"Captain's log, stardate 48532.4. We're on our way to Deep Space Nine. Where Admiral Sisko tells me he encountered the Protostar but no Chakotay, however we have a lead of his where abouts in the Gamma Quadrant..."

Captain Janeway walked along the corridor, Zelda keeping pace just behind her.

They finally reached a door set in the same compartment as the mess hall. Janeway paused outside of it, and took a deep breath.

"I understand this crew is still divided," Janeway said slowly, "but while it's my ship, we do things my way. The Starfleet way."

Zelda crossed her arms over her chest, looking thoughtful.

"That may not be possible in every situation, Captain," she pointed out. "Again, under the circumstances."

Janeway gave her a slight glower, and first officer held up her hands.

"I'm not proposing we do away with the Prime Directive or anything like that," Zelda said quickly, "but a lot of standard regulations designed for ships operating within reach of friendly worlds and bases just aren't going to work in the Gamma Quadrant, Captain. It's going to be messy and difficult to figure out how to handle things and Starfleet principles should be a start. Even if the Federation have a sort of alliance with the Dominion."

Janeway let out a soft sigh, but her tension lessened slightly. She nodded back to her.

"Granted," she said. "However, if you're going to pull something that crazy? I will be informed first."

Zelda nodded.

"Yes ma'am," she replied.

"Well! I'd like to discuss that and how to handle security protocols with you over breakfast." She nodded towards the doors. "In the captain's private dining room."

Zelda blinked. "Shouldn't we get Lieutenant Tuvok here for that, Captain?"

"We'll go over that with him afterwards, but I want to get to know my new first officer better first," she said, offering a smile. "Maybe try to predict you a bit better."

"Thanks, I think, Captain," Zelda said, smiling back. Janeway turned and stepped towards the doors. They opened... Letting out a billow of steam. She stared in disbelief, as Zelda looked over her shoulder.

Ivo Robotnik, assitant Science officer. And now, apparently, a chef as he went this way and that around what used to be the private dining room for the captain. People were already lined up in front of a counter, picking up food of various kinds.

"Elise watch out for the petty officer!" Ivo cried. He looked back at Janeway and Zelda, his moustached face twisting into a smile of delight. "Captain! Lieutenant! Welcome!" He headed over to a pot filled with some kind of bubbling black mixture, and ladled some of the concoction into two coffee cups. "What a delight it is to see you at breakfast! Here, here!"

"What is this?" Janeway asked in an icy tone, promising pain. Ivo handed her a cup, before delivering the second into Zelda's hands.

"Well I heard you liked something called coffee, so I looked it up on your computers and found a way to synthesize it" Ivo

"No Robotnik," Janeway stated, "I mean what did you do to my private dining room?"

Ivo turned around, tending to a pot on another cooking surface. Janeway took this time to hold up the cup and sniff it. Zelda copied her, and wore almost the exact same expression of disgust she did. Ivo turned back around, oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the Starfleet Officers.

"Well I decided to make a crew kitchen!" Ivo said cheerfully.

Ivo turned to see to a customer at the front-A green looking ensign. Quite literally.

Janeway clutched at the cup tightly. Zelda calmly poured the contents of he cup into a bubbling pot. "Didn't Ambassador Neelix pulls something like this on Voyager?" Zelda asked, Janeway nodded, Ivo then returned to look back at them with a smile.

"Seems the Leola Root Stew didn't agree with that poor young ensign," Ivo chuckled. "I'll have to cut down on the peppers next time for him!"

"Robotnik, you should have informed me before you tried anything like this, especially in my dining room," Janeway growled. Zelda actually took a step back from the captain, bumping into a pot. It fell, and she scrambled to catch it before it hit the deck! She managed it, but then groaned under the weight.

"What the heck are you cooking in here, rocks?!" Zelda cried. Ivo shook his head.

"Oh no! Just some Rinaxian Rock Beetles!" Ivo said. "They're a widespread trade good! They weigh a lot but they're oh so good!"

Zelda peeked into the pot. She could see several multilegged things crawling around in the boiling water. She quickly hefted it up and placed it back on the stovetop, waving her heated hands around to cool them off. Ivo smiled at the fuming captain.

Janeway's commbadge beeped, and Ivo was saved from the captain's wrath by her answering the call.

"Janeway here," she stated.

"Captain, we've arrived at the planetoid from Admiral Sisko's Chakotay lead," Tuvok said, "we're entering a standard orbit."

"Acknowledged, I'm on my way," Janeway stated. She tapped her badge and glowered at Ivo. She pointed her finger at the floor. "We'll discuss all this later. For now? You and Lieutenant Zelda get to the transporter room and get ready."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Ivo said cheerfully, saluting her. He grabbed an ensign and pointed at the pots. "Keep an eye on these until I get back, all right? The engineering crews from nightshift are coming off duty any minute and I want them to have a good hot meal!" He ordered. The assistant science officer doffed his apron and chef's hat and scurried off through the doors. Janeway glared after him, while Zelda sidled up beside her.

"You know, lots of terrible, accidental things can happen on an away mission," Zelda observed in an innocent tone of voice.

"Don't tempt me," Janeway sighed.