ACT TWO

Breakfast with Allison Li was always interesting. In the month since she had come aboard, Dan Hsiao had discovered that the temperamental damage control officer pretty much had two moods this early in the morning: surly and pissed.

This morning, she was pissed.

It didn't take a genius to realize that whatever had her so angry, the Chief of the Boat was intimately involved. Her glaring eyes, for once not bloodshot from lack of sleep, never left Master Chief Petty Officer Mackenzie's form as he sat with Lieutenant Commander Eisler four tables away, and she responded to Devereux's soft questions in monosyllabic grunts that would have made a Klingon proud. The rumor mill - aka Marie Devereux herself - said that Li and the Master Chief had been quite the couple before Li's battlefield commission, but one couldn't tell that from their current interactions.

"So," Marie said in her third attempt to start a conversation with Li. "Any ideas on the Commodore's mission?" Allison's response was to frown and return to glaring at the Chief.

Dan sat through an uncomfortable minute of silence before offering his own contribution. "Since we're taking Commodore Archer to Thor's Cradle, it's logical to assume he's opening negotiations with the Boomers." Both women shot him nearly identical sardonic looks.

"Logical?" Marie teased with a gorgeous smile. He loved that smile and the throaty laugh that so often accompanied it, but the memory of Drahn explaining precisely what would happen if Dan turned his attentions toward Devereux stilled any amorous thoughts fairly quickly - well, tempered them anyway. "Trying to become a Vulcan, Danny-boy?" Hsiao returned the smile.

"Not likely." He recalled a conversation he'd had with a surprisingly forthright Vulcan named Kov some years back, and went for the punch line. "That whole seven years thing ..." An appropriately dramatic shudder caused Marie to laugh even as Allison snorted. At least she's actually paying a little attention.

"Maybe you could get a special dispensation," Devereux quipped right back, still chuckling, "for medical reasons." Pretending to think about it, he gave her his best Vulcan look, complete with the raised eyebrow. She laughed again and he glanced at the opening mess hall door.

An unfamiliar ensign entered the mess hall, and Hsiao frowned. He prided himself on his near-photographic memory, and disliked not recognizing someone. Must be that new Security officer, he mused as the young man approached Commander Eisler and, indeed, the newcomer did wear the red of Ship's Services. Dan's eyes drifted back to his meal.

"Nathaniel Hayes," Marie identified him without being asked. "Just came aboard yesterday with the commodore and Commander Eisler." She sipped her coffee, smiling again; once more, Dan cursed Lieutenant Commander Drahn's very existence. "The COB had his team conducting training drills in combat gear before they even had billets assigned."

"Typical," Allison muttered, still stirring the adhesive gunk that Chef Killick called oatmeal. Her expression changed then, turning flat and emotionless. Without glancing back, Dan knew that Mackenzie had approached.

"Morning, COB," he offered as he turned his attention to the Master Chief. Hayes stood a little behind Mackenzie, looking very much like an officer newly graduated from the Academy.

"Lieutenants," the COB said by way of greeting. He stood in his familiar stance, almost a parade-rest with his arms clasped behind him. "This is Ensign Hayes." They gave him welcoming nods as the COB continued, his eyes zeroing in on Dan. "Lieutenant Hsiao, the captain has approved your flight training status. Ensign Hayes will be your first student." From where she sat, Allison bristled ever so slightly.

"A Security officer? He needs someone with a piloting background, not a ground pounder." No one failed to notice the lack of respect in her voice, least of all the COB. His tone chilled, now hovering about four or five degrees above absolute zero.

"Ensign Hayes already has a Class III atmospheric rating, Lieutenant." The younger officer straightened under their sudden re-appraisal; he obviously wasn't just a grunt in space. "Report to the launch bay when your duty shift begins, sir." It wasn't a request and, as he nodded, Hsiao was once again amazed that an enlisted man could wield such power; no officer on Endeavour - save the captain or Commander T'Pol - even thought about opposing Chief Mackenzie. Pissing off the senior noncomm aboard was not a good idea.

"Chief?" Devereux asked as he started to turn away. "Any word on the Salem colony?" Word that the colony had been hit had trickled onto Endeavour earlier yesterday while they waited for Engineering to get the warp drive back online, and everyone knew the Chief had family there. For the briefest of moments, a flicker of emotion flashed across Allison's face as she glanced at the Chief, a flash of concern that was gone almost before Dan even noticed it.

"No ma'am. It's likely that everyone is dead; Romulans don't take prisoners." Marie shuddered and Dan shifted his gaze to her; her brother had gone missing at Pacifica and she'd confided in Hsiao a secret hope that he would turn up after all. Dan fought the urge to reach out and comfort her. He damned all Andorian engineers everywhere. Speaking of which ...

"Any word on Commander Drahn?" he asked with a forced grin, hoping to change the subject to something ... lighter; the chief engineer's latest crazy experiment had been approved by Captain Tucker this morning and the injury pool was up to three hundred credits. To his surprise, Mackenzie gave him a grateful look, obviously recognizing the change in subject for what it was.

"Nothing as yet, Lieutenant. Given his record, however, it's only a matter of time." Dan's grin faltered as he stared at Mackenzie with something reasonably close to shock; was the COB making a joke? He didn't think it was even possible.

"COB to the bridge." The announcement echoed loudly in the mess hall.

"Lieutenants, Ensign." Mackenzie strode from the dining facility as Marie invited Hayes to join them for breakfast.

"What's a matter of time?" the ensign asked, and Marie laughed. Dan chuckled and even Li cracked a smile.

"Doctor Phlox calls it the 'Tucker Syndrome,'" Devereux started to explain, smiling that gorgeous smile. "Apparently in honor of the captain. Every single time Commander Drahn is on an away mission -"

"Or in engineering," Dan interrupted with a grin.

"Or in the mess hall," Allison interjected, right on top of him.

"As I was saying," Marie started again, giving them both a frown. "Whenever the commander is on away missions, he is often injured." Hsiao couldn't help himself.

"Or abducted," he said with a chuckle.

"Or seduced," Allison offered with a wicked grin, completely ignoring the decidedly unfriendly look Marie gave her.

"Like that crazy Tellarite who chased him all over Risa!" Dan started to laugh at the memory from two weeks earlier and was pleasantly surprised when Allison started giggling; she was really quite attractive once you got past the attitude.

"What was it she kept telling him?" Li asked, her giggles threatening to turn into full-out laughter.

"'I want your offspring!'" they quoted together before erupting in laughter. Even Devereux had to smile.

He loved her smile.