USS Alexia

Alexia class Strike Carrier

NCC 61667

Orion Frontier

A little while later, Rei, Kayla, Rela and Logan gathered in the wardroom, with the remains of dinner still sitting on the table.

"That Viinerine was actually wonderful. Too bad," Rela lamented, playing with the noodles as she sat down.

A look from Kayla brought her back into focus, and Rei hit the terminal and brought up the QC Message.

On three separate windows – given that the contacts were in three separate locations – the faces of Scott Hathaway, Jack Marshall and Alynna Nechayev appeared in from the crew of Alexia.

Alynna wasted little time and formality, "Rachel, are you alright?!"

"We're fine, Vice Admiral, no casualties or damage on the ship so far," Rei replied.

"What happened, Ms Nechayev?" Scott asked.

Rei took a deep breath, "Admiral Hathaway, the convoy we were sent to escort was attacked. But this wasn't a typical pirate raid. They were attacked by an Orion Space Navy vessel, the OSN Corsair to be specific. My best guess is they set a trap for us."

"A trap?"

"Yes, Admiral. When we responded to the distress call, the freighters were already empty of both cargo and crew. Captain Shyvax ordered a team of medics and marines to board Faetor by shuttle and look for survivors, as well as some other cargo he was responsible for. Do you know anything about that?"

Scott sighed. Secret keeping wasn't exactly new to him, but it was something he hated doing. But the stakes were too high, and he couldn't fully trust the company on the call with him.

"Worry about that later. Continue your report, Ms Nechayev."

"Aye Sir," Rei replied, "The Raptor was ambushed by Scorpion class fighters. They came in from Starboard and their impulse wakes were masked by the plasma fires. We didn't even have time to clear our sensors before the fighters were on top of our Raptor, and the Raptor didn't have a chance to raise her shields."

"Who was on the Raptor, Rachel?" Alynna asked.

Rei sighed, "Captain Shyvax, Major Ingles, most of our medical staff and three quarters of our MCT."

Both Scott and Jack let out long sighs, while Alynna simply shook her head.

To say that Operation Blackbeard hadn't gone well so far was an understatement on a stupefying scale.

"I don't think there's any choice here, Scott. Let's get her home," Alynna started to say, but found herself stopped by Jack.

"Ms Nechayev, is Alexia still combat effective?"

Rei nodded, "Yes, General. We took the fighters down without a sweat, and Corsair declined to engage us."

Jack, on a QC Hologram, stood up from his desk in Beaufort, "Well, if my Fishie counterparts here agree, I believe we should press on. We don't have anything else near that area, and Corsair is obviously still a threat."

"Now just one damn minute Jack," Alynna shouted with her famous venom, "I'm COM-TACOPS, and don't for one second think that you can tell me what my ships can and can't do!"

Jack kept his voice calm and sat back down, "Pardon me, Vice Admiral, but I do remember my charts from Sandhurst, and I happen to outrank you. But beyond that, Blackbeard is an FMC operation, so ultimately, the call is mine."

"I don't care how close you are to Mark or the President, I am not letting you order my daughter into harm's way, Jack!"

Scott slammed a holographic hand on his own desk, "That'll be enough, both of you! I swear to Star or Ginny that I'll lock you both in a room with a pair of phasers if either of you don't grow up in about ten seconds!"

After the eternity of ten seconds, and after he was sure they were both paying attention, Scott looked at Rei next, "Ms Nechayev, you're closer to the front than any of us. You have the best optics to the situation at hand. In your opinion, can you carry out Operation Blackbeard successfully?"

Rei paused for a moment to look around the room. Rela and Logan both offered her nods, which she took to heart. The rest of the team – her graduating class – murmured their silent approval.

But in a shock to both girls, Rei's blue eyes locked with Kayla's greens. It was a moment that neither of them expected, but it wasn't an unwelcome moment either.

And Rei suddenly found her strength again.

"Yes, we can, Admiral Hathaway."

"That's what I like to hear," Scott said with a smile, "In that case, I hereby grant you a field commission of Starfleet Captain, with all the rights and privileges that rank comes with. Alexia is yours, Captain Nechayev. Your orders are to pursue Corsair and put a stop to these attacks, by any means necessary."

Not to be outdone by a Fishie, Jack looked at Kayla, "She'll need a Marine to back her up, Scott. Leftenant Kayla Kaimeao, consider this a brevet post to Major. You'll take on the responsibility of OC-MCT, USS Alexia. Keep our Fishie cousins safe out there. Or the original Major Kaimeao will have my ass. Understood?"

Kayla stood up and saluted, "Sharkies lead the way, Sir!"

"All the way. Beaufort out."

As Jack's holoimage faded out of existence, Scott stood up as well, "I'll see if Starfleet Intelligence and MIS can dig up anything further on Corsair for you, Skipper. I'll expect regular updates on your progress. Starfleet Command out."

Rei and Alynna stared at each other for a long moment.

Rei tried to break the silence, "Mom,"

"Forget it, Rachel. You stopped listening to me when you were thirteen and took Darren Varley to the Hurricanes game in Lethbridge. Just be safe," Alynna said, softly.

"I will," said Rei.

Alynna's hologram faded away, and the room was silent for a long moment.

Logan took the boldness and broke it, "Your Orders, Captain Nechayev?"

Rei again smiled. Captain Nechayev.

It had been a joke. And then a dream. And now a sobering reality.

"Let's get the ship ready to get underway. I want a way to track Corsair, and I want it yesterday. Leftenant Rela, would you go visit our rescue in sickbay? He could probably use a familiar voice. Everyone else, dismissed."

Rela stood up and saluted, which Rei returned sharply. Logan and the rest of the Starfleet crew followed behind the Romulan Marine.

Only Kayla was left behind.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Rei let go of a deep breath, "You know what I wrote for my graduating thesis, Kayla? 'A Study of the Psychology of Starship Captains assigned to command an Enterprise'. Thirteen hundred pages. Even won a blue ribbon for it. I went all in about their motivations, their aspirations, what set them apart from everyone else."

"And what did you find?"

Rei collapsed into her hands, "I wasn't ready for this."

Kayla got up, took the seat next to Rei, and gently grasped Rei's left hand, "But you are. You said it yourself. Alexia is one hell of a ship. And you've got something that Archer, Kirk, Harriman, Sulu, Garrett, and Picard never dreamed of having either."

"What's that?"

"You've got the best crew of Sharkies that any Fishie Skipper could ask for at your back."

Rei had to laugh, "I guess that's true. Does that include their OC-MCT?"

In a moment Kayla hadn't really planned for, she changed her grip from a clasp to interlocking her fingers with Rei, a much more intimate way of holding hands.

And in another moment that shocked both of them – even though Kayla's mind said it was just for motivation – she kissed the back of Rei's hand.

"I'm there for you too, Rei."

Rei was about to make one further comment, but the QC channel interrupted her again, "Alexia 2-2 to Actual. Our guest is awake. Can you join us in sickbay, please?"

The two quickly parted hands while Rei answered, smacking her comm badge hard, "On my way."

It was Kayla's turn to sigh, "My little sister is adorable, but she just loves to ruin moments, doesn't she?"

Rei laughed, "It's probably for the best. Come on, Major. We've got a guest to greet."

─•~:~•─