Chapter 1: First Officer

"Lt. Samantha Wildman. You knew her didn't you, Kim?" asked the captain.

Lt Cmdr Harry Kim allowed himself a moment of remembrance for his first ship assignment, Voyager. "Yes, she was a good officer as I remember. A hard worker even with a child to tend to." he replied.

"That's what I'm deciding. She has put in a request to bring her young one, Naomi, on assignment. It appears that her husband is on a mission and will not return before we set off. We are not equipped for young children by any means but this one is nearing 14. What do you think?"

Harry was not sure how to answer. Usually the captain decided these matters. As first officer, he knew he would be making decisions but this one could be a trap. Naomi was certainly a well-behaved little girl but it had been 6 years at least since he had seen her. If she were anything like she used to be, she would be studying hard for the entrance test into Starfleet Academy but 14 year olds are not easy to predict. If the captain took his advice and Naomi caused trouble, would he be responsible?

"Relax, Commander, it isn't a trick question. I think it would be nice to have a young face around. I will approve her request. We will not be gone long and this girl has expressed interest in Starfleet Academy. Some time on a ship will do her good. It looks like Lt. Wildman hasn't put in for many assignments in the last few years."

Captain Baikel Arana tried to get her new first officer to relax a bit. She loved going over new crew manifests and getting to know the people she will be commanding a little before they started filling up the ship. She liked Harry but he was a little anxious for her taste. When she read his Starfleet record, she was very impressed. He was the first of the Voyager crew to put in for a new assignment and has been out ever since. After being pulled halfway across the galaxy the way he had been, she would not have blamed him for taking his time before taking on a deep space assignment but here he was on a ship destined for the far reaches of Federation space. He had always gotten glowing praise from his captains and if half the things Janeway said about him were true then he was going to be a terrific first officer.

Harry took a deep breath; his new captain was cool and confident and seemed to be easy going. Once he was settled in, he was sure they would get along wonderfully. He thought of the upcoming mission; they were transporting a doctor to the colony on Capriosa, a planet recently claimed by the Federation near the Romulan neutral zone. 'What an assignment that would be,' he thought. He would hate to be left on some planet out in the middle of nowhere on a colony struggling to make a new home.

The captain interrupted his thoughts, "Well, it's getting late and we have an early start tomorrow. You'll be busy with the duty rosters and personnel assignments and I'll be in meetings throughout the week so I'll see you at port."

"I'm looking forward to serving with you, Captain Baikel."

Stardate 60513.01

Harry entered the turbo lift and turned just in time to see Libby Calloway rush toward him. He was stunned to see her of all people here on the ship but the manners his mother had taught him were so deeply ingrained that he did not hesitate to hold the door for her.

"Thanks, Harry. Or should I say Commander." She smiled at him with a mischievous look on her face.

"Computer, Bridge. Libby, wow, what are you doing here?" He was sure he did not see her name on the crew manifest He would have definitely noticed his ex-fiancée no matter how tired he was when he read it.

"It's Dr. Calloway now. The doctor who was to go to Capriosa fell ill this week, so I am taking his place, at least temporarily. I knew you were the first officer on board but I see you weren't informed of our last minute change."

"No, I wasn't. You were definitely a… surprise"

"I hope this won't be a problem for you, considering our past"

"We are all professionals here. I'm sure we'll get along just fine," he said formally.

She stepped back and looked ahead at the door. He silently regretted the way he said that. 'What an idiot' he thought to himself 'I sounded like a jerk.' He was still so in love with her and seeing her had definitely knocked him off balance. The memories flooded through his head as he looked at the side of her face.

When he had returned to Earth, she was still single. She had tried to move on with her life when they told her he was dead. She finished her medical school and training and dated a lot even getting involved with a Ktarian musician. However, she never stopped wishing that her Harry would return. When Voyager had begun making contact with Starfleet again she had pulled his ring out of that old shoebox and wore it proudly. When he transported down to the surface of planet Earth she ran to his arms. As his fellow crewmen symbolically kissed the ground, he kissed her. They tried to move back into their old way of life but he had changed and so had she. There was not a specific reason for their split. At first, all they did was swap stories of his adventures and her experiences. It had taken six months for them to realize that the weight of the seven-year absence was just too heavy. He had moved out at her request so they could 'figure things out'. From that time on, he had taken any assignment he could get his hands on to get him off Earth. Every night he had checked his transmission log to see if she had left him a letter, but he was always disappointed. Strange… he had based all his fantasies about getting home on marrying Libby and raising a family, now he was doing anything he could not to go home. It had been almost six years since he had moved out but the loss hit him right in the heart at the sight of her face.

He attempted to take back the moment and relieve the tension but before he could say another word the doors opened and Libby stepped out. He took a deep breath and stepped out behind her as the first officer of the starship USS Luminous.