Chapter Four
"So, how long were we gone for?" Jonas looked to Captain Whyrens, who looked back sympathetically.
"You were declared dead a week ago, after a short range probe picked up pieces of debris from the Fizzgig."
Jonas shook his head. "She was a good ship."
"She had a good helmsman."
Jonas smiled. "Thanks, Cap." He looked around sickbay. "This looks like a pretty sweet boat, though."
"The Thenardier?" Jason shrugged. "It suits my purpose."
"Which is?"
"Task force to find and stop more…well…more incidents like the one I had."
"Need a helmsman?" Jonas grinned. "I'm sort of between ships, right now."
Jason chuckled. "Talk to your captain about it. I have no problems with it if she doesn't." He paused. "Then again, you are legally dead. I think your first priority should be to contact your family."
"Aye, sir." Jonas thought back. "Sir, I have a question, if you don't mind."
"Of course." Jason smiled easily. "What is it?"
"What's a…chelwI'?"
"A what?"
"ChelwI', sir. One of the Klingons called me one."
"Ah." Jason nodded. "It means…well…it doesn't make sense."
"Oh?"
"He called you an 'accountant'."
"A what?"
"An accountant. I suppose because Betazoids are generally considered peaceful. An insult, Ensign."
"I see." Jonas frowned. "Not very creative, as insults go."
Jason grinned. "As you say."
"So, another question?"
"Sure."
"What's going on with you and Captain Hill?"
Even if Jonas wasn't a Betazoid, he would have still heard a metaphorical door slam shut in Jason's head. "Never mind that, Ensign. You get some rest, okay?"
"Aye, sir."
"We have a counsellor if you want to talk to anyone, Ensign. She's quite good, and very…well. I think you'll like her."
Jonas smiled uncertainly. "Oh?"
Jason shrugged. "She's full of surprises. But, Counsellor Olsoff is-"
"Mara Olsoff, sir?"
Jason blinked. "Yes…why?"
Jonas sighed, and lay back on the biobed. "Old girlfriend, sir."
Jason smiled roguishly. "You'll have to fill me in sometime." He patted the ensign on the knee. "Now get some rest."
"Aye."
Chuckling lightly to himself, Jason exited sickbay, and nearly walked right into Kat.
"Captain." He said, nodding, walking past her.
"Captain." She responded, hesitating outside the sickbay door, then turned around. "Jason?"
He paused. "Yes?"
"Are you just going to ignore me for the whole time I'm on board?"
"Yes."
Jason continued on his way, and Kat watched him go, sighing. She was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of the ship communications. "Corspa to Captain Hill."
"Hill here, Corspa."
"Captain, we found someone who says she served under you on the Fizzgig."
Kat's mood brightened. "Excellent, who is it?"
"Well, that's the problem, Ma'am. She's a Klingon."
"On my way."
The Klingon woman snarled as she fought against the Thenardier's security guards. "Let me go! I'm a Starfleet officer!"
"Riiight, sure you are." One guard mocked. "And I'm a descendant of Kahless. I have a badge that says so." He shook his head. "You killed a Starfleet officer and took their uniform. You disgust me."
"SoH 'oH Hutlh quv!" The woman shouted. "JIH toy' Daq Starfleet! JIH toy' bIng HoD Katharine Hill!"
The door hissed open, and Kat marched in, and bellowed at the guards. "Let Lieutenant T'Vral go, this instant!"
"Ma'am?"
"She's a Starfleet officer under my command."
"But, ma'am. She's a Klingon."
"And? Since when did Starfleet discriminate against race? Let her go this instant, Lieutenant, or I'll see you in the brig!"
The guards let T'Vral go, and she scowled at them, adjusting her uniform. Kat glowered at the men, who took a step back. "I'll talk to your Captain about this. Dismissed."
The guards exited quickly, and Kat nodded to Corspa, and then looked at her officer. "Are you okay, Lieutenant?"
"Aye, Ma'am." T'Vral scowled. "Nice place, here. I thought Starfleet was full of nice, understanding people, who wouldn't judge me."
"The majority of them are, T'Vral. Do you want to file a complaint?"
"If you want to, I have no problems with it." Corspa shrugged. "They need to learn a bit of humility."
"No, just let me go one on one with them in the Holodeck some-time."
Corspa grinned. "In between battlefield dinners, the Holodeck doesn't get much use. I'll arrange something suitable."
"Battlefield…dinners?" T'Vral looked interested, and confused.
"Oh, some of the senior staff meet on the Holodeck every few days and share dinner on the site of a battle, whilst it's taking place. An Academy tradition our captain started with our Chief Medical Officer."
T'Vral's eyes lit up. "Such a Captain has the heart of a warrior! Tell me, Lieutenant Commander…is he…single?"
Corspa glanced over to Kat, who tried to appear disinterested in the question, between shooting jealous looks to her officer.
"It's hard to say." Corspa allowed. "He had his heart broken some time ago, and I don't think he quite recovered."
Unaware of the discomfort her captain was in, T'Vral grinned, showing sharp, pointed teeth. "I would help him get over his lost female."
"Not so lost." Corspa muttered under her breath, looking pointedly at Kat, who blushed. T'Vral saw the exchange, and looked to Kat uncertainly. "Captain…you and this ship's Captain are in muSHa'?"
"I don't know what that means," Kat said airily, "But I can guess. And the answer is no."
"I can ask Captain Jay what muSHa' means." Corspa said brightly. "Our Captain's fluent in Klingon." She told T'Vral conspiratorially.
"Ah!" T'Vral exclaimed. "He was the old Captain of the Fizzgig?"
"That's right, his first command."
T'Vral nodded. "It makes sense now, thank you, Commander."
"Any time." Corspa smiled, not quite understanding. "Now that the staffing issue's sorted out, shall I show you both to your quarters?"
"Wait." Kat said, frowning. She turned to T'Vral. "Was there anyone else down there?"
"No, Captain." T'Vral said sorrowfully. "Everyone who survived the crash and attack are on board the ship. I was the last one."
"How many did you lose?" Corspa asked quietly.
"There's four of us left." Kat said. "Out of 200."
"Captain Whyrens!" Jorel Quinn greeted him amiably. "How's your vacation going?"
Jason tapped his desk. "It went quite well, sir, thank you."
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"In a manner of speaking." He sighed. "Admiral…"
"Now, now, this call is unofficial, Jason."
"Okay…Jorel." Jason felt odd calling his superior by his given name, but pressed on. "The…peace I wanted to find wasn't quite as…peaceful as I thought."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I gained four new members of crew from my expedition, all of them from a ship I served on before." Jason looked at the image of Quinn meaningfully.
"I see." Quinn frowned. "Maybe this should be an official call after all."
"Yes, sir. I have four survivors of the Fizzgig attack on my ship. Captain Hill, Lieutenant Tahiri, Ensign Jonas, and Lieutenant T'Vral are all safely aboard the Thenardier, sir. There were no other survivors."
Quinn nodded. "For the time being, Captain, keep them aboard, until a board of inquiry can convene to discuss the ramifications of this."
"Sir…" Jason squirmed. "You're aware of the history that Captain Hill and I have together."
"History? You served together for a week, son. And most of that week, you…well, let's just say you weren't yourself."
"But…" Jason scrambled desperately for a reason, any reason, to get Kat off his ship. "What if I had a…relapse?"
Quinn chuckled, seeing through Jason's obvious ploy. "Jason, if you were to have a 'relapse', I have no doubt that the ship would be secure. Captain Hill could beat the living tar out of you without raising her pulse."
"Oh."
"She was a hand to hand combat specialist." Quinn shrugged. "You should have known that from her file. You should know your officers better!"
"I thought I did know her, Sir."
Quinn sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Captain…I'm not going to pretend I know all of what happened between the two of you, but I'm smart enough and experienced enough to take a wild guess. Now, under any other circumstance, I'd be happy to take her off your hands. However, the Federation has far more pressing concerns right now than the love life of Jason Whyrens."
"Sir…"
"No, you've said your piece. The board of inquiry will convene when it can to look into this situation, but it may take some time. You've been out of contact with Starfleet for a good few days now, so you may not have heard."
"Heard what, sir?"
As Quinn explained the situation he, and the Federation, were in, Jason soon forgot all about his own problems. When he had finished, Jason sat back in his chair, stunned. "This all happened in the last few days?"
"Yes." Quinn nodded. "You may need the crew of the Fizzgig there. Your task force has been temporarily re-assigned, and I'm sending you on a special mission."
"Aye, sir."
When Quinn had signed off, Jason looked at his chrono. 22:15 hours, ship time. 'Well, there's no time like to present. Might as well get this over with.' He tapped his communicator. "This is the Captain to all hands. Until further notice, we're on Yellow Alert. All senior staff, report to the briefing room. All able bodied crew of the Fizzgig, likewise.
"Vulcan has decided to leave the Federation."
"You can't be serious." Sammy proclaimed.
"Serious as a Borg attack, Sammy." Jason shook his head. "As of 81 hours ago, Vulcan ceded from the Federation, citing a gross misuse of resources, and an illogical stance to the Klingons, which would lead to the fall of Starfleet and the Federation."
"So, it's a political stance?"
"Yes." Jason glanced briefly at Kat, then turned away to face the other officers. "And it's being led by the Vulcan minister of defence…an old friend of ours."
"Oh?" Corspa raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, no." Sammy answered her. "Not him."
"Who?" T'Vral asked.
"Former Starfleet Admiral T'Valt of the starship Daikatana."
"Oh, him." Kat scowled. "I hate that guy."
Jason blinked, and gave his attention fully to his former first officer. "Last time we encountered T'Valt, when he was still in Starfleet, you were fully prepared to believe him over me, if memory serves."
"Yes, well-"
"You shot me."
"On orders." Kat grimaced, and shifted in her seat.
"You were prepared to have me executed."
"Captain Whyrens, I hardly think now's the time to go through our past."
Jason studied Kat briefly, then nodded. "Sadly, our past's going to bite us all on the ass." He slid a Padd over to her, which she glanced at.
"What's this?"
"Orders from Admiral Quinn. Effective immediately, the Thenardier is on special assignment, to go to Vulcan and try to talk to T'Valt. I'm in command of the mission, but since a lot of the crew of the Daikatana, who might be able to reason with him, are on duty…elsewhere, I have to utilise the resources available. Luckily for me, an old crewmember of the Daikatana is right here." He fixed Kat with a stare.
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yes. Until this crisis is averted, Captain Hill, you've been assigned as my First Officer as a Commander. Just like old times." Jason held his arms out. "Qu' QaQ poHmey!"
T'Vral chuckled, but the other officers at the table looked amongst themselves confused. Jason looked to the Klingon. "Lieutenant, if you'd care to honour us with the English translation?"
"There's no literal translation, Captain, as you well know, but I believe the closest you Humans have is an old saying; 'Let the good times roll'?"
Jason nodded. "We arrive at Vulcan in 72 standard hours. Get some rest, read the files on T'Valt and the rest of the Vulcan Ministry of Defence, and prepare for one hell of an argument, when we try to use logic against stubborn Vulcans." He looked around the table. "Dismissed."
As the officers filed out, Kat lingered for a second. Once the last officer had left, she turned to face Jason.
"Captain."
"Yes, Commander Hill?" He blinked. "You know, I got shivers from saying that. It's eerie."
"For the record, Sir, yes, I believed T'Valt over you. Yes, I shot you, and yes, I was fully prepared to help execute you, even if it meant pulling the trigger myself."
Jason looked at her expressionlessly. "You have a point to make, Commander?"
"Yes, sir." Kat hesitated. "That's why I hate him." She took a deep breath. "Almost as much as I hate myself."
Jason sighed, and gestured to the chair closest to him. Kat slowly moved over, and sat down beside him.
"Kat, I wanted to thank you for something you did."
"Oh?"
"You were declared dead by Starfleet."
"Yes, I know that." Kat looked at him expectantly.
"And there was a video file that your Will asked to send out in the event of your death-"
"Oh, no." Kat put her head in her hands. "You watched it?"
"I was respecting the wishes of the woman who made it. It was a nice video, too. Bit low on the production value side, but all in all, I found it quite informative."
Kat raised her head. "So now what?"
He sighed. "Now, I have to deal with emotions that I've tried to bury for months. When I thought you were dead, and watched that video you made for me, it gave me some closure."
"That's what it was meant for."
"Not much closure, mind you. And how dare you decide what's best for me?"
"I was…I am…your first officer. It's my job to make sure you're following your best interests."
"I'm flattered, but I don't want a babysitter."
"Yes, Corspa told me you've refused to take on another first officer."
"Just protecting what belongs to you, Kat."
The two officers smiled at each other, briefly. Jason broke off their eye contact first, and stood. "Well, it's been a long day for the both of us. You're back from the dead, and I'm a hero. Again. I'll see you in the morning, Commander."
"Aye, sir." Kat let Jason get a few paces from the door, before calling out to him. "Just one thing, Jay."
"Yes?"
"Down in the cave, when you thought I was a Klingon, you said 'You killed the woman I love '."
Jason took a deep breath. "Yes?"
She looked at him reprovingly. "That doesn't sound like you've been burying your emotions."
He shrugged. "You were dead."
"And you wanted to join me."
Jason half-smiled. "You had just kicked me in a very uncomfortable place. I was in a lot of pain…and you kick like a freaking mule!"
Kat stood, and walked past him, brushing a hand against his arm. "Just protecting what belongs to me, Jay." She arched an eyebrow, winked at him, and exited.
Jason shook his head, and looked around the empty briefing room. "What the hell's wrong with these women?" He rushed out of the door, and speed-walked up to Kat, who had a self-satisfied smile on her face. She turned to face him. "Yes, Jay? Is there something I can do for you?"
"Firstly, apologise for kicking me…where you kicked me."
She looked at him askance. "For trying to defend my own life?" She saw the look on his face. "Okay, I'm sorry. What else?"
"Sorry?"
"You said 'firstly'. What was the second thing?"
"Ah, yes." Jason looked her up and down appraisingly. "Well…you may have noticed that the crew of the Thenardier has a strict dress code, and it would behove-"
"No."
"It would behove the First Officer to maintain that dress code."
She glared at him. "You've got to be kidding me."
Jason shrugged. "I know you look fantastic in black."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Jay."
"Well, you look amazing in the uniform."
She jabbed him in the chest with two fingers. "Don't push your luck. I kicked you with my weaker leg before, Whyrens, you do not want to experience a repeat with my stronger one."
Jason edged away, turning pale.
'I was joking….great, now he thinks I'm threatening him.' Kat sighed inwardly. 'Back to stage one.' She tried to think of the best way to get around it, and settled for kissing his cheek. "But thank you for saying I look good in your horrible, horrible uniform. And for rescuing me." She smiled, and entered the Turbolift.
Jason looked around, realising that he was on his bridge, and his crew were all looking at him.
"Carry on with your business."
He walked into his ready room, and his bridge officers were surprised that a man who'd been threatened would be smiling, and, inexplicably, whistling.
The next morning, Jason sat in his chair on the bridge, reading status reports, when Sammy paged him.
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Captain, I thought you should know that Lieutenant Tahiri is awake and conscious, and Ensign Jonas has been cleared for regular duty."
"That's wonderful news, Sammy, thank you."
"Do you want to tell Capt…Commander Hill, or would you prefer I do it?"
The Turbolift door hissed open, and Jason turned to look at the newcomer. Unable to keep the broad grin from his face, he turned to Corspa, who winked at him. "I'll let her know myself, Sammy. Commander Hill just came up to the bridge now."
"Understood, Edwards out."
Kat strode towards him. "Let me know what, sir?"
"Tahiri and Leonard are both doing fine."
"That's…that's great."
"Speaking of great…"
"Don't." Kat ran her hands down the side of her uniform. "It's still too tight." She complained.
Jason grinned, as Kat tried to adjust the jet black and red uniform she had put on, in accordance with the Thenardier dress code.
"You designed the damn thing, couldn't you have gotten the tailor to make it a little more loose around the sides?"
"You get used to it." Corspa nodded, smiling.
"I feel like I can barely breathe."
"You're fine, it was tailored to fit you perfectly. You're just not used to a uniform that's as…stylish as this."
"Stylish?" Kat raised an eyebrow. "You call this stylish? You may as well bring back the bow tie."
"Hey!" Jason blinked. "Bow ties are cool."
She snorted, and sat down next to him, turning slightly before undoing the strap at the top of her uniform, and letting the top corner fold down, loosening the uniform slightly. "Ah, that's better." She glanced at Jason. "That is, if that's acceptable to you, Captain."
He shrugged. "I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable, Commander."
She smiled back, saccharin-sweetly, at him. "Of course not, Captain." She looked around. "So, everyone on the ship wears the same uniform?"
"Almost."
"Oh?"
Corspa chipped in from behind them. "Counsellor Olsoff wears the earlier 23rd century Fleet uniform. You know, the velour one when Command wore gold and services wore red?"
"Ugh, I hate velour. And I look terrible in gold." Kat shook her head. "Why would she wear that dreadful thing?"
"It accentuates her…well. More than ample charms." Corspa grinned.
"Ah." Kat glanced down to her own chest, then turned to Jason. "I suppose you got her to wear that, did you?"
"What? No!" Jason turned to his chief of security. "Corspa, would you please tell Commander Hill that the Counsellor showed up for duty in that uniform?"
"Ohh, she did, alright." Corspa eyed her captain. "And you'd better back off. She's mine."
"Hang on, I thought Sammy was yours?" Kat frowned.
"Oh, he is. So's she…she just doesn't know it yet." She gestured to Jason. "So keep away, Captain, sir. You've got Commander Kat."
Jason and Kat glanced at each other, and nearly at the same time turned away, blushing.
"Anyway, Corspa, you may have a fight on your hands." Jason tried to change the subject. "The good Counsellor's has an old boyfriend aboard, in the form of Ensign Jonas."
"Jonas, eh?" Corspa pondered this. "I could take him in a fight."
Jason shook his head. "Time to Vulcan?"
"Sixty hours at current speed, sir."
"Can we increase our warp speed, and get there any faster?"
The helmsman turned to look at him. "Why, sir?"
"Because I really don't want this conversation taking place."
Kat chuckled, then cleared her throat. "Speaking of Ensign Jonas, sir, when you have a moment, I sent a request through to you before I came up to the bridge this morning."
"Okay." Jason tapped his Padd, and studied it carefully. Kat saw a smile grow on his face, and by the time he'd finished, he was grinning broadly. "This is your final act as Captain of the Fizzgig?"
"Well, either that, or your first act as his Captain."
Jason thought for a second. "How about a joint act? I mean, I'm a Commander who's a Captain, and you're a Captain who's a Commander."
Kat nodded. "Sounds good, Commander Whyrens."
"Thank you, Captain Hill." He brought up the day's schedule. "How's 2000 hours?"
"Perfect." She smiled at him. "Knowing you, there'll be an odd setting."
"Odd setting?"
"You know. Pirates, or a battlefield dinner."
Jason turned in his chair to face Corspa. "Battlefield dinner, huh?"
Corspa shrugged. "They're fun. Sort of."
"Uh-huh." Jason tapped his armrest gently. "I'll come up with something suitably 'odd' for it."
Kat nodded. "Well, anyone who can grow a beard like that is capable of thinking many odd things."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with my goatee?"
"You look like you're eating a Tribble."
Corspa snickered, and Jason heard a few other trickles of laughter on his bridge. "As you were!"
The laughter subsided, and Jason looked at his first officer archly. "You're just jealous that you can't grow a beard this fantastic."
Kat smirked. "I can do anything you can do. But better."
"Captain." The helmsman interjected. "Not that this talk about facial hair isn't interesting, but we have a Vulcan frigate approaching us at warp eight."
Jason frowned. "Why're they coming to meet us now? We're still sixty hours away from Vulcan."
"Unknown, sir."
"Hail them."
"Aye, sir." Corspa entered the command in. "Onscreen."
"This is Captain Jason Whyrens, of the USS Thenardier. Can we be of assistance?"
The image of a Vulcan male flashed up on screen, who nodded at Jason.
"I am Captain Vrintal, of the VTS Sybock."
"Captain, you appear to be on an intercept course with us."
"Yes, Captain." The Vulcan seemed unperturbed, as only a Vulcan could. "Perhaps you are unaware of the situation currently taking place on my world."
"You mean that Vulcan's ceded from the Federation?" Jason asked, standing up. "Oh, I'm aware of that."
"Then," The Vulcan continued. "You should be aware that Starfleet vessels are not permitted to enter Vulcan claimed space."
"That one, I didn't know."
"Any such act will be viewed on as aggression, and we will retaliate."
"Then we'll hold right here." Jason commented, smoothly. "All stop."
Vrintal nodded. "Thank you, Captain. What are your intentions?"
"Oh, I've come to talk to an old Academy friend of mine. T'Valt."
The Vulcan's eyed widened almost imperceptibly. "Administrator T'Valt has made his feelings on Starfleet quite well known, Captain. Until a resolution can be reached, no Starfleet officer can set foot on Vulcan."
"I see." Jason thought for a moment, then gestured towards Kat. "We're not here as Starfleet officers. My wife and I were married on Vulcan not too long ago, and we were hoping to have a second honeymoon."
"I see." The Vulcan paused. "Where were you two married?"
"We were wed near Mount Tar'Hana. We've got some beautiful Holopictures, if you'd care to look some time."
"Now, Honey," Kat said, through gritted teeth. "Don't bother the nice Captain. If we can't go to Vulcan, we can't go to Vulcan."
Jason sighed heavily. "Well, when you're right, you're right, sweetie." He bowed slightly to Vrintal, and performed the Vulcan salute. "Peace and long life."
"Live long, and prosper." The other Captain returned the salute, then blinked out of view.
"Married?" Kat asked archly.
"It was the first thing that came to mind."
"Married?"
"Oh, be quiet." Jason smiled. "I'm going to do some research for the Ensign Jonas thing. You have the bridge, Number One. Let me know when our Vulcan friend calls back."
"You think he will?"
"We're parked just outside Vulcan space, and we're not going anywhere. To call us back would be logical." Jason nodded to Kat, and left the bridge.
"Well." Kat said, mostly to herself. "That was…different."
She heard a noise behind her, then turned around to face Corspa. "Did you say something, Lieutenant Commander?"
"No, ma'am." Corspa smiled at her, then continued to hum an old Earth song under her breath.
"What's that?"
"What's what, Ma'am?"
"You're…humming something."
"Yes, it's a delightful piece of music called 'The Wedding March'."
Kat sighed, and shook her head. "It's so good to be back."
