A/N: We're almost through with shore leave. After a brief epilogue which I hope to have up by this weekend, the Gallena and her crew will be off to new adventures. After the epilogue, the next part will see us going back to Ashley as she and her pals go to take in the sights on Nimbus III and in the process uncover something ugly. Also, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Doris. I hope you all are enjoying this and again, reviews and comments are welcome and I do read them—even if I don't always answer.

V'lana, Kaidan, and Kasumi

"Dark Star Lounge." Kaidan remarked, pointing at the sign over the door. "This is where we're supposed to meet Tovan's mystery contact. What was her name again?"

"Kasumi." V'lana responded as the couple entered the bar, V'lana's black and white dress that bared her left shoulder, combined with her flowing auburn hair and pointed ears, drawing attention from the lounge's patrons as she and her companion made their way to the bar. "This is where we're supposed to meet her."

"What'll you have?" The turian bartender inquired.

"I'll have a Canadian whiskey." Kaidan replied, "What about you, 'lana?"

"Asari mead." The lovely Romulan replied with a smile. "I developed a taste for it on Ilium."

"Try this." The bartender said as he poured from a bottle into a glass and handed it to his new customer. "It's a very good vintage. Got it in a recent shipment from Thessia."

"Hmmm." V'lana licked her lips before taking a sip. "This is good. Kaidan?"

"Yeah, 'lana?" The handsome biotic replied as he sipped his drink.

"Remind me to send our bartender a selection of some of our liquors." Speaking to the mixologist, V'lana explained, "We have some very fine liquors that you'll probably enjoy. We don't have a lot to spare, but I think I can spare a bottle each of Romulan ale, Andorian ale, Klingon bloodwine, and Saurian brandy."

"I don't know what those are…" the bartender replied with the turian equivalent of a grin, "…and I can't drink them unless they're dextro. But I have a few customers who might like to sample them. Tell you what…as my way of saying thanks, how 'bout I comp your and your friend's drinks tonight."

"Thanks." The lovely Romulan smiled as she took another sip.

"Hello. You must be Subcommander Avesti."

Turning her head, V'lana noticed a woman with Asian features sitting at the formerly unoccupied stool on the other side of her. "And you must be this Kasumi my first officer told me about. You said you wanted to meet me…"

"That's right." Kasumi acknowledged. "I'm glad your people were able to get that girl out of trouble."

"Your information helped." Kaidan declared.

"So…" V'lana prompted, getting down to business, "…what did you want to talk to me about?"

"First off…" The Asian woman replied, "Allow me to formally introduce myself. Kasumi Goto…master thief."

"All right…" V'lana quipped, "Why do I need a thief working for me?"

"You do realize that you're going to have people trying to steal stuff from you." Kasumi responded, making her case. "Especially your technology. Who better to catch a thief than a thief?"

"She makes a good point." Kaidan interjected, "Remember that STG agent we caught trying to sneak on the Gallena."

"Yeah." V'lana nodded her head before further explaining, "He tried to slip on board using an infiltrator cloak. My people have been playing this game for a long time, so we caught him pretty quickly—all it took was a scan."

"Yeah. Your people caught me pretty easy as well with your scanners." Kasumi admitted. "So…what did you do to him? Nothing drastic, I hope. I've run into a few people in the STG. Yeah, there's a few who have sticks up their cloaca, but most of them are all right."

"Oh…nothing permanent." V'lana replied. "After we interrogated him and I had words with the salarian councilor, we sent him back. He had a bit of headache because we had to use a telepath during the interrogation, but other than that, he's unhurt."

"You know…" Kaidan pointed out, "…we could use unofficial eyes and ears here. Having someone who blends into crowds easily and who knows the ins and outs of this place couldn't hurt."

"Good point." V'lana agreed and then queried the master thief seated next to her. "Does that work for you? And if it does, what's it going to cost us?"

"That works." Kasumi approved, "As for pay…I don't need much…enough for rent and food and incidentals. And…I need your help on a little matter."

"It depends on what you want our help on." V'lana declared.

"Not here." Kasumi whispered. "Too many ears."

"How about our room?" Kaidan suggested, V'lana nodding her head in agreement.

"That works for me." Turning to Kasumi, the subcommander requested, "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah." Kasumi nodded, "Hotel Elysium, Room 542, right?" Her lips turning up in a wicked grin, she activated her cloak. "See you there."

V'lana, Kaidan, and Kasumi

"You can decloak now, Kasumi." V'lana called out, rolling her eyes as she, Kaidan, and their invisible guest entered the suite that the Romulan subcommander and her lover shared.

"You take all the fun out of it." The Asian master thief mock pouted. "You didn't use any scanners so how did you…"

"I'm a low level telepath." V'lana replied with a smirk. Chuckling at the look of alarm on the face of her guest, she quickly amended, "Don't worry…I can't read thoughts from a distance. I have to be in touch contact for that and even then I can only pick up on surface thoughts. But…I can sense when someone is in the vicinity. So…sit down, have a drink, and tell us what this favor is you want us to do for you."

"Telepaths too." Kasumi shook her head as she sat down and poured herself a glass of water, "One of these days I've gotta see where you come from."

"I'll show you around New Romulus when you do." V'lana snickered, "Now…what's this favor you want us to do for you?"

"I need your help in recovering something my…friend…Keiji…lost. Something very valuable."

"What is this thing?" Kaidan inquired as he sat down on the loveseat next to V'lana.

"A graybox." Kasumi replied. Seeing the questioning look on the Romulan woman's face, the master thief clarified, "It's an implant that preserves memories."

"It also has some really nasty side effects." Kaidan interrupted. "You can't remove it for maintenance, and you better pray that it remains bug free because if either occurs, brain damage happens. That's why only researchers working on very high priority projects and top-flight spies use them."

"So…which category did your friend fall into?" V'lana questioned.

"Keiji was my…partner…and more." Kasumi confessed. "We were working a job on Beckenstein when he was killed."

"Let me guess…" Kaidan sighed, "A heist gone bad."

Nodding her head, the master thief continued her tale. "He was killed and his graybox removed from his skull by Donovan Hock."

"Arms dealer and smuggler. He's supposed to have quite the art collection." Kaidan explained, then gave their guest a pointed look, "You were after something in that collection—weren't you?"

"Yeah." Kasumi admitted, "Hock managed to get his hands on a Faberge egg. Would have brought a hefty profit on the black market." Taking a deep breath, the lovely rogue pleaded, "Look…I'm not interested in any of his art or anything like that. All I want is the graybox. It has all of his memories…of us…they're all I have left of him. Please."

"There has to be more on that graybox than just memories of the two of you." V'lana speculated. "Hock took it for a reason and I doubt it was because he wanted to practice a bit of voyeurism. What else is stored on that implant?"

"I don't know." Kasumi earnestly responded, "Honest. But…before the two of us partnered up, he was an agent for the Alliance Intelligence Agency. Maybe it contains something sensitive?"

"That's possible." Kaidan allowed. "If it does, then that could pose a problem for us if Hock should sell that information to the batarians or Cerberus or any of the mercenary groups like the Blue Suns or Eclipse."

"Do you know if Hock has managed to crack the box yet or not?" V'lana inquired.

Kasumi shook her head, "I don't think so. If he'd cracked it, that info would be on the market and I'd know about it."

"Good point." V'lana conceded, "It's a loose end we don't need right now. So…" The Romulan subcommander prompted, "What do you need from us and when do you plan on pulling off this heist?"

"I need someone who knows what they're doing to help me." Kasumi responded, her spirits noticeably raised. "I've got the tech and hacking end covered well enough and can handle myself in a fight okay, but a skilled biotic who can handle a weapon or a good spec ops type would help. As for when I'm ready to go, there's no real hurry. I still have some details to iron out and prep work to do first. I'm also going to need to do some dry runs with my partner before we try the real thing. We've got to get this right the first time because we're not going to have any second chances."

"Recommendations?" V'lana asked, turning to her companion.

"Hmmm…" Kaidan considered the question for several moments before answering. "Right now, I can think of six candidates besides myself: Jacob, Thane, Samara, Mordin, Garrus, and Miranda. We can't go with Romulans or any of the races from your neck of the woods for obvious reasons."

"Let's see…" V'lana mused, pondering her response. "I'm inclined to knock Mordin, Miranda, and Garrus off the list. I'd rather keep Mordin working in the lab right now. Miranda's valuable for her knowledge of Cerberus's inner workings so I want to keep her close at hand in case I need her. Garrus is out for obvious reasons." The lovely Romulan shook her head, "So, that leaves Jacob, Thane and Samara. Any one of those would get the job done for you, Kasumi."

"All three are biotics and skilled combatants." Kaidan interjected.

"I'll have their dossiers forwarded to you and you can choose for yourself who to work with." V'lana decided, "Fair enough?"

"That's more than fair." Kasumi replied with a smile, "I'll let you know who I want and when I'm ready to do it. Until then…where do you want me?"

"For now, you'll be working here from our interest section." V'lana declared. "I or Staff Commander Alenko will brief you on what we're wanting from you later. Any other questions?"

"No." The master thief replied as she activated her cloak. "I can show myself out. Thanks again!"

Waiting until they were sure their guest had actually departed, V'lana, motioning for her lover to remain silent, took out her tricorder and scanned. Nodding her head in satisfaction that there were no eavesdropping or surveillance devices, she spoke, "You've read Solana and Vega's after-action reports on that factory incident. What's your take? Do you think Garrus is the mystery sniper that took that turian down yesterday?"

Heaving a sigh, Kaidan somberly responded as he freshened both their drinks, "Yeah. I think so. He's always had a tendency to want to take the law into his own hands and is very protective of his friends and teammates. Jane was usually able to keep him from flying off the handle like she did when he asked her to help take down Dr. Saleon. He respected her—not that he doesn't respect you or your authority—it's just that…"

"I understand what you're saying Kaidan. From what you and the others who knew her have said, Shepard was a very charismatic individual." V'lana soothed, "I can also understand his pursuing menhei'sahe. What he did was a very Romulan thing to do. However, I can't allow the actions of one of my crew to endanger our relations with the Citadel or the Alliance."

Nodding his head in agreement, the human biotic queried, "So…where do we go from here?"

"That man, Harkin, who Solana and Vega mentioned in their reports, the one that operated the forgery and disappearing racket. What do you know about him?

"He's a scumbag." Kaidan bluntly responded. "Ashley, Jane, and I had the misfortune of having to deal with him when we were looking for evidence to take down Saren. He had just been booted from C-Sec because he was a drunk, beat up suspects, and was involved in all sorts of corruption."

"In other words, an asshole." V'lana candidly stated. "Do you think he'll testify against Garrus?"

"Hmmm…" Alenko pondered the question for several moments before answering. "I don't think so—for a couple of reasons."

"Go on…" V'lana prompted

"First, he's not going to sing unless he gets a good deal from C-Sec, and I don't think Pallin is going to be inclined to do that."

"Why not?"

"The Executor is very much a stickler for the letter of the law and a strong believer in all of his officers being accountable for their actions. As far as he's concerned, Harkin was a bad cop and a disgrace to C-Sec. He's not going to want to cut him any slack. If anything, he's going to want to throw him under the jail."

"And the second reason?" V'lana inquired.

"Harkin knows that if he talks, he's a dead man. Blue Suns, Eclipse, and whole lot of other people will be gunning for him if it even looks like he's about to cut a deal. He also knows that if he stays quiet and does his time, once he's released, he's probably going to get a fat paycheck. So…I think he'll stay quiet. That still leaves the question of what to do about Garrus and Massani." Kaidan glumly noted, "He did kill that turian in cold blood and Massani helped."

Sighing, V'lana replied, "You're right. I can't let that go without something being done. It sets a bad precedent. For now, I've ordered both of them confined to quarters until further notice. I've also placed reprimands in Vega's and Solana's files for not informing me or the XO about this once they found out what Garrus wanted to do. I'm also ordering both Garrus and Massani to undergo counseling with Kelly and they'll continue seeing her until she says they don't have to anymore."

"Fair enough." Kaidan nodded, "What about worst case—what if Harkin talks and tells all?"

"Then, if C-Sec requests their extradition, I'll have no choice but to grant the request." The subcommander declared in a grim tone. "I'm half tempted to toss Massani out on his ass anyway, but sometimes you need someone who's willing to do whatever it takes to get shit done, and, like it or not, Massani does fit that description. As for Garrus, pursuing menhei'sahe, no matter how much I understand and sympathize with his reasons, does not give him a…what's the human term? Blank check?"

"Yeah." Kaidan nodded.

"Right." V'lana declared, "There has to be some consequences for him going off like that. For now, because it was a matter of menhei'sahe, I'm willing to go with restriction and counseling unless C-Sec decides to pursue formal charges. As for Massani…next screwup by him and he's out on his ass." A mischievous smirk appearing on her face, V'lana set her drink down and leaned in towards her lover, "I think we've talked enough business. I wanna play. And what 'lana wants…"

"'lana gets."

Hotel Elysium

"Looking good, 'lana!" Kaidan grinned as he saw his lover wearing her best uniform—the 23rd century standard Romulan female minidress with a red sash draped over her shoulder.

"You're pretty scrumptious yourself." V'lana replied as she gazed at the handsome Canadian biotic clad in Alliance dress blues.

"Thank you." Kaidan preened as he took the lovely Romulan subcommander by her hand, "Well…are you ready for the big show?"

Laughing, V'lana took her escort linked her arm with his. "Let's greet our public."

Presidium—Opening of the Federation/Romulan Republic Interest Section

Standing in front of her camera, Emily Wong took a deep breath and exhaled as her cameraman warned, "Going live in five…four…three…two…one. You're on, Emily."

"Good morning, this is Emily Wong at the Citadel reporting from Council Plaza in the Presidium for Future Content Corporation News. The big story of the day is the opening of the new embassies representing the most recent members of our galactic community: the Romulan Republic and United Federation of Planets. Also…" the picture transitioned to a human woman wearing a gold miniskirt standing next to another human wearing what looked like a fine suit, "…we can confirm that humans are indeed members of this Federation. Are they the children and grandchildren of a lost colony ship that found safe harbor among these new aliens? What can we learn from our long lost human cousins and their non-human colleagues? And…what can we offer them? We'll try to bring you answers to these questions and more as our coverage continues. But now, we take you live to the proceedings."

A few feet away from Emily, another reporter stood in front of another camera and prepared to address her audience. "Go, Khalisah!"

"This is Khalisah al-Jilani and you are watching Westerlund News, your source for news from the human perspective. The story of the hour, of course, is the appearance of two new mysterious governments. The Romulan Republic and the United Federation of Planets. Who are these new aliens?" The news camera then focused on a lithe human female with her long blonde hair done up in a beehive style and wearing, as an apparent uniform, a gold miniskirt. "What I can tell you is that the rumors of humans—presumably from one of our lost colony ships that ventured out at the very beginning of humanity's entry into interstellar space—belonging to this Federation are true. Will these humans rejoin their brothers and sisters in the Alliance? Or, have they so succumbed to the influence of aliens that they themselves have become alien? These are just a few questions I am going to seek answers to as we continue our coverage. We're now going live to the opening ceremonies."

"This is Diana Allers and you're watching Battlespace and we have exclusive footage for you." The image of the buxom dark haired reporter faded away to be replaced by that of a large ship orbiting the Citadel, resembling, in many ways, a circling bird of prey down to the raptor painted on its hull. "What you are looking at now is the Romulan Republic Warbird Gallena. And this…" the image of the warship now was replaced by a picture of V'lana, clad in her Romulan uniform, "…is its youthful commander, Subcommander V'lana Avesti. How will the entry of the Romulans and the Federation affect the balance of power on the galactic scene? If that warbird is any indication, this reporter would say that their impact will be dramatic to say the least. Throughout the day, we will have interviews with members of the Alliance and Council as we try to answer those questions. Stay tuned to Battlespace for more."

"Nervous, Subcommander." Tevos grinned as she noticed the Romulan officer tapping her foot.

"I'm that obvious?" V'lana exclaimed as the man standing next to her tried and failed to keep the smirk off his face, "Someone wants to sleep alone tonight."

"Sorry, 'lana." Kaidan snickered, "It's just I've never seen you this…uptight…before."

The subcommander barely kept from scowling as she eyed the press pool. "Have you taken a look at those reporters? They're a fucking warrigul pack."

"They're not that bad." Kaidan chuckled, "Besides, you've got Emily Wong interviewing you. Feel sorry for Cilla and me—she got the short straw and got stuck with Al-Jilani and I have to deal with Allers."

A wicked grin appearing on the subcommander's face, she quipped, "Well…when you put it that way…I guess you deserve to get laid tonight."

"Ah…" Liara quipped with a sly smile as she greeted her friend, "I see the Ice Queen has arrived."

"I might look cool on the outside…" Cilla whispered, maintaining her stoic exterior, "But inside, my stomach is doing cartwheels. It's not so much the ceremony that's got me nervous…" the willowy blonde explained, "…it's talking to that reporter afterward."

"Which one did you draw?"

"I think her name is Khalisah al-Jilani." The lithe Starfleet officer responded. "Apparently I lost our little lottery over who gets which reporter. Anyway, I caught some of her news casts so that I could get an idea as to what to expect…and let's just say that I have a feeling it's going to be a long afternoon."

"I remember Shepard having a run-in with her once." The beautiful asari recalled, "Al-Jilani kept trying to trip her up, but Jane was always one step ahead of her."

"I noticed that she likes to ambush her subjects." Cilla concurred further concluding, "Her newscasts also come across as very xenophobic. I saw a series of reports that she did recently about an Alliance soldier working with the asari. Jilani really did a number on her."

"Yes. I remember seeing the newscasts too. "The soldier was Cora Harper. She was part of the Andromeda Initiative."

"That's the group that just recently sent a colonizing expedition to the Andromeda galaxy, isn't it?"

Nodding, Liara affirmed, "Right. I knew the human who was named their Pathfinder, Alec Ryder. We corresponded on a variety of issues. A good man. I never met Harper, but I do know of her by reputation." Returning to the subject of al-Jilani, the asari information broker recalled, "In her interview with Harper, al-Jilani essentially accused her of being more asari than human."

"That's stupid and narrow thinking." Cilla commented. "From what little I've seen of not just asari culture, but the cultures of the other races in this universe, they have a lot to offer to not only this branch of humanity, but to us and each other as well."

"If only we could learn to drop the barriers that separate us." Liara bemoaned sadly. "Perhaps one day." Briefly touching her human friend on the arm in a supportive gesture, the lovely asari smiled, "Come see me when you've finished your interview. You can vent over a bottle of Trillian aurea with me if you want."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer." Cilla replied with a ghost of a smile, "Thanks."

Hackett, Anderson, and Mikhailovich

"Which ship are you assigning to the exploration flotilla, Boris?" Councilor Anderson whispered as his fellow councilor, Tevos, delivered the opening remarks.

"The Tarawa." The taciturn rear admiral replied, "They're sending whoever or whatever it is who's supposed to work with us from their end later today. I still think it's a waste of time. We're searching for a needle in a haystack."

"Perhaps." Hackett conceded, "But it's not like we have many options and if Cerberus is working with extra-universal aliens and those aliens have anything at all that compares to what our new friends have, then we're going to need all the help we can get."

"That warbird probably would have been a match for Sovereign." Anderson interjected, "And we all know the price we paid to bring that thing down."

"You're right." Mikhailovich sighed, "It's just…there's something else that's been bothering me?"

"What Boris?" Anderson asked in a solicitous voice.

"Let's say we find that gateway and these extra-universal aliens come and set up shop here." Inclining his head towards Cilla, Mikhailovich remarked caustically as he saw the willowy blonde speaking amiably to first Liara, and then to a pair of salarians, a turian, and a quarian. "Look at her. She gets along better with aliens than she does her own people."

"You're forgetting, Boris…" Hackett calmly rebuked, "Their first contact with aliens went a lot smoother than ours did with the turians. That probably made a big difference in how they look at other species."

"It's not that." Mikhailovich countered, "I'm not afraid of sharing the galaxy or universe or universes, with non-humans. You know I'm no Terra Firma bigot. It's just that I'm afraid we might lose our identity completely and get swallowed up by this Federation. I don't want us to lose ourselves. To forget who we are. Forget the price we and our parents and grandparents paid to get to where we are now. I don't want that to happen.

"That's not going to happen, Boris." Hackett replied consolingly. "They're not looking to expand here. From what Subcommander Avesti and Lieutenant Commander Oudekirk have been telling me, they've got enough problems in their own universe."

"Maybe." Mikhailovich sighed as Tevos finished her presentation, "Maybe not. We'll see."

Hearing his name announced as the next speaker, Anderson took a deep breath. "My turn to speak to the wolves. We'll talk some more at the Subcommander's dinner tonight."

"Give 'em hell, David." Hackett grinned as his former officer made his way to the podium. Turning to the man next to him, the admiral quipped, "Take a look on the bright side, Boris, you're finally going to be able to get a look at the inside of that ship."

Meet the Press—Emily Wong

"Thank you for this interview, Subcommander Avesti…" Emily Wong announced, addressing the Romulan woman seated across from her as well as her extranet audience.

"Please…" the lovely Romulan interrupted with a polite smile, "…call me V'lana."

"All right...V'lana…" Emily replied with a grin of her own, "First off, welcome to Citadel space. I know our audience is full of questions about you…"

"Feel free to ask." V'lana encouraged before admonishing in a friendly tone, "Just please remember that for various reasons I might not be able to answer certain questions or answer questions completely."

"Understood." The reporter nodded her head, "So…are you ready for the first question?"

"Fire away."

"Okay." Emily grinned, "Let's start off with what's probably on everyone's mind right now. Where do you come from and how did your species originate?"

The interview continued for over an hour as Emily probed for information, her subject answering the questions she could while at the same time deftly deflecting those that she couldn't or wouldn't answer until, the allotted time reached, the reporter thanking her subject, ended the dialogue.

"Thank you for your time, Subcommander. And I would also like to inform our viewers that I am one of the reporters who have been chosen to embed on the Gallena. If all goes well, I will be speaking to you all from the Romulan starship. Good night and treat each other well. Emily Wong signing off." After her technician had signaled that the feed had been cut, Emily extended her hand. "Thank you for the interview. I thought it went very well. And also…thank you for allowing me to embed with you. When should I report aboard?"

"You're welcome." V'lana smiled as she took the human reporter's hand and shook it. "Report to the docks tomorrow morning 0800. We'll have a shuttle waiting for you and the other reporters coming along." Sighing, the subcommander admitted, "Off the record…"

"Of course." Emily agreed, her salarian technician, taking the hint, moving off out of earshot of their conversation. "Go ahead, please."

"The original plan was just to embed you, but, politics…"

"Say no more." Emily laughed, "I understand."

"Don't worry…" V'lana consoled with a grin, "We'll keep to our earlier arrangement. Any exclusives that can't be aired at once for security or other concerns will go to you first once they've been declassified."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." The reporter smiled back, "Well…I better go and get packed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Meet the Press—Khalisah Al-Jilani and Cilla

"This is Khalisah Al-Jilani and you are viewing Westerlund News—news from a human perspective. Today we have as our guest Lieutenant Commander Cilla Oudekirk, Starfleet, from the United Federation of Planets. Lieutenant Commander Oudekirk." Khalisah inclined her head at the blonde human seated next to her, "Welcome to our broadcast."

"Thank you." Cilla politely responded with the thinnest traces of an icy smile.

"First off, your accent…" Al-Jilani commented, "It's Dutch…is it not?"

"Yes, it is." The willowy blonde replied, maintaining her cool exterior. "My family came from the Netherlands originally."

"I see. So…" the reporter probed, "…do you have any desire to go to Earth and see your former homeland again?"

"Neither the Netherlands nor Earth are my 'homeland' as you put it." Cilla corrected. "I was born on a colony world within the Federation. The Tarsus IV colony to be precise. That being said, I would like to visit Earth at some future date if for no other reason than for curiosity's sake."

"So…you have no great desire to return to your human roots?" Al-Jilani snidely insinuated.

"My…human roots…as you put it." The Starfleet officer coolly responded, not mentioning her Trill heritage. "Are in my DNA and chromosomes. I don't need to return to any place to find my roots—they are already here." She concluded, placing her hand over her heart.

"I'm not sure our viewers will see it that way." Al-Jilani responded in an effort to trap her subject into making an emotional response.

Not rising to the bait, Cilla calmly responded, "They are free to draw whatever conclusions they desire. I cannot dictate how another thinks or feels."

Seeing that she wasn't getting any traction, Khalisah shifted topics, "Your 'uniform'. Is that standard dress in your military?"

"Starfleet is not a military branch per se." Cilla politely corrected.

"You have weapons and uniforms and a rank structure. That sounds military to me." Al-Jilani countered.

"While Starfleet did have its roots in military organizations…" The willowy blonde explained, maintaining her composure as she spoke, "And starships do possess the means to defend themselves should it prove necessary and it is true that one of Starfleet's missions is the defense of the Federation and its allies, that's not its primary mission."

"Then what is?"

"Starfleet's primary purpose is exploration and making contact with new life and civilizations." Cilla declared. "And as for your earlier question; because all of our service information is biometrically encoded, starship captains are free to enforce whatever uniform standards they see fit. That principal also applies to our Romulan allies. Some ship captains are more exacting in uniform requirements than others. As for my uniform…this was originally the standard uniform in Starfleet. Older style uniforms…and hairstyles…such as what I'm wearing…have made something of a comeback recently. Some ship captains have embraced it…others have not."

"Still…" Al-Jilani huffed, "I think most of our viewers will find that outlook strange, to put it mildly."

"They're welcome to think how they wish." Cilla shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "After all, the Federation Charter ensures the rights of all sapient species to free speech as well as a free press."

"So, you're saying that in your Federation all species are considered equal." Khalisah pressed with a derisive snort.

"Yes." The Dutch Starfleet officer coolly responded. "The Federation consists of over one hundred and fifty member planets comprised of many different species. I believe you were given a data disc with that information—were you not?"

"I was." The reporter reluctantly admitted, "However, I must question its veracity. Why have we not encountered your Federation as yet, if as you say, it is so large as to comprise over a hundred and fifty worlds?"

"How much of this galaxy have you really explored?" Cilla smoothly countered. "Most of it lies outside of your mass relay network. While your technology was derived from the Protheans, not all species took that route of development."

"Are you willing to share this new technology with your fellow humans in the Alliance?" Khalisah asked, now taking on a more confrontational stance.

"Not at this time." The Starfleet officer responded, "As for when and if we do so, that is a question that must be addressed by diplomats and politicians. Although I think it is safe to assume that if the Federation does decide to share its tech with the Alliance, it will also do so with the other Citadel Council races."

"I see that even your branch of humanity sees humans belonging to the Systems Alliance as second-class citizens. Speaking of which…" Al-Jilani queried, "How did humans come to be in your Federation? After all, our first, unfortunate, encounter with alien races was the First Contact War in 2157, less than thirty years ago and we've only possessed interstellar flight since 2148 when we discovered the Prothean ruins on Mars. There simply is not enough time for a human civilization to develop outside Alliance territory. Where did you come from?"

"I'm sorry…" Cilla replied in a frosty tone of voice, "That information is classified, as you have been told and was agreed upon by your superiors with not only us, but also Alliance military command and the Citadel Council." Standing up, the willowy blonde looked down her nose at the smug reporter still seated at her chair, "This interview is over. I trust that you will have a good day."

As the Starfleet officer calmly walked away, Khalisah addressed her audience, "And that abruptly concludes our interview leaving us with more questions than answers. Are these Romulans and this Federation truly our friends and allies? Or are they yet another threat to humanity? This reporter is determined to get to the truth. Khalisah Al-Jilani of Westerlund news signing off."

Meet the Press—Kaidan and Allers

"See you later, Kaidan." V'lana murmured before kissing her human lover on the cheek. "I've got a meeting I have to go to. Have fun…" Her eyes drifting to the well-endowed reporter currently checking her equipment, the lovely Romulan quipped, "But not too much fun—I don't want you to get smothered by those Battletits."

Laughing, Kaidan joked back in response, "I don't think you have to worry about that, 'lana. I have no intention of going where everyone has gone before."

"Ha! See you later, lover!"

"Was that Subcommander Avesti?" Diana Allers, who had noticed the couple moments earlier, inquired as she inclined her head in the direction of the Romulan now exiting through the door. "I was hoping to meet her."

"I'm sorry." Kaidan replied with a noncommittal grin, "But she had a meeting she had to attend."

"Oh well…" Diana answered back with a smile, "It's no big deal. I'll have plenty of opportunities to interview her on her ship later. So…" She gestured to her studio where her crew were already at their stations. "Shall we begin the interview?"

Nodding, Alenko replied, a smile still on his face. "Lead the way."

"Have a seat, Staff Commander, and we'll get started." Diana gestured to the chair next to her. Looking at the camera, she introduced her guest. "Welcome to Battlespace. I'd like everyone to give a warm welcome to Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko, the Alliance liaison to the Romulan Republic Warbird Gallena. Welcome to the show, Staff Commander."

"Kaidan, please." The human biotic replied with a practiced smile on his face.

"All right, Kaidan. And please call me Diana. Now…shall we get started? First. What exactly are your duties as the Alliance liaison?"

"To put it simply…' Kaidan replied, "My job is to assist in coordination between the Alliance and the Republic and Federation. I'm also in charge of Alliance personnel serving on the Gallena on detached duty."

"So…there are Alliance personnel on the Gallena?"

"Correct. We also have a couple of asari, a turian, a quarian, a salarian, and a drell in our complement."

"Your ship seems to be quite the melting pot of different races and cultures. How is it even possible to keep everything working smoothly?" Diana inquired, "I'd think you and Subcommander Avesti would be kept constantly busy refereeing disputes and brawls."

"The different races and cultures actually work quite well together." Kaidan contradicted, further elaborating. "You have to remember, where they come from, the intermingling of alien races is quite common. And, while the Romulan Republic is only just now getting used to a more cosmopolitan viewpoint, the Federation has had mixed crews on its ships for some time."

"I must admit…" Diana exclaimed with a grin, "I'm looking forward to seeing how this all works in practice." Facing the camera, she explained to her audience. "I, along with two other reporters, have been chosen to embed on the Gallena. So…you better stay tuned to Battlespace for more broadcasts from inside the Romulan warbird." Turning her attention back to her guest, the reporter inquired, "How did you encounter the Romulans?"

"I was on leave…" Kaidan said, using his old cover story, "…and had booked passage on a cargo freighter that was jumped by batarian pirates. I gotta admit, it was looking grim for a while. The other passengers and crew had been killed and I was trapped in my room getting ready to make a last stand. That was when the Gallena showed up. I guess the captain managed to get off a distress call before he was killed and luckily, the Romulans picked it up and decided to investigate. They took out the pirates, boarded the ship and rescued me."

"That's quite the story." Allers exclaimed, "Have you seen their ship in combat? We know from various reports that they use energy weapons. How effective are they against our kinetic barriers. How do you think an Alliance dreadnaught would fare against the Gallena?"

"Honestly…" Kaidan replied, being careful not to reveal too much, "…the dreadnaught would get its butt kicked."

"Really?"

"You've seen the size of the Gallena." Kaidan pointed out. "Thankfully, they've decided to ally with us."

The interview continued for another half hour with Allers asking questions mostly dealing with Romulan and Federation combat capabilities, trying to dig for extra tidbits of information as Kaidan skillfully deflected her probing, while keeping to the script and not revealing any real information until, with time expiring, Diana reluctantly broke off the interview. "I'm sorry, but that's all the time we have today, but don't worry, I'll be back soon with more Battlespace." Once the feed had been cut, she turned to her guest and grinned, "I gotta admit, you did a good job ducking and weaving my questions. I'm looking forward to coming aboard your ship. 0800 tomorrow, right?"

"That's right." Kaidan acknowledged as the pair shook hands. "See you then."

"Count on it."

Cilla and Liara—Shepard Memorial Park

"Over here!" Liara, sitting on a large blanket on the ground, called over with a wave as she recognized the blonde Starfleet officer approaching. "I thought it was such a lovely day that we could have a picnic if you wish." Holding out a goblet, the lovely asari grinned, "Here…I thought you could use this right about now."

A slight grin crossing the cool exterior of the Dutch officer, Cilla replied as she knelt down and joined her friend on the blanket, taking the goblet and sipping its contents. "You're right. I do need this after getting through that cross examination disguised as an interview."

Chuckling, Liara joked as she handed a small plate to her friend, gesturing to the baskets and containers on the blanket. "Now you know why Jane wanted to punch her."

Laughing as well, Cilla replied as she fixed a plate consisting of a chicken salad sandwich and potato salad, "Commander Shepard must have had a remarkable sense of self control to not knock that woman into the next galaxy."

"Jane was a remarkable woman." Liara sighed as memories of her fallen friend rushed through her mind. "And a wonderful friend."

"I get the impression you wished there was more…" Cilla shyly suggested before quickly apologizing, "I'm sorry…that was rude of me. Please…forget I said that."

"No." The beautiful asari shook her head, her lips turned up in a winsome smile, "You weren't rude. And yes…" Liara admitted, "I do admit to having had something of an infatuation with her." Chuckling, she reminisced, "I remember making a fool of myself when I blurted out to her how I felt. You have to understand…by asari standards, I'm still considered to be barely out of adolescence. So…yeah…I had the equivalent of a schoolgirl crush on Jane."

"That's understandable." Cilla responded with a slight smile, "From the vids and still pictures I've seen of her, she was a very attractive woman. I don't think she got upset over you having a crush on her."

"She wasn't." Liara replied, the sad smile still on her face as she freshened hers and her friend's drinks. "She let me down very gently and easily and we became good friends and confidants." Her sad smile now replaced by a mischievous grin, Liara gently probed, "So…your turn now. Was there anyone in your life who is or was special?"

"No." The willowy blonde shook her head. "Not really. The Ice Queen image scares most men and women that I might have been interested in away before I even get to say hello. And on those few times when we do get beyond the hello stage…" Cilla shook her head, "…it just never works."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Liara sympathetically responded, extending her hand to gently and briefly touch the back of her friend's hand. "They've missed out on the opportunity to get to know a warm and good human being."

"Thank you." Cilla answered back in a soft voice as a slight warm smile came to her face. "And you're a very kind and gentle soul."

Her smile brightening at the other woman's praise, Liara, inclining her head slightly at the sight of the faint spots on her friend's neck, gently inquired, "I'm surprised no one has mentioned your spots."

"It's not like they stand out that much." Cilla chuckled before taking a bite from her sandwich and swallowing. "I'm only a quarter Trill from my mother's side. Everyone else is human. Also, there is only one other Trill on the ship besides me, so it's not as if there's a whole lot of us." Shrugging her shoulders, she quipped, "I think most of the people here think they're just tattoos and don't think anything else about it ."

"Probably." Liara nodded her head in agreement. "People tend to see what they want to see."

After about an hour of pleasant conversation, their picnic meal finished, Cilla placing her hand over her mouth to conceal her burp, apologized with a slight blush, "Sorry."

"That's all right." Liara grinned, "So…are we still on for bridge with Samantha and Satra later on?"

"Definitely." Cilla grinned, "I've got the beta watch, but I'm relieved at 2000 hours. Let's say, 2100 hours—my quarters?"

"Looking forward to it." Liara acknowledged with a smile as the two women, after cleaning up after their lunch, said their goodbyes. "Until then."

RRW Gallena—Guess who's coming to dinner

"Welcome to the Gallena." Subcommander Avesti smiled as she greeted her guests. Please allow me to introduce my senior officers." After she had completed the introductions, the subcommander gestured to the turbolift. "If you'll accompany me, I'll be happy to give you a tour of the ship. Admiral Hackett…Councilor Anderson…I know you've already received the grand tour, but…"

"That's fine, Subcommander." Admiral Hackett interjected with a grin. "We don't mind seeing it again."

Councilor Anderson concurred, "Please…lead the way."

As her entourage passed by a Scorpion fighter currently undergoing maintenance, V'lana couldn't help but notice the inquisitive looks on the faces of her guests. "Would you like to take a closer look?" She prompted in an almost teasing voice.

"If it's all right with you…" Hackett replied politely, trying, but not completely succeeding, in keeping the note of anticipation out of his voice.

Approaching the fighter, Mikhailovich raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he noticed an Alliance marine working with a Romulan engineer. In answer to his unasked query, V'lana explained, "That's Lieutenant Cortes. The engineer is Lieutenant Rodek from my crew. Cortes has proven to be quite adept in flying the Scorpion."

"Lieutenant Cortes." The admiral called out. Pausing in his work, Cortes looked about and, at once spotting the dignitaries, nudged his friend working next to him. As both men quickly came to attention, the Alliance pilot replied in a crisp voice, saluting.

"Admirals…Councilors."

"At ease, Lieutenants." Admiral Hackett replied, "That's a fine ship you're working on." The weather beaten admiral commented, "How does she handle?"

"Like a dream, Sir." Cortes answered back. "She's got a tight turning radius. Maneuverable. And fast."

"Armaments and capabilities?" Mikhailovich inquired.

Seeing V'lana's subtle head nod granting him permission to answer, Cortes promptly replied. "Dual plasma cannons and a torpedo launcher, Sir."

"Besides plasma torpedoes, we carry a number of photon and quantum torpedoes." V'lana explained, "Different torpedoes are effective against different adversaries."

"Using the right tool for the job." Sparatus, the turian councilor, noted approvingly.

"May I?" Admiral Mikhailovich requested, indicating that he would like to take a closer look at the fighter.

"Be my guest." V'lana replied, giving her approval.

Approaching the fighter, the punctilious admiral gave it a careful inspection, nodding his head in approval at how clean and well maintained it appeared. Pausing before Cortes, he questioned, "I expect a straight answer from you, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Sir." Cortes promptly responded, snapping to attention.

"Have you or any other Alliance personnel had any difficulties dealing with the Romulans or any other races on this ship? Have you been treated with respect?"

"I am pleased to report, Sir, that I and the other Alliance personnel assigned here have been treated with the utmost courtesy and respect by both Romulans and Starfleet. Our ranks are recognized by ship's command and crew, and, barring certain restricted areas, we are permitted free access to ship facilities and services."

"Are you saying that there are no problems? None at all?" Mikhailovich pressed.

"Of course, not, Sir." Cortes promptly answered. "With respect, there will always be some conflict. Staff Commander Alenko and Centurion Kev move very quickly to deal with any issues that might occur. If I may, Sir…" the Alliance pilot paused, waiting for approval from his superior officer. On receiving both Mikhailovich and Hackett's nods of approval, he continued, "I would have to say that serving on this ship has been one of my favorite tours of duty."

"Thank you for your input, Lieutenant." Mikhailovich responded with a nod of his head. "Dismissed."

"This way, and we'll continue the tour." V'lana urged as she guided her party towards the turbolift. As the group walked, the subcommander paid careful attention to the conversations going on around her.

"So…Boris…" Hackett murmured, "What do you think?"

"I wish we had a couple of squadrons of those fighters." Mikhailovich replied. "It would put us on a par with both the asari and the turians."

Heaving a dejected sigh, Anderson responded with a shake of his head, "We're going to have to get beyond that mode of thinking, Boris, if we're going to win this upcoming fight. Like it or not, we can't take on Cerberus and whoever's backing them alone."

"Anderson's right." Hackett declared, "Humanity's going to have to lose that chip on its shoulder if we're going to make it through this intact."

Casually walking up to the Romulan subcommander, the asari councilor whispered in a low voice, her lips turned up in a sly grin. "I remember you telling me that Romulans have more sensitive hearing than humans…I take it you're listening in on their conversation."

"Of course." V'lana whispered back with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Wouldn't you?" Smirking as Tevos barely repressed a giggle, the subcommander clued the asari councilor in what she had just eavesdropped, commenting, "Hackett and Anderson understand what's at stake and they're slowly, but surely, bringing Mikhailovich around."

"Good. Tevos replied in a low murmur, "If your hunches are correct on even a part of what we discussed at our last meeting, we're going to have to present a united front and be willing to set aside some old prejudices."

"Exactly." V'lana agreed, "Mikhailovich might be a pain in the ass and he's definitely got some issues where nonhumans…especially turians are concerned…", the subcommander posited as both she and the asari councilor at once noticed the hard looks that the Alliance admiral was giving the turian councilor who, in turn, repaid those glances with icy cold glares of his own. "But he does know his job."

"I agree." Tevos responded, further suggesting, "We're all going to have to get beyond our parochialism. Even…especially…those of us on the Council—myself included."

Engineering

"A working singularity." The salarian councilor, Valern, exclaimed in astonishment, "How do you contain it?"

"I'm sorry, that's classified." V'lana responded and then offered in consolation, "Should we find a way to bridge the gap between our universes, we can let the diplomats work out a possible tech sharing treaty."

"And if we can't?" Sparatus countered.

"We'll…as the humans say…cross that bridge when we come to it." The subcommander responded, Anderson nodding his head in understanding.

"Fair enough."

Spying Lieutenant Adams hunched over a monitor consulting with Veril as Gabby and Ken worked with Tali and a pair of Romulan engineers on another project, Mikhailovich inquired, "What sort of projects do you have our people doing? Make work to keep them busy?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" V'lana invited, calling out to Adams. "Lieutenant Adams? Would you come here for a moment?"

"Yes, Subcommander." The human engineer acknowledged. Approaching the councilors and admirals, Adams came to attention and saluted, "Sirs."

"What was it you were just doing, Lieutenant?" Admiral Mikhailovich requested in a gravelly voice.

"I was running simulations with the chief engineer…Lieutenant Veril, Sir."

"Veril?" V'lana called out to the Reman engineer, "Would you join us, please?"

"Yes, Subcommander." The young engineer responded with a quick step, coming to a halt beside the human engineer.

"What sort of simulations were you running with Lieutenant Adams?" The subcommander inquired.

"We were checking the viability of a plan to use Element Zero to enhance our structural integrity fields." Veril responded.

"Who came up with that idea?" Mikhailovich queried.

"Lieutenant Adams, Admiral. With Ken, Gabby, and Tali, along with one of my engineers, contributing."

"How do the simulations look?" Mikhailovich asked probingly.

"They're looking promising, Sir." Adams responded, "At first we weren't sure about whether the magnetic containment would hold, but Sublieutenant T'kyra suggested that we decrease the polarity and fortify the ion matrix and that seemed to work. That's what we were running the simulations on."

"Impressive." Councilor Sparatus opined, "I am gratified to see that there are real contributions that we can make to this effort and that we're not fully dependent on extra-universal technology."

"There is much that we can learn from each other." V'lana diplomatically stated, drawing a nods of approval from the councilors and admirals—even Mikhailovich.

"Thank you, Lieutenants." Mikhailovich acknowledged, "Continue with your work."

"Aye, aye, Sir." Adams saluted as he and Veril returned to their task.

"Shall we continue with our tour?" The lovely Romulan prompted, "Next stop, sickbay."

Sickbay

"Dr. Chakwas!" Anderson called out a cheerful greeting as he spotted the doctor of the old Normandy consulting with a Romulan nurse.

"David!" Chakwas answered back, waving her arm. "Admiral Hackett…Admiral Mikhailovich…councilors…Dr. Aven had to run a brief errand and Kelly's busy with a patient, but they should be available soon should you want to see them."

"Dr. Aven is the CMO and Kelly Chambers is the ship's counselor." V'lana explained to her guests. Speaking to the human doctor, the lovely Romulan grinned, "We won't be here long, Doctor. The councilors and admirals were curious about your duties here.

"Come in and I'll be happy to talk about it." Chakwas replied, motioning for the group to her office. "Besides helping Dr. Aven out…" the doctor explained, "…I handle the majority of cases involving Alliance personnel."

"Dr. Chakwas is being modest." V'lana interjected, "She's done a good job in picking up how to treat the different races here."

"Some better than others." Chakwas admitted, "I have to consult with Dr. Aven on quite a few cases—especially those involving Romulan and Vulcan physiology. Believe it or not, there are subtle differences between the two subraces. Several thousand years of genetic drift will do that, you know."

"How well do you get along with the staff here?" Hackett inquired.

"Speak freely, Doctor." V'lana encouraged, "Please."

"I get along terrifically with the Romulan and Federation staff here." Chakwas responded, "They've been most helpful and cooperative…not to mention very understanding as I try to learn about their medical techniques…and…they listen to me when I have suggestions. For example, we're working on a means of integrating medigel into our treatment programs."

"I'm glad to hear that, Karen." Anderson replied. "If you need anything…"

"You'll be the first to know, David." The doctor laughed as an Andorian entered sickbay, walking with a limp. Shaking her head, Chakwas chided the new arrival, "How many times have I told you to warm up before you practice with your ushaan-tor, Esyl?"

"Sorry, Doctor." The Andorian replied sheepishly, "The Ice Festival is coming up and…"

"You thought you'd get a jump on the competition so you ran the holodeck program at maximum difficulty—right?"

"Yes, Doctor." Esyl acknowledged in a low voice.

Sighing, Dr. Chakwas motioned to an empty biobed, "You know the routine, Esyl. Hop on to the table and I'll take a look at that leg." Turning to her guests, the doctor apologized, "Sorry, but…"

"That's all right, Doctor." Hackett interrupted with a chuckle, "We can see ourselves out. Where to now, Subcommander?"

"The bridge." V'lana replied, "After we finish there, the rest of our guests will have arrived and dinner should be ready. I hope you brought your appetites, our chef really is quite good."

"Looking forward to it, Subcommander." The admiral answered back with a smile, "Please…lead on."

Bridge

Eyeing the bridge layout of the warbird, Admiral Mikhailovich nodded his head approvingly as Cilla, who had been standing bridge watch, rose from the center chair.

"Subcommander." The Dutch Starfleet officer greeted as she handed a padd to her commanding officer. "All is in order. No issues to report."

"Very good, Lieutenant Commander." V'lana acknowledged with a smile. "Don't mind us. I'm just giving everyone the grand tour."

"Aye, Sir." Cilla responded as Sparatus cleared his throat.

"Yes, Councilor?" The Romulan subcommander prompted, "You have a question?"

"I find it interesting that you would allow a human to take temporary command of your vessel. Aren't you concerned about security?"

"Cilla is my second officer and has my complete confidence, Councilor." V'lana smoothly replied. "As far as security is concerned, the Republic has treaties with both the Federation and Klingon Empire where we share vessels and crews. For example, one of my colleagues commands a Federation Nebula-class starship, while someone else I know commands a Klingon K'tinga. Klingon and Federation captains also command warbirds. As far as security concerns go…to be brutally honest, our intelligence services are pretty much aware of each other's capabilities." She further elaborated, "Klingons, for example, possess cloaking technology only slightly less advanced than ours, and some Federation starships such as the Defiant class escorts and intelligence ships also possess cloaking systems. In exchange, we have benefited from access to advanced weaponry and technology possessed by both of the other powers."

"Interesting." Tevos observed, "Perhaps one day the Council races might one day be able to share in this arrangement."

"That is my hope, Councilor." V'lana diplomatically replied.

Spotting a familiar face at the helm, Councilor Anderson called out, "Lieutenant Moreau?" As Joker began to get out of his chair, the councilor, aware of the helmsman's condition, quickly advised, "It's all right, Joker. You don't need to stand."

"Oh…I can stand just fine." The helmsman responded with a crooked grin as he got out of his chair, a Vulcan smoothly taking his place at the helm. Walking slowly towards his former captain, Joker, the grin still on his face, explained. "Thanks to Doctors Chakwas and Aven, I can move around a lot easier now."

"You have a cure for Vrolik's Syndrome?" Anderson exclaimed in astonishment.

"It's not really a cure." Joker further elaborated, "I have to go in for repeated treatments and need to wear this…" He pulled up his pants leg to reveal a mobility assistance device, "And I'm not gonna be dancing the Charleston any time soon. But I can get around and do more than I used to without breaking any bones. I'll take that and call it a win."

"Drs. Chakwas and Aven are working on a permanent cure." V'lana interjected, "It's just that there are some genetic differences between the two universes."

"Understandable." Valern observed, "Not all laws of physics and science will be identical. Differences must exist."

"Believe me…my scientists are having a field day here." V'lana quipped, drawing chuckles from the admirals and councilors, including Mikhailovich. Gesturing to the turbolift door, the subcommander prompted, "Shall we be off? Dinner awaits and I don't know about you all, but I am famished."

"Excellent idea." Hackett grinned, "I'm feeling pretty hungry myself. Ready when you are, Subcommander."

Raptor's Nest, Private Room, Subcommander's Dinner

"Your chef is full of surprises. The last time I had avix roast this good was back on Palaven." Admiral Caeus exclaimed, taking another bite of the turian delicacy on his plate.

"Indeed." Matriarch Lidanya echoed, offering her praises for the cuisine. "This is a most excellent shirvan. Where did your chef get the recipe."

"He's keeping tight lipped about it." V'lana grinned as she cut off a piece of the thick medium-rare porterhouse steak on her plate, "I've learned that it's best to not ask questions and just enjoy the surprise."

"Heh." Anderson laughed, "I see that you're enjoying that steak."

"I do love to eat and drink." The lovely Romulan admitted, "Sometimes a little too much. I'm going to be working off all these calories in the gym for the rest of the week."

"You should see V'lana tackle prime rib." Kaidan quipped with a sly grin. "We were having dinner one evening and I looked away…next thing I knew, her plate was clean and the chef was bringing in seconds."

"You like human cuisine?" Mikhailovich inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Sure." The subcommander replied as she took a sip of Romulan wine. "I also admit I'm growing fond of asari cooking. Klingon food's pretty much the only thing I won't eat. I don't like it when my food tries to eat me while I'm eating it."

"I must admit…" Lidanya remarked as she took a sip of asari honey mead, "I didn't expect such a meal." Taking a bite from her plate, she inquired, "What, may I ask, is this?"

"It's hlai'vanau." V'lana answered, "It's a traditional holiday meal among my people. I guess you could say it's similar to the humans' turkey."

"It's very good." Councilor Tevos interjected, "Please give our complements to your chef."

"I shall." The subcommander replied as desserts were brought in. "Please…enjoy your desserts. They come from a variety of Romulan and Federation worlds."

After everyone had finished their desserts and the small talk had died down, Councilor Tevos cleared her throat, "Subcommander…first…please allow us to apologize for the incident concerning the STG infiltrator. It should not have happened."

"Indeed." The salarian councilor, Valern, agreed, his embarrassment at the event obvious in his manner. "It was an unsanctioned action. The dalatrass who ordered it has been reprimanded."

"That's quite all right." V'lana courteously responded, "He was caught before he could get any sensitive data."

"This does bring us to what I want to talk about." Tevos remarked, carefully considering her words as she spoke, "While you do have members of our species on your ship, other than the human liaison, you do not have anyone with official Council sanction who can represent us. With your permission, we'd like to send a SPECTRE to you as the Council liaison."

Carefully considering the councilor's request, V'lana pointed out, "I have heard that SPECTRES operate outside the law and any authority other than that of the Council. I cannot have anyone on my ship who does not respect my authority."

"Understandable." Sparatus interjected, "The SPECTRE we would like to send is one of our best. He will also be instructed that while assigned to your vessel he is under your command."

"Also…you can order him off your ship should you feel that he is…as the humans say…going outside the lines."

"Who is this SPECTRE?" V'lana inquired.

"His name is Jondum Bau." The salarian councilor replied, "He's salarian and has an excellent reputation for working with other races."

"I've heard of him." Councilor Anderson interjected, adding his support, "He's got a level head. You won't have to worry about him going rogue."

After careful consideration, the subcommander nodded her head in agreement, "Very well. He can come on board on a trial basis."

"Thank you." Tevos replied, sighing with relief as she rose to her feet, "Now…I would like to as the humans say…propose a toast. To a long and productive partnership."