for her since she was a child.
Tarran did what any good tactical officer would and sat back and observed as the evening progressed. She caught the commodore doing the same and nodded towards him in acknowledgement. Malcolm gave her a small half smile as he returned to the conversation he was having with Jhamel. Tarran learned that her new captain had an older brother, David, who was currently assigned as Earth's ambassador to Vulcan. She gaped in astonishment when she heard the story of the captain and ambassador getting a Vulcan minister intoxicated, as others around her laughed.
Captain Sato excused herself towards midnight, stating that she had a star ship to get ready in the morning. She leaned in to giver mother a kiss on the cheek and gave her father a gentle hug before taking her leave. Tarran was spending the night at the embassy and retired shortly after, along with Talla. The two women would be assisting Sato the following day. The others remained in the dining hall long into the evening, recounting the old days with good cheer.
Ensign Ian Anu stood lazily next to the shuttle pod awaiting his passengers. His sun bleached hair and pale eyes were a stark contrast to his dark bronze skin. He stood to parade rest when he saw an official looking transport pull up and watched as two pale blue Andorian women exited the transport and headed towards him. "Ladies," he greeted warmly. Ensign Anu stepped aside and helped the two women into the shuttle pod. "We'll leave as soon as the Captain and Commander arrive," he informed them. Hearing his thick accent, Tarran asked if he was English, like Commodore Reed. "Not bloody likely Ma'am! I'm part Welsh and part Indigenous Australian," he corrected.
The two shrugged and made a comment to look the information up later. Meanwhile Ensign Anu watched as a second transport arrived. He spied an elegant woman of Asian descent and a blonde haired Denobulan. Captain Sato and her second in command, Commander Nameela, he presumed. "Ma'ams, Ambassador Talla and Lieutenant Commander Tarran are already aboard," he greeted with a salute.
Sato blinked at the ensign's thick drawl. "Where in the Outback did they find you?" she asked.
"Born and raised on a cattle station outside of Karratha, Captain."
Commander Nameela thought for a moment as she tried to recall her Earth geography. "That's on the other side of the country from Sydney, correct?" she asked.
"About as far from Sydney as you can get, Ma'am," Ian grinned. Nameela returned the grin with one of her own and Ian nodded approvingly. "That's one hell of a smile, Ma'am," he commented as he helped the two into the shuttle pod.
Taking the helm he turned back to the woman and smirked. "Right-o, shall we?" Captain Sato nodded and Ian requested clearance to leave the port. Sato wondered how he would get along with her engineer and communications officers, as both men were from South Africa, a well known sports rival to Ensign Anu's native Australia.
Lieutenant Lwazi Silongo and Ensign Karal De Vaal were discussing engineering aboard the SS Hokkaido as they made their way to the shuttle bay to greet the rest of the senior staff. Silongo was Zulu and had grown up in a tiny village in KwaZulu-Natal. Ensign De Vaal was a surfer boy from Durban. Silongo was pleased that Zulu was one of several languages the comms officer spoke, and they were chatting away in it. "Listen to this?" De Vaal said as he took his station at the comms post in the launch bay. "The pilot is an Aussie."
"This'll be fun," Silongo smirked as he listened to the slow drawl of Ensign Anu. "Wonder if he likes cricket?"
"Or rugby?" De Vaal offered.
"If worse comes to worse, I have a couple of assegais and iklwa as part of my cabin decorations," Silongo replied. De Vaal laughed as he continued to listen in on the shuttle's approach.
On the shuttle pod, Ensign Anu watched with his passengers in horror as a transport vessel suddenly careened into one of the space docks and sent debris flying. "Oh bloody hell!" he swore as an emergency broadcast came over the comm, to alert him to the danger. "Right, hold onto your teeth ladies!" The four women grabbed hold of anything they could for support as Anu steered the shuttle hard to starboard to avoid colliding with an enormous armature heading their way.
"What the hell is going on aboard that transport?" Silongo demanded as he watched the impending disaster unfold.
"Volatile chemicals on board sir," De Vaal replied. "One of the containers suddenly burst and caused an explosion in their aft cargo hold!"
"And again!" Anu exclaimed on the shuttle pod. This time he jerked the shuttle hard to port. Sato glanced at the pilot and was relieved to see his calm despite the situation. "Sorry for the crazy ride ladies, but we're clear now and right as rain!" Anu announced as they came upon the dock containing the SS Hokkaido. "This is shuttle pod Andoria 1," Anu said over the comm. "Requesting permission to dock."
"Andoria 1, permission granted," De Vaal replied. "Bloody hell that was some impressive flying."
"Nah no worries, mate!" Anu grinned.
"Tell me you don't have any intentions of piloting my ship like that, Ensign?" Sato asked as they docked.
"Nah, only if the bad guys are trying to take pot shots at us, Ma'am." Anu replied. He rose from his seat and opened the shuttle pod hatch for the women.
Talla disembarked first, followed by Sato, Nameela, and Tarran. Ensign Anu disembarked last and stood at parade rest behind the women as Sato introduced some of her officers. "Lieutenant Lwazi Silongo engineering and Ensign Karal De Vaal communications, I believe you already know Ambassador Talla and Lieutenant Commander Tarran. This is science officer Commander Nameela and helmsman Ensign Ian Anu."
Silongo nodded and informed Sato that their doctor would be arriving shortly. "The Vulcan ship Sh'tal should be arriving in an hour Captain."
With the formalities out of the way, the group headed for the bridge to await the Sh'tal and monitor the situation with the wayward transport. Talla sprawled luxuriously in the seat next to the captain's chair, as the others took their posts. Anu announced that the Sh'tal was ahead of schedule and would be sending their new ship's doctor over momentarily. Sato had to bite her lip at the way Anu had pronounced the Vulcan name. To her and several others it sounded as if he'd said 'shit all'.
"Nameela, Tarran? With me please. Silongo you have the bridge."
Sato, Nameela, and Tarran headed for the airlock the Vulcan shuttle would be docking at and awaited their newest arrival. Nameela's face broke into an enormous Denobulan smile when she saw their new doctor. "Doctor Saven reporting as requested Captain," Saven greeted with a gentle nod. Sato thought she was seeing things for a moment, but realised that yes, her new doctor was indeed smiling, if only slightly.
Saven returned to the bridge with the trio after formal introductions were made. Sato and Tarran both noted the obvious familiarity between Saven and Nameela as they were introduced. "We're on standby at the moment, Doctor," Sato informed Saven as she gestured the main screen showing the wreckage outside.
"Yes. We saw the collision as we entered the system, Captain. Captain Satak asked me to ask if they need any assistance," Saven replied.
Sato nodded and turned to her comms officer. "De Vaal, inform the Sh'tal that we thank them for their offer, but that we're on standby at the moment."
"Aye Captain," De Vaal replied as he relayed the message.
"Other than impending disaster, what do you think so far Doctor?" Sato asked Saven.
"I'm rather impressed...though I do question your logic in the appointing of the Denobulan, Captain." Saven said warmly.
"I've missed you too dear friend," Nameela replied with a smirk.
"A Vulcan with a sense of humour?" Talla asked Sato. Sato for her part shrugged.
"I suppose an explanation would be in order," Saven said. "My mother is part of the I.S.M.E. and was assigned to Denobula. Where I was born and raised."
"My mother worked with his," Nameela said, "and Saven and I grew up together."
"I'm not like the majority of my people I'm afraid," Saven commented dryly.
"I affectionately refer to him as my tainted Vulcan," Nameela purred. "We Denobulans tainted him well!"
That explains that, Sato thought as she put a hand over her mouth to hide her amusement, while Talla, Anu, and Silongo chuckled openly. Tarran just shook her while De Vaal found himself biting his lip, as Saven and Nameela shared a knowing look with each other.
Tbc...